DUBAI: In an exclusive interview with The Filipino Times, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello said that the president’s visit to the Middle East, particularly in the UAE, is still in the works but is highly possible.
As planned, according to the labor secretary, President Rodrigo Duterte is eyeing to visit the UAE in July this year to grace the opening of the overseas Filipino bank (OFW Bank) in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
Bello said that the president might meet other heads of states on the sidelines of his visit here.
The meeting will focus on the welfare of OFWs in the Middle East and might sign some landmark memorandum of agreement for their protection.
“Siguro pag-uusapan ng ating pangulo with the heads of the states is the welfare of our overseas Filipino worker para naman ma-imprint on the mind of the government of these countries that our president is very concerned with our workers, just to emphasize that,” Sec. Bello said.
The president’s supposed visit in the UAE last year did not push through when the Marawi siege erupted. This also cut his visit short in other countries in the Middle East.
Bello said that the president’s visit to the UAE is long-overdue, but is very much eager to speak with the Filipino community here, as well as the wise leadership of the UAE.
Meanwhile, Bello also disclosed to TFT that following the deployment ban to Kuwait, Philippine officials will meet with representatives from the said Gulf state next week to hold talks on the protection of migrant Filipino workers.
The Philippine government imposed a total deployment ban in Kuwait after the several cases of abuse and maltreatment that OFWs suffer from. The Labor chief said that there is a possibility that the deployment ban would be lifted but only under certain conditions.
