Generals in United Arab Emirates bond together for 1st Eyeball
November 14, 2008 turned out to be an auspicious day for the generals (or residents of General Santos City) currently working at the United Arab Emirates because for the first time in history, 45 of them gathered together in a Grand Eyeball in Dubai, where most of them are based.
United Arab Emirates Map (Click for larger view)
According to their hardworking Group Organizer Dennis Dospueblos, formerly of the GenSan City Mayor’s Office who now works as I.T. Officer there, they were only expecting about 30 attendees but were overjoyed when 45 arrived at the venue at Al Mamzar Beach Resort that Friday, a holiday in the Arab states.
AccordIng to Dennis in his email to Bariles, “Ang mga tuna namalik sa dagat. 45 ang nag attend. KA KURAT!!!”
They all came, some in pairs, others in groups, from Abu Dhabi, Ajman and Sharjah, all excited to meet their fellow generals for the first time, all wanting to share stories and swap news from their beloved home.
Most only knew each other from their email addresses, being members of a mailing list at yahoogroups called “GenSanGenerals”.
Shortly, the merrymaking started. A few parlor games were played, and a number of songs were sang courtesy of Dennis who is a folk singer on the side.
UAE Eyeball Organizer Dennis Dospueblos, folksinger extraordinaire
They were simple activities but nonetheless were pure bonding moments for these lonely, homesick expats.
Past mid-day, when these modern-day heroes were all settled down after a festive salu-salo, a meeting where some important issues were discussed was conducted.
First, they all agreed that as a follow up, a Christmas Party should be scheduled asap. They set the date on December 4th at the Le Meriendien Hotel, also in Dubai. This time, they are targeting more GenSan expats to join and have arranged to contact those from farther away states like Al-Ayn.
And in a sadder but hopeful note, they also decided to gather a list of their fellow generals who had to make an exit out of the UAE after their visas have expired and are now stranded in Kish Island and Oman, in order to extend help to them any which way they can to tide them over.
“Life is not a paradise here,” Dennis further wrote in his email, “especially for our kababayans who come here are tourists and end up as illegal overstaying aliens.”
However, with the economic crunch in the country growing worse by the day, expect more and more people from the SOCCSKSARGEN area flying to the UAE for what they deem as “greener pastures”.
This time, howeve, they will be luckier than their precedessors because there will be a group, the GenSan Generals, who will be there to assist them, offer them advices and make life far away from their home at the Tuna Capital more tolerable.
Now if that aint something which would make a General proud, I wouldn’t know what else would do.
To the UAE-based GenSan Generals, “CONGRATULATIONS for this worthy endeavor. MABUHAY KAYONG MGA BAGONG BAYANI!!! MABUHAY ANG MGA GENERALS NG UAE!”
The GenSan Generals may be reached through Coordinator Fernando Muto for Sharjah & Ajman Area and Coordinator Rommel Guillermo for the Abu Dhabi Area. For the rest of you at the UAE, you may contact Dennis Dospueblos. Email them at gensangenerals (at) yahoogroups (dot) com. Or leave a note here at the CONTACT BARILES page so that we could endorse your message to them. Or if you want to join their YahooGroup, please follow this link – http://www.leonardorealestate.com/gensan.html .
Photos are courtesy of Dennis Dospueblos and Jose Gayda.
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Bariles is a Filipino word for “Tuna”, the primary source of income of the people of General Santos City which hosts 6 of the Philippines’ 8 tuna canneries and more than 80% of its tuna processing plants.
gensanite Says:
great news!!!
my hats off to our new breed of heroes in uae…
God bless…
Posted on November 19th, 2008 at 7:04 PM
Ram Says:
Ay…….Sayang hindi kami nakaattend…..
Cge next time na lang …..
Ug daghang salamat sir Avel for the info..
Posted on November 19th, 2008 at 7:52 PM
bariles Says:
They’re really our new breed of heroes and what they are doing right now, helping those who are stranded is very commendable. Thanks gensanite!
Posted on November 19th, 2008 at 9:09 PM
bariles Says:
Way sapayan Ram. You may still join them during the December 4 Christmas Party. Tell the rest of our kababayans who do not have this info.
Posted on November 19th, 2008 at 9:10 PM
orman Says:
daming cute…hehehe!
ormans last blog post..Think of Me
Posted on November 19th, 2008 at 11:27 PM
jermaine Says:
How to join ba…can i have the contact details…im currently here in Dubai….
Posted on November 20th, 2008 at 1:01 AM
GorG Says:
wow! galing nito ah. marami na nga yang 45. batch get together nga dito na sa gensan di pa umaabot ng 30! tsk.tsk.. uy! see familiar faces! hi kuya dens! ate ces at i forgot the name of one engineer who worked here at CEO before
COngrats! kakatuwa!
