APFEH

BUILDERS

Association of Filipino Builders in Hong Kong

Constitution & By Laws

Art I Name, Office and Objectives Art VII Meetings of the Association

Art II Membership and Dues Art VIII Funds

Art III Officers and Term of Office Art IX Expulsion and Impeachment

Art IV Duties of Officers Art X Election

Art V Duties of the Committees Art XI Contracts, Liabilities and In..

Art VI Rights and Duties of Members Art XII Saving Clause etc..

Art XIII Ratification

Article I

Name, Office and Objectives

Section 1: The name of the Association shall be the Association of Filipino Builders in Hong Kong. The address of the Society shall be Flat E, 11/F, Tung Po Court, No. 202 Reclamation Street, Yaumatei, Kowloon.

Section 2: The Objectives of the association are as follows:

a. To promote unity and camaraderie among resident Filipino construction professionals in Hong Kong;

b. To develop and strengthen knowledge and leadership skills of the members;

c. To stimulate and enhance the members’ talents and capabilities for the benefit of both local and international construction industry;

d. To upgrade professional status of members;

e. To pursue employment opportunity and assistance for the members of the association.

Section 3: The association shall be non-partisan, non-sectarian, and non-profit whose members shall have the sole right to govern and control all its activities through its duly elected officers.

Article II

Membership and Dues

Section 1. A Member must be a Filipino Citizen and temporary or permanent resident of Hong Kong working in the field of construction; of good moral character and committed to the Constitution and By Laws of the association.

Section 2: Dues- The annual dues shall be HK$ 500. Membership dues may be changed, by giving notice to the members, as may be decided by the Officers.

Article III

Officers and Term of Office

Section 1: The general members shall elect the following officers of the association:

1. President

2. Vice President

3. Secretary

4. Treasurer

5. Internal Auditor

6. Sgt. at Arms

7. Press Relation Officers/ Deputy PRO (to be appointed by the ExCom)

Section 2: Qualifications of Officers - Only regular active members of good standing who have been a member for at least one year are eligible to become officers.

Section 3: Officers shall have one (1) year-term of office commencing the general election, which shall be held every February of the year. No officer can hold the same office consecutively for more than two years.

Article IV

Duties of Officers

Section 1: THE PRESIDENT

The symbolic and representative head of the Association. He is the organisation’s trustee for the faithful carrying out of its functions in all its details. The President shall;

Administer the whole organisation in a proper and orderly manner.
Occupy the chair during meetings of the Association and conduct the business.
Allocate the work to the different committees and receive their reports on their work.
Instruct and supervise other officers in the performance of their duties.
Set a high level of spirituality and zeal to all his fellow members.
Begin meetings punctually at the designated hour, and bring the meeting to a conclusion at the prescribe time.
Cultivate the spirit of brotherhood in the organisation and shall himself safeguard it by exhibiting the deepest affection for each and every one of his members, and in general by setting the example of great humility.
Develop among his members a lively sense of interest in all works of the Association by encouraging them to express their views and volunteer to help when need arises.
Satisfy the obligation of membership by doing the ordinary work of the Association when required.

Section 2: The Vice President

The second symbolic and representative head of the Association. The Vice President shall;

Preside at Association meetings and shall fill the place of the President in the event of the President’s absence.
Assist the President in the management of the Association and the carrying out of its business. He shall supervise the innumerable things, which are within the work scope but outside the attention of the President.
Be in-charged of looking after the membership. He shall welcome new comers, introduce them to other members and acquaint them with the organisation. He shall see to it that that outstanding achievements of members, whether outside or inside the Association are recognised and special occasions or unusual events in the life of the members are properly acknowledged.
Supervise the attendance roll during meetings. He shall note and advise back-sliding members and keep them from falling away from membership
Ensure that sick members are visited by him or by other members or that a message is sent to him wishing for his quick recovery.

Section 3: The Secretary

The record keeper and historian of the Association. The Secretary shall;

Be responsible for consolidating and preparing the agenda for general meetings and the timely announcement thereof.
Prepare the minutes of meeting of the Association and shall ensure the punctual distribution thereof.
Ensure that all correspondence and documents written for and on behalf of the Association are professionally written, free from grammatical errors or spelling mistakes and printed in good quality stationery.
See to it that the stationery supplies of the Association are kept at proper level.
Keep and maintain records of important events for the purpose of recalling past activities of the Association.

Section 4: The Treasurer

The funds controller of the Association. The Treasurer shall;

Be responsible for making and receiving all payments by and to the Association, and for the keeping of full and properly written accounts thereof. He shall make payments only on the direction of the (Executive Committee/President) and shall lodge funds in hand to the credit of the Association in such manner as the latter may direct.

b. Be responsible for the safe keeping of the Association’s book of accounts, bank books, check books and other similar documents.

c. Be responsible for all bank transactions of the Association.

