President’s Corner

Dear Fellow Manila Rotarians,

Last week’s luncheon meeting was special because we had several Bb. Pilipinas 2015 beauty queens with us. They certainly took the entire Rotary Club of Manila and the Visiting Rotarians (who were mostly District Officers and guests) by storm, as many Manila Rotarians and Visiting Rotarians (including District Officers) gamely posed with the beauty queens for posterity.

PDG Raffy Garcia of District 3800 made a pitch for Manila Rotarians to regain their rightful place in Philippine Rotary history by urging each and every one of us to give to The Rotary Foundation and to reap its benefits. Let us all take advantage of the counter-part funds being offered by PDG Raffy Garcia to those who will donate to the TRF and take on a Paul Harris Fellowship. The arrangement will, in effect, extend a 50% discount to all those who will avail of the invitation/offer.

On news within our Club, I wish to remind you of the coming Elections for our RY 2016-2017 Board of Directors, which is scheduled on 3 September 2015. For would-be candidates, please be reminded that the deadline to submit your acceptance of your nomination is today, 27 August 2015. So, if you have not yet accepted your nomination, you only have until today to do so. In addition, candidates/nominees are expected to have paid their membership dues for at least one semester in the amount of Php12,500.00 and to effect full payment of other Club-activity financial obligations not later than 27 August 2015. On the part of our other members, please pay your membership dues for at least one semester in the amount of Php12,500.00 not later than 27 August 2015 in order to entitle you to vote.

Aside from the elections, I would like to invite you to participate in ALAY LAKAD 2015 with the theme, “Alay Lakad Para Sa Magandang Kinabukasan” scheduled at 8:00am on Sunday, 6 September 2015, at the Quirino Grandstand. Meeting time is at 5:30am at the Planetarium. Those who will participate in the walk will be given a free t-shirt courtesy of the Alay Lakad Chairman and will be entitled to breakfast at the Manila Hotel courtesy of Rtn. Rickie Yap. Please let our Secretariat know of your intention to join the walk and support the ALAY LAKAD FOUNDATION President, our very own AG/IPP Frank Evaristo, and RCM Alay Lakad Chair IDCoS/ISDG/PD/IPS Albert Alday, so that appropriate arrangements for your participation/breakfast can be made.

On news from around the District, last 20 August 2015, DG/PP Obet Pagdanganan and CoS/PP Rudy Bediones attended the 20th Anniversary and the 21st Induction Ceremonies of the Rotary Club of Manila Bay at the Philippine Army Officers’ Clubhouse in Bonifacio Global City, where WCP Ramon Ilustre, Jr. was inducted as Club President. Two days later, 22 August 2015, Rtn. Caloy Reyes and I attended the Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI) hosted by the Rotary Club of Pasay Silangan led by WCP Ma. Lowelle Sibunga at One Pacific Place in Makati City. Caloy completed RLI II, while I graduated from the RLI after having completed RLI III.

On 24 August 2015, DG/PP Obet Pagdanganan and CoS/PP Rudy Bediones attended the 29th Induction and 30th Handover Ceremonies of the Rotary Club of Rosario Cavite at the Island Cove Hotel and Leisure Park in Binakayan, Kawit, Cavite, where WCP Bernard Garcia was inducted as Club President. A day later, 25 August 2015, DG/PP Obet Pagdanganan and CoS/PP Rudy Bediones attended the Induction and Handover Ceremonies of the Rotary Club of Mamburao Central at the Mamburao Central School, Library Hub Occidental Mindoro, where WCP Chona C. Ordenes was inducted as Club President. The day after, 26 August 2015, DG/PP Obet Pagdanganan and CoS/PP Rudy Bediones attended the Induction and Handover Ceremonies of the Rotary Club of Sablayan Metro in Occidental Mindoro, where WCP Garciano Gonzalvo “Gary” Dimayacyac was inducted as Club President.

Today, a legal luminary and one of the pillars of the Philippine legal profession, our Club’s Past Director, Atty, Estelito P. Mendoza, will be the Speaker at our luncheon meeting. He will speak on a very interesting topic of interest, “The Forgotten Prisoners: ‘Innocents’ in Prison”. Please actively participate in the program.

Mabuhay ang Rotary Club of Manila!