SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 

 

FORM 6-K

Report of Foreign Private Issuer 

 

Pursuant to Rule 13a-16 or 15d-16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

 

 

**For the month of October 2009**
 

 

**Commission File Number 1-03006**

 

 

Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company
(Exact Name of Registrant asSpecified in Its Charter)

 

**Ramon****Cojuangco Building**

**Makati Avenue**

**Makati****City**

**Philippines**

(Address of principal executiveoffices)

 

 

(Indicate by check markwhether the registrant files or will file annual reports under cover Form 20-For Form 40-F.)

 

Form20-F      Ö                                  Form40-F

 

 

(Indicate by check markwhether by furnishing the information contained in this Form, the registrant isalso thereby furnishing the information to the Commission pursuant to Rule12g3-2(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.)

 

Yes                                                        No       Ö

 

 

(If "Yes" ismarked, indicate below the file number assigned to the registrant in connectionwith Rule 12g3-2(b): 82- ________ )
****
 

 

NOTE REGARDINGFORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

 

Some information in this report may containforward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the U.S.Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of1934.  We have based these forward-looking statements on our current beliefs,expectations and intentions as to facts, actions and events that will or mayoccur in the future.  Such statements generally are identified byforward-looking words such as “believe,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “continue,”“estimate,” “expect,” “may,” “will” or other similar words.

A forward-looking statement may include astatement of the assumptions or bases underlying the forward-lookingstatement.  We have chosen these assumptions or bases in good faith.  Theseforward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions,some of which are beyond our control.  In addition, these forward-lookingstatements reflect our current views with respect to future events and are nota guarantee of future performance.  Actual results may differ materially frominformation contained in the forward-looking statements as a result of a numberof factors, including, without limitation, the risk factors set forth in“Item 3. Key Information – Risk Factors” in our annual report on Form 20-Ffor the fiscal year ended December 31, 2008.  You should also keep in mind thatany forward-looking statement made by us in this report or elsewhere speaksonly as at the date on which we made it.  New risks and uncertainties come upfrom time to time, and it is impossible for us to predict these events or howthey may affect us.  We have no duty to, and do not intend to, update or revisethe statements in this report after the date hereof.  In light of these risksand uncertainties, you should keep in mind that actual results may differmaterially from any forward-looking statement made in this report or elsewhere.

 
 

 

**EXHIBITS**
 

 

 

Exhibit Number

 

Page

 

 

1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Copy of the press release entitled “PLDT’s SWUP now serves all credit, debit cards” that we filed today with the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Philippine Stock Exchange.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exhibit 1

 

 

** **

   
 October 28, 2009 

 
 

 

The Philippine Stock Exchange
4th Floor PSECentre

Exchange Road, OrtigasCenter

Pasig City

 

Attention:        Ms.Janet A. Encarnacion

Head,Disclosure Department

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

In compliance withSection 17.1(b) and Section 17.3 of the Securities Regulation Code, we submitherewith a copy of SEC Form 17-C with a copy of a press release attachedthereto entitled “PLDT’s SWUP now serves all credit, debit cards”.

 

This shall also serve asour disclosure letter for the purpose of complying with the PSE RevisedDisclosure Rules.

 

 

Respectfully yours,

 

/s/ Florentino D. Mabasa,Jr.

FLORENTINO D. MABASA, JR.

Assistant CorporateSecretary 

Page 1 of 6

    

Exhibit 1

 

 

October 28, 2009

 

 

SECURITIES &EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Money MarketOperations Department

SEC Building,EDSA

Mandaluyong City

 

Attention         :           DirectorJustina F. Callangan

                                    CorporationsFinance Department

 

Gentlemen:

 

Re       :           PhilippineLong Distance Telephone Company

                        SECRegistration No. PW-55

 

In accordance withSection 17.1 (b) of the Securities Regulation Code, we submit herewith three(3) copies of SEC Form 17-C with a copy of a press release attached thereto entitled“PLDT’s SWUP now serves all credit, debit cards”.

 

 

Respectfully yours,

 

/s/ Florentino D. Mabasa,Jr.

FLORENTINO D. MABASA, JR.

