President's Diary

Dear fellow Manila Rotarians,

I am blessed to have fully recovered and I feel grateful to be back in full swing to perform my duties as your president. I am happy to share that we had several meaningful meetings and exciting events during the past week. Thank you to our fellow Rotarians who attended and supported these activities.

Program Tech Run

Wednesday, September 21, 2022

We had a program tech run in preparation for our weekly membership meeting on September 22 via Zoom. Program Chair PD Amading Valdez as well as other program participants—Moderator Rtn. Joel Talampas and Past Asst. Treas. Marcus Dee who led the invocation—were also in attendance.

RC San Marcelino Manila’s 13th Handover and 14th Induction Ceremonies

September 22, 2022

I went to the Rotary Club of San Marcelino Manila’s 13th Handover and 14th Induction Ceremonies held at YWCA Manila. It was a great rock party! Congratulations to Phenomenal Leader President Domarie Suniga for a successful event!

A Courtesy Call on Manila City Mayor

Friday, September 23, 2022, 10:00 a.m.

Pursuant to Rotary’s shared global aim of disease prevention and treatment specially relative to maternal and child health, the Rotary Club of Manila (RCM) led by President Herminio S. Esguerra officially called on its most reliable partner when providing priority service projects to the very constituents of RCM’s birth place, i.e., the City Government of Manila under its historic first-ever elected lady Mayor, the honorable Maria Sheila Honrado Lacuna-Pangan or Mayor Honey Lacuna to most of her acquaintances. The official visit was also attended by Vice President Reggie T. Yu, Programs Committee Chair Amado D. Valdez, Past Director John M. Cutter as well as the Mayor’s team headed by her Chief-of-Staff Joshue Santiago.

This service project was prompted by RCM’s joint initiative with its counterparts in the Rotary Club of San Francisco (RCSF) where the latter has been extending free medical services all over the world to indigent children suffering from cleft lip or palate since birth. Our team-up is a result of the international efforts of the Circle of Centennial Rotary Clubs (CCRC), an exclusive group of at least 100-year-old Rotary Clubs, wherein Rotarian Nick Z. Locsin is a member of the Board of Directors. Closer to home, the same CCRC operates using the RCM goodwill ambassador system involving a select set of members and from which Rotarian Joel C. Valdes was appointed as RCM Ambassador to RCSF by International Relations Committee Chair Nick Locsin.

Cleft lip and palate is one of the more common disorders seen in the Philippines. In fact, in 1 out of 1,000 Filipino live births, a cleft lip or palate patient is born. That’s over 1,500 children a year. Left untreated, the health and social implications for these children are devastating, especially for those who cannot afford reconstructive surgery. Although there are numerous non-government agencies in the country extending the same free medical services to these less fortunate kids, the demand simply exceeds the supply as they say.

It is in this light that Mayor Honey Lacuna kept the door wide open to collaborate with both RCM and RCSF and mobilize talent, time, and resources for this noble activity for young Manileños. As a medical practitioner herself who is also married to one, Mayor Honey Lacuna wishes to seize this opportunity as part of her focus on social services to her city residents. She confirmed that her local government may assist in complementing this exercise by providing the database of the targeted 100 qualified candidate patients, the operating facilities in either of the city government-owned and recently upgraded Ospital ng Maynila or Sta. Ana General Hospital, and the patient’s board and lodging for pre and post-operation as part of the accompanying therapeutic services as needed.

As to the next steps, both Mayor Honey Lacuna and President Hermie Esguerra agreed to conduct follow-through meetings in the coming weeks with the goal of actually implementing the medical mission sometime during the first semester of 2023. Specifically, RCM shall provide the list of items that each party, i.e., City Government of Manila, RCM, and RCSF with its service project affiliate Alliance for Smiles (AfS), shall be committed to contribute and be accountable for the success of the undertaking. While RCM shall serve as the overall service project driver via a set of appropriate memorandum of agreements with the parties concerned, RCSF and AfS shall take charge of multiple activities ranging from finalizing the scope of work, logistics requirements, budget, execution plan, timeline of milestone deliverables, to financial closure of funding sources, and to the actual conduct of the medical mission and training program. In turn, the local government shall assess the items required of it with the view of possibly bridging the gaps and providing the support as warranted.

