Official Website of Rotary Club of West CDO

The ROTARY CLUB OF WEST CAGAYAN DE ORO 

will continue to be the Top Rotary Club in the District, considering our

Service deliveries in the Avenue of Club, Vocational, Community and International Service.

The idea of organizing the Rotary Club of pf West Cagayan de Oro was first discussed in the regular meeting of the Rotary Club of Cagayan de Oro on June 3, 1969 then headed by PP/PDG Dante Sarraga.

                    To bring the idea into fuition, the following steps were taken by the Rotary Club of Cagayan de Oro:

1. It passed a resolution to sponsor the organization of the Rotary Club of West Cagayan de Oro;

2.  It approved a resolution ceding the area of west of Cagayan de Oro River as the territorial jurisdiction of the new club;

3.  It formed a nucleus group to join the new Club, the first daughter club of RC Cagayan de Oro. The group was composed of Cocoy Velez, Al Manus, Dodo Velez, Ric Santos, Frank Guerra and Tito Noble;

4.  It submitted its resolution to organize the Rotary Club of West Cagayan de Oro to then District Governor Pafs Mejia, during the District Assembly held in Iloilo City on June 13 – 14, 1969, who approved the same and appointed PP/PDG Dante Sarraga as the Governor’s Special Representative.

CLASSIFICATION SURVEY AND ELECTION OF FIRST SET OF OFFICERS

                With the assistance of the Governor’s Special Representative, a classification survey was conducted which led to the approval of the nomination of 27 members who eventually became the charter members.

                After the classification survey, the first organizational meeting was held at the Vista Hermosa Hotel (now Pryce Plaza Hotel) on January 11, 1970. The election of the first set of officers was held during the meeting which ended with the election of the following:

Cocoy Velez …………President

Maning Mandac …….Vice-President

Al Manus……………..Secretary

Bands Hernandez.........Treasurer 

Ben Trinidad………....Asst.Sec/Treas

Puro Velez……………Sgt.At Arms

Adolfo Balinado……...Director

Cesar Batilo…………. Director

Abeto Salcedo………..Director

Francisco Guerra Jr…..Director

Noli Olarte……………Director

    With the election of the first set of officer, the required documents were accomplished and RI Dues were remitted to Rotary International to pave the way for the approval of the club’s Charter.

    The Board of Directors of Rotary International approved the Charter of the Club on February 16, 1970. Thus, the Rotary Club of West Cagayan de Oro was officially born under Charter No. 17093.

    On June 23, 1970, the Charter was presented to the club. The charter presentation and induction of the first set of officers were held at the Vista Hermosa Hotel with the former Congressman Luis M. Taruc as Guest Speaker.

SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENTS

   A.  HOST OF DISTRICT    CONFERCONFERENCES, DISTRICT ASSEMBLIES ANBD INTER-CLUB FORUMS

         Since its organization, the club has hosted several district conferences, district assemblies and inter-club forums and tri-District Conferences. The officers and members of the club have always participated in these district affairs and conducted various projects in coordination with other Rotary Clubs. Many of the club members have been tapped as resource speakers, presentors and discussion leaders in these Rotary functions. The Club hosted the 19^th and 21^st District Conferences of the RI District 3870. Last May 2009, the club hosted the 25^th District Conference here in Cagayan de Oro City.

    B. MEMBERS TAPPED AS DGRs, DISTRICT OFFICERS, DISTRICT CHAIRMEN AND DISTRICT COUNSELORS

         In recognition of the competence of the Club members, district governors have tapped the services of several members of the Club as Governor’s Group Representatives, district Chairmen of the 4 Avenues of Service. District sub-Committee Chairmen and District Counselors.

    C. CLUB EXTENSION WORK

            Since its organization, the Club has sponsored and organized  many Rotary Clubs, namely: 1) RC of Tagbilaran; 2) RC of El Salvador; 3) RC of Camiguin; 4) RC of Far East Cagayan. 5) RC of CaamenValley 6) RC Uptown 7.) RC of Cagayan de Oro Centerpoint; 

D. SUPPORT TO THE ROTARY FOUNDATION

                The Club is an active supporter of The Rotary Foundation (TRF). The Club has several Paul Harris Fellows many of whom are multiple Paul Harris Fellows. A good number of the other members are TRF Sustaining Members. This is understandable since many of the members are GSE Fellows or were GSE Team Leaders.

