Peace President Rose Antonio

Our current President, Rotary Club of Taguig Fort Bonifacio this rotary year 2012-2013, Peace President Rose Antonio, should be the most hard working among us, Past Presidents in recent years. She has achieved many things for the club, more than my term definitely, absolutely.

To see what I mean, check The Globalist, special issue, nearly 50 pages of photos and description of club activities and accomplishment, for the communities, for the District, with our sister clubs.

President Rose is also the wife of our club Past President (PP) Niel Antonio, who served in RY 2010-2011. They have two kids who would join us in some club activities and fellowships, like during our Christmas Party in Tagaytay.

Recently, I have been absent in some club meetings for some reasons. Among these meetings were the talk by PP Chary Misa of RC Rizal West, our "mother club" meaning their club sponsored the creation and chartering of our club in March 2000. PP Chary is a nice, friendly and warm lady who shared some information about Rotary International and our District 3830.

In this photo, from left: Jhun Mendoza, Marco Pagaduan, Era Eguia, Chary Misa, President Elect (PE) MeAnn de Leon, President Rose, and PP Norlan de Leon.

I was also absent during the club strategic planning for the term of PE and income President MeAnn de Leon. In this photo, from left standing: Basil Semilla, PP Norlan de Leon, PP Niel Antonio, Mike Michener. Sitting from left: Amy Semilla, PE MeAnn, President Rose, Era Eguia.

This week, I was not able to listen to a classification talk by Basil, who talked about Shipping and Freight Forwarding, the sector where he is currently working. I was told that it was a very interesting talk, I hope it will be repeated in the club, with more members attending, me included.

This was about two months ago, when new member, Mike Michener, beside Pres. Rose, gave a brief classification talk about "Life Coaching" and counselling. Luckily I was there.

The signature project of the club this year was the Art Peace 2013, a painting contest among university students in Metro Manila on the theme of promoting peace and conflict resolution. District Governor Sue Sta. Maria, some district officials, were our guests that afternoon, along with the six finalists. The winners are also in this photo. 

Our club also has at least three sisterhood agreement with other clubs -- with RC Intramuros in Manila, RC Diliman North in Quezon City, and below, with RC Alabang Centerpoint, from our own District.

Our club was also among the donors in the Rotary Homes in Paranaque. This is emerging as following the initiatves by Gawad Kalinga -- all private donations to give decent and humane housing for the poor, zero government or tax money was used. President Rose was not there during the turn over ceremony, attended by Rotary Homes Foundation President, PDG Sid Garcia, PDG Ed Alvarez, and PDG Paul Horng from Taiwan. He was also the Rotary International President Representative (RIPR) during the D3830 DisCon 2013 held at Manila Hotel last March.

The club was also among the sponsors of the sponsors during the 11th Pambansang Bakas Seminar-Workshop for Educators in San Antonio De Padua College in Pila, Laguna, held from April 3-6, 2013.

Your term as club President is ending soon, super-thanks for all your effort, hard work, extra expenses, President Rose. As a Past President myself, I can vouch how inspiring you have been to the club members and PPs alike.

Cheers.

Discon 2013, RI District 3830

The District Conference (DisCon) of Rotary International (RI) District 3830 will start tomorrow afternoon at the Manila Hotel. It will be a 1 1/2 days plus 2 nights of various activities. The hotel President, also Past President of RC Makati Central, Joey Lina, is my classmate President during RY 2006-07, under Past District Governor Butch Francisco. Here is the program of Discon 2013.

