Google trains underrepresented Filipino content creators

As part of an initiative to give more online resources to Filipinas who want to pursue content creation, Google featured women and other underrepresented groups in this year’s “Digiskarteng Pinay” training workshop.

“We want to provide opportunities, impart skills and resources, and build a sense of community,” said Bernadette Nacario, country director of Google Philippines, at the August 11 webinar. “That’s why this training workshop is open to not just women, but to all content creators.”

The World Economic Forum’s latest Gender Gap report released in July this year saw the Philippines drop two spots to 19th out of 146 countries, with women’s labor force participation being a major factor.

Filipinas must have access to resources created by other Filipinas, said Ms. Nacario.

In addition to Digiskarteng Pinay, Google’s #IamRemarkable campaign helps underrepresented and upcoming creators celebrate their achievements.

“A person in the majority or those already comfortable with self-promoting to a large audience can lend voice and volume to those who are less represented,” said Miami A. Cabansay, Google Philippines’ global content manager for Pixel, at the same event.

The heart of the initiative is a 90-minute workshop about self-promotion that equips participants with tools to develop the skill. Since it began in 2016 to this July, the workshop has trained around 400,000 participants, including those from the Philippines.

Andrea Romualdez, strategic partner manager at YouTube, also shared with the Digiskarteng Pinay audience that even experienced creators can optimize their voice.

“You have to reflect on how you’d like to have an impact, what you want to say, and what knowledge or experiences you can share, then choose your verticals and build your branding from there,” she said.

The abundance of content across platforms includes vlogs, beauty, gaming, music, learning, podcasting, and fitness, to name a few — all of which require their own strategies depending as well on a creator’s unique audience.

Ms. Romualdez recommended YouTube’s own guide that explains how their analytics work so that creators can familiarize themselves with the platform. — Brontë H. Lacsamana