President's Diary

My dear fellow Manila Rotarians,

As President of the Rotary Club of Manila, it has been an incredible privilege to witness and be a part of all the amazing work that we have achieved this past week. From reviewing the successful hosting of RYLA 2023 to discussing our various projects with the respective Committees, I could not be more proud and inspired by what we have accomplished together.

Our relentless dedication to our mission is evident in the Accomplishment Report covering July 2022 to March 2023, which was reviewed by me alongside our Board and Committee Chairmen last Tuesday. We are presenting the report today during the District Team Visit.

Here's an overview of the meetings and events I attended this week.

RYLA 2023 Review

Thursday, 16 March 2023, 4:00 p.m.

After our successful hosting of RYLA 2023 on March 11 and 12, we had a meeting last Thursday to discuss the RYLA financial report. The meeting was attended by RYLA 2023 Chairman VP Reggie Yu, Grant Chair STAR Rtn. Aries Balanay and the RCM Secretariat.

9th Monthly District Meeting and Fellowship Summer Outing

Sunday, 19 March 2023, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 midnight

I joined the 9th Monthly District Meeting and Fellowship Summer Outing held in Lemerish Beachotel in Lemery, Batangas.

11th Charter Anniversary and 12th Handover & Induction Ceremonies of the Rotary Club of Manila Quiapo Central

Monday, 20 March 2023, 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.

I attended the 11th Charter Anniversary and 12th Handover & Induction Ceremonies of the Rotary Club of Manila Quiapo Central last Monday at Great Eastern Hotel in Quezon City.

Review the Accomplishment Report Covering July 2022 to March 2023

Tuesday, 21 March 2023, 4:00 p.m.

I invited the members of the Board and Committee Chairmen to a meeting via Zoom to review the accomplishment report covering July 2022 to March 2023.

Vice President Reggie Yu, Dir. Johnny Chotrani, Dir. Albert Alday, Sec. Edwin Hernandez, Treas. Karlo Castro, Asst. Sec. Mike Albaña, Board Legal Adviser Raoul Creencia, Asst. Treasurer PJ Garcia, Sergeant-at-Arms Nagi Zeitouni (Chairman, Sports Committee), Rtn. Rami Chahwan (Co-Chairman, Sports Committee and RCM Archive & Library Digitalization Committee), PD John Cutter (Chairman, Disease Prevention and Treatment Committee), Rtn. Inov Talusan (Chairman, RCM Archive and Library Digitalization Committee), and STAR Rtn. Aries Balanay (Chairman, Grant Committee) attended the meeting.

I also joined meetings of various committees by phone, such as the RCM Archive and Library Digitalization Committee meeting for the ongoing digitalization of RCM records, as well as the meeting of the House Committee to discuss House concerns and complete the weekly meeting schedules covering the second half of March, April, May and June 2023.

I am also proud to share that our new daughter club, the Rotary Club of Abra de Ilog Central, presented us with a Certification of Appreciation and Recognition for our moral as well as financial support in the chartering of the Rotary Club of Abra de Ilog Central. It’s humbling to see how much progress we have made as a team, and I am confident that if we continue working together towards achieving our goals, there is no limit to what we can do!

Yours in Rotary Service,