Leading integrated telco network PLDT Inc (PLDT) and its wireless arm Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) are reinforcing Government initiatives to digitalize the nation, supporting the Filipinos' increasingly connected lifestyles and enabling improved delivery of services across the country.
In his third State of the Nation Address, President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr urged the private sector to work with the Government in providing connectivity to Filipinos across the country, including those in far-flung areas, to bridge the digital gap—equipping students as the country reforms education through technology, and helping sustain the country's economic gains through the promotion of investment-led growth, where policies and programs create an environment that is conducive for businesses to thrive.
"We at PLDT support the President's vision for a digitally empowered Philippines, where technology uplifts Filipino lives, helps foster meaningful connections, enables livelihoods and businesses of all sizes, transforms Government service and ultimately drives economic progress," said PLDT Chairman and CEO Manuel V Pangilinan.
The PLDT Group has been a longtime staunch supporter of the President's overall digitalization thrust.
The Group has continued working closely with Government agencies such as the Anti-Red Tape Authority, the Department of Information and Communications Technology, National Telecommunications Commission, the Department of Interior and Local Government, the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development, local Government units, and other industry stakeholders and telcos to streamline the process of securing permits for the construction and deployment of telco infrastructure.
PLDT has also been collaborating with LGUs across the country to enhance the delivery of Government services through technology, and to empower cities across the country to become 'smart cities'.
This includes recent engagements such as the launch of Pasay City LGU's official hotline '888-PASAY', which offers a single access point for all citizen concerns, spearheaded by PLDT Enterprise with the city government. PLDT and Smart executives have also been meeting with city officials across the country--from Baguio in Benguet and Talisay in Batangas, to Iligan in Lanao del Norte, to name a few--to reaffirm the Group's commitment to LGU digitalization efforts through the continued enhancement of PLDT and Smart's network facilities nationwide.
ePLDT, the ICT subsidiary of PLDT, is the first Filipino corporation to offer a sovereign cloud in ePLDT Pilipinas Cloud (ePPC). ePPC is designed to host critical government systems with important and/or sensitive information, aiding in accelerating digital reform in the public sector. ePPC provides a secure, flexible, and cost-effective platform to store and process data strictly within the Philippines and is subject to local data protection laws and regulations.
Moreover, ePLDT works with the DICT to expand the implementation and user education for eGOV and eLGU Apps. eGov PH is a comprehensive app to offer Filipinos access to many government services, while eLGU App provides citizens a frictionless and faster transaction such as but not limited to Tax Payment, Business Permit application, which they would normally secure in the capital city or municipality offices.
Meanwhile, VITRO Inc., a subsidiary of ePLDT and the data center arm of the PLDT Group, recently marked the structural completion of the 50-MW VITRO Sta. Rosa, the country’s first true and most advanced hyperscale data center. This milestone is aligned with the Group's continued bid to boost the Philippines' aspiration to become the Asia Pacific region's most promising hub for hyperscale investments.
Set to rise as the country's largest data center campus by far, the five-hectare VITRO Sta Rosa in Laguna will also host the country’s richest internet ecosystem and premier internet exchanges, making it the most ideal location for Availability Zones of hyperscalers, Points-of-Presence of telcos and carriers, as well as for critical systems of enterprises and the public sector.
PLDT’s investments in the Jupiter, Asia Direct, and Apricot international submarine cable systems will help meet diverse future industry requirements for massive data capacity and high-speed connectivity. These new cable systems are connected to VITRO’s network of data centers where massive amounts of transported data can be locally hosted. This further reinforces the group's ambition to be the country’s Data Center powerhouse.
Smart, on the other hand, is making 5G technology accessible to more Filipinos by offering affordable 5G handsets and value-packed data promos, as well as teaming up with banks and financing companies to make it easier for customers to switch to 5G.
These services are supported by Smart's mobile network, which covers 97% of the population with its LTE and 5G network, is part of the Philippines’ largest integrated network that includes PLDT’s 1.1 million kilometer fiber infrastructure.
PLDT and Smart also launched "Experience Hubs" in key cities across the country, most recently in the cities of Dumaguete, Olongapo and Tagbilaran, to help bring telco and digital services closer to more customers. By pioneering eSIM technology in the Philippines, Smart has also made eSIMs easily available to Smart and TNT subscribers in the Smart stores or via digital delivery.
Smart has also been partnering with global organizations such as the GSMA, the organization representing mobile operators globally, in elevating customer experience in the country through technology and innovation by leveraging the expertise of international industry experts—keeping the Philippines at par with the rest of the world.
These initiatives are in keeping with PLDT and Smart's commitment to close the digital divide and bring the benefits of the internet closer to more Filipinos across the country, contributing to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG), particularly on SDG 9 – Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure.
