The Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO), along with the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Education, recently met with representatives from Chicago Public Schools (CPS) to reaffirm the vital role of cultural exchange in global learning, while issuing a firm reminder to Filipino educators under the J-1 visa program to honor their commitment to return home after completing the exchange.
The CFO panel, led by Secretary Dante “Klink” Ang II, met with CPS officials to review the Exchange Visitor Program (EVP), with discussions centered on the professional welfare of Filipino teachers and the non-negotiable two-year home-country physical presence requirement that defines the J-1 category.
“The heart of the Exchange Visitor Program is the bridge it builds between nations,” Ang said. “But for that bridge to remain functional, our beneficiaries must fulfill their obligation to bring those global skills back to the Philippines.”
The CFO serves as the Secretariat of the Exchange Visitor Program Committee. Under its mandate, the Commission does not merely facilitate the registration of departing exchange visitors, but acts as the primary agency connecting overseas Filipinos to the motherland culturally, politically, and economically.
By ensuring J-1 participants return to the Philippines after their maximum five-year stay, the CFO advances its mission to prevent brain drain and instead promote brain gain, infusing the Philippine education system with international best practices.
Chicago has emerged as a primary destination for Filipino teaching talent. According to CPS officials, the district currently hosts approximately 275 Filipino teachers, comprising the vast majority of its 350-strong international educator cohort.
Christine Murphy-Judson of CPS emphasized that the program is designed for professional development and cultural immersion, and not as a direct pathway to permanent migration.
Paola Carrera of CPS detailed the district’s structured support for Filipino teachers, which includes mentoring and cultural orientation in high-demand fields such as special education, mathematics, and science.
The J-1 visa program, established under the U.S. Information and Educational Exchange Act of 1948 and later reinforced by the Fulbright-Hays Act of 1961, was designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and other countries.
Historically, the Philippines remains the top sending country under the J-1 Teacher category. Over the past decade, the number of Filipino J-1 teachers has steadily increased, driven largely by domestic teacher shortages in the United States.
Since the Exchange Visitor Program Committee’s inception through Administrative Order No. 191 in 1956, the Philippine government has monitored thousands of participants to ensure that skills acquired abroad are ultimately harnessed for national development.
The meeting concluded with both parties agreeing to enhance tracking and support mechanisms for returning teachers, ensuring that their experience in Chicago contributes meaningfully to the strategic elevation of the Philippine education sector.
About the Commission on Filipinos Overseas
The Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO), established under Batas Pambansa Blg. 79, is dedicated to the welfare and empowerment of Filipinos permanently residing abroad. It is distinct from the Department of Migrant Workers, which primarily addresses the needs of Overseas Filipino Workers and other temporary migrants.
An agency under the Office of the President, the CFO works to strengthen the social, economic, and cultural ties of global Filipinos with their home country. Its primary stakeholders include Filipino permanent migrants, dual citizens, spouses and partners of foreign nationals, Exchange Visitor Program participants, au pair participants bound for Europe, and Filipino descendants overseas.
For more information, please contact Ms. Kristine Gacer of the Project Management Division at kgacer@cfo.gov.ph.