Filipino World Champion

Mabuhay!!! Another Filipino put the Philippines in the world map, he did it twice actually when he won the 9 ball world championship in Manila last year. He won the title of World 8-Ball championship by beating his fellow Kabayan Dennis Orcollo at Fujairah's Bustan centre.

Ronnie Alcano during the final of the eight-ball pool

championship in Fujairah. Fuad Ali/Gulf News

Alcano crowned new world champion in eight-ball contest
By Fuad Ali, Staff Reporter, Gulf News

Fujairah, UAE: Ronnie Alcano has been crowned the new World 8-Ball champion after putting in a confident display to beat fellow Filipino Dennis Orcollo at Fujairah's Bustan centre yesterday.
A large Filipino crowd turned up to watch the final, full in the knowledge that the winner will be one of their compatriot players.

A delighted Alcano told Gulf News: "I'm really happy to win here on my first participation especially coming on the back of winning the world title in the 9-ball equivalent."
The match, which was expected to be a closely fought affair, started off with both players neck to neck.

After 5 games the score was 3-2 in favour of Ronnie Alcano, the latter then hit top form and seemingly almost decided the outcome of the match by opening a five-game lead on Dennis Orcollo at 7-2.

At this stage, Alcano looked to be the more confident player of the two, at times seeming to play at twice the speed of his opponent.

In truth, the more pensive Orcollo was given very few opportunities by a slick Alcano.
Orcollo soon managed to regain some of his composure to cut Alcano's lead to just 2 games, winning the next three consecutive games.

Orcollo's mini-revival was momentarily halted as Alcano took an 8-5 lead, but the match was soon back on balance as Orcollo won the next two games to make the score 8-7, completing a brave recovery.

Eventually, though, the in-form Alcano regained the initiative and powered home to a deserved 11-8 win to take the world title.

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Pinoy style : How to visit Dubai then apply for a job

Base on my personal experience some of the following are few tips you have to read and take note when planning to visit and find a job in Dubai.

Required Documents
Transcript of Records, Diploma and PRC Certificate if any, are the usual documents you need to secure when going to Dubai.

Procedure to process the documents:

Diploma and TOR - must be certified as true copy by your school registrar, authenticated by your regional CHED office, Malacanang, Department of Foreign Affairs and UAE embassy. You have to personally secure the authentication except in UAE embassy which you have to send via Fedex with enclosed managers check of Peso 1,400.

PRC Certificate - must be authenticated by PRC, Malacanang, DFA and UAE embassy. (The same procedure for Diploma and TOR)

These documents are needed in order to secure working visa in UAE, but it is not necessary to bring together with you in your flight to Dubai as this are not requirement in applying for a job. Yet not necessary but it is advisable to bring it with you as it will be needed when you are hired immediately and the processing alone in the Philippines will approximately 5 weeks.

While the processing of the authentication of your documents is under development, get ideas about UAE in websites that are available in the internet.

Ideal timing
Summer in the Middle East starts mid March and ends late October, temperature is rising up to 45 degrees so this is not the ideal time in walking on Dubai streets to apply for a job. Also at this season, managers of companies are normally out on vacation.

Avoid also the month of Ramadan as the office timings are shorten to 5 hours.

Ideal timing to visit UAE is from October to March as the whether is fine and there are lot of festivals thus requiring more jobs.

Exchange Rate
Money in UAE is called Dirhams (AED, Dhs), This is approximately equivalent to 13 pesos in Philippine money and fixed to 3.68 per 1 US Dollars.

How much visa and air fare costs?
Visas are pre-arranged, it means you have to apply for it while in the Philippines. If you have friends that were already in the UAE, they can help you to to get a visa.

Typically Filipinos are entering the UAE ports by using tourist visa, tourist visa holders are not allowed to work in the UAE, but they are allowing visitors to apply for a job. This type of visa including air ticket for one way is Dhs 2,700 – 3,000. Please note that you have to pay at this range only, otherwise it’s too much. (Airline ticketing agencies will issue back and forth tickets to tourist visa holders as Dubai authorities are assuming that you are returning back, this is dummy ticket only, you don’t have to pay for it.

Above rate is the regular rate that Dubai based agents are charging, you can check the standard rates here and here for more detailed information.

Visa expiry
Tourist visa holders are allowed to stay in the UAE for 60 days. The visa is valid 30 days from the date of issue. If it is not utilized in the validity period you need to apply for new one. The 60 days count will start from the date you set foot on UAE land.

This means that you have 60 days for job hunting. If you did not find job in 60 days, it is nessesary to leave the county for a visa change. Usually the exit point is in Kish or Qeshem islands in Iran. There is no limit for visa change, you can do it untill you got a job.

Kish and Qeshem visa change
Kish and Qeshm islands are 45 minutes from Dubai via chartered flight, the whole package of visa change ranges from Dhs 1,350 to 1,600 including the visa, return ticket, one day hotel accommodation, and breakfast meal. Usual staying period in these islands while waiting for the new visa is 2-3 days, you are lucky if you can go back to Dubai at the same day of your departure.

Above rate is the regular rate that Dubai based agents are charging, you can check the standard rates here and here for more detailed information.

Once you got your new visa and landed to Dubai, you have another 60 days to find a job.

