From swipe to spark: 5 first-date ideas that’ll make a lasting impression

 

Before a couple gets to the other “firsts” of a relationship—first hug, first kiss, first time to say “I love you”—there’s the first date, a milestone that could determine the course of a budding romance. A first date is a chance to get to know each other better, establish a connection, observe how a potential partner treats people and behaves in public. 

Where the first date happens is just as crucial. You want the noise level down so you can carry a conversation, but not too quiet that it makes silence awkward. Places of interest are a fun way to bond, but they shouldn’t take the focus away from your date.  

Viber Dating, the latest feature of the superapp Rakuten Viber for safe and private dating, pitches these possible first-date venues to break the ice and warm up to your possible love match.  

Let art lead the way. Visit Pinto Art Museum, home to the celebrated collection of paintings, sculptures, and primitive art. Discuss the thought-provoking pieces by Elmer Borlongan, Mark Justiniani, Geraldine Javier, and Emmanuel Garibay—or shoot amazing photographs yourselves. With its structures reminiscent of Pueblo revival architecture, the complex lends a romantic backdrop for couples to connect over shared appreciation for beauty and creativity.

Create your dreamy Venetian moment. You don’t have to go all the way to Venice to experience an enchanting gondola ride. Just head over to Venice Grand Canal Mall and get a chance to enjoy a quiet moment to get to know your date better and simply enjoy each other’s company in a romantic setting. 

Savor good food together. Spend the day eating your way through Binondo, Manila, an old-world destination for commerce that has become a trendy (and affordable!) food crawl for authentic Chinese cuisine. Share a generous serving of lumpia from New Po Heng Lumpia House, split an order of Cantonese mami from Masuki, and don’t forget to bring home hopia from Eng Bee Tin. 

Unleash your inner child. If you want something out of the box, why not engage in a friendly competition at SuperPark McKinley Hill? Let loose at this dynamic space filled with trampoline zones, climbing walls, obstacle courses, and games that naturally break the ice and reveal your playful sides. It’s an opportunity to see your date's energy, sense of humor, and how they handle a little friendly rivalry!  

Have a paw-some time. Do you both love furry friends? Pounce Café by Pet Butler Manila has all the elements of a wholesome first date: board and card games, yummy coffee and snacks, and the company of cute dogs and cats. Or make a meaningful difference together by spending a day volunteering at animal welfare shelters around Metro Manila that lets you see your date’s nurturing side in a truly authentic way. 

Good news to all Viber Dating users! Rakuten Viber has partnered with property giant Megaworld Lifestyle Malls in making your first date extra memorable. Viber Dating users who match on the platform can get free two-hour access to SuperPark McKinley Hill or a 15-minute romantic gondola ride experience at the Venice Grand Canal, McKinley Hill. These exclusive offers are available from May 5 to 30, 5:30PM-7:30PM on weekdays only. Make sure to check out the Rakuten Viber PH Channel for the complete mechanics. 

Found a match? Make the connection count with a fun, well-thought-out first date that’ll set the stage for something even more special. Sign up for Viber Dating now for free via https://vb.me/viberdating_superparkxgondola. 

4 diyahe online dating encounters and how to avoid them

Dating in 2025 can be very interesting! As you know, the thrill of swiping right can quickly turn into your most diyahe moment—the moment you spot a familiar face you’d rather avoid like your tito’s longtime business partner or your kababata who’s basically like family. Some potential matches are better left in the void. 

Don’t worry, swipers! Viber Dating, a fresh way to meet people safely, is here to save you from cringe-worthy encounters with its new Hide Contacts feature–because sometimes, it’s just all about popping that balloon and curating your dating pool. 

Here are some strange encounters that’ll make Hide Contacts a godsend:

• When the feed is starting to look like a family reunion. Seeing a cousin, an in-law, or any relative in your dating feed is nakakaloka! Family gatherings are awkward enough as they are, dating app run-ins would turn them into a full-blown cringe-fest. Imagine explaining that to your grandma.

• When potential matches eerily resemble your daily work approval queue. Office romances? Messy. Office breakups? HR nightmares. Throw in clients, suppliers, and contractors, and you’ll have a full-blown corporate scandal disguised as a love life. Hard pass.

• When opening your app takes you back to the past. Even if you and your ex are cool, dating their friend, particularly a close one, should be a no-go. Think about their hangouts! You’re one’s ex and the other’s new date all rolled into one! Dinner parties just got a whole lot more awkward. 

• When regulars at your family events make it to your feed. Imagine matching with your sibling’s bestie like your brother’s childhood mate! Just no. For the sake of family harmony, skip this one. You definitely don’t want your sibling to lose a friend over a disastrous dating app match.

