Rotary Club of Manila's 100 Years Celebration Organized

The Rotary Club of Manila, the first Rotary Club in the Philippines and in Asia, will celebrate its 100th year of service to the community on June 1, 2019 as announced by chairman of the centennial celebration committee, PDG Obet Pagdanganan.

The other members of the committee are: co-chair district governor nominee Rudy Bediones, immediate past president Ebot Tan, club asst. treasurer Hermie Esguerra, PP Boy Guevara, chair of ways and means subcommittee, president-elect Jimmie Policarpio and past president Frank Evaristo will handle the publicity relating to the events of the centennial celebration.

The Rotary Club of Manila was formed in 1919 through the initiative of its charter president Leon Lambert after he inquired from the Rotary organization in Chicago about the possibility of organizing Rotary in the Philippines. In response to Lambert’s proposal, Rotary sent Roger Pinneo of the Seattle Rotary Club to the Philippines to help set up a club in Manila. Another meeting later resulted in the formation of a Manila Rotary Club.

The 38 charter members were men heavily involved in the socio, political and economic life of the country. They included 35 Americans, 2 Filipinos, and 1 Chinese. The founding officers were: president Leon Lambert, vice president: Alfonso Sy Cip, secretary: Edwin Emil Elser, treasurer: Alfa Walter Beam, Directors: Fred N. Berry, Gregorio Nieva, James Geary.

The Rotary Club of Manila subsequently informed Rotary International in Chicago that the Manila Club had been formally organized. In June 1919, the Rotary Club of Manila received its Charter documents from Rotary International recognizing the Club with Charter No. 478.

A few of the past presidents who served the Philippine government were: Rotary International director Carlos Romulo (former Secretary General of the United Nations), past district governor George Malcolm (chief justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines), Artemio Panganiban (former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines), Francisco del Rosario, Alberto Romulo (incumbent head of Development Bank of the Philippines), PDG Vince Carlos, PDG Romulo del Rosario, Bienvenido Laguesma, and past district governor Roberto Pagdanganan.