Presidents' Corner

Dear Fellow Manila Rotarians,

Last week, the expertise of a renowned psychiatrist brought about renewed interest in the crafting of a Philippine mental health legislation and its accompanying consequences. With a panel of Manila Rotarian physicians taking the lead, our weekly lunch meeting transformed into an afternoon of enlightenment.

After our weekly luncheon meeting, my steering committee and I attended the Council of Past Presidents Meeting of our club at the Gallery 1 of the New World Makati Hotel where the status of centennial preparations through the various projects lined up for the Rotary year were reported. The highlight of the meeting was the consummation of the transfer of the mantle of responsibilities for the Centennial Preparations from the Centennial Celebrations Committee, which set the stage for the festivities, to the Centennial Board of Directors. Hence, I have initiated a review of the projects started by PDG Obet Pagdanganan so we can continue and complete these approved projects within this Centennial Year with great success. I wish to thank PDG Obet Pagdanganan for initiating some of the projects during his chairmanship. We shall now work with the incumbent Chairmen of the committees existing to attain the objectives given for the centennial celebration.

As part of these preparations, several Manila Rotarians and I trooped to Baguio to attend the 81st Induction and Turnover Ceremonies of the Rotary Club of Baguio, one of our daughter clubs, at the Venus Parkview Hotel in Baguio City last August 6, 2018. It was an evening of fun and camaraderie as we accomplished our goal of rekindling ties and in so doing, invited them to be one with us on our centennial celebrations.

Likewise, our committee on ONE ROTARY ONE PHILIPPINES ONE FOR MARAWI, namely, Chair Dir. Raffy Alunan, Co-Chair Dir. Jackie Rodriguez, Rtn. Juan Montel and IPP Jimmie Policarpio led the way together with other Rotary clubs in undertaking a medical mission down south in Marawi City as part of our “ONE ROTARY ONE PHILIPPINES ONE FOR MARAWI” project.

Today, I will be presenting the projects lined up for our centennial celebration next year as the Board of Directors and I, together with the Steering Committee, wish to solicit your valuable inputs and expectations in the celebration of our centennial. I wish the membership to be engaged in RCM by joining any of their preferred committees to share their time and effort and be counted for this year’s centennial celebration.

Let us bear in mind that in this colossal undertaking, great things in Rotary are never done by one person alone, but, by a team of Rotarians working towards a common goal.

In ONE CENTURY ONE MISSION ONE ROTARY, I remain.