Little Manila in Dubai
I strongly believe that Filipinos can be found in any part of the world to work and earn a living even in the most dangerous places; Filipinos would risk their lives just to be able to support their families back in the Philippines. Here in the UAE, Filipinos have also become very dominant. There's a big percentage of overseas Filipino workers here and there's this specific place in Dubai where these co-Filipinos are settling in, this place is Satwa which is now called the manila in Dubai.
On my way to Dubai, a friend of mine told me that I wouldn't feel that homesick at all because anywhere I go, I can see Filipinos and in every mall and establishments, our kabayans will always be present. By the time I stepped out of the Emirates plane and went to the immigration section, I saw Filipinos working there. Reaching to the villa where my brother is staying, almost all the residents there are Filipinos.
Then I went to different interviews, 90 percent of the human resources personnel are Filipinos. In fact, the company where I am working now, the HR who interviewed me was a Bisaya like me from Dumaguete and almost 70 percent of my colleagues are Filipinos.
In the malls, grocery stores and all other stalls and shops, kabayans can be seen. And even when I went to do my medical in a certain medical clinic, the nurses there where Filipinas, as well as the customer service.
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| view from satwa round about |
And even inside the trains, I can sit beside Filipinos moat especially when I use the bus going back home, back to Satwa, 98 percent of the passengers are Pinoys even the driver is pinoy.
I felt like I am living in the Philippines with those sky scraping towers and buildings. In Dubai, you won't see much garbage especially in the public places. In villas, the landlords make it a point to do inspections and give penalties to who have dirty villas. The penalties and fines would go up to 2000 aed which is equivalent to more than 20k Philippine peso.
Now, if you happen to know anyone who is in Dubai now, just ask him or her if she knows the little Manila here in Dubai and they know where that is.
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