The international subsidiary of giant telco PLDT has partnered with Coca-Cola-Beverages Philippines, Inc (CCBPI) to help the latter’s Balik Pinas project that provides livelihood opportunities for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who have been repatriated due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
PLDT Global Corporation through its platform Free Bee app will help the Philippine Coca-Cola bottling unit in reaching out to more OFWs who are seeking to restart back at home. The Free Bee app is integrating a convenient gateway to Balik Pinas—Free Bee users can see in-app promotions (until January 21, 2020) that will redirect them to the online application form for Coca-Cola’s Balik Pinas program.
After applying through Free Bee, OFW submissions will go through CCBPI’s screening process. The first 12 OFWs to have successful applications coursed via Free Bee will be awarded additional livelihood packages.
“The Covid-19 pandemic has challenged us in many ways,” said PLDT Global SVP and Chief Commercial Officer. “This is particularly true for our kababayans abroad who have found themselves without jobs because of massive layoffs or closures of businesses and institutions that they were part of.”
CCBPI’s Balik Pinas has been providing repatriated OFWs with opportunities to be part of the Coca-Cola family as distributors, wholesalers, or community resellers. The project also ensures that deserving OFW-entrepreneurs are backed by practical support from a global beverage brand—from setting up the business to sustaining it, to ensuring growth and profit. This aligns with the company’s other programs that provide assistance to MSMEs across the country.
“Coca-Cola’s Commercial team makes sure that when we execute programs, we are creating value not just for the Company, but most especially for local communities,” said CCBPI Commercial Excellence Director Hernando Garcia. “When we expanded the Balik Pinas program on a national scale this year, this principle was the foundation of our goal to help overseas Filipinos to be able to restart as business owners here in the Philippines.”
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