NAKATAKDANG umalis si Pangulong Duterte papuntang Middle East para sa state visit sa Saudi Arabia, Bahrain at Qataar mula Abril 10 hanggang Abril 16.
Sinabi ni Foreign Affairs Secretary Hjayceelyn Quintana na layunin ng biyahe ni Duterte na protektahan ang mahigit isang milyong Pinoy na nagtatrabaho sa tatlong bansa.
“The Middle East, or the Gulf States in particular, despite the economic challenges they are currently facing from reduced revenues due to low oil prices, remains an important region for the Philippines,” sabi ni Quintana.
Idinagdag ni Quintana na nananatili ang Middle East bilang top destination ng mga Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs).
“Of the top 10 destinations in 2015, six are in the Middle East and all six are members of the Gulf Cooperation Council. Three of which, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Qatar, are the countries the President is visiting this April,”ayon pa kay Quintana.
Idinagdag ni Quintana na pangalawa ang Middle East sa pinakamalaking pinanggagalingan ng remittance
ng mga OFWs, kung saan 28 porsiyento o $7.6 bilyon ang pinadala noong 2016.
“Out of that 28 percent, more than a third or 10 percent was remitted by OFWs based in Saudi Arabia, the second top source of remittance,” dagdag ni Quintana.
Ayon kay Quintana, nakatakdang makipagpulong si Duterte kay King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saudi sa Riyadh, Saudi Arabia kung saan nakatakda siyang manatili mula Abril 10 hanggang Abril 12.
“In Manama, Bahrain, where the President proceeds from 12 to 14th of April, he is scheduled to meet with His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. And finally in Doha, the President is scheduled to meet with the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, while in the State of Qatar on 14 to 16 April 2017,” sabi pa ni Quintana.
Ayon kay Quintana, kabilang sa inaasahang isusulong ni Duterte ang isyu ng seguridad, kampanya kontra terorismo at kampanya kontra ilegal na droga.
“The President will also be witnessing the signing of agreements on labor, agriculture, air services, culture, health and political bilateral consultations,” ayon pa kay Quintana.
Nakatakdang makipagkita rin si Duterte sa mga Filipino community sa Riyadh, Manama at Doha, sabi pa ni Quintana.
Aabot sa 760,000 Pinoy ang nasa Saudi Arabia, samantalang tinatayang aabot sa 60,000 ang mga Filipino na nasa Bahrain at 250,000 naman ang nasa Qatar.