Bewildered members of Rotary Clubs in the Philippines are in an uproar over the Rotary International Board’s sudden decision to withdraw with finality Chicago-based Rotary International’s tentative selection of Manila as host of the 2028 RI Convention over various issues without finding out from the Manila Host Organizing Committee (HOC) and other top Rotarians whether the issues alleged were grounded on the truth.

On 14 January 2023, then RI president Jennifer Jones and her board announced their choice of Manila as the RI convention host in June 2028, “subject to the general secretary’s successful negotiations” on adequate accommodations, convention venue space and facilities, transportation, “and any other agreements necessary to memorialize the proposal from the host area.”

They also requested “the general secretary to provide a status report” on these matters at the RI’s October 2024 board meeting.

After that decision by the RI Board, the Manila HOC was formed and the Tourism Promotions Board announced that the Philippines had been granted a provisional bid to host the 2028 RI convention — a “moment of immense pride and excitement for Filipino Rotarians and the nation as a whole,” enthused Lower House representative-members in a resolution they passed (House Resolution No. 1826) welcoming the RI Board’s decision.

In October 2023, as preparations were getting into gear, then RI president-elect Stephanie Urchick flew to Manila and met with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. in Malacañang.

Her visit was followed by outgoing RI president Gordon McInally’s in February 2024. McInally, whose term ended on 31 July 2024, laid a wreath at the Rizal monument, the first RI president granted the honor to perform this ritual usually reserved for visiting heads of state and high dignitaries.

He also went to the Batasan where Speaker Martin Romualdez himself handed him a copy of House Resolution No. 1627 committing the House members’ full support for the 2028 RI Convention in Manila.

RI representatives were supposed to fly to Manila this month to check on things and meet with the Manila HOC.

However, on 28 June, two days before the end of his term as RI president, McInally informed the Manila HOC that the RI Board was withdrawing its provisional bid to host the 2028 RI convention in Manila, allegedly due to fiscal risks and other issues involving governance in the Philippine districts, among others.

Urchick succeeded McInally as RI president on 1 July. On 28 July, she announced that the RI’s decision in the matter was final.

A letter addressed to the RI Board through Urchick signed by three governors, including RI District 3810 governor Joaquin Rodriguz and top officers of at least 100 Rotary Clubs in the country, said they were “aghast at the alleged violations cited because they were so far from the truth. We are shocked that you saw fit to make such a consequential adverse decision against Rotary in the Philippines without giving our HOC its proper day in court.”

Added the local Rotarians, “Your allegations include unidentified Philippine “senior leaders” as the apparent source of the adverse info that was fed RI and which became the bases for RI’s withdrawal of our hosting. Who are these alleged leaders?”

Rodriquez said,” I’m not asking Urchick to return the convention hosting to us. All we want is an explanation. Why? I will answer her point by point.”

What could be the impact of RI’s sudden withdrawal of its considering Manila as convention host without adequate explanation?

“It insults us as a people,” says Rodriguez. “We feel our President was insulted. She went to Malacañang and shook his hand effusively. The Speaker of the House was also insulted. They gave us a raw deal. The least they could have done was told us, “we’ve been told this, we want to know, are these true?

Wondered Rodriguez, “What happened to the Rotary’s much vaunted Four-Way Test? Is it true, is it fair, is it beneficial to all concerned, will it build goodwill and better friendships? You (RI) preach it, and then you ignore it? Come on.”