AFTER visiting Japan and Brazil, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo made a side “working visit” to Hong Kong during the weekend before she returns to the country afternoon Monday.

Press Secretary Cerge Remonde, who is with Arroyo, said they will have a dialogue with overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) based in Hong Kong on Sunday before returning to Manila.

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“We are on a working visit in Hong Kong. This is in response to the clamor of OFWs to meet with them and have a dialogue with them,” he said on government-run dzRB radio.

Remonde earlier said that Arroyo will meet with Tony Kwok, the government’s anti-corruption consultant, on Monday morning to review the progress of the government’s anti-corruption program.

“It will be a review of the progress of the anti-corruption program that has been started under the consultancy of Mr. Kwok. Whatever will be the result we will report it,” he said.

The Palace did not immediately announce the trip to Hong Kong. Arroyo’s trip mainly included a working visit to Japan and a state visit to Brazil.

Earlier, Arroyo and her delegation made a stop in Colombia. Remonde said this was a “technical” stop for the crew of the plane.

The unannounced stops had drawn criticisms from Palace critics, particularly the political opposition.

Meanwhile, Remonde reiterated the government is ready to explain the “benefits” of the trip. “We are prepared to do that,” he said.

He said it is the government’s obligation to render a full accounting of the report, “and I can assure our people the president’s trip was worth the expenses.”

“It has to be fully understood the top salesman of any country is always the president of that country ... A president’s responsibility is to be the top salesman of his or her country,” he said. (JMR/Sunnex)