DUBAI: As the Philippine missions in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have been having all hands on deck to repatriate stranded overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), over 26,500 Filipinos have been assisted in their return home through chartered flights by the foreign affairs department or individual bookings with commercial ones.

Even so, thousands more wait for their turn.

Among them is 35-year-old Jhoy Dumol Cabanalan Sales of Iloilo in central Philippines, who arrived in Dubai on March 5 with a visit visa, a few weeks before all arrival and departure flights in the UAE were suspended as part of measures to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

“Wala naman po akong mapasukan dahil may pandemic nga, kaya uuwi na lang po muna ako kasi nahirapan na din po ako dito. Sana matuloy yung flight,” Sales said, referring to an Aug. 4 booking she has with Philippine Airlines.

The booking was for a July 1 flight but was rescheduled for August 4. Her visit visa expired on June 5, she said.

Cabanalan currently shares a place in Al Ain.

“Malaki naman po yung room, kuya. May bed sila, tapos ako nasa baba my foam lang ako nilalagay ‘pag gabi,” Cabanalan said.

Cabanalan said she borrowed money for her PAL plane ticket. “Inutang ko lang muna, po,” she said.

Sales had worked at a salon in Dubai from 2009 to 2013 and was back in the city to once again try her luck but apparently in vain.

Meantime, the Philippine Embassy in Abu Dhabi said it has secured approvals from Philippine aviation authorities for 76 flights since June.

“An estimated 25,000 Filipinos have been able to return to the Philippines using these flights. With these flight approvals, many of those who booked tickets in May, but whose flights were cancelled, were able to push through in June and July with their commercial flights,” the embassy said in an official statement.

“Currently,” it added, “the embassy is seeking clearances for August flights, most likely at the same level since there are still restrictions imposed on arrivals in Philippine airports due to COVID-19.”

In Dubai, 351 Filipinos, who, according to Consul General Paul Raymund Cortes, were mostly visit visa holders, were repatriated in the evening of July 24, 2020 on board a Philippine Airlines (PAL) flight PR 659.

“We have repatriated over 1,500 since the pandemic began,” Cortes said. “The rest,” he added, “bought tickets on their own.”

Cortes said some 3,000 more OFWs were in line for the next batches of repatriation through flights arranged by the consulate.

There are an estimated 750,000 documented OFWs in the UAE of which, according to Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III, some 400,000 of them are in Dubai. Thousands more are believed to be staying illegally.

Finally home in the Philippines after months of taking chances being jobless in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) because of the pandemic, exacerbated by cancelled flights, arriving overseas Filipinos workers (OFWs) heaved a sigh of relief, eager to start over again no matter how troubled the times are back here.

“We’re planning to build our lives again,” said Sarah Gollayan, who went through the odd jobs like house cleaning and nannying to survive two years of not having regular employment in Abu Dhabi. She eventually got admin work at a medical clinic before the COVID pandemic struck.

“Dito sa Pilipinas,” she added, “hindi na namin kailangan mag-isip pa para sa mga visa namin at rents.

“We may be in troubled times now, pero we know the ins and outs here. Kumbaga, balwarte natin ‘to. Totoo, mangangapa pa. Mahirap sa umpisa. Pero this is our home.”

Gollayan said they were still trying to explore and learn the norms, having been away for years.

“Upon observation, wala naman pong masyadong nabago. Medyo pasaway lang po ang mga tao when it comes to law implementation. Nandito pa rin sa Pilipinas ang warm and friendly approach ng mga taong nakakasalamuha namin.

“We haven’t really explored pa fully ang Pinas experience, pero as of now, it’s good to be back,” she said.

Meantime, another OFW, Phillipe Liwaliw, a flights operations officer for a private aviation company, who is currently on leave without pay, has also returned home.

Liwaliw said he will be staying in the Philippines temporarily because it will cost him his hard-earned savings staying in the UAE with no income.

“Nagdya-job hunting din habang naka-forced leave para kahit paano may kinikita,” he said.

