For RCM SEC.

REGGIE YU
RCM Program Moderator's Script, April 22, 2021, 12:30PM, Zoom Meeting

12: 25PM House Rules….

Sec Reggie Good afternoon Fellow Rotarians! For those who are lucky
enough not to know me yet, my name is Reggie Yu, your
Club Secretary, and I shall be your program moderator for
today’s meeting. It is my pleasure to serve as your program
moderator for today’s proceedings.

I am extremely fortunate to be assisted by our very

competent team led by our young and dashing Technical
Host Rotarian Tobi Rast as well as our lovely Co-Host Ms.
Sol Encarnacion, our Executive Assistant for the RCM
Foundation, Incorporated. They shall assist me behind the
scenes to ensure that our meeting this afternoon shall be as
glitch-free as possible.

Before we begin, allow us to remind you of a few

housekeeping rules to make sure we are all on the same
page, before we commence today’s program.

12:30PM Call to Order by TP Bobby…

Again, a pleasant post-meridian greeting to everyone! And

welcome fellow Rotarians and Guests to our 38 th General
Membership Meeting via the Zoom Platform. It is my
pleasure to be a moderator for this General Membership
Meeting. And on behalf of the Programs Committee, I would
like to extend a very warm welcome to all of you. We
appreciate you taking time off from your busy schedules to
join us today. And we have prepared a very exciting line-up
of speakers today that will promise your time will be fruitful,
engaging and worthwhile.

To kick off, may I request our beloved Transformational

President Robert Lim Joseph to call this Meeting to order.
President Bobby you have the virtual floor.

Invocator delivers Invocation and Special Prayers….

Thank you, President Bobby. Before we formally begin our
program, may I invite everyone to invoke the blessings of
Our Almighty, ladies and gentlemen. To special intentions for
the complete healing and speedy recovery of Rotarian
Butch Tamayo, Past Vice-President Mike Guerrero, Past
Vice-President Lance Masters, Rotarian Dr. Brix Pujalte,
Franco Zaldarriaga (son of our President-Elect Chito
Zaldarriaga) and Past President Benjie Guevara (the
brother of our Past President Boy Guevarra) may I call on
the 2018 JCI Manila President and our debonair Star
Rotarian Atty. Jop Esquivias to lead our invocation and
special prayers for our currently infirm Rotarians?

Philippine National Anthem

Thank you for that inspiring prayer, Atty. Jop. Our National
Anthem is a patriotic song that symbolizes our nation’s core
value: freedom and love of country. At this juncture, fellow
Rotarians and guests, let us put ourselves in a position of
deference as we respectfully listen to an especially-produced
audio-visual presentation of our club members singing the
Philippine National Anthem.

Rotary Club of Manila Hymn

Thank you all. Our beloved Rotary Club of Manila Hymn is

an expression of our collective identity in celebrating the
immense pride we have of our club. First sung during the
term of Past President and former Senate President Gil J.
Puyat in 1946, it has become a staple canticle that begins
during our every meeting. May I now invite you all, my fellow
Rotarians in the singing of the Rotary Club of Manila Hymn,
led by the world-famous RCM Music Chorale.

Philippine Rotary Hymn

Thank you all. At this point, do us now affix your gaze on

your monitors as we play the Philippine Rotary Hymn. A very
inspiring song which was composed by the late Filipino
composer, Past President George Canseco of District 3780
and commissioned by past District Governor Jesus Tabora
of District 3790, it has become an anthem for most Rotary
Clubs in the Philippines. May I now enjoin you all, my Fellow
Rotarians, to watch and be inspired by this newly-
reconstituted audio-visual presentation produced by RCM
Foundation Chair Hermie Esguerra, curated by Director
Albert Alday and Past President Aries Balanay of the
Rotary Club of Intramuros join in the singing of the Rotary
Club of Manila Hymn.

The Rotarian Pledge

In 1932, Herbert J. Taylor believed his employees needed

an “ethical yardstick” by which to do business. The four
questions he penned has since become the Four-Way Test,
and is encapsulated in our Rotarian Pledge that we recite
every week. May we request my wedding godson, 2019 JCI
Manila President and Star Rotarian L.A. Sevilla to oblige us
in leading the recitation of the Rotarian Pledge?

