April 2012 Vol. 25 No. 10

Discon 2012 marks culminating point for a Rotary year like no other!

SP Nick Bartolome is Most Outstanding Rotarian of Rotary International District 3780 for RY 2011-12

General Nicanor “Nick” A. Bartolome, Silver President of the Rotary Club

of Camp Crame and Chief of the Philippine National Police, has been

cited for merging and strengthening the efforts of both organizations to

provide service beyond the call of duty. Examples of these efforts include

ROTACOP project, “Pulis Na! Rotarian Pa!” which promotes the ideals of

Rotary and high ethical standards in the vocation of the police/law en-

forcement; environmental and disaster mitigation efforts including mas-

sive tree planting activities, and ”Rotary Mitigation and Adaptation Pro-

ject” to address the impacts of climate change through extensive infor-

mation, education and clean-up campaigns; large-scale blood-letting that

raised 1.3 million cc of blood to save lives; fun-run events that raised

funds for the Rotary Foundation and for polio victims in D3780; and na-

tionwide campaign on violence against women and children.

Gov Jess Cifra and Awards Committee Chair Lt. Gov. Chito Borromeo of RC New Manila East flank Most Outstanding Presi-dent awardees SP Ed Ayento of New Manila East (large size club), SP Aiza Remedios of Kamuning Central (small club), and Eren Tumali of Roces (medium club). District Governor Jess Cifra, Spouse Helen and Silver Presidents render song number for Discon attendees

Hon. Jejomar Binay, Vice President of the Philippines, delivers keynote mes-sage on April 20, first day of Discon

Rotary International President’s Repre-sentative PDG Kamal Sangvhi

RI D3780 Governor Jose Francisco “Jess” Q. Cifra

RI D3780 DGE Rufino “Penny” Policar-pio III

2

(Speech delivered during the Opening Plenary Session of the District Conference of RI D3780 held on April 20, 2012 at the Taal Vista Hotel, Tagaytay City)

Memories of the D3780 Silver Year: A Year Like No Other

State of the District

My friends, it has been ten months since we shared our dreams for

our district and our clubs and committed ourselves to build on

those dreams. Today, just two months before the end of our year,

we are all gathered here for our Discon 2012 to see if and how

those dreams have come alive.

The unfolding of those dreams into reality reminds me of a story

about the making of a pearl. An old tale says that a pearl owes its

life to a dewdrop. Here’s the story:

One morning an especially big dewdrop fell from the leaves of a

tree right into the ocean. The waves took her along with them. She

tried to free herself, but in vain. She was afraid that at any minute

she could be wiped out but she heard a voice call out, “Hurry up.

Come into my house; here you’ll be safe.”

Blindly she followed the saving call, and the door of the clamshell

closed tight. At first the dewdrop gave a sigh of relief. But then

slowly it dawned on her that she might be safe in this new house,

but never free again. She would never again be able to reflect the

rainbow colors of the sunlight.

She confided her worries to the friendly lady of the house. The old

clamshell told her, “If you stubbornly fight against what fate has in

store for you, you’ll just find yourself suffering hopelessly and help-

lessly. But if you patiently accept all that fate has in store, you’ll be

at ease.” And then she added mysteriously, “Then you will grow

stronger from within yourself. And one day you’ll be a thousand

times more than when you fell off the tree.”

The dewdrop sulked but finally decided to follow this advice even

though she did not understand it. Gradually, she felt there was

something growing inside her and giving her strength.

One day when the clamshell had its shell opened, the dewdrop saw

fingers of a pearl diver, which plucked the clamshell along with

many others from the reef.

Soon they were all laid out on the beach and a girl opened each of

them very carefully. Suddenly she jumped up with joy as she be-

held the perfect pearl she found and said. “It has the shape of a

dewdrop and it reflects all the colors of the rainbow. It must be

worth a fortune.”

They all looked at the precious pearl in her hand, as it lay on top of

a lotus leaf.

That pearl had started out as a very short-lived dewdrop, like the

thousands of others around it . . . – Willi Hoffsuemmer

Our dreams are like that dewdrop. To us they reflect the colors of

the rainbow, the symbol of hope for everyone in the world – most

especially for those we serve. Those dreams could have vanished

into thin air if we had not opened the doors to our hearts and

minds and kept them there to grow and become a reality in our

year. We held on to those dreams no matter what the cost to make

them come true. Like the dewdrop turning into a pearl our dreams

have now come alive and like the colours of the rainbow those

dreams are giving hope to people through the changes we make in

their lives.

