The Philippine Consulate in Jeddah has announced that 100 more pilgrims are expected to arrive on Sunday (today) for this year’s Haj, Consul General Leo Tito L. Ausan, Jr. told Arab News on Saturday.

He said that 36 pilgrims have arrived in Jeddah on Saturday. They are now in Makkah, staying at the Meridien Tower.

“At present, 6,336 Filipino pilgrims have already arrived and they are now in Makkah. We expect 400 more Filipinos to complete the Philippine quota of 6,700 pilgrims,” said Ausan. He said that the remaining pilgrims will be arriving daily until Sept. 24.

Vice Consul Rodney Jonas Sumague said the pilgrims are headed by the secretary of National Commission on Muslim Filipino (NCMF), Yasmin Busran Lao, but she will come with the last group on Wednesday.

“So far, everything is going smoothly. The pilgrims are not encountering any problems and satisfied with the preparations undertaken by the Saudi Ministry of Haj for this year’s pilgrimage,” he said. A team for Haj assistance, headed by NCMF’s regional director Malo Mananggiri, had arrived earlier, he said.