The Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) have signed a Memorandum of Agreement for the Balik Agri-OFW Agribusiness and Investment Reintegration Program, which gives returning overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) a route into agriculture and agribusiness.
The agreement combines the programs, technical expertise, training and financing support of both agencies. Its aim is to help OFWs move from work abroad to running sustainable enterprises in the Philippines.
The initiative follows President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s call in his 2026 State of the Nation Address to assist returning OFWs. “Pag-uwi sa Pilipinas, sila ay ating tutulungan upang makapagsimula muli sa paghahanapbuhay,” the President said.
What the program offers
Returning and prospective OFWs interested in agribusiness will have a one-stop-shop support mechanism. It covers the stages of building an enterprise: identifying business opportunities, preparing business plans, accessing financing and carrying out the venture.
Training will be tailored to the agribusiness each OFW chooses. Participants will also get help developing their business proposals using DA-prepared agribusiness investment menus. The menus may include native pig production, native chicken production, itik production, oyster mushroom production and processing, and lowland vegetable production, along with other agriculture and value-adding enterprises.
The DA will also help participants reach existing financing and enterprise support. This includes loan programs of the Agricultural Credit Policy Council (ACPC) and OWWA livelihood and grant programs, subject to existing program guidelines and eligibility requirements.
Statements from officials
“Gusto nating ipa-realize sa ating mga minamahal na OFWs na may pera at livelihood opportunities sa agriculture. Through the Balik Agri-OFW Program, we want to provide them with the knowledge, technical assistance, and access to financing they need to turn their ideas into sustainable agribusinesses,” said Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Jr.
Assistant Secretary for Agribusiness, Marketing, and Consumer Affairs Atty. Genevieve E. Velicaria-Guevarra said the program is meant to give returning OFWs practical and market-oriented opportunities in agriculture.
“We want our returning OFWs to see agriculture not only as a source of livelihood, but as a viable business and investment opportunity. Through the Balik Agri-OFW Program, we are bringing together the technical assistance, enterprise development support, financing opportunities, and market linkages they need to turn their resources and ideas into sustainable agribusiness ventures,” Guevarra said.
She added that the DA will continue to identify agriculture and agribusiness opportunities that respond to market demand and fit the capabilities and resources of returning OFWs.
Data on returning OFWs
A 2024 study on returning OFWs found that among those who became self-employed, 50.5 percent were engaged in selling or online selling, 22.5 percent in food-related businesses, and 17.0 percent in farming, fishing and poultry. Agriculture-related enterprises were not the largest category, but the findings show these activities remain among those returning OFWs pursue.
The DA and OWWA will promote the program through local and international forums, including Usapang Agribiz, and through engagements with OFW communities, particularly those preparing to return to the Philippines.