Gollayan, who arrived at Clark International Airport on board an Emirates Airline flight EK 2572, July 6, with husband, Jose Gollayan, Jr., a restaurant staff, said they will be looking for jobs. “Maraming offers actually. Kailangan lang mas maging masipag, matyaga at maingat. Also, hindi mawawala ang paghingi ng guidance sa Panginoon,” she said.

Gollayan, who has been in the UAE together with her husband since Dec. 7, 2014, said returning home was a “hard decision” for them to make. “But it has to be done,” she said.

The couple, who stays in Commonwealth, Quezon City, Metro Manila, said they booked their flight as early as in the second week of May following the partial lifting of restrictions on the movement of people as part of COVID-19 measures in the UAE. It was cancelled to a later date which prolonged their predicament as resources were running out.

Liwaliw arrived June 30, 2020 on board Emirates Airlines. He said he decided to return home for the time being to save on expenses living jobless in Dubai. His flight was cancelled twice.

The UAE government’s food relief efforts for those who have lost their jobs at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic has continued unabated more than a month after the country started easing restrictions and re-opening the economy.

The UAE Food Bank (UFB), launched in January 2017 by His Highness Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has, according to Emille Parcia, Filipino community volunteer, provided over 100,000 meals for thousands of people, including overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

The UFB is a humanitarian initiative to which food establishments and charity organizations have partnered with.

 “It only shows that the UAE government is ready to help us continuously as much as they can. There are still lots of good companies extending their help to the needy,” said Parcia, who was entrusted by the UAE Food Bank (UFB) to distribute free groceries across the country with help from fellow volunteers.

She said OFWs affected by the pandemic appear to be only halfway through this predicament as most have remained jobless or have had their salaries adjusted like other nationals working in the UAE.

“Actually, parang nasa gitna ng pandemia ang mga Pinoy sa ngayun lalo eh,” said Parcia, whose day job is that of being an office administrative staff.

“Kasi those people na walang work since March ay umaaray na talaga. It is very challenging for them to think of their rents and other expenses yet flight cancellations for their trip home remain,” she said.

Parcia, who hails from Mendez, Cavite and has been working in Dubai since 2006, said they have distributed more than 100,000 meals through UFB.

“We can say that more than 100,000 meals na po an gaming naipamigay and ang beneficiaries ay libu-libo na,” she said.

Food distibutions are done during weekends, Parcia said.

Parcia said they keep track of the distribution by requesting the beneficiaries to provide their full names, contact details, address and status like reason why they need food assistance.

“We also secure other ID details as we need this to report to UAE Food Bank,” she said.

Parcia said she and fellow volunteers have stepped up to the plate and devoted their time because “we are grateful for our lives.”

“Nasa puso po naming iyan. As an OFW, malaking pasasalamat sa Dios dahil iba ang pakiramdam ng may nagtitiwala sa iyo at mag-e-ffort ka sa ating kapwa na makatugon sa kanilang pangangailangan,” Parcia said.

The UAE has started re-opening its economy and Parcia said the uncertainty about when the COVID-19 crisis can completely be resolved remains.

“Some are getting back to work. We might have overcome the harsh days of the global pandemic in the UAE, but we can not ascertain the timeframe for this COVID-19 to be over as we are still receiving positive test reports. But we are thankful for the UAE government for their initiatives in tackling the challenges upfront,” Parcia said.

Frontline nurses tell it as it is at full-capacity hospitals

Amid a frightening upward trend in the number of new coronavirus cases in the past weeks, frontline medical workers in Metro Manila, Philippines are bracing themselves for the horrible impact of the pandemic’s upswing as hospitals go on full capacity and Emergency Rooms once again become war zones in the fight against COVID-19.

Latest official count by Worldometer, a real-time statistics website referred to by policymakers, showed that there were 72,269 COVID-19 cases in the Philippines as of July 22, with figures starting to rise and almost doubling from 38,805 on July 2.

There were 1,843 COVID-related deaths also of July 22 from 1,270 on July 2, with the number peaking at 162 on July 12, according to Worldometer.

On July 5, the Philippines logged a record 2,424 single-day jump in COVID-19 infections.

