In 2022, almost 800,000 Filipinos made the pilgrimage abroad, leaving behind all they’ve known to support their families.
(FILE PHOTO)
GCash is set on offering another remittance channel for Filipinos living and working abroad, expanding its presence into 16 countries across Asia Pacific, Europe, Middle East and United States.
Paul Albano, general manager of GCash International, told reporters in a recent briefing in Taguig that GCash is now officially up and running in 13 countries. These include the US, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, Italy, Japan, Germany, Spain, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Korea.
By April, Albano said the e-wallet platform will also be available in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Singapore.
READ: GCash to offer remittance channel for Filipinos abroad
“We will work in partnership with BSP (Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas) to expand it to more countries. These 16 countries already account for more than 80 percent of the remittances of our Filipino kababayans (
Personal remittances rose by 3 percent to $37.2 billion last year as more Filipinos went abroad for work, according to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. Top remittance sources include the US, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Japan and the UK.
To sign up, users living abroad can use their international mobile numbers and Philippine passport or other Philippine valid ID as proof of identity.
The fully verified accounts will allow them to send money for free via the app. Users can also pay bills and buy load credits, among others.
GCash is available as a payment platform in select merchants in several countries including Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Macau, Qatar, UAE, US, France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland and UK.
The e-wallet also has partnership with international payment gateway Visa, enabling its users to pay in over 100 million merchants across 200 countries and territories.
“We’re confident that our innovation and strategic partnerships will allow us to provide seamless financial services to Filipinos anywhere in the world. This is only the first step as we grow our presence internationally,” Albano said.
Recently, GCash partnered with blockchain-based game Axie Infinity, allowing the players to convert their in-game cryptocurrency assets into fiat money via the e-wallet.
Apart from Axie Infinity, players of others games under Sky Mavis’ Ronin ecosystem, like Pixels, can avail of the service.
GCrypto, powered by Philippine Digital Asset Exchange, enables GCash users to trade cryptocurrencies via the app.