Maroons Far From Home: How Converge #DobleNa Erases the Distance for Homesick Hoopers

In the life of every UP student-athlete, there is much sacrifice involved — from grueling training to time management — in order to achieve their dreams in both sports and academics.

For those who hail from the provinces and overseas, there is also the added layer of being away from their family and loved ones for most of the calendar year.

With their focus zeroed in on their careers and finishing their degrees, it is easy for precious time with those who are important to get lost in the thick of things.

But luckily for members of the UP Men's Basketball Team, Converge ICT Solutions Inc. dishes an assist in the form of high speed internet in their dorm to help the players communicate with their loved ones from miles away.

Fil-Canadian Antonio Eusebio and Fil-Am Henry Galinato Jr. had to adjust the most as they joined the helm of the Maroons, as they needed to get used to life in another country.

Though admitting it's a challenge to live independently, they are able to adjust with the help of Converge and technology.

"At first it was a struggle, but like this time, I think I've experienced all the things that I've needed to experience and it's much better. I'm having an easier time," said Eusebio, who says his mother gets upset when he misses a video call. "They're all very clingy."

"It's hard but I got pretty used to it because Zav [Lucero] helped when I was here. But, you know, I miss my mom and everybody over there. I'm a lot older so it's not as hard as if this was a few years ago, it probably would be much more of a struggle for me but it's not that bad [with technology]. It's not like I'm going away forever, it's how I see it," quipped Galinato.

UP newcomer Janjan Felicilda also noted the flexibility Converge's internet provides, as the threat of COVID-19 continues to loom and limits in-person visits with family members.

"Syempre malaking bagay sa amin yun kaya nagpapasalamat kami sa Converge na napadali yung pag-communicate namin sa mga magulang namin, sa mga mahal namin sa buhay lalo na syempre, may COVID parin so pinadali nila yung buhay namin," he said.

Reyland Torres, for his part, noted that because of the distance, he would only get to see his family for twice a year. Being able to communicate via the internet helps douse the homesickness.

"Yung family ko halos twice a year lang kami magkasama kaya sobrang nagpapasalamat ako sa internet na binigay sa amin, makapag-usap kami ng family ko kahit malayo sila sa amin and araw-araw minemake sure namin makausap sila, kung okay lang sila. Okay lang din ba kami dito," Torres said.

Felicilda hails from Butuan, while Torres is from Bacolod.

Being able to communicate with family with constancy is of the utmost importance for the Fighting Maroons, as a number of them say that their family is the source of their biggest motivation.

"Important role yung parents ko sa pangarap ko kasi sila nagbibigay sa akin ng motivation, simula pa nung bata ako, sila na yung palaging nagsusupporta sa akin. Sila yung laging nasa likod ko pag gusto ko abutin yung pangarap ko," quipped Harold Alarcon, who is also from Bacolod.

"Sobrang laking bagay nila kasi sila yung nagpupush sa amin araw araw para mabuhay, para maglaro tapos may kukuhanan ka ng lakas para magpursigi sa buhay," added Davao-born Cyril Gonzales.

Even without seeing their family personally for most of their lives as student-athletes, UP folk hero JD Cagulangan, who comes from Butuan City, says that their love is felt from miles away through Converge.

"Yung support laging nandyan, yung mga kuya ko, even yung mga relatives ko, nararamdaman yung support nila sa akin," Cagulangan said.

Converge's latest offering gives consumers double their money's worth with fast internet as the FiberX Plan 1500 now gives users up to 100Mbps from its previous 50Mbps.

Like the Fighting Maroons, continue to fight the distance with fast and reliable internet.

The reigning UAAP champions tested their mettle in South Korea for their preseason preparations. As part of their training, they have been facing pro teams in tune-up games.

“Sa amin, sobrang laking tulong [nung games dito sa Korea] kasi yung mga kalaban namin, mga pro na. Malaking bagay talaga,” said Cagulangan.

