Globe Telecom posted P80.2 billion in consolidated gross service revenues for the first half of 2025, slightly down from P82.2 billion a year earlier but showing signs of recovery, with second-quarter revenues climbing 1% to P40.3 billion on stronger mobility and digital engagement.

Mobile services remained the company’s backbone, generating P57.1 billion in revenues despite a slight decline from last year’s P58.4 billion. Mobile data continued to grow, contributing P48.8 billion, up 2% year-on-year, as more Filipinos relied on apps for messaging, streaming, and digital payments. Data now accounts for 86% of mobile revenues, up from 82% a year earlier. Globe’s mobile subscriber base reached 62.5 million, 5% higher than the 59.5 million in mid-2024.

Home broadband revenues totaled P11.7 billion, down 3% year-on-year due to reduced fixed wireless usage, but the fiber segment strengthened its dominance, comprising over 90% of the business.

GFiber Prepaid (GFP) continued its rapid growth, with subscribers surging 37% in the second quarter to 544,000. This lifted Globe’s total broadband base to 1.9 million from 1.7 million last year, driven by growing demand for affordable and flexible fiber options.
Corporate data revenues slipped 2% to P9.6 billion, as a drop in core data services was partly offset by a 15% increase in ICT services, including cybersecurity, data center, and IoT solutions.

Net income for the first half reached P12.4 billion, down 14% from P14.5 billion in the same period last year, while core net income stood at P10.4 billion. Mynt, the operator of GCash, remained a bright spot, contributing P3.8 billion in equity earnings—a 78% jump from last year—now accounting for 26% of Globe’s pre-tax income.

Capital expenditures dropped 33% to P18.9 billion, reflecting more efficient spending while maintaining focus on network upgrades. Of the total, 91% was directed toward data-related projects.

In the first six months, Globe built 937 new cell sites, upgraded 4,512 to LTE, rolled out 35,821 new fiber-to-the-home lines, and added 444 new 5G sites. As of June 2025, 5G coverage reached 98.71% of Metro Manila and 98.19% of key Visayas and Mindanao cities.
Globe also accelerated its fiber migration program, fully transitioning over 600 towns from copper to fiber lines, enhancing broadband performance while reducing environmental impact.

President and CEO Carl Raymond R. Cruz said the second-quarter rebound, stronger contributions from Mynt, and continued fiber adoption reflect Globe’s operational resilience.
“These results show our strong execution and focus on delivering value to customers, even in a competitive market,” he said.(PR)

TACLOBAN CITY – In a bid to promote environmental responsibility while rewarding eco-friendly habits, Naval town Mayor Gretchen Stephanie Espina has launched the “RESIKLO sa Empleyado” program — an innovative waste-to-reward initiative that transforms soft plastic waste into useful products and incentives for local government employees.

The pilot program, unveiled this week, encourages employees of the municipal government of Naval to collect and trade kilos of soft plastic at the newly established Resiklo Hub.
In return, participants earn points that can be redeemed for essential goods such as clothing, school supplies, and grocery items.

Collected plastics will be repurposed into durable school chairs for identified beneficiary schools in the municipality.

According to the Mayor’s Office, “RESIKLO sa Empleyado” is a 2.0 version of the town’s earlier RESIKLO campaign, which successfully engaged households in plastic waste collection.

The latest phase focuses on institutional participation, starting with public sector workers, to gauge engagement levels and plastic recovery rates before rolling out the program to the wider community.

“This initiative proves that environmental protection, the circular economy, and social benefits can work together,” Mayor Espina said, adding that Naval aims to set a model for other municipalities in Leyte and beyond.

If successful, the program could serve as a blueprint for LGUs seeking to reduce plastic pollution while delivering tangible benefits to constituents.

(ROEL T. AMAZONA)

TACLOBAN CITY (PIA)—Eastern Visayas has reached a significant milestone in 2024, posting its highest employment rate in four years, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

In its latest report, the PSA said that 97.2 percent of the region’s labor force is now employed, up from 96.2 percent in 2023. This means 2.07 million people are working out of 2.13 million aged 15 years old and above.

“This is a sign that our economy is not only recovering—it’s getting stronger,” said Wilma Perante, PSA Regional Director for Eastern Visayas.

“More people are finding stable jobs,” she added.

The unemployment rate has dropped to just 2.8 percent, down from 3.8 percent last year, and is the lowest since 2021. In 2024, only 59,000 people were unemployed, a big improvement for the region.

Although the Labor Force Participation Rate (the number of people actively working or looking for work) slightly decreased to 63.6 percent, those who are working seem to be finding more stable and better-quality jobs.

The PSA also reported progress in addressing underemployment, or people who have jobs but want better or more hours. The rate dropped from 17.3 percent in 2023 to 16.2 percent in 2024—about 336,000 people.

“Underemployment shows there’s still potential in our workforce,” Perante explained.
“With better training, job matching, and support for local businesses, we can help people reach their full potential,” she added

She said that despite a few challenges, the overall picture is very positive—with employment rising and unemployment falling.

Perante called for continued investment in infrastructure, education, and local industries to create good, meaningful jobs for everyone.

“Our goal is to make sure that as our economy grows, our people benefit through quality jobs that support long-term success,” she said.

(RLA/PIA Eastern Visayas)