December 24, 2013

    It's Election time once again in the Rotary Club of Marikina, Today we will elect the next batch of officers and directors of our club for RY 2014-2015. All I can say to the candidates is good luck and may the best men win.

    Last week, during our weekly meeting, we witnessed the turnover and donations of Shelter Boxes and Toilet bowls. Six shelter boxes worth US$ 1,000 each were donated by our sister club RC Fukushima through the efforts of PP Fabi Cadiz. These were delivered to the beneficiaries and victims of Super Typhoon Yolanda in Samar by volunteers led by Dir. Val Barcinal last Friday. Sixteen toilet bowls were donated by PD Nestor Garcia to be installed in two public elementary schools through the efforts of Rtn Ken Sueno, Malanday Elementary School and Parang Elementary School. This is in cooperation with the DepEd Marikina.

    Last Saturday, Nov. 30, 2013, we launched our Zone 4 Public Image project with an Environmental theme of Engage Rotary, Change Lives - “Plant Trees, Save Lives”. We unveiled and had photos taken in several Shell Gas Stations in Marikina, San Mateo and Rodriguez, owned by PD Rey Montoya and Sps Lyn. The motorcade started at MRYC parking at 1:30PM then proceeded to the different billboards in Marikina and San Mateo. My president classmates in Zone 4 attended with some members. Rotarians from our club also joined us, including PP Dante Verano, PP Onnie Aguinaldo, VP Bernard Cansana, Dir.Manny Pecho and Rtn Tops Rodriguez. I am grateful to Rtn Roman Villame for his assistance in installing all the tarpaulins, including repairing and fabricating the aluminium frames for the billboards. He and his team of workers from his construction company did a great job and spend time and resources for the good of the club.

    From the Public Image project, me and my classmates proceeded to Cattleya Resort in Antipolo City for the first fellowship of the first class presidents with DG Louie Ticman starting at 6pm. We had videoke singing, line dancing, raffle, games and lots of food and drinks. We even had a guest singer to entertain us while we ate and dance. The fellowship ended at around 2am after the singing of the district theme song. The RYLA and Rotary Youth Camp were held last weekend at Pranjetto Hills Resort in Tanay from Nov. 29 to Dec 1, 2013. We sent two delegates to the RYLA, namely Leah Ty, daughter of PP George Ty and Grace delos Reyes, a friend of Rtn Dan Sibal. I hoped you both had a wonderful experience during this weekend of fun, fellowship and friendship with other young students.

    Yolanda wreaked havoc in the Visayas provinces, particularly Tacloban City.Let us help the victims of this calamity and help in the rebuilding of the devastated towns and cities in the area. We have started a Rebuild Yolanda Donation Drive, chaired by Rtn. Carl Tan to solicit donations for the rebuilding efforts such as cash and construction materials aside from the usual relief goods items like clothes and foods stuff.We are also planning to have a Garage Sale at the parking area of MRYC during the first weekend of December, which is Dec. 7 and 8 (Saturday and Sunday). We shall solicit donations in kind which we will then sell at a huge discount. The sales proceeds will be turned over in full for typhoon Yolanda victims. There will be booths where sponsoring groups, rotary clubs or individuals may have their garage sale during the event. The concept is for those who wish to donate but prefer or can afford to donate not cash but items or gadgets which they no longer use in their homes. Rtn Carl has already solicited commitments for some booths from Jaycees in Marikina. Some Rotarians from zone 4 are also donating items for sale and have their own booths. In sympathy to the victims, let us do our share by donating whatever we can for the benefit of our brothers and sisters in the Visayas, especially the children.

    Last Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2013, during the TRF Annual Banquet, I was honoured as a new Paul Harris Fellow. I would like to take this opportunity to enjoin our members to contribute to the TRF as well and join me, PDG Efren de Guzman and PDG Jun Farcon and help our club be honoured as well. Let us support and thank PD Rey Montoya in his efforts to achieve our goal for our club to be a 100% Sustaining Club. Two clubs in our zone are now 100% Paul Harris Fellow Clubs and almost all are EREY Clubs, as we had been for the past three years.

    The District Christmas party with the theme the 70s Music “Soul Train” will be on Dec. 11, 2013 at 6PM at Camp Aguinaldo Commissioned Officers Clubhouse. Registration fee is Ph 499. A table for twelve has been reserved for us. If you wish to join, please advise Sec Chris or Jean, so we can reserve for another table or more seats. The board has approved a resolution that all eleven members of the board will attend and be asessed at least a ticket each.

    This is the twenty-second entry in my journal. Let us help our unfortunate brothers and sisters who were victims of Yolanda rebuild their lives. You can donate cash or in kind and drop it at MRYC during this Christmas and Rotary Family month of December. Our secretary Jean Josef will duly receive your donations and issue a receipt for cash donations or acknowledgement receipt for in-kind donations. Please support our Garage Sale for Yolanda typhoon victims this coming weekend. We plan to donate the amount in cash and in kind solicited to the District 3800 Rotary Calamity Fund for the Yolanda typhoon victims. May God bless all of us. Let us engage Rotary and change lives. Thank you.