ABU DHABI // Constancio Vingno Jr, the new Philippines ambassador to the UAE, has his work cut out for the next three years.
During that time the 62-year-old has to deal with labour and welfare issues, working out employment, trade and tourism agreements, and trying to instil a savings culture among Filipinos.
“My job is overwhelming,” said Mr Vingno, who took up his post on October 29. “But I’m ready.
“As [Manny] Pacquiao once said, ‘let’s get it on!’.”
His mandate falls under the three pillars of Philippine policy – protecting the rights and welfare of overseas Filipino workers, promoting national security an enhancing economic diplomacy.
He said the most common legal problems Filipinos faced were to do with indebtedness, intoxication and use of illegal drugs, immorality, illegal recruitment and improper and fake documents.
One of his first tasks will be to witness a hearing at an Al Ain court on November 26, where a Filipina maid is appealing against a death sentence for killing her employer.
“At the moment, my focus is to enhance the delivery of our services,” he said. “We have to have a strong organisation before we can do a lot of things. This position is very challenging.”
There are 34 embassy officials and staff members, including himself. He has requested five or six more to work on the assistance-to-nationals section and bilateral economic cooperation, trade and consular agreements.
The large Filipino expatriate population in the UAE posed “a challenge, especially in logistics”, he said.
According to figures from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, there are 575,000 Filipinos living and working in the UAE. However, the 2012 Commission of Filipinos Overseas put the figure at 900,000. “We really don’t know the real number,” Mr Vingno said. “That’s why it is important for Filipinos to register with the embassy.”
He said his priorities included forging a labour cooperation agreement with the UAE, boosting trade and investments and promoting tourism.
“What we lack is an umbrella agreement where the UAE and the Philippines can sit together on a regular basis,” he said. “It’s a forum where alternatively the UAE can host the talks here and next year, in Manila.”
On the labour front, Manila plans to send a delegation here to look into the lifting of the suspension of the hiring of domestic workers to the UAE.
Mr Vingno is sure a solution can be found.
“I’ve always been an optimistic person,” Mr Vingno said. “There are no obstacles you cannot overcome.”
The Philippine overseas labour offices in Abu Dhabi and Dubai stopped verifying contracts for domestic workers last year after a new standard contract produced by the Ministry of Interior took effect on June 1. Recruitment agencies in the UAE have been instructed to rely on the standard contract, removing the need to have domestic workers' contracts ratified by embassies of their countries of origin.
Raising the status of Filipino professionals in the UAE is also an issue Mr Vingno will work on.
“We can achieve this by encouraging Filipinos to increase their financial literacy,” he said.
His predecessor, Grace Princesa, started a financial literacy programme in 2011.
Mr Vingno’s diplomatic career began in 1977. His postings include Japan, Germany, Romania, Austria and Greece. He was ambassador to South Africa from December 2011 to May 2014 and before moving to the UAE, served as assistant secretary at the department of foreign affairs’ legislative liaison unit in Manila.
rruiz@thenational.ae
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6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-3 Group 1 (PA) US$100,000 (Dirt) 2,000m
7.05pm: Meydan Classic Listed (TB) $175,000 (Turf) 1,600m
7.40pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 2,000m
8.15pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (D) 1,600m
8.50pm: Nad Al Sheba Trophy Group 2 (TB) $300,000 (T) 2,810m
9.25pm: Curlin Stakes Listed (TB) $175,000 (D) 2,000m
10pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 2,000m
10.35pm: Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 1,400m
The National selections
6.30pm: Shahm, 7.05pm: Well Of Wisdom, 7.40pm: Lucius Tiberius, 8.15pm: Captain Von Trapp, 8.50pm: Secret Advisor, 9.25pm: George Villiers, 10pm: American Graffiti, 10.35pm: On The Warpath
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The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
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Profile box
Company name: baraka
Started: July 2020
Founders: Feras Jalbout and Kunal Taneja
Based: Dubai and Bahrain
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $150,000
Current staff: 12
Stage: Pre-seed capital raising of $1 million
Investors: Class 5 Global, FJ Labs, IMO Ventures, The Community Fund, VentureSouq, Fox Ventures, Dr Abdulla Elyas (private investment)
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Brief scoreline:
Wales 1
James 5'
Slovakia 0
Man of the Match: Dan James (Wales)
THE BIO: Martin Van Almsick
Hometown: Cologne, Germany
Family: Wife Hanan Ahmed and their three children, Marrah (23), Tibijan (19), Amon (13)
Favourite dessert: Umm Ali with dark camel milk chocolate flakes
Favourite hobby: Football
Breakfast routine: a tall glass of camel milk
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Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
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Price: base / as tested: From Dh632,225
Engine: 5.2-litre V10
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 540hp @ 8,250rpm
Torque: 540Nm @ 6,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.4L / 100km
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Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
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Don't get fined
The UAE FTA requires following to be kept:
- Records of all supplies and imports of goods and services
- All tax invoices and tax credit notes
- Alternative documents related to receiving goods or services
- All tax invoices and tax credit notes
- Alternative documents issued
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Ain Dubai in numbers
126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure
1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch
16 A380 Airbuses: The equivalent weight of the wheel rim.
9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.
5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place
192: The amount of cable wires used to create the wheel. They measure a distance of 2,4000km in total, the equivalent of the distance between Dubai and Cairo.
Founders: Ines Mena, Claudia Ribas, Simona Agolini, Nourhan Hassan and Therese Hundt
Date started: January 2017, app launched November 2017
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Private/Retail/Leisure
Number of Employees: 18 employees, including full-time and flexible workers
Funding stage and size: Seed round completed Q4 2019 - $1m raised
Funders: Oman Technology Fund, 500 Startups, Vision Ventures, Seedstars, Mindshift Capital, Delta Partners Ventures, with support from the OQAL Angel Investor Network and UAE Business Angels
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Company%20Profile
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Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
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Transmission: 9-speed auto
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Match info
Newcastle United 1
Joselu (11')
Tottenham Hotspur 2
Vertonghen (8'), Alli (18')
