Philippines vice-president upbeat on boosting ties with the UAE

Jejomar Binay had ‘very warm and cordial’ meeting with Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed about workers’ welfare and investments.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, welcomes Filipino vice president Jejomar Binay in the capital. Mohamed Al Hammadi / Crown Prince Court – Abu DhabiShow less

ABU DHABI // The vice president of the Philippines said he was hopeful that his meeting with Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed on Tuesday would strengthen bilateral ties and boost the UAE’s investment in his country.

Jejomar Binay, who began a four-day private visit to the UAE on Tuesday, described his 30-minute audience with the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces as “very warm and cordial”.

“Our meeting wasn’t part of our schedule but I was pleasantly surprised by his keen interest to meet me today,” Mr Binay said. “The Crown Prince said he wanted to invest in the Philippines after I cited opportunities in the power, infrastructure and tourism sectors. He also wants to visit the Philippines one of these days.”

Sheikh Mohammed spoke highly of Filipinos and their contributions to the UAE.

“He said the UAE was grateful to about 600,000 Filipinos who live and work here,” said Mr Binay, a presidential adviser on overseas Filipino workers’ concerns for about five years.

Constancio Vingno Jr, the new Philippines ambassador to the UAE, said Mr Binay’s meeting with Sheikh Mohammed was significant to bilateral relations.

“The discussion revolved around overseas Filipinos and investments,” he said. “One of the vice president’s main advocacies is the protection of the rights and welfare of overseas Filipinos and bringing in more investments to our country.”

The UAE is the second most popular destination for Filipino migrant workers after Saudi Arabia. It is home to 574,336 Filipinos, according to 2014 figures from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Commission on Filipinos Overseas in Manila, however, placed the figure at 900,000.

Mr Binay’s latest visit to the UAE is his fifth since he became vice president in 2010. He is running for president in the election in May.

Mr Binay said he was hoping to meet as many Filipino expatriates in the UAE as possible. “That’s what I’ve been doing all these years,” he said. “What are the updates, their problems. Well, they’re the same old problems, such as the need for repatriation tickets from the UAE.”

Mr Binay also had meetings with Philippine embassy staff and labour officials yesterday.

He took a particular interest in the case of Jennifer Dalquez, a Filipino maid in Al Ain who is appealing against a death sentence for killing her Emirati employer. The next appeal hearing was scheduled for January 28 when new evidence would be presented, embassy officials said.

Mr Binay later joined 39 Filipina runaway maids for lunch. They said they had fled their jobs because they were deprived of food and sleep. They were also overworked, mistreated and not paid, they said.

Lourdes Addawan, 38, who has been at the shelter of the labour office since January 4, was thrilled with Mr Binay’s visit.

“I really hope he can help to send us home,” said the mother of three, who arrived in the country last October. “My employer has yet to pay me my salary and I have nothing to send to my family.”

Mr Binay also had a meeting with Saqr Ghobash, the Minister of Labour.

Ophelia Almenario, a labour attache at the Philippine overseas labour office in Abu Dhabi, said she hoped Mr Binay’s meeting with Mr Ghobash would expedite the ongoing talks on resuming the deployment of Filipino domestic workers to the UAE.

The Philippine overseas labour office stopped verifying contracts in June 2014 after a new standard contract for domestic staff produced by the Ministry of Interior took effect on June 1. "We're very hopeful that the outcome of these negotiations and high-level talks will be favourable for both countries." Ms Almenario said.