Lead Team reunion after 10 years, Gov. Butch's birthday

Our rotary batch 2006-2007 Lead Team (RI theme that year was "Lead the Way) in District 3830 celebrated our 10th anniversary last night at Manila Hotel. It was also our beloved Gov. Butch Francisco's belated birthday party. What a night it was!

We were 72 Club Presidents in the District that time, so far 3 of our classmates have already passed away, and last night, about 36 of us came. Big turnout after all these years. Kudos to classmate Rose Acoba who informed and invited us.

The man of the night, our beloved Past District Governor Butch Francisco. During our term, he was the President of PAGCOR and he organized many fellowships for us at different PAGCOR hotels. Last night, Manila Hotel President Joey Lina who was also our classmate, prepared really nice food and 10 bottles of red wine representing our 10 years anniversary. Gov Butch took the bill, part of his ever-gallant and unselfish character.

There was no formal program, just a get together and nice dinner. So I organized one, hehe. I was the MC and I asked all classmates to speak how they have been doing the past 10 years. Opening remarks was given by Joey and he briefly talked about the hotel, our resto, Mabuhay Palace, a very plush and  elegant place. Joey also sang the opening prayer.

The sharing of classmates was an eye opener for us. One classmate was a cancer survivor, another  is still grieving over the loss of her husband, another is taking care of her 90+ mother while pursuing her career, another survived a stroke and is on wheelchair, and so on.

Lucky Joey here, surrounded by our pretty female classmates.

I came late, past 6pm while the others were there before 5pm. I did not see this place, maybe Joey toured them earlier. At Joey's left is Edwin Afzelius, the "Best President" awardee of the District during our term, and will be the next District Governor the current Gov. Edna Sutter. Ed will be the first Governor from our batch, great  man.

After the reunion, Ed invited me and Patty for a round of drinks at the  hotel  lobby, Joey joined us too. I had several glasses of red wine, then had 2 bottles of cerveza negra, my mind went weng-weng and I got drunk, hitched with Ed and he was very kind to bring me home. Soooper thanks again Ed.

I am very proud, very happy with my classmates, and most especially, with our Governor Butch. Soooper thanks again for that great and wonderful evening, Gov.

Photos above from classmate Tetchie's fb wall.
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See also:
Governor's big smoke part 2, February 08, 2007 
Hurrah for Gov. Butch, May 29, 2007 
Lead Presidents' Fellowship at SLLP, September 17, 2007 
Launching of "(a)Musings in the life of a Rotarian", October 17, 2007 
Lead Team’s Christmas '07 fellowships, January 02, 2008 
Gov. Butch's bday party, May 27, 2008 
Sea bass regal and a Fellowship, February 08, 2009 
Lead Team Get Together with Gov. Butch, August 20, 2012

District Secretary Marycris Oplas

We are five siblings in the family, all born in Cadiz City, Negros Occidental. Our eldest, Atty. Nestor Oplas, was a Chemical Engineer, then a lawyer, was a three-term City Councilor then a City Administrator. He was victimized by prostate cancer and rested about eight years ago. The second, Lilibeth Oplas, is a chemist and worked in Manila for several years, later went home and now working in Cadiz City Hall. Our youngest, Bonifacio Oplas, is also an Engineer and also working at the City Hall.

I am the fourth in the family, and the third is Marycris Oplas, the most financially successful among us all. Papa Bienvenido Oplas, Sr. is 84 years old and Mama Consuelo is 79, both are weak and often sickly, but still hanging on.

Everyone calls her Marycris but in the family we call her Neneng. She likes power dressing, to match her corporate work and frequent meeting with CEOs and Presidents of medium to big companies, the clients of their auditing firm, Alas Oplas and Co. CPAs, an affiliate of RSM International.

My sister has been a Rotarian for more than a decade now. She became a Centennial President of the Rotary Club of Makati Urdaneta in RY 2004-05, the year Rotary International celebrated its Centennial year. Gov. Sue Sta. Maria is her clubmate, the first female Governor of RI District 3830.

In RY 2006-2007, she was appointed as District Secretary (DS, aka “little governor”) by then Governor Raphael “Butch” Francisco, who was the PAGCOR President and CEO until mid-2010. They were not clubmates as Past District Governor (PDG) Butch belonged to the Rotary Club of Makati Central. Gov. Butch’s private company before he joined PAGCOR was a client of my sister’s auditing firm for many years, and that’s how they knew each other.

Also that RY, I was an “accidental President” of the Rotary Club of Taguig Fort Bonifacio.  Our President Elect suddenly begged off and none of the Past Presidents would want to become President again. Being the more active among the new members, I reluctantly accepted the challenge of leading our club that year.

When her term ended in 2007, my sister became an ordinary Rotarian who was active in her club. When Gov. Sue Sta. Maria was proclaimed as District Governor Nominee Designate (DGND) in RY 2009-2010, she appointed my sister as District Conference (DisCon)  2013 Chairperson. It was a big challenge that she happily accepted.

When Gov.Sue’s term started, her DS begged off, it was good that the various Assistant Governors and Committee Chairpersons were already working well and efficiently. She later appointed Marycris as her DS. So my sister was a DS twice. I think she is the only Rotarian in the District who assumed that office twice.

