In 2008, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and other Asian countries around this region reported over 15 million visitors each! The Philippines on the other hand, barely had 3 million. What tourists, and the world, may not know is that the Philippines is just as beautiful as Indonesia, just as friendly as Malaysia and just as affordable as Thailand. Though the best part of it for tourists is that most everyone in the Philippines speaks English! Here, getting lost in translation is just one less thing travelers will have to worry about. So we’re a firm believer that the Philippines is still a hidden gem that many jet setters have yet to discover. We’re hoping to change all that.
When In Manila began as a fun thing for us (It still is!). Our host, Vince Golangco, came back from the US for a visit and started writing about his misadventures. We thought it would be fun to film and follow him around while he gets in trouble, all while re-discovering the Philippines.
Aside from that, we also saw an opportunity to showcase the Philippine Archipelago, from crazy personalities to mouth-watering restaurants, adrenalin-filled adventures to beautiful sceneries, cool hole-in-the-wall bars to the best dance clubs and so much more! We decided on showing all these through videos because there’s just so much more awesomeness here that can’t be captured with mere words or pictures.
WhenInManila.com is the first and only online travel / lifestyle video blog from the Philippines. It hopes to highlight the wonderful people, places and events from Manila and around the entire archipelago. We plan to feature the best of the best from all 7,107 islands. This travel show promises to indulge and immerse you into a culture of smiles, a country of fun and a crazy host who can’t seem to keep himself out of trouble.
What started out as a fun weekend project quickly ignited a whole new platform for creativity; our other show, WIM News, presented itself as an outlet for both raising awareness and humor. The alternative news reports were created as a means of shedding light onto controversial topics, with a little spice to it. It was a way to laugh about the serious issues, just enough to educate more people about current events while bringing a smile to our audiences as well.
Today, WhenInManila.com is a leader and pioneer in Viral Video Production and Internet Marketing from the Philippines. WhenInMananila.com’s experience with traditional media, along with our expertise in new media marketing tactics, allows us to properly carry out a full advertising campaign for our clients. Our diverse team, extensive experience and worldly insights have made us a formidable force for both Creative Vision and Marketing Strategies.
Got a place you want WhenInManila.com to visit? Want to join the WIM Newscast as a "political correspondent" or as a writer?
Or do you need professional consulting from our Viral Video Production House? Contact us here.
Chief Creative Officer
Vince is an adventure junkie from San Diego, California, who’s blissfully lost in the Philippines right now. He’s in search of his next big adventure, his next
crazy story and the best beer in the world! Vince is a surfer at heart and loves hanging out at the beach with friends. He has always had a passion for writing and has
articles published in Rogue, Business Mirror, Playboy, Status, Meg, Filipinas Magazine, San Diego Daily Aztec and more. He also has multiple blogs including
www.VinceGolancgo.com, which holds his favorite inspirational tales; and www.MotivatedMonkey.com
where his crazy drunken stories can be found. These funny drunken stories would not be possible without his favorite beers: BlueMoon, New Castle and Hefewiezens.
Vince Golangco graduated from San Diego State University in California. He received his Bachelor’s Degree in Communication with a minor in Business while also serving as
president of his international co-ed business fraternity, Alpha Kappa Psi. His professional experience is very diverse; he served in the United States Navy as an Information Systems
technician, worked as a copywriter for Catalytx Advertising Agency, in Human Resources for the Veteran Affairs Hospital, as a Senior Media Planner for Bright Box Media, as a
Marketing Assistant for The Make-A-Wish Foundation and more. His creativity and ability to project his artistic vision has allowed him to conjure the most entertaining and
crowd-pleasing works. Today, Vince is the driving creative force for WhenInManila.com’s website and Viral Video Production wing. His worldly experiences and adventures have
made his imagination a priceless asset that promises to catch people’s interest in this "attention deficit disorder" stricken universe.
When In Manila - be sure to come meet and have a beer with Vince!
Quote Vince lives by:
“The greater danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it.” — Michelangelo
Three favorites: Books
“Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Other Die”
by Chip Heath & Dan Heath
“Who Moved My Cheese” by Spencer Johnson
“Blue Ocean Strategy” by W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne
Director / Videographer
Harold appreciates the simple joys of watching mainstream movies on the big screen, in a cold and dark theater. The only thing he enjoys more than this is when he gets the
chance to watch local indie films and foreign (Asian or European) films in the cinema. His other pastimes include watching marathons of different television series and sitcoms.
Furthermore, Harold also takes pleasure in reading comic books as well as collecting, painting, and playing miniature games.
