Photo: Joy and Paul Uvero with their daughter Ysabelle Francine
DUBAI: A Filipino couple were lauded for their contributions to the government’s initiative to set benchmarks in labor welfare practices in the UAE.
Joy and Paul Uvero were the only Filipinos among nearly a hundred certified experts and evaluators tasked by the government to select the companies that provide the best working and living conditions for their employees. The selection process became the basis for the Taqdeer Award.
The members were highly qualified and experienced and came from a wide range of sectors. Joy, learning and development coordinator for JA Resorts and Hotels, said she was endorsed to be a member of the team.
“I immediately agreed to it because I have always wanted to be part of something that helps improve the plight of Filipino workers in the UAE who make up a big part of the labor force. I am happy that through the Taqdeer Award, I was able to help my countrymen in my own little way,” said Joy.
The couple, along with other lead assessors, received awards of appreciation from HE Major General Obaid Muhair Bin Suroor, chairman of The Permanent Committee of Labour Affairs in Dubai. The awarding ceremony coincided with the launch of the primer, “A Guide for Foreign Workers” at the Address Boulevard Hotel recently.
Joy said the assessment included on-site visits to the companies. They interviewed employees and human resource personnel as well as evaluated safety measures at work and facilities provided to the workers such as accommodation, among others. The visit usually takes a day or two.
Joy, also an assessor for the Dubai Quality Awards (DQA) and Dubai Human Development Awards (DHDA) was endorsed to join the team of assessors. She then referred her husband.
“Both of us believe in the same cause, so it’s only fitting that we work together,” said Joy. The couple also brought their five-year-old daughter, Ysabelle Francine, at the awarding ceremonies to “start exposing her to worthy causes.”
Taqdeer Award is the first points-based reward system in the world for companies recognized as having excellent labor welfare practices. Companies are rated 1 to 5 stars. Those who get top ratings are given priority in bidding for international contracts.
