DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Filipinos here have spontaneously initiated various efforts to, in their own little way, send relief to victims of super typhoons Rolly and Ulysses, which recently hit the Philippines in just a matter of days.

The Bayanihan spirit once again takes centerstage as everyone from all walks of life gave their share to help.  It’s amazing how relief goods from halfway around the world get its way to far-flung areas back home.

Photos courtesy of Emille Parcia, Jerome Lagunzad and Arnel Fernandez, overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) based in Dubai.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Filipinos here have spontaneously initiated various efforts to, in their own little way, send relief to victims of super typhoons Rolly and Ulysses, which recently hit the Philippines in just a matter of days.

The Bayanihan spirit once again takes centerstage as everyone from all walks of life gave their share to help. And so you have a  perfumery setting aside a day’s sale for basic commodities; a Filipino-operated cargo forwarder giving free shipment; and a basketball game for a cause, not to mention individual efforts where cherished belongings were sold to raise money to be sent home.

Giving back

Shibi M. Thampi, managing director of the perfumery which has 10 outlets across the United Arab Emirates (UAE), seven of which were in Dubai, said he came up with the idea because “Filipinos are very dear to me.”

“It pains me to see many of them greatly affected by recent typhoons. That’s why we have decided that on Friday, Nov. 20, all income of our flagship shop in Al Rigga (in Deira, north Dubai) will be used to buy all essential needs of Kabayans back home.

Thampi, who is from India, expressed hope “that this initiative of ours can inspire other companies and individuals to do their fair share of giving back to the community.”

Like most Indian business people here, Thampi has been to the Philippines several times and thus has established a network of contacts.

Relief goods were being repacked as of press time of which around 650 bags will be distributed to residents in Marikina, Montalban, Sta. Ana in Manila; Camarines Sur and Albay.

Free shipping

Meantime, sisters Malou Q. Prado, who operates a travel agency and Michelle Q. Quinto, who runs a cargo and balikbayan box forwarding company, have tied up to offer free shipping to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) wanting to send groceries and other essentials to typhoon victims back home.

“Marami na pong inquiries,” said Prado. “During this pandemic, lalong need ng mga kababayan na nandito na tumulong sa mga nasalanta ng bagyo sa Pilipinas,” she added.

(We are having lots of inquiries. During this pandemic, our compatriots here should all the more help those ravaged by the super typhoons in the Philippines.)

Free shipping is from Nov. 15 to 27, according to the companies’ joint announcement on Facebook, which has reached over 500 netizens and shared 32 times as of this writing. Shipment is expected to arrive in a month’s time, according to Prado.

Basketball aficionados have also been giving their share, playing in a friendly games tourney through the “OldSchool Basketboleros” founded by Dubai resident, Arnel Fernandez, 47, himself a Bicolano, for the affected families through the group’s “Tulong Mo, Laro Mo” (Your Help, Your Game) program.

“Hindi naman kalakihan ang nalikom namin, pero makakatulong ang ‘Oldschool Tulong Mo, Laro Mo’ sa kahit konting pantawid-gutom,” Fernandez said.

(We were not able to raise much, but ‘Oldschool Tulong Mo, Laro Mo’ can help in its own little way to have something for the hungry.)

Relief efforts

Meantime, Renato Galope, a Dubai resident, has coordinated relief efforts with interested OFWs and has so far collected balikbayan boxfuls, the first of which will be sent to Bicol; the next, to Isabela.

“Mostly ako lang (nangongolekta), minsan naman may tropa kung saan malapit (yung pagkukunan). Ako lang din nag-iimpake mag-isa,” Galope said.

(I mostly did all the collecting. At times, friends living in the vicinity of where the donations are help get them for me. I also do the packing by myself.)

He said the boxes will be sent to designated persons in the Philippines who also are acquaintances of Dubai OFWs.

“Kung ano lang po kayang malikom namin. Yung, cash assistance hopefully tag-P10,000 for Marikina at Albay,” Galope said, adding that support has continuously been pouring in. “May nag-abot din ng AED300 dirhams cash, ibibili ko ng grocery,” he said.

(Whatever we were able to raise. We are hoping to give P10,000 each for Marikina and Albay [typhoon victims].)

Galope said a cargo forwarding company shipped the balikbayan boxes for free.

Community leaders

Meantime, other Dubai residents like community leaders Emille Parcia and Josie Conlu, have pooled their resources to also send help to the Philippines.

“My heart is aching to see what is happening sa Pilipinas. If only I could do more sana talaga,” Conlu said.

