PLDT infuses P1.2 billion in new unit to fund development

January 28, 2026 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — Telco giant PLDT Inc. has placed an additional investment of P1.22 billion in newly established unit Kayana Solutions Inc. to boost growth potential and increase company value.

PLDT’s board of directors yesterday approved the subscription of 1.22 billion common shares in Kayana, priced at P1 a piece.

“PLDT’s additional investment in Kayana is part of a collective effort to drive new opportunities for growth and value within the MVP (Manuel V. Pangilinan) Group,” PLDT said.

Currently, Kayana is owned 45 percent by PLDT. The remainder is equally partitioned in half, at 27.5 percent each, to the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) and Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC).

Kayana, formerly DigiCo, is the latest innovation of the MVP Group. It is a company established to manage the data assets of Pangilinan-led firms, as the MVP Group prepares for a digital-first world in which consumers demand a personalized experience.

In essence, Kayana harnesses the data assets of PLDT, Meralco and MPTC to examine consumer trends that it can turn into insights for customer engagement.

Further, the long game for Kayana is to become an innovator of products and solutions borne out of data assets handled by the MVP Group.

In particular, Kayana offers a number of services, such as a 360-degree view of customers, where businesses would gain access to insights on how buyers interact with specific brands.

Kayana also produced a digital concierge with artificial intelligence (AI). The assistant, powered by AI, can generate personalized recommendations, services and support, allowing businesses to understand their target markets better.

Similarly, Kayana pushes for connected households by offering a unified platform for managing bills and expenses, from anywhere in the world. The company can come up with a unique metric for credit scoring to expand access for financial opportunities.

As a young PLDT unit, Kayana is headed by some of the most trusted aides of MVP, with Victorico Vargas as chairman and Joseph Ian Gendrana as president and CEO.

Prior to its name change, Kayana expanded its brand reach by investing in a 10-percent share in payment channel Bayad Center and buying out e-commerce gateway Multipay Corp.

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