Lucky OFW wins life changing P5 million in PLDT Home Rewards Grand Giveaway Promo

(From L to R) Cheryl Maxine P. Loyola, AVP and Head, PLDT Home Marketing PR, 5-Million PLDT Home Rewards 2022 Grand Giveaway Promo Winner, Partner of 5-Million PLDT Home Rewards 2022 Grand Giveaway Promo Winner, Jason Ignacio, AVP and Head, PLDT Home Loyalty and Planning

There are about 490,000 Filipino seafarers working on ships around the world, ensuring the safety and enjoyment of passengers on cruise ships, and helping make sure that cargo arrives safely to their destinations.  

One seafarer who has been away from his family for most of the past 12 years—missing Christmases, New Year celebrations, his son’s first steps and birthdays—says he can now be with them full time, thanks to the PLDT Home Rewards Grand Giveaway Promo’s P5 million prize! From the simple desire to earn rewards and discounts from their PLDT Home subscription via the PLDT Home Rewards program, the 36-year-old OFW won the ultimate cash prize in the second year of PLDT Home Reward’s Grand Giveaway promo. 

Breaking barriers through digital healthcare, PH healthcare mega app mWell brings Hong Kong OFWs closer to Pinoy doctors

Responding to the need of Filipino migrant workers in Hong Kong for access to doctors who speak their language, Metro Pacific Investments Corporation’s (MPIC) mWell partnered with the Department of Migrant Workers to enable Overseas Filipino Workers (DMW) to conveniently consult Pinoy doctors using the mWell app.  The collaboration was launched at the town hall meeting with key DMW officials and leaders of the Filipino Community (FILCOM) at the Philippine Consulate General in Hong Kong. As the Philippines’ first and only health app available globally, this milestone marks the first step in mWell’s mission to bring healthcare closer to Filipinos in all parts of the world. 

mWell and Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) sign partnership to champion global healthcare for OFWs

Metro Pacific Investments Corporation’s mWell, the Philippines’ first fully integrated and fully digital health and wellness app,enables the delivery of healthcare services to Overseas Filipino Workers(OFWs) and their families via a partnership with the Department of Migrant Workers.

Breaking barriers through digital healthcare, mWell will provide over 1.8 million OFWs with 24/7 access to family doctors, specialists, and mind health experts.Wherever they may be in the world, they may choose from hundreds of highly-trained Filipino partner-doctors on the mWell app—internal medicine specialists, cardiologists, endocrinologists, ophthalmologists, and more. In just a few taps, they can consult right away withFilipino-speaking doctors, 24/7 or book an appointment at their convenience.

Watch: PLDT Home’s Heart-tugging Christmas Video Gives Tribute to Filipinos all over the world

This Christmas, PLDT Home gives tribute to Filipinos all over the world in a special video that celebrates the real and meaningful connections of families made possible by the power of the Internet.

In a heartwarming 45-second video featuring the iconic and sentimental Yuletide ballad “Pasko na, Sinta ko” (Christmas is here, my love), PLDT Home puts a spotlight on the uniquely Filipino touch of celebrating Christmas by connecting with family and loved ones. Aired over PLDT Home’s social media channels, the video depicts how the Filipino tradition of coming home for Christmas transcends even distance as many rely on the internet to keep family connections strong, especially in trying times.

Topping all other Filipino merry-making traditions, like karoling, parol, and bibingka, Christmas for Pinoys won’t be complete without hearing the familiar voices and seeing the bright faces of loved ones by our side. And if we can’t be with them personally, the next best option is to be with them virtually, powered by the country’s fastest internet connection, PLDT Home.

BRIA Homes Hosts Free Webinars for Our Kababayang OFWs

Our kababayang OFWs benefitted from the expertise 

and experience of special guest speaker Marissa del Mar.

In the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, one of the more seriously affected sectors are the Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW), who have long been acknowledged as the economic heroes of the country. OFWs, estimated to number 2.566 million are responsible for a total of $20.38 billion in remittances for the first nine months of 2021, an important lifeline in a developing country such as the Philippines. 

However, while global travel restrictions remain fluid, altering or even impeding their long-planned homecoming events, OFWs are being encouraged to direct their energies towards a positive goal: achieving and sustaining financial health. Many are now learning that they can provide for their families—and contribute to the Philippine economy—even as they go from being spenders to being savers and investors.

