12 February 2018, Dubai, U.A.E. –The Philippine Consulate General in Dubai and Northern Emirates held a Townhall Meeting with  Labor and Employment Secretary Silvestre Bello III at the Rizal Hall of the Philippine Consulate on 11 February 2019. Joining the meeting were POEA Administrator Bernard P. Olalia, Philippine Ambassador to UAE Hjayceelyn Quintana, and the officers of the Philippine Embassy in Abu Dhabi, the Philippine Consulate in Dubai, and the Labor Offices of both Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Around 150 members of the Filipino community in Dubai and Northern Emirates, including members of the Dubai press, participated in the Town Hall.

In his address, Secretary Bello expounded on the Duterte administration’s priority programs, namely: “Build,Build, Build “ program, anti-drugs campaign, and the anti-corruption drive. He also reminded the audience of PRRD’s commitment protecting and promoting the welfare of OFs as well as his mission to promote stronger economic development in the Philippines so that Filipinos would have more and better job opportunities in their home country.

Administrator Olalia meanwhile reiterated the POEA’s efforts to ensure that the rights and welfare of Filipino workers in the UAE particularly, the household service workers, are protected.

Ambassador Quintana, on her part, informed that that the Philippine Embassy in Abu Dhabi and Philippine Consulate General in Dubai were taking concrete steps to address the many concerns of OFs in the UAE, including the growing number of illegally recruited Filipinos.

Consul General Paul Raymund Cortes assured the community of the government’s commitment to engage with its constituency as a means to understand and resolve the concerns and challenges of our diaspora using a whole-of-society approach.

The audience expressed sincere appreciation for the top government officials’ efforts towards uplifting the welfare of OFs in the UAE.

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