Push Admin

Tap to delicious: How tech disrupted business in the last decade

Article (news)

Joel Guinto and Jessica Fenol ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2020/news/01/07/biz1.jpg"/><figcaption>&quot;Chubbycon 2019,&quot; a food fair of home cooks who made it big on Instagram, is shown in this file photo taken on Nov. 23, 2019. <em>ABS-CBN News</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA -- A few weeks before Christmas, tech executive turned chef Paolo Benedicto took his spot at a food park of home cooks who all went viral on Instagram and scaled up their enterprises using e-commerce and logistics apps that disrupted business in the Philippines in the last decade.</p><p>Fresh from the first of its kind &quot;Chubbycon 2019,&quot; Benedicto was taking orders on Viber, receiving payments via GCash and BPI Mobile, and dispatching trays of roast beef and salmon through Lalamove and Happymove.</p><p>For the busiest season for business, Benedicto and &quot;kakulto&quot; (cult member) businesses endorsed by Instagram food review page &quot;MasarapBa&quot; (Is it delicious? in Filipino) tapped on their mobile devices to get things done.</p><p>&quot;To scale properly, the ability to take food orders and serve them properly, tech is simply the only way to go. With a lean team, I can&#x27;t do it without tech,&quot; Benedicto told ABS-CBN News.</p><p>&quot;For the same operation, I would need to hire more than twice the staff. It will not make economic sense. Tech serves me in 2 ways: convenience and efficiency and, of course, unnecessary labor expenses,&quot; said the triathlete father of one, who studied economics in college.</p><p>Fans of MasarapBa, with 270,000 followers on Instagram, are clamoring for &quot;Chubbycon 2020,&quot; having turned to the anonymous account for food finds and honest reviews on almost everything from the newest Jollibee dessert pie and the latest incarnation of KFC&#x27;s Zinger.</p><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BoltQXqFW_p/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12" style="background:#FFF;border:0;border-radius:3px;box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15);margin:1px;max-width:540px;min-width:326px;padding:0;width:calc(100% - 2px)"><div style="padding:16px"><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:row;align-items:center"><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;flex-grow:0;height:40px;margin-right:14px;width:40px"> </div><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:column;flex-grow:1;justify-content:center"><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;margin-bottom:6px;width:100px"> </div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;width:60px"> </div></div></div><div style="padding:19% 0"> </div><div style="display:block;height:50px;margin:0 auto 12px;width:50px"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BoltQXqFW_p/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style="background:#FFFFFF;line-height:0;padding:0 0;text-align:center;text-decoration:none;width:100%" target="_blank"><svg height="50px" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 60 60" width="50px" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd" stroke="none" stroke-width="1"><g fill="#000000" transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></a></div><div style="padding-top:8px"><div style="color:#3897f0;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;font-style:normal;font-weight:550;line-height:18px"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BoltQXqFW_p/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style="background:#FFFFFF;line-height:0;padding:0 0;text-align:center;text-decoration:none;width:100%" target="_blank">View this post on Instagram</a></div></div><div style="padding:12.5% 0"> </div><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:row;margin-bottom:14px;align-items:center"><div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;height:12.5px;width:12.5px;transform:translateX(0px) translateY(7px)"> </div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;height:12.5px;transform:rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px);width:12.5px;flex-grow:0;margin-right:14px;margin-left:2px"> </div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;height:12.5px;width:12.5px;transform:translateX(9px) translateY(-18px)"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:8px"><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;flex-grow:0;height:20px;width:20px"> </div><div style="width:0;height:0;border-top:2px solid transparent;border-left:6px solid #f4f4f4;border-bottom:2px solid