Getting to know The District Secretary

CP Pedro "PETE" Cootauco, Jr.

DS Pete is the Charter President of the Rotary Club of Metro Lipa. Before this, he was a member of the Rotary Club of Lipa South, his sponsor for a scholarship grant under the Rotary Foundation Freedon for Hunger Program.

Through sheer determination, perseverance, and the innate urge to succeed, DS Pete has gone a long way from his birthplace in Daet, Camarines Norte, to his now permanent community, Lipa City. He is married to Eufracia "Nene" Delgado, a CPA, and has three sons, Peter, Ninoy and Gerard.

Anyone who takes a look at DS Pete’s curriculum vitae will be impressed. He began manifesting his leadership capabilities in both curriculum and extracurricular at the Gregorio Araneta University Foundation (GAUF). He was President of the Central Humanities Organization, Animal Science Research Society, and the Student Advisory Board (Supreme Student Council). He graduated Cum Laude in Bachelor of Science in Animal Husbandry. As one of the Ten Most Outstanding Senior Students for SY 1977-1978, he also earned the Gold Medal Award.

DS Pete earned his Masteral Degree on Animal Science, major in Animal Breeding and Genetics at Ohio State University, USA, as a scholar of the Rotary Foundation Freedom for Hunger Program. He is Doctor of Philosophy in Agriculture Sciences, Meritissimus (Summa Cum Laude) honors. He also received GAUF’s Most Outstanding Dissertation Award.

It was his return to the Philippines after studying in Ohio that he joined the Rotary Club of Lipa South. The club recognized him as the Most Outstanding Rotarian in 1994. He was also cited for his outstanding performance as Club Secretary. He is also a recipient of the District Outstanding Performance as Chairman of the Cultural Development Committee; the District Governor’s Meritorious Club President Award, and the presidential Citation award from RC Metro Lipa. He was appointed DGGR of Area II, Group 5, during RY 1999-2000. At the 1999-2000 DISCON, he was awarded the Rotary Foundation District Award for outstanding Service in Promoting the Rotary Foundation and its goal of World Understanding and Peace, and having served as District chair for scholarships programs for three consecutive years.

It was in 1995, during the incumbency of Pres. Carding Macala that he egged on to form the RC of metro Lipa.

On the professional side, DS Pete has worked as farm manager/consultant and animal nutritionist in a number of piggery farms in Lipa and the neighboring municipalities. He is at present Associate Professor III and Area Chairperson of the Math and Science department of De La Salle - Lipa tertiary level. He is also a part time instructor at the St. Francis Regional College Seminary in Marawoy, Lipa City teaching Chemistry and Statistics. Not withstanding the rigorous travel at Malabon, Metro Manila, and out of pure love and gratitude to his alma mater, he teaches two subjects every Saturday at GAUF.

Over and above these concerns, DS Pete is a member of the brotherhood of Christian Businessmen and Professionals (BCBP), a Catholic lay Organization.

This RY 2000-2001, DS Pete is also the District Protocol Officer.