How To Send Money Back Home

We know a lot of you already know how to remit money to your home country but we are quite forgetting that a lot more expats are new in Saudi Arabia and a stream of new blood is coming in almost every day. They might require assistance and information on such processes. We were surprised when one of our kabayans emailed us on how to send money to the Philippines and we all went "Oo nga naman pala!" We haven't written a how-to on this topic. So here it is! :)

First and foremost, you need to have an iqama (residential permit) to do this. It will be easier for you to sign up. Every thing in your Riyadh life becomes relatively easy when you have your iqama already. I signed up for an account in Enjaz a few months ago. It was my first time to do so.

REMITTANCE CENTERS

Enjaz is one of the popular remittance centers in Riyadh. A lot of Filipinos and other nationalities go to Enjaz and I'm not surprised when I saw branches packed to the brim during salary day. Fortunately, I am living near the Suleimania branch. It's in front of the Military Hospital and beside Blue Ribbon Bakery. I went on a Thursday morning and it was already packed with people. 

1. Fill-up a form that will ask you about your important information (name, address, birth date, etc.). Check the form if you've filled it up completely.

2. Present your iqama (residential permit) along with the form to the person behind the computer desk. He'll input your information in their system and photo copy your iqama to go along with your form.

3. Receive your Enjaz card with a smile (yes, with a smile dapat... bawal ang masungit! Hehe!). Check your card if it contains the following information: Name, CIF No., and Center No. They will all be filled by the Enjaz representative.

4. To remit money to the Philippines, just fill up a form for bank transactions. The remittance fee now is SR16. You can also send via Western Union for SR25. Their is a smaller form that only asks for the receiver's full name, country, and amount. Present the forms along with your Enjaz CIF Card and money to the window. Ladies have a separate line and window.

That's it! Easy as 1-2-3! They also keep track of who are you sending to, especially when you have a few accounts or persons in mind. It gets easier and faster when you come the next month and the next... These remittance centers offer cash payouts, credit to account on all banks, and door-to-door cash delivery.

I haven't opened an account with Telemoney but I'm guessing they have the same process as Enjaz. If you'll ask me what's better between Enjaz and Telemoney, I can't answer you. It probably depends on what's nearest to you. Haha. (That's what my father said. He has both Telemoney and Enjaz cards so...) Here's where to find branches for ENJAZ and TELEMONEY.

How to Pay Your SSS and Pag-IBIG

Hi Filipinos in Riyadh, are you an SSS and PAG-IBIG member? Do you even know what these are?

I'd like to elaborate but I'm not an expert in these things. I just recently found myself sorting out my SSS and Pag-IBIG membership plans because I know I need to.

When I was working in Makati two years before I went to Riyadh, my employer was in-charge of my SSS and Pag-IBIG contributions. They get automatically deducted from my salary each month and I didn't have to do a thing... except obtain the SSS and Pag-IBIG numbers online, which is a one-time thing. When I went abroad, I completely forgot, okay ignored, my contributions because it's such an effort to pay it and I wasn't really thinking clearly that time (tantamount to saying I don't want to have an idea how). Now, I realize they're important for all the right reasons. Maybe I need a loan? Maybe I'll retire soon (like 30 years soon, hehe)? Maybe I just need a back-up plan? It's been almost three years since I ignored them and I didn't know where to start because one, I did not have any document with me that states what my SSS number or Pag-IBIG number and two, I'm abroad. I decided to act on it.

I started with the SSS. I spent an entire day browsing the SSS website looking for answers to my "case." Okay, maybe it was just an hour but not finding a concrete answer in the site frustrated me to the point of giving up. But I'm not easily swayed by frustrations. Rightttt. So I did what I should have really done first: check their international branches. And hallelujah, I found email addresses for their Riyadh branch. I emailed sss_riyadh@digi.net.sa and sss_riyadh@yahoo.com (dalawa para sigurado) to ask how to pick up from where I left in my contribution and how to go from there. Being a government agency, I did not expect a prompt reply (because I'm biased like that and I've suffered countless waiting hours in some government agencies just to process papers and clearances). Surprisingly, I got a reply asap and the help that was provided to me was beyond my expectation. I didn't know it was that easy. If only I had known, I should have continued paying since I got here. So since I don't want you to suffer the same late realization I had, here's what you have to do to pay your SSS. (These tips are for OFWs and their dependents in Saudi Arabia.)

1. Your SSS number is your lifetime number. It can't be changed and it can't be doubled. You should only have one SSS number. If you already have one but have forgotten it or doesn't have any documents that has it, then you can email . (I apologize to Mr. Danny Calape, SSS representative to Riyadh, KSA, if his email address gets clogged because of this advice, hehe) to ask for an update on your record of contribution.
2. If you don't have an SSS number yet, you can get it directly from the SSS website.
3. SSS are paid by schedules. It doesn't have to be monthly though. You can pool your money to pay two or three or more months per visit to payment centers. You can also pay in advance.
4. The amount of contribution depends on your choice. Here's the schedule:


5. To pay, visit any branch of Skyfreight, Telemoney Center, or Tahweel Al Rajhi. In short, visit Batha. You'll find all three there. Hehe. Although of course, to avoid the crowd there, here are other branches: Skyfreight (not mentioned in the website is their new branch at Abu Bakr Ar Razi St., Suleimania, near the Military Hospital [RKH]), Telemoney, and Tahweel Al Rajhi.

Those are just some tips and guides. And since I'm probably just babbling, the first step is actually all you need regardless of what your question is. Email Mr. Danny Calape. I'm sure he'll be happy to help.

As for Pag-IBIG, there's also just one step needed. Email Mr. Philip Raymund Salem at balian_boy@yahoo.com for your questions. I know you;re curious but please don't ask him why he's email address is like that. Hehe. Jk. To answer your basic questions, though here's a simple step-by-step on how to enter the Pag-IBIG Online Membership Registration (Pag-IBIG 1 Program):

1. Visit the official website of Pag-IBIG Fund at www.pagibigfund.gov.ph.
2. Click "Member Services."
3. Click "Online Membership Registration."
4. Click "Register as a New Member."
5. Click "Continue."
6. Enter the code shown.
7. Click "Proceed."
8. Fill out the needed information. (Answer all blanks marked with *)
9. Click "Submit."
10. Click "Print MDF."
11. Submit the printed MDF to the Pag-IBIG representative at the Philippine embassy through a. submitting personally or via an authorized representative or b. send a soft copy of the MDF to balian_boy@yahoo.com.

Easy, yes? Wait, you need an Internet Explorer to proceed with the registration so I suggest you use IE. And a printer should be at hand to avoid any inconvenience. And please, be patient. Payments can be made through the Pag-IBIG representative at the Philippine embassy and at Skyfreight branches. There are more information available like payments and loans which we can email you if you need it. Otherwise, email Mr. Salem for all queries and concerns.

Visit the SSS website and the Pag-IBIG website for more information. Read especially on the section where they discuss the benefits of paying these. You might need the inspiration and the force to make this a monthly habit of yours. :D