NEWS
Google, YouTube support PH elections
March 1, 2022 5:58 p.m.
As part of an ongoing commitment to connect voters to timely information and help protect the integrity of the Philippines elections, Google and YouTube announced a series of product features, partnerships, and programs.
Raising authoritative election information
As Election Day approaches, millions of people in the Philippines will be turning to YouTube to get the latest election news, and learn more about candidates and the voting process. To connect people to authoritative election-related information, YouTube provides a variety of Election Information Panels:
● Candidate information panel: When YouTube viewers in the Philippines search for the names of President and Vice President candidates, a relevant candidate information panel will show at the top of their search results. This panel highlights information on the candidates, such as their political party and what office they’re running for. Information about candidates and parties is sourced from vetted, non-partisan, third-party sources.
● How to vote information panel: To help people learn more about the voting process, an information panel surfaces on YouTube for all searches pertaining to “how to vote”. These panels will link to the Commissions on Elections’ (COMELEC) website featuring relevant materials, requirements, and the step-by-step of the voting process.
This is part of the existing portfolio of features that YouTube has rolled out in the country, aimed at raising authoritative information. These include Top News and Breaking News shelves for fast-moving, breaking news events; information panels that indicate funding sources from publishers that receive public or government funding; and information panels giving topical context that links to third party sources such as Wikipedia and Encyclopedia Britannica, for videos on a number of well-established topics that can be prone to misinformation including the Holocaust, the Apollo moon landing, and Martial Law in the Philippines.
Speaking about the election information panels in the country, Emily Moxley, Vice President for Product Management at YouTube said, “Political news and events can be subject to misinformation, so the availability of authoritative information sources is crucial. Over the last few years, we’ve made deep investments to make YouTube a more reliable source for news, while also maintaining the openness of the platform. Our work is ongoing and we are committed to making YouTube a vibrant and safe community for a healthy political discourse as well as help protect the integrity of elections.”
Removing election-related violative content & reducing harmful misinformation
YouTube’s Community Guidelines apply equally to everyone. From February 2021 to January 2022, the platform removed over 400,000 videos uploaded from the Philippines for Community Guidelines. YouTube elections misinformation policies prohibit content that:
● Misleads voters about the time, place, means, or eligibility requirements for voting, or false claims that could materially discourage voting
● Advances false claims related to the technical eligibility requirements for current political candidates and sitting elected government officials to serve in office
● Encourages others to interfere with democratic processes
● Contains hacked information, the disclosure of which may interfere with democratic processes
In addition, YouTube’s systems are designed to limit the spread of borderline content and harmful misinformation. Today, consumption of borderline content that comes from its recommendations is significantly below 1% globally.
Supporting fact checking initiatives
The Google News Initiative (GNI) supports Meedan’s #FactsFirstPH, a coalition of more than 100 groups, including news organizations such as Rappler, civil society organizations, business groups, faith-based communities, research groups, and legal organizations to fight misinformation ahead of the Philippine elections. The GNI has also partnered with the University of the Philippines (UP) to launch a journalist training series and provided support to tsek.ph, a collaborative fact-checking project led by UP.
Investing in media literacy programs
Google has been investing in and supporting local media literacy programs to teach people how to identify trusted information. These include the Asian Institute of Journalism and Communication’s “a day in the life” video series and training for news literacy, and CANVAS’ #YOUTHink magazine. Google.org also made a grant of $1.5 million to help the ASEAN Foundation expand media literacy education in ASEAN member communities including the Philippines. The ASEAN Foundation has also developed a digital literacy comic book available in Filipino.
“Fighting misinformation is important to Google and it takes the whole of society working together to address it. We will continue to forge meaningful partnerships with the media and community groups to help people access the right information so they can make an informed vote in the upcoming elections,” said Irene Jay Liu, Google APAC News Lab Lead.
“Part of COMELEC’s mission is to empower voters with accurate, relevant and timely information. We laud Google for taking the important steps in helping Filipinos access authoritative information that is essential for an informed electorate,” said James Jimenez, Commissions on Elections Director for Education and Information.