DAY 1                                    MARCH 22

PLENARY                              1:30PM

TIME	ACTIVITY
8:00AM – 8:010AM	OPENING OF EXHIBIT AND ROTARY MEDIA WALL ·         RI PRESIDENT’S REPRESENTATIVE  PAUL PO-YEN HORNG ·         DISTRICT GOVERNOR SUZANNE STA. MARIA ·         PAST DISTRICT GOVERNOR ED & SPOUSE MARIZ ALVAREZ, SENIOR RIPR AIDES ·         DISCON CHAIR AND DISTRICT SECRETARY MARYCRIS OPLAS ·         PAST PRESIDENT PETER AND SPOUSE MABEL KAWSEK, RIPE AIDES, AEG CHOCHIT TOBIAS
9:00AM – 12:00NN	SHOPPING AT BOOTHS, FOYER AREA
10:00AM – 12:00NN	REGISTRATION AT DISTRICT SECRETARIAT’S ROOM, GALLERY ROOM
12:00NN – 1:30PM	ASSEMBLY AT FOYER AREA FOR PROCESSIONAL (GOVERNORS AND SPOUSES TO BE SEATED AT VIP TABLES IN PLENARY HALL AND WILL BE ESCORTED OUT FOR PROCESSIONAL AT 1:15PM)
1:30PM – 1:50PM	ENTRY OF DIGNITARIES (PROCESSIONAL MARCH)
1:50PM – 1:58PM	DOXOLOGY KUNDIRANA, LA SALLE GREENHILLS HIGH SCHOOL
1:58PM – 2:25PM	ENTRY OF COLORS PHILIPPINE COAST GUARD MALAYSIAN NATIONAL ANTHEM KOREAN NATIONAL ANTHEM TAIWAN NATIONAL ANTHEM PHILIPPINE NATIONAL ANTHEM
2:25PM – 2:30PM	CALL TO ORDER GOVERNOR SUZANNE STA. MARIA
2:30PM – 2:45PM	WELCOME REMARKS / CONFERENCE OVERVIEW DISTRICT SECRETARY AND DISCON CHAIR, MARYCRIS OPLAS ROTARY CLUB OF MAKATI URDANETA, DISCON HOST CLUB
2:45PM – 3:00M	INTRODUCTION OF DIGNITARIES PAST PRESIDENT AND DISTRICT LEGAL COUNSEL  RAFFY AQUINO
3:00PM – 3:20PM	ROLL CALL OF CLUBS AND PEACE PRESIDENTS ·         DISTRICT SECRETARY AND DISCON CHAIR MARYCRIS OPLAS ·         EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT GOVERNOR CHOCHIT TOBIAS
3:20M – 3:30PM	MESSAGE DISTRICT GOVERNOR CHUNG MIN HO DISTRICT 3620, KOREA, SISTER-DISTRICT OF DISTRICT 3830
3:30PM – 4:00PM	MESSAGE GOVERNOR SUZANNE STA. MARIA
4:10PM – 4:50PM	INTRODUCTION OF THE ROTARY INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT’S  REPRESENTATIVE  (RIPR)  PAST DISTRICT  GOVERNOR ED ALVAREZ MESSAGE RIPR PAUL PO-YEN HORNG
4:50PM – 5:05PM	MINI CONCERT OF BROADWAY SONGS KUNDIRANA
5:05PM – 5:10PM	ADJOURNMENT BY GOVERNOR SUZANNE STA. MARIA
5:10PM – 5:15PM	ANNOUNCEMENTS SPONSOR CREDITS END OF PLENARY DAY 1

