The spirit of cooperation and heart for helping thousands of Filipinos here in the UAE is embodied by a team of eight qualified and seasoned professionals that comprise the entire Assistance to Nationals (ATN) team of the Philippine Embassy in the UAE.

Filipino community representatives commended the efforts of this tight yet versatile team who have managed to address the concerns of no less than 11,000 Filipinos in 2020, each having different circumstances where they seek the wisdom and guidance of ATN’s expertise when it comes to legal matters, repatriation, shipment of remains, and passport queries.

This figure was revealed by the Embassy during an intimate meeting with the ATN coordinators of Bayanihan Council called by Philippine Ambassador to the UAE, H.E. Amb. Hjayceelyn Quintana together with the ATN team, headed by Consul Maria Cynthia Pelayo.

“Honestly impressive po iyon kasi hindi natin alam na ganoon pala karami ang natutulungan ng ating embahada. Itong kanilang gawain ay hindi naman lagi nakikita ng karamihan kaya masaya po ako bilang isa sa mga ordinaryong OFW na nalaman namin ang kabutihang ginagawa ng embahada, lalo na’t nang makausap namin ang ating ambassador na talagang galing sa puso ang lahat ng sinasabi,” said Joseph Reyes, chair of the ATN and Welfare Committee at the Bayanihan Council in Abu Dhabi – that acts as the umbrella organization of Filipino groups in the capital.

Abdullah Ebana, vice-chair of the same committee, stressed the importance of voicing concerns through the proper channels so that they could expedite the process of finding solutions to their problems.

“Hinihikayat ko po ang lahat nang mga kababayan ko dito sa UAE na maaari po nilang lapitan ang ating embahada o konsulado sa halip na magpost lamang sa social media kung saan kulang o baka hindi naman tama ang nakukuhang impormasyon. Importanteng kunin ang mga contact details ng ating embahada o ng konsulado para mabigyan tayo ng kaukulang gabay sa ating mga hinaharap na problema,” said Ebana.

Con Simera, assistant secretary of the Bayanihan Council, said that the dialogue helped her understand the value of cooperation between the community and embassy officials that would help discern and learn the stories behind Filipinos who are in need of assistance.

“Trust and understanding are roots and essence of a good relationship. We must show respect to others feelings and not to judge on what we hear, we must dig the truth. Cooperation is also required for our community to move forward for a better tomorrow,” said Simera.

During the meeting, the Embassy shared the guidelines for the use of ATN government funds and gave examples of the kinds of problems that are not allowed to use said funds under Philippine law.

Miriam Paglinawan-Sergio, member of Bayanihan Council’s ATN committee, shared that she values the importance of listening to the stories of fellow Filipinos who require assistance and providing them with the information they need to better address their concerns.

“To serve better comes from listening rather than talking. Learning and being reminded about these proper communication channels simplify and streamline our efforts to help our kababayans. As one appointed ATN contact in Abu Dhabi, I am and will be pleased to guide our kababayans in seeking assistance when needed. I am now more confident to provide help after learning the ‘hows’ of the magic phrase ‘assistance to nationals.’ A very sincere thanks to our beloved Ambassador Madam Hjayceelyn ‘Joy’ Quintana for the heartfelt mentoring, as well as to the whole ATN Team of the Philippine Embassy headed by Consul Cynthia. Silent workers but with massive, exquisite results!,” said Paglinawan-Sergio.

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