Domestic helpers excited to meet hero Duterte
Members of Filipino community in S'pore to meet their president on Friday
She is looking forward to meeting her hero.
Ms Amalia Enere Osinta, 41, got a special day off from her employer to meet Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte this Friday.
The domestic helper told The New Paper: "I feel that President Duterte is a sincere person. He is my idol. My heart feels comfortable with him."
Ms Enere is one of many Filipinos working and living here who are looking forward to meeting their President when he visits Singapore for a two-day trip from tomorrow.
Mr Duterte will meet Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to discuss a variety of topics, including strengthening bilateral defence cooperation and boosting trade.
He will meet members of the Filipino community at the Singapore Expo on Friday. The event reportedly drew more registrations than the venue's maximum capacity of 6,000.
Ms Enere, who voted in a Philippine presidential election for the first time this year, said she hopes to congratulate her President and pass him a personal letter about her family back home.
She said: "I would like to thank him in person for how he has cleaned up Manila.
"When I last went there, it was crowded and smelly. I couldn't breathe. But now all my friends in Manila tell me it is clean."
Another domestic helper, Ms Mercy Cagula Ruiz, 41, has made a banner to take to the event at the Expo.
She told TNP: "He is humble and down to earth. I feel he wants to make the Philippines a better nation."
Sign-ups for the event at the Expo are closed, but some Filipinos who didn't manage to register are still hoping to get lucky.
Mrs Marie Apple Parro, 40, a sales operations worker, said: "I didn't manage to sign up on time, and the embassy has not replied to my e-mail to volunteer but anyway, I'll find my way there."
Although walk-ins are not allowed, those who did not manage to sign up for the session can view it online. It will be shared on the Embassy of the Philippines's Facebook page as soon as it is available.
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