Converge Reports Industry-Leading, Record Earnings with 9-month Net Income Surging 136% YOY to P5.2B

Leading fiber broadband provider Converge ICT Solutions Inc. (PSE:CNVRG) on Thursday reported a net income of nearly P5.2 billion at the end of September 2021, more than doubling at approximately 136% growth over the P2.2 billion net earnings booked in the same period last year, amid continued strong growth in its subscriber base and sustained recovery of its business segment led by small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

In the third quarter alone, Converge added a record number of almost 280,000 subscribers, bringing its total residential subscriber count to nearly 1.6 million, 75% higher compared to the same period last year. This was made possible as Converge reached peak levels in its port deployment at over 650,000 ports in the third quarter.

“We have completed our nationwide backbone, allowing us to expand into new areas in the Visayas and Mindanao, while continuing to go deep into underserved areas in Luzon. We have also augmented our sales force so that we can serve a broader number of our people with world-class fiber broadband connectivity,” said Converge CEO Dennis Anthony Uy.

As of end-September 2021, the nationwide network of Converge reached more than 9.6 million homes, allowing it to accelerate its target to cover approximately 55% of Filipino households to 2023, two years ahead of the original 2025 schedule announced during the Initial Public Offering last year.

With strong and continued subscriber take-up, the consolidated revenues of the Company grew by 76.4% year-on-year to P18.8 billion in the first nine months of 2021. Revenues from the residential business grew by 94.6% YOY, almost doubling to P16.4 billion during the nine-month period. Residential average monthly revenue per user (“ARPU”) remained steady at P1,346. On the other hand, Converge Business revenues grew by 8.5% YO, to P2.5 billion, mostly from the SME segment, continuing the reversal trend seen in the second quarter of 2021.

With increased scale and cost management initiatives, Converge once again achieved a record EBITDA of P10.37 billion in January-September 2021, representing an increase of 86% from the same period last year. As a result, Converge was able to improve its record consolidated EBITDA margin to 55.1% during the nine-month period, higher than the year-ago 52.2%.

In September 2020, Converge started to draw down on its international capacity from the Telstra Indefeasible Right of Use (“IRU”) contract, reducing the need to lease additional international bandwidth capacity. This, together with prudent management of our other international lease agreements, resulted in a reduction of bandwidth and leased line costs from 8.5% of total revenues in 3Q2020 to 3.5% of total revenues in 3Q2021. This cost reduction offset the increase of other cost items such as network materials and supplies used, which grew by 75.5% from 3Q2020 to 3Q2021 due to the ongoing subscriber acquisitions.

Converge also continued to lead the industry in the efficient use of its resources for investments with its Return on Invested Capital (“ROIC”) further improving to 21.7% at the end of September 2021. This best-in-class performance is a result of Converge’s record net profits during the period and its consistently disciplined approach in deploying capital to expand its fiber network and tracking key capital efficiency indicators such as our port utilization ratios.

In the past quarter, Converge also completed its P6 billion, 1,800-kilometer subsea cable project with its final landing in Coron, Palawan, connecting the country’s major islands to its domestic fiber backbone.

As of September 2021, Converge’s domestic fiber backbone is at 90,000 kilometers, passing through some 440 cities and municipalities nationwide and introducing its broadband service to new markets including Iloilo, Cagayan, and Cagayan de Oro.

About Converge ICT Solutions, Inc.

Converge Information and Communications Technology Solutions, Inc. (PSE:CNVRG) is the leading pure fiber data network and internet service provider in the country. It is the first to run a pure end-to-end fiber internet network, providing Filipinos simple, fast, and reliable internet connection. Converge is ISO 9001 and CE2.0 Certified.

Converge Debuts First “Fiber Fast” Business Center in Greenhills

Keeping its promise to continuously innovate its services, leading fiber internet services provider Converge ICT Solutions Inc., together with its marketing services provider, Myriad Real Properties Unlimited, Inc, on October 22, 2021 unveiled the Fiber Fast Lane – consisting of the Park N’ Apply facility, and its first ‘Drive-Thru’ payment avenue - in its flagship business center in Greenhills.  

