July-August 2012 - Manila Polo Club

FEATUREMPC Director Roberto de OcampoHonorary Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE)We are happy and proud toannounce that our BoardMember and Treasurer,former Secretary ofFinance Roberto”Bobby”F. de Ocampo, has beenconferred by Her MajestyQueen Elizabeth II asHonorary Officer of theMost Excellent Order of theBritish Empire (OBE). He wasrecognized for his work in promoting Philippine-UK relations over his years in public serviceand,more recently,in his capacity as Chairmanof the British Alumni Association. It was in thislatter role that he was acknowledged to havetransformed the entity into a proactivepromoter of raising the consciousness ofFilipinos about British education opportunitiesthereby helping to increase the number ofFilipino students and alumni from UK schools,developed the Philippine-UK Friendship Weekto become one of the highest profile annualactivities for fostering Philippine-UK relations,and established a charity Foundation forDisadvantaged Children funded by proceedsfrom activities organized by the Associationduring the Friendship Week. Among the moreprominent of these events has been the UKAmbassador’s Cup Equestrian competitionthat has now become an annual event at ourClub and the concerts of the London-basedboy’s choir, Libera, over the past three years.Funds raised have supported health outreachmissions, textbook donations,and playgroundsfor disadvantaged children in lowest incomecommunities. Mr. de Ocampo has been widelyrecognized internationally having been the firstand only Filipino to receive the internationallyprestigious Global Finance Minister of the Yearaward from Euromoney and conferred the rankof Chevalier by the Ordre National de La LegionD’Honneur of France.18FEATURE