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Remembering ‘Papa’ Dave JCI’s Greatest Avatar of Passionate Leadership Vol. I, No. 02 * 16 January 2009 .jpg "JCI Sen. Reginald T. Yu, ITF") By JCI Sen. REGINALD T. YU, ITF Trainer, Inspirational Speaker and Author, Communicator
On January 3, 2009, the entire JCI world celebrated the 10th Death Anniversary of David D. Chua-Unsu, one of the most eminent stanchions of Junior Chamber International in its 94 year history. He was a JCI Senator. He was a Filipino. For two days, scores of past and present JCI luminaries from the Philippines and all over the Asia-Pacific flocked to Manila to pay homage to the man who has dominated JCI politics for more than two decades. On January 2, a sumptuous Chinese lariat dinner at the luxurious Shang Palace in Makati City was hosted by 2003 JCI Asia-Pacific Senate Chairman Cecilio K. Pedro and organized by JCI Manila.
The affair was graced by such personages as JCI Foundation Chairman Sonny Yu of Hong Kong, 2001 JCI General Legal Counsel Kazuyasu Ueshima of Japan, 1989 JCI World President Isfahani Sameen of Sri Lanka, 1999 Yong Suk Choi of Korea, and 1997 JCI Oliver K.F. Jeng of Taiwan, as well as noted JCI Philippine dignitaries, as Quezon City Mayor (and 1975 JCI World President) Feliciano R. Belmonte Jr., San Juan City Mayor (and 1998 National President) Joseph Victor G. Ejercito, Clark International Airport Corporation President (and 1985 JCI World President) Victor Jose I. Luciano, and Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry President (1996 JCI General Legal Counsel) Robert L. Go, who took turns in reminiscing their most memorable experiences with the man they call, “The Godfather.” On January 3, a solemn wreath-laying ceremony was held at his gravesite in Parañaque City. A testimonial luncheon at the Manila Polo Club followed soon after. In every occasion, the programs were honored with a slew of past National Presidents, Local Presidents, and bigwigs from Junior Chamber International. Who was this man to deserve such universal acclaim and pervasive distinction, even a decade after his demise? KNOWING ‘PAPA’ DAVE Some pillars are built in palaces. Some are preserved in ancient Greek ruins. But a few are molded in the imagination, out of scraps of hard work and extraordinary passion. David Chua-Unsu never talked about how people saw him.  Yet as he advised, cajoled, and sometimes, even arm-twisted legions of wannabes wishing to leave their own mark in a young people’s organization, even well-placed luminaries who usually enjoyed a semblance of command acted like agitated little puppies, lapping up his every word – it was as if they waited for someone to continue what probably a Henry Giessenbier began.
David Chua-Unsu was, in many ways, an unlikely leader of an unlikely organization. At five-foot-six, his turgid frame never cut an imposing figure. Rackety, even vociferous to a fault, his demeanor resembled more of a vexatious and hackneyed, dishonorably-discharged military official, than a mellowed adviser who had seen the best of times. He was never JCI World President. His name will never be seen in the roster of Junior Chamber’s official list of founding members. He was never a disciple of subtle diplomacy, especially to those whom he had an axe to grind. Indeed, he seemed to possess none of the elemental qualities ordinarily attributed to great leaders. But, for those who knew him up close, David Chua-Unsu was no ordinary leader. When he mounts the podium, the actual titles seemed unimportant. And David Chua-Unsu, by some quality of that limpid voice or by some secret of cadence, exercises control as can few others over his audiences. When he characteristically waves his hand, either to signal his approbation or opprobrium, national presidents and international eminences always awaited his reactions with bated breath, depending on the direction his mood swings would blow. Despite his relatively stodgy build, he towered over national presidents and JCI dignitaries who would reluctantly hold major resolutions in abeyance without his ultimate blessing. Indeed, such was his extraordinary influence over every facet of Junior Chamber International’s operations – even in his ability to predispose the selection of JCI’s top officials – that he is referred to as the “king maker” and the “godfather.” Those who were fortunate to enjoy his good graces affectionately called him “Papa Dave” – a term of endearment which, ironically, was originally meant as ignominious dig in reference to him being an “old man” in a young man’s organization. His clout, ascendancy and supremacy in the Junior Chamber organization were so vast and so deeply-entrenched, that David Chua-Unsu became synonymous with JCI and vice-versa. A foundation was established in his honor by JCI as soon as he passed away. A few years later, the David Chua-Unsu Memorial Patron – the highest foundation level in JCI – was created in recognition of his unparalleled contributions and consummate devotion to the JCI movement. That his photograph as the only JCI Senator in contemporary times to be placed among the images of the organization’s timeless founders at the JCI headquarters is but a small manifestation of the respect with which he has earned from among his peers worldwide. HUMBLE BEGINNINGS  There were many reasons why David Chua-Unsu’s rise in JCI stands as such a remarkable feat, considering his very humble origins. Born on April 4, 1935 and orphaned at five without a father figure or a sizeable inheritance with which to start from, he was determined to succeed in this world – playing under his own rules.
Discipline, hard work, and a passion for excellence dominated his moral and intellectual psyche. Overcoming the obstacles of being a working student, juggling multiple jobs and acting as sole breadwinner of his mother and two younger siblings, he graduated from the Mapua Institute of Technology in 1958 with two degrees in Mechanical and Electrical Engineering as class valedictorian, summa cum laude. He took up post-graduate studies in engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston and pursued additional courses in metallurgy in some of Germany’s best universities. Upon his return, he quickly established a slew of profitable enterprises, which ranged from steel re-bars and billets manufacturing, intravenous fluids manufacturing to commercial flue curing. At the age of 30, David Chua-Unsu was elected President of the Philippine Iron and Steel Traders Association – a position which he held for life since – due to the unmitigated trust of its members in his strong leadership and unimpeachable character. RISE TO JUNIOR CHAMBER RANKS  But it was in JCI that David Chua-Unsu shone the brightest.
