By Carlo S. Ople
I was just reading the latest articles on the recently concluded Anti Con-Ass rally on Inquirer.Net. According to the police, this rally had the lowest turnout, around 6,000 based on their estimates.
The organizers, on the other hand, claim that they had 13,000-15,000 warm bodies. You got to ask yourself the question: despite all the outrage this issue has generated, why only 15,000 people went to the streets?
I’m sure there are varied reasons but at the end of the day the measurement of success for events like this is the number of participants. Sadly 15,000 is not representative of the majority of the Filipino people and can easily be dismissed by the politicians pushing for Con Ass.
However, the good news is that on the Internet, we have almost double the number of the people who went to the rally sign up on the “Stop Con Ass Now” cause on Facebook. As of this writing, there are almost 28,000 sign-ups on the cause.
With that in mind, I came up with this short article explaining the strengths of Cyberactivism and why it should be taken seriously not just by the proponents, but also by politicians and organizers who want to provide a platform for the citizens to be part of a cause.
Physical Rallies can be Inconvenient
Let’s face it, life these days is hard. Missing a day of work means a salary deduction or a lost vacation/sick leave. The reality is a lot of Filipinos will not “pay” to be part of a rally by missing work. I think this was the biggest hurdle a lot of office workers had to face in Makati when they wanted to join the rally last night. This was the sentiment of several colleagues I have here in the office.
Rallies also need a convergence point. You physically have to be in one spot on a specific time to be able to make the effort count. This literally makes the rally limited since those who are outside of Manila, especially those in Visayas and Mindanao, cannot participate because they won’t buy a plane ticket and fly all the way here to protest Con Ass.
Virtual Rallies, on the other hand, are completely the opposite. All you need to have to be part of it is to have access to the Internet. The good thing these days is that there are more than 10,000+ Internet cafes spread all over the Philippines and most of them charge very reasonable and affordable rates.
There are a few cafes in Davao that charge as low as P5/hour. By going to the worldwide web, you transcend the inconveniences brought about by physical rallies. You’re still counted and your part of the movement without having to spend that much time, resources, and effort.
Physical Rallies end when they’re finished
This, I think, is the biggest weakness of physical rallies. When the crowd disperses, the event ends, especially if there were only a few or an average number of attendees. Other succeeding rallies are usually treated as separate efforts and they don’t really all add up in terms of metrics.
And that I think is one of the strongest qualities of Virtual Rallies. The moment a person joins, he’s in it for the long haul. The count is cumulative regardless of the time and space. As long as the website is up and running, people will be counted. That’s the reason why the Facebook Cause against Con Ass is already nearing 30,000 sign-ups. Imagine if we give it more time? That number will continue to grow and eventually might even end up more than 100,000.
What is more effective in pushing for a cause? An unsure attendance of 6,000-15,000 in a rally in Makati or a virtual representation of more than 100,000?
Organizers of the Anti Con Ass Campaign should really take Cyberactivism seriously. Given the right firepower, the Facebook approach might actually be more effective in the long run.
Carlo Ople is the main author of New Media Philippines (http://newmedia.com.ph), a blog that aims to help Filipinos maximize and realize the potential of New Media. Apart from being a blogger, Carlo also serves as a Marketing Manager for one of the leading online gaming companies in the Philippines. He is also a freelance digital marketing consultant and has worked with various politicians and business owners expand their reach and influence through the use of social media. Read more about him at New Media Philippines (http://newmedia.com.ph)
19 Feedbacks on "Virtual Rallies and Cyberactivism vs Con Ass"
Cyb3rSpAc3
tama un bro… mga poltiko tanga minsan… kala nila kesyo natahimik lang ang taong bayan oklang … wag nila kme hamunin… baka makatikim sila ng hinahanp nila… they are there to represent the people not themselves alone…. nagigibng puppet na mga un eh… asan ba ang nationalism sa gingwa nila… mas pabor pa ata sila sa mga balak ng amerika eh…. pls check out if the politicians are involved in masonry and illuminati groups and for sure that would explain it… hope i have given my part as a filipino for my beloved nation… more power to responsible media.. God bless
No To Con Ass Rally at Makati | A Filipina Mom Blogger
[...] Carlo Ople agrees with me that physical rallies end when they are finished. This, I think, is the biggest weakness of physical rallies. When the crowd disperses, the event ends, especially if there were only a few or an average number of attendees. Other succeeding rallies are usually treated as separate efforts and they don’t really all add up in terms of metrics. [...]
kioko
soo true!! and besides.. there’s a very big chance that you might get hurt in a real life rallies ^^
anton
So, how exactly will virtual rallies stop Charter Change and eventually force GMA to step down?
dax
You make valid points about the virtual rally. However, you also failed to give your readers a better perspective.
