top of page
Cover_About (11).png

Chairman's message

April 2024

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin
  • Twitter
  • Youtube

Proactive protection of environment

Be part of the solution! This is the Rotary’s call underpinning Protecting the Environment as the seventh Area of Focus for clubs and Rotarians.

April has been designated by Rotary International as Environment Month and we are encouraged to be part of the solution, not part of the problem. The degradation of the environment is serious and alarming. Let us look at the Philippine situation. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) announced that our country is losing $890 million a year because of indiscriminate dumping of recyclable plastic instead of repurposing it (https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2024/04/23/2349763/denr-philippines-loses-890-million-annually-recyclable-plastic-dumping  ).

We enjoin all clubs to include environmental projects, not only in April, but to make it a continuing endeavor every year. A simple coastal cleanup will create awareness to the surrounding communities and hopefully, inspire others to follow suit, creating a ripple e ect. We can also protect our environment through global grants. We can increase our impact by spearheading a high impact global grant project with our members fully engaged. The Rotary Foundation has funded $18 million in global grants to support Environment related causes in the past five years.

The Philippine Rotary Media Foundation, Inc.(PRMFI) has done its part by launching the Search for the Most Outstanding Environmental Project of Rotary Clubs in the Philippines. We will recognize Rotary clubs who have invested time, money, and e orts to help in preserving the environment. The winning project will be announced on June 29, 2024 during the handover of leadership of the PRMFI. All ten Philippine Districts have nominated their respective district winners and as I look at the projects submitted, I am elated and proud that this project was started during my term as Chairman of the Board of Trustees.

As stewards of the environment, we have a responsibility to play a positive and active role in the conservation of the Earth. Let us all do our part to preserve the world we live in. After all, it is all we have!

March 2024

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin
  • Twitter
  • Youtube

Water for Isla Verde

Last month, approximately 200 past, present and future District Governors gathered in Mandaue City for the annual Philippine Rotary Concerns Forum (ROTACON). I would like to extend my special congratulations to the incumbent Philippine College of Rotary Governors (PCRG) leaders for hosting this event. Kudos to Chair Anna Bumagat for leading the conference.

In this conference, the PRMFI was given the opportunity to present and update the stakeholders on its activities. More intensive efforts are being exerted in continuing the digital transformation program. As many are aware, we are implementing major enhancements on our magazine and website as well as on improving our social media engagement. We are looking forward to the grand launch next month, as we publish the next issue of the PRM, so keep your eyes peeled!

March is Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Month. Clean water, basic sanitation, and proper hygiene are fundamental needs of everyone and yet, there are still over two billion people who do not have access to safe drinking water.. WASH projects are one of the most common projects of any Rotary club in the whole world, but these need to be made sustainable to continually serve the community. As a member of the TRF Cadre of Technical Advisers, I have monitored and audited several water projects in the Asia Pacific region of Rotary and I have seen many projects, which were halted because of the lack of follow up by the sponsor Rotary clubs.

One commendable WASH project that I am truly proud of is the Isla Verde Water Project of my club, the Rotary Club of Tanauan. Isla Verde, a part of Batangas city, is considered as the “Center of the Center” (https://tinyurl.com/59nntea7 ) of the world’s marine biodiversity. It is an island without potable water for its residents. My club did a P5 million project that was aptly called Rotary Club of Tanauan; Beyond Borders. Currently, it is still an active endeavor, even after the grant funds have been exhausted.

March is also Rotaract month. We all know that Rotaract clubs are now considered as members of Rotary International and we are encouraged to work in closer collaboration and engagement with Rotaractors. We have to guide these young adults as they create projects for the benefit of The Rotary Foundation.

February 2024

Rotarians as Peacebuilders

On February 23, 1905, four gentlemen — Paul Harris, Gustavus Loehr, Silvester Schiele, and Hiram Shorey — gathered at Loehr’s o ce, Room 711 of the Unity Building in downtown Chicago, for what would later be known as the fi rst Rotary club meeting. That was 119 years ago!

We celebrate Rotary’s anniversary this month, our beloved organization’s 119th year of existence. The whole Rotary world will simultaneously celebrate this anniversary on February 23, 2024, with each country, each club, and each district celebrating in different way, all towards celebrating our projects and our successes. We here in the Philippines will be no different. The districts, all ten (10) of us, will have interesting celebrations so that our respective communities will know that for 119 years, we have been “doing good in the world”.

