PLDT and Globe Telecom are positioning their data centers, cloud platforms, and cybersecurity services to support government agencies following the issuance of Executive Order No. 119, which imposes residency requirements on highly sensitive government information.
Signed by Pres. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on July 13, EO 119 updates the government’s data classification system and requires top secret and secret information to remain within Philippine jurisdiction. It also establishes safeguards for agencies using cloud services to store and process other categories of government data.
The policy could increase government demand for locally hosted cloud infrastructure, data centers, cybersecurity services, and artificial intelligence platforms as agencies move more services online while complying with the new classification and residency rules.
PLDT chairman and CEO Manuel V. Pangilinan said the telecommunications company had invested in infrastructure ahead of the expected growth in government requirements.
“We’re eager to help turn the President’s vision into reality,” Pangilinan said. “We have been preparing for this future for years. We built the infrastructure ahead of time, and our people have the expertise and capabilities to help the government secure our data and accelerate our digital transformation.”
PLDT operates its data center business through ePLDT and Vitro Inc.. The group said its facilities had about 34 megawatts of available IT capacity as of April 15, 2026.
Its infrastructure includes Vitro Santa Rosa, which was designed to support high-density AI and cloud workloads, as well as the Pilipinas Cloud sovereign cloud platform and the Pilipinas AI infrastructure stack.
Pilipinas Cloud, launched in 2023, is designed to host government applications and sensitive workloads within the country. Pilipinas AI, introduced in 2025, allows agencies and companies to deploy AI applications without building their own computing infrastructure.
“We already host the critical data of the country’s data-driven government agencies, enterprises, and cloud and AI workloads. And with the launch of Vitro Santa Rosa, the country’s first and only AI-ready data center, we can confidently say we are ready today — not just with capacity, but with the cloud and AI capabilities the public sector requires,” ePLDT president and CEO Victor S. Genuino said.
Genuino said the order also gives the government greater control over information considered important to national security.
“This landmark policy brings our government’s data governance framework in alignment with the demands of the digital economy, which includes a nation’s ability to secure, govern and control its own data. EO 119 is a key step to ensure both our national security and economic competitiveness,” he said.
PLDT said its fixed and wireless networks would support these services. Its domestic and international fiber network covered nearly 1.3 million cable kilometers as of the end of March 2026.
Globe, meanwhile, said EO 119 provides government agencies with a risk-based framework for using cloud technologies without applying the same residency restrictions to every category of information.
“Executive Order No. 119 is a significant milestone in the country’s digital transformation journey. It provides a clear, risk-based framework that protects our most sensitive government information while allowing agencies to continue harnessing modern digital technologies responsibly,” Globe general counsel Froilan Castelo said.
Globe president and CEO Carl Cruz said stronger controls would be necessary as more public services and government records move online.
“Digital transformation succeeds only when people trust that government systems are secure,” Cruz said. “The executive order strengthens that trust, ensuring sensitive government information receives the highest level of protection while allowing agencies to modernize responsibly. This is an important pillar on the road to becoming a digital nation.”
The company said it would support agencies through connectivity, cloud, cybersecurity, and other digital infrastructure services that comply with Philippine regulations.
“Trust is the foundation of every digital interaction,” Castelo said. “As more government services move online, protecting sensitive public sector data becomes essential to maintaining public confidence. EO 119 provides the governance needed to help agencies innovate securely, strengthen resilience, and deliver digital services that Filipinos can trust.”
The government said EO 119 was issued to modernize the country’s data classification system, which had been based on rules dating back to 1964, and address the security requirements created by cloud computing and other emerging technologies.