While our success in the pursuit of those dreams may dance be-

fore our eyes in this conference, let us not be misled by the thought

that our year has already ended. This Discon marks the beginning

of our celebration of success which will end at the dying seconds of

June 30, 2012. Like a pearl that is plucked from its shell and made

an accessory, our dreams fulfilled will become part of the pages of

a book that will tell the story of our year. This is the reason we have

published the book, “Memories of the D3780 Silver Year: A Year

like No Other.” This book tells our story of success in 2011-2012.

Today at this District Conference we shall present our pearls – the

towering achievements we had worked so hard for in our “Silver

Year” of service. Like pearls, our magnificent achievements will

reveal the beauty and meaning of our year together as well as the

inner strength our district and clubs have gained as we labored to

give luster and meaning to our 2011-2012 RI Theme, “Reach

Within to Embrace Humanity.”

We began our year with the awe-inspiring District Induction on July

3, 2011 at Hotel Sofitel, graced by no less than my good friend, RI

Past President Bhichai Rattakul who flew all the way from Thailand

to administer my oath of office. The great event also witnessed the

installation of the “Silver Presidents” and “Silver District Officers”

and established the following “firsts:”

1. First time for a past RI president to serve as installing officer in

D3780

2. First time to have 50 clubs congregate in a multi-club induction

ceremony

3. First time to recognize 179 Paul Harris Fellows (including 20

Major Donors) for a Rotary year on installation night First time to breach the 1,000 attendance mark (1,084) for our

district turnover ceremonies

Let me now lead your minds to the wonderful journey we had in

2011-2012. And as we go back in time when we started our jour-

ney of service in July 2011, let us enjoy every minute of it.

(Continued on page 6)

3

Rotary year 2011-2012 will

be part of D3780 history in

less than 2 months. Collec-

tively as a team – the Dis-

trict Officers and the Silver

Presidents have so much to

be proud of and I’m not

saying this just because of

my affiliation with the Silver

year. The awards and recognitions that you

were honored with during the Discon 2012

were richly and truly deserved.

I have served many DG’s in the past but I

have to say that DG Jess Cifra is second to

none in terms of leadership, passion, and

unparalleled commitment to Rotary. I may be

accused of being biased but that is my point

of view and I will stick with it no matter what.

Of course just like what they always say in

Rotary, the best is yet to come. And so with

bated breath we eagerly anticipate the term

of the next Governor Penny Policarpio, his

“Peace Presidents” and the new set of district

officers.

Discon 2012 at the Taal Vista Hotel was in-

deed a grand celebration which befits the

year that was (or will be). It was the first time

to be held in Tagaytay city and the first time

that the District and Governor’s awards cere-

monies were incorporated in the program. Of

course as member of the host club, the Ro-

tary Club of Loyola Heights, the amount of

preparations and expense was much greater

than what you would normally expect in a

District Convention.

The initial unofficial events were all well at-

tended and were efficiently and effectively

hosted by RC’s SFDM and New Manila East

for the golf tournament at Splendido and the

District Leadership seminar by RC Roces.

The club exhibits were very impressive. Kudos

to all the participating clubs and most spe-

cially to the host, RC Cubao Central

The awards part of the Discon saw for the first

time in the history of our district, the long

overdue recognition of club efforts based on

their size (small, medium and large). In the

past, the awards were dominated by mostly

large clubs. The fellowship night featured

some of the best talents in the district. Food

and drinks were aplenty.

We had wonderful speakers starting with Phil-

ippine VP Jojo Binay. We even brought in a

speaker from Hong Kong to talk about the

activities of Grameen Bank. The discussions

on the proposed enactments and resolutions

were very lively and enlightening. The Nomi-

nating Committee process proceeded without

a hitch. The spouses program was enjoyed by

all who joined. The Governor’s ball co-hosted

by mother club of all D3780 clubs, RC Quezon

City was memorable to say the least with

dance presentations from both the Silver and

Peace Presidents.

Last but not the least; we have to thank RI

President Kalyan Banerjee for sending us one

of the best RIPR in the person of Kamal Sang-

vhi and his gracious spouse Sonal.

Unfortunately, we cannot turn back the hands

of time, but we will keep all the fond and un-

forgettable memories of RY 2011-2012 for-

ever in our minds and hearts. I will always be

proud to have been a part of the great Silver

Team! Thank you DG Jess Cifra for the rare

opportunity to have served the district and

more importantly, on a more personal level,

for the trust and confidence that you have

generously bestowed upon me and the rest of

your district officers.

