Welcome Message of President Susing Pineda on the Occasion of “An Evening with Rotary International President Barry Rassin and Lady Esther”

Rotary International President Barry Rassin and Lady Esther, Rotary International Director Raffy Gracia, III and Lady Minda, Rotary Inspiring Governor of District 3810 Rudy Bediones and Lady Sharon, PRID Jocjoc Bolante, PRID Guiller Tumangan, Immediate Past President of the Rotary Club of Manila Jimmie Policarpio, Inspiring District Governors, Past District Governors, Inspiring Presidents, Past Presidents and, of course, my lovely wife, Maritess, our moderator Past President Benny Laguesma, members of the Rotary Club of Manila, Rotarians, Ladies and Gentlemen, Good Evening!

Fellow Rotarians, we are graced this evening with the presence of esteemed men and women from all over the country – all of whom have lived a life in line with Rotary’s mission of Service Above Self. Tonight, we are honored with the presence of Rotary International President Barry Rassin, and his lovely wife, Lady Esther Rassin. The rarity of a visit from the Rotary International President is worth celebrating – and the fact that it coincides with a momentous milestone epitomizes the auspicious nature of the gathering. So fellow Rotarians, let’s give President Barry a warm round of applause.

The Rotary Club of Manila finds itself at the heels of its Centennial Celebration – an event it proudly shares with the rest of the Rotary movement in the Philippines and across Asia. Since 1919, the Rotary Club of Manila has been steadfast in its mission of service – an undying endeavor that has touched and furthered many marginalized communities. As the seed of the Rotary movement in Asia, its service has gone far and beyond Manila – birthing 10 districts, 876 Rotary clubs, and 24,951 Rotarians across the Philippines.

The Rotary Club of Manila has also been blessed with members who have risen to play vital roles in the Rotary International movement. In 1986, Mateo Armando Caparas was elected as the first Filipino Rotary International President. Today, Raffy Garcia, III, is the Incumbent Rotary International Director. Once again, let’s give a hand to RI Director Raffy.

Recently, our 100 years of Rotarian service was recognized by the national government, with President Rodrigo Duterte signing Proclamation No. 413, which declares the period from July 1, 2018 to June 30, 2019 as the “Year for the Celebration of the Centennial Anniversary of the Rotary Club of Manla and the Rotary Movement in the Philippines and Asia.” This proclamation opens the doors of vast opportunities for our club and yours to further our mission of service through cooperative ventures with government entities.

And despite being in existence for a century, the Rotary Club of Manila has not taken its foot off the pedal of sharing the fruits of our mission of service. The Adopt-A-Student Scholarship Grant, Sari-Saring Aralan Out-of-School Youth Program, Rotary’s Heart for Little Angels Project, our ongoing humanitarian project in Marawi, One Rotary One Philippines One For Marawi, and various medical missions across the country evidence the club’s persisting commitment to those most in need.

We believe that in order to create a sustainable, long-lasting impact, innovation and education must be fostered to establish the foundations of what we hope to be catalysts of change in the Philippine society. By encouraging leaders and inspiring our members to be proactive with finding innovative solutions to the issues in the country, we hope to help blaze the trail towards a more prosperous and progressive Philippines for future generations.

My fellow Rotarians, every life we touch is our legacy. Let us lead by example, so we can be the inspiration to pursue this vision in unison – under ONE MISSION, under ONE ROTARY. A pleasant evening to all. Salamat po at Mabuhay tayong lahat!