PLDT earnings rise, shrug off impact of Maya’s gambling site delink

PLDT Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Manuel V. Pangilinan said the company saw its net income improve in the July-to-September period compared to the first two quarters.

“It’s better, I believe, than the previous two quarters this year. Slightly better, I would say,” he said in a chance interview, without disclosing the numbers.

In the first quarter, PLDT reported that its net income dropped by eight percent to ₱9.03 billion.

In the following quarter, the company reported six percent growth to ₱9.11 billion, compared to the same period last year.

Over the six-month period, PLDT logged a slightly higher net income at ₱17.6 billion, compared to ₱17.3 billion in the same period in 2024.

For the third quarter, Pangilinan said earnings were boosted by stronger revenues from the telco’s home and enterprise segment.

During the first half, PLDT’s home segment was a bright spot for the company, as it secured a seven percent growth to ₱30.4 billion.

The enterprise segment, meanwhile, was flat at ₱23.5 billion for the period due to stable demand.

Pangilinan added that the company’s share in Maya’s earnings also contributed to the overall net income, although he noted that the bank’s performance was slightly weaker from July to September.

“Maya, that helps. Although slightly affected by the delinking from the gaming sites—the profits for the third quarter,” he said.

In August, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) ordered all digital wallets to remove all links to online gambling sites from their platforms.

The central bank’s move was aimed at curbing the growing threat of gambling to vulnerable sectors, especially minors.

Gambling revenues account for 10 to 20 percent of Maya’s total revenues.

PLDT’s share in Maya’s core income stood at ₱406 million in the first half, a ₱1.1 billion reversal from a net loss in the previous year.

Separately, PLDT Enterprise launched on Wednesday, Nov. 5, the country’s first telco-enabled fraud management API (application programming interface) suite known as SmartSafe.

Certified by global mobile industry body GSMA and developed in close alignment with national regulatory standards, SmartSafe authenticates users directly and in real time through the wide-ranging network of Smart Communications Inc. (Smart).

The technology allows logins and transactions without relying on SMS-based one-time passwords (OTPs), enabling a faster and safer way to connect for both businesses and their end-users.

“I don’t think the industry has launched any new product lately. And I’m glad we did launch something, even in the enterprise space,” Pangilinan told reporters.

“It’s a good product for our people, promoting digital security and protection,” he added.

— Dexter Barro II