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MAIDEN ISSUE

September 2, 2004

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ROTARY INTERNATIONAL

DISTRICT 3780 GOVERNOR

MEETS THE PRESS

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Brought to you by:

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South Sea Surety & Insurance Co., Inc.

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Restoration of national discipline, the answer to the fiscal crisis

 Rotary Int’l District 3780 Governor, Atty. George L. Howard, said that it is only the restoration of national discipline among the citizenry that can help solve the crisis our country is facing today. “Unless we bring national discipline back, there is no solution to our problems, particularly the fiscal crisis we are in,” he added.

 A fiscal crisis is different from full-blown economic crisis A fiscal crisis that gets out of hand, however, may lead to a much bigger crisis engulfing the entire economy and society. When a government spends more than what it earns, through the years it piles up debt may become unmanageable to a certain point, sparking a fiscal crisis. It means the government cannot pay its debts and at the same time, it cannot borrow to pay.

 Howard made the statement at “The Makati Business Forum” held last September 2 at the Fiesta San Miguel Bar of the Dusit Hotel Nikko. Howard is governor of Rotary Int’l. District 3780 for the Rotary Year 2004 to 2005. His district covers the entire Quezon City and has 88 clubs in its jurisdiction.

Howard emphasized the need to uphold Rotary’s strict criteria for membership in line with his vision of reestablishing the Rotary as the leading non-government organization (NGO) in the Philippines. Rotary encourages the promotion of high ethical standards in the conduct of business and industry. It is composed of businessmen who are leaders in their own fields. This makes Rotary “an elite, but not an elitist” organization, Howard stressed. Rotary continues to deliver necessary services in the communities through the men and women who adhere to Rotary’s ideals.

Howard also intends to establish the economic value of the countless service efforts rendered by the various clubs in his district for the past several years. This way, the contribution of Rotary as a non-government organization will be properly quantified and measured, and probably better appreciated both by the Rotarians themselves who tirelessly and selflessly rendered the services, and the public at large who have not yet fully comprehended Rotary as a world-wide service organization.

Rotary is now celebrating its 100 years of existence. It is the oldest, and so far the largest, service organization in the world. The Rotary Int’l. initiated the Rotary Polio Project giving polio vaccines to children in various countries. In 1985 alone, this registered 350,000 beneficiaries in seven endemic countries. Rotary has dug deep-wells and made potable water available to millions in Africa and other third world countries. Scholarship also remains a continuing project Rotary. Rotary’s Centennial Theme is: “Celebrate Rotary,” to which Howard adds his own distinct tag line “Serve with Honor,” thus, “Celebrate Rotary and Serve with Honor.” (Excalibur News)

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Donations not enough media practitioners tell JDV, Lucio Tan

Members of the media gave various reactions to the gestures of some prominent legislators led by Speaker Joe Devenecia and some senators who earlier announced their willingness to forego part of their pork-barrel funds from the next budget year as their way of helping the government deal with the fiscal crisis. Rallying behind the call, which was issued earlier by president Arroyo, some civic organizations and Lucio Tan also donated jewelry and P1 million, respectively.

 A lady broadcaster said Speaker Devenecia should uphold the principle of honoring one’s debts and pay his behest loans, instead of or aside from merely foregoing part of his pork-barrel funds.

Another member of the media made mention of the uncollected taxes from Lucio Tan, whom he said the latter should pay aside from donating a motley P1M.

The members of the media expressed their views and sentiments at “The Makati Business Forum” held last September 2 at the Fiesta San Miguel Bar of the Dusit Hotel Nikko. The Forum, which is held regularly every Thursday morning, is hosted by the Excalibur PR Mgt. Consultants. (Excalibur News)

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