ALKHOBAR, 9 August — The wave of information technology awareness that had been drawing interest among Filipinos in the Kingdom has reached the Eastern Province.
Assistant Labor Attaché Jalilo dela Torre told Arab News that the Megabyte 2 project will be launched today in the Eastern Region following its successful take-off in Riyadh, benefiting hundreds of OFWs in that region.
The Megabyte 2 project is a series of trainings and seminars on computer assembly and literacy to be held in Al-Ahsa, Alkhobar, Dammam, Dhahran, and Jubail.
Dela Torre said that the Filipino community in Hofuf will inaugurate the Al-Ahsa Computer Literacy and Livelihood Program today. The program will include a three-Friday hands-on computer assembly and conclude with a seminar on savings and investment to be conducted by Romie Cahucom of the OFW Investors Society.
Short-term courses on software applications will also be introduced shortly as part of the computer literacy program of the Al-Ahsa group. Interested parties may contact Marilou Aquino-Araniador, president of the Filipino Community in Al-Ahsa (Filcah), at tel. no. 054-840356 for reservation and details of the program.
Dela Torre also said that for Filipino communities within the cities of Alkhobar, Dammam, Dhahran and neighboring towns like Abqaiq, Qatif, and Ras-Tanura the same programs will be launched on Aug. 30 and Sept. 6. This is in coordination with the Filipino Computer Society headed by Jose Gie Sinaon and the POLO-OWWA Eastern Region Operations. For more particulars, Sinaon can be reached at his tel. no. 052-115059 or dela Torre at 057-224996.
The FCS actually started their computer seminars last month when they opened a training center at the Philippine Community School in Alkhobar (Philcosa). The group intends to also introduce short-term computer courses to be available to OFWs both at the International Philippine School in Alkhobar (IPSA) and the Philippine School in Dammam (PSD) during weekends.
The labor attaché also said that arrangements are now being made with heavy industrial companies in Jubail like the AYTB, where huge number of Filipinos are currently employed, to expand the Megabyte project.
Dela Torre, together with Supervising Welfare Officer Sotero Tornea, met recently with AYTB president Jamil Mohammad Nasr and human resource manager Mahmoud Khatib to discuss the holding of the Megabyte project in AYTB’s most modern and superbly equipped Center for Excellence.
The target date for the program in Jubail is tentatively set on Sept. 20.
Dela Torre said that in October, an IT Awareness and Education Convention will be held in Alkhobar. This is to gather all Filipino computer enthusiasts and professionals throughout the Kingdom. The delegates will discuss and agree on a common IT awareness and education agenda so that courses to be offered by the community organizations will be the same.
“Right now, each organization has their own programs, offering short-term computer courses on different approach. We will try to formulate a common module to move faster,” dela Torre said.