The Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers Qatar Chapter added another major achievement to its long list of impressive credentials with the successful holding of the 1st International Engineers Congress (IEC) with the theme “Boosting Construction and Engineering Professionals with Breakthrough Innovations to Overcome Challenges” at Dusit Hotel West Bay in Doha on 11th of July 2022. The event commenced with an opening address by PICE Qatar 1st Vice President Elvin D. Fajutagana, followed by a welcome remark from PICE Qatar President Rolan E. Nevado. A total of 56 participants from various professional organizations attended the face-to-face event which was also streamed live via zoom to 70 online attendees. Among the Keynote Speakers who shared their valuable thoughts on the underlying theme of the Congress were Engr. Mark Anthony P. Abendan, Chairman of the Philippine Professional Organization-Qatar and PICE Qatar-IPP; Er. Abdul Sathar, VP-Professional Affairs of the Indian Business & Professional Councils, and IPP of the Institute Engineers India-Qatar; Eng. Tamer Naguib, President of the Institution of Engineers Australia-Qatar; Er. Kamil Ariff, Chairman of the Institute Engineers Sri Lanka-Qatar; and Engr. Roy L. Baquiran, PICE Qatar Founding President, and PTC Deputy Presidential Adviser for Qatar. One of the highlights of the event was the speech of Hon. Labour Attaché Adam A. Musa, the Guest of Honor and Speaker, who conveyed the role of the engineering professionals as an essential foundation for nation-building. He cited the vital role of engineering organizations like PICE Qatar in the transformation of Qatar from a desert nation to what it is today, a highly developed modern state. Technical lectures were later presented by the following Resource Speakers: 1) Engr. Jeffrey P. Cimagala (PICE Qatar) - Optimization of Reduced Beam Sections for Ductile Detailing of Seismic Joint Connections Using Finite Element Analysis; 2) Er. Sudhyasatya B.P. Banerjee (IEI Qatar) - Lean Implementation in Construction Management; 3) Engr. Gesilo P. Cimagala, Jr. (IECEP Qatar) - Unified Communications Enhancing Collaboration in Construction Industry; 4) Er. Gazi Mohammad Badruddoza (IEB Qatar) - Innovation to Overcome Construction Challenges; 5) Engr. Mario M. Solang (IIEE Qatar) - Advance Metering Infrastructure, and 6) Er. K.M. Salihudeen (IEI Qatar) - Modern Trends & Innovations in the Construction Industry. PICE Qatar 2nd Vice President Loraine C. Radan in her closing speech congratulated everyone including the Steering Committee for the successful conduct of the event and looked forward to more collaborative arrangements with other International Engineering Professional organizations here in Qatar by next year.

The spirit of ‘bayanihan’ or civic unity and cooperation among Filipinos is still alive demonstrated in helping fellow overseas working in need. Doha. Bayanihan Qatar – a federation of more than 20 Filipino community organizations in Qatar has proven once again that the spirit of ‘bayanihan’ is alive in many Filipino residents in the country, as fourteen (14) member-organisations supported and participated in the federation’s outreach program this year benefiting distressed overseas Filipino workers sheltered at Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO)’s facility. The program was held on Friday, July 8, 2022 from 1:00pm to 7:00pm. The outreach program aimed to distribute groceries, food packs, and personal hygiene items to beneficiaries, all were women. “We are doing this outreach program at least once in every quarter in bigger or smaller scales, not only at POLO’s shelter facility but also in labor camps and Filipino communities to benefit workers whose salaries are delayed, or those who have lost their jobs.” Said Mr. Jerry Ronquillo - President of Bayanihan Qatar. There were fourteen (14) organizations and entities who contributed and participated in the outreach program, including TGBI TO, GSSI, FESTA Qatar, TSDQ, FFQ, Buklod, TKSQ, GP OFW, Advocates (OFWAI), GRII, Filipino Institute (FI), BDWQ, AGWI, and NIKTIK. Engr. Jerry Ronquillo thanked all the participating organizations under the Bayanihan Qatar umbrella for their unending support and cooperation in various programs of the federation. Ronquillo also applauded the officers and committees of the federation for their untiring support and commitment. Meanwhile, according to Engr. Caesar Ternida – Founding Chairman and Adviser of Filipino Expatriate Sepak Takraw (FESTA) Qatar – a member-organisation of Bayanihan Qatar, in addition to enjoying Sepak Takraw – the Philippine’s national sport, FESTA Qatar also realized that helping those in real need is satisfying both personal and organizational causes. “As we hear of fellow Filipinos in need and facing issues related to their job, we believe that extending our helping hands for them, and seeing them smile again is truly gratifying and fulfilling a sense of responsibility. Our organization has done similar outreach programs in the past benefiting distressed overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and we will continue this endeavor and partnership with other organisations in fulfilling this commitment”, added Engr. Ternida. Engr. Ternida also expressed his gratitude on behalf of FESTA Qatar officers and members to Bayanihan Qatar federation for consistently allowing them to become partner in reaching out distressed OFWs in the country. ‘Bayanihan’ or civic unity and cooperation is among the virtues of Filipinos practiced since the ancient times, commonly demonstrated by folks helping a neighbor in relocating a hut or light shelter.

