DG Melvin de la Serna: Bugal kang Antique

District Governor Melvin “Mel” Say de la Serna was inducted to the Rotary Club of Antique in 1991. After two years, he became the club’s youngest president. Tagged as the summa cum laude of the Rotary Club of Antique because of top recognition, his club’s past presidents honor him every culmination activity. His term as club president is described as a year of many firsts—among them were the organization of the Partners in Service committees, contribution to The Rotary Foundation, and being awarded the Outstanding Club in the District and Best Club Bulletin by the late PDG Ross Castillo. He is RC Antique’s first Paul Harris Fellow, an Attendance 100 percenter for 20 years and has attended several R.I. Conventions.

He held various positions in his club and the district. He was the Asst. Governor for Zone 1 in RY 2002-2003, twice the District’s Chair for Community Service, and an almost perennial Chair of the PolioPlus. He was also the Governor’s Special Representative in RY 1995-96 for the RC Culasi extension.

DG Mel was born in San Jose, Antique and finished his BS Biological Sciences from UP in the Visayas and Doctor of Medicine from West Visayas State University, Iloilo City as the National State Scholar for Region 6. He has also won various awards for vocal solo, painting, poetry and essay writing competitions during his school days.

Stricken by polio at age 11 months, this survivor is the founding president of the Association of Disabled Persons- Antique in 1992 and served as president for 10 years. He initiated the establishment of the Special Education Center in Antique, and still fights for the rights of persons with disabilities.

He is also the founding president of the Phil. Federation of Private Medical Practitioners-Antique Chapter. He is a past president of the Antique Medical Society and the Phil. Academy of Family Physicians Antique Chapter, where he is a Diplomate and Fellow. He has brought the organizations their first national awards as outstanding chapters. He was twice voted by the PNP Region 6 as Antique’s Most Outstanding Civilian in 1996 and 1999. He is also Antique’s Most Outstanding Physician 1996 and Physician of the Year in 2000. Presently, he is also involved with the Drugstores Association of the Philippines, Philippine Red Cross, Boy Scouts of the Philippines, Good Shepherd Center for the Elderly and the Coast Guard Auxiliary. With all his community volunteerism, DG Mel was chosen as Bugal Kang Antique (Pride of Antique) Awardee for Community Service in April 2009. He has several gold medals in swimming during his medical years, and has bagged a silver medal for freestyle in the Philippine National Games (PWD Category) in 1997 held in Cebu City.

Presently, DG Mel has an active private practice in Family Medicine. He is married to the former Fe Ortega of Cabanatuan City, a pharmacist; and they are blessed with four children: Arianna, 16; Kristia, 15; Alexa, 11; and Martino, 8.