DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Standing before regional leaders, Department of Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac made a clear promise: the rights of migrant workers will not be ignored.
Fresh from taking on his new role as chairman of the Abu Dhabi Dialogue (ADD), Cacdac vowed to lead the international body in pushing for safe, ethical, and sustainable labor mobility—especially for millions of foreign workers in the Middle East.
“The Abu Dhabi Dialogue presents itself as the proper venue to take up all policies and concerns about labor mobility,” Cacdac said during the 8th Abu Dhabi Ministerial Consultation, organized by the UAE Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratization earlier this month.
For the Philippines, the mission is deeply personal.
Cacdac pointed out that 60 to 70 percent of Overseas Filipino Workers are based in Gulf countries, making the region central to the lives and livelihoods of Filipino families.
“This is the perfect time and place,” he said, stressing the growing need for shared responsibility and cooperation among nations.
Cacdac will hold the ADD chairmanship until next year, guiding discussions that affect millions of migrant workers across borders.
Established in 2008 by the United Arab Emirates, the Abu Dhabi Dialogue is a voluntary, non-binding platform that brings together countries of labor destination and origin. These include Gulf states such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, Malaysia, and the UAE, alongside labor-sending nations like the Philippines, India, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Pakistan, and Vietnam, among others.
International organizations like the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the International Labor Organization (ILO) regularly observe the dialogue, helping shape global labor standards.
The ADD was created to respond to a reality the region knows well: Gulf countries host one of the highest proportions of foreign workers in the world. In some nations, migrant workers make up as much as 90 percent of the workforce.
Asian workers, in particular, have played a vital role in building the Gulf’s economies—contributing decades of skill, knowledge, and hard work that fueled rapid development.
Through ongoing dialogue, shared programs, and cooperation, the ADD aims to help member countries learn from one another and adopt best practices that protect workers while sustaining economic growth.
For Cacdac, the goal is simple—but urgent.
To make sure that behind every contract, every policy, and every border crossed, migrant workers are treated with dignity, fairness, and respect.
