Club Secretary Reginald “Reggie” T. Yu: Literature Becomes Him

Witty, intelligent, strong, pragmatic, charming, and a grace under pressure. These are the characteristics of Josiah “Jed” Bartlet, the President of the United States in NBC’s hit television series “The West Wing.” These same qualities best describe Secretary Reggie Yu, President of Times Paint Corporation, a renowned personality in the Junior Chamber International (JCI) world and a sought-after trainer.

The young writer who had penned comic books for his classmates during his childhood days had no idea he would author the world’s first and only coffee table book about a JCI chapter. When he was appointed chairman/author of the book project, he took it as a personal mission to come up with a comprehensive volume of JCI Manila without thinking that it would later become a distinguished book.

Sec. Yu joined Junior Chamber International (JCI) Manila chapter (formerly, Manila Jaycees, the first and premier JCI chapter in Asia) in 1991 and served in various capacities. He was conferred the lifetime membership title of “JCI Senator” in 2000 and served as President of the JCI Senate Manila in 2011-2012, while concurrently serving as National Chairman of “The Outstanding Filipino Awards” (TOFIL) search in collaboration with Insular Life and Assurance Co. He also served as President of the Anvil Business Club from 2014 to 2015, and President of the Alumni Association of Xavier School in from 2017 to 2019. Apart from this, he is also a member of the Y’s Men Club of Downtown Manila, a sustaining member of the Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants and member of the Philippine Association of Management Accountants.

Know more about Sec. Yu as he shares his profound thoughts on various topics, and how the pandemic and lockdown changed his outlook in life.

Rhea Vitto Tabora (RVT): As a new Rotarian, how would you describe your experience so far?

Reginald Yu (RY): My moments as a new (Star) Rotarian in the Rotary Club of Manila were both illuminating, yet intimidating. I remember distinctly that, in my first General Membership Meeting, I had a chance to personally sit beside and break bread with a number of esteemed elder Rotarians – such as former Mayor Fred Lim, former SBMA Chair Tong Payumo, former House Speaker Joe de Venecia, former Sec. Jimmy Laya, Archit Bartolome, et. al. – many of them were illustrious personalities whom I only get to read about in the newspapers or watch on television. To be frank, when I was inducted as a regular member, I was a little unsure of the challenge I had just taken on. I wasn’t even quite sure of what Rotary was, other than just being a volunteer service organization.

After attending Rotary for several weeks, I now know that it is so much more than having “lunch with business people.” My experience as a star Rotarian was nothing short of awesome. I enjoyed meeting different entrepreneurs, business individuals, and hardworking community members from the area and hearing their stories. I learned a lot from these wise adults, just by listening to their stories or exchanging anecdotes in light banter. I felt extremely welcomed at Rotary by the friendly atmosphere, talkative people, and helpful hosts. I also enjoyed the knowledge and caring that is represented through Rotary. Between the announcements from around the community, invocations, and speakers, I never left Rotary without feeling impacted and learning something new.

I have never considered myself a good writer and my experience in authoring books has been scant at best (I don’t know if writing comic books for my classmates during my elementary years would be considered a noteworthy experience). But I have always been fascinated by history, especially those clothed with an esteemed past like that of the Jaycees. When JCI Manila was then commemorating its 50th founding year in the Philippines, I wondered aloud how relevant the celebration would become if someone would write a book about its rich history. Apparently, the incoming president at that time, Felix Ang (of CATS Motors) thought that it was a fantastic idea and promptly appointed me chairman/author of the book project. I took it as a personal mission to come up with a comprehensive and definitive volume of JCI Manila.

RVT: What inspired you to write “Forging Vanguards”?

RY: I wrote “Forging Vanguards” in 1998 as a tribute to the men behind the success of the Junior Chamber International (JCI) movement in the Philippines, particularly, with the first and premier JCI chapter established in Asia, the Manila Jaycees (now, JCI Manila). The book was the culmination of my many contributions to the JCI movement as a member. Only later did I realize that it was the first (and only) coffee-table book ever written about a JCI chapter anywhere else in the world. It’s still being used as a reference material in JCI.

RVT: If you are to choose a character in a book or movie who is most similar to you, who would you choose and why?

RY: If I were to choose a fictional character, it would have to be Josiah “Jed” Bartlet, the President of the United States in NBC’s hit television series, “The West Wing,” an American serial political drama television series created by Aaron Sorkin that was originally broadcast on NBC from September 22, 1999, to May 14, 2006. The main protagonist is witty, intelligent, and strong. President Bartlet has all of the qualities of a great leader. He’s a pragmatic, charming, and tough man who is known for his ability to be graceful under pressure. While he’s the “Leader of the Free World,” he’s still humble. As he once told his staff, “I’m the President of the United States, not the President of the people who agree with me.” President Bartlet juggles dozens of important issues in every hour of every day. His job has become his life, but luckily he’s got a team of intelligent, dedicated people working around-the-clock to help him run the nation. The President of the United States has the most difficult job in the world. Jed has to juggle a hundred separate things at once, yet he’s able to do it all while battling a life-threatening condition, multiple sclerosis.

RVT: What’s the last book you read that you couldn’t put down?