This maiden service project, chaired by PD Dr. John M. Cutter and co-chaired by fellow Rotarian Dr. John T. Cenica, shall be subjected to a thorough evaluation once concluded particularly on the learnings from it with the view of formulating a template for replication by the Rotary network with other concerned parties in the country under a series of similar campaign on a timely basis.

(Note: Thank you, VPE/VP Reggie Yu, for this comprehensive write-up.)

Lunch with Rotary Club of Manila Secretariat

Friday, September 23, 2022

I shared a flavorful Popeyes chicken lunch with the RCM team in the office.

While at the RCM office, I took the opportunity to check the marker presenting the Charter Board of Directors of 1919-1920, a newspaper clipping of Rotary Club of Pasay Ilustrado Charter Pres. Lily Aguilar on Rotary Club of Manila induction of Pres. Jonby Carlos on July 6, 1956 published in Manila Bulletin, as well as the December 17, 1941 publication in The Philippine Herald on Rotary Information Section, donated by Rotary Club of Pasay Ilustrado Past Pres. Irineo Gino (RY 2008-2009) through Charter Pres. Lily Aguilar.

District Mooncake Festival 2022

Saturday, September 24, 2022

The District Mooncake Festival 2022, hosted by the Rotary Club of Chinatown and co-hosted by the Rotary Club of Manila, took place last Saturday at Noble Mansion Seafood Restaurant, Macapagal Avenue in Pasay City. With me at the festival were President-Elect/Dir. Raffy Alunan, SAA Nagi and Michelle Zeitoini, PDG Rudy and Sharon Bediones, PDG Vince Carlos, PD Issam Eldebs, PD Nick Locsin and STAR Rtn. Paul Koh. I was honored to lead the invocation at the event.

Meeting of RCM Digitalization Committee

September 26, 2022

I attended the meeting of RCM Digitalization Committee with Chairman Rtn. Inov Talusan, Co-Chair Rtn. Rami Chahwan and STAR Rtn. Aries Balany to review the terms of reference and cost of suppliers invited to bid. Also present at the meeting were Executive Assistant Amy Babiano, who will be designated to assist in the digitalization process, and ES Anna Kun Toledo.

Meeting of Basic Education & Literacy Committee

Monday, September 26, 2022, 8:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

I joined the meeting of Basic Education & Literacy Committee – Rotary Punlaan Scholarship Program last Monday to review the Memorandum of Agreement between Rotary Club of Manila and Punlaan School. VP Reggie Yu, Rotary Punlaan Scholarship Program Chairman Alvin Ampil, Board Legal Adviser Raoul Creencia and ES Anna Kun Toledo were also in the meeting.

Meeting of Special Children Committee

Tuesday, September 27, 2022 2:00 p.m.

I met with Special Children Committee Chair/Rtn. Ray Davis and Co-Chair/PD Phillip Ong to discuss the Special Children Committee concerns. The meeting was held online last Tuesday via Zoom.

Meeting with the Department of Education to discuss RCM Projects

September 28, 2022

Together with VP Reggie Yu, Rtn. John Cutter and Rtn. Aries Balanay, I met with Department of Education Undersecretary Gerard L. Chan to discuss the following RCM projects: Global Grant Vision Care, Oral Health, Anti-Bullying Webinar and Donation of 50 Android tablets. Rotary Club of Manila will be signing a Memorandum of Understanding together with the Department of Education to undertake programs for Rotary Club’s Areas of Focus: Basic Education and Literacy and Disease Prevention and Treatment.

Program Tech Rehearsal

Wednesday, September 28, 2022, 4:00 p.m.

We had a program tech rehearsal in preparation for our September 29th weekly membership meeting via Zoom. The tech run was attended by Programs Committee Chairman - PD Amading Valdez, Co-Chairman DE/AS Mike Albana, Program Moderator of the day - PAT Marcus Dee, Rtn. Senen Mangalile and RC Chinatown Phenomenal Leader Pres. Ting Tie.

It was an honor to be a part of these important meetings and events that will help improve the lives of many in our community. I am looking forward to seeing the positive outcomes that will come from these initiatives.

Sincerely,

Pres. Hermie S. Esguerra