District Secretary’s Report By DS Jesus “Jesse” Tanchanco

Editorial Board

DG JOSE FRANCISCO “Jess” Q. CIFRA

Publisher

JESUS “Jesse” TANCHANCO (RC Loyola Heights)

District Secretary

EDUARDO “Duke” ZULUAGA (RC New Manila East)

District Chair, Public Image

RICARDO “Ric” SALVADOR (RC Holy Spirit)

Editor-in-Chief

GARY “Gary” TING (RC Pag-asa)

Assistant Editor-Business Manager

WINSTON “Winston” SIA (RC VisMin)

Associate Editor-Webmaster

Associate Editors

PASTOR “Mar” REYES (RC SFDM)

FAUSTO “Osty” MANLAPAZ (RC New Manila East)

Printer Relations Manager

BETSY “Betsy” BULANADI (RC Mega EDSA)

Distribution Manager

Watch Kalyan Banerjee and Community Leaders during Rotary International Briefings at the White House 04/20/2012

From the Editor-in-Chief of the

Governor’s Monthly Letter

With this issue of the GML, I sincerely thank District Governor Jess

Cifra for the opportunity to have served with his district team and for having given me editorial independence in producing the publi-

cation. Indeed, it has been a privilege to observe at close range and to report on the district’s accomplishments during the year

that has turned out to be like no other.

I also thank DS Jesse Tanchanco for patiently helping me crawl up the learning curve in Rotary which I now realize is an endless

challenge. Lt. Gov. Duke Zuluaga organized the district editorial team for RY 2011-12 and we highly appreciate his initiative for

doing that. We value Duke’s continuing encouragement and sup-port. Thanks to the key people who have worked closely with me

as editor in chief: assistant editor CP Gary Ting of RC Pag-asa QC, associate editor/district webmaster CP Winston Sia of RC VisMin,

associate editor Osty Manlapaz of RC New Manila East, and associ-

ate editor PP Betsy Bulanadi now with RC Philam MM.

One accomplishment of the GML editorial board is our success in

getting an increasing number of clubs – small, medium and large clubs including the venerable RCQC – to write about their service-

above-self projects and activities, and to share these with others through the GML. We encourage all clubs to continue doing so.

Sincerely,

Ric Salvador Editor-in-Chief RY 2011-12

“My dream is to one day take poverty out of our

society and put it in a museum that our grand-

children can visit to see what it was like.”

Mohammad Yunus, microcredit pioneer and Nobel Peace Prize laureate,

May 7, 2012 at the 2012 RI Convention

4

District Induction

• First time - RI president as installing officer

in D3780

• First time - 50 clubs in a multi-club

induction ceremony

• First time - 179 Paul Harris Fellows

(including 20 Major Donors) for a Rotary

year on installation night

• First time - to breach 1,000 attendance

mark

Community Service projects:

Rotary Center Clinic

Nutrition and feeding,

Scholarships,

Book donations,

Computer literacy,

Medical-dental-optical missions,

Mobile surgery unit,

Water stations,

Waste management,

Pasig River rehabilitation,

Skills and livelihood training, and

many more…

• Children’s Parties

• District Children’s Christmas Party

• Thanksgiving Celebration - district’s

spouses with cancer-stricken children.

• Rotaract District Conference

• Interact District Conference

• RYLA Camp

• Rotaract Club of Paraiso’s BBLISS project

- most outstanding project in the Asia

Pacific region.

• Araw ng Kabataan, Alay ng Rotaryo

Service to the New Generations

Selected slides from the State of the District Address of District Governor Jess Cifra during the D3780 Discon

Vocational service excellence recognition & awards

Testimonial DinnerRI District 3780 Paul Harris Society launched

5

The Rotary Foundation

ANNUAL GIVING

Total Contributions $224,470

Total Individual Contributors 1,088 Rotarian and non-Rotarian Contributors

$170,232

$224,470

The Rotary Foundation

Contributing Clubs – 98

(100% of total clubs in D3780)

100 Percent Contributing Clubs – 29

EREY Clubs - – 22

New/Continuing Major Donors 18

New/Continuing PHFs- 234

PH Sustaining Members- 112

PH – Incumbent Presidents - 54

Promotion of International Goodwill

and Peace Foreign Trips:

Hawaii

Bali Zone Institute

Hong Kong

Sister-District Relationships

D3300 of Northern Malaysia

D3310 of Singapore, Southern Malaysia and Brunei

D3330 of Thailand

D3360 also of Thailand

D3400 of Indonesia

D3450 of Hong Kong, Macao and Mongolia.

