Consulate help for Filipinos in distress
DUBAI // Filipinos who find themselves homesick, worried about their jobs or suffering from debt- related stress can turn to their consulate for help and guidance.
More than 30 consulate officers and staff in Dubai now have basic counselling skills to help their compatriots cope with problems.
“Our training has interactive sessions and lots of role playing ,” said Dr Rommel Sergio, a counselling psychologist in Dubai who launched a series of seminars and workshops at the consulate a year ago.
“They know specific approaches when addressing an emotional client, or one who needs guidance, to make a personal or professional decision.”
Up to 50 people seek consultation each week, said Paul Raymund Cortes, the consul-general in Dubai. Most of the cases involve clarification of labour laws and how to deal with unfair work practices, concerns about adjusting to a new country and financial problems relating to debt. “When they come for labour advice they also talk about other issues and unleash their emotions, such as feelings of resentment,” he said. “For domestic workers who have fled their employers, they’ve suffered abuse, been overworked and harassed.”
Others visit after losing their jobs or to complain that their employers are illegally keeping their passports, Mr Cortes said.
Lilibeth Prado, 40, a former cleaner in Dubai, sought help to have her visa cancelled and to retrieve her passport from her employer.
“The agency in Manila offered me a monthly salary of Dh1,500, but when I got here the company paid me Dh1,000. They asked me to pay Dh2,600 for my Manila-to-Dubai ticket, which is unfair. The amount was deducted from my salary in instalments.” Ms Prado, who hopes to find another job, said she would not have been able to solve her problems without the consulate’s help.
Mr Cortes said that these were people in distress. “Although we are equipped with the knowhow in terms of legal advice and procedures to undertake and how to resolve their issues, there’s also the more important need to make them feel that they are being taken care of.
“When we talk about the need to calm and assure, there’s no way we can quantify exactly what they need. Counselling provides that human touch.”
Eleanor Balanquit, a cultural officer at the consulate, said the sessions had taught her how to become a good counsellor.
“I realised the importance of self-awareness and learning to accept capabilities, spending some ‘me time’ to reduce stress and restore energy, and thinking out of the box or from a new perspective.”