Even with revolutionary break throughs in medicine, there still remain one too many tales of children losing their parents to cancer. In 2009, when he was 26 years old, David Ackerman lost his father to lung cancer. From thenon, David vowed to make a differenceand saw a big window of opportunity when he was elected president of the Club in 2016-2017.He knew it would be tough; his year as president immediately succeeded the Club's spectacular 50th anniversary-but President David had a clear plan of action.
President David was only 33 years old when he took the position of leadership in the Club, replacing Past President Carlo Rufino as the youngest president in the Club's history. He wasted no time.
The Induction Ball: The annual Induction Ball of the Club held at the beginning of each Rotary Year was an event to lookforward to. It was always a formal eventwhere the men came in their tuxedoes and the women came resplendent in their long gowns. The Rigodon Ballroom of The Peninsula Manila dazzled with special lighting effects,stage design and magnificent music.
At President David's Induction Ball, forecasts of bad weather failed to dishearten the Rotarians. They came in high spirits, enjoyed the well-appointed dinner meticulously selected by FirstLady Mache, and the well-preparedprogram supervised by PDG Sid Garcia. The audience reveled in the music of an impromptu Club band-composed of President David,Past President Reggie Nolido, President Elect Jun Jun Dayrit, Director Louie Aseoche and Rotarian Dicky de Leon. Violinist Jay Cayuca also enthralled the audience.
Sister Club agreements with RC KualaLumpur Diraja and RC Kota Kinabaluwere signed. Both clubs were each gifted with a copy ofthe 50th anniversary coffee-table book titled, Setting Sail for New Horizons.
It was the birthday of Past RI Director Paing Hechanova, Sr. A cake was wheeled in aseveryone rose to sing the birthday song.
TOP FROM LEFT: Members welcome 33-year-old David Ackerman as the youngest Club President in the 51st Induction Ball held at The Peninsula Manila.
Yosi Kadiri goes onstage as the face of the Department of Health's anti-smoking campaign.
Ten Paul Harris Fellows were pinned that night by District Governor Edna Sutter.
The evening's guest of honor and speaker was former Senate President Aquilino"Nene”Pimentel Jr,a good friend of President David and First Ann Mache,who introduced him.
Induction Chairman PDG Sid Garciaably delivereda seamless and meaningful program.
Waging A War Against Smoking and Lung Cancer: In his induction speech, President David announced that he would wage a war against lung cancer, the disease that took his father away.His words reverberated in The Peninsula Manila's Rigodon Ballroom and swiftly became a full-blown campaign that was pursued with partners broughtin by President David and the Club:the Philippine Cancer Society(PCS),Department of Health (DOH),and the Bb.Pilipinas Charities. An Anti-Smoking Campaign was launched on March16,2017 at the Tandang Sora National High School.
The joint operation gained nationwide attention with 39 Bb.Pilipinas candidates,looking trim,fit and healthy, standing behind the cause. The star of the day,however, was no other than a comeback from the nineties, a familiar mascot of the government's anti-smoking campaign,“Yosi Kadiri”
The Club thenled a year-long campaign on how smokingkills,first attacking one'shygiene and physical appearance before it weakens the lungs.
Student art contests were held;flyers were distributed;testimonials of lung cancer survivors and celebrities were presented. In this arena,information was the best instrument to use to trigger awareness and save lives, addressing primarily the youth but also the adults-employing comics,flyers and acommitment wall where young people wrote their public pledges not to smoke.
Presidet David and Mache Ackerman visit Dumaguete for the Club’s Cerebral Palsy caravan.
Cerebral Palsy Brought to the Force: Under President David's watch,cerebral palsy was also brought to the fore. The awareness campaign focused on apprising the public of the early signs, diagnosis, development, and treatment of children with this neurological disorder. To get the word out to as many communities as possible, President David strategically partnered with local governments, city and, municipality doctors, medical institutions, other Rotary Clubs, the Department of HealthDOH), the Department of Social Welfare and Development(DSWD), and the Department of the Interior and Local Government(DILG). The campaign had three runs and was able to assess 77 patients in Hagonoy, Bulacan, 115 in Tanauan, Batangas, and 65 in Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, totaling 257. The campaign was so successful that it propelled the municipal government of Hagonoy to open a Persons with Disability or PWD desk.
Two New Daughter Clubs: Keeping in cadence with the district's aspiration to grow membership, President David chartered two daughter clubs: the Rotary Club of Bonifacio Global City with the District Governor's Special Representative (DGSR)PDGSidGarcia, and the Rotary Club of Makati Premier District with DGSR PDG Robert Kuant. Both clubs remain strong to thisday. The Club's total daughter clubs grew to 11-a significant contribution to the district's goal in membership extension.