Qatar Tourism (QT), in collaboration with Qatar Airways and Ooredoo, has launched its ‘Summer in Qatar’ campaign with exciting indoor entertainment and diverse experience offerings to last all summer. Family-friendly shows are set to take place at the Lusail Multi-purpose Hall starting July 14 and feature back-to-back live performances of three well-loved stories. Family friendly Entertainment Taking place over three days (July 14-16), the 'Alice in Wonderland – Cirque Show’ combines musical theatre with modern ballet, circus and acrobatic performances, immersing the audience in the incredible adventures of Alice. Multiple shows at varied timings will be offered, as follows: · Thursday, July 14: one show at 17:00 · Friday, July 15: two shows at 15:00 and 19:00 · Saturday, July 16: two shows at 13:00 and 17:00 To follow is the award-winning show, ‘Aladdin and the Magic Lamp – Cirque Show’ (July 21-23), that will captivate the whole family. Show timings are as follows: · Thursday, July 21: one show at 17:00 · Friday, July 22: two shows at 15:00 and 19:00 · Saturday, July 23: two shows at 13:00 and 17:00 Also taking place at the Lusail Multi-purpose Hall will be ‘The Smurfs – Live on Stage’ (July 28-30), which will see eight favourite Smurf characters come to life in a tale of magical adventure. Show timings are as follows: · Thursday, July 28: one show at 17:00 · Friday, July 29: two shows at 15:00 and 19:00 · Saturday, July 30: two shows at 13:00 and 17:00 Tickets for all shows start at QAR 145 and can be purchased at Tixbox.com, Virgin Megastore and Q-Tickets.com. Experience packages and staycations For those extending their summer stays in Qatar, there will be plenty to do with the myriad of promo tours and daytrips that have launched on the VisitQatar website. Those who love the water can take up scuba diving, stand-up paddle boarding, kayaking in the lush mangroves or even fishing, with an easy ability to view the availability of activities on a calendar and find out everything that is included in the excursion. The website features many more experiences to cater to a range of interests, from nature retreats to retail escapes and private dinner experiences. VisitQatar also highlights this season’s promotional packages by hotels, where residents can explore attractive offerings, coupling stays with dining, spa and other options. All seasonal offerings can be found on the following link: https://www.visitqatar.qa/intl-en/plan-your-trip/travel-deals-offers. Visitors wishing to find out more about the events running in Qatar throughout July can visit Qatarcalendar.com or follow @qatarcalendar on Facebook and Instagram.

The Welfare and Outreach Committee of the Bayanihan ng Manggagawa sa Konstruksiyon ng Qatar (BMKQ) in collaboration with Bantay at Kasangga (BaK) ng OFW International, Inc. – Qatar Chapter organized the 3rd Blood Donation Campaign held on July 1, 2022 at the new HMC Blood Donor Center. “We are doing this campaign at least once in every quarter and we receive overwhelming support from many Filipino community organizations and volunteer-blood donors. This is our 3rd time of the campaign titled “Dugo Ko, Buhay Mo” (My Blood, Your Life)”, said Mr. Eliseo S. Bermido, President of BaK and Chair of BMKQ Education and Training Committee. In addition to BMKQ and BaK, this 3rd blood donation campaign was supported by fourteen (14) community organisations namely Grupo Pilipino-OFW, Guardians Socialite Society International, Inc., Buhay Tsuper Doha Qatar, Guardians Alakdan Brotherhood International, Inc., Tropang Qabayan sa Qatar, Goal Keep Charity Qatar, Guardians Philippines International Inc. Anti-Crime Organisation, Qatar OFW Tambayan – Qatambayers 2022, OFW Advocates International, Confederation of Ilokano Association, Inc. known as Samahang Ilocano – CIAISI 61892 – State of Qatar, Buklod ng Bayaning Filipino sa Qatar, Bayanihan ng Domestic Workers sa Qatar (BDWQ) and Tropang Positive of Doha Qatar. “On behalf of BMKQ Welfare and Outreach Committee and BDWQ, I would like to extend my sincerest appreciation and congratulations to 58 blood donors and all who intended to donate. You are all heroes as your blood may save lives sooner or later.”, said Ms. Rosario Daño – Chairperson of BMKQ Welfare and Outreach Committee. There were 113 volunteers who participated but only 58 donors were finally qualified after examination at the HMC Blood Donor Center.

