MERRY Christmas to All
Nov 2016
The Rotary Foundation Centennial Night is a Showcase of Good Samaritans The Rotary Foundation Centennial Night on November 12, 2016 held at the Sofitel Hotel Manila was a night of ―Shining Armours‖ of Rotarians who are sincerely generous in giving for the purpose of doing good in the world. It was a very successful event, hosted by the Rotary Club of Cubao Quezon City led by All Star President Veronica Ho and inspired by Past President Johnny Yu, a multiple Paul Harris Fellow. It was a truly inspiring moment when District Governor Dwight Ramos, DRFC PDG Jess Cifra, DS Pocholo Jaymalin and COS Cecile Rodriguez presented and awarded the Centurion Pins to the All Star Presidents. Paul Harris Society Chair PP Maricor Imperial proudly presented the officers and members of the Paul Harris Society. This was followed by the recognition and awarding of the TRF Centennial Medallions to Paul Harris Fellows. The recognition and awarding of TRF Centennial Medallions to thirty four (34) major donors from level one to level four was a pulsating moment and showcased the generosity of the men and women in District 3780. The highest accolade was presented by the most glamorous, sensational guest of honor and keynote
speaker for the night, PDG David Harilela from District 3450, with Governor Dwight Ramos, DRFC PDG Jess Cifra and DGN PP Pastor Mar Reyes, Jr. as copresenters. PDG David Harilela was not just a mentor and inspirational speaker. Everyone was amazed that he was a total package -- an eloquent speaker, a singer and entertainer. The night boasted of a complete buffet of programs with sumptuous dinner explicitly served each table along with an entertainment to remember with men of great music. What more could we ask for that night? It was indeed an affair to remember where we all gathered together and chose to support our Rotary Foundation. By doing this we are making a difference in two ways: we are changing lives and we are literally saving lives. To God be the Glory! By PP Rafael “Raffy” Chico District Chair, Public Image and Associate Editor of the Governor‘s Monthly Letter
District Governor’s Message By Governor Dwight Hilarion M. Ramos, Rotary International District 3780
While progressive reforms in Rotary now allow clubs more flexibility in their meeting and membership, the basic objective, values and the precept of Service Above Self remain unchanged as we continue serving humanity. The season of giving is upon us and Christmas carols are now heard everywhere. Yuletide decors abound, and the kids are getting excited everyday as they anticipate the many gifts they will soon be receiving. For us Rotarians, however, our Rotary Year has always been a year-round of giving since almost 112 years ago when Rotary was formed on 23rd February 1905. In the concept of “Service Above Self”, the endeavor of all Rotarians and by each club to better the life of the communities around us and to advance understanding between peoples and of nations, entails that we dedicate our lives in the service of others without expecting anything in return - a gift of self every single day of the year! The founder of our Rotary movement, Paul Percival Harris was born in Racine, Wisconsin, USA on 19th April 1865. His childhood was spent with his grandparents and he had his higher education while working at several places and finally graduated in law in 1891. He then opened a law office in Chicago. Once when walking after dinner with a friend, he found his friend exchanging greetings with each shopkeeper while he did not know many. It reminded him of the bond of camaraderie he had experienced in smaller towns. A spark was lit and he felt the need of an organization consisting of members from every profession and business enabling building of fellowship bonds which would also help exchange of useful information and knowledge between all from different walks of businesses. After drawing up the plans from conception, he with three friends started
meeting at places of each in succession, and Rotary was born. That it grew quickly from strength to strength with efforts of Paul and then of his friends in Rotary encompassing all nations globally, providing ever growing needed services for the betterment of communities is another long story which surprised even Paul, though it gave him the utmost satisfaction. Since 1905, the Rotary ideals have been accepted and have spread voluntarily worldwide. The general objective remains the same in every Club, across the world. Clubs continue to meet regularly and follow a unique classification system best suited to them.
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The Governor’s Monthly Letter
EDITORIAL BOARD
Members of the Editorial Board thank the All Star Presidents and club officers who continue to share stories of how their clubs have been serving humanity through Rotary.
District Governor Dwight Hilarion M. Ramos
Rotarians in our district have been extending outstanding service in various ways, such as disaster relief, medical check up & treatment mission, basic literacy projects, daily feeding & nutrition program to protect children from malnutrition, a hand-washing facility for safeguarding health of day-care children. The Enterprise Development Program launched jointly by District 3780 and QC could have profound impact on reducing unemployment and poverty levels in the city (P. 5).
District Secretary Cesar “Poch” Jaymalin District Chief of Staff Ma. Cecilia “Cecille” Rodriguez District Information & Communication Officer Winston Sia
Publisher
Ricardo “Ric” P. Salvador Editor in Chief
There is also the seminar on suicide awareness presented to protect people from harm. Another timely project is the forum on the prevention of drug-abuse and HIV/AIDS affliction. There has been an alarming increase in the number of new incidence of HIV/AIDS affliction for which NO VACCINE and NO CURE has yet been found. The GML EiC had witnessed how deadly HIV/AIDS affliction can be. About 15 years ago, our consulting team visited a commercial bank in Zimbabwe - an African country with a very high prevalence rate of HIV infection - to advise bank officers on how to best rehabilitate ―sick accounts‖ in its loan portfolio. Three months after the visit, when we called Zimbabwe to check on the progress of bank reforms, we were told that the 38-year old bank manager concerned, who appeared hale & healthy when we last met him, had died a few weeks earlier when his HIV infection rapidly developed into full blown AIDS that led to his demise. Kindly forward this GML to your club members and other contacts to help spread the District message and stories of Rotary serving hu-
manity. Thank you.
Associate Editors
Jesus “Jesse” Tanchanco Elizabeth “Beth” Directo Marcia “Marcia” C. Salvador Rafael “Raffy” Chico Cresencio “Cris” Bacho The Governor’s Monthly Letter 2016-17 is published by the District 3780 Governor with offices at the Rotary Center Building, Roces Avenue, Quezon City, Philippines. Materials for publication may be sent to the Office of DG Dwight, to EiC Ric Salvador at rp_salvador@yahoo.com., to Marcia Salvador at mdcsalvador@yahoo.com., or other associates.
