Flag of Saudi Arabia (Unsplash)

The appointment papers of Raymond Balatbat, the new Philippine Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with concurrent jurisdiction over the Republic of Yemen, have reached the Commission on Appointments (CA). 

Surigao del Sur 2nd district Rep. Johnny Pimentel, CA assistant minority leader, said the President nominated Balatbat last June 3. 

“The new posting or place of assignment of an ambassador as well as the rank promotion of senior foreign service officers are both subject to CA confirmation,” Pimentel said over the weekend. 

Balatbat is the current Philippine Ambassador to Lebanon and one-time executive director of the Department of Foreign Affairs' (DFA) Office of Middle East and African Affairs. 

He entered the foreign service in 1997 and previously held key roles in several Philippine diplomatic missions abroad. 

At present, the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh is headed by chargé d’affaires Rommel Romato. 

Saudi Arabia is the Philippines’ third-largest source of cash transfers from overseas Filipino workers (OFW), after the United States (US) and Singapore, according to Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) records. 

The more than 700,000 Filipino workers in Saudi Arabia sent home to their families in the Philippines a total of $2.1 billion (P117 billion) in cash remittances coursed through the banking system in 2023. 

The amount does not include dollars sent home via non-bank money transfer channels or physically brought home by returning Filipino workers. 

The 1987 Constitution empowers the 25-member CA to vet the competence, fitness and integrity of key presidential appointees and to approve or reject them. 

The CA is composed of 12 members each from the House of Representatives and the Senate, with the Senate President as ex-officio presiding officer.