When you say the word ‘Filipino’, it pertains to the people coming from the country of fun named Philippines.
According to Wikipedia, Filipinos are one of largest population in UAE recorded with 679,819 of which 450,000 live in Dubai. The Filipinos form 21.3% of the total population of Dubai. Filipinos in the United Arab Emirates are primarily migrant Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) employed in the architecture, construction, cargo shipping, design engineering, energy, information technology, marketing, medical, real estate, retail, telecommunications, and
tourism sectors or as domestic helpers. The Philippine Department of Labor and Employment also has two Philippine Overseas Labor Offices (POLOs) in the UAE, in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. These offices, as well as agreements between the Filipino and UAE governments, have set the monthly minimum salary for OFW’s at US$400. Because of the high number of Filipinos in the UAE, OFW’s have called more direct flights from the UAE to the Philippines. In 2007, Filipinos in the UAE sent more than US$500 million in remittances back to the Philippines.
The fact that there are so many Filipinos in this very desert, the UAE government also embraced the fact that the needs of these people are met.If you were able to roam around UAE, there are so many stores that are selling filipino products for the expatriates for them to enjoy their stay while working to sustain the needs of their family. Aside from these store, there are also franchised restaurants that will offer Filipino food and one of the many is the Jollibee.
So we need to know who is Jollibee? By courtesy of Wikipedia, Jollibee Foods Corporation (also called JFC, and popularly known as Jollibee) is a Filipino multinational chain of fast food restaurants based in Pasig, Philippines. JFC is the owner of the popular fast food brand Jollibee, dubbed as Asia’s answer to McDonald’s in the fast food business.
Who is Jollibee really? I know many people have seen this statue in UAE and for so many reasons the Filipino community are addicted to this Jollibee chain. This adorable bee is the signature statue and logo of the food chain. Over time, Jollibee has been changing their tagline logo and just few years back, they came up with the most wonderful one that they are still featuring until today which is ‘Sa Jollibee, bida ang saya!’ meaning ‘In Jollibee, happiness is the star!’
This chain is very popular amongst the Filipino people due to the theme that it embedded in the minds of many that it is a fast food for the family. But we cannot deny the fact that the chain is really serving good food. When you say chicken, hotdog and burger, most of the time, children are the ones loving it and this chain made sure you will get all of it under one roof. Jollibee hit the fame when they were able to sell their famous dishes to the public.
Most Filipinos are hardworking people and when they can afford, they would reward themselves to dine in a restaurant to also feel that they taste the fruit of their labor. These people are known to be the ones who smile through their tears. They are known to be polite, protective of their elders, hospitable and more. Being in a country that is far just to provide for their family is sacrificial but that’s how they are, that’s how much they can endure.
This famous Chicken Joy is an all time favorite of the people in the Philippines which UAE brought to life when Jollibee chains started to live the moment in this place. It was really astonishing to witness that not only Filipinos fell in love with this amazing food. Seeing people who doesn’t have the brown skin color enter the chain and order food is actually amazing.
There are several chains of Jollibee around Dubai and you will be able to visit these chains in Burjuman Centre Mall, Al Ghurair Centre and Mall of the Emirates. There are chains in Abu Dhabi as well and you will be able to locate it in Mushrif Mall and in Al Falah Street, Muroor Road. Jollibee has been telling the public that their chain beholds the star of happiness and maybe you would want to experience it. Aside from good food, for you will see a lot of Filipinos with their families, with their friends, loved ones or even people who are just kind enough to share a table because for many them sharing is a means of blessing!