Filipino community group elects new council

Dubai: The newly-elected president of the Filipino Community in Dubai and the Northern Emirates (Filcom DNE) will assume office on September 1 along with the new members of the Governing Council.

Matilyn Bagunu, who served as the council’s vice-president last year, polled a majority in a vote on Friday at the Philippine Overseas Labour Office (Polo) in Al Ghusais. Bagunu becomes the second head of the council since it adopted a new constitution and bylaws. Albert Regencia of Alpha Phi Omega UAE Alumni Association has been elected vice-president.

Bagunu acknowledged the challenges at hand in the wake of widespread havoc caused by torrential rains and typhoons in the Philippines. She said her current priority is to raise funds for the flood victims back home although she has yet to convene the council to chart a course of action.

“Our priority this time is Task Force Habagat, which was formed solely to serve as an overall coordinator for the fund drive and relief operations for the flood victims in the Philippines,” Bagunu, a financial consultant, told Gulf News.

Besides the fundraisers, Bagunu said she also aims to encourage greater community participation in all the council’s programmes. “This time we will involve all the members of the community for them to be active participants of our activities as well. What we’ve noticed is that not everyone knows about the existence of our council and the activities that we do. We’ll try to work on that now and create more awareness among our countrymen,” she said.

Bagunu stressed that the organisation will promote leadership by example in dealing with issues facing the community. The ongoing Overseas Absentee Voters’ Registration (OAVR) procedure which concludes on October 31 is the immediate priority, she said.

Previous members of the council sought to highlight the fact that while Filcom-DNE’s support for people back home was noteworthy, it needed to be just as active among Filipinos in dire need in Dubai.

Susan Francisco, an outgoing council member, called for the creation of a Committee on Rights and Welfare to look into and assist distressed Filipinos in the UAE. “The council initiatives are good but Filcom-DNE should also work to aid the numerous Filipinos here who have been duped by erring recruitment agencies and housemaids who have been mistreated by their employers,” she said.