DISTAS 2010

I attended the RI 3830 District Assembly (DISTAS) 2010 last Saturday, May 8, 2010, held at the AIM Conference Center, Makati City. I arrived later as I woke up late because I was watching my daughter who has a fever the night before. When I woke up, her fever was gone but it was already 9 am!

After registration, the first speaker I caught was PDG Sonny Coloma and he was introducing the guest speaker that day, his fellow AIM Professor and head of the AIM Policy Center, Dr. Poch Macaranas, an economist. Although I have heard Dr. Macaranas spoke in the past, recently I haven’t heard much from him, so I was curious what he would say to the probably 300+ Rotarians from D3830 that day.

Judging from the first 3 minutes of his talk, I figured that it was the usual pessimistic viewpoint of the world and the country in general. Among Dr. Macaranas’ points that day that he wanted Rotarians to realize were the following:

1. The Philippines will slowly be overtaken economically by Vietnam and Cambodia.
2. The world is getting more interdependently chaotic, the level of globalization in all aspects of our lives is now high.
3. Climate change is here and the Philippines is among the most susceptible to its negative effects.

There were other points but I could not remember them now. Those 4 points are still fresh in my mind.

When it comes to private enterprises and voluntary civil society organizations like Rotary, I am generally more optimistic. When it comes to governments – local, national and multilateral/foreign aid – I am more pessimistic. The main reason is that private enterprises and civil society organizations like Rotary rest on voluntary exchange and support from their customers and supporters. There is always pressure to be results-oriented and be more accountable to their customers and supporters, otherwise said people will simply stop supporting them anytime, anywhere. In contrast, governments rest on mandatory and forcible exchange. Whether we like the plans and programs of the politicians and the various bureaucracies and agencies that implement them or not, we ordinary citizens are forced to support them with our tax money and compliance with their regulations.

So when Dr. Macaranas emphasized the growing chaos and instability (political, economic, social and cultural) around the world, I don’t agree with this view. To me, there is more chaos around the world as governments and multilaterals become bigger and enforce more mandatory social entitlements. While there is improvement in human conditions as private enterprises and civil society groups like Rotary go on with their lives.

Many may not also agree with me on this, but just look around if we’re indeed getting more miserable with the products and services by private enterprises and our civic organizations: cell phones, laptops, televisions, internet connection, cars, air travel, other transportation-telecommunications goods and services are becoming more affordable to more people, becoming more modern, and inter-connectivity among people across countries and continents are getting faster and quicker.

The opportunity to acquire and train on new skills are now higher, so long as an individual has some ambition and has patience for hard work.

And my favorite punching bag: climate alarmism. Climate change (global warming and global cooling) is natural, is cyclical and is continuous. It is never man-made and is never “unprecedented” in human history. Recent “wild weather” like typhoons “Ondoy” and “Pepeng” last September and October 2009, respectively, were not exactly “unprecedented”. More of this in my various papers and presentation materials, available at our website, www.minimalgovernment.net

Although I noticed that many Rotarians that day nodded their heads in agreement with Dr. Macaranas, I do not think that such generally pessimistic viewpoint of the world is a good way to start a training seminar for the key officers of the 80+ rotary clubs of the District in the coming Rotary year.

In the service-oriented movement of the Rotary International, rotarians around the world can somehow be considered among the “social warriors”. Juggling their time with work and business, family, other social and family network, and the high expectations of voluntary service to the less-fortunate members of society is not easy.

I believe, therefore, that Rotarians in an important training seminar deserve a message of more optimism and more encouragement. Again, mainly because many governments, from the Philippines to other countries, are the main source of pessimism and complaints of many people around the world.

Classmate Ces Singson's birthday party

The other night, classmate Cesar Singson -- in photo with me -- past president of Rotary Club of Makati McKinley, celebrated his birthday party with his clubmates, some classmates, his law office and other family friends. It was held at the Philippine Columbian Assn. in Paco, Manila.

Ces is perhaps the most gallant classmate in our batch. During our term, Rotary year 2008-2007 with RI's theme of "Lead the way", there were about 77 clubs in the District. It was standard practice for some richer clubs and/or richer club President, to invite all of their "classmates" club President from other clubs in the district, to attend their club induction ceremony. Ces did that. During that rotary year too, when Ces celebrated his birthday, he again invited all of his classmates to a festive party. And in that same year, he celebrated his silver (25 years) wedding anniversary and again, invited all his classmates! What a guy.

