DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Others got up to four job offers, mostly from call centers. Some has resorted to Facebook marketing, selling signature bags they had stocked up on working abroad, while there were also those planning to open a start-up business, checking out loan programs at the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA).
And as the unhampered flow of returning overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who have lost their jobs continues, there were also those left with not much choice but to stay home as the pandemic – and its accompanying recession – wear on across the country.
Work from home offer
“May apat po akong pinag-pipilian na job offers,” said Sarah Gollayan, who arrived at Clark International Airport on July 6, with husband, Jose Gollayan Jr., a restaurant staff. She had been without regular job for two years and had resorted to nannying and house cleaning in Abu Dhabi to survive.
“Maganda rin ang offer nila. Almost the same offer po na natatanggap ko sa UAE,” Sarah said, referring to an administrative work at a medical clinic she got before the COVID pandemic hit the Gulf country in February.
The Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) sector was among economic activities that have continued operation despite the pandemic, which hit hard on the hospitality, food and beverage, public transport and events industries among others.
“Ongoing naman yung work for BPOs. Actually mas pinadali nga po dahil virtual processing lahat. Yun nga lang, kailangan talaga matiyaga ka,” Sarah said.
She said three of the offers she has received were from BPO companies while the fourth was from an offshore IT firm. The nice thing about it, Sarah said, is that all have work-from-home arrangements.
“They will provide equipment. The two companies were offering to give P2,000 monthly internet allowance so long as we are working from home,” she said.
The Gollayan couple, who lives in Commonwealth Quezon City, has been in the UAE since Dec. 7, 2014.
Signature bags for sale
For her part, April Chentes, who arrived in Manila on June 8, proved she can be an enterprising OFW, having stocked up on signature ladies’ bags and other brand name products that she has now been selling on Facebook.
“Medyo mahirap po magbenta ngayon kasi may pandemic, hindi masyado bumibili ang mga tao. Pero pwede ka pong kumita ng P200 to P400 per bag,” said Chentes, who worked at a high-end shop for tourists in Dubai that has temporarily closed. She was on unpaid leave since March 24.
Chentes said she conducts business through the courier service. “Pick up or meet up pag kakilala ang buyer,” she said.
She said she bought her merchandise while she was still in Dubai. “Nung pauwi na ako, nag-ipon talaga ako ng pambenta,” Chentes said, adding that she has about 100 bags for sale.
Start-up business
Meanwhile, if there were no jobs available, the next best thing to do is open a start-up, which is what Renz Emille Antero Sy and husband, Myko have in mind.
“Tunganga din dito ngayon sa Pilipinas, pero at least kasama na family. Susubuk kami magbenta ng magbenta para kumita,” Renz said.
“Medyo hirap po talaga. Kasi sa Dubai, maraming donation kahit paano. Ang mahirap lang dun kasi rental, pero mas madali tumawid ng gutom dun,” she added.
Renz said they were looking at OWWA programs for OFWs that they could avail of. “May inaasahan kaming cash assistance from OWWA,” she said.
The OWWA offers an “OFW-Enterprise Development and Loan Program (OFW-EDLP),” which provides for a loan facility in partnership with Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) and the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) and meant to support OFWs engaging in small business.
Renz said they opted to go home because “may kasama kaming baby.”
“Hirap kami kung saan kukuha ng pambayad sa rent kasi hindi naman pwede mag-bedspace,” she said, referring to their two-year-old daughter, Caia Shiloh.
Renz, whose last job in the UAE was as office manager at a digital marketing company, said they will try their luck at doing small business.
“Kung ano natitira namin na pera ayun lang habang walang income,” she said. “Mag-try kaming magtinda ng milk tea since hindi rin naman makahanap ng trabaho,” she added.
Filipinos are known big fans of milk teas.
Locally Stranded Indivuduals
Jhoy Dumol Cabanalan Sales, who arrived in UAE in March to look for work as salon staff while on visit visa, returned home on Aug. 5 and is now weathering the impact of the coronavirus in Iloilo, her province where she is now at.
“Mostly po mga Locally Stranded Individuals yung mga naging positive,” said Sales.
The Department of Health has reported that Western Visayas, which includes Iloilo, has recorded 1,931 COVID-19 cases with 31 deaths and 957 recoveries, as of Sunday, Aug. 9. This has necessitated a modified general community quarantine status.
Try as she might, Sales said chances of getting a job were very slim considering the pandemic.
“Maghahanap po ako ng trabaho pero sa ngayon wala pa po kasi ang hirap dito sa Iloilo — ang daming positive,” Sales said.
Nonetheless, Sales said she is happy “kasi nakauwi na rin ako kahit mahirap ang situasyon pero nakayanan.”
Repatriation
According to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), some 35,656 of the 50,887 overseas Filipinos brought home in July were from the Middle East – with the biggest number of repatriates coming home from the UAE at14,948.
Consul General Paul Raymund Cortes said around 1,800 OFWs have been repatriated by the consulate in Dubai through its Assistance to Nationals section since June when the first batch of 370 left on board Cebu Pacific flight 5J 19 middle of that month.
The latest batch was composed of 354 Filipinos repatriated in the evening of Aug.10 on board a chartered Philippine Airlines flight PR 8 659 from Dubai International Airport (DXB).
The Daily Bread 