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Philippine entrepreneur Lance Gokongwei has been appointed chairman of PhilWeb Corp, a provider of business-to-business services for the country’s online gaming sector. The appointment follows the resignation of Crisanto Alcid as chairman and chief executive.
Alcid resigned from both positions on Thursday but remains a director of PhilWeb. The company said its chief executive officer position is currently vacant.
Gokongwei joined PhilWeb’s board in mid-July, several weeks after it emerged that he had made a personal investment of PHP2.03 billion (US$32.6 million) in the company.
AI Infrastructure Planned
PhilWeb said Gokongwei’s appointment would support the company’s next phase of capitalisation and operational growth. The new chairman plans to deploy institutional-grade infrastructure powered by artificial intelligence, with the aim of establishing a new operational standard for security and compliance across the regulated digital ecosystem.
The company’s immediate operational goals include real-time monitoring, algorithmic risk management, automated regulatory compliance, anti-fraud detection, and data-driven optimisation of the customer life cycle.
Brian Ng, PhilWeb’s president, said Gokongwei’s move into the chairman role would provide the institutional governance needed for the company’s next stage of scale. He added that the AI infrastructure rollout was being designed for the backend requirements of premium commercial tourism complexes and multinational platform providers, with capital market discipline applied to its execution.
PhilWeb’s Gaming Network
PhilWeb currently provides online gaming platforms for several land-based casino operators in the Philippines. As of June 30, the company had 4 game content providers integrated into the country’s e-games network.
Those providers had at least 1,600 games approved by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation, or PAGCOR, according to PhilWeb’s 2Q earnings report issued in mid-August.
The company’s planned technology rollout will take place within its existing B2B platform operations. PhilWeb said the proposed infrastructure would address security, compliance, monitoring, risk management, and fraud-related functions across the regulated digital ecosystem.
CEO Position Remains Vacant
PhilWeb said Gokongwei would serve as chairman for the remainder of the current term previously held by Alcid. The company did not specify the length of the term.
In a Friday letter filed with the Philippine Stock Exchange, PhilWeb stated that the CEO position became vacant when Alcid relinquished the role. The company also said the board had not appointed a replacement under the resolutions covering the leadership change.
Alcid became chairman in December last year, replacing Gregorio Araneta. In October, PhilWeb announced that Gregorio Araneta Inc had agreed to sell its entire 57% stake in PhilWeb for PHP1.80 billion.
Gokongwei’s Business Interests
Gokongwei is president and chief executive of JG Summit Holdings Inc, one of the Philippines’ largest conglomerates. The group has interests including Robinsons Land Corp, Universal Robina Corp, and airline Cebu Pacific.
NUSTAR Resort & Casino in Cebu is owned and operated by Universal Hotels and Resorts Inc, a privately held company controlled by the Gokongwei family. NUSTAR Online is among the online gaming providers working with PhilWeb.
PhilWeb has previously disclosed that Gokongwei is acting in a personal capacity in relation to the company. His appointment as chairman now places him at the centre of PhilWeb’s governance and AI infrastructure plans.
Source: GGR Asia
