RIYADH, 4 July 2004 — Philippine Ambassador Bahnarim Guinomla hosted a dinner reception yesterday to bid farewell to the Filipino twins Princess Ann and Princess Mae and pay tribute to the man who separated them.
Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah led a medical team that performed the operation last March 20 at the King Abdul Aziz Medical City here.
The conjoined twins and their mother Carina Manzo and aunt are returning to the Philippines on Tuesday, ending more than six months of stay in the Kingdom as guests of Crown Prince Abdullah. They arrived in the Kingdom on Jan. 9.
Despite the short notice, the reception at the residence of Ambassador Guinomla was well attended. Guinomla presented Dr. Al Rabeeah with a trophy of appreciation for exhibiting “great technical skill along with a golden heart in the performance of his duties as a medical doctor and leader of the surgical team that operated on the twins.
“For his outstanding role and contribution to the entire operation, the eighth one of its kind, he deserves our warmest appreciation and highest recognition,” added Guinomla.
The ambassador said he was also grateful to the crown prince “for having done a special favor to the Manzo family, and more so because his humanitarian gesture has added another milestone in the friendly relations between the peoples of Saudi Arabia and the Philippines.
“The twins are the living testament to the goodwill and generosity of the crown prince, and we will keep that memory close to our hearts,” Guinomla said.
Dr. Al-Rabeeah said: “We are proud to help the needy whether from the Philippines, Sudan, Malaysia or Egypt. The smile of children is our smile. The happiness of parents is happiness on our part.”
Dr. Al-Rabeeah struck an emotional chord when he said that now that the twins have been separated it is our “hearts that have become conjoined.” His remarks drew cheers from the audience.