Below are some of the food on the table. My favorite was the "kalderetang kambing", so deliciously prepared, perfect with cold beer. Then sashimi and balut. I did not bother eating the litson, lumpia, pansit, rice, siopao, etc.


The whole evening was full of fellowship, eating and singing! So many singers and entertainers from the guests. Some sang the classic 60s and 70s songs, the younger singers belted out some current hit songs and ballads. I sang, of course, the Beatles' "twist and shout" and "hey jude", rock version :-)

Below are some of the singers and drummers, and Ces wife, Mel Singson. Mel is a very mild-mannered and friendly lady. No wonder they kept their marriage entering the 30th year soon.


Other classmates who came were Inky Reyes, Tess Sanchez, and Rey Alas. Inky sang, of course. Other classmates who confirmed failed to show up though.

The trouble with attending such a festive party is... the hang-over the following day. But then again, it's the festivity, the fellowships and singing, that mattered.

Classmate Ces, advance happy birthday for January 2011! hehehe.

Tuloy sa Don Bosco

The Tuloy sa Don Bosco project in Alabang is among the biggest projects being helped sustained year after year, by many Rotary Clubs of RI Disrict 3830, especially by the Rotary Club of Alabang. It is a project to help hundreds of street children recover their soul and dignity, giving them hope and inspiration.

Those previously street children are housed, schooled and trained in some particular skills, and after a certain age or training, when they are confiden and productive enough, are "released" to the outside world to be on their own. And the project takes in new batches of street children, and the cycle continues.

The facilities in Tuloy are beautiful, you wouldn't think they are for street children. Below are some young children, elementary school age perhaps, on a recess. They have uniforms and ID.


Last August, I joined the District Governor's lunch at Tuloy. It is an annual event being spearheaded by RC Alabang and other clubs in the south. It's a big fund-raising event where individual Rotarians or clubs from the District make pledges. Participants also give a donation. There are some health products being displayed (those firms are owned by some Rotarians) where a certain profit margin, or donations in cash or in kind, are also donated to Tuloy.

That afternoon, I was impressed by the huge donation, a total of something like half a million pesos. That's for a one-day event only. There are other clubs and Rotarians that donate in cash or in kind at any day of the year.


It's fascinating how "service above self" is working. Selfless charity project, volunteerism, zero coercion and taxation, to pursue a down to earth project of helping the poor and needy. Another reason why I remain being a Rotarian.

DTP Vaccination Project, May 23-24 ‘09

Past District Governor (PDG) of RI, District 3830, Rafael “Butch” Francisco, celebrated his birthday yesterday, May 23, among several thousand children 4-6 years old and their parents (mostly mothers), in Dipteria-Tetanus-Pertusis (DTP) vaccination project. It was held in Pasay Sports Plaza. I wasn’t there yesterday, but this morning, May 24, I attended the 2nd day of the activity. It was held in Malibay Sports Gym, also in Pasay. PDG Butch was my Governor when I was the President of my club, Rotary Club of Taguig Fort Bonifacio, in RY 2006-2007.

This two-days activity was jointly sponsored by the Rotary Club of Pasay North, D3810, and Rotary Club of Paranaque East (RCPE), D3830. Two rotary clubs from two districts of RI with solid and sustained health projects through the years. Funding for this rather expensive but worthy project mainly came from PAGCOR, in coordination with VAXEN, a young but big distributor of vaccines in the country. Other rotary clubs from D3830 also pitched in various assistance, like food and drinks for the hundred-plus people involved in the 2-days activity.

The Pasay City government also extended support by mobilizing the city health and social welfare departments, their staff moving house to house to distribute pre-registration forms for families with children 4-6 years old. I think this is an efficient system. First, only parents or guardians of children 4-6 years will be given the registration form, and only the targeted beneficiaries, Pasay residents, will be served. Well if the sponsors bought vaccines for 4,000 children and 10,000 will come from various cities, then you will have logistical nightmares and thousands of disgruntled parents and guardians who will say more bad things than good about Rotary.

