For the entire month of October, Globe Telecom is allowing Filipinos overseas to call their friends and loved ones in the Philippines for US$1 or Php45 for a total talk time of 3,000 minutes using the company’s DUO International service.
Available to Globe postpaid, prepaid and TM subscribers, the DUO International service’s regular price is US$25 or Php999 a month. The promo provides savings to as much as 96% for Filipinos based in 24 DUO International-covered countries which include United States, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Hong Kong, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, South Africa, Spain South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, to stay connected with their relatives in the Philippines. Of the 11 million overseas-based Filipinos, seven million already live in these countries.
Globe says that for as low as US$0.03 or P1.50 a day, Filipinos based in these countries can call their families and speak with them for up to 100 minutes a day, or a total of 3,000 minutes during October.
With DUO International, a Globe or TM number in the Philippines is assigned with a landline number in the chosen DUO International country valid for 30 days. The subscriber will then be able to receive calls on their DUO International number through his Globe/TM mobile number.
The DUO International number is designed to receive incoming calls only and cannot be used for outgoing calls or texts. In case a subscriber makes outgoing calls or texts abroad, regular international outbound voice or SMS rates will apply.
When on roaming, a subscriber can still receive calls on his DUO International number. Roaming rates for incoming calls received while roaming can apply.
The call service is charged at local rates and affordable compared with the standard IDD rates to the Philippines. The rate to call a DUO International is also flexible as it will be solely determined by the international mobile or landline plan. The caller from abroad will be charged based on his existing landline or mobile subscription plan.
Subscriptions to DUO International can be done at duointernational.globe.com.ph. For those who are based in the US, Canada, Japan, Spain and the UK, they can register online if they purchase a DUO prepaid card at participating Filipino stores in the said countries.
Another option for Globe prepaid and TM subscribers is to register via SMS by texting
DUO <country code> 45 to 8888. To register successfully, they have at least P46 load credits as the P45 load credits will be deducted from their load wallet. Afterwards, they will receive an SMS notification with the assigned DUO International number upon successful registration.
According to Carmina Villo, Globe’s International Business Group Marketing Director, with DUO International at only US$1, one can call the Philippines as frequently as possible without having to worry about expensive international long-distance charges.
Gil Genio, Globe’s Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer for International and Business Markets, notes the quality of the voice calls via Duo International is not compromised because the call is not transmitted via Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP).
