By: SONIA A. LABRADOR – CUPANG INTEGRATED SCHOOL
Houses, schools, roads, commercial spaces – any builder can build these in no time given the right amount of funds and the right number of men, but it takes more than that to build a bridge. One that leads young people to a brighter future.
Meet Jessy Jill “Kap Jill” Valdecañas Nisay – a barangay chairman, a contractor, a reading advocate, and a builder of dreams.
Raised from a family of great men, the will to serve others was like a seed planted in a well-nourished soil. Kap. Jill nurtured it. Seeing his father and older brother serve their barangay, the seed must have grown and blossomed and bore fruits that he wholeheartedly shared with the people around him.
But even for Kap. Jill, greatness did not happen overnight. He finished high school, then took the road less travelled by. He became a licensed contractor, working tirelessly to acquire projects, grow his network and establish his brand in the industry. Now, with millions under his name, Kap.Jill was still him, the only difference was that he had more means to help than ever before, and his barangay was a testament to that.
By 2023, at the young age of 38, Jill became the Kap Jill as he took up the mantle of being a barangay chairman to expand his reach and help more people. In just a few years of service, he has launched programs that improved his community in terms of healthcare services, women, senior citizen and PWD welfare, peace and order, tourism, youth development, environmental care, financial transparency and most especially education; one of which was being the principal sponsor of Kasangga sa Pagbasa – a local program for reading established with extended care for students to equip them with the basic skills to read and comprehend. With more than 1 year in service, Kap Jill being the contractor that he always was, built Barangay Cupang West upon several provincial recognitions such as the Barangay Red Orchid Award, and the Grand Slam of 1Bataan Seal of Healthy Barangay Award.
More than a Barangay Chairman, Kap Jill was a brother to the students of Cupang Integrated School, and a reliable help to its faculty and staff. He sponsored many school projects, most of which are from his own resources. His most notable contribution being the rehabilitation of the reading pantry which involved building a safe place for students to practice their reading skills, as well as the launching and benchmarking of Kasangga sa Pagbasa wherein he also lent his own barangay multipurpose hall for the whole duration of the project. Together with the school’s educators, Kap Jill and his council opened the doors of literacy to many students of Cupang Elementary School. With him as one of the pioneers, the Kasangga sa Pagbasa Project is on its way to reach other neighboring barangays to help more students read.
He also financially supported the teachers in their training and seminars such as the National Learning Camp, Teachers’ Congress and even in the school-based Teachers’ Day Celebration. But most importantly, he was physically and financially supportive of the students such as in the founding of the Cupang Integrated School’s Football Club and in regional academic competitions.
According to him, “”Ang bawat kilos ng kabutihan ay nagpapasimula ng alon ng pagbabago—maaaring maliit ito para sa iba, ngunit kayang baguhin ang buhay ng marami. Sama-sama tayong lumikha ng pangmatagalang pagbabago para sa kinabukasan ng batang Pilipino.”
Kap Jill is a man of action as much as words. He sets an example by fulfilling commitments and putting in endless effort to improve the community, demonstrating that true leadership is a result of these actions. Every project he works on demonstrates his devotion and passion, which reflects his persistent will to bring about significant change. By demonstrating that genuine leadership is based on outcomes rather than just intentions, Kap Jill’s actions generate respect and trust. Because of his dedication and hard work, Kap. Jill was one of our esteemed awardees at the SDO Balanga City Gawad Parangal 2024.
Kap Jill is a testament that greatness is not something you are born with. It’s something you achieve by bringing others to the top with you.
Houses, schools, roads, commercial spaces – any builder can do these.
But to build a bridge for young people to cross and enjoy the endless opportunities through education, it takes a good heart, a compassionate soul, and the grit to do whatever is necessary. How about you? What legacy do you want to build?