YouTube Philippines Launched

Popular online video sharing site YouTube has officially unveiled YouTube Philippines, the first localized version in Southeast Asia and the 34th across the world.

YouTube, which is owned by Internet giant Google, cited the video habits of Filipinos as the reason they have opted to launch the localized service. According to the Oct. 14 episode of “Unang Hirit," the Philippines has the most number of registered users of YouTube at almost 30 million in the Southeast Asian region.

“If you compare the growth rates versus places like the US now and parts of Europe, it’s just much faster. It’s about 60%. So Philippines seems to be the natural place to actually launch it,” Google Southeast Asia’s Managing Director Julian Persaud said.

Adam Smith, head of YouTube for Asia Pacific, even added that Filipinos upload a great amount of videos to YouTube – also one of the highest daily averages among Internet users.

In order to provide an exclusive localized feel, the video site teamed up with local content partners like TV networks GMA, ABS-CBN, and TV5, as well as the Filipino Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (Filscap), Viva Records and Pinoy Tuner (headed by former The Dawn vocalist Francis “Brew” Reyes), Vicor Records, Star Records and multinational company Procter and Gamble.

GMA Network’s Howie Severino revealed the additional mileage that this partnership bears for the GMA News and Current Affairs.

 “Ito’y isang napakahalagang paraan para ma-extend ‘yung brand ng GMA network at ng GMA news TV para kahit doon sa mga lugar [na] kahit wala pa ‘yung ating content, ay meron nang YouTube channel kung saan mapapanood na ng mga Pilipino at kahit ‘yung hindi mga Pilipino,” said he.

Also launched during the event are the updated presidential channels from Pres. Noynoy Aquino III at www.youtube.com/govph andwww.youtube.com/rtvmalacanang both of which would be a source of relevant content for local netizens in and outside the country.

To this Sec. Ricky Carandang explained, “There’s an estimated 90 million Filipinos in our country and another 10 million scattered all over the world. As much as the president would like to personally reach out to them all, this simply is not physically impossible. Perhaps the government’s YouTube channel would prove good enough to bridge that gap."

YouTube also described the capabilities of their specialized Content Identification technology that will police unauthorized uploaded contents, a thrust that gained the nod of FILSCAP.

“We are giving them the permission to use local content and in exchange they will be giving us a percentage of their revenue,” explained Debbie Gaite, General Manager of FILSCAP.

The YouTube Philippines site offers a local interface and aggregates videos that are relevant to Filipinos. Users can go to the localized site by choosing “The Philippines" as the location setting at the bottom of the YouTube homepage.


By MAUREEN MARIE BELMONTE
Manila Bulletin

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