New RC Makati president vows keener concern for mental health, environmental concerns

The Rotary Club of Makati inducted on Friday, 5 July 2024 its new president, Keith Harrison, who has taken on the challenge to expand the Club’s multi-varied programs and projects, with a particular focus on mental health, persons with disabilities, and care for the environment, among others.

Harrison was formally introduced as the Club’s new president for Rotary Year 2024-2025 during a grand formal ball held at The Peninsula Manila in Makati.

Onstage with Harrison as he was introduced at the start of RC Makati’s 59th Induction Ball were Department of Trade and Industry Secretary Alfredo Pascual who is this year’s recipient of the prestigious RC Makati’s Youth Leadership Role Model Award and the much-applauded former senator Leila De Lima who was guest speaker at the induction ceremony.

Predecessor’s legacy

Building on the legacy of his predecessor Senen “Bing” Matoto, Harrison promised to lead the club toward higher awareness of good mental health habits and intervention, especially among the youth.

“We will continue programs that deal with teenage depression and suicide. Bing Matoto’s leadership has seen remarkable initiatives, such as the mental health program in collaboration with Natasha Goulbourn Foundation and the vocational scholarship with Dualtech,” he said.

Harrison, whose son falls under the autism spectrum, also aims to create projects that foster compassion for and understanding of the unique talents of people with disabilities.

He also promised to further protect the environment through such projects as the building of parks like the BGC Greenway Park in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.

“We have to help the planet and keep on doing green projects,” Harrison stressed.

Former president, RC Singapore

Harrison, who left his childhood home in England and became a former president of Rotary Club of Singapore, always seizes opportunities to help others as he joined the Rotary Club of Makati after moving to the Philippines in 2020.

Before this, he was awarded Rotarian of the Year by Rotary Club of Singapore members.

“I promise to serve with all my heart and energy. We’re going to reach out to the young by taking Rotary stories up on Instagram and TikTok and other places we can find,” he said.

The London, UK-born Harrison married a Filipina, the former Rachel Fernandez with whom he has three children.

An accountant, Harrison worked for Price Waterhouse in Johannesburg, South Africa and HSBC in London before moving to Hong Kong in 1987 when he met the love of his life.

Improving the lives of the poor

Last Friday’s induction night at the Peninsula Manila was filled with more inspiring stories as former senator Leila De Lima, who was detained for seven years through false drug-related allegations by former President Rodrigo Duterte and his supporters, shared how determination can improve the lives of the poor.

She continued to speak about Duterte’s drug war linked to anti-human rights acts.

“I came to a deeper understanding on how apathy can become a menace in society if left untreated. In the grand scheme of things, we’re all connected,” De Lima said.

As former Senate committee chairperson on social justice, welfare and rural development, De Lima authored the Magna Carta of the Poor and the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program Act or 4Ps which provide cash subsidies for poor households.

“It aims to uplift the standard living of the poor by turning into reality the rights to adequate food, decent work, quality education and healthcare,” she said.

De Lima thanked the Rotary Club of Makati for sharing the mission to make the world “kinder” toward the less privileged.

“In doing good, you also inspire the good in others, fostering compassionate and productive citizens. This multiplier effect is part of the magic of Rotary.”

Pascual as youth role model

Meanwhile, Trade Secretary Fred Pascual was recognized as the Rotary Club of Makati’s Youth Leadership Role Model.

Pascual was a former president of the University of the Philippines and a finance professor at Asian Institute of Management in the 1980s, among others.

Regarding the Filipino youth, Pascual stated, “They are not just our future leaders but the torchbearers of innovation, integrity, and inclusive growth. To be recognized as a role model for them is not just an honor — it’s a responsibility I take to heart,” he said.