COMMISSION on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) Secretary Dante Ang II has sought a review of local succession and property laws to protect the inheritance rights of overseas Filipinos (OFs).
Ang made the call after a recent meeting with Sylvestre Lee Salcedo, a Filipino-American lawyer and retired Navy officer, who discussed the legal complexities faced by the diaspora when asserting claims over properties in the Philippines.
There are over 10.7 million Filipinos abroad; more than half of them are CFO’s constituents — the permanent and long-term migrants.
For many in the diaspora, inheritance is the foundation of their retirement plan in the Philippines, the CFO said.
By addressing the “inheritance hurdle,” the CFO seeks to ensure the diaspora’s economic stake in the Philippines remains secure across generations.
“Our responsibility is to conduct a thorough, research-driven study on these property concerns,” Ang said in a statement on Monday. “We need an evidence-based approach to identify where our current laws fall short and what policy interventions are required to safeguard the interests of our kababayans (fellow Filipinos).”
The CFO said the initiative is an extension of its mission to maintain the political, cultural, and economic ties between overseas Filipinos and their motherland.
Also, the CFO said that Salcedo, drawing from his legal experience in the US, emphasized that many OFs struggle to navigate the Philippine legal system from a distance.
“These challenges often lead to the loss of family assets, which serves as a major deterrent for those looking to maintain economic and emotional roots in the country,” the CFO said.
Salcedo pressed for a systematic framework — probably involving new legislation — to rationalize the handling of inheritance for those stationed abroad.
This move is seen as vital for the “economic pillar” of the CFO’s mission, as clear property rights encourage the diaspora to continue investing in their hometowns.
The push for property law reform is also linked to the CFO’s broader advocacy on overseas Filipino retirees.
Ang noted the CFO’s active role in the Technical Working Group (TWG) on Retirement and Reintegration.
The CFO said ensuring that these properties are “easily transferable and legally protected is essential for a smooth reintegration process.”
The CFO’s Policy, Planning, and Research Division is expected to spearhead the consultative approach, engaging with legal experts and diaspora leaders to draft recommendations for the executive and legislative branches.
It said that a research-driven strategy aims to transform the “inheritance hurdle” into a bridge that keeps the global Filipino community permanently connected to the Philippine soil.
