Daily Tribune
DMW Secretary Hans Cacdac and OWWA Chief Patricia Yvonne Caunan speak with two Filipino mothers and their children at the airport on Tuesday. The children had been undocumented in the UAE due to birth restrictions on children born out of wedlock.
Photo courtesy of DMW
Twenty Filipino women and their 23 children were repatriated from Dubai on Monday, according to the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW).
The children had been undocumented due to legal and procedural complications in the United Arab Emirates, where strict morality laws make it difficult to register children born outside of marriage.
“The status there is that they have criminal and morality codes in the UAE, and so when there is a mother or a female who gives birth, and the status is not known, the baby becomes undocumented,” said Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Cacdac.
He added that undocumented children in the UAE face significant barriers, including access to public healthcare and education.
These cases date back to 2023, when the Department of Foreign Affairs turned over the handling of similar legal concerns to the DMW.
Upon arrival in Manila, the mothers and their children are set to undergo health assessments through hospitals affiliated with the DMW, including the OFW Hospital.
Cacdac also said the agency is working on reintegration pathways for the mothers, including skills training in caregiving and other industries.
