PLDT, Smart tap grassroots basketball to deepen regional engagement in Mindanao

PLDT and Smart are strengthening their presence in Northern Mindanao by anchoring their brand and retail strategy in grassroots basketball, using the Jolas Cup 2026 as a platform to connect with local communities and drive on-ground engagement.

As part of the opening weekend in Cagayan de Oro, TNT Tropang 5G players Poy Erram, Rey Nambatac, and Glenn Khobuntin – alongside team manager and PBA legend Jojo Lastimosa – made appearances across key customer touchpoints, including PLDT and Smart retail stores and the Limketkai Mall Telco Tiangge. The visits drew fans into physical spaces typically associated with transactions, repositioning them as experiential hubs centred on fandom and access.

The use of Kagay-anon players – athletes with roots in the region – adds a layer of authenticity. “Seeing fans smile, taking photos, and sharing stories with us reminds us why events like the Jolas Cup matter – to inspire the community and the next generation of players,” said Khobuntin.

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Beyond brand visibility, the initiative also aligns with PLDT and Smart’s continued infrastructure push in the region. Both companies have identified Cagayan de Oro and Misamis Oriental as priority areas, with ongoing fibre expansion and 5G rollout aimed at improving connectivity for households and mobile users. Embedding these efforts within community-led initiatives allows the brands to translate technical upgrades into more tangible, human experiences.

The group also made a stop in Barangay Nazareth, where they joined community activities organised by PLDT Home, engaging with residents and extending the activation beyond commercial spaces into neighbourhood-level engagement.

For players such as Nambatac, the return carries personal significance. “CDO is home for us, so it’s always special to come back and feel the love from our ka-Tropa,” he said – a sentiment that underscores the campaign’s reliance on local pride as a marketing lever.

At its core, the Jolas Cup serves a dual function: as a developmental platform for aspiring athletes and as a long-term brand investment for PLDT and Smart. By supporting community tournaments and creating visibility for young players, the companies position themselves not just as service providers, but as enablers of opportunity.

“We are happy to see these aspiring players who also dream of playing in the PBA. For us, this is where it all started – the Jolas Cup. This is not just for fun, but a stepping stone to the next level of their journey,” said Erram.

Running until 16 May at the Xavier Ateneo Sports Centre, the tournament brings together youth teams from across Northern Mindanao.

The community-led activations in Mindanao sit within a broader push to strengthen both consumer and enterprise engagement across the Philippines, as the group looks to translate network expansion into more tangible, use-case-driven value.

On the enterprise side, PLDT has been deepening partnerships that bundle connectivity with hardware and services. Its expanded collaboration with Power Mac Centre, for instance, integrates Apple devices with Smart Enterprise postpaid plans into a single offering – aimed at simplifying procurement and accelerating deployment for businesses managing distributed teams. The move reflects growing demand for end-to-end solutions that reduce operational friction while supporting increasingly mobile workforces.

At the same time, PLDT Enterprise continues to reinforce its regional footprint through infrastructure-led partnerships, including work with providers such as Siquijor Island Cable TV Systems Corp. to deliver scalable, high-capacity connectivity in underserved areas. Together, these initiatives point to a wider strategy: pairing network investments with ecosystem partnerships to drive adoption across both consumer and business segments.

Join us on 21 May 2026 at Content360 Philippines and be part of the honest, hard-hitting conversations redefining content effectiveness in an AI-shaped, zero-click world!

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