ALKHOBAR, 24 February 2006 — Former Philippine senator Jose Lina will be visiting Alkhobar on March 8 to 10 to grace the 1st general assembly of the Order of the Knights of Rizal-Middle East and Africa Region (OKOR-MEAR).
Lina is the current supreme commander of OKOR, an organization which aims to inculcate in Filipinos the values and teachings of Philippine national hero Dr. Jose Rizal.
MEAR Commander Bert Layag said he had also invited businessman Regis Romero II, supreme pursuivant, and OKOR’s past supreme commander Jesus David, to the affair.
The event will include a leadership seminar, promoting the ranks of current knights, and knighting of new members, according to Zane Thirlwall, the group’s deputy area commander for the Eastern Province.
OKOR-MEAR had lined up plenty of activities for the year. Last month, it organized the 3rd OKOR Talents, Academic and Skills Competition in Bahrain, with 14 Filipino schools in the Gulf region competing.
Emerging as overall champion was the International Philippine School in Alkhobar (IPSA), which garnered a total of 81 points, according to a report by OKOR official Isagani Manalo, the overall chairman of the competition.
The Philippine School in Bahrain (PSB) finished first runner-up with 78 points, trailed by the Philippine School in Doha, Qatar (PSDQ), the second runner-up, with 74 points.
The Second Philippine International School (SPIS) of Riyadh, last year’s overall champion, took the third runner-up award with 63 points, while Nour Al-Maaref International School (NIS), also from Riyadh, was fourth runner-up with 59 points.
IPSA and PSB contestants had won in all the events, which highlighted the Young Jose Rizal and Young Maria Clara oratorical contests, the Battle of the Brains, Essay Writing Contests in English and Filipino, and the On-The-Spot Painting Contest.
Six other Filipino schools in Saudi Arabia sent representatives to the contest. These were the Elite International School (EIS) and Palm Crest International School (PCIS) from Riyadh; GEMS International School (GIS), Sunrise International School (SIS) and the International Philippine School from Jeddah (IPSJ); and the Al-Andalus International School (AAIS) from Alkhobar.
Completing the list of contestants were the Private International School (PISCO) in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, and the Philippine International English School (PIES) and New Kuwait Philippine International School (NKPIS), both from Kuwait.
The individual winners were:
Young Jose Rizal: champion – Daniel Carlo Aldave, PSB; 1st runner-up – Joshua Rey Lumitao, IPSA; 2nd – Daniel Dela Torre, PSDQ; 3rd – John Michael Lopez, SPIS; and 4th – Daryl Jaspher Jason Aquino, NIS.
Young Maria Clara: champion – Aylwyn Maria Valenciano, IPSA; 1st – Nina Cadiz, PSDQ; 2nd – Rola Mangaoang, SPIS; 3rd – Nicole Bascara, PISCO; and 4th – Ma. Andrea Eleanor Sedano, PCIS.
Battle of the Brains: champions – Kristin Leigh Lopez and Jonathan Emmanuel Velasquez of NIS Riyadh; 1st runner-up – Daniel Carlo Aldave and Jovanni De Guzman, PSB; 2nd runner-up – Nikki Pauline Toledo and Charmy Wremy Bascogin, SPIS; 3rd runner-up – Ella Beatriz Bautista and Alpha Grace Legaspi, GIS; 4th runner-up – Raymar Marquez and Joshua Rey Lumitao, IPSA.
English Essay Writing: champion in the English contest – Margarita Baldemeca, PIES; 1st runner-up – Kristine Marie Marzo, GIS; 2nd runner-up – Maria Sheila Paglinawan, PISCO; 3rd runner-up – Kevin Carlo Gamba, PCIS; 4th – Mary Charlene Tare, IPSA.
Filipino Essay Writing: champion – Jelorie Gallego, IPSA; 1st runner-up – Klervin Collado, PSDQ; 2nd runner-up – Lea Marie Ignacio, PSB; 3rd runner-up – Vienna Blessilda Rom, NIS; 4th runner-up – Aida Meleen Trambulo, EIS.
On-the-Spot Painting: champion, Levie Nacional of PSB; 1st runner-up – Rolan Carmona, PSDQ; 2nd runner-up – Trishza Jane Manansala, NIS; 3rd runner-up – Marc Anthony Donguines, SPIS; 4th runner-up – Jonathan Dave Nolasco, NKPIS.
