President Rodrigo Duterte has expressed his interest to work with Bahrain’s government to address the issue on undocumented Filipino children there.
The President conveyed this to King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa through a letter handed by Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Robert Borje last December, as he thanked the foreign leader for his concern for Filipinos in Bahrain.
“President Duterte considers His Majesty the King as a true friend. Under His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa’s reign, Bahrain has shown great strides, steady progress and regional and global leadership in championing migrant workers’ rights and countering trafficking,” Borje said.
Hamad earlier instructed Bahraini authorities to expedite the processing of undocumented children awaiting repatriation, which paved the way for the return of two Filipino children in the country.
According to a press release from the Palace, a four-year-old girl and a one-year-old boy arrived in Manila from Manama, Bahrain onboard a commercial flight before 2020.
The two minors were part of 50 undocumented Filipino children born in Bahrain identified by the Philippine Embassy in Manama under its Oplan Kabataan program for repatriation.
Apart from faster repatriation of undocumented Filipino children, King Hamad also vowed to address the issue of processing applications for flexi-visa which would regularize the stay of some 100 Filipino workers in the Kingdom.
About 58,000 Filipinos are working in Bahrain, 18,000 of whom are household workers.
The King also welcomed President Duterte’s invitation to visit the Philippines, described it as “a beautiful country” with many excellent beaches, Borje said.
President Duterte visited Bahrain in April 2017, as he and King Hamad signed four agreements on trade and investments, such as avoiding double taxation and regulation of air transport services.