Domestic workers in Qatar spend their day-off for more productive activities. An association of domestic workers in Qatar (Bayanihan ng Domestic Workers sa Qatar or BDWQ) organized a ‘Bowling for a Cause’ on June 24, 2022 at Qatar Bowling Center (QBC) to extend assistance to Filipino cancer patients in the country as major beneficiaries. BDWQ which is primarily composed of household service workers in Qatar, believes that aside from getting regular rest day, domestic workers must also spend their day-off productively by attending skills training and participating in sports and other activities aimed at helping one another and others. “I am overwhelmed to see my fellow domestic workers and other migrant workers from the Filipino and Kenyan communities gather together, not only for camaraderie but also for a cause”, said Ms. Rosario S. Daño, president of BDWQ. She added that without the support of these organizations and communities, this event would not have been materialized successfully. The event was supported and participated by many Filipino community organizations such as HERO Qatar, BMKQ, Bantay at Kasanga (BAK), Buklod and Buklod Coop, Kabayan 101, Guardians Socialite Society Incorporated (GSSI), OFW Advocates, The Guardians Brotherhood Incorporated, The Original TGBI, Grupo Pilipino OFW, Advancement of Guardians Worldwide (AGWI), Tambayan sa Doha Qatar (TSDQ), and Kenyan Household Workers. HERO Qatar bagged the championship trophy, while Buklod Coop got the 1st Place, TGBI-TO the 2nd Place, and BMKQ the 3rd Place. The event was also supported by LBC Express Qatar and EO Optical.

Charity and Volunteering advocates Mega Cervantes and his friends gathered for a “Mega Wish” - a segment run in social media platforms to give inspirations and memorable pampered days to legit beneficiaries. Mega Cervantes started the Mega Wish from himself along with with his supportive friends last June 24, 2022 by distributing a total of 1,050 bottled water in various locations such as Al Mansoura, Al Saad, Bin Omran, Bin Mahmoud, Madinat Khalifa and Souq areas from 9am-11am. The main objective is to hand out water to those people they will encounter in the streets especially the construction workers, sweepers, food online riders, public cars drivers and bystanders waiting for public transportation. This summer campaign was made possible with the generous assistance from Family Food Centre and McDonalds. “Mega Wish” can be watched-out monthly in YouTube channels of @DtProduqtionOfficial and @SimplyMegabyheart as well as in @Mega_byheart Instagram account.

By: Engr. Emmanuel German Boceta The 2nd Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO)-Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) Community Outreach for Distressed Kababayans was successfully conducted last June 24, 2022, 9:00-11:00 AM at the POLO-OWWA Shelter in Doha, State of Qatar, by the Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers, Inc. Qatar Chapter (PICE Qatar) through its Committee on PICE Qatar Affairs (COPA). PICE Qatar 2022 President Rolan Nevado successfully led the activity and remarked that the organization's 3,500+ members continuously support the delivery of community outreach initiatives like these as a part of its community social responsibility. Hon. Adam Musa, the POLO-OWWA Labor Attaché in Qatar, and his team were grateful for the kind gifts and ongoing assistance from the Philippine Professional Organization Qatar (PPOQ), notably for the PICE Qatar Community support and response to the plight of the distressed Kababayans migrant worker-households experiencing these conditions in the shelter. Since PICE Qatar's founding, the organization has organized an annual continuous program and a quarterly activity called the Community Outreach Program for Distressed Kababayans to promote civil engineers' social responsibility and community involvement, which is one of the PICE Core Values.

