Pinoy pride

More and more Filipino personalities and brands have been making their mark on the global stage, bringing pride to our country and showing the world the best that we have to offer.

From beauty queens to award-winning athletes, we Filipinos can’t help but beam with Pinoy pride whenever one of our own gains international praise and recognition, especially if we’ve seen the long road to success. Aside from bringing pride to our country, such achievements are also a reason for our collective joy and inspiration – and rightfully so.

After all, we share in the achievement and glory of our kababayans here and abroad. As some would say, the success of one is the success of all.

Just recently, Filipinos have another reason to be proud of – TNT, the value mobile brand of Smart Communications Inc. – has set the Guinness World Record for the longest travel live stream, in a proud moment for our country. The incredible feat lasted for more than a day – specifically 26 hours, 15 minutes, and 29 seconds, and covered the stretch from Bustos, Bulacan all the way to Rizal Park in Manila for a total of 75 kilometers.

To achieve the world record, 33 content creators joined the ‘Petmaloop Challenge’ of TNT where they featured highlights of their respective hometowns that bring them joy or saya. The content creators had to use the microvlogging app TikTok, and as an added challenge, they could only use a single smartphone powered by TNT that must be passed from one user to another. The live stream must of course be nonstop.

Alfredo S. Panlilio, president and chief executive officer of Smart and its parent company, PLDT Inc., hailed the milestone as an “achievement for Filipinos by Filipinos” and I couldn’t agree more.

“As the value brand of Smart Communications, Inc., TNT plays a crucial role in helping us achieve the broader digital inclusion goals of the PLDT Group, where we aim to democratize access to mobile technology and innovations, enabling many to enjoy its benefits,” Mr. Panlilio said.

The ‘Petmaloop Challenge’ highlighted the improving capabilities of mobile technologies and networks led by Smart and TNT – which have become crucial in today’s highly digital age.

Since the pandemic changed the way we do our business and ushered in the new normal, the strength and reliability of mobile networks have become the backbone of many business operations and academic exercises. From strict office and classroom setups, we now have hybrid and remote work and classes.

Truly, times are changing and businesses have to adapt. This is why TNT’s creative efforts to reassure its subscribers of the reliability of its network are worth lauding. Instead of simply telling the public that their network is good, TNT went the extra mile to show us all just how strong and reliable their network is – even to the extent of setting a new world record. That’s a whole new level of dedication to innovation and service excellence.

Beyond setting a world record, the ‘Petmaloop’ Challenge also helped promote Philippine tourism as it highlighted the many offerings we have aside from our pristine beaches. It’s a timely activity given the renewed interest in travel not only among Filipinos but internationally as well.

The challenge is a well-crafted and executed initiative that makes us all proud to be Pinoy and serves as an inspiration to continuously find ways to upgrade our skills.

In today’s highly digital age, a reliable mobile network like TNT is a powerful tool in one’s journey toward progress and success.

Truly, Mr. Panlilio was right when he said: “And when you are powered by the country’s best mobile network, there is just no limit to what you can achieve.”

Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in the foregoing article are solely the author’s and do not reflect the opinions and beliefs of the Philippine News Agency (PNA) or any other office under the Presidential Communications Office.