Amid the hot issue of the Philippines’ labour ban on Kuwait, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte had a meeting with Kuwaiti Ambassador to the Philippines Saleh Ahmad Althwaikh in Malacañang last Feb. 7.
In the meeting, the Kuwaiti Ambassador had personally invited President Duterte to visit the Gulf State to which the President willingly obliged.
Presidential Visit to Kuwait is “Already In the Offing”
This development was also confirmed by Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque the day after the diplomatic meeting was held and disclosed that the Presidential visit to Kuwait is already “in the offing”.
Kuwait’s invitation was a move to assure the Philippine president that the Filipinos working in the Gulf State are safe and protected, added Roque.
The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) imposed a complete labor ban on Kuwait under the directive of the President last January on the account of reported cases of abuse of at least seven Filipinas working in the Gulf State.
There is an estimated 250,000 OFWs based in Kuwait, a large part of which, work as domestic helpers. The number is quite similar in neighbouring countries such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
OFW remittances amount to approximately $2 billion per month. It is for this reason that the demand for domestic workers has helped keep the Philippine economy afloat for several decades already.
Video of the Presidential Meeting with Kuwaiti Ambassador to the Philippines last Feb. 7, 2018