Commission on Filipinos Overseas

Commission on Filipinos Overseas
Komisyon sa mga Pilipino sa Ibayong Dagat
	; Seal
Commission overview
Formed	June 16, 1980
Annual budget	₱181.017 million Php (2023)
Commission executive	Romulo Victoria Arugay, Secretary & Chairperson;
Parent department	Office of the President of the Philippines
Website	cfo.gov.ph

Last updated August 21, 2024

The Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) (Filipino : Komisyon sa mga Pilipino sa Ibayong Dagat) is an agency of the government of the Philippines under the Office of the President of the Philippines. CFO was established on June 16, 1980, through the enactment of Batas Pambansa Blg. 79.

The agency is responsible for promoting and upholding the interests of Filipino emigrants and Filipino permanent residents in countries other than The Philippines. It is also responsible for preserving and strengthening ties with Filipino communities outside the Philippines. It is headed by a Chairperson who is bestowed with a Cabinet rank of Secretary.^[2]

History

The evolution of the Commission on Filipinos Overseas can be traced with the passage of Presidential Decree No. 442 (Labor Code of the Philippines), which was enacted in 1974, creating the Office of Emigrant Affairs, along with the Overseas Employment Development Board (now POEA) among other offices created.^[2]

The following years were characterized by a steady increase in migration, thus making it necessary to establish an independent unit which would constitute a local support network solely for Filipino emigrants.^[2]

In June 1980, Batas Pambansa Blg. 79 was enacted to strengthen the government’s policy on the promotion of migrant welfare and interest. It created the Commission on Filipinos Overseas which replaced OEA but retained and further expanded its mandate. The decree specifically identified Filipino emigrants as the recipients of its services.^[2]

Functions

The main task of the Commission on Filipinos Overseas is to register and provide pre-departure orientation seminars to Filipino emigrants; to promote the transfer of technology, material contributions, and financial contributions of Filipino emigrants from abroad to underserved communities in the Philippines; to provide the younger generation of Filipinos overseas with opportunities to learn the history of the Philippines, Filipino culture, Philippine institutions, and the Philippine languages.^[2] In accordance with Batas Pambansa Blg. 79, the Commission on Filipinos Overseas is mandated to perform the following duties:^[2]

To assist the President of the Philippines and the Congress of the Philippines in formulating policies and measures concerning or affecting Filipinos abroad;
To develop and implement programs that will promote the interest and well-being of Filipinos abroad;
To serve as a forum for preserving and enhancing the social, economic, and cultural ties of Filipinos abroad with the Philippines;
To provide liaison services to Filipinos residing outside the Philippines with appropriate government and private agencies in the transaction of business and similar projects in the Philippines.

Clientele

The primary clientele of the Commission on Filipinos Overseas are:^[2]

Filipino permanent migrants or permanent residents abroad;
Filipinos overseas who have become naturalized citizens of other countries or dual citizens;
Filipino spouses and other partners of foreign nationals leaving the country;
Descendants of Filipinos overseas, as defined in Batas Pambansa Blg. 79;
Filipino youth overseas;
Exchange Visitor Program participants; and
Filipino Au Pair participants.

CFO Offices

CFO's principal office is located in Quezon City. It has extension offices in Cebu and Davao and maintains an assistance desk in NAIA Terminal 1 (departure area). The CFO may be reached thru the following contact information:

CFO Manila - The Upper Class Tower 20th and 21st Floors, Quezon Avenue cor. Scout Reyes St., Diliman, Quezon City, 1103 Metro Manila, Tel. No. (trunkline): (02) 8552-4700.
CFO Cebu - Ground floor, K&J Building, #4 Don Julio Llorente St., Capitol Site, Cebu City 6000. Tel. Nos. (32) 255-5253 and (0917) 308-1378.
CFO Davao - Door 307-309 3rd Floor Pink Walters Bldg. Ecoland-Sandawa Crossing, Quimpo Blvd, Brgy. Bucana, Davao City 8000 Davao del Sur. Tel. Nos. (82) 228-3033 and (0945) 814-4333.
CFO NAIA Terminal 1 - Located at departure area. Only caters to exempted clients such as senior citizens and those who have been living abroad with PR cards. Tel. No. (02) 8879-5685

