28 August 2004

DUBAI - The Filipino community is among the community groups that Cathay Pacific works with in order to strengthen cultural ties and create a support network for projects with merit.

"Cathay Pacific has a strong and long-standing relationship with the Filipino community here in Dubai. Across our network, we have an involvement in community activities, with a number of cultural and sporting events in the UAE. Given our links with the Filipino community, we're very pleased to be able to mark our appreciation in a small way by sponsoring the PBA Dubai and Dubai Filipino Bowling Club," said Philip Herbert, Cathay Pacific Country Manager, UAE and Oman.

The airline recently sponsored PBA Dubai and Dubai Filipino Bowling Club by donating airline tickets as prizes. 

The PBA Dubai's annual basketball tournament is now in its eighth year, and is an important fundraiser for the Filipino community. The tournament is no small undertaking and is held over a period of 22 weeks with 28 participating teams. The proceeds from the tournament go to special interest cases - last year's takings, for example, assisted with the substantial medical bills of an ill Filipino expatriate.

"The PBA is the biggest event for Filipino expatriates in the UAE. We don't just host a simple tournament rather we foster camaraderie through our passion for basketball," said Lito Timonera, PBA Dubai Chairman.

He added: "Cathay Pacific has been very accommodating and is always ready to lend us a hand. The management's unbiased support for the Filipino community, especially to PBA Dubai, has made it possible for us to help a lot of indigent and troubled Filipino expatriates in the UAE."

Meanwhile, the Dubai Filipino Bowling Club is holding its second bowling conference for this year. Every Friday, Filipino bowlers gather at the Dubai Bowling Club and slug it out with compatriots.

DFBC President Irene Serrano, who also serves the United Filipino Bowlers-UAE as President, said: "Our club keeps on growing every year as more bowling enthusiasts join us. For this conference alone, we have a record-breaking 22 participating teams in this league.  We are very pleased with the overwhelming support from the teams and sponsors, especially the Cathay Pacific, as this would signify better assistance to the charitable institutions we help."

The bowling group gives financial aid to Bantay-Bata 163, a charity program for Filipino children and the orphanage Hospicio de San Jose in the Philippines.

The bowling group started decades ago under various names but finally in 1992, it settled to call itself DFBC. Annually, the DFBC holds two bowling conferences - one for the first half of the year and the other during the second half.

"We are grateful that through all these years, Cathay Pacific has supported us in our endeavour. The airline is always one of the first to participate in our activities and we are proud that we found an ally in them," noted Ms Serrano.

© Khaleej Times 2004