The Office of the President (OP) and non-profit organization Go Negosyo joined hands on Saturday, Dec. 7, to give out P3 million worth of cash and in-kind prizes to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and their families who joined the “Balik-Bayan Summit 2024.”
Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and their families join Go Negosyo founder Joey Concepcion, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and government officials at the 2024 Balik-Bayan Summit on Dec. 7, 2024. (Photo from Go Negosyo)
First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and Go Negosyo founder Joey Concepcion led the event and the announcement of the prizes, which included the P2 million in cash from President Marcos’ office.
During the event, Concepcion called on the attendees to learn from the sessions and seek guidance from the mentors.
“We don’t want you to spend your savings without proper mentorship,” he said. “We are here to help you.”
He then thanked the OFWs and their families for their sacrifices.
“Balik-Bayan 2024 is a platform to provide business opportunities and foster investment matches for OFWs, encouraging them toward entrepreneurship and ensuring that their hard work and resources are put to productive and profitable use,” Concepcion, also the president and CEO of RFM Corp., added.
Among the recipients of the cash and in-kind prizes were three attendees who lined up at the venue as early as 6 p.m. of Dec. 6.
Other winners simply registered or walked in on the day of the event.
Organized by Go Negosyo, Balik-Bayan 2024 “featured informative discussions with industry leaders, inspirational and learning sessions featuring successful entrepreneurs, and free onsite mentorship sessions.”
In these sessions, OFWs and their families can consult with Go Negosyo mentors about their current or planned businesses.
Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac, who joined the First Lady and Concepcion, expressed support for the OFWs who want to be reintegrated into the country’s economy.
This will be made possible by the agency’s reintegration program that aims to retool and upskill them.
“Today is about creating opportunities for collaborations, and to uplift not only OFWs and their families but also the entire Filipino people,” he said.
Cacdac added that there are now more than 2,000 beneficiaries of its economic reintegration program and that the department will launch the national reintegration network together with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
Also in the event were DTI Secretary Cris Roque, Commission on Filipinos Overseas Chairman Dante “Klink” Ang, and Pasay City Mayor Emi Calixto-Rubiano.