The PLDT Group has activated free call services to help Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) stay connected with their families amid rising tensions in the Middle East.
PLDT chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan said he directed PLDT and Smart Communications to provide free calls for Filipinos in countries affected by the conflict. He said the move is driven by concern for more than two million Filipinos living and working in the region.
“We’re worried about our OFWs,” Pangilinan said, adding that the goal is to make it easier for Filipinos abroad and their families in the Philippines to reach each other.
Free calls to the Philippines are available for Filipinos in Iran, Israel, Iraq, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia through the TinBo app using a Smart Virtual Number.
PLDT, Smart, and TNT subscribers in the Philippines can also make free calls to loved ones in those countries. The free call service will run until March 7, with a possible extension depending on the situation.
Filipinos may also call the Smart crisis hotline at +63288457799, which is open 24/7. They can also reach the DMW-OWWA 1348 hotline through the TinBo app. More details will be posted on the companies’ official social media accounts.
