Caravan invites Filipinos to avail government services

The UAE, host to the second largest overseas Filipino contract workers worldwide – nearly one million – is the second leg of a comprehensive service caravan began in Saudi Arabia last week.

“The Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) Serbisyo Caravan,” according to Philippine Labour Attache in Dubai and the Northern Emirates John Rio Bautista, welcomes all Filipinos from all over the UAE, who wish to avail of basic and special government services.

However, unlike the caravan in Saudi Arabia that commenced in the capital of Riyadh and extended to Jeddah and Alkhobar, the UAE edition shall only take place in Dubai.

On July 28 to 30 (Monday to Wednesday) and at the Migrant Workers Office (MWO) in Al Qusais – formerly the Philippine Overseas Labour Office-Dubai – will be the first-time enrollment as well as the reactivation or renewal of memberships at the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhillHealth), the government-owned and controlled corporation set up in 1995 to manage the universal health coverage, officially known as the National Health Insurance Programme for all Filipinos. Applicants are advised to pre-register through the QR code available over the MWO-Dubai website.

Aside from the enrollment, reactivation and renewal of membership, offered as well concern receipt of claims documents, issuance of PhilHealth identification cards and Member Data Records.

Questions on membership, premium contribution and benefits will be entertained, according to a copy of the MWO Dubai Advisory No. 21-A Series of 2025 – “Availability of PhilHealth Services” – furnished Gulf Today and available to the public over the MWO-Dubai website.

Wide-ranging as conceptualised, even as free legal assistance, financial literacy sessions, job contract verification, and passporting have been part and parcel of organised One Philippines Team periodic outreach activities, psychosocial consultation, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) electronic-card processing, national identification registration, livelihood and reintegration programmes, and business support assistance shall also be available on August 3 (Sunday) at the Dubai World Trade Centre.

Participating agencies are the Department of Social Welfare and Development; PagIBIG (Home Development Mutual Fund); Public Attorney’s Office, the independent body attached to the Department of Justice; Philippine Statistics Authority; Social Security System; Department of Trade and Industry-Philippine Trade and Investment Centre (Dubai); OWWA (Dubai); MWO (Dubai); and the Philippine Consulate General (Dubai).

There is no required pre-registration. The interested are requested to review the official websites of the participating offices so they are properly informed on what documents and papers to bring such as their Philippine passports (original and copy) and other Philippine Government-issued identification cards.

“Unfortunately, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos will not be able to join the Dubai Leg,” Atty. Bautista said.

He was asked about Araneta-Marcos who arrived in Riyadh last Friday to participate at the inauguration of the outreach programme for OFWS by the Ferdinand “BongBong” Marcos Jr. Administration.

Qatar was reported to be the third leg.

On the purpose of the outreach programme, the main implementer of which is the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), Bautista said: “It is the mandate of the DMW to protect the rights and promote the welfare of OFWs. As part of its commitment, the DMW takes the lead in this inter-agency effort to reintroduce various government programmes and services through this one-stop shop OFW Serbisyo Caravan.”

“It is to provide easy access to government services, deliver information sessions and offer support channels to all OFWs and their families,” Bautista added.

“The Serbisyo Caravan ensures that under the Bagong Pilipinas administration, OFWs are provided with all available services and programmes within their reach to honour their sacrifices as the country’s modern-day heroes,” according to the Philippine News Agency.