Telco giants PLDT and Converge on Thursday reported respective gains for the first half of 2026, with their topmost executives also stating their thoughts on Pax Silica, the vaunted AI and semiconductor hub that will rise in New Clark City (NCC).
Converge registered consolidated revenues of ₱22.4 billion from January to June this year, representing a 3.1% growth from year-ago levels while PLDT posted 2% increase in gross service revenues at ₱108.7 billion for the same period. The disclosures were both made today in separate financial and operations report by the two companies.
During the media conference, Converge CEO and co-founder Dennis Anthony Uy said that the planned Pax Silica is “the future of Industry 5.0” where AI is mostly used in automation in the manufacturing sector.
Hinting a potential role of Converge at the AI and semiconductor hub in a 1,620-hectare portion of NCC, Uy said that there is a “need to plan ahead in order to bring this industry to our country.”
“This is better for us, to have more investments and job opportunities for our people,” Uy said.
He said that the so-called sub-zone (of Clark) where NCC is located must be made ready in terms of communications and technology. Converge, he said, has been present at NCC with its fiber optic rollouts since hosting th SEA Games in 2019.
“We have been part of the development in the area. In fact, I have committed to BCDA to help and develop and put more investments in,” Uy said.
BCDA is tasked to oversee the developments at the 10,000-hectare New Clark City which is part of the so-called Clark Sub Zone or Clark Special Economic Zone.
For his part, PLDT Chairman Manny V. Pangilinan likened Pax Silica to Silicon Valley in the US but however raised the question how to get it done as he awaits further details of the project from the government.
“The basic question is how do you recreate Silicon Valley in Tarlac? Isn’t that the practical question? What are the elements going into the creation of Silicon Valley?’ asked Pangilinan.
On the development schedule of the project, Pangilinan said, “I’m glad I think that BCDA said their timeline is 30 years.”
“I don’t know it would take that long but it’s going to be a long, long term horizon,” he added.
Recently, both Uy and Pangilinan have given separate views on the planned AI hub. While Uy was quoted to be saying that an industrial hub is “good for the country”, Pangilinan, on the one hand, also wants PLDT to have a role but with a prior clear blueprint from the government. The two Kapampangan tycoons, while owning separate giant telco companies, also have partnerships in various business and community projects.
Highlights of the two telco gains for 1H2026 include:
Converge:
• 1H2026 Residential revenues grew to ₱18.5Bn
• Enterprise revenues reached ₱3.9Bn in 1H2026, representing a 15.1% growth rate coming from new customer wins
• EBITDA reached ₱13.3Bn with margin ending at 59.1%, maintaining cost discipline across business segments
• 1H2026 net income after tax reached ₱5.5Bn
• ROIC reached 14.9% for 1H2026
• Improvements in service line and outage repair from 1Q2026
PLDT
• Net Service Revenues grew 1% to ₱97.8Bn, excluding revenues from Legacy Services, up by 2%
• Data and Broadband account for 86% of Service Revenues at ₱84.0Bn
• Consolidated EBITDA rose 1% to ₱56.1Bn
• EBITDA Margin stable at 52%
• Fiber made up 98% of total Home revenues of ₱30Bn
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