DAMMAM, 16 June 2006 — The extended Philippine Independence Day celebration in the Eastern Province is in full swing.

Last week, the Philippine School in Dammam (PSD) was turned into a beehive of activity, with hundreds of Filipinos participating in sports events while others shopped for Filipino products in the bazaar.

The celebration will shift today in Jubail, where the community will hold not just sports events but also a seminar on entrepreneurship, a medical mission and a paralegal consultation for OFWs.

According to Ador Tañedo, president of the Filipino Community (Filcom) in Jubail, the whole day activity will highlight volleyball, darts and tennis tournaments at the Hadeed Beach Camp.

On June 23, the OFW Congress in the Eastern Province and the All Filipino Community and Sports Commission in Alkhobar will lead the celebrations at the Al-Nada Sports Club.

Two satellite celebrations will also be held at Al-Hassa and in Khafji by the Filipino community groups.

The event in Dammam was organized by the Philippine Professional Organizations group composed of the Philippine Society of Mechanical Engineers (PSME), Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers (PICE), Institute of Integrated Electrical Engineers (IIEE), and Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA).

Consul General Nestor Padalhin, chargé d’affaires of the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh, graced the event in Dammam, which highlighted the Artists Group Exhibit of photography, oil paintings and charcoal sketches made by Filipino artists both from Riyadh and Alkhobar.

Consul Germinia Aguilar-Usudan, Labor Attaché Delmer Cruz and Welfare Officer Danilo Flores were also present.

The embassy took the occasion to recognize organizations and individuals who contributed to the Classroom Galing sa Manggagawang Pinoy Abroad (CGMA) project of the Department of Labor and Employment.

Padalhin exhorted Filipinos in the Kingdom not to allow distance or ethnic affiliation to be a hindrance to unity.

“I would like to see the Filipinos in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to unite, not necessarily as one group but different groups with the same focus, with the same objectives: that is, to help rebuild our country and make it prosperous. I believe in the concept, unity in diversity,” he said.