DAMMAM — A Philippine Embassy consular team will be available at Al-Jazeera International School in Dammam's Rakah district on Thursday and Friday to extend consular services to Filipinos living in the region, according to an embassy statement. Passport applicants who can benefit from this Embassy on Wheels (EOW) program will be those who have made bookings for the service on March 28-29. Their appointments have been moved to Feb. 21-22. The list of applicants with appointments is posted on the embassy website www.philembassy-riyadh.org. The embassy will extend various consular services, including renewal of passports, authentication and notary services, NBI fingerprinting, issuance of letter of endorsement for Saudi police clearance, acceptance of applications for marriage and registry of birth for newborn babies. During the two-day activity, the embassy will also issue passports for those who made the requests in previous EOW sessions in the Eastern Province. Filipinos in the Kingdom are reminded to plan ahead their passport renewal at least nine months before expiration, and are advised to secure an appointment through the embassy's website at www.philembassy-riyadh.org. Walk-in passport applicants cannot be entertained. Appointment is not needed for other consular services. Non-machine readable passports that are valid for less than six months or those that have already expired may be extended in the following instances in accordance with DFA instructions: 1. Death in the family requiring the OFW and members of the family to travel to the Philippines; 2. Medical emergencies requiring the OFW and dependent family members to travel to the Philippines or another country for medical treatment; 3. OFWs proceeding to employers abroad with valid employment contracts processed by the POEA; and 4. Those going home on final exit visas. In these instances, proof of urgency such as a copy of the death certificate, medical certificate, final exit or letter of the employer indicating that the Filipino employee will leave the Kingdom on final exit, along with plane tickets with confirmed flight details shall be presented. — SG
