CFO Secretary Dante “Klink” Ang Il engages with executives of The Philippine Star in promoting the 2026 Presidential Awards for Filipino Individuals and Organizations Overseas
The CFO is promoting the 2026 Presidential Awards for Filipino Individuals and Organizations Overseas, recognizing outstanding overseas Filipinos who contribute to national development.
MANILA — The Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) has stepped up efforts to promote the Presidential Awards for Filipino Individuals and Organizations Overseas (PAFIOO), the highest national recognition accorded to overseas Filipinos who contribute to Philippine development or excel in their professions abroad.
The outreach aims to broaden public awareness of the biennial awards and encourage wider participation in the nomination process, particularly among Filipino communities overseas.
The CFO said nominations for the 2026 PAFIOO will be accepted until May 29, 2026, covering four award categories: Lingkod sa Kapwa Pilipino Award, Banaag Award, Pamana ng Pilipino Award, and Kaanib ng Bayan Award. Nominations will undergo a multi-stage evaluation process, with awardees to be formally recognized in December 2026.
Support for the 2026 awards has been reinforced through Memorandum Circular No. 112, which directs government agencies and instrumentalities to extend full assistance to the CFO and encourages local government units, non-government organizations, and the private sector to support the conduct of the awards. The circular was signed on January 15.
The initiative comes as the CFO undertakes a strategic shift toward deeper engagement with the global Filipino community, moving beyond traditional administrative functions to focus on mobilizing overseas Filipinos for national development. Raising public awareness of the agency’s mandate is seen as central to strengthening links between Filipinos abroad and development priorities in the Philippines.
Discussions also covered diaspora-focused programs such as the Youth Leaders in the Diaspora initiative, which seeks to reconnect younger generations of Filipinos overseas with their cultural heritage and civic identity. Efforts are also underway to identify overseas Filipinos whose experiences and achievements can inspire the public and reinforce the country’s global presence.
Established under Batas Pambansa Blg. 79, the Commission on Filipinos Overseas is an agency under the Office of the President mandated to strengthen the social, economic, and cultural ties between Filipinos permanently residing abroad and the Philippines. Its stakeholders include permanent migrants, dual citizens, spouses and partners of foreign nationals, and Filipino descendants overseas.
