As Filipinos working abroad continue to grapple to save and find the best ways to send their hard-earned money back home, a UAE-based Filipina believed that her purpose is to make sure that future OFWs are “self-sustaining and smarter.”
Meet Faye Sta. Ana, the Philippines Country Launcher for a new zero-fee remittance application, Taptap Send. From being a strategic finance analyst for an esteemed bank to becoming a senior marketing executive to one of the leading “everything app” in the Middle East Careem, Sta. Ana has aligned with her personal and organizational purpose as she has been called up to onboard Taptap Send and lead the launch of the Philippine corridor globally for US, UK, Europe, Canada and now in the UAE.
In an interview with The Filipino Times (TFT), Sta. Ana said she has experienced first-hand not being able to take examinations on time as a student because of the delay in receiving remittance from her mother who is also an OFW in Dubai.
“My mom has worked in Dubai for over the past 20 years. As a single mother and sole provider for her three kids, she has worked hard towards self-sufficiency. I was deeply passionate about saving money, and putting it to good use as I experienced not being able to take exams on time when I was in school because we haven’t received remittances from my mom. As a kid, you should’ve been focusing on studying but you also have to think about whether you can still pay for next month’s tuition fee,” Sta. Ana told TFT.
“My sister sacrificed a couple of years studying to support my mom just so my brother and I can continue in good schools. We transfer from one house to the other, as we still don’t have a permanent residence, we call our own. This is a common story of an OFW dependent, and I took it as my personal mission to ensure that the next generation of OFWs are self-sustaining and smarter,” she added.
From the US, UK, Europe, Canada, and now in the UAE, Taptap Send is growing in demand from users sending to the Philippines.
“I am very excited to launch in the UAE as this is my second home. I lived and worked here for six years now and I am one of the people that this app seeks to help. I understand that every hard-earned dirham should be sent home safely without having to worry about fees, as I am one of them. My mother is one of them. We just launched last week and with no marketing, we are growing super fast. It means the demand is there, people are willing and adaptable to try albeit the sign-up process,” Sta. Ana shared.
Faye also noted that it has been challenging “to find our own voice as a brand to represent the Filipinos in the sea of remittance companies globally.”
“We realized there’s not been a remittance app led by an OFW for the OFWs who were able to freshly brand the Filipino diaspora as empowered, and financially literate, while also doing it in a fun way. We are the only remittance company that was able to create strong communities in each region in just a short span of time. We didn’t market a lot, and word of mouth spread like fire. We also realized the Filipino market abroad has different personas and priorities , so we needed to pivot our strategies depending on each country or region,” Sta. Ana explained.
Launched in the summer of 2018 in the US, Taptap Send is a peer-to-peer remittance company with no sending fees from the sender and receiver and mobile wallet first. The Philippine corridor went live recently, in February 2023, as Taptap Send continues its expansion in Asia.
Taptap Send offers a convenient, hassle-free, and zero fees remittance service that is changing the game of money transfer worldwide. Its mission is to equalize grants to capital globally by ensuring that everyone has access to instant and convenient remittances, priced at the UN Sustainable Development Goal of less than three percent.
“It’s high time we level up! As OFWs, we get so used to sacrificing time waiting in line that it becomes normal – at the airport, the embassy, and the labor office. In fact, our struggles have become so common that they are often turned into viral memes. We are more than just our jobs; we work for our dreams and purpose, and we owe it to ourselves to find the best platform to support us in achieving that. Taptap Send is a platform that saves pinoys abroad money, time and effort!
“Adding up all the transaction fees and low exchange rates could’ve been a house and lot already… We’ll take care of your remittance so you can do more of what you love,” Sta. Ana concluded.
Taptap Send is now available for download in both IOS and Android for senders in the US, UK, Europe, Canada, and the UAE. It continues to provide Filipinos around the world a 5-star solution for sending hard-earned money to their loved ones back home.
Taptap Send (DIFC) Limited is authorized and regulated by the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) for the provision of money services. Address: Unit GA-00-SZ-L1-RT-208, Gate Avenue, DIFC, UAE