Awareness is key to do something out of the ordinary which the PIEP International Cluster (Qatar and KSA) advocated during the first informational campaign for environmental/urban planners held on June 24, 2022, in partnership with the University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU) – Faculty of Management and Development Studies Alumni foundation Inc. Respected planners, experts, leaders, and participants from various organizations across the world have met with the sole objective of enhancing their competencies and pursuing careers in environmental planning. It was a highly informative webinar entitled, "Build a Career in Environmental Planning: Upgrading our Competencies" conducted through the kind assistance of POLO-OWWA Labor Attaché’ Hon. Adam Musa, Hon. Antonio M. Mutuc Jr., PPOQ Chairman Engr. Mark Abendan, PPO CRSA Chairman Engr. Mories R. Galuso, the National Board of Trustees, Enp Maria Ana Pulido and EnP Levy Espinas who also delivered their inspirational messages and media partners Qabayan Radio 94.3 and KSA’ I-Radio who supported the announcement of the event. The objective of this webinar is to raise awareness of environmental planners and to inspire participants to enrol in and finish the Diploma in Land Use Planning (DLUP) offered by the UPOU as a gateway to become an environmental planner. Around 700 professionals from diverse fields registered of which more than 150 have joined via Zoom while the rest connected thru facebook live broadcast. President of PIEP KSA, Enp Eldrid Refil, officially opened the webinar and motivated the attendees to become full-pledged environmental planners. The enthusiastic masters of ceremonies in the persons of EnP Virgilio Jak Cañete and EnP Dennis Mota moderated the event with such ease and gusto which catapulted the success of the event. A moment of silence was observed in honor of the late EnP Virgo Ibarra, one of the charter members of PIEP Qatar during the opening ceremony followed by a video montage on environmental planning courtesy of the graphics design team. All of the participants were very keen on the presentations by the honored speakers. The professional and personal experiences of EnP Jeantte-Elevado Cruz – Director of Environment, Land Use & Urban Development Bureau under the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD), have shown the difficulties of being EnP. She shared her life's most challenging yet inspiring story on deciding against attending NPA and pursued her academic pursuits which eventually earned her a BS in environmental planning and passed the board exam, worked her way up from an environmental planner to director of DHSUD. She also spoke on important occurrences and laws pertaining to environmental planning practice in the Philippines, the significance of RA 10587 for 2013 environmental planning and provided information about the EnPs' practice area, to name a few. She even went over the requirements for taking the board exam and advised taking a diploma program to qualify. She outlined the job opportunities in government, pay scale, from division chief down to entry-level posts in the government. Meanwhile, Dr. Dina Magnaye, the current dean of University of the Philippines School of Urban and Regional Planning (UP SURP), presented the results of research entitled “Equal opportunity for aspiring environmental planners through open and distance learning.” The study was conducted with Ms. Jichele Urma, a research assistant from the UP Open University Faculty of Management and Development Studies, for an international conference on open and distance learning (ODL) in October 2021. She spoke on the objectives and principles of open and distance learning, its features, and the roles of higher education stakeholders. She also discussed ODL RA 10650, the enabling law (Open Distance Learning Act), the goals of the Diploma in Land Use Planning (DLUP), and the characteristics of the ODL program that are considered the anchor of opportunities for aspiring environmental planners. She emphasized that learning is for all, considering that the opportunities to learn are vast in the midst of a global learning crisis. Finally, Ms. Jichele Urma, UPOU Project staff, provided an overview of DLUP. The overall goal of the initiative is to broaden and decentralize access to planning education while also enhancing the ability of regional training institutions to support a comprehensive education program in land use planning. The curriculum, consisting of a total of 21 units or 7 courses, can be finished in one and a half to two years. Additionally, provided were information on the subjects and tuition for DLUP. More importantly, DLUP graduates are qualified to sit for the environmental planning licensing examination. The PIEP International cluster members who have graduated, are expecting to graduate, and have enrolled were introduced by Engr. Anselmo Alarilla of UPOU-AFI. Six DLUP graduates, four future graduates, and two enrollees from the PIEP International Cluster are currently in the program. Enp Mary Grace P. Hermosa-Pineda, President of PIEP-Qatar Chapter, closed the first part of the event and emphasized the need for environmental planners to be equipped in order to support the community wherever they are. After which a separate GMM for the PIEP Qatar and KSA chapters ensued. Each chapter updates its members of its plans and other chapter activities in this segment. If you are an aspiring EnP or would like to know more about the profession join us and jumpstart your environmental planning career through DLUP. If you're interested in joining or hosting the same event one of your own in collaboration with PIEP International Cluster – you may reach out via email to piepqatar@gmail.com or piepksa2018@gmail.com. Missed the event? You can still catch up by clicking the link to view the event's Facebook Live recording: https://fb.watch/e1BXv8Xutk/