It’s precisely these cringe-inducing scenarios that underscore Viber Dating’s keen understanding of what Filipinos truly desire in a dating app. It takes user control to the next level with the new Hide Contacts feature, offering even greater privacy and flexibility. With that, you can now hide profiles on discovery and flag numbers from your contact list.

So how quick and easy is it to banish those deal-breakers from your match list? 

• Head to your Profile Settings and tap “Hide Contacts”.

• Pick the contacts you want to hide from your contact list by tapping “Hide”.

• Got a specific name in mind? Use the search bar and hide them with a click.

• And, you’re ready to swipe with confidence!

Viber Dating will also launch a ‘Hide All Contacts’ feature soon, which will let you conveniently hide your entire contact list (as long as your contacts are less than a thousand!) in one go.

In the near future, Viber Dating will go even further, giving you the ultimate power move: hiding entire groups and hiding unsaved contacts from chats, which will soon be available to all users. Yes, even those lurking in your family and work group chats! It is the first dating platform to give you this kind of power. Plus, you’re given total control, with the ability to continuously update your ‘do not match’ list as new group chat members pop up. 

Launched first in the Philippines in February, Viber Dating provides Filipinos with a safe and private platform to find their match. Key features include hidden phone numbers, machine and human moderators, and a separate dating profile to keep dating activities private from main Viber connections. 

And now with the latest Hide Contact feature that lets you dodge all those awkward online dating encounters, Viber Dating empowers you to find that safe and genuine connection you deserve on your own terms. Sign up for Viber Dating today for free via https://vb.me/viberdating_hidecontactspr.  

Sell and ship more: Rakuten Viber partners with SPX Express for free shipping services

Rakuten Viber champions small businesses anew as it offers limited time nationwide free shipping services through its partnership with fast and reliable logistics provider SPX Express. Micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSME) that use Viber to engage their customers can now offer free deliveries for their online transactions. 

To enjoy the exclusive deal, MSMEs must create a Viber Business Profile via vb.me/vibersmbaccountxspx_pr and an SPX Express account through spx.ph/interest-form. Type “Rakuten Viber” in the “Where did you hear about us” section, and complete all the steps to automatically receive free shipping privileges from SPX Express. Rakuten Viber and SPX Express are offering up to 4,000 free total deliveries, and the redemption of the offer is limited until vouchers last.

Viber first introduced the Viber Business Accounts for small businesses in the Philippines in 2023. The superapp recently revealed it noted 194% increase in Business Accounts opened by small business owners in 2024, underlining how Viber provided Filipino MSMEs with a platform for customer discovery and engagement. 

Rakuten Viber shares that the partnership with SPX Express reflects how free and fast shipping remains a crucial purchasing decision for online customers and should be a key part of MSMEs’ business operations. 

“Two years after we’ve launched the Viber Business Accounts for small businesses in the Philippines, we hope to expand and enhance this toolkit in 2025 to support more MSMEs, which collectively play a major role in the economic growth of local communities and the entire country,” says David Tse, Senior Director for Asia Pacific at Rakuten Viber. “MSMEs can count on Rakuten Viber as a superapp that provides them with the tools and features that support and enhance their business transactions.” 

"At SPX, we remain committed to enhancing our services to support the growth of local MSMEs as they expand their digital commerce capabilities and grow their customer base nationwide," said Martin Yu, Head of SPX Express Philippines. "This partnership with Rakuten Viber enables us to further our mission of empowering local businesses through reliable and efficient delivery services."

Free Shipping is for limited redemption only, so sign up now for a Viber Business Profile today and offer your customers hassle-free, cost-effective SPX Express shipping!

Skip the scams, not the sparks: Rakuten Viber launches Viber Dating in the Philippines First

 Sure, there are plenty of fish in the sea, but finding The One can be a long and winding journey. In today's online dating world, it’s a minefield of scams and catfishing. What’s more, most dating apps keep you stuck in a loop of swipes that rarely go anywhere, because they make money as long as you use them — ouch!

It’s time to ditch this fishy business with Rakuten Viber. The super app trusted for fostering meaningful connections on a secure platform now offers Viber Dating, a new in-app feature that helps Filipinos meet real people and make real connections. Starting Valentine’s Day, Viber Dating is officially available in the Philippines, making Viber the first-ever communications app to offer an innovative and moderated dating solution. This gives Filipinos a safe and secure way to find their match or simply meet new friends, and then continue to build lasting relationships in the same app.

