PH Consulate General in Jeddah Reports to Filipino Community in “State of Post Address”

Consul General in Jeddah Edgar Badajos (on stage) delivers the first “State of Post Address (SOPA) to some 300 members of the Filipino community in the Western Region of Saudi Arabia. (Jeddah PCG photo)

JEDDAH 18 December 2018 – In keeping with the government’s goal to observe transparency in its programs, projects, and activities, the Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia reported its accomplishments for 2018 to the Filipino Community (FilCom) in the Western Region of Saudi Arabia in a meeting it dubbed “State of Post Address” or SOPA.

The SOPA 2018 presented the Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah’s 2018 accomplishments in consular, assistance to nationals (ATN), infrastructure, political, economic, and cultural areas in an event held

The accomplishments of attached agencies—Philippine Overseas Labor Office, Social Welfare Office, SSS, Pag-IBIG, and the Philippine Trade and Investment Center—were also presented.

For consular matters, the SOPA 2018 highlighted the conduct of 11 consular mobile services (CMS) in the different areas in Saudi Arabia’s Western Region which brought government services to many Filipinos living in far-flung areas. For 2019, the Consulate committed to increase the number of CMS to 16.

From April to December 2018, the Consulate was also able to process 24,000 passport applications, and 1,600 visas to foreign nationals who want to visit the country.

The provision of courtesy lane for household service workers (HSWs), and the use of auto e-mail notification for passport pickup were also introduced in 2018.

For assistance to nationals, the Consulate highlighted the opening of the first-ever 24/7 contact center in a Philippine embassy or consulate which provides kababayans a venue to easily reach out to the Consulate on ATN concerns and general inquiries. Since its opening in August 2018, the said contact center was able to process a total of 14,297 transactions.

The SOPA 2018 gave a run through of the assistance the Consulate has given to distressed OFWs, including, among others, medical assistance, welfare assistance, blood money claims, and end-of-service benefits on behalf of the surviving heirs of deceased OFWs. 

The report also highligted the various improvements made at the Consulate, including a canopy over the grounds being used for Filipino Community activities, a new Filipino Community Multi-purpose Hall, and a new Sentro Rizal.

The Consulate General intends to make SOPA a regular year-end activity with Filipinos under its jurisdiction, in the interest of providing transparency in governance. END

For more information, visit www.jeddahpcg.dfa.gov.ph or https://www.facebook.com/philippine.consulate.jeddah.

Filipino Community members listen intently as Consul General Edgar Badajos delivers the State of Post Address (SOPA) for 2018. (Jeddah PCG photo)