Members of the Tau Gamma Triskelion Dubai Chapter handed out grocery packs across Al Rigga and Satwa this week, targeting Filipino workers who lost their jobs as fallout from the Middle East conflict continued to squeeze employment across the Gulf.
Al Rigga and Satwa are two of the city’s most established pockets of Filipino life, each lined with Filipino supermarkets, eateries, and mid-range apartment buildings, making them logical staging grounds for the outreach. Volunteers distributed food items directly to affected community members in both areas.
The initiative was led by the group’s officers and members, including Full-Fledged Triskelion Mizael Bukid, who provided the largest contribution to the drive, along with Grand Triskelion Mark Joseph Ortiz Luis, Deputy Grand Triskelion Angelo Salimo, Grand Lady Triskelion Marivic Tria, and members Jeff Simbulan, Marvin Bolivar, Monique Valencia, and Anica Bolivar. Triskelion LLC supported the effort. Organizers said the pooled contributions came from across the Tau Gamma Triskelion Dubai Chapter.
The distribution comes as thousands of overseas Filipino workers across the Gulf face layoffs, pay cuts, and business slowdowns tied to the regional crisis. According to the Department of Migrant Workers, more than 2.4 million Filipinos work in the Middle East, with their remittances accounting for roughly a tenth of the Philippine economy.
For those who lost income but chose to stay in the UAE, the Philippine government’s Migrant Workers Office in Dubai opened applications for one-time financial aid of AED 730, though it was reported the initial funding was capped to cover only 3,271 workers. Community-led efforts such as the Triskelion drive have moved to fill the gaps, delivering immediate relief to households struggling with rent and daily expenses.
