Bongbong Marcos to spotlight OFW labor rights in Saudi Arabia

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. delivers a speech at the Villamor Airbase in Pasay City before flying to Saudi Arabia on Thursday, October 19, 2023, to attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations-Gulf Cooperation Council Summit. | PHOTO: INQUIRER.net/Ryan Leagogo

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday said he plans to spotlight the labor rights of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) during meetings with officials in Saudi Arabia.

Marcos is headed to Saudi Arabia for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations-Gulf Cooperation Council Summit (Asean-GCC).

“This Summit will serve as an important platform for the Philippines to highlight the need for cooperation in energy and food security, logistics, supply chains, digital information, the free flow of goods, people, and services, as well as the enhancement and protection of the rights, of course, of our overseas workers,” said Marcos in his pre-departure speech in Villamor Airbase.

READ: Bongbong Marcos to attend Asean-GCC Summit in Saudi Arabia

The Department of Foreign Affairs previously said that Marcos plans to discuss the unpaid wages of around 10,000 OFWs in Saudi Arabia.

“GCC countries are home to an estimated 2.2 million Filipinos working in critical fields. I will be meeting with the Filipino community in Riyadh to share with them important developments here at home and to thank them for their invaluable contributions,” Marcos said.

READ: Bongbong Marcos to urge investment in Maharlika fund during Saudi trip

The GCC comprises Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

The President also said he would meet the Filipino community in Saudi Arabia and make a pitch for the Maharlika Investment Fund while in the Middle Eastern country.

kga/abc