Landbank, Smart unveil OFW Cash Card in HK

Fresh from a successful Dubai stint, Landbank and Smart again collaborated to unveil the Smart Money-powered Landbank OFW Cash Card in Hong Kong. The launch of the mobile remittance service before the Hong Kong-based Filipino community coincided with President Arroyo’s visit to the China territory to promote savings and investment instruments to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

Through the Landbank OFW Cash Card, Hong Kong-based Filipinos may now send remittances to their beneficiaries in the Philippines via SIM-based services anytime, anywhere at the speed of a text message.

A roaming charge of P20 and a value-added service (VAS) fee of P2.50 are charged against the sender’s airtime load per fund transfer. The launch was highlighted by a live demo of an actual fund transfer from Melinda F. Villamor, an OFW based in Hong Kong for over 17 years now, to her son, Jesus “Tots” F. Villamor IV, who was at the Land Bank head office in Manila. The demo, which took less than five seconds, was telecast live over NBN Channel 4 via Mabuhay Satellite.

Shown in the photo (from left to right) are: Smart chief wireless adviser Orlando B. Vea; OWWA Administrator and Acting Labor and Employment Secretary Marianito D. Roque; PLDT and Smart chairman, Manuel V. Pangilinan; Finance Secretary and Landbank chairman Gary B. Teves; Landbank president and CEO Gilda E. Pico, and Hong Kong-based OFW, Melinda Villamor.  At the photo background is the live feed from the Landbank head office in Manila, featuring Melinda’s beneficiary, Tots Villamor, together with NBN anchor, Veronica Baluyot-Jimenez.