Top Filipino brands and organizations have come together and launched a movement that hopes to propel the single most important brand for all Filipinos — Brand Pilipinas. The launch was held at the Green Sun Hotel in Makati City, gathered more than a hundred top local brands who signed up to be partners in the Brand Pilipinas advocacy which aims to valorize local brands, locally made products, and our homegrown artisans.
The full-day event featured inspiring talks on Why Local B2B Brands are Slaying It, The Search for Origins – The Quest for Relevance in Food, Emerging Social Enterprises, Local is the New Premium Brand Pilipinas- The Arts, and finally, Why the Philippines is Poised to be the Next Tech Hub.
“The challenge for most Filipino brands is how to conquer that long-standing perception among those products made in the Philippines is sub-par. It’s time we had a paradigm-shift because this kind of mentality not only hurts local businesses but the economic reputation of the Philippines as a whole,” Brad Geiser, co-convenor of the Brand Pilipinas movement said.
Apart from local brands, the movement also saw the participation of individuals and private businesses from various industries.
David Lim, Founder of Brown & Proud Movement stressed that it is high time for Filipino brands to take center stage. “Be brown and proud! Let’s show our love for local products by supporting local enterprises,” he said.
United Neon Advertising COO Freddie Arlantico also points out: “We are a country that’s richly blessed with the best resources — our people. Put together the Filipinos’ creativity, skills, innovative ideas with the new technologies that are easily accessible by everyone and you have a formula for global excellence.”
Brand Pililpinas Movement Co-Convenor actor and Founder of Liwanag ng Kapayapaan Foundation Robin Padilla said: “Ngayon ang oras para ipakita natin sa buong mundo ang ating dangal bilang Pilipino. Matapang, magaling, malikhain, mapagmahal sa bayan. Yan ang tatak ng tunay na Pilipino na kinakatawan ng Brand Pilipinas.”
Brand Pilipinas hopes the movement will influence Filipinos to adopt a “Filipino-first” mentality by choosing homegrown brands over the more popular and highly-commercial international brands.
“We want Brand Pilipinas to be the brand we wear, the brand we eat, the brand we use, the brand of which we could all be proud of,” Group of Five Creative Concepts Founder and CEO George Royeca, saying the movement hopes to see this vision become a reality very soon.
Guests were also treated to local performances from Dulaang UP and Pilipinas Got Talent star Jade Riccio. The event also featured a fashion show by noted Filipino weave designer Joseph Aloysius Montelibano, a perfect tribute to our Filipino artists.
The Brand Pilipinas Conference is organized and supported by the following partners: Brown & Proud Movement, GeiserMaclang Marketing Communications, Group of Five Creative Concepts, IPG Mediabrands, Liwanag ng Kapayaan Foundation, Robin Padilla, United Neon Advertising, and Vidanes Celebrity Management.