MANILA, Philippines – President Rodrigo Duterte is eyeing money from China for a travel fund to bring Filipino workers home from Kuwait, Malacañang said Monday.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said that China had promised roughly P4.8 billion to the Philippine government.

"That’s the fund that the president will use as travel fund, if necessary. But, again, this is voluntary. He is not compelling anyone to come home," Roque said in a press briefing.

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The fund from China, however, was supposed to be used for infrastructure projects.

"Wala kasing specified and China basta 'We're giving you P4.8 billion worth, you spend it however you want it,' so 'yan po ang naisip ng ating presidente," Roque said.

Government 'calamity fund'

On Sunday, the president said he would an unspecified emergency fund that he said "is there" unless it has been remitted to the National Treasury.

"To me, it's a calamity... If my countrymen are suffering, I would use it," he said.

There is P19.8 billion in the National Disaster Risk and Reduction Management Fund in the 2018 national budget.

The fund, according to the General Appropriations Act, is "for aid, relief and rehabilitation services to communities/areas affected by man-made and natural calamities, and repair and reconstruction of permanent structures, including other capital expenditures for disaster operation, and rehabilitation activities."

Of that fund, P10 billion has been allocated to the Marawi Recovery, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Program in the battle-scarred capital of Lanao del Sur.

Another P4.5 billion is reserved for the repair and reconstruction of structures "including Capital Expenditures for Pre-disaster Operations, Rehabilitation and Other Related Activities."

The Palace has also said that P2 billion from the calamity fund will be spent to assist workers displaced by the six-month closure of Boracay island, which has been shut to tourists and non-residents since April 26.

Filipinos asked to come home after row with Kuwait

Duterte had asked all Filipinos in Kuwait to come home following a diplomatic quarrel with the Gulf state.

Kuwait declared Philippine Ambassador Renato Villa persona non grata and told him to return to Manila. The Gulf state had also recalled its top envoy in the Philippines for consultations.

The Kuwaiti government accused the Philippine Embassy of violating state laws and the Vienna Convention of Diplomatic Relations for conducting rescue operations for distressed Filipino domestic workers.

Duterte promised over 250,000 OFWs in Kuwait that the government will assist them if they decide to return home.

The president also announced that the deployment ban of Filipino workers to Kuwait remains until a memorandum of understanding on the protection of workers between the two countries is signed.

"What the president announced is the maintenance of the status quo. Until we have reached or signed the memorandum of agreement providing for the minimum terms and conditions of employment of our nationals, the deployment, the ban stays," Roque said.

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