Fifty nominations reached the organizing committee of the Dakilang Manggagawang Pilipino sa UAE (DMP) 2026 within a week of the nomination period opening, the group announced on July 8, 2026.
Organizers credited the early volume to a revamped online nomination system designed to let individuals, organizations, and community groups more easily put forward Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) for recognition. Entries so far have come from Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and Ras Al Khaimah, and the committee said it expects nominations from Ajman, Fujairah, and Umm Al Quwain before the window closes, which would give all seven emirates a presence in the field.
Nominations close on August 16, 2026, after which every entry moves into screening and evaluation. Twenty candidates will be chosen for the Deliberation Round on August 23, 2026, where a panel of judges will weigh each nominee against the program’s four criteria: Dakila sa Pamilya, Dakila sa Trabaho, Dakila sa Komunidad, and Dakila sa Pananampalataya.
The panel will then name a Top 10, who advance to the Grand Finals on October 4, 2026. There, the finalists will present their stories and compete for the title of Dakilang Manggagawang Pilipino sa UAE 2026. Now in its search phase, the awards program has honored OFWs across the country since 2021.