transparent;transform:translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:auto"><div style="width:0px;border-top:8px solid #F4F4F4;border-right:8px solid transparent;transform:translateY(16px)"> </div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;flex-grow:0;height:12px;width:16px;transform:translateY(-4px)"> </div><div style="width:0;height:0;border-top:8px solid #F4F4F4;border-left:8px solid transparent;transform:translateY(-4px) translateX(8px)"> </div></div></div><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:column;flex-grow:1;justify-content:center;margin-bottom:24px"><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;margin-bottom:6px;width:224px"> </div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;width:144px"> </div></div><p style="color:#c9c8cd;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:17px;margin-bottom:0;margin-top:8px;overflow:hidden;padding:8px 0 7px;text-align:center;text-overflow:ellipsis;white-space:nowrap"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BoltQXqFW_p/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style="color:#c9c8cd;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;line-height:17px;text-decoration:none" target="_blank">A post shared by Benedicto Kitchen (@benedictokitchenph)</a> on <time dateTime="2018-10-06T10:59:22+00:00" style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:17px">Oct 6, 2018 at 3:59am PDT</time></p></div></blockquote><script async="" src="http://www.instagram.com/embed.js" type="text/javascript"></script><div><strong>SMARTPHONE NATION</strong></div><p>With millions of smartphones and acknowledged as one of the world&#x27;s social media capitals, the Philippines is a prime market for e-commerce apps.</p><p>Lazada and Shopee sales from &quot;9-9&quot; to &quot;12-12&quot; have become online events, pick-up points for Grab rides have taken their place beside taxi queues in shopping malls, and cash registers have QR codes ready to scan for those who want to pay cashless.</p><p>Apps on smartphones have given rise to sharing instead of ownership and virtual currencies in place of bills and coins.</p><p>&quot;We feel that there’s been a significant shift in the market, the comfort level of Filipinos. Filipinos are shopping a lot more than they’ve ever been,&quot; Lazada Philippines CEO Ray Alimurung said late last year.</p><p>During a 2017 visit to Manila, Alibaba founder Jack Ma said internet speed in the Philippines was &quot;not good,&quot; but with so many mobile phones, the Southeast Asian nation can go cashless and make life &quot;easier.&quot;</p><p>&quot;You have the opportunity, so many mobile phones, mobile phone coverage anywhere,&quot; Ma told students of the De La Salle University in Manila.</p><p>&quot;The old economy should not fear but it should change immediately,&quot; Ma said. &quot;Please change quickly, it&#x27;s not the competitor killing you, it&#x27;s the future killing you.&quot;</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/11/04/19/in-hunger-games-for-11-11-discounts-the-smartest-online-shoppers-win">In &#x27;Hunger Games&#x27; for 11-11 discounts, the smartest online shoppers win</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/11/14/19/biggest-11-11-shopping-cart-on-lazada-worth-p12-million">Biggest &#x27;11-11&#x27; shopping cart on Lazada PH worth P1.2 million</a></li></ul><div><strong>BASIC HUMAN NEED</strong></div><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2020/news/01/07/grab.jpg"/><figcaption>A Grab Food rider picks up an order.<em> Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News/file</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>Grab, the dominant ride-hailing service in the Philippines, recently expanded to food and parcel delivery, overhauling its app to also include a digital wallet.</p><p>&quot;I think when you have a very basic human need such as hunger, it can happen anytime, anywhere at any day. Generally, with the busy lifestyle of people, we&#x27;d like to think anyone can benefit from it,&quot; country head for GrabFood Philippines, Edward Joseph Dela Vega said during the launch for the service in 2018.</p><p>Grab is also looking to equip small businesses with QR payment systems, including the famed &quot;Jollijeeps&quot; or roadside canteens in the Makati City financial district. It is also encouraging them to use the apps suite of financial services.</p><p>&quot;We also need to empower home business, so maybe you’re selling cookies at home, you can also use the GrabExpress platform to deliver to a wider audience,&quot; Grab vice president for Marketing Cheryl Goh said last year.