By Lawrence Casiraya INQUIRER.net
Two former business executives in the United States have started a website that aims to become a "global village" for fellow Filipinos on the Internet.
Called Barangay.ph (barangay is the smallest unit of government in the Philippines), the site was put up by the husband-and-wife team of Jonno and Nanette Alcaro.
"We felt a strong desire to give something back to our fellow Filipinos," Alcaro said, when asked in a phone interview about how the idea for Barangay.ph came about.
As the name implies, the site is designed around "buildings" typically found in a barangay or village including a bank, church, hospital and even a library.
These buildings, each with their own unique content, aim to provide a platform for Filipinos from all over the world to exchange ideas and information online.
The library, for example, will provide resources such as Filipino newspapers from around the world, dictionaries and articles about culture and heritage.
"Ideally, every user would be a content provider," Alcaro said.
The site currently contains ads from Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) and other Ayala-owned firms.
Alcantara said the site will rely on the online advertising model and likewise targets advertisers abroad catering to Filipino communities.
Unlike most e-commerce sites, Barangay.ph also aims to become both a content provider and an online marketplace for Filipino merchants or sellers.
Alcaro added there are plans to include social networking tools like blogs and chatrooms in the site.
"We aim to have as many as 20 buildings in the next two years," he said. "Picture a place on the Web where you can do anything from buying Wowowee tickets to doing research about the Philippines."
Alcaro, who is CEO of Barangay.ph, helped started and later sold Yellowpages.com in the US.
His wife Nanette is a former marketing director of luxury hotels including The Peninsula New York and Hotel Bel-Air Los Angeles.
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