PLDT, Inc. announced on Thursday that it ranked fourth out of the top 100 “most influential” information and communications technology companies worldwide in the 2020 Digital Inclusion Benchmark of the World Benchmarking Alliance.
PLDT Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Manuel V. Pangilinan said this recognition “affirms how our technologies can play a significant role in making major contributions to the sustainable development of the country.”
The telco said the World Benchmarking Alliance had collaborated with an expert review committee of members from the World Bank Group and International Telecommunication Union to develop the study.
“Stretching across 33 economies worldwide, the benchmark covers digital systems across three industries: telecommunication services; hardware, consisting of the manufacture of digital goods such as end-user devices, network equipment and semiconductors; and IT services, consisting of software applications, data centers, cloud computing and platform services,” it noted,
The World Benchmarking Alliance, according to PLDT, “lauded” its level of reporting on its economic value generated and distributed.
“WBA lauded PLDT and Smart for efforts in pursuing cyber security governance, with the Chairman and Board of Directors subjected to annual trainings on cyber security, and a Cybersecurity Operations Group that reports directly to the Top Management,” it added.
PLDT saw its attributable net income for the third quarter surge 95% to P7.41 billion versus the P3.79 billion it generated in the same period last year.
The company attributed its profit growth for the quarter to the spike in customer demand for digital or online services triggered by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
PLDT saw a 10% increase in its total revenues to P46.49 billion. The company’s service revenues grew 9% to P44.37 billion while its non-service revenues increased 18% to P2.12 billion.
Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has a majority stake in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls. — Arjay L. Balinbin
