Late last year, when someone in our extended family passed away, I became familiar with some of the death benefits available for beneficiaries in the Philippines. In my extended family’s case, some of these benefits were claimed successfully while the others were denied for various reasons.

Here are some death benefits in the Philippines:

SSS – SOCIAL SECURITY SYSTEM (For employees of private companies)

- Funeral benefit of 20,000 pesos regardless of number of monthly contributions, given to the person who spent for the funeral
- Monthly pension or lump-sum cash benefit for the legal spouse and legitimate, illegitimate or legally adopted children younger than 21 years old (up to 5 children), and older children with permanent disabilities

Pension is for the primary beneficiaries of deceased members who have contributed at least 36 monthly contributions before the semester of death.
Lump-sum is for primary beneficiaries of members who contributed less than 36 monthly contributions before the semester of death.

If there are no primary beneficiaries (no spouse and no children), the dependent parents receive the lump-sum cash benefit).

Pension amount or lump-sum amount depends on the number of credited years of membership and average monthly salary credit.

- For members who died in a workplace accident or due to an occupational illness, additional Employee Compensation benefits are given to beneficiaries.

Note:  File your claim at the SSS branch nearest where you live.

PAG-IBIG or HOME DEVELOPMENT MUTUAL FUND (HDMF)

- The death benefit amount is a percentage of the Total Provident Benefits.  The Provident total is the sum of the member’s monthly contributions, employers’ contributions for the member and dividends. Yong death benefit sabay na ibinibigay sa Total Provident Benefit. Isang claim form lang siya.

Note:  File your claim at the branch where the member’s records are kept.

OWWA (For OFWs)

- Burial benefit of 20,000 pesos
- Insurance benefit of 100,000 pesos if death is due to natural cause or 200,000 pesos if death is due to accident

OWWA
Insurance & Health Care Benefits Division
7th Street cor. FB Harrison St. Pasay City
Monday to Friday, 8 am to 5 pm
(or go to your OWWA Regional Welfare Office)

Note: If you’re an OFW, make sure your membership is always current. My relative paid his OWWA membership for the almost 30 years he worked abroad, but because he worked for two straight years during his last contract, he was not able to pay his OWWA membership, so his family’s claims were denied by OWWA.

You pay your OWWA when you pay your OEC or Overseas Exit Clearance or Balik-Manggagawa (BM) papers at the POEA or at any accredited OEC payment center or service. The OWWA membership fee is 25 US dollars, payable in pesos.

PRIVATE INSURANCE

-  This refers to life insurance policies purchased from private insurance companies such as Philam, Insular Life, and BPI-Philam Life (formerly Ayala Life), Sun Life, Manulife, PNB Life and others.

PRIVATE INSURANCE linked to BANK ACCOUNTS

-  There are life and accident insurance policies offered by banks as added benefits to certain special bank accounts and time deposits.

- An example is the BPI Get Started Savings Account with Life Insurance. The account comes with a free BPI-Philam Life insurance equivalent to 5 times the account’s balance, up to 2 million pesos.
Balance means the average month-to-date average daily balance of the past three calendar months prior to the death ofthe insured.

PRIVATE INSURANCE linked to CREDIT CARDS

- This is for credit cardholders who have purchased credit life insurance and life insurance policies from or through their credit card issuers.

- Examples are the Assure and Saver life insurance programs of Axa Philippines, a joint venture between Metrobank and Global AXA Group of France.

INSURANCE linked to MEMORIAL PLANS

- Some memorial companies give financial assistance or death benefits to the beneficiaries of those who pass away while still paying their memorial plans in monthly, quarterly or yearly installments.

- For instance, the St. Peter Life Plans with Return of Premium policy gives cash assistance to beneficiaries if the planholder dies during the paying period or within 5 years after full payment. There’s also additional benefit for death or loss of limbs or eyes due to accident.

HMO

- HMOs provide primarily hospitalization benefits, but most of them also provide death benefits to HMO members’ beneficiaries.

- An example is the INTELLICARE corporate HMO program of Asalus Corp. This HMO plan gives cash assistance of 10,000 pesos for natural death and 20,000 pesos for accidental death to the beneficiaries of principal HMO cardholders.

