Megan hopes Miss World win will inspire Pinoys

MANILA – Actress and television host Megan Young still cannot believe that she is the first Filipina to be given the elusive Miss World title.

In a post on the Miss World Philippines Facebook page, Young thanked all those who have been part of her journey to the international pageant, which culminated in Bali, Indonesia on Saturday night.

The “early favorite” at the pageant bested 126 candidates to get the Miss World crown.

“Seems like only yesterday that I was flying out to Bali, Indonesia to represent the Philippines and show the world what I had. And now, at the foot of my bed, I see the Miss World sash. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine to be in this position. Never did I think of myself to be worthy of such an honor. But the paths I’ve chosen have proven me wrong,” Young wrote.

“This year will be an amazing one. I can already feel the good vibes and positive energy and I can’t wait to start planning for things so that you can witness my journey as well,” she added.

Young went on to recognize not only her supporters, but also her critics, saying that all of them helped her get to where she is now.

“Thank you for the happiness, thank you for the tears, thank you for the heart to heart talks, thank you for the heartbreak, thank you for the hugs, thank you for being mean to me, thank you for understanding, thank you for misunderstanding, thank you for caring, thank you for not giving a damn, thank you for the love and affection. Thank you, thank you, thank you,” she wrote.

The newly crowned Miss World also hopes that her win in the international pageant will serve as an inspiration to her fellow Filipinos.

“Maraming salamat sa mga Pilipino na sumuporta. Mahal na mahal ko kayo. Sana maging inspirasyon ako sa inyo. Samahan niyo ako sa aking lakbay bilang Miss World 2013,” she said. “This isn’t the end of the journey. It is only the beginning.”

Young is currently in London to attend a charity gala event as part of her duties as Miss World. She is set to return to the Philippines in eight days.

Malacañang and several celebrity friends have joined thousands of Filipino Internet users across the globe in congratulating Young for her victory in the Miss World pageant.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Google aims to bring 'the best of the internet' to Pinoys

MANILA – Google recently launched its new unit in Makati, in an effort to “bring the best of the internet” to the Filipino internet user.

Narciso Reyes, country head of Google Philippines, described the move as a major step for the tech giant.

“This is a big step for us because it enables us to be closer to our users, our partners and our advertisers,” he told ANC’s “Inside Business”.

Reyes is tasked to lead a sales and marketing team in the country to further the growth of their services by localizing more of their content to fit the needs of Filipino internet users.

“Google is all about bringing the world’s information readily available and we feel that being on the ground here is a step in the right direction,” he said.

Reyes said there are about 33 million Filipinos online, a number they expect to double by 2016.

He noted that in spite of the doors opened by online transactions, opening an office still has its advantages.

“What we found is that we are able to get more in touch with the local pulse and we are able to bring a better user experience to our users,” he said.

Reyes added the reception of Filipinos has been “tremendous.”

“It’s given us an avenue to be closer to our user base and just the excitement generated by that launch is testament of how exciting it is for us to be here,” he said.

Google has started hiring for the Philippine office, but Reyes did not say how many employees they plan to hire.

“It’s kind of a running number depending on how things stack up and how things progress,” he said.

source: abs-cbnnews.com