Thursday, September 26, 2013

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.

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

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

Wednesday, September 11, 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.

Thursday, September 05, 2013

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.