Western Union leader wins top award

Patricia Riingen

ENGLEWOOD, Colorado—Western Union Senior Vice President for East and South Asia Patricia Riingen received the Pinnacle Group’s CSR Leadership Award for spearheading a range of initiatives backed by Western Union for better access to financial services in the Philippines.

Now in its 5th year, Pinnacle’s Global CSR Awards is recognized as one of Asia’s most prestigious programs that honor companies and their leaders for their help in improving the lives of people, communities and the environment. The CSR Leadership Award is given to an individual who plays a key role in promoting a civic spirit among a company’s partners, clients, employees and consumers.

Riingen led Western Union’s introduction of products, services and programs to a range of consumers, from “the banked to unbanked,” as well as educational outreach programs. Her work merited the award’s gold category at the Global CSR Awards ceremony in Davao held on April 19.

Riingen heads Western Union  throughout East and South Asia, which includes two of the world’s top 10 remittance-receiving countries–the Philippines and Bangladesh.  As a Filipino herself, Riingen is fully aware of the sacrifices of overseas Filipino workers.

The Philippines receives over US$20 billion remittances annually, but nearly three quarters of its people (73%) 15 years and older do not have a bank account.

Consumers receiving remittances from overseas or within the Philippines have the option of collecting funds from Western Union’s Agent location network, representing multiple classes of trade, now pegged at more than 8,500 across 143 cities and 78 provinces.

In addition, they can also choose to receive international remittances directly onto the Western Union® Gold Prepaid Card; direct into their bank accounts if customers of Union Bank; or into mobile phones if subscribers of Globe and Smart.

In addition to receiving remittances, the Western Union® Gold Prepaid Card in the Philippines offers the unbanked a reliable way to save and manage their money–salary, government payments, gifts or other earnings.  It also provides a new spending option, whether purchasing online or at retail.

Through The Western Union Foundation, Western Union’s philanthropic arm, over US$1.3 million has been allocated to the Philippines in grants to support education and economic empowerment projects since the Foundation’s inception in 2001.

“I am honored to receive this CSR Leadership Award,” said Riingen. “This it is only possible through collaboration.  I thank our agents, employees, non-governmental organizations, governments and community leaders, for their continuous support and vote of confidence, enabling us to deliver services and initiatives that make a real difference in the everyday lives of Filipinos.”