Doha - Two major welfare projects- one to establish a fund for Filipino nationals in distress in Qatar and another to provide housing for the poor in the Philippines- have been launched by the Filipino Community Organizations' Alliance (Filcoa) in Doha.
Filcoa is an alliance of some 34 organizations of the expatriate Filipino community in Qatar. Noel Tanafranca, Chairman of the Foundation of Filipino Workers Worldwide (FFWW) and coordinator of the Filcoa, told The Peninsula that the two projects were among the many that the alliance plans to undertake for welfare of the community in Qatar as well as those back home in the Philippines.
As part of its activities, FILCOA, in collaboration with organisations of the expatriate Filipino community will establish a fund to provide assistance to Filipino nationals who are in distress in Qatar. Various organizations will contribute towards this fund, through drives. In addition, Filcoa will also participate in the Gawad Kalinga GK-777- a Philippine government project that aims at providing 70,000 houses in seven years to some of the poorest families in the republic. In Qatar, the Filcoa will organise a charity dinner at the Philippines International School Qatar on November 25 to raise funds for this cause, he added.
The alliance held its 7th Congress in Doha recently. Noel said, Filcoa would have participation of 85 per cent of the organisations of the expatriate Filipino community if four more groups were to join the alliance. The last meeting was attended by observers from the Philippine embassy in Doha and participants also discussed a logo for the alliance.
© The Peninsula 2005
