The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac, on Thursday praised overseas Filipino workers for their increasing remittances, which rose to $3.52 billion in October, while pledging expanded government programs to support their reintegration upon returning home.
Cacdac highlighted the growth in personal remittances, up from $3.46 billion in September, according to Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas data — during an event in Makati City marking the Month of Overseas Filipinos and International Migrants Day.
“We are once again so grateful to our dear overseas Filipinos and OFWs,” Cacdac said, describing their contributions as service to their families and the nation.
He emphasized that an OFW’s journey does not end with the expiration of their contract or their return home, but rather begins a new chapter requiring support for economic, social and psychosocial reintegration.
Cacdac outlined the department’s framework based on three pillars: “kaalaman” (knowledge), “kabuhayan” (livelihood) and “kalinga” (care).
Under the knowledge pillar, financial and business literacy programs are integrated throughout the migration cycle, from pre-employment to post-arrival. Partnerships with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, higher education institutions and private firms have expanded training and micro-credentialing. One initiative, the Expanded Tertiary Education Equivalency and Acceleration program, allows OFWs to earn college degrees by crediting overseas work experience.
The government is also promoting alternatives to domestic work, especially for women, through training in caregiving, hospitality and other skilled fields to improve wages, job classifications and protections.
For the care pillar, psychosocial services have been strengthened with wellness sessions for OFWs and families. The OFW Hospital has provided over 200,000 services since 2023.
Livelihood support remains central, with the National Reintegration Center for OFWs assisting a record 4,700 beneficiaries this year under the “Buy local, buy OFW” program — the highest since its inception nearly a decade ago. In 2025, the program reached more than 10,309 returning workers.
The DMW Aksyon Fund has disbursed assistance of 50,000 to 100,000 pesos ($850 to $1,700) to nearly 30,000 distressed OFWs facing medical, legal or emergency needs.
“As we mark International Migrants Day, we do so with gratitude and renewed resolve,” Cacdac said. “We will continue to do more, to do better, and to serve better, so that every returning overseas Filipino is met with opportunity, dignity, and hope.”
