DUBAI // The Philippine vice president, Noli de Castro, yesterday assured nearly 100 Filipinas who spent weeks at a shelter after fleeing their employers that he would help them return home to their families, even if they could not be repatriated all at once.
"There is a process involved," Mr de Castro said, adding that he would personally follow up their requests for airline tickets and free legal assistance with the Philippine government.
Mr de Castro is in the region to open a new Philippine embassy in Damascus next week and, in his capacity as presidential adviser on Overseas Filipino Workers, made time for a brief visit to the UAE to check on the conditions of the women at the Philippine overseas labour office in Deira. He asked the women yesterday why they ended up at the shelter and told them of the Philippine government's determination to protect its migrant workers, particularly those who are vulnerable to exploitation and abuse.
Of the 96 occupants at the shelter, 38 women have had their visas cancelled. Their passports have been retrieved from their employers, but they need air tickets to return home, according to Filipino labour officials in Dubai.
"I was raped and I need a lawyer," said a 32-year-old housemaid who fled her Syrian employer's home in February. She is among four women who said they had been raped and sought help from Filipino diplomats. Three of the women said the men who assaulted them had been arrested.
Some women also said their employers did not pay their salaries, while others claimed they were abused, and were not fed properly. One woman said she was hired as a housemaid but forced to work in the desert to take care of goats, cows and sheep in Fujairah. She was offered Dh1,500 a month but was paid only Dh700, she said.
"Their problems are not unique," Mr de Castro said. "These are the common problems of our Filipino workers in the Middle East."
He said that prior to his visit he was briefed by Filipino diplomats in the UAE about the common problems experienced by Filipino workers here. These include contract substitution, mistreatment and the difficulties related to visa and residency status.
"You are not merely workers," Mr de Castro reminded the women. "You are ambassadors of your country when you are overseas."
He encouraged them to respect the laws and the culture of their host country, and to go through the legal recruitment channels when applying for overseas jobs.
Libran Cabactulan, the Philippine ambassador to the UAE, said he welcomed visits by top-ranking officials from his country because it enabled them to get first-hand knowledge about the extent of the problems faced by migrant workers.
"He has the flexibility which I do not have," he said of Mr Castro. "We are hoping our government officials would deliver, and not to only raise expectations and end up with a high level of frustration."
A similar shelter in Abu Dhabi provides refuge to 130 Filipina housemaids, according to Nasser Munder, the Philippine labour attaché in Abu Dhabi.
Last July, Jinggoy Estrada, a Filipino senator, provided airline tickets to 30 Filipinas in women's shelters in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Manny Villar, another senator, facilitated the repatriation of 35 maids in Abu Dhabi in March and November last year.
The president of the Phillipines, Gloria Arroyo, starts a two-day visit to Dubai today. She will attend a work conference and meet members of the Filipino community.
rruiz@thenational.ae
German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
Cinco in numbers
Dh3.7 million
The estimated cost of Victoria Swarovski’s gem-encrusted Michael Cinco wedding gown
46
The number, in kilograms, that Swarovski’s wedding gown weighed.
1,000
The hours it took to create Cinco’s vermillion petal gown, as seen in his atelier [note, is the one he’s playing with in the corner of a room]
50
How many looks Cinco has created in a new collection to celebrate Ballet Philippines’ 50th birthday
3,000
The hours needed to create the butterfly gown worn by Aishwarya Rai to the 2018 Cannes Film Festival.
1.1 million
The number of followers that Michael Cinco’s Instagram account has garnered.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
The biog
Name: Dhabia Khalifa AlQubaisi
Age: 23
How she spends spare time: Playing with cats at the clinic and feeding them
Inspiration: My father. He’s a hard working man who has been through a lot to provide us with everything we need
Favourite book: Attitude, emotions and the psychology of cats by Dr Nicholes Dodman
Favourit film: 101 Dalmatians - it remind me of my childhood and began my love of dogs
Word of advice: By being patient, good things will come and by staying positive you’ll have the will to continue to love what you're doing
Tori Amos
Native Invader
Decca
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Revibe%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202022%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Hamza%20Iraqui%20and%20Abdessamad%20Ben%20Zakour%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20UAE%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Refurbished%20electronics%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunds%20raised%20so%20far%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2410m%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFlat6Labs%2C%20Resonance%20and%20various%20others%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
FIGHT CARD
Fights start from 6pm Friday, January 31
Catchweight 82kg
Piotr Kuberski (POL) v Ahmed Saeb (IRQ)
Women’s bantamweight
Cornelia Holm (SWE) v Corinne Laframboise (CAN)
Welterweight
Omar Hussein (JOR) v Vitalii Stoian (UKR)
Welterweight
Josh Togo (LEB) v Ali Dyusenov (UZB)
Flyweight
Isaac Pimentel (BRA) v Delfin Nawen (PHI)
Catchweight 80kg
Seb Eubank (GBR) v Mohamed El Mokadem (EGY)
Lightweight
Mohammad Yahya (UAE) v Ramadan Noaman (EGY)
Lightweight
Alan Omer (GER) v Reydon Romero (PHI)
Welterweight
Ahmed Labban (LEB) v Juho Valamaa (FIN)
Featherweight
Elias Boudegzdame (ALG) v Austin Arnett (USA)
Super heavyweight
Roman Wehbe (LEB) v Maciej Sosnowski (POL)
Navdeep Suri, India's Ambassador to the UAE
There has been a longstanding need from the Indian community to have a religious premises where they can practise their beliefs. Currently there is a very, very small temple in Bur Dubai and the community has outgrown this. So this will be a major temple and open to all denominations and a place should reflect India’s diversity.
It fits so well into the UAE’s own commitment to tolerance and pluralism and coming in the year of tolerance gives it that extra dimension.
What we will see on April 20 is the foundation ceremony and we expect a pretty broad cross section of the Indian community to be present, both from the UAE and abroad. The Hindu group that is building the temple will have their holiest leader attending – and we expect very senior representation from the leadership of the UAE.
When the designs were taken to the leadership, there were two clear options. There was a New Jersey model with a rectangular structure with the temple recessed inside so it was not too visible from the outside and another was the Neasden temple in London with the spires in its classical shape. And they said: look we said we wanted a temple so it should look like a temple. So this should be a classical style temple in all its glory.
It is beautifully located - 30 minutes outside of Abu Dhabi and barely 45 minutes to Dubai so it serves the needs of both communities.
This is going to be the big temple where I expect people to come from across the country at major festivals and occasions.
It is hugely important – it will take a couple of years to complete given the scale. It is going to be remarkable and will contribute something not just to the landscape in terms of visual architecture but also to the ethos. Here will be a real representation of UAE’s pluralism.
The specs: 2018 Volkswagen Teramont
Price, base / as tested Dh137,000 / Dh189,950
Engine 3.6-litre V6
Gearbox Eight-speed automatic
Power 280hp @ 6,200rpm
Torque 360Nm @ 2,750rpm
Fuel economy, combined 11.7L / 100km
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Fixtures
50-over match
UAE v Lancashire, starts at 10am
Champion County match
MCC v Surrey, four-day match, starting on Sunday, March 24, play starts at 10am
Both matches are at ICC Academy, Dubai Sports City. Admission is free.
