First Class President Maryann de Leon

The term of our Immediate Past President (IPP), First Class President (FCP) Maryann "Meann" de Leon has ended and I have not written much about her service to the club, the communities, and the District.

Here she is -- a passionate, cheerful and hardworking leader who steered our club to several projects that were noticed and recognized by the District leadership.

FCP Meann's achievement is special because she and her husband, fellow club Past President Norlan de Leon, live in Marilao, Bulacan. Just driving to Makati or Fort Bonifacio almost weekly is already a time-consuming and costly activity. The couple used to work at Fort Bonifacio in the 2000s before they got married. Hence, they were among the early club members.

FCP Meann receiving her award from First Class Governor Robert Kuan at the stage. What a great recognition for a small club with limited resources but has attained huge  impact on some poor communities, especially the fisherfolks of Taguig earning a living at Laguna Lake.

This is the special award that our club got from the District. Only a few clubs got it --  a Silver Star Award for Outstanding Perfomance for RY 2013-14. The District Awards were held at Gloria Maris, Greenhills, San Juan, last June 14, 2014.

Among the achievements of IPP/FCP Meann was expanding the dues-paying club membership, and several high-impact community projects, like the "Fish for Life Project" in a great partnership with the Rotary Club of Koln-Ville in Cologne, Germany.

Below is among the other awards from the District that day.

Our indefatigable Assistant Governor for the Cluster, Chary Misa (holding the painting).

At the District Handover ceremony at Sofitel Hotel last June 30, 2014. Standing from left: Past Presidents (PPs) Rose Antonio, husband Niel Antonio, Best President Regie Necio,  FCP Meann. Sitting from left: PP Norlan de Leon, Mike Michener, Patty Michener.

 A club fellowship at Wensha spa, FCP Meann's treat as her term was ending, May 26, 2014. The de Leon couple-PPs is very kind and gallant to club members, the same with the Antonio couple-PPs.

Another club fellowship-meeting at the Manila Elks Club, Makati. Mike is a new member of the Elks Club. Between me and Mike was the singer that night.

Thank you very much, IPP Meann. Your kindness and hard work for the club and its members, the communities and the District are well-noted and appreciated.

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See also:
Medical Mission at Philippine Cerebral Palsy Inc., September 05, 2013
Governor Robert Kuan's Visit, Part 2, September 26, 2013
Joint Club Meeting with Jules Maaten as Speaker, May 13, 2014
Fish for Life Project, Taguig-Laguna Lake, June 03, 2014

Fish for Life Project, Taguig-Laguna Lake

Our Rotary Club of Taguig Fort Bonifacio, RI District 3830, had a wonderful partnership with another club from Germany, the Rotary Club of Koln-Ville in Cologne. The latter's Club President, Stephan Zilkens, wrote to our Club President, Meann de Leon, asking how they can help some fishermen in Laguna Lake which they saw and read, were badly affected by a strong typhoon last year. Our club President replied to him, and the partnership was established.

 Club Secretary Patty Mangundatu-Michener was a great partner to President Meann in identifying the project location, beneficiaries and local (barangay and city) officials who can make the project implemented quick.

 It is a two-phase project. First the distribution of fish nets to affected fisherfolks, and Second, a knife fish processing, for the spouses of fishermen.

The good news is that knife fish is edible. It doesn't have to be thrown away, it can be processed into fish products like fish balls, fish patties, fish dumplings, fish nuggets, fish longanisa, fish hotdog and some other fish meals that one can think of which can be sold in the market.

Governor Robert Kuan's Visit, Part 2

* This is the continuation of the earlier Governor Robert Kuan's Visit
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First Class Governor Robert Kuan of RI District 3830 visited the three clubs of Taguig-Pateros last September 02, 2013, the RC Taguig Fort Bonifacio, RC Taguig West, and RC Metropolitan Pateros. Venue was the RC Makati Foundation building in Makati.

There could be about 70+ people in the room, including District officials. The event was very modest, no special entertainment, just food, fellowships and listening to the inspiring words and exhortations of our hard-working Governor.

Our club was seated at the back of the function room.

One of two dining tables we occupied.

Certificate of Appreciation given by the three Club Presidents to our District Secretary.

And the Presidents' appreciation to the Governor.

Each club has a group photo session with Gov. Robert, including Assistant Gov. Chary Misa. Our turn.

Thanks for the inspiring night, Gov. Robert and President Meann de Leon.

Governor Robert Kuan's Visit

Last September 2, 2013, RI District 3830 First Class Governor Robert Kuan visited our club, along with two other clubs, RC Taguig West and RC Metropolitan Pateros. It was held at RC Makati Foundation building. Venue was free, we just paid for the food.

First Class President Meann de Leon of our club gave a presentation about the club and major activities and club meetings the past year and this rotary year. Then the line up of activities in the coming months.

Gov. Robert Kuan is a very successful businessman, sharp minded and yet humble. He got out of family business, the Ling Nam and related restaurants and put up his own, Chowking, made it very popular with many branches nationwide. He sold Chowking to his business buddy Tan CakTiong of Jollibee, then he went to head the St. Lukes Medical Foundation.

His experience in the private sector he is bringing to Rotary. It was in his incoming term that a multi-district, well all 10 Districts in the Philippines, held their common President Elect Training Seminar (PETS) in Cebu City last February -- a first time in the history of Philippine rotary. This coming March, the 10 Districts will hold its first ever multi-District Conference (DisCon) 2014. He promised lots of exciting and big name speakers, from Rotary International in the main headquarter in Illinois, most likely.

