Ang Magiting - The Official Web Site of Rotary Club Makati North

One Good Wednesday Afternoon

By: Director Hector M. Lojo
August 27, 2008

Record attendance this week with 3 tables occupied with interesting and hard-working RCMNers. Rotarian Archie Reaño gave the invocation while Director Ariel Rivera did the moderating. Ariel was so good that it was unanimously agreed that he will be the moderator for the rest of the year. Another reason for this special appointment is for him to be always present every Wednesday meeting.

President Klink announced the upcoming Sept 6 Gawad Kalinga activity and the MMQ Cabaret charity organized by friends and associates of Michelle, the wife of Director Chris Bellinger. Everybody is enjoined to participate to these noble activities that will reinforce the Rotary spirit.

PP Gus Lagman informed the group of one of RCMN’s big projects, which is the computerization of the public schools of Pampanga. This will be funded through a matching grant from the Rotary Foundation of which approval will soon be realized in the next coming weeks. The Rotary Club of Hi-Fi and DDF from Korea will donate US$ 6000 each and a very minimal cash outlay will also provide fund donation from RCMN amounting to US$ 100. Indeed a very meaningful project and kudos to PP Gus for the efforts, passion and dedication for the project.

The project will be piloted in two public schools in Pampanga and if successful, will be expanded to cover as many public schools as possible should the fund continue to flow. IT institutions and practitioners as well as the local provincial government of Pampanga are willing to share their time and effort to make this project successful. Let us join hands to ensure that the objectives of the project are realized.

That afternoon was so blessed that we had a visiting Rotarian, Mr. Sonny Gancayco, president of Rotary Club of Historic Filipinotown who agreed that his club be a match club of Rotary Club of Makati North. He said that many successful Filipinos living in the US wanted to share their blessings and one of the developments that they wanted to focus on is the preservation of Filipino heritage. Immediately after a short introduction of his club, which is quite young (2-1/2 years only), a Matched Club Agreement was signed by him and President Klink and witnessed by the entire RCMNers. President Sonny encourage us to ask our relatives and friends living somewhere in Los Angeles to join his club in LA.

We were also fortunate to have as guest speaker, Ms. Thelsa P. Biolena, Regional Director for National Capital Region of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) who talked about the “Challenges and Undertakings” of the agency. She mentioned that POVERTY remains to be longest enemy of the country that prevents every Filipinos improve their quality of life. The talk was very revealing in the sense that many have recognized government’s efforts to address the problem given its complexity and limited resources. It is also good to hear that among the government agencies in the Philippines, DSWD had been a sustainable performer in terms of delivering its duties and responsibilities faster, better and smarter not to mention that it is not tainted with any corruption. After the talk we had realized how important the government efforts of providing Ps 500.00 per family support to our less fortunate countrymen. Many thanks to Director Vic Austria for bringing a good speaker.

This August 27 Wednesday meeting was indeed a good one and let us see again on Sept 3 for another excellent gathering. Let us keep the momentum, folks!