What it does: Provides internet, telecommunications, and digital services, with investments in print media, broadcasting, direct-to-home satellite services, and utilities, among others.
Best known for: Being the oldest and largest telecom company in the Philippines, based on assets and revenue. It also offers the most diverse range of telecommunications services across the Philippines' most extensive fixed-line, satellite, and cellular networks and fiber optic backbone.
Staff stats: 17,222 employees.
The good bits: Above average basic salary with attractive fringe benefits (insiders often laud the company's comprehensive healthcare package). Expect extensive training and supportive management.
The not-so-good bits: Bureaucratic workplace that suffers from the common pains of large companies (eg slow decision making, poor feedback). The culture is often defined as being too 'traditional', which hampers creativity in some departments. Depending on your role, long hours and difficulty rising up the career ladder may be an issue.
Hiring grads with top marks in: business-related courses such as business management, internal auditing, commerce, finance, economics, accounting; engineering courses (eg civil, computer/telecommunication, electrical/electronics, environment/health/safety), among others.
In November 1928, PLDT was established through the Philippine Legislature’s Act 3436 and approved by Henry L. Stimson, then American Governor-General. The company was a merger of four telephone firms under the operation of American telephone company GTE.
The Act, which granted the company a 50-year charter, gave PLDT the right to establish a Philippine telephone network that linked various areas within the country. Just two years later and the company had established a fixed-line network, linking the Philippines to other countries using radiotelephone services.
Ramon Cojuangco, along with a group of business professionals and Filipino entrepreneurs, bought PLDT's shares from GTE in 1968, taking full control of the company. Gregario S. Licaros was elected chairman and Cojuangco was elected president. A few months later and PLDT's main office in Makati was established (now known as the Ramon Cojuangco Building).
By 1982, direct distance dialling (also called DDD) was becoming a trend. PLDT subscribers may call long distance to nine major Philippine cities and 22 countries through direct dialling more than 400 million telephones overseas. Cojuangco, who was responsible for turning the medium-sized firm into a multi-billion-peso company, passed away in 1984 and replaced by Oscar T. Africa and then Antonio Cojuangco, Cojuanco's son, just two years later.
PLDT was responsible for the development of the country's first cellular telephone network in 1987, which set off a number of new wireless innovations. In 1992, PLDT (Philippine Long Distance Telephone) cooperated with AT&T Corporation to bring its services into rural communities. This included the ISA Direct Roving Van Service, a mobile van where people from rural communities may seek toll service via cellular phones; magnetic prepaid telephone cards; payphone services and point-to-point international digital leased service.
Manuel V. Pangilinan replaced Antonio Cojuangco as President in 1998, and the latter assumed the post of Chairman until 2004. In April 2016, the company dropped the line ‘long-distance telephone' from its name and instead was named PLDT Inc. The name change was due to its goal of reflecting its new range of offerings, which mainly focused on data services.
By 2000, PLDT launched DSL, a broadband access technology for high-speed internet access, and Brains (Broad and Robust ATM and Internet Networking Solutions), which made the company the fastest voice, video, and data transmission service running through a single multi-service network.
Today, PLDT dominates the landline domain and operates the country's premier satellite company while offering competitive internet services for both narrowband and broadband.
The recruitment process varies from role to role, but graduates may expect aptitude or technical tests and a series of face-to-face or panel interviews with HR representatives and/or department managers. The process may take a day to a week.
PLDT offers a competitive basic salary and several fringe benefits that may include: comprehensive health care with dependents, monthly mobile phone credits allowance, travel incentives, free meals, rice allowance, and paid sick and vacation leaves, among others.
With generous performance incentives, PLDT's workforce consists of highly-motivated and performance-driven individuals. Though hours may be long and work can be challenging, most workers are determined to muscle through thanks to attractive rewards. A strong corporate social responsibility arm also develops employees with genuine care for others.
COMREL is PLDT's Corporate Social Responsibility arm that interacts with grassroots communities in both urban communities and rural areas. COMREL's programs focus on education, environment, health, the arts, housing, livelihood, and emergency response. Some of COMREL's projects include:
Some of PLDT's educational initiatives include the PLDT Infoteach Outreach Program, which teaches basic IT education to both students and teachers, the PLDT-UPOU Online Teachers Development Program, which offers scholarship grants to qualified graduates of the PLDT Infoteach Outreach Program, and the Brigada Eskwela Project, which involved donating school supplies and assisting in school renovation.
Environmental projects include tree-planting, river and beach clean-ups, environmental awareness and recycling programs.
PLDT promotes health in the communities it serves through medical and dental missions for victims of natural disasters and calamities, as well as feeding programs for marginalized families in nationwide communities.
By partnering with various institutions and non-profits, the company has been able to promote the arts through various art-making workshops and exhibits.
With the help of Gawad Kalinga, PLDT was able to finance housing projects while volunteering in house construction.
Generous benefits, good training, and the opportunity to work for the country’s biggest telecommunications company make PLDT an attractive choice, that is, if you’re up for challenging hours and heavy workloads. Graduates looking to move up the career ladder need to know that promotions may take time.