The Sower's Quill by Pres. Chris Ferareza

Published in the Kaunlaran Newsletter on August 11, 2026. 

The Story Continues

This is our first evening meeting for RY2026-2027 at our Clubhouse, our home.

If you would recall, we started evening meetings at the Clubhouse during the term of PP Keith Harrison. It provided greater flexibility for members who may find it difficult to attend our luncheon meetings while also maximizing the use of our Clubhouse.

Speaking of our home, we have much to look forward to as the Clubhouse will soon undergo major renovations covering both the ground and second floors. This is an important and significant investment in our Clubhouse, which has long served as a venue for fellowship, not just of our Club but other clubs and the District too, service, and the many conversations that eventually become meaningful Rotary projects.

I am very sure that IPP and Foundation Chair Eddie will make this project done in no time so that we could all enjoy it before RY2026-2027 ends.

Tonight, we are honored to welcome Fr. Albert “Paring Bert” Alejo, who will share a companion’s testimony on “Walking with Whistleblowers: Perpetrators’ Journey Toward Justice and Dignity at the ICC.”

It promises to be an enlightening discussion on profound concepts such as truth, accountability, justice, dignity, and the courage of those who dare to speak up. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to Atty. Howie Calleja for graciously inviting our esteemed speaker and making tonight’s conversation possible.

Final Pitch and Graduation of AI Academy Cohort 2

Last Saturday, we spent the entire day at our Clubhouse for the final pitch and graduation of the 78 learners of Cohort 2 of our AI Academy.

I had the opportunity to judge six groups that developed solutions for Delca, a company owned and managed by our member Mike del Carmen. Their solutions were practical, innovative, and potentially useful to the companies that partnered with us. My fellow judges, guests, and I were very impressed by what these learners accomplished. The guests include leaders from ADB, YMCA, and other clubs.

What makes this even more remarkable is what they achieved after only 11 weeks. The impact we have made on these young people is enormous. We are clearly doing something right, and I believe the AI Academy will continue to be one of our Club’s signature projects for many years to come.

The day ended with the graduation of our 78 learners, bringing the total number of AI Academy graduates to 139.

My special thanks to my fellow judges who spent the day listening to the impressive pitches: PP Fred Pascual, Dir. Patrick Parungao , Neil Makasiar, Chris Edwards, PE Leo De Leon, Dir. Philip Soliven, Mike Del Carmen and Notsky Lou and our guest judges, including the former CEO of P&A Grant Thornton, Marivic Españo, Tom Banguis, Laurent Lamasuta and Mac Esmilla, who also served as guest speaker during the graduation ceremony.

Thank you as well to our company partners who gave our learners the opportunity to showcase their talents: Delca, through Mike del Carmen; YMCA, through PP Cesar Campos; and RCM, which challenged the learners to develop AI-powered solutions for our membership recruitment process.

My heartfelt thanks to IPP Eddie for delivering an inspiring closing remarks. I also want to acknowledge PP Charlie Rufino, who was present throughout the day and brought along guests to witness the remarkable pitches made by the learners. Additionally, I would like to thank PP Bing Matoto, Kris Uy, Boy Arteche, Perty Montinola, Brandon Hargraves kand Paolo Turno who attended the event.

A heartfelt thank you goes to Director Roger Collantes, who has been a steadfast champion of this program. He was the visionary behind the AI Academy and continues to be its driving force. His impromptu, heartfelt message to the graduates further inspired them.

Our next phase is the Bridgeway Program, where we are asking companies to take in our graduates for a five-month OJT and allow them to apply their new skills to real business challenges. So far, St. Giles Hotel, Kings City Services Inc., GG&A Club Shares Brokers, Inc. Rotary Club of Makati, Delca Vision Tech Inc. Pasudeco Development Corp., Universal Leap Philippines, ABBE Technology Solutions, Hino Motors Phils. Inc., P&A Grant Thornton, NEO Property Management Inc and Threadborned Group companies have committed, with 27 students already confirmed for training.

