Tag: Philippines

Manila, Philippines – The country’s election body Commission on Elections (COMELEC) has partnered with hackathon organizer Impact Hub Manila to upgrade its voter education website called ‘Vote Pilipinas’, as the country gears up with the upcoming 2022 national elections.

Aside from being a sole website, ‘Vote Pilipinas’ is the campaign arm of COMELEC in raising awareness among the public to go out and register to the nearest COMELEC office in their municipality.

Furthermore, the site showcases easily-digestible information on the registration process, voting precincts, requirements, and important dates to remember.

“We are thrilled for Filipino people to utilize and take advantage of Vote Pilipinas. This is a crucial step to educate voters and bring more people in to exercise their right to suffrage,” said James Jimenez, COMELEC spokesperson.

In addition to the existing information on the site, ‘Vote Pilipinas’ will now have a Voter Registration Service Test which gives users additional information such as the nearest Office of the Election Officer to contact, list of IDs to bring, forms to download, and other important reminders to reduce the time spent at COMELEC headquarters during on-ground registration.

Initially launched last August 2020, the campaign responds to the data obtained by COMELEC that only 75.9% of registered voters turned up to cast their votes in 2019, or that about 1 in every four registered voters did not participate in voting. Hence, the campaign aims to register 7 million more voters this upcoming election. 

“One of the campaign’s goals is to provide every Filipino with access to the right information so they can register and ultimately vote. We hope that through the Vote Pilipinas campaign, we can shift mindsets and make people realize that every vote counts,” said Ces Rondario, Impact Hub Manila’s co-founder and the brainchild of Vote Pilipinas.

According to a town hall conference conducted by ‘Vote Pilipinas’ yesterday, 24 March, part of the campaign will also rely on external help from volunteers, partners and stakeholders, from media practitioners, social media influencers and community organizations.

Manila, Philippines – Kumu, Filipino video-sharing and e-commerce social networking platform, has launched an entertainment show called ‘Sana OL’ under the official @wetviflix account on its platform.

The new show is a collaboration between two video streaming providers – WeTV and iflix. Its title ‘Sana OL’ is a Filipino expression that means ‘to want what others have’, and is often jovially expressed to someone that has shown an amazing feat or is in possession of a trait or material thing that is a crowd favorite. 

The show aims to provide viewers a deep-dive into Asia’s passion for entertainment, premiering today from 8:00 pm PHT to 9:00 pm PHT. 

Every Wednesday night, viewers can expect guest hosts and streamers to talk about the latest contents of WeTV and iflix, the hottest trends in entertainment, and an occasional show review.

To kick-off the first stream of ‘Sana OL’, the pilot theme is ‘K-Drama or C-Drama?’. The hosts will talk about the unique cultures, the influences, and how these dramas shaped the pop culture today.

Georgette Tengco, country manager of WeTV and iflix in the Philippines, said that the show’s ultimate goal is to be relatable to all fans of Asian entertainment, saying that it will allow people of all ages and backgrounds to engage, sharing their thoughts on the shows they love to stream and binge-watch.

“We believe that Kumu is the best platform to use, to connect with our users and partners. It allows us to better engage consumers, to dig around and find out what it is they want to see, what they’re interested in, and how WeTV iflix can help materialize those ‘content cravings’,” added Tengco.

Manila, Philippines – Top technology-related unboxing and review YouTube channels in the Philippines are seen to be able to earn a YouTuber on average ₱522K per month, new statistics from e-commerce aggregator iPrice.

Individual tech vloggers Unbox Diaries and Mary Bautista earn ₱522K and ₱351K per month respectively, despite the fact that Unbox Diaries has fewer subscribers (1.25M) than Bautista (1.42M).

Meanwhile, tech blogs like YugaTech and GadgetMatch earn less compared to individual creators, as these competitor sites earned ₱119K and ₱65K per month respectively. However, this is best supported by the smaller subscriber size they have, as YugaTech has only 453K subscribers, while GadgetMatch has 631K subscribers.

