Jan 10, 2021 | News
Empowering women through education and raising awareness of the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) global standards aimed at ending violence and harassment in the world of work and landmark Qatar labour reforms is at the heart of the mission and vision of the BMKQ Women.
BMKQ, which stands for Bayanihan ng mga Manggagawa sa Konstruksyon ng Qatar (BMKQ), is a non-profit, welfare-oriented organisation of Filipino workers in the construction sector with more than 600 members. BMKQ Women is a special programme of BMKQ established in 2019 and driven by the desire of the female active members of the group to bring women empowerment at the fore of BMKQ’s overall vision.
At the helm of this campaign are 60 female community leaders headed by Myla Laja, BMKQ Women Coordinator.
“Our priority is to build a strong campaign on raising awareness and support to ILO Convention 190- Harassment and Violence in the World of Work. We aspire to educate and develop more women leaders through trainings as well as strengthen support to the community and workers welfare through coordination with the Philippine government and Qatar’s Ministry of Labour in understanding the implementation of the new labour reforms,” Myla told Qatar Tribune in an interview.
Talking about the motivation to establish BMKQ Women, the staunch advocate of women’s rights said, “I was inspired to form BMKQ Women following my participation to the Global Women Meeting held in Skopje, Macedonia in 2019 to represent BMKQ. The event was attended by 40 women leaders from 20 countries in Asia, Africa, Middle East, Latin America and Europe. The inspiring words of the Chair of BWI (Building and Wood Workers’ International) Women Committee on finding solutions instead of mere complaining and putting blame on the challenges and difficulties faced by women has struck me that I was motivated to go further and learn more about women’s rights.”
Myla added: “Our first membership orientation seminar was conducted in November 2019 with only 14 women from construction sector and different allied sectors. Continuous trainings and activities help us to further understand and improve our knowledge on the issue. As of now, we have 60 members from various industries including construction, manufacturing, hospitality and services sectors including medical workers, salon staff, hotel employees, cleaning staff and domestic workers.”
Since its inception, BMKQ Women has engaged its members in various activities including the group’s first International Women’s Day gathering in March and the celebration of International Migrants Day and BMKQ Women’s Graduation held recently.
Last year, BMKQ Women conducted a series of trainings and seminars mainly on Basic Gender Sensitivity, Gender-Based Violence and Basic Leadership Skills Training for Women.
“The highlights of our trainings on gender sensitivity focuses on the gender and different perception of individuals based on their physiological and biological functions as dictated and raised by the society. The seminar raises awareness and understanding of different genders and uplifts women’s roles and importance in our society. All the participants shared their insights and voiced out their remarkable experiences and learning. During our gender-based violence sessions, we tackled the root cause, effects and responses to have a decent and safe workplace free from violence and harassment. We also put emphasis on leadership skills by training our members on two major characteristic of good leadership: behaviour and skills,” said Myla.
BMKQ Women partners internationally with the global union federation BWI and locally collaborates with Community Leaders Forum of ADSLA and Bayanihan ng mga Domestic Workers.
Aside from Myla, the BMKQ Women office-bearers include: Engr. Meliza Ortiguerra (Vice President), Rhoselyn Dolloso (Secretary), Ana Hezel Aglipay (Treasurer), Suzette Oli (Auditor), Marissa Llaneta and Jenny S. Mendez (PROs), Rosario Dano and Lorena Salvador (Business Managers), Nora Concepcion, Roxan Carrascal and Adelyn Lucanas (Sergeant-at-arms), and Ludelyn Pelonio and Engr. Belinda dela Cruz (Membership Committee).
This article was published on Qatar Tribune, written by Ailyn Agonia
Dec 18, 2020 | News
Twenty-five female community leaders completed the three-day workshop on women empowerment led by the female members of the Filipino organisation Bayanihan ng Manggagawa sa Konstruksyon Qatar (BMKQ) recently.
The event was held in cooperation with Bayanihan Qatar, a federation of more than 30 community groups mainly from the grassroots sector, and the Building and Wood Workers’ International (BWI), a global organisation with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland and members in more than 100 countries.
The workshop was organised by the BMKQ Women in line with BMKQ’s aim of empowering women leaders in the construction and allied sectors.