LOCAL EMPLOYER

- Separate death benefits for employees of companies with retirement, incentive or insurance programs for their employees. Usually ang mga big local companies and some foreign multinationals ang merong ganitong Death Benefits in the Philippines.

I looked at Book 4 of the Labor Code of the Philippines (titled Health, Safety and Social Welfare Benefits) and I saw that the only mandatory employee benefit related to death is that given by SSS. Mandatory for employers na tapatan nila ang SSS contribution ng employees. And later, naging mandatory rin yong employers’ share sa PAG-IBIG contributions.

OFW EMPLOYER

- Some OFW employers give death benefits, especially to the beneficiaries of long-time employees. If the OFW passes away while on vacation, the primary beneficiary should email the employer, together with a copy of the death certificate and a copy of marriage or birth certificate, and request for any financial benefit.

COOPERATIVES

- There are some cooperatives that provide death benefits or financial assistance to the beneficiaries of members. An example is the Center for Community Transformation (CCT), which has a group insurance partnership with Philam Life.

BARANGAY ASSOCIATIONS

- In our barangay and nearby barangays in our province in the North, there is an association called SARANAY. Whenever someone in the barangay dies, each family in the barangay contributes a certain amount of money (the same amount for all families) to accumulate money for the bereaved family. A total of 10,000 pesos (50 pesos times 200 families) is already a big help in the province.  I am proud of my mother, who is now in her 80s, because she and her friend were the ones who started this program years ago in our rural area, and now this program has spread out into other barangays.

May death benefit ba na nakukuha sa PHILHEALTH?
Sori, WALA, kasi hospitalization or medical treatment cost assistance ang focus ng Philhealth.

GSIS, AFP, PNP

Note:  We are not familiar with death benefits provided by the GSIS, AFP or PNP, so we will not be able to answer questions about these benefits.

GSIS (For government employees)

- Burial benefit of 20,000 pesos, given to the spouse or to the children (if spouse is already deceased)
- Survivors’ monthly pension or cash benefits to primary beneficiaries (legal spouse and minor children up to 5). If there are no spouse and children, death benefits are given to secondary beneficiaries.
- For members who died in the course of work or due to an occupational illness, additional Employee Compensation benefits are given to beneficiaries.
- Proceeds of compulsory and/or optional life insurance policies and/or educational policies and/or accident insurance policies for beneficiaries of members who participated in these optional programs.

Note:  GSIS has several retirement and life insurance options, kaya iba-iba ang pag-compute ng amounts of death benefits received by beneficiaries.

If you’re in the Muntinlupa area,  and you would like to purchase a St.  Peter Life Plan or St. Peter Memorial Plan, just make a comment below, and I’ll email you the name and cell phone no. of a St. Peter agent.  Sabi ng agent na ito, bibigyan daw ako ng referral fee or konting deduction sa monthly payment ko sa plan ko kung meron akong mai-refer.

Sa dami ng pre-need na naba-bankrupt, bakit ako nagre-refer ng memorial plan?  Baka sakali lang na naghahanap ka ng ganitong plan at meron kang tiwala sa St. Peter.  Hindi naman sila na-bankrupt noong kasagsagan ng pre-need collapse. At hindi naman sila focused sa pera, kundi sa memorial chapels, caskets at memorial services. Meron daw silang malawak na taniman ng mga trees (forgot the tree name) which they use to make caskets.

Hindi natin alam, baka ma-bankrupt din ang St. Peter, kung ma-mismanage (of course, hindi sana), pero nakita ko kasi yong hirap nang namatayan, kaya kumuha rin ako ng plan, para hindi mahirapan ang anak ko, lalo na at only child siya. Pero lagi kong ipinagdarasal na pahiramin pa ako ng Panginoon ng mahaba-habang buhay para mapagtapos ko pa siya sa college, at makatulong pa ako sa extended family members.

Death Benefits in the Philippines

Okay lang ba sa inyo ang pagtaas ng monthly Philhealth contribution or Philhealth premium for Individually Paying members from 1,200 to 2,400 pesos a year and for OFW members from 900 to 2,400 pesos a year?

At magsisimula na ito next year, 2012, kung walang wave of opposition from the public and from government authorities higher than Philhealth.

