Filipino migrant workers in Dubai and the Northern Emirates have one more shot at the Philippine government’s one-time AED 730 financial assistance today, Friday, May 8, as the fourth and final application form under the current funding cycle opens at 8:00 A.M.
The link for Form 4 will be posted at exactly 8:00 A.M. on the MWO-Dubai Facebook page. Based on the pattern of previous sessions, OFWs are strongly advised to be logged on and ready before the hour strikes — Form 1 closed in 20 minutes, Form 2 in 57 minutes, and Form 3 in under 30 minutes.
A top labor official confirmed to The Global Filipino Magazine earlier this week that after May 8, the office will pause further releases and wait for additional advice and funding from the Department of Migrant Workers before scheduling new windows. For OFWs who have yet to secure a slot, today is the last guaranteed opportunity under the current cycle.
What has happened so far
Since the program launched on April 28, three forms have been released and closed, collectively processing 2,876 applications. Of the first two batches alone, over 1,500 OFWs have already been approved — 668 from Form 1 and 849 from Form 2. Data from both batches show that salary reduction was the most commonly cited reason for applying, accounting for over 40% of submissions in each form, followed by termination and unpaid leave.
The program covers landbased OFWs in Dubai and the Northern Emirates whose work has been disrupted by the ongoing US-Israel-Iran conflict. Each approved applicant receives USD 200, equivalent to AED 730, collectible at any Al Ansari Exchange branch across the UAE upon receiving an SMS notification from the remittance center.
What to prepare
OFWs applying today must have five documents ready before the form opens:
- Accomplished RFA Form — available in Filipino at bit.ly/RFA-Form or in English at bit.ly/4t5Opjq. Every section must be fully completed — an incomplete or missing RFA Form was the top reason for disapproval in Form 1, accounting for 74 of 154 rejected applications.
- Passport bio page — must be clear and readable. An unreadable passport was among the grounds for disapproval in Form 1.
- Emirates ID (front and back) — required both for the application and for collecting the cash grant at Al Ansari Exchange. Missing or incomplete Emirates ID accounted for 12 disapprovals in Form 1.
- At least one proof of overseas employment — any of the following: employment contract, visa, Emirates ID, labor card, or any analogous document.
- At least one proof of work disruption or loss of income — any of the following: a signed certification from an employer or principal, pay slips showing salary reduction, a termination notice from the employer, Private Recruitment Agency (PRA), Foreign Recruitment Agency (FRA), or Tadbeer, a visa cancellation document, a notarized affidavit, or a Sariling Salaysay accompanied by a certification from the MWO-Dubai Labor Attaché or the president of a recognized Filipino community organization. A template is downloadable in Filipino at bit.ly/Salaysay-FA or in English at bit.ly/Salaysay-English.
Important reminders
- Submit only once. Multiple submissions result in automatic and permanent disqualification — two applicants were flagged for this in Form 1.
- OFWs who were tagged “Disapproved-May Reapply” in previous forms are eligible to submit again today — but must ensure their documents are complete and correct before doing so.
- Those who have already been approved in a previous form must not apply again.
- OFWs who have already returned to the Philippines are not eligible and are advised to contact their nearest DMW Regional Office instead.
- The application is strictly online. No walk-in applications will be entertained at the MWO-Dubai office.
For inquiries, OFWs may reach MWO-Dubai through the following hotlines: +971 56 353 5558, +971 54 223 0822, and +971 56 153 3057, or via email at atn.mwodubai@dmw.gov.ph.
