Reintegration was framed as a long-term, people-first process during the National Forum on Migration held on December 18, 2025, at the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) office in Makati, where around 300 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and their families gathered for a full-day exchange on return and recovery pathways.
Staged as part of the 2025 Month of Overseas Filipinos and International Migrants Day, the forum carried the theme “Empowering Overseas Filipinos Towards Sustainable Reintegration,” placing emphasis on preparation that begins even before workers leave the country and continues well beyond their return. Discussions centered on how recognition of skills, access to livelihoods, job matching, and psychosocial support can be woven into a coherent reintegration track while maintaining strong protection measures across the migration cycle.
DMW Secretary Hans Leo J. Cacdac led the engagement, stressing that reintegration should not be treated as a terminal phase of migration but as a continuous, human-centered process. He highlighted the need for systems that help returning OFWs translate overseas experience into viable work or business opportunities, supported by government services that respond to both economic and personal needs.
The forum aligned with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to reinforce migrant reintegration programs and expand sustainable livelihood options for returning workers. Organizers underscored the role of the National Forum on Migration in synchronizing policies, sharing operational practices, and strengthening collaboration among government agencies, civil society groups, and international partners to address the changing realities faced by OFWs and their families.
Representatives from multiple institutions joined the dialogue, including Commission on Filipinos Overseas Secretary Dante Francis M. Ang II; Department of Foreign Affairs Director Catherine F. Alpay; Philippine Migrants Rights Watch’s Carmelita G. Nuqui; AWO International e.V.’s Stefan Bepler; Philippine Migration Research Network’s Dr. Jeremaiah M. Opiniano; International Organization for Migration’s Ilova Dorylane Lorenzo; and Development Action for Women Network/PMRW’s Lance A.S. Velasco, among others.
The gathering also highlighted concrete reintegration outcomes through featured OFW success stories. Among those presented were Angie Mar A. Rosario, a LIKHAng Kababaihan NCR awardee and owner of BigBite Cookziellas, and Emilio Baja, founder of Full Phils, whose experiences illustrated how returning migrants can build enterprises anchored on skills gained abroad.
Complementing the forum sessions was the National Reintegration Network Partners Fair, organized by the National Reintegration Center for OFWs. Partner institutions including OWWA, LandBank, SSS, DFA, IOM, CFO, PhilHealth, FOI, GCash, and MyTrade by Abacus Securities set up information booths to provide on-site guidance and assistance related to employment, financing, social protection, and business development.