GCash honors OFWs with new financial solutions

Better experience in sending remittances to loved ones

“Mga bagong bayani.” 

Around 10 million Filipinos live and work overseas-- seafarers, nurses, caregivers, hotel staff, construction workers, oil field personnel and many more-- help drive the Philippine economy through remittances they send back home. Considered the world’s fourth largest recipient of remittances next to India, China and Mexico, OFW remittances account for about 9% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).

GCash helps OFWs support their families and manage their finances

This National Heroes Day, we not only celebrate the names in our history books, but also the millions of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who sacrifice every day to provide for their families back home and create a brighter future for themselves. 

While working overseas is a dream for many, it comes with its own set of challenges and sacrifices such as not being physically present for milestones of loved ones or not being able to take full control of where the money they send really goes to. 

This is why GCash has designed its features to be accessible to Filipinos overseas. It’s hard enough to be away from home, and being able to support our families should not be any more difficult. 

Those based in the Philippines have experienced the ease and convenience GCash has to offer, and those abroad can experience the same, too. 

Golden Haven provides more income opportunities for OFWs

Golden Haven has launched Kabayan Rewards,
a referral program that presents significant income
opportunities to OFWs worldwide.

The Overseas Filipino Worker has long been a symbol of the enduring values and enterprising spirit of the Filipino. Their persistent hard work to help support their families back home has done immeasurable good for the country. 

Consider how OFWs’ contributions to our national coffers could help mitigate the economic fallout from a raging pandemic. The latest figures from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) reveal that overseas Filipino workers’ cumulative cash remittances amounted to $16.616 billion in the first half of 2021 alone. However one looks at it, OFWs, now numbering 2.2M, are helping reboot the economy despite intermittent lockdowns.

To show gratitude for their immense sacrifices, Golden Haven, a leading name in the deathcare industry, has launched Kabayan Rewards, a referral program that presents significant income opportunities to OFWs worldwide. This encourages OFWs to refer any number of their fellow Filipino workers to Golden Haven and spur them to invest in its wide array of products—memorial lots, columbarium vaults, family estates, and even professionally curated mausoleums called “The Golden Shrines”. 

PayMaya opens gov’t payments, financial services for OFWs and Filipinos abroad

Honoring modern-day heroes in celebration of Labor Day 2021 

Digital financial services leader PayMaya is making it even easier for overseas Filipinos to pay for government fees and for their family's utility bills through the PayMaya e-wallet app. 

In time for Labor Day on May 1, PayMaya opened this service for Filipinos overseas so they can now use their Philippine mobile SIM on roaming to register for a PayMaya account, allowing them to perform transactions such as paying government dues or utility bills, as well as sending money to other PayMaya users, even while abroad. 

“Our vision of Digital Finance for All Filipinos includes our hardworking countrymen abroad, our modern-day heroes,” said Orlando Vea, Founder and CEO of PayMaya. “Having a PayMaya account wherever you are in the world can empower Filipinos overseas and help them stay connected with their loved ones in the Philippines.” 

According to 2020 data released by the Philippine Statistics Authority, there are an estimated 2.2 million Filipinos who are currently working abroad, with millions more who have already migrated and can still benefit from a strong fintech platform that can help them and their families who are still in the Philippines. 

Expanding financial inclusion for Filipinos worldwide 

Paying for government fees such as taxes and social insurance contributions while abroad is among the top concerns of Filipinos overseas. For example, those who are currently abroad can easily use their PayMaya accounts to conveniently pay their individual Social Security System (SSS) contributions using the SSS mobile app, as well as nominate their PayMaya accounts to receive loan proceeds and other disbursements from the agency. 

“Since 2019, this partnership between the Social Security System (SSS) and PayMaya has opened doors for many overseas-based Filipinos to easily and speedily remit contributions and receive disbursements to the pension fund--made all the more crucial during these trying times when mobility is limited to help curb the spread of  COVID-19. This new offering from PayMaya will allow even more Filipinos to derive benefits and take advantage of the services offered by SSS, from practically anywhere in the world,” said Aurora C. Ignacio, SSS President and CEO.

Aside from the SSS, PayMaya users abroad can also transact with other government agencies such as the PAG-IBIG Fund, Bureau of Internal Revenue, the Department of Foreign Affairs, and over 60 other agencies and local government units that accept PayMaya as a payment option. 

PayMaya recently piloted the service in Singapore with positive feedback from Filipinos in the city-state, especially since many lack credit cards and other financial instruments that allow them to easily conduct financial transaction back home. 

