The recently concluded 37th Philippine Business Conference and Expo held at the Manila Hotel gathered hundreds of businessmen and business groups across the country to jointly promote One. Global. Filipino.The event was organized by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry with the objective of “Driving Partnerships, Shapening our Competitive Edge”. Highlight of the conference include the attendance and participation of key personalities in both the private and government sectors.

President Benigno S. Aquino III, Vice President Jejomar C. Binay and DOTC Secretary Mar A. Roxas II, among others, graced the event and addressed the nation’s business leaders.

This year’s conference tackled one new and exciting topic of Social Media as part of business transformation and invited Mel Velarde, President and CEO of PSE-listed company Now Corporation(Now Corporation), to share his views as speaker to the general assembly. He was invited to talk on the topic “New Channels for Business Growth: Increasing Revenue thru the Free Use of Social Media.”

With fresh findings from his research done at Harvard Business School, Mr. Velarde differentiated social from digital strategy and claimed that what we have at the moment are mostly “tradigital” websites which are traditional content shown in digital formats.

Mr. Velarde pointed out that “what the public needs is a social media platform where true engagement with citizens and consumers on one hand, with government and business on the other, can be achieved.” He then announced the forthcoming launch of his company’s central campaign titled “Software as a Public Service or SWAAPS.” Initially targeting PCCI members and Local Government Units to benefit from software tools such as SMI(social media integration), SePUB (self electronic publishing) and C2RM (customer/citizen relationship management).

Mr. Velarde cited statistics from various sources that challenge local businessmen. The statistics show that there are at least two (2) billion online users of the internet with Social Media as top application surpassing email and pornography. Revealing data was that ninety percent(90%) of the global consumer are highly influenced by online peers when purchasing a product or service compared to website (65%) and TV (45%).

“Businessmen now realize it’s no longer a choice… you must embrace social media or else at least three things will happen: your customer will go to your social media-enabled competitors, your business will become extinct and since your children and grandchildren can’t talk to you, you will be extinct as well.

Social media also down aging and accelerates social intelligence and strengthens social integration.”

Now Corporation is currently serving major clients worldwide with converged Telecommunications, Media and Technology (TMT) solutions. Key Now Corporation executives include DR. Thomas Aquino, Board Chairman and Head of Global Strategic Markets and Angelo Timoteo Diaz de Rivera, formerly CICT Commissioner, is the current President of Collaborative Division of Now Corporation and Head of Product Development.