RY: That would certainly have to be “Team of Rivals,” a best-selling 2005 book by Pulitzer Prize-winning American historian Doris Kearns Goodwin. The book is a biographical portrait of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln and some of the men who served with him in his cabinet from 1861 to 1865. It’s a story about three of his Cabinet members who had previously run against Lincoln in the 1860 election — Attorney General Edward Bates, Secretary of the Treasury Salmon P. Chase and Secretary of State William H. Seward — all far more experienced, far more educated, far more celebrated leaders than Lincoln. It’s also about Lincoln’s relationship with his cabinet. Her book showcases Lincoln’s remarkable political skills and focuses on the 16th President’s mostly successful attempts to reconcile conflicting personalities and political factions on the path to abolition and victory in the American Civil War. Despite its hefty tome, this immense, finely boned, 944-page masterpiece was far from being a dull administrative or bureaucratic account; rather, it is a story of personalities — a messianic drama, if you will — in which Lincoln’s gift for coalition-building has been showcased better than any other writer of the same genre that I have ever come across. I highly recommend it.

RVT: When and how do you come up with best ideas?

RY: I don’t believe that one has to be a deep thinker to come up with the best ideas, but it requires hard work. I believe discipline is key. To get my brain on track to come up with an idea, I often need to surround it with a lot of relevant information. I do a lot of relevant research. I do studies that problematize my existing ideas. I read a lot of other authors who are trying to do similar things. I read books that familiarize myself with the setting of the place I am writing about. I often interact with people outside of my normal social group which will expose me to new ideas and perspectives.

RVT: How has the pandemic and lockdown changed your outlook in life?

RY: As I found myself separated from friends and family, fear and anxiety about a disease can be overwhelming and bring about strong emotions. For me, it could sometimes feel that I’m in a state of being trapped in an obsidian pit with no light at the end of the tunnel. But then, sometimes, in the midst of my nadir, I learned to appreciate the little silver linings in life and look at the bright side. For someone who was in a state of perpetual motion, I had to undergo quite an adjustment to appreciate idleness and leisure and rethink my relationship with God, family, loved ones, and friends... in that order. While I may still have access to my mobile phone and social media, but with places of social gathering shut down, the bulk of my day was spent in my home with my family. The slowed pace of life has given me a chance to catch my breath and have the time to pay closer attention to what my kids were saying. And something as simple, and previously unappreciated, as an evening stroll, with or without the family, can now actually be the highlight of my day. I have taken to catching up long-delayed classics like Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice,” Franz Kafka’s “The Metamorphosis,” and Thandie Newton’s “Jane Eyre.” I also took to enrolling in Harvard University’s free on-line classes (HarvardX) on Chinese History and the study of Islam. Looking beyond the “gloom-and-doom” prognostications that I see in the evening news almost on a daily basis, I have learned to instead focus on expanding what is beautiful about my life and eliminating what no longer serves me. I’ve learned that, if I just took the time to plan what I want to transpire during this time, what do I want to achieve, and build that into my daily activities, I can make it happen. All told, this time of enforced togetherness has been a time of discoveries – of differences, but also of finding common ground that we might have forgotten about, or never even known before. This disease has shown me how interconnected we all are, in scary ways, but possibly also good ones. I’ve seen how one place in the world might affect the rest of us. But on a more personal level, even though I’ve sometimes felt restless and confined in my own home, this quarantine has given me a precious time with family.

RVT: Name one invention that amazes you until now.

RY: That would have to be the mobile phone. More than just its immeasurable social influence and how it revolutionized society in less than a decade, I’m absolutely fascinated over its science: how voices (and data) are turned into electrical signals; how radio waves travel through the air to a nearby cell tower; how the tower sends voice and data to the person you are calling and the process is reversed so that the person on the other end can hear your voice... all without the need of wires or cables. It’s simply an astounding piece of technology!

RVT: If you can go out for a road trip with your family right now, where would you go and why?

RY: To be honest, I am never fond of long road trips. It always conjures up images of restless, noisy kids whose “stomachs are always empty and bladders always full.” But if I were to choose one destination in the Philippines, it would have to be a ten-hour sojourn north of Metro Manila to the province of Ilocos. The region offers a wide array of attractions to satisfy all types of travelers, from adventure-seekers to sun-worshippers to heritage conservationists to gourmands. The fun thing is that every family member can be any of them in a span of three days. Vigan is the ideal base for exploring the rest of the region. The city bursts with more activities as the sun sets in. And it offers staying at century-old bahay-na-bato converted into guesthouses. For some inexplicable reason, the city of Vigan draws me with its charming architecture, preserved from Spanish colonial times. A walk down cobblestoned Calle Crisologo and a kalesa (horse-drawn calash) tour around the city’s sights always take me back to the country’s idyllic 18th-century, Spanish colonial past. A ride up to Ilocos Norte can open many beautiful vistas and historical sights, like Paoay Church. For a shot of adrenaline, I could spend a morning at the sand dunes, on sand boards and 4x4s. For something truly spectacular, a horse ride over to the white coastal limestone of the Kapurpurawan Rock Formation can be a real thrill. Finally, another two hours to Pagudpud, the northernmost tip of mainland Luzon, can be a real treat.

RVT: How would you describe your perfect day?

RY: My perfect day would begin by waking up without an alarm, making a delicious breakfast and eating it in my pajamas while I sip on a cup of piping hot chocolate. Then I’d read a good book for a little while on my front porch, followed by a trip to the gym. For lunch I’d love to go out with friends or family somewhere fun and light. In the afternoon, I’d go to a clean bookstore and just browse around, taking in the daylight. At dinnertime, I’d love to spend dinner with good friends or family and end the night with a movie. Overall, a pretty relaxing day, but still full of fun activities.

RVT: What event in your life would make a good movie material?

RY: Frankly, I don’t consider any facet of my life exciting enough of being adapted into a movie; it will be an absolute bore. While I’ve faced a ton of challenges throughout my life, I believe they are nothing compared to the ones encountered by those constantly faced with life’s most incredibly formidable adversities, and how they were able to overcome them.