Over 900 volunteers take part in Jeddah beach cleanup
Over 900 volunteers take part in Jeddah beach cleanup /saudi-arabia/news/633766
Updated 22 September 2014
Jeddah: Arab News
Piles of garbage were removed in a massive cleanup on Friday at the Salman Beach in Bouhayrat district of Jeddah's north Obhur area, popular among beachgoers but also notorious for trash.
Organized by the APOCEA (Alliance of Pro-Active Organizations-Center for Environmental Advocacy), Friday's campaign was probably the biggest of its kind in the Kingdom, with more than 900 registered volunteers participating.
Apart from members of 40 Filipino community and professional organizations, the participants included students from different Philippine schools in Jeddah, who came in four buses. Philippine Consul General Leo Tito Ausan Jr. also led his own staff and some organizations came in full force. Others came with family members.
"What was even more inspiring and fun about this campaign was that when our volunteers swooped down on the coast, other beach goers of different nationalities also started picking trash and brought their haul to the designated collection station," APOCEA founding chairman Mohamad Peddie H. Holanda told Arab News.
Holanda, an engineer and ocean conservancy advocate, said awareness is a very important component of the environmental campaign because cleanup drives would be rendered useless if beach goers do not exercise a modicum of responsibility. "We all have a profound stake in a healthy ocean that is free of trash and marine debris," he said.
Apart from APO alumni and family members, the volunteers came from ADAMAS NU OMEGA Alumni Association, Al Badr International School, ACT CIS, Binidayadain, IPSJ- International Philippine School in Jeddah, COMSOFIL-Computer Society for Filipinos Jeddah Chapter, KASAPI, MOSLEM- Maranao Overseas for saving Lakelanao Environment Movement, BALOI & Lanao del Norte Overseas Muslim Expatiate association, BOFWAM-Basilan Overseas Filipino Workers Association of Mindanao, Boholano OFW, FIMAA - Filipino International Martial Arts Association, Guardians Brotherhood.
Jeddah Bikerz Group, Jeddah R.C. CLUB, Catholic Group, Design Unit Staff & Family, Jeddah Pongers Tennis Club, Kapit Bisig Cooperative/OFW, Kulay Community Photographers, Lanao Lakers, MARCA-Environmental Photographers, NUNUNGAN International Organization, OFWCC, OKOR - Order of the Knights of Rizal, PARSONS Staff & Family, PGBI-Philippine Guardians Brotherhood Incorporated, PICE – Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers, PICPA – Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountant, PSME-WRKSA Jeddah Chapter, Ranao Divers International & Family, Samahang Magdalo International, SHAKBA International Association, SPTC-Samahang Pinoy Tennis Club, SPECTRUM Photographers.
Scout Royale Brotherhood-SRB KSA AA-WR, UMEA – United Maguindanao Expatriate Organization, Anak SUG Taif KSA, HOG-Harley Owners Group, United Ilocandia-Jeddah Chapter .
The cleanup activity started at 6 a.m. and ended at 11 a.m., after which the participants had a picnic lunch provided by sponsors of the events: Parsons, Alhamrani Fuchs Petroleum Saudi Arabia Ltd., Total, Design Unit for Engineering and Consultancy, and Petromin. These partner companies also provided the logistics required for the cleanup drive, including tents.
Engineer Mike S. Ali, APOCEA director for the Middle East, noted that the group started its environmental activities in 2007 by picking up trash left by picnickers at Jeddah's Corniche and has expanded into advocacy and awareness campaigns. The group's original members were mostly alumni of one of the biggest student fraternity organizations in the Philippines, the Alpha Phi Omega (APO). APO in the Western Region of Saudi Arabia is also one of the most active Filipino civic groups in the Kingdom.
Among the APO founders of APOCEA, aside from Holanda and Ali, are Ashary Tamano, Ferdie Tampi, Macario Boy Antenor, all in Saudi Arabia, Tammy Sulaiman in Kuwait, and Florinda Perez oin Australia.
Second doses and safety fears: Popular Saudi doctor posts COVID-19 vaccine video /node/1796491/saudi-arabia
Updated 14 min 33 sec ago
MOHAMMED AL-KINANI
'If a person could not get the second dose within 42 days, he or she can still get it after six weeks without having to repeat the first dose,' says Dr. Nezar
JEDDAH: The latest someone can receive their second dose of the coronavirus vaccine is six weeks after having the first one, a Saudi doctor popular for his COVID-19 social media posts has said.
Infectious diseases consultant Dr. Nezar Bahabri has gained a massive following for his clear and accessible information about the disease, and he tweeted a video to raise awareness about the vaccine as the Kingdom continued its inoculation campaign.
"If a person, for one reason or another, could not get the second dose within 42 days, he or she can still get it after six weeks without having to repeat the first dose," he said.
Bahabri, who contracted coronavirus in August and remained under medical care for nearly three weeks, explained that the body began producing antibodies from seven to 10 days after a person received the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
The consultant said that if someone became infected after receiving the first dose then they should wait for three months before taking another.
"When someone takes the first dose, the antibodies upsurge the body's immunity to the virus to up to 50 percent, and that can help have less severe symptoms. After the period of 90 days, the infected person can register with the Ministry of Health for vaccination. Tests then can decide if they should take one dose or two."
In another video he appeared at one of the vaccination centers, accompanying his mother who was receiving her second vaccine shot.
Bahabri, who won an outstanding performance award from the University of British Columbia in 2008, also had advice for those who were undecided about the vaccine.
"Hundreds of thousands of people in Saudi Arabia have received the vaccine over the last month. Thank God, all we heard about them was good and promising."
He said that more than 20,000 people had volunteered to receive the vaccine three months before the results of its effectiveness were published.
"So far, more than 30 million people around the world have received the vaccine. One should not worry. It has now been nearly six months since the 20,000 people who volunteered to get the vaccine after it was introduced. Most complications occur in four weeks. If the drug was not safe, we could have surely heard about any negative consequences."
He said that Saudi Arabia's leadership had set a good example in reassuring people about the vaccine's safety.
The country on Thursday reported four new COVID-19-related deaths. The death toll has reached 6,342. There were 212 new cases reported, bringing the total to 365,775. There are 2,096 active cases and 326 of these are in a critical condition.
The Ministry of Health said 83 of the newly recorded cases were in Riyadh, there were 39 in the Eastern Province, 35 in Makkah, and 21 in Madinah.
There have been a further 160 recoveries, bringing the total to 357,337.
Saudi Arabia has so far conducted more than 11.87 million PCR tests, with 52,105 carried out in the past 24 hours.
Topics: Saudi Arabia Coronavirus Saudi COVID-19
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