Philippines and UAE: Almost 5 decades of building of bridges friendship

The essence of the task of a diplomat is to build bridges of friendship and understanding between countries and peoples. I found, upon my arrival in January this year, that Filipinos have been successfully undertaking this task long before the first Filipino diplomat ever set foot in the UAE.

I say this as we mark today the 49th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and the UAE on August 19, 1974. The Philippines’ first diplomatic mission was opened in Abu Dhabi on June 19, 1980 at the Al Ain Palace Hotel before it moved to Janana Building along Electra Street in Khalidiya Area, now the Philippine Embassy is located in Al Mushrif.

Moreover, I would not be surprised to learn that immediately after the Founding Father Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan established the seven emirates in 1971 into the United Arab Emirates we know today, Filipinos were already part of the first group of expatriates that came to the UAE’s desert sands to help build the foundations of the cities of this country. They were among the first architects, builders and engineers to come to the UAE to build the first bridges and buildings of this young nation. Those Filipinos founded and cemented the strong ties between our two countries which have endured to this day.

The work that I and eight previous ambassadors before me have been doing, including countless diplomats these past 48 years, are indeed firmly founded on the strong friendship and solidarity between our Filipino compatriots with Emiratis and fellow expatriates in the UAE. Today, we take great pride in the fact that a million-strong Filipinos reside in the UAE, held in high esteem in the business, medical, construction, creative fields, holding leadership and executive rank, to mid-level down to the humblest positions. In whatever sector they may be in, whichever rank they may hold, they are always held in high regard, respected for their skill and professionalism, having found their place, and success, in the UAE. An example is the way key Dubai-based Filipino designers are widely acknowledged for helping put the UAE in the global fashion map.

I believe that this is made possible because the UAE, under the visionary leadership of Sheikh Zayed, has fostered an inclusive and tolerant society, built on the principle of peaceful coexistence with people of all nations and faiths.

On many occasions, the UAE leadership, led by the President, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has expressed the UAE’s high regard for Filipinos. President Sheikh Mohamed has given the highest honour to Filipino medical frontliners who served in the fight against coronavirus in the UAE, calling them personally, checking on their conditions, and assuring them of his support. Likewise, when I presented my credentials before the Prime Minister, and when I met with Tolerance Minister Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, MOHRE Minister Dr Abdulrahman Al Awar, and with other high-level officials of the UAE, they repeatedly and unequivocally raised the contributions of the Filipino people to UAE’s economy and social fabric.

This recognition has generated goodwill that has been translated into many forms. One of these manifestations of goodwill is in the way the UAE has provided humanitarian support to the Philippines through the Emirates Red Crescent in many instances. Examples include UAE humanitarian assistance during the onslaught of Typhoon Haiyan in 2013, the eruption of Taal Volcano in 2020, the provision of PPEs and medical aid at the height of the pandemic in 2020, and the 50 RT-PCR machines with testing kits sent last year on 19 August 2022 (on the 49th anniversary of PH-UAE diplomatic relations) which was received in the airport in Manila by myself, my predecessor the previous Philippine Ambassador to the UAE, Ambassador Hjayceelyn M. Quintana, and the UAE Ambassador to the Philippines my good friend, Mohammed Obaid Salem Al Qattam Al Zaabi.

On 12 June 2023, a little over two months ago, during the Philippine’s national day celebration, the UAE sent to the Philippines a 50-tonne planeload of relief goods, food and medicine for the impending eruption of Mayon volcano. What is significant about this gesture is that even before the need arose, the UAE already made provisions. The Philippine President, Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., thanked President Sheikh Mohamed in a letter and they also spoke on the phone, further discussing ways forward for the bilateral relations of the Philippines and the UAE. It was also during this phone call that my President accepted President Sheikh Mohamed’s invitation to attend COP28 which the UAE is hosting by end of this year.

Underpinning the robust relations between our two countries is indeed the Filipino people’s deep bonds of kinship with Emiratis and all peoples in the UAE, the goodwill generated reaching into the highest levels as exemplified above. This wealth of trust and friendship between our two countries has allowed the Philippines and the UAE to expand and venture into new, previously uncharted areas of cooperation.

On labour, which has long been the primary basis of our strong relations, we have broken new ground in the deployment of workers in 2021 at the 3rd PH-UAE Joint Committee Meeting on Bilateral Labour Cooperation. More recently, I had a meeting with MOHRE where the UAE indicated strongly that it needs more Filipino workers across a wide range of sectors. Likewise, the PH-UAE MOU in Combatting Human Trafficking was signed in September 2019, and the PH-UAE MOU on Consular Cooperation was signed in April 2021, important agreements that ensure mechanisms are in place to protect the rights and welfare of Filipinos in the UAE. On the back of this solid foundation, many Filipinos in the UAE have built on the opportunities given them, and made the transition from employee to entrepreneur, becoming business owners through sheer determination, hard work and faith. I have come across many such success stories and had the privilege of meeting a number of them. Truly remarkable and an inspiration to all.