Nominations for the sixth edition of the Dakilang Manggagawang Pilipino sa UAE (DMP) open on July 2 and will run until August 16, giving Overseas Filipino Workers across the Emirates a two-week window less than a month-and-a-half to enter a search built around four measures of a life well lived: family, work, community, and faith.
Qualified OFWs can be put forward by relatives, friends, employers, and organizations, with all entries coursed through the program’s official portal at https://pinascargo.com/dmp-nomination-form/. Screening follows on August 23, when a panel identified as the Dakilang Panelists narrows the field to a Top 20 who will appear in person to recount their journeys and make the case for the title. The Top 10 finalists are set to be named the next day, August 24.
From August 24 to September 30, those finalists face public scrutiny through an online voting platform, with ballots carrying 40 percent of the final tally and the deliberation scores making up the other 60 percent. The same stretch doubles as the DMP Journey, a series of organizer-sponsored outings that includes a desert safari, a dhow cruise, and a Dubai city tour meant to reward the finalists and let them form friendships along the way.
The program is a corporate social responsibility undertaking of Pinas Group of Companies, a business group spanning cargo, spa and beauty, travel, gold, floral, and cleaning services. It was conceived by founder and CEO Marlyn Castro alongside HR and Marketing Manager Rumelyn Aribon, who envisioned a venue for honoring OFWs whose perseverance and service merit wider recognition.
Journalists were walked through the mechanics, criteria, and full timeline at a media briefing on July 1 that formally opened the season. The award has produced a Grand Winner every year since 2021, and teaching has featured prominently among the honorees: Mary Ann Paglinawan, an executive assistant in Dubai, took the inaugural title, followed by Sharjah entrepreneur Joemar Tagala in 2022, and then three educators in succession, Federico Dulla, Jr. of Dubai in 2023, Jonnel Garcia of Ras Al Khaimah in 2024, and Mark Jore of Sharjah in 2025.
The Grand Finals on October 4 will decide who joins that roster. Every Top 10 finalist walks away with gifts and prizes from the program’s sponsors, while the eventual winner claims a cash prize, a tour package, gift packs, and the title of Dakilang Manggagawang Pilipino sa UAE 2026.
One flag before you run this: the nomination window is July 2 to August 16, but the source also states the deliberation selects the Top 20 who then present to the panel — worth confirming with the organizers whether all nominees are screened down to 20, or whether an earlier cut happens first, since the source doesn’t spell out that intermediate step.