Sa inilabas na Circular No. 22 s-2011 noong December 16, signed by Philhealth President and CEO Eduardo P. Banzon, ang annual Philhealth contributions ng lahat ng klase ng Philhealth members ay tataas effective next year, with certain increases effective January 2012, and others effective July 2012 and January 2013.

Sa Individually Paying Member, tataas ang annual Philhealth contribution from 1,200 to 2,400 pesos.

Sa OFW member, tataas from 900 to 2,400 pesos.

Sa Self-Employed Professionals with a family income of more than 25,000 pesos a month, tataas din from 2,400 pesos to 3,600 pesos a year (pero na-declare na ito sa isang circular last 2010.)

Sa Sponsored Members, premiums to be paid by sponsors, such as DSWD and LGUs, will also increase to 2,400 pesos.

Pero nagbigay sila ng pampadulas or a way to smooth the transition to higher rates — 1,200 pesos a year pa rin kung bayaran mo agad yong 1,200 pesos for 2012 or 2,400 pesos for 2012 and 2013 within January to June 2012.

Sa Employed Members, mag-increase from 2.5% to 3% of monthly salary base, at effective ito January 2013. Ang lowest monthly premium ay 210 pesos (105 from employee, 105 from employer) at ang highest ay 1,500 pesos (750 pesos from employee and 750 pesos from employer). The lowest salary base is 7K pesos and the highest salary base is 50K pesos. An employee earning 15,000 pesos a month would pay 225 pesos a month and his/her employer would pay 225 pesos a month.

Sa Lifetime Members, wala itong effect kasi libre na sila for the rest of their lives. Available itong Lifetime membership sa lahat ng Philhealth members na 60 years old and above at nakapagbayad ng at least 120 monthly Philhealth contributions (kasama ang monthly premiums noong Medicare pa).

Philip C. Tubeza reported on Inquirer.net on December 21 that migrant rights groups including the Blas F. Ople Center, Kabalikat ng Migranteng Pilipino, Kalahi-Advocate for Overseas Filipinos and Filipino Migrant Workers’ Group are protesting the imposition of the Philhealth contribution increase without public consultations and that Philhealth has scheduled a meeting with the OFW advocates.

Paano kaya tayo na Individually Paying Members? Sinong advocates natin? Tayo-tayo rin. Mag-comment tayo sa OWP-Philhealth sa Facebook at sa comment sections ng news articles about Philhealth sa Inquirer.net, philstar.com, gmanetwork.com/news, abs-cbnnews.com at iba pang news networks.

I’m now looking for another money transfer service that my U.S. employers can use to send me my salary as a virtual assistant and SEO writer. And it must be an online service, as my employers are busy. There are cheaper remittance alternatives, but my employers don’t have time to go to remittance outlets. They prefer paying online with their credit cards and debit cards.

Currently, they’re using Paypal. All they need is my email address linked to my Paypal account. But I now think I’m losing money because of the lower Paypal dollar-to-peso conversion rate. Also, I have to wait for 3 days before the money is credited to my account. And I have to pay 150 pesos to BPI for the transfer to my BPI account. They say other banks charge 200 pesos for the transfer.

It’s good my employers are the ones paying the Paypal transfer fee, which is 3.4 % of the remittance amount plus 15 pesos.

Now, let’s compare four services that offer online money transfer to Philippines from the U.S.

PAYPAL

Money transfer fee: 3.4 % plus 15 pesos for credit card payments (paid by either the sender or recipient) plus 150 or 200 pesos for withdrawal into a local bank account

For remittance amount of $500, transfer fee is $17 plus 15 pesos, plus 150 pesos for withdrawal into a BPI account or 200 pesos if withdrawn into a BDO account.

For $850, fee is $28.9 plus 15 pesos, plus 150 pesos for withdrawal into a BPI account or 200 pesos into a BDO account.

Dollar-peso exchange rate:
On Dec 17, the Paypal exchange rate was 1 US$ = 42.6354 pesos
BDO exchange rate was 1 US$ = 43.50 pesos

Although the payment appears immediately on Paypal account, the actual money transfer takes 2 to 5 days or more. So far, the transfer to my BPI account takes 3 business days. Visa, MasterCard and American Express credit cards or debit cards can be used.

