The 58th Rotary Club of Makati Charter Anniversary Gala Night on 15 March 2024 was a glittering event, with officers, members and guests, including a delegation from the Rotary Club of Taoyuan, who came to congratulate their Club hosts and listen to their fellow-Korean, the famed soprano Sung Hung Kee who flew all the way from South Korea to wow the dressed-to-the-nines audience at the Manila Polo Club’s Main Lounge with arias from several well-loved operas.

It was a memorable evening highlighted by, among others, citations and awards-giving, including one — the Youth Leadership Role Model award — given to Bureau of Internal Revenue Commissioner and RC Makati member, tax lawyer Romeo “Jun” Lumagui Jr. Under his watch, the BIR ended 2023 with an impressive P2.34 trillion in tax collection, exceeding 2022’s P2.16 trillion by 8.6 percent.

The Club’s 58th Charter anniversary was made more significant with the culmination of the 8-month long search for the inaugural winner of the Paing Hechanova Youth Leadership Award (PHYLA), a key Club project.

In collaboration with various other Rotary Clubs across the country, and the family of well-loved 1952 Olympian, architect, philanthropist and exceptional RC Makati member Rafael “Paing” Hechanova, the Club launched the PHYLA in July 2023 with an aim to recognize the work of exceptional young Filipino leaders embodying Rotary’s motto of “Service Above Self,” and Hechanova’s legacy of sportsmanship that extended to the way he lived his life and led others.

50 nominees

From July 2023 to January 2024, the nomination process, aided by district coordinators from all 10 Rotary districts in the country selected over 50 participants which later, through arduous work, were whittled down to a final 10 youth leader finalists with stellar leadership qualities. Winners from the district level were awarded P50,000 each and advanced to compete for the P300,000 grand prize. The nominating Rotary Clubs of the 10 finalists were also given P25,000 each.

At one point in the evening, PHYLA chairman Sid Garcia took the mike to say, “You are indeed worthy models of our youth, we are proud of each one of you and what you have achieved at such a young age; remember you are already winners,” as PHYLA finalists Kenneth Miranda, 26, from Bocaue, Bulacan; Ronalyn C. Lagata, 26, from Payatas, Quezon City; Joachim Sebastian S. Ridulme, 21, from Bantay, Ilocos Sur; Nicole Anne Z. Tiamzon, 21, from Taytay, Rizal; Rovin Jhon B. Cincollagas, 29, from Balingasa, Quezon City; Samuel C. Madriaga, 24, from San Pablo City, Laguna; Ariel Claveria, 29, from Las Piñas City; Amina Shayne B. Halil, 24, from Divisoria, Zamboanga City; Marvelous Dainty C. Camilo, 27, from Davao City; and Erickaye C. Villegas, 25, from Lapasan, Cagayan de Oro, rose from their seats to hearty applause. Then, the announcement of winners; first, a special award with P50,000 in cash, to Lagata, a beneficiary-turned leader of Fairplay for All Foundations, an NGO aimed at breaking the poverty cycle in Payatas through sports, education and development programs, followed by the naming of Halil from Zamboanga City — the third top finalist — with her mission to help build equitable and sustainable food systems ensuring food security and nutrition for chronically food insecure Filipinos. The third top award came with a P100,000 prize money.

Health trailblazer

Madriaga from San Pablo City, Laguna was called next as second top finalist, with a P200,000 cash prize. A registered occupational therapist and public health champion, Madriaga’s Alliance of Public Health Advocates which he founded in 2020 was recognized as one of the 10 Accomplished Youth Organizations in the Philippines in 2021 and in 2023, was National Gold Awardee for Partners in fostering a well-informed community advancing public health through evidence-based innovative and youth-centric community health intervention and literacy programs.

Finally, the PHYLA inaugural winner with a grand prize of P300,000 was announced: Ridulme, whose More than Cleanups Campaign’s flagship program has bottle collection zones set up in schools and business sites in his home base of Bantay, Ilocos Sur, and involves the creation of plastic bottle eco-products for use in grassroots communities, providing livelihood to carpenters and seamstresses, among others.

RC Makati Senen “Bing” Matoto extended his congratulations to the finalists and top winners, expressed “sincere” thanks to the district coordinators, nominating Rotary Clubs, the Hechanova family and other sponsors as well as his fellow national judges whom, he said, shared his “agony of picking the best from the best.”

Hechanova’s daughter Raissa Posadas Hechanova (past president, RC Makati Premier District), who gave the family’s response, conveyed gratitude to the Club and all those behind PHYLA for honoring her father. “Although he never sought attention, my Dad would have been pleased to see this award recognize outstanding youth leaders and make a difference in their lives,” she said.

She also lauded the PHYLA finalists and top winners and said, “Your passion, creativity and community spirit inspire us all; we are confident that you will make a significant difference in even more lives. You bring hope to the country, and to the world.”

Posadas ended her remarks by saying that she was “very much looking forward to the next PHYLA,” even as she affirmed her family’s continued support for the project.