The Seaport Hajj Terminal in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia has been void of Filipino nationals as of September 1, 2010, Labor and Employment Secretary Rosalinda D. Baldoz yesterday disclosed.

Citing a report by Labor Attaché to Jeddah Vicente Cabe, Baldoz said that from July 10 to August 31, this year, the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Jeddah repatriated the 698 Filipinos, including 137 children of OFWs.  Majority or 399 of those repatriated were adult females while 162 were adult males.

“Our Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Jeddah had reported that as of September 1, there is not a single Filipino national remaining in the Hajj Seaport Terminal,” Baldoz said.

The DOLE chief clarified that the Seaport Hajj Terminal is a place designated and operated by the Saudi government as a temporary shelter for deportees to curtail the incidence of overstaying foreigners loitering in public places like the Kandara Bridge. “This is the place where overstaying foreigners, including Filipinos, who surrender for voluntary deportation, are brought. The Philippines is one of only two countries that have made an arrangement with the Saudi government for the use of the terminal. The other country is Egypt,” Baldoz explained, adding:

“The Philippines is only one of two countries in Saudi Arabia that shoulders the repatriation tickets of its overstaying nationals and assists them during their tedious process of repatriation.”

Cabe, in his report, said that that not all Filipinos qualified for repatriation stay at the terminal. Those who opt to stay at the Seaport Hajj Terminal, however, are provided meals twice a day by the POLO-Jeddah, which is in addition to the rental it pays for the accommodation of Filipino nationals in the terminal.

“The recent report of our POLO in Jeddah is an affirmation of what we have been doing dedicatedly over the years, that is, providing prompt and suitable assistance to our distressed OFWs,” Baldoz said.

“Consistent with the fresh directive of President Benigno Simeon C. Aquino III, we shall expand our programs to make our services more suitable to an increasing OFW clientele.”

Baldoz dismissed reports that OFWs admitted to the Seaport Hajj Terminal are not being properly attended to by the POLO and the Philippine Embassy. She said POLO and Philippine Embassy officials and staff regularly visit the Filipinos in the terminal to monitor their situation and provide additional assistance.

Baldoz has a standing order to all labor attaches and welfare officers to fast-track the repatriation of all OFWs who would like to return to the Philippines regardless of their status, and had issued the policy that distressed Filipino nationals be repatriated within 30 days after their exit permits have been obtained.

She had also authorized the use of P10 million from the 2010 budget of the DOLE as additional repatriation fund. The amount is part of the P50 million allocated by Congress last year as repatriation fund.

To fast-track the repatriation, she had also instructed the labor attaches and welfare officers to work closely with Philippine embassy officials and officials of the host government.

END

The Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah on 25 August hosted an iftar with the Filipino Muslim Community in Jeddah, joined by personnel and officers of the Consulate and attached services.  The iftar was held at the PCG Jeddah building's hall.

Press Release (Updated)

31 August 2010

In light of various media reports on the status of repatriation of Filipinos from Jeddah, especially those who stay at the Seaport Hajj Terminal as arranged by the Philippine Government, we wish to provide the public the following information and update.

• The repatriation of Filipinos is neither an amnesty nor is it mass repatriation.  Those who enlist are voluntarily surrendering for deportation.
• From middle of June to August a total of 1,134 enlisted for voluntary deportation.  The breakdown is 341 males, 605 females, and 188 children.
• All adults are interviewed by the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Jeddah (POLO Jeddah) prior to admission to the Seaport Hajj Terminal.
• Not all of the Filipinos stay at the Seaport Hajj Terminal.  Some choose to stay out.
• For those who choose to stay at the Seaport Hajj Terminal, the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Jeddah (POLO Jeddah) shoulders their accommodation at 10 Saudi Riyals per day and provides 2 meals.
• The Seaport Hajj Terminal is being offered by the Saudi Government to curtail the practice of overstaying foreigners loitering at public places like under the Kandara Bridge to seek deportation.

Admission into Deportation Center

• To be admitted into the Deportation Center, the Saudi General Directorate for Passports requires that the overstaying national must have a travel document [with his/her real name] and a one-way return ticket with confirmed booking.
• The Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah issues the Filipinos with travel documents waiving any of the normal requirements for the issuance of a passport or Travel Document.  Those who enlist for deportation only have to file an application and do not provide any of the normal required supporting documents.  This also applies for their children.  The travel document, which normally costs 80 Saudi Riyals, is issued free of charge.
• Due to the big number of deportees from various nationalities, the Saudi Government requires that the deportees have a confirmed flight one or two days after their admission into the Deportation Center.
• Admission into the Deportation Center is determined by the Saudi Government, and only after the names are given to them with complete travel documents and tickets.  The General Directorate for Passports (Jawazat) decides when it will admit Filipinos from the Seaport Hajj Terminal into the Deportation Center, and they decide how many to admit based on space availability at the Deportation Center.
• Inside the Deportation Center, the Saudi authorities conduct an investigation including taking fingerprints and biometric data.

Schedule of Outbound Repatriation Flights

• The Philippines is one of only few countries who have made an arrangement for the use of the Seaport Hajj Terminal, and one of only two countries that shoulders the plane ticket of their nationals for deportation and assists for their eventual repatriation.
• If anyone looks at the record of admission into the Deportation Center and compares it with the schedule of flights, it is easy to deduce that the length of stay at the Deportation Center is very short.  Under Saudi laws, any overstayer or worker who absconded from his/her employer is subject to penalties and detention.  Clearly, these penalties are waived for those who undergo this procedure.
• However, if the Jawazat authorities do not clear an individual for departure during the investigation stage, that person stays longer at the Deportation Center. It is the Saudi authorities that determine who is cleared and who is not.
• There are also instances that those who are cleared are not able to make their flights for various reasons, such as the breakdown of the fingerprinting and biometric machines or simply because the Jawazat authorities failed to bring them to the Airport.
• Consistent with practice in the voluntary deportation in September 2009 to March 2010, plane fares of overstaying hajj and umrah pilgrims and children of OFWs are not shouldered by the Government as per instructions received by the Consulate and the POLO Jeddah.

Schedule of repatriation flights

Summary as of 31 August 2010

• From 10 July to 31 August, POLO Jeddah has repatriated 705 Filipinos or 169 males 399 females and 137 children.

• As of 31 August 2010, there are no Filipinos at the Seaport Hajj Terminal seeking deportation.

• POLO Jeddah continues to monitor on daily basis the status of Filipinos at the Deportation Center, to ensure their timely departure upon completion of the investigation by the Saudi authorities.

NOTE: Additional Filipino Nationals booked on September 2, 2010. For confirmation of tickets.