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Sunday, March 23, 2003
Everything okay with OFWs in Saudi Arabia: Guinomla
By Antonio M. Ajero
AMBASSADOR Bahnarim A. Guinomla assured Saturday that Filipinos should not worry about relatives working in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as everything is normal in the area as the kingdom is very far from areas of conflict in the war between Iraq and the US-led coalition.
In fact, if you have been following the development of the three-day war, you'll notice that the war is going away from Saudi, Guinomla said in a telephone call from the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh.
The ambassador graced Saturday's launching of the PNB (Philippine National Bank) Tele-Ugnayan giving free two-minute overseas call of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) with their loved ones in the Philippines.
PNB Rhiyad Branch Manager Usman Navarro advised OFW relatives in Davao and elsewhere in the Philippines to inquire from PNB branches in their localities how they can avail themselves of free overseas phone call service.
At the time, Ambassador Guinomla denied stories that there is panic among the some 800,000 OFWs in Saudi because of the country's proximity to Iraq.
"Everything is normal here," he said, adding that "people are going about their usual transactions and activities and there is a festive mood because it is graduation time here."
He said there is absolutely no truth to reports that airports in Saudi have been closed because of the war in Iraq. He said all the airlines are making their flights to Riyadh normally.
The once Davao-based ambassador said that he has also recommendation to Foreign Affairs Secretary Blas Ople to relax the advisory banning OFWs now vacationing in the Philippines not to return to Saudi Arabia and other Middle East countries while the war on Iraq is still going on.
He said he has asked Secretary Ople to allow three groups of vacationing OFWs to return to Saudi Arabia like those whose exit visas are about to expire, vacationing OFWs who have left behind their families in Saudi, and OFWS who are residing or working in places in the Kingdom which are clearly far from the area of conflict.
Ambassador Guinomla said the advisory should not be so blanket as to deprive OFWs their jobs and be away from their loved ones whil eht war in Iraq is in progress.
(March 23, 2003 issue)
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