Angkas: PH poised to leap forward in tech and start-up space in 2022

IMMAP DigiCon’s co-presenter, Angkas, draws the roadmap for the tech-enabled industries and players in the coming years. Despite the global pandemic, the Philippines poises to become one of five ASEAN countries to become tech powerhouses in the next fifteen years, according to the Center for Economics Business Research (CEBR).

Angkas CEO George Royeca believes the country is ready for a big leap forward in the tech and startup sectors.

These industries and their continuous growth in recent years will be the primary focus of this year’s IMMAP DigiCon Valley 2022, which will be co-presented by Angkas, the leading motorcycle taxi, and delivery platform.

“While the pandemic has been the worst global crisis of the millennium undeniably opened new avenues for rapid growth in the country, particularly in the tech sector. Overnight, e-commerce, online payments, e-wallets, telemedicine, online gig employment, digital banks as well as delivery and logistics services experienced exponential growth which then had to be supported by faster internet speeds.”
“The pandemic and the restricted mobility it necessitated primed the market in terms of tech literacy and a willingness to adopt tech-based solutions. There are products and services the market is ready for now that would not have been viable pre-pandemic, and that might have otherwise taken another 5-10 years for the country to be ready for.”
“We have had, and continue to have an ideal and unprecedented climate for both developing and funding tech startups. The kind of businesses that offer innovative products and services we couldn’t have even imagined pre-pandemic.”

The road less trafficked

Angkas was itself an innovation, far more unconventional than it seems on the surface. Motorcycle taxis were already in wide use for public transport all over the region at the time of Angkas’ inception in 2015. The crippling traffic in Metro Manila has its staggering economic cost. Motorcycle taxis did not have a solution being considered by anyone at the time. This mainly revolves around motorcycles having an appalling safety record.

The Metro Manila Accident Recording and Analysis System (MMARAS) Traffic Accident report for 2015 indicated that motorcycle accidents comprised 39.6% of all vehicular accidents and 33.6% of all fatal accidents in Metro Manila. In each case, they were by far the single largest contributors. Filipino motorcycle riders became regarded as too undisciplined for such a service to remain reasonably safe.

Angkas’ innovation was in actually believing that with training, motivation, and support, Filipinos could be the backbone of a safe and professionalized app-enabled motorcycle taxi service.

“We shoulder the training of all rider applicants, then we carefully select only the top 30%. We also hold regular company events that serve as refreshers, venues for more training in soft skills, and even things like anti-sexual harassment education. The result is that after literally millions of rides booked, our safety record is 99.997%.”

Sense of purpose, grit resilience

“I think the number one thing that potential startups should begin with is seeing the bigger picture: are you solving a real problem? Any business venture is always going have a money-making aspect, but in this day and age, it is businesses that have an innate sense of purpose and that offer real solutions to real problems that are embraced by the public.”

Royeca had specific advice to would-be startups on failure:

“Don’t be afraid of failure or adversity, these build grit. As long as you are imbued with a sense of purpose, you will overcome failure and adversity and come out stronger, and with more grit.”

In Angkas’ short history, they had orders to cease operations twice. Their rider pool went capped, and just when they seemed in the clear, the pandemic hit. Showing true resilience, it was then that Angkas launched a courier and buying assistant service. This, then, allowed more people to do errands and business safely from home. Angkas also formed a partnership with the Red Cross to assist with the delivery and administration of COVID-19 test kits. When it became reasonably safe to do so, Angkas also offered free rides to medical frontliners.

Co-creation Breeds Innovation

Community building begins when everyone contributes to the welfare of everyone. That is exactly what resonated with Angkas to sign up and be a co-presenter for this year’s IMMAP DigiCon Valley 2022, one of the most anticipated digital conferences in the industry. This will gather professionals from the marketing, advertising, and digital sectors. We can hear and learn from world-renowned and celebrated local keynote speakers.

Internet and Mobile Marketing Association of the Philippines (IMMAP) is an organization that works toward educating and providing the necessary digital tools for advertising and integrated marketing professionals to make better communication decisions. One such effort is the yearly DigiCon.

Royeca explains,

“When you have a business that serves many, it is impossible to innovate without co-creation. Angkas would not have been possible without the coming together of technology innovations, government regulators, customers, and of course our rider partners, to create a “winnovation”, an innovation in which everyone has a stake, and in which everybody wins.”

From L to R: Brian Go (Angkas Chief Marketing Officer), Denise Haak (IMMAP DigiCon Co-Chair), Janelle Barretto (IMMAP DigiCon Ways & Means Head), and Trish Elamparo-Esteban (IMMAP DigiCon Co-Chair)

After two years of purely virtual connections, this year’s IMMAP DigiCon Valley 2022 will finally bring back face-to-face networking. This will happen with the DigiCon After-Hours. It will happen during the evenings across the city. The event promises to provide cocktails and entertainment and allow delegates to physically reconnect with other industry players.

It’s Christmas at Solaire Resort

“I think what Angkas is excited about is this live interaction; a lot of the best collaborations and partnerships happen because of these more spontaneous, in-person things, and human interaction is what makes all the creativity and innovation grow more.”

As co-presenter for this year’s IMMAP DigiCon Valley 2022, Angkas hopes that this can be a great model to induce new SMEs in the tech and startup sector, while also introducing a community mindset that can hopefully solve daily problems for Filipinos.

DigiCon Valley 2022 is happening on October 10-14 from 9 AM to 1 PM PST using ViVYD platform. They will have all new tracks that tackle the different stages of innovation: Launchpad, Hypergrowth, Breakthrough, and Enterprise.

This year’s prestigious keynote speakers include one of the most influential women in the world

Huffington Post founder, Arianna Huffington;
Rappler Founder and the first Filipino Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Maria Ressa;
Internationally acclaimed marketing expert and academic, Mark Ritson;
Co-founder of Character ventures and Design Sprint inventor, Jake Knapp;
Global CMO of Dole Sunshine Company, Rupen Desai.

Buy tickets now and learn more about IMMAP DigiCon Valley 2022 at this link and follow their social pages on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.