Rotary’s 107th Year Anniversary World Peace and Understanding Day Celebrated with mother-of-all medical/dental/optical mission and Fun-run for a cause

Our achievements have made

miracles happen

in the lives of others.

Members Clubs Net Gain % Net Gain

Members Clubs Members Clubs

As of July 1, 2011 2,187 93

As of Feb. 29, 2012 2,324 93 137 0 6.26% 0.00%

Special Note: D3780 ranks 3rd in Membership Gain in the 11 districts of

Zone 7A (Philippines & Indonesia)

Membership

Date Clubs Membership % Increase

Existing to Charter Total

July 1, 2011 93 2,187

March 31, 2012 - 95 2,409

April 30, 2012 -

May 15, 2012 6 101 150

July 1, 2011 -

May 15, 2012 2,559 17

Additional Note:

March 31, 2012: Rotarian/club ratio: 25.36

52 clubs (56%) below charter strength

May 15, 2012: 51% below charter strength

6

On Club Administration, we held the Training the Trainers’ Semi-

nar with emphasis on adequate preparation for trainers to em-

power them to guide our clubs in every aspect of effective leader-

ship and administration. This was followed by our Club Administra-

tion Training Seminar (CATS) for our club administration committee

chairs and members.

Our District Fellowship and Rotary Family Day, another “first” in our

district’s history, gathered more than 600 Rotarians, their families

and Rotaractors in the spirit of fun, great fellowship and friendly

competition.

We also organized another fellowship, this time for new members.

To further strengthen fellowship among Rotarians, we organized

our district bowling, golf, and chess tournaments. These friendly

competitions brought our clubs and Rotarians together to build

warmer friendships and stronger clubs.

On Membership Development I would like to share with you a

glimpse of our tremendous success as seen from our perform-

ance. The figures you will see should stir your imagination and in-

spire us to the heights of heaven.

These are our figures on Membership Development:

Members Clubs Net Gain % Net Gain

Members Clubs Members Clubs

As of July 1, 2011 2,187 93

As of Feb. 29, 2012 2,324 93 137 0 6.26% 0.00%

Special Note: D3780 ranks 3rd in Membership Gain in the 11 districts of

Zone 7A (Philippines & Indonesia)

Those were the figures as of February 29, 2012. But a lot has hap-

pened since then and more exciting things will happen between

April 30 and May 15. Here’s why.

March 31, 2012 - We had 95 clubs 2,049 Rotarians

April 30 – May 15 - 6 new clubs will be chartered

101 total number of clubs (highest

ever attained in the district)

150 charter members/new Rotarians

2,559 Total number of Rotarians

(highest ever attained in the district)

May 15, 2012 - 17% (increase from 2,187 as of July 1,

2011 to 2,559 as of May 15, 2012)

Additional figures tell us that as of March 31, 2012 the Rotarians/

club ratio was 25.36 and 52 clubs or 56% of our total number of

clubs was below charter strength. However, with the addition of 6

new clubs and at least 150 charter members, the percentage of

clubs below charter strength will go down to 51%.

These are the fruits of our efforts to promote membership through

our Membership/Public Relations Seminar. Public relations build

public image which in turn motivates qualified individuals to join

the Rotary movement. This is why we have combined membership

and public relations into one seminar.

To support our efforts towards membership retention, we cele-

brated August as Membership Development Month by organizing a

Welcome Fellowship for New Members, to pave the way for their

assimilation into our unique world of service.

On Service Projects, our clubs have been very active in all five

avenues of service. Our Community Service projects covered al-

most every aspect of human life These projects include nutrition

and feeding, scholarships, book donations, computer literacy,

medical-dental-optical missions, the mobile surgery unit, water

stations, waste management, Pasig River rehabilitation, skills and

livelihood training, and many more.

To promote literacy in our part of the world, we held the first ever

Literacy Congress where we presented to our clubs a menu of liter-

acy programs and projects that they could choose from and imple-

ment at the club level or jointly with other clubs in the district. Also,

our district finally adopted Rotary International’s CLE program

guided by the principal district proponent – D3800 – and in coop-

eration with the Department of Education.

