Author Archives: Jojo Dass

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — They probably got their cue from Colombian Nobel prize winning author Gabriel García Márquez’ “Love in the Time of Cholera.” Or maybe because coronavirus is in the air. Then again, it could just be plain, old-fashioned love. One hundred and eighty-three Filipino couples, all contract workers, have tied the knotContinue reading “183 Dubai OFW couples tie the knot during the pandemic”

A Jordanian national, who could have easily been living a much more comfortable life in the hospitality sector with his college and master’s degrees in tourism, has abandoned that career to instead work for distressed overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). For this, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs has conferred upon him the Assistance to NationalContinue reading “Jordanian leaves promising career to help distressed OFWs”

DUBAI:  While most companies have been terminating people because of the coronavirus pandemic, an Emirati businessman, who runs a general services company, of which over 620 are overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), has chosen to keep his employees and has even regularly been providing food at the accommodation provided for them. “Like other companies, we haveContinue reading “COVID: Dubai Emirati employer retains workforce; gives free food to mostly Pinoy employees”

Colombian Nobel prize winning author Gabriel García Márquez might have popularized that now-clichéd phrase, “love in the time of Coronarovirus” through his novel of a similar title, albeit referring to cholera. But such definitely is not the case for 36-year old Charito Batan (not her real name) of Zamboanga City whose husband, she said, hasContinue reading “‘Sumakabilang-bahay na mister ko’ – Jobless OFW in UAE”

The United Arab Emirates appears winning its war against the coronavirus pandemic with no COVID-related deaths reported in the past four consecutive days since August 1, according to the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP). According to the official MOHAP report, the number of new COVID cases has also declined from 254 on Aug. 1,Continue reading “COVID in UAE: No deaths reported in 4 straight days, new cases declining”

The number of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who have been flown home from across the world by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has reached 115,793. Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs Sarah Lou Y. Arriola reported during a recent Congressional Hearing conducted by the Committee on Public Accounts, said the DFA expected toContinue reading “DFA COVID UPDATE: 115,790 OFWs repatriated; over 100,000 more want to go home”

DUBAI: A 31-year-old overseas Filipina worker (OFW) in Sharjah, whose husband has returned to his home country before she gave birth to their child last year, is now picking up the pieces, planning to go back to the Philippines and raise her baby. “Natatakot na akong magmahal na muli,” N. M. of Pikit, Cotabato said.Continue reading “‘Natatakot na akong magmahal muli’ – Jobless, single OFW mom in UAE shares her story”

DUBAI: In what was widely seen in the local Filipino community as “unprecedented,” over 27,000 Filipinos have returned home to the Philippines in a span of the past two months due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, which reached the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in late January this year. Over 8,000 more repatriation requestsContinue reading “EXODUS! Over 27,000 UAE Pinoys flown home; 8,000 repat requests under review”

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates: Marcus Cato Penaflor, 60-year-old overseas Filipino worker (OFW) who moved to Dubai a few years back to try it out in the city, did not know what was in store for him. Not knowing that the UAE’s law sets retirement for expats at 60, his luck ran out, forcing to himContinue reading “‘Tsinelas ko, durog na sa kalalakad’ – jobless OFW in Dubai resort to peddling in the streets”

A picture speaks a thousand words, as the cliché goes. These days, nowhere else could this prove to be true but in Dubai where thousands have lost their jobs due to the pandemic and are now starting over with, yes, a curriculum vitae having a snappy headshot courtesy of an award-winning Filipino photographer, who tellsContinue reading “Award-winning Pinoy photog offers free CV headshots to jobless Dubai OFWs”