Smart teams up with 4 int’l remittance centers to boost aid for Yolanda survivors

INQUIRER.net / 04:07 PM November 13, 2013

MANILA, Philippines—Smart Communications is teaming up with four leading global airtime remittance hubs which will allow international donations for communities destroyed by monster typhoon “Yolanda” (international name Haiyan), the company said in a statement Wednesday.

Through its mobile financial services subsidiary Smart e-Money, the statement said it will work with Transfer To, Tranglo, www.exetop.com, and Aryty, which all together cover hundreds of partner mobile network operators in various countries.

To contribute to a disaster relief communities devastated by the typhoon, mobile subscribers can key-in +63-999-7-000-000 (12-digits) as the beneficiary mobile number, following their mobile service providers’ airtime top-up mechanics.

“Depending upon the procedures of the MNO [mobile network operator] in the country where the donations are originating from, charges will be deducted from the subscriber’s prepaid balance,” it said, but noted that mobile airtime donations will only be a maximum of $10 a day

It said the fund-raising program will be until December 31 to allow mobile subscribers in over 40 countries to donate.

The countries include Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, Brunei, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain (United Kingdom), Greece, Hong Kong, India, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Macau, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Oman, Qatar, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, and the Vatican City, among others.

“All airtime donations generated will be credited to the Philippines relief drive using SMART BayadLoad [pay via load] and subsequently credited to the Philippine Disaster Recovery Foundation [PDRF] current account with the state-owned Land Bank of the Philippines,” the statement said.

The PDRF is one of the three identified institutional conduits approved by the BSP together with the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the Philippine National Red Cross.

Meanwhile, the statement also said that as of 11 a.m., Smart and Digitel Mobile Philippines Inc. have reactivated 83 percent of its affected sites in the Visayas region, and 100 percent in Palawan after cellular service was restored in Coron and Culion last night.

Cellular service was also fired up in Daan Bantayan in Northern Cebu.

In other areas, Smart has deployed Smart Satellite Services phones to provide Libreng Tawag services for residents.

It also said that aside from Borongan, Eastern Samar, Smart started providing free calls to residents in Guiuan, Eastern Samar and Dulag, Leyte.

Smart Libreng Tawag services are ongoing in the following areas:

1. Leyte

a. Smart cellsite in municipality of Dulag

b. Municipal Hall of Palo

c. Smart Retail Store in Ormoc City

d. City Hall, Ormoc City

e. DSWD booth at City Hall of Tacloban City

f. PLDT office, Tacloban City

2. Northern Cebu