Cebuano ambassador bares job openings

CEBU, Philippines - A Cebuano Chief of Mission to Qatar yesterday relayed to Gov. Hilario Davide III that there are job opportunities awaiting Cebuanos in this small Arab country in preparation for a big sports event in 2022.

Newly-promoted Philippine ambassador extraordinary plenipotentiary to Qatar Crescente Retuya Relacion called on Davide at his office in the Provincial Capitol.

After the call, Relacion told reporters that he presented to the governor the job opportunities in Doha, the capital of Qatar, which may also open to the Cebuanos.

He said that service and construction workers are needed in Doha because the country will be hosting the world football cup in 2022.

“They are hiring workers for the staging of the event. Nagtukod man gud sila og hotels. They are adding 80,000 rooms,” Relacion said.

Relacion said Doha is also inviting students of agriculture to conduct research works in the country for free.

“May mga agricultural companies kasi doon nga nangimbita sa mga Pilipino nga kung puede mag-spend sila og time doon to have their thesis, dissertations. Libre sila sa pagpuyo,” he said.

Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III congratulated Relacion.

The governor said that one of the matters discussed with Relacion is the status of the Overseas Filipino Workers currently working in Doha.

“There are 200,000 Filipinos diay daw didto sa Qatar. Naghisgot lang pod mi sa kalamboan didto,” he told reporters.

Relacion was born in Mandaue City of a mother who is from the city and a father from Argao.

He earned his college degree at University of San Carlos in Cebu City and passed the Certified Public Accountant licensure examination in 1978. He also took up Bachelor of Laws at the same university.

He started working as deputy director at the DFA Office of Legal Affairs in 1989. He also became the Consul General of the Philippine Consulate General in Manado City in Indonesia in 2009 and climbed up to Chief of Mission class II in the same year.

He is married to Meike Naomi Loing, an Indonesian, and bore two children.  (FREEMAN)