ABU DHABI // Filipinos will have a say on the charter for their government's expatriate support agency before it is enshrined in law, 25 years after the office was founded.
Next Friday, Filipino groups across the Middle East, including Abu Dhabi and Dubai, will take part in a video conference on the duties and management of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (Owwa).
The Owwa, which offers its members health and insurance benefits, has until now been run according to a set of guidelines.
"For the first time, an Owwa charter is going to be created and will pass through both congress and the senate," said James Mendiola, the welfare officer at the embassy in Abu Dhabi.
"The charter defines its existence and its members know where to seek assistance."
The video conference will be with Walden Bello, the Philippine congressman who heads the committee on overseas workers' affairs and Christopher Lomibao, the committee's secretary.
Terminals will be set up at the embassy in Abu Dhabi and the overseas labour office in Dubai at 11am to discuss the charter in detail. Community leaders in Jeddah, Al Khobar, Riyadh, Beirut, Doha and Amman will also take part.
In Dubai, the president of FilCom Alan Bacason will be among those at the conference.
"I appreciate that our voices as [overseas workers] are being heard on the proposed charter," said Mr Bacason, whose association is an umbrella for Filipino community groups in Dubai and the Northern Emirates.
Mr Lomibao said the video chat had been suggested in discussions with NGOs and various government agencies.
"If [they] feel there are things that need to be changed, a technical working group will study them to check if they can be included," he said.
Similar exercises in Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and Taiwan have already led to calls for changes to the draft charter.
Community leaders in Hong Kong wanted more representatives on Owwa's board of trustees for the various categories of overseas workers: land-based, sea-based and women. At present, there are two for each.
The committee will consider proposed amendments then submit a final bill to congress. Once cleared, it will pass to the senate.
Dennis Bandojo, a health and safety engineer in Abu Dhabi and the president of the Lingkod-OFW in Dubai, said the charter should explain in detail the management of the Owwa Fund that finances the agency from its membership fees of US$25 (Dh92) for two years.
It invests the money to give members and their dependants access to health care, disability and death benefits, loans, repatriation and other assistance.
Mr Bandojo said the agency should consider using some of its funds on education for skilled workers and professionals.
"In the UAE, we tend to focus more on the welfare of our domestic helpers," he said.
"Our government should also offer distance learning opportunities for professionals since they are the major sources of remittances."
rruiz@thenational.ae
The language of diplomacy in 1853
Treaty of Peace in Perpetuity Agreed Upon by the Chiefs of the Arabian Coast on Behalf of Themselves, Their Heirs and Successors Under the Mediation of the Resident of the Persian Gulf, 1853
(This treaty gave the region the name “Trucial States”.)
We, whose seals are hereunto affixed, Sheikh Sultan bin Suggar, Chief of Rassool-Kheimah, Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon, Chief of Aboo Dhebbee, Sheikh Saeed bin Buyte, Chief of Debay, Sheikh Hamid bin Rashed, Chief of Ejman, Sheikh Abdoola bin Rashed, Chief of Umm-ool-Keiweyn, having experienced for a series of years the benefits and advantages resulting from a maritime truce contracted amongst ourselves under the mediation of the Resident in the Persian Gulf and renewed from time to time up to the present period, and being fully impressed, therefore, with a sense of evil consequence formerly arising, from the prosecution of our feuds at sea, whereby our subjects and dependants were prevented from carrying on the pearl fishery in security, and were exposed to interruption and molestation when passing on their lawful occasions, accordingly, we, as aforesaid have determined, for ourselves, our heirs and successors, to conclude together a lasting and inviolable peace from this time forth in perpetuity.
Taken from Britain and Saudi Arabia, 1925-1939: the Imperial Oasis, by Clive Leatherdale
GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
RESULTS
5pm: Sweihan – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 2,200m
Winner: Shamakh, Fernando Jara (jockey), Jean-Claude Picout (trainer)
5.30pm: Al Shamkha – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m
Winner: Daad, Dane O’Neill, Jaber Bittar
6pm: Shakbout City – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m
Winner: AF Ghayyar, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
6.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,200m
Winner: Gold Silver, Sandro Paiva, Ibrahim Aseel
7pm: Masdar City – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner: AF Musannef, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
7.30pm: Khalifa City – Maiden (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner: Ranchero, Patrick Cosgrave, Bhupat Seemar
Results
5pm: Wadi Nagab – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,200m; Winner: Al Falaq, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Ahmed Al Shemaili (trainer)
5.30pm: Wadi Sidr – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: AF Majalis, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
6pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: AF Fakhama, Fernando Jara, Mohamed Daggash
6.30pm: Wadi Shees – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Mutaqadim, Antonio Fresu, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7pm: Arabian Triple Crown Round-1 – Listed (PA) Dh230,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Bahar Muscat, Antonio Fresu, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7.30pm: Wadi Tayyibah – Maiden (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Poster Paint, Patrick Cosgrave, Bhupat Seemar
$1,000 award for 1,000 days on madrasa portal
Daily cash awards of $1,000 dollars will sweeten the Madrasa e-learning project by tempting more pupils to an education portal to deepen their understanding of math and sciences.
School children are required to watch an educational video each day and answer a question related to it. They then enter into a raffle draw for the $1,000 prize.
“We are targeting everyone who wants to learn. This will be $1,000 for 1,000 days so there will be a winner every day for 1,000 days,” said Sara Al Nuaimi, project manager of the Madrasa e-learning platform that was launched on Tuesday by the Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, to reach Arab pupils from kindergarten to grade 12 with educational videos.
“The objective of the Madrasa is to become the number one reference for all Arab students in the world. The 5,000 videos we have online is just the beginning, we have big ambitions. Today in the Arab world there are 50 million students. We want to reach everyone who is willing to learn.”