‘Walang iwanan ng post’

Pampilo Sanosa Catapang Jr., emergency room nurse at The Medical City (TMC) in Ortigas City said he has not been home to their place in Guiguinto, Bulacan since March when the hospital first announced it was on full capacity and he was assigned at the COVID Response Unit (CRU).

“May time na hindi ako naka-uwi sa family ko for almost four months kasi walang transportation since may lockdown, and para ma-protect ko rin sila na huwag ma-exposed sa’kin kahit wala naman akong symptoms ng COVID,” Catapang said.

Catapang, a surgical room nurse before he was detailed to CRU, said life in a hospital emergency room (ER) during these times of COVID can be as fulfilling for a nurse like him as it, at the same time, can be horrifying because it made him feel like a soldier on his first combat duty.

“Nakakatakot, kasi super dami ng cases and you’d worry na baka ma-infect ka rin. Kapag napupuno na ang Intensive Care Unit (ICU), yung ER nako-convert na parang ICU set-up to accommodate critical patients.

“Sobrang nakakatakot. Yung abut-abot ang dasal mo na hindi ka ma-infect ng hindi nakikitang virus. Yung kada pagtulog mo na parang nakaka-paranoid, asking yourself: ‘May covid na ba ako?’ Yung ‘pag gising sa umaga ay dasal na lang talaga,” GMA News Online quoted him as saying.

He said it’s tough when a patient die. “Masakit na part minsan yung nawawalan sila (patients) ng hininga without their family by their side,” Catapang said.

On the other hand, it feels rewarding when they get a “Code Joy.”

“Walang kasing saya ‘pag may naririnig kaming ‘Code Joy.’ Ito yung mga pasyente na na-discharged na. Ito na lang yung isa sa nagpapasaya sa aming lahat:  May gamagaling kahit wala pa tayong natutuklasan na bakuna para sa Covid 19,” Catapang said.

Catapang said they work eight-hour shifts in full battle gear – PPEs, that is.

He said it’s doubly hard when members of the medical staff, themselves, test positive.

“Meron rin pong mga doctors, nurses and other health workers na nagko-COVID positive. Sometimes, ito yung hard time para sa amin, kasi pag nagiging kulang ang staff. Pero wala kaming choice but to continue the battle against COVID,” Catapang said.

The hospital, on July 14, 2020 announced it was on full capacity for COVID cases for the second time; the first being around March 23. According to Catapang, 30% of TMC’s  521 beds are currently occupied by COVID patients. 

‘Karamihan sa’min may anxieties na rin’

For her part, Liezel Gillyn Cabatuando, medtech at the National Kidney Transplant Institute (NKTI) who’s six-month pregnant and is now on leave, said she had handled blood and body fluids of COVID patients, but under strict protocols to ensure her safety.

“Nakakatakot. Nakaka-paranoid and karamihan sa’min may anxieties na rin,” Cabatuando said, adding that some hospital staff had tested positive. “Thank God,” she said, “dalawang swab tests ko po ay negative naman.”

She said NKTI gives high priority to the facility’s cleanliness and its staff’s safety.

“Nagdi-disinfect po lagi. May UV machine din po kami para mas malinis yung area. Kumpleto rin sa PPEs na binibigay ‘pag haharap sa patients,” she said.

It is Cabatuando’s job to run tests on blood, urine and other body fluids test through machines.

Cabatuando, who has been a medtech for the past six years, has a three-year-old son. Going home to him and his father would always entail the necessary safety procedure.

“Ligo agad pag-uwi. Mahirap po iwasan ang anak, pero I make sure na naglinis na po ako and ‘pag masama pakiramdam ko, like sinisipon ako, hiwalay muna ng room ang son namin and naka-mask lang ako sa bahay,” she said.

Dr. Rose Marie R. Liquete, NKTI Executive Director, in a recent open letter posted on the medical facility’s Facebook, has called for help from authorities so that they could continue providing unhampered dialysis treatments to their patients.

“The hospital ‘hot zone’ is already like a petri dish steeming with COVID-19. The emergency room remains congested. This is a call for your help to solve the problem. 