On top of government payments, overseas Filipinos can also pay their or their families’ bills through the more than 500 active billers available in the PayMaya app. On top of this, they can also send money to other PayMaya users in the Philippines or to any of the more than 37,000 Smart Padala centers nationwide once they have added money to their accounts. 

To start using PayMaya abroad, all they have to do is download the PayMaya app on their phones (https://official.paymaya.com/CAK1/425eb133) and register using their Philippine mobile SIM with international roaming activated, their address in the Philippines, as well as a valid Philippine ID such as Passport, Driver’s License, UMID, SSS ID with Digitized photo, PRC License and Postal ID. Once done, they can Add Money to their account through VISA, Mastercard, or JCB debit or credit cards, or through PayMaya’s international remittance partners such as Western Union and Moneygram.  

PayMaya is the only end-to-end digital payments ecosystem enabler in the Philippines with platforms and services that cut across consumers, merchants, communities, and government. Through its enterprise business, it is the largest digital payments processor for key industries in the country including "everyday" merchants such as the largest retail, food, gas, and eCommerce merchants as well as government agencies and units.   

Through its app and wallet, PayMaya provides over 28 million Filipinos with access to financial services. Customers can conveniently pay, add money, cash out or remit through its over 200,000 digital touchpoints nationwide.  

Its Smart Padala by PayMaya network of over 37,000 partner agent touchpoints nationwide serves as last-mile digital financial hubs in communities, providing the unbanked and underserved with access to digital services. To know more about PayMaya's products and services, visit www.PayMaya.com or follow @PayMayaOfficial on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Golden Haven Memorial Lots Are Now the Most Lucrative, Hassle-Free Investments for OFWs

Golden Haven memorial lots currently range from Php 53,800 
for a single lawn lot to Php 10M for mausoleums.

In the wake of a turbulent year that upended jobs and threw people’s income opportunities in disarray, more Filipinos are now taking a hard look at investment options that could provide a safety net for the uncertain times. And one sector that is especially seen as potential investors is that of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs). 

Hardworking OFWs all over the world are aptly regarded as “mga bagong bayani” for helping keep the Philippine economy afloat through the remittances they send home. Their immense contribution to our national coffers can’t be understated. The Philippine Statistics Association discloses that in 2020 alone, these Filipinos sent an average of $2.8 billion despite the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, recent surveys reveal that OFWs are utilizing their remittances for investments as preparation for their retirement.

Stranded OFWs and locals get help from PLDT Smart Foundation

Haira Aba, 29 years old, is the breadwinner of her family in Datu Paglas in Maguindanao. She applied for a job as a domestic helper in Qatar and travelled to Manila. But the COVID-19 pandemic came, overseas travel came to a halt, and as a result, she has been stuck in Manila for the past four months.

54-year old Dennis Sebastian is a mechanical operator and harvester in Tuguegarao – a job he has been doing for six years now. He usually travels back to his hometown in Compra, Liloy in Zamboanga Del Norte three times a year. This year, he was scheduled to return home last April 6.  But due to the pandemic, his flight was rescheduled to June 5 – and then was again cancelled.

JobStreet empowers displaced workers amidst the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted businesses in many aspects, including their workforce. Unemployment is expected to increase as local companies lay off their employees, not to mention the repatriated Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and job-hunting fresh graduates. 

To provide valuable support and opportunities among jobseekers and hirers amid the challenging situation, online job portal leader JobStreet.com launched its #TogetherAhead initiative with its commitment to be at the forefront in rebuilding businesses and careers. 

Through the #TogetherAhead initiative, JobStreet’s COVID-19 Jobs and Resources Hub provides job opportunities fit for the condition nowadays such as home-based or freelance. The microsite presents information on financial assistance available from the government to guide employees and companies in their applications. It also publishes critical information resources from JobStreet’s extensive network to motivate jobseekers for their next career path and to guide employers in adapting their business through the challenging times. 

Serving the Filipinos in the Middle East via TFC’s “Lingkod Kabayan”

Be informed. Be connected. Be empowered. Visit Lingkod Kabayan (me.mytfc.com), the community site for every overseas Filipino in the Middle East

In the past few years, overseas Filipinos are facing different challenges in the Middle East driven by the region’s unique economic and socio-political landscape. Since 2017, some overseas Filipinos in Saudi Arabia and UAE were back to the Philippines after being unable to renew their labor contracts, while some opted to remain and search for new employers. Most of the Filipino service workers continue to thrive but not without the daily risks they face against possible abuses, both psychological and physical.

