UAE | General
Senator helps 30 stranded Filipina maids with air tickets
Philippine Senator "Jinggoy" Ejercito Estrada on Friday gave away free air tickets to 30 Filipina "runaways" who had been sheltering at the Philippine Overseas Labour Offices in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
- By Hadrian Hernandez, Staff Photographer
- Published: 23:40 July 4, 2008
- Senator Estrada with Imelda Marcos, recipient of a free ticket.
- Image Credit: Hadrian Hernandez/Gulf News
Dubai: Philippine Senator "Jinggoy" Ejercito Estrada on Friday gave away free air tickets to 30 Filipina "runaways" who had been sheltering at the Philippine Overseas Labour Offices in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
The cases of the absconding maids have been resolved and they will now be reunited with their families, according to the labour offices.
Sen Estrada announced earlier he had initiated a fund to collect money with which to help Filipino workers in the UAE who become victims of abuse and maltreatment.
The senator is chairman of the Philippine Senate Committee on Labour, Employment and Human Resources Development and of the Joint Congressional Oversight Committee on Labour and Employment. He is the son of former Philippine President Joseph Estrada.
"I will personally follow-up reports regarding a number of distressed overseas workers in the UAE, some of whom are reportedly maltreated and not paid by their employers," Estrada said. He said others are said to have problems with their status in the UAE.
He said he is aware that there are at least 150 "runaways" in the UAE at present who need air tickets home.
One of the domestic helpers, Imelda Marcos, burst into tears when her name was called by Estrada as one of the recipients of a free plane ticket.
On Thursday, Sen Estrada met with Saqr Gobash Saeed Gobash, Minister of Labour, to discuss ways to improve the working conditions of domestic helpers.
Estrada, who like his father is a movie actor, gave a free screening of his movie Katas ng Saudi to a group of Filipino community leaders and family members at a school in Al Twar in Dubai.
Share this article
Popular in UAE
-
Your pictures
Readers' pictures
The best reader pictures from around the UAE this week
Latest news
- Festival expected to galvanise UAE's Pakistani community
- Free SMS offer for paid parking in Dubai
- UAE visitor admits to possessing fake notes
- Men get bail in Dubai due to lack of translator
- Security trial in UAE adjourned until December
- Colombia seeks stronger ties with UAE
- Embassy in Abu Dhabi provides glimpse of Indian culture
- Conference on combatting crime through sports begins
- Duo develop low energy desalting process
- Passer-by foils Dh2.5m robbery bid in Dubai
- Sharjah book fair to focus on innovative publishers
- UAE official urges corporate support for diabetes control initiatives
- Brothers deny vandalising plaintiff's car
- Over 6,000 Haj pilgrims to get vaccines
- Abu Dhabi residential city on track
Community Reports
-
Pavement parking irks pedestrians
Gulf News reader calls on authorities to step in and stop car owners from invading pathways meant for safe walking
-
Faded parking lines pose a problem
Motorists could be fined for parking incorrectly even though they can hardly see the boundaries in the designated areas
-
School buses block residential parking
Commercial vehicles taking up free parking facilities in Al Wuheida, inconveniencing residents in surrounding villas
-
Community report: Doing their bit for poor children
A group of students takes concrete action to raise funds for Dubai Cares
