Families of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) were treated to heartwarming moments, lively performances, and significant announcements at the annual Banco De Oro (BDO) Unibank Pamaskong Handog event at SM Fairview last December 16.

“BDO values the hard work of our OFWs, and we want to help them by making it easier for them to provide for the needs of their families back home,” said BDO’s senior vice president and head of remittance Genie Gloria. “Through our partnership with SM Supermalls, we made banking and remittance very affordable and easily accessible and incorporated it into the behavior and needs of the Filipino family, which led to us becoming the preferred bank of OFWs.”

A fun-filled program hosted by comedians MC & Lassy featured games, raffles, and surprises from BDO partners, including Remitly, an online remittance service that offers international money transfers to over 150 countries and has been a trusted partner of BDO for a decade. One of the highlights of the event was the heartwarming performance by actor-singer Piolo Pascual, BDO’s long-time brand ambassador.

Adding to the excitement was the introduction of the newest member of the BDO family, content creator Small Laude, whose engaging persona instantly captured the crowd.

Piolo and Small also announced a surprise gift from BDO and SM Supermalls to all Kabayan savings account holders. Each savings account holder is entitled to special discounts from partner merchants such as the SM Store, Miniso, SM Surplus, and Ace Hardware on selected days this December. Following this, every first Tuesday of the month for 2024 is Kabayan Day, where Kabayan account holders will be entitled to a 10% discount for a minimum purchase with participating merchants like SM Store, SM Hypermarket, SaveMore, SM Surplus, Miniso, Watsons, Ace Hardware, and more.

Finally, BDO paid tribute to one of the OFWs who have trusted their services since the very beginning. Maria Teresa Yasuki was the very first client to open an account with BDO Remit in Japan. As a thank you gift, BDO brought her back to the Philippines to be with her family for the first time in 22 years. Her two-way ticket to Japan was sponsored by SM, and her family was also gifted an SM Supermalls shopping spree worth P10,000.

“I left the Philippines without any grandchildren, and now I have three,” said Yasuki. “I am so grateful to BDO and SM for giving me the chance to come home and spend Christmas with my family after 22 years. This is what I have been working towards.”

Since 2012, it has been BDO and SM’s mission to uplift overseas Filipinos with holiday cheer through the Pamaskong Handog. BDO and SM have been working together in delivering special treats for OFWs, bringing Filipino families closer to enjoying their special time together inside SM Supermalls all year round.

For more details on Pamaskong Handog events and the latest OFW promos, tips, and events, visit the BDO Kabayan Facebook page. – Rappler.com

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