Philippines Labor Minister: We Celebrate Filipino Migrants Day in Qatar in Recognition of its Efforts in Expatriate Workers Welfare'

Doha, June 17 (QNA) - HE Secretary of the Department of Labor and Employment of Philippines Silvestre Bello III, expressed his country's keenness to choose the State of Qatar for celebrating the Philippine National Day and Filipino Migrants Day in recognition of the efforts of the State of Qatar in protecting the rights of Filipino migrant workers in general and workers in Qatar in particular. On the sidelines of the Philippine community's celebration of these two occasions, HE praised the continuous efforts exerted by the Qatari government and the programs and reforms that benefit employees, especially the Filipino, stressing that the laws and regulations adopted by the State of Qatar in the field of protecting foreign workers and their rights in its territory are a model and could be a basis for the conventions in the region. HE the Minister praised the programs and reforms related to the protection and rights, stressing that the Qatari Labor Law protects employment in general, and must be adopted in the whole region through the International Labor Organization. He highly valued the close cooperation between the Ministry of Administrative Development, Labor and Social Affairs and the Philippine Embassy and the continuous, daily and direct communication between both parties to overcome the obstacles that may face the Philippine community, provide effective and timely solutions and take protectionist measures for workers in general and the Philippines in particular. At the end of his statement, HE Secretary of the Department of Labor and Employment Silvestre Bello III thanked the State of Qatar for its continued efforts to support and protect the Filipino community. The Filipino community in Doha today held a celebration at Al Rayyan Sports Club on the occasion of the 120th anniversary of the independence of the Republic of the Philippines and Filipino Migrants Day which included a variety of activities between folk songs, heritage music and entertainment competitions in the presence of HE Minister of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs Dr. Issa Saad Al Jafali Al Nuaimi and HE Secretary of the Department of Labor and Employment Silvestre Bello III and members of the Philippine community in Doha. The two ministers also exchanged gifts and memorial shields. (QNA)