127 Filipino workers in Singapore join second Usapang Agribiz forum on turning savings into farm businesses back home

The Department of Agriculture's second Usapang Agribiz sa Singapore on 25 October gathered 127 OFWs for guidance on agribusiness planning, financing, training and markets under the Balik Agri-OFW Reintegration Program, with a warning to check investment offers before committing savings.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) held its second Usapang Agribiz sa Singapore on 25 October, bringing together 127 overseas Filipino workers to explore agribusiness as a livelihood when they return to the Philippines.

The forum was run by the DA through its Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Service (AMAS) and the Philippine Agriculture Office in Bangkok, Thailand, in collaboration with the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) in Singapore and with support from the Philippine Embassy in Singapore.

Balik Agri-OFW Reintegration Program

DA Assistant Secretary Genevieve Velicaria-Guevarra said the Balik Agri-OFW Reintegration Program aims to make it easier for OFWs to access government services. "Our goal is simple: to help you transition from being an OFW who dreams of starting a business into a prepared, knowledgeable, and successful agripreneur in the Philippines," she said, as quoted by the Daily Tribune.

Philippine Ambassador to Singapore Medardo Macaraig told participants the government was ready to help. "You are not alone. The government is ready to guide you through skills training and mentorship, business planning, access to capital, market matching, and many other forms of assistance," he said.

What the sessions covered

The forum had two sessions:

• "From Idea to Enterprise: Cultivating Agribusiness Ventures", on business models, market opportunities, startup requirements and lessons from agripreneurs, including Sol Maraiah Into of JC Aelius Wellness Product Trading and Vengie Mencias of Y' Nut Food Products
• "Advancing Agribusiness: Ecosystem of Support for Agribusinesses and Investments", on financing, training, advisory services and investment guidance

Representatives from the Agricultural Credit Policy Council, Land Bank of the Philippines, the Agricultural Training Institute and OWWA Singapore spoke on business planning, risk management and due diligence. They cautioned participants about fraudulent schemes and urged them to verify investment opportunities before committing their savings.

According to the DA, an estimated 220,000 Filipinos live and work in Singapore, which it described as the second-largest source of OFW remittances, citing the Department of Migrant Workers.

"Returning home should not mean starting from scratch," Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. said, adding that reintegration should begin before workers leave their overseas jobs.

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