“We have a lot of health workers who have tested positive for the virus, currently averaging at four to six healthcare workers a day; from yesterday’s 164 workers to today’s 174,” Dr. Liquete said in the letter posted on Monday, July 20, 2020 and published by major dailies and network news.

She said most of these workers are the hospital’s nursing fleet, nephrologists, internists and medtechs. On Sunday, July 19, she said, four anesthesiologists tested positive.

“The reality now is that our manpower is dwindling. For many weeks now our  COVID-19 facility has had 100% occupancy. We could have threatened to close down our facility like other government offices, but we could not, as almost all patients  who come to the institute are dialysis patients. And a day or two of missed dialysis would mean death,” Dr. Liquete said.

She also said it was not possible to convert NKTI’s non-COVID-19 rooms to COVID-19 isolation rooms, noting that three non-COVID wards have alreadt been closed “because we already lack nurses.”

As applications continue to swamp the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Dubai, funding under the labor department’s one-time financial aid for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) affected by COVID-19 in the city and its neighboring emirates has dwindled to AED5.74 million ($1.56 million).

A POLO report at the Philippine Consulate General in Dubai showed that more than half of the AED16.06 million ($4.37 million) set aside for the Department of Labor and Employment’s Abot Kamay ang Pagtulong (DOLE-AKAP) program has been used up.

The report was prepared for the home office in Manila. It stated that AED10.25 million ($2.81 million) of the total amount allocated has already been paid out to 14,050 qualified applicants as of July 16, 2020.

The AED16.60 million is good only for 22,000 qualified OFWs, according to POLO head, Labor Attaché Felicitas Bay. Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III has said there were 400,000 documented OFWs in Dubai. There have been 92,532 AKAP applications, and counting.

Meantime, the remaining fund, amounting to AED5.74 million, will be disbursed to the 7,950 qualified OFW applicants in Dubai and the northern emirates. This, even as online applications continue to beset POLO-Dubai.

The AKAP program provides for AED730 ($200) per OFW who have lost jobs, on no-work-no-pay arrangements with employers or have had salaries adjusted as a result of COVID-19 measures.

The POLO report showed that there were 92,532 applications received since AKAP was rolled out in Dubai and the northern emirates a few months back. From this figure, 41,964 have so far been evaluated and 19,802 applicants have been approved.

Some 14,050 of the approved applicants have received their money. The remaining 7,950 standing in line to get theirs.

According to Bay, initial AKAP allocation for Dubai and the neighboring northern emirates was for 7,000 OFWs; additional funding was given for 10,000 more; and still another funding was allocated for 5,000 more for a total of 22,000 OFW recipients.

The northern emirates of Shajah, Umm Al Quwain, Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah and Ajman account for around 25,000, officials said.

There were 88,600 AKAP applicants around mid-June last month, also according to POLO.

Stranded and jobless overseas Filipino workers in the UAE who have finally flown home to the Philippines through Clark International Airport said things have become more organized with representatives from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) at hand for assistance.

“OWWA was there to assist us. Pina-upo po kami and we were elated dahil nagpa-follow sila strictly ng social distancing sa pag-upo. After waiting for almost 30 minutes, we were called para sa verification ng OWWA. We gave our passports, then after around five minutes, nagdelegate na sila ng hotel for us,” Sarah Gollayan who flew home with her husband, Jose Gollayan, Jr. said.

The Gollayans arrived at Clark International Airport on board an Emirates Airline flight EK 2572 at 4:30pm of July 6. She said they were awed “kasi maayos yung sistema.”

By 10pm, she said they were already checked in at their designated hotels provided for by OWWA, whose representatives, she said, were “very organized.”

“We were escorted sa swab testing booth, immigration- baggages claiming. Ang pinakamatagal po ay yung pag-aantay ng bus na maghahatid sa min sa mga hotels. Around 8pm nakasakay kami ng bus and they provided food po. Unloading po ay medyo matagal, thorough po kasi ang pagdisinfect nila sa bawat tao. We checked in mga around 10pm na,” Gollayan narrated.

Quarantine, she also explained, was from the time of the swab testing until the results were out which took around three days. Covid testing was shouldered by OWWA, she said.

