STAR Rotarian Chris Chua Tamesis

Inducted on: December 11, 2025 Membership Classification: Accounting -Taxation Rotary Foundation Recognition: EREY Eligible, EREY (2025-2026), EREY Banner Eligible (2025-2026), Paul Harris Fellow (2025-2026), Paul Harris Society Eligible (2025-26), Sustaining Member Eligible (2025-2026), TRF Giving (2025-2026)

If you could have dinner with one person—living or dead—who would it be, and why?

Bill Gates. Microsoft is part of the reason, but what moves me more is what he chose to do after building it. He could have stopped at success. Instead, he turned his attention to problems most people would rather look away from, and he committed his time, his resources, and his name to them.

I'd want to ask him how he decides which problems are worth solving, where to put his resources, and how he knows whether the effort is truly making a difference. But more than anything, I'd want to understand what drives him. What keeps a person going at that scale, year after year, when the results aren't always visible?

As a Rotarian, this stays close to my heart. Success is not only about what we accumulate. It's about what we do with what we've been given, and whether we use it to lift someone else up.

What's one hobby or interest that most people in Rotary probably don't know you have?

I'm an avid chess player. I love the strategy, the patience, and the quiet focus it demands. Every move has a consequence, and sometimes the best move is simply to wait. That's a lesson I keep coming back to, in my work and in life.

I'm also a bookworm. There's almost always a book in rotation, because reading gives me room to slow down and reflect. Right now I'm reading The Having by Suh Yoon Lee, which explores abundance, gratitude, and the way we look at what we already have. It has made me pause more than once and count my blessings.

And when I want a more active kind of rest, you'll find me on the basketball court. So yes, there are a few sides of me that my fellow Rotarians don't get to see during our meetings.

What's the best piece of advice you've ever received, and from whom?

Jim Rohn said: "We must all suffer one of two things: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret."

I understood those words differently during the pandemic. It hit both sides of what we do at the same time. On the law side, clients were cancelling contracts, court hearings had practically stopped, and even the clients who stayed were asking for discounts or waivers on their retainers. On the wellness side, we had to close all of our home service spa branches under Massagedaily.ph and Privea.

Closing the branches meant our therapists and riders had no work. But we chose to keep paying their salaries anyway. They relied on us for their basic needs, and I couldn't imagine telling them to simply fend for themselves. It made a very hard season even heavier, but it never felt like a real choice.

My wife, Kathrina, and I seriously considered walking away. I kept asking myself: If I quit now, will I regret it years from now?

That question changed everything. I realized the difficulty we were going through was temporary, but the regret of giving up could stay with us for the rest of our lives. I didn't want to look back and wonder what might have happened if we had held on.

So we chose discipline. When the government finally allowed massage spas to reopen, many of our drivers and riders had already resigned, because they had moved to Grab. I understood why they left. But it left us short, so I personally drove some of our therapists to their clients.

We kept going, together. I'm grateful we did, and I still carry that lesson with me today.

If you had one free day with no meetings, emails, or responsibilities, how would you spend it?

Traveling, without a doubt, and definitely with my family. That part is non-negotiable for me.

We're naturally drawn to places with water, so a beach or a lakeside destination would be at the top of the list. We also love discovering new places, and finding somewhere with a beautiful view that makes you stop and take it all in.

For me, a perfect day off isn't about doing nothing. It's about being somewhere beautiful, slowing down, and giving my full, uninterrupted attention to the people I love. Those are the moments I treasure most, and the ones I know I'll remember long after the busy days have blurred together.

What's one item on your bucket list that you hope to accomplish someday?

I want to help one million people.

I know it sounds like a huge number, and maybe it is. But for me, it's less about the figure and more about the intention behind it. I want my life to add up to something meaningful. I want to know that the time and energy I spent here were used to make a real difference in the lives of others.

Whether it's through Rotary, my profession, business, or simply the way I treat people every day, my hope is to leave each person a little better than I found them. Sometimes that's through a big project. Sometimes it's just a kind word or a moment of genuine attention.

That's one of the reasons I was drawn to the Rotary Club of Manila. It gives me another avenue to turn whatever skills, resources, and opportunities I have into something that truly benefits others.

What is your favorite part of Rotary?

The people, without a doubt.

I attend meetings as often as I can because everyone gives me the chance to meet someone with a completely different story, background, and perspective. I love sitting down with people and listening to their journeys, their struggles, their successes, and what keeps them going. You realize that behind every title or position is a person with hopes, fears, and a story worth hearing. That's what makes Rotary special to me.

The relationships are meaningful in themselves, but they also lead to something bigger. We bring our different experiences, skills, and resources together to serve others and, in our own way, help build our nation. It's a privilege to be part of that, and it's what keeps me coming back.