MALAYBALAY CITY, Bukidnon — Twenty-nine returning overseas Filipino workers (OFWs)
received a total of ₱1.155 million in financial assistance during a reintegration fair in Bukidnon
on October 20, as the government sought to help migrant workers rebuild their lives and find
employment at home

The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Regional Office 10 organized the Bayanihan para
sa Balikbayang Manggagawa–National Reintegration Network (BBM-NRN) Regional Fair 2026

at the Kaamulan Folk Arts Theater, bringing together 36 government agencies and private
institutions to provide employment, livelihood and social services to returning migrant workers
and their families.
Of the 29 beneficiaries, three received a combined ₱45,000 under the Enhanced Balik-Pinay,
Balik Hanapbuhay Program, while seven were granted ₱105,000 through the Expanded
Livelihood Development Assistance Program.
Another 19 OFWs received a total of ₱1.005 million under the Agarang Kalinga at Saklolo para
sa mga OFW na Nangangailangan (AKSYON) Fund.
The fair also offered a one-stop shop for government services, a job fair featuring local and
overseas employment opportunities, medical and health services, free eye checkups and
complimentary Migrants Brew from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA).
DMW-10 officer-in-charge regional director Emmanuel G. Toledo said the initiative recognized
the contribution of migrant workers to the Philippine economy, citing an estimated $35.63 billion
in OFW contributions in 2025.
Bukidnon Gov. Rogelio Neil P. Roque, meanwhile, underscored the sacrifices of Filipinos
working abroad to provide for their families, saying returning workers deserved more than a
warm welcome when they came home.
“Returning home should not mean returning to uncertainty,” Roque said in his message, stressing
the need for livelihood assistance, skills development, business support and meaningful
employment to help returning workers establish more secure futures.
He urged government agencies and partner institutions to work together to ensure that returning
OFWs could use the skills, knowledge and experience they gained abroad to build better lives in
their home communities.
The BBM-NRN initiative aims to connect returning migrant workers with government services,
employment opportunities and livelihood support as they transition back to local communities
and reunite with their families. (melbmadera)