Gov. Robert pointed out that our club has among the biggest potential for membership expansion because of our location, within the Bonifacio Global City (BGC) where offices and businesses are expanding fast, and yet we remain small. He encouraged us to do more, to target not just to attain the minimum of 25 members, but to aim for 40, 80 or more members.

His advice is practical. Unlike in Makati that is saturated with so many rotary clubs already, Fort Bonifacio Global City has only about three clubs based there, our Rotary Club of Taguig Fort Bonifacio, RC Bonifacio Global City, and RC Makati Bonifacio. Thus, the potential for expansion is rather big because of the big number of businessmen and professionals in the business district.

President-Elect (PE) Daryl Cabato is very resourceful in bringing in new faces and potential members to the club. That night, he invited three new faces, all working in BGC, with an assurance of more potential members to bring in the coming weeks.

The group photo before dinner. Gov. Robert was accompanied by our cluster Assistant Gov. Chary Misa and District Secretary.

See also:
Moments 1: Rose Antonio, June 26, 2013
Popularizing Rotary's Projects and Events, August 01, 2013
Medical Mission at Philippine Cerebral Palsy Inc., September 05, 2013

Club Talk by Wan Saiful Wan Jan

Last Monday, our guest speaker was the CEO of the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS) in Malaysia, Mr. Wan Saiful Wan Jan. Wan is my friend way back in 2008 when I met him Atlanta, USA during the Atlas Liberty Forum. I would meet hin almost yearly since then, in various regional meetings and conferences among free market leaders and advocates in our continent.

I posted in my political blog the full presentation of Wan with some notes and comments on it, here.

Our Club President, First Class President Meann de Leon gave a short report during her President's time, then gave the floor to me to introduce the guest Speaker. My introduction was short, focusing on Wan leaving his 17 years career in London and go back to Kuala Lumpur along with his wife and 3 kids, all born in London, to start a free market think tank there.

Several clubmates were not able to come last Monday, but some friends of mine in the free market group here in Manila came. And they asked lots of questions to Wan.

President Meann giving the Certificate of Recognition to Wan.

The usual group photo after the talk.

Another group photo, for the boys :-)

Thanks Wan for imparting lots of useful information and observations about Malaysian economy and government, and their lessons for us here in the Philippines.

Medical Mission at Philippine Cerebral Palsy Inc.

Last August 29, our club, the Rotary Club of Taguig Fort Bonifacio, partnered with two other clubs in our District 3830, for a medical and dental mission to patients of the Philippine Cerebral Palsy, Inc. (PCPI) in Makati City.

A corridor of the Center, with some arriving patients.

One of the newly arriving patients...

At the waiting area, patients were either waiting for their turn to see Rehabilitation physicians and aides, dentists, or done seeing them, waiting for the giving of take home freebies.

New clubmate, Era Eguia, chose this among her favorite photos in her profile. The boy should be a case of more severe case of palsy...

Btway, photo credits, by IPP Rose Antonio and Era. Those with Rotary logo are from Era's camera, the rest are from IPP Rose's camera.

A dental clean up, done by members of the Kalookan chapter of the Philippine Dental Society.

MDGs, Tuloy sa Don Bosco, A2A, by John Alexander Kerr

Last Monday, August 12, we have another American guest speaker, a friend of our clubmates Mike Michener and Patty Mangundatu, fellow Rotarian, John Alexander Kerr, of RC Alabang. He is seated 2nd from right, between First Class President Meann de Leon and Assistant Governor Chary Misa. Venue was Metro Club, Rockwell, Makati.

John talked about the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs), Tuloy sa Don Bosco Foundation, and his company, A2A Management Services Corp., where he is the CEO. John is also a Board Director and Trustee of Tuloy Foundation.

The portion that I like most in his talk was the Aquaponics project of Tuloy. It is aquaculture + hydroponics farming. The water where the fish swim contains fish manure and other organic wastes. The water is siphoned to a tank and is used in the hydroponics farm for various vegetables. The plants used the organic waste from the fish, plus other minerals added to the water for specific needs by specific vegetables. The water is then siphoned to another tank, filtered, and is used back to the aquaculture tank. Really cool.

The awarding of Certificate of Appreciation, by President Meann de Leon. They were joined by IPP Rose Antonio (leftmost) and AG Chary Misa (rightmost).

The usual group picture, before the formal adjournment of the meeting.

AG Chary reiterated an earlier announcement she made a few weeks ago, that the Governor's visit to our club plus two other clubs in the Taguig-Pateros cluster, will be on September 2, Monday, 6pm down. It will be held at RC Makati Foundation building, just at the back of Metro Club.

When John and his assistant, Hazel, left, fellowships began. Another round of picture taking.

Mike brought a booze, don't know what it was, with milk cream on top, just one shot for each of us...

Cheers! Kampai! Prost!

(Photo Credits: IPP Rose Antonio and Era Eguia)
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See also:
Tuloy sa Don Bosco, January 24, 2010

Classification Talk by Dr. Jed Inciong, July 12, 2013

My Classification Talk, on Mining Taxation, July 19, 2013 
John Walker on Strengthening Corporate Security, July 24, 2013
Fellowship, After Four Club Talks, August 03, 2013