RAKUTEN Viber is expanding its services in the Philippines beyond messaging as the country records growth in paid subscriptions, dating and business interactions, company executives said during a media briefing in Makati City on Oct. 13.
David Tse, senior director for Asia-Pacific, said Viber expects monthly active users in the Philippines to grow 16.5 percent year over year. Average daily time spent on the platform is also expected to increase 24 percent, according to figures presented at the briefing.
“What we are seeing in the Philippines goes beyond an increase in usage. We’re really seeing people using it from everyday communication to premium services like dating, increasingly, interactions with businesses,” Tse said.
Viber Plus paying subscribers in the country increased 34.3 percent year over year, while year-to-date revenue from the service rose 75.5 percent. The Philippines ranked first globally in active paying subscribers and as a contributor to Viber Plus revenue.
Viber Dating monthly active users grew 96.9 percent year over year, while live business accounts increased 20.5 percent. Tse also reported a 127-percent increase in meaningful business interactions, making the Philippines the second-fastest-growing market globally for that measure.
“There’s never one single channel that does it all, because we need to address every single audience,” Tse said, explaining the company’s approach to local marketing and partnerships.
Super app strategy
Cristina Constandache, chief revenue officer at Rakuten Viber, said the company’s plan to develop a super app involves tailoring services to individual markets rather than offering identical features worldwide.
“The vision of becoming a super app when you have over 190 countries that you need to cover is not something that can be done from one day to one hour,” Constandache said. “But the idea of a super app the way that Viber looks at it is launching services and features that are relevant to the different markets that we have.”
She cited stickers as an example of a feature that gained popularity in the Philippines because of local communication habits. Dating and business services are also being developed according to market demand.
“The super app is about adding convenience to you as a community of users and to enabling businesses at the end of the day to interact with consumers in a very natural way,” she said.
Constandache also cautioned users against relying uncritically on artificial intelligence-generated information, even as Viber incorporates AI tools, including a ChatGPT feature, into its platform.
“But it doesn’t mean that all the answers that AI is going to give us in general are going to be the correct ones,” she said. “We must keep a very strong one of critical thinking, and we must always pass through a filter of what we know already, the information that we’re receiving and the way that we interact with technology.”
“AI is here to facilitate our lives, but is not here to replace our thinking,” she added.
Privacy, fraud prevention
Nadav Melnick, chief product officer at Rakuten Viber, said the company aims to introduce new features while maintaining its privacy and security commitments.
“None of the AI features that happens in the app are triggered automatically. Users have to select to use this, and only when they do that, it’s triggered and sent only the piece of text that they wanted to do,” Melnick said.
He said Viber does not train AI models using users’ data. In its “Ask ChatGPT” feature, he added, names and user IDs are encrypted so the AI tool cannot identify participants in a conversation.
Viber also uses automated moderation, human review, user reporting and verification indicators to help detect scams and suspicious accounts, including on Viber Dating. Melnick acknowledged that no system can eliminate all risks.
The company is also working with the National Telecommunications Commission and telecommunications providers to address spam and protect users.
Tourism partnership, Viber Pay
Tse said Viber plans to partner with the Department of Tourism to help travelers discover and contact local tour operators through Viber business accounts. The initiative is intended to improve the visibility of smaller operators, particularly during the fourth-quarter holiday and domestic travel season.
The Department of Tourism would handle the accreditation of participating operators, while Viber would provide a platform for travelers to find and contact them. Tse said further details on the accreditation process would come from the department.
“Our aim is not to work with more government agencies,” he said. “It’s to ensure that we have achieved the fundamentals for the benefit of our user first.”
Meanwhile, Constandache said Viber Pay was ready for the Philippine market and the company had obtained the licenses required for its launch, but it was still awaiting final regulatory approval.
She said financial services require additional scrutiny to protect users’ money. Melnick said Viber Pay had already launched in several other markets and was gaining traction.
Viber’s core messaging service will remain free, Melnick said, as the company expands its offerings through Viber Plus, Viber Dating, business messaging and Viber eSIM.
