05 May 2015 - In an effort to further reach OFWs in Oman's interior regions, the Philippine Embassy in Muscat conducted on April 24 to 25 a consular outreach in Duqm and Haima, both parts of the Al Wusta Region located in the central part of Oman. Duqm is 550 kilometers away from Muscat. On the other hand, Haima is two-hour drive from Duqm.

The Embassy team, headed by Minister and Consul General Hjayceelyn M. Quintana, was composed of consular personnel, a Voters Registration Machine (VRM) operator and staff from the Philippine Overseas Labor Office – Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (POLO-OWWA) Muscat office. Among the services rendered were passport renewals, notarials, overseas voting registration, civil registration, OWWA registration, and issuance of Overseas Employment Certifications (OEC). The Embassy also held dialogues with the attendees to explain Philippine and Omani regulations affecting Filipino workers abroad and also to encourage them to use their right of suffrage in the upcoming national elections.

Through Filipino Community coordinators Ms. Marie Venussa M. Cruz and Mr. Samuel Anthony L. Gathercole of Oman Drydock Company (ODC)-Duqm and Ms. Julie Rebadavia of Haima Hospital, OFWs in the region expressed gratitude to the Embassy for bringing various mobile services and enlightening them on various issues. The consular outreach was the second one to be held in Duqm since 2012 and the first one to be held in Haima.

Apart from the consular outreach, the Embassy team had the opportunity to conduct a familiarization tour of the Duqm special economic zone, a new town project which is central to Oman's national development plan for the next 25 years.

According to the Philippine Embassy in Muscat, there are about 300 OFWs in the Al Wusta area working at government and private health institutions and various facilities in the special economic zone area.  END