On Vocational Service, our Rotary Vocational Excellence Awards

Night, which we held on October 26, 2011 was also one of the

biggest events during our year. On that eventful night we honored

fourteen distinguished individuals in Quezon City who have ex-

celled in their respective vocations, demonstrated commitment to

high ethical standards, and established themselves as role models

for others. RIPD Paing Hechanova was the guest of honor and

speaker.

The promotion of Rotary’s Public Image took a front seat during

our year’s journey. We celebrated our District’s 25th Anniversary at

the Manila Hotel which featured our tribute to all past district gov-

ernors who served during the last 25 years since our district was

assigned its own district number in the worldwide Rotary move-

ment.

Also at our Silver Anniversary celebration we launched the book

titled, “EMBRACE: The Heart of Service,” a 260-page full color cof-

fee table book celebrating 25 years of RI District 3780 as a “One

City, One district” in the world of Rotary. The book was launched by

former Philippine President Fidel V. Ramos who was the evening’s

guest of honor and speaker. Known as the only project of its kind

in the Philippines and perhaps in the Rotary world, this book has

been hailed as an unparalleled public image initiative.

To further promote Rotary’s public image, the UNTV, run by Rotari-

ans from RC Kamuning, covered every major Rotary activity in the

district and aired their coverage on TV twice a week. Rotary is also

promoted through the daily newspapers and radio, with Rotarians

taking the lead.

Service to the New Generations has been brought to a higher level

during our year of service. The Children’s Parties held by our clubs

in different areas of Quezon city marked the beginning of our

“Silver Year.” These parties were held in answer to the call of RIPP

Mat Caparas to help indigent children and promote Rotary to the

community. Through the love and care as well as the food, gifts,

and fun that we shared with the children, we have most certainly

initiated waves of change in their young hearts and minds – waves

of change that will secure their future and that of the world.

It warms the heart to realize that more than 700 indigent children

coming from different depressed areas in Quezon City shared gifts,

fun, and laughter at our District Children’s Christmas Party. Such a

sight brings us back to our youth and inspires us to devote our

lives to serving the new generations.

(Continued from page 2)

(Continued next page)

7

There is one event that until now stirs my imagination and that is

the Thanksgiving Celebration of our district’s spouses with cancer-

stricken children. On this rare occasion, the kids and their parents

smiled their biggest, danced and pranced, momentarily forgetting

their woes, while partaking of lunch and receiving gifts from

D3780 spouses led by our first spouse Helen Cifra.

Service to the New Generations includes youth programs like Rota-

ract and Interact, and RYLA. For this special reason we held sepa-

rate district conferences for the Interact and Rotaract and organ-

ized a RYLA camp which was participated in by Interactors, Rota-

ractors and other youth. We are very proud to say that we have

worked closely with our Rotaract and Interact clubs.

It is also with great pride that I share with you the great news that

the Rotaract Club of Paraiso’s BBLISS literacy project was ad-

judged by Rotary International as the most outstanding project in

the Asia Pacific region.

The Araw ng Kabataan, Alay ng Rotaryo, led by RC Kamuning and

other host clubs was also one of the big events during our year. It

is a youth program that promotes leadership and friendly competi-

tion among the youth.

Another Partner in Service, the Rotary Community Corps is an ac-

tive ingredient in our district’s success. Our RCC district officers

attended the nationwide RCC Seminar with RIPE Sakuji Tanaka

and his spouse as guests of honor. Your governor takes special

pride in mentioning that he is the current vice chair of the Board of

Trustees of the RVC Foundation in the Philippines, the supervising

body of the more than 1,200 RCCs in the country.

On The Rotary Foundation, here are the figures that should inspire

us all:

ANNUAL GIVING

Total Contributions (Including PDCs) - $206,090

DDF 20,000

$226,090 (vs. previous

record of $170,232 set during

RY 2009-10)

First time to breach the hallowed $200,000 mark in district history

Total Individual Contributors - 1,067 Rotarian and non-Rotarian

Contributors (most likely

the highest number in Zone 7A this RY as well)

Contributing Clubs - 95 (100% all clubs in D3780)

100 Percent Contributing Clubs - 29

EREY Clubs - 22

New/Continuing PHFs - 222

PH Sustaining Members - 98

PH – Incumbent Presidents - 54

I must also mention that as a result of a devastating earthquake

last year, our district contributed US$20,000 from our DDF to New

Zealand to support them in the recovery and rehabilitation of their

emergency response equipment.

