- 1). Send funds through a reputable money transfer service. The most well-known company is Western Union, which has branches in many countries. You can visit a branch in person, call or transfer money online at WesternUnion.com. While all methods accept a credit or debit card, only the first one allows cash. The money arrives instantly for personal pickup at any Western Union agency in the Philippines.
Although this method is easy and secure, it is not necessarily cheap. An online transfer of $1,000 from Los Angeles, California to the Philippines cost $15 as of October 2009, while a phone transfer of the same amount cost $68. - 2). Visit a bank that has branches both in the United States and the Philippines, such as Philippine National Bank, which also caters to the Filipino community. (Their website is PNBrci.com.) In most cases, you can send funds in pesos or dollars as follows: by crediting accounts maintained in the Philippines by either PNB or other banks, by having the money delivered door-to-door or by having recipients collect money from bank branches after presenting suitable ID.
Fees run roughly from $7 to $10 for the first $1,000, depending on type of service, plus $1 for every multiple of $1,000 thereafter. - 3). Open a standard account with any bank that uses an internationally recognized ATM system like Cirrus or Plus. You can find this symbol on the back of the ATM card. Mail (or better yet, FedEx) a duplicate card to the recipient in the Philippines; tell her the pin code over the phone or by some other secure method (do not include it the package with the card). She can then withdraw the money as needed from an associated ATM machine in the country. Be sure to alert your bank's fraud protection department that the card will be used in the Philippines; otherwise, they may assume the card's been stolen and freeze the account until you clear things up.
The big advantage of this approach is that until the money is withdrawn, it is protected by the U.S. government via the FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation). Your recipient also avoids having to handle large amounts of cash. However, the fees may prove a disadvantage since most banks charge a hefty fee for every international transaction.
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