This month of February, the whole Rotary world will focus on Peacebuilding and the Promotion of Conflict Prevention. We in Rotary refuse to accept conflict as a way of life. We are encouraged to do Rotary projects providing individuals and communities training on the skills to resolve conflicts. Let us all create an environment of peace not only in our respective communities, but also in our clubs and districts. It should all start in our homes and clubs. Let us also remember that peace is the cornerstone of our mission and our commitment to peacebuilding today answers new challenges that will have the greatest possible impact in the future and the future of our children.

We Rotarians have four roles in Promoting Peace. We are Practitioners. Our projects anchored on the Seven Areas of Focus directly build the conditions for a peaceful community. We are also Educators. Our Peace centers, which have trained more than 1,700 peace fellows, are catalysts for peace through careers in all sectors of our communities. We are also Mediators. Many members of Rotary Clubs have negotiated ceasefire in war torn areas to allow polio vaccinator volunteers to reach children at risk. And last but not the least, we are Advocates. Many Rotarians from around the world had important roles as independent and impartial participants during peace processes and in rebuilding communities in post war communities.

Let us be Peacebuilders not only during the month of February, but throughout our lifetime.

January 2024

Exemplars in vocational service

Happy New Year of the Dragon to all!

“We are not going to end polio or bring peace to the world by waving a wand. It’s up to you. You create the magic with every project completed...”

Thus spoke President-elect Stephanie Urchick as she announced the Rotary theme for her year of leadership.

The theme is The Magic of Rotary. It implies that Rotary is the Magic as we create projects that help the poorest of the poor in our respective communities. We all look forward to witness Rotarians all over the world show how magical Rotary is starting July 1, 2024.

January is Vocational Service month and as we all know, it is the second Object of Rotary: High ethical standards in business and professions; the recognition of the worthiness of all useful occupations; and the dignifying of each Rotarian’s occupation as an opportunity to serve society. It is imperative for us Rotarians to be upright morally in our dealings whether in our business or in our respective professions. The original Four Rotarians promoted high ethical standards for all Rotarians to emulate.

As we go through the last half of this Rotary Year, we are expected to persevere in living by, and practicing high ethical standards. We cannot say that we have made an impact if we did not exemplify integrity and lived up to high ethical standards. We cannot say that we are Rotarians if we do not share our vocational talents in serving our community.

There are many ways in which we can use our vocational talents in serving the community. We can mentor the youth in succeeding in their vocational pursuits. We can also organize vocational service discussions to inspire others to take action. We may initiate vocational projects to meet the needs of our local community. The possibilities are endless.

Let us remind ourselves that we were recruited into Rotary, not only because of our authentic character, but also because of our perceived high ethical morals. It is not enough that we provide avenues for others to reach this impeccable standard. Serving as models and exemplars, let us walk the talk, ladies and gentlemen of Rotary!

December 2023

Celebrating a season of joy

Year End 2023 is fast approaching. As we celebrate this season of joy, allow me to take a few moments to refl ect on the events and activities during the first half of this Rotary year.

One of the highlights is the visit of Rotary International President-elect Stephanie Urchick. It was truly a huge honor for Philippine Rotarians to be visited by the second RI woman president. Her visit was a great opportunity for our incoming district and club leaders to hear and meet her in the flesh. Club leaders not only had a picture taken with her, but also heard her speak about the major thrusts of her leadership year starting on July 1, 2024.

Another highlight was the changing of the guards of the Philippine Rotary Media Foundation Inc. last June 29, 2023. It is my distinct honor to be elected as Chairman, and the very first from my district, District 3820. The foundation is a well oiled company, with very professional and reliable volunteer managers and sta . I am truly proud to have become part of this organization.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), over 400 million people cannot a ord, or do not have access to basic health care. This is why The Rotary Foundation made Disease Prevention one of its main Areas of Focus. December is Disease Prevention and Treatment month, because Rotary believes that it is the right of every person to have good healthcare. It is in this area of focus that Rotary encourages clubs to do projects in their respective communities.

Rotary club members combat diseases like malaria, HIV/ AIDS, diabetes, polio and many more. Prevention is also important, which is why clubs are encouraged to integrate health education in their projects. Thus, we not only treat diseases, but also seek to prevent them.

I started this message with a touch of celebration in this season of joy. Allow me then to end by wishing all Rotarians a joyous Christmas and a Prosperous New Year. Together with PRMFI’s family and my own family, we pray for everybody’s continued good health in the coming new year.

November 2023

Celebrate Giving!

November is always Rotary Foundation month.