The highlight of her position as DS was the District Conference (Discon) 2013 last March held at the Manila Hotel. The big event went well,  with great support by the Hotel President, Joey Lina. Aside from being a former Governor of Laguna and a former Senator of the country, Joey is also a Past President of the Rotary Club of Makati Central, a clubmate of Gov. Butch, and my classmate in RY 2006-07.

My sister says the support given to her by the Discon Committee members, the hands-on involvement of Governor Sue, the excitement and some disappointments in the preparations and actual conference, the memories are still fresh in her mind until now.

One important lesson in Rotary that my sister holds is that if a Rotarian is being asked by the District Governor to help him/her serve the District and its  many Rotary Clubs, that Rotarian is obliged to help in whatever capacity that his/her time and resources  would allow. Especially if the Governor is a close friend, and a clubmate.

I could see that when Neneng was DS twice, she could hardly attend some office or work meetings, and coming home early or sleeping early is sometimes a luxury. It’s good that her two kids are big already.

Among the hard and discomforting situations being a DS was the holding of election of a DGND for RY 2015-2016. It was a three-way contest from three prominent Past Presidents, also Past District Officers, from three clubs. She remembers that her moves related to the selection process were being watched by one or more camps, with a mixed notes of positive and negative comments. What she did, she just focused on the formal procedures, to make sure that an honest and transparent selection process would be observed, and the result should be credible so that whoever wins will be respected and supported by the Rotarians in the District  three years from now.

If there are hard and high expectations associated with her work as DS and DisCon Chair, there are also some perks.

One is the high esteem given to her by the Club Presidents and other senior District officials. She is thankful to all of them. One time there was a dispute between two clubs and their leaders and Gov. Sue tasked her to solve the dispute. After listening to both sides, she made a decision and the two club leaders simply respected her decision.

Two is being a confidante of the Governor. While Gov. Sue is mostly jolly and cheerful and simply working continuously, there were a few times and occasions that she would be disappointed and sad, and Neneng is with her, listen to the stories and circumstances, help find solutions.

Beyond Rotary, I am forever indebted to my sister. My think tank, Minimal Government Thinkers, Inc., has weak financial condition. Neneng has given me free office space (and free internet, free electricity) all these years.

Thanks a lot, ‘tol.

Lead Team Get Together with Gov. Butch

Yesterday, we had a small get together of former Lead Presidents, RY 2006-2006 of RI District 3830. Modest reunion, we just met at Starbucls in Fully Booked, Bonifacio High Street, Fort Global City in Taguig.  It was a nice occasion. The last time we had a get together was last December, our former Gov. Butch Francisco treated us to watch "The Sound of Music" play at the Resort World, near the airport terminal 3. I did not write a blog article about it. My last blog post about our Lead reunions was in February 2009, there were many of us then, about 40. See photos and story here,  "Sea bass regal and a fellowship",

http://rotarianpinoy.blogspot.com/2009/02/sea-bass-regal-and-fellowship.html.

One of our group photos before Gov. Butch arrived (above) and with him (below). Standing from let to right: Classmates Patty Naoe, Edwin Afzelius, Lilibeth dela Cruz, Charlie Fuentes, Palmy Layug, Palmy's wife Nini, Rose Acoba, me. Sitting from left: Archie Jimenez, Amore Isip, Fely Rosales, Luz Reyes, Barbie Rivadeniera.

Above, the three right most: Maling Francisco (Gov Butch's wife), Maling Mom, and Gov. Butch.

Among the big revelations yesterday was classmate Inky Reyes' really slim look (upper left photo, white shirt). He used to be fat and bulky. He must have lost at least 50 lbs since many months ago. I kidded him that his house must have been severely flooded recently that he was not able to eat for three days or more. He said he was gulping this particular enzyme that really enhances the body's metabolism, so that almost no fat is  stored even after eating lots of food.

More photos... Some two of those who left before Gov. Butch came were Rey Alas (behind Archie Jimenez) and Tess Sanchez (front of Archie) in the upper left photo below.

We were supposed to wear dress that identifies our color code during our President-Elects Training Seminar (PETS), that was in early March 2006. Below, lower right, Charlie and I forgot to wear a red shirt, so we shared holding the red bag of fellow Red teammate Luz Reyes, hehe.

Pa-cute, hehe. Beside Tess. Tess is a medico legal at MMC. Said she does not know how to facebook, haha. 

When Gov. Butch came, he invited us to a nearby resto, also at the 3rd floor of Fully Booked, The White Hat resto. Nice place, not crowded unlike Starbucks.

Gov. Butch ordered many food at The White Hat. Yummy yummy. More chika-han. 

I left about 7pm, had to go to the MOA signing, my club's sisterhood partnership with RC Diliman North of RI D3780, near Pantranco, Quezon City.

Thanks for the endless good camaraderie, classmates. Thanks for organizing the get together, classmate Rose Acoba. Thanks for the nice food, Gov. Butch.

It's unfortunate that two of our classmates in the District have already joined our creator. Emil Sanglay and Lorenz Tato. Lorenz died only last month of a heart attack.

One more reason why I join reunion with various friends whenever my time would allow. We don't know who will be gone next.