Makati, Pasig are ‘selfie’ capitals

MANILA, Philippines - Makati and Pasig cities are the “selfie capitals of the world,” based on TIME magazine’s database of more than 400,000 Instagram photos.

“An examination of hundreds of thousands of selfies – the low-fi, self-shot photographs that are intensely popular among younger social media users – suggests that the city, part of metropolitan Manila and home to 500,000 people, produces more selfies per capita than any other city in the world,” an article posted on TIME’s website yesterday stated.

There were a combined 258 selfie takers in the two cities for every 100,000 people, according to TIME.

“Makati City, known as the financial center of the Philippines, can now boast another distinction: It is the Selfie Capital of the World,” TIME editor Chris Wilson said.

Cebu City ranked 9th with 99 selfie-takers per 100,000 people.

The other cities in the world that made it to the top 10 are Manhattan (2nd), Miami (3rd), Anaheim and Santa Ana (4th), Petaling Jaya in Malaysia (5th), Tel Aviv in Israel (6th) Manchester (7th), Milan (8th), George Town in Malaysia (10th).

Other Philippine cities in the list are Baguio (16th), Quezon City (59th) Iloilo (72nd), Davao (103rd), Cagayan de Oro (114th), Bacolod (119th) and Zamboanga (251st).

‘Not surprising’

Makati City government spokesman Joey Salgado said it is not surprising that the city is tagged as selfie capital of the world along with Pasig City.

“On work days, you can find over three million cell phone-equipped office employees, shoppers and visitors in Makati,” he said.

“The city, especially the central business district also has a lot of wi-fi hotspots so it is easy to upload selfies. Makati also has a lot to offer by way of interesting and safe places to visit for dining and entertainment, events and well-known personalities that one bumps into everyday. Perfect for those selfies,” he added.  â€“With Mike Frialde