The world’s leading cleft charity Smile Train partners with AF Payments Inc. (AFPI), the company behind the contactless smart card beep, to sustain its goal to provide children with cleft for the urgent support and care they need with the release of a special edition Smile Train beep cards. The Smile Train beep cards are made available at various MRT, LRT and bus stations in NCR.
“We are excited to be able to contribute to this noble cause and to be of assistance to children with cleft. During these uncertain times, they continue to need special care and assistance. We are grateful that Smile Train has chosen to partner with us and provide us this opportunity to help out and provide cards that bring a message of hope,” said Sharon G. Fong, Chief Commercial Officer of AF Payments Inc.
The Smile Train‘s series of special edition beep cards will feature celebrity goodwill ambassadors like Marian Rivera-Dantes who has been a supporter of the organization for over six years, Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray and Miss World Philippines 2013 Megan Young.
Marian Rivera-Dantes has been an avid supporter of the cause and has been known to mobilize her clout to further push for advocacies she espouses. The actress previously celebrated her birthday by coming up with her own fundraising efforts and donating half a million pesos to Smile Train Philippines gained through sales of limited edition shirts in partnership with one of the Filipino brands she endorses.
While Catriona and Megan have continued to support Smile Train Philippines as they raise awareness for the charity’s efforts in empowering local medical professionals to provide free cleft surgery and comprehensive cleft care.
With thousands of Filipinos using them for everyday needs, especially for transportation, the charity sees this as an effective way to convey the message that help is at hand for those children in need of cleft lip and palate surgery or care. Smile Train hopes that whenever Filipino commuters encounter a child who needs help, they can simply refer to their beep cards to get the contact details of Smile Train.
More than 4,000 children are born with a cleft lip or palate annually in the Philippines, all of whom can greatly benefit from surgery and comprehensive cleft lip and palate care. Through its sustainable model, Smile Train has supported more than 1.5 million cleft palate surgeries in the Philippines since 1999. With the support of partners such as AFPI, Smile Train is confident that it can bring a smile to the lives of more Filipino children in the years to come.
For more information about Smile Train Philippines’ local efforts and to refer a patient in need, visit https://www.smiletrain.ph/get-help
