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FT OCAMPO

Gesture an expression of gratitude

MANILA

The observation has often been made that Filipinos
could sometimes, and in some ways, be strange.

In their home turf, even a congressman’s driver acts as
if discipline is for the birds. In other climes, however,
the best trait of the race emerges to make his
countrymen and government proud, not only on
Independence Day, wherein his valor in the battlefield
preceding was extolled with justifiable pride, but in
more quotidian ways that nonetheless confirm the
generosity of his true character.

We are certainly most happy to hear that overseas
Filipino workers in Saudi Arabia have launched a blood
donation campaign for Saudi citizens.

Spearheaded by the Philippine embassy, the “Dugo
Ko, Alay Ko” program was successfully held at the
embassy venue with Saudi royalty in attendance.

The blood-letting campaign is an expression of
“gratitude of Filipino migrant workers and expatriates
for being welcome to be part of the kingdom’s
economic development and progress”, according to
embassy officials.

Waxing poetic, Ambassador Antonio Villamor
continues: “The concept of the gift of blood as gift of life
freely given by the Filipino community for the benefit of
the Saudi people, particularly those in urgent need of
blood transfusion, was finally agreed upon.”

Figures from the Migrant Workers Affairs Office show
that there are 846,350 Filipinos in Saudi Arabia,
composed of 823,700 contract workers and 250
permanent residents. The total includes 22,400
undocumented workers.

Despite the unabated repatriation of those without
proper documentation, a lot of precious blood are still
available for Saudis.
Which would, in some way, seem to prove that outside
their country, Filipinos are good law-abiding and
charitable citizens.

* * *

The elections are over, well, almost. As of this writing,
the 12th slot in the Magic 12 is still up for grabs. We
might yet have a father-son team in the senate, to
complement a mother-son and sister-brother
tandems. As the wags would say, “onli in da Pilipins”.

We cannot help thinking that the recent election in
France took only a day to proclaim the winner, the day
immediately following the actual voting.

And I am also reminded of Aristotle, who proclaimed
that he will never give Athenian democracy another
chance to murder philosophy.

Fresh in his mind was the beloved Socrates, of whom
it was said “has no equal in the past, and has no equal
in the present.”

Aristotle shook the dust off his feet and hied to
Macedonia to tutor the future Alexander the Great.
Speaker Joe de Venecia should not give up his dream
for a parliamentary government despite the arrogant
statements of some celebrity-obsessed senators.

The concept
of the gift of
blood as gift
of life freely
given by the
Filipino
community for
the benefit of
the Saudi
people,
particularly
those in
urgent need
of blood
transfusion,
was finally
agreed upon