Section 5: The Internal Auditor

The financial examiner of the Association. The Internal Auditor shall;

Conduct an audit to the Treasurer’s book before every general meeting and present his findings at the meeting.
Verify vouchers and disbursement for correctness
Keep all audit reports for presentation to the external auditor when required.

Section 6: The Sgt. at Arms

The peace keeper of the Association. The Sgt. at Arms shall;

Be responsible for the peace and order within the Association especially during general meetings.
Conduct an investigation and prepare a narrative report of unusual incidents involving verbal or physical abuse arising form heated arguments between members of the Association and ensure the timely submission thereof to the Executive Committee.
Be the representative of the Association in all the police matters.

Article V

Duties of the Committees

Section 1: The Executive Committee (New)

This committee shall be composed of the President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, Internal Auditor and the Sgt. At Arms. The ExCom shall;

a. Be responsible for making decisions which are beyond the scope of responsibilities of the President.

b. Approve and direct the usage of funds of the Association.

c. Create rules and regulations to be followed by the members of the Association. They shall have the power to review and amend rules and regulations for the benefit of the Association.

Section 2: The Advisory Committee (New)

This committee shall be composed of the senior members of the Association. They are expected to be knowledgeable in the various ways of running the Association properly and professionally. The AdCom shall;

a. Give advice to the Executive Committee and to the other committees.

b. Provide light to the different angles of a problem or any undertaking so that a proper solution could be adopted or implemented but not influence the decision making power of the Executive Committee or any other Committee.

c. Provide comments and recommend alternatives whenever necessary on programmes, procedures, or any other matter brought to their attention by a member or a committee.

Section 3: The Legal and Documentation Committee (suggest that this committee be a

part of the Executive Committee). The LDCom shall;

a. Prepare the organisational structure and by-laws of the association to be submitted to the different government agencies for registration and permits.

b. Be the representatives of the association in any legal matters.

c. See to it that the existence and operation of the association is in accordance with the law.

Section 4: The Administrative Committee (ADM). The AdminCom shall;

a. Be in charge in screening and evaluating the application of new members; they shall keep and maintain record of personal data of members in accordance with existing privacy laws.

b. Be in-charge in the administrative work of the association which shall include but shall not be limited to making arrangements for the venues of meetings, food and refreshment, transportation, decoration, advertisement and other similar matters.

Section 5: The Public Relations Committee (PR). The PR Com shall;

a. Organise proper presentation of the Association with other organisations or institutions for the purpose of introducing the Association.

b. Promote the public image of the Association and clarify negative publicity against the Association.

Section 6: The Higher Education and Seminar Committee (HES). The HES Com shall;

a. Co-ordinate and prepare the necessary arrangement for the affiliation of the Association with different professional institutions.

b. Be in-charge in searching for speakers in seminars that will be conducted by the Association.

c. Determine the training and educational needs of the members and arrange programmes to meet these needs.

Section 7: The Moral, Spiritual and Ethics Committee (SME). The SME Com shall;

a. Prepare and lead a prayer at the beginning of every meeting.

b. Give moral and spiritual advice to the members.

c. Set ethical guidelines for members and shall see to it that all members are aware of the professional code of ethics of their profession.

Section 8: The Finance Committee (FIN). The Fin Com shall;

a. Be responsible for sourcing and generating funds for the Association. They shall calculate and set the proper level of fees to be charged by the Association for its various services.

b. Prepare the annual consolidated budget of the Association.

c. Monitor all the financial transaction of the Association.

Section 9: The Sports and Recreational Activity (SR). The SR Com shall;

a. Ensure that physical fitness is a part of the overall programme of the Association.

b. Prepare the programme of sports activities recreational activities of the Association and ensure maximum participation of members.

Article VI

Rights and Duties of Members

Section 1: Rights

a. Enjoy all the privileges as member of the association.

b. Participate in all activities of the association.

c. Receive benefits from any programs of the association.

d. Suggest proposal to the Officers or Committee Heads.

e. Eligible to be member of any committee

f. Eligible to be an Officer if qualified under Article III, Section 2 of this By Laws

Section 2: Duties to the Association

a. Abide by the By-laws of the association and other rules and regulation set by the association.

b. Pay his dues to the association within reasonable time limits.

c. Attend meetings and other functions of the association whenever practical or possible.

d. Support and co-operate in all undertakings of the association.

e. Follow the code of ethics set by the association.

f. Always keep in mind the objectives of the association and act in accordance with these objectives.

g. Shall not make false representation of facts to the association for any purpose.

h. Shall not keep to himself any information or fact which are overlooked by the association but are vital to its proper operation.

i. Shall treat all information maintained by the association as private and confidential.

j. Shall not reveal any information obtained from the association without prior permission from the Executive Committee.

k. Shall not use information kept by the association for his own personal purpose without prior written permission from the association.

l. Shall not get involve in any act of conspiracy within the organization.

m. Shall strive to know as many members of the association as possible.

n. Shall not only show but also give affection to fellow members.

o. Shall assist in keeping other members from falling away from membership.

p. Shall encourage new members to participate in the work of the association in a kind and friendly manner.

q. Shall strive to grow professionally.

r. Shall act professionally and set good examples to other professionals in his place of work.

