Shopee, the Amazon of Southeast Asia, is facing a boycott in the Philippines over its brand ambassador.
The ecommcerce giant appointed Filipina singer, actress, and vlogger to be brand ambassadors. The return of the one of the country's most notorious political parties is a result of President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.'s election victory. Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s father was a dictator who tortured political opponents.
The calls to boycott Shopee began after the appointment of the man. The #byeshopee and #boycottshopee were both used in the Philippines.
Some people began posting that they were going to switch to another platform.
—Jovel (@vojzvojz) September 28, 2022
Shopee has hired a highly paid, politically divisive celebrity as its brand ambassador. The mass layoffs at Shopee that affected thousands of employees across Southeast Asia is a factor in the divisiveness of his appointment.
—Gerry Cacanindin (@GerryCacanindin) September 28, 2022
Shopee told Insider that the recent round of layoffs were part of the company's efforts to achieve self-sufficiency.
A representative of Shopee Philippines told the Inquirer that Gonzaga was chosen for her mass appeal and not for her political leanings.
Exactly a year after raising $6 billion through the sale of equity and bonds, Shopee laid off employees. It was the largest amount of money raised in Southeast Asia.
Forrest Li was born in Singapore and founded Shopee. The brand launched in seven markets in Southeast Asia. Li is the CEO of Sea, a company that owns a gaming unit called Garena and is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
They did not respond to Insider's requests.
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