PLDT Global Strengthens Philippines’ Role in Asia’s Expanding Digital Infrastructure Ecosystem

Investment in subsea cable systems, data centers, and cross-border networks continues to accelerate across Asia as hyperscalers, cloud providers, and digital platforms expand capacity to support artificial intelligence (AI), cloud services, and rising data consumption. The trend highlights the growing importance of infrastructure that enables the movement of data across increasingly interconnected markets.

As digital transformation advances across the region, PLDT Global continues to support cross-border connectivity through strategic infrastructure investments and partnerships. As the international arm of PLDT, the company helps connect the Philippines to major digital hubs worldwide, supporting enterprises, technology companies, and international carriers operating across markets.

The need for greater network diversity, capacity, and resiliency has likewise increased as organizations manage larger volumes of data and increasingly distributed workloads. To support these evolving requirements, PLDT Global continues to expand its international infrastructure footprint through investments, leveraging PLDT’s participation in the Asia Direct Cable (ADC) system. The subsea cable enhances links among key Asian economies while providing additional capacity and route diversity across the region.

Recent investments by hyperscalers, data center operators, and network providers have further highlighted the importance of international bandwidth and digital infrastructure in supporting cloud services, content delivery, and emerging AI applications. These developments are contributing to growing requirements for interconnection services, colocation facilities, and resilient network capacity across Southeast Asia.

Reflecting these market developments, PLDT Global recorded a 30% year-on-year increase in revenues during the first half of 2026, driven by requirements from hyperscalers, international carriers, and digital platforms for international bandwidth, cable capacity, and related infrastructure services. The performance reflects the increasing use of connectivity services supporting cloud, AI, and enterprise workloads across the region.

PLDT Global's performance came alongside continued growth across PLDT Enterprise, which generated ₱24.8 billion in revenues during the first half of 2026. Corporate Data and ICT services contributed ₱18.4 billion, reflecting ongoing investments by businesses in cloud, cybersecurity, managed services, and digital transformation initiatives.

Within PLDT Enterprise, PLDT Global provides international connectivity services linking businesses in the Philippines with customers, partners, and digital platforms worldwide. These capabilities complement the group's investments in data centers, cloud services, managed ICT solutions, and cybersecurity offerings, supporting the evolving requirements of enterprises and technology providers.

"The continued expansion of cloud services, AI applications, and digital platforms is increasing the need for reliable international connectivity," said Albert V. Villa-Real, President and CEO of PLDT Global. "We remain focused on investing in infrastructure and strengthening partnerships that help address these requirements while supporting our customers' digital transformation initiatives across markets."

The growing flow of data across borders is reshaping how businesses compete, innovate, and serve customers. By linking enterprises, carriers, and digital platforms across markets, PLDT Global helps support the connectivity that enables cross-border commerce, digital services, and technology adoption in an increasingly interconnected region.

Lenovo Adds Extra Cheer to Holiday Shopping with Up to ₱5,000 in SM Gift Pass

MANILA, Philippines – The holiday season is all about finding gifts that people will love and use. This year, Lenovo Philippines is making those thoughtful purchases a little more rewarding with its Lenovo Holiday Promo 2026, offering an SM Gift Pass worth up to ₱5,000 with purchases of select Lenovo devices.

Running from October 15 to December 31, 2026, the promotion gives customers who purchase qualifying Lenovo laptops from authorized resellers an additional holiday treat, with an SM Gift Pass worth ₱1,000 to ₱5,000 depending on the participating model.

Whether shopping for a student, a working professional, a gaming enthusiast, or someone looking to upgrade their everyday tech, customers can explore eligible devices across Lenovo's IdeaPad, Yoga, LOQ, and Legion lineups.

Participating IdeaPad models come with SM Gift Pass ranging from ₱1,000 to ₱2,500, while select Yoga devices qualify for ₱2,000 or ₱3,000 worth of SM Gift Pass.

For gaming enthusiasts, eligible Lenovo LOQ models come with ₱2,000 in SM Gift Pass, while participating Legion laptops offer ₱3,000 or ₱5,000. The highest reward of ₱5,000 is available with the qualifying Legion Pro 5 16IRX10.

