JEDDAH, 18 October - The Philippine Embassy in Riyadh yesterday urged Filipinos in the Kingdom to stop worrying about the ongoing war between the US and its allies against Osama Bin Laden's network.
"OFWs in the Kingdom are in no imminent danger nor in need of being evacuated from Saudi Arabia at this time," said the latest advisory signed by Ambassador Rafael Seguis.
Seguis, in a letter to Arab News, said the new advisory supersedes all others that have been issued when he was in Manila.
In issuing the "no imminent danger" notice, Seguis noted that the Kingdom has security measures in place to promote the safety of all its residences and visitors, including Filipinos.
Various groups and individuals have complained about the previous advisories here and in Manila, which tended to cause panic among OFWs and their dependents at home.
Many OFWs have observed that the risk of getting killed in Metro Manila is far greater than getting hurt or even bitten by an insect in Saudi Arabia.
A subsequent advisory issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila removed Saudi Arabia from its list of Mideast countries that were deemed to be potentially risky as a result of the US war in Afghanistan.
According to the latest DFA notice, should the conflict escalate, those in other Mideast countries would be evacuated to Saudi Arabia, in coordination with local authorities.
The advisory urged Filipinos "to proceed with their business as usual but remain alert and vigilant and keep themselves abreast of current events, including news from the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh or the Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah."
It also said Filipinos are neither required by the embassy nor the consulate general to get their passports presently in the custody of their employers or sponsors.
"Neither do they need to secure an exit-re-entry visas at this time for no valid reason. For their future reference or file, however, they are encouraged to keep photocopies of travel/identity/passports," the advisory said.
The embassy, however, said the registration of Filipinos with Philippine foreign service posts will continue in line with the provisions of Republic Act No. 8042 (Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995), which mandates the creation of a masterlist of OFWs worldwide.
The registration has become more important since the Macapagal-Arroyo administration is all set to enact a law allowing OFWs to vote in national elections at home.