EDDAH — Close to 300 Filipino Muslims have already arrived in Saudi Arabia for the Hajj or Umrah pilgrimages, according to the Philippine Consulate here.
The pilgrims arrived in two batches last Wednesday — 46 in Jeddah and 247 in Madinah, said Administrative Officer Vice Consul R.J. Sumague.
Philippine Consul General Leo Tito Ausan Jr. welcoming the first batch of pilgrims at the Hajj Terminal. Ronaldo Concha
For this year, Hajj—the fifth pillar of Islam and the most significant manifestation of Islamic faith and unity—is expected to fall between October 2 to 7. Umrah, on the other hand, is a visit to the Grand Mosque in Makkah, outside of the designated Hajj pilgrimage dates.
Sumague said a supervisory team from the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) led by Director Malo Manonggiring was also present to assist the pilgrims, who are mostly from the Lanao provinces in southern Philippines.
After going through the usual clearing process, the pilgrims boarded a bus bound for the holy city of Madinah.
An estimated 6,700 Filipino pilgrims are expected to perform Hajj this year.
Sumague said the NCMF has sent a 17-man advance team to assist the pilgrims. The team is divided into sub-groups deployed in Jeddah, Madinah and Makkah (Mecca).
Aside from the advance team, the NCMF has also dispatched a 10-man advance medical team composed of doctors and nurses to look into the medical needs of the pilgrims.
Philippine health officials have earlier appealed to the pilgrims to postpone their trip to Saudi Arabia, citing the risk of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV).
Health Secretary Enrique Ona directed the advice to those most vulnerable, such as those 60 years old and up, pregnant women, children below five years old, and those with diabetes, kidney disease, chronic lung disease, and weak immunity.
Sumague said the Filipino pilgrims will be arriving in Jeddah and Madinah on a daily basis. The last batch is expected to arrive in Jeddah on September 24. —KBK, GMA News
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