Expired permit sparks fears that RP school in Qatar would be closed

MANILA, Philippines - Filipinos in Qatar fear that Department of Education-accredited Philippine School of Doha (PSD) will be closed to favor the Philippine International School of Qatar (PISQ), which is owned by a Qatari. Advocacy group Migrante - Middle East got word from its Qatar coordinator Jhon De Jesus that a certain “Mr. Basilio" and a Qatari national who manages PISQ had been lobbying to Philippine Ambassador to Doha Isaias F. Begonia for the closure of PSD. John Leonard Monterona, Migrante-ME regional coordinator, said Basilio is lobbying for the school’s closure so that PISQ will be the only existing Philippine school in Doha and that it could absorb PSD’s students once it is closed. Monterona quoted Fidel Escurel, a trustee of the PSD board, as saying "OFW-parents are now worried that if PSD will be closed, they will be forced to enroll their children to PISQ which tuition fees are much higher than the community-based PSD, whose board of trustees are all Filipinos." Monterona, who has previously worked in Doha from 2004 to 2007, said there are two existing Philippine schools in Doha, but only the PSD was registered and accredited by the Philippine Department of Education. "Since the PSD is duly registered and accredited by the Department of Education, many family-status OFWs in Doha enrolled their children to PSD aside from the fact that tuition fees are lower compared to the profit-oriented PISQ reportedly owned by a Qatari national," Monterona added. Because of the dispute, members of the PSD reportedly appealed to Ambassador Begonia not to give in to any attempt by the PISQ group to buy his endorsement for accreditation to the Philippine education department. Monterona subsequently called on the ambassador “to clear his name against this accusation and to state clearly his stand on this issue in his official capacity as Philippine Ambassador in Doha." ‘Expired permits’ The Philippine Embassy in Doha, however, allayed fears that the PSD would be closed. In an e-mail to GMANews.TV, Consul General and First Secretary Rosario Lemque said the fear arose when the Qatari Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MEHE) met PSD principal Alexander Acosta last October 29 to remind him that the school’s permit expired on Oct 6. Acosta then sought the help of the Philippine Embassy and wrote to the appropriate officials to request for the granting of a permit for the new school site in Madinat Khalifa and the continued operation of the school in the old site pending the construction of the porta cabins. “The closure of the school was possible some days ago," Lemque told GMANews.TV. “But with the representations made by the Embassy and because the Qatar government is known to care for (OFWs and their families) the possibility became remote." Acosta reported to Lemque that the commercial permit for the new site has been granted while the MEHE permit for the new site is still being processed. MEHE also extended the stay of PSD in its old site, according to Lemque, despite the fact that the school did not report its increased student population which jumped to 2,035 this year from 1,500 in 2007. “The school could not fully transfer right away because the new site does not have enough room to accommodate the drastic increase of the student population," Lemque said. Lemque reported that the contractors promised Acosta with the porta cabins by yearend to accommodate the students. The developments have also been reported to the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs last October 30 and November 12, Lemque added. - GMANews.TV