The buzz of familiar conversation fills the air as #Pinoy takes a stroll through Al Satwa, a small Dubai community that takes up only 2 square kilometres of space but is home to 40,228 people.
“Bili ka na, ate (Buy now, sister),” a vendor calls, beaming his megawatt smile at passers-by.
The sidewalk is teeming with people from all walks of life: waiting for the bus, dining al fresco, having a watch repaired, buying vegetables, carrying bags of groceries, crossing the street…
“Nagpadala ka na ba? (Have you sent money yet?)” a woman asks her companion as they approach a remittance centre.
“Kain muna tayo (Let’s eat first),” a teen tells her friends as they head towards a popular Filipino fastfood chain.
For a minute you think you’re in a busy street in the Philippines.
Rediscovering Dubai’s top Filipino hotspot
If there’s one place in Dubai that is beloved by expatriates, particularly Filipinos, it’s Al Satwa.
The place has transformed from a small business strip in 2001 to become a high-density area where apartment buildings and shops sit right next to each other in an exciting chaos.
Why does Al Satwa feel like home to Dubai’s Filipino population?
‘It’s like the Philippines’
Geraldine Tuangco, 46, says she makes a weekly trip to the area to feel closer to home. Tuangco has lived in Dubai for almost three years and says a stroll through Al Satwa never fails to lift up her spirits.
“Satwa is where my heart goes because we have lots of Filipinos here and… most of the Filipino food is here. It’s like Philippines; it’s like Manila,” she tells #Pinoy.
Just like Manila? You bet. It even has a newly built building named just that.
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