MANILA, Philippines -- The Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) aims to position the Philippines as a premier destination for returning Filipino migrants who want to reinvest their skills and resources in their home provinces. The CFO on Thursday said it is modernizing its retirement and reintegration frameworks to entice more "balikbayans" (returning overseas Filipinos) to share their talents and resources with their provincemates. CFO Secretary Dante Ang II reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to bridging the gap between global Filipino success and local community development during the third technical working group (TWG) meeting on retirement and reintegration held on Mar. 11. The CFO said the meeting served as the "tactical execution of its primary mandate to serve as the permanent link between the motherland and the more than six million Filipinos residing permanently abroad." It also said that to better understand the evolving needs of retirees, the TWG urged concerned overseas Filipinos to participate in the CFO's Retirement and Reintegration Survey. Deadline is on April 30, 2026. "The data will be used to calibrate government services to match the specific expectations of Filipinos returning from North America and Europe," the CFO said. "Returning migrants who intend to retire in the Philippines will directly contribute to national economic growth by boosting the retirement industry in the Philippines—creating more job opportunities, raising standards for welfare, and developing communities with skills of returning professionals looking to give back to the country," it said. By streamlining reintegration pathways, the CFO wants to ensure that the "diaspora remains tethered to the Philippines not just through nostalgia, but through viable economic and social partnerships." The CFO also works closely with Medicare PH Incorporated, a national membership advocacy group for Filipino-American seniors to extend long-term Medicare coverage for their retirement destination. The extension is expected to cut costs both for Medicare beneficiaries and the American government as healthcare providers outside of the United States charge significantly less for their services. This advocacy works hand-in-hand with the development of the Continuing Care Retirement Community, allowing more Filipino-American seniors to consider the Philippines as their retirement destination without the risk of losing their Medicare benefits.