By John Carlos Burog and Reema Macadato
In celebration of Qatar’s National Day (QND), Associated activities were organized by the Ministry of Interior (MoI) which was held last December 18 at the Lusail Multipurpose Hall wherein students from Philippine School Doha, along with other international schools in Qatar, took part in the prominent competition as they exhibited their exquisite parades and thematic entertainment and cultural shows.
The program kicked off with the singing of Qatar’s national anthem. The enthusiasm of the audience was palpable to see as different performances of each school were in preparation for their spectacular parade. Their keenness heightened as students, with their flamboyant designed costumes, gleamed in the parade as they waved Qatar’s flag with pride and joy. In addition to that, students also displayed their talents and skills in art as they carried notable monuments representing Qatar.
Afterward, an elocution competition was held. The speeches either revolved around the themes of achieving safety in Qatar, Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani – the father of the Qatari nation, or Qatar’s vision for the future. Leez Suarez, a 12th Grade PSDian, was the representative of PSD in the competition. Through her speech, she compared Qatar’s growth throughout history as that of a mustard seed, though minuscule in size, has grown to achieve importance in the world.
“A sustainable Qatar economy is in reach. Let our branches reach the sky, let us water the hopes of Qatar, and catapult ourselves into the future,” said the Senior High School student sympathetically to Qatar’s vision. After some speeches, several cultural dances were performed by the Indonesian community that showcased the rich cultural diversity of the peninsula-country.
The elocution competition was followed by performances of the different schools in the thematic song and thematic show competitions. The White Hawks of the Senior High School (SHS) Department of Philippine School Doha had shown their astounding performance as they exhibited the timeline of Qatar’s progression through the years. From Qatar’s early days as a pearl-diving nation and the Battle at Al-Wajbah to the discovery of oil and the subsequent contemporary events that shadow the gulf state, the thematic shows of each school exhibited Qatar’s history and journey towards the modern world. In addition to that, PSD’s Chorale Club also participated as they sang with their harmonic yet gratified voices on stage in their entry to the Thematic Song competition.
Moreover, the spectators also applauded the representing competing schools during the thematic entertainment and cultural shows. The captivating performances of each school were stimulated by the art of Qatar’s cultures and traditions, as well as the remarkable achievements of Qatar.
Abdulaziz Al-Zaman, a first lieutenant of the Traffic Department of the Ministry of Interior, delivered a message in Arabic to the Qatari and expatriate communities that participated in the event on behalf of His Highness, the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and His Highness, the Father Emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, as well as the Qatari government. He expressed his sincere gratitude for having the different schools partake in the event and emphasized the need to exercise safety everywhere.
An awarding ceremony followed in the aftermath of the competitions and was held on the evening of the day. PSD won second place in the thematic song competition with the DPS Modern Indian School coming behind it and the MES Indian school claiming first. Additionally, the MES Indian School won third place in the thematic parade, thematic show, and elocution competitions, but the MES Indian School claimed the champion in the overall ranking. Bhavan’s Public School was behind the MES Indian School in the overall ranking and claimed a second in the thematic show competition and a first in the thematic parade competition. Ideal Indian School claimed third overall and claimed first place in the Thematic Show and Elocution competitions. Other schools that received awards were the Pakistan International School that received second in the thematic parade competition and Philippine International School Qatar that claimed second in the elocution competition.
This year’s Qatar National Day commemorated a hundred and forty-one years since the unification of the tribes of the peninsula and the formation of the Qatari nation in 1878. Since then, the country has transformed from a pearl-diving and mercantile trading hub to one of the largest exporters of natural gas in the world. Qatar celebrated its achievements in the economic, political, and social fields that were envisioned through Qatar’s Vision for the Year 2030. To the fullest degree, Qatar continues to be a country that looks back at its past with gratitude and looks forward to its future with hope.