DMW vows to assist families of Dubai OFW flood victims

The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) on Tuesday said it would assist the families of the Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who died or were injured during the heavy floods in the United Arab Emirates.

“We assured the families na wala silang gagastusin kahit isang kusing, even the son who is there, and who will be joining his mother back,” said DMW Officer-in-Charge Hans Leo Cacdac in a press conference.

“More particularly, una doon sa repatriation of the remains and the father of one of the OFWs particularly made that request na makapiling nya sa huling pagkakataon yung kaniyang anak. We are arranging the repatriation,” he said, noting that they are in coordination with related agencies.

(More particularly, our priority is the repatriation of the remains, and the father of one of the OFWs particularly made that request to be with his daughter for the final time.)

"We assured the families na wala silang gagastusin kahit isang kusing, even the son who is there and who will be joining his mother back (in the Philippines)," Cacdac added.

(We assured the families that they would not spend a penny, even the son who is there and will be joining his mother back in the Philippines.)

Psychological counseling and financial assistance will also be given to the victims’ families.

Cacdac said that they are monitoring the medical status of two OFWs who were injured during the Dubai floods. Both underwent surgery and are now in stable condition.

The relief operations are still ongoing as DMW targets to help thousands of OFWs affected by the massive flooding.

“Generally nag-normalize naman na yung situation pero mayroon paring mga apektado at sila yung binibigyan natin sa relief operations,” he added.

(Generally, the situation has normalized, but there are still those affected, and they are the ones we provide in relief operations.)

On Friday, authorities said deaths in the UAE  rose to four after the heavy rains earlier this week that flooded roads and paralyzed Dubai's international airport.

The storm first hit Oman at the weekend, killing at least 20 people, before pounding the UAE on Tuesday with the heaviest recorded downpour in 75 years.

Three Filipinos, two women and one man, died in their vehicles during the flood. An Emirati man in his 70s perished when his vehicle was swept away by floods in Ras Al Khaimah.—RF, GMA Integrated News