PLDT Inc. chairman and chief executive Manuel Pangilinan identified overseas Filipino workers among the most important constituents of the Philippine economy.
A former OFW himself, Pangilinan spent 22 years working in Hong Kong. “OFWs work hard because that’s the only way to cope with homesickness,” he said.
“I called my mom every Sunday without fail when I was in Hong Kong. I missed speaking in Tagalog, I missed my adobo and pork chops,” said Pangilinan.
Knowing the plight of OFWs and how important it is for them to have both a line to the Philippine government in case of emergencies, and a strong connection back home to their families, Pangilinan underscored the value of the partnership between the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) and PLDT Global Corp. to uplift the lives of Filipinos living overseas.
PLDT Global launched a new service that enables OFWs to access the OWWA Helpline 1348 for free via TINBO (Tindahan ni Bossing), the one-stop online marketplace for global Filipinos, to help boost awareness and bridge the gap between Filipinos abroad and OWWA.
TINBO integrated a helpline button that enables OFWs to connect to the OWWA through online or web-based calls swiftly and securely. TINBO users simply need to log on to their TINBO account and click on their registered Smart Virtual Number to access the OWWA Helpline.
“The government’s digitalization agenda will be a big step forward towards the welfare of our OFWs, to which we have pledged our full support. So, this partnership between OWWA and PLDT Global is a tangible manifestation of that support to help build our nation,” said Pangilinan.
PLDT Global and OWWA are rolling out more initiatives to support OFWs during their stay overseas.
PLDT Global said it would also introduce more programs to support OFWs and their immediate families and dependents to help them reintegrate into the community through various re-skilling and upskilling trainings with partner agencies.
Powered by PLDT Global, TINBO is the one-stop marketplace that enables Filipinos living overseas to buy load, send food vouchers, e-gifts, healthcare PINs from mWell and gaming PINs for their families in the Philippines.
They can also acquire a Smart virtual number (SVN) through TINBO, enabling them to receive OTPs from their e-wallets and e-banks in the Philippines like Maya.
TINBO enables overseas Filipinos access to a convenient and secure online bills payment platform for their Philippine utilities and other digital services while outside the Philippines.