The Philippine government said it is ready to evacuate Filipinos based in Saudi Arabia should the need arises.
In a report by ABS-CBN, Department of Labor and Employment secretary Silvestre Bello said on September 17 that the government is prepared to repatriate the OFWs if needed after the attack on the kingdom’s state-run Aramco oil company.
“We are ready for any eventual repatriation to ensure the safety and security of OFWs, or help them secure employment in the other areas,” he said in a statement.
He added that DOLE and the Department of Foreign Affairs, in cooperation with Philippine Overseas Labor Offices in Al Khobar, Riyadh, and Dammam, are reviewing the possible effect of the bombings on the facilities of the state-owned oil firm on the safety of OFWs in the kingdom.
Around 50,000 Filipinos are working in the areas affected by the attacks. As of now, Bello said there are no reported injuries among OFWs and work disruption as a result of the attack.
The attack on Aramco’s Abqaiq facility was claimed by Houthi, an Iran-backed group based in Yemen. The bombin, according to the firm’s statement, is estimated to cut Saudi’s oil production by about 5.7 million barrels per day—over 50% of the kingdom’s daily oil output.
There are around 550,000 OFWs based in Saudi Arabia as of 2018, according to the data released by the Philippine Statistics Authority.
