Smart Calls for Public Assistance for Baha Fund

Philippine wireless services provider Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) is encouraging people to send help to those affected by typhoons Pedring and Quiel by making donations to Baha Fund.

The two typhoons that consecutively pounded most of Luzon left several towns flooded and without electricity, food, water and shelter. Proceeds of the Baha Fund will be forwarded to the TV5 Foundation to help augment and speed up its relief operations in hard-hit places in Metro Manila and the provinces.

“We are once again appealing to Filipinos all over the country to unite in helping our kababayans in need,” said Ramon Isberto, head of Smart Public Affairs. “We did it before when Ondoy struck. We can do it again. People need our help.”

To make it easy for anyone in the country to donate to the Baha Fund, Smart is opening an emergency Smart Money account and making it available to the public. Smart Money users can instantly send their donation by transferring funds from their bank accounts and/ or own Smart Money accounts to the official Baha Fund account number 5577 5130 6822 1104.

Donors may also deposit cash to this Smart Money account number in any Banco De Oro branch nationwide or through Hapinoy and Cebuana Lhuillier outlets.

PLDT-Smart Foundation, Inc. (PSF) is also accepting donations through its Banco De Oro account 00-5310-01388-2 (Makati Avenue-Ayala Branch).

Smart subscribers may also send their financial help to the Philippine Red Cross through text. To donate, one simply sends RED to 4143. Valid donation amounts are 10, 25, 50 and 100 and will be charged to the subscribers prepaid load or postpaid bill.

Aside from raising funds for typhoon victims, Smart has been continuously running its Libreng Tawag operations in several areas in Metro Manila, Camarines Norte, Bulacan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya, Isabela and Cagayan. In areas where communications signals were marred by the strong winds and heavy rains or power failures, Smart deployed Smart Link satellite phones to enable residents to contact their loved ones and to enable concerned agencies to facilitate rescue operations.

Smart also assisted in the rescue operations in Bulacan where several towns were submerged by  flash floods. In Aurora and Nueva Ecija, Smart’s cell sites were also opened to the public for free cellphone charging.

“All our operations entail hard work and resources and we need the help of all our kababayans,” said Isberto. “Much more still needs to be done after Pedring and Quiel.  Even now, we are already bracing for Ramon,” he ended.

For complete instructions on Smart Money activation and fund transfers, visit www.smart.com.ph/money.