A bill granting benefits and incentives to Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) investing in businesses in the Philippines was filed this week as the government ramps up repatriation efforts for Filipinos affected by ongoing conflicts in the Middle East.
“As thousands of OFWs are being brought home due to instability abroad, we must ensure they are not returning to uncertainty, but to real opportunities for livelihood and reintegration,” said Rep. Nathaniel “Atty. Nat” M. Oducado of the 1Tahanan Partylist.
House Bill No. 8751, entitled “An Act Granting Benefits and Incentives to Overseas Filipino Workers Investing in Business in the Philippines,” establishes tax exemptions, reduced local government fees, and improved access to financing for OFW-owned enterprises.
“This is not just an economic measure, but a reintegration response allowing our returning kababayans to rebuild their lives with dignity and stability,” Oducado added.
The bill grants a five-year income tax exemption to OFW-owned business enterprises, alongside incentives such as reduced real property taxes, duty-free importation of capital equipment, and preferential financing from government institutions.
“With many returning OFWs at risk of exhausting their savings, lowering the cost of starting a business is critical to preventing financial distress,” Oducado emphasized. “It will also make it easy for OFWs to create new jobs and employment opportunities for their fellow Filipinos.”
The measure also mandates the institutionalization of financial literacy and entrepreneurship programs for OFWs through agencies such as the OWWA, CFO, and NRCO to support informed investment decisions and reintegration.
“This program can turn a crisis-driven homecoming into an opportunity for inclusive growth and long-term resilience,” Oducado concluded.
