Telecom company hosts party as it enters the Guam market

BY MAUREEN N. MARATITA
Journal staff

PLDT Inc., incorporated in 1928 and formerly known as the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. has entered the Guam market, through PLDT Global, which does business outside of the Philippines.

The company celebrated its entry to the islands with a launch party for selected guests from the telecom community and other businesses.

Several of PLDT Global’s management team flew to Guam for its launch on May 31 at the Hyatt Regency Guam.

Organizations at PLDT’s launch party for its entry to Guam included GTA, Docomo Pacific, IT&E, Pacific Data Systems, Goodwind Development Corp., CCT Corp., the Consulate General of the Philippines to Guam, the Guam Visitors Bureau, the Broadband Office of the Government of Guam, and Glimpses Media. Photo by Colin Kirk

Speaking during the event, Albert V. Villa-Real, president and CEO of PLDT Global, said “Guam is a key player” in the Pacific region. He also recognized the presence of the U.S. military, and what he referred to as global entities and international companies that do business in Guam.

PLDT looked at the prospects of doing business in Guam 18 months ago. Villa-Real said, “When it went up to the board, it was approved right away.”

PLDT Global CEO Albert Villa-Real spoke to guests at the launch party. Photo by Maureen N. Maratita

PLDT Global now provides a Philippines-to-Guam route via the Asia-America Gateway international submarine cable, from its VITRO Makati data center to GTA Teleguam’s GNC iX data center in Piti, Guam.

PLDT offers a wide range of telecommunications and digital services across the Philippines. Aside from Guam with its new office, the company already has what it calls “physical points-of-presence” in Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, and Los Angeles in the U.S. mainland.

As of Dec. 31, PLDT’s revenue for 2023 was $3.8 billion, increasing its revenue from 2019 to that date.

In her opening remarks, Roselle G. Dela Cruz, vice president of corporate relationship management for the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, told guests, “Expect a lot of engagements and a lot of activity in the Marianas and Hawaii.”

Philippines Consul General to Guam Rosario P. Lemque welcomed PDLT to Guam and spoke of the Consulate General’s role in economic development between the Philippines and Guam.

See the Photo Gallery on the MBJ website for more photos from this and other events. mbj