This ensures quick and efficient line application while limiting contact between subscribers and  service personnel. 

 

In line with the goal of Converge to Go Deep in Luzon - further expanding its reach in existing markets - it fast-tracked the rollout of several business centers this month, key among them an innovative new branch in Greenhills, San Juan City.

 

“This is a novel way for us to serve the rising customer demand in a fast, efficient, and more importantly, safer manner. With the Park N’ Apply facility, you can apply for a Converge line in just a few minutes in a virtually contactless manner,” said Converge CEO Dennis Anthony Uy.

 

A customer can apply for a Converge broadband line in three steps:

1. A customer may roll in and transact with a business center officer in the Park ‘N Apply slot, where he will be given a menu of broadband plans and services. Upon choosing, the officer will check necessary requirements. 

 

2.     The customer may then fill out an application form. The business center officer will validate the area serviceability and application details, after which the application is considered in-process and the customer may exit. 

 

3.     The business center will email a confirmation of the subscription and the schedule of installation.

 

These quick and convenient facilities complement the standard application and payment processes done inside the business center. 

 

“For our customers who still want to talk to our customer service representatives, they can also walk-in to the company’s newest full service business center. Every Converge business center offers sales, payment, and after-sales services, plus a self-service payment kiosk to limit contact,” said Converge Chief Operations Officer Jesus Romero.

 

The Greenhills Business Center will soon make available its drive-thru payment avenue for easier, on-the-go bills payment. 

 

“We fully support Converge’s commitment to serve more and more Filipinos through innovation and service improvements such as this unique drive-thru business center that will provide customers with ease and convenience in their transactions,” said Myriad General Manager William Sia.

 

The 2-storey business center in Connecticut Avenue, within the Greenhills shopping district is equipped with the standard health and sanitation equipment such as a thermal scanner and alcohol stations. 

 

Converge began increasing its business centers starting 2020 to meet the surge in demand from both residential and enterprise customers. 

 

For more information on broadband plans and offerings, go to convergeict.com. 

About Converge ICT Solutions, Inc.

Converge Information and Communications Technology Solutions, Inc. (PSE:CNVRG) is the leading pure fiber data network and internet service provider in the country. It is the first to run a pure end-to-end fiber internet network, providing Filipinos simple, fast, and reliable internet connection. Converge is ISO 9001 and CE2.0 Certified.

Converge Takes Home Coveted Technology Company of the Year Award

Converge ICT Solutions Inc., the country’s leading fiber broadband provider, continues to gain national prominence as it was recently awarded as the Straive Technology Company of the Year Award in the 12th Asia CEO Awards, besting seven other Philippine ICT companies for the coveted award.

Converge continues its winning streak in both the international and national stage for its demonstrated innovation and technological prowess with the recent win in the annual Asia CEO Awards. According to the national award-giving body, nominees of the Straive Technology Company of the Year award are judged according to: management achievement, financial contribution, recognition, pioneering achievements, and social commitment.

Thus, the category recognizes Converge’s excellence across the areas of technical expertise, financial growth, company reputation, and social responsibility - reflecting a well-rounded and holistic growth.

“With the increasing demand for reliable and consistent internet, we at Converge knew we needed to be more innovative and progressive in coming up with more solutions designed with our customers’ needs in mind. We are dedicated to deliver better online experiences by building

the right technology and infrastructure to empower people, businesses, and the nation,” said Converge Chief Operations Officer Jesus Romero as he thanked the Asia CEO Awards for the recognition.

Leveraging its all-fiber network and its modern, future-proof network infrastructure, Converge innovatively created a suite of broadband products customized to Filipinos’ needs, unlike any plan offered by other players in the market. Among its innovations is the FiberX Time of Day plans which allows customers to choose which period of the day to double their bandwidth.

Another innovation is the Direct Internet Access Upload (DIA Upload) a cloud connectivity solution that allows asymmetric download and upload bandwidth allocation. In this way, business can get the same quality of the premium internet service with two times upload speed, best for outbound traffic intensive business operation.