Since it was founded more than 100 years ago, the Foundation has spent more than $4 billion on life-changing, sustainable projects. With its primary mission to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through the improvement of health, the support of education, and the alleviation of poverty, The Rotary Foundation plays a crucial role in funding and supporting the humanitarian and educational initiatives of Rotary clubs around the world. The Rotary Foundation transforms our contributions into projects that change lives both close to home and around the world.

One of the foundation’s priority programs is the PolioPlus initiative, launched in 1985, with the goal of eradicating polio globally. Rotary’s commitment to this cause has been instrumental in significant progress, bringing the world to the brink of polio eradication. Indeed, we are very close to eradicating Polio!

And it is through the generous contributions of all the Rotarians of the world which has sustained the many projects of the various clubs around the world.

Supporting the Rotary foundation has been my personal mission. Not only do I contribute through the Foundation, but I also help in monitoring projects of the clubs through being a member of the Cadre of Technical Adviser since 2006. Our role involves enhancing communication among clubs, districts, and rotary sta . We plan training programs and collaborate with other cadres to ensure the effective utilization of grant funds given to clubs.

The collective leadership and expertise of our 1.2 million members help us tackle some of the world’s bi gest challenges, locally and globally. We are united by common values and a vision for the future, as we sharpen our focus with targeted specific causes that will reach communities most in need.

Allow me to stress and reiterate the need for US Rotarians to support our Foundation. It is OUR Foundation

October 2023

Reconnecting with Rotary alumni

This should be a busy month for us Rotarians.

As we begin the month, we are asked to reconnect with our Alumni. Rotary Alumni are the former Ambassadorial Scholars, Group Study Exchange members, Vocational Team training members and many more. These individuals are great resources for clubs, not only as additional warm bodies as members, but also as sources of information for our projects.

As we end the month of October, we celebrate World Polio Day on October 24. Rotary has been fighting Polio for so many decades and we are very close to eradicating this life threatening disease.

Additionally, this month, Rotary clubs are encouraged to focus on Community Economic and Development. As Rotary describes the work we do, “We carry out service projects that enhance economic and community development and create opportunities for decent and productive work for young and old. We also strengthen local entrepreneurs and community leaders, particularly women, in impoverished communities''.

I started this message discussing the idea of reconnecting with Rotary Alumni to help clubs or be a resource for service projects. It will be good to touch base with them to help enhance and improve the different community development projects. With their wealth of experience and educational knowledge, I am quite sure they will be able to contribute in enhancing our projects.

I am very sure that most, if not all of us, have somehow done or participated in a community development project of our respective clubs. I encourage all Rotarians to get involved in this kind of project. We may not be able to measure the benefits of the said projects by the numbers, but participating and engaging will give us the satisfaction that we were able to help our impoverished communities the best way we can.

September 2023

Promote more projects for teachers, learners

Greetings to all!

September is Basic Education and Literacy Month.

I can’t help but reminisce about my previous work with the government as an educator. As you probably know, I had been a college professor in accounting for so many years and have helped manage several schools prior to my work in establishing and administering the Tanauan City College. For eight years, I saw the insufficiency and shortage of educational materials.

As College President and College Administrator, I witnessed the high number of youth, from the ranks of the poorest of the poor, who did not have the means to pay for a quality tertiary education. With the implementation of Republic Act No. 10931 or the Free Higher Education Act, young Filipinos are enabled to dream and achieve their dreams, without the burden of raising or borrowing money hanging over their heads.

Rotary Clubs have been doing their part in this area by doing Literacy Projects: purchasing books for libraries; enhancing students’ skills by providing computers, speech laboratories and modern equipment; providing teaching aids for public school teachers; and many more. Being in the academe for years has allowed me to support these Rotary projects.

I encourage our Rotary clubs to do more Literacy Projects to improve and elevate the skill sets of young Filipino students. There is a Rotary Action Group (RAG) for BEL that assists Rotarians especially those in the academe. By joining this Action Group, Rotarians will get more novel ideas on how to do meaningful BEL projects.

Let us remember that material things are not the only needs of our youth. They also need well-polished and well-trained teachers who would aid and accompany them in their dream quests.

Aside from Rotary and my other known avocations, I am also a Photography hobbyist. A friend once told me, “You have good pictures, which means you may have a very good camera.” My answer was simple, “It is not the Bow and the Arrow, it is the Archer!”

Let us do more projects for our teachers. Enjoy Rotary.

