By Ernesto Abellera Jr.

DAMMAM — Eduardo Pingol Nicdao, an Outstanding Migrant Worker Awardee in 2014 by the Philippine Overseas Labor Office-Eastern Region (POLO-ERO), died of cardiac arrest Saturday at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) where he had traveled from King Fahd International Airport Dammam, airport officials said in their report.

According to the airport officials, he collapsed while waiting for his luggage at the conveyor belt. He was rushed to the hospital where doctors pronounced him dead after several attempts to revive him.

Nicdao, popularly known as Tata Ed among his friends, had also received Entrepreneur of the Year 2016 by The Filipino Times. Professionally he was Operational Managing Director of a distinguished Filipino restaurant in the Kingdom, the New Cabalen Chain of Restaurant with over 17 branches Kingdomwide besides in operation in Bahrain and Dubai. Another branch is expected to open in Al-Khobar soon.

He was born on Dec. 18, 1949 at Mabalacat City of Pampanga, Philippines. A Hotel and Restaurant Management graduate from the University of the Philippines-Diliman, Tata Ed, as he commonly called by his colleagues, was known for being an efficacious businessman in the Kingdom. He is also known for his philanthropist initiatives. He had helped several distressed Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW), sponsoring Saudi students school activities, Filipino organizations and communities as well as a regular volunteer in Philippine Embassy on Wheels. In addition, he was an entrepreneur who promoted the “eat-for-a-cause” dining experience.

The Filipino community was saddened at his sudden and unexpected demise. “Being a friend and his business partner, he was a great loss to the Filipino community all over the Kingdom. He left a legacy of kind-heartedness, charity, good will and unfailing faith in God. He tried his very best to forge understanding and unity among Filipino community. He diligently worked with the government officials representing Filipinos not just here in the Kingdom but also in other GCC countries,” said Gilbert Alarcon his business associate.

“My Dad liked to work fast with quality and love for doing it. He was a very supportive father. I am immensely sad for not just our and family loss but a loss for the community. He was my mentor in the field of making food and conceptualizing restos,” said his son Julius Nicdao. Several Filipino community groups have planned condolence meeting in the coming days.