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IMF head visits, donates $5,000 to Gawad Kalinga Rotary Village in Villa Paraiso RC Makati sweeps major awards, adjudged Most Outstanding Club-Overall at District Awards Night RCM-Ateneo Teacher Training Program graduates trainees from 10 MMA city divisions, 6 schools 2000+ kids receive Christmas presents under the Club's Club, MRCFI send help to Typhoon Reming victims through Red Cross, initiate help drive among members Gawad Kalinga, 7 other RC Makati projects win recognition at District 3830 Yearend Awards rite
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IMF head visits, donates $5,000 to Gawad Kalinga Rotary Village in Villa Paraiso
The residents of Villa Paraiso, site of the Gawad Kalinga Rotary Village, were in for a pleasant and exciting surprise last Tuesday, 31 st July, with the visit of Mr. Rodrigo de Rato, managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).The IMF head was in town for a two-day schedule that included a meeting with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her finance managers, and a visit to the Philippine Senate. That he had made room for a side trip to Villa Paraiso in his very tight schedule was evidently the handiwork of our own Reza Baqir , IMF Resident Representative, who had brought the project to IMF's attention. Reza had in fact paid a visit to the place a week earlier in preparation for his boss' visit. Reza was, of course, there last Tuesday to accompany Mr de Rato at the project site. There was no mistaking the fact that the visitor was a VIP. Although the residents of this GK community are by now used to Rotarians and Anns fleeting in and out of their village to build houses, conduct medical missions and feeding programs, inspect the new water system, bring presents to the children, and show visiting Rotarian-benefactors around, they knew at once that this was different. The visitor was preceded and followed by close-in security carrying VHF radios; and there was a palpable sense of urgency in the air as the guests made the rounds of the place (it was later reported that Mr. De Rato was going straight to the airport from the GK Village). The Villa Paraiso folk gave their special guest the red carpet treatment— ladies in colorful native dress and children in school uniform were on hand to give the VIP guest a warm welcome. A rondalla played music. And the Kapitbahayan members, wearing uniform yellow t-shirts, saw to it that everything was in place. With Reza by his side, Mr. De Rato was shown around the place by GK Cluster head Gary Pimentel , GK national director Luis Orqueña , and DGN Sid Garcia , who handed him a copy of a new brochure on the GK-Rotary partnership. Mr. De Rato was shown the houses that have been built and those under construction, the new water system, and the 3-storey building. He entered one of the houses and gamely posed for a photo op with the family. During the tour, he stopped several times to talk to the kids. GK chairman Fred Menzel showed him around the multipurpose building, stopping by the health clinic and library on the second floor, where the program was held. It was, by RCM standards, a very brief program. With GK cluster head Gary Pimentel as emcee, the program began with IPP Conrad Marty welcoming the IMF head and briefing him on what the club has done in Villa Paraiso, specifically the construction of 101 houses with the help of our Club members and other Rotary Clubs. Introduced by DGN Sid, Mr. Orqueña thanked Mr. De Rato for making Villa Paraiso one of his stops during his brief stay in Manila and mentioned the over 1,000 communities so far built by Gawad Kalinga throughout the country and how Filipinos are working to free our countrymen from the stranglehold of poverty. Gus Tambunting , newly-elected vice mayor of Parañaque who happens to be the son of our PP Sonny, informed the IMF head of the city's programs for the poor. In his response, Mr. De Rato said that he was impressed with the work being done by GK and Rotary, and spoke of the IMF's civic program that supports non-profit programs in developing countries. With that IMF guest handed to IPP Conrad an envelope containing IMF's contribution of US$5,000, which, as he requested, is to be used for a GK project in the area of education . In return, IPP Conrad gifted him with a copy of the club's commemorative book, Our Children, Our Future . Also present at the GK site were Jun-Jun Dayrit, Ador Hizon , and Enzo Lee .
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