Bien Custodio • Special to Arab News
RIYADH, 5 July 2003 — Close to a hundred thousand pesos had been raised in separate projects by Filipino artists, martial arts enthusiasts, and students in Riyadh for the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC).
The Riyadh Artists Guild International (RAGI) has remitted 76,000 pesos to the Red Cross from its “RAGI One In Concert.”
The “Kick for a Cause” joint project of Nour Al-Maaref International School (NIS) and the Black Python martial arts group produced 18,000 pesos.
Both groups were responding to a call issued by the PNRC last year for help.
PNRC officials said they decided to turn Filipino organizations and individuals overseas because the non-profit private group was experiencing reduced support from its traditional donors either due to the financial crisis or “donor-fatigue.”
Many other groups, including the Al-Hekma International School in Jeddah (AHIS) and the Philippine School in Dammam (PSD), have also raised funds for the PNRC but RAGI’s donation was the biggest to date.
Staged in May, the RAGI One in Concert was organized specifically for the evacuees of Pikit town in the southern Philippine province of North Cotabato, who were caught in the crossfire between MILF separatists and government troops.
RAGI is one of the cultural groups under UNCLE, an umbrella organization with 45-member associations headed by Cesar Saavedra. RAGI past president Ferdie Urrutia, one of the organizers said the success of the project was made possible with the help of community members who patronized the concert, plus a long list of business establishments and individuals..
Urrutia said that aside from the monetary contribution, RAGI will be turning over 7 boxes of old clothes for Pikit evacuees, including 3 boxes collected from members of Kalipunang Kaakabay ng Manggagawang Pilipino sa Saudi Arabia (Kakampi).
Manuel Amora, Kakampi interim president, and Sanny Ingco, interim vice president, said the used clothing were donated by Filipinos working in the industrial areas, particularly those from Alessa Refrigeration and Air-conditioning.
For the “Kick for a Cause” project, school children of NIS chipped in their “snack allowances” in exchange for a 3-month martial arts training provided by Black Python, which was concluded in December last year.
Twenty-one NIS pupils completed the training, which was conducted by Eddie Sanches and Francisco Ruico Jr., Black Python martial experts.
Several Black Python members also participated in the blood donation program of PNRC during their vacation period in the Philippines.
Tennis organization such as the Pinoy Netters and professional groups such as the Institute of Integrated Electrical Engineers-Central Region (IIEE-CRCSA) have also started collecting voluntary contributions for PNRC.
