Business tycoon Manny V. Pangilinan announced on Monday that he has directed PLDT and Smart to provide free calls for Filipinos affected by the conflict in the Middle East. Through the TinBo app, Filipinos in Iran, Israel, Iraq, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia can call home to the Philippines for free using a Smart Virtual Number. At the same time, PLDT, Smart, and TNT subscribers in the Philippines can call their relatives in these countries without charge. The free calling service is available until March 7, with officials monitoring whether an extension is necessary. Pangilinan also highlighted support through crisis hotlines, noting that Filipinos can call the Smart crisis hotline to connect with their loved ones at home free of charge, 24/7, at +63288457799. He added that the Department of Migrant Workers-Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (DMW-OWWA) hotline is also accessible via the TinBo app at 1348. "Worrying about our OFWs. Details to follow, but the marching order is to make it as easy as possible for our countrymen to reach their loved ones, and vice versa," Pangilinan wrote in an X post.
