Rotarians from District 3830 assembled at the Grand Ballroom of the Sofitel Hotel on May 10 and 11 for the year’s most important district event—the District Conference, or Discon. This event held additional significance as it could be the last Rotary event hosted at the iconic Sofitel Hotel, following news of its impending closure by June 30.
Day 1 began with RC Makati upholding its cherished tradition wherein the incumbent President treats the club members to a sumptuous lunch before the Assembly. VP Howie Calleja represented Pres. Bing Matoto, who was on a personal vacation in Spain, and co-hosted the delegation for lunch at the Spiral Restaurant, renowned as one of the best buffet restaurants in Manila.
There to enjoy the lunch and the opening plenary of the Discon were PP David & CP Mache Ackerman, PP Louie Aseoche, PDG Pepz Bengzon and partner Doris, PP JunJun & Cecille Dayrit, PE Keith Harrison, Michael Hsu, Andy Manalac, PP Bimbo Mills, DGN Reggie & Sue Ann Nolido, PP Fred Parungao, Dir. Porsche Peña, Dir. Rodrigo Segura, Sonny Tambunting Jr., Derrick Tan, Carlo Ybañez, and Rotarian guests from D3830 – PP Baby Bunye and PP Bea Tan.
The conference commenced with the processional march of the dignitaries and the roll call of the clubs, setting a formal and celebratory tone for the event. PDG Pepz Bengzon mesmerized the audience with a heartfelt rendition of the song “Lead Me Lord” as Doxology to start the event.
The program proceeded with an inspirational message from PRID Raffy Garcia and the keynote speech of RIPR PRID Eunsoo Moon of RID 3620 Korea. The opening session culminated with the State of the District Address by DG Jay Tambunting.
As usual, Day 1 ended with a fellowship dinner that started with a special entertainment performance by the Council of Governors, where DGN Reggie & Sue Ann Nolido participated. The night concluded with a mini-concert by Ms. Bituin Escalante, providing a scintillating end to the day.
The last day of the Discon started early for the RC Makati delegation. PE Keith Harrison attended the RIPR breakfast with his classmates, and DGN Reggie and Dir. Porsche joined him to witness the signing of a sisterhood agreement between several clubs in our District and District 3620. RC Makati provided tokens to the 10-man delegation from their district, including two members from RC Yejang Seoul, which is our sister club.
After the business session at the plenary hall, DGN Reggie Nolido took the stage and gave the audience an eye view of what his vision for the district would be during his term, emphasizing the goals of expanding reach and determining impact.
The rest of the program for the day featured informative and interesting talks from speakers on diverse topics. BPI President and CEO TG Limcauco spoke on “Preserving Legacy Through Continuous Reinvention,” followed by a fireside chat with Enchong Dee, Cat Trivino, and Chewy Garcia on “Making Good Lasting Impact in the Modern World.” PLDT Senior VP Butch Jimenez then spoke on “Championing Connectivity for Filipino Homes.”
Capping the two-day event was the glittering Governor’s Night, where Mr. Jonathan Badon serenaded the attendees over dinner, and guests were treated to a glimpse of “Burugudunstuytugudunstuy,” a new theater performance at Newport World Resorts featuring the songs of the band, Parokya ni Edgar.
Comments