Beneficiaries in the Philippines have received one Grainsmart rice store franchise business package worth PHP 200,000

DENVER–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#crossborderpayments–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 the United States, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Beneficiaries will now be opening Grainsmart stores across the Philippines in places that 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.”

Winner and Beneficiary Mayvonne Morales said, “I was born and raised in Cebu but have lived in Las Vegas for the last 30 years. The Filipino culture of supporting family and friends is so important to me. I still can’t believe I have won this Pangkabuhayan prize! It all started when I got a message from a childhood friend in the Philippines asking for financial help because her mom was in the hospital with kidney problems. I know how it is to be sick with kidney issues because I have been through that in January of 2015. So I went ahead and sent money to my friend via WorldRemit since it’s very convenient just on my phone. It is fast and just for a minute or two the recipient will receive the money and above all they have the highest exchange rate compared to other remittance companies that I have researched. After I sent the funds I got notified right away that the transaction went through successfully. After that another screen popped up asking me if I wanted to enter in a draw for pangkabuhayan in the Philippines. I filled out the form, sent and forgot about it, that was sometime in November of 2020. Every year since 2015, I visit Cebu to give thanks to Senior Sto Nino for the gift of life. When I was diagnosed with acute kidney failure in 2015, it was the awakening moment of my life. I realized that living in this world is not only about me and my dreams. It’s about making a difference in my own little way. I always set aside money for the Philippines so when I go I can put it into projects which include donating to a feeding program for children and buying printers for an elementary school in the north of Cebu. When I received the call to say I had won the prize I thought it was a scam because I’ve been wanting to open a rice or grocery store in the Philippines for so long! I’m so happy with this opportunity given to me after my retirement to continue my journey here in the Philippines and to touch people’s lives in my own little way”.

Winner Shirley Fe Torrecampo who lives in Arizona with her husband, plans to move to Cabuyao Laguna where they will run the Grainsmart business. Shirley said, “My husband Emmanuel and I have been working as teachers in the US for the last 5 years. We were supposed to go back home to the Philippines last May but couldn’t travel due to the border closures. We’ve been using WorldRemit ever since we moved to America and to win this competition feels like fate! I’m really excited about opening the store and running our own business for the first time”.

Each Grainsmart franchise business package includes:

  • 60 sacks (25 kg each) of rice
  • A tablet that’s fully set up for a bills payment center 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 130+ 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

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