DFA: President Duterte to visit Middle East this year

DFA: President Duterte to visit Middle East this year (Photo: Rody Duterte/Facebook)

MANILA—President Rodrigo Duterte is set to visit the Middle East this year, the Department of Foreign Affairs(DFA) said Monday.

DFA spokesperson Assistant Secretary Charles Jose said Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. was in Saudi Arabia over the weekend and is scheduled to travel around the Middle East countries “to lay the ground” for the President’s series of visits.

The President is also expected to visit the United Arab Emirates, the home of 227,076 Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), according the latest data from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA).

Yasay “came to Saudi Arabia to meet the Filipino community and to listen to their concerns, issues and aspirations, which he will relay to President Duterte before he comes,” Iric Arribas, chargé d’affaires at the Philippine embassy in Riyadh, said.

Emmanuel Geslani, a migration and recruitment expert in a chance interview said the government should look into the welfare of thousands of troubled Filipino employees in Saudi Arabia.

“We have to pursue a recommitment with the king. Maybe we could ask for more amnesty. And about five to six thousand OFWs are still waiting for their salaries there,” he said.

The mass layoffs were blamed to sudden fall of oil price in the world market. About 11,000 OFWs were left jobless and reportedly starving after mass layoffs last year.

Latest POEA records shown by Geslani revealed that Saudi Arabia is still the top destination of OFWs, with a population of 406,089. The numbers does not include illegal migrants recruited by bogus recruiters.