Programs and Services

Pre-Departure Orientation Seminars (PDOS) for Emigrants: The CFO conducts Pre-Departure Orientation Seminars (PDOS) for 20 to 59-year-old Filipino emigrants with the core objective of providing them the relevant information needed to address concerns about permanently residing overseas.
Peer Counseling
Guidance and Counseling Program (GCP): During the one-on-one, counselors can address counselees’ questions on a more personal level, hopefully leading them towards empowerment, in dealing with the realities of intermarriage.
Au Pairs Country Familiarization Seminar
Exchange Visitor Program (EVP)
PESO Sense: The Philippine Financial Freedom Campaign: In line with the national development goal of financial inclusion, CFO has specifically put a focus on the financial literacy of overseas Filipinos and their families. IThe program was launched to develop or enhance personal strategies, skills and knowledge in attaining financial freedom. This nationwide Financial Literacy Campaign seeks to achieve its main objective of improving financial literacy by promoting productive expenditures, greater savings and entrepreneurship among overseas Filipinos and the beneficiaries of their remittances.
BaLinkBayan program
Philippine Schools Overseas (PSO)
Community Education Program (CEP)
Lingkod sa Kapwa Pilipino (LINKAPIL) or Link for Philippine Development program. Overseas Filipinos can channel their assistance to support projects in livelihood/micro-enterprise development, education, health and welfare, small-scale infrastructure, and technology and skills transfer. CFO also maintains active linkages with Filipino associations and other possible donors overseas, as well as local partners in the Philippines, to encourage investments and partnerships for development.
The LINKAPIL was established by the Commission on Filipinos Overseas in 1989 to seek a broader and deeper partnership between overseas Filipinos and Filipinos in the home country based on a common desire to advance the collective good of the Filipino people and to contribute to the realization of national development. It means “service to fellow Filipinos.”
The LINKAPIL program facilitates the transfer of assistance from Filipinos and other donors overseas to support projects in livelihood development, education, health and welfare, small-scale infrastructure, and technology and skills transfer
Youth Leaders in the Diaspora (YouLeaD) is a Philippine cultural immersion program in the Philippines intended for Filipino youth who were born abroad or migrated at an early age, such that they are not very familiar with Philippine culture. The program seeks to help participants answer long-standing questions about themselves and their identities as half- or part-Filipinos that they may have had growing 11 up. Joining the program would aid them in the journey of understanding a significant part of their identities, which would hopefully move them toward a more meaningful relationship with their Filipino families and the nation itself.
Virtual Sentro Rizal
Ugnayan: Through the Ugnayan Series, CFO engaged with several Filipino community organizations and leaders in countries with large concentrations of overseas Filipinos particularly the United States. It was an opportunity for the CFO to reach out to overseas Filipinos (organizations, media, civil society, etc.) to discuss various ways of diaspora engagement for the home country’s development.
Presidential Awards for Filipino Individuals and Organizations Overseas (biennial awards)
Overseas Filipino Centenarians:cAs one of the implementing agencies of the Centenarian Act of 2016, which aims to pay tribute to all Filipinos reaching 100 years old whether living in the Philippines or abroad, the CFO also serves as the secretariat for applications overseas by reviewing endorsements from the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office, and by preparing a complete folio of all qualified applicants for endorsement to and evaluation and approval of the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
Celebration of the Month of Overseas Filipinos: In June 1988, then President Corazon C. Aquino signed Proclamation No. 276 declaring December 1988 and the same month of every year as the “Month of Overseas Filipinos”. It gave recognition to overseas Filipinos who contributed to the restoration of Philippine democracy and Philippine development through their taxes and remittances.
In 2007, then-President Gloria Macapagal – Arroyo signed Administrative Order No. 202 creating the Inter-Agency Committee for the Celebration of the Month Overseas Filipinos with the Philippine Migrants Rights Watch (PMRW, an umbrella organization of migrant civil society organizations) as Chair and the CFO as Co-Chair.

Board of Commissioners

The Commission on Filipinos Overseas is composed of the following Board of Commissioners per Executive Order #: 373, s. 2004:

As of June 2022

Chairman: CFO Sec. Romulo V. Arugay
Vice Chairman: DFA Sec. Enrique Manalo
Members:
DTI Sec. Alfredo E. Pascual
DOLE Sec. Bienvenido Laguesma
DepED Sec. and Vice Pres. Sara Duterte
DOJ Sec. Jesus Crispin Remulla
DOT Sec. Christina Garcia-Frasco
PCO Sec. Cheloy E. Velicaria-Garafil
CFO Executive Director Usec. Valery Joy A. Brion

Related Research Articles

Filipino is a language under the Austronesian language family. It is the national language of the Philippines, lingua franca, and one of the two official languages of the country, with English. It is a standardized variety of Tagalog based on the native language, spoken and written in Metro Manila, the National Capital Region, and in other urban centers of the archipelago. The 1987 Constitution mandates that Filipino be further enriched and developed by the other languages of the Philippines.

Rodriguez, officially the Municipality of Rodriguez and commonly known by its former name Montalban, is a 1st class urban municipality in the province of Rizal, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 443,954 people making it the most populous municipality in the country. Pending an affirmation through plebiscite, Republic Act No. 11812 repealed Batas Pambansa Blg. 275 and intend to formally revert to its original municipal name Montalban.

Siayan, officially the Municipality of Siayan, is a 2nd class municipality in the province of Zamboanga del Norte, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 36,236 people.

Don Marcelino, officially the Municipality of Don Marcelino, is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Davao Occidental, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 45,540 people.

Malita, officially the Municipality of Malita, is a 1st class municipality and capital of the province of Davao Occidental, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 118,197 people making it the most populous town in the province.

