PH Embassy in Saudi Arabia releases guidelines on warning messages

The Philippine Embassy in Saudi Arabia on Monday released a guideline on receiving warning messages from the National Early Warning Platform for Emergency Situations amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

In an advisory, the Embassy said the guidelines came from the Saudi Civil Defense.

• Remain calm and follow official instructions.
• Immediately proceed to the nearest safe place (inside a building or an interior room away from windows) and stay there until the danger has passed.
• Do not leave your home or building until the danger has passed.
• Stay away from open areas, windows, and glass, and do not stand on balconies or roofs.
• If you are outdoors, enter the nearest building or take shelter behind a solid barrier.
• Avoid crowds or going to dangerous areas, and refrain from taking photos.
• If you receive the warning message while driving, pull over to the side of the road away from bridges and high-rise buildings.
• If you notice any danger, call the emergency number (911) in the regions of Makkah, Madinah, Riyadh, and the Eastern Province, and (988) in the rest of the Kingdom.
• Follow the instructions issued by the competent authorities through official channels.

The Embassy also advised Filipinos in Saudi Arabia to continue monitoring news and announcements from official sources.

These include the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh and the Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah.

Overseas Filipino workers affected by the conflict in the Middle East can now call their families in the Philippines for free after telecom firm activated Libreng Tawag Program, which will provide "critical support for Filipinos across the Middle East, including those in Iran, Iraq, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia."

Filipinos in need of help may contact OWWA emergency hotlines: Metro Manila — 1348; Regional — 02-1348; via Viber — +63-915-079-5005 (Globe), +63-969-169-7068 (Smart), +63-966-473-9543 (Globe). — BAP, GMA Integrated News