Protect your home, upgrade your space with PLDT Home Life’s Smart Home Starter Kit

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Ring in 2026 with this topnotch tech package, which has everything you need to start your smart home journey

With way more modern and technologically advanced threats these days, smart home devices are a must when building a safer, more secure, and more convenient household. These devices not only support a more connected home experience, but also provide added reassurance for you and your family’s well-being.

The new year offers an opportunity to reassess your home technology, especially if you’re considering to level up to a smart home setup. With the Internet of Things (IoT) at the forefront of smart living solutions, upgrading your space proves to be key in keeping your household more connected and protected than ever before.

Further reinforcing the importance of added protection among Filipino families as they embrace a smarter lifestyle, PLDT Home Life launches the Smart Home Starter Kit – security, safety, and automation devices in one powerful but affordable package.

Think of the Smart Home Starter Kit as the backbone of your home, covering all the essentials in one bundle: smart cameras for real-time check-ins, smart plugs to automate and manage home appliances, and sensors to keep tabs on any activity and movement.

PLDT Home Life has especially partnered with trusted electronics brand TP-Link, whose Tapo line of smart home devices offers the most reliable security and automation options. Here are the devices in the Smart Home Starter Kit:

●     Tapo H100 Smart Hub with Chime: The command center of the smart home setup, the hub keeps all your smart devices connected in one seamless and uninterrupted wireless network. It coordinates all functions – including your smart home app and door/window/climate sensors, sounding alarms and chimes, and more.

●     Tapo C110 Indoor Camera: This camera, which connects to your devices including your smartphone, is perfect for those starting a family. With it, you can keep an eye on your home with  2K footage and AI-enabled detection for human motion and sound.

●     Tapo C120 Indoor/Outdoor Camera: With crystal-clear 2K QHD video footage and crisp two-way audio, the outdoor camera works both indoors and outdoors with remarkable recording quality. It’s especially intended for those in bigger homes with AI-enabled detection for pets, vehicles, and human motion and sound.

●     Tapo P105 Mini Smart Plug: The wifi plug lets you create a schedule or establish timers to conveniently automate home appliances from anywhere through your phone.

●      Tapo T310 Temperature and Humidity Sensor: In addition to accurately monitoring your home's climate from anywhere, this sensor helps optimize comfort, prevent home damage from mold during high humid months, improve energy efficiency, and prevent fire risk during hot summer months.

●     Tapo T110 Smart Contact Sensor: Instantly check if someone’s there with this smart contact sensor, which can immediately alert you every time your door or window is opened or when left ajar for a specific time.

These devices work seamlessly together to enable customizable automation, monitoring, and security – delivering a true smart home experience for first-time users. Key features include integrated sound and camera alarms with voice alerts, automated appliance control based on schedules or environmental conditions, and real-time remote notifications even when homeowners are away.

The PLDT Home Life Smart Home Starter Kit is available for only P4,836. It’s exclusive to existing PLDT Home Fiber subscribers and can be purchased one time via your internet subscription.

Safer, more secure homes for all Filipinos

PLDT Home offers fiber-fast, reliable internet speeds to power even the most advanced and widest-reaching IoT devices. Over time, the telco brand has partnered with various international electronics brands such as TP-Link, Tapo, and Eufy – mixing connectivity and security to further build Filipino families a better, more holistic home.  All these brands and more are now officially available via PLDT Home Life.

PLDT Home Life features 100% authentic smart home devices, sourced directly from official partners. Such finds are picked from their user-friendly interfaces, making for an easy plug and play experience for all ages at home.

“Last year saw a decrease in both property crime and cybercrime in the Philippines, according to the latest data from the Philippine National Police. Yet, it’s more important ever to deter further incidents of theft and break-ins by empowering security in Filipino homes,” said PLDT Home Senior Vice President and Head for Consumer Business John Y. Palanca. “We at PLDT Home Life believe the most effective approach is to proceed with upgrading to a smart home ecosystem that incorporates the latest smart and automated home security solutions.”

Palanca added, “This is why we have introduced the PLDT Home Life Smart Home Starter Kit – to make smart home adoption more accessible for Filipino households through seamless wireless control and automation. The kit is organized to help increase safety and security especially for your children, pets, and property while improving energy efficiency for a smarter, more elevated quality of living.”

“We at PLDT Home Life remain committed to expanding our brand partnerships in pursuit of our shared objective to give Filipino families greater peace of mind.”

