THIS is the Philippine Diaspora Philanthropy Portal. Launched two years ago, the Portal is not your typical fundraising web engine so that development workers can look for donors abroad and use the website as a conduit for donations. It is an online resource center about migrant philanthropy in the Philippines—carrying with it useful information, statistics, and thoughts to ponder about the benevolence of Filipinos abroad.  

It has been two years since this portal was launched courtesy of grants from the Asia-Pacific Philanthropy Consortium and The Asia Foundation. Admittedly, limited resources and lack of skilled IT manpower are hindrances for a regular updating of this Portal. But thanks to recent donors who are Filipinos from abroad, we now enjoy a repackaged and redesigned website.  

The Philippine Diaspora Philanthropy Portal pays tribute to numerous overseas Filipinos and their organizations who quietly go out of their way and give back to the motherland. Migrant philanthropy, actually, is getting increased attention here in the Philippines because of its immense potential to re-distribute development resources in poverty-stricken Philippines. Juan Mercado of the Philippine Daily Inquirer calls migrant philanthropy as “innovative”.  

And much more can be done to improve this innovation.  

The Institute for Migration and Development Issues wishes that more can be done with migrant philanthropy. What currently prevails is a two-pronged scenario where groups from abroad try to do it all and give back resources here, and groups from the Philippines go to the philanthropic marketplace where these overseas-based donors are. IMDI believes more can be done to further migrant philanthropy—to make it efficient and effective, and to buoy a desire to bring about change coming from “changemakers” who are abroad.  

The Philippine Diaspora Philanthropy Portal also reminds the viewer and user about overseas Filipinos—their conditions, struggles, triumphs, and dreams. Migrant philanthropy ain’t just a philanthropic occurrence: it is a reminder of a phenomenon —international migration— that continues to sweep the future of Filipino families and the country. A careful understanding of who the overseas Filipino is will be a good jump-off point for viewers to understand migrant philanthropy. And if users of this Portal (especially nonprofit organizations in the Philippines) will be able to situate their work with overseas Filipinos, creativity from these users will just flow to determine how migrant philanthropy can be an efficient means to lure remittances for development.  

Apart from those who want to capture donations from Filipinos abroad, this portal is for the Filipino migrant donor abroad to use. We know they may be busy overseas, and have their families to fend for. But it is with hope that with the materials present here, Filipino donors abroad may get to realize that a desire to improve their work for the country will require help from the Philippine end, and a system to ensure that this philanthropic process can work with efficiency.  

Migrant philanthropy, if done well and efficiently, can be a pawn for a promising Filipino future—one that will see migrant-sending Philippines stand up on its own feet. At the same time, we hope migrant philanthropy will help us see why is it the passion for change in the homeland continues to flow.  

And while this flow goes on, we have our work cut out.      

JEREMAIAH M. OPINIANO
Executive Director
Institute for Migration and Development Issues (IMDI)