MAKATI City Mayor Nancy Binay wants to adopt one of the programs of the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) to encourage overseas-based Filipinos (OFs) to invest in the country’s major economic hub.
According to the CFO, Binay wants to use the agency’s BaLinkBayan (BLB) Portal, a digital gateway for overseas Filipinos, to offer local investment opportunities.
During the recent meeting with CFO Secretary Dante Ang II, Binay expressed her intention to coordinate with the agency to encourage OFs to invest in Makati.
Ang said that while many overseas Filipinos are eager to invest in their home cities, they often lack access to verified, real-time information.
The BaLinkBayan project addresses this by providing local government units (LGUs) with dedicated microsites.
“These portals allow cities like Makati to showcase specific investment opportunities directly to their constituents abroad,” Ang said.
The CFO said Makati City aims to tap into the vast investment potential of the agency’s overseas-based residents, localize diaspora engagement, and streamline capital flow from returning overseas Filipinos.
It is aligned with the CFO’s core mandate to serve as the primary link between the motherland and its permanent migrants.
By localizing this effort in Makati, the CFO aims to transform the city’s diaspora from a source of occasional remittances into a pillar of local economic development.
Binay, noting her experience with retired Filipino professionals vacationing in the city, recognized the untapped potential of the OFs’ demographics.
Beyond financial capital, the partnership seeks to facilitate “brain gain,” connecting Makati with professional migrants in technology and innovation who can transfer critical skills and expertise to aid the city’s modernization.
The discussions also touched upon the Lingkod sa Kapwa Pilipino program, the CFO’s flagship initiative for diaspora philanthropy.
While the city is familiar with overseas donations, Ang highlighted the CFO’s role in vetting beneficiaries and monitoring projects.
This ensures that philanthropic efforts — ranging from health care equipment to educational grants — result in sustainable, long-term impact rather than one-time distributions.
The Makati LGU is considering placing the partnership under the oversight of the Economic Enterprises Management Office to maximize its commercial and revenue-generating potential.
“This is about recognizing our overseas Filipinos as active partners in our city’s progress,” Binay said.
