The number of Philippine citizens working in the UAE is set to increase significantly in the next few months after the travel ban between the two countries was lifted on Monday.
Recruiters and experts in the hospitality sector said they were expecting an influx of applications from Filipinos looking for work.
As Expo 2020 Dubai approaches, applications have been flooding in from around the world for positions at the city’s hotels, restaurants as well as pavilions located on site.
Fluency in the English language, experience in the sector and general bubbly personalities have put countries like the Philippines at the forefront of recruitment in the hospitality field
Naim Maadad,
Gates Hospitality
Naim Maadad, chief executive of Gates Hospitality, said the reopening of flights meant employers in the sector would have greater access to quality staff.
“The hospitality industry has heavily relied on markets such as the Philippines to fuel the sector and add to the rich tapestry of cultures we have in the Middle East,” he said.
“Highlights such as fluency in the English language, experience in the sector, generally bubbly personalities and the maturity of the industry in primary cities have put countries like the Philippines at the forefront of recruitment in the hospitality field.
“I am delighted with the news [of the travel ban being lifted] and hope this is a step in the right direction to reopen the skies, fuel economies and rise back to life as we know it best.”
Staff can return home
Filipina Lourds Adalia-Evertse, a mother of two, is the managing partner at Spice Grill in Sharjah.
She said with flights open between the UAE and Philippines, staff based here could return home to see loved ones.
“With countries starting to ease restrictions, like the Philippines, it is good news for us at Spice Grill as I can look to hire staff coming from my home country,” she said.
“With the winter season approaching, we normally need additional staff to cater for bigger crowds.
“In the same breath, our current staff can also take annual leave and spend time with their families back home. Due to the pandemic, they have not been able to go home for more than 18 months.”
Lynne McGarvey, director of HR at Media One Hotel, said they were looking forward to welcoming Filipino recruits to Dubai, as well offering current staff the opportunity to travel home for a break.
"We are also happy with the fact that our employees can now go home to see their families, which has been challenging over the last couple of months. This is great news for not only our hotel but also the hospitality industry and job market in the city," she said.
Hotels with easy access to Expo 2020 Dubai
The Philippines government placed a ban on travel in and out of the Emirates in April, citing concerns about the highly infectious Delta variant.
Bookings for flights to and from the Philippines have soared since the ban was lifted, with travel agents in Abu Dhabi and Dubai receiving double the normal number of flight inquiries.
Since opening Allsopp & Allsopp recruitment services six months ago, Kameron Hutchinson, director of recruitment, said they had at least “two support positions available each month” where clients require executive assistants, personal assistants or administration staff.
On average, there are 275 applications per job post.
“With borders opening up again, there will be even more candidates providing employers with more choice, which in principle sounds great, but it will only highlight the need to search, select and shortlist the very best talent,” said Mr Hutchinson.
“The borders opening will also make the competition greater and stronger for those already looking for such roles.
“I would highly recommend candidates refresh their CVs and brush up on their interview skills to have a chance of standing out when applying for these positions.”
Last month, the UAE government announced that hotels could run at 100 per cent occupancy.
As a result, job openings at large hotel chains and boutique properties started to appear on employment websites, as hotels looked to re-hire to prepare for the winter rush.
When The National called a number of hotel properties this week, some managers said most of the hiring was taking place locally due to visa and travel restrictions.
But they said as travel corridors opened up, they would be looking to recruit from their usual markets, including the Philippines, India, Sri Lanka and Nepal.
