Internet reaching wider market of Filipinos abroad--Century

By Erwin Oliva - INQUIRER.net


MAKATI CITY, Philippines -- A local real estate developer said its Internet marketing strategy has helped them reach a "broader" market of Filipino expatriates most likely thinking of investing in property, an executive said Tuesday.

"The Internet is allowing us to reach a broader market of Filipinos abroad who have the spending power," said Jay Estaris, director of information technology of the Century Properties Group., in an interview.

About 80 percent of inquiries have come from the Internet, added Estaris.

During the launch of its P5-billion private residential project called Gramercy, Jose Eduardo Antonio, chairman of the Century Properties Group., acknowledged that retiring Filipino expatriates are now buying more prime properties in the country.

Despite the US economic crunch that has sent ripples throughout the world, the executive said he has not seen a decrease in the demand for its properties. He stressed that today's buyers are mostly "users" and not "speculators" who buy property with the objective of selling it when prices go up.

In an interview, Jose Marco Antonio, managing director of Centuries Properties Group, added the company has used both traditional and newer strategies to reach out to potential buyers abroad.

"But it is really best to target [Filipino expats] on the Internet," he added, noting that the company has used more creative ways to effectively engage potential clients using today's technology and the Internet.

Apart from its presence in at least 22 countries, Antonio said the company has established a real estate academy that trains sales people on various aspects of its business, including Internet marketing. It currently maintains two websites that promote and accept sales inquiries on the Internet.

But Estaris noted that the developer has been investing a lot on Internet marketing through online advertising and other "push technologies" such as e-mail campaigns. He declined to disclose how much the developer is investing on online advertising.

"The boom in the real estate property is now different because a lot of the buyers then were speculators. We now have a new set of buyers," Antonio said.

Third-party studies show that at least 30 percent of $14 billion worth of remittances of overseas Filipino workers now go to real estate-related spending, the executive added.

Australia to give away porn-filtering software

Country's IT minister says $86 million allocated for free online downloads of a Web application, yet to be chosen.

The Australian government plans to spend about $86 million to provide all the country's families with free Internet pornography-blocking software.

Helen Coonan, the minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, announced the initiative Wednesday. A representative of Coonan told ZDNet Australia that the first free filters should be available for download from a government portal within six months.

Helen Coonan "It puts a safer Internet experience within the grasp of every Australian family, and it is a solution to the problem posed by Internet pornography that is simple, safe, effective and free," Coonan said in a statement.

"Every parent will be able to receive a free filter for their home computer, (and) there will be child-safe terminals in libraries across Australia."

It's likely that the Australian government will covet political mileage from the initiative, with the minister's release tipping a "comprehensive national community education campaign" designed to "ensure that all Australian families are aware of the benefits of regulating their children's Internet experience by using a safe and effective computer filter."

At this stage, no specific filtering software has been selected for the initiative. The minister's representative said an accreditation process will be put in place. Internet service provider-level filtering will also be an option for customers of providers that offer it.

"Under this scheme, families will be offered a filtered service or a free filter for their home computer, either for download from a dedicated Web site or delivered to them on CD-ROM," Coonan stated. "All ISPs will also be required to offer filters to new and existing customers at no additional cost."

ISPs will be rebated if they choose to offer filtering at a service provider level.

The government's Internet safety agency, NetAlert Limited, will receive a $3.68 million funding boost and become co-located with the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA).

Of the total spending, $68.69 million will be spent on filtering software over three year. Coonan's representative says the program will be reviewed in its third year.

According to the representative, almost no ISPs currently offer any kind of content filtering, so the government will study the feasibility of ISP-level filtering for a fourth time.

Patrick Gray of ZDNet Australia reported from Sydney.
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