Posted on November 20th, 2008 at 8:32 AM
bariles Says:
Please reread the entire article for the answer to your query. Thanks jermaine.
Posted on November 20th, 2008 at 9:42 AM
bariles Says:
Thanks GorG! Too bad, I do not have the names of the people in the pix. But Dennis promise to name them soon. Will update this article once I receive their names.
Posted on November 20th, 2008 at 9:43 AM
dencio Says:
Maayong Gensan!
Ram & Jermaine call me if you wanted to join the group and xmas party.. dennis 0507018061..
Lingaw jud ni!!!! Makawala homesick!
Thanks guys.
Gen***** Dencio (lol),Chief of Staff
ngyahhhhh!!
ps Vel..matay,, lamia sa imong blog oi tsikat naman ka kaayo… more power goodluck..
Hi Orman..
Posted on November 20th, 2008 at 3:34 PM
dencio Says:
@jermaine –
dennis 0507018061
Posted on November 20th, 2008 at 3:35 PM
Osh Says:
Sayang! I am also a resident of Gensan and would be glad to meet the Generals in the UAE specially in Dubai. I may not know the 45 Generals who attended but I am interested to meet and know them. Good work for the organizers!!!
Posted on November 20th, 2008 at 6:42 PM
bariles Says:
Hehe! Daghang salamat! I hope you get more participants pa for Christmas.
Posted on November 20th, 2008 at 7:19 PM
bariles Says:
Hi Osh! Better contact them right away. Go, go, go generals!
Posted on November 20th, 2008 at 7:21 PM
United-Arab-Emirates » Al Benaa Real Estate announces a joint venture agreement with Asas ... Says:
[...] General Santos City expats in United Arab Emirates bond together …How OFWs from General Santos City formed a group in United Arab Emirates. [...]
Posted on November 21st, 2008 at 5:22 PM
ripsix Says:
ooops! nganong wa kabalo ani?
@ dennis d: please inform me thru email on the next gathering you will have.. am just around the corner of dubai….
kdlc787@yahoo.com
Posted on November 23rd, 2008 at 1:43 AM
bariles Says:
Hi ripsix! Dennis aka Dencio left his cellphone # somewhere in one of the comment boxes here. Thanks. And do subscribe to this blog so that you won’t miss a thing here. Salamat!
Posted on November 23rd, 2008 at 11:55 AM
ripsix Says:
Posted on November 23rd, 2008 at 1:41 PM
dencio Says:
@Osh -
daghan man pud adapted ang taga gensan lol im sure mixed fruit jud ni sa xmas party..
Posted on November 23rd, 2008 at 1:54 PM
bariles Says:
Puede ba magdala ng liquor nyan dencio?
Posted on November 25th, 2008 at 3:35 PM
dencio Says:
ang dami ng gustong sumali vel.. 65 lng ang na accomodate namin dahil sa limitation ng hotel..sayang..kung pwed nga lng masama lahat hehe nag cut off ng november 25 kasi kung hinde aabutin ng 100+ ang mag join througout UAE.. Lingaw mi prepare na programmes,,etc… excite na tanan.. sa 1st GenSan Generals Xmas party in UAE.
Go GenSan GO!!!!!!!!!!
Posted on December 3rd, 2008 at 4:20 PM
bariles Says:
@dencio -
hi! Sayang! Bakit ninyo nilimit? You could have chosen a bigger venue. Kawawa naman ng di makakasali nyan. Can’t you reconsider?
Posted on December 3rd, 2008 at 4:50 PM
nora Says:
wow..ang saya naman.. pwede bang sumali sa groupo niyo??? taga gensan din ako.
Posted on June 28th, 2009 at 8:07 PM
Dencio Says:
call dennis 0507018061 for updates..tnx have a nice day
Posted on June 28th, 2009 at 11:36 PM
Emz Says:
Hello generals,,,Sir,
message lang sir,,, paki abot lang sa uban nga Generals sa UAE mga bag og daan nga naa mi 2nd eyeball, first friday ng November pero botohan pa kung asa i held sa park o sa beach…..Since alam kong this Gensan News ay umaabot kahit saan….
Daghang salamat.
Emily Corona
Posted on October 19th, 2009 at 1:49 PM
BrAvO SiX Says:
Inshallah…day off ako nyan para makasama ako…
paki-post na lang ang update dito sa blog ni sir avel ang details kung ano man ang mapagkasunduan…
shokran!
Posted on October 19th, 2009 at 2:18 PM
orman Says:
ano nang nangyari sa christmas party nung 2008? sana ma-sustain ang grupong ito.
.-= orman´s last blog ..I Wanna Hug My Mom (And I Hope She Hugs Back) =-.
Posted on October 20th, 2009 at 5:14 AM