Spreading goodwill the Rotary way

MANILA, Philippines - All over the world, Filipinos are lauded for excelling in music and Filipino professionals are no exception. Philippine lawyers, doctors and engineers work hard, and then party hard. In international conventions where people of different nationalities converge, Filipinos give intelligent contributions to discussions during the day and yet tend to be the stars during the nighttime fellowships and international presentations. The recent week-long Rotary International (RI) Assembly and Training of Governors and Spouses at San Diego, California, became another showcase of the amazing Filipino talent.

The 2010 Philippine group of Governors-elect and their spouses are a strongly bonded bunch of well-respected socio-civic leaders composed of top professionals and businessmen from all around the Philippines. It is composed of Ed Alvarez (District 3830) — a banker well-known in the field of finance; Tranquil Salvador (3810) — current Q.C. IBP president and academician; Jun Farcon (3800 — a CPA-lawyer; Tato Dimayuga (3820) — businessman and franchisee of Julie’s bakeshop; Melvin Tiongson (3770) — former prosecutor; James Makasiar (3850) — businessman/financing; Jimmy Semaña (3870) — hotel owner and businessman; Ted Locson (3860) — real estate businessman/contractor; Manny Yu (3790) — doctor and hospital owner; and my husband Paul “Ambo” Gancayco (3780) — litigator and intellectual property law practitioner. When not working, these upstanding individuals are at the forefront of outreach programs for the poorest of the poor in their respective districts.

The third night of the assembly in San Diego was a preview of what was yet to come. At the International Festival Dinner and Dance, the Philippine contingent in their elegant terno and barong were warmly applauded during the parade by fellow international leaders. The dance part of the evening became so much fun when the Filipinos led the group in line dancing, greatly enhancing the atmosphere of fellowship. No one felt tired from the rigid training during the daytime sessions. We all had a blast!

By the fifth day of the Assembly, we, in the Philippine group had made friends with so many international leaders and created an impact with our dancing prowess, that when we were called onstage as one of the 16 performing countries, the audience was filled with excitement. The impact on the spectators was immediately made when their loads of laughter were heard as Gov. Ed Alvarez and Lady Fides Dimayuga entered the stage with a huge tarpaulin. The group’s caricature depicted the Philippine group riding the kalesa (horse-drawn carriage) with RI president Rey Klinginsmith, as an introduction to the number we were to perform. The opening solo part by yours truly with matching umbrella in a sort of Mary Poppins-playing-with-her-umbrella dance sequence showed we were about to do something short of a Broadway performance.

Gov. Tato’s male solo entrance that followed clearly showed that our number was highly entertaining. As the other ladies entered with their eye-popping Balintawak in different colors and turned their umbrellas in sync while singing and dancing, the audience gasped in bewilderment. Not to be outdone, the men made a remarkable macho entrance in their beautiful piña barong. As the group converged to form a kalesa and toured the huge stage while keeping the kalesa form, the audience could not contain themselves from applauding the Philippine Governors-elect and their first ladies for the great music and choreography. Going down the stage and walking back to their place, the audience refused to stop clapping and applauded even stronger to the well-acted chagrin of RI secretary general Ed Futa.

After the program, many in the audience approached us for photo ops or just to tell us our performance was the best of all. We politely accepted their compliments and told them we were not there for a contest but only to have fun. To further celebrate, the group moved to the hotel lounge where some European friends congratulated us by offering to pay for our drinks. A rotary governor from Peru borrowed my umbrella and, mimicking my dance steps, made his own gestures and broke my umbrella (hahaha!). A Mexican governor was so taken by Gov. James’ barong that he asked to have it exchanged with his own Mexican polo. The camaraderie was totally infectious.

Truly, the Philippine group of Rotary Governors-elect in San Diego did a great job in showing the world Philippine culture, art, music, unmatched friendliness and exceptional talent. Last night at the Marriott Hotel, they performed the same electrifying number as a command performance before the Philippine Rotarians and the visiting Rotary International President-elect Ray Klinginsmith. One more round of applause for these new Philippine ambassadors of goodwill.

(E-mail author at [email protected] or text 0920-9000407.)