PLDT and Smart boost network strength during Visayas festivals

CEBU, Philippines — Recognizing the importance of festivals in boosting tourism, PLDT Inc., and its wireless subsidiary Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) commit to sustaining their support for customers attending Visayas’ annual festivals. This commitment ensures the best experience and exclusive perks for attendees at Sinulog in Cebu, Dinagyang in Iloilo, and Ati-Atihan in Kalibo.

“Our customers shape the heartbeat of these iconic Visayan festivities. By continuously innovating our services, we deepen ties with subscribers in supporting age-old rituals and spearheading inclusivity. We enable them to fully immerse in heritage while seamlessly capturing memories to treasure,” said Melvin Consunji Nubla, FVP and Head of Go-To-Market and Subscriber Management at Smart.

The group ramped up its network capacity and rolled out promotional offers in key cities and municipalities to enable seamless connectivity so customers can create lasting memories during the iconic festivals.

Smart also implemented wireless network augmentation focused on capacity, coverage, and resiliency upgrades, to address increased customer demand during the festive period.

Also, PLDT provided free connectivity and bandwidth support for livestreaming festival events and activities of the local government units. This allowed anyone from across the world to witness the grand celebrations and immerse themselves in the Visayan festival culture through real-time online broadcasts.

This was made possible by the hardworking network engineers who typically work tirelessly to ensure an excellent customer experience, such as Naoemi Fuentes, a Service Surveillance and Assurance Specialist under the Network Services Operations Group of Smart Communications, Inc.

“Whenever duty calls, especially during big events such as festivals, I don’t hesitate to answer even if I have to work overtime. We need to outdo ourselves and our performance with every year to ensure seamless connectivity for our customers. This way, we help make PLDT and Smart remain number 1,” said Fuentes.

Staying true to their mission to enable customers to live fully and celebrate life’s most unforgettable moments, Smart also put up experiential booths at key designated areas so customers can have a full experience of the festival while availing of Smart’s services and different promo perks.

Enabling Visayas’ festivities to be shared with Filipinos across the globe are PLDT and Smart’s integrated fixed and wireless networks, supporting the increasing broadband and mobile data needs of Filipinos across the country.

These initiatives align with the group’s efforts to better connect Filipino communities through upgraded service promotions. It also reinforces the PLDT Group’s commitment to support the government’s national digital transformation agenda, and champions UN Sustainable Development Goal #9, which focuses on building resilient infrastructure and fostering innovation.