Moreover, individual vloggers like Liz Tech and Poy Reviews are both estimated to earn above ₱100K a month, which are more than the estimated amount of authoritative blogs with Youtube reviews like Unbox PH (₱52K/month) and Manila Shaker (₱17K/month).

“iPrice hypothesizes that consumers like watching content that is more personal and relatable. Thus, this is why individual vloggers that review in Filipino seem to have an affinity with the country’s market,” the company said in a press statement.

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Despite the high earnings these YouTubers get, new regulations by YouTube may change their earnings, as the company announced that any amount earned from US viewers through Youtube Premium, ad views, Super Chat, Super Stickers, and Channel membership will now be taxable. Creators may be taxable up to 24% of their total earnings if they aren’t able to submit their tax information to AdSense before May 31, 2021.

“That said, Filipino tech vloggers may not be as affected, especially for the individuals that review in the Filipino language. However, this doesn’t discount their Filipino-American audience. With this new rule in place, we will have to wait and see how much this will affect the country’s tech vloggers,” the company added.

The survey was conducted with manual shortlisting done by Nox Influncer, and data is collected based on the channel’s analytics shown on the metric platform SocialBlade. Rates are determined based on a low click-per-minute (CPM) value ($0.25 USD) and a high CPM value ($4.00 USD), numbers that were found to be common from their partners, and multiply them by the number of views the channel gets per day.

Manila, Philippines – NextPay, a Philippine-based fintech startup, has secured a US$125K investment funding from startup accelerator Y Combinator, which will be used to expand NextPay’s services further and address the growing problem of financially-underserved businesses in the Philippines. 

Through the investment, NextPay founders aim to leverage their previous experience working in ‘unicorn’ companies to expand their line of digital banking services. Their plans include new digital solutions for payments, credit, and personal cash management.

“Our goal is to empower smaller businesses with a spectrum of banking services that were previously unavailable to them because of the steep requirements and high fees that are typically aimed at larger, more developed companies that can afford them. This funding round from Y Combinator allows us to scale even faster to bring digital financial services closer to MSMEs,” said Don Pansacola, CEO and co-founder at NextPay.

The platform allows small businesses to have the same financial capabilities as large banks, which gives growing companies access to affordable financial services such as digital invoicing, cash management, and batch payments to any bank or e-wallet in the Philippines.

Furthermore, the startup has positioned itself to enable more businesses, entrepreneurs, and freelancers to centralize all their financial requirements through one easy-to-use, affordable, and inclusive platform. 

“We plan to introduce more payment acceptance methods, virtual credit cards, and other digital solutions that enable businesses to manage their cash flow and alleviate the bottlenecks of the Philippine financial landscape. We will also partner with human resource and accounting software companies to further streamline the financial operations of a growing company,” Pansacola added.

According to Aldrich Tan, co-founder and chief experience officer at NextPay, the platform aims to give a wider opportunity among small businesses through accessible digital financial services.

“Through our platform, MSMEs can conduct their transactions seamlessly and allow business owners to free up resources and focus on their operations. This optimization and focus are vital in supporting and strengthening the country’s efforts towards economic recovery,” Tan stated.

Since its launch in 2020, NextPay has processed over US$2.5M (₱120M) in digital transactions for more than 100 businesses. Customers of NextPay can enjoy reduced processing times from as much as 3 days to just 30 minutes. 

“NextPay wants to help the Philippines bounce back. We want to enable growing enterprises to maximize their capital, reach more customers, and generate more jobs and opportunities. This then stimulates economic transactions and creates demand for stronger partnerships. It’s a domino effect, but it starts from having a digital platform like NextPay who empowers MSMEs to thrive and do more,” Pansacola concluded.

