There are now close to 100,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Dubai and the neighboring northern emirates who have been adversely affected by the COVID pandemic’s economic impact.
Some have lost their jobs while others were either on a no-work-no-pay arrangement or have had their salaries adjusted, according to the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) at the Philippine Consulate in Dubai.
The number was based on applications so far at POLO for the Department of Labor and Employment’s Abot Kamay ang Pagtulong (DOLE-AKAP) program, which provides for a one-time financial assistance of AED730 (P10,000)
Citing POLO figures, Robie Torre-Gonzales, Dubai president of the Filipino Human Resources Practitioners Association in the UAE or FilHR, said approximately 53,160 or 60% of the 88,600 AKAP applicants are in a no-work-no-pay situation; 26,580 or 30% are those who have been terminated; and the remaining 10% are those whose salaries have been reduced and unfortunately are not covered by the program.
“The job market is really bad. Ang daming nawalan ng work; at kung di nawalan ng work, wala namang pay kasi sarado pa ang office kasi di essential/ vital ang industry or the job itself,” said Gonzales.
“A lot of platforms are opening though to support yung mga nawalan ng work, like on-line, freelancing. But even that becomes very competitive na rin,” she added.
Gonzales said FilHR has yet to institutionalize job placement but has development programs that can support OFWs in finding jobs.
Labor Attaché Felicitas Bay said that as of June 19, 2020, POLO has received a total of 88,585 AKAP applications of which 34,083 have been evaluated and 14,949 have been approved. Some 10,997 OFWs have received their AKAP financial assistance as of the same date, according to Bay.
Bay said funding allocation under the program is for 17,000 OFWs only.
“Terminated and no-work-no-pay lang ang covered ng guidelines,” Bay told Rappler. “Applicants who are on a visit visa are not covered.”
Bay said there have been double, even triple, applications “but the number is not significant.”
“Salary reduction and reduced work week but with pay are not covered by the DOLE AKAP,” she also clarified.
Gonzales said “60% of OFWs in Dubai and the northern emirates were displaced and this has greatly affected the families who rely solely on them on their monthly remittances.”
“The burden doubles up when you’re the one affected here. There’s no reduction on the regular expenses. Therefore, one is not excluded in paying the utilities and the house rent,” Gonzales said.
A big number of OFWs in Dubai are in the food and beverage sector, with restaurants temporarily closed in recent months and only offering delivery or take-out services.
Another bulk is with the hospitality industry, which also shut down due to the pandemic and is just now preparing to re-open.
Ronin Ronald Endozo, a Dubai management-level hotelier for the past 25 years who currently is director of operations at Fraser Suites Dubai in Media City, said approximately 30,000 OFWs are employed in the hotels.
“Filipinos represent an average of 20% ng staffing ng bawat hotel all across Dubai and the norther emirates,” he said.
There are were 544 operating hotels and 100,744 hotel rooms in Dubai as of last year, according to Dubai Statistics Center (DSC).
Also a sizeable bulk is in the retail and trade industry where OFWs are employed as shop assistants and sales personnel and which also had to halt operations at the height of the government’s sterilization drive.
According to Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III, there are 400,000 documented OFWs in Dubai.
Salary deductions have been allowed by virtue of the UAE Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s (MOHRE) Ministerial Resolution No. (279) of 2020, which was issued on March 26 for companies to survive the pandemic’s economic impact.
FilHR has 200 affiliate companies in Dubai and the northern emirates of Sharjah, Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah, Umm Al Quwain and Ajman. Gonzales said a lot of these companies have also been affected by the pandemic.
(MAIN PHOTO: Displaced overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Dubai queuing in for free hot meals. Photo grab from Feby Cachero Baguisa Dela Peña’s Facebook with permission. She started giving free food a month ago and is now preparing hot meals donated by sponsors.)
The Daily Bread 
Sana makarating sa ajman namn po no work no pay kame sa school kame ng wowork,,kaya tambay pa dami mo kame dito mga assistant teachers at sped assistants.slamat mo
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Hi good morning this one of jumierah college’s.. Am still waiting for the DOLE AKAP financial program help for us. I am one of those Filipinos who no work no pay now or let’s say unpaid leave they give us,,, please ma’am and sir we need your financial assistance here in Jumeirah Group for this station of us.
Hope you will give action about it I already also fill out online the application for DOLE-AKAP PROGRAM.
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hello po. kindly call this hotline to follow-up po: 050 652 6626 pr check this link, https://www.polodubaiportal.org/polo-dubai-advisory-how-to-apply-for-dole-akap-one-time-financial-assistance/. good luck po.
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Hello po. Sir bakit sa online application my option na para sa mga katulad kong my reduction ng salary pero ngaun sa nilabas na article, hindi nman pala kasama sa mga mabibigyan. Umaasa naman po ang mga kabayan. Salamat po.
sige po mag-follow-up po ako and get back to you.
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sige po mag-follow-up po ako and get back to you.
