Wearables for all
Imagine a future where cutting-edge technology isn't just a luxury—it's a seamless part of everyday life for every Filipino. Welcome to the world of accessible wearables, where innovation meets affordability, opening doors to endless possibilities. Here's a glimpse into what awaits:
In this future, almost every Filipino can afford to have a wearable device of their own—a sleek and stylish smartwatch that's more than just a fashion statement. With your favorite wearable by your side, financial transactions become a breeze, as your cards seamlessly sync with your device, transforming the way you pay and purchase.
But the benefits of wearables extend far beyond convenience—they're also the key to unlocking a healthier, happier lifestyle. Picture vibrant communities of Filipinos embracing the power of wearables to sustain healthy habits and active living. With gamified elements woven into every step, from tracking daily activity to converting steps into perks, staying motivated to move becomes second nature.
With rings that track your every move and options to earn rewards for achieving fitness goals, wearables become more than just gadgets—they're your trusted companions on the journey to better health and wellness. And the best part? These devices are accessible to all, ensuring that every Filipino can experience the transformative power of wearable technology.
So, step into a world where wearables redefine what's possible, empowering Filipinos of all walks of life to live their best lives. From seamless financial transactions to a gamified approach to fitness, the future of wearables in the Philippines is bright, bold, and boundless.
You can easily pay for your fare in modernized jeepneys. Simply connect your card to your smartwatch, then tap the attached payment processor. Then, you're good to go!
Similar to Singapore, the Philippine government is experimenting with giving free Fitbits to Filipinos. The data from these Fitbits would then inform the government's health & wellness programs.
Kenneth, a rider for a motorycycle-hailing app, often livestreams and vlogs while working with the help of his smart glasses.
Selected Quotes
...[C]entralizing payment, such as something like a Beep card, and put it in every Public Utility Vehicle, even if it's just a tricycle; we could integrate [the] Beep card so that it wouldn't be hassle [to pay]. That Beep card can be replaced with credit card too, like in Singapore, you can replace the Beep card just by tapping the credit card. And then since you can use a credit card, you can use your Apple Watch, like using wearable technologies for payments, because you're able to link credit cards. So the Philippines is super behind there...we aren't able to use wearable tech to do any financial transaction; even buying rubber shoes or fruits would be super convenient if you could just do that.
I would say [an AI that can help with something like] diets...what people consume on a day-to-day basis. .That's on the wellness side. [Aside from that], what activities I should do. Given a goal, let's say I want to gain weight and then I have these symptoms [and] preferences...what recommended activities and foods should I consume? Yeah, it would be cool if there's an app for it, or maybe there is right now. I'm just not sure. And then, integrating that with wearable technologies, like Apple Watch and Apple Health. The gamified tracking, like the rings, really helped me keep up [my level of activity] in a day-to-day basis; [for example], I was able to walk for one hour. So gamifying [those] well-being activities really motivated me to improve my life...I guess it [could also serve as a] symptom tracker...whenever I get sick, what the fuck should I do? [Something] that's not like WebMD; WebMD will just tell you: "Oh my god, I have cancer." I feel like it's too much information overload. So it would be cool if there's an assistant who can recommend what steps I should do that isn't too drastic...
...Apple Watches, I don't have one myself… they are pretty expensive compared to other devices and other watches, but they do give this benefit of being able to monitor your health, seeing if you're gonna have any problems, and my dream is that should be available for all, maybe not in the premium way that...[an] Apple Watch does. Tech is here to, again, improve the human experience, and it should be able to help in your longevity and prevent you from getting sick or having these issues that could have been solved if tech was just used properly.
For transport and health, I really want to see a proper information system...like an app. In other countries, they have apps. It has your national identity, but it's like this one system that makes a lot of things really accessible to you. In Singapore kasi, they have this thing where like the government really wants the citizens to be fit, kasi it's primarily because Singapore is a state that's just one city, right? So they need their human labor to be okay. That's kind of like a blunt way of putting it. But also, it's kind of nice that the government cares for their citizens to be fit. During the pandemic, I learned this from a family friend who lives there: when we visited, they told me what it was like. Apparently the Singaporean government gave citizens a Fitbit and for example, you reach 10,000 steps in a day. That gives you credit, and you can convert it to shopping or transportation discounts, things like that. I just found it interesting na they were able to track that as well. I think in a perfect world, like in new health and wellness, it would be taking into consideration people’s mobility.