E. CLUB EMPHASIS ON ROTARY INFORMATION 

                All of the Club members are knowledgeable on Rotary matters due to the Club’s emphasis on Rotary Information. In order to accomplish this high level of Rotary knowledge, the Club insists that before a candidate is inducted as member, he/she should undergo an intensive Rotary Information, which is supplemented by Rotary Information during the regular weekly meetings, materials in the weekly Club Bulletin, and Rotarian Magazine. This is further supplemented by the attendance of the new members during District Assemblies and various trainings conducted by the Rotary Institute for new members every start of the Rotary year.

SIGNIFICANT FACTS ABOUT THE CLUB

1.  It is an EDUCATORS CLUB. It counts among its members many connected with education and/or who occupy administrative posts in Colleges and Universities. Among them are the late 1) PP Tino Dumlao, former Dean of the College of Law, Xavier University; 2) PP Romy Borja, formerly the Dean of the College of Law, Xavier University and now a Justice of the Court of Appeals; 3) PP Ernie San Juan, former Dean of the College of Engineering, Xavier University; 4) PP Loloy Pabayo, Director of the MBA Program, Xavier University; 5) PP Ed Layug, former Dean of the College of Commerce and now one of the professors of the MBA Program, Xavier University; 6) PDG Tony Aguilar, President of Aguilar College Foundation; 7) Fr. Ernesto O. Javier, S.J., former President of Xavier University; 8) Rtn. Ed Lllosa, former Associate Dean – Xavier University College of Engineering; 9) PP Dong Babaylan, former Dean of Graduate School, Liceo de Cagayan University; 10) PDG Jose N. Nebrao, Chairman and President of Rosevale School and 11) Atty. Raul R. Villanueva, Dean of the college of Law, Xavier University.

2. It is a GENERALS CLUB. The Club has members who are either GENERALS in active service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines or who have retired. Among them are Ret. Gen. Manuel Mandac, Ret. Gen. Dominador Tutaan, Ret. Gen. Jose B. Cruz, Ret. Gen. Madrino Munoz, Ret. Gen. Benjamin Divinagracia, Ret. Gen. Feliciano Suarez, Ret. Gen. Perfecto Arribas and Ret. Gen. Mariano Adalem.

3.  It is a ROTARY FOUNDATION / GSE ALUMNI CLUB. Among the Club’s past and present members eight (8) former GSE FELLOWS and five (5) GSE

TEAM LEADERS. The GSE Fellows are (1) PP Tino Dumlao, Boston, USA; (2) PP Loloy Pabayo, Sussex, England; (3) PP Romy Borja, Los Angeles, USA; (4) Augusto Santos, Syracuse, New York, USA; (5) Rodrigo Lim, Sussex, England; (6) Camilo Garay, West Virginia; (7) Laddie Zarsuelo, Argentina; (8) Jasmin Agbon, Palm Spring, California, USA; (9) Raul R. Villanueva, Connecticut, USA; (10) Leo Notario, Madras, India and (11) Lorelie L. Pabillore, Wisconsin, USA. The GSE Team Leaders were PDG Bands Hernandez, Ontario, Canada; PP Celing Velez, Texas, USA; PP Pete Abalos, India; PP Faeling Floirendo, India; PP Sar Cabualan, Palm Spring, California, USA; and PDG Ben Vegafria, North Carolina, USA. 

                The Club has a very strong core group who is able to secure Matching Grants. In the past few years it has been able to access, a Peanut Growing Project (Jena, Germany), a Hog Raisin g Project (Ako, Japan), Techno Demo Farm (Balwin, Australia) and Dairy Milk Production Project (South Korea).

                The Club also has been able to participate in the Ambassadorial Scholarship Program when their nominee, Lovenia Naces was accepted for the Peace and Conflict Resolution Program in Chulalongkorn, Thailand.

4.  It is an ACHIEVERS CLUB.  Its members come from a variety of professional and business classifications who achieved a high degree of distinction in their respective professional and business careers.

5.  It is a COMMUNITY AND VOCATION – ORIENTED CLUB. It has undertaken community oriented projects like the medical, dental and health visitations in Iponan and Pagatpat, 3-H Program in Bonbon, The Rotary Community Corps in Barangays Pagatpat, Canitoan, Bugo and Agusan, the Anti-Drug Addiction Campaign for which it received recognition from Narcotics Command of the Philippine National Police, Environmental Protection/Save our Watershed Projects, Search for Outstanding Public School Teacher Award (MOPSTA) and Outstanding Barangay Award.