RY 2016-17 DISTRICT CALENDAR (As of November 23, 2016) Event DECEMBER DISEASE PREVENTION & TREATMENT MONTH 2-4 ZONE INSTITUTE (THAILAND ) 10
CHRISTMAS PARTY / FAMILY DAY
10-18
VOCATIONAL TRAINING TEAM
JANUARY 9-11 13-15 21
VOCATIONAL SERVICE MONTH MIDYEAR REVIEW MIDYEAR CONVENTION EDUCATIONAL EXPO BLOODLETTING
FEBRUARY PEACE & CONFLICT RESOLUTION MONTH 4 GOLDEN WHEEL AWARDS 11 ALAY NG ROTARY SA KABATAAN
Host
Chair PP LINDA PALLATAO
CLUB ADMINISTRATION COMM
PP BETH DIRECTO
RC MIDTOWN QC VOCATIONAL COMMITTEE RC NEW MANILA HEIGHTS
PP FLORIAN ENRIQUEZ
RC NEW MANILA EAST
PP PAUL GALANG
BABY ALLADO
17
GOV. DWIGHT GOLF CUP
RC QUEZON CITY
PE BONG FERNANDO
18-19 23 25
RYLA WORLD UNDERSTANDING ASP MONTHLY MEETING
PEACE PRESIDENTS
PDG PENNY POLICARPIO
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October GML
September GML
August GML
July GML
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Rotary relieves urgent needs of victims of super typhoon Lawin in Northern Luzon By District Chair for Community Service PP Aiza Remedios
When Super Typhoon Lawin (international name Haima) barrelled through Northern Luzon on October 19, 2016, it left 12 dead, damaged houses, displaced thousands, destroyed agricultural crops and infrastructure, and left several towns isolated in its wake. More than 90,000 individuals in several provinces were forced to be evacuated. One of the hardest hit areas was Cagayan Valley where the typhoon made landfall. After receiving reports of Typhoon Lawin’s destruction, the District Community Service Committee led by Chair PP Aiza Remedios lost no time in gathering relief aid and in mobilizing relief and medical mission teams. On October 27, the two (2) teams took the 12-hour or so ride to Cagayan.
The following day, a whole-day medical mission was conducted in Barangay Katabayungan in the town of Cabagan, Isabela where evacuees where given free medical consultations and free medicines, as well as free meals. Meanwhile, relief-giving was done at the Barangay Hall of Lemu North in the town of Enrile, Cagayan. A total of 320 relief packs were distributed. After a tiring day, the two teams returned to Manila in the evening. The District Community Service Committee sincerely thanks all those who generously gave to make the relief and medical mission to Cagayan possible.
After serving the needs of disaster victims, the All Star Team head for home in Quezon City some 500 kilometres away. 4
100 Years of Doing Good in the World is commemorated during Governors’ Night & Recognition
Nov 28, RC Metro Sta Mesa, Event Host
District 3780 and partners launch innovative program to help smaller entrepreneurs improve and grow their business so they could themselves create more employment and reduce poverty in Quezon City Rotary International District 3780, the Quezon City Sikap-Buhay Office, and the Institute of Management Consultants of the Philippines (IMPHIL) agreed to launch an innovative Enterprise Development Program whose main purpose is to help smaller, start-up entrepreneurs improve and grow their business so they could increase their employment and contribute to reduction of poverty in Quezon City. IMPHIL membership constitutes a unique pool of successful business leaders, experienced management & business consultants, and educators & trainers to provide resource base for the project while City Hall provides access to numerous smaller-scale entrepreneurs who wish to grow. Several of the leaders of IMPHIL are also Rotarians, such as for examples Dean Melito Salazar, Atty. Dwight Ramos, Mr Cesar Baltazar Ph.D. and
businessman Jesse Tanchanco. Last November 8, Rotary and the partner organizations conducted the first in a series of trainings for the first batch of entrepreneurs, the Enterprise Competitiveness Seminar. Resource speaker was Dr. Cesar Baltazar assisted by Rotarians Butch Madarang and Poch Jaymalin who served as facilitators. Host of the event was RC Cubao Kamias D3780 led by ASP Dolly Faulan. The attendees were welcomed by OIC Head of Sikap-Buhay Atty Bayani Hipol of the Office of the Mayor. The participants are in varied activities looking for ideas for growth. One operates a tiny ukay-ukay apparel store, another person doing online selling of longganiza and tocino processed meat products, a lady re-selling eLoads for cellphones, all of them on part-time basis.
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Gov Dwight Ramos leads Rotary during “Araw ng Pagbasa” to promote love for reading among school children and foster goodwill with communities The Department of Education has declared the month of November of every year as National Reading Month to promote reading and literacy among the pupils and students. Starting with School Year 2011-2012, the said month culminated in the Nationwide Araw ng Pagbasa (National Reading Day) on November 25 that has become a yearly tradition. All schools are encouraged to have a synchronized reading program on this day. In particular, the activity aims to ―make reading a shared physical experience, specifically among the youth, thereby increasing its relevance amidst the growing reliance on the internet and inclination to online activities.‖ On November 25, 2016, Gov Dwight Ramos led the district in the nationwide observance of Araw ng Pagbasa by reading a story entitled ―Si Pingkaw‖ before some 1,200 Grade 7 students and their teachers at the Ernesto Rondon High School (ERHS) in Project 6, Quezon City. The activity was coordinated by Basic Education & Literacy Chair PP Tess Alalcar-Tan and Community Service Chair PP Aiza Remedios with RC Quezon City Circle who has been conducting the yearly reading activity at ERHS, their adopted school. This year‘s event was organized by RC Quezon City Circle
led by ASP Caloy Agulto and PP Butch Madarang who has since championed this project. The second reader was PP Aiza Remedios who narrated ―Ang Mabangis na Lungsod". While the stories were being read, the school‘s Interactors did an interpretative skit. A question-and-answer activity was held and students were awarded cash, books and computer peripherals. Reference books were also given. The event ended with sumptuous snacks being served to the students and teachers. RC Bagong Sandigan conducted a similar storyreading activity before Grade 2 pupils of Rosa Susano Elementary School in Novaliches, Quezon City. This was done by Membership Chair Pol Castillo, Asst Sec Joy Castillo and Rtn Jing. They served snacks after the reading session to the delight of the children. ASP Eric Soriano of RC Broadway also held a bookreading event at the Diosdado P Macapagal Elementary School in Barangay Tatalon, Quezon City before 100 Grade 1 pupils. A Q&A portion was conducted where prizes where given, which was followed by simple snacks.
