The Philippines’ tech news in
December 2023 | November 2023 | October 2023
Tech news from The Philippines in Q4 of 2023 covered items in technologies including: remote control of Japanese robots by Filipino workers; The Philippines’ central bank launching tokenized, blockchain-based treasury bonds; the potential for digital lending in The Philippines; and more.
Other editions: Asia’s tech news, daily (via LinkedIn, Facebook & Twitter/X); and Indo-Pacific technology newsletters, weekly.
Also available:
Critical technologies news across Q4 2023
December 2023
CSIS: Pulling back the curtain on China’s maritime militia
- Philippines: Packworks retail-tech platform partners 1Sari to provide inventory financing to 270K unbanked mom-and-pop ‘sari-sari’ stores
- Philippines: “The web3 gaming space looks poised to go parabolic again in the way it did with Axie Infinity, and you can see how things might unfold by focusing on the Philippines.”
- Philippines: Maya, mobile wallet and digital bank, launches Maya Stocks trading platform, allowing Filipinos to trade shares in over 280 publicly-listed Philippines companies
- The Philippines’ Astro Robotics partners Japan’s Telexistence to build services around a skilled team based in the Philippines capable of remotely controlling robots based in Japan >>>
Astro Robotics currently employs more than thirty employees in Metro Manila working to control robots in Japan. Their exclusive partnership with Telexistence represents a groundbreaking shift in traditional work setups, particularly in the realm of robotics. The innovative approach eliminates the need for Filipinos to relocate to Japan, offering a more efficient and cost-effective solution. The Japanese technology company recently signed a strategic partnership with Foxconn to manufacture robots, setting the stage for Astro Robotics to focus on workforce development and training.
The company sees itself as a catalyst for upskilling the Filipino workforce, moving beyond traditional roles and exploring higher-level tasks in areas like tech support, engineering, and even robotics research. This forward-thinking approach aims to position the Philippines as a hub for technological innovation and a source of talent for global companies.
- Philippines: An interview-based intro to corporate venture builder, 917Ventures, and its goals in the Philippines and across wider Southeast Asia
- From e27: Snapshots of the 2023 startup ecosystems in The Philippines, Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand
Video: ‘2023 Year in Review of blockchain adoption in the Philippines’ from CoinGeek
November 2023
RAND Corp: Political Geography of the South China Sea disputes
- Philippines: IdeaSpace Foundation unveils 6 startups selected for next cohort of IdeaSpace Accelerator Program, working on solutions in digital community, education-tech and more
- Philippines: etaily raises $17.8M Series A with end-to-end e-commerce solutions for global brands, along its own in-house portfolio, with clients including Levi’s and Skechers
- Philippine Startup Week 2023 – November 20-24
- Philippines: Maya, the country’s only end-to-end digital payments company, partners UK’s TerraPay for seamless money transfers for Filipinos worldwide
- Philippines: Central bank is set to sell tokenized treasury bonds for the first time, offering $179M in one-year tokenized bonds, to explore blockchain tech and tokenized securities
BCG: Philippine Venture Capital Report 2023
- Philippines: Orbits Corp satellite service provider orders 2nd MicroGEO broadband satellite from Astranis, potentially connecting 4 million citizens to the internet and services
- The Philippines’ FinTech Alliance and Australian Trade & Investment Commission ink MOU to cooperate on boosting trade and investment in the fintech sector
- Philippines gov’t and US Dept of State ink agreement explore opportunities to grow and diversify the global semiconductor ecosystem
“The initial phase will involve a comprehensive assessment of the Philippines’ existing semiconductor ecosystem and regulatory framework, as well as workforce and infrastructure needs. The insights gained from the assessment will serve as the basis for potential future joint initiatives to advance this critical sector.”
- Philippines: Dep’t of Trade and Industry partners international VC, Plug and Play, to commercialize 40 startups per year from 2024
- Philippines: Web3, gaming and associated tech seen as having high potential for employment, possibly reaching up to ‘a million jobs by 2028’
- Philippines: A video intro to Pinay Girl Boss’s recently-launched online platform, aiming to inspire and educate Filipinas on leadership, entrepreneurship and more
- Philippines: A video interview with IdeaSpace Foundation CEO, discussing the country’s tech startup scene
Lowy Institute Pacific Aid Map: 2023 Key Findings Report
- Philippines and US recently inked a nuclear cooperation pact under which US investment and technologies are set to boost The Philippines’ transition to cleaner energy, bolstering its power supply
- Online now: The Top 100 Filipino Tech Startups, via Philippine Startup Week 2023
- Philippines: GCash partners Mayani agri-fisheries platform to boost rural financial inclusion
- “Philippine digital lending market is expected to grow by 45.4% to reach $488.8M in 2023 from $336M in 2022… the market is expected to ring up $1.68BN by 2027…”
- Philippines Securities & Exchange Commission warns Filipino users that access to Binance may soon be blocked due to the exchange operating without a license
October 2023
e-Conomy SEA 2023: Philippines report (direct pdf download)
- Philippines: Kita agri-tech startup closes oversubscribed $3M seed round with focus on digitizing agriculture supply chains from farm to retailer
- Philippines: Singapore’s Account Labs launches UniPass Wallet allowing users to connect with Google Accounts for cross-border remittances and payments using stablecoins
- Philippines: An intro to Parallax cross-border payments firm, focused on faster and cheaper international payments for remote workers
- Philippines: IdeaSpace incubator unveils 6 startups selected for next cohort of accelerator, working on solutions in education-tech, spices industry digitization & more
- Philippines: Packworks partners Cebuana Lhuillier and 1Sari Financing Corp to provide sari-sari mom-and-pop stores with access to secure and affordable microloan services
SharePass digital communications security
- Philippines: Singapore-based UNO Digital Bank partners Collabera Digital to expand user base with development of mini-app for GCash, Filipino financial and lifestyle super-app
- The Philippines military is now building out a ‘cyber command’ to boost defense against cyber attacks
- Philippines: Military orders personnel to stop using AI apps due to security risks including fake identity creation
- Philippines: A video intro to Ideaspace Foundation startup enabler and its latest accelerator program
- Philippines’ National Coast Watch Center inks agreement with Canada’s satellite-based Dark Vessel Detection System to monitor China’s maritime militia activities in PH waters
October 2023: Semiconductors, critical minerals, space tech & satellites
Tech news, Daily: Asia & Indo-Pacific
- Indo-Pacific tech, daily on LinkedIn
- Asia’s tech news: Daily on Twitter
- Technology news, daily on Facebook
Note: Our mobile app is offline due to the ongoing collapse of Twitter/X. We hope to relaunch the app with an improved UI and broader functionality late in Q1 of 2024.
