Tingog Party-list Representative Jude Acidre pushed for stronger reintegration laws for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) so that they can come home to the Philippines with real opportunities.

Acidre said it is imperative that the govvernment honor OFWs, not only as modern-day heroes, but as Filipinos whose sacrifices must be met with stronger laws, better services, and real opportunities when they return home.

“For many OFWs, working abroad begins with the hope of securing a better future for their loved ones. Behind every success story, however, are years of hard work, separation from family, and personal sacrifice,” Acidre said.

Acidre, who served as Chairperson of the House Committee on Overseas Workers Affairs during the 19th Congress, made the statement during his keynote message at the National Reintegration Network Regional Fair and Kumustahan held at Leyte Normal University in Tacloban City.

The event, hosted by the Department of Migrant Workers Regional Office VIII as part of the Migrant Workers’ Month and Independence Day Celebration 2026, carried the theme “Bayan, Bayani, Bayanihan: Para sa Kalayaan, Kinabukasan at Kasaysayan.”

The theme, he said, captures the story of OFWs whose work abroad is rooted in love of family and country, but also points to the shared responsibility of government and society to support them across every stage of migration.

While the nation rightly honors OFWs for their contributions, recognition must be translated into policies that help them build stable and productive lives after overseas employment.

That is why reintegration must remain a national priority, the Tingog party-list chief said.

“Reintegration is a crucial step in ensuring that returning OFWs can rebuild their lives, invest in their communities, and transform the skills and experiences they gained abroad into lasting opportunities here in the Philippines,” Acidre stressed.

He said one of the key legislative efforts that responds to this need is the proposed Bagong Balikbayan Act, which seeks to strengthen the country’s reintegration framework for returning migrant workers.

The measure aims to provide returning OFWs with greater access to livelihood assistance, employment facilitation, skills upgrading, financial literacy, and social protection services.

“The proposed Bagong Balikbayan Act also recognizes that reintegration is not a one-time intervention but a continuing process that requires long-term support,” Acidre said.

He pointed out many OFWs come home with more than savings: “They bring years of discipline, technical skill, professional experience, and the desire to start businesses, pursue new careers, or contribute more actively to their communities.”

With the right support systems, Acidre said these experiences can be transformed into local economic growth, job creation, and community development.

Acidre said the same principle of recognizing what OFWs have learned and earned through experience is also reflected in the Expanded Tertiary Education Equivalency and Accreditation Program, or ETEEAP Act, which TINGOG authored and championed.

The ETEEAP primarily widens access to higher education for working Filipinos, including OFWs, by recognizing knowledge, skills, and competencies gained through work and life experience.

Through this law, qualified workers may have their prior learning and professional experience assessed, credited, and translated into academic pathways that allow them to complete degree programs without having to start over.

“For many OFWs, the classroom has taken many forms: the workplace, the community, and the world itself,” Acidre said.

The lawmaker said both the proposed Bagong Balikbayan Act and ETEEAP point to a larger policy direction: OFWs must be supported not only while they are abroad, but also when they return home and begin a new chapter with their families and communities.

“As we celebrate Independence Day, let us remember that true freedom is not only remembered in history but realized through opportunities that allow every Filipino to live with dignity, security, and hope,” Acidre said.