06 October 2016 — Philippine Consul General to Dubai Paul Raymund P. Cortes led the ceremonies to commemorate World Alzheimer’s Day on September 28 at the Novo Cinemas at the Wafi Mall in Dubai.

Attended by some 500 guests, the event was organized by Mr. Yousef Al Obaidli, Chief Executive Officer of Cotopia, a private Emirati firm whose advocacy includes working on public health issues; Ms. Desiree Velkien of 4getmenot.org, a Filipino managed group on Alzheimer awareness; and Mr. Chris Calumberan, a renowned photographer in Dubai who the Consulate featured in its Photo Exhibit Series.

The celebration exhibited 16 photographs of famous musicians and was followed by a film showing of a short film titled, “I remember when I paint,” which tackled the struggles of Alzheimer disease patients and their families.

In his opening remarks, Consul General Cortes commended the organizers of this event, which highlighted the need for a more concerted effort to make people aware of Alzheimer disease and its implications on society.

Consul General Cortes also stressed the need for the greater community to be aware of the disease and the need for early diagnosis so that families could prepare accordingly. Only when society brings such issues to a crescendo can government discuss this as a public health concern and draft appropriate policies to address funding for research and development, provision of facilities to help care for those afflicted, and to strategize mechanisms that uphold the rights and needs of senior citizens. END