NextPay is the fifth Filipino startup to have received funding from Y Combinator, with companies including job searching platform Kalibrr, payment platform PayMongo, edtech Avion School, and laboratory software company Dashlabs.ai.

Manila, Philippines – ShopeePay, Shopee’s in-app digital wallet, will be running its cashless festival for the second time, this time, for its 4.4 platform sale. 

The special sale, called ‘ShopeePay Cashless Festival’, aims to encourage Filipino app users to shop, buy load, and pay bills through the digital wallet. The previously held cashless festival by Shopee was in February, while the currently ongoing festival will run up to 25 March.

All Shopee users who will pay via ShopeePay during the event will get to enjoy free shipping for a minimum spend of ₱149 on various categories. There will be sitewide free shipping vouchers redeemable for today for a minimum spend of ₱199, which will be released throughout the day in limited quantities. Meanwhile, there will be another all-day sitewide free shipping slated on 4 April. 

ShopeePay users can also enjoy exclusive ₱1 deals and different offers from local fast food brands, such as Jollibee, McDonald’s, and Dunkin’ Donuts, as well as Domino’s. Furthermore, on the festival’s slated last day 25 March, there will be flash deals for load buying throughout the day. Shoppers can get ₱20 load for only ₱10, and ₱50 load for only ₱37.

By using ShopeePay, shoppers can earn more coins cashback that they can use to get discounts on their next shopping spree.

Manila, Philippines – Philippine telecommunications company Smart Communications (Smart) has partnered anew with Moonton, a Chinese video game developer and publisher, to be its official telco associate for the upcoming season of Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Professional League (MPL), which is the largest mobile esports league in the Philippines.

The MPL Season 7 will see 10 of the country’s top Mobile Legends esports teams compete, namely Aura PH, Onic PH, and Cignal Ultra, as well as Smart Omega Esports, and the defending champion Bren Esports, among others.

The teams will battle in a round-robin format for a chance to win the coveted championship title and a US$120K cash prize.

The telco company will stream the matches live on its Facebook page. Smart subscribers and esports fans are encouraged to watch the live stream for a chance to win exciting prizes, as well as receive exclusive updates, and freebies throughout the season.

Smart has previously partnered with Moonton, where the telco hosted events and gaming treats for Mobile Legends fans in 2017. Earlier this year, Smart has also supported Moonton’s M2 World Championship, where Filipino team Bren Esports won the top prize.

Singapore – All-in-one global business accelerator and venture capital firm, Plug and Play, in APAC, has announced the launch of its inaugural Global Innovation Alliance (GIA) Tech Showcase program in Manila, an event enabling startups and SMEs to connect with overseas businesses and tech communities. This is in partnership with Singapore government agency Enterprise Singapore.

Through the Tech Showcase, startups and SMEs will have the chance to pitch their solutions to different business difficulties provided by Plug and Play APAC’s network of corporates. The program will include business matching across the span of a month. 

Furthermore, the Tech Showcase will have a panel session on the topic of ‘Financial Inclusion’ and ‘Fintech landscape in Manila’. The panelists invited for the session are senior executives from Filinvest Development Corporation, and the Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation, as well as start-ups from both Singapore and the Philippines. 

The event will also be graced by the Singapore Minister of State, Alvin Tan, and the Philippines Undersecretary of Competitiveness and Innovation Group at the Department of Trade and Industry, Dr. Rafaelita Aldaba.

Rachael Sum, regional director of Enterprise Singapore in Manila Overseas Center, commented that they look forward to working with Plug and Play in the Global Innovation Alliance (GIA) program in Manila. 

“Through the GIA program, we will help plug Singapore SMEs and startups into the Philippines’ vibrant innovation ecosystem. This will create opportunities for Singapore and the Philippines enterprises to work together and co-innovate,” said Sam.