August 2023

At the 2023 Rotary International Convention in Melbourne, I asked all Rotary members to become champions in our effort to illuminate mental health needs near and far. This includes helping one another feel more supported, advocating for mental health services, and building bridges with experts in the field to expand access to treatment. 

It’s an important task and a big ask. But it’s also something that should feel familiar to every Rotary member — because everything we do is in the spirit of caring, giving, friendship, and compassion, and has been from the beginning of our organization. 

We’ve grown into an amazing global network of 1.4 million interconnected community leaders — leaders who share a deep commitment to doing good in the world. But what makes Rotary powerful isn’t just what we do for the communities we serve. We also support and empower each other, by creating a safe space for our members to bring their whole, authentic selves. We show each other comfort and care.  

These connections are deeply meaningful. The U.S. surgeon general recently declared loneliness a public health epidemic. Dr. Vivek Murthy said, “We must prioritize building social connection the same way we have prioritized other critical public health issues such as tobacco, obesity, and substance use disorders.” I am proud of what Rotary has done across generations to build those kinds of social connections — and this magazine focused on loneliness and what Rotary can do about it in its January 2023 issue. 

Our worldwide community and our foundational value prioritizing Service Above Self makes Rotary a powerful global advocate for mental health. A recently published study by Ohio State University found performing acts of kindness was the only one of three mental health interventions tested that helped people feel more connected to others. Study co-author David Cregg said, “Performing acts of kindness seems to be one of the best ways to promote those connections.” 

This research suggests what we’ve known all along — that doing good helps transform not just the communities we serve, but it also transforms us. As we put a greater focus on mental health, let’s not think of this effort as something new to Rotary, but rather as something we can do better and as a result have a greater impact on ourselves and the people we serve. 

We are not starting this effort from scratch. The Rotary Action Group on Mental Health Initiatives has been focused on these kinds of issues for several years — and we will be looking to members of that group for leadership as we continue to build awareness. 

Mental health care fits comfortably within several of our areas of focus. As of May, there are 41 global grant-supported projects with a mental health focus. Many of them have tremendous promise, and we will be highlighting them in the months ahead. 

So let’s work together to erase the stigma associated with emotional well-being, raise awareness of mental health needs, and improve access to preventive and interventional mental health services.  

Together, we will Create Hope in the World. 

July 2023

Reaffirming our will to serve

I grew up in Rotary with the Philippine Rotary Magazine. Then Past District Governor Sonny Ventura, my elder brother’s best friend and Vanguard fraternity mate, frequently stayed with us in Tanauan, Batangas. Meeting him again as a member of the Rotary Club of Tanauan, he told me: “Good, RC Tanauan will become a PRM subscriber!” Our club was then subscribing to the Rotary magazine international edition. Early on, I appreciated the importance of supporting our regional magazine as it enabled me to know about the many Rotary projects from all over the country that our club could emulate.

When I became president of the Rotary Club of Tanauan in 1995. PRM was then inviting Rotarians to become lifetime subscribers, and as an accountant, and knowing that I will stay with this organization for a long time, I immediately availed myself of the lifetime subscription priced at P5,000. You can now imagine how my P5000 pesos has gone a long way. In 1997, I became my district’s representative to the PRM and that’s where I got the opportunity to be more involved with the PRM.

Last year, I was asked to represent our district to be a member of the board of trustees for 2 years. I jumped at the opportunity, for this was to be the culmination of my support to the magazine since I became a Rotarian. Never did I imagine that the 10 members of the board will elect me to be the chairman for this new Rotary Year, and I thank them for their trust and confidence.

As Vice Chairman last year, I was inspired by the commitment and dedication of my co-workers. Everything is already in place and running smoothly. Finances are very strong and we only have to maintain a strong receivables management. I hope to follow in the footsteps of Chairman Chito Borromeo, who carried on the Digital Transformation program launched by our former chairman Boyet Limon. We are determined to achieve this goal: To be the one-stop destination for Rotary-related news, content and knowledge, whenever and there is a need to access it.

I know the various concerns of many clubs about the magazine, as well as those of our senior leaders about digital transformation, and our Board is determined to address these to our audience’s satisfaction.

Last July 11, our board reviewed and fine-tuned PRMFI’s strategic plan. I would like to propose that PRMFI become accredited as a Rotary Merchandise Licensee. Revenues will be plowed back to support our drive toward a better, world-class Philippine Rotary Magazine.

Our board will visit our clubs, where the action is, in order to help educate Rotarians and promote our magazine.

Our vision cannot be accomplished without your support. This is your magazine, our magazine.

bottom of page