NEWS
Paolo and Miguel from Ben&Ben join Toyota Motor Asia’s ‘Move Your World Beat’ Campaign, bringing Filipino Music to a regional stage
9:46 p.m. September 13, 2026
Twin brothers Paolo Benjamin and Miguel Benjamin from Filipino indie folk-pop band Ben&Ben are bringing Filipino creativity to the regional spotlight as part of Toyota Motor Asia’s Move Your World Beat, a new culture initiative developed with creative partner VIRTUE Asia.
Through the campaign, the duo joins artists from across Asia in transforming everyday Toyota vehicle sounds into original musical compositions that celebrate creativity, collaboration, and cultural expression.
The campaign brings together established and emerging artists from across Asia to collaborate, experiment, and inspire the next generation to express their cultures through contemporary sound. The initiative also serves as an ongoing platform where Toyota empowers Asia’s creators to tell stories through music while celebrating both cultural heritage and innovation.
“At its heart, Move Your World is about Toyota’s commitment to the communities in Asia – the freedom to move, and the thrill and joy of moving forward together. With Move Your World Beat, we bring that same spirit to music, a universal language that unites our communities and moves us all a little closer,” shared Jaja Ishibashi, General Manager of Toyota Motor Asia. “By supporting creators and bringing different voices together, we hope to inspire new forms of expression and show that when we move together, we can create something greater than any one of us could achieve alone.”
As the Philippine representatives, Paolo and Miguel join a regional lineup of creators which includes Malaysia’s Belle Sisoski, Pakistan’s Natasha Noorani, Singapore’s Shye, Thailand’s Valentina Ploy, and Vietnam’s 2pillz. Launched through a TikTok-led creator programme, each artist will produce an original track using the sounds of a Toyota such as subtle clicks and ambient hums to engineered tones and reimagine them through their own distinct musical style.
By transforming the functional sounds of a vehicle into creative expression, the campaign highlights the idea that movement is not only physical, but also cultural and emotional. Each composition reflects the artist’s unique musical identity while contributing to a broader body of work that celebrates Asia’s diversity through a shared creative language.
The campaign will culminate later this year with the release of a regional collective beat, bringing together the musical contributions of artists from six countries into a single collaborative work that resonates across Asia.
Beyond this year’s rollout, Move Your World Beat is intended to continue as an ongoing platform, with each participating artist’s content contributing to future collaborations that celebrate creativity, community, and cultural exchange across the region.
For more information, follow Toyota Motor Philippines on Facebook, Instagram and X, and join the ToyotaPH community on Viber.
NEWS
Grab boosts ride safety for teens with ‘Grab for Family’ Feature
12:22 p.m. September 8, 2026
Grab Philippines is giving Filipino teens greater independence while helping parents stay connected to their journeys with the introduction of Grab for Family.
The feature enables teenagers aged 13–17 to book rides independently, while giving parents and guardians real-time visibility into their journeys and added safety controls throughout the trip.
The growing use of Grab Family Accounts among Filipino households points to the increasing role of shared mobility in everyday family life, with sign-ups more than doubling over the past year. Once onboarded, family members take about 70% more rides in their first month – underscoring the importance of shared access in making everyday mobility more convenient and more efficient for everyone under one roof.
With Grab for Family, parents no longer have to choose between giving their teenagers greater freedom and staying informed about their journeys. Once a teen is linked to a Family Account, parents can receive real-time trip updates, follow rides on a live map, communicate with the teen and driver, and access additional safety tools throughout the trip.
“Safety and peace of mind have always been important to how we serve families on Grab. We’re continuing to build on that by making it easier for parents to stay informed about their teens’ journeys, while giving teenagers the support and confidence to move around more independently,” said Grab Philippines Head of Mobility CJ Lacsican.
