PLDT, Smart push circularity at regional business forum

Insider Spotlight

• PLDT and Smart joined more than 200 business leaders, sustainability practitioners and policy makers at the UN Global Compact’s Forward Faster Now APAC 2026 forum in Colombo, Sri Lanka
• PLDT sustainability chief Melissa Vergel de Dios highlighted the need to embed sustainability into corporate strategy to generate value across organizations
• The regional forum focused on circularity, climate action, water resilience, supply chains and partnerships as businesses address environmental, social and governance challenges
  
  
  
  

PLDT Inc. and wireless subsidiary Smart Communications Inc. are reinforcing sustainability as a business strategy, joining regional executives and policy makers at a United Nations Global Compact forum focused on turning environmental and social challenges into opportunities for resilience and growth.

The Philippine telecommunications companies participated in Forward Faster Now APAC 2026 in Colombo, Sri Lanka, which gathered more than 200 business leaders, sustainability practitioners and policy makers. 

Discussions covered waste management and circularity, climate action and water resilience, as well as the role of supply chains, policies and multi-sector partnerships.

Operationalizing circularity

PLDT’s participation reflects an effort to move sustainability beyond corporate compliance and integrate environmental, social and governance considerations into operations and long-term strategy.

PLDT, a member of the UN Global Compact Network Philippines, participated in a forum session on operationalizing circularity. PLDT and Smart chief sustainability officer and GCNP chair  Melissa Vergel de Dios opened the session, which highlighted enabling policies, innovation and partnerships involving customers, suppliers, investors and policy makers.

Long-term value creation

Vergel de Dios also joined a high-level discussion examining how sustainability officers are increasingly involved in corporate strategy, governance and long-term value creation.

“The challenge for leaders today is to embed sustainability into the heart of business strategy in order to create value that manifests across the organization,” Vergel de Dios said in a press statement.

“The conversations at the Forward Faster Now event reaffirmed that sustainability is a business imperative rather than a separate agenda. Sustainability should not be viewed as an obligation or a cost of doing business. Rather, it is a source of resilience, innovation, and long-term growth,” Vergel de Dios added.

Improve ESG performance

Vergel de Dios also joined a peer-group meeting led by UN Global Compact Assistant Secretary-General, CEO and Executive Director Sanda Ojiambo, where discussions included breaking down institutional silos to accelerate progress on the Sustainable Development Goals.

PLDT and Smart said their participation forms part of continuing efforts to integrate sustainability into business operations while improving ESG performance through strategic collaboration and alignment with industry practices. —Vanessa Hidalgo | Ed: Corrie S. Narisma