Panic Mode and Haka Haka on the Nitaqat (Saudization)

Receiving forwarded emails from different people is the first order of the day in the office. I resented it but can’t do anything about it. Finally I just ignored it. That’s the best thing that you could do to unsolicited emails. Lately, emails regarding the horror stories of vacationing OFWs whose passports were stamped exit only visas at the immigration circulated like wild fire. I read it but deleted the email right away. However, my inbox were full within hours of the same emails forwarded over and over.

The email spread like wild fires and some of my friends even called me that they’re postponing their vacation for fears that their passports will be stamped exit only at the immigration. I told them that the story was already denied by the Passport Office. The Minister of Passport Office said that the immigration officer could not issue an exit re-entry or exit only visa. Their duty is only to stamp entry on arrival and exit on departure. That’s it and the circulating emails are just rumors.

I thought that the horror story would just die a natural death. Unfortunately, print and even visual media from the Philippines published the same story and even quoted the leader of a militant group Migrante in the story. According to the Migrante leader, 4 engineers called him and they told him that their passports were stamped exit only visas at the immigration. Names and companies of those so called engineers were not given. It caused another series of forwarded emails from Pinoy friends. Fortunately, the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh issued a press release denying the rumor. The good thing is that the Embassy has a direct access with the Ministry of Labor and the issue was clarified.

I think it was irresponsible for the Philippine media back home to just run the story of the militant group Migrante without checking with the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh. If I am not mistaken, the horror story was a press release from the militant group just to gain media mileage again. It works because most of the print media and broadcast media covered it.