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RC Broadway inspires kids to love reading and their heritage By All Star President Eric Soriano
Another successful literacy program has been accomplished by Rotary Club of Broadway, QC during the celebration of the yearly Araw ng Pagbasa. About 100 Grade1 pupils of Diosdado P. Macapagal Elementary School, Barangay Tatalon, QC attended and enjoyed the Araw ng Pagbasa Reading Advocacy Program at the DPMES Library held on Nov 25, 2016.
This literacy project served as a venue to promote reading and literacy, motivated awareness and upheld our Filipino heritage and culture among school children. The gentlemen and ladies of the club were present in this significant activity and gave prizes during the Q & A portion. Simple snacks were served after the session. Go Go Go Broadway!
Broadway covers other dimensions in developing literacy: thinking and writing skills of young students RC Broadway QC held the club‘s annual essay writing contest as part of the celebration of Linggo ng Wika (National Language Week). The essay writing theme was drawn to help promote awareness by students and their teachers of the current Rotary theme, ―Rotary Serving Humanity.― The contest participants were asked to write an essay on, ―How Can I Serve Humanity?‖, in English & Pilipino. The contest was participated in by 300 students from the Dra. Josefa Jara Martines High School last September 19. The contest at Diosdado P. Macapagal Elementary School held last September 21 was participated in also by 300 grade school pupils. This has been an exercise that required outstanding writing skills of students which can be further enhanced in essay writing. Recognition Awards in the form of certificates, medals and dictionary were given to all the winners.
“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” By Nelson Mandela 7
RC South Triangle D3780 and partner RC Baguio D3790 reach out to serve youth communities up in the clouds By PP Ronnie U. Collado, RC South Triangle D3780
Gift giving is a routine Rotary project. But if this is taken up into clouds of Mt Cabuyao and Mt Sto Tomas, the highest point in Baguio, 2025 meters above sea level, then giving becomes an exciting Rotary experience. Mt Sto Tomas is the highest "commutable" peak in the Philippines and usually veiled with clouds even on sunny days. Rotary Club of Baguio RID 3790 chose the right place and the right schools for our Joint Community Service Project dubbed ―Brigada Tsinelas sa Norte" on October 18, 2016. The 3 elementary schools are located either at the foot or at the top of Mt Cabuyao. Going up there was very difficult, as it was going down. It was a roller coaster ride, with PP Gerard Audineau as our driver. We had to hike a mountain trail to reach one school, Besong Saddle Elementary School. When you reach their places you are surprised that schools even exist there. You get to your senses when suddenly cute small pupils emerge out of their small school rooms clapping and singing in a tumultuous welcome. What a sight to behold! RC South Triangle ASP Mike Cantor
together with 5 members donated 500 pairs of new slippers to these little children together with a bottle of multivitamins for each one of them. PDG Linda Winter D3790 and ASP Chris Faelnar of RC Baguio, together with their 12 members, actively engaged the children one on one even as they fitted and distributed slippers and multivitamins to each one of them. When you see hundreds of smiling and stumping children wearing their new pair of slippers, you somehow feel happy with yourself. Hearing those kiddie, high-pitched ―thank you‖ and applauses from those young tiny hands, you feel you must be doing good in this world. And yes indeed, RC Baguio and RC South Triangle also found out that they enjoy serving together. We gel together and we plan to have another project soon. And for us low-landers, seeing the sea of clouds and fog engulfing us and the trees around us even on a clear day was a real big treat for us!
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RC Sta Mesa initiates 6-month daily feeding & nutrition program to save 60 young children from malnutrition By All Star President Robert Nazal, RC Sta Mesa
The plight of malnourished children, aged 2-6 years old, in a small community of indigent families at Rona‘s Garden in Barangay Loyola Heights moved Rotarians of RC Sta Mesa led by ASP Bert Nazal to initiate a regular feeding program to benefit sixty (60) children who live in the area. Since September 2016, the kids have been served one full meal daily with a glass of milk and a daily dose of vitamins. The feeding program which is envisioned to last for six (6) months was started using funds generated from a fundraising comedy show that the club conducted featuring US-
due also to the numerous surgical operations he had gone through. RC Sta Mesa has since been shouldering the cost of his therapy and vitamins required. A sponsor donated a wheelchair for the boy who has lost the ability to walk. Another common problem in the community is the high incidence of pulmonary cases which, if left unchecked, could lead to complications. The club donated a nebulizer for the common use of the community. RC Sta Mesa remains committed to helping address the health concerns of this small community. based comedian Fil-Am Rex Navarette. ASP Bert and members are currently working on a partnership with an NGO focused on addressing malnutrition, with the view of making the feeding program a sustainable one, until the children attain the normal weight/height for their ages. Since October, the club has also begun conducting seminars for the mothers on proper nutrition and the effects of malnutrition on the brain development of their children and their ability to become productive members of society. In the process of being immersed in the project in the community, they also found several children who are in need of developmental therapy. For example, a boy named John Paul who was born with hydrocephalus has lost some of his motor skills, 9
RC Bagong Sandigan and partners bring healthcare and wellness to over 600 indigent beneficiaries By All Star President Maurice Librea Biak na Bato, Camp Aguinaldo, Camp Crame, Camp Panopio, Greater Midtown Cubao, Greenfields, Quezon City Central, and West Triangle.