Parcia, for her part, said she feels for the victims, especially the marginalized ones. “Napakahirap maging mahirap. What more yung sitwasyon na kung saan ay na-wash out ang lahat ng gamit, buong bahay putik. Sabi nga ng anak ko, ‘Ma..umuungol sila sa paghingi ng tulong,’” she said.

(It’s already tough being poor. What more if you are in a situation where all your belongings have been washed out and your home muddied? My daughter told me, ‘Ma, they are crying for help.)

Parcia, who had also been active sending food to displaced OFWs in Dubai during the pandemic’s lockdown days, said the relief goods were being sent to her children in Cavite who pack them for delivery.

As of press time, 269 packs of toiletries and 300 packs of clothes have been readied for distribution to various points in Cagayan Valley, Marikina and other parts of Rizal, she said.

At the crack of dawn on Wednesday, Nov. 18, her son, Glenn Rigor, supervised the transport of a truck-load of relief from their place in Mendez, Cavite to Balubad and Provident Village in Marikina, Parcia said.

The relief goods were mostly flown from Dubai, she said.

‘Sold my new make-up kits’

Another OFW, Mary Margarete Serrano, Abu Dhabi school nurse, has joined in the relief efforts, selling cosmetics online to send money home for her relatives in Pampanga to prepare hot meals for the evacuation centers there.

“Yung mga kaibigan ko sa Pampanga, sila nagluluto tapos yung ibang kaibigan ko sila nagdi-distribute,” said Serrano, who is from Sta. Rita, Minalin in Pampanga.

(My friends in Pampanga will cook and prepare the meals while my other friends will distribute them.)

“Maraming kababayan ang minsan hindi na-aabutan ng tulong, lalo na yung mga sa malalayong lugar. Ibinebenta ko po mga make-ups at skincare ko para makalikom ng pambili ng food packs and relief goods. Nasa kalagitnaan palang po kase ng buwan, wala pang sweldo at napadala ko na lahat ng pera ko sa pamilya ko. Kaya naisip ko na lang po ibenta mga skinacare at make-ups na hindi ko ginagamit para magkaruon ng budget,” she added.  

(A lot of our fellow Filipinos have not been able to get help, especially those in remote areas. I have been selling my unused make-ups and skin care kits to raise money to buy food packs and relief goods. It’s the middle of the month. I have yet to get my salary and I have sent my money to my family which was why I decided to sell.)

‘Sold my bike’

Meantime still another OFW, a triathlete known for holding sport events for a cause and his support for the tribal communities of Palawan, has set out on a relief effort of his own, selling his bike and other items for the undertaking.

“At the moment, meron tayong AED10,000 (P131,280) which will go to victims of Typhoon Ulysses. The rest of the items that I could sell will also be put together and sent to partners in the Philippines. I might even dispatch friends back home to themselves go to areas ravaged by the typhoon,” Romeo III Puncia, Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) with the Abu Dhabi Police’s emergency and public safety department, said in a mix of vernacular and English.

A triathlete with bragging rights a haul of medals from international competitions, Puncia has been recipient of different awards from the Filipino community in the UAE for his cause.

Filipinos in the UAE have been known for their quick relief efforts whenever calamities strike home, notwithstanding hardships they face like the current pandemic.

Two super typhoons recently devastated Luzon almost simultaneously.

Super typhoon Rolly, reported as the strongest tropical cyclone this year, made landfall in the province of Catanduanes on Oct. 31, affecting the Bicol region and Southern Luzon. It left 20 people dead and 165 injured, according to reports, which also added that nearly 300,000 families affected.  

Typhoon Ulysses barreled through days later on Nov. 1; caused 100,000 evacuations; killed six people; caused massive flooding and landslides, also according to reports.

For the first time in Dubai’s “never-a-dull-moment” nightlife, a comedienne from the Philippines, who has developed quite a following in this international city that never sleeps for her witty humor, will take centerstage to roll out an evening of stand-up act that…well… tells it as it is.

“I am usually mistaken as a waitress and I’d dismiss it like by saying, ‘Come on we’re not all waitresses — I’m a maid!’ That’s the punch. So, it’s like playing with the stereotype. But my show will not only focus on that… it will also have other things,” says Imah Dumagay, who is scheduled to perform on Nov. 27 at the Mall of the Emirates’ The Theatre.

Dumagay, who is from Mindanao in southern Philippines, has been in Dubai since 2008. Her day job is being an executive secretary to the CFO of one of the developers in Dubai.

She started her stand-up comedy gigs in March 2018 before an audience of expatriates in bars and hotels.