Article VII

Meetings of the Association

Section 1: General Membership Meetings

The general membership meeting of the Association shall be held for the purpose of electing officers every __________________ of each year. Place and time to be announced through notice sent by the Secretary

Section 2: Special Meetings

Special Meetings, may be called by any of the following: (a) The Executive Committee, (b) the President or (c) members representing a majority at written

request to the Executive Committee or the President to deal with situations considered extremely important that to delay the actions may result in adverse

impact to the association. Place and date of meeting will be announced through notice sent by the Secretary. All officers are obligated to attend.

Section 3: Regular Meetings

Regular meetings will be held every _______________ of _____________ for the purpose

of ____________________

Section 4: Proxy

A member or an officer, who may not be able to attend in person on the meeting and function, may allow in writing to be represented by any active regular member. The proxy has to register his/her representation of the absent member with the Secretary before the start of the meeting or function. A proxy may vote on issues under consideration in behalf of the absent member.

Section 5: Quorum

A meeting shall officially start with a quorum defined at least 50% + 1 of the active officers or members at the time of the meeting or function. Proxy authorisation shall be included to establish a quorum.

Section 6: Conduct of Meeting

Meetings shall be presided over by the President, or in his absence, the Vice President, or if none of the foregoing is present, a temporary chairman to be chosen by the members present. The Secretary shall take the minutes of the meeting, or if the Secretary is not present, the presiding chairman shall assign an acting secretary to take the minutes.

Article VIII

Funds

Section 1: The funds of the association shall consists of all monies received from legitimate sources, membership dues, fund raising activities, donations, and the like.

Section 2: The funds shall either be General Fund or Special Fund. All funds collected are considered general fund except when they are collected for specific purpose.

Section 3: Funds shall be collected and deposited by the Treasurer to the approved Bank account.

Section 4: Disbursement of the fund over HK$1,000 shall be approved by the ExCom. The President and the Treasurer shall be co-signers of the cheques. The Vice President shall co-sign in the absence of the President and the Auditor shall co-sign in the absence of the Treasurer.

Article IX

Expulsion and Impeachment

Section 1: Any member may be disciplined or expelled by two-thirds vote of the officers upon recommendation of the Committee on MSE.

Section 2: Any Officer may be impeached by two-third vote of the ExCom for incompetence and/or conduct unbecoming of an officer.

Section 3: Any member or Officer may resign by submitting a letter of resignation to the President or Secretary stating the reason thereof. The AdminCom shall confirm validity of membership status and resignation.

Article X

Election

Section 1: Election of Officer shall be by secret ballot.

Section 2: Election shall be held in the General Membership Meeting at a date, time, and place designated by the ExCom. Tentatively set every February of the Year.

Section 3: Only active regular members may vote in the election.

Section 4: Any election protest by a candidate must be in writing and submitted within 3 days after the election to the LDCom. The Committee will promptly investigate the protest and render its decision within 10 days of the protest. Upon evaluating the Committees recommendation, the ExCom shall make the final decision within 30 days.

Article XI

Contracts, Liabilities and Indemnities

Section 1: Contracts – The President , with ExCom approval, may enter into any contract or execute and deliver any instrument in the name of or in behalf of the association.

Section 2: The Officers shall not be personally liable either individually or collectively for the debts, liabilities or obligations of the association.

Section 3: Each Officer shall be indemnified by the association against expenses and losses sustained in the performance of his/her duty, except in relation to matters he/she be adjudged by the majority of the membership (50%+1) to have been derelict in the performance of that duty. The foregoing right of indemnification shall not be exclusive of other rights to which he/she may be entitled as a matter of law.

Article XII

Saving Clause and Parliamentary Authority

Section 1: Any provision(s) of this Constitution & ByLaws that becomes inoperative by virtue of a declaration by a court of law or government agency to be illegal, contrary to customs or public policy, shall not necessary affect the remaining provisions thereof.

Article XIII

Ratification

The Association of Filipino Builders in Hong Kong as herein described is henceforth formed and organized and its Constitution & By Laws are hereby ratified in the HKSAR, China on March 13, 2001. In witness hereof, the founding organizers who constitute the first Executive Committee hereby affix their signatures to declare and affirm the birth of the Association, and jointly ratify its Constitution and By Laws.

__Salvador Fegarido Robert Dy

President Vice-President

Allen Jude Manabat __Ferdinand Escalante

Secretary Treasurer

Leonardo Marcelo Briccio Chico/ Sauro Talag

Internal Auditor Sgt. At Arms

Jomarisus Daquipil ____Tarhata Lacerna

Press Relation Officer Deputy Press Relation Officer