“As more Filipinos access the web via mobile, this will allow telecom companies achieve economies of scale and bring down tariffs, in turn adding further stimulus to mobile Internet growth.” – said David Jeffs, head of Insights for Yahoo Southeast Asia in a story published at Business Mirror.

The Philippines is the sole country in Southeast Asia where a greater proportion of mobile internet users are comprised of women (57%) versus men (43%), according to annual survey, Yahoo! Net Index 2011. The demographic report has disclosed that the growing mobile internet activity came from the country’s youth segment.

Meanwhile, the country’s Globe Telecom is reported the most popular service provider for mobile browsing in the country with revenues rose to over P1.4 billion by end of third quarter last year. Accordingly, Globe hopes to keep its mobile data business growing amidst the fast penetration of social media in the region and the availability of affordable Smartphones in the market.

Asked about the behavior of mobile browsing activity in the country, Globe Exec affirmed that telco industry feels the increasing demand of mobile internet in the region, saying it is an “easier and more accessible way of connecting to the worldwide web”.

Implication to business sector

The present percentage of mobile browsing behavior among mobile users in the Philippines, based from Yahoo’s report, strongly indicates that brands and business firms in the region will have an opportunity to expand their reach to the Filipino consumers. Such a strong response to mobile internet (mobile browsing) suggests that Filipinos are getting matured and open-minded when it comes to new technologies like mobile, Smartphone, or tablet entering the country.

While a few of Asian countries like China, Singapore, and Indonesia, have adopted into mobile advertising practices, it is no far that Philippines too will get accustomed to these mobile tactics. In fact, the mobile medium is practically a perfect advertising mix because of its flexibility, real time connectivity, and handy in nature. Wherever they may go and regardless of time, people always have the mobile devices in hand.

How ready is the industry for mobile web?

In the Philippines, mobile advertising is guided by the Internet Marketing and Mobile Association in the Philippines (IMMAP), which has set some ethical standards and guidelines to ensure that best practices are observed in the region. Every now and then, IMMAP holds conferences to educate and update the business sector about mobile marketing/advertising or with the latest technology that digital marketers need to address. In the country, although Telco services are available offering mobile browsing to Filipino consumers, the demand for mobile site development, on other hand, has never been a hindrance with the presence of technology providers that offer services for the creation of mobile websites and for the execution of interactive campaigns.

Metrics too are made available to provide advertisers the comprehensive data which can be helpful to determine the results of the campaign. With the industry ready, technology providers well-equipped with tools and sufficient knowledge, and business firms and brands embracing to mobile advertising, the Philippines will soon be part of the interactive phenomena where digital, online, traditional, or outdoor campaign can be monitored and measured based on data statistics. Advertiser will be able to see the whole picture of his campaign’s performance, and based on results, he can determine whether or not the campaign has achieved its primary objectives.