MANILA, Philippines — Philippine Global Explorers (PGE) celebrated its 7th Founding Anniversary on 15 August 2026 at Heroes Hotel Manila, bringing together members, associates, friends, honourees and supporters for an evening of community, friendly competition and celebration.
Despite heavy rain across Manila that evening, the weather did little to dampen the occasion. The programme began at around 7:00 PM, with Project Lead Nolan Tianco reporting an initial turnout of 54 attendees, followed by several more guests arriving later in the evening.
For an organisation built around bringing Filipino travellers together and harnessing their collective experiences in service of the wider community, the gathering was a fitting celebration of seven years of connection and shared purpose.
Seven Years of PGE
Foundation Day provided an opportunity to look back at PGE’s journey while celebrating the people who continue to shape the organisation today.
Over seven years, PGE has grown into a community connecting Filipino travellers in the Philippines and around the world, while developing programmes around education, responsible travel, heritage, community initiatives and recognition of Filipino travel achievements.
This year’s celebration carried the sports-inspired theme:
SPORTS: One Community. One Team. One PGE.
The theme reflected both friendly competition and a larger message: PGE may be made up of people with different journeys, interests, and experiences, but they remain part of one community.
Let the Games Begin
Guests were divided into three teams inspired by Filipino sporting excellence.
Team Eala (Alex Eala) represented tennis, Team Yulo (Carlos Yulo) represented gymnastics, while Team Diaz (Heidilyn Diaz) represented weightlifting.
Throughout the evening, the teams competed in games and activities designed to encourage participation, laughter, and camaraderie. The sports theme brought an energetic atmosphere to the celebration while giving members and guests another way to connect beyond their shared love of travel.
The evening was less about winning and more about enjoying the spirit of being together, something captured perfectly by the anniversary message: One Community. One Team. One PGE.
Celebrating PGE’s First Gabay Scholar Graduate
One particularly meaningful moment of the evening came from Justin “Jaja” Carangan, PGE’s first Gabay Scholarship graduate.
Jaja joined the Foundation Day celebration and delivered a heartfelt speech thanking the PGE community for the support she received throughout her academic journey.
Her presence gave the anniversary added significance. Foundation Day was not only a celebration of how long PGE has existed, but also a reminder of what the organisation can accomplish when its community comes together behind a shared purpose.
The Gabay Scholarship supports deserving students through educational assistance and opportunities, and Jaja’s graduation represents an important milestone for the programme.
READ MORE: PGE Celebrates First Gabay Scholar Graduate, Jaja Carangan
Leadership Joining in the Celebration
The evening also brought together members of the PGE Board of Directors, who joined the activities and celebrations alongside the wider community.
Present were Dr. Riza Rasco, Atty. Jimmy Buhain, Dr. Rambi Francisco, Lowela Ramos, Aimee Paragas, and Djosa Mae Richards.
Rather than the anniversary being a formal leadership-only occasion, the Board joined members and guests in the games and festivities, helping reinforce the sense that Foundation Day belonged to the whole PGE community.
The celebration also recognised the work of PGE’s volunteers, organisers and members who continue to contribute their time, knowledge and energy to the organisation throughout the year.
Philippine Travel Masters Among the Community
The anniversary also provided an opportunity to celebrate several 2024 and 2025 Philippine Travel Masters honourees whose travel achievements represent different dimensions of Philippine exploration.
Among the attendees were five Philippine Travel Masters recognised for remarkable milestones in Filipino travel:
Dr. Riza Rasco, the first Filipino to have travelled to all 203 countries and all 82 provinces of the Philippines; Javee Francisco, the first Filipino to have travelled to all 82 Philippine provinces three times; Atty. Jimmy Buhain, the first-ever verified Filipino to have travelled to all 82 provinces; Marco Puzon, the first and only Filipino to have travelled to all 1,642 cities and municipalities of the Philippines; and BJ Carreon, Head of the Philippine Travel Masters Program, PGE’s recognition and verification programme celebrating Filipinos who have extensively explored the country.
Their presence brought another dimension to the celebration, connecting PGE’s community activities with the organisation’s work in documenting and recognising Filipino travel achievement.
READ MORE: Philippine Travel Masters
A Community That Continues to Grow
Foundation Day also welcomed guests who were experiencing the PGE community for the first time.
Several members brought friends to the celebration, and some of those guests chose to sign up as PGE Associates during the event.
It was a simple but encouraging sign of continued community growth: people discovering PGE not just through a social-media post or website, but through the experience of meeting its members and being part of a gathering.
That people still made their way to Heroes Hotel despite the heavy rain made the turnout particularly memorable.
Celebrating While Supporting PGE
The celebration also created an opportunity for attendees to support PGE through the purchase of official merchandise.
According to the initial merchandise sales report, 16 PGE windbreaker jackets at ₱3,500 each and five PGE shirts at ₱1,000 each were sold, representing ₱61,000 in gross merchandise sales.
The figure represents gross sales rather than final net proceeds, which remain subject to merchandise production costs and financial reconciliation.
The merchandise initiative provided another way for members to support the organisation while carrying PGE’s identity with them beyond the event.
Guests were also able to learn more about continuing PGE initiatives such as the Gabay Scholarship, Lanao Library Project and Zamboanga Sibugay Project, reinforcing that the seventh anniversary was not only about looking back, but also about the work still moving forward.
Made Possible Together
PGE extends its appreciation to the organisations whose support helped make the Foundation Day celebration possible: Peregrine Eye and Laser Institute, Pinnacle Boracay Hotel and Resort, Heroes Hotel Manila, Jomalig N’ Reef Freediving, and Iland Residences Sucat.
PGE also extends its appreciation to Mikay’s Crafts and Design, whose creative venue styling and decorations helped bring the 7th Founding Anniversary’s sports theme to life and set the atmosphere for the evening’s celebration.
PGE also thanks the organisers, volunteers, Board members, members, associates, guests, and everyone who contributed behind the scenes to bringing the celebration together.
The Journey Continues
Seven years represents an important milestone, but it is also another point along a much longer journey.
The evening at Heroes Hotel reflected many of the things that continue to define PGE: travel, friendship, achievement, service, volunteerism, and a willingness to come together around something larger than any individual traveller.
From welcoming new Associates, to celebrating the first Gabay Scholarship graduate, recognising Philippine Travel Masters, supporting PGE through merchandise, and simply enjoying an evening together despite the rain, the 7th Foundation Day captured a community that continues to evolve.
As Philippine Global Explorers moves into its next chapter, the organisation carries forward the same spirit that brought everyone together that evening:
One Community. One Team. One PGE.
Happy 7th Founding Anniversary, Philippine Global Explorers.
congratulations PGE on staying stronger at 7 years. Cheers to more projects, sponsors and years ahead!