President's Corner

Dear Fellow Manila Rotarians,

Last Thursday, the Honorable Ramon M. Lopez, the Incoming Secretary of the Department of Trade and Industry (the “DTI”), shared with us his advocacies and his plans of how he intends to run the DTI, focusing on the development of small, medium, and micro enterprises. Incoming Secretary Lopez was Executive Director of the Go Negosyo advocacy group for the past 11 years. He has over 22 years of experience in the business sector, having been a top executive of the RFM Corporation, and has had years of experience in trade and industry development planning at the National Economic Development Authority and the DTI. We can certainly expect a lot from the DTI under his leadership.

On news within our Club, please be reminded to show your support for our own DG/PP Obet Pagdanganan by registering for and attending the 2016 Handover and Induction Ceremonies of Distrct 3810 of Rotary International, which will be held at the Marriott Grand Ballroom of the Marriott Hotel Manila in Pasay City on Friday, 1 July 2016. The event kicks off with a mass at 3pm, and the handover proceedings proper begins at 5:30pm. The registration fee is P1,500.00. During this event, our very own DG/PP Obet Pagdanganan will deliver his valedictory address and hand over the mantle of leadership over District 3810 to DGE Ernesto Yuyek. The event is doubly significant as it will serve as a unique opportunity for us to announce, and campaign for, our forthcoming celebration of our centennial, which coincides with the celebration of 100 years of the Rotary movement in the Philippines, and emphasize our unique role as the mother club of many Rotary clubs in the District.

Several of our fellow Manila Rotarians will be playing important roles in the All Star Rotary Year, namely, PP Cesar Ubaldo (as Chief of Staff to the District Governor), DE Albert Alday (as Deputy Chief of Staff to the District Governor), and Senior Deputy Governor for District Publications and AG/IPP Frank Evaristo (as Senior Deputy Governor – District Representative to the Philippine Rotary Magazine). Also, during this event, CoS/PP Rudy Bediones will be elevated to District Governor Nominee (from District Governor Nominee Designate), while PE/VP Teddy Ocampo will be marching with me, as we both carry the All Star Rotary Year Banner of our club during the parade of All Star Presidents and District Officers.

We are also in the thick of preparations for my valedictory and PE/VP Teddy Ocampo’s own handover and induction ceremonies scheduled on Thursday, 14 July 2016, at 12 noon, at the New World Makati Hotel. Please help in soliciting for advertisements to be published in our Souvenir Program for this event, as revenues that we will obtain will not only help fund the event, but will also be used for our projects and programs in the coming Rotary Year 2016-2017.

On news from around the District, last Friday, 17 June 2016, DG/PP Obet Pagdanganan, DGND/CoS/PP Rudy Bediones, PDG Vince Carlos, ICoS/SDG/PP Cesar Ubaldo, IDCoS/ISDG/DE/IPS Albert Alday, ISDG/AG/IPP Frank Evaristo, Dir. Issam Eldebs, Dir. Oca del Rosario, Secretary Jorge Salazar, PE/VP Teddy Ocampo, PVP Lance Masters, and I attended the Rotary International District 3810 2016 Awards “RED CARPET GALA” hosted by the Rotary Club of Sampaloc at the Grand Ballroom of the Manila Hotel in Manila, where our club bagged several awards for our accomplishments in this Rotary Year 2015-2016. Three days later, on Monday, 20 June 2016, DG/PP Obet Pagdanganan and DGND/CoS/PP Rudy Bediones attended the charter anniversary and induction ceremonies of the Rotary Club of Manila-Claro M. Recto at the Quezon City Sports Club in Quezon City.

Today, we pay tribute to the stalwarts of the tourism industry, as we hold our 2016 RCM TOURISM AWARDS, where Incoming Department of Tourism Secretary Wanda Tulfo-Teo will grace the occasion as our Guest of Honor and Speaker. Please continue to actively participate in, and support, all of our Club’s plans, programs, and activities during the remainder of this Rotary Year. Most importantly, we still have some time before the end of this Rotary Year to beef up our Club’s membership. Please recommend, as soon as possible, at least one new recruit for the consideration of our Membership and Classification Committee.

Mabuhay ang Rotary Club of Manila!