LCP Ruby Alferos
The Rotary Foundation has its principles in giving services to the community. It is a matter of civic consciousness and commitment that has touched and eventually changed the lives of the people as well as to the entire world. Rotarians devote themselves in providing the basic needs and reaching out to those living along the margins of the society. It is one of the most prestigious service clubs in the world and it is unique one being an enabling foundation. It features symbiotic effect where members voluntarily contribute to the foundation but in return receive grants transforming the gifts into service projects.
Rotarians have a shared responsibility on the world’s most persistent issues by shared love “in doing good to the world.” This is a collaborative effort of rebuilding lives and healing through international relationships. In short, Rotarians are religiously committed with strong guiding principles and common direction.
The growing commitment of the club in contributing to fund raising activities has been practiced for almost 65 years. The Rotary Club of San Jose has produced seven Paul Harris Fellows and the rest as sustaining members which is an important goal of each president during the term.
Looking back, the club produced its first Paul Harris Fellow during the time of Dr. Ferdinand Altayo and the birth of Rotary Community Corps of Ilokandia. The lives of the people in Ilokandia improved, learned the value of education for their children, and capacitated to live through their own initiatives. Numerous projects have been manifested and contributed through the district grants. Rotary became partners of the Department of Education in providing quality and enabling schools like provision of handwashing, water system facilities, schools supplies and reading materials, and classroom building for the Indigenous People.
As a Life Changing President, I look beyond for more valuable projects and trying to achieve a Global Grant Project despite pandemic situation and still looking for a foreign partner. The recipients of the District Grant in cooperation of TESDA, Provincial Governor’s Office, Philippine Army and the Philippine National Police were the Former Rebels who are mostly Indigenous People and are the most vulnerable for insurgency recruitment. The main object of Project “KASAGIP KaMi” is to eradicate the insurgency in the country side. The project has two components: the Skills and Training that lasted for 29 days and commence the Graduation Ceremony last September 24 with 22 Former Rebels and three uniformed men.
The second component is the construction of mini organic garden and poultry raising. TESDA provided the Skills and Training with allowances while the provision of the food consumption and other personal hygiene of the FR/IPS for the 29 days of training. There was a construction of a mini organic garden and a showroom for organic fertilizer, organic vegetables and concoction from the district grant and donation of the members of Rotary Club of San Jose and friends. As of this date, the TESDA scholars started to sell their products to the community and formed an association which was registered in Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).
The Rotary Club of San Jose has shown collaboratively efforts for so many years and proven hard working its goals under different leaders. It has been observed that there are challenges along the way, but Rotarians keep on serving and giving love.