ALKHOBAR, 15 October — The biggest Filipino group in the Eastern Region is getting ready to help to make the impending Absentee Voting Law known to all members of the community in the Kingdom.
The All-Filipino Community and Sports Commission (Afcscom), an umbrella organization of more than 50 community, educational, professional, and sports organizations in the Eastern Region, said it will help the Philippine Embassy and other organization in the information campaign.
It also vowed to help draw up the implementing rules and regulations of the measure when it is finally passed by Congress and signed into law by President Gloria Arroyo.
Afscom had earlier declared its support for the International Coalition of Filipino Voting Rights’ (ICOFVR) advocacy campaign for the rights of overseas Filipinos to vote.
Support by Filipino community groups abroad is crucial considering the gargantuan task of carrying out an election involving an estimated 4 million Filipinos scattered around the globe.
Opponents as well as proponents of the measure have warned of a “logistical nightmare” that the Commission on Election (Comelec) and Philippine embassies and consulates abroad may not be capable of carrying out without help by community groups.
Andy Reyes, the new Afcscom overall chairman, said in his acceptance speech during the turnover ceremonies and membership meeting held last Friday at the Park Hotel in Alkhobar that they are ready for the challenge.
Afcscom was tapped last month by Tony Ranque, the ICOFVR convenor in Dammam, to spearhead their campaign for the AVB awareness in the Eastern Region.
“Most of the OFWs, particularly in the remote areas, have no knowledge at all of the AVB and what is the latest news about it. We need the organizations like Afcscom to inform our fellow workers on the issue of the AVB,” Ranque said.
The newly elected 20 Afcscom commissioners agreed to support the ICOFVR movement only to advocate the absentee voting and not be committed to endorse an individual or a political party to its member organizations.
Reyes explained that while they may provide their members guidelines on what kind of individuals to vote for, it does not mean the group is shedding its “non-political” identity.
The commissioners maintained that all Afcscom member organizations are also non-political in nature, which is well written in their respective constitution and by-laws.
A commissioner said that any member has the right to discuss his side or intention to run for a position on the Philippine elections but will not use Afcscom to support or endorse his candidacy.
Reyes also said that Afcscom will continue its reintegration programs by supporting seminars on savings and investment, entrepreneurship, and computer training being conducted by its member groups.
Afcscom will also launch Kingdomwide sports activities on chess, basketball and volleyball to promote unity and harmony with other organizations. He also reiterated his call for all the member groups to support the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC).
Reyes, who is also the current president of the Saudi Aramco Chess Group, replaced outgoing overall chairman Carlito Alpay of the Philippine Society of Mechanical Engineers. The turnover ceremonies was witnessed by the leaders of the member organizations, including two former Afcscom overall chairmen, who are Sammy Perez of the Ras Tanura Karate Federation, and Ransam Pirote who now heads the newly formed Toastmasters Club in Alkhobar.
Also gracing the official turnover ceremonies were Assistant Labor Attaché Jalilo dela Torre and Supervising Welfare Officer Sotero Tornea from the POLO-OWWA Eastern Region Operations.
Dela Torre urged the community leaders to continue their support for the embassy’s welfare programs. He acknowledged the great role of Afcscom member organizations in augmenting the embassy’s outreach program especially to OFWs in far-flung areas.
He is also tapping some talented members to join the POLO-OWWA on Wheels which aims to visit Filipinos in remote areas to deliver welfare assistance, conduct livelihood seminars and give them a little piece of entertainment.
“Most programs and seminars are conducted here in the cities. We will try to deliver these services to remote areas where OFWs are found, so they will not feel of being neglected and deprived of these government programs,” he said.
Dela Torre also challenged the Afcscom leadership to promote unity among all OFW organizations in the Eastern Region, just what had been done by bigger groups in the Central and Western Regions.
