Dubai: The death of a Filipino due to suspected heatstroke within the Philippine consulate’s premises on Tuesday morning is a “big loss” to the community he served.
Members of the Filipino community in Dubai are mourning the death of Alex Lapore, 37, who died after collapsing and falling face down on the pavement near the entrance of the Philippine labour office next to the consulate in Al Qusais.
Based on the CCTV footage, Lapore entered the premises of the compound at around 10.25am on Tuesday. Upon reaching the steps near the building entrance, he stopped and collapsed.
An ambulance was called and paramedics resuscitated Lapore before rushing him to the emergency ward of Rashid Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. Lapore’s body has been taken for forensics examination.
“We regret to inform that Mr Lapore eventually died due presumably to heatstroke, although we have yet to wait for the official cause of death after the investigation. We have notified the next of kin in the Philippines and his brother who is based here in Dubai,” Consul Ryan Pondoc, who heads the Assistance-To-Nationals (ATN) Section at the consulate, told Gulf News.
Pondoc said his office will assist in the repatriation of Lapore’s remains after all formalities have been completed.
Lapore, an accountant who used to work as an insurance broker, was known to the community as helpful to the needy and the vulnerable. Lapore was also an active member of the Rights and Welfare Assistance Programme of the migrant rights group, Migrante International-UAE.
“Alex had a big heart for serving the people. His passion and zeal for public service was evident in everything he did. Until recently, he was also involved in many charitable activities to help others in need, especially cancer patients,” Tatskie Eldemin Escares, Lapore’s colleague at Migrante, said.
Among those he helped was Genna Vi Gagola’s husband, Alden, who has leukaemia and is now undergoing treatment in the Philippines.
‘Full of life’
“Alex helped us raise funds for my husband’s treatment through holding several flea markets. He was so full of life, energetic, and was always willing to run the extra mile to help,” Gagola, a sales executive, said.
“I don’t know how we could ever thank him for what he had done for us. Although we were not related by blood, he treated us as family and we did the same,” Gagola said, adding, “He was always the one to give, but never did he take anything for himself.”
Lapore’s close friend Jenny Enriquez, a cancer survivor, said although Lapore had personal problems and had a pre-existing health condition, he never complained because he didn’t want people to worry about him.
This selfless attitude often caused a disagreement between Alex and his older brother, Federico, 40, a supervisor in a hypermarket.
“I always reminded him to use his spare time to rest instead of doing so many things for other people. But he would always tell me, ‘These people need my help,’” Federico told Gulf News.
Federico said Alex had a heart enlargement problem when he was younger but it was not a cause for concern when he arrived in Dubai in 2009.
Alex is the ninth of ten children and was financially supporting his father, nieces and nephew in the Philippines.
A special tribute in honour of Lapore is being planned by Migrante this week.
