DUBAI // For many Filipino women who are away from their families this Christmas, Pasko sa Piling Nila (Christmas with them) is a long-awaited event.
More than 100 women, mostly maids and nannies, live in a makeshift shelter after fleeing their employers’ homes complaining of being mistreated, overworked, underfed and not paid.
Pasko sa Piling Nila, an annual tradition, will take place tomorrow from 11am to 1pm at the Philippine overseas labour office in Al Ghusais.
“We know what they’ve been through,” said Juvy Torres, who chairs events for FilCom, which represents Filipino community groups in Dubai and the Northern Emirates. “We’d like them to feel the warmth and joy of Christmas, even for two hours.”
There will be a feast of Filipino food and delicacies and gifts will include groceries, toiletries, phone cards, clothes and shoes.
“There will be more organisations participating this year, which means more gifts for the women,” said Matilyn Bagunu, FilCom’s president. “Five groups, mostly made up of housemaids, have confirmed their support.”
Ms Torres added: “They miss spending Christmas with their families back home. We’d like them to feel that there’s still hope and that we care. They can always approach us for help.”
Precy Sarino, a maid in Dubai for more than four years, said: “I can personally relate to the maids at the shelter. Years ago, I fled my employer’s home in Bahrain after only three months. I want them to stay strong.”
Ms Sarino is now president of Helping Hands, a group composed mostly of household workers.
“Our mission is to lighten the emotional and psychological load or stress of our compatriots,” she said. “Our catchphrase is, ‘We care because we’ve been there’.”
Filcom is also aiding relief efforts for victims of Typhoon Bopha, which left more than 700 dead in the southern Philippines.
Filipinos in Dubai raised Dh7,500 at FilCom’s “lunch for a cause” at the weekend.
rruiz@thenational.ae
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Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
The Old Slave and the Mastiff
Patrick Chamoiseau
Translated from the French and Creole by Linda Coverdale
