MANILA, Philippines — Four Philippine government service caravans in Dubai have served 20,000 Filipino migrant workers, offering passport renewals, professional licensing and other services, the Department of Migrant Workers said.
The latest event, held Saturday at the Millennium Plaza in Dubai, served 4,579 workers and provided 8,654 services in one day, according to department figures.
Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac said about 20 government agencies and private-sector partners participated in the initiative, bringing services directly to Filipinos in the United Arab Emirates.
Speaking Monday after returning from Dubai, Cacdac said the fourth caravan brought the total number of workers served across the events to 20,000.
Workers could renew passports through the Department of Foreign Affairs, renew professional licenses through the Professional Regulation Commission and process national ID applications through the Philippine Statistics Authority.
The event also offered employment contract verification, medical services and assistance from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration and OFW Hospital.
Cacdac said engineers, architects and nurses were among the professionals who sought licensing and document services.
The department reported that 89.2% of attendees rated their overall experience as excellent, while 76.9% described their transactions as very fast. The report did not specify how many people responded to the survey.
During the visit, Cacdac also met with UAE Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation Abdul Rahman Alawar to discuss cooperation and protections for Filipino migrant workers. It was their fourth meeting this year, Cacdac said.
Their discussions included preparations for meetings under the Abu Dhabi Dialogue, a regional forum bringing together Gulf destination countries and Asian countries of origin for migrant workers.
The Philippines, which currently chairs the forum, is coordinating with the UAE-based secretariat on priorities leading up to a ministerial conference in 2028.
Cacdac said he invited Alawar to visit the Philippines, which will host at least two meetings in 2027.