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Hello po. heto po ang mga contact details: OWWA. Hotline: +971 506526626. polodubai@ymail.com. polodubai.info@gmail.com. (DOLE-AKAP Follow-Up). Hotline: +971 505585536. +971 504709646. heto nman po ang latest tally from POLO: DOLE AKAP as of June 19
Applications received 88, 585
Total evaluated 34, 083
Total approved 14, 949
Total no.of OFWs
beneficiaries 10, 997
Funding allocation is for 17, 000 Ofws only
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Mabuhay Mga Kabayan
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4months no work no pay no anything Sana poh matupad, Indi lang ako St maraming. Mga kabayan. Pa na walang trabaho………. Good luck and mabuhay
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Hi, suggesting lng po na ba’t hindi nlng po mag-ayus ng repatrition flight din ang Pinas gya ng ibang bnsa dahil sa sitwasyon nato, esp.kmi n wlang trabho n gus2 na umuwi kso lagi nman naka2nsel ang flights dhil daw jan sa Pinas kc gustong gus2 ko na ein umuwi thrice npo na nkansel flight sna mkauwi npo ako. Sana mpansin… Salamat po
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inshallah. marami nga pong ganyang kaso these days. in fact, may isang Facebook group po na puro ganyan ang situation; over 200 members
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No work no pay din po kami start po nung March 26 ng fill up po kami sa dole c akap last c April pa po sana. Po m follow up nio po naabutan n po kami dito ng end contract wala k p rin akap, from kiwi cleaning company po,
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sige po. when po ba end of contract?
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Pano po ang mga Hindi po registered sa owwa may makukuha po na silk?
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itanong ko po. balikan nyo po ako later. thanks
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Hallo po ma’am
Asking Kong pyde pa bah maka pag apply SA Dole.
Maraming salamat po
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hello po. inshallah. but as it now stands, 88,585 na po ang total applicants eh good for 17,000 applicants lang daw po ang funds available.
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Ako po ay muling manawagan sa namamahala dto po sa Dubai sa programa ng ating mahal n pangulo na para sa finacial assistance para sating mga OFW ng pasa n po kami ng mga form nung april ang ng follow up nadin po kami kasi hanggang ngaun wla pa po kami natatanggapan pakitawagan nlng po aq dto sa # na ito 0555125783,muli po akong nananawagan sainyo maraming salamat po.
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Kapit lang po ma’am. heto po ang detalye mula sa POLO-Dubai: DOLE AKAP as of June 19
Applications received 88, 585
Total evaluated 34, 083
Total approved 14, 949
Total no.of OFWs
beneficiaries 10, 997
Funding allocation is for 17, 000 Ofws only
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Ako po ay muling manawagan sa namamahala dto po sa Dubai sa programa ng ating mahal n pangulo na para sa finacial assistance para sating mga OFW ng pasa n po kami ng mga form nung april ang ng follow up nadin po kami kasi hanggang ngaun wla pa po kami natatanggapan pakitawagan nlng po aq dto sa # na ito 0555125783,muli po akong nananawagan sainyo maraming salamat po.
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Dito din po sa Ras al khaimah madaming nawalan ng trabaho yung iba no work no pay sana matulungan nyo din kami dito
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hello po. heto po mga contact details po: OWWA. Hotline: +971 506526626. polodubai@ymail.com. polodubai.info@gmail.com. (DOLE-AKAP Follow-Up). Hotline: +971 505585536. +971 504709646.
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Ma’am/sir..nwalan po aq ng work.kinasel po aq ng company ko,pede po b aq mka avail ng one time financial assitsment nyo.nagsend po aq ng application sa wedsite nyo,sana po isa aq sa matulungan nyo..salamat po god bless
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Ma’am/sir..nwalan po aq ng work.kinasel po aq ng company ko,pede po b aq mka avail ng one time financial assitsment nyo.nagsend po aq ng application sa wedsite nyo,sana po isa aq sa matulungan nyo..salamat po god bless
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No work no pay po ako, almost 3months npo akong walang work, Sana po matulongan nyo po ako…. Maraming salamat po.
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Sana po makatanggap din ako, relief and akap financial assistance, terminated po contract KO since April, please po badly need help po thanks
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Hello po. heto po contact details: OWWA. Hotline: +971 506526626. polodubai@ymail.com. polodubai.info@gmail.com. (DOLE-AKAP Follow-Up). Hotline: +971 505585536. +971 504709646. heto naman po ang latest count from POLO: DOLE AKAP as of June 19
Applications received 88, 585
Total evaluated 34, 083
Total approved 14, 949
Total no.of OFWs
beneficiaries 10, 997
Funding allocation is for 17, 000 Ofws only
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Swerte pa kayo few months lang problema nyo? Sa oger 9,555 employees since 2016 pa ang ipinangako ng ahensya ng pinaka mamahal nating gobyerno, cla daw ang bahala sa amin??? 2020 na ngayon???
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Naterminated Po ako since may po dahil sa covid19 ,, nagbawas sila Tao napasama Po ako, gang ngaun Wala pa Po ako work. Pwedi Po ba ako magapply sa one time cash assistance?? At paano makapgapply?
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Hello po. heto po ang mga contact details: OWWA. Hotline: +971 506526626. polodubai@ymail.com. polodubai.info@gmail.com. (DOLE-AKAP Follow-Up). Hotline: +971 505585536. +971 504709646.
heto nman po ang latest tally from POLO: DOLE AKAP as of June 19
Applications received 88, 585
Total evaluated 34, 083
Total approved 14, 949
Total no.of OFWs
beneficiaries 10, 997
Funding allocation is for 17, 000 Ofws only
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