ANGELES CITY – The local folk’s long-time favorite foreigner who was granted Filipino citizenship in 2018 has died at the age of 84.
Bruce Donald McTavish, born in New Zealand, had always been a pride of city folk not only for his international reputation as boxing referee but also as philanthropist who had introduced the Polio Plus Project, a pilot program which became the basis of Rotary International efforts to eradicate polio worldwide.
As boxing referee, McTavish had won accolades for the Philippines even before he was naturalized. He was named World Boxing Council Referee of the Year in 2013, 2015, and 2017 and made history by being the only Philippine representative to have received the accolade.
McTavish is married to businesswoman Carmen of the prominent Tayag family with whom he has two children.
In a change encounter soon after he was naturalized, Carmen proudly declared to Punto: “Bruce is now Filipino,” and expressed her thanks to Pampanga 1st District Rep. Carmelo “Jon” Lazatin, whose father, the late former Mayor Carmelo Lazatin Sr., initiated the naturalization move for McTavish way back in 2010.
The naturalization bid of McTavish was reintroduced by Rep. Joseller “Yeng” Guiao in 2014, but the endorsements failed to be considered. In his turn, the younger Lazatin pursued the move in the House and in the Senate, House Bill 7388, sponsored by Sen. Richard Gordon as chair of the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights, granted Philippine citizenship to McTavish in recognition of his “exemplary contributions as a sportsman, entrepreneur, civic leader, devout Catholic and philanthropist.”
It was during his term as president of the Rotary Club of Mabalacat in the early 1980’s that McTavish introduced the Polio Plus Project.
McTavish first set foot in this city in 1967, working as a field office manager in an American automobile manufacturer at the former Clark US Air Force Base before becoming a referee.
In his youth. McTavish himself was a boxer, retiring with a record of 31 wins and two loses. He is said to have dabbled in the sports as early as nine years old.
He had acted as referee not only for local fights, but also bouts in Australia, China, England, Japan, North Korea, Mexico, Russia, Thailand and the United Arab Emirates. He has officiated some of the matches of Filipino great Manny Pacquiao and Nonito Donaire.
To city folk, McTavish was not only an international boxing referee, but philanthropist as well. He remained actively involved with the Bahay Bata Foundation, a center for local street children.
McTavish lies in repose at the Divine Mercy Chapel, Carmenville Subdivision. A funeral Mass will be offered on July 20, 7:30 a.m., interment follows. Photos grabbed from the web
