PH Consulate General in Jeddah Conducts Round-the-Clock Consular Mobile Services for Filipinos in Abha City, Neighboring Areas

Physically-distanced applicants for various consular services wait for their turn to be served by the Consular Team. (Jeddah PCG photo)

JEDDAH 28 September 2020 — As part of its mandate to deliver consular services to Filipinos under its jurisdiction even during this time of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah rendered its first post-lockdown Consular Mobile Services (CMS) for Filipinos in the Asir Region and other nearby areas on 23-26 September 2020 at the Abha Palace Hotel in Abha. 

Anticipating a huge turn-out of Filipinos wanting to avail themselves of consular services after a seven-month long absence in the area, the consular team, headed by Consul General Edgar B. Badajos, worked for a 24-hour period, non-stop, to ensure that everyone was served. The CMS in Abha is the first one to be conducted by the Consulate within its jurisdiction after all travel restrictions and area lockdowns were lifted by the Saudi government on 21 July 2020.

The consular team successfully processed 1,820 passport applications and about 300 requests for legalization of documents. The Overseas Voting Registration team likewise processed 373 applications for certification, registration, reactivation and transfer.

Representatives from the Philippine Overseas Labor Office-Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (POLO-OWWA Jeddah), Pag-IBIG, Social Security System, and the Office of the Social Welfare Attache (SWAT) also joined the consular mission to offer their respective services. A separate team from the Consulate’s Assistance-to-Nationals Section was also present to entertain queries and requests for assistance from distressed OFWs. Representatives from Azzer Law Firm, the Consulate’s legal retainer, also joined the CMS to offer free legal advice.

With the assistance of local Filipino community volunteers led by Mr. Virgilio A. Crisostomo, the Consular Team successfully conducted the CMS, its fourth for this year. END

Representatives from the Consulate’s legal retainer give advice to a Filipino couple in Abha. (Jeddah PCG photo)

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