OFWs may return home for good as entrepreneurs—VP Duterte

Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte hailed Go Negosyo’s “Balik-Bayan” program for serving as a “new road” and “new life” for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who dream of never leaving their families behind in pursuit of a better life.

(JANSEN ROMERO / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)

Department of Education (DepEd) Undersecretary Michael Poa delivered Duterte’s speech during the Go Negosyo Balik-Bayan 2023 Program on Saturday, Dec. 2, as the Vice President was undisposed because she is not feeling well and needs a full bed rest.

Noting that many OFWs would rather stay in the Philippines if there are employment and entrepreneurial opportunities for them, the official lauded that “Go Negosyo’s intervention serves as a new road and a new life for our OFWs.”

The Balik-Bayan program of Go Negosyo aims to give business opportunities for OFWs.

“The best part of this is that — while they are taught to fortify their economic security, they are doing it along with their families,” Poa said in behalf of Duterte as she also congratulated the Balik-Bayan Award recipients because they are “shining examples of the transformative power of entrepreneurship.”

“Let me also encourage other OFWs to explore this platform, discover diverse business models, network with industry experts, and connect with fellow OFWs who have successfully transitioned into entrepreneurship,” her message read.

The Vice President also said that while Filipino culture “cultivated a consciousness that venerates OFWs” and there is well-deserved respect for their “resiliency, courage, and unbelievable strength,” many of them would rather stay in the Philippines if there are opportunities here.

Addressing the OFWs, Poa, who is also the DepEd spokesperson, stated that they “embody the Filipino diaspora: brave, selfless, and determined.”

“You are more than the remittances you send home, and we want you to transform your ideas into thriving businesses,” Duterte told them.

The Vice President cited the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), which said that there are around 1.96 million Filipinos working overseas from April to September 2022, from 1.83 million from the same period in 2021.

She also recognized their contributions to the country’s economy, sharing the Banko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ (BSP) report which said that the total remittance of the 1.96 million OFWs in 2022 reached P197 billion.

She thanked Go Negosyo and its founder and leader Joey Concepcion for helping Filipinos and “guiding them toward a promising future as entrepreneurs.”

She urged the public and private sector to work together with the aim of realizing the dreams of OFWs to become “self-reliant business owners who uplift their families and communities and contribute to our nation-building efforts.”

Recognizing the “power of entrepreneurship to transform lives and build dreams,” Duterte praised Go Negosyo’s role in providing opportunities for OFWs who face financial and employment uncertainties when they return home.

“We applaud Go Negoyo’s Balik-Bayan Program for introducing, developing, and reinforcing the entrepreneurial acumen in our OFWs,” Poa read.

“This could be one of the best options that would convince OFWs to stay in the country — instead of returning overseas to work away from their families longer than we could imagine,” he added.