By Joey Aguilar/Staff Reporter

The four help desks set up at the National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) are now in full swing after a social welfare attaché from the Philippine embassy in Doha officially joined three others as community representatives.
Judith Y Bacwaden and representatives from Egypt, India and Nepal will assist their respective compatriots in filing human rights complaints to NHRC.
The help desks are expected to receive complaints involving as illegal termination, salary deduction, intimidation, lack of facilities, non-receipt of benefits and non-payment of end of service benefits.
“This is just the first stage of our initiative to further promote and protect human rights in Qatar,” said NHRC in a statement. “We recognise the contribution of migrant communities in Qatar and this symbolises our commitment to continued engagement with them.”
The Philippine embassy said a team of volunteers from the community will also assist Bacwaden in manning the help desk at NHRC.
Having the time, credibility and knowledge, labor attaché Leopoldo B De Jesus pointed out that these volunteers will help the community representative in attending to the concerns of their compatriots.
He lauded the NHRC initiative saying it will complement their work at the Philippine Overseas Labour Office as well as the assistance given by the Qatar Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, and labor courts.
In a press statement, Philippine ambassador Wilfredo C Santos noted that Bacwaden’s designation as “Filipino community representative will solidify the partnership between the Philippine and Qatari governments in protecting the rights and welfare of our compatriots in Qatar.”
Bacwaden has assumed her duty as social welfare attaché on May 26, 2014.
According to some expatriates who spoke to Gulf Times, the NHRC has helped a lot of expatriates filed complaints against their employers for the latter’s failure to comply with employment contracts.
NHRC wants to continuously spread human rights awareness in Qatar which hosts a large number of expatriate workers.
“Many of the workers do not even know how to write properly or they cannot express their sentiments because they cannot speak English well. So that is where we come in,” said one volunteer.
Some people may have difficulty accessing the services available to them whether due to working hours, transportation costs, language difficulties, legal fees or fear of raising a complaint.
The NHRC has earlier announced that it is mulling to set up more offices for other expatriate communities as well.