Online ad portal launches mobile Internet campaign

CEBU, Philippines - Complementing the government's thrust to provide mobile online connection to the majority, OLX Philippines has launched a movement to boost internet usage in the country.

"Upgrade Philippines" is a new movement which provides online access to at least one million Filipinos with smartphones, initially through their support of the campaign, said Me-anne Bundalian, Chairperson of Upgrade Philippines.

Upgrade Philippines is a national movement that all Filipinos can participate in and show their support for.

"Whether you’re already using a smartphone or planning to upgrade to a new one, you can simply go to upgradephilippines.com and join the count of Filipinos who have pledged their support to a better and more connected Philippines," Bundalian explained.

This movement is an initiative of OLX Philippines, supported by the Department of Science and Technology-Information and Communications Technology Office (DOST-ICTO) together with leading mobile phone brand, Cherry Mobile and leading telecoms provider, Globe Telecom.

Bundalian said that despite the growing number of Internet users in the Philippines, majority still lack regular online access, the reason why the campaign was launched in order to bridge this gap.

“Upgrade Philippines is being launched to encourage Filipinos to improve their lives and their communities by simply upgrading to a smartphone. It aims to empower the Filipino nation to embrace and enjoy the benefits of mobile technology in its best capacity," she added.

Bundalian believes that a smartphone in every Filipino's hands can be a catalyst for growth and development in the country as it provides a powerful yet affordable tool for communication.

Likewise, it can also empower users by giving them the tools to make their lives easier, and by enabling new forms of collaboration and participation with other people and organizations.

To date, the Philippines now has 115 million mobile subscriptions, 32M active mobile Internet users, and 36M mobile social media users.

“Clearly, mobile is at the forefront of our lives today, with the smartphone championing the modern Filipino lifestyle. We have now entered an era of change, where everyone has immediate and equal access to boundless information right at their fingertips,” she said adding that there are still many Filipinos who do not enjoy these benefits.

“The Philippines needs a digital transformation for it to become a major player in the global digital economy,” said  DOST-ICTO Deputy Executive Director Mon Ibrahim as their support for this movement aligns with their own effort to provide free and stable Internet connectivity to more areas in the country. — Ehda M. Dagooc (FREEMAN)