From Vision to Reality: Reflections on Founding PUGAD in 1999

September 9, 2025

This piece is drawn from my responses to a set of questions prepared by the Alumni Relations Team of the University of the Philippines (UP) PUGAD Sayk, a student organization. These responses are drawn from memory, gratitude, and the lessons I continue to carry with me today.

Interview Transcript

1. Kindly introduce yourself

I’m Joni Gutierrez, founding president of PUGAD, established in 1999.

2. What was the biggest challenge you encountered as president? How did you overcome it?

The biggest challenge came at the very beginning — when I first had the idea of forming PUGAD as a university-based organization seeded by psychology majors. The challenge was two-fold: what to call it, and who would believe in it.

The name came to my mind as PUGAD — meaning “nest” — and I built it into an acronym: Psychological Understanding for Growth and Distinction. I also added Sayk to keep its roots in psychology clear.

The next challenge was finding who would first believe in the idea. I shared it with my classmate, John Dennis Alcaraz, who believed in it and joined me as co-founder. I then thought a triumvirate would make the first presidency stronger and more strategic, so we could maximize reach and recruit the required number of members.

To build that membership, I reached out first to my sister and brother, who were also UP Diliman students, then to my dormmates at Molave Residence Hall, and even my former high school classmates who were at UP. With the wide network of our batchmate, Chino Perez — the third in our triumvirate and the designer of the logo we still use today — we eventually formed the required number of members.

I still remember the day we submitted the application and got approval. It was unforgettable — the moment something truly good was born.

3. What are your most valuable learnings from your time as president?

Our very first task as an organization was to write the constitution — and surprisingly, it was a fun process. At that time, I was part of several student organizations, so we studied different constitutions just to get the structure right.

We also had our first acquaintance party at a member’s house, which made it clear early on that community was at the heart of PUGAD. When drafting the constitution, I introduced lighthearted terms like Big Bird for the Executive Committee and Bird Seed for the Finance Committee. It was playful, but it reflected how creativity was encouraged.

What truly brought everyone together, though, was our shared appreciation for the multidisciplinary impact of psychology and the “growth” aspect of our acronym. We learned quickly that putting people first and celebrating creativity were the values that would keep the organization strong.

4. With the weight of multiple responsibilities and challenges, how did you motivate yourself to remain rooted in your advocacies and goals?

We had a great year. Most of us were third-year psychology majors when PUGAD began, and by the time we were nearing the end of our fourth year, it suddenly hit us — we had to make sure the organization we birthed would survive its infancy.

In 2000, I wrote the PUGAD Sayk Manifesto to capture what we stood for as an organization and to call on others to continue the vision. We posted it on bulletin boards across the Psych department and around campus. And it worked. Mon Basilio from the younger batch eventually committed to being the next president once we graduated.

My motivation really came from the members themselves — and from trusting that the advocacies, goals, and vision we had started together were like seeds we had planted well. That belief kept me rooted and confident that PUGAD would grow beyond us.

5. Who were the people who stood by you and supported you during your time in PUGAD?

The building blocks were truly the members from all around the university. They didn’t just sign up because I asked them or because we needed numbers for approval — each one genuinely believed in the vision and mission of the organization.

Together, we built PUGAD’s positive, compassionate, and caring character — true to the idea of a nest, which was just a spark of inspiration at first, but grew into something real that continues to inspire good things.

6. How did your time in PUGAD build the foundation for your life after college?

PUGAD crystallized for me how I view, approach, and do things — it’s always about putting people first. As a leader, that became my compass: using emotional intelligence to understand people’s motivations and to inspire them, whether toward personal growth, collective action, or both.

The multidisciplinary character of the organization also stayed with me. Grounded in psychology, but always open to multiple perspectives, I learned to approach problem-solving and innovation in a multidimensional way.

That mindset has carried into everything I do today — embracing the idea of becoming, of transforming for the good, so we can contribute to the larger society. It’s the same lens I use now as an AI strategist, ethicist, researcher, and educational leader.

7. What advice would you like to pass down to current PUGAD members?

My advice is to nurture your own self-worth and creativity, and to have real empathy for others — because that’s where true power lies. Don’t be afraid to dream big, and always put people first. That’s especially important now, in the age of AI.

Remember that you will always find your way, because at the end of the day, we’re all on personal journeys. The times when our paths cross — like within the organization — are invaluable, because we learn from one another. And in the larger journey of life, we will keep crossing paths, soaring together, and carrying forward the lessons we’ve shared.

8. Where do you see PUGAD 10 years from now?

I see PUGAD continuing to evolve, as it always has. The “growth” in our acronym has always been my favorite part, and I’ve seen it as the organization’s core. PUGAD is in a constant state of becoming — and that’s a good thing.

With the right values and strong connections to its members and the larger community, what the organization will be — and keep becoming — will always be something beautiful. That’s the “distinction” in our acronym, the mark we want to leave as a community.

But at the end of the day, it comes back to the person — to you. Your own growth contributes to a world that changes for the better, with all our help.

9. If you could ask one question to the 25th president and the current president, what would it be?

If I could ask one question to both the 25th president of PUGAD and the current president, it would be this: knowing what you know now about the history of PUGAD, how do you think the organization has evolved, and how do you envision this evolution continuing into the future — especially now, in the age of AI?