Filipino Engineers and Architects Will Not Lose Jobs in Qatar

Wazzup Pilipinas!

A Philippine delegation headed by Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Chairperson Dr. Patricia B. Licuanan with Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) Acting Chairperson Angeline T. Chua Chiaco and Philippine Ambassador to Qatar Wilfredo C. Santos met on January 31 and February 1 with high-level Qatari officials including Mohd A. Alhamadi, Minister of Education and Higher Education, members of the Supreme Education Council (SEC) and officials of the Urban Planning and Development Authority (UPDA).

The mission tackled the problems faced by Filipino engineers and architects in Qatar. Qatari Law requires all engineers and architects to be registered with the Urban Planning and Development Authority (UPDA). Because Filipinos lack the usual 12 years of basic education, their Bachelor’s degrees are considered by the Qatar Supreme Education Council (SEC) as equivalent to a Diploma. Thus, Filipino professionals were prevented from registration with the UPDA. It was feared that this would result in loss of jobs for 12,000 Filipino engineers and architects.

The results of the visit were most positive and productive. The worst fears of Filipinos losing their jobs in Qatar are unfounded. Clearly the Qatari government does not want to lose the Filipino professionals who are a most valuable resource in the country. While the government is now serious about implementing the 2005 law requiring registration, they are willing to make accommodations for the lacking years in the Philippine education cycle.

Airasia Group Leads #Green24 Climate Change Awareness Movement

Wazzup Pilipinas!

As part of AirAsia’s Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives, the airline group today simultaneously conducted a 24-hour climate awareness movement to educate and promote climate action in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Myanmar, Cambodia, China, South Korea, Hong Kong, Macau, Nepal, Sri Lanka and the Philippines.

To kick-off the #Green24 campaign, the AirAsia Group replaced their iconic red logo in their social media pages for 24 hours in January 29 into a vibrant green. The airline also released a special invitation video by Group CEO, Tony Fernandes inviting the public to be proactive in protecting the environment and the earth.

In the video, which is available for viewing on AirAsia’s YouTube Channel and also posted in https://www.facebook.com/AirAsiaPhilippines/, Tony Fernandes said, “On our side of the world, not many people know about the issues that climate change poses, and we feel that the best thing for us to do is to inform people. Many of us don’t really see the problems coming, but at AirAsia we have seen the effects of climate change such as Typhoon Haiyan that struck Tacloban in the Philippines, the floods that happened around the region and massive climatic changes over the past two to three years.”

“We always look after our own mothers, and we always put our mothers first in many things. But now, it’s time we put Mother Earth first as well. It’s time we let the world know that we need to take better care of the planet we live in,” Tony Fernandes further emphasized.

Key Findings Of Lamudi Philippines’ 2015 Research Report

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Prospective homebuyers and real estate professionals are generally optimistic about the Philippine real estate market in 2016. These are just two of the key findings of a research report recently released by global property website Lamudi Philippines (www.lamudi.com.ph).

Lamudi used data from its Q2 2014 to Q1 2015 onsite search, the results of 2015 survey involving real estate professionals and its website’s users, and its listings data to put together the research paper. Below are 11 of its key findings.


1. Metro Manila the most preferred location

In Lamudi’s survey conducted in 2015, more than half (55.05%) of the respondents cited Metro Manila as their preferred area for their property purchase, with Quezon City being the most preferred city (19.47%), followed by Makati (8.65%), and Manila (8.41%).

Cebu Province is the second most cited area by those looking for a property (6.97%), followed by the Province of Cavite (6.73%). It should be noted that these provinces are home to highly populated and popular cities for homebuyers, including Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu, and Mandaue (Cebu Province) and Bacoor, Imus, and Dasmariñas (Cavite).