RC KALIBO, 40 YEARS AND BEYOND

THE ROTARY CLUB of KALIBO

(Reflections of the past 40 years and in the 21st Century)

The Rotary Club of Kalibo was born in October 1966 through the efforts of Rotary Club of Roxas City and the first set of officers were elected in October 1966. On May 06, 1967, Rotary International issued the charter membership of RC Kalibo and the Charter was officially presented on July 22, 1967.

In the first decade (1966-1976) of its existence, several community projects were undertaken by the club for the benefit of the people of Aklan: 1) rehabilitation of the comfort rooms of Kalibo Pilot Elementary School; 2) construction of waiting shed at junction of Osmena and Quezon Avenues, Kalibo; 3) traffic islands along Roxas Avenue; and 4) the Banga Welcome Rotunda. RC Kalibo had also donated cement and other materials in the concreting of some municipal roads. It also extended financial assistance to typhoon victims of November 1969 and flood victims in 1973.

During the second decade (1976-1986) of its existence, RC Kalibo through the efforts of PP Roberto Nakaya, donated a fire truck from Japan to the Municipality of Kalibo. The Municipal Library of Kalibo and various schools in the province of Aklan were also given a total of 82,000 volumes of books through the club’s first foreign matched club of RC El Sobrante, California. It also saw the Club involved in International projects such as hosting Group Study Exchange teams, hosted and sent Rotary Exchange Scholars and sponsored foreign medical missions to Aklan. Contribution to The Rotary Foundation began and the club saw its first PHF member, PP Mods Abriam. The yearly “Handog Pamasko” was started during this period and the Rotary Club of Kalibo Scholarship Foundation was organised in 1984.

In the third decade (1986-1996), the significant projects are: 1) installation of lighting facilities at the Kalibo Shopping Center, Gomburza Plaza and Archbishop Reyes Street; 2) construction of traffic island and beautification of Archbishop Reyes Street; 3) continued its foreign and local medical missions. 4) continuation of yearly projects initiated in the second decade.

The start of the fourth (1996-2006) saw the construction of RC Kalibo’s Livelihood and Training Center after the site was donated by PP Vady and Spouse Nilda Marin at a cost of PHP1.3 m. In this decade, a very significant medical mission from Uplift Internationale named “Operation Taghoy” was implemented with the principal sponsor Rotary Club of White Ridge, Colorado, U.S.A. The project conducted surgical operations on patients with maxillo-facial deformities. To date an approximate of 120 plus operations have been performed in the province of Aklan. Other projects include: 1) construction and rehabilitation of the Children’s Playground at Pastrana Park, Kalibo; 2) construction of the Masing Amigo Mini-Memorial Park at Tambak, New Washington; 3) installation of two drinking fountains in ANHSAT; and 4) installation of 22 deep wells in the province of Aklan under the Water Management Projects in partnership with Rotary Clubs of South Korea.

To date, the club has accomplished the following: 1) sponsored a donation of a modular library to ANHSAT with reference books through the Mabey Foundation; 2) acquired a Matching Grant totalling PHP716,566 with Rotary Club of Santa Barbara, California for ANHSAT’s workshop equipment; and 3) sent five delegates to different countries through the Group Study Exchange Program and several graduating high school students abroad through the Rotary Exchange Program, enabling them to finish their secondary education there.

The Club has produced eighteen (18) PHF members of which three (03) are multiple PHF members and forty-four RFSM.

With the foregoing significant projects as well as several others not mentioned have merited several awards from Rotary International District 3850, the Rotary Club of Kalibo stands proud and views the future with confidence and determination to fulfill its mission through the 21st Century.

NOTE: The pictures were taken last May 6, during the celebration of Rotary Club of Kalibo's 40th Founding Anniversary: RCK donated Php40,000.00 to the Club's Rotary Foundation to send scholars to College. Presscon was held in the morning with the Tri-Media, donation of wheelchair of hope to the elderly and ended with a great fellowship with flowing beer, good food and a fruitful night with a raffle of $100 for Sustaining Member winner - Rtn. Efren Abayon. Congratulations and Happy Anniversary Rotary Club of Kalibo. Mabuhay and long live RC Kalibo!