A Fun Day at Tagaytay Highlands: The Club had its first fellowship outing in a long time. The tandem of First Ann Mache and Ann Tessie Amparo handle the preparations and execution of the day's fellowship.
So on a fine day in February,a convoy of cars drove up to scenic Tagaytay Highlands, the nearby leisure destination of many Rotarians set amidst the stunning views of majestic Taal Lakeand verdant mountains. The group of 71 that included Anns, children and grand children settled at the Marbella Room, where a scrumptious spread welcomed them.
Music was provided by the Marcy Band, to which the members and their Anns did not hesitate to dance. Those gifted demonstrated their singing talent: President David Ackerman, Director Louie Aseoche, Immediate Past District Governor (IPDG)Pepito Bengzon, President-Elect Jun Jun Dayrit,
Rotarians Jun Enriquez and Mundy Gonzalezt, and Ann Tessie Amparo IPDG Pepito came up with a game, with prizes won by President Nominee Fred Pascual and Anns Tess Aseoche and Caling Young. A sumptuous lunch, compliments of the Club, was enhanced by wine brought by Peter and Pam Manzano. First Lady Mache thoughtfully prepared a cake for Ramon Garcia, whose birthday fell on that day.
Rotarians Jun Enriquez and Mundy Gonzalezt, and Ann Tessie Amparo IPDG Pepito came up with a game, with prizes won by President Nominee Fred Pascual and Anns Tess Aseoche and Caling Young.
A sumptuous lunch, compliments of the Club, was enhanced by wine brought by Peter and Pam Manzano. First Lady Mache thoughtfully prepared a cake for Ramon Garcia, whose birthday fell on that day.
A group later visited the Tagaytay Highlands home of Past President Felix and Tessie Amparo,and appreciated the picturesque view from its terrace before heading home. Some stopped to buy fresh fruits and vegetables at the roadside stalls, or purple yamjam and buko pie from the nuns of the Good Shepherd's Convent. For the Club's members, it was a day that allowed the luxury of being free from the usual pressures of business.
The back-office staff of the Club was not forgotten. Chief of Staff Ron Dotaro, Angie Falceso, Sandie Sacris and Richard Manilag were treated by President David to dinner.An overnight stay at the Highlands was thrown in by the Club.
P1.2M Raised Through "Annie the Musical": President David immediately saw the need to raise funds to sustain the Club's humanitarian projects. He eventually settled on the brilliant proposal of PDG Sid Garcia to sponsor "Annie the Musical,” a popular family musical play. The Club booked the October matinee performance at the Newport Performing Arts Theatre of Resorts World. Tapped as co-sponsor was the new daughter club, RC Makati Business District, where First Ann Mache is the Charter President. The new club easily sold a third of the 1,500-ticket booking.
In the next two months, President David, PDG Sid, President-Elect Jun Jun Dayrit and the cluster heads sought sponsors and pushed ticket sales. The Club's nembers moved in concerted effort,
with some members enthusiastically sponsoring the cost of the tickets for the Club's Rotaractors and Interactors which gave the young people from the Club's communities the rare opportunity to watch amusical in a theater with state of-the-art features.
The event was a huge success: the theater-was full, the sponsors were generous-and most importantly, it netted a whopping P1.2Million, more than enough to keep the Club's many humanitarian programs running for this year and the next: BATS,supplemental feeding, Stop TB Now, medical and surgical missions Rotary Homes, scholarships for hearing-impaired students, and the Stepping Stone school for special children, among others.
Ending the Year on a High Note: President David ended his term on a high note. He bagged the highest district awards at the year end,the All-Star-Distinction Award, the equivalent of "Six-Star,” and Gold.
He was called onstage 18 more times to receive other major and minor awards for the Club.These included the Governor's Meritorious Award,Membership Champion Gold Award, The Rotary Foundation Centennial Milestone Award, and the All-Star Distinction Award. Inaddition, the Club receivedthe Governor's Awards for Stop TB Now, the Supplemental Feeding Program, Teaching the Deaf to Speak Project, BATS and Mentoring the Mentors.
Rarely given every year, is the most elusive, highly coveted Twin awards for Best Club Overall,and Best PresidentOverall, which President David bagged The last person who got this award was PDG Robert Kuant, when he was club president in 2002-2003.
David Ackerman, who started working at 15 years old in various jobs before earning his first million at 18, and who now runs a diesel and gasoline distribution company-the youngest president of the club at 33 years of age-left an indelible mark as the leader of the premier club in District 3830.