The Silent Revolution: Philippines Social Media During COVID-19
Kynesha Robles
The Philippines is among the 213 countries vastly affected by the coronavirus. As of April 29, 2020, the country reached 8,212 cases. Amid the global pandemic, Filipinos took to social media to highlight their frustration with the national government’s slow reaction to the crisis.
With the nationwide lockdown implemented by the government, the virus is somewhat controlled. Fear, however, is still contagious. Residents are quarantined, and only supermarkets and pharmacies are open. Streets are empty, frontliners are overworked, and food supplies are valued more than ever. But it is not the health risks that incite fear as Filipinos are trying to find a new normal; it is the political agendas and the government’s incapacity that still push through despite the pandemic.
In the Philippines, the quarantine or lockdown is burdensome. In 2018, 16.6% of Filipinos live below the national poverty line. The fear of the pandemic is intensified in these people as they do not make enough money to sustain and protect themselves and their families through the crisis. The government’s helping hand falls short in providing them with necessities and protection.
As the pandemic becomes more political, the national government and their incapacity are deemed more menacing than the virus itself. Streets are empty, as citizens are fined or threatened with violence to stay inside. Even those who ask the government for help and food are arrested, regardless of their cries for help and grumbling stomachs. Police and military authorities’ use of unnecessary force and violence on lockdown-violators fueled the public’s anger. Medical and health professionals are overworked but are not properly compensated. In addition to saving lives and working long shifts, they complain of the shortage of personal protective gear. With the healthcare system overwhelmed by the pandemic, here are now more than a thousand cases of infected medical frontliners as the government denied earlier this year the need to act against the virus. Food supplies are hoarded and saved, but only by the privileged. The government provided cash subsidies to poor families, weeks after the lockdown was officially implemented. The national lockdown has been extended twice since it was first implemented, and mass testing across the country is still yet to be done.
In the past, Filipinos were often silenced. The mindset to settle with okay is widespread. Those who chose to close their eyes to injustice are relatively greater than those who chose to speak up against it. But in the time of social media, when news and information are easily accessed, more people are aware and are actively attentive to what is happening.
Social media is more than just filtered travel pictures and thoughts put into 280-character words. It provides Filipinos with a platform for their voice to be heard, to speak for those who cannot speak, and to rally inside their own homes. The oppressed and unprivileged are fought for, and those seated in power are now pushed to be accountable: politicians and celebrities who practice privilege and entitlement are called out, transparency of the nation’s plans and budget is demanded, and the government’s wrongdoings are questioned and corrected. Filipinos started a silent, bloodless, and modernized revolution with tags such as #MedikalHindiMilitar (more medical solutions, not military takeovers), #BigasHindiBala (rice, not bullets), #TulongHindiKulong (help for the less-privileged, not imprisonment), and #MassTestingPH, all of which went viral.
Social media also allowed Filipinos to give credit where it is due. Local government units of some cities and provinces are applauded for their selfless service and innovative ideas to aid the community. Celebrities, influencers, and brands who use their platforms for fundraising activities and spreading awareness and verified news updates are admired for speaking up.
Apathy is also condemned: The word “privilege” is not used as an insult but is rather used to call people into action. People remind each other that their opinions hold power, and if it is used right and if it speaks for the oppressed, it is an opinion worth having.
The nation feels as if they are under a trial-and-error process: in which the government will first see how the public reacts and will then proceed according to the feedback of their actions. But social media is still media. What other people labeled as “ranting” and “complaining” online help push the government into action, knowing that the governed demand more.
The global pandemic served as a wake-up call to many Filipinos. It set a precedent for aspiring leaders of the young generation: which footsteps of politicians and public officials they should follow. The crisis also pointed out those who have genuine leadership and service. It was also a wake-up call to those in power already: preparations and vigilance for the next natural disaster, proper compensation for nurses and other service jobs, and more support for the field of research.
SOURCES:
https://psa.gov.ph/poverty-press-releases/nid/144752
https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019
https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2020/4/8/COVID-19-response-money-trail.html