MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) partnered with the Philippine Retirement Authority (PRA) in their bid to assist overseas Filipinos (OFs) in returning to and investing in the Philippines.
CFO Secretary Dante Ang II said in a statement that he inked a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with PRA General Manager Roberto Zozobrado to integrate PRA’s retirement programs and services into CFO’s “BaLinkBayan” portal.
The two government officials sealed their agencies’ collaboration on June 18, 2025.
The BaLinkBayan portal, the CFO said, was a centralized digital platform to assist OFs returning to and investing in the Philippines.
Ang said former overseas Filipinos, as well as foreign retirees who seek to reintegrate, retire, or invest in the Philippines, could now look forward to “more streamlined, accessible, and client-centered services.”
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Through this partnership, the CFO and PRA are not only integrating services but also creating smarter pathways for former Filipinos abroad to return, invest, and retire with confidence.
“It embodies a shift toward proactive governance, one that meets citizens where they are and builds bridges back home through innovation, inclusion, and collaboration,” Ang said.
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He stressed that it aligned with the mission of the Commission on Filipinos Overseas- to connect the Filipinos abroad to the Philippines politically, economically, and culturally.
“Now we are enhancing our program and initiatives with the elderly members of the diaspora, in partnership with the PRA, to consider retiring in the Philippines,” the top CFO official added.
Zozobrado said that they have been trying to get more former Filipino citizens to retire here in the Philippines.
“Every time we go on a trip abroad to promote the Philippines as a retirement haven, we always want to talk to the Filipino community,” Zozobrado said.
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“With CFO’s contacts abroad, we can reach out to them and try to convince them to retire here in the Philippines,” he added.
The CFO reiterated that the partnership would be surely beneficial to former Filipino retirees returning home to the Philippines and even foreigners seeking permanent residence as they would be provided with easier access to credible, government-backed services and information, all in one place.
Under the MOU, PRA will contribute content and services to the BaLinkBayan portal, including guidance on the Special Resident Retiree’s Visa (SRRV), investment requirements, healthcare options, and property acquisition.
For its part, the CFO will help promote these services to former OFs and link them with local development initiatives.
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Looking forward to the partnership, Ang believed there would be a higher chance of success in reaching out to the concerned sector “now that we have more than one agency working on similar objectives.”
The initiative reflects the spirit of “Bagong Pilipinas” by reimagining how the government can serve its people, particularly those beyond our borders, he stressed.
Undersecretary Arlene S. Borja, CFO Project Management Division chief Marita Del Rosario-Apattad, and department manager Antonio Rivera witnessed the ceremonial signing.
