RIYADH: Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) based in Najran near the Saudi-Yemeni border have caused concern among their families back home after a Manila-based daily reported that a Filipino Center in the area was hit by a bomb on Tuesday.

The report caused panicked reactions from the families of some 5,000 Filipinos based in the border region, which prompted community leader Ronald De la Cruz to appear on social media urging the newspaper to correct the unverified news report.

Quoting Blas Ople Center, the Manila Times online reported on Friday that a certain ‘OFW center in Saudi Arabia was bombed.’

De la Cruz debunked the claim saying, “There was no Philippine Community Office or OFW Center hit by bomb on Jan. 5th,” adding: “We are sitting here in Najran and have not seen such an incident."

However, he said that the the Filipino community in the area had been requesting a safe shelter against the bombings and have demanded a service vehicle from the Philippine Consulate in case of an emergency, but these were not granted to them.

Meanwhile, the Migrante-Middle East (M-ME) group in Riyadh has urged the Philippine mission to verify the report: “It is really difficult for the embassy and consulate composite team to go near the area due to the sporadic bombings and missile attacks in Najran and along the Saudi-Yemen border, but it would be prudent on the part of the Philippine officials in Saudi Arabia to confirm the report about the OFW Community Center hit by a bomb,” said John Monterona, the group coordinator in the country.

According to him there are 5,000 OFWs, mostly household service workers and construction workers, in that area of Najran.