Key Takeaways
- • PLDT Inc. retained its position as the second-highest-ranked telecommunications company globally in the 2026 Children's Rights and Business Benchmark by the Global Child Forum, its third consecutive year in that spot.
- • PLDT scored 9.9 out of 10 in the assessment, which evaluates corporate policies and disclosures on children's rights based on publicly available information.
- • The benchmark was developed with Boston Consulting Group and covers workplace, marketplace, community, and environmental operations; Global Child Forum notes its scores do not measure actual compliance or program outcomes.
- • PLDT and Smart reported blocking more than 2.4 million URLs linked to online sexual abuse and exploitation of children between June 2021 and August 2026.
- • Per its 2025 ESG disclosures, PLDT and Smart reported a parental leave return-to-work rate above 99% and zero reported child labor cases in workplaces and supply chains.
Summary
PLDT Inc. retained second place among telecommunications companies worldwide in the 2026 Children's Rights and Business Benchmark published by the Global Child Forum, according to a company statement issued on Sunday and reported by BusinessWorld. The listed provider scored 9.9 out of 10, and the ranking marks its third straight year in the position. The benchmark, developed in partnership with Boston Consulting Group, assesses corporate policies and disclosures across workplace, marketplace, community, and environmental operations. The Global Child Forum has stated that its scores measure disclosed policies rather than actual compliance with those policies or the outcomes of programs.
PLDT Chairman and CEO Manuel V. Pangilinan said the ranking reflects efforts to embed children's rights into daily operations, and said PLDT and its wireless subsidiary Smart Communications, Inc. treat children as key stakeholders in building a digital society. PLDT said the ranking reflects the group's adoption of the Children's Rights and Business Principles developed by UNICEF, Save the Children, and the United Nations Global Compact. The company said it updated its child safeguarding policies after consultations and impact assessments involving Filipino teenagers. The policies cover employee welfare, product safety, artificial intelligence, supplier due diligence, and environmental management.
PLDT and Smart also reported blocking more than 2.4 million uniform resource locators linked to online sexual abuse and exploitation of children between June 2021 and August 2026 through their network-level child protection platform. The company said its Governance, Nomination, and Sustainability Committee oversees children's rights policies and performance at board level. In its 2025 ESG disclosures, PLDT and Smart reported a parental leave return-to-work rate exceeding 99% and zero reported child labor cases in workplaces and supply chains, and no substantiated complaints involving product safety, marketing, and labeling during the year.
The article notes that Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., holds a majority stake in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group.
PLDT Chairman and CEO Manuel V. Pangilinan said the ranking reflects efforts to embed children's rights into daily operations, and said PLDT and its wireless subsidiary Smart Communications, Inc. treat children as key stakeholders in building a digital society. PLDT said the ranking reflects the group's adoption of the Children's Rights and Business Principles developed by UNICEF, Save the Children, and the United Nations Global Compact. The company said it updated its child safeguarding policies after consultations and impact assessments involving Filipino teenagers. The policies cover employee welfare, product safety, artificial intelligence, supplier due diligence, and environmental management.
PLDT and Smart also reported blocking more than 2.4 million uniform resource locators linked to online sexual abuse and exploitation of children between June 2021 and August 2026 through their network-level child protection platform. The company said its Governance, Nomination, and Sustainability Committee oversees children's rights policies and performance at board level. In its 2025 ESG disclosures, PLDT and Smart reported a parental leave return-to-work rate exceeding 99% and zero reported child labor cases in workplaces and supply chains, and no substantiated complaints involving product safety, marketing, and labeling during the year.
The article notes that Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., holds a majority stake in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group.
Go deeper than the headline
Research every firm in this story, track the ones that matter and get the daily briefing — free for 7 days.