AGFUND chief lauds dedication of Filipinos 1384178681232617100.jpg
APPRECIATION: AGFUND President Prince Talal gestures during an interview with Arab News. (AN photo by Iqbal Hossain)
RIYADH: ABDUL HANNAN TAGO
Published — Tuesday 12 November 2013
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The Arab Gulf Program for Development (AGFUND) is planning to establish a micro-finance bank in the Philippines soon.
AGFUND President Prince Talal said this during an exclusive interview with Arab News.
He said Filipino expatriates have been working alongside Saudis with sincerity and dedication.
Prince Talal pointed out that the offer of assistance through AGFUND was a token of appreciation to acknowledge the contribution of the Filipinos. “The Philippines is a country that gives before it takes,” Prince Talal said, lauding the efforts of thousands of Filipino workers in the Kingdom.
The prince said that he will be visiting the Philippines in January to follow up on the proposal of establishing a micro-finance bank. The initiative is timely especially in the wake of the recent typhoon that has devastated many parts of the country.
The interview with Arab News will be aired on ABS-CBN TV as part of a special coverage on Prince Talal’s humanitarian gesture.
Prince Talal spoke about helping the Filipino community in the Kingdom by building a school.
"Filipinos speak English; they are hard workers, they richly deserve the jobs that they do,” he said.
Prince Talal welcomed the idea of admitting Filipino students in the Open University under the AGFUND program and asked the university officials to pursue the matter.
Prince Talal announced two days ago that AGFUND would donate $100,000 in relief to the victims of Typhoon Haiyan in the central Philippines.
The donation is the first from the Gulf to the victims of one of the world’s worst catastrophes, which has killed more than 10,000 people.
The prince said the donation was in support of relief efforts and humanitarian aid in the Philippines. He said the donation comes as an extension of AGFUND’s humanitarian activities in alleviating the suffering of disaster victims, especially children, women and the elderly.
The donation will be channeled to the Philippine government, the statement said. Haiyan, codenamed Yolanda by Philippine meteorologists, has left thousands of people dead and injured and has rendered tens of thousands homeless, in addition to causing extensive damage to property on islands along its path. Various NGOs and OFW groups urged Filipino communities abroad to raise funds for the affected.