The legislative districts of Cebu are the representations of the province of Cebu in the various national legislatures of the Philippines. At present, the province is currently represented in the House of Representatives of the Philippines by its seven congressional districts, with their respective representatives being elected every three years. Locally, the districts are also allotted two seats in the Cebu Provincial Board, with board members also being elected every three years.

The legislative districts of Aurora are the representations of the province of Aurora in the various national legislatures of the Philippines. The province is currently represented in the lower house of the Congress of the Philippines through its lone congressional district.

The Interim Batasang Pambansa was the legislature of the Republic of the Philippines from its inauguration on June 12, 1978, to June 5, 1984. It served as a transitional legislative body mandated by the 1973 Constitution as the Philippines shifted from a presidential to a semi-presidential form of government.

The legislative districts of Cebu City are the representations of the highly urbanized city of Cebu in the various national legislatures of the Philippines. The city is currently represented in the lower house of the Congress of the Philippines through its first and second congressional districts.

The legislative districts of Davao City are the representations of the highly urbanized city of Davao in the various national legislatures of the Philippines. The city is currently represented in the lower house of the Congress of the Philippines through its first, second, and third congressional districts.

The Securities and Exchange Commission is the agency of the government of the Philippines charged with the registration and supervision of corporations and securities, as well as capital market institutions and participants, in the Philippines. The commission promotes investor protection in the Philippines as part of its mandate.

The Regular Batasang Pambansa, or the First Batasang Pambansa, was the meeting of the Batasang Pambansa from the beginning of its session on July 23, 1984 until it was abolished by President Corazon Aquino on March 25, 1986.

Barangay elections were held for the first time in the country's 42,000 barangays for the positions of barangay captains and six councilors on May 17, 1982 following the Batas Pambansa Blg. 222 or the Barangay Election Act of 1982.

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to the Philippines:

Batasan Hills is a barangay of Quezon City, Philippines. The barangay was originally planned as the National Government Center of the Philippines. The Batasang Pambansa Complex, which sits atop the Constitution Hill, is the legislative session hall of the House of Representatives of the Philippines. The Sandiganbayan, a special appellate court, is also located here.

The University of Southeastern Philippines is a public, research, coeducational, regional state university based in Davao City, Davao del Sur, Philippines. Founded on December 15, 1978, the university is an integration of four state educational institutions: Mindanao State University-Davao, the University of the Philippines-Master of Management Program in Davao, the Davao School of Arts and Trades, and the Davao National Regional Agricultural School. It was the first state university in Davao Region.

The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration was an agency of the government of the Philippines responsible for opening the benefits of the overseas employment program of the Philippines. It is the main government agency assigned to monitor and supervise overseas recruitment and manning agencies in the Philippines. The POEA's office is located at EDSA corner Ortigas Avenue, Mandaluyong, Philippines.

In the Philippines, a freedom park is a centrally located public space where political gatherings, rallies and demonstrations may be held without the need of prior permission from government authorities. Similar to free speech zones in the United States, the existence of freedom parks are based on the premise that the government may regulate the time, place and manner of assemblies, without prejudice to the nature of expression being expressed in those assemblies.

Quezon's 1st congressional district is one of the four congressional districts of the Philippines in the province of Quezon, formerly Tayabas. It has been represented in the House of Representatives of the Philippines since 1916 and earlier in the Philippine Assembly from 1907 to 1916. The district consists of the city of Tayabas and adjacent municipalities of Burdeos, General Nakar, Infanta, Jomalig, Lucban, Mauban, Pagbilao, Panukulan, Patnanungan, Polillo, Real and Sampaloc. It also included the municipalities of Candelaria, Dolores, Lucena, San Antonio, Sariaya, and Tiaong, and the then-sub-province of Aurora until 1972 and the municipality of Laguimanoc from 1917 to 1922. It is currently represented in the 19th Congress by Wilfrido Mark M. Enverga of the Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC).

The Philippine Councilors League is an official organization in the Philippines composed of all elected, appointed, and ex officio members of legislative councils in the cities and municipalities of the country.

References

↑ Commission on Filipinos Overseas
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "About Us | Commission on Filipinos Overseas". cfo.gov.ph. Retrieved February 27, 2023. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .

External links

14°34′38.17″N120°59′48.67″E / 14.5772694°N 120.9968528°E / 14.5772694; 120.9968528

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[1] ↑ Commission on Filipinos Overseas

[About_Us-2] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "About Us | Commission on Filipinos Overseas". cfo.gov.ph. Retrieved February 27, 2023. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .

[1]

[2]

Commission overview
Komisyon sa mga Pilipino sa Ibayong Dagat
Seal
Formed	June 16, 1980 (1980-06-16)
Annual budget	₱181.017 million Php (2023)^[1]
Commission executive	Romulo Victoria Arugay, Secretary & Chairperson
Parent department	Office of the President of the Philippines
Website	cfo.gov.ph