A migration specialist has challenged the Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. administration to conduct a comprehensive academic study on the evolution of Filipino contract workers in the Gulf. Froilan Malit Jr. was one of four panellists at the “Bridging Generations, Building Futures: A Forum on Philippine Migration and Diaspora Policy,” which was held on June 12 by the Philippine Consulate General in Dubai as part of the 127th Philippine Independence Day festivities.
The event was attended by a diverse group of Filipino and half-Filipino third-culture university students from around the country, the majority of whom were born and raised in the UAE. It was intended to help people comprehend their past and destiny in the Gulf.
The keynote speakers were the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA)-Office of Migrant Affairs Assistant Secretary Robert Ferrer Jr. (“Philippine Migration Policy”), Ambassador to the UAE Alfonso Ferdinand Ver (“Overview of Filipino Migration to the UAE”), and John Rio Bautista, head of the Migrant Workers Office-Dubai and Labour Attache in Dubai and the Northern Emirates (“Government Protection Mechanisms for Overseas Filipino Workers”).
Malit talked on the “Contributions of the Filipino Diaspora in the Gulf Region.” The following topics were covered by Abrahamic Family House-Research and Publication Dr. William Gueraiche, former Philippine Ambassador to the Holy See and UAE Grace Relucio-Princesa, Bayt.com founder and chief technology officer Akram Assaf, and others: “Filipino Women and Their Historical Significance in the Diaspora,” “Migration Politics in the UAE-Philippine Corridor,” and “Labour Market Trends in the Gulf: Implications for Migrant Workers.
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