Globe strengthens tie-up with DOT

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Tourism and Globe Telecom are strengthening their partnership as they bring their Pinoy Homecoming program to welcome balikbayans at the Mactan International Airport in Cebu.

The Cebu launch last Thursday was timed to coincide with the influx of overseas-based Filipinos who are vacationing in Cebu in time for the world-famous Sinulog Festival.

The Pinoy Homecoming program gives balikbayans access to special tours offered at discounted rates plus a Welcome Pack that contains discount coupons for over 700 partner hotels, spas, hospitals and other merchants as well as a Globe OFW SIM pack pre-loaded with a P50 credit which they can use right away.

Returning Filipinos simply need to register at the Pinoy Homecoming Hospitality Counters, or they can register online at http://pinoyhomecoming.ph/ before arriving in the Philippines.

The DOT and Globe pilot-launched the Pinoy Homecoming program in Manila last year as a public-private partnership for tourism promotion.

The program has since been introduced in Davao and Clark, Pampanga. It aims to encourage overseas Filipinos and their second- and third-generation descendants of various nationalities to visit the Philippines, reconnect with their roots and tour the country. 

It also targets Filipino overseas organizations and business groups to visit the country for reunions, conferences, missions, and vacations through the provision of privileges, incentives and rewards.

An estimated 11 million Filipinos live and work in over 170 countries, offering the Philippines huge potential to supply a bigger number of tourist arrivals to the country.

Philippine tourism officials expect tourist arrivals to increase on the back of the continued migration of Filipinos abroad and expansion of succeeding generations of overseas Filipinos.

“We are one with the Department of Tourism in helping balikbayans feel instantaneously at home upon their arrival in the Philippines,” said Jerry Yntig, head of external affairs for the Visayas and Mindanao of Globe Telecom.

“Globe strives to help our expat Pinoys keep that connection to home via relevant and meaningful products and services that cater to the needs of overseas Filipinos and help their loved ones in the Philippines stay in touch with them,” Yntig added.

Globe Telecom has the widest international reach with over 600 roaming partners worldwide. Through partnerships with some of the world’s largest telecommunication companies like Hong Kong’s CSL, Maxis of Malaysia, Guam’s IT&E, Lebara and Taiwan Mobile, Globe offers SIM cards and prepaid call cards with the most affordable call and SMS rates to the Philippines.

Globe also has a wide range of IDD and international SMS offers that enable families in the Philippines to stay in touch with overseas Filipinos.

These include the IDD Sakto Calls, which reduce IDD rates by as much as 70 percent; and Super US Direct, a unique service that gives subscribers virtual US landline numbers so friends and family in the US can contact them at local US call rates.