The Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) is seeking a research-backed review of local succession and property laws, as part of efforts to strengthen protections for Filipinos living abroad who face difficulties securing inheritance rights in the Philippines.
CFO Secretary Dante “Klink” Ang II raised the proposal during a meeting with Sylvester Lee Salcedo, a Filipino-American lawyer and retired U.S. Navy officer, who discussed the increasing legal challenges encountered by overseas Filipinos when pursuing property claims from outside the country.
Ang said the agency intends to pursue a systematic policy response that will identify gaps in existing laws and recommend reforms aimed at safeguarding the interests of the diaspora.
“Our responsibility is to conduct a thorough, research-driven study on these property concerns,” Ang said. “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.”
Salcedo pointed to the difficulties many overseas Filipinos face when dealing with legal processes in the Philippines while residing abroad, noting that these complications often result in the loss of family assets. He said such outcomes discourage many migrants from maintaining long-term financial and personal ties with their communities back home.
He also urged the adoption of a more structured system, including possible new legislation, to make inheritance procedures more accessible for Filipinos based overseas, particularly those who may be stationed abroad for extended periods.
The proposed reforms were described as aligned with the CFO’s mandate of preserving the political, cultural, and economic connections between overseas Filipinos and the Philippines, with property ownership viewed as a key factor in sustaining diaspora investment in local communities.
Ang also linked the issue to the government’s ongoing work on retirement and reintegration policies for overseas Filipinos, citing the CFO’s involvement in the Technical Working Group (TWG) on Retirement and Reintegration. He noted that the global Filipino population abroad is estimated at 10.7 million, with more than half falling under the CFO’s constituents, particularly permanent and long-term migrants.
The CFO said its Policy, Planning, and Research Division is expected to lead consultations with legal experts and diaspora leaders, with the goal of developing recommendations that may be submitted to both the executive and legislative branches.