When I arrived at Malibay Sports Gym a little past 9am, there were hundreds of parents with their respective children already. I immediately went to Gov. Butch to greet him a (belated) happy birthday. As time goes, more parents with their toddlers were coming.


PP Rene Aquino of RCPE served as the MC. He briefly introduced what the project is all about, and what the vaccines can do for their children. The parents/guardians and their toddlers happily greeted Gov. Butch on his worthy birthday project. There were other speakers during the short opening program, like the Presidents of the 2 sponsoring clubs, the Vice Mayor of Pasay, an official of VAXEN who is a club member of RC Pasay North.

Below, Gov. Butch (3rd from left) with RCPE guys.



Then the vaccination started. A long line of eager parents who will save some P1,000 for the vaccine if purchased in commercial clinics, was formed. There were 4 tables with 2 health personnel in each table, so 8 toddlers can be served at the same time. And this is where “children’s drama” unfurled.

Although about 70 percent of the children did not cry during the “injection”, a portion of the 30 percent who cried really cried wildly! I surmised they were already crying and resisting while queuing, and their screaming was directly proportional to their distance to the attending health personnel holding the syringe. That is, 2 meters away, the cries were loud. When they were face to face with the health staff, they were screaming to the top of their lungs, really huge teardrops, waggling and kicking, and looking at the health personnel as if the latter are the most evil persons on Earth!

Since I was finding out how I can help since the city welfare staff are in charge of making the long lines in order, I just went to those children who cried the loudest. I did not intend to pacify them because I knew they won’t listen to me since they do not know me, so I went to hold their waggling and kicking feet! When the “injection” is over – usually in just about 3 seconds – these children were wondering if all their resistance was worth the very brief pain of the needle. I was kidding their mothers or guardians, “mas mahaba pa ang iyak kesa injection ah”, to which they nodded smiling or laughing.


Gov. Butch was walking around distributing lollipop candy to children who finish the “injection”. By that time, even those who cried wildly were already pacified. The parents were obviously very happy – you can see it in their eyes and smiles – that their toddlers now have protection against those 3 dangerous diseases.


With the quick and systematic vaccination process, the vaccination was over in about an hour covering several hundred, or perhaps a thousand, children. But the team did not leave since there were still other parents with their toddlers coming. They will wait and do their work until 3pm today, the designated closing time. I heard that the volume of children yesterday was much larger than today.

After the morning snacks and brief chat with other Rotarians, including my 2 classmates, Jo Salcedo (RC Makati Cristo Rey) and Lorenz Tato (RC Makati Bonifacio), I said ba-bye to them and Gov. Butch. Classmate Jo said, “Wait Nonoy, did you greet Gov. Butch on camera?” I said No, and she set up the camera crew quickly. I earlier looked for classmate Ric Santiago of RCPE, but I was told that he was not well.

Projects like this makes you proud of being a Rotarian. When I got out of the sports gym, I realized I needed a haircut. Ahh, there’s a barber shop nearby...

Sea bass regal and a Fellowship

A month ago, PDG Butch Francisco invited his Lead Team ("Lead the Way" club Presidents, RY 2006-07) for a dinner-fellowship, at a nice restaurant at Fort Bonifacio. That was our "belated" Christmas party gathering.


There were plenty of us Lead Presidents from our District who came, maybe about 35 to 40. And as usual, when old friends meet after sometime, the old camaraderie is immediately rekindled -- personal and professional updates left and right, laughter and jokes, picture-taking left and right.

From left: Amore Isip, Charlie Fuentes, Joey Lina, Luz Reyes, me.
Me, "Barbie the Pooh" Revadeniera, Charlie Fuentes, Efren. Among our classmates who showed up was good-looking Paolo Martelino. Paolo did not finish his term due to some internal club issues, so he was not able to attend many District activities during our term, did not attend other meetings and parties after our term. So a number of our classmates did not recognize him, they were whispering and asking, "Classmate, sino sya? ka-batch din ba natin?"

(Lorenz Tato, Amore Isip, Luz Reyes) My answer to some classmates was long-winded. I'd reply, "Yes, he was our classmate. He did not finish his term because he became a model for famous clothing brands. He's a jerk, he stole a number of modelling contracts that were offered to me, because everytime the shooting for the ads were scheduled, I'd get sick and Paolo would immediately jump in and steal the show from me!" hehehe, joke!