I hope more of our members will support this next phase, which goes beyond what we’ve promised to deliver to the Sisters of Mary. By opening your companies to these young people, you’re not only helping them gain valuable experience but also discovering how their skills and fresh ideas can benefit your organization. Most importantly, you’re giving them the chance to pursue their dreams, and perhaps one day they’ll also help other young people achieve.

Fellowship and Service on a Monday

Yesterday, classes were still suspended, as was work in government offices, but our Club never stops. In fact, we had quite an interesting start to the week, one that perfectly captured two important sides of Rotary, i.e., fellowship and service.

In the morning, our Anns gathered at the home of Neil and Camille Makasiar in Alabang for a morning of fellowship, officially marking the beginning of the Anns’ activities for the year. Led by PFA Trina, the Anns welcomed FA Ronette, and it turned out to be a wonderful opportunity for them to reconnect, strengthen their bonds, and start planning their activities for the year ahead.

On the other side of the Rotary wheel, as we finally glimpsed a sliver of sunlight after nearly three days of relentless rain brought on by the typhoons and monsoon, we seized the opportunity to swiftly extend relief to the families in need.

Our Hope Mission team swiftly connected with our Rotary partners from RC San Mateo Highlands, who were also engaged in relief operations. Upon identifying the evacuation site and assessing the immediate needs, our team promptly prepared mats and blankets, mobilized transportation, and by 3:00 PM, we were already on the ground, distributing these supplies to approximately 500 affected families.

I believe that this was the fastest planning and execution for a hope (relief) mission that the Club has ever undertaken since I joined.

My deepest gratitude goes to Nicky Ramos, who, along with his girlfriend, oversaw this swift response. Despite arriving in the country only the previous night, he managed to overcome jet lag to do so. I also want to express my sincere thanks to our Baby Rotarians, Art Villafuerte and Lester Kiong, for joining the distribution efforts.

Of course, I extend my heartfelt gratitude to Kris Uy, who promptly responded to the transportation request by driving his van to load the relief goods. Remarkably, he even brought his entire family along to participate in the mission and, Ely, his daughter who is under five years old, actively contributed by distributing mats and blankets.

That was our kind of Rotary Monday; fellowship in the morning, service in the afternoon.

Upcoming Activities

Next week, we will have no regular meeting as we observe our Service Project Week. Our next meeting will be on Tuesday, August 25, at the Makati Shangri-La. I t will be a Rotary Anns’ Day. The Anns are stepping up to lead the program, and we’re thrilled to have Ms. Gina Lorenzana, CEO of the Belo Group, as our guest speaker!

As previously announced, we will have a delegation in Malaysia from August 21 to 23 for the 99th Installation of the Rotary Club of Kuala Lumpur Diraja. Our next international trip will be to Taiwan from November 5 to 6 for the 65th Anniversary of the Rotary Club of Taoyuan. We hope many of you can join us as we strengthen our ties with our sister clubs.

Speaking of representing our Club, I would also like to recognize PP Keith and PFA Rachel Harrison for representing RC Makati at the 77th Induction of the Rotary Club of Cauayan in Isabela over the weekend. They also represented us in Cagayan de Oro late last month.

Thank you, PP Keith and PFA Rachel, for carrying the RC Makati banner and helping ensure that our friendship and connection with our brother clubs remain alive and strong.

One final announcement. Please mark your calendars for our next Friday Night Lights event on August 28th at 6:00 p.m. at the Clubhouse. We’ll be celebrating our August birthday celebrants and enjoying another evening of camaraderie. Our Secretariat will also surprise us with a beautifully decorated party room and a sumptuous dinner.

PP Bimbo Mills has kindly volunteered to sponsor a lechon and the evening’s entertainment. Thank you, PP Bimbo, for making what promises to be a fun night even more enjoyable. I hope to see many of you there!