In partnership with the Christ the King Parish Pastoral Council, RC Bagong Sandigan led by ASP Maurice Librea organized and conducted a mega medical and dental mission on November 12, 2016 at the K1 basketball court of Filinvest Homes 2 in Quezon City. The mission, dubbed ―Kinulayan Medical and Dental Mission‖, had the support of the Rotary Clubs of
The mission served more than 600 indigent patients consisting of children, adults, senior citizens and a number of PWDs. In addition to medical and dental consultation & treatment, the following services were rendered: optical check-up with free glasses, blood-letting, free haircut, free massage, and discounted laboratory examinations. Medicines and vitamins were provided to the patients. Wheel chairs were also given to a PWD and a senior citizen.
RC Bagong Sandigan thanks all those who generously contributed to the success of the mission, namely the eight (8) Rotary clubs cited above, Antonio Fixtures and Designs, some officers and employees of Alliedbankers Insurance Corporation, the office of Sen Peter Cayetano, Classique Herbs Corporation, Knights of Columbus, K1 Filhomes Association and members of the Christ the King Parish.
RC Kamuning East provides hand-washing facility from District grant to safeguard health of 80 day-care children By All Star President Winnita Velarde-Ysog
On November 23, 2016 RC Kamuning East led by ASP Wee Velarde supervised the installation of a 5-faucet hand-washing facility to Narra Ville Day Care Center located at Ipil-Ipil, Barangay Payatas, Quezon City.
The teary-eyed teacher-adviser Ms Nelia Bohol who has worked for ten (10) years in the said day care center said that her 80 pupils and their parents would be very happy for the facility that will safeguard their health.
The lavatory was provided through the District WASH Project and coordinated by District Grants Committee Vice-Chair Marites Nepomuceno.
She thanks Rotary for the gift.
Editor’s Note. Narra Ville Day Care Center is one of 16 centers in Quezon City that have already received similar washing facilities from Rotary as of end of November 2016. 10
Rotary Youth Serves the Youth and Grown-ups as Well: Holy Spirit Rotaractor leads timely seminar on suicide awareness as a means to protect people from harm By All Star President Peth Rivera and Youth Service Chair PP Marcia Salvador, RC Holy Spirit
On October 21, 2016, Maricel P. Entena, Rotaractor and Associate Member of RC Holy Spirit led the program, ―Know, Understand, Heal: A talk on Suicide Awareness,‖ attended by 110 Grade 9 & 10 students of Holy Spirit National High School and with Rotaractors and a number of adults in the audience. M‘Maricel began her presentation by explaining what suicide is and what suicide attempt is. Then she presented demographics of suicide, statistics to show why men die by suicide 3.5 times more often than women. She also said that suicide rate among 15-24 year olds has tripled in the past 30 years. She then presented suicide warning signs, risk factors, depression and suicide, and how to help a suicidal person. She said that untreated depression is the number one cause for suicide. There are five (5) action steps for helping someone in emotional pain: ask, keep them safe, be there, help them connect, and stay connected.
on situations, after which they were asked to report. It was shocking to hear a few of the students who shared that they had suicidal tendencies. The second activity taught them how to create their own emergency stress/sadness kit. The last activity was interesting. All the attendees were asked to write a letter to their future self (when they reach 20 years of age), keep the letter and open it when the time is
ripe. The seminar had the support of the school‘s Values Department. At the end of the seminar, one teacher asked if M‘Maricel could do a similar seminar for teachers to help them cope with their
stress-full life. Some of them may include former teachers of M‘Maricel. Herself a graduate of Holy Spirit National High School, Miss Maricel completed BS Psychology a few years ago and is now an Activity Therapist at the DSWD-NCR Elsie Gaches Village in Alabang. She used to be an active member of the Interact Club of Holy Spirit National High School, too. Congratulations to Rotaractor & RC Holy Spirit Associate Member Maricel for a job well done! Congratulations, too, to the Rotaract Club of Holy Spirit which conceptualized, organized and sponsored this project, and the Interact Club of Holy Spirit National High School for helping organize and coordinate the event. We are truly proud of all of you ! Present to lend support were Youth Service Chair PP Marcia Salvador, District Interact Chair PP Marites Nepomuceno and IPP Angel Castro.
On the healing stage, it is important that the suicidal person gets the proper care and attention from family and friends, and treatment must be sought to be given by professionals. M‘Maricel then engaged the participants in three group activities. The first was an exercise on how to carefully reflect Editor’s Note: Many people have become more anxious and alarmed by “suicide” in view of the recent shocking incident involving a high official of the Government’s Energy Regulatory Commission.
