RY 1993-1994 recorded three firsts for the Club consistent with its vision to position RC Makati as the leading and naturally preferred organization for those who want to serve others and the community.
One, President Jose “Joe” Alejandro organized the first Makati Town Hall Meeting that assembled leaders of various sectors of the community for a discussion of the proposal to build the LRT II mass transit system along EDSA, passing Makati—its pros and cons in relation to safety and privacy for the residential subdivisions and buildings along the way, the national economy, and the convenience of the riding public. It concluded with the Makati City government officially giving its official consent to the plan to allow the LRT II to pass through the Makati segment of EDSA.
Two, Pres. Joe initiated the Parol sa Makati, a project that sought to revive the Filipino tradition of crafting lanterns at Christmastime to encourage creativity and resourcefulness through a lantern-making competition among the barangays of Makati. The contest required the use of natural materials such as leaves, twigs, bamboo sticks, and tree bark and/or throw-away materials such as plastic straw, bottle caps, paper cups, and old newspapers. The lanterns were displayed at the old Glorietta after a parade around the streets of the Makati Commercial Center, and the makers of the best lanterns were awarded cash prizes.
Three, the First All-Makati Rotary Golf Tournament for Community Service, the proceeds of which funded 15 community projects.
Reinforcing its leadership in the district, the Club organized the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) of District 3810 that packed a record-breaking 700 youth-leader delegates. It also increased the number of awardees in the National Awards for Community Service from three to four and the prize money from P50,000 to P75,000 per winner, both moves intended to encourage wider participation in the years ahead.
The beneficiary base of the Psycho-Social Project for Mt.Pinatubo victims saw a huge expansion from an initial 54 families to 403, for a sevenfold-plus increase that brought the psychological benefits of the project to more of the Pinatubo victims still living in the Cabcom evacuation center. The massive expansion in project coverage, which entailed a substantial funding increase, was made possible by a windfall from the Christmas Bazaar
and Super Family Bingo that together added P1.55 M to the club purse.
Also made possible by the bonanza was the Christmas Package Drive under which 300 gift bags were handed out to as many families in Brgy. Pitogo and Brgy. Cabanelas/La Paz in Makati and gift packs were given to 1,200 children in Smoky Mountain.
It also enabled the expansion of the MRTC training program with the initiation of a course for young men and women interested in finding employment as waiters and bartenders, winning recognition for the Center as the Most Outstanding Vocational Service Project at the district yearend awards. In recognition of this first such vocational project, RI President Bob Barth visited Manila to personally handed the “RI International Award for Vocational Services for Year 1993-94” to the Club during his visit to Manila.
RC Makati was awarded as the Most Outstanding and President, Large Clubs category, for year 1993-94. The Club reached a high of 210 members, with 19 nationalities and 75% average attendance during the weekly meetings. Committee activities were effectively orchestrated together with then Club Secretary Ramon “Mon” Gonzales.
International service was not left out of the service loop, either. The Club forged brother club ties with the Rotary Club of Laoag in Ilocos Norte and Rotary Club of Downtown Mabalacat in Pampanga, and sister club relations with RC Pohang North of South Korea.