Continuing the momentum that began a few years ago, YouTube today reaffirmed its undeniable position as the “new TV” in the Philippines. It has achieved this by driving not only national reach but also deep engagement in provincial regions and areas outside Metro Manila, where digital adoption continues to accelerate.

YouTube is solidifying its position as the “new TV” of Filipinos

A 2025 survey by Kantar shows that 88% of Filipinos in rural Visayas and Mindanao watch YouTube content daily, underscoring the platform’s extensive reach. This growing engagement also extends to internet-connected TVs, where YouTube views have quadrupled between 2020 and 2024.

YouTube isn’t just leading in nationwide reach and engagement—it’s also the most trusted. Data from Kantar shows that 90% of Filipino viewers say YouTube has the most trusted creators and content, surpassing the 77% average across Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.

Driving ad effectiveness and superior ROI

Because of the benefits of streaming trusted content on YouTube, Filipinos are able to achieve a “flow state” on the platform—a focused, engaged mindset where they process information more effectively, respond positively to content, and are more likely to make purchase decisions.

This gives brands a distinct advantage. Kantar’s findings reveal that viewers in the Philippines rank YouTube as the #1 platform for the best ad experience, outperforming competitors including Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.

As a result, more advertisers have turned to YouTube to effectively reach and engage their consumers, netting a higher return on investment in their campaigns compared to competing social media platforms.

Reach and trust that lead to business impact and ROI

One evidence of YouTube’s impact on both advertisers and its Filipino viewing audience was that of vitamin supplement brand Myra E under UL Skin Sciences, Inc., the personal care business unit of UL Health Group, a subsidiary under UNILAB.

Myra leveraged YouTube and its advertising platform, especially through regional efforts outside Metro Manila, to drive and influence national business growth. Myra’s efforts resulted in a 2% increase in the nationwide usage of its supplements, with a 5% rise in usage in the Visayas and a 7% increase in its market share in the region.

“What makes me proud is how the Philippines’ digital economy continues to accelerate even in rural areas—with YouTube at the center of this shift. Just as TV once defined advertising, YouTube is now the new TV: where trusted creators thrive, culture is shaped, and brands drive measurable impact. It consistently delivers stronger ROI than traditional TV and other digital platforms, making it not just a video destination but a true growth engine for advertisers,” said Prep Palacios, Country Manager for Google Philippines.

Celebrating marketing excellence at the YouTube Works Awards Philippines 2025

As YouTube solidified itself further as the platform of choice for video-based marketing, the industry honored the best of the best in this field at this year’s YouTube Works Awards.

Selected by a distinguished panel of industry experts, these winning campaigns showcase a new creative playbook based on multi-format storytelling, authentic brand-creator collaboration, and a full-funnel approach that transforms engagement into long-term business impact.

They exemplify how brands masterfully connected with audiences, drove exceptional results on the platform, and effectively leveraged YouTube’s unique ecosystem to achieve meaningful business results while creating resonant content that captivated the hearts of Filipino consumers.

Here’s the full list of local winners at the YouTube Works Awards Philippines:

• Best of Philippines – Grab: Summer
• Multiformat Storytelling – Grab: Summer
• Masters of Media – GCash: GSafeTayo: Entertainingly Serious
• Best of Festive – Nido 3+: Love Is Not a Word, It’s an Act

The industry’s best ad agencies of the year in the Philippines were also honored and recognized during the ceremony. The first-ever winners of the Philippines’ agencies of the year are:

• Media Agency of the Year: Openmind
• Creative Agency of the Year: GIGIL
• Specialty Agency of the Year: Nerve

GCash makes Southeast Asia history

A historic win went to GCash, the first-ever brand from the Philippines to win at the SEA stage of the YouTube Works Awards. With their GSafeTayo: Entertainingly Serious campaign, they effectively communicated a serious advocacy through the lens of humor, which helped land an important message of cybersecurity and vigilance.

GSafeTayo was launched at the height of SMS spoofing scams that affected over 600,000 Filipinos in 2024. GCash partnered with YouTube to deliver a powerful multiformat campaign anchored by a 40-second video featuring “Tita Marnie,” whose meme-worthy reaction to nearly falling for a scam made the issue both relatable and memorable.

The campaign was further strengthened by a three-part exposé uncovering how scammers exploit telco infrastructure and educating users on how to stay protected.

“We’ve always known that to combat the very serious threat of cybercrime, we needed a creative approach that would truly resonate with Filipinos. By using humor and relatability on YouTube, a platform that would enable us to reach so many Filipinos, we were able to turn a critical message about cybersecurity into something memorable and impactful,” said GCash Chief Marketing Officer, Neil Trinidad

By celebrating the best work in the industry and introducing cutting-edge tools to help brands reach and engage their consumers even further, YouTube reinforced its role as the go-to platform for brands in the Philippines looking to connect with people, drive tangible results, and shape the next generation of storytellers and marketers.

This is a press release. Minor edits have been made by the 8List.ph editorial team.