CFO Secretary Leo Arugay and Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto, together with CFO Project Management Director Marita Del Rosario-Apattad
and Pasig City Management Information Systems Office Officer-in-Charge John Carlo Fatallo
On 16 October 2024, the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) officially entered into a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with Pasig City, marking it as the second partner of the CFO in the National Capital Region.
In his message, Pasig City Mayor Victor Ma Regis “Vico” Sotto, emphasized the significance of the partnership for Pasigueños. “Magandang maging partner ng CFO ang LGU ng Pasig para mas mapalapit ang serbisyo sa mga Pasigueños sa ibang bansa, na kahit hindi na sila sa Pasig physically nakatira ay itinuturing pa rin natin silang Pasiguenos,” he said. He also noted that the BaLinkBayan MOA Signing event and Capacity-Building Activities held at the Pasig City Hall is a milestone and might be last event before the LGU’s relocation to a temporary city hall to make way for renovations in the old city hall.
On the other hand, CFO Secretary Romulo “Leo” Arugay expressed his gratitude to Pasig City for accepting the BaLinkBayan Project partnership. Additionally, he lauded Mayor Vico Sotto’s leadership and Pasig City as an exemplar of good governance.
Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto and CFO Secretary Leo Arugay as they deliver their messages during the MOA Signing
Prior to the MOA signing, the CFO BaLinkBayan team conducted a Project Orientation and Capacity-Building Activities (CBA) for the LGU. CFO Project Management Division (PMD) Director Marita Del Rosario-Apattad introduced the Commission and the BaLinkBayan Project. She also outlined overseas Filipinos’ contribution to the Philippines in the areas such as remittances, skills transfer, investments, and philanthropy. After which, Ms. Patricia Salvador, also from PMD, conducted the Data Gathering Workshop to assist the LGU in identifying the contents of their localized BaLinkBayan website. On the other hand, Mr. Jeremy Nicasio and Ms. Ma. Auxilium Obispo II of the CFO’s Management Information Systems Division (MISD) equipped the participants on the know-how in managing Pasig City’s own BaLinkBayan website.
Director Marie Apattad, Ms. Patricia Salvador, Mr. Jeremy Nicasio and Ms. Ma Auxilium Obispo II while conducting the Project Orientation and Capactity Building Activities
Both the MOA Signing and CBA were attended by representatives from various Pasig City offices, like the Mayor’s Office, Public Employment Service Office (PESO), Permit and Licensing Department (BPLD), City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO), Management Information Systems Office (MISO), Public Information Office (PIO), Gender and Development (GAD) Office, and Ugnayan Sa Pasig (USAP) Office, demonstrating the LGU’s commitment to the partnership.
The CFO BaLinkBayan team, together with representatives from various Pasig City offices
Based on the latest CFO data, 35,383 registered Filipino emigrants and 5,722 marriage migrants originated from Pasig City. With these statistics, along with other factors, the LGU would greatly benefit from the establishment of a localized BaLinkBayan website to promote and develop their migrant-focused policies, programs, and initiatives.
Pasig City is the 10th LGU partner of the CFO BaLinkBayan Project in 2024, 2nd LGU partner in the National Capital Region, and 57th LGU partner overall.
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