About 28,000 signed-up for the cause in Facebook. That might seem bigger than the 6,000 warm bodies that physically went to the venue.
Yet, you forgot to mention that there are 2,243,960 Filipinos are on Facebook. That is just about 1% of the total Facebook population in the Philippines. Since you stress that there is no barrier to joining an online rally, it means the silent majority (98%) which did not sign up for the cause agreed for ConAss.
We can therefore conclude that majority of Filipinos are for ConAss and not against it.
George Ocampo
Yes, indeed, more people responded to the Con-Ass in the cyberspace. In fact, I first saw the news about it through a Youtube posted at Maharlikan Times website.
Here’s the link: http://www.maharlikantimes.com
schoolsph
you can see the banner of con ass at the right side..
Homar
this only goes to show that many filipinos are not apathetic. even those who are tech-savvy, working in comfortable air-conditioned offices are also socially aware as can be proven by the participation of many in cyber rallies. i do agree that online socio-political participation is more convenient but i think it is weaker compared to a physical rally. online rallies can also be easily faked by simply signing up several times.
Cesar
Ralloes are no longer effective because the people leading them are just as bulok as those in power.
Cris Alimonsurin
With all due respect to each one of us. Please allow me to express that I’m a Pro Con-Ass. Each of us have our reasons why and we should respect. If we have a different views we are free to express but i hope the respect should not be omitted. Mabuhay po tayong lahat. Lahat tayo hangad ang tagumpay ng ating bansa.
Dor
I’m sorry but this article rings hollow to me. The author has totally misunderstood what “activism” stands for (be it cyber or otherwise). Cyberactivism as this article puts it, is a lot like wanting to play basketball for excercise only that you’re doing it on Xbox rather than on a real court.
Activism is about visibility, about getting media coverage to put your message across. You can blog all your time away and converge all you tens-of-thousands-of-cyberactivist-onto-one-facebook-account and you will still not be able to get half a sentece of your message mentioned on any media outlet. Not only that, but didn’t you stop to think for a moment that you can never get your message past the like-minded 10,000 who have signed up on the same facebook account? So how on earth can you ever hope to convince others to join your cause, let alone initiate change? Now, compare that to a sizeable “physical” rally of real (not cyber) activists whose slogans, banners and speeches resonates across whole population.
I suspect that the reason why people go “cyberactivising” (if there’s such a word) is to placate their conscience - they genuinely want change but can’t seem to spare the time necessary to go out and fight for it in a physical sense.
Tell you what guys, its not gonna work. So get yourselves out there the next time a rally is mounted. I’ll tell you there’s nothing like the real mccoy. For one the sense fullfillment will be absolutely electric, the pride you feel second to none. And if eventually you find that “real” activism is not to your liking, at least you wouldn’t be spending the rest of your life wondering how the real thing actually felt like.
Michael
Agreed with Homer, online polls can easily be faked, unlike rallies which requires physical attendance. Even if a person that attends a rally is just being paid to go there, still its one citizen of country. I think Filipinos have learned from their experiences that not all rallies should be attended.
Lordy
I’d like to believe that the one that started the FB anti con-ass cause was present in the Makati rally. Just like any media, cyber-based activism is but an ALTERNATIVE form of informing the people and redressing grievances to whoever it may concern. But as a REPLACEMENT, well, warm bodies still count. Yes it gained much popularity and following, but at the current system of pushing for a cause or interest, a collective and nominal indignation is still the best option to pressure the government. it is easy for us to undermine rallies without thinking that we are enjoying the fruits of freedom, that is availing of FB or hi-tech gadgets, thru a people’s revolution. that is to say that people power in warm bodies is still the way to go. the more ideal option is to join rallies with your laptop and broadband with you.
sjsanjuan
The real import of online participation is information sharing. But to make it a substitute for collective action on the ground is misguided, and downright irresponsible.