Job hunting
In Dubai the job competition is tough, but once you got a job it is rewarding. Our main competitors here are our Kababayans also and the Indians which sometimes being favored because of their cheaper salary rates.

Job market in Dubai is awesome, everyday you can read in newspaper ads and internet postings whatever job you are looking for. However as I’ve said the competition is high. One good way is to look for vacancies suitable to your experience and apply as many as you can in one day so the possibility of being called in an interview will increase. Take note that every minute of your stay have cost so don’t consume a day without releasing a single CV in your hand. Don’t concentrate on few job openings; make a target of at least ten applications in one day.

There are some times of discouragements and depressions but you should not stop dreaming because of the money and time you invested.

How much pocket money needed.
To give you an idea of the cost of living in Dubai:

Bed space rent - Dhs 500 – 750 (4-8 persons sharing in one room)
Water and electricity - Dhs 60 – 100
Food - Dhs 250 per month will be fine
Personal things - Dhs 50 is enough
Bus fare - Dhs 1.50 minimum fare

You also have to allocate extra amount on internet rent, Fax, printing and mobile SIM card plus load as these are necessary when applying for a job.

Base on my experience Dhs 2,000 – 2,500 will be sufficient for two months.

For more informations read the Dubai Handbook and Dubai Guide.

These informations are only based on my personal experience so it will be better if you will also ask your friends who are already in Dubai on some tips how to successfully enter in Dubai and eventually land a job here.

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Dubai before & after

Rapid development and economical growth made the UAE as one which has the lagest economical footprints.

Below pictures epicts the major development that made the Dubai deserts into city of skyscrapers in span of 50 years.


Sheikh Zayed road 1951



Sheikh Zayed road 2005

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OFW Obligations

Kabayans in the Middle East don't have enough time to read everyday newspapers because of everyday work. So, a new objective of this blog is to post Middle East news relevant to OFWs from Middle East papers, sabi nga "kahit na luma basta malaman at mapakinabangan".

Here a is news article that will remind rather than teach OFWs of their responsibilities, I'm saying this because I'm very sure that every OFWs ultimate objective is to have this reponsibility done. But, in my experience as OFW for 3 + years, there are few that fails to do so. Pre-Departure Orientation Seminar (PDOS) is giving a handbook stating the Rights and Obligations of Filipino Migrant Workers, unfortunately I can't find this posted in the www.

Filipinos who fail to support families can be summoned by home courts
By Criselda E. Diala 13 February 2007
Khaleej Times

DUBAI — Married non-resident Filipinos who fail to provide financial support to their families can be summoned by a court in the Philippines, said an official from the Philippine Overseas Labour Office-Overseas Workers’ Welfare Administration (POLO-OWWA).

Eduardo Mendoza Jr., Welfare Officer of the POLO-OWWA in Dubai, said that in such cases, wives of Filipinos residing and working abroad were legally entitled to seek a court order, which would then be served to the concerned Filipinos by the Philippine diplomatic mission.

“Once the court order and a formal letter of request addressed to the POLO-OWWA or the Philippine Consulate General are received, we’ll forward the summon to the concerned party,” he said.

Mendoza made this clarification in response to a telephone call made by I.H., a Filipina residing in Pampanga, Philippines, who claimed that her husband, E.H., had not been sending money to her for the past three months.

“We have three children and I just cannot afford to send them all to school on my own. I’ve tried calling my husband on his mobile but he’s ignoring my calls,” the woman alleged. She also accused her husband of having extra-marital relations in Dubai, the reason, she cites, for not sending money home.

However, when contacted by Khaleej Times, E.H. said he had failed to send money to his family since December last year mainly because he was in dire straits, thanks to his ballooning credit card bills. He also said he had already sent money to his family early this month.
Meanwhile, the POLO-OWWA officer admitted that all they could do in such cases was to remind the person concerned about his duty and obligation. “We cannot impose a decision on the person. It’s up to him to heed the request,” he said.

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ATP and WTA Tour in Dubai

I can’t play tennis but I enjoy watching it. Though it is not my favorite sports, I still bought a ticket to watch the likes of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Justine Henin, Martina Hingis, Amelie Mauresmo and other seeded players in the world.

I realy enjoy posting the ticket because this is a gate pass to watch the big names in tennis.

WTP singles finals winner is Justine Henin who is the depending champion. ATP games are currently on a roll and will be concluded on Saturday, March 3, 2007. For more informations.

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Barangay Ginebra vs. Purefoods in Dubai

I’m an avid fan of Philippine basketball that’s why when the Philippines did not send a basketball team in the Doha Asian Games last December 2006 because of FIBA ban, I feel bad to our basketball officials. They are only thinking their own interest and not considering the joy it will give to basketball crazy OFWs not only in the Middle East but also in the whole world. However, this ban was already lifted and this is good news for Filipino basketball aficionados in Middle East.

Another good news for basketball bans particularly in Dubai is the staging of a game between the newly-crowned Philippine Cup champion Barangay Ginebra and my ever favorite Purefoods on April 13, 2006 at Al Ahli Sports Club. This will be the first time in PBA league history that a game will be held in Dubai. Manila Bulletin gives more details on this news.

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