Gollayan said there were delays at the airport because “sadyang napakarami lang po nilang (OWWA) siniserbisyuhan kaya.

“We experience na hindi sila naging rude kahit super toxic na ng ginagawa nila while wearing full PPE sa gitna ng init,” she said.

Meantime, another OFW, Phillipe Liwaliw, a flights operations officer for a private aviation company, who is currently on leave without pay, has also returned home.

Thermal scanners at Dubai airport check-in

Liwaliw, who arrived June 30, 2020 on board Emirates Airlines, advised OFWs flying home not to have someone with them at the airport in Dubai “dahil di rin makakapasok ang mga kasamang maghatid.”

“Habang pumipila sa check-in ay may mga thermal scanners po na naka-tutok upon entering the area kung nasan po ang check -n counters at nag-iissue din sila ng health/sanitation travel kit,” Liwaliw shared.

He said airport authorities are strict with hand-carries “so dapat maging maingat sa na huwag mag-excess.”

At the boarding gate, Liwaliw said forms were distributed to be filled-up like travel card and health declaration.

“Marami pong civilian na pulis sa airport sa Dubai and dapat maging maingat sa social distancing. Meron din nagkoconduct ng random testing doon dahil meron po akong nakita na tinawag ng isang local nung nakita nyang parang unwell yung isang passenger,” Liwaliw further shared.

He said that upon arrival at Clark airport, OWWA personnel were on stand-by  for the returning Filipinos. “Priority po nila ang mga buntis at may kasamang bata,” Liwaliw said.

While queuing in for hotel quarantine, more forms have to be filled-up including one providing information on which local government unit should the OFW be assigned,” he said. In the same

“After that, meron pila for swab testing –  isang nasal at isang oral. After makuhaan ng swab sample ay proceed na po sa pagkuha ng mga bagahe na nakacheck-in at proceed na po sa respective buses para maihatid sa hotel

“Every day po may nagtse-check ng temperature and yung libreng meal po is three times a day. Nagbibigay din po sila ng tubig at kape at mga cup noodles,” Liwaliw said.

Liwaliw also booked his flight but with a different airline in May. It was twice cancelled.

Meantime, OFWs who are not OWWA members can have the services of the   Department of Tourism which assigns a hotel where these OFWs can wait for the result of the swab test.

“Maximum three days only and be ready with Ph6500 pesos for hotel stay,” says a post on the Facebook chat group,  Stranded OFWs in Dubai with tickets in Philippine Airlines.

Swab test is free for OWWA members, while it will cost non-OWWA members OFWs Ph3,500 pesos. With Philhealth, the amount goes down to Ph500 pesos, according to the chat group.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates: From partitioned room to bed-sharing – this in a nutshell is the picture of how life has become for most jobless overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) stranded due to cancelled flights home.

Every day is the same grind but tweaked with a different twist, especially noting how their savings are slowly being used up to survive.

Such is the case for Nasrin Zara and Hughes Chavez, a couple who were among OFWs waiting for their turn to finally fly home.

“Mayroon naman kaming kaunting naitabi. Pero ngayon wala nang mai-uuwi. Dati nga kaming naka-partition, ngayon sharing bedspace na lang,” said Nasrin, who used to work at a mall shop.

Partitioned room is a big room subdivided into two or three smaller units to accommodate more tenants. Bedspace-sharing is having two people sleep together in one bunk bed to save on rent.

Rent for partitioned rooms in Dubai – the size of a car slot in a parking lot – starts at Dh1,200 (Ph16,200); while cheapest bedspace is at Dh650 (Ph8,700).

Nasrin’s husband, a bar and restaurant waiter has only been receiving 30% of his salary and has been on forced leave.

Indeed, there seemed no recourse for them but to call it quits and go home.

The couple, whose flight bookings have been cancelled twice by the airline as per advisory from the Inter-Agency task Force (IATF) citing quarantine conditions among other factors, were among over 88,600 OFWs across the UAE who have either lost their job, are on a no-work-no-pay set-up or have has their salaries adjusted due to COVID-19’s economic impact.

