The protesters gathered outside the hotel where Mrs Arroyo, dogged at home by falling popularity and corruption allegations, was due to give a speech to invited members of the Filipino community in Hong Kong.

'Overseas workers do not welcome Gloria Arroyo in Hong Kong,' said Mr Eman Villanueva, secretary general of United Filipinos in Hong Kong, one of the groups organising Sunday's protest.

'She should go back to the Philippines and face the charges against her and her government,' he added. Hong Kong has a large Filipino community, mostly working in domestic service.

'We want to send a message to the business community that if they invest in the Philippines, they are supporting a tyrant,' Mr Villanueva said.

The protesters shouted 'Oust, oust GMA,' referring to the president's initials and held banners condemning extra-judicial killings and corruption in the country.

Before she left Manila, Mrs Arroyo said recent economic growth needed to be reinforced with an 'aggressive outreach to investors.' 'Our trip to Hong Kong is another action we are taking to continue to bolster our economy through more investments,' she said in a departure statement.

Mrs Arroyo, who will make a keynote speech at a Credit Suisse economic forum on Monday, said her cash-strapped government was 'on the verge of a balanced budget' for the first time in years.

Major donors, such as the World Bank, last week praised the Philippines' 7.3 per cent economic growth last year - the highest in 30 years, but warned that it needed to woo more investment and upgrade its infrastructure.

Mrs Arroyo has survived three coup attempts and three impeachment bids in the country's congress over allegations of corruption.

Massive street protests have called for her resignation over graft charges involving her husband and a close political ally. -- AFP