A two-year-old Filipino girl who was abandoned as an infant in Dubai has safely returned to the Philippines after spending most of her early childhood in a shelter, the Department of Migrant Workers said.
The child arrived at Ninoy Aquino International Airport on July 9 accompanied by a social welfare attaché from the Philippine Migrant Workers Office in Dubai.
According to the DMW, the girl had been living at Family Village in Dubai since she was four months old, where she received care and protection while arrangements for her return were being completed.
Upon her arrival, the child was formally turned over to the Department of Social Welfare and Development, which placed her under protective custody.
The agency will oversee her care and determine appropriate long-term placement in accordance with child protection procedures.
The DMW said the child’s return was made possible through the cooperation of UAE authorities, the Philippine government and other partner agencies, describing the homecoming as part of the government’s commitment to protect vulnerable Filipinos overseas.