Due to the pandemic, the workshop was conducted in the new normal setting wherein trainers and guest speakers had to use teleconferencing technology while the participants are gathered in the training venue in accordance with health protocol. The training participants come from diverse sectors, including construction and hospitality, medical services and domestic service.
The first day of the training was devoted to discussion on gender sensitivity while the second day focused on the topic of gender-based violence, particularly on ILO Convention 190 Violence and Harassment in the workplace.
The last day of the workshop focused on honing the leadership skills of the participants.
Resulting from the discussions during the training activities, the participants agreed on action plans directed towards an increased number of women participating and leading in the organisation and advocacy for violence- and harassment-free workplaces.
The awarding of certificates was led by Philippine Labour Attaché to Qatar David Des Dicang. In his message on the occasion, Dicang stressed the significance of the continuing education and training programme of BMKQ and BWI for migrant workers.
The ceremony also featured the oath taking by the newly-elected officers of BMKQ and Bayanihan Qatar for the year 2020 to 2021. It also served as the group’s celebration of Qatar National Day and the International Migrants Day.
This article was also published on Qatar Tribune, written by Ailyn Agonia
Oct 9, 2020 | News
The BMKQ (Bayanihan ng Manggagawa sa Konstruksyon ng Qatar) Women in Construction and Allied Sectors in Qatar, a member of Bayanihan Qatar – the federation of Filipino grassroots organisations, recently organised their first Basic Gender Sensitivity Seminar.
Held at Holiday Inn Doha – The Business Park on Friday, the seminar was organised in collaboration with Building Woodworkers International (BWI as part of the campaign in support of International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention C190 Harassment and Violence in the World of Work.
The event is part of the series of trainings for women leaders and members of the group. Friday’s seminar was the first training module on Basic Gender Sensitivity Seminar (BGSS), which was led by BMKQ Women Coordinator Mags Laja and supported by BMKQ President Engr. Ressie S. Fos, Lorna Ferrer, who was the resource speaker, and Prerna Prasad, South Asia Programme Officer at BWI – South Asian Project.
The seminar contributes awareness and in-depth understanding to different genders specially in the workplace and uplifts the important role women play in society.
During the event, the participants actively shared their experiences, insights and learnings on the subject.
This article was also published on The Peninsula.
Sep 20, 2020 | News
Kaagapay ng Manggawang Pilipino (KMP), in cooperation with International Domestic Worker Federation (IDWF) and Bayanihan ng Manggagawa sa Konstruksyon ng Qatar (BMKQ), recently conducted its first-ever Occupational Health and Safety Awareness Training for Domestic Workers at Inspire Academy.
KMP President Bernardo Dijamco Jr with the help of the other office-bearers and executive committees of KMP helped put together the event with 30 participants, mostly Filipino domestic workers.
OSH Awareness Module 1 to 5 (House Work Safety, Manual Handling, Work at Height, Chemical Handling, and Electrical Safety) was shared with participants by trainer Eliseo Bermudo, a health, safety and environment (HSE) supervisor.
BMKQ President Ressie Fos delivered a motivational message which kick-started the afternoon session which covered Modules 7 to 12 (Kitchen Safety, Food Safety, Fire Safety, Emergency Procedures, Waste Management, Security).
A certificate of participation was issued at the end of the programme. The date and location of the planned follow up OSH training will be announced soon.
Sep 15, 2020 | News
In a joint statement, leaders of expatriate communities in Qatar expressed support for the labour reforms being undertaken by Qatar’s government.
“A good number of my fellow Bangladeshis will greatly benefit from this law. (The new minimum wage) shall enable for a considerable amount for our people to send back home to their families,” Amin Rasul, Secretary-General, Bangladeshi Community Qatar, said.
“In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, these new laws are certainly a big relief for the Indian expatriate community,” said P N Baburajan, President, Indian Community Benevolent Forum (ICBF).
In the statement, the community leaders committed themselves to “sustained collaboration with the Government of Qatar and other stakeholders toward the achievement of the goals of the ongoing labour reforms…” and “work diligently so that the labour reforms are translated into tangible benefits for migrant workers…”.
Filipino community leader Ressie Fos said: “I have been working in Qatar for some years now and have witnessed the ongoing transformation in the way that migrants are treated. Of course, there are labour disputes, just like in other countries. But, I feel empowered because our organisation gets to work with the Ministry of Labour in addressing labour issues.”
