With the brother clubs door opened the preceding year, Pres. Giorgio Bongulielmi built connections with the Rotary Club of Vigan that led to a trip to Ilocos Sur by a busload of Rotarians and Anns. The Vigan Rotarians rolled out the red carpet for their Makati guests throughout their three-day, taking them on a tour of their city’s cobbled-stone streets, well-preserved heritage houses and churches, and artisan shops, and treating them to Vigan’s culinary gems, from breakfast to dinner. The Vigan trip led to the inking of a matched clubs (a.k.a. brother clubs) agreement between RC Makati and RC Vigan.

The Club also contributed to Rotary growth by creating the Rotary Club of Makati-Ayala, the first club in Makati to meet for breakfast and the Club’s fourth daughter club.

Another important development during Pres. Giorgio’s tenure was the appointment of the Club as the Philippine representative of Direct Relief International (DRI), a US-based humanitarian organization that accepts donations of surplus medical equipment, supplies and medicine from large companies in the United States for re-donation to developing countries around the world.

The Club also kicked off a Sponsor-a-Child fund campaign to raise funds for projects that benefit children and carried on with the operation of the feeding centers for malnourished children in economically challenged sections of Makati.

It was a year of recognition for the Club as Pres. Giorgio was named Most Outstanding Club President-Overall in the yearend awards program of District 382 and RC Makati was conferred a Presidential Citation for Excellence in Carrying out the Rotary Year’s Theme, Share Rotary—Serve People.

The Club was granted two other awards, both non-Rotary: the Golden Globe Highest Award from the Asian Institute of Humanitarian Development and the Golden Harvest Award from the Far East Social Action Civic Organization for the Makati Research & Development Center.