Rotary Club of Makati, Philippines

It was a celebration of a milestone in the life of the Rotary Club of Makati, its 45th Charter Anniversary, and The Pen’s ballroom was filled with an air of welcome. On one side was a photo booth, the kind that dishes out instant hard copies, framed to boot, where everyone, solo or with spouse, posed for a picture to take home, a memento that will, perhaps 55 years from now, be flashed on a screen on the Club’s centennial anniversary. Some, not content with the framed photograph, posed for the Club’s resident lensman, Peter Manlangit.

Those who came early partook of cocktails, a warm-up for the night’s program of fellowship and fun, punctuated by one of the most enduring of human bonds—music.

The program, in fact, kicked off with music and prose by a husband-and-wife team, the music provided by the booming baritone of Dick Funk, a sound every RC Makati Rotarian, and Rotary Ann, is familiar with, the verse recited by his Ann Baby—certainly not the usual “doxology” we are used to. Dick sang of “peace and love, faith and trust, in a world free from want and fear,” while Baby gave thanks for “45 years of fruitful existence, for a widening circle of friends, for making us better persons” even as she prayed “for the gift of maturity, for good health, for wisdom and guidance” so that “the future birthdays of this Club may find us stronger, wiser, happier and better.”

On the shoulders of IPP Felix Amparo fell the task of introducing the guests—Gov. Ed Alvarez & Ann Mariz, PDG Guiller Tumangan, and DGE Billy Villareal & Ann Betty. There was also Shinjiro Hirano of RC Itako, a long-time Sister Club, with whom we forged matched-club ties in RY 1980-1981 during the term of the late PP Froily Aragon.

Dinner, buffet style, was made more palatable and pleasant with music by The Dixie Band.
No anniversary would be complete without a nostalgia piece, and we had two such pieces this time, two audiovisual presentations orchestrated by PP Pepito Bengzon who was in charge of the program. The first was a video featuring the 6 charter members—PP Roger Davis, Raul Concepcion, Carding de Leon, Louie Lipio, PDG Bert Montinola, Pocholo Romero Salas—and a parade of the most significant achievement/s of Club presidents past and present, from the Club’s maiden year in 1966, with Charter Pres. Mando Picciotto at the helm, to the present RY under Pres. Jun Rojas, with musical markers separating the decades—Sixties: Heaven Must Have Sent You; Seventies: Happy Together; Eighties: Always Something There to Remind Me; Nineties: Smooth; 2000’s: Tequila. The second AVP, put together by our technical staffer Ronnel Dotaro, showed the Club’s major undertakings, past and current, under the four avenues of service.

On behalf of the Charter Members, PP Roger Davis paid tribute to “this fantastic club,” giving meat to his assertion with a rundown of the outstanding projects pioneered by the Club—the Stepping Stone Learning Center, Anti-TB under PP Jonny Carlos, the surgical missions at the Philippine General Hospital that Boy Hilvano chairs, Books Across the Seas chaired by Jay Savage (and Bud Melvin), Teaching the Deaf to Speak under PP Cesar Campos, supplemental feeding program under PP Freddie Borromeo, Bantay Bata started by Frank Chavez, Gawad Kalinga, and Vision for Education initiated by Francis Macatulad, among others. He encouraged the new Rotarians to read the Club’s coffee table book/s that chronicle the Clubs history and thanked everyone for coming and being a part of the celebration.

Emcee Chito Cantada called the charter members and presidents, past and current, up front for a photo op, something for which PP Roland Young arrived in the nick of time, followed by PP Sonny Tambunting, and which PP Charlie Rufino and PP Gigi Zulueta missed, having come a tad late from another social. Of course there was another ‘click,’ this time for all the Club members, a snapshot for posterity on this momentous occasion.

Pres. Jun Rojas delivered a speech (full text on p. 4) instead of the usual short message during president’s time, then proceeded to present to the guest from RC Itako, Shinjiro Hirano, a wooden, leaf-shaped tray, a gift of appreciation for honoring the Club’s invite, and a token of recognition, a Cross ballpen, to charter member PP Roger Davis. Alas, Charter Member Pocholo Romero Salas had left by that time, so his ballpen will be sent to his home, as will those for the other charter members who were unable to come. Rtn Shinjiro also donated Ұ20,000 (equivalent of P10,000) to the Club.

The rest of the evening was awash in music that came in the form of songs by the Club’s homegrown talents, as Chito Cantada dubbed them—Frank Chavez, who crooned “Ebb Tide” and “Who Can I Turn To” a la his namesake, Ol’ Blue Eyes Frank Sinatra; Chito himself, who sang “The More I see You” and “Call Me Irresponsible,” and later, Tessie Amparo dueting with Frank for “I Can’t Help Falling in Love,” and Baby Newfield singing a bunch of songs.

In his opening spiel, Frank shared an anecdote worthy of applause, of how Taba Samson was able to thwart a kidnap attempt on him by his presence of mind and the courage of one who knows how to use a gun as a tool for self defense. He counseled Taba, who was at the party, to hone his shooting skills by always attending Arceemak’s regular shoots.

And then there was the call of the dance floor, which most everyone heeded with gusto.
The evening ended on a nourishing note— with a breakfast hosted by the Club for the 30+ Rotarians and Anns who so graciously stayed on.