COMELEC Commissioner Nelson Celis (5th from right) and Angel Redoble, PLDT Grop Chief Information Security Officer (4th from right) pose with other COMELEC, PLDT and Smart representatives at the lobby of Vitro Makati where the PLDT Group's Security Operations Center is located.
PLDT and its wireless unit, Smart Communications, Inc. recently hosted COMELEC officials headed by Commissioner Nelson Celis at its Security Operations Center in Makati to discuss the group’s cybersecurity technology, processes, and culture.
“PLDT and Smart recognize the critical role that we play in the Filipinos’ right of suffrage. In the past automated elections, we have provided a secure channel for critical information to pass through. We support the COMELEC in providing Filipinos with clean and honest elections,” said Angel Redoble, FVP and Chief Information Security Officer.
“The Automated Election System has demonstrated its capabilities to run a secure and efficient process. As we move deeper to the digital age, we always strive to boost our capabilities to protect the Filipinos’ vote and to ensure that they continue to trust our elections,” said COMELEC Commissioner Nelson Celis.
COMELEC Commissioner Nelson Celis listens as the PLDT group shares its best cybersecurity practices
During the roundtable discussion, PLDT and Smart’s Cyber Security Operations Group shared its best practices that have allowed it to defend the telcos’ assets and customers against threats and disruptive attacks. Redoble further explained how these capabilities can help make the polls more secure and efficient, ultimately protecting the integrity of the country's elections.
PLDT Enterprise, the corporate business arm of the PLDT Group, also talked about existing solutions that can be tweaked to satisfy COMELEC’s requirements. The unit is willing to collaborate with the agency on data storage and management while the poll body cements plans for its own facility. PLDT Enterprise’s suite of services cater to some of the biggest companies here and abroad.
Angel Redoble, FVP and PLDT Group Chief Information Security Officer (rightmost) with Cathy Yang, FVP and Group Head of Corporate Communications (middle), and Stephanie Orlino, (leftmost) AVP and Head of Stakeholder Management discuss the group's Child Protection Platform
As the COMELEC prepares for the first National Election Summit this year, it has conducted consultations with relevant agencies on cybersecurity. PLDT and Smart were the only telcos invited by the poll body to participate in the pre-Summit discussions to help the agency craft recommendations to strengthen the country’s elections.
PLDT and Smart’s programs to beef up the digital infrastructure of government agencies are part of a broader effort to elevate the Filipinos’ experience by keeping these critical organizations safe from cyber-attacks. These initiatives highlight the Group’s commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG No. 9 on Industries, Innovation and Infrastructure.
