President Rodrigo Duterte led the launching of the Overseas Filipino Bank (OFBank) in Liwasang Bonifacio, Manila on Thursday afternoon.
In a portion of his speech, President Duterte stressed about the conditions of overseas Filipino workers in the Middle East, saying that many of them have experienced maltreatment.
“We have lost about four Filipino women in the last few months. It is always in Kuwait. Nag-usap kami ni [Foreign Affairs Secretary] Alan [Cayetano], my advice is we talk to them, state the truth, just tell them that it is not acceptable anymore,” he stated.
Duterte also said that if there will be no solution to the work condition problems in the said country, he will impose a total ban.
“I do not want a quarrel with Kuwait, I respect their leaders, but they have to do something about this,” he said.
The president also talked about his personal thoughts about what migration has caused Filipino families.
“Remember, a home that is left behind by the wife, the mother, becomes socially dysfunctional,” he said.
He also condemned OFW family members who spend the hard-earned money of OFWs on illegal drugs.
“Yung pera pinangbibili lang ng shabu, papatayin talaga kita,” he said.
The OFBank is a project by the government to help overseas Filipinos with any of their banking needs, transactions, and remittances.
