Over 19,000 Participate in Philippine Independence Day Celebrations

Ambassador Timbayan visited each of the stalls at the PIDC venue.

By Joey Aguilar

 

The 119th Philippine Independence Day Celebration (PIDC) in Doha has surpassed the achievements of the previous celebrations in terms of quality of preparation and content, ambassador Alam L Timbayan has said.

In a statement published on its website, the United Filipino Organisations in Qatar (Ufoq) noted that the envoy’s message during the opening of the three-day event echoed the aim of the organisers who want to change “the face of the celebration.”

The organising committee this year collaborated with various entities such as the Kulinarya Qatar in holding the event, which helped in generating several positive ideas to raise the quality of PIDC.

Committees such as ways and means, programme and events, and logistics were also created to handle specific tasks and responsibilities to efficiently implement the programmes. In addition, funds for the staging of the event were properly spent.

“There is check and balance, and spending was properly managed. For example, if previously the budget for the food alone is over QR20,000, this year, organisers spent only QR787 ,” Ufoq noted. “Also, debts and other expenditures had been cleared.”

A financial report was also prepared by the treasurer three days after the celebration and is now being readied for auditing.

Organisers decided to make the celebration three days long to give Filipino expatriates a chance to witness and take part in the programmes and activities at the venue. More than 19,000 people attended the event.

According to Ufoq, the three-day festivity benefited sponsors who had the opportunity to promote their products and services longer compared to the previous PDIC.

Apart from entertainment and cultural shows, and free services provided by the embassy and other attached agencies, the celebration also organised free seminars for attendees.

Some of the highlights include the Lakan and Lakambini 2017 pageant, and awards for Filipinos who have inspired others with their profession and exceptional contribution to the community in Qatar. Ufoq expects the awards to be held annually and hopes to increase the number of categories.

Many Filipinos who failed to attend the celebration had the opportunity to watch it live via online and social media channels.

“There is no entrance fee. If for example we charged each attendee of QR10, then the event would have raised QR190,000 if the total number of visitors reached 19,000,” Ufoq noted.

“However, we believe that the celebration is for all and should be free of charge. We also believe that our compatriots will help and volunteer to make the event successful,” it added. The organisers said they also faced a number of challenges but the full support of various organisations helped in addressing these issues.

 

(Source: Gulf-Times.com)

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