CFO to boost diaspora engagement, connect migrant Filipinos with PH

By Marita Moaje, Philippine News Agency

Ang said that instead of merely preparing Filipinos for life abroad and the realities that they may face, the CFO aims to ensure they remain engaged in the country’s economic, political, and cultural initiatives, and eventually contribute to national development. (File Photo: Commission on Filipinos Overseas/Facebook)

MANILA – The Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) is pushing to expand its diaspora engagement that aims to strengthen its efforts to connect overseas Filipinos with the Philippines.

“Ang CFO ay hindi lang para sa PDOS (Pre-Departure Orientation Seminars) kundi para sa diaspora engagement. Hindi lang natin dapat binibilang kung ilan ang dumaan sa seminar, kundi kung paano natin sila natutulungan at paano rin sila nakakatulong sa bansa (The CFO is not just for PDOS but for diaspora engagement. We should not only count how many people go through the seminar, but also how we help them and how they contribute to the country),” CFO Secretary Dante Ang II said in an interview on Friday.

“Generally, yun na siguro dapat ma-shift sa diaspora engagement for national development, kasi ang mandato naman talaga ng CFO, i-connect ang Filipinos abroad (That should probably be shifted to diaspora engagement for national development, because that’s exactly the CFO mandate, to connect Filipinos abroad) with the Philippines,” he added.

Ang said that instead of merely preparing Filipinos for life abroad and the realities that they may face, the CFO aims to ensure they remain engaged in the country’s economic, political, and cultural initiatives, and eventually contribute to national development.

He said the CFO has several programs for overseas Filipinos, including the Youth Leaders in the Diaspora (YouLeaD) program designed for young Filipinos born or raised abroad to reconnect with their heritage.

“The idea is yung mga bata na pinanganak sa abroad will maybe know yung Filipino side ng identity nila, kasi doon na sila lumaki or doon na sila ipinanganak. I think importante rin sa development nila yun na malaman yung background nila, yung culture ng pinanggalingan nila (those children who were born abroad will maybe know the Filipino side of their identity, because they grew up there or were born there. I think it’s also important for their development to know their background, the culture they come from) for them to be able to thrive,” Ang said.

Other CFO programs include the PesoSense or the financial education program, in collaboration with other stakeholders like the financial institutions, and the Lingkod sa Kapwa Pilipino (Linkapil) program that aims to engage overseas Filipinos to partner with local institutions in promoting development, among others.

Meanwhile, Ang said the CFO also continues to strengthen its policies on migrant protection.

He said the commission is currently working with the PLDT Global for the 1343 Anti-Trafficking Hotline.

“Now we partnered with PLAT Global, tinatapos lang nila yung system nila (They are just finishing their system). Once finished, the 1343 hotline can be accessed anywhere in the world for free,” he said.

Many overseas Filipinos remain unaware of the CFO’s services, and to address this, the commission has ramped up its information campaigns through various media platforms, including a partnership with state-run Radyo Pilipinas and an upcoming TV program on IBC 13.

Ang added that efforts to streamline operations have also been implemented, such as integrating CFO’s system with the e-Travel app and strengthening data-sharing agreements with the Bureau of Immigration.

He said these measures ensure that Filipinos migrating abroad are informed of CFO’s services before departure, avoiding problems that oftentimes cause delay.

“Ang mga Filipino abroad ay gustong makatulong at manatiling konektado, pero madalas hindi nila alam kung paano. Ang CFO ang magiging tulay upang magawa nila ito (Filipinos abroad want to help and stay connected, but they often don’t know how. The CFO will be the bridge to help them do this,” Ang said.