President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. awarded Php200,000 each to nine outstanding OFWs at Go Negosyo’s KABAYAN 2022 event held last December 3. The award was announced by First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos, who graced the event at the Music Hall of the SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City. The nine awardees were chosen by Go Negosyo for inspiring fellow OFWs with their compelling journey as migrant workers, for successfully transitioning to entrepreneurship, and for using social media to become influencers to the overseas Filipino community. 

The cash award was announced during the awarding ceremonies, and were in addition to the total of Php2.5 million worth of cash and prizes given to lucky attendees by Go Negosyo and its partners to mark its 17th anniversary. “We thank the President and the First Lady for their unwavering support of OFWS and MSMEs,” said Go Negosyo founder Joey Concepcion. “Over the 17 years that we promoted entrepreneurship in the Philippines, we found that many of the MSMEs we helped grow were the ventures of OFWs who dream of a life of financial security for their families back home,” he said. “OFWs and MSMEs will be the ones helping guide our economy, and digitalization will be an advantage to many MSMEs in developing their businesses,” he said.

The President, in his message during the event, said helping OFWs become entrepreneurs will be an avenue for greater prosperity. “We hope that, through entrepreneurship, our OFWs will now have the option to come home for good, with the ultimate goal of making working abroad a choice rather than a necessity,” the President said in his message, which was delivered by DTI Sec. Alfredo Pascual. The President also said that the government will continuously work “to ensure the welfare and competitiveness of our OFWs during my administration.”

Moreover, the President said the government will work to ensure not only OFWs’ welfare and competitiveness but also their chances of reintegrating into the Philippines as entrepreneurs. “We will open up more and better opportunities for you at home so that you can help us in writing a new and vibrant chapter for our great nation,” he said.

The day-long entrepreneurship forum and mentoring event specially organized for Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and their families. The event drew over a thousand participants who lined up at the venue hours before the event

Popular vlogger Small Laude joined content creators, social media influencers including Macoy Dubs, Lovely Abella-Mabalo, Berto Berioso, Ana Coting and Christian Antolin. Entrepreneurs who successfully used social media to build their businesses were also on hand to share tips with the audience; these included Neri Miranda, Zarah Juan, Malou Prado, Jeffrey Guansing, and Jacqueline Yuentian Gutierrez, and successful female CEOs Rebecca Bustamante and Glenda dela Cruz.

Senior government officials were present during the event, including DTI Sec. Pascual, Dept. of Migrant Workers Sec. Susan Ople, and Pasay City Mayor Imelda Calixto-Rubiano. Leaders from the Philippine Franchise Association, Philippine Retailers Association, CARD-MRI, and MSME lending specialist Esquire Financing will also be participating in a forum on the three M’s of successful entrepreneurship: money, markets, and mentorship.