TALENT NIGHT       7:00PM

TIME	ACTIVITY
7:00PM – 8:15PM	DINNER
8:15PM – 8:30PM	ANNOUNCEMENTS: START OF SHOW
8:30PM – 8:45PM	OPENING MESSAGE GOVERNOR SUZANNE STA. MARIA
8:45PM – 8:55PM	HOSTS ENTRANCE ·         PEACE PRESIDENT LIZA MAGPAGU, RC MUNTINLUPA FILINVEST ·         PEACE PRESIDENT JOHN VINTA, RC PARANAQUE ST. ANDREW
8:55PM – 9:05PM	INTRODUCTION OF JUDGES AND MECHANICS ·         JOY VIRATA (CHAIR OF BOARD OF JUDGES) ONE OF THE TOP PERFORMERS OF REPERTORY PHILIPPINES; BOARD MEMBER AND ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, REPERTORY PHILIPPINES CHILDREN’S THATER ·         LIESL BATUCAN, ONE OF THE TOP PERFORMERS OF REPERTORY PHILIPPINES ·         PROF. RAMON MA. ACOYMO,  FORMER DEAN, U.P. COLLEGE OF MUSIC; FORMER DIRECTOR, KUNDIRANA & ATENEO GLEE CLUB ·         RAMON SILVESTRE, ABS-CBN PERFORMANCE COACH FOR “PINOY DREAM ACADEMY”;  MEMBER OF SINGING GROUP, “THE TUX” ·         ANNA DAVID, EVENT PRODUCER, CTV MANILA INC.
9:05PM – 9:17PM	GROUP 1 : LION KING (ROTARY MAKATI 1 CLUBS)
9:17PM – 9:29PM	GROUP 2 : BOMBAY DREAMS (ROTARY PALAWAN CLUBS)
9:29PM – 9:41PM	GROUP 3 : CATS (ROTARY MAKATI 2 CLUBS)
9:42PM – 9:55PM	GROUP 4 : CABARET (METRO SOUTH CLUBS)
9:53PM – 10:05PM	GROUP 5 : PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (PARANAQUE CLUBS)
10:05PM – 10:20PM	HOSTS (WHILE JUDGES ARE DELIBERATING)
10:20PM – 10:20PM	HOSTS’ INTERVIEW OF JUDGES
10:17PM – 10:450M	AWARDING OF WINNERS ·         FIRST RUNNER UP ·         GRAND WINNER
10:40PM – 11:00PM	CLOSING ANNOUNCEMENTS SPONSOR CREDIT

DAY 2                                    MARCH 23

PLENARY                              8:00AM 

Club Relief Operations After the Manila Flooding

Our Rotary Club of Taguig Fort Bonifacio (RI District 3830), through the efforts of President Rose Antonio, partnered with RC Makati President Reuben Valerio, in distributing food items to victims of flooding in Lower Bicutan, Taguig City, last Friday, August 10.

From left: RC Makati President Reuben Valerio, clubmate Carmen Penalosa, Rose's son, President Rose, me, clubmate Eric Lucero, and Past District Governor (PDG) Sid Garcia. Most of these photos are from President Rose's camera.

It was my first visit to the RC Makati building actually and I was impressed. Nice, clean building, with a good garden and wide parking lot at the back. It is located in Camia Street, Barangay Guadalope Viejo, Makati. At the back of Metro Club in Rockwell, and just beside the Barangay Hall and Health Center. The tall buildings of Rockwell Center behind the parking lot are not far.

Had a short chat with President Reuben. He said that for their club, money was not a problem as they received lots of cash donations from club members, also from their brother clubs abroad. District Governor-Elect (DGE) Robert Kuan for instance, who is also one of their clubmates, eceived a call from his classmate DGE from an RI District in Taiwan and asked how things are in the country. His classmate simply donated $5,000 just for the relief-donations. Cool.

There were four of us from our club, plus President Rose's son and driver. This is her pick up, full of food items for distribution. Eric's car is nice here, small but full of items for donation. I hitched a ride with him.

This is the small village in Lower Bicutan that we visited. The floodwater has not receded yet, two days after the heavy rains have stopped. Lower photo, these children are in danger of getting leptospirosis and other water-borne diseases as the water is muddy and dirty.

Picture taking before the actual distribution of relief items.

A short but orderly line of people, mostly mothers, came in front of the pick up. No disorder, people just lined up, got the food packages, and walked away.

The Barangay Health Worker (BHW), a city hall employee assigned to barangays to provide health and sanitation programs and services, estimated that there were less than 100 households in this area. The food packages we brought were just enough for them. Plus extra food packages for other affected families outside of this small village, delivered at the BHW office.

We were done distributing the goods in about 20 minutes. Thanks to my club, thanks to Rotary Club of Makati. We have done our small share in helping the flood affected families.

Our District 3830 through the untiring efforts of District Governor Sue Sta. Maria, also conducted various relief and charity work in other parts of Metro Manila and neighboring provinces. Before the new round of heavy rains last Wednesday afternoon, I delivered some used clothes and shoes to the District drop off point in Crown Tower, HV dela Costa, Makati.