President's Corner

Rotary Club of Manila at its finest! Certainly, what better way to end an exciting Rotary Year than to bag the recognitions which add feathers to our ever growing cap! Last May 23, 2015 during the annual Rotary District Awards hosted by the Rotary Club of Paco Manila and held at the posh Fiesta Pavilion of the historic Manila Hotel, our club, the Rotary Club of Manila, the First in Asia, bagged a windfall of awards, reasserting our dominance of District 3810, namely, Outstanding Rotary Club, Outstanding Club President, Best Club Bulletin, Best Club Meetings and Best in Education and Literacy Project.

For the Best in Club Bulletin, I wish to take this opportunity to congratulate the entire BALITA Editorial Board led by Club Secretary Albert Alday who is also the Executive Editor and Chairman of the BALITA Committee, PDG Vince Carlos who is also the Associate Editor, PSAA Eloy Adamos and PVP Lance Masters who are both Contributing Editors and the entire Rotary Club of Manila Secretariat which includes Executive Secretary Anna Kun Toledo, Senior Coordinator Ching Salazar, Committee Coordinator/BALITA Lay-out Coordinator Amiel Hernandez, Funds Coordinator May Patajo, Bookkeeper Lan eufemio and Staff Assistant Tina Rivera.

For the Best Club Meetings, I wish to congratulate Program Committee Chair DE/PD Issam Eldebs and Co-Chair Rtn. Babe Romualdez for their brilliant handling of choosing speakers for our weekly luncheon meetings, especially, last Thursday’s luncheon hosted by The Standard-Defining the News which was one for the books this Rotary year 2014-2015 with “A Public Forum on the Territorial Issues of West Philippine Seas” where panel speakers University of the Philippines Law Professor Atty. H. Harry L. Roque, Jr. and MAGDALO Party List Rep. Francisco Ashley L. Acedillo addressed the pro’s and con’s of the burning issue which was followed by an engaging public forum.

For the Best in Education and Literacy Project, I wish to thank the entire club as well the Gov Kai of Rotary Japan Fund for our community service project which provided eighty (80) houses in the Visayan Region worth TWELVE MILLION PESOS (Php 12,000,000.00) and SEVEN MILLION PESOS (Php 7,000,000.00) worth of livelihood programs including an additional two (2) motorized bancas in Aklan.

The 2015 District Awards was a well-attended event with around 600 Rotarians in attendance representing the Areas of Manila, Pasay and the Provinces of Cavite and Occidental Mindoro and was headed by no less than DG Edmond Aguilar. Among the attendees from our club include yours truly as head of the Rotary Club of Manila delegation with my Ann Vicky Montilla, DGE/PP Obet Pagdanganan, ICOS/AG/IPP Rudy Bediones, PE/VP Ebot Tan, VP Teddy Ocampo, Dir. Oca del Rosario, Dir. Amading Valdez, Club Secretary Albert Alday, IPSDG/PP Cesar Ubaldo, PVP Lance Masters and DSAA Jimmy Cabase who was likewise one of the Sergeant-at-Arms of the District for this event.

The climax of the evening was the presentation by the Rotary Club of Chinatown Best Class President Andrew Co and I of a check donation worth Php 100,000 to the Nepal Emergency Relief Operations for the victims of the recent earthquake, of which, FIFTY THOUSAND PESOS (Php 50,000.00) was donated by our club and FIVE THOUSAND PESOS (Php 5,000.00) as my own personal donation for a total of FIFTY-FIVE THOUSAND PESOS (Php 55,000.00).

On this note, I can surmise that the Rotary Year 2014-2015 was truly a meaningful and productive year embodying “Rotary Service – He Who Profits Most Serves Best.” Let’s hold our heads up and be damn proud Manila Rotarians for giving our precious time, talent and treasure as we continue to inspire others to be of “Service Above Self”.

On news within our club, next Thursday, June 4, 2015, our club will be celebrating our 96th Charter Anniversary in a luncheon meeting to be held at the New World Makati Hotel where no less than His Excellency Philip Goldberg, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of the Philippines as Guest of Honor and Keynote Speaker. The program under the chairmanship of VP Teddy Ocampo shall have many important features such as the symbolic lighting of anniversary candles by our Past Presidents in their capacity as pillars of Rotary, entertainment song numbers and raffle of prizes which include two (2) Philippine Airlines round trip tickets for the Manila-Hong Kong-Manila route so mark this red letter day in your respective calendars.

Tomorrow, May 29, 2015, we shall have our Valedictory Fellowship for Rotary Year 2014-2015 under the leadership of IPSDG/PP Cesar Ubaldo as Chairman of the Fellowship Committee and Rtn. Hermie Esguerra as Co-Chairman at the home of the World Famous Chorale right at the Central Colleges of the Philippines of PP Babes Reyes, Chairman of the World Famous Chorale. It will be held specifically at the Central Colleges of the Philippines Studio Theatre along 52 Aurora Boulevard in Quezon City, near UERMMMC and SM Centerpoint. This fellowship is FREE OF CHARGE and will surely be a night of fun, friendship, fellowship and camaraderie complete with great entertainment singers where singing and dancing will be non-stop, not to mention the sumptuous buffet and bottomless drinks waiting for one and all. Feel free to bring your favorite wine to this event as this is our own little way of conveying my sincere thanks and profound gratitude to my fellow Manila Rotarians who have fully supported me through their active involvement in the various club service groups this Rotary year which culminated in our club being adjudged Outstanding Club and yours truly as Outstanding President in the recent District Awards Night. Your presence and active participation in this fellowship will be highly appreciated.

On other news, I attended the United States Memorial Day Ceremonies at the invitation of his Excellency Philip Goldberg, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of the Philippines, who is also our Honorary Member, at the Manila Amercian Cemetery. Joining me at this event were PD Alvin and Ann Cathy Lacambacal.

In support of our District Governor Elect Obet Pagdanganan and PE Ebot Tan, (10) of the members of the incoming Board have registered and paid for their registration fee for the upcoming District Training Assembly (DISTAS) 2915, to be held on Saturday, May 30, 2015 at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) from 7:30 AM – 6:00 PM.

Today, we shall have Honorable Roman T. Romulo, Representative of the Lone District of Pasig City and son of our Past President Bert Romulo as our Guest of Honor and Speaker. Let’s give him a warm welcome and show our undivided attention in today’s luncheon meeting as we give the remaining days of this Rotary year, the final kick it deserves.