Child safely reaches Manila after UAE-Philippines coordination efforts.
Dubai: A two-year-old Filipino girl who was abandoned as a baby has been safely reunited with her home country after spending much of her early childhood under the care of a Dubai shelter.
The child arrived on July 9 at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 in Manila aboard a commercial flight, completing a coordinated repatriation effort involving authorities from both the UAE and the Philippines.
She was accompanied on her journey back to the Philippines by Cherrylene Girado, Social Welfare Attaché at the Migrant Workers Office in Dubai, who assisted with her safe return.
Dubai shelter
The girl had been staying at the Family Village in Al Warqa, Dubai, since she was only four months old.
“She was provided with a safe and nurturing environment that supported her health and development while arrangements for her return to the Philippines were being completed,” the Philippine Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said in a Facebook post.
The Family Village provided care and protection for the child throughout her early years, allowing her to grow in a safe and supportive environment away from the circumstances surrounding her abandonment.
Social welfare care
Upon her arrival in Manila, the child was formally handed over to the Philippine Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), which placed her under protective custody.
The agency will oversee her welfare and decide on suitable long-term care arrangements in accordance with established child protection procedures.
UAE-Philippines cooperation
The child’s safe return was made possible through coordinated efforts between UAE authorities, the Philippine Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and other relevant agencies involved in ensuring her protection and repatriation.
According to the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), the agency coordinated closely with partner organisations to facilitate the child’s safe return and ensure a proper handover after her arrival in the Philippines.
“Her homecoming reflects the government’s continuing commitment to ensuring that no Filipino, especially the most vulnerable, is left behind,” the DMW said.
