OVERSEAS Filipino workers are constantly proclaimed as the modern era's bagong bayani (new heroes), a title that attests to their unrelenting desire to support their families even if it means doing so from halfway across the globe. Copious accounts have been written about the travails of these migrant workers. Some are overworked and underpaid, often lonely, and when stricken ill, are forced to endure the absence of a loving family.

Time was, the unspoken implication of their sacrifice is that one day, they will come home and enjoy the rewards of their labor-quality time with their families and a safe, comfortable home in which to enjoy it. However, the uncertain times are motivating these hardworking Filipinos to look far beyond this idyllic scenario and plan for a more stable future for their families.

'It's for this reason that more OFWs, regardless of where they are, are seeking to invest in homes in the Philippines,' says Red Rosales, president of BRIA Homes.

With many of them looking to settle down in places where they were born and raised, Rosales believes that BRIA can cash in on this trend by offering properties from which OFWs' children can benefit in the long term.

One factor that augurs well for this prospect is the government's ongoing massive infrastructure program. Projects like the Clark International Airport, Subic-Clark cargo railway, the MRT7, and the NLEX-SLEX connector road, among others, are expected to stimulate growth in industrial and commercial sites, thereby creating a demand for residential spaces. With completed projects reducing travel time between towns and cities, land values are poised to appreciate. Office and residential spaces will be in high demand - not just in the metropolis but also in progressive provinces south and north of Metro-Manila.