Life on the Spot! Life and Leisure in Doha, Qatar

Philippine Ambassador Begonia offered a new BMW for Philippine School Doha Closure?

RP official in Doha accused for maneuvering the closure of Filipino community-run Philippine School of Doha (PSD) to favor a profit-oriented Philippine International School of Qatar (PISQ)

A chapter of Migrante-Middle East, the largest alliance of overseas Filipino workers' organizations in Qatar has been receiving complaints from Filipino community that accuses Philippine Ambassador to Doha Isaias F. Begonia for conniving to a certain Mr. Basilio and a Qatari national who used to run the profit-oriented Philippine International School of Qatar popularly known as PISQ.

"Our Migrante-Qatar coordinator Jhon De Jesus, who has met some of the Filipino community members in Doha, informed us that a certain Mr. Basilio working for a Qatari national who manages the Philippine International School in Qatar (PISQ) has reportedly sought the 'mighty help' of Ambassador Begonia so that the community-based and Department of Education-accredited Philippine School of Doha (PSD) will be closed to favor PISQ's sole existence," said John Leonard Monterona, Migrante-ME regional coordinator.

Monterona who have previously worked in Doha for nearly 3 years from 2004 to 2007 said there are two existing Philippine schools in Doha, but only the PSD was registered and accredited by the Department of Education.

"Since the PSD is duly registered and accredited by the Department of Education, many family-status OFWs in Doha enrolled their children to PSD aside from the fact that tuition fees are lower compared to the profit-oriented PISQ reportedly owned by a Qatari national," Monterona added.

According to Mr. Fidel Escurel, PSD board of trustee, OFW-parents are now worried that if PSD will be closed, they will be forced to enroll their children to PISQ which tuition fees are much higher than the community-based PSD whose board of trustees are all Filipinos.

Monterona said it is now known to Filipino community in Doha that Mr. Basilio is closely lobbying to Ambassador Bigornia for the closure of PSD so that PISQ will be the only existing Philippine school in Doha and that it could get the enrollees of PSD once it will be closed.

'"According to our source who requested his anonymity, Ambassador Begonia was allegedly offered a new BMW car by Mr. Basilio and the Qatari national who owned the PISQ to get the support and action of the former for the closure of PSD,'' Monterona added.

Migrante-ME along with the Filipino community in Doha are hoping and praying that Ambassador Begonia will not be bribed by the evils who are courting him for the closure of the Filipino community-based PSD.

"We are calling the attention of Ambassador Begonia to clear his name against this accusation and to state clearly his stand on this issue in his official capacity as Philippine Ambassador in Doha," Monterona ended. # # #

For reference:

John Leonard Monterona

Migrante Middle East regional coordinator

Mobile No.: 00966 564 97 8012