Learn more about the PLDT Home Life Smart Home Starter Kit by visiting pldthome.com/smarthome/starter-kit. Existing PLDT Home Fiber subscribers can avail the kit via the Next Upgrade Shop page, where they will need to log in or create a new account. To know more about other device add-ons and digital services that could add life to your fiber-powered lifestyle, visit pldthome.com/life.

Savings That Slap: Julia Barretto & Maris Racal on What It Feels Like to Save with Maya

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Saving money usually feels quiet and delayed. You set aside funds and trust that it’ll matter someday. But when nothing feels different right away, it’s easy to forget or stop altogether.

That’s exactly what Maya, the #1 Digital Bank and leading all-in-one fintech platform in the Philippines, is calling out in its latest video starring Julia Barretto and Maris Racal. It’s a wake-up call for Filipinos: your savings can reward you daily — if you put it where it earns.

The Filipino Dream: ‘Masampal ng Pera”

Let’s be real: every Filipino has joked about it at least once. “Sana masampal ng pera.” Not out of drama, but out of desire. Because money hitting you means money finally showing up.

Maya taps into that very Filipino fantasy and brings it to life through a playful sampalan. In the video, Julia and Maris literally slap each other with money, turning a familiar pop-culture moment into a metaphor for what daily interest feels like when your savings is actually working.

Watch what went down in the sampalan showdown of Maris and Julia:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgljNn07qI4]

A ‘Sampal’ You’ll Actually Want Every Day

Instead of progress you only notice months later, Maya Savings makes growth immediate. With interest credited daily, your money doesn’t just sit there, it moves consistently and visibly.

That’s the real sampal. Not the painful kind, but the moment you realize your balance is growing day after day. Saving stops feeling passive and starts feeling rewarding, because something is actually happening.

Saving That Hits Different

Julia and Maris show that saving doesn’t have to feel heavy, complicated, or purely long-term. It can be fun, rewarding, and culturally familiar, the kind of saving that slaps, literally and figuratively.

With Maya Savings, users can earn up to 15% interest per annum, credited daily. That daily payout turns saving from something you wait on into something you feel, as your balance grows every day just by using Maya for your everyday transactions.

Once saving feels rewarding, it’s easier to keep going. And for today’s savers, waiting for “someday” isn’t motivating anymore. They want results they can see — and feel — today.

Visit maya.ph or mayabank.ph, and follow @mayaiseverything on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok to stay updated. Maya Philippines, Inc. and Maya Bank, Inc. are regulated by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (www.bsp.gov.ph). Deposits are insured by PDIC up to ₱1 million per depositor.

Smart surges ahead as the PH’s leading wireless broadband provider in terms of subscribers

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Mobile services provider Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) is now the Philippines’ leading wireless broadband provider in terms of subscribers, as it serves over 430,000 customers nationwide as of the first quarter of 2025.

This translates to a significant 44% of the wireless broadband subscriber base share, outpacing its closest competitor’s 42% subscriber base share within the same period.

“This milestone achievement is a testament to our unwavering pursuit of customer satisfaction and network excellence. Our growing subscriber base and market leadership also reflect the trust our customers place in our network and our commitment to delivering world-class connectivity,” said Anastacio R. Martirez, Smart Chief Operating Officer.

Connecting families in fiber-limited areas

Smart’s market-leading performance comes on the heels of its strategic launch of the Smart Home WiFi brand to carry products and services that cater to Filipino families living in fiber-limited areas, ensuring no one is left behind in the digital age.

As part of its launch, Smart Home WiFi unveiled the Smart 5G Max Turbo WiFi. This prepaid and plug-and-play device offers unparalleled convenience, allowing customers to instantly set it up at home, in dorms, or small offices. It seamlessly connects up to 15 devices simultaneously, providing powerful internet access where fiber connectivity is unavailable.

Unlock the power of 5G

Smart Home WiFi is powered by Smart 5G, which enables customers to stream videos seamlessly, upload and download heavy files in seconds, instantly post and share content online, and play mobile games without lag.

Smart continues to strategically deploy its 5G infrastructure across the country as part of the PLDT Group’s continued investment in enhancing its integrated network, which is aligned with the Group’s commitment to deliver a leveled-up customer experience.

“The growth of our broadband subscriber base is just the beginning. Our customers can look forward to even more amazing products and innovative services as we continuously strive to delight them and cater to their evolving lifestyle needs - powered by our world-class network,” said Martirez.