Dumagay’s act is usually themed on her personal experiences being a Filipina working in Dubai, which in a way helps raise consciousness in the expat community about certain prejudices, and as well promote tolerance as encouraged by the government in keeping up with a harmonious relationship among the over 250 nationalities – from Scandinavia to down under in Australia – who call this city their second home.

And she’s been having great feedback, which is apparently why she finally is now having a full length solo show, and at a major venue too where tickets start at AED55.

The Theatre is one of Dubai’s major cultural venues. It has hosted great performances, among them, The Nutcracker ballet show. It can accommodate up to 500 people.

DUBAI: Miss Universe Philippines Rabiya Mateo’s mother has come to her daughter’s defense regarding recent insinuations from some quarters that the beauty titlist has had a nose job.

In an interview, Christine Mateo said her daughter did not undergo plastic surgery.

“Wala namang retoke si Rabiya,” said the 54-year-old Mateo, in an interview.

“Pilit ng pilit kasi. Tanong ng tanong ang iba. What’s the big deal? Ang alam ko ‘pag may problema sa pimples, punta kay doc; ‘pag sa mata, lagyan ng eye make-up;  ‘pag sa ilong, contour or kay doc …you call that enhancement,” Mateo further said.

Mateo said she, too, was “an ugly duckling during my younger days.

“But, I am a happy person and I have improved myself. Unhappy people evaluate and judge others. My children are the most beautiful gift given to me by God, regardless. What’s important is, and I’m sure lots would agree with me saying this, sana all have a lovely face and a beautiful soul.”

Shortly after she won the title, a high school yearbook photo of the Miss Universe Philippines resurfaced online showing a younger Rabiya, who looked far different from how she is now.

Following this, some quarters insinuated Rabiya may have undergone a nose lift.

Reacting to this, the beauty titlist took to social media through Instagram and said: “This is me 11 years ago. I still didn’t have my braces. I don’t (know) how to put on make-up. I’m not aware of what angle flatters me most, but that was still me.

“A lot of things happened in that period of time. I grew up and has become more mature. I was able to invest in myself and practice self-love. If there would be one thing that I want other people to know about me is that I am beautiful then and now. The only thing different is that now, I know better.”

She also hit back on her detractors, saying: “Stop calling anyone ugly. If that’s how you see things, maybe then it’s your soul that needs surgery.”

DUBAI: A 56-year-old single mom, who left for work in Dubai 34 years ago when she was 22, is now home for good, ageing and broke, with the only consolation being she is with her three sons elated that they will finally be spending Christmas with her, not minding if she’s penniless.

Liberty Perona Alvarez said she plans to open a start-up and is hoping the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) would act on her pending application for financial assistant through the Abot Kamay ang Pagtulong (AKAP) program.

“Sa ngayon, nag-uumpisa ulit ako dito sa Pilipinas kasama ng mga anak ko,” said Alvarez, who was widowed in 2012 after her husband, Cresilito Alvarez, an electronics engineer she met in Dubai, passed on due to cardiac arrest at age 39.

“Ngayong Christmas at New Year, magkakasama kaming mag-iina. Ang saya nga nila kasi nandito na ako sa tabi nila. Pero laban pa rin, kasi wala akong work. Maghahanap ng paraan para kumita,” Alvarez added, referring to Christian, 21; Prince,18; and Samuel 12.

“Naglakihan sila nang di ko nakita birthday o graduation,” she said.

Christian has finished a two-year course; Prince is in first year of college; and Samuel in seventh grade, Alvarez said.

Start-up through AKAP

Alvarez, whose plane ticket home was shouldered by relatives, said she’ll try her luck at opening a small business.

“Mag-open ng ukay-ukay (pre-loved clothing) store. Pero wala pang budget kasi umuwi ako nang walang pera kahit sahod sa dati ko pinagtrabahuhan. Pagod at gutom inabot ko. Walang nangyari. Walang sweldo. Puro pangako lang,” she said.

Alvarez said she has applied online for AKAP assistance.   

“Pero no reply,” she said. “Wala kahit e-mail. Baka mag-apply ako uli sa DOLE region III, kaso parang malabo pa.”

“Sana kahit papaano makakuha ako ng tulong sa AKAP ng DOLE para may pang-puhunan at masuportahan ko ang mga anak ko. Malaking tulong ‘yun para madagdagan paninda ko. Pandagdag kita araw-araw,” Alvarez said.

“Inshallah (Arabic for “God willing”), may plano ang Diyos. Sana makaya ko pa, kasi 56 na ako,” Alvarez said.

The AKAP program provides for a P10,000 financial assistance.

