07 August 2017, Dubai, UAE. The Philippine Consulate General and the Filipino Community of Dubai and the Northern Emirates warmly welcomed new Undersecretary of Migrant Workers’ Affairs, Atty. Sarah Lou Y. Arriola, and Assistant Secretary Hjayceelyn Quintana at the Town Hall Meeting held on 05 August 2017.

Some 200 community leaders participated in the 4-hour forum where among the questions raised include cases of undocumented children born in Dubai; human trafficking; request for shelter for men; the proposed Department of OFW; OFW ID; legal assistance coverage; repatriation of remains; illegal recruiters; and loan facility for OFWs, among others.

The Undersecretary also visited the wards at the POLO’s Migrant Workers and other Overseas Filipinos Resource Center (MWOFRC) to ascertain the cases of 129 distressed Overseas Filipinos.

In the Undersecretary’s remarks, she commended the collaboration between the Consulate and the community and highlighted the utility of such partnership as a means towards a more inclusive governance. END