The extra treat can help make the holidays even sweeter, with the SM Gift Pass accepted at a wide range of shopping, dining, and entertainment establishments. These include The SM Store, SM Supermarket, SM Hypermart, SaveMore, SM Appliance Center, Ace Hardware, Ace Builders Center, Baby & Co., Kultura Filipino, Our Home, SM Cinema, SM Bowling, SM Ice Skating Rink, SM Storyland, Sports Central, Surplus Shop, Toy Kingdom, Watsons, IMAX Theatre, Forever 21, Exploreum, Radisson Blu, Pet Express, Snack Time, Uniqlo, Levi’s, Walter Mart Supermarket, Alfamart, Crate & Barrel, Joseph, Sfera,

The Body Shop, Skyranch, Bata, Crocs, MindPro Supermarket, Miniso, Simply Shoes, SM Science Discovery Center, and SM Foodcourt (selected outlets).

How to claim your holiday treat

To redeem their SM Gift Pass, customers must register at https://promotions.lenovo.com/ph/en and submit their full name, contact number, valid ID, proof of purchase, device machine type model (MTM), and serial number. The name on the purchase invoice must match the name on the valid ID.

Customers will receive an email within 7 to 14 business days after submitting their redemption request, indicating whether it has been accepted, rejected, or requires clarification. Once redemption is successful, the corresponding SM Gift Pass will be sent via email within another 7 to 14 business days.

Each customer may avail of the promotion up to five times, with redemption requests required within 60 days after the promotion ends. Unredeemed freebies will be forfeited after this period.

The promotion applies exclusively to qualifying device models purchased from authorized Lenovo resellers, subject to the complete promo mechanics and Terms and Conditions. Customers are encouraged to check the specific eligible MTMs and corresponding SM Gift Pass values before purchasing.

With a little extra holiday shopping value alongside their new device, Lenovo's Holiday Promo 2026 gives Filipinos another reason to make this season's tech gifts count.

DTI Fair Trade Permit No. FTEB-269945, Series of 2026.

Enchanted Kingdom Celebrates 31 Years of Magic With Fiesta ng Saribuhay Anniversary Show

Enchanted Kingdom, the first and only world-class theme park in the Philippines, proudly marked its 31st anniversary on October 17 with Fiesta ng Saribuhay, a vibrant celebration of the country’s culture, people, and biodiversity.

As a homegrown Filipino company, the theme park reaffirmed its pride in the country’s rich cultural and natural heritage through an enchanting lineup of local festivities, seasonal entertainment, in-park decor, and other immersive experiences highlighting the classic local traditions, world-class talent, shared values, strong community spirit, and the natural beauty of the Philippines.

“Celebrating 31 magical years is not just a milestone for EK. It is also a celebration for the Filipinos who have been an integral part of our story for the past three decades. As reflected by the Philippine eagle and in the lyrics of our anniversary song, Lipad, we want to showcase the best of the Filipinos, such as the values of Lakas, Talino, at Katatagan, among the many qualities that make us uniquely enchanting, through our upcoming experiences and offerings in the years to come,” said Nico R. Mamon, EK’s 31st Anniversary Chairman.

The festivities are anchored on the continuous enhancements at the Park’s award-winning flying theater, AGILA The EKsperience: SARIBUHAY. Strengthening its powerful call for Filipinos to appreciate and protect the environment, EK finally opened the attraction’s newly updated areas, including a new entry experience, the Ang Kwento ng Agila walkthrough that shares even more stories behind the attraction and the world of the Philippine eagle, and the PUGAD concept store with its improved thematic experience.

The main anniversary celebration on October 17 kicked off with a warm welcome at the Park, as a lively Filipino dance fiesta greeted guests at the front gate and Victoria Park. In the afternoon, EK Storyverse Characters joined their friends from the Saribuhay Village in spreading the festive spirit throughout the Park with the grand Fiesta ng Saribuhay Anniversary Parade.

The parade ushered in the Fiesta ng Saribuhay Concert at the Spaceport Grounds, an enchanting nighttime show that highlighted incredible Filipino music and talent across various OPM genres. Performers included promising soloists FYNE and Prince Liu, indie band Sacred Red, electrifying P-pop girl group XONARA, and the multi-awarded R&B singer-composer Dionela.

