BAGUIO CITY, Philippines – The Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO), led by Chairperson Secretary Romulo “Leo” V. Arugay and Baguio City Mayor Benjamin B. Magalong, inaugurated the Baguio Satellite Office on Wednesday, August 7, 2024, at Gestdan Centrum, Bokawkan Road.
The new office aims to bring CFO services closer to communities in Baguio City and the entire Cordillera Administrative Region.
In his opening remarks, Secretary Arugay stated, “Ang pagbubukas ng CFO Baguio Satellite Office ay bunga ng ating sama-samang pagsisikap mula sa ating mga officers at sa lahat ng mga empleyado gayundin sa suporta ng lokal na pamahalaan ng Baguio sa pangunguna ni Mayor Benjie Magalong.”
(The opening of the CFO Baguio Satellite Office is the result of our collective efforts from our officers and all employees, as well as the support of the local government of Baguio, led by Mayor Benjie Magalong.)
He also expressed gratitude to President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos for championing the rights, welfare, and interests of Filipinos both here and abroad.
Arugay vowed that the CFO will continue to implement innovative initiatives to advance the welfare of Filipino migrants and their families in the Philippines under the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.
With the opening of the CFO Baguio, Cordillerans will no longer need to travel to Metro Manila to process their immigration documents.
“Now, the services they need are at their doorstep. This is a significant step in enhancing our service delivery and making our services more accessible, a testament to our shared mission of ensuring client satisfaction through efficient, effective, and inclusive delivery of our frontline services,” Arugay said.
The CFO Baguio will offer the following services:
- Pre-Departure Orientation Seminar
- Peer Counseling Program
- Guidance and Counseling Program
- Country Familiarization Seminar
- PDOS for US Exchange Visitor Program Participants
The CFO is an agency of the Philippine Government under the Office of the President, established on June 16, 1980, through Batas Pambansa 79.
It is tasked with promoting and upholding the interests, rights, and welfare of overseas Filipinos and strengthening their ties with the country.
Batas Pambansa 79 aimed to enhance the government’s policy on migrant welfare and interest, replacing the Office of Emigrant Affairs (OEA) while expanding its mandate.
The CFO specifically serves Filipino emigrants, providing pre-departure orientation seminars and promoting technology transfer and contributions from overseas for development projects in underserved communities throughout the Philippines.
Additionally, it offers opportunities for younger generations of Filipinos overseas to learn about Philippine history and culture.
Under Batas Pambansa 79, the CFO performs the following functions:
- Assist the President and Congress of the Philippines in formulating policies affecting Filipinos overseas
- Develop and implement programs to promote the interest and well-being of Filipinos overseas
- Serve as a forum for preserving and enhancing social, economic, and cultural ties between Filipinos overseas and the Philippines
- Liaise on behalf of Filipinos overseas with appropriate government and private agencies for business and related ventures in the Philippines
The primary clientele of the CFO includes:
- Filipino permanent migrants or residents abroad
- Filipinos overseas who have become naturalized citizens of other countries or dual citizens
- Filipino spouses and partners of foreign nationals leaving the country
- Descendants of Filipinos overseas as defined in Batas Pambansa 79
- Filipino youth overseas
- Exchange Visitor Program participants
- Filipino Au Pair participants