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The heART of Affirmation A Tribute to Jaycee Pressy Vol. I, No. 05 * 22 November 2008  By JCI A / Mem. CERWIN T. EVIOTA, CNT, NG 2006 Charter President
“MEMBERS don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” We quoted this in reply to President MM’s comment on my blog on the “Role (Past) Presidents Play.” Members in an organization like JCI get motivated no matter what the odds may be on tasks they do when they feel the leader cares for them, even through mere pats on the back. Much more when the leader demonstrates affirmation. This brings to fore my memory of my mother, Presentacion T. Eviota, Jaycee Pressy, charter member of the Cebu Hara Jaycees (JCI Cebu Hara), the person who brought me to the world of JCI, whose birthday we remember yesterday.
Art from the Heart  Born on Nov. 21, feast of her Patroness, the Virgin of the Rule (Birhen sa Regla), and feast of the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple, the 4th Joyful Mystery, my Lolo Roman, an astute Principal and an awesome Tenor, and my Lola Ekiang, political matriarch of our hometown in Bohol known as Doña Eutiquia Camacho vda. de Tocmo, named my mother Presentacion, Spanish for “presentation.”
Inday Pres, as our grandparents and those older than her would call her, grew showered with so much love and affection from Lola Ekiang and the ways of discipline of Lolo Roman. She and her siblings -- 'Ma Patching, 'Pa Dodong, 'My Ladeth and 'My Mila -- exhibited the same character and reverberated that to our generation. JC PRESSY, as she graduated BS Pharmacy at USC in 1955.She looked more like a high-school graduate ... c",) While most in the Tocmo-Camacho clan have become affectionate and conservative in being disciplinarians, maybe except for those of us who grew from childhood out of Bohol, Anding Presing, as those younger than her would call her, had a particular trait that she got from Lola Ekiang. She had the heart to affirm.  Mommy Pressy would do so especially to me and my beloved elder brother, our senior associate member, Irvin Caesar, a.k.a. “ICE Ice Baby.”
Any little creations we did at home, Mommy would always express with so much warmth: “Oh, how nice!” And her eyes would sparkle, making you feel doing more, even better. I would not really know if I did good or if I was creative then, but by her ART of affirmation that you feel truly comes from her HEART, you feel encouraged to Be Better and work to excel. ASSOCIATE Members ICE and CTE in a huddle. I always felt so good when Mommy gave her affectionate affirmation. And you’d see how proud she was when we get to receive medals and citations for academic and non-academic feats. Mommy was strict, like we were told about Lolo Roman. But she would still gladly affirm anything good from others, like our helper who she treats like part of the family. The same was true to her colleagues at work, with the Cebu Pharmaceutical Association (CPA) and with her contemporaries in the Jaycees. Cebu Hara Jaycees I was just 10 years old in 1977 when she became part of new chapter that JCI Sen. Maximo “Kuya Max” Encomienda, who also started the Junior Jaycee movement in Cebu and the rest of the Philippines, initiated -- the Cebu Hara Jaycees. As we had no yaya at that time, Mommy would always bring me to every activity of the chapter at the Cebu Jaycee Clubhouse at Fuente Osmeña (now a drive-thru BDO bank branch) and in the communities with great chapters like the Cebu Jaycees, Mandaue Jaycees and Consolacion Jaycees. Cebu Hara Jaycees was a consistent outstanding chapter, producing outstanding projects in the Philippine Jaycees, and had the Bai Lawanen Jaycees of Cagayan de Oro City as their consistent rival. Still young as a chapter, the Hara ladies came to be recognized even in the world arena.  As we accompanied Mommy in her activities, we had the opportunity to rub elbows with great Jaycee leaders of that time, like Celing Fernan, Eddie Gullas, Raul del Mar, Jun Lardizabal, Sil Calomarde, Jing-Jing Osmeña, Ritz Malinao, Sonny Garcia, Efren Valiente, Jun Montuerto (right), Gus Go, George Bragat and Buzz Bustillo.
I remember helping in the campaign for Cebu City Councilor for Sonny Garcia, now publisher of Sun*Star Publishing, Inc., and we would always visit his law office at that building where Hi-Precision Diagnostics is today, the former Citibank in Cebu. CEBU Jaycees 1982 President Anastacio "Jun" Montuerto, Jr. Mommy was a Hara presidentiable, even for CPA, we were told, but she refused to be one. She didn’t want to eventually lose quality time for my brother ICE and me, she later explained. Also, with Spanish blood running in her veins, and with how conscious she was with her facial skin, she actually looked at least 10 (if not 15) years younger than she really was.  My interest in the Jaycee movement brought me to the Junior Jaycees by 1984 when Mommy had become inactive -- having passed way off the age limit for JCI members -- and her contemporaries were slowly gone, like Boots Perez, that power-packed lady from PLDT, and Lydia Ang, who operated a botica on T. Padilla St. Only Angie Loja remained as we came to be a JJC. And this would be another story.
Care to affirm Pardon me for celebrating a bit quite lengthily about JC Pressy, my mother. I just would want to impart on you the character she displayed to her family, friends and colleagues, that of someone who truly and selflessly cares for others, especially with the pack she worked with and practically led. JJC CERWIN, four months before he joined the Junior Jaycees in 1984.
As genuine and effective leaders in an organization, it pays when you truly care for your members. It is always meaningful when you get to affirm your members’ contributions, even if such did not bring much impact to a project.
As they get more motivated, you would realize that they would later deliver more than what you expect. In affirming, it should come from the heart … and not just as an art or a mere style of leadership. Your members would actually feel the difference. When your members deliver, their success becomes yours. As they feel the sense of achievement, you feel fulfilled. Mommy Pres would cheer like a whole squad when she watched me receive a recognition on stage. Much more when she gets to pin even just a paper medal on my chest. It was like she earned it. Feeling Fulfilled When our members achieve for their efforts, it is also like we earned it. Somehow, we get a part of their achievement. And how fulfilling such feelings are. Now you could relate how I feel when JCI Cebu-Mactan Channel on Gelo’s and Jolex’s watches in 2007 and 2008 reaped awards during the area conferences and national conventions. My time as a regular JCI member is over, but I get fulfilled seeing the chapter accomplish projects and achieving recognitions. I know I will get more fulfilled on MM’s watch. I already do now.
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