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Press Release No. 09-2018

 

PHILIPPINE CONSULATE GENERAL IN JEDDAH DEPLOYS COUNTRY TEAM TO RENDER FULL RANGE OF CONSULAR SERVICES TO FILIPINO COMMUNITY IN SOUTHWESTERN SAUDI ARABIA

 

Jeddah, 10 March 2018 – The Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah deployed a one-country team to render full range of consular and related services to the Filipino community in Taif, a city in Makkah province of Southwest Saudi Arabia, on 09 to 10 March 2018. Led by Consul General Edgar Badajos, the team included representatives from the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), PAG-IBIG and Social Security Services (SSS). “We get to visit fellow Filipinos in Taif only once a year and so I thought that each visit, we will bring a one stop shop for them so they do not have to travel all the way to Jeddah for their other consular needs,” said Consul General Badajos.



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Consul General Edgar Badajos explaining the programs and projects of Jeddah PCG
to better serve the Filipino Community in Western Saudi Arabia.

The City of Taif is about 200 kilometers to the Southeast of Jeddah. There are an estimated 14,900 Filipinos in the city and its neighboring areas. Most of them work in the medical and defense sector although there are also some who work in Saudi households.

 

During a brief dialogue with the community, the Philippine team explained the Consulate’s programs and projects to better serve the Filipino community in the Western Region of Saudi Arabia. These include a quarterly orientation program for newly-arrived Filipino workers, which will offer a free legal clinic to raise the Filipino community’s awareness on relevant labor, criminal, and immigration laws, rules, and regulations; and jointly with the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh, the development of a unified database of all OFWs all over Saudi Arabia who fall on the wrong side of the law.

 

The Consular Team brought passport, civil registration, authentication, and notarial services closer to the people of Taif and the neighboring areas. Those who had difficulty traveling all the way to Jeddah were given the opportunity to avail of these services conveniently. Also part of the services was the registration of new overseas voters in preparation for the 2019 national elections.

 

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A member of the consular team examines applicants’ documents for completeness.

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Assistant Labor Attaché Delia Palomar and Welfare Officer James Mendiola answers labor-related questions.

The Assistant Labor Attaché and OWWA representative fielded questions about their respective office’s programs for OFWs, especially those who are returning to the Philippines for good. The PAG-IBG and SSS Representatives encouraged those who are not yet members to apply for membership and avail themselves of the full range of benefits under both systems.

 

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SSS Representative Michael Ingal explaining the full range of the System’s benefits.

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PAG-IBIG Representative Jamal Baguan explaining the benefits of PAG-IBIG membership.

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Social Welfare Attaché Priscilla Razon conducting pre-marriage counselling.

One of the highlights of the mobile service was a pep talk given by the Social Welfare Attaché to the female OFWS. The Social Welfare Attaché gave them tips on simple breathing and stationary exercises to de-stress and cope with the pressures of work and handle the longing for home. The Social Welfare Attaché also conducted a pre-marriage counselling session to two (2) Filipino couples who are set to get married within the month. END