The Chavezes booked for a July 3 flight in May but it was cancelled and rescheduled for Aug. 4. They are staying in Karama, a workingclass enclave in Dubai.

Depressed

Another couple, Joe Dexter and Maria Socorro Montante said many of those lying in wait for their flights have been getting depressed.

“Kumakapit lang kami sa prayers,” Socorro, who worked at a car rental shop, said.

According to her husband, Joe Dexter, their flight, which was booked in June has been moved to Aug. 4 as well.

Joe Dexter’s residency visa has been cancelled and he only has till July 23 to legally stay. Hence, he faces fines of Dh200 on the first day of overstaying and Dh100 for the subsequent days, according to immigration policies.

“Hindi lahat can afford to stay longer,” said Maria Socorro.

“Sa food, marami naming mga nagbibigay ng libre pero yung tirahan ay problema. There are OFWs na nadi-depress na sa kakahintay ditto. Hindi na naming alam kung saan kami lulugar.

“Sana matuloy na kami nitong August kasi kung hindi, wala nang matitira, pati yung binigay ng kumpanya (gratuity) magagamit,” said Maria Socorro.

She said other fellow OFWs had their families back home send them money for their plane tickets. “Ipinangutang ng mga kamag-anak nila a Pilipinas para may pamasahe,” she said.

The Montantes were from Bacolod.

The stranded OFWs’ airline – Philippine Airlines – has explained that there have been very limited flights with only about four in July.

Agnes Pagaduan,  PAL country manager – UAE,  said they are hoping there’d be more in August.

Cebu Pacific has also resumed its Manila-Dubai-Manila route.

Data on the number of OFWs heavily impacted by COVID-19 measures was based on applications with the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Dubai 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)

Robie Torre-Gonzales, Dubai president of the Filipino Human Resources Practitioners Association in the UAE or FilHR, citing POLO information, 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 OFWs have been under such conditions as early as March when measures were put in place and several establishments, including hotels and bars and restaurants, had to temporarily cease operations.

The UAE government, in a move widely been seen as a humanitarian gesture, has given those on expired visit visas another month-long grace period beyond the Aug. 11 deadline to renew their status or leave the country.

With this, affected overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) stranded in the country over cancelled flights due to quarantine issues back home may now heave a sigh of relief with more time to avoid overstay fines.

The matter stemmed from a new directive by the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship (ICA), which issued a new directive on Thursday, July 16, to this effect.

The government agency stated in its Twitter account that the 30-day grace period originally set for expired visit visa holders to renew their visas or depart, and of which counting starts July 12, to avoid fines, has been rescinded to allow for a one-time, month-long extension.

“As per the last amendments, it has been decided to grant entry permits and visit visa holders inside the country, a period of one month (30 days) to leave the country. The grace period is renewable one time by the authority. After which, the entry permit or visit visa holder needs to exit the country,” ICA said on its Twitter account.

Fines for overstayers is Dh200 on the first day and Dh100 for the succeeding days, according to immigration policies.

In light of this, Consul General Paul Raymund Cortes asked OFWs to keep monitoring the situation and be guided accordingly.

“I urge my kababayans to keep abreast of developments in policies as set by the ICA and ensure that they abide by host country regulations on validity of their current visas,” he said.

The UAE government recently reversed visa policy changes announced during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, which would have allowed those with visit and residency visas as well as national IDs that had expired in March 2020 to extend their stay till Dec. 31, 2020.

Instead, it gave a one-month grace period for visit visa holders and up to three months for residency visa holders, including those who have remained outside the UAE.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has rolled out a repatriation program for OFWs. In the UAE, approximately 500 have been flown home.

Cortes said visit visa holders are a priority. Recently, he said over 3,000 OFWs heavily impacted by COVID-19’s economic effects have sought help from the Philippine Consulate for them to be repatriated.

There were also over 1,000 OFWs, a mix of those terminated from work and those in the UAE on expired visit visas, who have remained stranded because of cancelled flight bookings.

The COVID pandemic has caused a lot of people to go bankrupt due to loss of jobs or salary adjustments.