XOOM

On Dec 17, the Xoom exchange rate was 1 US$ = 42.88 pesos
while the BDO exchange rate was 1 US$ = 43.50 pesos.

The minimum amount to send is $50. The service fee is $5.99 if paid thru bank account and $8.99 if paid thru credit or debit card. Fees start at $5.99.

For $500, transfer fee is $13.99 if paid thru credit card or debit card. For $850, the fee is $17.99. For $1,000, the fee is $18.99.

If payment is made via bank account, money transfer fee is $5.99.

WESTERN UNION

On Dec 17, the Western Union exchange rate was 1 US dollar = 42.6494157 pesos
while the BDO exchange rate was US dollar = 43.50 pesos.

For a remittance amount of $500, transfer fee is $25. For $850, fee is $30. For $1,000, fee is $30. Sender can use Visa, MasterCard or Discover.

If bank account is used to send, money transfer takes 3 business days, but it’s cheaper — only $8 for a remittance amount of $500.

MONEYGRAM

For remittance amount of $500, transfer fee is $28. For $850, fee is $55.
The system calculates only up to $899.99, can’t find why. Moneygram does not disclose its currency exchange rate before actual processing.

If bank account is used to send, remittance takes 3 business days and the money transfer fee is $14.99 for a remittance amount of $500.

From the above chart, it looks like XOOM is the best.  I’ll check again and then ask my employers to pay through XOOM.

Disclaimer:  If you’re also analyzing which service to use to make online money transfer to Philippines, please double-check my computations.  I made careful research, but I might have missed something.

In most cases, the success of married OFWs depends on the
wife or the husband of the OFW. 

It’s the spouse in the Philippines who receives the salary of the OFW, and it is he or she who’s the one deciding how the money will be spent.

Woe to the OFW whose wife or husband is a mallgoer, a philanderer, a man-eater, a libre-dito-libre-doon, a madamot sa kamag-anak ng OFW, a pasikat, a tamad, or one who does not find ways to supplement the OFW salary.

If you’re an OFW wife or a husband, and you no longer have small kids to take care of, and you know that your OFW spouse might be terminated because of his/her illness, would you not find ways to supplement the OFW income?

Or lalo ka bang mangutang ng mga 5-6 para sa motorcycle o bagong cellphone ng anak?

I have a personal in-law problem related to this kind, and many times I rebel. Ito yong kasong nagtatrabaho ka, nagtitipid ka, tapos itutulong mo lang yong natipid mo sa pamilya na hindi naman lumingon sa iyo noong nagtatamasa sila ng OFW money? Na hindi man lang binayaran yong 100k plus at pluses pa na inutang sa iyo sa kanilang pag-apply sa abroad, at pag-solbar ng mga problema nila. Na meron pang nagawa sa abroad na ikinasama ng trabaho ng mismong tumulong sa kanya.

Now, this former OFW person is alone, in his dilapidated low-cost amortization-never-paid 19-square-meter house. Was forced to return back home for good because of a heart-related illness. The wife and the children are gone.

Who will help him? Again, yong mga taong lagi na lang tumutulong sa kanya kahit walang kapalit — paano kasi, hindi matiis dahil kadugo.

OFW wives and husbands, maawa kayo sa mga asawa ninyo na naghihirap sa abroad. I-explain ninyo sa mga anak ninyo ang hirap at sakripisyo ng mga asawa ninyo. Sabi dati ng isa kong nakausap na seaman, “Akala ng asawa at mga anak ko, sitting pretty ako sa barko. Hindi nila alam na nakababad ako sa tubig at nagkikiskis ng kalawang ng barko.”

Yong isa naman, sabi niya, “Hindi alam ng pamilya ko, natutulog ako sa double-deck. Para kaming sardinas sa isang kuarto. Agency lang kasi yong napasukan ko.”

Pag wala nang maliit na inaalagaan, maghanap ng legal na pagkakakitaan, na kaya ninyo at walang kalugihan.

Ngayon-ngayon lang, nagbigay na naman ako dito sa in-law na former OFW na ito. Wala na siyang pambili ng gamot at pagkain. Ang payat-payat na. Sana hindi ganito ang kahihinatnan ng OFW na kamag-anak ninyo.

