JEDDAH—The consulate general called for a meeting on January 10 to brief the Filipino community in the western region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia about the Philippine government’s contingency, in view of security developments in the Middle East, specifically in Iran and Iraq.
There are an estimated 200,000 overseas Filipino workers in the said locale. Majority of them are in the Makkah area, where the city of Jeddah is located. Around 20,000 are in the southwestern regions of Asir, Najran and Jizan, which border Saudi Arabia with Yemen to the south.
During the briefing, Consul General to Jeddah Edgar B. Badajos shared recent updates on the security situation in the western region. He reassured the community of the Philippine government’s readiness to repatriate or provide other forms of assistance to those who are affected by the conflict between the United States and Iran. He also urged Filipinos there to remain alert and vigilant, despite the apparent “cooling down of the situation.”
Vice Consul Lemuel C. Lopez, head of the consulate general’s Assistance to Nationals section, discussed the consulate’s contingency plan. He informed those present of the “exit points” and “convergence sites” should the security situation deteriorate and reach a point of mandatory evacuation of OFWs in the western region.
Lopez added that, “although the contingency plan lays down certain basic protocols and procedures, it is a work in progress that can benefit a lot from the community’s inputs to ensure that they reflect the realities on the ground.”
Some members of the Filipino community who were already in Saudi Arabia during previous instances of heightened tensions in the Middle East shared their own experiences and assured the group of the relative safety of the kingdom, compared with other countries in the region.
Community Relations Unit Head Consul Mary Jennifer D. Dingal discussed the consulate’s national calendar for 2020, which reflects its events and activities for various Filipino community groups throughout the year. DFA
Image credits: JEDDAH PCG/DFA