MANILA, 15 March 2013 -- Digital Telecommunications Philippines, Inc. (Digitel) has completed the redundancy program for its remaining employees affected by its decision to migrate landline subscribers to PLDT.
"Digitel has had to conduct this redundancy program following the decision to migrate subscribers in its franchise areas in northern, central, and southern Luzon to PLDT. Every effort, however, has been exerted to cushion the impact of this move on the affected employees,” PLDT Group Spokesperson Ramon Isberto said.
He said that Digitel decided to migrate its subscribers to its parent firm PLDT because its landline facilities are substantially at the end-of-life stage and would be progressively difficult to operate because there are no longer any spare parts for these equipment.
“This would make Digitel subscribers increasingly vulnerable to possible service disruptions due to equipment failure,” Isberto pointed out.
He said that Digitel in late-2011 had initiated a program to modernize its landline network but only five percent of the network had been upgraded so far.
“Given that situation, it was decided that migration to PLDT was the most expeditious and effective way of ensuring that Digitel customers would continue to be served at the same rates, with the same subscriber number, and, with the same if not better quality of service,” he noted.
Digitel sought and obtained approvals of the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) at every phase of the migration process.
To cushion the impact on the affected employees, Digitel employees were given a generous redundancy package that is approximately twice the amount as that required by law plus 2-year medical coverage.
“Also, PLDT and Sun Cellular agreed to hire around two-thirds of the affected employees, and alternative employment through our contractors is also an option for them,” Isberto said. “Meanwhile, those who cannot be absorbed will be provided various forms of assistance in the course of this transition, aside from the redundancy package."
