3 Filipinos pilgrims die, buried in Saudi Arabia

THE DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN Affairs (DFA) has confirmed reports that 3 Filipino pilgrims have died in Saudi Arabia.

“The Philippine Consulate in Jeddah has informed us that there were three Filipino pilgrims who have died from natural causes while participating in this year's Hajj,” DFA Assistant Secretary Elmer Cato said, adding, the bodies had been buried in Saudi.

He said initial information identified two of the pilgrims as a 64-year-old woman and a 59-year-old man from Lanao del Sur, one of 5 provinces under the Muslim autonomous region. The man died at the Al Noor Hospital in Makkah due to acute peptic ulcer while the woman succumbed to cardiac arrest several hours after departing Manila on July 24. She was buried in Medina.

The third pilgrim, a 47-year-old man from the town of Buldon in Maguindanao province, also in the autonomous region, was admitted to the internal care unit of the Al Noor Hospital in Makkah due to complications from diabetes. He died on August 17 and was buried on the same day.

Cato said the DFA facilitated the issuance of “no objection certificate” for the burial of those who died. The identities of those who died were not made public.

He said there are about 5,570 Filipino pilgrims and 115 support staff from the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos who joined the 2018 Hajj.

In his report to the DFA, Consul General Edgar Badajos has assured they will continue to monitor the situation of Hajj pilgrims who are currently in Mecca to extend assistance when necessary.