Jan 27, 2022 | News
BMKQ kicks off 2022 on nurturing and developing future leaders to carryout challenging goals of the organization for this year.
21 January 2022 – DOHA. The Bayanihan ng Manggagawa sa Konstruksyon ng Qatar (BMKQ), an association of Filipino construction workers, through the support of Building and Wood Workers International (BWI), a Swiss-based global organization, organised a Leadership Training Session for its new officers and members of working committees in order to achieve significant improvements in personal engagement and leadership capability. The training was held at Inspire Management Training Center in Hilal.
The participants were able to learn from selected specialized topics of leadership fundamental principles and various group activities (Leadership SWOT Analysis) including communication and townhall meeting (Fishbowl) exercise where timely and relevant subjects were brought up for brainstorming and which will also serve as one of the strategic objectives of BMKQ leadership for this year and onwards.
The BMKQ Education and Training Committee has successfully managed and structured the training sessions and workshops to address multi-learning level of 19 participants noting they are from various backgrounds, such as construction, hospitality, medical, and domestic services.
According to BMKQ training team, namely Mr. Eliseo Bermido, Mr. Leo Dote, and Mr. Alliver Revilla, the training was designed to assist participants in developing effective strategies for dealing with internal/external leadership and performance modelling at the workplace and beyond. Moreover, the whole day activities intended to educate and equip each attendee with competence so that they can confidently express themselves in front of others, overcome their fear of public speaking and boost their confidence in whatever form of communication.
Meanwhile, the participants were able to gain a clear understanding of the most pressing OFW issues in the Philippine context, apply their creative and critical thinking skills to analyze the various aspects of these issues, and to reach conclusions through logical and rational analysis.
In addition to this leadership training session, BMKQ is expected to hold various trainings and workshops for its members and other community organizations throughout the year, targeting at least one session every month.
Dec 12, 2021 | News
BWI General Secretary Ambet Yuson lauded the newly elected BMKQ officers and wished them success in their mission.
10 Dec 2021 – DOHA. The Bayanihan ng Manggagawa sa Konstruksyon ng Qatar (BMKQ), an association of Filipino workers in the construction sector, held its 6th General Assembly on Friday, 10th December 2021 at Inspire Management Training Center in Doha. Complying with COVID-19 protocols, limited number of members attended the assembly which is held back-to-back with Bayanihan Qatar’s general assembly.
BMKQ President – Mr. Joseph Catarungan presented the highlights of the organization’s achievements in 2021, along with the gradual lifting of COVID-19 restrictions by Qatar authorities. These focused on workers education and members capability building through trainings and seminars, blood donation program, beach clean-up and tree planting programs, and sporting events for men and women in the construction and other job sectors.
Mr. Ambet Yuson, General Secretary of BWI
It can be recalled that at the height of pandemic in 2020, BMKQ has assisted more than 3,000 workers who received emergency assistance from the organization such as grocery packs.
In collaboration with Building and Woodworkers International (BWI), BMKQ organized for the first time, the BWI Basketball Cup – a basketball tourney for Filipino construction workers in the country. According to Mr. Catarungan, the BWI Cup is planned to be organized yearly, with high hopes that Qatar will successfully win over the pandemic and bring situations back to normal.
“Sports especially Basketball is highly common among Filipinos, and organizing a basketball tournament among workers would somehow promote camaraderie, entertainment amidst limited mobilities due to restrictions, and a hopeful prelude to overcoming the pandemic in the country.”, adds Catarungan.
Mr. Joseph O. Catarungan – outgoing president of BMKQ
Meanwhile, women leaders dominated the new set of officers elected by the general assembly to serve the term 2021-2022, as follow: Meliza Ortiguerra – President; Ian Baldesco – Vice-President; Evelyn Florendo – Secretary; Elenie Nicomedes – Treasurer; Alliver Revilla – Auditor; Mau Trinidad – Business Manager; and Maurin Matalubos – Public Relation Officer. Moreover, there are eleven new members who took their oath of membership.
