RIYADH, 30 Sept. — Former President Fidel V. Ramos has said he is elated to find Filipinos in the Kingdom at ease amid talk of evacuation in case of an American invasion in Iraq.
"I am glad you’re relaxed, at ease, and seem focused on your work," Ramos told hundreds of OFWs on Friday at the Philippine Embassy after a brief meeting with community leaders.
What seemed to worry him was that the coming of the Middle East Preparedness Team (MEPT), which President Arroyo has sent to the Kingdom, might cause alarm instead.
"But don’t panic!" Ramos cautioned. He said that the team led by retired Gen. Roy Cimatu was just making a "survey" of the situation in the region based on the contingency plan of MEPT.
"It is just a manifestation of President Arroyo’s ‘pagmamahal’ to all of you," the former president said.
Cimatu and his team arrived Saturday night in Riyadh at the start of a two-week tour of Mideastern countries where there are Filipinos.
His team includes Ambassador Reynaldo Parungao, Director Ramon Tionloc of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), and Nikon Pameronag of the Department of Labor and Employment.
Last night Cimatu was in Alkhobar meeting with community leaders. He is to fly to Jeddah today. From the Kingdom, they will proceed to Kuwait, Jordan, Oman, Qatar, Lebanon, Israel, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates.
During his talk with Alkhobar leaders, Cimatu also sought to assure OFWs in the region that there was no need to get alarmed because their coming does not mean war in Iraq was near.
While Manila is wishing that war won’t break out, he said, "it’s always better to be prepared." He noted that moving a big number of civilians, such as the Filipino population in the Eastern Region, could be a logistical nightmare.
Cimatu also said he does not foresee an evacuation to the Philippines but just a "relocation" of Filipinos in areas near the Iraqi border. Most of these places are in the Eastern Region.
Ambassador Bahnarim Guinomla had also been meeting with community leaders in the region as part of preparations in case of a need for "relocation."
In Jeddah, the umbrella group Alyansa, headed by Jibreel de Vera, has agreed to help the Philippine Consulate General in coming out with a database of Filipinos in the Western Region in case an evacuation is needed.
Officials, however, said if ever a war would break out in Iraq, what the community in Jeddah needs to do is to help accommodate those being relocated from the Eastern and Central regions, as happened during the Gulf War of 1991.
Economic mission
While Cimatu’s group is working with the Embassy and community organizations on the evacuation preparations, Ramos said he and his delegation will go ahead with their own mission.
"We are here to help the (Philippine) government promote investment, trade, tourism, technical transfer, and other forms of economic cooperation between Saudi Arabia and the Philippines. And beyond all these, to help the government in the overall strengthening of our bilateral relations," he said.
Members of his delegation are in a variety of concerns ranging from tourism, construction, manufacturing, education and other services.
Ramos, a senior adviser and special envoy of President Arroyo, will conclude his five-day tour in the Kingdom today with a speaking engagement with the local business leaders before proceeding to Bahrain later in the day.
Ramos, who was invited to the Kingdom by the Saudi government, told Friday’s forum at the embassy that he had taken the opportunity to thank the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Fahd, for "taking care of OFWs" and for the continuing support of his government for the peace process in southern Philippines.
He also turned over a set of Philippine books on contemporary affairs like "Rebellion in Mindanao" and "Muslim and Christian Filipino Commonality" to the embassy as reading materials for OFWs in the Kingdom.
