SCE officials to visit Manila for key talks

Representatives of the Saudi Council of Engineers (SCE) will leave for the Philippines for a meeting with top officials from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) from Oct. 14-18.
“They will discuss and sign agreements related to Filipino engineers and architects who are also SCE members,” Mario A. Balboa, Philippine Council of Engineers and Architects (PCEA) chairman, told Arab News on Tuesday.
SCE representatives include Hamad Al Shagawi, SCE chairman, Ghazi Al Abbasi, SCE secretary-general, and Ibrahim Al-Dhobaie, SCE deputy secretary-general. Balboa will join SCE officials representing the 16,300-member PCEA.
Balboa said that the SCE representatives will sign the Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) and Qualifications Framework of Filipino Engineers and Architects with the Philippines’ Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) headed by chairperson Teresita R. Manzala.
“If and when these are signed, PCEA members in the Kingdom will be better off, imbued with confidence that they are at par with foreign counterparts at the workplace,” said Balboa who received his engineering degree from the University of the East in Manila.
He added that the meeting will also put into effect the provisions of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by the SCE and PCEA.
He said the MOU envisions a framework of cooperation for the exchange of information and expertise on the latest developments and standards for the mutual benefits in advancing engineering and architecture professions in both countries.
“There will be mutual talks and agreement on the recognition of the PRC identification card as one of the bases for SCE registration aside from the CAV TOR and diploma,” he said, adding that the SCE officials will also attend the 3rd Professional Summit on Oct. 17 and 18.
The summit is an annual gathering of Filipino professionals organized by the Philippine Association of Professional Regulatory Boards (PAPRB) in coordination with the PRC. Al-Shagawi has been invited as one of the keynote speakers.
Balboa added that the SCE officials and the Philippine officials will also discuss how to speed up the hiring process of Filipino engineers and architects in coordination with the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) headed by Hans Leo Cacdac.
They will also call on Labor Secretary Rosalinda D. Baldoz and discuss various issues involving Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) working in Saudi Arabia.