The meeting with President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. 17 participants representing multisectoral concerns from the Davao workshop met with Mme. Arroyo at Malacannang Palace in an hour long meeting, that was arranged by Ms. Teresita Quintos Deles, Head Convenor of the National Anti Poverty Commission. Through Ms. Deles, the President had earlier learned and indicated interest in the theme and objectives of the workshop, such that she had also approved funding part of its financial requirements through the Presidential Social Fund. During her presentation in Davao, Ms. Deles had pointed out the possible convergence of programs between the government’s anti poverty eradication campaign(e.g. microfinance as a tool for poverty eradication) and the development of local economies through OFW linkages with the countryside,as advocated by the workshop. The President was earlier provided with a copy of the Conference Statement and briefed about the major points and action agenda of the conference. The President and the delegates then discussed possible ways of civil society-government collaboration in order to focus on and advance OF economic concerns. 1. Ercof Chair I. F. Bagasao opened the meeting by thanking the President for her support for the conference and for her interest in migrant economic concerns. After introducing the delegates one by one, Mr. Bagasao proceeded to brief the President on the objectives of the Davao initiative and the action agenda that was contained in the Conference Statement. He pointed out that there was need for changes on fiscal policy and practice to enable OF economic linkages, and specifically mentioned the need for finding mechanisms that will facilitate the conduiting of remittances and funds coming from Overseas Filipinos that can be more directly channeled for capital buildup in the countryside, support for rural microenterprises and the development of local economies. The President mentioned that the People’s Credit and Finance Corporation, the government microfinance office, operating as an arm of the Land Bank, could be tapped for this conduiting process, and immediately gave instructions to Sec. Deles to study how PCFC programs could be improved to have a special window for OF economic initiatives. Mr. Arguelles of the DBP likewise mentioned that the DBP which has an anti poverty fund might also be tapped for this purpose. Mr. Bagasao also mentioned and the President took interest, in learning about the positive experiences of other labor sending countries such as Mexico, Portugal and Latin American countries in attracting investments from their own migrants and gearing remittances for productive use. Among those mentioned were incentives for investments in local communities, such as tax breaks on property purchases by migrants, and government putting up a counterpart for every dollar saved by a migrant in the countryside. The President and Sec. Deles took note of these suggestions. 2. Mai Anonuevo, co convenor of the national migrant reintegration conference and herself a presentor at the Davao conference, informed the President about the results of the recent conference on reintegration. The President was informed that while reintegration was part of the OWWA program, there are also ngo-initiated reintegration groups such as Balikabayan , Atikha, and Unladkabayan, who have already done pioneering and successful initiatives on savings mobilization and alternative investments, not only overseas but also with migrant families in the Philippines. Ms. Anonuevo pointed out the need to consolidate both government and civil society efforts as a means to strengthen the reintegration of Overseas Filipino workers through savings and enterprise initiatives not only to facilitate their reentry to Philippine society, but also to channel their earnings to more economically productive endeavours than for luxuries and non essentials. Ms. Ellene Sana, advocacy officer of Kakammpi, which works with migrant families, also added that reintegration programs should already start at the time a worker applies for overseas work and before departure, and not only when the worker is already overseas. The President agreed with the statements and unequivocally gave her support to making reintegration as a major focus on government’s overseas employment programs. 3. The specific problems of seafarers were echoed by Engr. Nelson Ramirez and Prof. Roli Tampas of the UFS, and Fr. Walsh of the AOS. The President stated that she was already aware of these problems, and that they are already being looked into more serioiusly by her administration . The forthcoming conference and summit of the Philippine seafaring industry that is being co-convened by the Office of Migrant Affairs of the DFA was metioned as one such initiative. 4. Ms. Rispens-Noel informed the President that her organization Novib, which is an international development donor agency, has an ongoing program that explores the potentials of migrant driven development projects, and its efforts to raise the awareness of the Dutch public about the importance of the economic contributions of migrants. She mentioned that Novib always looks positively at initiatives from the public and private sector, such as the Davao workshop that it had supported, and other projects which could contribute to the eradication of poverty, a more equitable distribution of wealth, and the advancement of human rights, including economic rights. 5. The meeting was capped with the President posing for a photograph with the delegates. 6. Follow up activities to the Presidential meeting. (a) The Ercof Chair visited the ongoing National Anti Poverty Commission sectoral meeting right after the presidential visit, to provide them the conference statement of the Davao workshop. The NAPC Sectoral Representative for Overseas Filipinos was intending to bring up the migrant economic agenda as advocated by the Davao workshop, during their deliberations. During a meeting later in the same evening, members of the Ercof conference core group met with Sec. Deles to discuss further how NAPC and Ercof could collaborate in moving forward the migrant economic agenda. (b) As a followup to the presidential meeting, Ercof Chair I. F. Bagasao and Vic Arguelles of the TWG, met in Malacanang on April 20, 2002, with Sec. Mai Jimenez, Presidential Assistant on ODA absorption. The purpose of the meeting was to explore ways by which the department of Ms. Jimenez could assist overseas Filipinos in finding alternative ways of savings and investments, both overseas and in the Philippines. Ms. Jimenez suggested that Ercof contact foreign banks to investigate the use of special “windows” for overseas workers that could be the conduits for savings and even investments. She added that should these “special windows” be set up, and with the accumulation of migrant funds in these banks, a counterparting with ODA funds for development of local communities might be a possibility. Ms. Jimenez also added that ODA could also be tapped for the development of Philippine centers abroad, some of which, such as in Singapore and Italy, she already had worked on previously.