19th District Conference of
Rotary International D3870

April 3-5, 2003
Cagayan de Oro City

HISTORY: RI DISTRICT 3870

(A Rotary District that is solidly Mindanao)

Rotary reached Mindanao with the organization of the Rotary Club of Davao in RY 1938-1939, the same year when the Commonweath of the Philippines became the lone RI District. Rotary spread toNorthern Mindanao when the Rotary Club of Cagayan de Oro was chartered on April 22, 1948, making it the oldest Rotary Club of District 3870. 

RI District 3870 was created by action of the Board of Directors of Rotary International in RY 1983-1984. It, however, started as a separate asministrative district of Rotary International in RY 1984-1985. It was carve out of RI District 3850 which then comprised the whole of Panay Island, Negros Occidental and the greater part of North, Central and Western Mindanao. 

Significantly, District 3870 now remains as the only district that is solidly Mindanao among the 10 Rotary district in the Philippines. It embraces the North and Central Mindanao and covers the cities of Cagayan de Oro, Malaybalay, Valencia, Gingoog, Iligan, Marawi, Cotabato, Kidapawan and the provinces of Camiguin Island, Misamis Oriental, Lanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Cotabato And Sultan Kudarat. 

The story of District 3870 is the story of growth of Rotary in the Philippines and particularly in Mindanao. 

Clubs would fall out through the succeeding year. What was once familiar clubs fell out one by one from district map. The pain of loding clubs a was somehow eased as new clubs came into being. In RY 1985-86, the Rotary club of Cagayan de Oro North, Marawi West, Northern Bukidnoon and Ocean Port Medina were chartered. The following year, the Rotary club of Balingasag, Isulan, , Metro Kidapawan , Ticala Clveria, Metro Iligan , South Central Iligan, Camiguin Island and Initao also received their charter. RC Initao, unfortunately met its early death as a club. Rotary year 1987-1988 added 3 new clubs, the Rotary Club of Malabang, Midsayap Metri and the Cagayan de Oro East Central. While the Rotary Club of Malaybalay was re-instated. 

RY 1989-1990 saw the birth of rwo more clubs, the first all woman Rotary Club in District 3870, the Rotary Club of Iligan Maria Cristina (the second all woman in the Philippines) and RC Iligan West Rotary year 1990-91 added the Rotary Club of East Urban, the second all women club of the district. From RY 1991- Up to the present, the list of Rotary clubs had grown with the creation of RC Far  East Cagayan de Oro, RC Golden East, RC Carmen Valley West, RC South Central and RC PIEMO, RC Pikit, RC Kalayaan and just recently RC Cagayan de Oro Centerpoint. 

Among the District Governors who served prominently from this area during the era (RY 1964-1983) were the following: 

                        PDG Hernando Pineda                 -RY 1957-1958

                        PDG Gonzalo Javier                     - RY 1965-1966

                        PDG Ricardo Santos                    - RY 1980-1981

                        PDG Pafnucio Mejia                     - RY 1969- 1970

                        PDG Dante Sarraga                     - RY 1974- 1975

                        PDG Plutarco Velez                     - RY 1978- 1979   

                        PDG Saivador Laya                     - RY 1982- 1983 

As of July 2002, the District has 40 clubs in good standing and 902 Rotarians.  

Since its creation in RY 1984-1985, RI District 3870 has had the following District Governors, RI Presidents and RI themes: