A featured contribution from Leadership Perspectives: a curated forum reserved for leaders nominated by our subscribers and vetted by the Construction Tech Review Advisory Board.
Globe Telecom
Building Agile, Secure and Human-Centered IT at Globe
Raul Macatangay
Raul Macatangay is the CIO of Globe Telecom, where he leads the Information Services Group (ISG) and oversees the platforms, systems and digital tools that keep the business running and customers connected. His path to CIO wasn’t linear—it’s one shaped by hands-on experience across internal audit, finance, risk, business intelligence and postpaid services. That breadth has given him a deep understanding of how the company works and, more importantly, what its customers truly need. For him, it’s about making tech a real business partner— moving faster, designing smarter and always keeping the customer at the center. Together with a passionate leadership team, he’s working to build a more agile, accountable ISG, one that invests in people, modernizes its platforms and rethinks the way it works.
What drives Macatangay, above all, are Globe’s core values: malasakit, purposeful innovation and doing what’s right—for customers, for teams and for the communities they serve. Recognizing Macatangay’s purposeful leadership across IT transformation, cybersecurity, AI and data stewardship, this exclusive spotlights how he’s building a future-ready tech organization—one that moves fast, stays secure and delivers lasting value for business and customer alike.
The Four Engines Powering Agile, Customer-Centric IT
Meeting the evolving business and customer needs, I have built Globe’s IT transformation on four strategic pillars; architecture, cost, service and workforce.
• Architecture
We’re modernizing our IT landscape to be composable, scalable and ready for what’s next. At the heart of this transformation is data. Many customer experience issues trace back to fragmented, unreliable data. That’s why our Data Transformation program is so critical—it embeds governance, ownership and quality into the very way we build and run systems. This shift enables smarter automation, faster decisions and a more seamless customer journey.
• Cost
Efficiency doesn’t mean trading speed for savings. We’re rebalancing our delivery model to drive long-term efficiency while staying agile. A key part is building strategic capabilities in-house—solution architecture, software engineering and cloud—and working more closely with our partners. This move beyond traditional outsourced models allows for true cocreation, faster delivery and tighter control of our most critical platforms.
• Service
We’re evolving from traditional IT-centric metrics to a business outcome mindset. It’s no longer just about uptime or closing tickets—it’s about measurable customer impact. We define success by the value we help create for the business and for the people we serve.
• Workforce
Transformation doesn’t happen without people. Our new operating model promotes agility, collaboration and end-to-end accountability. Through Core Services, teams stay engaged long after go-live constantly improving and keeping the customer experience at the center of everything. Together, these four pillars are helping us build a more agile, customer-focused IT organization; one that’s delivering real impact today, while laying a stronger foundation for tomorrow.
Designing for Agility, Secured by Default
At Globe, we believe innovation and security don’t just coexist; they thrive when built together. Moving fast means little if you’re not building responsibly. But the reverse is equally true: overly rigid controls can slow down progress and prevent meaningful ideas from ever reaching customers.
The real challenge is designing ways of working that enable both—speed and security not as trade-offs, but as allies.
One of the ways we’ve approached this is through our Centers for Enablement—teams dedicated to creating guardrails, tools and reusable best practices that empower others to move faster with confidence.
Now, we’re extending that same philosophy to cybersecurity. We’re embedding security into the development process itself equipping teams with the tools, frameworks and guidance they need to make secure-by-design the default. By addressing compliance and risk early in the lifecycle, we avoid the slowdowns that often come when security is treated as a final gate.
This is a continuous journey. But our commitment is clear: we’re building a culture where speed and safety don’t compete; they reinforce each other. That’s how we ensure innovation at Globe remains not just fast, but also sustainable, responsible and trustworthy.
From Policy to Practice: Embedding Privacy into How We Build
As a telecommunications provider in the Philippines and a member of the Singtel Group, we view data privacy and regulatory compliance as fundamental to how we operate. It’s not just about meeting requirements—it’s about protecting trust. Within the CIO organization, we share direct accountability for this responsibility. We partner closely with the Information Security and Data Privacy Group, who lead policy development, regulatory alignment and governance. Together, we embed privacy and security throughout the delivery lifecycle—from system design to day-to-day operations.
Our practices are grounded in the Philippine Data Privacy Act, but we go further—aligning with Singtel Group standards and referencing global frameworks like GDPR and ISO 27001. This dual approach allows us to benchmark beyond the local landscape while adapting our execution to fit the Philippine market.
We follow a privacy- and securityby-design philosophy. Controls such as access management, encryption, consent handling and activity monitoring are built into how we design and develop systems not retrofitted afterward. Continuous reviews and close collaboration across teams help us stay ahead of emerging risks.
Cultivating a culture of responsible data use driven by training, cross-functional partnerships and clear ownership is our commitment. At the heart of it is a belief that trust is earned not through one-time compliance, but through consistent, transparent and responsible stewardship of customer data.
AT A GLANCE
• Purposeful Al-Macatangay applies Al where it counts-enhancing decisions and experiences through focused use, not hype. It's backed by strong talent, governance and scalable foundations.
• Agile by Design- - Globe's architecture is built for speed and resilience. With data quality
and governance embedded, systems are smarter, faster and customer-ready.
• Security That Accelerates- - Centers for Enablement provide tools and guardrails that make secure development second nature-enabling speed without sacrificing trust.
• Privacy as a Principle- - Compliance is just the baseline. Globe's approach to data privacy is rooted in culture, global standards and a shared sense of accountability.
AI Is the Tool, People and Process Make It Real
AI, automation and machine learning are steadily reshaping how IT delivers business value—unlocking faster insights, deeper personalization and more adaptive services. Over the next 5 to 10 years, these technologies will play a growing role in how organizations design experiences, make decisions and scale operations.
At Globe, we’ve moved beyond experimentation. We’re applying AI in targeted, high-impact areas—particularly in analyzing customer behavior and enriching offers. These use cases are already driving stronger engagement and more responsive service.
But meaningful adoption requires more than just tools. It must be matched with capability building. That’s why we’re investing in data science, AI engineering and systems integration— while strengthening the connection between IT and the business to ensure alignment on goals and outcomes.
We’re approaching this shift with a practical and responsible mindset. AI holds enormous promise, but realizing that potential requires a strong foundation: the right talent, robust governance and a calable architecture. We’re focused on building these pillars now so we can scale with confidence later. This is part of IT’s broader transformation—from a service provider to a proactive, insight-driven partner to the business. AI and automation are key enablers of that shift. But their real impact will come from how well we embed them into our processes, our platforms and most importantly, our people.
Wisdom from Experience: Trust Is Earned, Leadership Follows
One piece of advice I always come back to is:
“Don’t chase leadership. Focus on creating value—and leadership will find you.”
Early in your career, it’s easy to think leadership is about authority. But it really starts with showing up to solve problems. Whether you’re helping a teammate or improving a customer journey, trust builds when you take action—and trust is what gives you the license to lead.
In IT, no one succeeds alone. Progress comes from working across boundaries, listening well and building together. Stay curious. Stay grounded. When you fall short—and you will—treat it as a chance to learn.
The tech will change. The tools will change. But making things better for others never goes out of style. That’s what turns contribution into leadership—naturally and with purpose.
