JEDDAH, 10 Sept. — More than 50 Filipino organizations in the Western Region are set to ratify the charter of an alliance they have formed to help fight for the concerns of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs).
Facilitators of the Alyansa ng mga Samahang Pilipino sa Ibayong Daga (Alliance of Filipino Associations Overseas), or Alyansa, will present the draft of the constitution during their first general assembly scheduled on Friday at the Tropicana Restaurant in Jeddah.
The assembly starts at 5 p.m., said Fred Castolome, the convenor.
Three representatives from each member-organization have been invited to attend the meeting. These organizations, made up of civic, cultural, cooperatives, sports, religious and professional groups, form the majority of active organizations in the Western Region, including Al-Baha and Yanbu.
One of the alliance founders, Raffy David, who heads Filcoyan group in Yanbu, said they are also inviting organizations in all parts of the region to join and have their voices heard by the policy-makers in Manila.
“Our aim is to get everyone represented in the alliance,” he told Arab News earlier.
After the endorsement of the charter by affiliate organizations, an election of officers will be undertaken, with David as chairman of the election committee and Amir Llanera as vice chairman.
After election, chairmen of the various working committees will be appointed. The committees are to handle various issues like the shelving of the absentee voting bill in Congress, and protection and welfare of OFWs. Officers will also be named to various advisory councils and the group’s secretariat.
Humanitarian project
One of the projects that Alyansa is silently working on is mobilizing all sectors of the Filipino community in Jeddah to donate used clothing, canned foods and other items that they hope to send to Filipinos deported from Sabah, Malaysia.
The project is aptly titled “Alay sa Halaw mula sa Alyansa Jeddah,” as suggested by Atoy Esguerra.
Through web postings of its leaders and members, Alyansa appealed to the body and those who are attending the assembly, and others, to bring with them used clothing and other items they can donate.
Tropicana Restaurant has agreed to serve as temporary drop center for donations. After the donations had been classified and packed, they will be shipped to the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC) in Manila for handling and distribution.
Community members who wish to share what they have, be they members of any organization or not, may contact Mark Asuncion of Tropicana Restaurant at 660-4719, Fred Castolome at 667-7769, or Atoy Esguerra at 05-234-2676.
Those who have access to the Internet may write Alyansa at [email protected].
