The New Public Plaza

The new Digital 2026: Philippines Report presents a stunning, if unintended, diagnosis of our national development. It finds that Filipinos spend an average of 54 hours per week online, the second-highest rate globally.

This, the report suggests, is “a reflection of the country’s limited recreational infrastructure.”

This single observation is a polite and clinical indictment of a long-standing failure in urban planning and public policy. It confirms what every Filipino knows intuitively: we have a critical shortage of parks, plazas, libraries, and communal public spaces.

But to frame this merely as a symptom of a problem is to miss the profound solution that Filipinos are building for themselves. If the physical plaza is absent, the people have simply built a new one online.

This data does not depict a nation of 98 million passive consumers zoning out. It reveals a nation of active creators, building a digital infrastructure that is more vibrant, inclusive, and economically potent than many of its physical counterparts.

Where we once gathered at the kiosko or town square, we now gather on TikTok, which 85 percent of Filipino internet users are on. The report notes that the most consumed content is not slick corporate media, but “comedic or viral content” (58.1%) and “influencer vlogs” (47.8%). This is the digital equivalent of tsismis, community-building, and cultural exchange. As Meltwater’s Mimrah Mahmood notes, “Anybody can be a creator… and anyone can succeed.”

This cultural shift is a powerful new engine for financial inclusion.

The report rightly points to a glaring contradiction in our “digital economy”: the rise of FinTech (e-wallets like GCash and Maya) alongside the stark reality that “nearly half of the population still being unbanked.” The creator economy offers a direct pathway to bridge this gap.

For millions, YouTube and TikTok are no longer just “outlets” but viable careers. A vlogger in a remote province can bypass traditional gatekeepers, build a national audience, and earn an income. This is a decentralized, grassroots economy where 41.9% of Filipinos now discover new brands, often through creators they trust. This isn’t a niche market; it’s a primary economic driver.

If the creator economy is our new public infrastructure, our policies must begin to treat it as such. This requires a solutions-driven approach.

First, we must invest in the “digital roads.” It’s not enough that 98.6% of Filipinos own a smartphone. We need reliable, fast, and affordable internet access for all, particularly in rural areas. This is the new farm-to-market road that connects creators to their audience and to the digital economy.

Second, we must provide “digital literacy” for the new entrepreneurs. The Department of Trade and Industry should expand its programs to offer financial literacy, business registration, and tax compliance workshops specifically tailored for creators. We must help them transition from informal “gigs” to formal, sustainable micro-small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs).

Finally, we must protect this new public space. The report warns that 67.1% of Filipinos worry about misinformation. As this digital plaza becomes our main forum for discussion, we need a robust, multi-sectoral approach – involving government, platforms, and educators – to promote media literacy and ensure this space remains safe and trustworthy.

The Digital 2026 report makes it clear that Filipinos are not just waiting for infrastructure to be built for them. They are already building it themselves, one vlog, one livestream, and one viral post at a time. The challenge for our leaders is to recognize this, get out of the way where necessary, and provide the support to help it flourish.