The Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) is strengthening its ties with the more than 10 million Filipinos living and working abroad, placing diaspora engagement at the center of its programs.

CFO Secretary Dante Francis Ang II said the 10.7 million Filipinos living and working overseas are vital partners in advancing nation-building, apart from being mere economic contributors.

“Successful Filipinos abroad are more inclined to help Filipinos locally,” he said in a media forum Monday.

Migration opportunities allow Filipinos to “earn a higher return on their educational capital and contribute to the country once they have become successful,” he added.

Among the commission’s programs include the “BaLinkBayan” which provides access to online government services, investment and entrepreneurship promotion, donations and volunteer programs, skills and technology transfer, and migration and development mainstreaming.

Ang said the LINKAPIL, which holds the “Balikturo” program, 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.

The CFO is expanding initiatives that encourage overseas Filipinos to partner with government and local communities, including programs on financial literacy, diaspora philanthropy, return and reintegration, and investments in hometown development.

Among the priority efforts is the enhancement of the Diaspora to Development (D2D) program, which connects global Filipinos with grassroots projects in the Philippines.

The agency is updating its digital platforms to better reach overseas Filipinos, particularly second- and third-generation migrants seeking to reconnect with their heritage.

Its renewed direction aims to “modernize diaspora engagement” by strengthening collaboration with Filipino associations overseas, addressing emerging migration trends and ensuring the welfare of Filipinos who choose to remain abroad or eventually return home.

The agency is working with other government offices to align diaspora-related programs with the administration’s broader development agenda, saying that sustained engagement with global Filipinos is “a strategic national asset.”

Ang said the refocused approach seeks to highlight not only the economic impact of the diaspora —such as remittances— but also their growing influence in diplomacy, global networks, innovation, arts, culture and community leadership.

The CFO will continue to consult with overseas Filipino communities as it rolls out new initiatives, he added. (PNA)