JEDDAH, 6 January 2006 — Students from Jeddah are all set to slug it out with representatives from other regions in the competition being organized by the Order of the Knights of Rizal’s Middle East and Africa Council across the Gulf .
The 3rd OKOR Regional Inter-School Academics, Skills and Talents Competition is to be held in Manama, Bahrain, on Jan. 11-13.
“Our contestants will be leaving very soon. We are ready,” Corlito Obtinalla, the OKOR chapter commander for the Western Region of Saudi Arabia, told Arab News.
Obtinalla said the Western Region will be represented by students from the International Philippine School in Jeddah (IPSJ), Sunrise International School, and Gems International School.
The students will compete in the Battle of the Brains, Young Maria Clara (oratorical), Young Jose Rizal (oratorical), Essay Writing (English and Filipino), and On-the-Spot Painting, he said.
On Dec. 29 and 30, community organizations and individuals in Jeddah banded together in a Fiesta and Bayanihan at the IPSJ premises to raise funds in support of the Jeddah contestants.
Jauhari Usman, overall coordinator of the two-day affair, said various groups put up bazaar booths at the school grounds to help raise funds.
A carnival of sorts also gave children a chance to enjoy, he said.
“Despite the short notice with which we organized the event, many of our compatriots responded positively,” Usman added.
John Asperilla, in charge of cultural events, said many others helped enliven the event.
There was a cultural presentation of the IPSJ Cultural and Dance groups, song numbers were provided by Caroline Jay Lopez of Sunrise and Aissa and Aubrey Caparas of IPSJ, and Mike Franco of Unifil had his own presentation.
The Serenata group under the direction of musical instructor Sylvia Santos gave its own special number, and so with singing sensation Jeanette Cerbito, a student at the University of the Philippines in Los Baños (south of Manila), who was in Jeddah for the Christmas break.
Obtinalla gave special thanks to Western Union Money Transfer, Dubai, UAE, for giving the biggest support to the fund-raising campaign.
On hand during the event were Bert Layag Jr., OKOR commander for the Middle East and Africa; Isagani Manalo, area commander for Saudi Arabia; senior member Gil Manese, who acted as master of ceremonies during the cultural event; and other OKOR officials and members.
OKOR is a worldwide organization of Filipinos and friends who subscribe to the principles and teachings of Dr. Jose P. Rizal, a 19th century Filipino philosopher and revolutionary whose writings inspired compatriots in the Philippines to rise against the Spanish colonizers.
Despite his advocacy of non-violent means in achieving freedom and liberty, the Europe-trained eye doctor was executed by the Spaniards on Dec. 30, 1896.
