CDA move to reunite abandoned girl with mother in Philippines

dubai — The Community Development Authority (CDA) in Dubai has helped close the distance between a mother and her child she abandoned in Dubai, following the mother’s deportation to the Philippines earlier this year.

Temporarily named Shamsa (from the word shams, which translates to ‘sun’ in Arabic), the baby is now safely in the Philippines.

Dr Abdelaziz Mohamed Al Hammadi, chairman of the selection committee for foster families in Dubai and director of the family cohesion department at the CDA, said giving the baby the opportunity to be raised in her natural environment with her biological mother was the main motivation for the authority’s efforts.

Speaking to Khaleej Times, an assistance to national (ATN) officer at the Philippine Consulate-General in Dubai said the baby was endorsed to the consulate on June 29 via the CDA.

On the same day, an ATN officer travelled to the Philippines with the baby. They arrived on June 30 and were received at the airport by staff from the Philippine Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

Following the baby’s arrival, the DSWD located the mother. However, the officer could not confirm if the mother and baby have yet been reunited. He said the baby could still be under temporary custody by the DSWD following processing and evaluation of the mother.

According to the ATN officer, the mother was caught (on CCTV) abandoning her newborn baby at the Muraqqabat Police station in Bur Dubai, earlier this year. The CDA said she was later deported before the girl’s identity was detected by DNA analysis.

Once the identity of the child was identified, the CDA was keen to reunite the two; something that is rarely achievable in the case of

abandoned children here. Most are cared for within alternative foster families. The CDA received the infant several months ago in accordance with the procedures followed for abandoned children to be cared for in the Family Village for Orphans, part of the Awqaf and Minors’ Affairs Foundation.

“We were looking for a suitable alternative family for her to be

raised within. Later, we were informed by the authorities that the girl’s DNA was matched with a Filipina woman who had recently been expelled from Dubai. This made the girl’s biological mother known and thus opened the hope that the child could live with her mother,” Dr Al Hammadi said.

Working with the Philippine Consulate, the General Department Of

Punitive and Correctional Establishments of the Dubai Police and the Public Prosecution in Dubai, all legal and procedural matters were finalised to ensure the child can be returned to her mother. “The Alternative Care Team in the CDA dedicated their time to work on the girl’s file. We wanted to be optimistic that her life would be brighter.

We were informed by the authorities that the girl’s DNA was matched with a Filipina woman who had recently been expelled from Dubai.” Dr Abdelaziz Mohamed Al Hammadi, CDA