By Kathleen Martin,
ABS-CBNnews.com
Posted at 01/23/2013
11:12 AM | Updated as of 01/23/2013 4:20 PM
MANILA, Philippines - Google has finally opened
an office in the Philippines with the launch of its new unit in Makati.
The tech
giant, in a briefing on Wednesday, said the country is a key market in
Southeast Asia amid its growing Internet population.
"The
Philippines is a key country in Southeast Asia in terms of its digital economy
and tech-savvy population," Julian Persaud, managing director of Google in
Southeast Asia, said.
"This
new office will allow us to better engage with our local users, partners and
advertisers. Over 33 million Filipinos access the Internet regularly... [and
this] is set to grow exponentially," Persaud added.
Google's
new office will be situated in central Makati, although executives did not say
if it will be as innovative as the firm's state-of-the-art centers in the US.
Persaud
also declined to say how much the tech company will be investing the
Philippines, only saying the company will pour in its "blood and
soul" for this venture.
"We're
not here for short-term gain. We're here in Manila for the long term,"
Persaud stressed.
Narciso
Reyes, newly-appointed country manager for Google Philippines, said the firm
will be working on localizing its products for the Filipinos.
"User
journey is tantamount to us... we will be localizing our products more and
giving them more information and tools. We want Filipino users to find and
access local information relevantly and very quickly," he said.
Reyes
also shared Google plans to provide a cost-efficient platform for Philippine
businesses wanting to advertise online.
"Our
local team will be committed to providing better services to our Filipino users
and to helping businesses - large and small - grow locally and globally,
contributing to the growth of the Philippine economy," Reyes said.
Google
is currently hiring for its Philippine office but executives declined to say
how many employees will comprise the new unit.
But
Reyes and Persaud said Google is looking for Filipinos who will better give
them an insight of current local market as the tech giant is eyeing to tap
Philippine advertisers.
Job
postings for Google Philippines will be available at http://www.google.com.ph/jobs/
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