Keen to monetize its huge presence in the Philippine, social media giant Facebook has formally announced the opening of its local subsidiary.
At a well-rehearsed and American-style press launch at The Shooting Gallery in Makati City on Thursday, April 21, the Internet firm?s regional executives highlighted Facebook?s 91-percent adoption rate in the country as the main reason for the establishment of a local unit.
Also the event, Facebook bared the appointment of Digs Dimagiba, a former mobile executive of Samsung Philippines, as country manager. Dimagiba will lead a team of mostly sales professionals who will be based in Bonifacio Global City.
Filipinos are among the world?s heaviest users of social media, with 49 million Filipinos using Facebook and majority of them accessing the site on their mobile devices, according to the tech giant.
?Today marks a new milestone for Facebook in the Philippines and we are committed to driving innovation that helps Filipinos and businesses connect in more meaningful ways. With 91% of Internet users in the Philippines on Facebook, this is an unprecedented opportunity for businesses to connect with today’s mobile-first Filipinos,? Kenneth Bishop, managing director for Southeast Asia at Facebook, said in a prepared statement.
Facebook said it is bullish on its prospects here since more than 32 million Filipinos on Facebook are connected to a business page and 95% of people in the Philippines on Facebook discover new products and brands on the site.
Dimagiba?s marching orders, in fact, is to partner closely with businesses and agencies to ?help them get more value out of Facebook’s solutions.?
?Filipinos on Facebook have 60% more friends than global average and send 30% more messages when compared globally. I’m excited to lead the dynamic Facebook team in Manila, and to help our partners innovate and achieve their business goals,? he said.
