Migration experts call for focus on OFWs in Gulf region

Malit and Gueraiche call on the authorities to invest in deeper research and policy development focused on the evolving experiences of OFWs in the Gulf states

- Mariecar Jara-Puyod, Senior Reporter

A migration specialist has challenged the Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. Administration to come up with in-depth scholarly research studies regarding the evolution of Filipino contract workers in the Gulf.

Froilan Malit Jr. was among four panelists at the “Bridging Generations, Building Futures: A Forum on Philippine Migration and Diaspora Policy,” which the Philippine Consulate General-Dubai hosted in conjunction with the 127th Philippine Independence Day celebrations on June 12.

The forum was attended by a mix of Filipino and half-Filipino third culture university students from around the country, a big number of whom were born-and-raised in the UAE. It was to help them understand their history and future in the Gulf.

The keynote speakers were Ambassador to the UAE Alfonso Ferdinand Ver (“Overview of Filipino Migration to the UAE”), Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA)-Office of Migrant Affairs Assistant Secretary Robert Ferrer Jr. (“Philippine Migration Policy”), and Migrant Workers Office-Dubai head Labour Attache in Dubai and the Northern Emirates John Rio Bautista (“Government Protection Mechanisms for Overseas Filipino Workers.”)