19 November 2013 - Philippine Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Ezzedin Tago attended the 25th Foundation Day of the International Philippine School in Al-Khobar (IPSA) on November 15 at the IPSA court.
IPSA is a Philippine community school founded in 1988 and started operations in June 1989 with a permit from the then Philippine Department of Education, Culture and Sports. It follows the Philippine education curriculum, and is recognized by the Philippine government and the current Department of Education (DepEd). The Saudi Ministry of Education granted the school its license in 1995.
Originally named the Philippine Embassy School in Al-Khobar, it was renamed in 1995 as the International Philippine School in Al-Khobar. The school currently has over 1,600 students and has seven members in its School Governing Board chaired by Mr. Dennis Cristobal. IPSA is a non-profit school managed by a school governing board elected from the parents of the school.
During the evening, IPSA honored two founders who are still in the Kingdom, and honored past members of the governing boards. The school also honored teachers and staff who have been with the school for 10 years and more.
The evening was also attended by the Saudi Ministry of Education past foreign school supervisors Mr. Mubarak Bubshait, Mr. Khalid Yousuf Al-Rawaie, and the current supervisor Mr. Hussein Magboul.
The evening was also attended by Cultural Attache Mr. Mohamad Guinomla, Labor Attaché Mr. Alex Padaen, and Welfare Officer Samuel Madrid.
In his message, Philippine Ambassador Ezzedin Tago congratulated the school for its successes during the past 25 years and urged the management and teachers to continue ensuring that it imparts upon its students the best quality education possible. He expressed gratitude to the current and past governing board members for ensuring that school affairs are harmonious and that the school is stable.
There are three non-profit Philippine community schools in Saudi Arabia; the International Philippine School in Jeddah, the International Philippine School in Riyadh and IPSA. All three schools are independent from the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh and the Consulate General in Jeddah, and are under the supervision of the Ministry of Education while their curriculum is accredited with the DepEd.
There are also numerous privately-owned Philippine curriculum schools in Riyadh, Jeddah and Al Khobar and other cities in the Kingdom. END