Domestic helper

Alvarez, who finished a junior secretarial course, worked as domestic help from 1986 to 1991. She then got a job as saleslady for seven years and as sales representative later on.

“Imagine? Since 1986, nasa UAE na ako. Pero di ako pinalad umasenso kahit anong sikap ko.  Siguro di para sa’kin ang Dubai. Hindi ako sinuwerte,” she said.

Alvarez and her sons live in her mother’s house. “Wala kaming sariling bahay. Walang na-ipon kasi mga nag-aaral mga bata at maliit lang ang sweldo ko,” she said.

It has been sort of an unwritten law for most OFWs to save up for a real property while working abroad to have something for retirement.

 Visit visa

Alvarez said she was on visit visa from late 2018, following termination from work, till the time she went home in August this year.

“Hindi pinalad na magkaroon ng employment visa dahil bawat mapasukan ko, puro pangako na bi-visa-han, till ma-expired visit visa. Kaya exit uli para makapag-renew ng panibagong visit visa,” Alvarez said, narrating how this cycle went on and on.

“Pa-exit-exit lang kasi sabi ng company na napasukan ko, i-arrange nila, kaso may problema daw sila sa Labor kaya di makapag-employment visa. Delayed pa salary at di naibigay ng buo, kaya hanap uli ng iba. Tapos ganun din. Nangakong magbi-visa pero wala din, so exit na naman,” she said.

In all, Alvarez said she did five visa runs, or exits, to renew her visit visa, each of which has a three-month duration. She could have gone home earlier had it not for flight suspensions from around March to June due to the coronavirus pandemic.

DUBAI: Confident about the prospects of finally being employed again as restrictions continue to be eased and business activities gather steam, more overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), who have lost their jobs at the height of the pandemic, are preferring to stay on, with thoughts of bright Christmas ahead for their loved ones back home.

“Many are staying since dami rin (businesses) opening up na,” Consul General Paul Raymund Cortes told GMA News Online. “They have (gained) confidence in the local economy. Events pwede na rin kasi; hotels are back… wedding banquets, too,” he added.

Back in July, it was estimated that up to 92,500 OFWs have either lost their jobs, were on a no-work-no-pay arrangements or had their salaries reduced due to COVID measures.

This figure was based on the number of applicants for the Department of Labor and Employment’s (DOLE) Abot Kamay ang Pagtulong (AKAP) program, which grants a one-time AED730 (P10,000) financial assistance to OFWs displaced by the pandemic.

Cortes told a recent press briefing that approximately 50,000 OFWs from Dubai and the neighboring Northern Emirates of Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah, Ajman, Fujairah and Umm al-Quwain have left since June due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Philippine Consulate, he said, provided tickets and assistance to approximately 2,600 distressed OFWs, among them some 143 Filipinos repatriated last week on Oct. 31.

Roman Catholic Filipinos have traditionally looked to Christmas as a time for family reunions and gift-giving. Filipinos in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) send home balikbayan boxes full of Noche Buena goodies and surprises around September in time for Christmas. They usually start filling these boxes up as early as March during paydays.

Others send money, too.

The Philippines is predominantly a Catholic country.

Wei Dao is Mandarin for “flavor” or “a hint of.”

And nowhere, by far, does this aptly hit the spot but at Weidao China Hotpot & BBQ Buffet, where one is treated to a sumptuous feast of exotic Chinese dishes galore!

Indeed! It’s nirvana for the discerning taste buds of discriminating epicures who know authentic Chinese gourmet creations when they see one.

Located at the Al Wasl district Building B Shop 11-12-13 near the fish roundabout, right beside Al Madina Supermarket, Weidao China Hotpot & BBQ Buffet, which has just recently opened, is fast becoming a favorite dining destination for Pinoys, the consummate foodies that they are who work hard and eat good.

In fact, Filipinos from as far as Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah would not mind travelling to Dubai and sample Weidao China Hotpot & BBQ Buffet’s spread of some 160 mouth-watering selections to include a bit of Japanese sushi and Korean BBQ.

Talking about exotic, Weidao China Hotpot & BBQ Buffet’s barbecue corner is paradise on earth! Marinated beef tongue tops everyone’s choice from among over a dozen selection of “must-trys” like teriyaki chicken and marinated squid rings to name a few.

The hot pot selection is a trip to grandma’s secret kitchen with all its cornucopia of mushrooms in different varieties and – can’t miss this for the world – duck intestines all cleaned up and ready to boil!

Condiments is a wide variety of garnishes and oils you’d love to experiment with for a concoction of brews on your hot pot  – strange and new to the taste but nonetheless a great experience you’d bring home with you and pass on to your grands when it’s finally your turn for the rocking chair.