Meanwhile, Jojo Flores, co-founder of Plug and Play, also shared, “The fintech trends for 2021 are continuously gaining momentum and we have yet to see how these smart technologies will transform the finance industry as we face the recovery phase of the global crisis. I am excited to hear from the startups that are pitching at the event, how their product can offer innovative solutions in areas such as financial inclusion here in the Philippines.” 

The GIA Tech Showcase program in Manila will be held virtually on 24 March 2021, from 2:00 pm SGT to 4:00 pm SGT.

Manila, Philippines – MoveUp.app, a local startup dedicated in creating an online platform for team training and onboarding, has won under the category ‘BEST New StartUp’ during the ASEAN StartUp Awards this month.

The startup, which has bested over 20 other startup finalists in Southeast Asia, aims to create a conducive work environment in a remote and virtual set-up, a direct response to the difficulty of welcoming new hires online, continuously training them, and connecting with internal teams.

Founded by Filipino entrepreneur Paul Espinas, MoveUp.app aims to make learning among online teams in the long run, accessible, fun, and effective.

“It is crucial for me that what we are doing is, first and foremost, accessible because I know first-hand how difficult access to education is,” Espinas stated.

Currently based in Vietnam, Espinas also added that the platform’s vision is rooted from “a way of giving back and enabling young professionals to continuously ‘move up’ through accessible and relevant training content.”

The award-giving body which is under the Global StartUp Awards, is an annual spotlight in technology, entrepreneurship, and startup industries, recognizing the industry’s greatest development over the last year based on growth, innovation, and impact.

Manila, Philippines – As more Filipinos adopt cashless payment methods, ShopeePay, Shopee’s in-app digital wallet, has partnered with local automated payment services provider, TouchPay, to add more options for shoppers to top up their e-wallets. 

With over 600 locations in the Philippines, ShopeePay users can add to their balance through TouchPay’s automated payment machines (APM). 

The partnership with TouchPay aims to strengthen Shopee’s digital payments ecosystem to meet the rising digital adoption, where through TouchPay, those that remain unbanked and uncarded can top up their mobile wallets using cash.

To top up ShopeePay via TouchPay, users only need to go to any TouchPay APM, following the selection of TouchPay as their payment method. After paying with cash, users will then receive a receipt for confirmation with the top-up amount to be credited to ShopeePay within 24 hours.

TouchPay machines can be found in known establishments such as Ayala Malls, SMDC, and Watsons, as well as Mercury Drug branches, among others.

Martin Yu, the director of Shopee Philippines, said, “ShopeePay is excited for this opportunity to better serve our users. As users increasingly embrace digital payments, ShopeePay aims to enable consumers to transact more conveniently with us. We are committed to excellent service and will continue to provide the best online shopping experience to our customers this 2021.”

Other available ShopeePay top-up channels are GCash, 7-Eleven CliQQ, and ECPay, as well as Bayad Center, and LBC Bills Payment, among others. Shopee users with bank accounts are also able to top up using online banking and over-the-counter.

Makati, Philippines – Filipino creative agency BBDO Guerrero has launched an open-source re-design of traditional shampoo packaging, called ‘The Dissolving Bottle’, giving it an eco-friendly makeover.

The Dissolving Bottle aims to make shampoo bars more intuitive by giving them a shape similar to small bottles used in hotels. The shampoo uses zero plastic, which is a great way to reduce wastes.

Each bar is equal to a 90ml bottle of shampoo, weighs 130 grams, and is made with all-organic ingredients by local Filipino manufacturer, The Naturale Market. The partner brands also got a chance to customize their own versions of The Dissolving Bottle.

According to the agency, the product has already been tested with some hotels in the Boracay island and had received great feedback.

David Guerrero, chairman of BBDO Guerrero Creative, said, “We have long been involved with campaigns to fight plastic waste. And with The Dissolving Bottle we have a solution that can clean your hair without a bottle.”

The agency is also offering to supply the molds at cost to artisanal producers for community livelihood projects. Interested parties can inquire at The Dissolving Bottle website.