Image by congressman_hondaA March 21, 2011 press release by the Department of Foreign Affairs
Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert F. Del Rosario arrived in Yemen March 20 to assess the situation on the ground and to revalidate the Philippine Embassy team’s contingency plan for the Filipino community in Yemen.
Secretary Del Rosario was met and had a working dinner with Yemeni Foreign Minister Dr. Abu Bakr Al-Qirbi in Sanaa. The Foreign Minister assured Secretary Del Rosario that the Yemeni government is committed to protect and ensure the safety of Filipinos in Yemen.
Upon arrival, Secretary Del Rosario and Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Rafael E. Seguis met with a team from the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh who are in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa, headed by Charge d’Affaires (CDA) Ezzedin H. Tago.CDA Tago is there with four other Embassy officers and staff to implement the contingency plan for the country.
A three-man team from the Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah is also in Aden for the same purpose.
During the meeting, they discussed the contingency plan, where Secretary Del Rosario praised the plan for its comprehensiveness. He also made it the model contingency plan for Philippine Embassies in other countries.
Secretary Del Rosario then met the members of the Filipino community to listen to their views on the situation in Yemen and gather their recommendations on how best to safeguard the safety of community members.
The Filipino community members were given a list of contact numbers of the Embassy team and of the assigned coordinators for the different areas in Yemen.
There are around 1,500 Filipinos in Yemen, mostly concentrated in Sanaa.
Secretary Del Rosario also introduced an Honorary Consul in Sanaa, businessman Mohamed S. Al-Jamal, who would be assisting the Embassy team in looking after the Filipinos in Yemen.
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