The Metro Manila Toastmasters Club (MMTMC) made a clean sweep of first place wins in all four categories at the recently concluded Area 2 Speech Competitions. Held on January 30, 2010 at the Meralco TSB at Pasig City, the event combined the speech contests of Area 2 and Area 5. Declared Area 2 champions were the MMTMC speakers in the following categories:

Impromptu Speaking - Past President Freddie Dela Cruz, ACB-CL
Evaluation - Vice President Erick Llaguno, CC-CL
Humorous Speech - President Josephine Mines, CC-CL
International Prepared Speech - Past President Mariecel Onate, ACS-ALB

Photo at top shows the MMTMC contingent posing proudly with the bemedalled champions. From left are: Past President (PP) Tootz Dela Torre, ACS-CL; VP-Publc Relations Lynne Gamboa, ACG-CL; Mica Carino, TM; Cris Aviso, CC; PP Cristine Gonzales, ACG-CL; PP Freddie Dela Cruz, ACB-CL; PP Mariecel Onate, ACS-ACB; President Josephine Mines, CC-CL; Vice President Erick Llaguno, CC-CL; Area 2 Governor Joy Gatdula, CC-CL; Stella Simbulan, TM; and Roland Fernandez, TM. 

It was a wonderful victory for the four MMTMC speakers, especially since they went up against equally good speakers from other clubs in Area 2. Photo below shows all the contestants from both Area 2 and 5 having fun as they are introduced and interviewed before the audience.

A number of MMTMC members were in attendance to lend moral support and vibrant cheers to the speech champs, while others helped Area 2 Governor Joy Gatdula, CC-CL in conducting the speech competition by serving as timers and score tallyers. Toastmaster Mica Carino even served as Test Speaker for the Evaluation contest of Area 5, and she certainly wowed the contestants and the rest of the audience with her eloquence and skill. (Another speech champion in the making!)

Next stop for the Area 2 Champions is the Division A competition set in March.

Congratulations Champions! MMTMC is proud of you all!

January 25, 2010 proved to be a lucky night for Past President Freddie Dela Cruz, ACB (below, left photo) and Membership Vice President Erick Lllaguno, CC-CL (below, right photo) as they respectively won the Impromptu Speaking contest and the Evaluation contest of Metro Manila Toastmasters Club (MMTMC).

The Impromptu Speaking contest (also known as Table Topics) was joined by twelve MMTMC members, who delivered their best response to the topic “Difficulties, not ease, bring out the best in an individual”.  These brave ones were: Cris Aviso, CC; Jojo Cabrera, TM; Mica Carino, TM; Tootz Dela Torre, ACS-CL; Freddie Dela Cruz, ACB-CL; Jean Paul Datuin, TM; Roland Fernandez, TM; Erick Llaguno, CC-CL; Jeff Llaguno, TM; Ervine Pangwi, CC; and Verchie Totanes, TM. Newly inducted member Ronald Bermudez, TM also joined the contest — talk about a baptism of fire!

Meanwhile, the seven contestants in the Evaluation contest had a tough job evaluating the test speaker, Lynne Gamboa, ACG, Vice President for Public Relations of MMTMC and a veteran Toastmaster. The 7 contestants were: Jojo Cabrera, TM; Mica Carino, TM; Tootz Dela Torre, ACS-CL; Freddie Dela Cruz, ACB-CL; Erick Llaguno, CC-CL; Ervine Pangwi, CC; and Verchie Totanes, TM.

District Lt. Governor Wilson Lee, DTM (below, seated, 2nd from right) served as the Chief Judge in the two contests, and he was joined in the task of identifying the speech champs by (below, seated, from left): Atty. Fred Calanta, ATM, Past President of CMA Toastmasters Club; Division A Governor Corazon Oliva-Rodil, ACB; and Immediate Past Division A Governor Eliza Paylago, DTM.

After these last two contests, MMTMC now has four speech champions: Maricel Onate, ACG (International Prepared Speech); Josephine Mines, CC-CL (Humorous Speech); Freddie Dela Cruz, ACB (Impromptu Speaking); and Erick Llaguno, CC-CL (Evaluation). These champions shall next compete against other club champions in the Area 2 Competitions, set on January 30, 2010. And if fate and fortune smile upon these MMTMC champions, they may even go all the way to the Division and District level competitions — and even to the International level!

