Junior Philippine Computer Society (JPCS)

The Junior Philippine Computer Society (JPCS) is an organization of students in the field of information and communications technology. The JPCS aims to provide its members with experiences that complement the knowledge members acquire in their respective schools, thus better preparing each student for his future role as a world class ICT professional.

JPCS membership benefits not only students but their schools as well. JPCS encourages friendly competition among schools. Competition winners not only win for themselves, but win for their school – in an inexpensive but very public opportunity to advertise their school’s quality of education.

As an organization that is actively involved in the ICT-related concerns of education, industry, business, and government, the Philippine Computer Society is pleased to collaborate with schools to continuously improve the quality of ICT education and training.

With a JPCS chapter in your school, graduating JPCS members can rightfully claim having been “bred” in an organization that is an integral part of the Philippine Computer Society (PCS), the premier organization of IT professionals in the country. With a JPCS chapter in your school, and with JPCS an integral part of PCS, your school is assured of an open direct channel between your school and the ICT industry.

The Philippine Computer Society considers its linkages with the youth and the academe to be of extreme importance. It aims to introduce JPCS to the individuals within and outside of JPCS – to the school’s officers, administrators, deans, program heads, coordinators, advisers, faculty, and students. A JPCS Steering Committee has been established to work closely with schools and their students in the organization and activation of a JPCS chapter in every school. The Steering Committee may be reached through the Philippine Computer Society office.

Brief History of JPCS

In January 1989, the Philippine Computer Society organized a group of young computer professionals, mostly students and computer enthusiasts. The group was called Philippine Computer Society – Junior Programmer’s Guild (PCS-JPG). It aimed to improve the knowledge and skills of the youth in the field of information technology. The Guild initially had 17 recognized chapters in Metro Manila and was under the Special Interest Group for Software that was spearheaded by Mr. Luis Chanco and Mr. Antonio Bach Cuyugan. At that time, the PCS-JPG was the first and only national student organization catering to computer enthusiasts from different schools.

The PCS-JPG spent its first two days in an off-campus computer workshop/conference at the MERALCO Foundation Institute (MFI). This was participated in by all the 17 chapter schools as well as by several guests from the Philippine Computer Society.

In July 1990, PCS-JPG changed its name to Junior Philippine Computer Society (JPCS). It was designated a permanent committee under the PCS. In 1990, too, was launched the first national computer convention for the youth, Explore IT ’90. The event was held at the Ateneo de Manila University in Makati. With the success of the convention, JPCS gained the attention of other schools and of various sectors.

JPCS Mission

To create and sustain an extracurricular learning environment that:

• Complements the academic experience provided by institutions;

• Is sensitive and responds to the needs of the ICT industry;

• Prepares the student to be a better ICT professional.

To unite and commit the youth to:

• technical and leadership excellence;

• fostering among themselves lasting friendships;

• constructive cooperation in genuine love of God and country.

Aims of JPCS

1. To promote among enthusiasts the understanding and appropriate usage of information & communications technology.

2. To encourage commitment to higher standards of computer education among chapter schools.

3. To provide a venue for information exchange among its members, thereby promoting and improving ICT throughout the country.

4. To prepare the student for a future as an ICT Professional.

National JPCS

At the start, JPCS consisted of separate school chapters under the direct guidance of the Philippine Computer Society. In 1991, however, a national JPCS board was selected from the presidents of local chapters. The National Board of JPCS Officers are given the authority to create and decide on projects that is consistent with the principles and objectives of JPCS, subject to the guidance and approval of the PCS Board Committee on JPCS. For Academic Year 2018-2019, JPCS has 35 chapter schools comprised of more than 3000 student members.

The Subsequent Years

The initial years saw tremendous success through the hosting of civic, educational, membership-generating and fund-raising projects. Some of the projects were:

• JPCS Leadership Transformation Seminar

• Oplan Sagip Bukid which involved providing a computer system to Guagua, Pampanga to monitor farmers

• Participation in several national elections as volunteers in many roles, as encoders, as watchers, etc.

• Serving as manpower pool in various PCS projects and events such as: ICT Professionals’ Congress, South East Asia Regional Computer Confederation (SEARCC), Micromouse (Robotics) Competition and Programming Competition, etc.

• Annual holding of Explore IT, the national conference specifically designed to serve ICT students

JPCS continues to exist to fulfill its raisson d’etre. The PCS Board is committed to support and guide the JPCS National Board. Every annual leadership workshop, a new JPCS National Board is formed from among the qualified students nominated by their respective schools.

Through the JPCS Steering Committee, the Philippine Computer Society looks forward to working with a much greater number of active JPCS chapters spread over a much larger area of the Philippine archipelago.