RIYADH – It was an unprecedented victory for both the blue and red team for jointly bagging this year’s Championship award in the recently-concluded Computer Society of Filipinos Intl. (COMSOFIL) One-day 7^TH IT Olympics held at the Riyadh International School basketball grounds recently here. It was a unanimous decision made by the COMSOFIL’s IT Olympic officials and technical committees declaring the two (2) teams as this year’s overall champion based upon the  tally of the overall final results.
 
     Recapping the overall breakdown of the various awards received by the 5 competing teams in the various categories – the Red team had accumulated the most highest number of awards carting away 5 Golds, 2 Silvers and 2 Bronze.  Sharing victory with the Red team is the Blue team taking home 5 Golds, 1 Silver and 3 Bronze.  Trailing for the second overall highest awards were the White team bagging 2 Golds, 4 Silver and 2 Bronze in its bucket, while the Orange team had  posted a consistent record in the Silver awards category slashing away 5 Silvers with 1 Gold and 2 Bronze medals. The yellow team posted 1 Gold, 2 Silver and 2 Bronze medals.
 
     IT Olympic officials, technical staff, Board of Judges, guests, participants and sponsors converged at 8:00 a.m. at the Riyadh Intl. School (RIS) basketball grounds.  The formal opening kicks-off with the parade of all participating teams led by its respective flag  bearers VP for Membership Celso Ditalo (Philippine Flag) and  BOT Edwin Lavin (Saudi Flag), followed by the ceremonial lighting of the Olympic Torch.  It was preceded by presentation of the different Cluster banners and immediately followed by the banner raising competition.  Ms. Susan Marzan led the Pambansang Awit, and the Solemn Invocation was led by this column writer.  The opening remarks was delivered by COMSOFIL 2010 President Salvador “Buddy” S. Villalino.  The Guest Speaker was introduced by VP for Finance Danie Cortez.  The formal declaration and opening of the “7^th IT Olympics” was officially opened by Consular Attache Sheila Hernandez-Solas from the Philippine Embassy.
 
     Consular Attache Solas, was the Guest of Honor and Speaker who represented His Excellency Ambassador Antonio P. Villamor who had an occasional emergency errands to attend to.  Villamor in his Message, as read by Attache Solas congratulated all COMSOFIL officials for conceptualizing the “IT Olympics” and for continuously initiating the noble cause in uplifting the level of knowledge and technical know-how of our Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs)  and fellow “kababayans” on Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Villamor said in his message.
 
     Some 400-500 COMSOFIL students participated in the most celebrated event of the year the “IT Olympics”- showcasing the “cream of the crop” and the “best among the best minds” from among the various competing clusters.  Among the various categories played during the competition were: PC Assembly and Advanced Trouble Shooting, Basic and Advanced Autocad, 3-D Max Modelling, Web Development (HTML), Computer Fundamentals, Spreahsheet (Excel), Basic and Advanced Photoshop, Networking I and II, Linux and Basic Digital Photography.
 
     All of the more than 400 participating players have been carefully divided and chosen to represent its respective clusters.  After careful selection of all cluster team representatives, five (5) colorful teams emerged and competed for the various prestigious awards, these are Yellow, Orange, Bue, Red and White teams respectively.
 
     Computer Society of Filipinos Intl. (COMSOFIL) Riyadh, Saudi Arabia is a  non-stock, non-profit organization duly registered under the Securities and Exchange Commission of the Philippines, Accredited Community Partner (ACP) UNDER THE Embassy of the Republic of the Philippines in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and an affiliate member of the Philippine Computer Society (PCS). Established in November 19195, COMSOFIL significantly instituted its presence as one of the highly respected Filipino communities in the Kingdom.  COMSOFIL provides continuing education through Information Technology seminars/ while maintaining strategic partners with leading IT solution providers and other community organizations in Blue,Red Team shares victory in the “2010 Riyadh IT Olympics” developing relevant and practical skills training programs for the benefit of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
 
     This year’s “7^th IT Olympics” annual celebration was supported and sponsored by Hi-Tech Computers, Symmetry-Genesis Middle East, and Medical World Polyclinic and the Saudi Gazette.  Masters of Ceremonies were Toasmasters Danny Tenerefi and Pinky Amores.
 
     The event was attended by COMSOFIL Board of Trustees headed by Edwin Fontiveros, Adolfo Muga, Jr., Romwald Miranda, Edwin Lavin and Nomer Cenil.  Also present during the implementation of the project were the 2010 Board of Directors and Executive Officers headed by Pres. Salvador S. Villalino, VP For Finance Danie Cortez, VP for Membership Marvin Domalaon, VP for Education Celso Ditalo, Norma Noble- Secretary, Erlinda Ulita, Director, Noraisah Lao-Director, Vic Jarabejo-Director, Vic Beredo-Director, Noel Garcia-Director and Sports Committee Chairman, Armando “Bopy” Soledad-Director, Antonio “Ekart” Gayeta-Director and Andre Ferrer-VP for Engineering Technical Support Staff  and the invited Board of Judges from the Philippine Professional Organizations (PPO).
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:     Mr. Domingo P. Herras, as fondly called by his friends as “DH”, “DOM”, “Sir DOMS” is an Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and currently connected with the King Saud University, College of Dentistry as the Officer-in- Charge of the Audio-Visual and Photography Department, in  Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
 
Besides being and OFW in the Middle East, he writes and contributes news and photo articles as Contributing Writer/Photojournalist in the Saudi Gazette’s “Kabayan”
and “EXPAT” Section in Riyadh. He also correspond with 3 Philippine  tabloids and one broadsheet. Currently he is elected as Public Relations Officer of the COMSOFIL and one of the  Board of Directors. To date, at present he is currently conducting and as Instructor in the Basic Digital Photography Cluster Course at the CCOMSOFIL Head Office Training/Workshop Center located at the Elite International School, Al Olaya District, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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