PLDT Enterprise will be providing hundreds of Victory Liner buses with Wi-Fi connectivity, ensuring a better experience for all their passengers – an average of over 40,000 daily customers nationwide. Regular passengers, especially those taking Victory Liner’s busiest routes such as the nearly 250-kilometer Baguio-Cagayan Valley trip, will benefit from this newly launched service made accessible for their trips.
This effort to revolutionize long-haul journeys in the country will make the bus travel experience of public commuters safer and more enjoyable.
“Even while in transit, we all want to use our time wisely. That’s why we couldn’t be happier to partner with Victory Liner and enable them with robust connections that allow their customers to stay connected and productive while in transit,” says Mitch Locsin, first vice president and head of enterprise and international business groups of PLDT and Smart. “This is especially beneficial to those experiencing long commutes. For Victory Liner passengers, there are instances when they stay for four to 14 hours on the road, so the Wi-Fi service will be a welcome amenity to their bus ride.”
The partnership becomes much more significant as public transportation remains to be a critical driver for economic and social growth for the country. Implementing means to modernize the country’s transport system, the government, through its various transport agencies, has introduced measures such as digitalization programs making commuting safe and more convenient, especially after the pandemic.
One of Victory Liner’s efforts to digitalization includes its partnership with digital financial services platform Maya to implement safe, convenient cashless transactions, and online bookings for its passengers.
“We believe that our Filipino commuters deserve better services, better experiences overall especially since they are doing this, commuting to work, going home to their families, every day,” says Ding Villarino, vice president and head of enterprise relationship management at PLDT Enterprise. “The partnership with Maya, and now with PLDT Enterprise, allows us to continually provide innovative solutions to everyday problems. This is part of our thrust at PLDT to contribute responsibly and sustainably towards nation-building.”
PLDT and Victory Liner are further exploring long-term solutions to improve safety and experience of passengers of mass transportation.
“There is going to be a surge in revenge travel. Because of this, a lot of customers would want to travel long haul, and with that, comes the improvement of our transportation system,” shares Marivic Del Pilar, president and general manager at Victory Liner, Inc. “At the end of the day, we just want the best experience for our passengers. With Maya, PLDT, and Smart, we are able to add more value to the service we provide from ease of payment and booking of tickets to comfort and connectivity on-board our buses,” she adds. “We look forward to long-term partnerships with them, to grow together and move further in providing innovative solutions to the growing needs of our passengers.”
The PLDT Group has since been at the forefront of supporting enterprises and growing contribution to the economic development of the country through technology. For years, it has extensively invested in building massive ICT infrastructure to serve the growing demand for digital services and improving the experience of its fixed and wireless customers.