Instead of holding a grand launching event for the new iPhone models this year, Globe has decided to divert most of its efforts to extending further assistance to the victims of Typhoon Yolanda.
Globe President and CEO Ernest Cu (R) with one of the first subscribers to receive an iPhone 5s under Globe, Patrick Wong (L), a Globe postpaid subscriber for almost 10 years
Globe set up a booth at Bonifacio Global City where subscribers who trooped to the venue of the small-scale launch were able to register to GCASH and send monetary donations to support the relief operations of the Philippine National Red Cross. They were also encouraged to bring canned goods, noodles, usable clothes, blankets, mosquito nets, and other in-kind donations.
“As part of our commitment to help in nation-building efforts after the onslaught of Typhoon Yolanda that affected millions of lives, we are doing away with the usual grand launch event for the iPhone and instead use this platform to augment what we’re doing for our kababayans using our GCASH facility,” said Peter Bithos, Chief Operating Advisor for Consumer Business at Globe. “This year’s launch will also focus on providing a delightful customer experience for subscribers who have trusted our expertise in iPhone and leadership in postpaid.”
This is part of the telco’s enterprise-wide disaster response initiative called Bangon Pinoy. This program aims to provide a unified system for donations, relief efforts, and corporate social responsibility programs across Globe’s products and services.
Despite having no large-scale launch, Globe has already announced its iPhone Forever suite of plans, which lets new and existing subscribers to avail of an iPhone 5s or iPhone 5c, and allows them to upgrade their iPhone models every year for free or with minimal cash-out, without having to reset their lock-in period.