On the promotion of international goodwill and peace, I cannot

forget the trips I made to Hawaii to support our GSE team, to the

Bali Zone Institute to participate in this annual Rotary event, and to

Hong Kong to join RCQC as they participated in their sister club’s

charter anniversary celebration. All of these helped to promote

friendship and goodwill with other countries.

It would be a sin if I fail to mention that my Spouse Helen and I

were treated like royalty in Hawaii by DG Laurie Yoshida and

Spouse Vernon. In response to this special treatment, I invited

them to come and join us in our Discon 2012. And indeed, they

have reciprocated our visit to Hawaii by their warm presence here

with us.

I would also like to mention with great modesty our district’s efforts

to develop sister-district relationships with 6 neighboring districts,

the ultimate goal of which is to pave the way for D3780 clubs to tie

up with foreign clubs for Matching Grants and other joint undertak-

ings. Forged during my trip to Bali to join the Bali Asian Institute,

these sister-district relationships were signed with the governors of

D3300 of Northern Malaysia, D3310 of Singapore, Southern Ma-

laysia and Brunei, D3330 of Thailand, D3360 also of Thailand,

D3400 of Indonesia, and D3450 of Hong Kong, Macao and Mon-

golia.

Back in our district, the promotion of world peace transcended

ordinary activities with our celebration of Rotary’s 107th year anni-

versary together with that of Rotary’s World Peace and Under-

standing Day. We celebrated Rotary’s 107th anniversary with the

mother-of-all medical/dental/optical mission held at the Quezon

City Hall. More than 100 doctors, nurses, dentists, optometrists

and other medical personnel came to serve more than 2,000 pa-

tients coming from depressed areas of the city.

The following day, we celebrated World Peace and Understanding

Day through a fun run where Rotarians and their families ran

alongside soldiers and police officers – a unique way to demon-

strate partnership between Rotary and the military in promoting

peace in the community.

Our Testimonial Dinner for Major Donors, Paul Harris Fellows and

Rotary Foundation Sustaining Members had no less then RIPP Wilf

Wilkinson as guest.

On that occasion we also launched the RI District 3780 Paul Harris

Society, an exclusive group of Rotarians committed to contribute at

least US$1000 each year.

As I come to the last part of our achievements, I want to take this

opportunity to thank you from the bottom of my heart for two very

special awards which I received this year and which I could not

have been honored with if not for Rotary. The first award came

from the State of Legislature of Hawaii, a certificate of recognition

for humanitarian service to poor communities in the Philippines in

cooperation with RI District 5000 Hawaii. The second recognition

was given by my high school alma mater, La Salle – Lipa through

the Gawad Alumni Most Outstanding Alumnus Award for commu-

nity service. These two awards mean so much to me and I shall

cherish these throughout my life. With you I share the honor, for

you and I have dreamed together and worked together to change

lives for better communities and a better world.

My friends all that tells the story of our year – our “Silver Year.”

That is the story that has carved our names with excellence and

pride in the history of our district. With our towering achievements

we have proved our unbending commitment to the Rotary ideal

and to the dream of building better lives in our communities to

build a better world.

(Continued from page 6)

(Continued next page)

8

Today at this District Conference, we find that our year together is

coming to an end. We have looked back to it and are proud to have

achieved what seemed impossible in the beginning. Through our

achievements we have made miracles happen in the lives of oth-

ers. And that is one great source of fulfillment in our lives as Ro-

tarians. But we cannot stop there. In the words of a wise man,

“The problem with being a success is that you have to continue

being a success.” The happiness derived from success is the ele-

ment that soothes the heart and soul and drives one to do more

service to others.

As I end, let me share with you a thought about RI President

Kalyan Banerjee’s advocacy for change. He believes that we must

embrace change and that change must begin with us.

Changing lives reminds me of my own experience with a little girl

who was diagnosed with cancer. I took pity on her and silently

prayed to God and asked if it was possible to take away her pain

and let me share it with her. I soon forgot about that moment of

our encounter and then one day I was brought to the hospital. I

was told that I could lose my life because of my serious condition.

Then the news came. I was told by the girl’s mother that her

daughter had been miraculously healed. She was free of malignant

cancer. And there I was in the hospital putting my faith in God to

let me live. I said to myself, “Did God answer my prayer by setting

the girl free from cancer and letting me share the pain?” Whatever

the answer was, I accepted God’s will. All it mattered to me was

that in my own little way I had changed her life from sadness to joy.

