Ever since the possibility that a war would break out in Iraq, while we pray to God it will not happen, it has always been the policy of the government that the safety and welfare of our overseas workers in this region is our first priority.

Some people have questioned the wisdom of my going to Kuwait because there are other pressing matters in the country. But I must say that I deeply share the concerns and anxieties of OFWs and their families back home. These are concerns not only about the OFWs safety but also about the continuity and stability of their jobs, and it is my duty as President to attend to these concerns myself because I believe they are important to our national interest.

Their safety and job security are important to our national interest and I hope that nobody will make this a political issue.

The Chief Executive must always attend to the safety and welfare of Filipinos where they are most imperiled. The President must lead in crisis diplomacy especially when it concerns our overseas workers who are our ambassadors of goodwill throughout the world and who are one of the important pillars of our economy.

KUWAIT – President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo arrived at the Kuwaiti International Airport at 5:20 pm today (10:20 pm in Manila) to begin a brief official visit to this oil-rich country that plays host to over 30,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFW).

The President, accompanied by a lean security detail, flew here on board a Shandong Airlines Rainbow jet on a special flight.

She was met at the airport by His Highness Sheik Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah, deputy Kuwaiti Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Braving a 14-degree Celsius temperature, Labor Secretary Patricia Sto. Tomas, Ambassador Cimatu, Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration Administrator Virgilio Angelo, Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Jose Brillantes and Ambassador Tomas Alcantara, among others, were on hand to meet the President.

The President's visit here is a milestone as she is considered the second woman head of state to officially visit Kuwait. The first was former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

Following simple foyer honors, the President proceeded to the Bayan Palace where she would meet with the local Filipino community, numbering at least a thousand.

During the meeting, the President will assess the overall situation of OFWs in Kuwait and in the Middle East in case the US-Iraq conflict escalates. Kuwait is nearest Iraq.

"The primordial concern of the President and her administration is for our Filipinos in the region. She will be in Kuwait to look into the welfare of her fellow Filipinos in the region," Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye said.

The President, even before her departure from Manila, has stressed that the safety and welfare of OFWs have always been the priority concern of the government.

Besides checking on the conditions of the OFWs, she will further assure OFWs that the government’s various agencies are ready to respond to their needs and concerns.

To further push for the OFWs' continued safety and welfare in Kuwait, the President will meet with His Highness, Sheikh Jaber Al Ahmad Al Sabah, Amir of the State of Kuwait, in a scheduled audience at the Bayan Palace.

She will likewise confer with His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah, deputy prime minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs.

The President has said that she must always attend to the safety and welfare of Filipinos where they are most imperiled.

"The President must lead in crisis diplomacy especially when it concerns our overseas workers who are our ambassadors of goodwill throughout the world and who are one of the important pillars of our economy," she has said.

The President, in her one-day visit here, will also gather the Philippine ambassadors, labor attaches and social welfare officers based in the Middle East for a command conference at the Bayan Palace tomorrow.

Expected to be with the President are Ambassador to Egypt Shulan Primavera, Philippine Charge d'Affaires (CDA) to Kuwait Bayani Mangibin, Ambassador to Oman Akmad Sakkam, Ambassador to Qatar Wencelslao Quirolico, CDA to the United Arab Emirates Jose Angpeso, CDA to Bahrain Candidato Gutoc, CDA to Libya Belen Anota, CDA to Libya Benito Valeriano, Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Bahnarim Guinomla, CDA to Iraq Grace Escalante, Ambassador to Lebanon Fortunato Oblena, and Ambassador to Jordan Ruperto Dizon.

The Chief Executive is also expected to check on the progress of work made by the Middle East Preparedness Team (MEPT) headed by Ambassador Roy Cimatu.