The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) opened the second leg of the OFW Serbisyo Caravan in Dubai on Saturday, Nov. 15, expanding its services across three halls at the Dubai World Trade Centre as part of an effort to streamline assistance for overseas Filipinos.
For many OFWs who arrived at the venue early Saturday, the flow of queues was noticeably smoother than during the first caravan held in August, with attendees describing the process as “efficient” due to faster transactions and clearer instructions at each service desk.
DMW Undersecretary Dominique Rubia-Tutay said the improvements stemmed directly from feedback gathered during the first leg, which included the introduction of online pre-registration for attendees and an online contract verification system, piloted in recent months by the Migrant Workers Office in Dubai.
“Learning from our lessons in the first caravan, we already have a registration process and we were able to put a quota per day kung ilan ang pwedeng ma-serbisyuhan,” Usec. Rubia-Tutay, who heads the caravan program, said in an interview with The Filipino Times.
The caravan also implemented a queue numbering management system to help organize attendees and ensure a smoother flow of service for OFWs.
The two-day caravan, which runs until Nov. 16, gathers 11 partner government agencies offering essential services to OFWs, such as contract verification, OWWA, SSS, and Pag-IBIG membership, as well as national ID registration.
Accepting walk-ins
According to Usec. Rubia-Tutay, around 2,600 OFWs registered online for the two-day event, though the number is expected to increase as walk-ins are also being accommodated.
“While there is an online registration system, we will also accept walk-ins lalo na po yung mga nanggagaling pa rin sa malayo. Pero pinapaliwanag po natin na kapag mayroon pong sine-serve na naka-online register, sila po ‘yung magiging priority, pero kung nag-ease na yung pila, then we can accommodate them,” she added.
During the first caravan in Dubai, around 5,000 Filipinos were accommodated, but an overwhelming number—between 12,000 and 15,000 Filipinos—arrived at the venue, which led to long queues and left some OFWs unserved.
“This time, we made it more efficient para mapakita natin sa ating mga kababayan na nakikinig tayo sa lahat ng kanilang komento because it also gives us the opportunity to improve our services further,” Usec. Rubia-Tutay said.
Food stations were also added inside each hall to make the waiting experience more comfortable, addressing previous concerns of OFWs who lined up for hours without access to refreshments.
Better and faster transactions
Many OFWs reported a smooth and efficient experience while accessing services at the caravan. This includes Marilou Pacible, who walked in for assistance with online contract verification.
“Nagkakaroon kami ng idea na hindi namin alam before sa mga agencies na marami pala kaming mga benepisyo,” Pacible said.
“Umupo lang ako mga 3 minutes lang, tapos na,” she added. “Akala namin crowded, hindi naman pala.”
Meanwhile, Jessa Mae Valencia said her contract verification was completed in just five minutes, allowing her to access additional services, including the OWWA e-card and opening a Landbank account.
Similarly, Maricor Andaca, who completed her contract verification and inquired about national ID services, said staff were patient in walking her through the steps.
“Maganda ngayon, maluwang na [ang venue]. Hindi hirap at tsaka ang daming nag-a-assist,” Andaca said.
More volunteers
The DMW also expressed gratitude for the growing support of the Filipino community, with approximately 500 members from the Filipino Social Club volunteering—more than double the number who participated in the first leg.
“Napakalaking bagay at napakalaking suporta nito sa ating pamahalaan,” Usec. Rubia-Tutay said, adding that other volunteers are offering free services such as printing and photocopying.
“Ito po ay maliit na bagay na sukli natin sa ating mga kababayan na nagsasakripisyo at alam nating tinutulungan din ang ekonomiya ng ating bansa,” she added.
Dubai is the first UAE stop for this round of caravans, which also covered Abu Dhabi earlier this month. The second leg in Dubai marks the 16th edition of the DMW-led Serbisyo Caravan, which has also been held in Riyadh, Singapore and other countries.
