OMAN Ambassador to Manila Abdullah Al Manwari said his government would find ways on how to help the Philippines alleviate its oil crisis triggered by the Middle East war. Abdullah made the assurance on Monday during his meeting with Sen. Erwin Tulfo, who sought the envoy's help to "boost" the country's oil reserves in case the war drags on.
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman thanked the envoy for Oman's "consistent assistance to the Philippines in the ongoing Middle East crisis." The senator said he took the opportunity to look into a potential government-to-government transaction for additional oil supply from Oman. “In case this war would drag on, I hope you can help us boost our oil reserves," Tulfo said to Al Manwari. "We will ask through our proper government channels — the departments of foreign affairs and energy,” Tulfo said.Al Manwari replied that while Oman is willing to help the Philippines, it still needs to confirm with their corresponding ministry on how it can help the Philippine oil supply-wise. The ambassador reiterated that the Philippines is a “friend of Oman.” Tulfo reiterated his gratitude to Oman for being a "safe channel" for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who sought repatriation to escape the United States-Israel war on Iran.“Thank you for your continuous support. Some of the OFWs, when they exit, they go through Oman,” Tulfo said. He also noted that Oman has been a reliable partner of the Philippines, especially during crises such as when it assisted to release the 17 Filipino seafarers who were held hostage by Houthi in Yemen in 2025.There are about 49,000 Filipinos in Oman, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs.Meanwhile, Vice Consul April Casquejo of the Philippine Embassy in Oman recently briefed the Filipino community leaders on the embassy’s contingency plan amid the Mideast war.Casquejo said that Oman "continues to be safe" for everyone. Over 50 Filipino community leaders representing various OFW groups under the umbrella of the Filipino Community Social Club attended the event.
