Vote to elect Filipino leaders

Heads of 99 groups will gather for poll on umbrella council.

DUBAI // The heads of 99 Filipino community groups have been invited to their consulate in Al Qusais on Friday to vote on which of them will speak for their community in the coming years.

Twenty of them are vying for 12 seats on the first Governing Council of the Filipino Community in Dubai and the Northern Emirates, or FilCom Dubai-NE.

The FilCom Dubai-NE, which serves as an umbrella organisation for the groups, supports the programmes and activities of the Philippine consulate in Dubai, and aims to foster unity among Filipinos in the six emirates.

The winners of the top six places on the ballot will serve for two years, while the next six will hold their place for one year.

"We should choose someone who has proven leadership skills, one who has sincerity and loyalty to the Filipino community and can offer solutions to problems facing our countrymen," said James Dilawangun, 43, the founder and adviser of the United Althonians in the Emirates.

He said he was inclined to vote for Wafa Kasimieh, the representative of the newly formed Lambunaonons in the UAE, who he said had shown her full support to the Filipino community.

Milo Torres, 47, the president of the Overseas Pinoy Professional Photographers Society, cautioned his fellow voters: "We should be choosing a strong group that has a track record to lead as an organisation and not as an individual.

"They should present their platform and prove their capability to lead us."

A representative of each of the 99 registered Filipino organisations will get a vote.

However, Mr Torres fears only half may turn up. "About 50 organisations are participating in FilCom activities and I'm afraid that we'll have the same number on Friday," he said.

Voting will take place from 2pm to 4pm. At the end of voting, the election committee will count the votes and declare the result.

On September 23, the 12 elected members will meet to choose their officers - president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer and internal auditor, and committee chairmen.

"Members of this governing council will have clearly defined roles," said Matilyn Baguno, 39, a member of the committee that drew up FilCom's constitution, which was ratified in May.

"In previous years, we only elected the chairman and the vice chairman who were given a free hand to nominate the heads of the committees."