Would it not be a source of happiness if we could, in our own little

ways, change people’s lives by making changes in our own? All

that we have done in our year was a simple way for us to change

lives to build a better world. But we did it all because we believed

in changing our lives from indifference to compassion. We believed

in touching people’s lives through the changes we made in our-

selves.

My friends, there is no end to the things we can do to change and

improve lives to build friendships and peace in our communities

and in our world. This noble purpose opens endless opportunities

that feed a Rotarian’s insatiable thirst for human service. Let us

therefore make the most of the remaining 71 days of our year and

make each day a pearl – a rainbow of hope - in the lives of others.

Each of these remaining 71 days could be the turning point in the

lives of people and their families. Let us make each of these 71

days a masterpiece in our “Silver Year” by turning dewdrops into

pearls for those we serve. Let us make miracles happen in other

people’s lives through the changes we make in our own.

To achieve this, let us continue to “Reach Within to Embrace Hu-

manity.”

(Continued from page 7)

100 Rotarians participate in leadership seminar

By: SP Erilene “Eren” Tumali (RC Roces)

About 100 Rotarians at-

tended the pre-Discon

Leadership Seminar held

last April 19, 2012 at the

Taal Vista Hotel.

The participants sharp-

ened their knowledge in

leadership as they en-

gaged with PDG Marquez

“Mark” Go who presented

Leadership Opportunities

and Motivation Skills; DGE

Rufino “Penny” Policarpio III who discussed Strategic Planning;

and CP Teodorico “Jun” Sanchez who dwelt on District Meeting.

Leadership Seminar chairperson SP Eren Tumali of the host club,

RC Roces, coordinated all aspects of the seminar from planning to

implementation. RC Cubao West, RC Diliman, and RC Kamuning

co-hosted the event.

Before buckling down to the serious business of the District Con-

ference, some 65 golfing Rotarians took to the fairways and

greens of the Splendido Golf & Country Club in Tagaytay City last

April 19, 2012 for the 1st DG Jess Cifra Golf Cup. This tournament

was hosted jointly by RC New Manila East and by RC SFDM.

Rtn David Kim of RC Holy

Spirit emerged as overall

champion.

During the pre-Discon fellow-

ship event attended by some

200 guests at the Le Jardin

Rosella Event Center, Gover-

nor Jess Cifra handed out

the trophies for tournament

winners. Everyone had fun

dining, drinking, dancing, singing and just wishing they could have

won the TV set, aircon unit, refrigerator, washing machine and

other valuable prizes raffled off.

The spouses’ day long activity on April 21 had been designed to provide yet an-

other venue for a gathering of silver spouses who were pillars of strength for the

Silver Presidents. The morning program kicked off with a warm welcome for Rotary

International President Representative’s (RIPR) Wife Sonal Sangvi, with no less

than our own DG Spouse Helen Cifra doing the honors. We then proceeded to the

Chosen Children’s Village in Silang, Cavite to distribute goods valued at around P

50,000 from the spouses and their clubs. The village is actually a safe haven for

abandoned children who are physically and mentally challenged, some of whom

are severely disabled. It consists of several living cottages, a school, a rehabilita-

tion center, and additional facilities.

Silver Spouses serve abandoned children during Discon By: Spouse Socorro “Soc” Y. Yap (RC SFDM)

1st DG Jess Cifra Golf Cup successfully launched By: SP Ed Ayento (RC New Manila East)

9

The Governor’s Monthly Letter is linked to:

Rotary International

District 3780 Website

Latest News Update from RI

March 2012 Issue of GML

Rotary Leader Online

My dear brothers and sisters in Rotary,

In the April issue of the Rotarian, you will read about what

Rotary is doing to combat one of the most pressing hu-

manitarian crises facing us today: hunger. It is, I think,

common knowledge that when we talk about food short-

ages, the problems we face are nearly always local. There

is more than enough food produced in our world to feed

everyone in it. The problem is getting the food where it is needed, and

helping people in the poorest regions achieve food security.

In so many parts of the world, subsistence farming practices are the only

way food can be acquired, and a few months of poor weather, or even a

single storm, can mean catastrophe. It is unfortunately also the case that

the parts of the world where food supplies are the most vulnerable are

often those that receive the least attention when disaster does strike.

But this is one of the greatest advantages of Rotary: our local presence in

so many parts of the world, and our ability to see, and react to, crises

when they occur. More important than this, however, is our commitment

to a long-term approach to addressing the root causes of hunger.