In cooperation with Committee on Continuing Professional Advancement (COCPA), PICE-Qatar Chapter held its 9th webinar entitled “Quantity Surveyor’s Contribution to Successful Project Delivery” last 18 June 2022. Successful project delivery requires several factors for complex projects and even small ones, including the role and importance of Quantity Surveyors in every project which was covered by Engr. Chavez during the seminar. Part of his presentation includes numerous knowledge areas for Integration Management, Scope Management, Cost Management, Human Resource Management, Risk Management, Procurement Management, Communication Management, and Quality and Time Management. The webinar was successfully delivered by Engr. Enrico John G. Chavez, a Civil Engineer, and member of Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyor (RICS). He was introduced by Engr. Meliza M. Ortiguerra and welcomed by 1VP Elvin D. Fajutagana to the committee and the attendees. The awarding of a certificate to the resource speaker by COCPA Director, Engr. Angelo Eda, brought the program to a close with 37 attendees. With a closing remark, 2nd VP Loraine Radan praised the resource speaker for sharing his experience and thanked everyone who helped make the program a success, especially the Board of Directors and Committee Officers.

The Maharlikans Vocal Ensemble Philippines, an all-Filipino community choral group, gives its audiences a treat by rendering 2 Filipino repertoire: "Maligayang Bati" and "Isang Dugo, Isang Lahi at Musika" in time to commemorate the 124th Philippine Independence Day. According to MVEP Core Group officers, “Our group’s advocacy is to promote Filipino excellence in choral music and it is just right that we celebrate our Independence Day by doing this flash mob for our kababayans.” MVEP was founded in 2016 and has performed in various concerts and musical events in Doha. In 2020, they organized the 1st Philippine Choral Music Festival entitled “Why We Sing” participated in by various choral groups based in Doha. MVEP is also the very first recipient of Music for Peace award by Dutch Embassy and the First Prize Winner in Choral Competition for Adult Category during the 2017 Qatar National Music Competition.

As Bayanihan ng Manggagawa sa Konstruksiyon ng Qatar (BMKQ) pushes through its skills training programs among migrant workers in Qatar to upscale their competence and acquire new skillsets, the Education and Training Committee (E&TC) of BMKQ, through the support of Building and Wood Workers' International (BWI) organized and conducted a one-day seminar on Basic Accounting and Bookkeeping. The seminar, which was attended by 41 workers from various job sectors and organizations, also included an introduction to Feasibility Study preparation and a pre-membership orientation intended to those who wanted to join the organization. "We have designed this seminar to be in layman's terms and therefore comprehendible by beginners in accounting or bookkeeping tasks. The target is for the participants to learn the basics of Accounting and Bookkeeping so they may be able to use in their own organization, personal livelihood endeavors, and even add-up to their career's qualifications', said Mr. Eliseo S. Bermido - Chair of BMKQ's Education and Training Committee. The basic accounting and bookkeeping seminar outlines topics and workshops such as accounting and its importance, definition and scope of accounting and bookkeeping, accounting reports, accounting elements, recording transactions, general journal, general ledger, trial balance, cash flow management, and budgeting. Mr. Elmer Hilario Espiritu, CPA, CMA, who is also a former president of PICPA-Doha was the resource lecturer on these topics. Engr. Meliza M. Ortiguerra - BMKQ President also highlighted that this seminar is important in preparation for migrant's workers reintegration, which is of course unavoidable, as migrant workers are bound to go home for good in due time. Hence, introductory topics on writing a Feasibility Study were included in the seminar for the participants to have an overview of the importance of studying and documenting the feasibility of a business that migrant workers may engage into. Engr. Ortiguerra added that there are more skills training BMKQ is set to conduct in the coming months until the first quarter of next year and continues to encourage migrant workers to join the BMKQ. Engr. Ressie Fos, PMP, PMI-RMP - a project and risk management professional tackled on feasibility study introductory topics. Engr. Fos who also serves as BMKQ's adviser, told the participants that BMKQ is looking at the possibility of conducting a more comprehensive and focused session on writing a Feasibility Study in the coming months, most-likely after majority of BMKQ's livelihood programs have been concluded. The seminar was concluded with a pre-membership orientation session facilitated and presented by Ms. Cheryl Marielou V. Cayaban - faculty member of BMKQ E&TC and the current President of HERO-Qatar; oath-taking of new BMKQ members before Engr. Belinda E. Dela Cruz - Chair of BMKQ Membership Committee, and lastly distribution of certificates of completion to participants.