Last April 8, 2025, Eastern Communications, a leading technology solutions provider in the Philippines, hosted an exclusive media conference at Shangri-La Hotel in Makati City. This pre-event briefing offered a glimpse into the highly anticipated Transcend Summit, the company’s executive platform showcasing the latest advancements in technology, product development, and customer success.

Diane from Evident Integrated Marketing and PR, the PR agency for Eastern Communications, expertly moderated the concise 40-minute program. She introduced the Transcend Summit as Eastern’s avenue for sharing exciting developments within the technology landscape. The event brought together media partners to provide them with insights and sound bites in advance of the main program held later that afternoon, fostering knowledge sharing and networking opportunities.

Hannah, Eastern Communications’ Brand Communications Head, took the stage to outline the summit’s agenda. She emphasized Eastern’s commitment to being the technology solutions provider of choice for numerous leading organizations in the Philippines. The Transcend Summit serves as a premier gathering for industry leaders and IT professionals, offering crucial information on the latest innovations shaping the digital landscape.

Eastern Communications has partnered with trusted technology providers and esteemed business leaders for the summit, including K2 Networks, Fortinet, Huawei, Cisco, Cloud Sigma, Lexus, Guard Act, and media partners The Manila Times and Malaya Business Insight. The main program, hosted by entrepreneur and THX speaker Vanessa Caro, featured keynote addresses from Greg Banzon, CEO of Century Pacific Foods Inc., who shared his company’s journey and how innovation can transform challenges into opportunities, and Molic Parek, founder of AI Asia, who discussed leading and innovating with AI in preparation for an AI-driven future.

A highlight of the afternoon was a panel discussion moderated by seasoned reporter Mimi Ong, focusing on customer experience and innovation. The panel, titled “Innovation as the New Standard: Shaping the Future by Exceeding Boundaries,” included keynote speakers Banzon and Parek, along with Tonichi Aura Parek, Vice President of Concentrix, Pierre Kuray, Vice President of SCMAP, and Edsel Paglinawan, the newly appointed Chief Revenue and Innovation Officer of Eastern Communications. The discussion delved into the pivotal roles of customer experience and purposeful innovation in achieving business success and differentiation.

Recapping the Relaunch of the Link VIP Club: Threads of Connection

Hannah also highlighted the recent relaunch of Eastern Communications’ Link VIP Club, entitled “Threads of Connection,” which took place on April 3, 2025, at the Metropolitan Museum of Manila in BGC. Established in 2017, this customer loyalty program embodies Eastern’s signature high-touch service, a key differentiator for the company. The Link VIP club has fostered increased customer loyalty through unparalleled service and seamless transactions, segmenting customers into Gold, Sapphire, and Platinum tiers with various exclusive perks.

The relaunch event celebrated Eastern Communications’ top customers, who now form the exclusive Titanium tier within the Link VIP Club. These esteemed clients were introduced to enhanced perks and privileges, ensuring the highest level of service. The event, in collaboration with artists Studio Casu and Erica Mayo, featured the unveiling of a special collection of paintings, each uniquely representing the benefits of the Titanium membership.

Eastern Communications Unveils New Products and Services

During the media briefing’s Q&A session, moderated by Diane, key representatives from Eastern Communications addressed questions from the press. Edsel Paglinawan, Chief Revenue and Innovation Officer, provided a preview of upcoming product launches:

• DDoS Protected Internet: Eastern Communications will now include DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) protection as a default feature in all new internet subscriptions. This proactive approach aims to elevate service quality and ensure customers are protected from increasingly prevalent cyber threats, debunking the notion that all internet services are the same.
• Enhanced Eastern Cloud: Building on their existing locally hosted cloud service, Eastern Communications will launch two new features: Platform as a Service (PaaS) and S3 Caching. PaaS will offer customers greater flexibility in their cloud deployments, while S3 Caching aims to reduce the total cost of ownership for customers utilizing AWS storage services by leveraging the local Eastern Cloud infrastructure.

Jed Estanislao, Chief Marketing and Customer Experience Officer, elaborated on Eastern’s “high-tech, high-touch” approach. While the company thrives on technological innovation, its commitment to exceptional customer experience remains paramount. He proudly shared Eastern’s industry-leading CSAT score of 95.5% for 2024, with a target of 96.1% for 2025, underscoring their dedication to customer satisfaction.

Expanding Coverage and Embracing Peering

Jason Evangelista addressed questions regarding Eastern’s nationwide coverage, stating that the company currently spans 15 out of the 18 regions in the Philippines. The recent completion of their Philippine Domestic Submarine Cable Network (PDSCN) enables them to reach previously underserved areas in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. He emphasized their aggressive plans to further expand into high-demand areas, backed by a significant capital expenditure of PHP 2.3 billion for network expansion this year alone.

Regarding internet peering, Jason acknowledged its inevitability for a growing company like Eastern Communications. He highlighted their existing peering arrangements and proudly announced the launch of the latest internet exchange in the Philippines in December, a result of a partnership between Eastern, HGC, and Amsterdam Internet Exchange.

Focus on Customer Needs and Innovation

Aileen Regio emphasized Eastern Communications’ strategic imperative to serve developing urbanized cities like Depolog, recognizing their potential and the need for robust digital infrastructure to support growth and attract businesses, particularly in the BPO sector. This aligns with their broader goal of bridging the digital divide and fostering economic growth in regional areas.

Jed Estanislao further detailed Eastern’s customer-centric approach through initiatives like the Link VIP Club and the upcoming online learning academy. This academy aims to address the skills gap in new technologies by offering courses in cybersecurity, cloud computing, and connectivity to their top-tier clients. The tiered structure of the Link VIP Club, culminating in the exclusive Titanium tier with enhanced benefits like managed connectivity, demonstrates Eastern’s commitment to reciprocating customer loyalty with tailored solutions.

Commitment to Service Level Agreements

In response to a question about internet reliability, Aileen Regio highlighted Eastern Communications’ pioneering commitment to providing 80% of the subscribed internet speed 80% of the time for their shared internet services. This “80/80” commitment, a significant improvement over previous industry standards, underscores their dedication to providing consistent and reliable connectivity.

Looking Ahead: A Strategic 2025 for Eastern Communications

Concluding the media briefing, Aileen Regio and Jason Evangelista reiterated Eastern Communications’ strategic objectives for 2025. These include aggressively improving services, expanding infrastructure, offering a broader portfolio of managed services to address specific customer pain points, and achieving a revenue target of PHP 5.2 billion. Their mission remains to be the industry standard in innovative ICT products, solutions, and customer experience, evidenced by their expanded market presence, enhanced customer relationships through the Link VIP program, and unwavering focus on customer satisfaction with a target CSAT score of 96.1%.

The Transcend Summit 2025 and the preceding media conference served as a powerful testament to Eastern Communications’ dedication to driving innovation, fostering strong customer relationships, and shaping the future of connectivity in the Philippines.

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