Manila
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte will visit three Middle Eastern countries from April 10 to 16, to meet leaders for investments, trade, support for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) there, and assistance to the Philippine government’s peace settlements with Filipino-Muslim rebels based in Mindanao, southern Philippines, a senior official said.
Duterte’s state visits in Riyadh, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will be from April 10 to 12; at Bahrain from April 12 to 14; and Qatar from April 14 to 16, said Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Hjayceelyn Quintana.
Duterte is scheduled to meet with Saudi Arabia’s King Salman Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud; Bahrain’s King Hamad Bin Eisa Al Khalifa; and Qatar’s Emir Shaikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, said Quintana.
Duterte’s state visits would aim “to strengthen efforts for the protection of the rights and promotion of the welfare of the more than one million of our people working in those countries; invite Middle Eastern investors to the Philippines to usher in progress here at home (in the Philippines); and to forge stronger partnerships by elevating our political and economic cooperation with these (Middle Eastern) countries to new heights,” said Quintana.
There are about 760,000 Filipinos in Saudi Arabia, 60,000 in Bahrain, and 250,000 in Qatar. Duterte will meet them in Riyadh, Manama, and Doha.
Noting the other impact of investments from Middle Eastern countries with regards the sending of OFWs as human resource worldwide, Quintanao said, “The President hopes to inspire people making a living in these countries to help him build a more developed and economically vibrant Philippines/”
“The President desires that in the not-so-distant future, there will be no longer a reason for Filipinos to leave their families behind in order to make a living,” explained Quintana.
There are an estimated 10 million OFWs worldwide.
With these countries, Duterte will “explore (economic) partnerships” in tourism development, Halal food security, Islamic finance, and energy security as well as investments, said Quintana, adding, “He will invite these countries to invest particularly in Mindanao as a way of lifting Mindanao out of poverty and (political) conflict (between government soldiers and Filipino-Muslim rebels).”
The combined investment capital of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Qatar is estimated at $500 billion.
Member countries of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) have brokered the pro-autonomy peace settlements of the Philippine government with the 46-year old Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in Libya in 1976 and in Manila in 1996; and with the 39-year old Moro Islamic Liberation Front (Milf) in Malaysia and Manila in 2014.
Duterte has envisioned the three Middle Eastern countries as his country’s partners in security, counter-terrorism, and anti-drug trade campaign, said Quintana. She did not give details.
The Philippine government is not holding peace talks with hundreds of Filipino-Muslims who belong to several terror groups, one of which is the 19-year old Abu Sayyaf Group — it was once linked with Jemaah Islamiyah, the Southeast Asian conduit of the Al Qaida; it has also pledged allegiance with the Islamic State in 2015.
With regards OFWs, Quintana said, “President Duterte will discuss with the Middle Eastern leader matters relevant to the welfare and dignity of the Filipinos living in their countries.”
