A village island named ‘Kuwait’ has been created in the Philippines

An island in the Philippines has been named after Kuwait and is now known as ‘Kuwait Humanitarian Village,’ according to local media this week.

The naming reflects the Kuwaiti Red Crescent Society’s (KRCS) support in developing the land and their general aid to the Philippines. The village holds 297 housing units.

According to the official Kuwaiti News Agency (KUNA) KRCS Chairman Dr. Hilal al-Sayer said “KRCS remains steadfast in its commitment to address humanitarian challenges, including poverty and malnutrition, all over the world.”

There have recently been controversies surrounding Kuwaiti-Philippine ties after President Rodrigo Duterte said he was considering banning workers being sent to Kuwait because of abuses, including “rapes,” he said were being inflicted on Filipino domestic helpers.

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But he did not mention specific cases of abuse. “Either we impose a total ban or we have the correction,” he said.

Kuwait has stressed that it is still waiting for details on the abuses claimed by Duterte, according to Deputy Foreign Minister of Kuwait, Khalid Al-Jarallah.

He added: “We have already expressed our regret and surprise. Again, we are sorry and surprised when we hear such statements by the President of the Philippines, especially as we have explained to the Philippine officials our position on the cases, and asked them to identify the cases they referred to; but they did not provide us with any details.”