PLDT
MVP Bossing Bobby Claudio shares journey of Toby’s Sports amid pandemic

December, 2020) PLDT Enterprise, the B2B arm of the country’s largest integrated telecommunications company PLDT, recently launched the MVP Bossing 2020 campaign with the theme “Rediscovery. Reinvention” to give recognition to and show appreciation for local business owners who are overcoming the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
This year, instead of the usual awards night gathering, MVP Bossing now takes form as a digital campaign which intends to inspire businesses to bring fresh ideas to the table and impart the idea that the pandemic offers meaningful opportunities for change and innovation. One of these inspiring stories is that of Toby’s Sports, the Philippines’ largest store for sports and fitness, which managed to pull through by adapting and changing to the new normal.
“I guess when we say new normal, there is nothing really normal with what we went through,” shared Roberto Claudio Sr., Chairman of Quorum Holdings Corporation.
The start of the lockdown in the country proved challenging for Toby’s Sports. What they initially thought was a 30-day lockdown became three months of uncertainty. Yet the company understood its role in helping the people deal with the pandemic.
“Fitness and health are very important. We felt that this was not being projected much. People were getting lonely, people were getting anxious. They couldn’t get out. They couldn’t trust the person beside them. They couldn’t go out running or jogging,” stated Claudio. “We need to address the needs for people to remain fit and healthy. Our argument then was if people were fit and healthy, they would be less prone to infection.
He shares that the pandemic has changed the way we live, specifically how Filipinos manage their health during these times. “We saw this realization of what was changing so we could come up with how we could reconfigure or reinvent our operations.”
Toby’s Sports then sought to recalibrate their methods of serving their customers, while ensuring the safety and security of everyone. They began offering curbside pick-ups of orders in selected store locations, opening virtual stores in Lazada and Shopee, then coming up with online live stream sales on certain Saturdays of the month.
“If the customers could not come to Toby’s Sports, then we should be the one to bring these products to the people. We gave the option to the customers. In these times of pandemic and where retailing is not all about in-store but it is about how you can serve the customer,” he shared.
With Toby’s Sports having successfully reinvented its operations, Claudio shared that business owners must continue to be fearless and constantly anticipate the challenges in the business landscape in order to thrive in the future.
“Fearlessness is necessary today. It’s not about recklessness or being too aggressive. It’s about being an optimist. Leaders, especially our bossings, have exercised this optimism in being able to pursue this business. We need to expect that these changes will be the new normal and these changes will be the future. It is imperative that the leaders of any business remain optimists, and plot the course where the company wants to go,” he concluded.
In the middle of all the anxiety brought on by COVID-19, Toby’s Sports continues to focus on its goal. “We firmly believe that Toby’s Sports is not just selling sporting goods. We are selling a healthy lifestyle. We need to keep the people fit. If the customers could not come to Toby’s Sports, then we should be the one to bring these products to the people. By working to keep people healthy and fit will help the government manage better the pandemic medical issues.”
Jovy Hernandez, ePLDT President & CEO and SVP & Head for PLDT and Smart Enterprise Business Groups, expressed admiration for Toby’s Sports in handling the pandemic’s challenges. “We highly commend Mr. Bobby Claudio and the rest of Toby’s Sports team for showing agility to reinvent their ways of working during the height of the pandemic. Their flexibility enabled them to deliver their products amid the challenges they faced, which highly contributed to ensuring the healthy lifestyle of Filipinos today. And we at PLDT Enterprise are committed to assist them in sustaining their growth with our technology solutions.”
For more information on PLDT’s MVP Bossing Awards, visit pldtenterprise.com
PLDT
Sheraton Cebu Mactan Resort Delivers Stronger Connections with PLDT Enterprise

PLDT Enterprise, the B2B arm of largest fully integrated telco in the country, recently partnered with one of the most premiere resorts in Cebu, the Sheraton Cebu Mactan Resort, to deliver robust and reliable connections for their customers and their hotel experience.
“At PLDT and Smart, we are all about providing customer-focused digital innovations. That is why we are honored to provide world-class Sheraton Cebu Mactan Resort with unparalleled connectivity that is at par with their mission of giving a luxurious experience to its guests,” says PLDT Customer Relationship Management Head, Kent De La Calzada.
“One of the highlights of the partnership is that the resort is now powered by PLDT’s Dedicated Internet Access service, or iGate–a service that provides businesses with guaranteed bandwidth as well as reliable and managed connectivity to the Internet.” This will positively impact the resort’s operations in terms of easier and faster transactions and communication for staff, and better service and connectivity for guests, especially for business travelers.
Other connectivity solutions that are in place at Sheraton Cebu Mactan are the PLDT SIP Trunks, powered by fiber technology, which will provide quality and stable incoming and outgoing voice calls, and SMART Postpaid, powered by the latest Smart 5G network, for the mobile communication of the employees.
There is also Smart Broadband which will be provided for guests traveling from the airport to the hotel and vice versa. All these efforts align with Sheraton’s vision of being the best welcoming resort destination in the Philippines.
“We value the time our guests spend with us at Sheraton Cebu Mactan Resort, and indeed, part of that guest experience is connectivity,” says Dottie Wurgler-Cronin, General Manager at Sheraton Cebu Mactan Resort. “We want them to feel connected while staying with us–be it at the hotel and the world-class services we provide or simply to each other and their loved ones back at home.”
“With our partnership with PLDT, we are confident that we can bring that deep sense of togetherness and that unique Cebuano hospitality we are known for to all our guests,” adds Ray. G. Manigsaca, President and CEO of AppleOne Properties, Inc.
Sheraton Cebu Mactan Resort is a 261-room premium resort property at Mactan Island in Lapu-Lapu City, a 30-minute drive from Mactan International Airport.
Digicon
#PHDigicon2022: “When I think about BOUNDLESS, I think that’s Magic Johnson!”

