ALKHOBAR, 27 October — When Philippine leaders act resolutely, the little things that need to be done could be done.

Philippine Senate President Franklin Drilon showed this example on Friday when he told the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) in Manila to continue giving licensure examinations to Filipinos in Saudi Arabia.

Drilon called PRC chairwoman Antonieta Fortuna-Ibe by phone upon hearing of the complaint by Filipino electrical, mechanical and civil engineers and accountants that the PRC had been giving them a hard time.

Ibe scrapped the holding of licensure examinations in the Kingdom this year, ending what had been started in 1997 during the Fidel Ramos presidency. Her reason: There is no law allowing the commission to conduct the examinations outside the Philippines.

According to Drilon, Ibe promised to reinstitute the exams within the year after certain problems and deficiencies on the PRC’s rules are corrected.

Drilon told Ibe and Filipino community leaders in the Eastern Region that there is no need to create a law allowing PRC to conduct examinations abroad.

He promised to meet with the PRC commissioners upon his return to Manila to get the matter resolved.

"I’m sure the PRC would not want their 2003 budget to suffer," said Drilon, who is not a known charismatic leader but whose "aksyon agad" (quick response) and no-nonsense style of governance earned him plenty of admirers when he was a Cabinet member.

The community leaders responded with a resounding applause and standing ovation.

Drilon, together with Senator Robert Jaworski, met with the community leaders at the Park Hotel in Alkhobar in a dinner forum also attended by Ambassador Bahnarim Guinomla and Assistant Labor Attaché Jalilo dela Torre.

During the forum, Drilon assured the community that at least in the Philippine Senate, the importance of OFWs in the survival of the Philippine economy is sincerely recognized.

"It was the huge dollar remittances sent by OFWs that has kept our country afloat amid economic crises in the region," he said.

Although OFWs have been exempted by a law from paying taxes to the Philippine government for income earned abroad, the dollars they bring home or send to their families at home contributes immensely to the economy.

As proof of the Senate’s high regard for overseas Filipinos, Drilon and Jaworski said that just recently the chamber had passed three important measures for their benefit.

One is the measure allowing OFWs to buy up to $4,000 worth duty-free items for items such as machine tools that can be used for livelihood projects.

Another is the passage of the proposed Absentee Voting Act, which gives allows overseas Filipinbos to vote abroad during Philippine national elections.

The third measure is the Dual Citizenship Act, which automatically gives back the Filipino citizenship to the migrant workers who have been naturalized in other countries.

PAL flights

Community leaders also asked help from the senators for the putting up of an extension of the Philippine Embassy in Alkhobar to make like easier for Filipinos in the Eastern Region who need consular services.

Drilon said this was a different matter because it is the host government that decides. "We have to abide by the laws of the host government," he explained.

On the request for the senators to intercede in their behalf and get the Philippine Airlines to increase its flights in the Kingdom, Drilon said that he will take up the matter with officials concerned.

But he also pointed out that the government has no control over PAL. It will be a business decision of the airline’s airline owners and shareholders to make, he added.

Earlier in the day, the senators and their delegation were warmly met by more than 5,000 Filipinos at the Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd Amusement Park in Half Moon Bay, Dammam.

They were invited by the Saudi Arabia Hiligayon, Inc. (SAHI) to grace the Filipino Community Day 2002 celebration last weekend.

Both senators acknowledged the warm hospitality accorded them since arriving at the King Fahd International Airport late Thursday night. However, they admitted that the Philippines is not yet prepared to receive them back in the country.

While much has been done for the welfare and reintegration programs of overseas workers, they said, there simply are not enough jobs available in the country, especially with an ever-growing work force.

"Don’t go home yet. We still need your help to keep our country’s economy afloat over the crisis we are facing at the moment," Jaworski said in his own speech.

"It takes a national effort for us to make our country economically strong. We need to invite more investors to our country so that they can provide adequate jobs for you when you go back home," he added.

With the absentee voting measure soon to be signed into law, the two senators urged OFWs to actively participate and help select good leaders for the country.

"Our people should move toward one direction for prosperity and improvement of all Filipinos," Jaworski said.

No entertainers

What made some of the community members grumble was the no-show of three artists from Manila as promised by the organizers.

SAHI said artists did not make it due to visa problems. Rey Valera, Karding and Lance Raymundo, the organizers said, were already at the NAIA airport in Manila last Thursday to show their commitment to grace the Filipino Community Day, hoping to get a last-minute visa stamping on their passports.

Ambassador Guinomla also expressed his apology to the Filipino community citing that even a delegation from Manila to promote food products were not granted visas to visit the Kingdom.

Guinomla, however, lauded SAHI for spearheading the celebration of the Filipino Community Day 2002.