RIYADH, 27 November 2002 — The plight of Filipinos deported from Sabah, Malaysia, may no longer be in the news headlines but in the Kingdom, there’s a group that has not forgotten them.
Late last month, a total of 519 kilograms of relief goods, clothing and other donations were sent to the deportees, thanks to the Western Mindanao Overseas Workers Association (Wemowa), an alliance of Filipino Muslims from Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Basilan and the Zamboanga provinces.
The relief goods were shipped through Global Cargo to the Social Welfare and Development of the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARRM) for distribution to the appropriate beneficiaries, said Wemowa in a press statement. Other groups have also been reported to have sent donations to the deportees. One of them was the Alyansa of Jeddah, which sent similar goods through the Philippine National Red Cross.
Helping fellow Filipinos in distress is just one of the aims of Wemowa. Its other objectives are:
• to promote unity, peace, solidarity and cooperation among members;
• to institutionalize mechanism of support and coordination among the various ethnic groups;
• to undertake reintegration projects to prepare members for their eventual return to the Philippines;
• to promote cultural, religious and historical awareness, among the members as well as the Filipino community.
The group also seeks to undertake support programs in coordination with the Labor Section of the Philippine Embassy, particularly, in the area of welfare assistance to distressed workers.
The executive officers of the group were inducted into office by Senate President Franklin M. Drilon during the senator’s visit to Riyadh on Oct. 26.
The officers are: Jackaria Hassan, Jr., secretary-general; Abdusakur Kamlian, deputy secretary-general for Sulu; Asiddin Arabain, deputy secretary-general for Basilan; Gadi Albani deputy secretary-general for Tawi-Tawi; and Mukhtar Jumaani, deputy secretary-general for Zamboanga; Abtajil Jul, secretary; Sukarno Abid, treasurer; Al Hudrin Sahiol, auditor; and Mohammad Deen, press relations officer.
The formation of Wemowa is considered a pioneering endeavor as no similar group from Western Mindanao was ever formed in Riyadh. Last year, a similar group with the same name was formed in Dammam under the leadership of Mufti Calvin, whose group was formally inducted by Labor Attache Jainal Rasul, Jr., as an accredited community partner (ACP) of the Philippine Embassy.
With the organization of Wemowa in Riyadh as well as Wemowa-Tauhid in Dammam, the groups further aim to forge a Kingdomwide alliance as soon as similar group can be organized in Jeddah or Madinah.
Wemowa has also given its full support to the First Qur’an Reading Competition recently held at the Philippine Embassy.
