JEDDAH, 13 October 2005 — Filipinos who will be performing Umrah and Haj in three months may look forward to better services and accommodation.
That is the promise of Dr. Monib P. Maniri, newly appointed director of Bureau of Pilgrimage and Endowment in the Philippine Office of Muslim Affairs.
“First of all, there must be improvement of services in the Philippines like quick processing of passports and in getting discount in airfares for pilgrims,” Maniri told Arab News in a telephone interview.
He promised to ensure that accommodations for Filipino pilgrims particularly in Mina and Arafat must be nearer to the city center.
“As it is right now, our accommodation in these places are too far away,” he said.
Consul General Pendosina Lomondot said the appointment of Maniri is a welcome development.
Maniri is former Overseas Filipino Worker who has worked for 14 years in the Eastern Region of the Kingdom, first as a resident physician in Alkhobar and 12 years as a company doctor in Dammam.
“This is a good idea to appoint a new director. With his experience, we need the ideas of Dr. Maniri for the betterment of services to Filipinos performing Umrah and Haj,” Lomondot told Arab News.
Maniri made a courtesy call with Lomondot when he visited Jeddah this week. During his visit, he met Saudi Haj officials, a transportation company providing transport services to Filipino pilgrims, and inspected accommodations.
More than 4,000 Filipino pilgrims arrive in the Kingdom every year to perform Haj. Maniri left for the Philippines the other night. He said he will be back early next year to supervise the arrival of Filipino pilgrims.