                The Club this year embarked in the construction of a school building in Barangay Balubal with the assistance of Rep. Rufus B. Rodriguez and Barangay Balubal AND Dairy Project in Canitoan & Misamis Or.

                The Club has also organized the RCWEST CAGAYAN DE ORO FOUNDATION, INC. which provides funding of the Club’s major long-term community projects including the TOPS (Training and Organizing People for Self-Help).

6.  It is a DISTRICT GOVERNOR’S CLUB. Since its chartering on February 16, 1970, it has produced seven (7) District Governors. They are PDG Cocoy Velez, PDG Bands Hernandez, PDG Al Manus, PDG Tony Aguilar, PDG Ben Vegafria, PDG Jose Nebrao, and now DG Rhia Rita Y. Abalos. At present, the Club can count among its members several potential District Governors.       

RC West of CDO

Charter Members

1.  Atty. Homobono Adaza

2.  Atty. Claudio Aguilar

3.  Dr. Megdonio Babal

4.  Atty. Rodolfo Balinado

5.  Lt. Col. Cesar I. Batilo

6.  Gen. Juan B. Cruz

7.  Judge Florentino Dumlao, Jr.

8.  Mr. Rafael D. Floirendo

9.  Atty. Francisco N. Guerra, Jr.

10. Mr. Bernardino R. Hernandez

11. Mr. Richard Kriegel

12. Gen. Manuel D. Mandac

13. Mr. Aldrico T. Manus

14. Mr. Augusto C. Noble

15. Mr. Noli F. Olarte

16. Mr. Leo Palicte

17. Mr. Primitivo Quiem

18. Mr. Augusto C. Rivera

19. Dr. Eduardo Saguil

20. Atty. Abeto D. Salcedo

21. Engr. Ricardo Sanchez

22. Mr. Gorgonio Tejero, Sr.

23. Atty. Alejandro M. Velez

24. Engr. Plutarco M. Velez

25. Atty. Puro M. Velez

26. Atty. Ralph Lou Willkom

27. Mr. Benjamin Trinidad

ACTIVE CHARTER MEMBERS

PDG Cocoy Velez–Charter President

PDG Al Manus -Charter Secretary

PP Rafael Floirendo–Charter  Member

HONORARY MEMBERS

PP Adrian C. Pabayo

Rtn. Augusto Adis

Rtn. Emmanuel D. Abellanosa

Dr. Rafaelita P. Pelaez

Cong. Rufus B. Rodriguez

1. OUTSTANDING PRESIDENT AWARD (Large Club Category) – PRES. MANDY TARAYAO
2. OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE CLUB LEADERSHIP PLAN AWARD

     (Club Administration – Large Club Category)

3. OUTSTANDING CLUB – (Large Club Category)
4. OUTSTANDING IN CLUB LEADERSHIP PLAN AWARD (Service Projects – Large Club Category)

5.  OUTSTANDING SERVICE IN HOSTING THE DISTRICT ORATORICAL CONTEST

     RY2008-2009 HELD LAST FEBRUARY 13, 2009 IN CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY 

6.  AWARD OF DISTINCTION – HOST CLUB – DISCON 2009

7.  SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENT AWARD – (Most Successful Matching Grant Program)

8.  MEMBERSHIP GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT AWARD (Highest Retention Rate –

                        Large Club Category)

9.  THE ROTARY FOUNDATION AWARD AS PAUL HARRIS FELLOWS:

     1.  PDG PLUTARCO M. VELEZ  - Ruby

     2.  DG RHIA RITA Y. ABALOS –  1 Sapphire

     3.  PRESIDENT ARMANDO A. TARAYAO  

     4.  VP FERDINAND C. ESPIRITU

     5.  TREASURER LADISLAO P. ZARSUELO

     6.  PDG ALDRICO T. MAÑUS

     7.  MR. BERNARD ALDRICO A. MAÑUS

     8.  MR. JOSEPH NEIL A. MAÑUS

     9.  DR. ROSELYN A. MAÑUS, MD

     10. MS. EMILY DELL A. MAÑUS

     11. PP ROGER T. UY

     12. PP DEMOSTHENES R. DU

     13. PP ARSENIO L. SEBASTIAN III

     14. DIR. CYNTHIA S. VIAJAR

     15. RTN. CLIFFORD JOSE G. ROA

     16. DIR. ELMER B. FRANCISCO

     17. PP EDUARDO B. ALABA