Filipino workers preparing to leave for the UAE will now encounter Botim during their mandatory orientation sessions, following a partnership between the Emirati fintech firm and BDO Unibank, Inc. The digital platform has been folded into the Philippines’ Pre-Departure Orientation Seminar (PDOS), the standard briefing program that workers complete before relocating abroad.
Under the arrangement, sessions running throughout 2026 will be held across BDO Unibank’s branch network nationwide. Attendees will sit through financial literacy briefings and receive direct onboarding, allowing them to set up the app before their flights rather than after arriving in an unfamiliar country. Once active, the platform gives users entry to regulated payments, remittances, credit, savings and investment products, as well as free internet-based calling to reach relatives back home.
“The Pre-Departure Orientation Seminar plays a critical role in preparing Filipino workers for life overseas. Introducing Botim in our sessions allows participants to get comfortable with a trusted and reliable digital platform before they leave, helping them feel more prepared as they embark on this new chapter,” said Maria Lourdes A. Donato, VP and Head of Domestic Business Development at BDO Remittance.
The push targets a substantial audience. Roughly 10.8 million Filipinos are estimated to live and work outside the country, with around 700,000 based in the UAE alone, making it one of the largest destinations for the diaspora.
Organizers frame the early exposure as a way to smooth the transition abroad, particularly the financial hurdles that tend to surface in the first weeks. Establishing a footing with regulated services before departure, the reasoning goes, can help newcomers manage initial money decisions and build the record needed to later access credit.
Hesham Sherif, VP of Remittance Business at Botim, tied the effort to the broader goal of financial confidence. “The UAE offers people the opportunity to work and build a better future for their families. But for many, financial empowerment begins long before their first salary. It starts with understanding how to confidently participate in a new financial system. By introducing Botim through the Pre-Departure Orientation Seminar with BDO Unibank, we’re helping the Filipino community navigate the UAE’s financial system with confidence. Through an accessible platform, they can begin building positive financial habits without many of the traditional barriers to saving, investing and managing money. Our ambition isn’t just to make relocation easier, but to empower people with the tools to strengthen their financial wellbeing,” he said.
BDO Unibank ranks as the largest bank in the Philippines by assets, while Botim counts more than 160 million users worldwide and originated in the UAE.
