RIYADH: Local officials have expressed appreciation for an expats’ group, Bantay at Kasangga (Guide and Ally), in cleaning Al-Marjan Island in Dammam recently.
Dammam municipality engineers, Abdul Rahman Al-Hadidy and Abbash Ahmad Al-Mahy, said the group was rendering a good public service.
About 50 members and officials participated in the daylong “clean-up drive as the group’s contribution to environmental protection and health.” Albert Guanzon, group chairman and founder, said helping clean the environment is one way of expressing and showing gratitude to the Kingdom.
“The members and their families are benefitting from having worked in the Kingdom for many years now,” he said.
Jelal Lampayan, president, added that the members themselves benefit from the clean-up drive because they are among the regular visitors to the place on weekends.
“It’s not a big deal to mount a clean-up drive at Al-Marjan Island,” said Lampayan who is also an engineer. Besides, added Resurreccion O. Ramos, the group’s health committee chairperson, “a clean environment is conducive to health.”
Earlier, the group also cleaned the Five Fingers Island in Azizia near the King Fahd Causeway.
“We’ll continue doing our share to protect the environment by conducting clean-up drives,” added Ramos.
Filipinos commended for cleanup campaign