The Four-Way Test

Thank you, Star Rotarian L.A. for that passionate rendition

of the Rotarian Pledge. The Rotary “Four-Way Test” has
become an important fixture in Rotary. Since it was adopted
by the Rotary International in 1943, the 24 words of this
pledge have been echoed thousands of times each week
across the globe in hundreds of languages and have guided
countless Rotarians like us as our daily lodestar in our
personal and professional lives. For this meeting, may we
have the honor of calling our multi-awarded start-up
entrepreneur, and a JCI Manila colleague Star Rotarian
Joshua Aragon to lead us in the recitation of the Four-Way
Test?

Acknowledgment of Guests

Thank you, Star Rotarian Josh for the self-assured rendition

of our Four-Way Test. Today marks another one of RCM’s
jam-packed Zoom meetings. First, we are welcoming into
our RCM family, 5 new Rotarians to complement our diverse
roster.

At this point, we would like to welcome you, guests and

visiting Rotarians, by asking everyone to please open your
cameras and wave into your respective vidcams as a way of
saying hello.

Also, joining us today, from Forbes Park, His Excellency

Harald Fries (HORALD FREES), Ambassador Extraordinary
and Plenipotentiary of Sweden to the Philippines, who shall
be awarded the RCM Outstanding Ambassador Award later
in the program.

Welcome Song

As is our long-cherished tradition here in the Rotary Club of

Manila, let me ask all our Fellow Manila Rotarians, to
express our warmest welcome to our guests as we sing our
welcome song to be led by the world-famous RCM Music
Chorale.

Birthday Song

Birthdays signify the beginning and joy of life. For Rotarians,

it is a momentous occasion to celebrate, reflect and give
thanks. Meetings at the Rotary Club of Manila are always
enlivened by singing our own unique version of the “Birthday
Song,” which was composed by Rotarian Charlie Velayo
way back in 1960, in honor of the month’s birthday
celebrants.

Today, we wish to extend our warmest “Happy and Healthy

Birthday” to this week’s celebrants. Maligayang Kaarawan
po sa inyo to our fellow Rotarians:

April 18 Rotarian Caloy Buendia

April 19 Rotarian Jack Bautista
April 19 PD Pepo Nunez
April 19 Rotarian Brix Pujalte
April 20 PD Rico Domingo
And as a special treat to all our birthday celebrants, we
would like to welcome our World-Famous Music Chorale for
the singing of the Happy Birthday song. Take it away World
Famous Music Chorale.

El Gamma Penumbra AVP

Once again, a very happy birthday to our five co-

celebrants. And again, kudos to our World-Famous Music
Chorale.

Ladies and gentlemen, we have a special treat for you this

afternoon. In observance to RCM’s 102nd founding
anniversary this year, RCM Foundation Chair Hermie
Esguerra has generously commissioned the country’s most
renowned Filipino shadow play group, El Gamma Penumbra,
to render a special dance interpretation in honor of RCM’s
pivotal role in our country’s history for over a century.

First founded in 2008 as a hip-hop boy group in Tanauan

Batangas, it has evolved into a 13-member group that got
the world’s attention, not only for their talent, but also for the
social relevance of their acts. Their name comes from the
words Gamma and Penumbra, which refer to the ideas of
light (gamma rays) and shadow. It refers to "the ray of light
(behind) a man's shadow."

So, without further ado, I give you, “Asia’s Got Talent” first
grand prize winner, El Gamma Penumbra.

President’s Time

How about another virtual round of applause to El Gamma

Penumbra? They are indeed world-class.

At this point, may we now call on once again President

Bobby Joseph to our virtual floor, as he shares some words
of wisdom to all of us during the President’s Time?
 Part II
1:00PM Thank you once again, President Bobby for that short yet
illuminating message.

We now turn you over to our colleagues at Forbes Park,

where our Immediate Past President Jackie Rodriguez and
his team for the awarding of the first Rotary Club of Manila’s
Most Outstanding Ambassador Awards Ceremony.

