Envoy hails UAE labour laws for improving lives of Filipino workers

The Philippines' envoy in the UAE said strengthened labour laws have helped to improve the lives of Filipinos working in the Emirates – and encouraged more of their compatriots to move to the country.

Alfonso Ver, who took over the post of ambassador to the UAE in January, hailed sweeping reforms as key to a drastic reduction in complaints over working conditions and numbers of absconding cases involving employees such as maids.

He said the UAE government had worked closely with the Philippines to safeguard the rights of an estimated one million Filipinos residing in the country, about 20 per cent of whom are domestic service workers.

“Earlier, we used to have a few hundred cases of runaway housemaids,” said Mr Ver, in an exclusive interview with The National. “But currently, the numbers have fallen to just three or four.”

He said employment policies had led to “a significant reduction in runaway housemaid cases.”

“I am happy to say that the close co-ordination between the Philippines and the UAE has resulted in the facilitation of all arrangements and mechanisms that ensure the rights of over one million Filipino workers in the UAE are protected,” the ambassador said.

“There has been so many reforms … whether it is strict laws to fight human trafficking or relaxed rules on residential visas, the 100 per cent business ownership for investors. The Filipino community is taking advantage of the reforms and the opportunities available here.”

A new UAE domestic labour law boosting workers' rights and clamping down on rogue recruiters and employers was brought into force in December.

The updated legislation was the latest step by the government to strengthen regulations protecting thousands of employees ― including maids, nannies, cooks and gardeners ― across the Emirates.

The new directives expanded the number of offences, which are punishable by fines and/or prison, for breaches of working conditions and rules from four to eight.

Land of opportunities

The envoy said one of the reasons why the community is steadily growing is because Filipino expats consider it to be a “land of opportunities.”

“This country nurtures. It provides opportunities to thrive. If you have the capability, if you have the competence and drive, this is the place you can do it,” said the ambassador, quoting examples of Filipinos who started small and went on to become entrepreneurs in the UAE.

“Overall, the UAE is a very open, inclusive and very tolerant society. And our numbers here are growing. We have proven ourselves as competent, hardworking and reliable people.”

Earlier, in his speech to mark the 125th Independence Day celebrations at the embassy on Monday, Mr Ver said the UAE was a close friend and brother to the Philippines.

“This remains the bedrock of our bilateral relations,” he said.

The ambassador acknowledged the significant contributions of Filipino engineers, architects, and workers in shaping UAE's history and infrastructure.

“They braved the uncertainties of being away from their loved ones with the thought that they are providing a better life for their families. Thus, over the years, they built better lives for themselves and made the UAE their second home,” he said.

“Now, there are a million Filipinos in the UAE, and they continue to help write the history of this country as a significant part of the nation's workforce on all levels, and they are also as an integral part of the UAE's multicultural fabric.”

UAE to hire more healthcare workers from Philippines

The ambassador said an excellent working relationship continues to flourish as Philippines and the UAE are exploring ways to allow for more Filipinos to fill the demand for professional workforce across all sectors in the UAE, including healthcare workers.

“There is a need for more healthcare workers in the country and the UAE is looking at hiring qualified Filipino healthcare professionals,” said Mr Ver.

He said he recently held a meeting with the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation to discuss a government-to-government hiring system which would see workers be directly recruited by the UAE.

“Filipino healthcare workers played a crucial role during the Covid-19 pandemic. They were in the front lines of the vaccine trials as well as fighting the pandemic,” the envoy said.

The ambassador said he expected more Filipino professionals would be heading to the Emirates to take up roles in various sectors, including hospitality, construction, finance and retail.

“This is a good portent of things to come, especially as we welcome the 50th year of the establishment of bilateral relations between our two countries next year,” said Mr Ver.