Beyond Remittances: Cebu OFWs Build a More Secure Future
- Sugbo Highlights
- 1 hour ago
- 3 min read
For many overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), success is no longer measured solely by how much money they send home. Increasingly, it is defined by what those years of sacrifice make possible—a college education for their children, a family home, a business, or a more secure retirement.
During a recent gathering of BDO clients in Cebu, retired seafarer Robert Ventura Cordovez and former Dubai-based worker Suzette Maglinte reflected on the goals they achieved after years of working overseas. Their experiences highlight how many OFWs are looking beyond day-to-day needs and focusing on long-term financial security.
Cordovez retired in December 2025 after 35 years at sea. Throughout his career as a marine engineer, his priority was giving his children the best possible opportunities.
“Education was always the priority,” he said. “Everything we worked for was for our children’s future.”
Today, all of his children have graduated and become professionals. The family has acquired a home, land, vehicles, and recently started a business.
“Na-achieve ko na ang mga pangarap ko,” he said. “Nakapagtapos ang mga anak ko, may bahay kami, may mga naipundar kaming sasakyan, at may negosyo na rin.”
From supporting family to securing the future
Maglinte and her husband initially worked overseas to help their parents and siblings before focusing on building a future for their own family.
“When we felt that we had already helped our families, we decided it was time to build our own,” she said.
Over the years, the couple was able to secure and fully pay for a home and a vehicle. With savings set aside for their children's education, they are now focused on strengthening their retirement fund and pursuing future business opportunities.
“Lalo naming na-appreciate ang BDO dahil nakapag-avail kami ng bahay at sasakyan,” she said.
For many OFWs, stories like those of Cordovez and Maglinte reflect how financial priorities evolve over time. What often begins as a desire to support loved ones eventually grows into a broader goal: creating long-term financial security for the next generation.
As more Filipino families look beyond immediate needs and plan for the future, their experiences underscore a simple reality—success abroad is ultimately measured not by the years spent away from home, but by the opportunities created for the people they love most.
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