For the first time in the country, Filipino household service workers (HSW) and their local Arab employers were recognised by a rights advocate group.
Leading Philippine migrant workers rights group ‘Advocates & Keepers Organisation of Overseas Filipino Workers Inc (AKO-OFW Inc) recently held its Gawad Ulirang Mangagawa Awards (Exemplary Workers Awards) to Filipino HSWs who have served one local employer for at least 10 years.
In a ceremony held on January 26 in Doha, similar awards were also given to local employers who treated Filipino HSWs as family for a minimum of 10 years.
In a press statement, AKO-OFW noted that special recognition was given to Philippine Recruitment Agencies (PRA) and Foreign Recruitment Agencies (FRA) who had no unresolved cases with the Philippine Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) for the past two years.
The event was hosted by AKO-OFW Qatar chapter president Mary Jill Lluz and graced by Philippine ambassador Lillibeth Pono and Philippine MWO Qatar head of Assistance to Nationals, Cherry Rhose Curreg who served as guest of honours. Pono lauded the event for its uniqueness and relevance to the inspiring stories of the deserving awardees.
Confirmation of the awardees was made by visiting AKO-OFW national president Marcia Sadicon who also officiated the selection process. She was joined by AKO-OFW national vice chairman for Overseas Affairs, Joseph Timothy Rivera, a Qatar resident.
Awardees include Jovita Ariola, Condino who served her employer for 18 years; Norie T Ablas who served her employer's family for more than 32 years and spouses Romeo Balgoa and Amelia Monegro who jointly served one family for 37 years. Their respective employers, Ahmad Ismael Chiekha, Ali Saleh Khamis Alsulaiti, and Abdeslam Aboumalik, also received awards.
AKO-OFW, established in 2015 noted that it is currently present in more than 37 countries with an active membership of more than 220,000 OFWs.
Filipino HSWs in Qatar awarded.
