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
Nov 22, 2019 | News
BWI coordinated a gender-based violence workshop for the BMKQ Women’s Group with speakers from MADLSA, ILO and the IDWF. One of the main issues of the workshop was on the new ILO Convention 190 Violence and Harassment. A big shout out to Myla Laja – BMKQ Women Coordinatior for working with BWI in putting together the program.
Oct 27, 2019 | News
The Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA) Doha LLC(G) conducted a seminar about the recently launched Qatar Visa Center (QVC) and Qatar Law No. 14 of 2004 as amended or otherwise known as Qatar Labor Law. The event was held at Crowne Plaza Hotel.
Eng Ressie Fos, Chairman and Paralegal of BMKQ and BWI, respectively, spearheaded the three-part seminar. In the first two parts, he discussed the topics related to Qatar Labor Law and Qatar Law No. 21 of 2015, particularly about the entry, exit and residency of expatriates. The last part covered the discussion on the salient features of QVC in Manila, Philippines, which was launched on September 25, 2019.
In particular, Fos lectured on what is the meaning and purpose of QVC, the advantages and the step-by-step processes and procedures in compliance with the QVC. Moreover, he also discussed the New Immigration Law that was implemented last December 14, 2016, which has a huge impact on the operation of the sponsorship system for the expatriate workers in Qatar.
The dos and don’ts in the processing of the entry, exit and residency of the expatriates and the procedures to follow in changing jobs were also tackled.
“Having no or not enough knowledge in the law will never be an excuse! But sometimes, when people are in trouble, ignorance will always be the number one excuse. Thus, to provide the best interest of the Filipinos and other expatriates in Qatar, PICPA Doha LLC(G) initiated a first step on how to be a way of imparting knowledge to those who are in need or to those who want to learn more,” according to a statement of the organisers.
The opening and closing remarks of the highly-informative seminar were delivered by PICPA Doha LLC(G) President Elmer H. Espiritu and Christian Dave M. Barrameda.
For more information about all the upcoming events of PICPA Doha LLC(G), please visit www.picpadoha.org or you may send an e-mail to info@picpadoha.org for any inquiries.
