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Manila Bulletin

Duterte: We're okay now with Kuwait

Duterte: We're okay now with Kuwait

By Roel Tibay

By Genalyn Kabiling The Philippines is back on good terms with Kuwait following the signing of a labor protection pact, according to President Duterte.

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte during the Maguindanao Balik-Baril Program launching at the Buluan Municipal Gymnasium in Maguindanao on April 25, 2018. (RENE LUMAWAG/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte
(RENE LUMAWAG/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN) The President has expressed gratitude to Kuwait for forging an agreement providing additional protection for Filipino workers in the Gulf state. He cited that that Kuwait has shown “courage” in meeting his challenge for the protection of Filipino workers following reports of abuse at hands of some employers. "We’re okay now with Kuwait, we’re okay now. My conditions were met,” Duterte said during the 120th anniversary of the Philippine Navy in Manila. "I’d like to thank officially the Kuwait government for giving us these conditions, which would better place in a more… maski konting kaligayahan lang naman sa mga OFW ," he added. The Philippines and Kuwait earlier inked a landmark agreement governing the working conditions of Filipino workers, including granting them a day off in a week. The signing of the labor accord has prompted the Duterte government to lift the total ban on the deployment of Filipino workers imposed since February due to recent cases of abuse. Duterte said he made several conditions to make Filipino workers safer in Kuwait, which were granted by Kuwait. "The Kuwait government has shown the courage also in meeting our challenge," he said. "I demanded that they’d be allowed to sleep seven hours guaranteed, no physical abuse, that their cellphones and passports are not confiscated, and they have a day off once a week. So if these conditions are met, I’ll sign the total --- the lifting of the ban," he added.

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