JEDDAH, 31 July — More than 40 community leaders from Jeddah and Yanbu unanimously voted to form a “strong, solid, and effective” alliance during their second exploratory meeting held at the Tropicana Restaurant on Friday night.
Convenors of the meeting said they hope to expand the alliance to include all community organizations in the Western Region. The purpose of the alliance is to come up with one voice to assert, in unison with the umbrella groups in the Central and Eastern regions, the rights and welfare of Overseas Filipino Workers in Manila.
A disappointment, however, was the group Kasapi, which opted out of the alliance on ground that there is no need for one.
“It would be a duplication of function. Kasapi is the umbrella organization for close to 30 registered organizations in Jeddah. I wish the organizers of the alliance luck in their endeavor. I hope they can achieve their goals,” Kasapi chair Ben Garcia told Arab News.
Formed during the outbreak of the Gulf War to give relief and shelter to displaced OFWs, Kasapi eventually became the biggest umbrella organization in Jeddah. But a series of infighting drove away many of its member groups and others thought it outgrew its usefulness.
Representatives of various groups who participated in Friday’s meeting said they were expecting Kasapi to spearhead the unity campaign, only to find its leaders effectively refusing to take up the challenge.
The assembly that took part represented some 20 major federations and organizations from cooperatives to professional to parents and teachers group, by far the largest gathering of community leaders.
“It is about time community leaders unite because organizations in Jeddah are not united (watak-watak), thus the need for a coordinating body,” commented Atoy Esguerra of the Batangas group.
Raffy David, head of the Filipino Community in Yanbu (Filcoyan), which is an umbrella group, added: “Gustong-guso naming na magkaroon ng alyansa kasi sa Yanbu ang pagtulong sa kapwa pang pamilyang bagay na.”
While the leaders agreed to form an alliance, its form, substance, and guiding principles are still on the drawing boards. What has drawn leaders to the meeting last Friday was the provision for each organization to retain its autonomy.
Participants said an alliance was the logical path to take because professional organizations like PICPA (accountants), PSME (mechanical engineers), IIEE (electrical engineers), or the religious organization like Filipino Muslim League, could never be under any umbrella organization because their constitution and by-laws in itself prohibits such structure of coverage.
By forming an alliance, Sam Delos Santos of Bicol said, the strength of each organization would be reinforced. He pointed out that “complaints by OFWs are not heard because we speak individually.”
Delos Santos suggested that the alliance be patterned after the United Nations where each organization is represented in the General Assembly.
Whatever type of alliance would be established, Amir Llanera said, the alliance’s primary purpose must be the “welfare and protection of OFWs.” He said that past groups started out looking after the welfare and protection of OFWs but deviated into sports and cultural activities.
Tasked to sort out the salient points of the alliance was a 15-member Ad Hoc Committee, with following members: Raffy David, Edriss Tamano, Francis Oca, Vic Aguila, Jibreel de Vera, Sam delos Santos, Arleen Sallador, Glenn Eloppe, Jordan Rodriquez, Nelson Baraga, Abdullah San Pedro, Atoy Esguerra, Rudy Castro and Wenifred Castolome.
After a preliminary meeting this week, the committee plans to meet Ambassador Bahnarim Guinomla when he visits Jeddah on Aug. 9. The ambassador is the guest speaker of the one-day investment seminar scheduled at the Philippine Consulate.
For the second time, Fred Castolome and Edriss Tamano ably steered the meeting into order as convenor and moderator, respectively.
