PRESIDENT Rodrigo R. Duterte plans to visit Kuwait to thank the emirate for signing an agreement to protect Filipino household service workers against abuse by their employers.
But Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said Thursday in a press briefing there is no schedule yet as to when the President will visit Kuwait.
During Thursday’s oath-taking of the newly-elected barangay officials of Calabarzon region in Laguna, Duterte reiterated his plan to visit Kuwait to personally thank its government for giving into his demands to protect the Filipinos in the emirate, particularly domestic helpers.
“We have already settled our differences and well, of course, I’d like to thank the state of Kuwait,” Duterte said.
Last month, the Philippines and Kuwait signed a memorandum of agreement to protect the Filipino workers in the Gulf state.
“So all the things that I demanded were given to us. One day off. They can cook their own food. There will be no confiscation of passports and no physical abuse. And they can practice their own religion,” Duterte said. “So about seven of them were granted. That’s why I’m going to Kuwait.
Duterte said he would again take commercial flights to cut down travel expenses.
“Don’t worry, I will just take commercial flight just to say ‘thank you’ and then I’ll take the next available flight back home just to show our gratitude,” he said.
In his previous trip to South Korea, Duterte took a commercial flight for his three-day official visit. Roque had earlier said Duterte taking commercial flights would be the new norm for presidential travels.
Duterte’s trip to Seoul has yielded $.9 billion worth of investments.