Among OFWs in a bind due to credit problems is Andrea Humogan (not her real name) who is currently in talks with the bank to ease payments for her loans which totaled Dh312,000 that she obtained back in 2014.

“We are trying to negotiate the amount,” said Humogan, marketing manager at a free zone garment factory before she lost her job.

“Sana mapababa pa ng bank at ma-reconsider ang situation ko since I’m jobless naman, naka-spouse visa lang ako at walang assurance ang work ng husband ko dahil non-stop ang lay off sa company nila,” Humogan said.

She said her debt consisted of a car loan and credit cards where Dh146,000 was for the automobile itself and the rest for other purchase using the plastic card.

“I was a marketing manager back then nang na-bankcrupt ang company,” she said.

“I have paid the car, almost more than half, as well as the cards. But, unfortunately the bank was still insisting na napunta lang lahat sa interest ang binayad ko for almost two years dahil ganun daw talaga ang policy,” said Humogan.  

She said the police filed a case against her back in 2016. “Natapos ko ang police case, almost Dh40,000 ang naubos ko. Last year nag-file ng civil case ang bank,” Humogan said.

She said she represented herself at the hearings. “Nag-try akong mag-appeal but due to lack of finances, where I needed to hire a lawyer, ako lang humarap sa hearing. Unfortunately, I lost the case,” Humogan said.

The same thing happened on the second appeal, she said.

“In the end, the current status of my case is closed and they gave a final decision to pay the full Dh312,000,” said Humogan.

She said the credit card loans were used “para mapaikot lang din ang negosyo and not for any luxurious stuff.

“But, unfortunately hindi naging successful.”

Humogan has sought help from a law firm which is now assisting her with the negotiations.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates: Filipinos going to the UAE for work, visit or even just as transfer or transit passengers must now need to show certification that they have tested negative for COVID-19 before they can be allowed to board their flight. They will also be required to undergo the same test upon arrival.

The move is part of the UAE’s efforts to slowly re-open the economy, albeit with extreme caution to pre-empt the spread of the coronavirus, especially considering that new cases have been on the decline. Following about three months of anti-COVID measures, including city-wide quarantines.

It covers nationals from 12 other countries including the USA.

Passengers must fill up a declaration form before embarking, according to an announcement issued by Aviation Business Management Team (ABMT) of Dubai Airports, operator of the Dubai International Airport (DXB) and Dubai World Central (DWC)  also known as the Al Maktoum International Airport.

The move stemmed from a policy directive by the COVID-19 Command and Control Centre, which oversees and coordinates all actions to contain the coronavirus pandemic in the UAE. The command has decided to start welcoming visitors and tourists from overseas beginning July 7, 2020.

“Please be advised that an updated travel advisory received from Dubai COVID-19  Command and Control Centre states that all arriving, transfer and transit passengers from the…listed countries are required to carry out COVID-19 test prior to their departure from the country of origin.

“Only passengers with a negative COVID-19 certificate shall be accepted by the airline,” stated the Dubai Airports ABMT announcement.

Those flying to the UAE were urged to contact the UAE embassy their home country to inquire about the list of approved COVID-19 test laboratories.

According to Dubai Airports, passengers arriving at DXB and DWC will have to undergo another COVID-19 test as part of the protocol.

A quarantine undertaking form will have to be filled up by arriving passengers if required to undergo quarantine, according to the announcement.

Meantime, other than the Philippines and USA, other countries whose nationals are required to present a negative COVID-19 test certification prior to boarding are: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Egypt, India, Iran, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Russian Federation, Sudan, Tanzania and Turkey.

The list is subject to change based on updates from the World Health Organization (WHO), the announcement stated.

The Philippines has recently been experiencing a surge in the number of COVID-19 infections with 57,545 cases and 1,603 deaths reported as of press time.

On the other hand, new COVID-19 cases in the UAE has been on the decline in recent weeks.

According to the UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP), the number of new COVID-19 infections in the UAE has gone down from 700 on July 4, 2020 to 344 as of July 13. Running total on the COVID cases as of the same day was 55,198 with 334 fatalities.