MANILA, Philippines -- In line with Google's partnership with Globe Telecom, Smart Communications and Sun Cellular, the search giant has launched a Gmail-to-SMS service that allows Filipinos to send and receive text messages from within Gmail to local mobile phones for free.

With SMS in Gmail Chat, Gmail users can send a text from the desktop interface directly to a mobile phone via SMS, as if they were simply sending an instant message. In return, the recipient can respond to the text message and the response will appear in the sender’s Gmail interface. The message can be stored and archived just like any other chat message.

Standard network charges will apply for any communication from the phone to the desktop, but SMS in Gmail Chat is free from desktop to phone.

Myriam Boublil, head of Communications and Public Affairs of Google Southeast Asia, expressed confidence that SMS in Gmail Chat will bring a new level of flexibility and mobility to Gmail users in the Philippines.

"With more than 70 million mobile subscribers in the Philippines and the country being the SMS capital of the world, we think this service will allow for seamless integration between mobile and PC communication and make it more convenient for Pinoys to send each other messages," Boublil said.

The Philippines was recently cited as the world’s text messaging capital in a report by top news source for digital and social media, Mashable, where the Philippines was seen to lead other countries in terms of messages sent.