Remembering PD Celso Abastillas

President Herminio S. Esguerra's Message

This afternoon’s Gathering, a.k.a., REMEMBERING A Life of Selflessness

Good afternoon. To you Ging, your lovely children, family, relatives, friends, and your extended families, please accept my personal as well as from the members and staff of the Rotary Club of Manila, our prayers and Deepest Condolences on the untimely passing of our dear Celso. Indeed it was a shocking sad news to all of us Manila Rotarians. We will miss Celso not only in person but as well as his valuable dedication to our Club and to the Rotary.

In the midst of this sadness, I am however much privileged as President of RCM to be the main presenter of our dear Celso’s Rotary name badge. The Rotary name badge is a symbol of our oneness in Friendship, Service, and a representation of our business/profession and Classification. Symbolic of a soldier who has served his country well, the Rotary Name Badge is a manifestation of a Rotarian’s dedication to the promotion of Rotary tenets and objectives, as well as the Rotary five Core Values which RCM Past Director Celso Abastillas lived and exemplified: FELLOWSHIP INTEGRITY DIVERSITY SERVICE LEADERSHIP

Aside from being a PD Director of Rotary Club of Manila in RY 2020-2021, our dear Celso also served as a Trustee of RCManila Foundation and likewise became the First Chairman of the Audit, Risk Management and Good Governance Committee of the Foundation.

On behalf of the Board of Directors, Executive Officers, members and staff of the Rotary Club of Manila, FIRST IN ASIA, we are presenting the to the Family of our dear Celso the Name Badge of a Rotary Hero - who served his club, the Rotary and his country well. My I invite Ging and the family to receive PD Celso’ Rotary Name Badge

Eulogy by IPP Chito Zaldarriaga

My warmest greetings to one and all. If I may call out to his family Starting with his wife Ging. The kids: Abby (43) Pam (41) Vanessa (38) and the unico hijo Jay-Ar (34). From these fine children He had 5 Apos – Ben -12, Thea, 9, Alli 7 Wiliam 8 and Lucas 5. To each and everone of you my deepest personal condolences.

I stand here before you to pay tribute to a man we all knew. Some knowing him better than others. I was not that close to Celso – but he was one of the better liked Rotarians that I would regularly sit next to during our pre-pandemic FTF meetings.

I learned recently the following about Celso: He was born in Isabang Quezon… grew up in. He graduated Cum Laude in UE (Accountancy) He was a working student – taught Accountancy. He was also very good at courting and winning the right woman whom he eventually married (allegedly a fairly short courtship) but knowing how convincing Celso would get once he latched on to an idea… I am not surprised.

He spearheaded a lot of innovation patents in their enterprises – The TAWI Group of Companies which as we all know specialized in Wood products. Because of his initiatives, the Company received an award from no less that DTI itself for having the most number of patents submitted. He was very much an outdoors man. Loved mountain hiking, and would spend a lot of time in Highlands / Midlands playing golf. exercising. His spare time was spent reading, writing his personal memoirs. He had to be productive all the time.

I was asking myself what this remarkable man would have wanted me to share with all of you this afternoon. And after looking back at the times we spend together… I am 100% sure that this is what he would have me share with all of you. 4 basic truths.

One: God Loves you and desires that you Have Eternal Life with Him : John 3:16 – “ For God so Loved the World that He gave His only Son so that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have ETERNAL LIFE” Have an Abundant and Meaningful Life with Him John 10:10 – “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they have life and Have it abundantly.” But most people are NOT experiencing a meaningful life and aren’t sure that they have eternal life because:

Truth #2 Man has a SIN Problem that SEPARATES him from God. Everyone has sinned - Rom 3:23 “ Since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” The Penalty of sin is DEATH Rom 6:23 “ For the wages of sin is death…” Bible talks of 2 kinds of death – Physical Death – we will all end up dying Spiritual Death – or Eternal Separation from God Revelation 21:8 – “ But for the cowardly, the faithless, the polluted, the murderers, the fornicators, the sorcerers, the idolaters, and ALL LIARS, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

Truth #3 JESUS CHRIST is GOD’s ONLY way to Eternal Life. He is the ONLY way. John 14:6 – Jesus says: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” He COMPLETELY paid for the penalty of your sins. 1 Peter 3:18 “For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous. In order to bring you to God.” HIS RESURRECTION PROVES THAT HE IS THE SON OF GOD, THE MESSIAH, THE ONLY SAVIOUR. ROM: 1:3-4 “the gospel concerning His Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God with power according to the spirit of Holiness by resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord” HE PROMISES ETERNAL LIFE JOHN 3:36 “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever disobeys the Son will not see life, but must endure God’s wrath.” MERELY KNOWING WHAT CHRIST HAS DONE FOR US IS NOT ENOUGH

Truth #4 WE MUST PLACE OUR FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST TO SAVE US Ephesian 2:8-9 For by Grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the GIFT OF GOD – not the result of works, so that no one may boast.” ARE YOU WILLING TO ACCEPT THIS GIFT OF GOD? PRAY THIS PRAYER IN FAITH: “LORD JESUS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LOVING ME. I CONFESS THAT I HAVE SINNED AGAINST YOU. THANK YOU FOR DYING ON THE CROSS FOR MY SINS. TODAY, I PUT MY TRUST IN YOU AS MY PERSONAL LORD AND SAVIOUR. I ACCEPT YOUR FREE GIFT OF ETERNAL LIFE AND I SURRENDER MY LIFE TO YOU. THANK YOU FOR FORGIVING MY SINS. FROM THIS DAY ON, I CHOOSE TO FOLLOW YOU – AMEN.

If you have just trusted Jesus Christ , then the following have happened to you: YOUR ETERNAL LIFE WITH GOD BEGINS TODAY! This is not a religion guys. It is a relationship which I am positive our dear Celso would want us all to have before our time is up! Thank you and may God bless us all.

Eulogy of Program Chairman PD Amading Valdez

Reflection on the Death of a Rotarian

What a week that was. Saturday, December 31, 2022 ended with a bad note. Rotarian CELSO ABASTILLAS , a friend of 35 years, died. The news came through a Viber message from his eldest daughter. Disbelief, then denial, then a call to confirm. It did not sink immediately, the reaction is not the kind of grief fit to the news, the appropriate one suspended or postponed as if the story may still change.

Then the many “ifs”! If he only went to the hospital would he be still alive today? My son, a Muslim, said that the end has been predestined. Once life has a deadline, a dateline from birth to death. It has to be accepted. Then why the medical research, the advancement of knowledge to determine what ills and what heals? We only deal with the quality of life, he said, a son advising his father whose light dimmed because of the loss of a friend.

Then the reflection: One avoids the debilitating germs or bacteria because of the fruits of these painstaking medical or scientific research, or avoid accidents or the acts of malice or intent to harm because of deterrence from technological advances, safety protocols, moral discipline from education, social pressures or religious fears. These are part of living like in a video game which are lifelines to avoid challenges as you play on. Yes life is a game! A supreme power or energy created the scene and circumstance from the beginning of life! Let us enjoy life. Rotary life is a ride to make it happen! Happy New Year to all!