From left: Teresa, Ernesto and Tina Tawat meet DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac and Undersecretary Felicitas Bay at the Migrant Workers Office in Dubai on February 14, 2025. EXPAT MEDIA

The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) has stepped in to help 69-year-old Filipino Ernesto Arnel Tawat, who has been stranded in the UAE for decades due to a blood money debt of Dh93,000. Speaking exclusively to Expat Media during his visit to the Migrant Workers Office (MWO) in Dubai on Friday (February 14), DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac assured the Tawat family that his office is committed to helping them. “Finally, his nightmare is over, and now he can finally come home,” Cacdac told Expat Media. The Tawat couple is expected to fly back to the Philippines for the first time in 31 years within the next two weeks, with DMW facilitating their return. A frail Ernesto, struggling to walk, met with Cacdac at the MWO in Dubai, accompanied by his wife Teresa and daughter Tina. A visibly moved Cacdac assured the Sharjah-based family of full support. Expat Media also overheard him asking his team if there were job vacancies at DMW for their daughter, Tina, who has been struggling to provide for her parents. “We are deeply grateful for everyone’s compassion and in helping my parents get back to the Philippines,” Tina told Expat Media following the meeting. The meeting was coordinated by DMW Undersecretary for Foreign Employment and Welfare Services Felicitas Bay, Philippine Ambassador to the UAE Alfonso Ferdinand Ver, Philippine Consul General Marford Angeles, and MWO-Dubai Labor Attaché John Rio Bautista. The officials assured the family that they will receive comprehensive assistance.

Expat Media’s viral coverage brings attention to Tawat’s plight

The Tawat's plight gained public attention following Expat Media’s viral coverage on January 21, which prompted an outpouring of support from the Filipino community and caught the attention of Philippine officials, including Philippine Ambassador Alfonso Ferdinand Ver and Consul General Marford Angeles, who extended help. In Dubai, Cacdac reaffirmed the DMW’s commitment to resolving Ernesto’s predicament. “We will help him and his family return to the Philippines, including providing financial assistance to settle the blood money,” Cacdac told Expat Media in Filipino. As an immediate relief, he handed the family Dh20,000 to support their daily needs before repatriation. "We are making it a point to clear his name so he can go home scot-free to our beloved country. When he gets there, we will help him move on," Cacdac said. The DMW will also cover Ernesto’s medical expenses, both in the UAE and in the Philippines. “We are making sure that he can go home without any legal obstacles. Once he is there, we will continue to support his medical needs and help him rebuild his life through a livelihood program,” Cacdac said.

The Tawat family’s long road to freedom

As previously reported by Expat Media, Ernesto was once a thriving chef at the now-demolished Ramada Hotel in Bur Dubai before launching a food business catering to Filipinos in the 1990s. However, on May 23, 2006, his life took a tragic turn when his vehicle fatally struck a pedestrian in Sharjah’s Al Nahda. The accident led to Ernesto’s imprisonment and a blood money debt of Dh203,000. Although he was freed on condition of paying the blood money, and the victim’s family lifted the execution order in 2014, he remained stranded in the country due to the unpaid balance of Dh93,000. Over the years, Ernesto’s health deteriorated. He suffered a stroke, leaving him partially paralyzed, while the family’s business collapsed in 2015. Their financial struggles forced them out of their home and halted Tina’s education. Despite earning a modest salary of Dh5,000, Tina barely manages to support her parents. “My parents shaped who I am today. They don’t deserve this suffering,” Tina told Expat Media. She started supporting the family at the age of 12. Wife, Teresa, who was cleared to leave the UAE during the December 2024 amnesty, refused to go home without Ernesto. “Leaving him behind is not an option; his health is too fragile,” she told Expat Media. The family has raised 20 percent of the remaining blood money through church donations and personal contributions and hopes their story will inspire others to help.

Government action and funding support for OFWs

Aside from the Tawat case, Cacdac confirmed that four other Filipinos in the UAE, including three wheelchair-bound individuals and a stroke victim, were repatriated on February 14. Cacdac highlighted the Philippine government’s commitment to supporting Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), particularly those in dire need. “President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has directed us to prioritize OFWs facing hardship,” he said. He also revealed that the DMW’s efforts are funded through the Aksyon (Agarang Kalinga at Saklolo para sa mga OFW na Nangangailangan) Fund, which has been allocated P2 billion this year. The fund covers legal aid, medical support, repatriation, and other forms of assistance to distressed OFWs. “The president put it so well: ‘Hindi ito bilang utang na loob ninyo sa amin kundi ito ay parangal at sukli sa pagod, hirap at sakripisyo para sa inyong pamilya at sa ating sambayanan.’ So we are here to serve you,” Cacdac said. PIA/Expat Media

How to contact DMW

DMW Hotline: +63 2 1348 (One Repatriation Centre), +63 8 7221144, +63 8 7221155 For repatriation or assistance: repat@dmw.gov.ph Feedback: feedback@dmw.gov.ph Migrant Workers Office-Dubai: +971506526626, 04 2207011, mwo_dubai@dmw.gov.ph
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