Norhana Mohammad Omar receives her award at the Emirates Labour Market Award on November 14, 2024.

A 63-year-old Filipina housemaid in Khorfakkan has won Dh100,000 in the Emirates Labour Market Award for her unwavering service to an Emirati family for over 25 years. Norhana Mohammad Omar was among 84 winners who bested 7,700 nominees to receive recognition in the awards by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation. Norhana won first prize in the Outstanding Workforce – Domestic Workers category. The ceremony, held at the Abu Dhabi Adnec Centre on Thursday (November 14), celebrated contributions to the UAE’s labour market with prizes totaling Dh37 million.

From Cotabato to Khorfakkan

Norhana, originally from Cotabato in the Philippines, has dedicated her life to helping others. From the age of 18, she began working as a nanny across the Middle East to support her parents and five brothers. In 1999, she moved to the UAE and started her role in Khorfakkan. Her employer's family became her second family, treating her as a mother figure to their seven children and their children's children in over two decades. She has never married, choosing to dedicate her life to helping her family in the Philippines and her adopted family in the UAE. While her award comes with a hefty prize, for Norhana, the recognition meant more than the money. Norhana intends to use her prize money to rebuild her parents’ home, recently damaged by floods, and take her first vacation to the Philippines since 1999. Retirement isn’t in her plans yet. “This family is like my own. I want to continue serving them,” said the Filipina whose journey is an inspiring reminder of how dedication and kindness can make a difference in the lives of many. ICA/Expat Media
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