PLDT employee Michael Surla has been with the company for 25 years, which was his first job. 

It's not the app as we know it these days, but a telegram in the late 90s served its purpose just the same for Michael Surla, a PLDT employee who has been with the company for 25 years. “It was a small piece of paper that changed my life,” Surla said. “That telegram included details that told me to report to PLDT for a possible employment.”

“I could still recall how happy and excited I was at that very moment. Just the thought of being considered as a candidate for a job opening in a prestigious company such as PLDT is so flattering for a then fresh graduate like me,” Surla shared.

Driven by his sheer enthusiasm to be a part of a sought-after company, Surla landed a job in PLDT in 1997.

For the past 25 years, Surla has found a lot of opportunities to grow and learn in PLDT, from seminars to local and international trainings offered by the company. “I am so grateful to belong to a company that prioritizes the continuous learning and development of all its employees,” Surla said.

Surla shared that one of his most unforgettable moments in the company was when he accepted the challenge to be transferred from International Transmission Maintenance Center (ITMC) to Surveillance Division.

“I was on my 10th year in ITMC when I got the call for change. ITMC was my comfort zone, but I wanted to expand my horizons and take on learning opportunities. Being in the department where I belong now, which is the Network Operations Center (NOC), I am happy to experience and be a part of our company’s transition from Legacy to the New Generation Network (NGN) and now to the Transport Network Transformation (TNT) era," Surla said.

For Surla, PLDT is a place that nurtured him to become the person that he is right now. It has always been more than just a workplace for him. It became a second home where he met friends and role models who have become life coaches for him.

Surla currently works as a Section Supervisor under the Fixed Network Assessment and Surveillance Division. According to Surla, he will continuously strive to become a better version of himself – believing that in the end, there is a right time for everything.