Get a chance to win a Next Generation Toyota Tamaraw, a year’s supply of data, iPhones, and more with the TNT Anibersaya Raffle promo

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As part of its 25th anniversary celebration, value mobile brand TNT is giving back to subscribers with the launch of its Anibersaya Raffle promo offering exciting prizes, such as a brand-new Next Generation Toyota Tamaraw, a year's supply of data, smartphones like iPhones, exciting cash prizes, and more!

Running from June 17 to July 31, the TNT Anibersaya Raffle promo lets new and existing TNT subscribers to earn and accumulate raffle entries with every subscription to selected data promos via all channels, including sari-sari stores, e-wallets, online stores, and accredited retailers nationwide.

Join by texting ANIBERSAYA to 5858

To join the raffle, subscribers must simply text ‘ANIBERSAYA’ to 5858.

Eligible TNT subscribers will earn 1 raffle entry with every subscription to selected promos with one-day validity; 2 raffle entries with every subscription to selected promos with 2- and 3-day validity; and 5 raffle entries with every subscription to selected promos with a 7-day validity.      

Every week, TNT will reveal and draw exciting prizes, including some of the latest gadgets and smartphone bundles.

On the other hand, for the Aug. 6 grand draw, 25 subscribers will win a year-long supply of data, while one lucky subscriber will take home a brand-new Next Generation Toyota Tamaraw!

MAX Saya for all TNT KaTropas

The TNT Anibersaya Raffle promo is just one of the many ways TNT is bringing maximum or MAX 'saya' to its KaTropas during its year-long celebration.

The brand is committed to delivering MAX Malakas or a stronger 5G network through continuous rollouts across the country. It also offers MAX Sulit or more affordable offers tailored to the budget and lifestyle of KaTropas nationwide. Furthermore, TNT promises MAX Exciting experiences, such as special surprises for subscribers every month.

To learn more about the TNT Anibersaya Raffle promo, visit https://tntph.com/Pages/Anibersaya2025.#  

Never Miss a Beat: 3 Reasons You Need a Failsafe Internet Backup at Home

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Imagine you’re on an important work call while your kids are researching online for a school project when suddenly, the connection drops. Your co-workers’ video freezes, and you hear your kids complaining about the internet. At this point, there is nothing you can do but wait for the connection to be fixed. If you don’t want to be caught in this situation, having a reliable backup is a must. And if you need more reasons why your home needs an “always-on” connection, here are three big ones.

1. Keep Your Productivity on Track

Today, we rely on the internet for almost everything, including our livelihoods. If you work from home, you know that a stable internet connection is non-negotiable. You can’t afford to miss online meetings and important emails or be offline during work hours.

And it’s not just you. If your kids are still studying, they need a reliable connection to finish their schoolwork. We can’t have them scrambling for a hotspot, especially at night. A failsafe backup, like a secondary LTE connection, ensures that everyone stays online by kicking in automatically when your primary line fails. It may not be as fast as your primary connection, but it will keep you connected. This brings us to the second reason…

2. Stay Connected, Especially During Emergencies

We live in an era where being connected is more important than ever—especially during emergencies. Need to contact emergency services? Attending a Telehealth appointment soon? Checking in on a loved one at the hospital for updates? Noticing unusual behavior in your pet and need to research symptoms online? Away from home and want to check your security cameras?

A primary connection with a reliable backup ensures that you’re always online when it matters the most. No need to worry about internet outages when you need access to crucial information or services.

3. Keep the Fun Going

After a long day, you deserve to unwind without frustration. A failsafe setup means that even during an outage, your household can still stream movies, play games, or stay in touch with family and friends.

While productivity and connectivity are top priorities, uninterrupted entertainment ensures that you can relax with confidence. It’s not just about fun—it’s about knowing that your downtime won’t be derailed.

Stay Connected with PLDT Home Always On

A failsafe internet backup isn’t just about avoiding headaches—it’s about being ready for anything. PLDT Home Always On features a built-in backup LTE that activates automatically when Fiber service becomes unavailable due to unexpected fiber cuts. These could be caused by events like cable theft or damage from road digging, tree trimming, extreme weather, and even rodent chewing. It also comes with a new WiFi 6 modem that supports up to 1Gbps on Fiber and UNLI LTE. Plus, it automatically notifies the repair team and creates a service repair ticket for you after 15 minutes.

With this kind of system, you’re future-proofing your home for a more productive, connected, and stress-free life. Don’t wait for the next outage to realize how much you need it. Get PLDT Home Always On today and stay online when it matters most.