With innovation-led products such as these, Converge captured 47% of fixed broadband net adds amongst the three largest broadband operators in the Philippines in the second quarter of 2021.

Converge’s meteoric rise in the ICT space saw a major boost in 2020 as the pent-up demand for high capacity and high speed internet further shot up amid the pandemic. With its twin expansion strategy - Go Deep and Go National - already in place before the pandemic struck, Converge was in the best position to cater to the urgent need of the people for fast and reliable fixed broadband connectivity that can only be delivered by fiber technology.

Since 2020, Converge has gone from strength to strength, expanding nationwide coverage to 32.5% of households in the country, passing 8.3 million homes, going nationwide in service, and recording industry-leading revenue growth.

In the fourth quarter of the year, the fiber broadband provider is showing no signs of slowing as it will begin to service the Visayas and Mindanao islands more widely.

The Asia CEO Awards is the largest business awards event in the Philippines and one of the largest events of its kind in the Asia Pacific region. Its purpose is to promote the Philippines as the premier business destination for global enterprises.

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About Converge ICT Solutions, Inc.

Converge Information and Communications Technology Solutions, Inc. (PSE:CNVRG) is the leading pure fiber data network and internet service provider in the country. It is the first to run a pure end-to-end fiber internet network, providing Filipinos simple, fast, and reliable internet connection. Converge is ISO 9001 and CE2.0 Certified.

Converge Earns 2 Global Economics Awards

MANILA, Philippines, 6 September 2021 – Converge ICT Solutions Inc., the country’s only pure fiber broadband provider, has again gained international recognition for its drive towards technological innovation and excellence at the Global Economics Awards 2021 where it bagged two prestigious titles.

Converge was recognized as the Best ICT Solutions Provider under the Technology Awards Category and their CEO and Co-Founder Dennis Anthony H. Uy was awarded Best Entrepreneur - ICT under the Leadership Awards Category.

“Converge continues to provide superior fiber internet services across the Philippines for Filipinos to continue experiencing better internet,” said Converge CEO and Co-Founder Dennis Anthony Uy. “These awards are a testament to how the company remains committed to live by its mandate of serving the unserved and underserved communities in the Philippines.”

The Global Economics Awards recognizes key players in the different sectors of businesses and provides a global recognition and outreach to its recipients. The award-giving body undergoes stringent deliberations and evaluations that determine who is fit for the different categories of this program.

The Technology Category aims to recognize the digital transformations enabled by technological innovations of enterprises, while the Leadership Category recognizes the achievement of individuals who show exceptional leadership and serve as an inspiration to others in their field. This stands as a testament to Converge’s existence as a beacon of excellence in the global telecommunications industry.

The Global Economics Limited is a renowned, UK-based print and online publication that aims to share thoughtful and detailed analyses of current issues in various business sectors around the world. They provide an all-inclusive, insightful, and updated coverage of commercial and investment banking, wealth management and advisory sectors. They also take on other sectors of the market that comprises insurance, real estate, technology, and energy industries that follow business and management trends around the world.

“May this award be an inspiration for others to continue their hard work and passion in serving the people in their own fields,” Uy noted.

“We have realized early on that quality broadband connectivity is crucial in our people’s lives and the growth and development of our country. This is the reason why Converge endeavored to build a world-class digital highway that empowers Filipinos and the country,” he added.

Converge has embarked into a massive expansion program to fiber-power more Filipinos with a goal to reach 55% of the Philippine households by 2025. As of the latter part of June 2021, the fiber broadband network of Converge has passed over eight million homes as it expanded beyond Luzon and started serving Visayas and Mindanao with pure fiber broadband services.

For more information, visit the Converge website at www.convergeict.com

About Converge ICT Solutions, Inc.

Converge Information and Communications Technology Solutions, Inc. (PSE:CNVRG) is the leading pure fiber data network and internet service provider in the country. It is the first to run a pure end-to-end fiber internet network, providing Filipinos simple, fast, and reliable internet connection. Converge is ISO 9001 and CE2.0 Certified.