Jay Jaboneta

Jay Michael Jaboneta
March 2012. Taken during distribution of school supplies to Cagayan de Oro City elementary students following Typhoon Sendong damage.
Born	Jay Michael Ortuoste Jaboneta (1981-09-13) September 13, 1981 Cotabato City, Mindanao, Philippines
Alma mater	Ateneo de Davao University
Occupation	Social Entrepreneur, Blogger
Organization	Fire Starter & Chief Storyteller of the Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation, Inc.
Website
http://www.JayJaboneta.com

Jay Michael Ortuoste Jaboneta, better known as Jay Jaboneta, is a Filipino blogger, philanthropist, new media advocate, and online community organizer,^[1] who until recently served as Head for New Media under the Presidential Communications Operations Office of President Benigno Aquino III.^[2] Jaboneta is best known for having sparked the idea that led to the creation the charitable organization Philippine Funds for Little Kids,^[3] for which Jaboneta was recognized by Yahoo! Southeast Asia as one of their “7 Modern Day Pinoy Heroes.”^[4] In May 2012, The Philippine Funds for Little Kids was incorporated as the Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation, Inc.^[5]

Early Life and Education

Born September 13, 1981, in Cotabato City, Mindanao, Philippines, Jaboneta graduated Valedictorian from high school at Notre Dame of Cotabato in 1998. He earned his BS in Commerce with a major in Management Accounting and a minor in Philosophy in 2005 from the Ateneo de Davao University.

Early Career (2005-2010)

Jaboneta began his career in the marketing and sales sector, working for private companies such as Procter & Gamble Philippines,^[6] Australia and New Zealand Banking Group, and Metrobank Card Corporation^[2][7] It was during this time that Jaboneta took an active interest in new media, and its impact on the fields of marketing, public relations, and community organizing - an interest that would serve him well in his later career.^[8]

In 2010, he shifted careers to help manage the campaign of lawyer-author-philanthropist Alex Lacson when the latter chose to run in the Philippine Senate election, 2010, under the slate of Liberal Party candidate Benigno Aquino III.^[2][8]

Government Service (2010-2011)

When Aquino won the election and became President of the Philippines in June 2010, Jaboneta was tapped to serve as Head of New Media in the newly created Presidential Communications Operations Office. As such, he led the team that managed the President’s official website and social networking sites.^[2][8]

It was during his term that the "gov.ph" domain, formerly assigned as the official website of the Office of the President of the Philippines, was reassigned to serve as the digital version of the Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines.^[9] This also saw the launch of a separate "president.gov.ph" domain as the official website of the Office of the President of the Philippines.^[10]

Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation (2010-Present)

On October 29–30, 2010, Jaboneta served as a featured speaker at Mindanao Bloggers Summit in Zamboanga City. It was at this event that he first learned about elementary school students from Layag-Layag, an island community in Zamboanga City. Close to 200 of these students could only attend school by swimming half a mile to get to the mainland.^[3][11] Disturbed by what he had just learned, and encouraged by his friend Josiah Go to do something more than just post on Facebook about it, Jaboneta began a movement he called Zamboanga Fund for Little Kids, in an effort to help.^[12] The group began by raising funds to be able to provide the community of Layag-Layag with boats which the students could ride to school. Meeting initial success, the group kept pressing forward, searching for ways to be able to serve the Layag-layag community more sustainably while identifying other communities with similar needs. The effort eventually resulted in four separate Yellow Boat communities in the Philippines as of May 2012. His focus is on education, medical support, local ecology, sustainability, and empowering others. Strong community support combined with social networking contribute to the growth of the Yellow Boat Project. Today, the project is formally known the Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation, Inc.^[3][5][11] with Jaboneta and Anton Mari H. Lim as co-founders.

Communities served by the Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation (December 2013)

1. Zamboanga Funds for Little Kids: Layag-Layag, Brgy. Talon-Talon, Zamboanga City^[13]
2. Masbate Funds for Little Kids: Isla Mababoy, Brgy. Guinhadap, Monreal, Masbate^[14]
3. ZamSur Funds for Little Kids: Lakewood, Zamboanga del Sur^[15]
4. CDO Funds for Little Kids: Cagayan de Oro^[16]
5. Sibugay Funds for Little Kids: Sagip Bahay: Yellow Dorm Project: Zamboanga Sibugay^[17]
6. Negros Funds for Little Kids: Island of Roma in EB Magalona^[18] and Matabas Island, Sagay City in Negros Occidental^[19]
7. Zamboanga del Norte Funds for Little Kids: Siayan and Dipolog City^[20]
8. Monte Central Funds for Little Kids: Subanon, Zamboanga Peninsula^[21]
9. Maluso Funds for Little Kids: Badjao-Sanal community at Maluso, Basilan^[22]
10. Kinablangan Funds for Little Kids: Davao Oriental^[23]
11. Tarlac Funds for Little Kids: Labney, Tarlac^[24]
12. Cotabato Funds for Little Kids: Timaco, Brgy Kalanganan 2, Cotabato City^[25]
13. Pampanga Funds for Little Kids: Pampanga, Angeles City, Luzon^[26]
14. Sarangani Funds for Little Kids: Sarangani Province, Mindanao Island^[27]
15. Rizal Funds for Little Kids: Rizal, Calabarzon^[28]
16. Palawan Funds for Little Kids: Palawan, Mimaropa^[29]
17. Tacloban Funds for Little Kids: Adopt-A-Fisherman: Samar, Leyte^[30]

Philippine Business for Social Progress

In November, 2013, Jaboneta became Manager of Corporate Affairs for Philippine Business for Social Progress. He makes numerous presentations in the Greater Manila area and throughout the globe, and stays closely allied to many NGOs, businesses, and organizations that exist to provide growth and sustainability to the Philippine people.

Recognition and Speaking Engagements

His exposure in Professional Development paved the way for him to receive recognition and awards in Community Service and Social Media. He has become in demand as a speaker, guest speaker, keynote speaker, lecturer, and facilitator in varied topics ranging from Community Service, New Media in Governance, Social Media in Nation Building, Youth Leadership, Public Service, Social Media for Social Change, Government Communications, and Advocacy Marketing.

Jaboneta speaks regularly on social media, digital technology, and youth leadership. In January 2012 he presented at TEDxMontpellier^[31] and was the only Asian who presented. In April 2012 he was named an Acumen Fund Global Fellow for the Class of 2013.^[32]

Awards

Awards presented to Jay Jaboneta and the Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation

• The Apex Society Power 30 Under 30 honoree^[33]
• Gawad Geny Lopez Jr. Bayaning Pilipino Regional Awardee^[34]
• Eton International School 7 Pillars of Hope Award Recipient^[35]
• Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Liberty in the Philippines Outstanding Liberal Projects Award Recipient.^[36]
• Acumen Fund Global Fellow for the Class of 2013^[37]

Speaking engagements 2012

Further reading

References

External links

• Jay Jaboneta: Pitong Pinoy Awardee
• Yellow Boat Of Hope AVP
• TEDxMontpellier - Jay Michael Jaboneta - Yellow Boats for children
• IBC-13 presents INSPIRING FILIPINOS - Jay Jaboneta
• Eton International Schools 7 Pillars of Hope
• Masbate Yellow Boat Project-RTVM
• Beyond the Yellow Boat
• Helping fishing communities help themselves - ANC Yahoo News
• Presentation to United Nations Youth Assembly February 6, 2014 - 1:36:52

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