PH Consul General to Dubai: Thank You Dubai Police, Community Volunteers for Help, Message of Hope to the Filipino Community
Police volunteers distribute meals to Filipinos in Dubai (Photos courtesy of Dubai Police)
DUBAI 04 May 2020 – Philippine Consul General to Dubai Paul Raymund Cortes expressed his most profound appreciation to Colonel Abdullah Ali of Dubai’s CID Department, as they partnered in providing distressed Filipino nationals free meals and other necessities during Dubai’s stringent measures to curb the spread of the dreaded COVID-19 virus in the Emirate.
Since Dubai’s 24 hour disinfection campaigns from 27 March 2020, the Dubai Police along with volunteers from among the Filipino community have brought meals and food to the Filipino communities in Satwa, Karama, Deira, Bur Dubai, and other districts in Dubai.
“Some 50,000 meals had been distributed to these Filipinos thus far,” Col. Ali said. “The distribution program for those who need food and other assistance will most certainly continue.” Dubai slowly reopened its economy on 24 April 2020, the first day of Ramadan.
Appeals for help from many Filipinos had been coursed through the Philippine Consulate’s social media, email, and WhatsApp numbers including the Consul General’s personal WhatsApp account. Many asked the Consulate for food assistance considering the sudden stoppage in their various workplaces due to the COVID-19 crisis. These information were then passed on to Dubai Police which then made arrangements on the provision of meals.
In addition, the Dubai Police and the Consulate General acted on the requests received from Filipinos who had been tested COVID-19 positive for transfer to isolation facilities and further testing of their flatmates.
“Without our partnership with the Dubai Police and the Watani Al Emarat Foundation, the Consulate and the Filipino community could not have assisted our kabayans in a time when everyone needed help the most. To this, once again, I, in behalf of the entire office and staff complement of the Consulate and of course, the Filipino community in Dubai, would like to reiterate my unending gratitude to Col. Ali, the entire Dubai Police force, and the whole UAE Government and its leadership,” the Consul General emphasized.
Many Filipinos also stepped up to the call for bayanihan. One private effort spearheaded by community leaders was made in coordination with local food distributors and retailers Philippine Supermarket, one of the oldest and most popular neighborhood grocery stores in Deira, and Al Maya, one of the Gulf Cooperation Council’s largest supermarket chains.
With the support of Emirates NBD, one of UAE’s largest financial institutions, around 800 relief bags consisting of staple Filipino food products were provided to Filipinos requesting immediate food assistance. Because of Dubai’s strict enforcement of the 24/7 disinfection program, the Filipinos needed to pick up their goods at the supermarket branches in Al Rigga and Satwa where thousands of Filipinos reside.
Also, in an act of generosity and selflessness, Abu Nader, owner of Philippine Supermarket and a well-known figure among the Filipino community in Dubai, came up with his own grocery relief program for distressed Filipinos. The Consul General sent his thanks and said, “On behalf of the Filipino community, I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the generosity and kindness you have shown my people. Your heart is one of the main reasons you are very, very dear to the Filipino community here.”
Not only those from Dubai were part of the program as grocery packs were also given to the affected Filipinos in the Northern Emirates through the Filipino community organizations in Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah, Ajman, and Umm Al Qwain.
Lulu Exchange, one of the largest remittance centers in the UAE, also reached out to the Filipino Community. Some 250 grocery packs were handed out to these Filipinos in need. To this, the Consul General sent his sincerest gratitude to the company for their thoughts and kindest gesture.
The Filipino Social Club or FilSoc, the only Filipino community organization accredited by Dubai’s Community Development Authority, also launched their FilSoc Cares program where meals and food were distributed.
Earlier, the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Dubai, through its OWWA section, had also provided relief grocery items to active and non-active OWWA members in collaboration with West Zone, another large supermarket chain in Dubai which specializes in Asian, particularly Filipino, food products.
As Dubai slowly emerges from an almost one month lockdown, the Consul General shared that “the collective efforts of the community reflect mankind’s resolve to rise above the challenges of the times. I again express my extreme thanks and appreciation to the UAE community for their thoughts and deeds towards the Filipino population in the emirates.”
“When faced with the need to ensure our survival amidst apparent despair and frustration, it is imperative that we show our children what makes us real stewards of this earth. It is our obligation to be what humanity is all about and it is our responsibility to play meaningful and crucial roles as we lay down the foundations of a brighter and even more hopeful future for the next generation,” he ended. END
Filipinos receive their relief bags at Al Maya Supermarket in Satwa
Filipinos with Abu Nader, owner of Philippine Supermarket, and their relief items
Filipinos in the Northern Emirates and their relief goods
Lulu Exchange reaches out to the Filipino community in Dubai with 250 relief bags
Filipino Social Club “FilSoc Cares” provides free meals to kababayans
OWWA members receive their grocery items from West Zone Supermarket
For more information, visit https://www.dubaipcg.dfa.gov.ph or https://www.facebook.com/PHinDubai/ or the Consul General's FB page @phcongendubaipaulcortes