Riyadh Pinoys eye prominent doctor for top OWWA post

RIYADH: Some members of the Filipino community in Saudi Arabia are conducting a campaign to recommend Dr. Carlito L. Astillero, a pathologist and laboratory director at Al-Mishari General Hospital for the past 21 years, to fill the post vacated by Marianito Roque as administrator of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA).

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has promoted Roque to the position of secretary of Labor.

The OFW Congress in Riyadh, an umbrella group of different Pinoy groups in Saudi Arabia, is spearheading the petition.

The group will meet on Friday to kick off their campaign worldwide and gather signatures at the same time from the officers of different community organizations.

They are also gathering signatures online at http://petition.online.com/OWWAADMIN/petition.html

Once the documents are completed on Friday, they will be sent along with the signatures to Arroyo.

“It is high time that someone from among our OFW leaders be appointed OWWA administrator,” said Francis Oca of the OFW Congress in a letter posted online.

Astillero has worked in Iran, Libya and Saudi Arabia for the last 32 years. He is also the recipient of various awards, including the Special Presidential Award 1996-Banaag at Sikat, the San Lorenzo Ruiz Award for Outstanding OFW (1994), the Bagong Bayani Award (1992), and the Most Outstanding Filipino in Saudi Arabia (1990).