RIYADH, 28 January 2004 — Some community groups are still going on with the campaign to make good their pledges to donate schoolrooms under the “Classroom Galing sa Manggagawang Pilipino Abroad or CGMA (Classroom from Overseas Filipino Workers Abroad)”, while nothing is being heard from the other organizations which promised to donate when the drive was launched last year.

“This is pathetic — that is, if the reports are true that many schoolchildren back home are holding classes under the trees. Those who have pledged to donate should fulfill their promises when Labor Undersecretary Danny Cruz launched the project in the Kingdom last year,” community leaders contacted by Arab News said yesterday.

The Bicol Federation and the Order of the Knights of Rizal (OKOR) have just wrapped up their fund-raising activities in support of the campaign.

Earlier, the ZASA (Zamboanguenos Association in Saudi Arabia), along with the Basketball Association of Riyadh (BAR), also donated by putting up an amount for a classroom and the renovation of four others in Mabuhay, Molave, Zamboanga del Sur. The other amount was from the Third Elementary Educational Program (TEEP).

But apart from these, no other groups among those who pledged to donate has been heard to be doing something for the campaign.

The campaign is spearheaded by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) as the lead agency, with the Department of Education (DepEd), the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Federation of Filipino Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FFCCCI) as participating agencies.

The FFCCCI would construct the schoolrooms as the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) could not keep up witht the P200,000 budget allocated for each classroom.

During his visit, Usec. Cruz said that some 50,000 classrooms are needed by schoolchildren, especially in the Metro Manila area, but the target at that time was some 20,000. The rest would be constructed later on, depending on the availability of funds.

“Some 200 classrooms have been pledged by overseas Filipinos in various parts of the world,” Usec. Cruz told the crowd when he launched the project here.

Some observers, however, believe that the project is politically-motivated because of its name CGMA, which is direct reference the president’s name, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

It was also launched at a time when Arroyo was about to announce her plan to stand for the presidency in the national elections in May.

“This is probably the reason why many Filipino organizations are lukewarm to the idea. Many have become disappointed with the sad state of things under the tenure of President Arroyo. There were many groups which made initial pledges but over time, their interest seem to have petered out,” said overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in the Saudi capital.

They added that OFWs are receptive to the idea but what they don’t like is playing politics under the guise of public service, adding that this is probably the reason why CALABARZON, one of the more active Filipino groups in Riyadh, is not showing interest in being part of “this laudable project.”