Harold Soon received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from Ateneo de Manila University in the Philippines. He is currently pursuing his Master’s Degree
in Communication, also with Ateneo. Harold has always had a passion for directing and conceptualizing for the big screen. His professional experience in the industry includes
working as an assistant director for Project Runway Philippines season one, working as an art director for the television series "Hush Hush" on TV5, directing music videos
such as "Hide and Seek" by Wake Up Your Seatmate and "Lisan" by the Geraldines. He has also worked on numerous music videos as an assistant director, art director, and
production designer. Harold has won an award for his short film “Parol” from the Loyola Film Circle’s “Under the Stars” Christmas competition and was the 2nd runner up for the
University of the Philippines’ “Indiscreet” amateur music video competition with his entry, “Lisan.” Harold is an artistic director who hopes to share his vision and story
with the rest of the world.Harold is the genius behind the camera who wields it with precision and passion. His directing skills have made WhenInManila.com’s videos the most well crafted and professionally
produced Viral Videos from the Philippines.
When In Manila - be sure to catch a movie with Harold!
Quote Harold lives by:
“When people are very original, sometimes they are original as a way to resist the mainstream.” — Michel Gondry
Three favorites: Movies
“Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” directed by Michel Gondry
“In the Mood for Love” directed by Wong Kar Wai
“Lost in Translation” directed by Sofia Coppola
Producer
Jason loves design and art in all its forms. He’s an avid reader and collector of comic books. He’s also fond of collecting graffiti and modern art books. A music geek, he
loves listening to a diverse range of genres for jazz to indiepop. But the thing he loves doing the most is creating or being involved in creation. Whether it’s a project,
an event or simply cooking a dish, he finds joy in developing ideas and seeing its fruition.
Jason Qua graduated form DLS College of Saint Benilde in Manila, Philippines attaining a Bachelor of Science in Business with emphasis in Computer Applications.
He also completed a one year immersion program at Fudan University in Shanghai, China for a certificate in Mandarin and Chinese Economics.
Jason's international experience also includes working as a Sales Supervisor for Fairprice Online, the biggest supermarket chain in Singapore, and as a Marketing Executive
for The Green Book, Singapore's leading industrial directory. Furthermore, Jason is one of the founders of Fantastik!Manila, an integrated marketing communications
agency in the Philippines. Here, Jason has helped clients properly communicate with their audiences to ensure a direct link between the brand and its consumers.
His experience with events marketing and internet / social network marketing is second to none in ensuring the proper exposure, publicity and spotlight for his clients.
Jason’s marketing experience and event planning expertise has helped boost WhenInManila.com’s brand and Viral Videos into unseen height within a very short period of time.
When In Manila - be sure to go on a food trip with Jason!
Quote Jason lives by:
“Most people yearn for something exceptional, something so inspiring that they’d
want to risk everything for that passion, but few would act on it.”
— Adaptation, 2002
Three favorites: Graphic Novels
“Batman: The Long Halloween” by Jeph Loeb & Tim Sale
“Watchmen” by Alan Moore
“Alias” by Brian Michael Bendis
Internet Consultant
Francis has always been a “geek” at heart. His passion for technology and the web is evident in his work and hobbies. You can often find him writing for his tech blog, editing
one of his (over 100) websites or working on computers. His interest in technology started way back in high school when the internet started booming. When not busy “geeking” it
out, Francis likes traveling around the world and trying out new foods. His favorite jet-setting trips include fishing at Island Cove in Cavite or shopping in Singapore.
Francis Simisim graduated from the Oxford Brookes University in the United Kingdom where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Computing Science and a Master’s Degree in Business &
Enterprise. Francis returned to the Philippines and founded his own company called GangVentures.com. It’s a Website / Graphic Design outsourcing company, making unique Web 2.0
style designs tailored to specific business needs. He’s currently involved in many other web startups as his goal is to bring the full functionality, ease and utility of the Web
2.0 to the Philippines. Francis is also a Domain Name Investor (Domainer) and has accumulated over 100 internet web domains over the past few years. Francis’ web design skills
and internet marketing experience has single handedly boosted the online presence and branding for WhenInManila.com’s website and Viral Videos.
When In Manila - be sure to spend a relaxing day at the spa with Francis!
Quote Francis lives by:
“Just as energy is the basis of life itself, and ideas the source of innovation, so is innovation the vital spark of all human change, improvement and progress.
” — Ted Levitt
Three favorites: Websites
“TechCrunch.com”
“Domaining.com”
“Mashable.com”