There is a great deal that all of us in Rotary can do about global hunger,

but as always, we rely on the work of local Rotarians to bring help to

where it is needed the most. And there is little question that when we look

at the world today in terms of poverty and hunger and extreme material

want, the place we need to be looking first is Africa – which is why Africa is

also where we should be looking to expand.

Rotary’s Reach Out to Africa initiative seeks to increase Rotary club mem-

bership in Africa, mobilize African Rotarians to address local needs, and

raise awareness of African issues among Rotarians in more developed

regions. It is just one way to connect the people who need help with the

people who want to give it but may not know where to begin.

There is no question that the obstacles to global food security are signifi-

cant. But they are not insurmountable, and the Rotary model is perhaps

one of the most promising paths forward for development – if we continue

our work to build Rotary into an ever more effective agent of global

change.

Kalyan Banerjee — President, Rotary International

RI President’s April Message Foundation Chairman’s April Message

Keeping our promise for a polio-free world

As I write this, we are still reflecting on the achievement

of a full year in India without a case of polio. As recently

as 2009, India had more cases than any other country,

so this represents a tremendous effort by Rotarians and

our partners, the World Health Organization, UNICEF,

and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,

as well as the government of India and the Bill & Melinda Gates Founda-

tion. It shows what can be done when people of goodwill work together

toward a goal. As Rotarians, we should feel proud of our fellow Rotarians

and the whole family of Rotary in India.

This is not the time to relax, however. India is close to two countries

where polio still exists, and China had an outbreak in 2011 because of

an importation. India has shown that winning the battle is possible, but

some hard work remains to be done.

One of the “unsung” aspects of our effort has been advocacy. The gov-

ernments of the world have contributed billions of dollars for polio eradi-

cation, and much of it has come because of the advocacy of Rotarians.

This work is quietly performed in the background, but the results have

been significant.

The Gates Foundation gave us another US$50 million gift in January to

help us remain an effective member of the partnership. We have several

years to go before the world can be certified polio-free. Please do not

stop giving because we have achieved the target of Rotary’s Challenge,

for every dollar you give for the eradication of polio will be used exactly

for that.

We made a promise to the children of the world that they would live in a

world free of polio. As Rotarians, we keep our promises!

William B. Boyd - Rotary Foundation Chairman

Follow Rotary International on Facebook

RI President-Elect Sakuji Tanaka will ask Rotarians to build Peace Through Service in 2012-13 Rotary International News

Tanaka unveiled the RI theme during the opening

plenary session of the 2012 International Assem-

bly, a training event for incoming Rotary district

governors.

"Peace, in all of the ways that we can understand

it, is a real goal and a realistic goal for Rotary," he

said. "Peace is not something that can only be

achieved through agreements, by governments, or

through heroic struggles. It is something that we

can find and that we can achieve, every day and in

many simple ways."

Peace has different meanings for different people, Tanaka said. "No defini-

tion is right, and no definition is wrong," he said. "However we use the word,

this is what peace means for us.

"No matter how we use, or understand the word, Rotary can help us to

achieve it," he added.

Tanaka, a businessman from the greater Tokyo metropolitan area, shared

how becoming a Rotarian broadened his understanding of the world. After

joining the Rotary Club of Yashio, in 1975, he said, he began to realize that

his life's purpose was not to make more money, but to be useful to other

people.

"I realized that by helping others, even in the simplest of ways, I could help

to build peace," Tanaka said.

He noted that the Japanese tradition of putting the needs of society above

the needs of the individual helped his country rebuild after the tsunami and

earthquake in March.

"This is a lesson that I think the whole world can learn from, in a positive

way. When we see the needs of others as more important than our own

needs -- when we focus our energies on a shared goal that is for the good of

all -- this changes everything," he said. "It changes our priorities in a com-

pletely fundamental way. And it changes how we understand the idea of

peace."

Tanaka will ask Rotarians to focus their energy on supporting the three pri-

orities of the RI Strategic Plan, he said. He added that he will ask the incom-

ing leaders to promote three Rotary peace forums, to be held in Hiroshima,

Japan; Berlin; and Honolulu, Hawaii, USA.

“In Rotary, our business is not profit. Our business is peace,” he said. “Our

reward is not financial, but the happiness and satisfaction of seeing a bet-

ter, more peaceful world, one that we have achieved through our own ef-

forts.”

10

Scenes from 2012 RI District 3780 Conference

Click here to view more photos of the D3780 DISCON 2012