Fos added: “We do not feel alienated from them because we do have open and frank discussions with the high officials of the ministry.”
Community Leaders Forum
The statement was signed during the Community Leaders Forum held on 11 September. A detailed briefing and consultation on the new laws was provided by Ministry of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs officials.
Fifty-eight community leaders and workers’ representatives of several business establishments took part in the meeting both
“One key role we have is keeping our fellow workers informed about the working and living conditions here in Qatar and the relevant laws. I believe participation of migrant communities is a key factor in the success of the labour reforms,” John Ngurugwe, organising secretary, Kenyan Community in Qatar, said.
May 3, 2020 | News
As the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic puts life at a standstill, people have come up with creative ideas to make the most of their free time, keep in touch with their loved-ones and colleagues or commemorate events.
Many have turned to online platforms to socialise, stay informed and entertain themselves.
On the same note, an online singing contest was recently organised to engage the Filipino community in Qatar and other music enthusiasts on the occasion of the World Day for Safety and Health at Work and the International Labour Day.
Billed Karaoke Challenge Online Edition, the activity gathered 20 talented amateur singers in the community who showed off their talents and provided entertainment to residents trying to get out of boredom while practicing physical distancing and adhering to calls from the government to stay at home.
The contest was held from April 28 to May 1 and organised by BWI (Building and Wood Worker’s International), Bayanihan ng mga Manggagawa sa Konstruksyon ng Qatar (BMKQ) and Bayanihan Qatar in collaboration with the Ministry of Administrative Development, Labour & Social Affairs, IDWF (International Domestic Workers Federation) and the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Doha (POLO- DOHA).
Out of the 20 finalists who went through several rounds, five made it to the championship round held on May 1 as many countries observe International Labor Day. The finalists were Darrel Delos Reyes from Malolos, Bulacan, Josemarie Desabille from Navotas City, Kristoffer Quiambao from Bataan, Sheryll Aida Garcia from Dipolog City and Frances M. De Guzman from Navotas City.
Frances bagged the championship title. His heartfelt rendition of the song “Ngayong Nandito Ka” earned the nod of the judges. He also received overwhelming support from his friends and colleagues online.
“The contest was a memorable experience for me. It was the first time for me to join such an event and it was an honour to compete with 19 equally-
talented contestants. Amidst this pandemic this unique concept of a singing competition is truly appreciated. I thank the organisers of the activity and those who have supported me during this journey. I hope that my performance was appreciated by the viewers and somehow entertained them. God bless us all and stay safe,” Frances said in his victory statement.
Bayanihan Qatar office-bearers headed by its president Jerry Ronquillo put together the competition which was well-received in the community and supported by various Filipino groups. While the panel of judges was headed by Chester Mendoza and Jazeel Maliza.
Commenting about the project that was deemed a success, BMKQ President Ressie Fos said, “In the previous year, some events were organised for Filipino expats to mark the World Day for Safety and Health at Work and International Labor Day led by MADLSA, BWI and other global institutions like the ILO. Given the current situation, we made all the activities virtual. We had two programmes of which the first one was the Karaoke Challenge Online Edition which featured an informative online discussion of COVID-19 related information and a singing competition to showcase one of the favourite habits and known talents of Filipinos which is singing. This is aimed at giving entertainment to help people ward off stress in view of the impact of the pandemic to mental health.”
He added that they are keen to hold another round of the activity and the possibility of replicating the contest for South Asian and African communities.
On the occasion, Fos said they also hosted a Community Leaders Forum on Workers Welfare which was spearheaded by MADLSA and BWI. About 55 community leaders from South Asian and African communities gathered virtually to take part in the forum.”
The forum featured prominent speakers namely MADLSA Deputy Undersecretary Mohammed Hassan Al Obaidly, BWI General Secretary Ambet Yuson and Houtan Homayounpour, Head of ILO Qatar Project Office.
Fos said the forum has earned positive reactions from the community leaders and thankful for the Qatar government and stakeholders like BWI, ILO and other global unions who collaborate for workers’ welfare and reforms.
You can watch the videos here:
Elimination Round: Watch!
Semi-Final Round: Watch!
Final Round: Watch!
This article was also published on Qatar Tribune, written by Ailyn Agonia
