190 NP members leave for 6-day cruise to ME

MANILA, Philippines - About 190 members of the Nacionalista Party (NP) and their spouses left yesterday on two separate flights for a six-day tour that will take them to the Middle East.

The group will also visit OFWs in the Middle East as the cruise ship will take them to Kuwait, Dubai and Oman.

They will link up with NP president Manuel Villar Jr. in Bangkok to board an unnamed luxury cruise ship for a fellowship and organizational meeting to strengthen the party’s affiliation with the community.

Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, who led the 130 NP members for the annual fellowship, said Villar deemed that the party should hold a meeting in one venue.

He said the other members will have no more excuse not to attend the meeting since they were all on one cruise ship.

“More and more people are questioning the relevance of a political party and it’s being looked as a vehicle to political elections, so we are organizing fellowship and organizational meetings to strengthen the party’s affiliation with the community.

“How to make the parties relevant but (also) to have closer ties between the local and national members, which include senators, congressmen, city and municipal mayors and even councilors.”

Cayetano said that there are talks about 2013, but the agenda is fellowship and ways to improve and strengthen the party.

“So far, we have good relations with the administration as of now,” he added.

Cayetano said currently the NP has a membership of about 30 in the House of Representatives, over 10 governors and a great number of city and municipal mayors and councilors.

“We decided to do it one week before Congress convenes for its regular session,” he said.

Villar will join them in Bangkok, along with Sen. Ferdinand Marcos II.