BDO waives fees on overseas Filipinos' cash donations to Taal victims

Banking giant BDO Unibank Inc. on Friday announced it has waived remittance fees on cash donations to be sent by Filipinos overseas to the victims of the recent Taal Volcano eruption.

In a statement, BDO said remittance fees are waived if cash donations are sent through different BDO Remit offices abroad.

The waiving of fees is “to make it easier for overseas Filipinos to provide financial assistance to thousands of victims of the Mt. Taal eruption.”

BDO said it has extensive remittance coverage across the globe, with overseas remittance offices and partners across Asia, Europe, North America, and the Middle East.

“Cash donations sent through BDO Remit offices will then be coursed through different foundations namely BDO Foundation, ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya Foundation, Inc., GMA Kapuso Foundation, Inc., and Philippine Red Cross,” it said.

“In turn, these foundations will facilitate the purchase and distribution of relief goods in evacuation centers that temporarily house the Taal victims,” it added.

The remittance free campaign on cash donations to Taal victims runs from Jan. 14 to Mar. 31, 2020.

"We know overseas Filipinos, by the very nature of every Filipino, would love to help their kababayans in the Philippines who were most affected by the Mt. Taal eruption through cash donations. BDO is serving as bridge to this by waiving regular remittance fees on donations sent through BDO remit offices. It's the Bank's way of making sure all donations, every centavo, are spent to buy relief goods. In times like this, you just want to help any which way you can," Genie Gloria, senior vice president and head of remittance of BDO, said.

Aside from the different BDO Remit offices, the bank’s global remit partners are also receiving cash donations for the benefit of the Taal eruption victims, including Remitly, Small World, WorldRemit, Azimo, UAE Exchange Centre, and Xpress Money.

Regular remittance charges apply, BDO said. —Ted Cordero/KBK, GMA News