DUBAI - Around 500 Filipino expatriates benefited from a daylong consular outreach programme of the Philippine Embassy in their worksite in Ruwais, a town in the Western Region of Abu Dhabi, recently.
Minister and Consul-General Noel Servigon told Khaleej Times that the consular mission processed the applications for new passports, advised the Filipinos on consular and labour matters and registered those who wanted to be members of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) and Pag-IBIG.
Membership with OWWA will provide the Filipino workers with insurance and mortuary benefits and by registering with Pag-IBIG, they can avail of housing programmes in the
Filipino workers, who plan to go home for holidays, were issued their Overseas Employment Certificates (OEC) or travel exit certificates and travel tax exemption certificates for family members travelling with them.
“Filipino workers are concentrated in Ruwais, and the last time we conducted our outreach programme was about three years ago,î he said.
The outreach programme coincided with the Family Fun Day organised by the Filipino community in Ruwais and coordinated with Rene Mallo, the local executive director of the Filipino Expatriates (FILEX) in the UAE.
Servigon headed the consular outreach team, comprising First Secretary and Consul Adelio Angelito Cruz, Labour Attache Nasser Munder, Welfare Officer Evelyn Cruz and several staff of the Philippine Embassy and the Philippine Overseas Labour Office (POLO).