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Rotary and Red Cross hold 6th youth forum on Drug Abuse and HIV/AIDS Prevention to help attain ZERO new incidence By All Star President Peth Rivera and Program Director PP Marcia Salvador In partnership with Quezon City Red Cross, RC Holy Spirit hosted the 6th annual youth forum on Anti-Drug Abuse and HIV/AIDS Prevention on November 27, 2016, together with the Rotaract Club of Holy Spirit and Interact Club of Holy Spirit National High School. It was held at the PRC-Quezon City Chapter Convention Hall. The forum was so scheduled to coincide with the commemoration of World Aids Day on December 1 that has the theme ―Hands Up for #HIV Prevention.‖ The forum was attended by some 120 Rotarians, Rotaractors, Interactors with their advisers, and guests. Twenty-five Rotary clubs in Quezon City co-hosted the event and more importantly have joined the continuing campaign to achieve the eventual outcome desired: ZERO new incidence of HIV-AIDS. The 25 partner Rotary clubs are:
Batasan Hills, Camp Aguinaldo, Camp Karingal, Cosmopolitan Cubao, Cubao, Cubao EDSA, Cubao Metro Aurora, Cubao South, Eastwood, Heroes Hills, Kamuning East, Mega EDSA, Midtown QC, Neopolitan Fairview, New Manila East, North EDSA, Paraiso, Roxas, San Bartolome, St. Ignatius, Sta Mesa, Timog, West Central, West Triangle, and APO (in charter process). From data received by DOH, there has been an ALARMING INCREASE in the number of individuals with HIV newly diagnosed PER DAY which has reached 22 in 2015, from just 1 in 2008, 4 in 2010, 9 in 2012, and 17 in 2014. In June 2016, the country had 841 new HIV cases. Of these, 104 have developed into full-blown AIDS, and 63 of the HIV victims have died. There is NO CURE nor VACCINE yet for HIV/AIDS affliction . Antiretroviral treatment can only slow the course of the disease. ———————————————————— Ms Amparito D Perez, Chapter Administrator of QC Red Cross thanked Rotary for partnering with them in their crusade against drug abuse and HIV/AIDS, and said that educa-
tion is the only vaccine for now against this menace. She cited statistics on new HIB Ab sero-positive individuals reported in April 2016 totaling 772, which was 38% higher compared to the same period last year. She also said that 29% were youth aged 15-24 years, and that the highest number of reported cases were in the National Capital Region. She said that the Philippines is facing an AIDS crisis. The topic on Anti-Drug Abuse was discussed by Ruben Claravall, Chapter Service Representative for Red Cross Youth. A fun activity engaged the youth whereby they themselves presented the effects and how of drugs/substances abuse and how these can be prevented. Meanwhile, Rolly Maliwat, QCRC Chapter Youth Council President, handled the topic on HIV/AIDS. He discussed the ABC‘s of preventing the incidence of HIV/AIDS. Two persons living with HIV/AIDS spoke emotionally on how they contracted the virus, how their lives changed, how they fought the stigma and negative reaction from people, how they survived suicide attempts, and how they now actively help in the conduct of prevention efforts such as awareness campaigns on HIV and AIDS. DG Dwight Ramos took time out from his busy Sunday schedule to grace the event. In his message, he commended the Quezon City Red Cross and RC Holy Spirit and co-hosts for organizing the youth forum which is an information campaign against the dreaded HIV/AIDS and DRUG ABUSE to help attain ZERO new incidence in Quezon City. He compared this effort to Rotary International‘s signature campaign to END POLIO worldwide. Also lending support to the forum were PDG Francis Rivera and DRR Rachel Diano. ASP Peth Rivera delivered the closing remarks. Program Director PP Marcia Salvador was assisted by IPP Angel Castro, PP Beth Sy, Chair Ric Salvador, Rtns Jovy Andres and Jerry Sy, as well as the Rotaract Club of Holy Spirit led by ASP Michelle Mae Estenzo and the Interact Club of Holy Spirit National High School led by ASP Monique Palmiano.
Click on the image to view pictures of friends from a stream of 119 pictures of the event posted on flickr.com. 12
Fertile ground for peace: You cannot build a peaceable society on empty stomachs and misery By Jessie L. Bonner, THE ROTARIAN, November 2016 TR: What role does food play in promoting peace? TOBIN: [Nobel Peace Prize Laureate] Norman Borlaug has said that you cannot build a peaceable society on empty stomachs and human misery. And so, if we want peace, we have to address hunger issues. If you look at the conflict in Syria today, there was a drought in Syria, and there are plenty of people who would do anything to provide for their families, regardless of the ideology they believe in. So when you‘re economically incentivized to fight, to support your family, who wouldn‘t make that decision? We need to build healthy economies that are able to support the people that live within them if we want a peaceful world.
As a teenager growing up in central Iowa, Nora Tobin had ready access to food, clean water, and medical care. ―The only time I didn‘t eat was when I didn‘t like what was on my plate,‖ she recalls. Today Tobin, now 28 and a member of the Rotary Club of Cedar Valley, is working to make sure others have the same advantages that she did. She is the executive director of Self-Help International in Waverly, Iowa, a nonprofit that trains and educates farmers in Ghana and Nicaragua to boost crop yields and improve nutrition. It also administers a children‘s feeding program and small-business loan initiative for women. After living in Ireland, where she received a master‘s degree in international peace studies supported by a Rotary scholarship, Tobin says, ―It amazes me that I can go anywhere in the world and still go to a Rotary club meeting.‖ THE ROTARIAN: You grew up in Iowa. Was it inevitable you‘d find yourself working with agriculture? TOBIN: I never thought I would be working with agriculture, but going to Iowa State University I got a lot of exposure to it. I knew I wanted to work in international development, and it became pretty clear that if you want to work on ending hunger issues, you need to work with agriculture.
TR: Self-Help aims to fight hunger and poverty with training at the grassroots level. Why is it important to promote self-reliance versus simply supplying aid? TOBIN: There are definitely situations, especially following a natural disaster, where immediate aid is required. No doubt about that. But if you really want to help people long term, you‘ve got to empower them to grow their own food, to have a source of income long term, even after we‘re gone. Because we all care a lot when there‘s a major earthquake or hurricane, and then we lose interest. Then what happens to the families who are still trying to rebuild their lives after the fact? So Self-Help really takes a long-term, sustainable approach to promoting self-reliance with dignity. All of our programs incorporate both training and education with the financial means to put it into action, typically in the form of a microloan so that it‘s repaid, so that we can then use those same funds to help the next family or community. TR: How did your Rotary scholarship impact your career? TOBIN: It heavily impacted my career choices, in part because once I finished my scholarship I had no desire to leave Ireland. I applied for one job outside of Ireland and it was in a small town in Iowa, but it was so perfect I couldn‘t not apply, and here I am today.
