Thousands of Filipinos flock to the Dubai World Trade Center for the OFW Serbisyo Caravan on August 3, 2025. ARCHIVE

Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac has issued a public apology to Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in the UAE following strong backlash over the “disorganized” OFW Serbisyo Caravan held in Dubai on August 3. In a statement released on Thursday (August 7), Cacdac admitted to lapses in planning and vowed to implement hybrid, digitalized solutions for future caravans, especially in Dubai. “We apologize to those who were not served on that day. But rest assured, we will be back in more ways than one—we will sharpen our digitalization efforts,” Cacdac said. “In the next round, especially in Dubai, we will have a hybrid part two where processes are digitalized. This will be the general trend of our future caravans,” he added. The apology came after thousands of Filipinos who attended the one-day outreach event at the Dubai World Trade Centre flooded social media with complaints about long queues, poor crowd control, and a lack of organized access to essential services.

Frustrated Filipinos speak out

On Expat Media’s Facebook page, OFWs shared their firsthand experiences, with many describing the event as "chaotic" and "disappointing" despite its goal of bringing government services closer to Filipinos abroad. “Very disorganized and chaotic!!! Very disappointing…” wrote Dench Cabucos. “We waited in line for four hours with my two kids, but ended up leaving without getting anything done,” shared Jong in Dubai, adding in Filipino, “There was no system. I feel bad for those who traveled from far, like people from the Northern Emirates.” Mary Mia Hailey echoed the sentiment, writing: “More people went home angry. Magulo (chaotic).” Rhey Dadia recounted in Filipino: “I was there at 8:30am. The lines were extremely long. My friend arrived at 4am, and still didn’t get served. I had to leave without getting my OWWA ID. The crowd couldn’t even fit in one hall.” Grace Monfero commented: “Not organized! Went home with nothing! 6 hours in the line!” Alfie Anido Infante added: “Disorganized system, where the show and flair drowned out the main purpose. Instead of pure service, they focused on theatrics.” Kimberly Loyola summed up many attendees’ frustrations, saying: “They knew people would come because many can’t even get online appointments to verify contracts. Everyone came early—still waited hours. What’s worse? There were more food booths than service booths! They should’ve focused on the essentials. So many OFWs came from far just to go home with nothing done. Jusme, paulit-ulit na lang ganito lagi (My goodness, this keeps happening).”

What the DMW is doing next

Cacdac acknowledged the outpouring of criticism and committed to major improvements. “While we pursue online solutions like dataflow systems and partnerships with firms such as VFS, we also recognize the importance of in-person services like biometric-based ID registration and legal assistance,” he said. “This is why our future caravans will take a hybrid approach—combining digital efficiency with face-to-face accuracy and compliance,” he added. Despite the complaints, DMW reported that the OFW Serbisyo Caravan still managed to deliver 11,569 government transactions to 5,928 OFWs in a single day. The event was part of the “Bagong Bayani ng Mundo” initiative under the One Country Team Approach—a whole-of-government strategy aiming to bring essential services to OFWs globally. But the sheer volume of attendees overwhelmed organizers. “We were honestly overwhelmed,” said OWWA Administrator Patricia Yvonne Caunan at the event. “We didn’t expect this many Filipinos in Dubai needed our services. It just proves that our presence here is not just necessary—it’s urgent.” The venue was huge, but even that wasn’t enough, she added in Filipino.

Permanent OFW e-card service in Dubai

In response to the high demand, Caunan announced that the OFW e-card printer will remain at the Migrant Workers Office (MWO) in Dubai—allowing OFWs to continue accessing this key service even after the event. Cacdac and the DMW said they are preparing for a “hybrid Part 2” of the OFW Serbisyo Caravan in Dubai, with improved systems and digital support to reduce queues and wait times. Until then, OFWs in the UAE are encouraged to monitor the official pages of the DMW, OWWA, and MWO Dubai for updates on available services, walk-in schedules, and online booking systems. ICA/CAM/Expat Media
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