PR-006-2014
Embassy on Wheels Serves 929 Consular
Transactions in Al Khobar
(RIYADH, 14 January 2014) – The Philippine Embassy in Riyadh started a new season of Embassy on Wheels consular outreach missions when it recently held its first for the year in Al Khobar, Eastern Region, serving a total of 929 consular transactions to the Filipino community there.
The five-member Embassy team was led by Consul-General Marshall Louis Alferez. The mission, which was held on 10-11 January 2014, processed 434 passport applications, 32 passport extensions, 138 notarials, 15 reports of birth, and nine lost passport services. Also released were 301 new passports.
The team was augmented by volunteers from the Filipino community in Al Khobar.
Consul-General Alferez underscored the importance of consular outreach missions, especially in Al Khobar, where some 17,000 passports were issued thru the EOWs in 2013 out of the 72,028 passports issued under the Embassy’s jurisdiction.
He called on the Filipino community across the Kingdom to ensure that they obtain online appointments for their passport renewals to prevent any hassles.
He also reminded the community that, starting October 2014, no extensions of validity of expired or expiring passports will be granted in accordance with the Philippine rules and regulations, and the standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
As such, Consul-General Alferez encouraged all Filipinos in the Kingdom who still hold the old MRP (green) or MRRP (maroon) passports to renew and obtain the new ePassports (maroon with chip) before the former are phased out completely by November 2015.
As part of the Embassy’s program to improve customer service, the outreach mission also distributed client feedback forms to 400 clients, of which 184 responded. The results of the survey were as follows:
Table 1. CLIENT FEEDBACK ON EOW AL KHOBAR, 10-11 JANUARY 2014
The next “Embassy on Wheels” will be in Buraydah on 17-18 January 2014. It will return to Al Khobar on 24-25 January 2014 at the Al Jazeera International School in Dammam. (END)
