RIYADH, 8 October 2004 — If it is a consolation, Daimler Arcega, the lone survivor of a house fire that claimed the lives of six people in Jeddah last November, is assured of a chance to pursue college education when he grows up.
Daimler lost his parents, Armando and Marilou, his brothers Reniel and Anthony Luigi, in the Nov. 8 fire that also killed the couple Freddie and Olive de Leon.
Now a six-year-old Grade I student at the Al-Hekma International School, Daimler had just been given a College Assurance Plan (CAP) coverage, thanks to a group of Filipinos in the Kingdom who cared to help give him a future.
Touched by the tragedy, a group of caring compatriots organized the OFW Noble Challenge Group, Inc. (NC Group) to raise funds for the lone survivor.
The campaign started off from the NC Group’s Yahoo group “OFW-Saudi” and ran for three months with 243 groups and individuals from Saudi Arabia, Canada, Japan, and the Philippines, collecting a total amount of SR6,849.
Just recently, the NC Group handed over a CAP Certificate of Full Payment to Maria Theresa Nu?ag, the legal guardian of Daimler.
The NC Group, a non-stock, non-profit group registered with the Philippine Securities & Exchange Commission, said the Daimler Fund project was its first fund-raising project using the Internet.
Encouraged by the success of its maiden project, it said it is looking into supporting a feeding program for malnourished children, a scholarship program for poor but deserving students, and a special appeal to realize the dream of Catherine Bautista — an OFW who died in Lebanon — to send a sibling back to school.
For those who are interested to know more about NC Group, the coordinators are: Leonard Yen at 05038-31622 in the Eastern Province, Gaspar Bertumen Jr. at 05021-84668 in Jeddah, Edd Sogueco at 05022-94855 and Manuel Amora at 05097-97120 in Riyadh, and Ahmad Pajes at 05025-86341 in Yanbu. Tony Ranque is the group’s adviser.