We cannot pit one form over the other. I believe that both complement each other, and must go hand-in-hand. Online activism spreads information, and it is used as a tool to educate. Physical presence through rallies and other forms of collective action consolidates the people, even those without internet access, to demand changes in government.
patrick
i don’t know if i will fully agree with cesar. But i certainly think he has a point. I hate the current administration. Never liked it. Kay erap an alang ako mag tatyaga,. mag nanakaw siguro si erap pero ang nag bebenipisyo mga mahihirap. si gloria sya lang. Anyway, ang nakakainis sa mga nag rarally na mga kababayan natin tulad ng KMU, Bayan, Gabriella, etc ay ang pag rally halos araw araw, kahit anong issue ipinag lalaban kahit di naman karapat dapat. May mga bagay din na magandang nagawa si Gloria, tulad ng pag papa breast implant. HAHAHA> di lang sya nag benifit doon. Si Syempre si FG. I mean im sure its not everyday masama ang nangyayari. Sa tingin ko bigyan natin ng tsansa ang mga KMU or bayan maupo bilang presidente. pag hindi nila naayos ang bayan natin pwede ho bang tigilan na natin ang mga rally rally na yan kung hindi naman talaga kinakailangan. Tumulong tayo sa ating bayan.Pano? tigilan na natin ang mga pag aalsa na wala sa panahon at sa rason. Kung Si Ka Satur kaya ang presidente? o si teddy casino? mag rarally pa ba kayo? perpekto ba ang mga taong ito? may mga nalalaman ba to sa Ekonomiya? Magaling bang Leader sila? o magaling na maninira ng bayan? Di ako galit sa mga taong ito. Gusto kong may lumalaban para sa demokrasya. Pero sana po bawasan na natin ito pag katapos ni Gloria. MAg tulungan tayo kung gusto ninyong umasenso ang ating bayan. Hindi po ibang tao ang kinakalaban natin. Mag kakababayan po tayo lahat. GLORIA lumayas ka na po. Kung ano man ang ninakaw mo sayo na yan. Hwag mo na lang dagdagan pls.
FG ang Diyos na po ang bahala sayo. Di naman ikaw mapa tunayan kahit may ebidensya at hawak mo po ata lahat. Salamat po sainyo at kay gloria. Nakita na natin an bawal tumiwala sa maliit. Si Gloria parang sili. mas maliit mas maanghang.
Paki usap ko lang kalimutan na natin si Gloria at ang kanyang mga kasalanan. Tama na po yan. Ang importante maka bangon tayo at mag tulungan.
benign0
Has anyone bothered to ask what the Opposition is offering as an alternative to the current state of affairs? Are the Opposition opposing a situation? Or are they merely opposing a personality?
There is a big difference between the two. If the only thing on offer is someone else, well, I think we’ve seen that proposition often enough to be a bit cynical about whether anything different will come about whatever the Opposition delivers. What has so far been lacking is an alternative WAY. There is nothing in the slogans and platitudes mouthed by Oppositions and anyone who attends these “rallies” that remotely resembles a WAY FORWARD.
So the issue here is not really about what rally is held, how it is held, or where it is held. The issue is whether any REAL THINKING underpins the current “activism” we see today.
iyo karpo
Cyberactivism is not as effective as text messaging which was used against Erap.
Cyberactivism only reveals how wide the existing Digital Divide between haves and the the have-nots in this country.
Considering that the World Wide Web is now 15 years old, is Cyberactivism such a new thing?
Or are we just 15 years behind?
Eterio
This virtual rallies had a valid point, this is the main reason of why Senator Trillanes won an election without campaigning for his position while he was and still in Jail, besides pilipinos nowadays is much more practical than during peoples power peaceful revolution with the real Hero Cory Aquino, not chavit singson the hero of edsa2, it needs a virtual presidential candidate who can really pinpoint what political platform issue that needs urgent attention to win the presidency position, the former president Erap uses his eradication rehabilitation against poverty, what i can suggest is real income support for the unemployed whom are now around nine million pilipinos who are really suffering, while PGMA can afford to dine in america for a million pesos, who is really paying this.
lette
“Has anyone bothered to ask what the Opposition is offering as an alternative to the current state of affairs? Are the Opposition opposing a situation? Or are they merely opposing a personality?”
that’s a good point to bring up–been actually wondering that myself. I’d like to hear what the alternative will be — although i can’t say much good about the current government, i am wondering about the alternatives.it would be nice to have this enlightened by the opposition.
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