Filipino hospitality firm Hotel101 Group formally signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the country’s Department of Tourism (DOT) and Department of Migrant Workers (DWM) in support of the Balik Bayani sa Turismo (BBST) Programme.
The signing was held on Thursday, 27th November, at the DOT headquarters in Makati.
This partnership champions IPON Tourism, an initiative designed to promote the sustainable and productive reintegration of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) into Philippine society by providing investment and livelihood opportunities in the tourism sector.
The agreement was signed by Hotel101 Group General Manager Charley Magabo together with tourism secretary Christina Frasco and Hans Leo Cacdac, secretary for migrant workers.
Frasco declared: “Today’s signing with IPON Tourism marks the newest and most expansive component of our partnership with the DMW. This pillar opens pathways for OFWs to engage in tourism through industries covered by our private sector partners—as investors or entrepreneurs. Opportunities include condotel investments, offering structured and credible options for long-term financial security, among others.”
A great help for a nation’s unsung heroes
Led by the DOT in partnership with the DMW, the BBST Programme supports the national government’s reintegration initiatives for OFWs.
To do so, it formalises both agencies’ commitment to creating and establishing opportunities for livelihood, entrepreneurship, savings, investments, and financial literacy for OFWs and their families.
Under this programme and through the partnership with the hospitality management firm, OFWs can invest in Hotel101 projects such as Hotel101-Davao and Hotel101-Libis Bridgetowne, and enjoy a 30 percent share in gross hotel revenues, along with ten free stay vouchers redeemable at any Hotel101 property worldwide.
Frasco lauded the initiative, saying: “We commend Hotel101 for its success in bringing a homegrown Filipino brand to the world and for opening accessible investment pathways in the accommodation sector.”
For his part, Magabo added: “Hotel101 proudly steps forward to offer investment opportunities to OFWs that are transparent, accessible, and rewarding. To our OFWs: You are not just contributors to the economy; you are partners in progress. This initiative gives OFWs a stake in the hospitality industry and a passport to experiences in key destinations in the Philippines and across the globe.”
Magabo also pointed out during the event that the Group is in the process of expanding into Davao and Cebu in the coming year, on top of its impending global expansion in Madrid, Spain and Niseko, Japan.
He said: “This expansion is not just about hotels, it’s about creating a network where every Filipino as a guest or as a unitowner feels at home anywhere in the world.”