When it comes to online dating, many people are concerned about engaging in bots and fake profiles, or falling for scams —  and rightfully so. In a survey by Pew Research Center, only 48% of U.S. adults say that online dating is a very or somewhat safe way to meet people. In fact, 52% of those who have used dating sites and apps say they have come across someone they think was trying to scam them. The same is true for many Filipinos, as a 2024 report by global information solutions provider TransUnion has revealed that the digital fraud rate in Filipino dating platforms and other online communities is at 18%, which is much higher than the global average of 11.5%.

With Viber Dating, users can finally feel confident when looking for connections online, as protecting their users’ privacy has always been an essential and paramount part of Rakuten Viber’s mission from the start. This strict commitment is extended to Viber Dating by following stringent measures:  

• Profile verification: Only verified Viber users can create profiles. Every Viber Dating user is real and registered with their mobile number.

• Hidden phone numbers: Your phone number remains completely hidden, ensuring that no personal contact information is ever shared during your dating experience unless you choose to share it.

• Moderation techniques include machine and human moderators, for a positive experience for all. 

• Separate chats: Your dating profile is separate from your main Viber account, keeping your dating activity private from your primary connections.

As a trusted name in communication for over a decade, Viber has been facilitating secure and safe communication for new couples for years, especially during the second stage of dating—after they’ve met and moved away from using dating apps. Viber now fixes the first stage of dating too: enabling people to find meaningful connections. Unlike other dating apps, when you meet someone special through Viber Dating, you can smoothly transition to Viber’s main app, where you can keep the conversation going and continue building your connection in a secure and private space. Here, all private 1:1 chats and calls as well as private group calls are end-to-end encrypted by default, and messages are never stored in Viber’s servers once delivered.

Viber also understands that you may want to keep your dating life private. That’s why your dating profile will be strictly separate from your primary Viber account, and will only be visible to other Viber Dating users. Your main Viber connections will never know or be notified when you are signing up to and using the dating feature nor see your dating-related conversations and activities. Viber Dating is accessible in a separate tab from your Chats. 

David Tse, Senior Director at Rakuten Viber APAC, shares that Viber Dating was developed after a series of focus groups with Viber users revealed that people want genuine connections with real people and high-quality matches, but were very concerned about keeping their identities private and under their control until they feel comfortable enough to reveal it. “Viber’s mission as a super app is to create safe and trusted connections, and this extends to the dating world, providing users with much-needed peace of mind,” says Tse. “Given these measures, we hope we can further protect our users from fake profiles and love scams.”  

As a very first step, simply create a profile with your dating preferences — it’s totally free. You are encouraged to add photos and share a quick bio about yourself, including your hobbies and interests. After creating your profile, Viber shows you potential matches based on your preferences, and you can swipe left or right if you are interested or not. If both of you are interested in each other, you will be matched, and this unlocks the opportunity to chat only within the Viber Dating platform—again, separate from your regular private and group chats. To enhance the dating experience, premium features like Who Liked Me are already available in the Philippines. These features will roll out globally and be joined by more in the coming months.

“Viber has been built to create meaningful and secure connections for our users, and we’re excited to now extend this commitment to the world of dating. For many, online fraud has taken the joy out of meeting new people, while the frustration of being stuck with expensive apps that leave them feeling trapped and single continues to grow. As a super app, we are here to break this cycle and bring back the excitement of real connections with real people,” emphasizes Tse. 

Finding genuine connections online doesn’t have to be a tale of endless trial and error. Date with confidence and peace of mind. Date Safer with Viber Dating on Rakuten Viber!

Sign up for Viber Dating now for free (https://vb.me/ViberDatingPH_CreateAProfile_PR). Viber Dating will be introduced in other countries soon. 

Rakuten Viber amps up stan life with the return of Backstage Pass Live!

 Big fan of Filipino music? Rakuten Viber is serving up an eclectic and electrifying lineup of proudly homegrown acts as it celebrates the growing Backstage Pass community with a free gig! Now in its second year, Backstage Pass Live is heading to Manila at the hip Brooklyn Warehouse on November 15 with your favorite artists—from P-pop icons Josh Cullen of SB19 and KAIA to popular indie bands The Juans and One Click Straight to dreamy pop-R&B star jikamarie. 

Mark your calendars as starting October 1, you can get a chance to score free tickets to the intimate event through the Backstage Pass Chatbot. Simply open Viber’s Backstage Pass Channel and tap the bot icon (the one with two dots) on the upper right corner to opt in to the Chatbot. Click the WIN BACKSTAGE PASS LIVE TICKETS button to join the daily raffle giveaway until November 10.

The event’s lineup promises a thrilling mix of genres and talents. Fans can look forward to P-pop royalty SB19’s lead rapper and vocalist Josh Cullen, whose captivating blend of EDM, pop, and hip-hop in his solo debut single Wild Tonight looks to mesmerize both diehard A’TIN and new fans alike. Fast rising dynamic girl group KAIA will also take the stage with fierce anthems to get the audience grooving, showcasing their lineup of relatable yet uplifting pop hits.

