INCLUSIVE APPROACH. Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) Chairperson Secretary Dante “Klink” Ang II calls for a stronger, more inclusive approach to Filipino diaspora engagement during a Bagong Pilipinas interview on Friday (June 20, 2025). Ang said overseas or Filipinos permanently residing abroad should be seen as important contributors to the country’s economy and culture. (Screengrab from PTV)
MANILA – The Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) is calling for a stronger and more inclusive approach to diaspora engagement, emphasizing that overseas Filipinos are not just remittance senders but also active partners in national development.
Speaking at the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon briefing Friday, CFO Chairperson Secretary Dante “Klink” Ang II highlighted the multi-faceted impact of the Filipino diaspora, from advancing Philippine culture and boosting international demand for local products, to producing trailblazers in science, media, and public service abroad.
“They serve, among other things, as ambassadors of the Philippines abroad. They also open up trade for the Philippines kasi po, sa dami po nila, siyempre, ang demand po (with their number, of course, the demand) for Philippine products where they live also increases,” he said.
“And of course, lagi po natin sinasabi yung remittances, hindi lang po galing yan sa mga OFWs (overseas Filipino workers). Bagamat marami po sa kanila yung proportion of their income talagang mas malaki po yung proportion na yan, but mas marami po kasi mga overseas Filipinos, doon po galing yung mga remittances natin na (we always say that remittances, it doesn’t just come from OFWs. Although they have a larger proportion of their income, that proportion is actually larger, but there are more overseas Filipinos, that’s where our remittances come from, which) I think reach about 10 percent of GDP, (Gross Domestic Product).”
Ang also cited the CFO’s Lingkod sa Kapwa Pilipino (LINKAPIL) program, which, he said, has facilitated over PHP3.4 billion in philanthropic donations and investments from overseas communities in the past decade.
He also noted that many contributions remain undocumented, especially those coursed through private individuals or directly to their beneficiaries.
Another CFO program that Ang highlighted under LINKAPIL is the “Balikturo” program, which he said brings Filipino teachers based in the US back to the Philippines to teach during visits, as well as plans to expand partnerships with the Department of Science and Technology under the Balik Scientist Program.
“Yung ambag po ng mga Filipinos overseas, hindi lang po siya (The contribution of Filipinos overseas, they are not only) remittance but they are human capital, they’re cultural, and there are many other things,” Ang said.
He said these CFO initiatives aims to encourage a shift in mindset, from seeing overseas Filipinos as workers, to recognizing them as sources of innovation, knowledge, and leadership.
Meanwhile, Ang shared that the CFO aims to collaborate with creative overseas Filipinos to help diaspora youth connect with Filipino heritage in meaningful and modern ways. (PNA)
