Smart offers e-load to OFWs

Manila Times
Saturday, March 18, 2006

Smart offers e-load to OFWs

SMART Communications Inc., the Philippines’ leading wireless services provider, said it plans to offer international e-Loading service in the United States, Middle East and Europe for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

This comes after Smart’s launch of the service in Guam.

In a statement, Roger Quevedo, Smart head of Wholesale Business Group, said it has partnered with Hafatel to offer the e-Loading service.

Quevedo said the new service is the first of a series of international e-Loading partnership projects. “[This] is made possible through special arrangement with HafaTel, one of Smart’s mobile roaming partners in Guam,” he said.

“With its successful pilot launching, Smart international e-Loading service will soon become available in other countries. We are looking at launching similar service in Taiwan, the US mainland, and certain countries in the Middle East and Europe where there is high concentration of overseas Filipinos,” he added.

The company said the international e-Load is available at all HafaTel Exchanges around Guam in local currency equivalents of the P500, P300 and P200 denominations.

Before this service, Filipinos in Guam wanting to send e-Load to the Philippines had to buy smuggled Smart prepaid cards at exorbitant rates from unauthorized sources, Quevedo said. “With the launching of the new service, Filipinos can avoid fraudulent purchases, save money and expect steady supply and excellent customer care and support,” he said.

Smart plans to grow this international service to become a good and stable revenue source for the group.
--Darwin G. Amojelar