Brief scores:
Day 1
Toss: South Africa, field first
Pakistan (1st innings) 177: Sarfraz 56, Masood 44; Olivier 4-48
South Africa (1st innings) 123-2: Markram 78; Masood 1-4
The BIO:
He became the first Emirati to climb Mount Everest in 2011, from the south section in Nepal
He ascended Mount Everest the next year from the more treacherous north Tibetan side
By 2015, he had completed the Explorers Grand Slam
Last year, he conquered K2, the world’s second-highest mountain located on the Pakistan-Chinese border
He carries dried camel meat, dried dates and a wheat mixture for the final summit push
His new goal is to climb 14 peaks that are more than 8,000 metres above sea level
MATCH INFO
Inter Milan 2 (Vecino 65', Barella 83')
Verona 1 (Verre 19' pen)
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Ultra processed foods
- Carbonated drinks, sweet or savoury packaged snacks, confectionery, mass-produced packaged breads and buns
- margarines and spreads; cookies, biscuits, pastries, cakes, and cake mixes, breakfast cereals, cereal and energy bars;
- energy drinks, milk drinks, fruit yoghurts and fruit drinks, cocoa drinks, meat and chicken extracts and instant sauces
- infant formulas and follow-on milks, health and slimming products such as powdered or fortified meal and dish substitutes,
- many ready-to-heat products including pre-prepared pies and pasta and pizza dishes, poultry and fish nuggets and sticks, sausages, burgers, hot dogs, and other reconstituted meat products, powdered and packaged instant soups, noodles and desserts.
Get inspired
Here are a couple of Valentine’s Day food products that may or may not go the distance (but have got the internet talking anyway).
Sourdough sentiments: Marks & Spencer in the United Kingdom has introduced a slow-baked sourdough loaf dusted with flour to spell out I (heart) you, at £2 (Dh9.5). While it’s not available in the UAE, there’s nothing to stop you taking the idea and creating your own message of love, stencilled on breakfast-inbed toast.
Crisps playing cupid: Crisp company Tyrells has added a spicy addition to its range for Valentine’s Day. The brand describes the new honey and chilli flavour on Twitter as: “A tenderly bracing duo of the tantalising tingle of chilli with sweet and sticky honey. A helping hand to get your heart racing.” Again, not on sale here, but if you’re tempted you could certainly fashion your own flavour mix (spicy Cheetos and caramel popcorn, anyone?).
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Scotland v Ireland:
Scotland (15-1): Stuart Hogg; Tommy Seymour, Huw Jones, Sam Johnson, Sean Maitland; Finn Russell, Greig Laidlaw (capt); Josh Strauss, James Ritchie, Ryan Wilson; Jonny Gray, Grant Gilchrist; Simon Berghan, Stuart McInally, Allan Dell
Replacements: Fraser Brown, Jamie Bhatti, D'arcy Rae, Ben Toolis, Rob Harley, Ali Price, Pete Horne, Blair Kinghorn
Coach: Gregor Townsend (SCO)
Ireland (15-1): Rob Kearney; Keith Earls, Chris Farrell, Bundee Aki, Jacob Stockdale; Jonathan Sexton, Conor Murray; Jack Conan, Sean O'Brien, Peter O'Mahony; James Ryan, Quinn Roux; Tadhg Furlong, Rory Best (capt), Cian Healy
Replacements: Sean Cronin, Dave Kilcoyne, Andrew Porter, Ultan Dillane, Josh van der Flier, John Cooney, Joey Carbery, Jordan Larmour
Coach: Joe Schmidt (NZL)
Tightening the screw on rogue recruiters
The UAE overhauled the procedure to recruit housemaids and domestic workers with a law in 2017 to protect low-income labour from being exploited.
Only recruitment companies authorised by the government are permitted as part of Tadbeer, a network of labour ministry-regulated centres.
A contract must be drawn up for domestic workers, the wages and job offer clearly stating the nature of work.
The contract stating the wages, work entailed and accommodation must be sent to the employee in their home country before they depart for the UAE.
The contract will be signed by the employer and employee when the domestic worker arrives in the UAE.
Only recruitment agencies registered with the ministry can undertake recruitment and employment applications for domestic workers.
Penalties for illegal recruitment in the UAE include fines of up to Dh100,000 and imprisonment
But agents not authorised by the government sidestep the law by illegally getting women into the country on visit visas.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
MATCH INFO
Day 1 at Mount Maunganui
England 241-4
Denly 74, Stokes 67 not out, De Grandhomme 2-28
New Zealand
Yet to bat