</p><p>Eatigo, a restaurant discount app, described the Philippines as one of its fastest-growing markets. The platform offers discounts for those who book ahead and at off-peak hours.</p><p>&quot;We expected good numbers but we’re completely taken aback by how Filipinos are value-centered, how Filipinos are willing to get out of their way to get a good deal, they are willing to go the extra mile for discounts,” co-founder Michael Cluzel said in 2017.</p><div><strong>SLAYING KING CASH</strong></div><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2018/news/05/21/052118_jack.jpg"/><figcaption>Chinese billionaire Jack Ma is shown demonstrating how to use a scan-to-pay facility in Manila in this photo from GCash&#x27;s Facebook page dated Oct. 25, 2017</figcaption></figure></div><p>At the close of 2019, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin Diokno said existing regulations were being reviewed to ensure that these adapt to the rise of app-based financial services.</p><p>Jack Ma&#x27;s ANT Financial is among the investors in the Philippines&#x27; GCash, which competes against PayMaya and GrabPay.</p><p>&quot;We want to make sure that it’s safe and so far it’s safe. Now that it’s embraced and it works, it’s a matter of applying it to other banks,&quot; Diokno said.</p><p>Filipinos need to be convinced that digital transactions are safe, said Anthony Thomas, CEO of GCash parent Mynt. &quot;That’s how we create a virtuous flow where more money now sits electronically because it’s just safer, more convenient, cheaper and faster.&quot;</p><p>Aside from payments, loan apps have also sprouted such as JG Summit&#x27;s Cashalo. Another app, BigasPh, sought to help rice farmers earn more by serving as a platform to sell their grains.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/11/18/19/money-you-cant-touch-filipinos-ease-into-cashless-digital-wallets">Money you can&#x27;t touch: Filipinos ease into cashless, digital wallets</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/05/21/18/jack-ma-chinese-tech-help-ph-slay-cash-as-king-of-payments">Jack Ma, Chinese tech help PH slay cash as king of payments</a></li></ul><div><strong>TRAFFIC JAM BUSTERS</strong></div><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2019/news/08/29/grab1.jpg"/><figcaption>Motorcycle taxi driver Melody Viray ferries commuters on EDSA everyday as an Angkas driver. <em>Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>Motorcycles for transportation and delivery have become popular options with roads growing more and more constricted for cars. Regulators are working at draft legislation to legalize motorcycle taxis.</p><p>At the forefront is Angkas, led by Singapore-born ex-Grab executive Angeline Tham.</p><p>&quot;If you believe you’ve done all that you can, then bahala na si Batman because you’ve pushed all boundaries and you tried everything,&quot; Tham told ABS-CBN News in early 2019.</p><p>&quot;I think that&#x27;s a good saying, but I do believe you have to try. If you just sit in a room, nothing is going to happen to you,&quot; she said.</p><p>Avoiding traffic is among the top reasons Filipinos shop online, according to Lazada. For Benedicto, the chef, tapping motorcycle riders for deliveries is faster compared to cars.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/08/29/19/motorcycle-taxis-beat-metro-gridlocks-satisfy-milk-tea-cravings">Motorcycle taxis beat metro gridlocks, satisfy milk tea cravings</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/01/21/19/meet-angkas-expat-ceo-who-gives-new-meaning-to-bahala-na-si-batman">Meet Angkas&#x27; expat CEO who gives new meaning to &#x27;Bahala na si Batman&#x27;</a></li></ul><p>Benedicto is no stranger to technology having worked in the past for Globe Telecom, Yellow Pages, Juice.ph, and Zomato. He sees a future where renewable energy will power the technologies that enable entrepreneurs.</p><p>&quot;Also, I have stored excess energy I can sell it to my neighbor via an app that would be cool,&quot; he said.</p><p>&quot;At the end of the day, tech is also just tech. Even if you make the stable and user friendly, human support will still be crucial especially for delivery apps,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>With millions of smartphones and acknowledged as one of the world's social media capitals, the Philippines is a prime market for e-commerce. Apps on smartphones have given rise to sharing instead of ownership, and virtual currencies in place of bills and coins.<br /> </p>

With millions of smartphones and acknowledged as one of the world's social media capitals, the Philippines is a prime market for e-commerce. Apps on smartphones have given rise to sharing instead of ownership, and virtual currencies in place of bills and coins.