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What to do when the peace agreement ink dries ? By Rob Sijstermans, Training and Research Fellow at the Clingendael Institute in The Netherlands. 21 Sept 2016 As we mark the International Day of Peace, it‘s worth asking what we should do when the ink of a peace agreement dries up. Is peacemaking only the domain of a few elite personalities and is all well after they put pen to paper? Take the Egyptian-Israeli Peace Treaty as an example. Signed in 1979, it is the longest-standing peace agreement in the Middle East, lasting now for almost four decades. In his memoirs, Jimmy Carter, who brought together Anwar Sadat and Menachem Begin, the leaders of Egypt and Israel, at Camp David, recalls showing Begin photographs of his grandchildren. Carter had signed each photograph with the children‘s names, but insinuated to Begin that these mementoes would mean little if they couldn‘t reach a peace agreement: ―we talked quietly for a few minutes about grandchildren and about war‖. As the popular success story goes, the tactic worked, and Begin agreed to sign the Camp David Accords. However, when the ink of the elite‘s sig-
In the case of the Good Friday Agreement in Northern Ireland for instance, Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams knew that ―The people who have to be the brokers are the people who live in the areas of conflict‖ and ―implementing it is going to be the difficult bit‖.
nature on the peace agreement dries, a conflict is not automatically ended nor is the structural violence ended or have the scars of war healed. The period after the signing of these agreements is the most important period for a possible peace to flourish. It is then that trust building with the aim of renewing a dialogue amongst the different factions and especially between local people affected by the conflict should begin. It sounds so easy, but as we all know from personal experience, building trust is not the same as building water wells; it goes deeper than the depth of the well and trust takes more time to surface.
Keeping the peace and allowing it to transform from a ‗mere‘ absence of direct violence in a society into a positive form of peace, which creates a society that becomes resilient to internal and external shocks, is a whole other challenge that, in the best possible scenario, takes decades. Peacemaking is everyone‘s responsibility, and we can reduce that global democratic deficit by ensuring that we participate in different ways in the events that shape our livelihoods. Mr. Rob Sijstermans LL.M MA is a Training and Research Fellow at the Clingendael Institute in The Netherlands. Rob was awarded the Rotary Peace Fellow Scholarship in 2011, and completed a MA in Conflict, Security and Development from the University of Bradford, UK. Currently Rob has been selected for the Institute for Economics and Peace’s Global Peace Index Ambassadorial Program.
Interactors interact with victims of armed conflict to build understanding and share hope for peace By ASP Monique Palmiano of Interact Club of Holy Spirit and Youth Service Chair PP Marcia Salvador It came to the attention of members of the Interact Club of Holy Spirit National High School that hundreds of Lumads were camping out at the grounds of the University of the Philippines Diliman. The term ―lumad‖ refers to indigenous and etho-linguistic groups in Mindanao.
They were welcomed at the UP Diliman to be able to share with students, scholars and the public their distinct culture and their issues including human rights violations allegedly committed against their communities. On October 21 and 25, 2016, the Interactors led by President Monique Palmiano met with the Lumads and gave them assorted used clothes, story books and school supplies. More significantly, the Interactors listened as the elder Lumads ventilated their plight. They also conversed with the younger Lumads. The Interactors learned that the Lumads were being driven out of their ancestral homes, with some allegedly being killed on suspicion that they were members of the rebel group Na-
tional People‘s Army (NPA). Because of the armed conflict, their schools are being used as evacuation centers and this keeps the school children from attending classes. The Interactors had a conversation with one of the Lumads’ tribe leaders. The tribe leader expressed gratitude for the Interactors‘ attention and concern. 14
Rotarians, Heifer International help farmers grow economy By Paul Engleman, THE ROTARIAN 23 September 2016
“Baptist Health has been a great partner to the cooperative by promoting the CSA program to its employees and by purchasing shares for use in its cafeteria.”
Members of the Rotary Club of Little Rock, Ark. and Heifer International staff work together to build a hoop house to seal in heat and extend the growing season for farmer Joe Carr.
“Agriculture is the lifeblood of Arkansas; it’s the state’s original business,” says Sharon Tallach Vogelpohl, an Arkansas Rotarian for nearly 20 years. But that business has become more challenging in recent years as row-crop farming has become more commoditized, making it difficult for families who have been farming for generations to make an adequate living. Vogelpohl, who was club president during the Rotary Club of Little Rock’s centennial year in 2014, says club members wanted to mark the milestone with a project that would have a lasting, local impact. “With all the good that Rotary has done internationally, we wondered what we could do to bring that good home here in Arkansas, which is a very impoverished state,” she says. “What could we do to help our friends and neighbors in our own backyard?” The conversation quickly turned to a farming project. The Little Rock club (nicknamed “Club 99”) meets weekly at the William J. Clinton Presidential Library, which is a tomato’s throw from the headquarters of Heifer International. Heifer is a non-profit, founded in 1944, that seeks to end hunger and poverty through sustainable agriculture. Given the proximity – and that several Heifer employees are members of the Rotary Club of Little Rock, including Ardyth Neill, president of the Heifer Foundation, and Ben Wihebrink, operations director for Heifer USA – the two organizations teamed up to help Arkansas farmers. Around the world, Heifer teaches farmers how to increase production sustainably and access new markets. It also helps small-scale farmers form cooperatives, where locals can buy produce directly. The goal is to increase a farmer’s profits by about 30 percent while providing the community with more locally grown produce. A key component of Heifer’s method, and the Arkansas project, is the formation of a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) network – a
food subscription service in which consumers buy produce in advance at a fixed price, guaranteeing farmers a market for their crops, regardless of how weather or other factors may affect their output. In Arkansas, Rotarians fund Heifer’s training efforts, including an informational video, and members offer advice in their areas of expertise, like marketing, finance, and business planning. “Heifer helps the farmers with technical expertise,” Neill says. “Rotary gives them access to individual club members who want to help them directly. That means local folks helping local folks to make a difference.” The project plan calls for the establishment of a financially independent cooperative by 2018, with 45 or 50 farmers. As of last spring, the cooperative had more than 20 farmers. The CSA network, which had more than 150 shareholders in its first year, grew to 400 in its second. While the project is focused on lifting the economy of Arkansas, which has a poverty rate of 19.2 percent, Wihebrink says Heifer wants to replicate the model. “Once we have the model proven, if we go into Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama, or another high-need area, the Rotary club will be a natural in,” he says. The Little Rock club received a global grant of $60,000 in 2013 to fund the project. Individual Rotarians support the initiative by purchasing CSA shares and using their relationships and connections to bring others into the fold. For example, a Rotary connection resulted in Baptist Health, the largest nonprofit hospital system in Arkansas, agreeing to buy CSA shares for use in its cafeteria. The hospital also created an opportunity for its employees. “Rotarian Troy Wells, CEO of Baptist Health, committed to a block of shares which were remarketed to Baptist Health employees with the incentive of being able to purchase them through a payroll deduction program,” Vogelpohl explains.
