JCI SENATOR NUMBER 1 IN THE WORLD

Joaquin V. Gonzales as a Jaycee, surpassed many young men who have contributed much to the Jaycee Movement. 'Jake', as he was fondly called, served as 'voluntary' Secretary general of Jaycees International (JCI) for the fiscal year 1950-1951. His services to JCP were all gratis et amore.

In 1951, three and a half years after the establishment of the first Jaycee chapter in Manila, he was elected the 3rd National President of the Philippine Jaycee (JCP). At that time, the JCP movement already had 30 Jaycee chapters throughout the country.

The job Jake did during his incumbency as National President of JCP was so exemplary that the delegates to the 3rd JCP National Convention held in Baguio City 1952 unanimously decided to amend the Constitution of the national organization to pave the way for his re-election.

After the JCP convention, Jake, a thoughtful family man, decided to rush home to comfort to his ailing wife, Lourdes dela Rama who was 5 months pregnant. He hastened to the Baguio Airport to catch a chartered PAL flight of Jaycees that was to take-off for Manila. A fellow Jaycee, Philip Monserrat, gladly gave up his seat to accommodate Jake.

The fateful moment came to Jake at exactly 10:30 Sunday morning, March 30, 1952. His Manila bound plane crash landed into a steel matting fence and burst into flames. Jake, along with eleven Jaycees and their wives perished and rest were severely wounded.

When Jaycees International Senate was launched in September 1952 at the 7th JCI World Congress in Melbourne, Australia, Jake was nominated posthumously by the Canadian delegation and became JCI Senator No. 1 in the world.