JEDDAH, 27 February 2004 — A six-day master trainers’ workshop for 24 Filipino Haj officers was recently held at the Sunset Hotel in Jeddah as part of the Haj Awareness Program. It was organized by the Saudi Ministry of Haj in cooperation with Selectrain, a recruitment agency. The ministry organized the program following reports that cases of health and safety problems were the result of a lack of knowledge among pilgrims.
The objective of the program is to promote a healthy and trouble-free journey among Hajis and educate them about dos and don’ts, said Siraj Mohammad Malibari, managing director of Selectrain. The workshop focused on giving trainers the ability to take the program back home.
The Philippines was selected as the test country before the program is expanded to other countries, said Deputy Minister Essa Rawas. The 24 OMA Haj officers will train 183 pilgrim guides in the Philippines and conduct a series of workshops, said Datu Zamzamin Ampatuan, head of OMA.
About 3,000 pilgrims come from the Philippines each year. OMA plans to launch a Haj Awareness Year in late April to ensure the involvement of all government departments.
