By JOENALD MEDINA RAYOS
THE Batangas Crown Lions did it again! Lion Rodante Bico, 3PMJF is the run-away winner in the recent election of the Lions Club International District 301-A2 as the next District Governor for the Lion Year 2023-2024, held at the International Eucharistic Convention Center in Cebu City, Philippines, May 20.
“Lion Dante”as he is fondly called, who run unopposed for the topmost position in the district, is past president of the Batangas Crown Lions Lub, PMJF, with headquarters at Mega Heights Subdivision in Alangilan, Batangas City.
A former mariner, a hotelier and real estate magnate, Lion Dante rose the ladder of lionism from a regular member, a committee chairman, until he got elected as 2nd Vice president, first vice president and president of Batangas BCLC.
In 2021, he got elected as 2nd vice district governor, 1st vice district governor in 2022, and now as district governor.
Also elected with Bico are 1st District Vice Governor-elect Sol Wilfredo Flores Jr. of Pasay City Host Lions Club and 2nd District Vice Governor-elect Apolinar Cortes of San Pablo City Host Lions Club.
“I would like to grab this opportunity to express my utmost gratitude for all the trust and support of our fellow Lions. The one-year term is so long for a leader who got the post without any plan for the district, but is so short for leader with mission and vision in serving our less-fortunate brethren,” District Governor-elect Bico said.
“It is with great humility that we accept the challenge of leading our district to regain its pride and stature as the best district in the country in the ensuing lion year 2023-2024. We will act double time in serving our communities and build bridges to ensure unity and stronger district that we envisioned to lead,” he added.
District Governor-elect Bico is well-supported by the majority of the past district governors. Notably, his wife, Lion Wennie Basa-Bico, 25PMJF, is a multi-awarded lion leader who have served too as District Governor in Lion Year 2019-2020.
LCI District 301-A2, the biggest among the nine (9) encompasses the whole of Southern Manila (Pasay City, Makati City, Parañaque City, Las Piñas City, Muntinlupa City), and the provinces of CALABA(r)ZON (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Quezon); the MIMAROPA Region (Oriental and Occidental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan); and the province of Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, and Sorsogon in the Bicol Region.
The said election took place on the 2nd day of the 2-Day 74th Multi-District 301 Philippines Convention held in Cebu, that was attended by thousands of lion members from all over the country.
Annually, members of the Lions Clubs International in the country gather together to thresh out policies, programs and challenges in the conduct of humanitarian services under the five (5) global causes – diabetes, environment, hunger, vision, and childhood cancer.|-BNN