work-from-home

Menardo “Butch” Jimenez, Jr., PLDT Chief Operating Officer and Chief Technology Officer

As rising fuel costs and inflationary pressures prompt a nationwide re-evaluation of daily commutes, PLDT Home is committed to supporting the Filipino workforce. PLDT Home is waiving installation fees and has executed timely speed boosts to make the transition to remote work seamless and cost-effective.

The initiative reinforces the government’s call for the private sector to adopt flexible work schemes as a strategic response to ongoing global economic volatility. By empowering remote and home-based work setups, PLDT Home aims to strengthen Filipinos’ daily productivity and income opportunities while keeping the family together during these challenging times.

“Filipinos are among the most resilient people in the world, and we want to make it easier for them to navigate today’s challenges, especially amid ongoing global uncertainties. This is why we continue to enhance our fiber products and services to better support the daily digital needs of the Filipino workforce,” said Menardo “Butch” Jimenez, Jr., PLDT Chief Operating Officer and Chief Technology Officer.

The “Work-From-Home” Economic Shield

As commuters report record-high transportation spending, the private sector is rapidly pivoting toward flexible work arrangements. To lower the cost of digital adoption for remote work, PLDT Home rolls out a comprehensive suite of upgrades for both new and existing PLDT Home subscribers.

Jimenez added, “Families need a reliable fiber connection to work from home, stay productive and connected to what matters most.”

New subscribers of PLDT Home Fiber Plan 1299 and above will enjoy a free speed boost of up to 2x faster for six months, ensuring ample bandwidth for high-definition video conferencing and heavy cloud-based work. To also help ease their financial burden, PLDT Home is waiving the ₱3,600 installation fee.

Those switching services to PLDT Home will also receive a free Always On modem for six months. This hybrid fiber-LTE device ensures uninterrupted service by automatically switching to a wireless LTE connection during fiber outages, a critical safeguard especially for remote professionals and freelancers.

PLDT Home also boosts its services with value-added perks to support work and lifestyle needs at home with free unlimited entertainment via Cignal, free IGV Game Pass for 1 year, and exclusive huge discounts on Samsung home products.

Flexible Prepaid Internet with Faster Speeds

For households that need budget-friendly and flexible options without long-term contracts, PLDT Home has enhanced its Fiber Prepaid services.

PLDT Home Fiber Prepaid users can enjoy significantly faster speeds suitable for both work and entertainment at home, as new load packages are now available at 100 Mbps and 300 Mbps. To further ease financial burden, PLDT Home expands its load packages with 1-day, 7-day, 15-day, 30-day, and up to 365-day load options. Fiber Prepaid users can now load for as low as P19.17/day for a 365-day package with speeds of up to 50 Mbps.

As households adapt to evolving economic conditions, PLDT Home strengthens its commitment to delivering reliable, flexible, and future-ready connectivity to empower Filipinos’ productivity and resilience at home.

A LAWMAKER sought clarification from BPO companies on their policy in times of natural calamity to advocate for workers’ safety and protection.

In a privilege speech, Councilor Pamela Librado-Morata, committee chair on labor & employment opportunities, said contact center agents from a BPO company in the city complained about the management’s unclear instructions following an earthquake.

“The high magnitude earthquake that struck Davao City gravely affected BPO employees who often work in high-rise buildings in the city,” Librado-Morata said.

She added that the BPO company did not give clear instructions through a memo prohibiting work on-site.

Other employees also complained of an unsafe working environment, as they were told to report on-site despite the pending building inspection and clearance.

She mentioned that one of the BPO companies was issued a red tag notice by the Office of the City Building Official for sustaining structural damage.

She reported that the workers were not given enough time to pull out computer units for work-at-home setups. Reimbursement for Internet allowance for workers was also not clarified.

“It is clear workers were ill-prepared for WAH arrangements as some workers did not have proper workspaces at home, several were just boarders who rented rooms,” she said.

Workers, despite being exhausted from the earthquake, were expected to log in and take calls immediately at the start of their 9 p.m. shift on Oct. 14.

“Indeed, the ‘business as usual’ or BAU policy puts BPO workers’ work and even lives in detriment,” Librado said, noting that natural calamities like earthquakes cannot be predicted and the aftermath should at least give clear guidelines.

This includes refunds for fare and internet installation for those not having connections at home, overtime pay, hazard pay, and the like.

BPO companies are called to implement or devise a clear work-from-home policy in the event of tragedy or natural calamity and ensure workers’ right to express their grievances and concerns freely.

She also stressed the need to protect BPO workers’ rights, such as health impacts from night shifts, overtime, and unique work arrangements.

The councilor passed a resolution “Providing More Protection to BPO Workers in Davao City By Ensuring Their Safety and Dignity in Times of Calamity.”

Councilor Diosdado Angelo Mahipus Jr. manifested that there is a need to revisit the existing ordinance and policies, especially in workers’ protection.

“It might do us good if we allow the committee on labor and employment to conduct necessary hearings in aid of legislation,” Mahipus said.

Photo by Charanjeet Dhiman on Unsplash

M	T	W	T	F	S	S
1	2	3	4	5	6	7
8	9	10	11	12	13	14
15	16	17	18	19	20	21
22	23	24	25	26	27	28
29	30

PLDT Home offers free installation, speedboosts and more amid rising demand for work-from-home

Lawmaker pushes probe into BPO company’s policy for safety of its workers