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 

Joiint Meeting with RC Rizal West and RC Makati Edsa

Last Thursday, August 08, 2013, was our club's first joint meeting with other clubs in the District this rotary with RC Rizal West (RCRW, our "mother club") and RC Makati Edsa, held at the Makati Sports Club. The topic was "Rotary in Action: RCRW Projects in the Avenues of Service".

The three First Class Presidents with guest from RC Singapore. The latter is a sister club of RCRW for many years now. President Meann de Leon on the left.

The program.

There were four speakers that night, all from RCRW. The first speaker was PP Fritz Ocampo and he talked how they were able to convert an abandoned, half-finished building in Upper Bicutan into a busy structure with lots of health, education, livelihood and other community projects and activities.

Second speaker was PP Elsa Villanueva and she talked about their club's various educational, literacy and other community projects.

The two other speakers were PP Jules Nidea and PP Andy Pages.
Below, group photo with members and officers of the three clubs plus guest from RC Singapore and his family.

Our club group picture, with PDG Billy Villareal and guest from RC Singapore.

Another group picture during the fellowships after the formal meeting.

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After the formal meeting, there was a fellowship.There were several singing and dancing numbers, funny. Here, some women from the 3 clubs singing "Dancing Queen" by Abba.

During my term as Club President in RY 2006-2007, we held 3 or 4 joint meetings with RCRW. My classmate that time was PP Boboy Intal. RCRW is very kind to its "daughter clubs" like ours.

See also: 
Popularizing Rotary’s Projects and Events, August 01, 2013
Fellowship, After Four Club Talks, August 03, 2013 

Fellowship, After Four Club Talks

After four consecutive Monday nights of club talks on different topics by different speakers, our club President, First Class President Meann de Leon called for a fellowship. Instead of last Monday night, she scheduled it last Thursday night at Music 21 in Makati. The talks last month were:

Classification Talk by Daryl Cabato, July 02, 2013

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

I came late, around 8:30pm, and the guys were already having great fun. 
Below, from left: Arnan, brother of Past President Norlan de Leon, sister of President Meann, Meann, IPP Rose Antonio, Mike Michener, Patty Mangundatu, Past President Niel Antonio, Norlan... 

Below, from left: Patty, PP Niel, PP Norlan, PP Jed Inciong, Henry Villa, Marco Pagaduan, Jun Mendoza.

Later we moved to a bigger room as PE Daryl Cabato and wife also joined us. This big room can accommodate probably 25 people. There are three tv screens to read and sing the lyrics.

President-Elect (PE) Daryl Cabato (middle, with jacket) and wife.
Fellowships are encouraged in Rotary -- no serious meetings, no speakers, just loosen up, sing and dance, things we cannot do during regular meetings.

I also belted out a few songs, President Meann dancing :-)

Patty, holding the microphone, is a great singer. She used to sing at some hotel bars. Her voice is really great and terrific. I kidded that we saved money getting a professional singer to give us really good songs.

Thank you for that wonderful night, President Meann and clubmates. 
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See also:
Club Relief Operations After the Manila Flooding, August 13, 2012 
Peace President Rose Antonio, May 23, 2013 
Charter President Bobby Dimayuga, May 26, 2013

Club Handover, June 24, 2013, June 25, 2013