PLDT Inc. is still searching for a new President and Chief Operating Officer to replace Alfredo S. Panlilio, who resigned last year due to health reasons.

“We just started. It is ongoing now, it is a bit new. Too early to say who the candidates could be at this stage. I do not know yet. It is a wide search and I cannot tell you how many,” PLDT chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan, who temporarily resumed the role of President and CEO, said in an interview on Thursday.

“Hopefully, before the year ends, we can find the right person,” he added.

Panlilio’s resignation as PLDT and Smart President and CEO became effective last 31 December 2023.

Despite Panlilio’s early retirement as the company’s top leader, Panlilio remains as Director of PLDT, Smart, and MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., Chairman of Maya Bank and Bonifacio Communications Corp.

He also still serves as Director of Multisys Technologies Corp. and MultiPay, President of MVP Sports Foundation, Trustee of the Asian Carriers Conference, and Member of the Management Association of the Philippines.

Panlilio played a vital role in guiding the PLDT Group through the difficult times of the COVID-19 pandemic, helping PLDT maintain profitability and industry leadership during that challenging period.

Under Panlilio’s leadership, PLDT has received numerous awards from both local and international organizations for its pioneering brand, corporate social responsibility, cybersecurity, network, and sustainability initiatives.

In a separate development, PLDT Global Corp., a unit of PLDT, has launched a new service that enables overseas Filipino workers, or OFWs, to access the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, or OWWA, Helpline 1348 for free. This service is available through a one-stop online marketplace for global Filipinos called Tindahan ni Bossing.

The OWWA Helpline 1348 is available 24/7 and provides faster and more responsive services to clients who call requesting assistance on various OWWA programs, services, and benefits. These services include employment contracts, repatriation assistance, and other OFW-related concerns.