ZAMBOANGA CITY — The Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) said human-centered innovation is crucial to reaching Filipinos overseas.
“Technology must remain people-centered if it is to help transform the diaspora’s willingness to contribute into lasting development gains,” CFO Chairman Secretary Dante Ang II said at the 36th National Quality Forum and Expo held at the Garden Orchid Hotel.
The conference, with the theme “UNITE: Where Purpose Meets Quality,” was organized by the Philippine Society for Quality.
Ang said the success of government programs should be measured by their relevance, sustainability, and tangible community impact rather than raw statistical output.
He noted that cultivating diaspora partnerships and modernizing public service ensure that Filipinos abroad remain integral, active partners in nation-building.
Ang said that initiatives that support this strategy include the BaLinkBayan Portal, an integrated digital platform designed to keep overseas Filipinos connected, informed, and engaged with economic and voluntary initiatives back home; and the Presidential Awards for Filipino Individuals and Organizations Overseas, an institutional recognition program honoring the outstanding achievements and contributions of the global diaspora toward Philippine progress.
Ang said that the CFO’s operational paradigm reflects the policy direction of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who maintains that migration should be a matter of personal choice rather than an economic necessity.
