Google open its fifth office in Southeast Asia in Manila

Julian Persaud says Google is in the Philippines "for the long term."

Google Opens Office in Manila

Google is expanding its presence in the Philippines, opening its first office in the increasingly Internet-savvy Southeast Asian country.

"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 at an event Wednesday marking the milestone office in Manila. "This new office will allow us better engage with our local users, partners and advertisers."

Google's move reflects the growing use of the Internet in the Philippines.

According to a report by the Asia Digital Marketing Association, 33.6 million Filipinos tapped into the Internet in 2011. That's already about one third of the population. By 2016, the report said, 59 percent of the population will be turning to the Internet, for everything from shopping to building a business to connecting with friends.

Google opened its first regional office in Southeast Asia in 2007. It also has regional offices in Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia. Google officials said they will hire some people, but didn't say how much the latest investment will be.

Persaud said Google will be in the Philippines "for the long term."

The move follows such Google activity in the Philippines as the launch of Free Zone, which allows those with Internet-capable mobile phone and a Google account to use Google services for free, including Gmail and Google Search.

Government Undersecretary Manuel L. Quezon III said he was pleased by Google's latest step.

"We are delighted that Google has decided to set up an office in Manila," Quezon said. "Their presence is a testament to their commitment to the Philippines. We hope that Google's entry will encourage more local businesses to go online and tap into international markets."

Narciso Reyes, who has more than 16 years of digital marketing and finance experience in Asia and the U.S., has been named country manager for the Philippines.

"We're excited to be deepening our investment in the Philippines with the opening of our office here in Manila," Mr. Reyes said.

"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,'' Mr. Reyes said.  "We envision Google as part of everyday Filipino lives and as a partner in the development of local communities, culture and business." (http://on.wsj.com/Xxqxja)

Wall Street Journal 

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Philippines Taking China's Invasion in the West Philippines Sea Fight to UN Tribunal Anew

Philippines Taking S. China Sea Fight to Tribunal

The Philippines took a legal step against China's claims to virtually the entire South China Sea on Tuesday, formally notifying the Asian superpower that Manila is seeking international arbitration to declare Beijing's moves in the potentially oil-rich waters "illegal and invalid."

Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario said at a news conference that his department summoned Chinese Ambassador Ma Keqing and handed her a note notifying the Chinese government that the Philippine government is bringing both countries' conflicting claims to an international tribunal.

The move is likely to bring an angry response from China, the Philippines' third-largest trading partner.

Several countries claim parts of the South China Sea, and China claims virtually all of it. It has confronted Philippine ships in a standoff over the Scarborough Shoal, which both countries claim. The Philippines withdrew ships from the shoal last June and has since protested China's buildup.

There are fears that territorial conflicts in the region, including a dispute between Japan and China in the East China Sea, could spark Asia's next major armed conflict.

The Philippines hopes that arbitration through an arbitral tribunal operating under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea would lead to a decision that would direct China to respect the Philippines' claims. But even if a tribunal ruled against China, Beijing could choose to simply ignore the ruling.

Del Rosario said that the Philippines made the move after previous diplomatic efforts to resolve the territorial rifts failed.

"The Philippines has exhausted almost all political and diplomatic avenues for a peaceful negotiated settlement of its maritime disputes with China," del Rosario said. He added the Philippine government hopes that the legal step it has taken "shall bring this dispute to a durable solution."

"We are all for improving our economic relations with China but it should not be at the expense of surrendering our national sovereignty," he said.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry in Beijing did not immediately comment, asking that questions be submitted by fax.

In the note handed by Filipino diplomats to the Chinese ambassador, the Philippines listed several aggressive moves it alleged were launched by China in recent years to fortify its territorial claims, including the occupation of South China Sea islands and the enactment of a Chinese law that would allow Chinese patrol vessels to block and board foreign ships passing through vast stretches of waters that Beijing claims.

Del Rosario said the Philippines' move was made independently of its ally the United States, which has called for a peaceful resolution of the claims and a guarantee that freedom of navigation will not be hindered.

Other countries clashing with China over South China Sea territory, including Vietnam, could benefit from the Philippine action without risking possible Chinese retaliatory steps. (http://abcn.ws/10DpWDH)

ABC News

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