1997: Internet Commerce Expo

The WS Expositions Group organizes the Internet Commerce Expo in September 1997.  This shows that Internet commerce deserves its own events.

The ATM network Bancnet operates an ISP for its member banks.  This made use of the existing connections between the Bancnet system and its members.

1998: San Miguel Draft Beer

San Miguel Draft Beer goes online. This is the first full e-commerce site operating from the Philippines.  The proponents were World Port (an Internet services consulting firm), IBM, San Miguel Coporation, nd Equitable Card Network; with the support of Intelligent Wave Philippines, and Infocom Technologies Incorporated; working with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the E-Commerce Promotion Council of the Philippines (ECPC).  This showed that the Philippines is capable of facilitating online commerce.

San Miguel Draft Beer in 1999

1999: Auction

Auction sites flourish, following the trend in the US, with popular services such as eBay.  These include eAuctions.ph, which closed and reopened as Avalon.ph; PinoyAuctions, which was acquired by ABS-CBN and merged with PinoyCentral; and Bidshot, which offers SMS-based bidding.  These make use of a C2C (Consumer to Consumer) model where the buyers and sellers transact directly and the website merely facilitates the meeting of the two.

E-store also began its e-commerce store operations.

Bidshot in 2009

2001: PhilDAC

Various developments heated up the issue over the PH domain.  The group opposed the dotPH and Joel Disini organized PhilDAC (Philippine Domain Authority Convenors). dotPH president Jose Emmanuel Disini sues Fernando Contreras, Jr., president of PISO (Philippine Internet Service Organization) and ISP Inter.net.

2001: Prosperity.com

Prosperity.com is found guilty of selling and distributing securities user an illegal pyramid scheme.  It was selling expensive websites.  During this time, Multi-level Marketing (MLM) schemes became popular on the Internet. 

2001: Yahoo Computer Services

Yahoo Computer Services, a local company, loses yahoo.com.ph to Yahoo! Inc.  This is the first time a Philippine company enters into a domain dispute with a foreign corporation and a well-known Internet brand.  This shows that the scope of the well-known Internet names is global, and Internet companies are concerned about misuse of their name even for local domains.

2003: PLDT Cyber Madness

PLDT offers the Cyber Madness promo. It partners with dealers to offer computers on an installment basis when tied up with a dial up or DSL broadband subscription.  This expands their consumer base beyond customers who already have PC´s, and aim to improve the low domestic PC penetration which hurts Internet expansion.

To this date low credit penetration due to low income is a barrier to e-commerce adaptation. Traditionally, Internet commerce systems ave been dependent on credit cards. Fraud concerns also stop people from using their cards on local sites.

PLDT in 2009

2003: Online Fraud

Online merchants outside the counter block transactions originating from the Philippines and some other countries.  This measure is intended to prevent credit card fraud by blocking customers en masse, instead of addressing fraud on a case-to-case basis.  One merchant with this policy is the domain registrar GoDaddy.com, which now blocks IP connections from the Philippines.  Their blocking strategy affected local domain owners who used them to register domains.  The Philippines is known among merchants to ave high incidence of online fraud.

GoDaddy.com in 1999

2000: B2B Business Exchanges

B2B Business Exchanges started operating, to offer services for corporate buyers and sellers.  These include Bayantrade, formed by a consortium of large companies; SourcePilipinas, from the Yapster group; B2B Price Now; and PhilBX (Philippine Internet Business Exchange) from the SSI group.  These systems allow companies to achieve savings and increase efficiency by bidding and procuring online.  Since the companies involved have existing relationships, this avoids the B2C (Business to Consumer) problem of Philippine e-commerce where payment systems are not well developed.

Bayantrade in 2000

2000: The E-Commerce Law (Republic Act 8792)

The E-Commerce Law - Republic Act 8792, was signed into law on june 14, 2000.  It has a scope much wider than the "e-commerce" in its name, as it also covers digital signatures and "hacking" activities.  The salient features of the E-Commerce Law are listed here: http://www.digitalfilipino.com/writing_article.cfm?id=19

E-commerce Law - Republic Act 8792

1989: PH Domain

Jose Emmanuel "Joel" Disini administers the PH domain, the top level domain for the Philippines.  He obtained the rights from then-administrator of the global DNS services, Dr. Jon Postel.  He operates an e-mail service called the E-Mail Company.

This was formally assigned to him in 1990.

More info here.