THE Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) spearheaded an initiative to address the diverse needs of an aging diaspora population.
CFO Chairman Dante Ang II met with Pag-IBIG Fund Chief Executive Officer Marilene Acosta to discuss how to provide comprehensive housing, specialized health care and long-term financial stability for overseas Filipinos planning their return to the homeland.
Acosta said Pag-IBIG Fund is ready to evaluate funding tracks for land acquisition and structural housing development, noting that the Group Land Acquisition and Development program is a viable financing mechanism for such projects.
The program, she said, could leverage the CFO’s partnership with the Atikha Overseas Workers and Communities Initiative, a nongovernment organization championing the Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) model. Rather than functioning as traditional, isolated care facilities, CCRCs are designed as integrated ecosystems.
The primary objective of the CCRC approach is to enable returning migrants to maintain productive, socially connected and secure lives during their retirement years.
The CFO said the pilot phase of the CCRC initiative is slated for rollout in San Pablo City, Laguna, with long-term plans to bring it to key regions nationwide.
The CFO and Pag-IBIG Fund were considering aligning the initiative with the national government’s flagship Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino (4PH) program to optimize land use, scale up building efficiencies and streamline socialized financing options.
”Beyond supporting overseas Filipinos as they cross borders, the CFO recognizes the importance of ensuring a stable, secure foundation for their return or retirement,” Ang said.