Assistant CorporateSecretary 

 

Page 2 of 6

    

Exhibit 1

 

SECURITIES ANDEXCHANGE COMMISSION

 

 

SEC FORM 17-C

 

CURRENT REPORTUNDER SECTION 17

OF THESECURITIES REGULATION CODE

AND SRCRULE 17.1

 

 

 

1.                 October 28, 2009 

(Date of earliest event reported)

 

2.                 SEC Identification Number  PW-55

 

3.                 BIR Tax Identification No. 000-488-793

 

4.                 PHILIPPINE LONGDISTANCE TELEPHONE COMPANY                                        

            Exactname of registrant as specified in its charter

 

5.         PHILIPPINES6. _____________ (SEC Use Only)  

           Province, country or otherjurisdiction             Industry Classification Code

of Incorporation

 

7.         9thFloor MGO Building

            Legaspicorner dela Rosa Streets, Makati City                                  1200 

     Address of principal office                                                                  PostalCode

 

8.         (632)816-8553                                           

           Registrant's telephone number, including areacode
 

9.         NotApplicable                                                               

            Formername or former address, if changed since last report

 

10.       Securitiesregistered pursuant to Sections 8 and 12 of the SRC

 

            Titleof Each Class                 Number of Shares of Common Stock

                                                            Licensedand Amount of Debt Outstanding

Page 3 of 6

    

Exhibit1

 

11.       Item9 – Other Events

 

Attached hereto is a press release entitled“PLDT’s SWUP now serves all credit, debit cards”.

 

 

 

SIGNATURE

 

            Pursuantto the requirements of the Securities Regulation Code, the Registrant has dulycaused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereto dulyauthorized.

 

 

 

 

PHILIPPINE LONG DISTANCE

TELEPHONE COMPANY

 

 

/s/ Florentino D. Mabasa, Jr.

FLORENTINO D. MABASA, JR.

Assistant Corporate Secretary

 

 

 

Date:   October 28, 2009 

 

Page 4 of 6

    

Exhibit 1

 

**PRESS RELEASE**

** **

** **

**PLDT’s SWUP now serves all credit, debitcards**

 

***MANILA, Philippines,October 28, 2009*** – The Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. has introducedthe first and only service in the country that allows merchants to swipe allATM debit and credit card brands using a single wireless card terminal,maximizing the POS machine and minimizing lost sales opportunities.

 

Called Shops.WorkUnplugged (SWUP), this new service is a ground-breaking innovation done throughstrategic partnerships with major acquirer banks.

 

“SWUP operates on aportable payment system that takes advantage of the mobility and convenience ofwireless data technology to process sales from practically anywhere,” said PLDTCustomer Sales and Marketing Group Head Eric Alberto. 

 

Alberto said SWUP makeswireless card transactions easy for both vendors and clients, especially inremote areas where there are scant or no banks to withdraw cash from. This isbecause SWUP runs on the same wireless network that powers Smart which coverspractically the entire archipelago. 

 

PLDT Corporate BusinessGroup Head Nerissa Ramos said SWUP now accepts major card brands such as Visa,MasterCard, JBC, American Express and Diners Club International as well as VisaElectron, MasterCard Electronic, Megalink, and Express PaymentSystem.   “With SWUP, PLDT empowers retailers and merchants toprocess payments in whatever form the consumer wishes. This great conveniencemakes purchases easier and therefore maximizes sales opportunities.”, Ms. Ramosexplained.

 

SWUP also boasts ofsecurity features that make it better than wired credit and debit card POSterminals which rely solely on the host bank’s security system.  

 

PLDT Corporate BusinessSolutions Head Vic Tria elaborated, “The service is the only GPRS-basedsolution in the country to use a private and secure technology – Multi ProtocolLabel Switching or MPLS – as its transaction medium rather than the publicInternet which is prone to viruses and hackers.” “With SWUP, merchants,retailers, and consumers are assured that card transactions are protected bybest-in-class technology”, he added.   PR

 

XXX

Page 5 of 6

    

Exhibit 1

** **

** **

**About PLDT**

 

PLDT is theleading telecommunications service provider in the Philippines. Through itsthree principal business groups – wireless, fixed line, and information andcommunications technology – PLDT offers the largest and most diversified rangeof telecommunications services across the Philippines’ most extensive fiberoptic backbone and wireless, fixed line and satellite networks.

 

PLDT is listed onthe Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE:TEL) and its American Depositary Shares arelisted on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE:PHI).  PLDT has one of the largestmarket capitalizations among Philippine-listed companies.

 

Furtherinformation can be obtained by visiting the web at www.pldt.com.ph.

 

 

 

**Contactpersons:**

 

**Ramon R. Isberto**

PLDT Spokesperson

Tel. No.: +63 2 5113101

Fax No.: +63 2 5113100

**Horace A. Lavides**

PLDT Senior Manager

Tel. No.: +63 2 8168684

Email: halavides@pldt.com.ph

** **

** **

** **

Page 6 of 6

   

 

 

Signatures

 

 

Pursuantto the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant hasduly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned,thereunto duly authorized.

 

 

 

PHILIPPINE LONG DISTANCE

TELEPHONE COMPANY

 

 

By        :      /s/ Florentino D. Mabasa, Jr. 

Name  :     Florentino D. Mabasa, Jr. 

Title     :     First Vice President, Legal Services Head and Assistant Corporate Secretary

 

 

 

Date:October 28, 2009