WorldRemit Announces Winners of Holiday Season Promotion to Help Filipino Beneficiaries Start a Business

WorldRemit, a leading digital cross-border payments business has announced the winners of its recent Grainsmart store franchise promotion to help customers give their beneficiaries the opportunity to start a business in the Philippines. Customers qualified for the promotion by sending money to the Philippines and nominating a beneficiary of their choice. The winners include frontline healthcare workers and teachers from a number of countries including Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Norway, Sweden, the United States and the United Kingdom. Beneficiaries will now be opening Grainsmart stores across the Philippines in places which include Cebu, Davao, San Carlos and Tagum City.

"We're so pleased to give recipients this great opportunity to start a business that will help them to support their families and become more financially stable. The franchisees have the option to expand these businesses and potentially create job opportunities for members of the wider community. This underlines our commitment to helping Overseas Filipino Workers to support those dearest to them back home," said Earl Melivo, Country Director for the Philippines at WorldRemit.

Benjamin Batac, CEO at Grainsmart added, "It's an honour to partner with a company like WorldRemit that shares our values. With many of the franchise contracts already signed, this promotion will create sustainable jobs and also give much-needed support to Filipino farmers, many of whom are facing challenges due to the pandemic and recent natural disasters."

Ma Teresa S. Olis who lives and works in Christchurch as an IT support engineer and vlogger has chosen her sister Josephine as her beneficiary said, "I started using WorldRemit after I found out about them at a Filipino event they sponsored in Riverside so I feel lucky to have won as I haven't been a customer for that long! I'm the eldest daughter and the main breadwinner for my family. Josephine is the youngest and has 2 small children as well as taking care of our mother. Having this Grainsmart store is perfect for her because she'll be able to choose her working hours and have some financial independence".

Winner Analou Sua who works at a care home in Queensland added, "My brother Antonio will help me manage the Pangkabuhayan package in Villman where he works as a computer technician. We've already signed the Grainsmart contract and are looking at expanding the business and renting a place to start a mini supermarket. Winning this opportunity has brought a lot of joy as the last few years have been so difficult for me and my family. I have an autoimmune disease called Connective Tissue Disease which I found out about 5 years ago. I was really depressed when I was diagnosed in 2015 but with the help of my husband I'm trying to be positive. It has been a really difficult time as 3 family members recently died in the Philippines and I wasn't able to go home for the funerals. I'm grateful to WorldRemit for giving me an opportunity to not only start my own business but to also involve my family".

Each Grainsmart franchise business package includes:

• 60 sacks (25 kg each) of rice
• A tablet that's fully set up for a bills payment centre account
• Business signage, marketing collateral, and other business paraphernalia
• An online training and mentorship program ? to provide guidance for setting up the business for success.

As well as the COVID-19 pandemic, Filipinos have also had to deal with the devastation caused by Super Typhoon Goni and Typhoon Vamco, which have displaced thousands and destroyed livelihoods.

Take advantage of competitive exchange rates for the Philippine peso by visiting www.worldremit.com or downloading the app.

Winners were announced on the WorldRemit Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/WorldRemit/).

For more details visit www.worldremit.com/pangkabuhayan.

WorldRemit

WorldRemit is a leading digital cross-border payments business . We disrupted an industry previously dominated by offline legacy players by taking international money transfers online - making them safer, faster and lower-cost. We currently send from more than 50 countries to 150+ receive countries, operate in 6,500 money transfer corridors worldwide and employ over 1,100 people worldwide.

On the sending side WorldRemit is 100% digital (cashless), increasing convenience and enhancing security. For those receiving money, the company offers a wide range of options including bank deposit, cash collection, mobile airtime top-up and mobile money.

Backed by Accel, TCV and Leapfrog ? WorldRemit's headquarters are in London, United Kingdom with regional offices in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, South Africa, Somaliland, Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Zimbabwe and Belgium.

For more information visit www.worldremit.com