Members of a popular Filipino civic and patriotic organization met in the Saudi capital last week to discuss various issues and projects.
Zane M. Thirlwall, regional commander of the Order of the Knights of Rizal in the Middle East and Africa Region (OKOR-MEAR), said: “We discussed lifetime membership, promotions and expansion of the organization in the Central, Eastern and Western regions of the Kingdom.”
Plans are also afoot, Thirlwall added, for OKOR’s expansion in Qatar, Dubai and Oman.
Thirlwall, a Briton married to a Filipino nurse, added that the body is joining the protest against the construction of Torre de Manila, a multi-story building back home.
The building, they say, will dwarf the world-famous and iconic monument of Jose P. Rizal, a famous Filipino revolutionary, at the Luneta in Manila. The issue remains a hot topic in the country.
Rizal, a Philippine national hero, was executed in 1896 by the Spanish colonizers at the same spot where the monument stands.
“The construction of the building is wrong. It removes any and all dignity that the national hero’s monument projects, not only to Filipinos, but also to the whole world. There’s no compromise on this issue and authorities should and must set a good example from this and stop the building construction,” he said.
He noted that Rizal died for his country and to disrespect the national monument in such a way is shameless.
“Rizal’s monument has enjoyed the privilege of standing high and being visited by the highest of government officials from countries around the world who paid respects to Rizal. They are now destroying its settings for money. It’s just so wrong, and yet action from those who can and do have a voice has not been taken,” he said. Thirlwall added that the 12th MEAR Academic, Talent and Skills contest to be held in Bahrain from Oct. 3 to 5 was also discussed and that a delegation from OKOR’s headquarters in Manila will attend the event, in which Philippine international schools in the Middle East will take part.
He said that eight schools had confirmed their participation, of which four from Saudi Arabia, two from Qatar and one from Kuwait and one from Bahrain.
Cenon C. Sagadal Jr, OKOR chapter commander in the Central Region, headed 30 members in the Saudi capital for the meeting. Labor Attache Resty Dela Fuente of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Riyadh (POLO-Riyadh) also attended the meeting
Other chapter commanders who attended included Oscar G. Paraiso for Bahrain and Kuwait, Glicerio L. Tuazon (Qatar, UAE and Oman), Rafaelito A. Beltran (Eastern Province), Erwin T. Tagaban (chapter chancellor) and Jaime D. Baguio, deputy area commander (Bahrain and Kuwait).
Lady Glynda J. Thirlwall of the Eastern Province Chapter also attended.