RCSPS At Silver: A Mother And A Child

As Rotary Club of San Pedro South (RCSPS) celebrates its Silver anniversary, RCSPS Transforming President Guia shares some memories of the club’s 25 years and plans on moving forward

“Young people today enjoy service, and wants to be active in it. We see this in Rotaract, and Rotaractors are now like us. We are all part of Rotary International. Rotaractors are faster, more effective and impatient… and their impatience is their virtue. They want to see the results now.” – Rotary International President Holger Knaack, RY 2020-2021

I would like to greet our beloved Rotary Club of San Pedro South (RCSPS) family a very happy Silver Anniversary. Together with our Mother Club, the Rotary Club of San Pedro, and our daughter club, the Rotary Club of San Pedro South – New Generations, we celebrate the past 25 years filled of inspiring humanitarian stories, of superb fellowship, and of great inspiration from our youngsters.

Yes, the Rotaract Club of San Pedro South (RACSPS) has been sharing boundless joy with us for the last 16 years, and we, as the Mother Club, are extremely joyful for the opportunities to be at service with this award-winning Rotaract Club. Under the stewardship of District Officer/Past President (PP) Piolo Gadiana, President-Elect Mabeh Matienzo, Immediate PP/Rotarian Christine Galinea, and Transforming President (TP) Steffany Echanes, the club has shown that “Excellence is at our very core.” Kudos!

At the same time, the Interact Club of Adelina 1 National High School (IA1NHS) has always been present in all our activities. Despite the pandemic, the youngest members of RCSPS family, under the wings of TP Jiro Lizarda, had managed to attend all our Transforming Activities. These kids truly exceeded our expectations.

In fact, we have in our roster the District Interact Representative, Ms. Gwen Jazel Espino Jovenes. She is already the “District Governor” of Interact at such a young age of 16, after becoming a President of IA1NHS on Year 2018-19. Hailed as Most Outstanding Interactor 2019, her favorite Interact projects include Beat Polio and Run for Peace, Alay Lakad, Clean-up Drives and the Crusade to End Violence Against Women and Children (VAWC).

In Rotary, the Rotaractors are a moving force. They can execute their own plans and programs faster than ever. They are definitely apt to use our new technology to their advantage. From the formulation of organic and sustainable ideas to contacting the key project persons, from pooling of resources up to its distribution, and from using Social Media to inspire more people up to the reporting of their finished tasks… all with dignity and honor.

RCSPS also lovingly welcomes the Rotaract Club of San Pedro All Star (RACSPA) this Rotary Year as a dynamic addition to the family. With activities left and right, although relatively new, RACSPA is already soaring high. Indeed, the Rotaractors are truly Rotarians in action, and we can not help but take pride also in their accomplishments. Under the supervision of Charter President Julian Adique, Professional Development Chair/Rotarian Dame Sy, Binan Icon Victor James Escolano, Anahaw Founder/Rotarian Justin Paolo, we can expect nothing but more wonders for RACSPA.

Our District Governor Renato “Ray” Atienza could not help but be proud of them, of course, and all our youngsters. Our Transforming Governor even highlighted the power of the youth during our PESECTS 2020 at Dalampasigan, Quezon Province.

“The Youth is the Hope of our Fatherland.” How many times have we heard this? This quote by our national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal, have been written and heard again and again, over and over, but have we truly believed it?

Now is the time to support the youth. Now is the time to appreciate all their efforts through the years. And yes, now is the time to HUMBLY learn from them.

Change is inevitable. As in RCSPS, we can be both a child and a mother in an instant. We can be technophobic to tech wiz in an instant. That is why, may we take every step of the way to eagerly move forward to become the best versions of ourselves. Yes, may we keep on moving forward with pure hearts: to just inspire, to simply connect, and to transform with love.