District 3810

As we all know, the Rotary Club of Manila, First in Asia, belongs to Rotary International District 3810, comprising the areas of Manila, Pasay, Cavite, and Occidental Mindoro. The District 3810, which belongs to Zone 10-A, has over 3,000 members, and is the home to more than 100 Rotary and over 80 Rotaract clubs. As earlier mentioned, it is the District where the mother of all Rotary Clubs in the Philippines belongs.

Prior to the redistricting in 1998, D3810 had about 4,500 members and was the largest not just in the country, but in the world. It thus applied to create District 3830 out of its territorial jurisdiction. In a decision of the Rotary International Board during its 4th meeting at Evanston, Illinois, USA, the redistricting plan and the application of District 3810, was approved. The redistricting was made effective on July 1, 1999. With this, the cities of Makati, Paranaque, Muntinlupa, Las Pinas, as well as the towns of Taguig and Pateros and the province of Palawan, were constituted as the new District 3830.

Presently, there are ten Rotary districts in the Philippines, namely: (Luzon) Districts 3770, 3780, 3790, 3800, Rotary Districts 3810, 3820 and 3830, (Western Visayas and Western Mindanao) District 3850, (Eastern Visayas and Eastern Mindanao) District 3860; and Central Mindanao) District 3870.

Being the home of Asia’s First Rotary Club, D3810’s history is closely intertwined with the history of Philippine Rotary. Indeed, when we speak of Rotary history in our country, we point to the First Rotary Club and the District to which it belongs.

To recall, Rotary was planted in the Philippines when a Manila businessman, Leon J. Lambert, corresponded with John Poole, the president of the International Association of Rotary Clubs. Later, Roger D. Pinneo of RC Seattle (Washington) was sent to the Philippines to assist in organizing Rotary in Asia. With 38 charter members (consisting of 2 Filipinos – Gabriel Lao and Gregorio Nieva, one Chinese – Alfonso Sycip, and 35 Americans), RC Manila was formally organized on 1 June 1919.

Today, with various clubs from the Cities of Manila and Pasay, as well as the Provinces of Cavite and Occidental Mindoro, District 3810 continues to be a bright spot in Philippine Rotary. With the quality of the Rotary Clubs belonging to it, coupled with RC Manila’s continuing legacy and leadership, D3810 shall continue to be the country’s premiere RI District.