Sending load is still king when it comes to keeping in touch between overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and their families, with nine out of ten Middle East-based OFWs sending mobile load back home to stay connected.
This was the conclusion of PLDT Inc.'s international arm, PLDT Global Corporation, in a study released on Thursday, Nov. 11.
The study covered 600 respondents online from June 16 to 30, 2021 and showed that majority of OFWs, 49 percent, send load to children, spouses, siblings, and parents through loading channels or kiosks.
Others, 26 percent, send remittances while 17 percent send an allowance specifically for load top up.
Meanwhile, approximately 81 percent chat with or video call their families every day to beat their homesickness and motivate them while working abroad.
A total of 96 percent of OFWs use their mobile phones connect online; 51 percent use mobile data while 46 percent use the WiFi or broadband of their employers.
Although most still prefer to send their bills payment through cash remittances, those who choose to pay directly through digital channels do so through online banking for their families’ convenience
“The insights from this study show the importance of load access for Filipinos abroad," Albert V. Villa-Real, PLDT Global SVP and chief commercial officer.
"They allot a huge chunk of their monthly expenses for cellphone bills to stay connected to their loved ones back home," he added.
PLDT Global has teamed up with over fifty global distributors to reach more overseas Filipinos.
These distributors enable Filipinos to purchase Smart and TNT prepaid load, reload their Free Bee accounts, or send prepaid load to their families back home through brick-and-mortar loading stations or official websites for contactless top-ups.