In a significant move to enhance the reintegration of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) and the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) have formalized a partnership. The collaboration was sealed with a memorandum of understanding signed by CFO chairperson Secretary Dante Ang II and DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac during the National Forum on Migration held at the Philippine International Convention Center on December 18, 2024.
Secretary Ang emphasized that this partnership is a crucial step towards developing programs that facilitate the smooth reintegration of OFWs and their families into Philippine society. He highlighted the initiative’s focus on aiding displaced OFWs to re-enter the local workforce. The BaLinkBayan Project, a key component of this partnership, is an online portal designed to provide government services, entrepreneurship, and investment opportunities to overseas Filipinos.
Ang described the memorandum as more than a mere document; it embodies a shared vision for efficient and accessible services for migrant workers. Secretary Cacdac echoed this sentiment, stating that the partnership supports the government’s broader objective of creating sustainable and inclusive reintegration opportunities.
The collaboration also aims to promote financial literacy and educational programs for OFWs and their families, further enhancing the BaLinkBayan portal’s role in their reintegration process.