President's Corner

Last week, Insurance Commissioner Emmanuel Dooc gave us a peek into the present and future of the insurance industry in our country, including the advocacies of his office which are designed to protect the insured of our nation.

As for updates within our club, grief has again stricken our club with the passing of one of our club’s gems in the person of Frankie Roman, President of our club during RY 1991-1992 and District Governor of District 3810 during RY 1999-2000. Frankie has been a regular fixture in many a World Famous Chorale gathering and many a Rotary meeting where he taught us the protocol of Rotary. His achievements during his long service to our club from 1963 to 2016 was recognized with the last award he received during his lifetime, the Leon Lambert Lifetime Achievement Award, during RY 2015-2016. Frankie and his congenial nature towards all Rotarians will definitely be missed. A necrological service by our club was held last September 9, 2016 at the Funeraria Paz, Manila Memorial Park in Sucat, Parañaque City. We hope that better days would get the best of us as I myself had to deal with the demise of my mother last September 12, 2016.

On a brighter note, our club is a major co-host at the District Mooncake Festival hosted by the Rotary Club of Chinatown Manila to be held at the Golden Bay Seafood Restaurant in Pasay City on September 16, 2016.

Updates from around the district include the attendance of DGN/IPCoS/PP Rudy Bediones, CoS/IPSDG/PP Cesar Ubaldo and I attended the 15th Induction and Handover Ceremonies of the Rotary Club of Lubang Island last September 8, 2016 at the Club Filipino in Greenhills where my classmate, ASP Annie Dimalibot was inducted as President for RY 2016-2017 while on the same day, CoS/IPSDG/PP Cesar Ubaldo likewise attended the Induction Ceremonies of the Rotary Club of Ermita Manila together with Dir. Issam Eldebs and Rtn. Joe Assad at the Casino Español in Manila where my classmate, ASP Liz Villaseñor was inducted as President for RY 2016-2017. Two days later, September 10, 2016, DGN/IPCoS/PP Rudy Bediones attended and lead the charging of officers of the Rotaract Club of Pasay Centro at the Manila Grand Opera Hotel in Manila while moving to another venue, the CenterStage Family KTV and Resto Bar along Seaside Blvd, SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City to join his classmates, the First Class Presidents, for their First Class Presidents Fellowship. The following day, September 11, 2016, CoS/IPSDG/PP Cesar Ubaldo and DCoS/SDG/Dir. Albert Alday attended the 5th Handover and Induction Ceremonies of the Rotary Club of Manila Magic entitled, SHINE Rotary Illuminating Humanity at the Makati Rotary Club Foundation, Inc. Building in Makati City where my classmate, Mennen Gonzales was inducted as President for RY 2016-2017. The next day, September 12, 2016, CoS/IPSDG/PP Cesar Ubaldo attended the Governor’s Visit and led the charging of officers during the Induction and Handover Ceremonies of the Rotary Club of Tondo at the Rothman Hotel in Manila where my classmate, ASP Crizy Tabuloc was inducted as President for RY 2016-2017. The following day, September 13, 2016, DGN/IPCoS/PP Rudy Bediones and CoS/IPSDG/PP Cesar Ubaldo attended the 3rd Induction and 1st Handover Ceremonies of the Rotary Club of Manila Maharlika at the Pacific Ballroom of the Hotel H2O, Manila Ocean Park in Manila where DGN/IPCoS/PP Rudy Bediones led the charging of officers and where my classmate, ASP Richard de Castro was inducted as President for RY 2016-2017.

Today, we welcome Hon. Juan Miguel Zubiri, Senator of the Republic of the Philippines, to our club, Asia’s First Rotary Club, as he speaks on his legislative advocacies and plans. I look forward to your cooperation as we endeavor to make our stars shine this Rotary Year 2016-2017 through meaningful projects and fellowships that will strengthen the bonds of Asia’s First Rotary Club.