Money-for-value wise, Weidao China Hotpot & BBQ Buffet is more than worth the trip. It’s for slowing down a bit to destress and good food flowing endless.

Great for parties and special occasions, too!

See you there!

Find Weidao China Hotpot & BBQ Buffet restaurant on Google Maps here: https://goo.gl/maps/KrV2pDY2KtTc5W3f7

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Investigation is underway on the death of a Filipina who fell to her death reportedly from the sixth floor of a building at dawn Sunday, Oct. 25 in Sharjah.

This at hand, Consul General Paul Raymund Cortes, said they have been in contact with the victim’s relative and taking the necessary steps to repatriate her remains.

“We have reached out to the family. We will work on the shipment of remains pending investigation by appropriate UAE authorities po,” Cortes said.

Cortes’ office covers Dubai and its neighboring emirates in the north, and thus has jurisdiction on the case.

According to various local media reports, the Filipina, 40-years-old, fell to her death from the balcony of a building in Al Majaz, a cosmopolitan waterfront area in Sharjah.

The National reported that Sharjah Police was notified of the incident at 3am on Sunday and that an ambulance was sent to the scene where paramedics found the woman already dead.

Al Ittihad, an Arabic-language sister newspaper of The National, meanwhile reported that the prosecutor has ordered the body to be sent to the crime laboratory to determine the cause of death, while the case had been referred to Al Buhaira Police Station for investigation.

Gulf News meantime reported that the Filipina was in an apartment at the building with an Arab man, and that both were occupying it allegedly without the owner’s knowledge.

After being informed by the building’s watchman, the owner checked out the apartment and reportedly saw the two having shisha. The owner called the police who arrived soon.

At this point, the woman, seeing the police, jumped off the building, according to media reports, which also quoted authorities as saying she “tried to escape.”

The Arab man was in police custody undergoing interrogation.

DUBAI: Two enterprising Filipinas have opened a seafood restaurant and hired 17 compatriots, who have lost their jobs due to the pandemic, as dining slowly makes a comeback under the new normal.

“This is something we are proud of, as we have given jobs to 17 individuals, who  have families to provide for (back home),” said Lourds Adalia-Evertse of Laguna.

She arrived in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) fresh from college in 2007 and had since climbed the corporate ladder from being an administrative staff to a top executive at a business set-up consultancy firm in Dubai, where she stayed with for 10 years.

Evertsa said there were around 200 applicants, majority of whom have worked in the food and beverage, as well as hospitality sectors.

“There were chefs, waiters and waitresses, baristas, even cruise ship staffs, among others,” said Evertse, 34 and Hotel and Restaurant Management degree holder.

Evertse is no strange to how it is being unemployed in a foreign land as she, herself, became jobless when the global economic slump hit Dubai in 2009.

“We asked everyone their story and were moved about their struggles during these trying times, which was why we decided to prioritize those who have lost their jobs,” Evertse said.

She said that as the restaurant prospers, they will plan to hire more people, with preference to those affected by pandemic.

Challenging                                          

Setting up business during the pandemic, with all the restrictions in the movement of people, was very challenging.

“It has been very difficult financially; and with a lot of changes and delay because of the situation. Our opening was pushed back, but our suppliers and the government have been very helpful and considerate,” said Evertse’s business partner, Ma. Cristine Caringal Melad, who arrived in the UAE 12 years ago with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Broadcast Communication.

Among those who threw support for their restaurant project was the Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq), said Melad.

Melad, who took the leap from the corporate world to the restaurant business, said it was all about following what the heart desires.

“I became a chef because I have a huge passion for food and the nature of it. Being a chef and, at the same time, an entrepreneur in the food industry, I can express ideas through food and think of innovative ways to present it,” said the 35-year-old Melad.

She said the restaurant, named Spice Grill and located at the Al Majaz Waterfront in Sharjah, a neighboring city north of Dubai, will “take the concept to the next level” with offers at affordable prices and a 10-percent discount during the opening days.

The restaurant opened on Oct. 23 with dignitaries, among them Vice Consul Elizabeth Ramos and two officials from Shurooq, Omar Abdulaziz Taryam and Eman Mohammad Al Mokdad, gracing the event.

“Since some were still hesitant to go out, we will be introducing delivery of party trays for groups and families to be enjoyed at the comfort of their home. We have plans which are almost in its final stages to import some exotic and most requested seafood from Philippines,” Melad said.

“We took a careful decisive management approach on this. Every day is a learning process for us,” she added.