The food during our fellowship was great, there were 2 choices for the main course, but the most-requested was the sea bass. Really yummmmmyyyy! I kidded that "seabass regal" was really nice :-)

Gov. Butch and wife Maling remained as cool and friendly as before. They also brought various gifts to us. We also learned that night that Gov. is planning a career shift within 2 years. Everyone in the room expressed support for him, some already made unsolicited pledges.

We hope that Gov. Butch will be successful in his planned career shift. As for our batch, the friendship made three years ago among us should be a lifetime bond. I am very happy and proud of my friendly and warm classmates.

Mabuhay ang Lead Team ng District 3830!

Gov. Butch's bday party

Past Gov. Butch Francisco's bday bash last Friday, May 23, was... a bash!
Lots of guests, food, drinks, entertainment and fun!

Aside from the Lead Team, also present in other tables were some of his clubmates (RCMC), Pagcor guys, other friends. It was held at 7 Pecados, Sofitel Philippine Plaza.

As expected, classmate Joey Lina sang, 2 numbers lang. Gov's other clubmate, actor Ricky Davao, also sang 2 or 3 songs. Hindi lang pala sya pang-rape scene sa pelikula, good singer din pala sya. And there were 2 entertainers, Sitti Navarro and her band, then another singer guy (basta hindi sya si Otso Navarro, hehehe) that looked a bit like classmate Inky Reyes. And as usual, trying hard singers who are careful not to displace those professional singers because they might lose their job, naki-jamming kami -- ako at si tokayo Noy Indonto.

Gov. gave a short but sincere speech, thanking everyone who came, reminding them to continue the rotary ideals of "service above self".

The portion on Q&A was fun. First it was classmate Bing Villania who introduced that part of the night's program, then classmate Tetchie dela Cruz and I co-hosted the actual Q&A. Such questions can be so brutal, they can cannibalize a weakling and send tons of tears down their eyes :-)

Among the questions were: Can you please re-enact how you proposed to Maling? Maling was more Machiavellian, she grabbed the phone and answered, "correction please! I'm the one who proposed to him!" Lusot si Gov!

Just when people were slowly fading into the exit door, the 3rd band, composed of 50s and perhaps, a few 60s year old guys, came and hit lots of 60s and 70s music, like those by the Rolling Stones. So what do you expect the Lead Team who have been hyped and pumped up by several glasses of wines or other high-octane drinks? Danced on the floor and rock-n-roll the night away!

Lead Team’s Christmas '07 fellowships

Last December 26, the LT (Lead Team ha, not Tucio Tan or Lorna Tolentino, hehe) of our district held its 2^nd fellowships as IPPs, IPDG, and past district officers. It was held at the Music bar, Hyatt Casino in Malate, and hosted by Gov. Butch and wife Maling. Our first fellowship as IPPs (limited only to LPs) was held last September at San Lazaro leisure park in Carmona, Cavite.

Food and drinks. Just like the 2 Lead Team’s fellowships during our term, the “Governor’s Big Smoke” 1 and 2, yummy foodie and coldie drinkie were like Sun cellular’s unlimited call and text -- eat till you drop and drink till you get up, hehehe. Most were gulping reddie winey, or sanmig lights, but for me, I stick to the old tradition, sanmig heavy de pilsen...

RTV.PH. Before the real fun began, Gov. Butch, holding spouse Maling as if the Vikings from the Nordic mountains of Sweden are out to take her away, explained that apart from fellowships and friendship, the night was also to update us about RTV.PH foundation, obviously his second big project (the first being the lead Governor of our district). The foundation is now registered with SEC with paid up capital of P1M+, and will produce a series of tv shows about Rotary and other service-oriented initiatives by other groups, that will be aired on selected cable channels. He called on 2 classmates, Tyrone Payron, este Paynor, hehehe, and Lorenz Tato, the latter as the foundation’s treasurer.

