MANILA, Philippines — Modern-day heroes, figures of resilience – these are just some of the ways to describe what Filipinos living overseas mean to the Philippines.
For PLDT chairman and CEO Manuel V. Pangilinan, overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) are among the most important constituents of the country’s 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.”
Knowing the plight of OFWs and how important it is for them to have both a line to the Philippines 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., uplifting the lives of Filipinos living overseas.
To help boost awareness and bridge the gap between Filipinos abroad and OWWA, PLDT Global has 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.
TINBO has integrated a helpline button that enables OFWs to connect to the OWWA Helpline 1348 through online or web-based calls swiftly and securely. To use, TINBO users simply need to log on to their TINBO account and click on their registered Smart virtual number to access the OWWA Helpline 1348 button.
“The government’s digitalization agenda will be a big step forward toward 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,” Pangilinan said.
Aside from Helpline 1348, PLDT Global and OWWA are rolling out even more initiatives to support OFWs during their stay overseas. And for when they come home, PLDT Global will also continue to roll out 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 even gaming PINs for their families in the Philippines. They can also acquire a Smart virtual number through TINBO, enabling them to receive OTPs from their e-wallets and e-banks in the Philippines like Maya. TINBO also 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.