Way to go, Metro!  

It is a great blessing to any club or organization when its members, especially new ones, gamely participate in its activities. This go-getter attitude is a boon because it demonstrates that a member is not just interested in getting all he or she can from the club, but also in giving something of value to it. Two of the newest members of Metro Manila Toastmasters Club (MMTMC) embody that attitude and MMTMC is all the better because of it.

Last January 25, 2010, MMTMC President Sipen Mines, CC-CL inducted Stella Simbulan and Ronaldo Bermudez (below, with right hands raised) as new members. Their assigned mentors are Tootz Dela Torre, ACS-CL (left) and Lynne Gamboa, ACG-CL, (second from right) respectively.

Stella, whose Toastmaster membership was sponsored by their company, attended MMTMC meetings first as a guest. On her second visit to the Club, which coincided with their International Prepared Speech and Humorous Speech Contests, Stella was asked to be the score tallyer due to lack of warm bodies. Stella immediately said yes and got down to work. Her cooperative spirit was even more appreciated when in the following week, she again agreed to be the tallyer for the Impromptu Speaking and Evaluation contests.

Ronald, on the other hand, confessed to being immediately “wowed” by the skill level of members, and even in his first visit, was convinced that MMTMC was the club for him. In his second visit, which coincided with the club’s International Prepared Speech and Humorous Speech Contests, his positive impression further rose and he was eager to try his hand at public speaking — he also signed up right away for TM membership. In the next week, January 25, Ronald was inducted along with Stella, and afterwards, he immediately joined the Impromptu Speaking Contest. While he did not bag the championship, Ronald nevertheless performed well and gave a good showing of himself.

MMTMC is proud and happy to have Stella and Ronald on board — as early as now, they have proven to be valuable assets to the Club.

Past President Mariecel Onate, ACS (left most) and current President Josephine Mines, CC-CL (2nd from left)emerged as Champions in the recently concluded speech contests at Metro Manila Toastmasters Club (MMTMC) on January 18, 2009. PP Mariecel, with her speech titled “It’s my Turn”, aced the International Prepared Speech Contest, while Pres. Sipen topped the Humorous Speech Contest with her speech “The Truth and Nothing But”.

Coming in as 1st runner-up in the International Prepared Speech Contest was Erick Llaguno, CC-CL who spoke on retiring early and dying young, while TM Mica Carino was 2nd runner-up with her speech on love at first sight. The Humorous Speech Contest, meanwhile, had Freddie Dela Cruz, ACB-CL  as 1st runner-up, and TM Jopet Velasco, 2nd runner-up. TM Maggie Uy and Tootz Dela Torre, ACS-CL also gamely competed in the humorous category.

Serving as Board of Judges were: Past Division A Governor Eliza Paylago, DTM; current Division A - Assistant Governor for education & training Remy Santos, CC-CL; Area 1 Governor Melvin Paulino, and past International Prepared Speech  Champion of District 75 Orly Tugob, ACG. Overall Contest Chairman is MMTMC  Immediate Past President Joy Gatdula, CC-CL. 

The contests, which are in accordance with Toastmaster International rules, are aimed at revealing the best speakers in a Club to serve as role models for other members. From the Club-level, the speech champions shall then compete at the Area level, which is scheduled on January 30, then if successful, head to the Division level contest in March. The District finals shall be held during the District Convention in April at Bohol Island.

On January 25, MMTMC will hold its two last remaining contests on Table Topics and Evaluation. Photo below shows the Club members and its speech champions in a wacky pose with the Board of Judges (seated, from left): Area Governor Melvin Paulino, ACB; Orly Tugob, ACG; Past Division A Governor Eliza Paylago, DTM; and Div. A Asst. Governor Remy Santos, CC-CL.

The family of Metro Manila Toastmasters Club continues to grow, thanks to the induction of three more members. After attending a Club meeting as guests, these individuals quickly recognized that they were in the right place and with the right kind of people who would help them in developing their public speaking and leadership skills.

MMTMC is pleased to welcome Roland Fernandez (above), who was inducted last December 14, 2009, and Carlo Lazaro and Carol Pangilinan (below) who were inducted on January 11, 2010. 

Welcome Roland, Carol and Carlo!