After months of uncertainty and medical complications in the United Arab Emirates, seven-year-old Andrey Limbaring has been transferred to Taiwan to begin specialized treatment for a malignant brain tumor, Philippine officials confirmed.
Hans Leo J. Cacdac, secretary of the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), announced that the child—whose family is based in Abu Dhabi—has reached Taipei and has been admitted to a hospital experienced in handling complex malignant brain tumor cases.
Andrey’s transfer followed direct coordination between the DMW and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) after the child’s condition deteriorated in the UAE. The boy has been battling brain cancer since infancy and has undergone multiple major surgeries, chemotherapy, and radiation treatments over the years. Doctors in Abu Dhabi earlier advised that local treatment options had been exhausted after another tumor recurrence, complicated by breathing difficulties linked to tumor progression affecting the brainstem, which required intensive care and ventilator support.
Government intervention accelerated after Marie Louise Liza Araneta-Marcos met the Limbaring family during the Bagong Bayani ng Mundo: OFW Mini-Serbisyo Caravan in Abu Dhabi and instructed the DMW and OWWA to facilitate immediate assistance. An air ambulance was arranged to safely transport the child from the UAE to Taiwan, given his fragile medical condition.
The Limbaring family arrived in Taipei at around 3:00 p.m. on January 19 and were taken straight from the airport to the hospital for initial assessment and preparation for further procedures. Officials said the transfer and hospital admission were carried out without incident.
According to DMW Undersecretary Felicitas Q. Bay, on-ground assistance in Taiwan was provided by the Migrant Workers Office (MWO) in Taipei, led by Labor Attaché Alejandro A. Padaen, in coordination with the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) headed by Chairperson Corazon Avecilla-Padiernos. The teams assisted the family upon arrival, facilitated hospital coordination, and arranged temporary accommodation.
The MWO in Taipei continues to monitor Andrey’s condition closely in coordination with his attending physician, while also ensuring that the family’s immediate welfare needs are addressed as treatment begins.
DMW officials said the department and OWWA, with support from the Office of the First Lady, will maintain medical and welfare assistance for Andrey during his course of treatment in Taiwan, with coordination ongoing between Philippine labor officials and healthcare providers overseeing his care.
