Saudi Arabia to kick off country-level ceremonies of The Filipino Times Watchlist Awards
The Filipino Times is set to commence its 2025 Watchlist Awards this evening in Saudi Arabia, officially launching a series of country-level ceremonies to honor outstanding Filipino engineers, architects, and healthcare professionals across the Middle East.
Saudi Arabia will open the awarding tonight, June 20, for engineers and architects from Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, while healthcare professionals will be honored tomorrow evening, June 21.
For the first time, the prestigious program will spotlight top Filipino professionals in each country before they move forward to compete at the regional level, bringing well-deserved recognition closer to local communities.
Qatar will host the next leg, gathering winners from Qatar and Kuwait on August 8 for engineers and architects, and August 9 for healthcare workers.
The UAE and Oman will wrap up the country-level awarding, recognizing outstanding professionals on November 21 for engineers and architects, and November 22 for healthcare professionals.
Country winners will then advance to the regional stage, with the Middle East's top engineers and architects to be named on March 29, 2026, followed by the top healthcare professionals on March 30, 2026 — strengthening recognition of Filipino excellence worldwide.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Filipino Times
10 hours ago
- Filipino Times
Saudi Arabia to kick off country-level ceremonies of The Filipino Times Watchlist Awards
The Filipino Times is set to commence its 2025 Watchlist Awards this evening in Saudi Arabia, officially launching a series of country-level ceremonies to honor outstanding Filipino engineers, architects, and healthcare professionals across the Middle East. Saudi Arabia will open the awarding tonight, June 20, for engineers and architects from Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, while healthcare professionals will be honored tomorrow evening, June 21. For the first time, the prestigious program will spotlight top Filipino professionals in each country before they move forward to compete at the regional level, bringing well-deserved recognition closer to local communities. Qatar will host the next leg, gathering winners from Qatar and Kuwait on August 8 for engineers and architects, and August 9 for healthcare workers. The UAE and Oman will wrap up the country-level awarding, recognizing outstanding professionals on November 21 for engineers and architects, and November 22 for healthcare professionals. Country winners will then advance to the regional stage, with the Middle East's top engineers and architects to be named on March 29, 2026, followed by the top healthcare professionals on March 30, 2026 — strengthening recognition of Filipino excellence worldwide.
Filipino Times
11-06-2025
- Filipino Times
'I didn't like what you did… but I love you': OFW Nanny in UAE earns praise for emotional intelligence, calm way of disciplining a child
A touching moment between a Filipina nanny and a young child has gone viral online, drawing praise from netizens and sparking conversations about the role of OFWs in raising children abroad. Rex Bacarra, a Filipino educator based in the UAE, took to Facebook to share the story after witnessing the scene while reviewing his students' papers at a coffee shop in Abu Dhabi, UAE. According to Bacarra, a Filipina nanny was sitting beside him with a foreign child, around six years old, when the child interrupted her while she was speaking to a staff member. 'I didn't like what you did while I was talking to the staff, but I love you,' the nanny told the child, a line that showed how she was able to discipline the child with care and affection at the same time. The child, who had been taught to say ' po ' — a Filipino word used to show respect — replied, 'Sorry po,' then asked, 'But… you still love me?' With grace and patience, the nanny continued to calmly explain why interrupting was not polite. Rather than scolding the child, she guided him to understand the mistake and learn from it. 'She corrected like a parent, not a subordinate. She treated the child with full dignity, not by scolding, but by guiding. She helped him walk back through the moment, retrace the mistake, and see it for himself. No raised voice. No shame. Just clarity,' Bacarra wrote. 'That is pedagogy. That is emotional intelligence. That is the art of separating the child from the behavior, something many still fail to do,' he added. The post has since gone viral, gaining more than 14,000 reactions, nearly 5,000 shares, and hundreds of comments from netizens, many of whom said they saw themselves, their mothers, or fellow OFWs in the story. Earning praise from netizens In the comments section, netizens praised the nanny's calm and professional way of handling the situation, calling her a 'Pinoy gem,' 'the pride of the nation,' and 'a quiet educator of humanity.' 'Maybe we should also raise how we view service providers like her? She's not just a nanny, she's a nanny. A professional. Maybe even accredited. A job that can be held with dignity and, yes, pride,' one commenter wrote. Meanwhile, others reflected on the painful irony that many of the most nurturing, well-trained Filipino caregivers are raising children in foreign countries, while families in the Philippines struggle to find that same level of care at home. 'The sad part is that a lot of them, the good and educated nannies, are all over abroad. But while in the Philippines, our fellow kabayans are struggling to find with this kind of nanny guidance and sympathy to educate, nurture, and guide our Filipino kids,' a netizen commented. Despite this, the moment reminded many readers of the core values often found in Filipino households — compassion, respect, and teaching through love. 'Filipinos raising the world,' one commenter proudly declared. 'She is one who educates humanity. A Filipina like her is the pride of our nation,' another social media user said. 'One day soon, we will see movers and shakers (and most likely world leaders) who were brought up by a Pinoy nanny,' said another. Indeed, stories like this remind us that greatness doesn't always come with a title or a uniform. Sometimes, it's found in a gentle voice, a well-timed lesson, and the love of someone raising not just a child — but a future.
