Philippines keen on backing Qatar’s construction talent needs, says POCB official

An official of the Philippine Overseas Construction Board (POCB) has said that the Philippines is eager to support Qatar in its efforts to acquire talent in the construction sector.

POCB executive director Doris U Gacho said: “The Philippines has a wealth of talent; we have the technical capabilities. Our global workforce is known for their care and technical acumen, especially in architecture and engineering services.”

“We are very much interested in finding out about the requirements of the Qatar market and hopefully with this participation, we can establish connections and take advantage of these opportunities,” noted Gacho, who led a delegation from the Philippines that participated in the recently held Big 5 Exhibition in Doha.

Gacho explained that the POCB has assembled a delegation of Philippine construction services exporters and firms specialising in architectural and engineering services to explore opportunities in Qatar’s market. A key focus is leveraging the Philippines’ extensive talent pool in the construction sector, she further pointed out.

According to Gacho, the POCB is taking significant steps to strengthen construction and engineering partnerships with Qatar, following the groundbreaking visit of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani to the Philippines in April.

“This is our first time to explore the Qatari market and our presence here aims to build on the historic visit of His Highness the Amir’s state visit. We are hoping to build on the positive relationships established between our two nations and hopefully get to participate in the Qatar construction market,” Gacho told Gulf Times.

By leveraging global Filipinos, Gacho emphasised that the POCB’s strategy centres on promoting construction and outsourcing services, particularly in architecture and engineering, by capitalising on the existing Filipino workforce in Qatar.

Gacho said: “One of the members of our delegation is the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC).

They are here not only to promote their services but also to engage with our Qatari counterparts during our meetings.

“We aim to explore ways to better align our licensing standards, ensuring that when we collaborate, our professionals and skilled workers meet the required skills and competencies expected by the Qatari market.”

Gacho also lauded the support provided by the Philippine embassy in Qatar. During the Philippine Forum titled ‘Building Beyond Borders: The Philippine Advantage’ hosted by the POCB on the sidelines of the exhibition, Philippine ambassador Lillibeth V Pono stated in a speech that “Filipinos have played and continue to play an outsized role in spurring the development and progress, not only of Qatar but of the broader GCC region.”

Pono also said: “As construction and infrastructure continue to drive the global economy, both the Philippines and Qatar are well-positioned to benefit from each other’s strengths with Filipino companies and professionals offering expertise in project management, architectural design, and engineering solutions, while Qatar provides a thriving and vibrant market with immense potential for growth and innovation.”

The POCB is an implementing arm of the Construction Industry Authority of the Philippines (CIAP), which is one of the attached agencies of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

POCB is mandated by Presidential Decree No 1167 to promote “the interest of the Philippine construction industry in overseas markets to increase and sustain the export of Philippine-made construction materials and equipment, and technical, managerial, and highly professional construction services.”