Consul General of Ethiopia in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Mr. Mulugeta Kelil, called on Consul General Edgar Tomas Q. Auxilian on 22 March 2023.
During the call, Consul General Kelil commended the Philippine Consulate for its commendable work in assisting Filipino nationals, especially those in distress, and asked Consul General Auxilian to share some of the Consulate’s best practices in assisting Filipino migrant workers in Jeddah and the Western Region of Saudi Arabia.
Consul General Auxilian explained that the protection and promotion of the welfare of Filipinos overseas is among the pillars of the country’s foreign policy. He also gave an overview of the current set-up of government agencies in the Consulate, particularly in handling concerns of migrant Filipinos—workers and non-workers—guided by the long-cherished principle “One-Country Team Approach” (OCTA).
Consul General Auxilian explained that the Migrant Workers Office in Jeddah (MWO-Jeddah), which is under the newly-formed Philippine Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) handles all concerns of Filipino workers, while the Assistance-to-Nationals Section of the Consulate handles concerns of all the other Filipinos not categorized as “workers.”
Accompanied by his two officers, Consul General Kelil called on the Consulate in order to learn from the experience of the Philippines on how it handles and extends assistance to its migrant workers. Like other countries and Consulates, the Ethiopian envoy considers the Philippines as a model on how a country takes care of its nationals abroad especially the migrant workers. He also shared that Ethiopia has now a growing number of migrant workers abroad, especially in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Consul General Auxilian and Consul General Kelil also exchanged views on other matters of common concern, including recent developments in the Kingdom and the Gulf Region and global issues affecting their respective nationals.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Department of Foreign Affairs, Republic of the Philippines.
