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

Seeing Red with Sen. Richard Gordon

By Dir. Bob Hecks
February 5, 2008

It was a Tuesday meeting with hosts RC Makati in the Conservatory Room at the Peninsula Hotel. Other Clubs present were RCM Dasmariñas and RCM Forbes Park. The occasion was our guest speaker Sen. Richard Gordon, who spoke as Chairman of the Philippine National Red Cross. Also present was Corazon Alma de Leon, former DSWD Secretary, now Secretary General of the PNRC. District Secretary PP Ric dela Torre signed a memorandum of agreement with the PNRC.

Moderator Bubi Krohn (RC Makati) took the opportunity to remember the 63rd anniversary of the Battle for Manila in 1945. He reminded us that 100,000 civilians were killed. “Let’s not forget. We (who experienced it) will never forget.”

The rest of the meeting focused on our guest speaker. A highlight before Sen. Gordon’s speech was the fining session, run by Finemaster PP Tony Pastelero. The topic was the private life of Dick Gordon. Strangely, the only Rotarians ho knew most of the answers were from RCMN. Have we seen this trick played before, by PP Tony, somewhere?

Sen. Gordon was comprehensively introduced by IPP Inky Reyes (RCM Dasmariñas). He particularly mentioned Dick Gordon’s remarkable leadership, as mayor of Olongapo, of some 8,000 people in protecting the facilities of the Subic Bay base of the U.S. Navy after their departure in 1992. His rallying of Olongapo after the Mt. Pinatubo eruption and his successful development of tourism were featured. PP Inky informed us that Sen. Gordon is also now a member of the International Board of Directors of the Red Cross.

Sen. Gordon described the many activities and the neutrality of the International Red Cross in its service in the relief of suffering, whether caused by nature or by man. He also described PNRC as “refuge from the Senate”, even though “the Philippines is one of the four most disaster-prone countries in the world.” Sen. Gordon also compared the IRC’s aspirations with the similar ones of Rotary.

“You want to ask about politics” he said at question time. But there was one question about blood donation and the PNRC. “Only two groups are allowed to supply blood – the government and IRC.” The main political question was of course “will you run for President in 2010?” Earlier in the meeting, Sen. Gordon’s reply to that was “you need a platform and a party but there are no parties.” But at the end of the meeting he said “probably yes.”