Smart launches new service for OFWs, families

MANILA, Philippines - Smart Communications launched yesterday a new service that will enable families of overseas Filipinos to avail of huge savings when calling to other countries.

At the same time, officials of the country’s largest mobile phone service provider revealed that their total subscriber base has reached 39 million and is expected to surpass the 40 million mark by yearend.

Smart’s latest offering, Hellow, is the country’s first reloadable international direct dialing (IDD) card which can be used on any Smart or Talk ‘N Text cellphone, to make calls for as low as P2.50 per minute to 17 key destinations where the most number of Filipinos may be found in via sachet-sized load denominations of as low as P15. 

The Commission on Filipinos Overseas has pegged the total number of Filipinos found in more than 193 countries at 8.73 million. These overseas Filipinos are expected to remit about $16.4 billion to their families by yearend, according to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.

“Even with these staggering numbers, our research on the behavior of overseas Filipinos still shows that to cope with difficult times, they focus their limited budget on the most basic necessities, such as food and education. Through Hellow, they may now stretch their budget to accommodate the equally important expense of keeping in touch with their loves ones abroad,” Smart wireless consumer division head Danilo Mojica said.

Unlike other IDD services, anyone may avail of the Hellow reloadable IDD card. One just needs to buy the Hellow card, pre-loaded with P30 from any Smart wireless center and other accredited resellers.

Printed on the plastic card are the unique account number and PIN, and the Hellow user just needs to key in these numbers when using any Smart or Talk ‘N Text handset from anywhere in the country. The per minute charge is deducted from the Hellow account, not from the Smart or Talk ‘N Text SIM in the handset.

The P30 load that comes with the Hellow reloadable IDD card may be used up to the last P2.50, and subsequent, sachet-sized load comes in denominations of as low as P15.

Smart international service head Kathryn Carag pointed out that Hellow is the ultimate IDD service and that no other service offers access and coverage through over 38.5 million handsets, since Hellow may be used on any Smart of Talk ‘N Text handset.

There are about 1.3 million Smart Load retailers all over the country.

With Hellow, calls to Canada, mainland US, Guam and Hawaii cost only P2.50 per minute. Calls to Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, China, Malaysia and Hong Kong cost P5. For calls to Japan, Australia, UK, Italy and Thailand, Hellow offers P8 per minute, while those to Saudi Arabia and UAE are priced at P10.

Mojica, meanwhile, added that over the years, they have progressively lowered the cost of their services and designed offers to truly meet the varying needs and purchasing power of their subscribers. “With Hellow, we will enable overseas Filipinos and their families back home to save on communication expenses,” he said.