EK’s homegrown talents also performed their newly released songs for the Park’s 31st Anniversary. The all-male vocal group Kingsmen opened up the show with the festive remix of their song, Saribuhay, and the P-pop girl group SMS brought national pride and power with Lipad. These two tracks are now available for streaming on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, and Amazon Music.

Serving as the spectacular finale was the Lipad ng Agila: A Pyromusical Fiesta, where the parkgoers marveled at the iconic figure of the Philippine eagle circling up in the night sky with the vibrant fireworks display.

Fiesta ng Saribuhay: EK’s 31st Anniversary Celebration is made even more magical with our co-presenters, Coca-Cola, Universal Music Group Philippines, and One Platinum Corporation. The following brand sponsors also extended their support for this milestone celebration: McDonalds, Maya, Hotel DreamWorld, Harvey, Cherifer, Ate Rica's Bacsilog, Baga Burger, Ceelin Gummies, C-Lium Fibre, Poten-Cee Gummies, Entrasol, Farlin, SD13 Advertising Corp, JCB, Nurture, Australia's Own, Barilla, Tulip, Ellite Ads Corp., Woods' Peppermint Lozenges, McCormick, Fitbar, Halls, Zim, Caliraya Resort Club Inc., Thoy Entertainment Productions, Reyes Barbecue, Marble, Mello, Sucere, Bang’s T&J Salon Professionals, and Bear Brand Fortified Milk.

Also, a special thanks to these tenant partners: Magnolia Ice Cream Flavorhouse, Fortune Bakeshop, Lil' Orbits Mini Donuts, Zenzu, Dairy Queen, Shakes Station, Auntie Anne's, KarateKid, Shakey's, Cafe Mary Grace, Teho Apparel, Mr. Pluffy, Cast Members Multipurpose Cooperative (CCMPC), ViewTrue Express Digital Imaging, Midway Mirror Maze, Xtreme Paintball Philippines, Sigue Trading, Alcatraz, Potato Corner, and Po Jang.

For more information and updates on EK’s 31st Anniversary Celebration and its other events and offerings, visit https://www.enchantedkingdom.ph and EK’s official social media accounts @enchantedkingdom.ph on Facebook and TikTok, and @ek_philippines on Instagram.

Coca-Cola Philippines Named Brand of the Year at SMARTIES™ Philippines 2026

MANILA, PHILIPPINES – Coca-Cola Philippines has been named Brand of the Year at the SMARTIES™ Philippines 2026 Awards and received eight awards across categories including omnichannel marketing, artificial intelligence (AI), personalization, commerce, and retail media. Organized by MMA Global, SMARTIES™ Philippines recognizes marketing campaigns that combine creativity, technology, consumer insights, and measurable business results.

The recognition reflects Coca-Cola Philippines’ continued focus on creating more relevant and personalized experiences for Filipino consumers. Two award-winning campaigns drove this achievement: Coca-Cola Festive 2025, which used data-informed audience targeting and storytelling to make holiday connections more meaningful, and Grab’s Year in Cravings, which turned consumers’ food-ordering habits into personalized digital experiences.

For Coca-Cola Philippines, the Brand of the Year recognition is not simply an industry accolade. It reflects the company’s approach to turning consumer understanding into experiences that are meaningful for people while delivering measurable business impact.

Creating More Meaningful Holiday Connections

Among the recognized work was Coca-Cola Festive 2025, which earned Gold for Omnichannel Marketing and Silver for Innovative Use of AI in Advertising.

Built around Coca-Cola's annual Christmas platform, the campaign brought the brand’s festive story to Filipinos through a connected ecosystem of television, outdoor, digital, and retail experiences. It combined television and outdoor advertising with digital platforms including Meta, YouTube and TikTok, while Connected TV placements helped extend the campaign into family mealtime moments at home.

The campaign also brought its festive message to life through activations such as the Emoji Cup promotion with quick-service restaurant partners and Sound of Home, an initiative that helped connect Filipinos in the country with loved ones working overseas.

