A party-list lawmaker has filed legislation aimed at easing the financial transition for overseas Filipino workers returning home, proposing a package of business incentives designed to channel their foreign earnings into sustainable livelihoods.
House Bill No. 8751, filed by 1Tahanan party-list Rep. Nathaniel Oducado, comes as the government continues repatriating Filipinos displaced by rising tensions in the Middle East. The measure, formally titled the Benefits and Incentives to OFWs Investing in Business in the Philippines, targets returning workers who wish to establish their own enterprises rather than seek new overseas employment.
Under the proposed legislation, OFW-owned businesses would receive a five-year income tax exemption, reduced real property taxes, duty-free importation of equipment, and preferential financing through government agencies. The bill also includes mandatory financial literacy and entrepreneurship training to help returnees make informed investment decisions.
Oducado framed the proposal as both an economic and a humanitarian measure. “This is not just an economic measure, but a reintegration response allowing our returning kababayans to rebuild their lives with dignity and stability,” he said.
The congressman cited the risk of financial deterioration among repatriated workers as a key justification for the bill. “With many returning OFWs at risk of exhausting their savings, lowering the cost of starting a business is critical to preventing financial distress,” Oducado said.
Beyond individual relief, Oducado argued that OFW-founded businesses could generate employment for other Filipinos, compounding the bill’s broader economic value.
“As thousands of OFWs are being brought home due to instability abroad, we must ensure they are not returning to uncertainty, but to real opportunities for livelihood and reintegration,” he said.
