For 37-year-old Caviteña Annalyn Fernan, selling suman (rice cake) and other native delicacies online is her lifeline and way forward. The beneficiary of an overseas Filipino worker in Saudi Arabia who passed away last year, Fernan now has the sole responsibility of earning to support the needs of her family.

During the pandemic, Fernan’s senior mother thought of starting their suman business, which continues to do well even today. To boost their sales, Fernan uses her phone and the internet to market their products on social media and receive more orders online.

“We get orders from our community, and we even receive orders from other OFWs overseas who see my posts online,” she shared. “That’s why having a reliable internet connection is important to me.”

A mother of two, Fernan also devotes her time to growing her loading and bills payment business, which was part of the OFW Family Livelihood Program jointly awarded by the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and PLDT Global Corporation (PLDT Global) earlier this year. The livelihood program also awarded Fernan a Smart Ka-Partner retailer package, including a smartphone and marketing materials and signages to help her increase her sales.

“The money I earn from the business helps us in our daily needs, that’s why I’m grateful,” she said. “To PLDT Global, I am thankful that they are partners with the DMW and they are able to help make our lives easier.

Fernan was also visited by the DMW and PLDT Global, led by DMW Assistant Secretary for Reintegration Venecio V. Legaspi (third from the right) and PLDT Global Vice President for Strategic Partnerships Jojo Quiamas (third from the left), deeply moving the entrepreneur.

She also expressed her thanks to the DMW. “They stayed with us until the very end. In fact, they are still here to assist, support, and visit us. I hope they will be able to help more OFW families like us,” Fernan shared emotionally.

“This is a testament to our commitment to helping not only OFWs, but their families as well by supporting and empowering them through various programs with our partners like PLDT Global,” said DMW Secretary Hans Cacdac.

Aside from the livelihood program, PLDT Global also held digital literacy programs for OFWs. Just last year, with the help of the PLDT-Smart Foundation and other partners in the organization, PLDT Global provided upskilling grants, gadgets, and training for cacao farming to reintegrated OFWs. They also gave LearnSmart kits to the children of an OFW in Qatar.

“We hope that through the unified efforts of PLDT Global and the DMW we can continue to uplift the lives of Filipinos and help them realize their fullest potential,” said Albert V. Villa-Real, President and CEO at PLDT Global.

PLDT Global continues to bridge the digital gap by bringing digital services to Filipinos around the world through products and services, particularly through TINBO — the one-stop marketplace that enables Filipinos living overseas to buy load, pay bills, send food vouchers, e-gifts, healthcare PINs from mWell, and even gaming PINs for their families in the Philippines. Through TINBO, OFWs can also acquire a Smart virtual number (SVN), enabling them to receive important OTPs from their e-wallets and e-banks in the Philippines. TINBO also provides overseas Filipinos access to a convenient and secured online bills payment platform for their Philippine utilities, and other digital services while outside the Philippines.

PLDT Global’s partnership with the DMW to help ensure the well-being of OFWs and their families is a fundamental part of the much broader PLDT commitment to serve and lift the quality of life of Filipinos everywhere.