Today, November 1 which is All Saints’ Day, millions of Filipinos will flock to the cemeteries to honor their departed loved ones. I thank and honor my father Jackie and brother Raffy for sharing their love and lives with us. May they continue to rest in eternal peace.
I would like to honor, too, some Filipino community leaders. On June 12 this year I posted this on my FB wall: “As we celebrate the 124th Proclamation of Philippine Independence from Spain, I would like to honor the people who had guided, served and supported the Philippine Independence Day (PID) working committees in 2008. Special mention to those who had already joined our Creator – ConGen Benito ‘Nitoy’ Valeriano (he became an ambassador), Ronnie Balilo, July Marimla, Melanie Torralba-Guerrero and Benjie Zabat. Maraming salamat po.”
July Marimla was the closest to me and my family as we got him to be the Confirmation Godparent of our son Yuji. During his last years July and his wife Violy were very active with our CFC Community. Their three children joined, too, our young ministries. In the 2008 Philippine Independence Day (PID) celebration held at Al Nasr Leisureland, July assisted me as the Media Relations Officer of the organizing committee of which I was the chairman.
Exactly three years ago, on October 31, 2019, when I was assigned to lead the opening prayer on the launching of the Filipino Social Club (FilSoc) I said this: “I also would like to pray for the soul of a very humble and selfless community leader who had served really well during his time in Dubai. He is the late July Marimla of the Kapampangan group.”
Another pioneer of the Aguman Kapampangan in the UAE who was my mentor when I became an entrepreneurial PR consultant in 2010 was Angel Timbol or Mang Angel. He was the first Filipino entrepreneur I met in Dubai in 2001. He started with two small companies, an automotive repair shop in Rashidiya and an oil and gas spare parts business operating in Deira. In the span of a decade he had a built a resort and then a subdivision in Capas, Tarlac. Mang Angel passed away in July 2014 at the age of 61. He started being an entrepreneur in his 40s after working in the oil and gas industry in Dubai for more than 15 years.
Mang Angel was a founding member of the Philippine Business Council in the UAE with Jesus Galang or Mang Jes, who passed away a few years ago. This is an excerpt of the description of Mang Jes in Illustrado Magazine’s 300 Legacy Edition released in 2020: “Jesus Beltran Galang, Jes to his friends, was the Vice President of Landoil in the UAE in the ’80s. He was a Filipino pioneer entrepreneur who opened the first Filipino restaurant, Tagpuan (most likely the first Filipino-owned business in the country) in Dubai in 1982. In 1996, he shifted his focus into importing and distributing Filipino food products. Jes is also a founding member of the Philippine Business Council – Dubai & Northern Emirates and co-authored the organization’s constitution.”
Ronnie Balilo, who at one time was president of the Filipino Association of Computer Excellence (FACE), was very supportive of our annual Walk For Your Health held every last Friday of March at Safa Park from 2009 to 2013. FACE served as the volunteer-organization in charge of registration and also assisted in checking the blood pressure and pulse count of the participants as they have members from the healthcare industry.
According to civic volunteer Nora Garcia who used to be a co-officer of Ronnie in FACE, he is such a very calm, kind and generous person. “As a leader, he is very supportive in extending financial assistance to those desperately needing help especially FACE members. Ronnie is also honest and soft hearted person,” she added.
Nora also honored another FACE officer, Thesma Molina Talinga: “As for Thesma, you will really be amazed with her. Almost all my requests have been granted by her. She will always say Yes and has never said No to me. She had helped a lot of kababayans (compatriots) in Al Ain. I remember her kind initiative, the ‘Piso mula sa Puso’ for one of our FACE members with brain tumor who eventually survived in 2008 and is now in the US with his family.” Ronnie passed away in 2020, while Thesma four years earlier in 2016.
The first Walk For Your Health event was held in March 2007 and it was Benjie Zabat, who was then president of the Filipino Dance Club – Dubai who helped me get Go Sport as the exclusive sponsor. Benjie was connected then with Nakheel and Go Sport at Ibn Battuta was the sports apparel retail business of Nakheel. He passed away this year.
Back to the 2008 PID celebration, Melanie Torralba-Guerrero, whopassed away in 2021, was in charge of the multi-media presentations representing the SFC Community, while Obet Ramos, who passed away in 2016, performed a comedy skit representing the UP Alumni Association. Rest in eternal peace our dear community leaders and civic volunteers.