PLDT INC., through its smart home and lifestyle add-on ecosystem, PLDT Home Life, and digital health and wellness app mWell, aims to reach more customers by expanding its healthcare offerings.
“We have 3.7 million customers, so that’s households. We’re talking about a family of four, so that’s going to be an impact on them [mWell] and also an impact on us,” PLDT Home Vice President and Head of Home Digital Services Evert Chris R. Miranda told reporters in an interview on Wednesday.
“Customers will not just be enjoying connectivity, but also health. [It’s for] the whole family,” she added.
Through the partnership, PLDT customers can access mWell’s family dashboard. The dashboard lets users monitor, track, and manage health metrics for up to four family members, including physical and mental wellness.
The family plan also offers unlimited 24/7 teleconsultations with general practitioners and mental health coaches, as well as an annual, replenishable P20,000 Personal Accident Insurance for the primary subscriber.
“That’s the beauty of the distribution network of a product that we can easily bring to them through broadband,” Ms. Miranda said. “Most of our customers have smartphones, so that’s the beauty of it; we actually complement each other.”
“An important service for the family, and a distribution network through PLDT – that’s the value of it,” she added.
For its part, mWell said the collaboration will help the platform grow its current user base of over seven million.
“We’ve not released our official numbers yet, but right now, we’re 7 million, so our minimum is to double it next year,” mWell Chief Revenue and Marketing Officer Margarito “Gary” G. Dujali Jr. told BusinessWorld in an interview.
He added that the company’s 2027 pipeline includes other initiatives for doctors, clinics, and hospitals. “That’s the whole ecosystem. [It’s] AI-powered. That’s for next year.”
mWell is the digital healthcare and wellness arm/subsidiary of Metro Pacific Investments Corporation (MPIC). MPIC is one of the three key Philippine units of Hong Kong-based First Pacific Co. Ltd., the others being Philex Mining Corp. and PLDT Inc.
Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of the PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., holds a majority stake in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls. — Almira Louise S. Martinez