President’s Message

RC Baguio’s 88th Anniversary

Last Thursday, February 19, I had the distinct honor of serving as Guest of Honor and Speaker at the 88th Anniversary Gala Night of our daughter club, the Rotary Club of Baguio. Accompanied by IPP Jujut Enriquez and PE Reggie Yu, we journeyed to the City of Pines to celebrate this remarkable milestone.

In my remarks, I could not resist a bit of lighthearted humor. I observed that at 88 years, RC Baguio has already outlived the traditional anniversary gemstone list—which, as we know, ceremoniously concludes at 75 years with the diamond. Beyond that, there appears to be no official guidance.

It is almost as if the list gently tells those fortunate enough to surpass 75: “Good luck—kayo na ang bahala.”

But perhaps that is precisely the point. To go beyond the diamond is to transcend convention. It is to move past prescribed milestones and into a legacy defined not by gemstones, but by grit, grace, and generations of service. And in that respect, RC Baguio shines in a category entirely its own.

75 has diamond as its gemstone. And perhaps this is fitting.

A diamond is treasured not only for its brilliance, but for the structure that gives rise to that brilliance. Each carbon atom is closely connected to the next. Carbon atoms are beautifully bound together, forming a lattice that can withstand tremendous pressure. Its strength, therefore, does not come from its size — it comes from its connections.

And that is what 88 years truly represent. Not merely age. Not merely tradition. But bonds — tempered by trial, strengthened by service, and unbroken by time itself.

In my speech, I underscored that not having a gemstone actually makes 88 years extraordinary; because when the world runs out of gemstones to describe RC Baguio, it means that the Club itself has become THE gemstone. As such, its worth is now beyond measure, beyond category, beyond comparison. At 88 years, RCB is no longer defined by the brilliance of a stone… but by the brilliance of its service.

Besides, I said, the Rotary Club of Baguio has never needed a gemstone or any traditional symbol to define its worth. This is because from its earliest days, it already held something far more valuable: a legacy shaped by genuine service and anchored in a founding story that ties it directly to the roots of Rotary in the Philippines. And this is where the Rotary Club of Manila plays an important role – with its leaders planting the seeds of Rotary in Baguio.

This is why, I said, we were celebrating more than history. We were celebrating character. We were celebrating consistency. We were celebrating a club that has remained relevant because it has remained principled. In Rotary, anniversaries are not just about age. If age alone defined us, then the Rotary Club of Manila — the oldest in Asia — would have been retired, given a plaque, and told to relax decades ago.

But here we are: still moving and still serving.

Perhaps the greatest beauty of the RCB milestone is this:

Eighty-eight years may sound long — yet for Rotary, this is only the beginning.

I ended my speech with this -- There are two questions every great anniversary dares to ask: “How far have we come?” and “How fiercely will we continue?”

In regard to the second question, I expressed my belief that the Rotary Club of Baguio will not merely move forward — it will surge, unstoppable and unmistakable, leaving footprints of service wherever it passes. The anniversary celebration is not RC Baguio’s past shining; but its future roaring.

The foregoing is the summary of my message to our daughter club.

In retrospect, I had to make the difficult decision to miss our own weekly meeting in order to accept a speaking engagement—an invitation from our daughter club. It was not a choice made lightly. Yet I am deeply grateful that I did.

That evening became more than a formal engagement; it was a moment of fellowship and affirmation. It also allowed me to share meaningful time with PE Reggie and IPP Jujut, strengthening not only our camaraderie but our shared sense of purpose.

More importantly, it was an opportunity to make something visible and tangible: that the Rotary Club of Manila—the mother club their members look up to with such awe and respect -- stands not at a distance, but side by side with them. In their milestone celebration, our presence was a quiet but powerful message: that heritage is not merely remembered; it is lived, shared, and extended through fellowship and support.

Sometimes leadership calls us to be present where our presence speaks louder than our schedule. And in that moment, standing with our daughter club – the Rotary Club of Baguio -- it truly did.