Photo top right: by Ed Yourdon, CC BY-SA 2.0, flickr.com/photos/yourdon/2626864976

Photo top left: by Joe Szilagyi, CC BY-SA 2.0, flickr.com/photos/rootology/2659216848

While you’re working abroad, we suggest na isa sa huwag ninyong kaligtaan ay ang inyong Philhealth membership. Lalo na sa OFW women na merong chance na mabuntis:  yong bata pa, yong merong asawa, yong merong boyfriend o fiance, yong laging nagbabakasyon, o yong uuwi na at hindi na babalik pa sa abroad.

Dito sa blog na ito, maraming sumusulat na OFW women na pregnant na sila at gusto nilang mag-avail ng Philhealth maternity benefits. Kaya lang, hindi na sila puedeng maka-avail kasi hindi nila na-renew on time yong Philhealth membership nila as OFW, o hindi sila naka-member as Voluntary Member  pagbalik sa Pilipinas.

Sa Philhealth, special ang OFWs, ino-honor nila ang sacrifices ng OFWs at tulong sa Philippine economy, kaya mas mura ang Philhealth premiums ng OFWs — 900 pesos lang for 12 months.  At puedeng gamitin agad, hindi katulad ng Employed Members or Voluntary Members na mag-antay muna sila ng mga months bago nila magamit.

Sa OFWs, magagamit ang Philhealth benefits within sa dates na nakalagay sa resibo — Validity dates, halimbawa September 2011 to August 2012.  Puede rin silang magbayad ng two years or more, depende sa length ng overseas job contract.

Kaya, sa mga OFW women, kapag malapit nang mag-expire ang inyong Philhealth membership na nakasaad sa inyong  Philhealth receipts, magpa-renew kayo sa family or relatives nio na nasa Philippines.  Pag umuwi kayo at matagal pa bago kayo makabalik abroad, o ayaw nio nang bumalik sa abroad, mag-member agad kayo as Voluntary Member or Individually Paying Member.

Malaking tulong din ang Philhealth sa gastos sa panganganak — up to 8,000 pesos for Normal Delivery and up to 19,000 pesos for Cesarean Delivery. Meron pang up to 1,750 pesos na tulong for newborn care.

Pag OFW members, makakakuha ng maternity benefits kapag ang panganganak ay within sa Validity Dates sa Philhealth receipt.

Pag Voluntary or Individually Paying Members, 9 months of payments bago month of panganganak ang kelangan (9 months within the 12-month period prior to delivery).

Napansin nio na siempre na kasabay ng OEC ninyo ay yong Philhealth membership at payment ninyo. I-xerox nio ang resibo at ibigay sa pamilya para meron silang kopya, para sa pagkuha ng MDR o pag-renew ng membership. Habang nasa abroad kayo, huwag ninyong kaligtaan i-renew ang membership kapag malapit nang mag-expire.

Sa mga countries na merong Philhealth outlets or agents, puedeng kayo na ang mag-renew.  Sa other countries na walang Philhealth agents or collectors, magpa-renew through a family member.

Ang mga OFWs na umuuwi taon-taon at bumabalik din agad abroad within one month through POEA ay automatic na nare-renew on time, kasi kumukuha sila ng OEC nila sa POEA. Kasabay palagi nito ang Philhealth membership o renewal. Walang gap na months.

Ang magkakaproblema ay yong mga nagbabakasyon ng more than one month sa Philippines at hindi nare-renew agad ang Philhealth. Katulad ng relative ko na ang kinuhang bakasyon sa employer ay 3 months kasi merong aasikasuhin. Two days after umuwi siya sa Pilipinas, pumunta siya sa POEA para kumuha na ng OEC para nakahanda na. Ang kaso, sabi ng POEA, malayo pa raw siyang bumalik abroad, so hindi pa raw puedeng kumuha ng OEC. Balik daw siya pag less than 2 months before going back abroad. Hindi naman nila in-advise itong relative ko na bayaran na yong Philhealth, kahit huwag na muna yong OEC.  O kaya inadvise na mag-member muna as Voluntary Member.

After further research, I found out na 60 days lang pala kasi ang validity ng OEC o Balik-Manggagawa receipt.

