MANILA, March 1 - Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co (PLDT) (TEL.PS), the country's most valuable firm, increased its net income and core earnings in the fourth quarter of 2009 from a year earlier, its chairman said on Monday.

Manuel Pangilinan did not give any figures. PLDT is set to announce its 2009 results on Tuesday.

PLDT, owned by Hong Kong's First Pacific Co Ltd (0142.HK), Japan's NTT Communications (9432.T) and NTT DoCoMo (9437.T), posted net income of 8.45 billion pesos ($183 million) in the October-December quarter of 2008. ($1=46.115 pesos) (Reporting by Monicca Egoy; Editing by Rosemarie Francisco)

Japan