President's Corner

Dear Brothers in RCM,

Welcome to the 37th Weekly Meeting of Transformational Rotary Year 2020-2021!

We have been getting positive feedbacks from those who are recovering from CoVid-19. We encourage those who are above 65 years of age to take the vaccine available. I am taking Sinovac in our barangay. Dealing with the impact of the pandemic is overwhelming for everyone. We have to be cautious, but not paranoid. We definitely need prayers, and we should follow the proper health protocols to the letter.

We turned over a donation of 90,000 masks to Mayor Emi Calixto-Rubiano of Pasay City yesterday, April 21, 2021. This donation was sponsored by Rtn. Kenji Mori of the Rotary Club of Kuzuha, a very close friend of PDG Rudy Bediones. He has been a benevolent supporter of our country. Thanks again, Kenji san and PDG Rudy, for this wonderful and timely contribution. I am proud that the donation happened during our term. PDG Rudy Bediones could not join us to meet the Mayor because he was still recovering from his eye operation.

I was in Paraiso Farm in Batangas last Sunday, April 18, 2021 with STAR Rotarians Tony Meloto and Josh Aragon. STAR Rtn. Josh Aragon, 32 years of age, is the President of Zagana. His company is the biggest online marketing and distributor of vegetables, fruits, and soon, seafood, in Metro Manila. It is a one-year-old enterprise with seven cold storage warehouses and a distribution center in Makati. The farmers enjoy better revenues and avoid losses. Zagana has tied up with Grab, a strategy which increased their revenues by over 300% in less than a year! Looking forward to STAR Rotarian Josh’s Classification Talk, which promises to be very interesting.

Last April 16, 2021, the Board has agreed with RCManila Foundation, Inc. Chairman IPVP Hermie Esguerra to prepare the amount of Php 345,000. We sourced the funds from the fund drive created by the Board for Baby Neal’s heart surgery initiated by Rtn. Jun Aventura, Chairman of Save a Heart/Rotary Little Heart Committee. Another source would be the Funds for Life Movement started by Rtn. Tong Payumo and PD Beda Fajardo. To those who have contributed, maraming salamat! Your compassion and support will save the life of a one-year-ten-month-old baby.

We just concluded a Circle of Centennial Rotary Clubs (CCRC) Meeting last April 19, 2021 which started at 8:00 pm. Among those who attended were the President of the Rotary Club of Calcutta Centenary President Purnendu Royschowdhury, Rotary Club of Calcutta PP Saumen Ray, Rotary Club of Shanghai Centennial President Terri Lau, Rotary Club of Shanghai PP/PAG Andrew Hill. The Rotary Club of Manila was led in that meeting by CCRC initiator IPP Jackie Rodriguez and PD Nick Locsin. All are members of the CCRC Board of Advisers of the Founding Members. Also in attendance were other Rotary Club of Manila members, ASAG/DE/Dir. Albert Alday, Rtn. Juan Montel, Rtn. Karl Leung and yours truly. Three more Centennial Clubs from the United States of America are joining, namely, the Rotary Club of Washington D.C., the Rotary Club of Minneapolis and our mother club, the Rotary Club of Seattle. Next would be centennial clubs from Spain, Scotland and more.

Thank you for your time, effort and support in providing service to our communities and the country at large. Praying for the safety and wellness of our members, families, friends and benefactors.

Mabuhay ang RCM! Maraming salamat.

Your servant, President Robert “Bobby” Lim Joseph, Jr., President RY 2020-2021 (101st President)