Smart shortlisted in int’l tilt

MANILA, Philippines - Smart Communications Inc. subsidiary Smart e-Money Inc. (SMI) is again in the running for international recognition, having been shortlisted in the Mobile Money category of the 11th Meffys Awards. The mobile cash transfer program deployed in the aftermath of Super Typhoon Yolanda initiated in December 2013 in partnership with the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP), was rolled out in hard-hit Tacloban City as a payment fulfillment facility for the cash-for-work disaster relief intervention of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). LBP issued cash cards to disburse the wages of those who participated in the UNDP initiative. Beneficiaries could use these cards to withdraw money from any bank ATM. The cards were linked to their Smart mobile number, enabling Smart to notify them via SMS when money was credited to their account. The Meffys is organized by the MEF, a London-based trade organization focusing on mobile content and commerce.