Philippine online gaming operator DigiPlus Interactive Corp has appointed Wilfredo Pielago as its chief risk officer, adding to the group’s governance framework as it continues to expand its digital gaming operations. He also serves as the company’s chief financial officer and treasurer.
Mr Pielago succeeds Aldwin Sagedao, who had been the acting chief risk officer.
According to the company, Mr Pielago is a certified public accountant with extensive experience in finance, investment and portfolio management, business, asset management and assurance advisory.
Before joining DigiPlus, he held senior finance positions including chief financial officer and treasurer of PNB Holdings Corp, vice president and finance controller at Eton Properties Philippines Inc, and assistant vice president for investment portfolio management at SM Investments Corp.
DigiPlus runs BingoPlus, described as the country’s first government-approved online bingo platform. It also operates ArenaPlus, a sportsbook, and GameZone, a platform for casual and arcade gaming.
The Philippines-based firm announced in late May Ping Chen as the group’s new president.
Separately on Thursday, DigiPlus said its board had approved that day a “revival” of the company’s share buyback programme, authorising purchases of up to approximately PHP5.36 billion (US$87.1 million) of its common shares. The renewed authorisation will remain in effect for a further 12 months, it stated.
The move comes only days after Betplay Capital Foundation, together with the ZJ Foundation and MJ Foundation, issued an open letter urging DigiPlus to make a substantial and sustained share repurchase programme a capital-allocation priority.
The investment groups, which together hold about 1.4 percent of DigiPlus, argued the company’s shares were trading at a steep discount to what they viewed as fair value. They said DigiPlus traded at around 2.4 times estimated 2026 enterprise value-to-earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA), which is below comparable international gaming operators.
In the letter, the investors also encouraged DigiPlus to postpone discretionary spending on proposed land-based casino resort projects, arguing that repurchasing shares at current valuations would generate greater returns for shareholders than committing capital to long-term development projects.
In early June, DigiPlus completed a second subscription to convertible notes in Hong Kong-listed International Entertainment Ltd, to a value of HKD800 million (US$102.1 million).
International Entertainment is the controller of a Manila Bay, Philippines, casino hotel with a provisional gaming licence from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp (Pagcor). The property, long known as New Coast Hotel Manila, is currently being promoted as LaVie Resort & Casino Manila.
They said the company should redirect free cash flow towards buying back and cancelling shares while market sentiment remained weak, adding that they expected DigiPlus’ valuation to recover as recent regulatory and macroeconomic headwinds eased.
