President’s Corner

Dear Fellow Manila Rotarians,

Last week, we were witnesses to the recognition our club has given our newsmakers in the tri-media through the staging of our JOURNALISM AWARDS 2019. Because of this endeavor, our club has been brought to fore in our desire for a much needed media mileage with respect to our Centennial Celebration.

Speaking of our Centennial Celebration, we are just seven (7) days away from our centennial culminating activities. Towards this end, we have done our food tasting at PICC. The Salubong Fiesta Committee has done its final meeting. Advertisements and articles on the centennial celebration have been hugging the broadsheets, increasing public awareness of our celebration. Logistics on rotary dignitaries who will be arriving have already been finalized. The Centennial Chronicles is almost in the printing stage and we are paying attention to key details we may have missed out in our preparations.

For reminders, our Angels in Rendu Art Exhibit will be on June 15, 2019 from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm at the Art Pavillion of the LRI Design Plaza in Makati City. Cocktails will be served. Proceeds of the sale will all go to the Hospicio de San Jose Cerebral Palsy Center. As such, I ask you to please wholeheartedly support this endeavor.

Our “Salubong Fiesta” will be on June 20, 2019 where the Guest of Honor will be Rotary International Director Raffy Garcia as Rotary International President-Elect Mark Maloney still arrives later in the evening. This will be from 4:30 pm to 7:30 pm. There will be cocktails served on this event. It will be held at the Luna, Hidalgo and Amorsolo Function Rooms of the World Trade Center in Pasay City. Many Rotarians have been invited. Please be in Filipiniana Casual attire.

The apex of the Centennial Celebration is the event on June 21, 2019, known as “A Legacy of Rotary Service” which features the mass induction of District Governors-Elect and Presidents-Elect by no less than Rotary International President-Elect Mark Maloney where a certificate will be given to them. Our Rotaractors will lend a helping hand and join us in the morning session of this day. Likewise, on this day will be the historic Rotary Forum led by the RI President-Elect himself. Further, the five (5) grand finalists will be singing the best composition in the Centennial Chorale Competition where they vie for top honors. Moreover, the most outstanding service projects from all the rotary districts in the Philippines will be receive awards. Thereafter, we will have an enchanting evening with President Rodrigo Duterte amid a night of music from Lara Maigue, the Ryan Cayabyab singers and Marcy David and his band.

I wish to likewise appeal to all of you to consider being Lambert Fellows as your humble contribution to the cause of our centennial celebration. Please be the additional fellow to be added to our growing list of fellow Manila Rotarians.

The Centennial Gala Night will serve as the celebration of all celebrations for a hundred years of service to humanity. With VPE/PAT Hermie Esguerra and his team of Manila Rotarians as well as event coordinators, this event promises to be a first class evening from entertainment to venue as this will take place on June 22, 2019 at the posh Grand Ballroom of the OKADA MANILA in Parañaque City. This is a by invitation only event. On this note, I wish to express my utmost gratitude to all who have donated as we anticipate the success of this event.

Our Coffee Table Book is now being printed. Don’t miss the opportunity of securing your copies of this commemorative book when it is released. The Centennial Commemorative Stamps are still on sale. Please don’t miss your chance to purchase issues of these once in a lifetime memorabilia whose value will surely increase in the years to come.

The Rotary Club of Manila Educational Assistance Program (REAP) continues to help the academically endowed, but, financially challenged graduating students of PLM and PUP. There is a need for more benefactors to help these deserving students. Hence, I appeal to your generosity to help these students.

All these would not be possible without your payments of the centennial seed fund and centennial donations. Hence, I wish to make an urgent appeal for those who have not yet remitted to please do so as these would go along way in covering our expenses for our forthcoming centennial celebration culminating activities. Further, I would like to remind all those who have not paid their annual dues to please do so.

Today, we recognize the finest blue collar workers of the country at the TOWER AWARDS (Centennial Edition). This would not have been possible without the support of Petron Foundation, Inc., the People Management Association of the Philippines (PMAP), the Department of Labor and Employment and New World Makati Hotel. On behalf of our club, I wish to express my deepest gratitude. Congratulations to the winners!

Undoubtedly, all these are colossal undertakings which entail the earnest of efforts in furtherance of Service Above Self. Indeed, great things in Rotary are never done by a single individual, but, by a team of Rotarians, moving together towards a common goal. Under ONE CENTURY, towards ONE MISSION and in furtherance of ONE ROTARY, the best is yet to come as we begin the next century of service. Let us all BE THE INSPIRATION and embrace Rotary in living our everyday lives in this final push for a centennial worth our lasting legacy for the next century and beyond.