Shopee faces backlash over endorsement in the Philippines

Shopee, one of the leading ecommerce platforms in Southeast Asia, has been caught in a social media storm in the Philippines.

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According to various local media reports, users took to platforms like Twitter and Facebook to call on others to uninstall and delete the app after the company chose Filipino celebrity Toni Gonzaga as its latest brand ambassador.

Shopee appears to have sparked the ire of users who questioned how it has money to hire Gonzaga even as it recently announced layoffs in the country. Some Shopee merchants also spoke out on social media, threatening to leave the platform as a result of Gozaga’s endorsement.

Aside from being a showbiz personality, Gonzaga is known for being a vocal supporter of current Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, which appears to be another point of contention among users.

An email sent to Shopee by Tech in Asia remained unanswered.

The Sea Group-owned company officially announced the onboarding of Gonzaga as its ambassador on Thursday, according to The Philippine Star.

In a statement to another local newspaper, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Shopee said the celebrity was chosen for her “mass appeal” and not her “political leanings.”

The call to boycott Shopee could benefit competitor Lazada, with several people saying they will switch to the latter.

Shopee has triggered a wave of layoffs across several of its markets to achieve “self-sufficiency.” Apart from cutting jobs in Indonesia and Latin America, the ecommerce player recently reduced its headcount in the Philippines, Taiwan, and Malaysia.

See also: Making sense of Shopee’s layoffs