With the ground all prepped for the implementation of the Teacher Training Program, Pres. Ricardo “Ric” Librea started the ball rolling in a big way with the deployment of the first batch of scholars, 100 public school teachers from Makati, to Ateneo de Manila University for an intensive course on teaching the three core subjects of English, Science and Math. As agreed upon, the Club provided the funding, the Department of Education, Sports and Culture (DECS) took care of screening and selecting the teachers, while the Ateneo assumed responsibility for the course design, as well as project implementation and evaluation. This initial phase was funded by a P1.2 million outlay approved by the Club in the previous year. The project later prompted the creation of the Ateneo Center for Educational Development (ACED) which became the umbrella under which the project was carried out in succeeding years.
Still on Education, the Club received a TRF matching grant of $12,000 for the purchase of equipment and materials for two especially-equipped audiovisual rooms at the Philippine Institute for the Deaf. The machines were used to create exercises to help hearing-impaired students develop gradual use of their auditory and speech faculties for communication. The Club also held career talks for the graduating class of a public school in Makati to offer guidance in their choice of courses to take in college.
The year scored a new record in the number of Paul Harris Fellows enlisted in a single year—an impressive 51 PHFs with a monetary value of $51,000, a record that stood for 19 long years, broken only on the Club’s 50th anniversary year in 2015-2016. Putting this contribution to use for the Club, Pres. Ric assigned $34,500 in restricted TRF funds to finance Club projects, including the National Resource Center for the Handicapped, a library-plus at the Stepping Stone Learning Center.
The year also marked the launch of the Rotary Youth in Action & Leadership (ROYAL) Awards, a nationwide search for the most outstanding youth projects in the area of the environment. The awards ceremony took place in Cebu, with RI. Pres. Luis Giay gracing the occasion as guest of honor.
Having logged another record-setter with the generation of P1.5 million in net proceeds from the Christmas Bazaar, the Club adopted the Tejeros Tenement in Makati as its adopted community, delivering a package of services to the residents, including a reading center for young children, training in high-speed sewing for women, and scholarships in computer education at the MRTC to 72 youths. The Club also distributed cookbooks and conducted cooking demonstrations in Tejeros, as well as in Brgy. Pembo and West Rembo, and donated $40,000 worth of medicines from the Brother’s Brother Foundation to the PGH.
The year was crowned with felicitous honors at the district yearend awards of District 3810, with its recognition as the Most Outstanding Club-Overall and of Pres. Ric as Most Outstanding Club President-Overall, the district's most coveted and prized twin awards. The Club received a string of other awards to boot: Best Club Bulletin, Best Fund-Raising Project for the Christmas Bazaar, Best Career Development Project for the Career Guidance Program, Best Education Program for Books Across the Seas, Best Recognition Program for the ROYAL Awards, and Highest Contribution to TRF.