15 April 2014 - The Philippine Embassy in Singapore, in collaboration with the Philippine Independence Day Committee (PIDC) 2014 and volunteers from various Filipino community organizations in Singapore, conducted an outreach program at the Jamiyah Home for the Aged in Tampines, Singapore last April 12.
The outreach activity is one of pre-events organized by PIDC 2014 in the run-up to the main event to celebrate Philippine Independence Day in the city-state to be held on 8 June 2014 at the Civic Plaza, Ngee Ann City in the commercial heart of Singapore in Orchard Road.
During the activity, volunteers lead some 130 residents in light physical conditioning exercises. The group was also serenaded with an instrumental presentation featuring “Besame Mucho” and the Philippines’ own “Tinikling”. Halal cheeseburgers purchased from the Jollibee outlet in Lucky Plaza and fruit drinks were distributed and volunteers individually conversed with the residents. The highlight of the activity was the song and dance portion with the karaoke.
The outreach was the third pre-event to be conducted following the Blood Donation Drive organized by the Batangas Varsitarians and the Philippine Embassy with the Singapore Health and Sciences Authority-Blood Bank and the Singapore Red Cross Society on 16 March 2014 and the Tinikling Marathon spearheaded by Kultura Performance Arts Group last 4 April 2014 at Henry Park Primary School. Completing the list of pre-events are the Pep Talk for the Youth, Photo-essay Contest and Songwriting Contest to be held at Labrador Park on April 26.
With the local theme, “Our Independence, Our Interdependence,” PIDC 2014 adopted a concept of the celebration where the Philippine Embassy and volunteer Filipino community organizations will alternate in organizing activities aimed at reaching out to beneficiary groups in Singapore to showcase the mutually-beneficial relations between the two countries and express the gratitude of Filipinos for the opportunity to work and stay in Singapore. The beneficiary groups include people with special needs, school children and the youth.
Established in 1932, Jamiyah Singapore, which is also known as the Muslim Missionary Society of Singapore, is a charitable organization supported by the Singaporean government. It provides educational and other forms of charitable services to people with special needs. The Home for the Aged (Darul Takrim) is one of four homes that it operates in addition to Darul Ma’wa (shelter for orphans and children of disadvantaged families), Darul Syifaa (residential medical, psychological, spiritual and social needs of Aged sick), and Darul Islah (halfway house for substance abusers). END