Mr. Ambet Yuson – General Secretary of BWI, who graced the assembly, shared some of BWI’s missions in Qatar, such as the establishment of Migrant Workers Center, which will benefit not only the Filipino migrant workers but all other nationals as well, working in the country. Mr. Yuson also lauded the dominance of women in the seats and considered it to be aligned with BWI’s campaign to empower women in the construction industry. Amidst great opportunities and challenges ahead, Yuson wished the newly elected officers best success as they commit to serve the organization, and encourage them to closely partner with Qatar authorities such as the Ministry of Labor, Ministry of Interior, and the Philippine government offices in the country.
Engr. Meliza Ortiguerra – newly elected president of BMKQ who will serve the term 2021-2022
Engr. Meliza Ortiguerra – the newly elected BMKQ President thanked the general assembly who elected her to a new challenge. While she is not making a promise, Ortiguerra assured that she will do her best to achieve the organizational directives, with the support of other officers and the general membership as well.
Also highlighted in the General Assembly is the relaunching of BMKQ website – www.bmkq.me, designed by Engr. Ressie Fos – the former president, and now adviser of the organization. Fos explained that the website will also include members’ portal and other applications that will benefit members and other Filipino migrant workers in the country.
Dec 10, 2021 | News
In line with BMKQ’s membership expansion, eleven migrant workers were inducted after completing their pre-membership orientation, filling-up the membership data sheet, and paying their membership fees. The oath-taking was held before the proceeding of BMKQ’s 6th General Assembly, The pre-membership orientation, which is one of the mandatory requirements for membership was facilitated by Mr. Eliseo Bermido who also chairs the Education and Training Committee.
BMKQ President – Mr. Joseph O. Catarungan officiated the ceremony. Catarungan recalls that BMKQ had already more than 500 members since its founding, however most of them have already left the country.
BMKQ eyes to increase its membership to 700 until the end of year 2022.
Nov 21, 2021 | News
The Bayanihan ng Manggagawa sa Konstruksyon ng Qatar (BMKQ) – Women in Construction and Allied Sectors in Qatar kicked off their awareness-raising campaign to increase the number of members and create functional network of tradeswomen through sports.
The campaign began with a one-day volleyball tournament at Al Arab International Academy on Friday, November 19. The tournament brought together 78 women participants from the construction and other sectors in Qatar.
The event was part of a series of activities for women in construction to advocate for skill training and employment opportunities for women in trades.
The Sportsfest was sponsored by President Joseph Catarungan of the Bayanihan ng Manggagawa sa Konstruksyon ng Qatar (BMKQ), President Jerry Ronquillo of the Bayanihan Qatar, and Building Woodworkers International (BWI).
Throughout the entertaining event, the participants actively demonstrated their sportsmanship and enjoyment of the games.
This article was also published on Qatar Tribune
Nov 15, 2021 | News
15 Nov 2021 – Doha. In its annual celebration of Human Rights Day and International Day for Tolerance, the Human Rights Department of the Ministry of Interior recognizes and awards Arab and Non-Arab community leaders in Qatar, for their significant contribution in human rights advocacy in the country.
Among those who received award and recognition was Engr. Henry Dimaano – the Founding Chairman of H.E.R.O. Qatar, which stands for Helping, Empowering, Recognizing, OFWs (Overseas Filipino Workers) in Qatar.
The celebration was held on November 15, 2021 at the Officers Club of the General Directorate of Civil Defence. The honoring ceremony was attended by Col. Saad Salem Al-Dosari, Assistant Director of the Human Rights Department at the Ministry of Interior, Abdullah Mahdi Al-Yami, representative of the Human Rights Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Capt. Dr. Abdul Latif Hussein Al-Ali from the Human Rights Department at the Ministry of Interior, a number of officers and community representatives.