Keeping parents connected without getting in the way
At the core of Grab for Family is real-time visibility. Through Live Ride Tracking, Trip Monitoring and automated trip notifications, parents can stay informed without having to repeatedly call or message their teens during a ride.
Parents receive updates at key points of the journey, including when a driver is assigned, vehicle details are available, the passenger is picked up, the destination is reached and the trip is completed. A live map also allows parents to follow the ride as it happens.
The monitoring experience is designed to provide added visibility when a journey does not go as expected. Parents can be alerted about unexpected stops or route deviations, while the platform can also check in with the passenger through in-app prompts to help confirm that they are safe.
Built-in safeguards from pickup to drop-off![]()
“As a Grab driver-partner and a mother myself, I understand how important it is for parents to feel assured that their children are safe whenever they use ride-hailing services,” said Lisza Buscaino-Redulla, President of the United Transportation Coalition Philippines, Inc. “Many families rely on platforms like Grab for the daily commutes of their teenage children, which is why we welcome the introduction of the Family Account as an important step toward giving parents assurance that their children get to wherever they need to be safely.”
More information on Grab for Family is available through the Grab app and official website.
NEWS
DigiPlus earns 3 honors at 22nd Philippine Quill Awards
11:10 a.m. September 6, 2026
DigiPlus Interactive Corp., the country’s leading digital entertainment provider behind BingoPlus, ArenaPlus, and GameZone, earned three Awards of Excellence at the recently concluded 22nd Philippine Quill Awards for communication initiatives spanning business growth storytelling, integrated financial and sustainability reporting, and responsible gaming advocacy.
Organized by the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) Philippines, the Philippine Quill Awards is one of the country’s most prestigious recognition programs for business communication, honoring organizations and professionals whose work demonstrates strategic thinking, creativity, and impact.
DigiPlus received Awards of Excellence across three categories, namely Audio/Visual, Publications, and Social Media, reflecting the company’s continued commitment to purposeful and engaging communication with its stakeholders.
In the Audio/Visual category, DigiPlus’ Dating Gawi: A Celebration of Trusted and Timeless Digital Entertainment for Filipinos earned an Award of Excellence. Developed amid significant changes in the Philippine online gaming industry, the emotionally resonant short film drew on nostalgia, trust, and continuity to reassure audiences that safe, seamless, and regulated entertainment remained accessible through DigiPlus’ official platforms. Centered on the familiar invitation, “Oh ano, dating gawi?”, the campaign generated nearly 7.9 million views.
The DigiPlus 2024 Integrated Report: “Reimagining Fun, the Filipino Way,” received an Award of Excellence in the Publications category. Anchored on global reporting frameworks, the report brought together DigiPlus’ record performance, sustainability priorities, responsible gaming leadership, and climate risk assessment into a clear and engaging stakeholder narrative. Inspired by Filipino carnival classics, the report transformed corporate disclosure into a distinctly DigiPlus publication that reflects the company’s drive for innovation, Filipino identity, and commitment to responsible growth.
Another Award of Excellence recipient is DigiPlus’ entry in the Social Media category, “Ang Gaming, Dapat Fun-Fun Lang!” Responsible Gaming Campaign. The year-long social media campaign used entertaining and relatable content, including scenario skits, ambassador videos, reminders, instructional materials, and creator partnerships, to educate players and the broader public about responsible gaming and the importance of choosing regulated platforms. The campaign generated 7.3 million combined views across DigiPlus-owned and creator channels, reinforcing the company’s commitment to advancing responsible gaming in the industry.
“These recognitions affirm the important role of communication in building trust and strengthening our relationships with our stakeholders,” said DigiPlus President Ping Chen. “As DigiPlus continues to grow and evolve, we remain committed to communicating with transparency and purpose while using our platforms to promote responsible and meaningful entertainment.”
DigiPlus’ three Awards of Excellence at the 22nd Philippine Quill Awards underscore the company’s continuing efforts to use strategic communication to strengthen stakeholder engagement, champion responsible entertainment, and tell the story of its growth and transformation.

