President Rodrigo Duterte met with Jordan’s King His Majesty Abdullah bin Al-Hussein in a welcome ceremony at the Al Husseinieh Palace on Thursday, September 6.
The President arrived at the Queen Alia International Airport in Ammam on Wednesday, September 5, with intentions to boost the Philippines’ relations with the Hashimite Kingdom of Jordan.
Being the first Filipino president to step foot in the kingdom, Duterte is expected to accomplish government-to-government bilateral relations and improve the working conditions of the overseas Filipino workers.
He will also attend a business forum after the closed-door meeting with the Jordan King with selected Cabinet Officials. Duterte will meet with the Filipino community on Friday, September 7.
According to the Department of Trade and Industry, Duterte will also sign $10 million worth of deals between Filipino and Jordanian firms.
Philippine Ambassador to Jordan, Akmad Atlah Sakkam, said that Duterte will sign an agreement for better working conditions for the OFWs in Jordan.
“The access to Internet and cellphone is now built into our new agreement. And our domestic helpers will be allowed to cook their own food. And then (there is) religious tolerance, they are allowed to exercise their religious beliefs. Wala yan sa iba,” he said in a statement.
The proposed labor agreement will also provide for the proper procedures in recruiting and deploying Filipino service household workers in Jordan through licensed agencies.
The Philippine President will leave for Davao on Saturday, September 8.