Tyrone is working as the indefatigable coordinator for the foundation, and he mentioned that at least 2 cable channels, Destiny cable for selected cities in the country, and a regional cable that will show it in some East Asian economies like HK and Singapore, have expressed interest to air the foundation’s tv programs. So Gov. Butch, Tyrone and other guys in the team are soliciting content and program from us. Mind you, the program is a bit ambitious – one hour a day for 7 days a week! That’s 7 different shows and contents a week!

If any of you are interested to produce a one-hour program, say your pet project during your term, just email or text Tyrone. The easiest and cheapest way to do it perhaps, is to start with whatever video and photo materials that the foundation already has in its library, or any video or photo materials that you already possess. I suggested to Tyrone that perhaps the foundation should get a good director/s to help aspiring program host/s look more handsome or prettier, hehehe. Me, I’m thinking of producing one, but I will have to steal the thick album of pictures and digital copies of projects done by classmate Edwin Afzelius in his club, then I can pose as a club ex-President who did many of those projects. Har har har.

Games. The fellowship organizer, classmate Rose Acoba, prepared 5 or 6 games, with prizes for each set of winners for each game. The first and one of the funniest, was the “coin relay”. Ten people comprise a team, and they’ll pass the coins one by one (from the big P10 to the smallest P0.05 coins) to each other using their 2 forefingers only. Then there was the “dress me as a king” for 3 teams, and I don’t remember the other games. But they were all funny.

Singing and dancing. In-between the games, classmate Noy Indonto was the lead singer and rallied everyone else to either sing or dance on lively music from a ktv on the stage. The group singing was loud and funny. I remember I have danced with beauteous classmates Barbie Rivadeneira, Toni Francisco, Luz Reyes, others.

Raffles. The raffle items were fantastic. I won a box of apples, but I wanted that big box of various grocery items including a bottle of wine… tsk tsk tsk. Lucky for me, one of the winners of about 6 big boxes of grocery items was Lita Wells, and she said she wanted a box of apples because she already has several boxes of similar goods in her house. I heard her “misfortune” so I offered that we swap our gifts, she gladly accepted, and both of us were happy. See the beauty of free trade? Hehehe.

There were 3 mini-slot machines to be won too, and I happened to be the trying-hard MC for the raffles, and I announced that the machine will have a magic spell of handsomeness or beautifulness to whoever will be the winners. The 3 lucky guys I think were classmates Efren Rodriguez, Ces Singzon, and Archie Jimenez. Before the machines were given to them, I asked them to explain why they are handsome (hek hek hek) and I think they have a uniform answer, they’re handsome because their mothers said so! There were also give-away items like Pagcor umbrella and a calendar of PGMA.

Speeches. Aha, this one’s a clincher. Upon the suggestion of one classmate, I don’t remember who, and as an over-staying beer pumped-up MC, I asked our classmates to speak very briefly, 1 minute maximum, how’s life being an IPP. The first one I called was no other than the district’s “most outstanding President”, classmate Edwin. He murmured that he didn’t want to speak but because he’s afraid that I might post the event in our ygroups, he better speak up, hahaha. It wasn’t supposed to be “mandatory” as I have earlier suggested, but when classmates casually stood up to speak, then I urged everyone to speak. Si Efren ibang klase – if given the chance daw, he’d like to become a club President again so he can continue serving more effectively to our less fortunate countrymen.

Exchange gift. As evening turned to night, and as midnight was beckoning, the exchange gift was hurriedly done. The suggested cost was at least P300 for a gift. I brought a bottle of red wine, and got a bottle of red wine in return. Ang tawag siguro ditto ay “exchange wine”, hehe.

The cast. Those who came that I can remember were: classmates Lilibeth, Bing, Tess, Techie, Yolly, Letty, Fely, Toni, Barbie, Ana, Grace, Luz, Rose, Amore, Boboy, Edwin, Yasin, Noe, Jun, Lorenz, Ces, Tyrone, Efren, Archie, Teofy, Palmy, Charlie, Noysky.

Assistant Governors/District officers Edgar Castillo, Andy Fernandez, Nards Tanlu, Patti King, Lita Wells, Cora Tan, Baby Bunye, Paul Chang, Dino Francisco, a few others.

Special thanks really goes to the fellowships organizer, Rose Acoba! Madaming salamat classmate, for all those text messages of invites, updates and reminders. Malaki kinita ng Globe sayo sa mga texts na yon!

