Rotary Club at 70

The Rotary Club of Bacolod celebrates its 70th year today. Seventy years ago, then vice-president of Rotary International Carlos P. Romulo came to hand over the Charter to the Club's first president Ricardo Nolan, father of the late Ambassador Ramon Nolan.

This Club is the fourth Rotary Club in the Philippines, after Rotary Club of Manila was chartered in 1919, followed by the Rotary Club of Cebu, then the Rotary Club of Iloilo. It was the Rotary Club of Iloilo that sponsored the Bacolod Rotary Club.

Tonight, the Club inducts its new officers, headed by Manny Vinco as president. I can't find one civic club that can claim to be older than the Rotary Club of Bacolod. And it has been very active ever since except for three years during World War II.

Guest of honor and speaker is Gawad Kalinga founder Antonio Meloto.

In the roster of its past presidents are the province's and city's leaders. Former Congressman Carlos Hilado and incumbent Congressman Monico Puentevella had been past presidents. And many more I cannot recall. There were those who became mayors.

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Carlitos stayed with the Club since its beginning as a Charter member in 1937 to his death in 1991 when he was 92. I was the Club president when he died.

I recall that when his wife died, he accompanied me to the bier when I visited. I heard him telling her not to worry because he was following soon. I sensed something bad. I told the Club to honor Carlitos and we had a big program "Halad kay Carlitos" and he was very happy with many giving him tributes. Less than two months later he died. I saw he was not going to stay long. He was in the Club for 54 years.

Recently, Dr. Rodolfo Jocson was to celebrate his 50th year in Rotary. He asked me to chair the celebration. Earlier his wife Meding died and I saw Rod was very devastated. Like Carlitos I saw Rod would not stay long. I wanted the celebration done earlier but because his nephew, Toto Cua Locsin, was to become District Governor, he preferred to get the award from his nephew. He died before Toto took over the District Governorship.

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This is my 34th year in Rotary. I will be inducted with other officers as protocol officer, an appointive position, not elective.

Almost every year I got appointment to serve. And I served.

I just like Rotary and its philosophy. One thing I know in our Club in the election, nobody campaigns. The one who campaigns usually loses. The members elect those who serve, not those who are very good in talking only. And they are turned off by those who campaign, attributing some personal motives. More so if they spend money. The philosophy is it is the position that seeks the man, not the man seeking the position. And what dignity and honor can an official have if he bought that position?

You stand there to speak but somewhere some people are whispering "He bought that position."

I have many reasons to be proud of Rotary. I got two Rotary International Awards, the first as Club president in 1992 from Rotary International President Rajendra K. Saboo and the second in 2004, the "Commitment to Service Award" from Rotary International President Glenn Estes, Sr." I think there were only four given that award in District 3850, covering Western Visayas and Western Mindanao.

We are also happy the District Governor Nominees is past president Edgar Sy. He will be District Governor in 2010 to 2011.

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I salute LTO Chief Norman Saril. He is consistent in his campaign against violators of traffic rules.

But he has a big problem which I always hear over radio. The traffic police take time to submit the driver's license of those apprehended.

Because our traffic in the city seems to be not effective, I hope Mayor Bing Leonardia will authorize Norman to discipline these traffic enforcers.

You know there is graft and corruption there. Traffic enforcers do not submit the driver's license because they wait for the "transactions." And there's money there.

I asked one TE and he confidentially told me, if they submit earlier it is the LTO people who "profit" from the "transaction." Oh, there we go, graft and corruption again. But the fault is also with the motorists, they would rather bribe than obey the law.

Let them pay, but with receipts to be sure money goes to government.

I hope Norman Saril looks into this. I trust Norman. He has followed the footsteps of his late father, Cesar, former head of the local Motor Vehicles Office, now LTO. He was a straight man.*

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