Filipino Times
10-06-2025
- Filipino Times
SPLE 2025 in Abu Dhabi concludes with around 400 examinees
The Special Professional Licensure Examination (SPLE) in Abu Dhabi has concluded with over 400 examinees participating across 27 professional fields. 'We have an actual examinees of more or less 405,' said Atty. Arl Ruth B. Sacay-Sabelo, Head of the delegation team in Abu Dhabi and Regional Director of the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) Region I – Ilocos. Atty. Arl Ruth B. Sacay-Sabelo Head of Delegation Team Abu Dhabi Regional Director, PRC Region I (Ilocos) The three-day SPLE was conducted by the Philippine Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) from June 6 to June 8, 2025, in coordination with the Philippine Embassy and the Migrant Workers Office in Abu Dhabi. The SPLE allows qualified overseas Filipino professionals to take the board exams in their respective fields without the need to return to the Philippines. 'Ang purpose ng SPLE ay para bigyan ng oportunidad ang mga gustong maging professionals abroad na kumuha ng licensure examinations, hoping na kung sila ay papasa, [tataas] ang kanilang employability and competitiveness globally, na makakatulong sa kanilang career advancement,' Atty. Sabelo said. The SPLE covered various disciplines including Architects, Certified Plant Mechanics, Certified Public Accountants, Chemical Engineers, Chemical Technicians, Civil Engineers, Electronics Engineers, Electronics Technicians, Geodetic Engineers, Master Plumbers, Mechanical Engineers, Medical Technologists, Midwives, Nurses, Pharmacists, Physical Therapists, Professional Teachers (Elementary and Secondary), Psychometricians, Radiologic Technologists, Real Estate Brokers, Registered Electrical Engineers, Registered Master Electricians, Social Workers, Veterinarians, and X-Ray Technologists. This year also marked the first time that Aeronautical Engineers were included in the Abu Dhabi leg of the exams. 'Natutuwa nga kami kasi nagkaroon ng first SPLE for aeronautical engineers na meron tayong eight examiners. 'Yung number na 'yun ay okay na for the first time,' Atty. Sabelo added. Prior to the examinations, the PRC Abu Dhabi Team conducted verification and validation of documents at the MWO to ensure that all applicants met the requirements. Bringing the services closer Atty. Sabelo also highlighted PRC's foreign mobile services, launched last year, as one of the ways to support Filipino professionals overseas. Among the services is assisting those who need to renew their licenses or register to obtain their professional identification cards, she added. 'Doon sa foreign mobile services, pwede silang mag-oath doon and at the same time, after the oath-taking, pwede silang mag-register. Ang tawag namin sa service na 'yun ay initial registration for them to get their professional identification cards. At ayun ay pwedeng gawin dito sa UAE,' she said. The SPLE 2025 was also held in other Middle Eastern countries, including Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, as well as in Singapore and Taiwan.
