The Rotary Club of Makati West (RCMW)’s “Gift of Life” (GOL) program recently received a Silver Award from the Rotary Club of Manila’s Centennial Awards for its outstanding humanitarian support. Given as part of the 100th anniversary celebration of the Rotary Club of Manila (RCM), the first and oldest Rotary Club in Asia, the Centennial Awards is RCM’s nationwide search for the most outstanding service projects of its daughter clubs.
A major initiative of the Rotary Club of Makati West, Gift of Life provides free heart surgeries for poor children with congenital heart disease. Since it started in 2005, GOL has provided for the operation as well as post medical treatment of more than 882 Filipino pediatric patients, who had since then fully recovered and are now living normal lives. Rotarians have even gone beyond extending financial support, and have given emotional and spiritual guidance as well to the patients and their families.
In photo receiving the award and P100,000 cash prize from Rotary Club of Manila president Jesus Pineda (5th from left) and US Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim (4th from left) are RCMW’s (left to right) President Lou Del Rosario, District Governor Al Montecillo, Past Rotary International Director (PRID) Guiller Tumangan, PRID Gary Huang, President-elect Eric Tensuan, Immediate Past President (IPP) Dave Caldwell, and PP Mon Guerrero.
