The ABS-CBN Global Group and Western Union recently entered into an agreement that brings together their core services to reach more Filipinos worldwide. Representing the industry movers during the formal memorandum of agreement (MOA) signing ceremony held in May at the Restaurant 9501 of the Eugenio Lopez Communications Center in Quezon City were ABS-CBN Asia Pacific Managing Director Ailene Averion, Regional Finance Officer Lawrence Reyes, and Western Union Senior Vice President for Southeast Asia and Oceania Patricia Riingen.
As part of the agreement, one of the biggest names in remittance, Western Union, will provide senders a free, 30-day TFC.tv Lite package for every valid transaction. TFC.tv is the online platform of
ABS-CBN Global’s flagship service, TFC, which provides access to ABS-CBN programs and other content to viewers outside the Philippines. Customers who make valid transactions using wu.com; Western Union® or Vigo (Canada only); agent retail locations in the U.S., Canada, as well as selected countries in the Middle East, Oceania, Central and South America, Europe, Asia and Africa, can redeem up to three times within the promo period.
At the onset, Riingen said given the two industry giants’ vision and mission, the tie-up made perfect sense from the very beginning.
“We were really interested in the collaboration with TFC because we can potentially leverage our combined strengths. We’re both in the business of connecting migrant workers and Filipinos who live and work abroad and to their families as well as to the Philippines.”
Riingen said TFC and Western Union’s goals run parallel, “Our thrust is to be able to provide a means for consumers to send their money reliably and conveniently and to connect them with their families. It’s the same principle that TFC has. It’s to connect Filipinos abroad with the Filipino culture here. I think it’s a good collaboration and it’s one that really complements each other.”
Overseas Filipinos (OFs) and senders in selected countries will benefit from the promotion as they get two values for the price of one. With the TFC.tv Lite Package, qualified senders can get updates on news programs as well as entertainment from ABS-CBN’s top-raters, from drama to the comedy genre. It also includes a livestream of ANC and a seven-day archive of ABS-CBN shows ( Terms and conditions apply).
On top of these programs, qualified senders can also enjoy films with award-winning Kapamilya actor and current Western Union brand ambassador John Lloyd Cruz. These include A Very Special Love, Dubai, It Takes a Man and a Woman, Unofficially Yours, You Changed My Life, 24/7 in Love, My Amnesia Girl, One More Chance, Now That I Have You, and The Trial.
According to Averion, currently, TFC subscribers can only enjoy this content through the platforms of TFC as ABS-CBN’s international arm, but they can now be enjoyed by a wider audience.
“Today, Filipinos across the world can choose to watch nearly all of the available ABS-CBN shows on TV and radio through our available platforms: our cable partners, our digital box (IPTV) or through TFC.tv. And with this synergy between Western Union and TFC, OFs, both our customers and non-customers will be able to experience our core offerings and strengthen that link through remittance and content. We look forward to more opportunities for synergy in the future,” she added.
The opportunity for cooperation is wide for both TFC and Western Union. According to the latest Stock Estimates of Filipinos overseas, there are over 10 million OFs and the numbers are increasing. In 2015, remittances amounted to $25.76 million, or a 4.6 percent increase from $24.63 million in 2014 according to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. With this growth in population and remittance needs, both companies can look at more areas for synergy.
The event was hosted by Boto Mo, Patrol Mo and ABS-CBN News Channel’s Gretchen Ho with performance from The Next Big Diva Morissette Amon.
For more information on the promo, visit www.tfc.tv/wu
★★★★★
Laugh for the Children
Internationally acclaimed Filipino-American comedian Rex Navarrete is home for “Rebuild,” a benefit comedy show for the National Children’s Hospital.
“Let us laugh to forget the stresses of our daily grind, and what’s better, we laugh for the benefit of the children served by the National Children’s Hospital,” said Robert Nazal, chairman of Healthwell Nutraceuticals.
Sponsored by Anagen, GlutaMAX, Nice Day Coffee, YSA Botanica Kojic Acid and YSA Skin Care Corporation, the unforgettable comedy show is at 7:30 tonight at the Music Museum.
“Let us help ‘rebuild’ the hospital while supporting international Filipino talent,” said Healthwell President Jose Paulo Legaspi.
Navarrete will perform with Premier Home Grown Laugh-a-Minute Crew and Comedy Manila in the project by the Rotary Club of Sta. Mesa, Quezon City.
Ticket prices at P1,200, P1,000, and P800, available at Ticket World 891-9999 (www.ticketworld.com.ph) and the Music Museum 721-6726 (www.musicmuseum.com.ph).
★★★★★
Find ‘Dory’ at SM Cinema!
SM Cinema invites you to find Dory through interactive exhibits at Mall of Asia. The friendly but forgetful fish discovers her way to IMAX theatres and SM Cinema branches nationwide.
SM Cinema joins the funny and loveable but forgetful blue fish named Dory as she embarks on another big adventure in Disney-Pixar’s Finding Dory, the eagerly awaited sequel to Finding Nemo.
In anticipation of the year’s most heart-warming animation, SM Cinema invites families to just keep swimming at the Mall of Asia. With activities distributed in the mall, finding the amnesiac blue tang fish has never been this fun. At the MOA activity center, a Dory-themed exhibit features games such as the Water Tank Escape: help Dory escape from the Marine Life Institute’s water tank by finding her in a wind tunnel filled with different fish. Bring Dory home through the buzz wire game where players are tasked to go through an electric maze taking Dory from the far flung ends of the sea to her family. Help her remember her past: At the Exploreum, patrons are invited to a magnified memory game. Take a selfie with Dory at IMAX. Find the well-travelled blue fish at IMAX lobbies and post a selfie for a chance to win premium items from Disney.
SM Cinema, a brand under SM Lifestyle Entertainment Inc and Disney is working to bring back to Filipino families the habit of watching movies together. This June, SM Cinema and Disney joined forces to create an unforgettable experience with Disney·Pixar’s “Finding Dory” installation.
Spend a day with your family at SM Cinema, as Dory sets out to find hers. Visit Disney·Pixar’s Finding Dory at Mall of Asia and in IMAX theatres nationwide. Catch Disney·Pixar’s Finding Dory” at IMAX, Director’s Club Cinema, and SM Cinema theatres across the country.
For more ticket inquiries and information, log on to www.smcinema.com or follow SM Cinema @SM_Cinema on twitter and instagram, and /SMCinema on Facebook.