Speaking at the ceremony, Col. Saad Salem Al-Dosari affirmed the keenness of the Ministry of Interior to participate in these celebrations, as an embodiment of its contribution to the promotion and protection of human rights through its security and service work, as well as within the framework of its social responsibilities. This necessitated that the communication with communities should have an existing organizational framework in the Ministry of the Interior, namely, the Community Reach out Office at the Public Relations Department and similar lines of action in the departments concerned, which resulted in many of the Ministry’s awareness-raising and cultural activities in the community.
The Assistant Director of the Human Rights Department at the Ministry of Interior pointed out that the main objectives of communicating with the communities are to educate the communities about their rights and obligations under national laws and the legislative tools of the Ministry of Interior emphasizing their clear role in construction and development. He stressed the respect for the cultural identity of the communities and their freedom to worship and practice their religious rites in the appropriate manner established by law, the respect of the members of the communities for the national value system and the Qatari cultural heritage, and the identification of the actual and fundamental needs and problems of the members of the communities in their relationship with the Ministry’s agencies and work to overcome and solve them.
The community partnership in maintaining security is achieved on the basis that combating crime and achieving security is the responsibility of everyone, citizens and residents, and achieving these goals will contribute in an effective way to enhancing the social and cultural integration of the population, he added.
For his part, Mr. Abdullah Mahdi Al-Yami thanked the Ministry of Interior represented by the Human Rights Department for organizing this ceremony, and denoted the concerted efforts of the human rights authorities in the country and their continuous cooperation to achieve common interests. He stressed the commitment of the State Qatar to the human rights conventions, noting that the State of Qatar is one of the countries that are well known in this field at the international level.
He added that all communities in Qatar are respected and valued as partners in society and that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is entrusted with the commitment to international agreements and they are in continuous communication, coordination and meetings with the concerned authorities in the country to fulfill these obligations.
At the ceremony, Mr. Zain Mohsen Muhammad Al-Marqab, head of the Yemeni community in the State of Qatar, gave a speech on behalf of the Arab and foreign communities, in which he expressed his happiness to participate in this occasion and said: “We in the Arab region are the first people to be tolerant and to defend human rights, as a religious duty before it is a moral and humane act. Our religion, Islam and other religions guarantee each individual the right to life, the right to education, the right to health, the right to freedom, the right to dignity, and other rights.
He thanked the State of Qatar for the efforts made and the services provided to all those on the land of Qatar and the provision of all means of decent living such as educational, health and security services, as well as the laws that give people their rights and preserve their dignity.
Nov 5, 2021 | News
BMKQ and BWI collaborated for a two-day series of sessions on Social Media Advocacy Seminar and Workshop held on October 29, 2021 and November 5, 2021 at Holiday Inn Hotel in Doha.
Seven modules are discussed and workshopped, which include Fundamentals of Social Media; Fundamentals of Photography; Fundamentals of Journalism; Fundamentals of Broadcasting; Basic Broadcast Tools and Setup; Social Media and Internet Issues & Securities; and Social Media for Advocacy Action Planning.
Eighteen persons participated in the seminar-workshop, representing the expatriate communities from the Philippines, Indonesia, Nepal, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Africa.
After the training and to practice their learning, the participants are expected to launch their organizations’ social media advocacy programs and platforms and partner with government authorities in disseminating information to their respective communities in the country.
Ressie Fos, who is the managing editor of RNN and the operations consultant of Qabayan Radio 94.3 FM served as the main resource person. Fos is also the former president, and now the adviser of BMKQ. He is joined by Amin Rasul – a broadcaster and Program Coordinator at QFM95.3 Bangla Radio, and the General Secretary of Bangladesh Community Qatar (BCQ). Marco Polo Ferrer of BWI facilitated the said training sessions.
Meanwhile, in the consolidated post-training evaluation, the participants are satisfied and thankful to BWI & BMKQ for hosting and facilitating the 2-day seminar-workshop filled with highly timely and significant topics, especially nowadays that even organizations are expected to emerge in digital platforms.
BMKQ and BWI determine that a follow-up session shall be held before the end December 2021.