Unfortunately, itong relative ko na ito, naospital, na-ICU pa. Nakatulong ba ang Philhealth? Itong Philhealth na almost 30 years niyang binabayaran habang pabalik-balik siya abroad? Hindi. Dahil lang sa misinformation.

Sa pagkakataong ito ay hindi niya na-renew dahil lang sa 60-day OEC validity rule ng POEA at hindi man lang siya binigyan ng advice about Philhealth.

Paano mag-renew ng Philhealth membership ang OFW na nasa abroad?

A family member or relative can pay your next 12-month-period’s premiums.  She/he goes to a Philhealth branch, bringing the following:

- an authorization letter from you authorizing her/him to pay your premiums and renew your membership.

- her or his ID

- any proof that you’re still an active OFW (puedeng yong xerox ng job contract mo, xerox ng work visa mo, xerox ng pay slip, or remittance slip with your name as sender)

- For faster processing, your wife can bring your marriage certificate or your child can bring her/his birth certificate, or your parent can bring your birth certificate, their IDs, proof of your being an active OFW, and a copy of your previous Philhealth receipt.

Meron bang paraan na sa abroad magbayad ng Philhealth premium?

Yes,  sa mga countries na merong accredited Philhealth agents or collectors:

• I-Remit Centers (Hongkong, Singapore, Australia, Taiwan, Canada, United Kingdom)
• Development Bank of the Philippines remittance centers (Hongkong, other countries)
• Metrobank remittance centers (Hongkong, other countries)

Bring the following:
- filled-out Philheath Premium Payment Slip (PPPS) — can be downloaded from the Philhealth website
- copy of Philhealth Member Registration Form (for initial payments)
- passport, birth certificate or any other valid ID
- 900 pesos or equivalent amount in foreign currency

Pag magtatagal ang bakasyon ko dito sa Pilipinas o aantayin ko pa ang next contract ko at hindi sigurado ang dates, anong gagawin ko about Philhealth?

Mag-member ka muna as Voluntary Member or Individually Paying Member. Use your OFW Philhealth number. Minimum payment is 300 pesos (3 months of premiums). Bring you IDs or birth certificate or previous Philhealth receipt.

OFWs ba ang mga seamen?
Yes, pero sa Philhealth, ang status nila ay Employed Members. Karamihan sa kanila, ang nagbabayad ng Philhealth premiums nila ay yong mga offices nila na based sa Philippines.

Seamen and their families must make sure na nababayaran ng maritime offices ang Philhealth.

UPDATE September 2011: Documents Needed for OFW Enrollment or Renewal

Naglabas na ng advisory ang Philhealth about the documents na puedeng proof of being an active OFW para sa membership or renewal. Ang sabi, puedeng ANY of the following, meaning kahit isa lang sa mga sumusunod:

- valid Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC)
- valid re-entry permit or valid working visa
- valid employment contract
- certificate of employment from employer abroad (current period)
- valid company ID issued by employer abroad
- cash remittance receipt from OFW abroad, at least two months prior to the date of renewal or payment
- valid ID or certificate issued to OFW abroad, such as iqama, soggiorno or KH ID
- any other proof, subject to evaluation by authorized Philhealth officer

Sabi ng Philhealth, puede lahat ang documents above kahit marami pa o ilang months or days na lang ang remaining sa validity or effectivity ng contract, permit, certificate o visa o ID at the time of Philhealth payment.

Related Articles:

Philhealth Maternity Benefits

Philhealth Benefits — Case Rates Payments for Medical and Surgical Cases

Philhealth Branches — Membership Reactivation

about 13.24 percent or $822.43 million came from OFWs working in other Asian countries, according to data compiled by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.

With a growth rate of 442%, remittances from Mongolia showed the highest rate of increase compared to remittances in the first 4 months of 2010. India followed, with an increase rate of almost 102%. The biggest drop rates were seen in remittances from Pakistan, Macau, Maldive Islands and Vietnam.

Note for North Korea:  A total of US$ 7.55 million were remitted from North Korea from 2006 to 2007. According to a 2006 issue of Manila Standard Today, some Filipinos worked during those years for United Nations agencies and the British-American Tobacco Co. and the others were musicians.

