House Committee on Higher and Technical Education Chairman Tingog Party-list Rep. Jude Acidre on Sunday, Feb. 8 called on the Senate to swiftly pass the proposed Bagong Balikbayan Act for the benefit of returning overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to the Philippines.

Acidre made the appeal following the approval and transmittal of the bill by the House of Representatives. It was principally authored by former Speaker, Leyte 1st district Rep. Martin Romualdez.

Embodied in House Bill (HB) No. 6643, the Bagong Balikbayan Act seeks to consolidate reintegration services, expand access to livelihood assistance, and provide a more predictable support system for returning migrant workers and their families.

With OFWs arriving home in large numbers after the holidays, Acidre says the Senate's swift action on the measure would send a strong signal that Congress is ready to match their sacrifices with concrete and lasting reforms.

Acidre, who also authored the measure in both the 19th and 20th Congresses, said it was part of Romualdez’s legislative push as former Speaker to institutionalize long-term protection and reintegration support for OFWs.

The bill--approved by the House on Dec. 16, 2025 and transmitted to the Senate the following day--recognized the returning workers' need for employment, livelihood opportunities, and family support.

The proposed statute aims to address long-standing weaknesses in existing reintegration programs, which lawmakers say often leave returning OFWs unemployed or underemployed months after coming home, despite years of skills and experience gained overseas.

Acidre, who chaired the House Committee on Overseas Workers Affairs during the 19th Congress, said the bill responds to a recurring reality faced by many OFW families at the start of every year.

“Every first quarter of the year, we see OFWs come home with plans to rebuild their lives. This bill ensures they are not left to navigate that transition alone, but are met with clear pathways to work, livelihood, and family stability,” he said.

Under HB No.6643, reintegration assistance will begin as early as six months before an OFW’s return through Migrant Workers Offices abroad. This will allowi workers and their families to plan ahead for employment, entrepreneurship, education or skills upgrading, and psychosocial support.

The measure also mandates the holding of regular job fairs, expanded employment facilitation, and formal recognition of skills and work experience acquired overseas, including the possible grant of appropriate civil service eligibility based on overseas experience.

“For many OFWs, the hardest part is not leaving—it’s coming home,” Acidre said. “They bring back valuable skills, but without recognition and support, those skills often go to waste.”

To reduce bureaucratic delays, the bill establishes centralized digital platforms that allow returnee OFWs to access job matching, training, financial literacy programs, and reintegration services through a single system. This cuts down paperwork and the number of visits to government offices.

Families of returning OFWs are among the direct beneficiaries of the measure, which provides psychosocial counseling, family reintegration support, and access to social protection programs, particularly for distressed and vulnerable households.

The bill is also essential in strengthening protection for undocumented and distressed OFWs. It institutionalizes confidential assistance mechanisms, livelihood training, and access to affordable credit for small enterprises and livelihood projects.