Wes Ward, Arkansas’ secretary of agriculture, says the conditions are right for the project to succeed. He cites a Heifer study that calculated that Arkansas spends more than $7 billion a year on food, with about $6.3 billion of that food coming from outside the state. “There’s a significant opportunity [to provide local food] in Arkansas, and small-scale producers can take advantage of it,” Ward says, adding that the time is also right on the consumer side. “People want to know where their food comes from, how it’s produced, and who grew it.” Still, for a farming project to succeed, there is another obvious need: farmers who want to participate. Enter Joe Carr. Carr left his job at Whirlpool in 1987 to farm crops full time. In 2003, he started a farmers market that grew to more than 60 vendors. “I come from a family of farmers that go back as far as I can remember, to my grandmother and grandfather in Ukraine,” says Carr, who is 62. “ To help Carr increase profits, volunteers from Rotary and Heifer spent weekends at his farm last fall to build a hoop house – a structure of metal hoops, over which durable greenhouse plastic is tightly stretched to seal in heat from the sun. Carr says that on sunny days, the temperature inside the hoop house, which he refers to as the “high tunnels,” can reach 80 degrees even though the outside temperature is 32 degrees. The hoop house allows him to begin planting earlier than if he had to wait for suitable outdoor conditions and extends his growing season by about three months. “Building the high tunnels, that was a great boost,” Carr says. “That increased my level of production and my income.” He’s eager to continue to improve. “I need to increase my management skills and knowledge about what I’m doing and how to do it better,” he says. “I’m grateful for the support that I’ve gotten.” “When you find people like Joe who are committed to growing food in a responsible and sustainable manner, it’s really important to support that,” Vogelpohl says. So far, Heifer and Rotary’s partnership in Arkansas has brought more local produce to the state and increased profits for farmers. “This project has made sustainable farming a viable way of living for many families,” Vogelpohl adds. 15
Rotary-UN celebration mixes business with diplomacy By Sallyann Price, Rotary News, 12 November 2016
Outside the United Nations building in midtown Manhattan stands an imposing sculpture of a man wielding a sword in one hand and raising a hammer with the other. It reflects a shared goal that Rotary and the United Nations celebrated at the organizations' annual meeting on Saturday, 12 November: to use our strengths and tools to build a more peaceful and just world. The theme of this year's Rotary Day at the United Nations, "Responsible Business, Resilient Societies," emphasizes Rotary's role as a global network of business leaders using the tools of their trades to build stronger, more prosperous communities. In his introductory remarks, Rotary International President John F. Germ drew the crowd's attention to the statue, "Let Us Beat Our Swords Into Ploughshares," as he set the tone for the day, which included breakout sessions and keynote addresses on aspects of responsible business, or the philosophy that for-profit enterprise can contribute to positive social and economic development. "Here is where the UN and Rotary International are working side by side, equipping communities with the tools they need, and empowering them with the will to use those tools far and wide," he said. Per Saxegaard, founder and chairman of the Oslo-based Business for Peace Foundation, gave a keynote address on the complex relationship between business and broader society, marked by both tension and opportunity. Despite the perception that profit alone motivates enterprise, he says, commercial success and social progress are closely intertwined. "Societal needs define markets," he said. "I have met many entrepreneurs in my career, and they all have one thing in common: They see a problem, and they say 'I can fix that, and I can do it cheaper and better.' That is the engine of innovation in business. We need that energy to solve the problems at hand," such as hunger or illiteracy. He pointed to the Sustainable Development Goals, the UN's ambitious roadmap for eliminating poverty by 2030 and highlighted the opportunity for businesses to help achieve them. John Hewko, general secretary of Rotary International, introduced eight Rotary Responsible Business honorees, six individuals and two corporate partners whose inclusive business practices are bringing employment, mentoring, education, and innovation to their communities. The individuals honored were:
The Rotary Responsible Business honorees are, from left: Jean-Paul Faure, Stephanie Woollard, Mercantil Banco Universal representative Luis Calvo Blesa, Larry Wright, Annemarie Mostert, Suresh Goklaney, and Coca-Cola Pakistan representative Fahad Qadir. (Not pictured: Juan Silva Beauperthuy.)
