Filipinos ‘most optimistic’ about metaverse in SEA — survey

Filipinos are the “most optimistic” in Southeast Asia when it comes to the implications of the metaverse, a survey showed.

The Digital Frontiers 4.0 survey by multi-cloud service provider VMware found that 55% of consumers in the Philippines — the highest in the region — are aware of the metaverse and are optimistic about its implications, with 43% saying they believe it will be favorable for society.  

A majority of Filipinos, or 78%, also believe that technology is a key driver of business transformation. 

“Fostering digitalization and modernization requires more than the ability to acquire immersive technologies. It also means creating environments where businesses can leverage innovation by delivering meaningful change to drive the best results for the customers,” said Walter So, VMware Philippines’ country manager, in a statement.  

The survey highlighted Filipino shoppers’ preference for an immersive and meaningful digital consumer experience, coming in second in the region to Thai shoppers. 

This tech savviness is also reflected in Filipino consumers citing internet service (76%) and better connectivity (68%) as contributing factors in buying homes in the future.  

“As the Philippines assesses the implications of COVID-19 and the economy shows a strong growth momentum, enterprises must equip their customers with secure digital offerings by strengthening their ability to develop and deliver superior digital experiences that are easily accessible on any app, any cloud, and device,” Mr. So said.  

However, Filipinos were found to prefer digital innovation in some sectors over others. They showed little enthusiasm for robotics in healthcare (21%) compared to the rest of SEA (25%), but said they rely heavily on technology for managing finances (67%).    

VMware highlighted in the study that the Philippines’ accelerated digital economy post-pandemic reflects “the need of rapid business transformation to meet the evolving needs of the customers.” 

The VMware Digital Frontiers 4.0 Study, conducted this April, surveyed 9,728 consumers from Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, Korea, Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Italy, and France. — Brontë H. Lacsamana