CFO to review inheritance and property laws for migrant Filipinos abroad

The Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) said it is looking into reforms that would protect the property and inheritance rights of migrant Filipinos.

In a statement, CFO said that they will be conducting an “evidence-based” review of local succession and property laws to help overseas Filipinos maintain and secure their political, cultural, and economic ties with the country.

“Our responsibility is to conduct a thorough, research-driven study on these property concerns… We need an evidence-based approach to identify where our current laws fall short and what policy interventions are required to safeguard the interests of our kababayans,” said CFO Secretary Dante Ang II.

He also noted that the move aligns with CFO’s advocacy for overseas Filipino retirees, stating that helping migrant Filipinos get over the “inheritance hurdle” and protecting Filipino family assets helped in creating smoother reintegration for eventual retirement.

The Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO), meanwhile, is also curating programs that align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Ang said that the agency will be shifting towards “deeper diaspora engagement” and highlighted how the contributions of overseas Filipinos “extend beyond money.”

He noted that the CFO currently had two key programs that align with SDG targets.

The first program, LINKAPIL, or Link for Philippine Development, allowed overseas Filipinos to fund small-scale developments like classrooms, health centers, or livelihoods for local communities in the Philippines.

Another program, YouLead, connects young Filipinos overseas with the Philippines through cultural tours and historical workshops.

 Ang said that the agency’s goal supports the United Nations Association of the Philippines (UNAP) in advancing the UN SDGs.  —Jiselle Anne C. Casucian/ VAL, GMA Integrated News