The Innovative Use of AI recognition highlighted Coca-Cola Philippines’ use of data and AI-enabled audience targeting to deliver more relevant festive communications and identify growth opportunities across regional markets. By combining audience insights and local market information, the campaign connected with consumers at more relevant moments throughout the holiday season.

Making digital experiences more personal

Together with Grab, Coca-Cola Philippines also earned six awards for its partnership with Grab through the “Year in Cravings” report.

The campaign received Gold awards for Customer Growth & Conversion Strategy and Instant Impact/Promotion, Silver awards for Brand Experience and Personalization, and Bronze awards for Retail Media/O2O Excellence and Customer Growth & Conversion Strategy.

Inspired by year-end recap experiences, Year in Cravings gave users a personalized look at their food-ordering habits, including customized food personas and insights based on their favorite meals and cravings.

The experience also introduced personalized food and Coca-Cola beverage pairings within the Grab app, allowing consumers to revisit and reorder their favorite food-and-drink combinations. By combining personalization, commerce, and consumer insights, the campaign transformed everyday ordering behavior into a more engaging digital brand experience.

The collaboration brought together Coca-Cola Philippines, Grab, agency partners, and teams to turn consumer insights into experiences that connected digital engagement with commerce.

“These recognitions reinforce the importance of staying close to consumers and understanding what matters most to them,” said Frenissa Lagman, Marketing Head of Coca-Cola Philippines. “Whether through personalized digital experiences, data-informed marketing or festive campaigns that celebrate meaningful connections, our goal remains the same: to create experiences that feel relevant, memorable and rewarding for Filipinos. These awards encourage us to continue finding new ways to connect with people through creativity, technology, and a deep understanding of what matters most in their everyday lives.”

Together, the awards demonstrate Coca-Cola Philippines' success in developing campaigns that resonate with consumers across different channels and turn creative ideas into engaging brand experiences.

Learn more about Coca-Cola Philippines and its latest initiatives at www.coca-cola.com/ph.

Vivo Philippines Launches AlwaysPowered TikTok Challenge, Giving Participants a Chance to Win Vivo V80 Lite

MANILA, PHILIPPINES – Vivo Philippines is bringing the everyday workday experience to TikTok with its AlwaysPowered effect, an interactive challenge that gives participants the chance to win a brand-new Vivo V80 Lite smartphone.

Designed around the familiar demands of a busy schedule, the challenge invites TikTok users to test their workday instincts through six YES-or-NO questions. Participants answer by tilting their heads left or right to select their responses. As the virtual clock moves from 9 AM to 6 PM, the on-screen battery level drops from 100% to 60%, reflecting the energy needed to get through a full day of meetings, deadlines, errands, and coffee breaks.

How to Join the AlwaysPowered Challenge

Joining the challenge is simple. Participants can follow these steps:

1. Open the effect: Visit the AlwaysPowered effect on TikTok.

2. Answer the questions: Respond to all six questions by tilting your head left or right to select YES or NO.

3. Post your entry: Upload your video on TikTok, mention @vivo_philippines, and include the hashtags #vivoV80Lite and #vivoV80Lite10000mAh.

One lucky participant will receive a brand-new Vivo V80 Lite. Participants should review the official contest mechanics to ensure their entries meet all eligibility and submission requirements.

Built for Everyday Demands

The campaign also highlights the Vivo V80 Lite's massive 10,000mAh BlueVolt Battery, designed to support users throughout their daily routines. Whether managing work responsibilities, running errands, staying connected with friends, or enjoying entertainment, the smartphone emphasizes battery capacity for people with demanding schedules.

Through the AlwaysPowered effect, Vivo Philippines combines interactive social media engagement with a product-focused campaign, encouraging users to participate in a fun challenge while discovering a smartphone built around their everyday needs.

Ready to join? Visit the AlwaysPowered effect on TikTok, create your entry, and follow Vivo Philippines on social media for updates. You can also visit the official Vivo Philippines website for more information.

Those interested in experiencing the device can purchase the Vivo V80 Lite at participating Vivo physical stores, through the Vivo e-store, or via the Vivo Store app.