Working in Saudi Arabia

THE TURMOIL in the Middle East and North Africa has brought grave concerns and fears particularly about the security and the lives of many OFWs working in the region. Many Filipinos in turbulent areas like Libya, Egypt and Bahrain have already been repatriated.

EEI Corp. has long been doing business in the Middle East, in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar and Libya since the 1960s. We lived through a previous war between Iraq and Kuwait in the 1990s. We evacuated then our managers and workers to Jordan and finally to the Philippines. But three months after the end of the war, EEI was back, involved in putting out the fires and then in reconstructing the damaged facilities. Our personnel peaked at 5,000.

Al Rushaid Construction Co., Ltd. (ARCC) of Saudi Arabia, which is 49 percent owned by EEI Corp., currently employs about 7,300 Filipinos. The company is doing projects predominantly in the heavy industrial zones of the Western and Eastern Provinces of the Kingdom.

Obviously our Saudi partner shares our concerns about the security of our workers. We evacuated 143 workers from Libya when conditions there reached critical level.

As chairman of EEI, I am particularly concerned and involved in ensuring the safety of our overseas personnel, which is our paramount objective. During my visit to the Middle East two weeks ago, I spent time talking to knowledgeable people who could describe accurately the situation faced by their country. These inputs helped us formulate our contingency plans under different scenarios.

Still EEI management has to consider seriously the feelings and sentiments of our workers. On the one hand, OFWs are concerned about losing their jobs; most of them cannot afford to be unemployed since their families depend on their overseas income. On the other hand, the families of these workers worry over the possible dangers that these geopolitical events pose. Majority of them are constantly calling their spouses, children, brothers or sisters overseas, asking for updates on the conditions there.

To get a handle on the feelings and perceptions of our workers in Saudi Arabia, we sampled our ARCC personnel, those currently in Saudi Arabia and some who are on vacation in the Philippines. Their family members were likewise interviewed.

Generally, our ARCC employees now in Saudi Arabia are at ease with the conditions there and expressed a feeling of being relatively safe where they are and even confident about going around the cities in the Kingdom. All who were asked are even willing to continue to work in the Kingdom for the next five years. They attributed their feeling of safety to the fact that they are far from the areas where the “unrest” is emanating from and they believed the Saudi government has the wherewithal to control the situation. Some said that they do not think that the Saudis will harm the Filipinos. One worker even expressed the opinion that the Saudis in general have a deep concern for Filipinos.

There were a few workers who are currently on leave in the Philippines who expressed fear and worry, not for their safety, but about the possibility that if conditions worsen in Saudi Arabia, they may not be able to go back. In spite of the possibility of turmoil erupting there, a greater number are still willing to risk and continue to work in the Kingdom because of the repercussions it could have on their financial situation. Reynaldo Mediavilla, a scaffolding leadman, says, “Even if riots occur, I will continue to work there because of the need to help my family and the company.”

The workers’ dependents (mostly wives) expressed fear, worry and concern for the safety of their breadwinners. But these fears were short-lived because, upon learning of the peaceful situation in the Kingdom via text messages, workers were able to allay the fears of their spouses and family members. Evelyn, the wife of Alex Santiago, a data encoder, hurriedly called her husband when she heard the news of a protest rally, but was told to calm down because they were not affected by the event.

Clearly, there is a difference between the points of view of those who are on the ground and those who are far away, mainly because of the sources of information. The media typically report events and information that are usually extraordinary, otherwise it is not considered interesting or newsworthy. Efficient communications between OFWs and their families close the communication gap. As long as the Internet and cell phones work, messages can be sent back and forth and information can be shared. OFWs and their families are able to know the real score and make more sound decisions. EEI ensures that its workers are updated on the current situation.

It was clear from the interviews that many have taken comfort in their full knowledge of their situation and the realization that they are being taken care of. Through its Safety Programs, EEI demonstrates true concern and responsibility for its people. EEI continues to make itself aware of the events, tuning in to the various sources of information, and has contingency plans in place which it is ready to implement when the need arises.

Rizalino S. Navarro is a senior adviser of Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. and chair of Clark Development Corp. and International Chamber of Commerce-Philippine National Committee.