Related Articles:
Remittances from OFWs in UK — Highest in Europe
Savings Accounts for OFW Remittances
OFW Parents Take Advantage of Free Internet Banking to Manage Your Childrens Weekly Allowance
Savings Accounts in the Philippines with the Lowest Maintaining Balances
Top 20 Banks in the Philippines Based on Assets Dec 2010

chances are there could be a Cebuana Lhuillier branch in your town or neighboring town.

If there’s a Cebuana Lhuillier near your family, you can use any of the following remittance services, if they’re operating where you are. These have partnered with Cebuana Lhuillier to handle your remittance.

ABS CBN Easy Remit
Al Ansari Exchange
BHF Northern Remittance
BPI
Brunphil Express (S) Pte Ltd
BTI Money Transfer P/L
Cash Express Money Transfer
Czarina Remittance Co. Ltd. HK
ChinaBank
Coinstar
EEC Elite Express
EzRemit
Family Express Remittance Services
Far East Express Taiwan
Forex
Franki Exchange Co.
i-pay
iRemit
Kabayan Remittance Pte Ltd
LPIFC Lucky Peso International Finance Corp.
MertEX Metro Express
Metrobank
Metro Remittance Center
MoneyGram
Moneynet
NYBR New York Bay Remittance
OFW Remittance Services P/L
ONE Remit
OurYES
Paramount
PLDT Remittance
Pinoy Express
RCBC Telemoney
RRPC Remittance Partner Corp.
Speed Remit Money Transfer
TC Turbo Cash
Trans-Fast Worldwide Money Transmitter
Xoom Global Money Transfer (Internet-based)
Xpress Money
1WorldCash
ZenjeX

The other Philippine remittance or money transfer firms that provide services in small towns in the provinces are LBC and M Lhuillier. There are also rural banks that handle remittances. For instance, BDO has partnered with several rural banks to process BDO remittances.

• Allied Bank
• Banco de Oro
• Metrobank
• Cebuana Lhuillier
• KwartaGram
• M Lhuillier
• RD Pawnshop
• BDO at SM Malls
• SMART Money
• Others displaying the MoneyGram logo

Bring the following:

- at least one ID
- your MoneyGram reference number (Ask your sender.)

Related Articles:

Cash Cards for OFW Remittances to the Philippines
Savings Accounts for OFW Remittances

The agent is Travelex.

Travelex
NARITA Terminal 1
C/O Keisei Tabi Room, Narita Airport First Building Station
1-1 Goryobokujyo, Sanrizuka
Narita City, Chiba

Travelex
NARITA Terminal 2
C/O Keisei Tabi Room, Narita Airport Second Building Station
1-1 Furugome
Narita City, Chiba

Travelex
LALAPORT TOKYO-BAY
1st Floor North Building/LaLaport TOKYO-BAY
2-1-1 Hama Cho
Funabashi City, Chiba

Above data is true as of Feb 15, 2011.  To be sure about location information, please call the Western Union Japan hotline:

0034-800-400-733  (for calls within Japan)

Monday – Sunday,  10 am – 7 pm

English information service is available 24 hours Monday to Sunday.

Related Article:
Send Money to Philippines from Japan via PNB, Metrobank

You can also send your Balikbayan Box if you’re in the Greater London area.

Here’s the address of LBC London:

Unit 9, Victoria Industrial Estate, Victoria Road, Acton, W3 6UU
London, UK

Contact Number: (020) 3110 2522

Balikbayan Box: (020) 3110 0074, (020) 8896 9225

On the website of LBC, lbcexpress.com/contents/UK, you can use the following tools:

- You can track your remittance or your package.
- You can calculate your Balikbayan Box rate.
- You can book online.
- You can read about Balikbayan Box guidelines.
- You can read about taxable items, prohibited items and guidelines for certain items.
- You can read about areas in the Philippines where LBC delivers door-to-door.

Related articles:

List of BDO Remittance Partners in London, England, Other Cities
Send Money to the Philippines from London via BPI Online Banking
How to Open a BPI Bank Account in London, UK
Philippine National Bank Branches in London, Paris, Other Cities in Europe
Metrobank Remittance Offices in London, England and Nearby Areas