Filipino workers in Dubai are increasingly drawn to jewelry-making as a form of skills development, with the craft emerging as one of the more sought-after sessions offered to overseas workers there.
The Migrant Workers Office-Dubai led the workshop on August 8, 2026, running it as a component of the reintegration efforts overseen by the Department of Migrant Workers. Eighteen OFWs currently housed at the Migrant Workers Resource Center took part in the hands-on session.
The program targets workers in difficult circumstances, offering them a chance to pick up practical abilities that could later serve as an alternative livelihood once they return home. Retooling and upskilling initiatives like this one are part of a broader DMW push to prepare returning Filipinos for a fresh start in the Philippines.
Volunteer trainer and Bagong Bayani awardee Ms. Cecilia A. Leoparte described the value of the exercise for participants. “Through hands-on jewelry-making, they are given opportunities to discover creativity, gain confidence, and acquire potential income-generating skills,” she said.
For the workers at the resource center, the jewelry-making course represents one avenue among several designed to help them rebuild their footing and open up income-generating possibilities beyond their current situation.
