President’s Corner

Dear Fellow Manila Rotarians,

Our Guest of Honor and Speaker last week, Dr. Onofre R. Pagsanghan, was certainly different from all the other speakers we’ve had so far this Rotary Year. He presented a very inspirational and refreshing perspective of what the meaning of life is. At 88 years old, “Pagsi”, as he is known to all of his many students, has been a classroom teacher at the Ateneo de Manila High School since 1951. He has dedicated 64 years of his life to the molding of the minds and hearts of high school students at the Ateneo and, as he himself told us, he thoroughly enjoyed his vocation and calling. It was very obvious that all of his students (who numbered in the thousands) held Pagsi in very high esteem and respect. They were many of our Club’s members who were students of Pagsi when they were very young high school students at the Ateneo. They remembered him fondly, and he certainly remembered all of them.

I could not help noticing that our meeting room was unusually quiet throughout Pagsi’s speech, and the applause at the end of his speech clearly showed the appreciation of all for Pagsi’s very inspirational and moving speech.

On news within our Club, it is with a deep sense of sadness that I announce the passing of one of the most passionate members of our Club, PS Gus Fajardo, Co-Chairman of the World Famous Music Chorale, who suffered a stroke last 13 September 2015. He was rushed to Medical City on that same day and passed on to the next life in the evening of 17 September 2015. A necrological service was immediately scheduled by Sunshine Committee Chair PP Boy Guevara on 18 September 2015 at the Christ the King Church in Greenmeadows, Quezon City. Twenty-eight (28) Manila Rotarians attended the affair, a vast majority of whom were members of our Club’s World Famous Music Chorale, as well as two (2) former Manila Rotarians. The Manila Rotarians present were DG/PP Obet Pagdanganan, PE/VP Teddy Ocampo, Dir. Issam Eldebs, Dir. Ning Lopez, Dir. Oca del Rosario, Treasurer Chito Zaldarriaga, Secretary George Salazar, AS Alvin Lacambal, PP Archit Bartolome, PP Banit Caasi, PP Boy Guevara, PP Benny Laguesma, PP Babes Reyes, PP Dong Saludo, SDG/PP Cesar Ubaldo, PVP Ben Diokno, PT Jim Chua, PT Chito Tagaysay, PD Beda Fajardo, PD Abe Pascual, PDSAA Tony Lopa, Rtn. Nilo Aventura, Rtn. Bren Egan, Rtn. Hermie Esguerra, Rtn. Thad Liamzon, Rtn. Jason Ong, Rtn. Caloy Reyes and Rtn. Tong Payumo. The former Manila Rotarians in attendance were PDG/PP Ed Tumangan and Nanding Caluag. PS Gus had a passion for music and the arts and I am sure that he was warmly welcomed in heaven by a choir of angels.

Meanwhile, our Club’s representatives who attended the induction and anniversary ceremonies of the Rotary Club of Bangkok, namely, AG/IPP Frank Evaristo with Vicky Montilla, PP Francis Juico, PD Ed Lee and Rtn. David Wong, recently returned and reported that AG/IPP Frank Evaristo extended our Club’s appreciation and thanks for the US$ 15,000.00 donation given by the Rotary Club of Bangkok for the Yolanda Rehabilitation Project. He also submitted a report on how the money donated was spent. Moreover, AG/IPP Frank represented us at the renewal of the sisterhood agreement between our Club and the Rotary Club of Bangkok.

On Monday, 28 September 2015, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (the “DSWD”) will officially issue to us a Certification that the RCM Foundation has met all of the DSWD’s requirements, which would entitle our foundation to be accredited with the Philippine Council for NGO Certification (the “PCNC”) to enable it to obtain tax exemption benefits for its donors.

On news from around the District, last 18 September 2015, DG/PP Obet Pagdanganan, CoS/PP Rudy Bediones with wife, Sharon, IDCOS/ISDG/DE/IPS Albert Alday, and I attended the 21st District 3810 Autumn Mooncake Festival hosted by the Rotary Club of Chinatown Manila headed, by WCP Susana de Jesus, at the Golden Bay Seafood Restaurant in Pasay City. Our Club acted as one of the affair’s co-hosts. The event was, as usual, very well-attended and many prizes were raffled off and given away. IDCOS/ISDG/DE/IPS Albert Alday won the grand prize (a Standard Turbo Broiler) at the dice game played at our table and he was automatically qualified to play in the championship round.

The following day, 19 September 2015, DG/PP Obet Pagdanganan and CoS/PP Rudy Bediones attended the Induction and Handover Ceremonies of the Rotary Club of Tondo at the City State Tower in Manila, where WCP Elizabeth Wu was inducted as Club President.

Two days later, 21 September 2015, DG/PP Obet Pagdanganan, CoS/PP Rudy Bediones with wife, Sharon, and I attended the 19th JEPROCS (Joint Efforts of Pasay Rotary Clubs) Induction at the Golden Bay Seafood Restaurant in Pasay City, which had a ‘70’s theme.

Two days later, 23 September 2015, DG/PP Obet Pagdanganan and CoS/PP Rudy Bediones attended the Induction and Handover Ceremonies of the Rotary Club of Lubang Island at Club Filipino in Greenhills, San Juan, where WCP Joselito “Chito” Torregoza was inducted at Club President.

Today, we shall have Vice-Presidential candidate, Senator Chiz Escudero, to enlighten us on his various advocacies and the plans and programs he intends to pursue in event he is elected Vice President in 2016. Please continue to actively participate in and support our Club’s activities and projects.

Mabuhay ang Rotary Club of Manila!