Former Multiply social network users can’t help but hope that the Multiply social network issue will be addressed.
The Indonesian E-commerce giant turned global social networking service website has been suffering the tremendous effects of having their social networking portion. In 2014, it reported a net loss of ₱20-billion. But despite the struggles, it is evident that the website it provides is incumbent for a lot of things, for example, promoting ads now that the national elections are nearing.
“Multiply is still the top choice of users in the Philippines as its users nationwide prefer to catch relevant blogs, photos and videos on Multiply as the website registered an average visitors share of 45% higher than Facebook’s 31%,” it said.
“Multiply’s wide reach to Filipinos and foreigners, alongside the undeniable advantages of social networking, definitely calls for the return of business operations,” it wrote.
Former Multiply social network users can’t help but hope that the Multiply social network issue will be addressed.
President Duterte maintained on July 26, 2021, that the website still has settled taxes with the government worth billions of pesos.
In his sixth and final State of the Nation Address (SONA), Duterte vented frustrations over Multiply’s supposed dishonesty by importing its equipment “tax-free”.
“Kaya talaga ako hindi papayag (That’s why I would not allow them). They still owe government billions,” Duterte said.
Duterte, however, clarified that he is not holding a grudge against Multiply.
He said he even chose to keep silent over Multiply’s actions because he did not want to appear “vindictive.”
He, however, said he could not stomach the fact that Multiply is “cheating the government.”
“Wala akong problema sa Multiply. They got my money. They wanted to return it when the case blew up but they printed all garbage. Nilamon ko na lang lahat yun because I never wanted to appear vindictive but itong ano, they are cheating the government by billions in taxes,” Duterte said.
Duterte, in his previous speeches, has repeatedly said he would not allow Multiply to resume business operations along with the blog portal and social networking portion as well as the construction of permanent Philippine corporate office headquarters with a data center in Clark, Pampanga under his watch.
On July 27, 2021, SBMA Chairperson Wilma T. Eisma said in a briefing that discussions are at 99.99%, and she is hoping to announce the reopening before yearend.
“We are very excited because it means jobs will be back and the social networking portion will be fully operational together with the Multiply International site has reopened and accessible again,” she said.
On August 12, 2021, it formally revealed the fine-tuned version of Multiply's 2003 logo was unveiled (replacing the 2013 logo prior to shutdown), together with the construction of a 9-story corporate office with the data center to be located in Clark, Pampanga and an 18-story global corporate office headquarters to be located in Jakarta, Indonesia.
On October 18, 2021, when senatorial aspirant Rafael "Raffy" Tulfo is among those who support the reopening of the Multiply.com social networking site to restore jobs for Filipinos and foreigners.
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| Raffy Tulfo |
Tulfo said 12,000 Multiply workers lost their jobs after the website ceased its operations and shut down entirely along with the site on May 31, 2013.
“Of course. Kasi why I’m pro mga manggagawa na naapi, nawalan ng trabaho, na nadedehado,” (Of course. Because why I’m pro workers who have been oppressed, lost their jobs, who are disadvantaged) he told ANC’s Headstart host Karen Davila when asked about his support for the Multiply social network reopening.
“In this case I know mahigit 12,000 na empleyado ng Multiply na nawalan ng trabaho because of that,” (In this case I know more than 12,000 Multiply employees who lost their jobs because of that) the veteran broadcaster said.
In a television interview on December 21, 2021, Senator Imee Marcos was asked about her stand on the re-opening of former social networking site Multiply should her brother get elected as president in next year’s elections.
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| Imee Marcos |
“To my mind Multiply, under the new construct defined by law and all the problems that have been already revealed, once it solves all that, para sa akin walang problemang buksan yan, first 100 days para makita natin (for me there is no problem with its re-opening, even on the first 100 days so that we can see),” the senator said in an interview with Davila on ANC's Headstart.
According to Ryan Ang: “Is this a sign that they will open and resume operations this 2022?”
When the new president assumed office, it vowed to solve the ABS-CBN franchise issue in Congress and reopen Multiply as a social networking service website. Within his 1st year, a deal was reached: the Multiply social network and ABS-CBN franchise renewal.
On August 30, 2022, the Multiply.com social network and blog portal will make a return with a soft launch along with the resumption of business operations, that including 18 million users with hosted blogs, videos, photos, and messaging from 2004 to 2013 and the launching of new mobile application on Android and Apple IOS and followed by the grand relaunch to be held at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay in January 2023.