Juan Silva Beauperthuy, Rotary Club of Chacao, Venezuela: For 25 years, Beauperthuy has helped keep disadvantaged youths on the right track through Queremos Graduarnos, an education program focused on mentoring and skill development, with support from his engineering firm. Today, the program serves more than 700 students in 18 schools. Jean-Paul Faure, Rotary Club of CagnesGrimaldi, France: To encourage young professionals and provide promising new businesses with training and funding, Faure launched a business contest called Le Trophée du Rotary. Now in its seventh year, the program has drawn support from a major bank and has kept past participants involved as mentors. Suresh Goklaney, Rotary Club of Bombay, India: Goklaney, executive vice chair of a large manufacturer of UV water purification systems, has led efforts to provide clean water in rural villages and impoverished urban areas throughout India. The project has also established centers where local women can sell clean water to generate income. Annemarie Mostert, Rotary Club of Southern Africa, South Africa: Mostert formed Sesego Cares, a Johannesburg-based nonprofit, in 2005 to offer education and job training, and to teach entrepreneurship and leadership development to women and children. She also worked with TOMS Shoes to provide 1.3 million pairs of its shoes to the country's poor. Stephanie Woollard, Rotary Club of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia: After meeting seven illiterate craftspeople during a visit to Nepal, Woollard founded Seven Women to
help Nepalese women make products to sell abroad. The program, which has trained and employed more than 1,000 women in the past decade, also teaches basic bookkeeping and computer skills. Larry Wright, Rotary Club of Taylor, Michigan, USA: A master gardener, Wright started his landscaping business with a bank loan in the 1970s. In 2013, he led an effort to adapt a microfinance model that had succeeded abroad to offer microloans, business classes, and mentorship to entrepreneurs in Detroit.
The business partners honored were:
Coca-Cola Pakistan has supported the Rotary Pakistan National PolioPlus Charitable Trust since 2010 to promote polio prevention and awareness, particularly through publicity and projects to provide clean water, in one of the few countries where polio remains endemic. Mercantil Banco Universal supports a project that has trained 6,000 students in 40 universities across Venezuela in social responsibility and leadership, with the goal of encouraging students to use their academic knowledge to respond to the challenges of underserved communities.
In the afternoon, Rotary member Devin Thorpe spoke about the intersection of profit and purpose. Infusing a corporate program with a sense of social purpose pays off, he says, because it breeds loyalty and satisfaction among both customers and employees. "When a purpose program is profitable, there is no limit to the good that can come from it," he said. "Corporations are made up of people. We in this room bear the responsibility to shape corporate behavior, it is up to each one of us." Video coverage of the event on UN Web TV. 16
MESSAGES FROM ROTARY LEADERS
RI President’s November 2016 Message Looking back at the momentous 1917 Rotary Convention in Atlanta, it is difficult to see what could have been contentious about the words of thenPresident Arch C. Klumph: ―It seems eminently proper that we should accept endowments for the purpose of doing good in the world.‖ Yet, at the time, support for the idea was far from unanimous. Some thought an endowment fund would create more trouble than it was worth. But Klumph‘s idea received the support it most needed in the form of an initial donation of $26.50 from the Rotary Club of Kansas City, Mo. Nearly 100 years later, we recognize Klumph‘s idea as not only visionary, but revolutionary: It set in place the mechanism that allowed Rotary to become the vast force for ―doing good in the world‖ that it is today. In many ways, our Rotary Foundation is the foundation of Rotary as we know it. It has created a mechanism for cooperation and partnership among clubs and between Rotary and other organizations; it has enabled us to be ever more ambitious in our work and to reach for goals of historic proportions, such as the eradication of polio. It is impossible to quantify the good that has been done over the last century as a result of The Rotary Foundation. All we can know for sure is that Arch Klumph, if he could see it, would be proud. I am looking forward to seeing many of you at our international convention in Atlanta: the city where our Foundation was born. I hope a record number of Rotarians will be there to celebrate the centennial of our Foundation. In the meantime, there are plenty of other ways to celebrate! I encourage you to read more about the Foundation centennial at centennial.rotary.org. There, you‘ll learn about the history of our Foundation and find ideas for events and projects in your clubs and your community. One of the most important ways we are celebrating the Foundation centennial is with a fundraising goal of $300 million. Your gift to your Foundation is the best way of ensuring a strong second century for Rotarians Doing Good in the World and for Rotary Serving Humanity. JOHN F. GERM President 2016-17
Foundation Chairman’s November 2016 Message Celebrate Rotary Foundation Month Back in 1956, the Rotary International Board of Directors designated a week in November urging all clubs ―to devote a program to The Rotary Foundation.‖ In 1982, the Board determined that the entire month of November should be dedicated to the Foundation. Since then our Foundation has grown and flourished in ways that few Rotarians could have imagined. In 1985, Rotary took on its first corporate project – a bold campaign to immunize the world‘s children against polio and create a polio-free world. Our humanitarian programs grew so rapidly that the Foundation could not process the volume of requests for grants efficiently. That led to the creation of a new grant model that supports global grants with greater and longerlasting impact and district grants which fund small-scale, short-term activities. And we fulfilled Rotarians‘ long-held dream for a ―peace university ‖ with the launch of the Rotary Peace Centers. Rotarian financial support has skyrocketed as well. In 1982-83, contributions barely totaled $19 million. Compare that with 2015-16, when the figure jumped to $265.6 million. This November, we‘ll celebrate not just Foundation Month, but also The Rotary Foundation‘s centennial. The Rotary website offers many creative ideas for honoring this very special occasion, but there are three activities that I especially recommend. The first is to hold an event for the entire community that spotlights the Foundation‘s 100 years of Doing Good in the World. Second, plan and sponsor a project that addresses a critical problem. It could be done from locally raised funds, or you might seek a global grant. There are so many options to choose from – from providing clean water, to ensuring basic education for girls in every part of the world, to tackling malaria or HIV/AIDS or any number of preventable diseases. The third activity I recommend is for every Rotarian to make a centennial donation. Let‘s never forget that The Rotary Foundation belongs to all of us. You and I provide the funding for just about every bit of good that our Foundation is doing in the world – and has been doing for an entire century. Let‘s make sure we continue that tradition for the next 100 years. KALYAN BANERJEE Trustee Chair 2016-17 17
Rotary leaders in action Ongoing DISTRICT LEADERSHIP SUMMIT. PDG Dulce Coyukiat, DGE Chito Borromeo, DGN Pastor Mar Reyes, PDG Sam Pagdilao lead core team of district leaders discuss the “finishing touches” on elements of the proposed district strategic plan for next 3 years. 11-222016
11-18-2016 Grand District Fellowship Night
All Star Team adjourns the 11-26-2016 Monthly Presidents’ Meeting 18