The Sower's Quill by Pres. Chris Ferareza

Published in the Kaunlaran Newsletter on September 22, 2026.

Just Around the Corner: 100 Days of Service

As we approach the first 100 days of Rotary Year 2026-27, we are taking Rotary fellowship beyond the boundaries of Metro Manila. Today’s meeting is both unique and exciting as we gather outside our usual venues for a field visit and tour of the NARRA1 Data Center (NARRA1). This world-class facility is a joint venture between Digital Edge and an enterprise led by our very own PP Charlie Rufino.

At a time when artificial intelligence (AI) continues to transform the way we live, work, and do business, it is important for us to better understand the infrastructure that makes this technology possible. Our visit gives us a firsthand look at how data centers operate and the increasingly important role they play in powering our digital and AI-driven world.

This is also the kind of meeting we have incorporated into our Club programs. Offsite meetings give us an opportunity not only to learn something new, but also to visit and appreciate the businesses and industries where our own members are making an impact. It creates value for those attending while giving us an opportunity to showcase and support the work and businesses of our fellow members.

We hope to organize another offsite meeting during the second half of our Rotary year.

My sincere thanks to VP Philip Soliven for arranging today’s offsite meeting and to PP Charlie Rufino for opening the doors of NARRA1 to the Rotary Club of Makati and giving our members this opportunity to learn, connect, and experience the world of data centers firsthand.

ZONE 10A Awards

The awards and recognitions from our highly successful 60th year under IPP Eddie Galvez continue, as RC Makati shone across three major areas, i.e., Membership, The Rotary Foundation, and Public Image at the Zone 10A Awards held last September 12.

In Public Image, our AI Academy was recognized as the 2nd Best Public Image Campaign, while Impact — Stories of RC Makati was also named a finalist. We were likewise finalists for Best Facebook Page and Best Club Hymn. The recognition of AI Academy is especially meaningful because its story has reached audiences beyond our Club. It was featured on ANC News and across social media, culminating in a presentation at the Rotary International Convention that showcased how Rotary can help prepare young people for an AI-driven future.

In Membership, RC Makati received the 100-Member Growth Award, while our support for The Rotary Foundation placed us among the Top 5 clubs in Annual Fund Contribution.

To be recognized across all three areas among 930 Rotary clubs in 10 districts across the Philippines is a source of great pride. Congratulations as well to IPDG Reggie Nolido for leading District 3830 to a banner year.

These recognitions remind us that strong membership gives us more hands to serve, our support for TRF provides resources to create greater impact, and effective Public Image allows our stories to inspire others to action. As we celebrate these achievements, we continue toward our greater vision: to deliver scalable, sustainable, and transformative impact for the Philippines and beyond.

Food Share Program in Padre Garcia

Just last Friday, we were in Padre Garcia, Batangas, for the second site of our Food Share Program, benefiting 60 families in partnership with Kabisig ng Kalahi and the LGU of Padre Garcia.

This marks the second site of our Food Share Program for this Rotary year, following its earlier launch in Tanay for the Dumagat-Remontado community. This Thursday, we will return to Tanay to finalize the Board-approved provision of a carabao and farming implements for each of the two barangays in the area.

We will also assess opportunities to enhance livelihoods through the cultivation of high-value crops such as citronella and the increasingly in-demand ube, as well as explore the feasibility of establishing a cooperative. Joining us on this visit will be an expert from the UPLB College of Forestry, who will provide technical guidance in evaluating the area’s potential and identifying sustainable, community-based livelihood opportunities.

My sincere thanks to PP Freddie and Jojo Borromeo for continuing to champion programs like this and for helping ensure that children and their families have sustainable access to healthy and nutritious food.

Upcoming Activities

We have several activities lined up in the coming weeks, and I hope many of you can join us, not only for fellowship, but also in bringing our projects directly to the communities we serve.

For our return to Tanay this Thursday, we will depart from the Clubhouse at 7:00 AM. Expect an off-road adventure featuring several river crossings, so to our off-road enthusiasts, this is an adventure for a cause that you won’t want to miss!

On Friday, we are planning a relief mission for communities in Calumpit, Bulacan, that have remained submerged in floodwaters for more than two months. This mission was endorsed by PP Bimbo Mills, who brought the community’s call for help to our attention and generously extended financial support through the Club. We also plan to assess the feasibility of implementing a WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) project in the area and neighboring municipalities. Details will be shared once plans have been finalized.

On Saturday, we will host the District 3830 TRF Seminar at the Clubhouse from 9:00 AM to 12:00 noon. I encourage our members to attend and better understand how our contributions to The Rotary Foundation are transformed into projects that create lasting impact in communities here and around the world.

There will be no luncheon meeting on September 29, as it is the fifth Tuesday of the month. Since we meet only three times each month, let us use the week to implement, visit, and plan our various programs and activities. Our next regular meeting will be a dinner meeting on October 6 at Makati Shangri-La, with Dr. Ronilo Balbieran, former Chief of Party of USAID, as our guest speaker.

On October 3, we will mark another important milestone with the formal turnover of 12 homes at Rotary Homes Muntinlupa and the charter presentation of RCC Malasakit, composed of families from the said community. I hope you can join us as we continue building not simply houses, but a thriving community that now has 40 homes.

We will also be meeting with RCC Malasakit to discuss the establishment of a cooperative for the community. Once the group is ready, the Club will coordinate with the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) to conduct the mandatory seminar required for cooperative registration.

On October 4 will be the first RC Makati Family Day, celebrating the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, patron saint of animals. The event will begin with a Roman Catholic Mass at 8:00 AM, followed by the pet blessing at 9:30 AM and fellowship from 10:30 AM to 12:00 noon, with a light breakfast and coffee, music, games, kids’ activities, pet treats, and a family photo booth.

This initiative is part of Membership B’s efforts to strengthen member engagement while giving the children of our members, our potential future RC Makati Rotarians, the opportunity to experience firsthand the fellowship, values, and spirit of service that define our Club.

Bring the whole family, and, of course, your beloved pets. Dogs, cats, rabbits, birds, turtles, hamsters, and other family pets are all welcome, provided they are on a leash or safely in carriers.

Come and enjoy a morning of family, fellowship, fun, and meaningful encounters with our furry friends. I look forward to seeing you there and sharing this special morning with you and your family.

And finally, please join us for our Oktoberfest on October 16 at the RC Makati Clubhouse. This will be the third year we are holding this event as a fundraiser for End Polio, made even more meaningful by the historic role of our Clubhouse in Rotary’s fight against polio. It was here in 1979 that Rotary’s first polio immunization initiative in the Philippines began—an effort that would help pave the way for what became the global PolioPlus campaign.

My thanks to Mike del Carmen for leading the organization of this year’s Oktoberfest. Ticket details will be announced soon, and I hope everyone will support the event by bringing your family and inviting your friends. It promises to be another fun evening of fellowship for a cause that remains one of Rotary’s most important humanitarian commitments.