From Migrants to Social Entrepreneurs: Building a Holistic Pathway for Overseas Filipino Workers

The migrant workers sector has long been recognized for its immense contribution, not just to economic development but to a country’s social fabric. In the Philippines, the journey of the Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) has become a defining part of our narrative. 

During the 2025 Philippine SE Roadmap Conference, the Bayan Family of Foundations  gathered key enablers to co-create an integrated, holistic approach for migrant workers – spanning pre-migration to deployment, up to reintegration upon their return. 

The vision – a journey where OFWs are fully prepared for migration, protected while working overseas, and much better equipped to return home – with their families and reintegration being part of each step. 

This multi-sector dialogue featured Paul Ng, Training Center Manager of Fair Training Center (FTC); Carlos Hechanova, Development Manager of Migrasia; and Dyanne De Ocampo, Labor and Employment Officer III of the Quezon City Public Employment Service Office (QC PESO), in a panel moderated by Luke Orbos, Executive Director of Bayan Academy. 

Together, they tackled the persistent challenges faced by migrant workers, including limited financial, emotional, and practical preparation; a lack of information on their rights and the migration process; a fragmented ecosystem of support – and ways forward. 

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Preparedness in the pre-migration phase. Paul Ng emphasized the importance of training and holistic preparation prior to migration, which FTC has advocated for the past seven years. 

“We've seen how many migrant workers return home empty-handed or with a lot more debt than before they left because they were not fully prepared,” he shared. “Reintegration starts from pre-migration. From the time they start thinking and imagining what working abroad might look like financially, economically - whether it be in Hong Kong or in other top destination countries – they should already have access to relevant information for that. They need to understand the reality of working and living overseas.”

Bridging the information gap. Carlos Hechanova pointed to the critical issue of information asymmetry, which leaves OFWs vulnerable to unethical intermediaries.

“What we see as a big challenge is information asymmetry,” he said. “Migration intermediaries acting unethically are able to do so because OFWs aren’t fully aware that what is being told to them is actually not allowed. The question is: how do we get the right information to OFWs at the right time, through the right channels?”

Migrasia, which has leveraged technology-driven innovations, aims to counter these risks by promoting fair labor through strengthened enforcement and holistic migration support, research, and education. 

A Holistic and Family-Centered Approach to the Migrant’s Journey. Representing the local government sector, Dyanne De Ocampo shared how Quezon City—through the QC PESO Migrants Resource Center (MRC)—has addressed these systemic gaps by working closely with national agencies and local departments to provide end-to-end support throughout the phases of pre-migration, pre-departure, onsite deployment, return, and reintegration. 

De Ocampo highlighted that OFWs tend to seek help only in times of crisis, so Quezon City has rolled out proactive and holistic services designed to reach both OFWs and their families before issues escalate. “A migrant worker's mind would always be in the Philippines – on their families left behind. So it's very important that they are actually informed of what services they can avail of if they have a problem, if they are going to return to the Philippines, and even the financial literacy of the families they leave behind. It’s very important that the families know how to manage the funds sent to them,” said De Ocampo. 

QC PESO MRC, in collaboration with interdepartmental units, provides psychosocial support, referral services, and livelihood pathways not just to OFWS but to their families –  so that even prior to their return home, their families are already engaged in livelihood or have started their own businesses. In this way, reintegration is coordinated, well-planned, and family-centered.

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Toward an End-to-End Ecosystem of Support. This unpacking of the OFW journey from on-the-ground perspectives reinforced the power of multi-sector collaboration in building holistic migrant pathways – from pre-migration readiness to reintegration as entrepreneurs and important contributors to their communities. 

Collaborations between FTC, Migrasia, the Bayan Family of Foundations, and the Quezon City Government are underway, with the aim to forge an end-to-end ecosystem of support for migrant workers. 

In closing, Luke Orbos reaffirmed the partners’ shared commitment to empower OFWs not only to return home safely, but to become social entrepreneurs and uplift their communities. Social enterprises, he noted, offer powerful reintegration pathways that address both financial and social bottom lines. At the same time, he stressed the critical role of institutionalizing systemic change, which Quezon CIty has been able to do. 

“These interventions stem from core values and the principles of solidarity, equity, and equality. These pillars cut across not just the migrant workers sector, but all social divides we aim to bridge,” he said. “Hopefully, this dialogue sparks a seed of change and serves as an inspiration, not only to migrant workers, but also to other enablers, organizations, and local government units.”

The Bayan Family of Foundations extends its heartfelt gratitude to Fair Training Center, Migrasia, and QC PESO MRC for championing our OFWs and their families. Here’s to continuing the work we’ve begun with our Filipino heroes.