Post Release:
Relief
efforts turn to Multiply Philippines to facilitate the delivery of aid to flood
victims
During the onslaught of torrential monsoon rains that flooded
a big part of the Philippines’s Luzon island last August, Multiply’s e-commerce
platform was transformed into an avenue for businesses and ordinary citizens to
extend their help to victims of the calamity.
Multiply lent its online network and online payment gateways
to receive donations for the Philippine Red Cross. On its first day, Multiply
received Php70,000 (US$1,600) in donations on behalf of the Philippine Red
Cross, and in one week, it collected almost Php200,000 (US$4,800) for the
relief organization.
“Our online tools and robust and flexible platform made it
possible for concerned citizens to conveniently give donations to the flood
victims,” said Jack Madrid, Multiply Philippines’s Country Manager. Multiply’s
existing payment facilities allowed donors to conveniently and safely send
donations through credit cards, bank payments and mobile payments. These
donations were disbursed within 48 hours.
Moreover, the Philippine Red Cross page on Multiply.com (
redcrossph.multiply.com)
outlines the donation process in only four clickable steps, even providing
pre-determined denominations for donors to choose from and giving them several
payment options. The page is still active and continues to receive donations
for the flood victims.
Multiply merchants also found their own way to make use of
the e-commerce site to extend their help. Fastfood company Binalot accepted
7,450 pledges of hot meals through the site in just three days, and offered free
deliveries of the meals to flood victims. Multiply itself allocated 50 per cent
of the net proceeds of its official online stores Deals, Discounted Deals and
Outlet Store to the Philippine Red Cross. Also joining the cause were other
Multiply merchants who volunteered to donate a percentage of their sales for
relief efforts.
Long established as a tool for e-commerce, Multiply’s
e-commerce tools and solutions, such as product listing, virtual shopping cart,
inventory management, order tracker, daily disbursal, buyer protection program
and multiple payment gateways, have made it an effective business enabler for
both big and small enterprises. With the recent calamity in the Philippines,
Multiply saw itself turn into more than an e-commerce site, and become a tool
for enabling people to extend assistance to those in need.
“We are simply the enabler,” said Madrid. “We have changed
so many lives by helping entrepreneurs bring their business ideas to life, but
now we also saw how Multiply can change lives by making it possible for people
to share,” he said.
ABOUT MULTIPLY
Multiply is the biggest e-commerce site in Southeast Asia,
carrying items from 16 product categories. Multiply launched its Philippine
operations in August 201, and today, it has 5.5 million users and 130,000
merchants in the country. On December 1, 2012, Multiply will complete its
transition into an e-commerce platform in response to its growing number of
online sellers and shoppers.
Its advanced customization features have attracted a
continually growing number of big and small clients who have found many uses
for the site beyond creating virtual storefronts for their businesses.