Pop-rock act The Juans, known for their emotionally resonant hugot anthems will kick off the performances with powerful tracks that transform heartache into healing. One Click Straight offers a smooth blend of indie rock and synth-pop, delivering an emotionally charged sound that fuses pop-punk energy with electronic beats. Rounding out the lineup is jikamarie, who recently opened for British rock icon Coldplay and will treat audiences to an ethereal mix of R&B and dream pop, including her viral hit Lutang.

Backstage Pass Live’s first gig was in 2023. It’s meant to translate the Backstage Pass Channel experience into an in-person event and give music lovers a space to band together and experience their ults’ music in an intimate setting. The first-ever Backstage Pass Live featured the nation’s girl group BINI, acclaimed rock singer juan karlos, rising hip-hop act PLAYERTWO, and folk-pop ensemble Sugarcane. 

Launched in 2021, the Backstage Pass Channel lets fans stay in the loop for their favorite artists by sharing never-before-seen content and exclusive updates directly in their Rakuten Viber chat. Now with over 1.79 million followers, the Channel gives fans access to concert updates, exclusive giveaways, ticket discounts, and even the chance to chat with the artists themselves.

Get closer to your ults IRL and amp up your stan life with Pinoy music’s most promising acts, as Rakuten Viber presents Backstage Pass Live at Brooklyn Warehouse on November 15! Secure your tickets now via Backstage Pass Channel.

Your 9-5 productivity hacks—all within Rakuten Viber

 

Who here hasn’t been greeted by a barrage of urgent messages from the boss and an endless to-do list at some point in their working lives? Well, we know the drill of getting caught up in the whirlwind of digital chaos, hooked to our phones to avoid missing crucial work-related notifs. It’s overwhelming and it’s probably going to make us cry, but we still have to be productive—Taylor’s right, it’s an art.

Rakuten Viber is the work friend we’ve been looking for all along. The leading communications app is here to lighten our loads and brighten our moods with a suite of productivity-enhancing features designed to ensure we’re on top of all our tasks and keep us organized, so we get the job done and have more free time in our hands.

Say goodbye to Scattered Thoughts and hello to Organization with My Notes. A favorite among many Viber users including small business owners, this long-standing feature seamlessly syncs across all devices to keep important messages, notes, and reminders in one organized space, whether it’s an important invoice from a client or a crucial file from a supervisor. Once done, click the message to check it off and hide it from the current list. Creating reminders is also a breeze with My Notes, simply right-click on a message and set the date and time.

Viber is offering more to help you stay organized—keep your chats less cluttered and avoid the dread of accidentally sending for-bestie-only messages to the wrong person aka your manager or colleague with Folders. It effortlessly sets digital boundaries between your personal and work lives by organizing chats based on categories like topics or groups—it’s perfect for that secret work group chat! Click on the ‘✎Folder’ tab or go to More > Manage folders to create a folder and pick a name or even an emoji for your reference. You can create up to 5 folders and the ‘All’ tab then lets you see everything in one glance.

Viber has also taken its suite of productivity tools to the realm of artificial intelligence or AI, featuring a new tech innovation designed to make chatting more efficient. For quick TLDR updates of all your work chats, the AI Chat Summarizer leverages ChatGPT technology to distill essential information from unread messages into a concise and easy-to-read summary.

Viber users including small business owners have also lauded the app’s productivity features for bringing order to their chats. “The Folders feature makes it easy for me to find clients and helps me separate my private life and work,” says Aldrin Lim of Conspire Foods. “I also like that it helps me communicate faster because time is money after all.”

Jenina Cruz Rabago, a subscriber to the Backstage Pass channel, credits Viber with making it easier to remember what’s important, “I used My Notes to store important messages, particularly work-related to-do lists. If I needed to jot down something quickly, I’d just instinctively open My Notes. It’s just quicker and simpler.”

As a superapp, Viber aims to simplify the lives of its users so they can focus more on the things that matter most to them and ultimately help them achieve work-life balance. “Filipinos nowadays are juggling multiple roles, from the mom running a bakeshop to the dad who has his own online store,” explains David Tse, Senior Director for APAC at Rakuten Viber. “We realize that these multitaskers need all the help they can get. Our suite of productivity tools streamlines daily conversations and enhances work life or business journey. Helping our users make the most of their day is part of our mission as a superapp that Filipinos rely on every day.”

Download the Rakuten Viber app now and enjoy all its productivity tools that let you get things done between 9-5, all in one convenient superapp.