President’s Corner

Dear Fellow Manila Rotarians,

Our Guest of Honor and Speaker last Thursday, Dr. Mahar Mangahas, Social Weather Stations (SWS) President, gave us a thorough understanding of how each and every one of us should treat and interpret an election survey. It was, indeed, a very enlightening talk and kept Manila Rotarians and our guests engaged in a very informative open forum which followed the talk.

On news within our Club, I am sad to report on the untimely passing of Rtn. Ceferino “Pering” L. Benedicto, Honorary Consul General of Albania and Chairman and CEO of Benedicto Steel Corporation, who joined our Club in 1995. “Pering”, as he is fondly called by fellow Manila Rotarians, joined his Creator last 24 January 2016 at the age of 80. We will be paying our last respects to one of our most respected members on Thursday, 28 January 2016, at 3:30 pm at the Capilla del Señor and Capilla dela Virgen of the Santuario de San Antonio, Forbes Park, Makati City, where we will present his Rotary name badge to his widow, Mrs. Julie Tan-Benedicto, and his son, fellow Manila Rotarian Noy Benedicto. I invite all Manila Rotarians to join us in paying our last respects to a fellow Manila Rotarian.

As for the DISCON 2016 Committee, we continue to meet on a weekly basis for updates on the arrangements, accommodations, venue, booths, and souvenir program. As indicated earlier, our Club, being the club of the current District Governor, is, by tradition, given the responsibility to host the DISCON this year. I encourage each and every Manila Rotarian to help in any way to enable us to meet the target attendance and revenue for the event. Your support for our DG Obet Pagdanganan will be most appreciated.

On news from around the District, together with my fellow World Class Presidents, I just returned from a very successful District 3810 Mid-Year Review Meeting, which was held from 22-24 January 2016 in Baguio City. During this event, I reported on the accomplishments of our Club during the first semester of Rotary Year 2015-2016 before our District Officers (which included our very own DG/PP Obet Pagdanganan, DGND/CoS Rudy Bediones, and DCC/AS Alvin Lacambacal). I also took the opportunity to invite the different clubs in our District to send their representatives to attend the DISCON in 2016 and to place their ads in our 2016 DISCON Souvenir Program.

Today, we shall have as our Guest of Honor and Speaker, Public-Private Partnership Center of the Philippines Executive Director Cosette V. Canilao, who will share with us her experience and insights on public-private partnership (“PPP”) projects that were planned for, rolled out, and/or implemented during the current administration of President Benigno S. Aquino III. Such PPP projects are expected to eventually lead to a better Philippine economy.

Please continue to actively participate in all of our Club’s activities, projects, and programs.

Mabuhay ang Rotary Club of Manila! The First in Asia!