By Michaela P. Del Callar
MANILA, May 18 (PNA) -– Philippine officials in Saudi Arabia have sought extra protection for Filipino workers in the city of Najran after it was attacked by Houthi militias last week, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Monday.
On May 14, a team from the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh and Consulate General in Jeddah met with officials of Najran Armed Forces Hospital, which is the biggest employers of Filipinos in the city.
Minister and Consul General Marshall Louis Alferez, Vice Consul Rodney Jonas Sumague, Labor Attaché Jainal Rasul, Jr. and Welfare Officer Amelito Adel held talks with the hospital’s assistant human resource director Saad Al Zaharani and human resource specialist Ayman Al Zaharani, a DFA statement said.
In that meeting, Zahrani assured Philippine officials that they are looking after the welfare of their Filipinos workers amid the security threats, adding they have specific plans in place, including possible relocation sites in other cities should the situation deteriorate.
They also informed Philippine officials of the options they have in place for their Filipino employees who wish to either continue working or be allowed to leave for the Philippines.
Since March 26, a Saudi-led coalition, which includes Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, Qatar, Sudan, and the United Arab Emirates, has launched numerous airstrikes throughout Yemen against Houthi forces for overthrowing the government of President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi in January.
Then on Wednesday last week, Houthi rebels launched a series of artillery rockets on the Saudi city of Najran, killing and wounding several civilians. The attacks also violated a truce with Saudi armed forces.
Apart from the Najran Armed Force Hospital, Philippine officials are also contacting other employers of Filipinos in the area to get assurances on their safety and specific details about their contingency plans.
The DFA said the Philippine team is set to visit other establishments with Filipino workers in the coming days to talk to their employers.
For advice and updates on developments in Najran, Filipinos are advised to contact the following hotline of the Philippine Consulate in Jeddah: 053 424 0362. (PNA)