Attentive readers may recall that Ford Philippines launched a program called Ford OFW Assist a few months back. The ingenious initiative makes it easy for Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) to purchase a new car. Unlike before when the norm was to send money home for the relatives to do the buying, the online program allows the hardworking individual to personally make the transactions, including securing a bank loan.
Folks who may think that this is all marketing fluff will be pleasantly surprised to find out that it is indeed real. Proof is the story of Mr Renante Bendana, a 40-year old sales support engineer working in a steel construction company in Jeddah. Thanks to the Ford OFW Assist Program, he recently bought a brand-new car for his family just last December.
Having worked in Jeddah since 2005, Renante decided that it was time to gift wife Lucy and their two kids, Yuxia and Sean, with a new ride to make life easier for the three as they go about the daily grind back in the Philippines. After searching online, he came across the Ford OFW Assist Program website and found himself filling out the application form for a brand-spanking new Ford EcoSport.
To his surprise, a sales consultant from Ford Cainta named Marty Zaballa, to whom the customer service team sent the inquiry, contacted Bendana the very same day. Before he knew it, he was filing out bank loan forms emailed by EastWest Bank and sending all the necessary authorization letters and documents. It was that simple.
As if this wasn’t enough, the Ford OFW Assist Program even allows the buyer to make special requests to suit their needs. In Renante’s case, all he asked was that his EcoSport be released upon his arrival in the Philippines. So instead of heading home from the airport, he and his family went straight to Ford Cainta to pick up their new ride.
While Renante Bendana may be the first customer of the program, Ford OFW Assist is definitely here to stay. It hopes to make life easier and more enjoyable for the roughly two million men and women who make the selfless sacrifice of leaving their family just to provide a better life for them. And for Renante and the rest of our hardworking countrymen abroad, this is truly a great reward.
