BaLinkBayan

The increasing inflows of remittances from Overseas Filipinos (OFs) served as one of the profound tenacities of the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) to convert remittances to more sustainable productive channels through investment and entrepreneurship.

Government agencies may have published online business/investment opportunities   and priority areas, yet there seem to be a gap between accessing information and utilizing it for productive use. 

Thus in 2013, CFO launched the BaLinkBayan as the Overseas Filipinos’ one-stop online portal for diaspora engagement, offering an integrated and unique platform to re-engage with the Philippines through the so-called D2D (Diaspora to Development) program of the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO). A locally-funded national E-Government Project, the term BaLinkBayan is a play on the Filipino words Balikbayan (returning migrant), balik (return), bayan (country) and the English word “Link,” that refer to the World Wide Web.

Examples of the D2D programs that are parts of the portal are: diaspora philanthropy, medical mission coordination, doing business in the Philippines, tourism initiatives and investment for overseas Filipinos. The portal addresses the concerns of many migrants and their families in investing but would need information and directions to make their money work for them on a sustained basis as there is an absence of a developed government website portal for the purpose of assisting overseas Filipinos to invest in the Philippines.  

One Stop Online Portal for Diaspora Engagement

It seeks to bring together 10.24 million Filipinos in the diaspora into an integrated and comprehensive platform that taps into their knowledge, expertise, skills, networks, material and financial resources to contribute to the development of the Philippines.

 BaLinkBayan works at two levels. First, it links Overseas Filipinos (OFs) to development-oriented diaspora initiatives in the Philippines and second, it provides options for business and investment opportunities both at the national level and at their respective hometowns. The latter would link, among others, to automated transactional processes at the LGU level.

 

 

 

 

Start a Business

The START A BUSINESS page assists overseas Filipinos to be an entrepreneur.​

 

Donate and Volunteer

The DONATE AND VOLUNTEER page encourage them to share their fortune and skills with fellow countrymen in need.​

 

Access Online Government Services

The ACCESS GOVERNMENT ONLINE SERVICES page links to natinal government agencies, while it pilot tests local government services.

 

Our Mission

BaLinkBayan seeks to provide overseas Filipinos with the most comprehensive online guide for engaging in the development of the Philippines through opportunities in investments, philanthropy, technology expertise and skills exchange, and special government services.

Our Vision

BaLinkBayan aims to strengthen partnerships between overseas Filipinos and local communities, to achieve sustainable and long-term development of rural and urban localities, toward an economically prosperous Philippines.

 

Building a Coordinated Reintegration Framework for Overseas Filipinos

The Philippines is known as a best practice model in the area of migration management, particularly the management of deployment of Filipino workers and for institutionalizing landmark legislation for the protection of Filipinos abroad. While pre-departure services for all types of Filipino migrants have been developed and improved throughout the years there is a gap in the programs and services that are afforded to these Filipino migrants upon their return to the homeland. The proposed framework strengthens the current reintegration program for ALL types of Filipino migrants, providing for a more comprehensive package of services and opportunities to returnees regardless of their status abroad – dual citizens, 2nd and 3rd generation Filipinos, overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and their families as well as irregular migrants and the like.

In coordination with various migrant-serving agencies, CSOs and international organizations, the proposed CFO return and reintegration framework is geared towards developing and promoting responsive, productive, and sustainable reintegration programs and services to Filipino returnees and their families. It makes available a referral and follow-up system among appropriate government agencies and NGOs providing direct and immediate assistance to Overseas Filipino returnees. It is likewise intended to develop a knowledge management system among returnees to maximize gains from their overseas experience by providing options for knowledge sharing while developing competitiveness in various industries in the Philippines.