THE Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) has signed a memorandum of understanding with Angat Pinas Inc., a nonprofit organization widely known as Angat Buhay, to boost philanthropic endeavors of the global Filipino diaspora in the Philippines.
CFO Secretary Dante Ang II and Angat Buhay Executive Director Raphael Martin Magno formalized the agreement.
Through the partnership, the CFO will utilize its long-standing Lingkod sa Kapwa Pilipino (Linkapil) Program to channel financial resources, networks, and technical expertise from nonresident Filipinos (NRFs) and overseas organizations directly into Angat Buhay's targeted grassroots interventions. The collaborative framework will prioritize critical development areas, including public education, food security, public health, disaster risk reduction, housing, and climate resilience.
“The continuing engagement of our NRFs can help translate migration experience into concrete opportunities for families, communities, and local development,” Ang said, emphasizing that the initiative aligns with the national policy of treating overseas Filipinos as indispensable partners in nation-building.
Established in 1989, the CFO's Linkapil program has long served as a structural mechanism to funnel overseas assistance into local high-impact projects. Under the new agreement, the CFO will actively promote Angat Buhay's core anti-poverty initiatives to overseas networks and endorse community project proposals for direct diaspora funding.
The partnership aims to engage second- and third-generation overseas Filipino youth in local civic action and volunteerism through CFO's Youth Leaders in the Diaspora program.
By creating an institutional bridge between global donors and local communities, both entities aim to institutionalize the traditional spirit of bayanihan (volunteerism) for long-term development gains.