The Blackout. Ever-reliable classmate Boboy Intal gave me a ride to the venue, then seeing that I got a big box of prize plus other gifts, he offered to bring me home again. After unloading my things at home, there was a big black-out. Did Meralco’s power lines just snapped for no reason at all? Or did sanmig heavy just snapped my consciousness for no reason at all? When I woke up the following day, I was sprawling on the sala wondering what happened after I got out of Boboy’s car….

Rotarians in government

When you hear the word "government" , what's the first thing -- or word/s, or adjective/s -- that comes to your mind?

Public service? corruption? election? regulation? ...

For me, it's bureaucracy, then taxes.
Thus, I often cringe at the thought of long lines and lost hours, the taxes and fees to pay, when I go to certain government agencies -- DFA to renew my passport, LTO to renew my driver's license or renew my vehicle's registration, SSS to get a new ID or follow up my wife's maternity benefit, COMELEC for a change or transfer of precinct, etc.

So that sometimes, some of us wish that government is as small as a crumpled napkin so that we can flush it down the toilet. But government made sure that it is big enough, rather very big and very expansive enough, that citizens can't help but deal with it, no matter how bureaucratic it may be.

When my sister could not contact his driver for 4 hours after repeated calls (this happened a few months ago), and the driver did not call or text her, nor did he call her house or the office, her first suspicion was that her car was stolen, and the carnappers just dumped the driver somewhere. When I also believed that it was carnapping, the first person that I called up for help was classmate Lito Abogado, a former police official, now in the private sector. It turned out that the driver's cellphone was defective that day, he couldn't receive texts or calls, and he just waited outside the hotel where he was supposed to pick-up my brother in law, for more than 4 hours! So when we found the driver and the car, the first person that I called up was classmate Lito, saying that it was "false alarm".

When my club was looking for a list of public elementary schools in Taguig and their addresses, among the first persons that our club secretary contacted was classmate Grace Pagkatipunan, who works at the Office of the Mayor, Taguig City.

Before I went to Paranaque City Hall this morning to work on a request by my father in law in Iloilo, the first person I called up was classmate Ric Santiago of Paranaque East, to ask if they have any club member/s who work at the city hall. Ric said they have club members who are city councilors, but none as official or staff. He suggested one rotarian, a clubmate of classmate Lilibeth dela Cruz, who is the head of the city government's HR management office. He forgot her name, so I grabbed our district directory, and went to Pque city hall. Not that I want some "influential person" to help me immediately, as much as possible I want to go through the regular process. Only if I think that I get bad service that I would approach some friends or fellow Rotarians for possible help.

The staff at the city assessor's office was polite enough to entertain me. So I have nothing else to do except go back to Makati office. I said why not visit PP Sally Tongson, the chief of Pque city hall's HRM office. Her office is just on the 2nd floor and I was on the ground floor. Sally did not offer me Krispy cream dough nut or starbucks coffee or Italianni's paste, but a very warm smile when she welcomed me in her office. I had a brief chat with her because I knew that she has plenty of official functions to do, but I learned some important info. For instance, would you believe that Pque city hall alone has more than 5,000 employees? Excluded here are policemen, barangay officials and their respective barangay staff, etc.

Finally, our IPDG Butch, is also a government official, being the President of the government's casino and gaming corporation. His boss, the President of the Republic (and the first gentleman?) is mired in endless political and corruption scandals, so he has to keep his head above political and partisan battles, and keep his feet on the ground through his club and our district's various services to humanity.

Rotarians working in government (as regular staff or elected official) seem to be straddling on 2 different worlds. Rotary and other organizations rely on pure volunteerism, from regular dues and payment to community projects dictated by special needs. Whereas governments rely on coercion, from forced collections (aka taxes and fees) to projects that are often dictated by patronage and political horse-trading.

Nonetheless, I am lucky, or we are lucky, to have some friends, some fellow Rotarians, who stay in government, who are able to retain their professionalism and idealism, in an institution whose DNA is already pre-codified with waste and inefficiency. It is important that Rotary clubs where they belong should help them sustain their sanity and professionalism.

Mabuhay kayo mga kapatid!