CEBU CITY—Recognizing the contribution of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) to the country’s economy, including the retail sector, a shopping mall operator has come up with a program designed to help them attain financial stability.

SM Prime Holdings has brought its relationship with OFWs to a higher level with the establishment of the Global Pinoy Center (GPC) branches in some of its shopping malls.

“The Global Pinoy Center is our humble tribute to the Global Pinoys who have made great personal sacrifices abroad, to give their children here, the best education they can have, a chance for their families to own their homes, the hope for a better life, and a secure future,” explains Annie Garcia, president of the Shopping Center Management Corp. (SM Supermalls).

Garcia was in Cebu on Wednesday to attend the launching of the 9th GPC in SM City Cebu, the first one located here.

“The deployment of Filipino overseas has helped our country tremendously because their remittances have helped stabilize and propel the economy forward,” Garcia says.

She says the OFW remittances had reached $16 billion and this year, it was projected to breach $17 billion, which would be equivalent to the 14 percent of the country’s gross domestic product.

The GPC offers free financial consultation with Banco de Oro, the bank owned by the Sy family (owners of SM), as well as free entrepreneurial and livelihood training sessions to be undertaken by the Department of Trade and Industry and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.

The training would enable the OFW and his dependents to be financially independent, allowing them to grow their hard-earned money in wise investments, Garcia says.

“We believe that these activities will help the dependents of the Global Pinoy veer away from the trappings of dole-outs and dependency, and in turn teach them to become productive Filipino citizens,” she points out.

On the other hand, Garcia says, SM Supermalls also recognize the importance of communication between the OFWs and their families in the Philippines.

The GPC services also include free video conference calls to their OFW relatives abroad, free e-mail and Internet services, which would be provided by SM Supermalls’ Global Pinoy partner Abot Tanaw, Garcia says.

Abot Tanaw is a social media network that allows global Filipinos to communicate with their loved ones in the Philippines through voice and video telephony services at no cost to the beneficiaries.

Garcia notes that SM City Cebu has a special relationship with OFWs and their families that started in 1995 when the mall, in coordination with the Overseas Workers and Welfare Administration (OWWA) regional office, initiated the first ever OFW Family Day held inside a mall.

“Since then, SM City Cebu has been the venue of even more OFW Family Day celebrations as well as other OFW-related activities. Soon, other SM Supermalls also tied up with their respective OWWA regional Offices. It can be said that Cebu is where it all started,” she recalls.

Garcia also points out that Cebu ranked second in terms of OWWA membership collections, next only to the National Capital Region, making Cebu, one of the top five provinces in the country with the most number of OFWs.

“Records show that there are over 150,000 registered OFWs in Cebu alone. Neighboring provinces like Bohol, Negros and Siquijor also contribute to the increasing number of OFWs who come to Cebu for business and leisure,” she adds. Garcia says SM Supermalls would be opening GPCs in all its 37 shopping malls nationwide.