For this reason, may I hand over the virtual floor to IPP
Jackie as he delivers his brief opening remarks?

IPP Jackie delivers his Opening Remarks

Thank you, IPP Jackie for that gracious message. The

Rotary Club of Manila writes another milestone today as it
launches the first Carlos Peña Romulo Most Outstanding
Ambassador Award this afternoon, in honor of the country’s
foremost statesman and diplomat extraordinaire, an award-
winning journalist, University of the Philippines President, a
co-founder of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines, a general in
the United States Army and the Philippine Army, President
of the United Nations General Assembly, a National Artist in
Literature and most importantly, a Manila Rotarian, who
served as our president from 1935 to 1936.

To represent the Carlos P. Romulo Foundation, which shall

confer this prestigious award together with the Rotary Club
of Manila, to its very first recipient, may we invite none other
than Ms. Sandie Romulo-Squillantini, the esteemed
granddaughter of CPR, the owner of Romulo Café and the
daughter of former Foreign Affairs Secretary and former
Makati Business Club President Atty. Ricardo “Bobby”
Romulo, as she renders a special message to all of us this
afternoon.
Ms. Sandie Romulo-Squillantini delivers her Message

Thank you very much for that inspiring message, Ms.

Sandie. Indeed, the very first recipient of this honor
exemplifies CPR’s core characteristics of outstanding
diplomacy. Our honoree is no stranger to the country as he
first visited the Philippines in 1985 and had his first
diplomatic posting in Manila from 1991 to 1995. As our new
Swedish Ambassador to the Philippines, he was able to
reopen the Embassy of Sweden in Manila which had been
closed since 2008; and this year, the Philippines also
reopened its embassy in Stockholm. His love for the
Philippines is not skin-deep as he took a Filipina beauty,
Susan Batungbacal, as his wife.

Ladies and gentlemen, the Rotary Club of Manila and the

Carlos P. Romulo Foundation proudly confers this first
Carlos Peña Romulo Outstanding Ambassador Award to
none other than His Excellency Harald Fries (HORALD
FREES), Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of
Sweden to the Republic of the Philippines.

May we now call on our Club President Bobby Joseph, Ms.

Sandie Romulo-Squillantini, Past District Governor Vince
Carlos, Program Chairman Immediate Past Vice-President
Hermie Esguerra, and IPP Jackie Rodriguez to formally
confer the award to our most-deserving recipient.

Awarding Ceremony…

Congratulations His Excellency, Ambassador Fries. May

we now invite the man of the hour, the Honorable
Ambassador Harald Fries for his acceptance message.

Ambassador Harald Fries delivers his message…

Congratulations once again Ambassador Fries and thank

you for that inspiring message. May this award inspire many
other diplomats to continue manifesting distinguished service
and unwavering commitment in promoting the bilateral
 interests of country and the embassies they represent, both
at home and overseas.

Awarding Ceremony

From one awarding ceremony, we proceed to the next one.

Last March 25, 2021, we had the distinct honor of presenting
the Rotary Club of Manila’s Jorge B. Vargas Outstanding
Athlete of the Year Award to Gymnast Carlos Edriel Yulo
with the Club’s commitment of support. Today, the Rotary
Club of Manila is presenting our honoree a check amounting
to Php300,000 – two hundred thousand from the Rotary
Club of Manila and another hundred thousand from Mr.
Victorico “Ricky” Vargas, 10th President of the Philippine
Olympic Committee representing the family of The
Honorable Jorge Bartolome Celis Vargas to our first
recipient, Mr. Carlos Yulo, duly represented today by Ms.
Cynthia Carrion-Norton, President of Golden Asian Holistic
Medical Alliance and former Undersecretary of the
Department of Tourism.

May I call on President Bobby Joseph, IPP Jackie

Rodriguez, Immediate Past Vice-President Hermie
Esguerra, Mr. Ricky Vargas and Madam USec. Cynthia
Carrion-Norton for the formal awarding of the check.

Awarding Ceremony

Again, Congratulations to Mr. Carlos Yulo and thank you to

our organizers who made this milestone event possible. It is
with the hope that this award would spur many other of our
outstanding athletes to shine brighter and continue to carry
on the legacy of sports excellence as among the best in the
world.

