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COMPOSITE PHL EMBASSY-CONSULATE TEAM MEETS WITH MORE OFWs IN NAJRAN, HOTLINE FOR FILIPINOS ESTABLISHED

18 May 2015 - Following its meeting with 300 Filipinos on May 13, the composite team of the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh and the Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah continued to meet with more Filipinos working in Najran on May 15 to discuss the present situation on the ground and respond to their concerns. 

Minister and Consul General Marshall Louis Alferez of the Philippine Embassy led the team, which included Vice Consul Rodney Jonas Sumague, Labor Attaché Jainal Rasul, Jr. and Welfare Officer Amelito Adel of the Consulate General in Jeddah.

The composite team met with some 100 male and female Filipino medical workers and service staff of the Najran Armed Forces Hospital at their temporary accommodations in the afternoon, while another forum hosted by the Najran General Hospital was held for about 50 male workers from small and medium sized commercial establishments in the evening. 

“The two fora allowed the composite team to directly inform more Filipinos of the prevailing situation on the ground and answer their various queries regarding their employment circumstances and the broad outlines of the Philippine Government’s alert level system and contingency planning. I believe the face-to-face dialogue managed to assuage many of their concerns, especially as Najran City has remained calm after three days of the ceasefire, and commercial activity and public services have not been disrupted,” said Minister Alferez. 

He added that the Philippine Embassy and the Philippine Consulate General continue to assess and prepare for any eventuality, as the safety and security of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Najran remain paramount. “We urge Filipinos in Najran to fully cooperate at all times, while remaining calm and keeping abreast of the latest official information disseminated through the advisories of the Embassy and Consulate General. It is vital that Filipinos be armed with reliable information on the situation and not rely on hearsay and speculation, especially those circulating on social media,” explained Minister Alferez.

Filipinos in Najran are reminded of the following hotlines of the Philippine Consulate General for Najran concerns: 053 424 0362 (in Najran), and 050 721 6307 / 012 619 8478 / 012 669 2589 (in Jeddah)

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COMPOSITE TEAM FROM PHL EMBASSY IN RIYADH AND PHL CONSULATE GENERAL IN JEDDAH MEETS WITH FILIPINOS IN NAJRAN

15 May 2015 – The Philippine Embassy in Riyadh and the Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah conducted an open forum with members of the Filipino community in Najran at the King Khalid Hospital Auditorium on May 13.

The aim of the forum was to discuss the present situation in Najran, validate reports on the ground, hear the concerns of the Filipino workers, and brief them on the plans being made by both the Embassy and the Consulate General.

Around 200 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from different hospitals, clinics and commercial establishments in Najran attended the forum. Present were Minister and Consul General Marshall Louis Alferez of the Philippine Embassy, and Vice Consul Rodney Jonas Sumague, Labor Attache Jainal Rasul, Jr. and Welfare Officer Amelito Adel of the Philippine Consulate General.

“Filipinos in Najran are safe and in good condition. While they rightfully have concerns over the Houthi mortar attacks in the past week, the situation is now calm and the first day of the ceasefire has largely been observed by both sides. Public services are still being delivered and commercial establishments are still open. We also noted that Filipinos are able to go about their daily routines with minimal disruption. Nevertheless, we have advised Filipinos to remain calm and ever vigilant, and to always monitor the advisories of the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh and the Philippine Consulate in Jeddah”, remarked Minister and Consul General Alferez.

The forum allowed the attendees to further clarify labor-related concerns vis-à-vis the situation on the ground. The team informed the group that the Saudi Government still requires all regular labor and immigration rules and procedures for departing expatriates to be followed, especially for those with irregular status.

At the end of the forum, the Filipino workers expressed their appreciation to composite team for going to Najran and helping them better understand their present situation.

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PHL EMBASSY IN RIYADH, PHL CONSULATE GENERAL IN JEDDAH COORDINATE WITH NAJRAN EMPLOYERS FOR SAFETY OF FILIPINOS

18 May 2015 - The composite team of the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh and the Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah met with officials of Najran Armed Forces Hospital on May 14 to ensure the safety and security of Filipinos working in the hospital, which is among the biggest employers of Filipinos in the city.

Minister and Consul General Marshall Louis Alferez of the Philippine Embassy, and Vice Consul Rodney Jonas Sumague, Labor Attaché Jainal Rasul, Jr. and Welfare Officer Amelito Adel of the Philippine Consulate General met with Assistant Human Resource Director Mr. Saad Al Zaharani and Human Resource Specialist Mr. Ayman Al Zaharani.

During the meeting Mr. Saad Al Zahrani gave assurances that they are looking after the welfare of their Filipinos workers in the midst of the situation in Najran and that they have specific plans in place, including possible relocation sites in other cities should the situation deteriorate.

They also informed Philippine officials of the options they have in place for their Filipino employees who wish to either continue working or be allowed to leave for the Philippines.

Aside from the Najran Armed Force Hospital, Philippine officials continue to contact other employers of Filipino workers to get assurances on their safety and specific details about their contingency plans. The composite team is set to visit small and medium-sized establishments with Filipino workers in the coming days to talk to their employers.

For advice and updates on developments in Najran, Filipinos are requested to contact the following hotline of the Philippine Consulate in Jeddah: 053 424 0362.