When he joined JCI Quezon City “Capitol” in 1963 his sense of devotion to excellence resonated in many of the projects he chaired. In quick succession, he served as the youngest National President of JCI Senate Philippines in 1970, President of JCI QC Capitol in 1971, National President of JCI Philippines in 1974, and JCI Vice President in 1975. AS 1974 NP, Papa Dave honors JCI Sen. Artemio "Temiong" Vergel de Dios, the man who brought JCI to the Philippines in 1947, and throughout Asia. Throughout his decade-long journey as an active officer of JCI, he became so enmeshed with the affairs of Junior Chamber International, that he was even conferred the enigmatic title of “Chairman Emeritus” of the JCI Foundation – long after he exceeded the movement’s age limit of 40 years. What made his moments in the organization even more fascinating was his very reason for staying. “Who would, in one’s farthest imagination, think of a colored person from a Third World country rising above the egoism and hubris of Caucasians from members belonging to First World national organizations, and for one to be able to look down on them?” – was his quick response to those critical of his continued participation. Indeed, one of his proudest achievements that he often laid claim was this: Because of a David Chua-Unsu, Filipinos were not looked down upon in JCI. Certainly, all the axioms stemming from age-old racial prejudices against Asians – Filipinos in particular – were demolished by David Chua-Unsu’s flinty willpower, his arrogant – almost ascetic self-confidence, his instinct to swear, shout and put his foot down when needed to, and his fetching promise to give them "a leadership borne by example.”  And what a leadership he led.
While his name may evoke images of his legendary irascibility and acerbic visage, David Chua-Unsu shall still be remembered for his unparalleled devotion to the JCI movement, having touched the lives of countless members who depended on him for his fatherly advice and guidance. To them, he was more than a friend and an adviser – he was a best friend, a brother, and a father all rolled into one. IN 1974, NP David Chua-Unsu welcomes JCI EVP Ross Lawson. THE PRICE OF LEADERSHIP But as close friends and loved ones were one in vouching for his deep devotion to the JCI movement, David Chua-Unsu often ended up paying a huge personal price. As his involvement with the JCI movement became firmly embedded in his everyday life, quality time with his family soon became a luxury; children who longed for a father figure saw him only on Saturdays, at best. A swath of potentially lucrative business deals went awry due to his absences in meetings. Companies he co-founded closed shop one after another due to the crushing weight of business misfortunes, exacerbated by his “hands-off” management style. Some of his immediate family members facetiously lamented that, “if there was such a thing as a wife and a mistress, we were beginning to think that we were the mistress.” But there were certainly no regrets. Although he spent immeasurable sums of time, talent, treasure and energy for the movement, he loved every second of his being in the center of JCI. “I don’t need to be rich financially,” he once proclaimed, “because when I’m rich in my heart, those are all the treasures I need.” AN ENDURING LEGACY Without a doubt, David Chua-Unsu got what he wanted. When he passed away on January 3, 1999, legions of JCI luminaries from all over the world flocked to the Philippines to pay their last respects. Friends from far-away places mounted eulogy after eulogy, often surprising even his closest family members to the extent of his altruism. “Were it not for David (Chua-Unsu)’s untiring assistance, I would not have been alive today,” proclaimed one past national president from Japan. “He was always there at my side to comfort me when my husband passed away,” declared one JCI World President from New Zealand. “He was really a true friend, colleague and brother who never failed to assist me when I was starting my business,” boasted one JCI Vice-President who hailed from the Ivory Coast. His last hurrah was, indubitably, the staging of the 53rd JCI World Congress when JCI Manila hosted it in 1998.  Despite being ill from a lingering condition, he was a virtual Congress Director, a one-man army, outlasting committee members half his age, going on days without sleep, marshalling all his energies in ensuring that the Philippines would give the greatest performance of its golden existence by hosting the “Best World Congress Ever.”
PAPA DAVE attends a World Congress as a VIP. In the end, he again emerged victorious... but it took a great toll on his health. It was perhaps a stroke of Divine intervention that he was finally granted ultimate repose – barely a month after the most successful Congress ever organized in Asian shores had finally concluded. In his pursuit of a place for Filipinos in JCI, David Chua-Unsu was just as radical as he was in his conduct of making it happen. As an adviser, he showed the same discipline, candor and nerve he demonstrated in his conduct as a JCI vanguard. So he emerged with his faith only deepened in the transformational power of clear leadership. Whether or not his boisterous – almost uncouth – manner actually yielded a mandate for his personal mission, he is sure to claim one for his style, because he stuck to it against all odds, much advice and the lessons of history. And on that choice at least, the results are in. Undeniably, David Chua-Unsu’s lasting legacy shall be the image of the Filipino in the global arena of JCI. Because of him, he made generations of JCI members from the Philippine stand tall among their peers worldwide. Through it all, his ideas about what can be accomplished differ from those of most mortals. They are far grander, informed by a vision as vast as the human determination to bring them into being. After discovering the principle of the lever and the fulcrum in the 3rd century B.C., Archimedes wrote, "Give me where to stand, and I will move the earth." David Chua-Unsu certainly knew where he stood. 
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