Part III At this point, I am honored to announce that the Rotary Club
of Manila’s membership ranks will further swell as we
welcome five new members into our growing roster.

To introduce the new inductees, I wish to call on their

respective Proposers, beginning with IPP Jackie
Rodriguez, as he introduces, Mr. Marius Angara, Mr. Jack
Rodriguez and Mr. Ferdinand Talusan?

IPP Jackie introduces the 3 new Members

Thank you, IPP Jackie. Next, may I call on our Club

President Bobby Joseph to introduce Mr. Sinan Batur?

President Bobby introduces the new Member

Thank you, President Bobby. And our last, but certainly not
the least, may we call on our Vice-President Thad Liamzon
who shall have the honor of introducing our 5 th inductee, Mr.
Richard Lim?

VP Thad introduces the new Member

Thank you very much, gentlemen, for taking the time to

introduce your respective inductees to the general
membership.

We now come to the formal charging rites. As part of our

membership tradition, all inductees shall be informed and
charged of their rights and obligations to the Rotary Club of
Manila. For this reason, let us all welcome our very own Past
District Governor of Rotary District 3810 from 2008 to 2009,
Governor Alexander Cureg. Governor Alex, you have the
virtual floor to do the honors please.

PDG Alex charges the new Members

To administer the Oath of Membership, may we call on once

again, President Bobby Joseph.

(Charging Officer – Gov Alex may directly call on Pres.

Bobby to administer the Oath of Membership)

Pres. Bobby administers the Oath of Membership /

Membership Pledge

Congratulations and welcome to RCM, Star Rotarians!

Part IV We now proceed to the main part of our program. When the
Richest person in the world gives his support to a virtual
currency, you know it’s big business. Bitcoin is a
cryptocurrency invented in 2008 and was first used as a
decentralized digital currency without a single administrator
in 2009 when its implementation was released as open-
source software. Since then, Bitcoin prices have almost
quintupled since last year, and these massive moves have
led some investors to fear they’ve missed out on the boom.

Fortunately, we have no less than one of the country’s

foremost cryptocurrency gurus to give us the ABCs of Bitcoin
as we may still cash in on the bitcoin craze.

In this regard, may I call on Director Hans Palacios to

introduce our Guest Speaker for this afternoon?

Dir. Hans introduces guest speaker…

Guest Speaker delivers his Talk …

Open Forum

Fellow Rotarians, we now open the floor for your questions

and comments or interactions with our classification speaker.
You may also post in our chat box if you are keen to ask
questions so that we can call on you.

Rotarian xxxxxx, you now have the floor for your question.

Open Forum

Thank you, gentlemen, for all your interesting questions,

points of view and for your insightful sharing. I am sure Mr.
Buenaventura would love to answer all your questions, but
that is all the time we have. For those who wish to ask him
privately, you may contact him directly or ask Director Hans
to link you up with him.

2:25PM Fellow Rotarians, our time check: 2:25PM and it’s time for
the presentation of Certificates of Appreciation to our
 Charging Officer, PDG Alex Cureg and to our Guest
Speaker, Mr. Luis Buenaventura.

May I now request President Bobby Joseph and Program

Chairman IPVP Hermie Esguerra to be attested by yours
truly, Sec. Reggie Yu for the presentation of Certificates,

May I read the citation…

_________________________________

Thank you, once again, Mr. Buenaventura, and to Gov.

Alex Cureg.

2:30PM Well, it’s been another very enlightening and illuminating

session. To formally close this meeting, may we request
President Bobby Joseph to render his closing remarks,
other announcements and adjournment.

Closing Remarks by President Joseph

Again, thank you very much, President Bobby Joseph.

On this note, I thank you once again for gracing our 38 th General
Membership Meeting. On behalf of the organizers, I would like to
extend our warmest appreciation for making this session a fruitful
one. As we close, I would like to extend our invitation for you to
attend our next general membership meeting next Thursday.

Same RCM time. Same RCM channel. This has been your host
Reggie Yu, exhorting everyone to stay safe and stay sane.

We are now signing off.