MANILA, Philippines—After her trips to Japan, Colombia and Brazil, President Macapagal Arroyo stopped by Hong Kong over the weekend, as a Palace official chided Senator Francis Escudero for making a fuss over the chief executive's many trips abroad.

Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said it was part of a President's job to establish better relations with other countries and to visit them to forge economic agreements.

Remonde said that Escudero would need to travel abroad as well if he would be President in the future.

Escudero said that Ms Arroyo's many trips around the globe cost the government at least P3 billion, money that would have been better spent on beefing up other government offices. He also lamented that these foreign trips usually involved many hangers on.

“Kung ang kinekwestyon niya ang pagbabyahe, that is a sad indication kung ganyan ka-insular ang kanyang pag iisip. (If he is questioning the travels, that is a sad indication of how insular his thinking is). What kind of a president will he be if he will not actively get involved in international affairs?” Remonde said in an interview over Radyo ng Bayan.

He said any responsible head of government would be active in international affairs, since global engagement was important to strengthening a country's economy. All of the President's trips abroad were worthwhile because of the economic resiliency that the Philippines is enjoying due to the many foreign investments she has gotten, he added.

“The reason for all these foreign trips, the beneficiaries of all these foreign trips are the people of the Philippines,” he said.

Remonde said the President stopped by Hong Kong due to the clamor of Filipino workers there for a dialogue with her. She is due to meet with the workers on Sunday.

On Monday, Arroyo will meet with anti-corruption champion Tony Kwok, who is also the Philippines' anti-corruption consultant.

They will talk about the progress of the country's anti-corruption program.

Arroyo's trip to Hong Kong was not announced beforehand, like her side trip to Colombia which was sandwiched between her visits to Japan and Brazil.