Balita No. 4107 · 24 September 2026On the cover: Atty. Maria Rowena Amelia V. GuanzonAlso: What Is Built in Capas Should Also Build CapasRead →
Maternal and child healthLife-saving equipment for newborns at PGHWith the Rotary Club of Kangjin-Tamjin in Korea, the Club equipped the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of the Philippine General Hospital, the country’s largest public hospital, through a Rotary Foundation Global Grant.Read the story
Basic education and literacyA safer school for the children of BayananSome pupils of Bayanan Elementary School in Baco, Oriental Mindoro, walk up to three hours and cross a river on a bamboo bridge to reach two leaking classrooms. The Club has committed to rehabilitate the school.Read the story
Water, sanitation and hygieneProject R.I.V.E.R. at Hospicio de San JoseRotary Initiative for Vulnerability Elimination and Resilience: a high-capacity pump system so the Pasig River home for elderly, abandoned and medically fragile residents can keep caring for them through floods.Read the storyIn January 1919, Leon Lambert and a small group of business leaders met at the Manila Hotel to form a Rotary club. On 1 June 1919, Rotary International granted Charter No. 478, making the Rotary Club of Manila the first in the Philippines and in Asia.
More than a century later, the Club still meets every Thursday for fellowship and service. It is led in Rotary Year 2026–2027 by President Reginald T. Yu.
From the RY 2025–2026 report of Immediate Past President Raoul C. Creencia.
Rotary’s message for 2026–27 encourages all of us, as people of action, to work together to make a meaningful difference in our communities and around the world. These are the long-term projects the Club funds and runs with trusted partners.
A P1 million high-capacity water pump drains floodwater at Hospicio de San Jose, the home on the Pasig River for elderly, abandoned and medically fragile residents, so care can continue even during severe weather.
More than a flood control measure, it is a response to the fundamental determinants of dignity.Read the story
A study-now, pay-later program funded through the Leon Lambert Fellows Fund: P1 million for 15 scholars at DUALTECH Training Center, who repay once employed so the next students can train too.
Read the story
Leaders Excelling in ADR and Peacemaking honors people who resolve disputes, from barangay justice to arbitration, with the DOJ Office for Alternative Dispute Resolution and the Philippine Institute of Arbitrators.
The Outstanding Workers of the Republic: a tribute to the skill and perseverance of Filipino blue-collar workers, held this year with the Philippine Ecozones Association.
With the Carlos P. Romulo Foundation, honoring U.S. Ambassador MaryKay Carlson (2025) and Spanish Ambassador Miguel Utray Delgado (2026).
Recognizing a free, ethical and responsible press. The latest awards were held on 11 June 2026.
Through war, reconstruction and renewal, the Club has kept meeting and kept serving.
1946Club President Gil Puyat with then Vice President Elpidio Quirino: a moment of postwar leadership and national rebuilding.
1986Sagip Kabataan, a child-welfare program, is the Club’s flagship project under President Ed Reyes.
1991Pepo Nuñez leads relief distribution to communities hit by the Mount Pinatubo eruption.
2024Members gather at the Manila Hotel to celebrate 105 years of service and fellowship.
On the cover: Atty. Maria Rowena Amelia V. Guanzon, guest of honor and speaker
Join business, professional and civic leaders working for a stronger Manila. Start by joining us at a Thursday meeting as a guest.
People of Action
Reginald T. Yu
Raoul C. Creencia
Eduardo V. Enriquez III
Rafael M. Alunan III
Herminio S. Esguerra
Felix Francisco S. Zaldarriaga
Robert L. Joseph Jr.
Joaquin C. Rodriguez