The Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) is ramping up efforts to engage global Filipino communities as investors in national development, responding to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s call to entrepreneurs to invest in the Philippines.
“My single resounding message to the international business community is this: The Philippines is ready. Invest in the Filipino. Our cavalcade of dependable and hardworking Filipinos, innately skilled, adaptable, and possessed with a heart for service, are here, ready to work and to succeed with you,” President Marcos said on Monday, during his State of the Nation Address (SONA).
CFO Secretary Dante “Klink” Ang II reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to the President’s vision, “We fully support the President’s call to the international community to invest in the Philippines. This perfectly aligns with CFO’s efforts of reintegrating the Filipino diaspora through investment opportunities in our country.”
“As part of its efforts to support the President’s call for investment, the CFO has been continuously integrating investment resources into its Balinkbayan platform—an online portal that connects overseas Filipinos (OFs) through business and donation opportunities,” Ang added.
Moreover, through its partnership with the Philippine Stock Exchange, the CFO is advocating for more inclusive access to local capital markets by encouraging global Pinoys to become long-term investors in Philippine-listed companies.
At the same time, the CFO continues to expand its flagship financial education initiative, PESO Sense, which promotes responsible financial decision-making among Overseas Filipinos and their families. The program includes digital campaigns, webinars, and interactive tools that cover budgeting, saving, investing, and anti-scam awareness.
To complement these initiatives, the CFO has also teamed up with Go Negosyo to promote entrepreneurship among Filipinos abroad. This collaboration seeks to foster a culture of entrepreneurship and job creation at the community level, supporting returning Filipinos in their economic reintegration and contribute to countryside development.
In a Post-SONA discussion last Tuesday, Special Assistant to the President for Investment and Economic Affairs, Secretary Frederick D. Go, agreed with the statement of the President, emphasizing the value of attracting investments from local and foreign investors in providing employment opportunities for Filipinos.
The President’s message to investors is a big deal, it not only signals to investors the improved business environment in the country, but it also promotes our workforce for better employment opportunities, Go said in Filipino.
Secretary Ang seconded Secretary Go’s statement, but he took it further by engaging the Filipino diaspora through business and investment opportunities.
“We have been echoing the President’s statements for a while now, indeed the Filipino people are ready to do business, this is why at the heart of CFO’s projects and initiatives is the engagement of the Filipino diaspora through entrepreneurial and investment opportunities,” Ang added.
𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐧 𝐅𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐨𝐬 𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐬
The CFO, established under Batas Pambansa Blg. 79, is dedicated to the welfare and empowerment of Filipinos permanently residing abroad. It is distinct from the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), which primarily addresses the needs of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), and other temporary migrants.
CFO works to strengthen the social, economic, and cultural ties of global Filipinos with their home country. Its primary constituents include Filipino permanent migrants, dual citizens, spouses and partners of foreign nationals, individuals in exchange visitor programs, au pair participants, and children of foreign nationals with Filipino roots.
For more information about CFO’s Balinkbayan and Peso Sense program, please visit facebook pages:
CFO BALINKBAYAN: https://www.facebook.com/cfobalinkbayan
CFO PESOSENSE: https://www.facebook.com/pesosenseph
Media and Communications Team
info@cfo.gov.ph | rkperalta@cfo.gov.ph
+63 960 579 0078 (Viber)
