Philippine Embassy opens field office

The Philippine Embassy in Riyadh has opened an extra consular office outside the Diplomatic Quarter to cater to hundreds of workers who need to legalize their status or apply for emergency travel documents.
The field office will provide travel documents, release of surrendered passports, extend the validity of surrendered passports and deal with requests to search for surrendered passports.
According to an advisory from the embassy, the venue in Riyadh is at the Elite International School in the Olaya District. It opened on May 18 and will operate until June 5 from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.
The embassy released another advisory earlier this week advising Filipino workers to go home if they do not have a valid passport or a new employer.
It said that workers could return to Saudi Arabia in future if they are able to obtain valid visas. “The embassy would like to remind Filipinos that the current grace period for correcting irregular residency and labor status ends on July 3, 2013.”
Those requiring travel documents need passport-size color photographs against a white background, completed passport application forms available at the field office and on the embassy website, copies of their old passports and other supporting documents. The service is free of charge.
Those who received calls from the embassy can claim their surrendered passports at the consular field office. The passport will only be released to the person it was issued to. No representative will be allowed. This service is free of charge.
Those who want to extend the validity of their surrendered passports can also do so at the consular field office. The extended validity will be for one year for a fee of SR 80.
Filipinos can also go to the consular field office and submit a request, via a drop-box, to search for his or her surrendered passport in the embassy’s database. The worker should then wait for a call from the embassy regarding the request. Request forms are available at the field office. This service is free of charge.
The embassy has laid down a number of procedures to obtain final exit visas for repatriation following the labor concessions announced by the Saudi Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Labor.
Workers must ensure clearance from pending liabilities including car purchases and bank loans. They must apply in person at the Directorate General for Expatriates.
They must also secure an immigration record printout, an endorsement for the issue of an exit visa, an exit visa stamp and immediate airline booking. Exit visas expire within seven days. A no-objection certificate from the previous employer is not required.
Neil Grajo, who was abandoned by his company three years ago, told Arab News yesterday that he was able to secure a travel document and only needs his air ticket to Manila. Grajo has been without regular work for three years and is trying to get his friends to pay for his ticket.
Meanwhile, it has been learned that a number of workers who had camped outside the consulate in Jeddah have left the country. The consulate will also be working until midnight every day.