At the trilateral summit with the United States, Japan, and the Philippines in Washington DC, tech giant Google reiterated its commitment to supporting the digital development of the country through a number of ways including digital skilling and infrastructure, AI, and playing a key role in the implementation of the National Cybersecurity Plan. Through its programs and products, Google said it has been instrumental in advancing digital transformation in the Philippines. In fact, according to the Economic Impact Report first published in 2021, local businesses and consumers are estimated to de ..read more

Philippine merchandise exports surged by 15.7% in February 2024, recording $5.9 billion compared to $5.1 billion over a year earlier, based on preliminary data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).  The significant growth is a promising indicator for the Philippine economy, driven largely by the robust upturn in the semiconductor industry. The positive momentum continued into the first two months of 2024, with total merchandise exports rising by 12.3 % to $11.8 billion, up from $10.5 billion in the same period last year. Electronic products, which constitute nearly 63% of the co ..read more

According to preliminary data from research firm IDC, global smartphone shipments increased 7.8% year over year to 289.4 million units in the first quarter of 2024 (1Q24). While the industry is not completely out of the woods, as macroeconomic challenges remain in many markets, this marks the third consecutive quarter of shipment growth, a strong indicator that a recovery is well underway. “As expected, smartphone recovery continues to move forward with market optimism slowly building among the top brands,” said Ryan Reith, group vice president with IDC’s Worldwide Mobility and Consumer Device ..read more

Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) secretary Fred Pascual said US accounting giant PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC)’s planned Global Acceleration Center project in the Philippines is set to generate at least 5,000 new jobs for Filipinos. Pascual met with PwC officials during the sidelines of the US-Japan-Philippines trilateral meeting in Washington DC on April 12. The PwC Global Acceleration Center in the Philippines underscores the country’s growing role as a prime destination for innovative business process outsourcing (BPO) operations, said Pascual. The project will focus on high-value BPO ..read more

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) convened last April 8 the E-Commerce Promotion Council (EPC) in discussing the E-Commerce Philippines 2024-2028 Roadmap. The E-Commerce Philippines 2024-2028 Roadmap is envisioned as a future-ready plan with 13 strategies and 28 deliverables aimed at building trust between online customers and sellers. Representatives from both the government and private sector within the e-commerce ecosystem attended the meeting, including those from digital platforms, e-marketplaces, digital payments, and telecommunication companies. “This roadmap represents a shift ..read more

Businesses are successfully using artificial intelligence (AI) to power more personalized, intelligent interactions with their customers, but face challenges around transparency and lack of customer data, according to new research from Twilio. The company released its fifth annual “State of Customer Engagement Report”, covering 18 countries, including the Philippines. The report underpinned the growing importance of disclosing how brands use customer data to deliver AI-powered experiences. It also raised a warning about the risks of underestimating consumers’ expectations for transparency. 77 ..read more

Smartphone brand OPPO has announced that its AI Eraser tool will be rolling out to the Reno11 Series, including Reno11 Pro 5G, Reno11 5G, and Reno11 F 5G, democratizing powerful generative AI photo editing experiences for all. “Reno11 Series is the first smartphone line at its price to feature such advanced generative AI image editing, and demonstrates OPPO’s commitment to enrich everyday experiences through technology for everyone,” said Leon Wang, director of Reno Series Product Planning Department at OPPO. With AI Eraser, Reno11 Series users can easily remove objects from photos by simply c ..read more

Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) has announced that it will be launching the new line of its all-time best-selling Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV), the Toyota Corolla Cross on Friday, April 12. The new Toyota Corolla Cross variants will be unveiled as an all-hybrid lineup. First introduced in 2020 as the first hybrid electric crossover, the Corolla Cross has become a fan favorite for its stylish exterior, spacious interiors, powerful performance, and fuel efficiency as a mainstream hybrid car. TMP will hold a public launch this weekend, to be started with a live unveiling at SM Aura in Taguig City ..read more

Internet giant Google recently reported that it removed and blocked over 5.5 billion “bad” ads in 2023, up from 2022 and an initiative that was optimized by the power of generative AI. The company said Gen AI was able to make safety enforcement easier by providing a better way to train already-existing AI systems in detecting malicious ads before internet users ever see them in their browsing. The other steps Google took were: Limited unfamiliar advertisers: In November 2023, Google launched its new Limited Ads Serving policy, which is designed to protect users by limiting the reach of “unfam ..read more

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) announced last March 21 the top five startup finalists for the Accelerating Development, Valuation, and Corporate Entrepreneurship (ADVanCE) for Creatives Program at the Launchgarage Innovation Hub in Quezon City. Selected from an initial pool of eight growth-stage startups, the top five finalists underwent assessments focused on organizational capacity, business maturity, and readiness levels. In these sessions, DTI and Launchgarage evaluated each startup based on its product status, team dynamics, future objectives, and challenges, concentrating on ..read more