Paskong malayo sa mga mahal ko

Overseas Filipinos in the UAE will endure yet another Christmas in their flats here in Dubai and all the other emirates due to the multifaceted impact of the pandemic, plus the effects of Typhoon Odette.

Anna* (name withheld) had packed her bags filled with presents, gifts, and other surprises for her flight last December 19 at the Dubai International Airport, for her first trip back home after five years.

All of her plans were thwarted by a flight cancellation due to the devastating typhoon Odette.

“Ang sakit sa kalooban kasi nakaplano na lahat, pero mas masakit sa pakiramdam ko bilang ina na kailangan ko ulit paliwanagan yung mga anak ko na baka hindi muna ulit makauwi si mama. Miss na miss ko na ang mga anak ko at hindi ko na napigilang umiyak nung makita ko sila sa video call nung sabihin ko ang nangyari,” said Anna.

Anna was one of hundreds of overseas Filipinos from the UAE whose Christmas plans got affected not only because of the devastating typhoon, but moreso because of the expensive flights for those who wish to come home.

As of press time, the Philippines’ Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) has yet to increase its travel cap of 4,000 passengers per day. Local airline groups in the Philippines attempted to urge the Inter Agency Task Force to increase the travel cap to 10,000 as early as November. However, the threat of the new Omicron variant of COVID-19 that spread faster than Delta is seen as one of the plausible reasons why the limit might be here to stay for longer.

IMPRACTICAL SPENDING

The current passenger cap along with the holiday season and the consistent demand among OFWs who wish to come home, have surged ticket prices to an alltime high, ranging from AED 3000 to AED 8000 for a one way ticket according to ticket aggregator sites Skyscanner and Kayak.

Jonnel Garcia, a teacher based in Dubai for five years, stated that it’s better to stay in the UAE for another Christmas instead of having to pay exorbitant prices. He also highlighted that the quarantine period back home also takes away what little precious time OFWs have for their annual breaks.

Christian Mejia Cruz, an OFW for over 17 years in Dubai, stated that he already missed the same number of Christmases back home, but shared the same sentiment since for him, spending too much money on plane tickets isn’t ideal.

REUNITING FAMILIES

Instead of heading home, some OFWs opted to bring their families here to the UAE instead.

Catherine Cervantes from Abu Dhabi, welcomed her 11-year-old daughter Francheska with heartfelt hugs on the morning of December 21 at the Dubai International Airport.

“Sobrang lumulukso ang puso ko sa tuwa dahil hindi ko akalain na sa pitong taon ko nag tatrabaho dito ay makakapiling na namin sa wakas ang anak ko. Yung mga dumaang taon na puno ng pagod at hirap bilang OFW parang nawala nang mayakap ko na ang anak ko – nangyari ang lahat in God’s perfect time,” said Cervantes.

Now that her kid is nearly in her teens, Catherine hopes to bond with her child a lot more and will continue to make ends meet just to ensure that her family stays together in the UAE.

George* (name withheld), an engineer based in Sharjah, said that he spent nearly AED 12,000 for roundtrip tickets as well as necessary paperwork to bring his wife and child here in the UAE.

“Masakit sa bulsa, pero para saan pa ba ang pinaghihirapan ko dito sa UAE kung hindi ko lang din naman pagkakagastusan ang simpleng ligaya kong makasama muli ang asawa at anak ko? Kakayanin natin muling kumita ng pera habang may trabaho tayo, pero ang oras at panahon sa pamilya dapat lamang na prayoridad natin iyan bilang OFWs,” said George.

Veron Vergara, a chef and entrepreneur in Abu Dhabi, said that despite being a single mom, she had managed to bring all of her kids over 15 years of her stay here in the UAE. And while she often spent her vacation back home she chose to stay in the country for the mean time to avoid the risk that the pandemic might bring upon herself and her family.

Many other OFWs who have neither the opportunity to head home nor the funds to bring their family to the country opted to set their alarm clocks at 8:00 pm this December 24 to synchronize Christmas celebrations with loved ones in the Philippines in time for the Noche Buena.

“Video call muna ngayong taon sa Pilipinas. Buti na lang at naipadala ko na yung cargo noong October. Masaya na kong makitang binubuksan nila ang balikbayan box na pinagipunan ko sa buong taon,” said Abu Dhabi-based OFW Janice Gomez.

OFWs SPEAK: What’s your message for your loved ones back in PH?