PLDT Inc., the country’s largest telecommunications company, has announced an important development involving one of its subsidiaries. According to a disclosure filed with the Philippine Stock Exchange on June 20, 2026, PLDT is moving forward with plans to launch what could become the Philippines’ first-ever digital infrastructure Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT).

What’s Happening in Simple Terms

Think of PLDT like a big parent company that owns several smaller companies. One of these smaller companies is called VITRO Inc., which operates data centers. Data centers are special buildings filled with computers that store information and run internet services – kind of like giant storage lockers for digital information that websites and apps use.

PLDT is planning to turn VITRO into a special type of company called a REIT and sell shares of it to the public through an Initial Public Offering (IPO). This means regular people and investors will be able to buy a small piece of ownership in these data centers.

The Structure of Ownership

VITRO Inc. is currently owned by ePLDT, Inc., which in turn is owned by PLDT. So it’s like a family tree: PLDT is the grandparent, ePLDT is the parent, and VITRO is the child company. VITRO is in the process of changing its name to VITRO REIT, Inc., pending approval from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

How Much Money Are They Planning to Raise?

ePLDT plans to sell up to 1,913,043,500 shares of VITRO REIT at a price of up to ₱11.0 per share. They also have an option to sell an additional 286,956,500 shares if there’s strong demand. If everything goes as planned and all shares are sold, this could raise up to ₱24.2 billion.

After the sale, the shares being offered would represent approximately 48.95% of VITRO REIT’s total ownership. This is a secondary offering, which means ePLDT is selling its existing shares to new investors rather than creating new shares.

What Assets Does VITRO REIT Own?

VITRO REIT’s portfolio is expected to include eight data center facilities that are already up and running and generating income. These data centers have a combined Total IT Ready Capacity of approximately 24 megawatts (MW) – that’s enough power to run thousands of computers simultaneously.

These facilities are located in different parts of the country and are classified as Tier 2 and Tier 3 data centers, which means they have strong security and backup systems. They serve various types of customers including large businesses, cloud service providers, and other companies that need reliable digital infrastructure.

What Makes This Special?

According to Victor S. Genuino, President and CEO of both ePLDT and VITRO REIT, this would be the Philippines’ first digital infrastructure REIT. Previously, REITs in the Philippines typically owned traditional real estate like office buildings or shopping malls, not data centers.

This became possible because the SEC issued new rules (Memorandum Circular No. 1, Series of 2026) that expanded what types of properties can be included in a REIT. The updated rules now allow digital infrastructure assets like data centers to qualify.

What is a REIT and Why Does it Matter?

A REIT is a company that owns income-producing real estate. What makes REITs attractive to investors is that they are required by law to pay out at least 90% of their income as dividends to shareholders. This means if you own shares in a REIT, you regularly receive money based on the rent or income the properties generate.

What Will Happen to the Money Raised?

The money that ePLDT receives from selling the VITRO REIT shares will be used partly for debt repayment, among other allowable uses according to their reinvestment plan.

Current Status and Next Steps

As of June 20, 2026, VITRO REIT has submitted its registration statement and REIT Plan to the SEC. The company will separately submit an application to list on the Main Board of the Philippine Stock Exchange once the SEC acknowledges their submission.

The actual offering is still subject to receiving regulatory approvals, favorable market conditions, and other required approvals. PLDT has committed to making appropriate disclosures as required when these developments occur.

Who is Handling the IPO?

UBS AG, Singapore Branch and BPI Capital Corporation are serving as the Lead International Underwriter and Domestic Lead Underwriter, respectively. Together, they are acting as Joint Global Coordinators and Joint Bookrunners for the proposed offering.

About PLDT

PLDT is the Philippines’ largest fully integrated telecommunications company, offering services from fixed line to wireless across the country. The company operates the most extensive fiber optic backbone and fixed line and cellular networks in the Philippines. PLDT is listed on both the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE:TEL) and the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE:PHI), and is one of the largest companies by market capitalization in the Philippines.

The PLDT Group currently operates a broad portfolio of data centers nationwide and continues to expand capacity to meet growing demand for digital infrastructure services.

This article is based on the company’s official press release and disclosures filed with the Philippine Stock Exchange’s Electronic Disclosure Generation Technology (PSE EDGE) system. For the complete and official version of the announcement, readers may visit the PSE EDGE website and search for the company’s filing directly.