#PHWeb3Fest: Web3 alive and kicking in the Philippines
The reports of web3’s death are greatly exaggerated, judging by the massive turnout at the Philippine Web3 Festival, which is being held from Nov. 14–18 in Bonifacio Global City.
Bonifacio Global City is a fitting venue for this gathering in the Philippines, which is being touted as “the epicenter of web3 adoption”. This is thanks in no small part to the massive popularity of the blockchain game Axie Infinity, whose meteoric rise in the country last year made play-to-earn a globally recognized phenomenon. Yet the crypto story in the Philippines started long before the birth of Axie Infinity.
“The Filipino experience is already global,” said Yield Guild Games Global COO Colin Goltra.
Goltra proclaimed this during his #CryptoPH talk recounting the history of crypto in the Philippines on Day 1 of the conference on Nov. 15.
He pointed out that Filipinos have always been used to living in networks. He cited not only the fact that the Philippines is an archipelago, but also the Filipino diaspora.
Goltra also said that this natural Filipino state of living in networks has been recognized by fiction. In particular, he reminded the audience that in 1999, the legendary science fiction writer Neal Stephenson released “Cryptonomicon”, which is set in the Philippines.
This seminal novel was influenced by and influenced cyberpunk, which in turn inspired real-world technologists.
In a Sept. 4, 2005 Philippine Star article called “Wired in Manila”, Scott R. Garceau talked about the role the country plays in “Cryptonomicon”.
“Is it a great celestial coincidence — or just a weird touch of irony — that cyber-novelist Neal Stephenson sets a big chunk of his 1,100-page novel Cryptonomicon in one of Manila’s oldest sections — Intramuros?
“A little of both. Like any good writer, Stephenson is wired to pick up on the juxtapositions of old and new, ancient and high-tech, mystical and cyberspace. Writers have been commenting on the rich, contradictory strangeness of Philippine life for years (myself included). Of course it’s weird that almost all Filipinos carry around cell phones but still have to jump on foot-pedaled trikes to get from point A to point B. Of course it’s amazing how malls have replaced parks in the hothouse environment of Manila — so that Pinoys will always choose the Great Indoors over the Great Outdoors.
“This is all part of living with, sailing on and adapting to the strange waves and breezes of life in Manila. Stephenson captures this — or at least one of his main characters, American code writer Randy Waterhouse, understands it as he wanders around the perimeters of Intramuros, Quiapo and Roxas Boulevard with his GPS receiver, locating the densest pockets of humanity so that he and his business partner, Avi, can corner the market on… information.”
Fast forward to 2022, and the “contradictory strangeness of Philippine life” might be even more pronounced. After all, Bonifacio Global City itself is in a bubble — a high-tech and sustainable oasis surrounded by less-developed areas of the megalopolis.
The future is being born in the Philippines, as shown in this weeklong celebration of blockchain gaming, NFTs, esports, DeFi, and cryptocurrency. Yet much of the country remains mired in the past, along with a majority of Filipinos. Which is why play-to-earn became a godsend to many in this emerging economy in the first place.
You might think that the spectacular collapse of FTX might have put a damper on the Philippine Web3 Festival, but if anything, the different industry stakeholders seem to remain bullish and fervent in the belief that web3 can be a force for good.
That Filipinos will not only be able to adapt to these disruptions, but also thrive and lead the way to the promised land in web3. Lifting not only themselves up, but also others.
In my case, I have found my ikigai championing crypto for creators, blockchain for good, and web3 for a better world.
By taking care of the technology and infrastructure, including providing a robust set of APIs, Playfix lets developers focus on what they do best: making fun games and delighting their players.
Not only is Playfix empowering game developers, but also potentially changing the lives of millions of gamers, especially those in emerging economies.
I’m grateful to represent Playfix at the Philippine Web3 Festival, where I am moderating the panel “Getting from Zero to One in Gaming”.
I’m looking forward to a great discussion with the speakers, Enjinstarter CEO and Co-Founder Prakash Somusundran, Afante Studios CEO and Founder James Afante, and Playgroundzero.io CEO and Co-Founder Janze de Guzman.
The future is already here. We just have to work together to bring it to more people.
