De Lima wants every Feb. 23 be declared as National Rotary Day
Published Dec 9, 2018 11:37 am
By Hannah Torregoza
The Senate committee on social justice, welfare and rural development is pushing for the passage of a bill declaring Feb. 23 of every year as “National Rotary Day.”
Senator Leila de Lima
(REUTERS/Romeo Ranoco / MANILA BULLETIN) Sen. Leila de Lima, chair of the said committee, has submitted for plenary debate Committee Report No. 519, for Senate Bill No. 1986, which seeks to declare February 23 of every year as a special working holiday in recognition of the Rotary Club of the Philippines’ commendable efforts and service. “For almost 99 years now, the Rotary Club of the Philippines has provided socioeconomic programs and services for the well-being of the Filipino people and the development of the country,” de Lima said. “The selfless services it has offered to the Filipinos is worth recognizing and should not go unnoticed,” she added. It was Sen. Trillanes IV, a colleague in the Senate minority bloc, who issued a sponsorship speech of the measure. De Lima is currently detained at the Philippine National Police (PNP) custodial center over drug charges. The Rotary Club of the Philippines is a local chapter of Rotary International in the Filipino community which is known to be the first Rotary Club in Asia, focusing on promoting peace, providing clean water, saving mothers and children, supporting education, helping grow local economies and fighting diseases. It has been widely recognized for helping victims battle with the crippling disease polio by giving vaccinations in the Philippines. Since it began its effort to eradicate polio in the country in 1979, the organization has successfully reduced polio cases by 99.9 percent. The lawmaker lauded Rotary Club for living up to its motto of “Service Above Self” through different activities, including vocational services, done not only in the country but also abroad. “The Rotary Club’s dedication towards selfless service is indeed commendable,” de Lima said. “That’s why I have high hopes that my esteemed colleagues help the National Rotary Day Act be passed into law,” she said. “In keeping with the untiring support of Rotary Club, this bill proposes the declaration of February 23, the Rotary’s anniversary date, as the National Rotary Day, as a fitting acknowledgement of the magnitude of contributions made by the organization towards the betterment and development of the country in terms of socio-economic programs and service,” de Lima also said in the explanatory note of the bill.
Senator Leila de Lima(REUTERS/Romeo Ranoco / MANILA BULLETIN) Sen. Leila de Lima, chair of the said committee, has submitted for plenary debate Committee Report No. 519, for Senate Bill No. 1986, which seeks to declare February 23 of every year as a special working holiday in recognition of the Rotary Club of the Philippines’ commendable efforts and service. “For almost 99 years now, the Rotary Club of the Philippines has provided socioeconomic programs and services for the well-being of the Filipino people and the development of the country,” de Lima said. “The selfless services it has offered to the Filipinos is worth recognizing and should not go unnoticed,” she added. It was Sen. Trillanes IV, a colleague in the Senate minority bloc, who issued a sponsorship speech of the measure. De Lima is currently detained at the Philippine National Police (PNP) custodial center over drug charges. The Rotary Club of the Philippines is a local chapter of Rotary International in the Filipino community which is known to be the first Rotary Club in Asia, focusing on promoting peace, providing clean water, saving mothers and children, supporting education, helping grow local economies and fighting diseases. It has been widely recognized for helping victims battle with the crippling disease polio by giving vaccinations in the Philippines. Since it began its effort to eradicate polio in the country in 1979, the organization has successfully reduced polio cases by 99.9 percent. The lawmaker lauded Rotary Club for living up to its motto of “Service Above Self” through different activities, including vocational services, done not only in the country but also abroad. “The Rotary Club’s dedication towards selfless service is indeed commendable,” de Lima said. “That’s why I have high hopes that my esteemed colleagues help the National Rotary Day Act be passed into law,” she said. “In keeping with the untiring support of Rotary Club, this bill proposes the declaration of February 23, the Rotary’s anniversary date, as the National Rotary Day, as a fitting acknowledgement of the magnitude of contributions made by the organization towards the betterment and development of the country in terms of socio-economic programs and service,” de Lima also said in the explanatory note of the bill.