Philippine Digital Convention 2022 headline speaker Earvin “Magic” Johnson talked about his journey from being an NBA Hall of Famer to philanthropist and businessman
After two years of holding the country’s most prestigious and one of the most sought-after thought leadership events in the Asia-Pacific Region virtually, Enterprise held the Philippine Digital Convention (PH Digicon) last October 27-28, 2022, face-to-face at the Marriott Grand Ballroom with a simultaneous broadcast online.
Highlighting the 2-day convention was the live interview with the legendary basketball icon Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson who strongly relates to the PH Digicon 2022 theme of BOUNDLESS. Hosted by PLDT Group Corporate Communications Head, Cathy Yap-Yang, Johnson fondly shares, “When I think about Boundless, I think that’s Magic Johnson!”
Raising awareness
In 1991, Johnson officially retired from his basketball career following the announcement of his diagnosis with HIV. In the same year, he founded the Magic Johnson Foundation, one of the most recognizable philanthropic organizations around the world today, which serves as a single-disease organization that works to raise funds for community-based organizations dealing with HIV/AIDS education and prevention programs.
Looking back, Johnson recalls the stigma and discrimination that used to rule the disease and how people talked in “hushed voices”. Now, people can openly talk about and discuss HIV/AIDS–all in the name of raising awareness of the disease.
Johnson’s ‘retirement’ didn’t hold him back to do what he loves most when he came back to play in the 1992 All-Star Game and won the All-Star MVP Award. He was also a part of the ‘Dream Team’ that won the Olympic gold medal in Barcelona during the 1992 Olympics.
“When I look at our team and our achievements, we changed the world when it comes to the NBA and when it came to basketball,” he says. “What we were able to accomplish in Barcelona, the way that the world accepted us, we’ve never seen anything like it. We won the gold medal, but we changed the game of basketball around the world forever. And I am happy to be part of that.”
Raising the next generation of entrepreneurs
Johnson is also the founder and CEO of Magic Johnson Enterprises, a global empire with a wide range of business endeavors that range from sports ownership, food service, to media and entertainment. He may have come a long way from bringing coffee shops and cinemas into Urban America, but he remains committed to his mission of creating jobs and opportunities for minorities and women-owned firms. When asked about retirement, the NBA Hall of Famer laughingly replied, “I am not built to slow down. I am a worker; I love to work, [and I bring] passion to my job every day.”
To prepare the next generation of dreamers and entrepreneurs, the NBA Hall of Famer, businessman, and philanthropist advised them about having a positive attitude despite setbacks, the importance of believing in one’s self, and having mentors–a role that he continues to play for many businesses, athletes, and his fans.
“My life is boundless. When I think of my journey, that’s the word I would use. I did everything that was not supposed to be done. When I think about boundless, I think that’s Magic Johnson! I was the first to go through a lot of doors, a man of color. Trust me, you can do it. Everybody out there, you can do it, you can have it, you can go do it, it’s all up to you.”
30 years later, after countless successful ventures, he shared, “Today, Magic’s court is the business world.”
For more information, visit https://pldtenterprise.com/.
PLDT
PLDT reinforces PH as Next Hyperscale Hub in Southeast Asia at Telecoms World Asia

The PLDT Group bolsters its mission to help make the Philippines Southeast Asia’s next hyperscale hub. At the recent Telecoms World Asia conference held in Bangkok, Thailand, PLDT Enterprise’s Asia-Pacific Regional Head, Jeff Mendoza, emphasized the critical role played by PLDT in creating the digital infrastructure required by the country’s transformation into a regional hyperscale powerhouse.
“Over the past few years, we have witnessed unprecedented digital adoption in the region, especially in the Philippines,” says Mendoza. “Google’s latest e-Conomy SEA report shows the Philippines as the frontrunner in Southeast Asia with its digital economy expected to be sustained at a CAGR of 20% through 2025.”
PLDT’s efforts to help drive the Philippines as the next hyperscale hub is guided by an even bigger mission to help build a sustainable future for Filipinos. PLDT remains dedicated to its efforts and initiatives that strongly support UNSDG No. 9: ‘Build resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialization, and foster innovation’.
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