Send Money and Receive Money for Free with GCash

Leading mobile money provider shakes industry by offering first-in-nation innovation

Remittances (a way of sending money) are a staple of Filipino culture, especially with lots of families depending on the money of their loved ones for sustenance. No matter where you are in the country, you’ll see remittance centers that offer these services from Metro Manila to anywhere in the Philippines, usually with a fee based on a percentage of the total amount to be sent. GCash realized that for these people, every peso counts, and that’s why they made sending and withdrawing money through the GCash ecosystem free. 

It's the Second Year For Moneygram Idol Awards!

It is another year to recognize twelve OFWs and their families via the MoneyGram Idol Awards which is now at its second year held at the Solaire Resort and Casino. It is a celebration of the contributions of their hardwork to the economy and also relative who benefit from the fast remittance service by Moneygram.

Leading the awards is their brand Ambassador, Robin Padilla who remains to be the "Idol ng Bayan" with his patriotic works and genuine love for the Filipinos especially those working overseas. Along with him are MoneyGram’s key regional leaders who have seen the close bond of families brought together by the service.

ABS-CBN TFC, DFA, COMELEC, CFO and OWWA to pursue new global campaigns for overseas Filipinos in 2018 – 2019

The registration for the 2019 Philippine National elections has gone into full swing and key agencies catering to overseas Filipinos are preparing to launch new global campaigns.  

In relation to this, officers from ABS-CBN The Filipino Channel (TFC), the Department of Foreign Affairs Overseas Voting Secretariat (DFA – OVS), the Commission on Elections Office for Overseas Voting (COMELEC – OFOV), Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO), and Overseas Workers’ Welfare and Administration (OWWA) met this January to work on these campaigns that strengthen Filipino democracy and present a more positive narrative of the global Filipino migration.

5 Ways to Cope with Homesickness And other tips for loneliness

Roses, hearts, and googly eyes everywhere this month of love, but to an OFW,this is just an ordinary month. Thanks to modern technology, we can stayconnected to our loved ones 24/7, but when bouts of homesickness kicks-in,video calls sometimes just don’t cut it anymore.

When these happens, tips on coping with loneliness are a welcome treat. Here’show:

1. Make new friends, and get "adopted!" Get to know the city. Visit popular sites, new attractions, and try local cuisine. Think of it as a long vacation. Be intentional in understanding the country’s culture and history. Feel good about the place and soon enough new friends willfind you.

Welcome relief for OFWs coming home for the Holidays

OFWs have long enjoyed travel tax exemption privileges under Section 2 of PD 1183, due to their significant contribution to our national economy. During the previous Holiday season though, and in Holiday Seasons past, those who wished to take advantage of their travel tax exemption had to obtain a certificate from the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), for which there was a fee. This Holiday Season will be the first in which OFWs will no longer need to pay for and obtain a separate Travel Tax Exemption Certificate.

When leaving the country for their country of employment after this year’s holiday season. OFWs can be exempted automatically from travel taxes in one of two ways: If they were hired through the POEA, the Overseas Employment Certificate issued by the POEA will serve as the Travel Tax Exemption Certificate. For those hired directly by companies abroad, a Certificate of Employment issued by the Philippine Embassy / Consulate in the place of work or an Employment Contract authenticated by the Philippine Embassy / Consulate.

American Eye Center gifts OFW heroes with a yuletide privilege

The Christmas season is all about the spirit of giving. And give is what the American Eye Center, the country’s leading eye care center, will do this Yuletide season.

In line with its support of Filipinos working abroad, the American Eye Center is giving eligible OFWs the ultimate gift with its Pamaskong Handog OFW Privilege Card through its Shangri-La and Greenbelt branches. With the OFW Privilege Card, kababayans can now secure eye health for themselves and for their dependents from anywhere in the world through discounts on diagnostics and treatments.

BPI’s Search for Outstanding Children of OFWs Extended up to Sept 30

Bank of the Philippine Islands announces the extension of the deadline of submission of entries for the 2013 Search for the Ten Outstanding Expat Pinoy Children until September 30, 2013. BPI opens the opportunity for more college students to join the nationwide Search, especially those who are challenged by the conditions of the month-long stormy weather.