by Monchito Nocon
The unique and potent Filipino character of bayanihan – that is, the spirit of communal unity and cooperation, the root word being bayan meaning nation or town – is very much alive and well, even in a world where cynicism and pessimism seemingly pervades our daily existence. And while indeed the times have changed, we have the advent of technology to thank for transporting this time-honored manifestation of volunteerism to this age of social media, virality, retweets, reposts, likes, shares and hashtags.
And never has this inspiring phenomenon been most heartfelt – and made manifest – than during that life altering moment in 2012 when a powerful habagat (southwest monsoon) with typhoon-like intensity struck the Philippines, and the hashtags #RescuePH, #ReliefPH, and #FloodsPH – spearheaded by an intrepid and concerned bunch of netizens— came to the fore.
The date was August 2012. The presence of Typhoon Haikui caused the forming of a habagat, resulting in heavy rains, massive flooding, and millions of lives and properties lost across Regions I, III, IV-A, IV-B, XII, and Metro Manila in the Philippines, all of which were placed under a state of calamity. As the harrowing events began unfolding in real time, as the frenzied influx of reports–calls for rescue and assistance—began inundating social media, the need to effectively sort and collate all the incoming information became imperative and essential. Driven by a sense of urgency and coupled with the learnings from when Typhoon Ondoy (Ketsana) ravaged the country in 2009, a team of netizens – led by Ros Juan, Tonyo Cruz, and JP Loh—immediately swung into action.
In an article that appeared in the Philippine Daily Inquirer following the aftermath, Ros recounts, “There was a need for all of us to be able to access vital and relevant information. There was so much going on Twitter, all happening at a rapid panicky rate that we needed to make sense of it.” Immediately, Ros posted on Twitter calling for the need to compile all the info on how to help and how to get help, closing her tweet with the question, “Is there a hashtag?”
Somebody had suggested #RescuePH, and no sooner, word spread and it caught on, with all media outlets and the government agencies concerned (such as the NDRRMC and the Presidential Communications Group) coming to a clear consensus in adapting it. Two other hashtags, this time #ReliefPH for those in need of relief operations and #FloodsPH for monitoring flooded areas, were also rolled out and utilized. “The three hashtags attempt to make sense out of the tweets,” shared Tonyo Cruz in the same Inquirer piece. “Look at #ReliefPH if you want to donate or volunteer. Monitor or post using #RescuePH if you need to be saved. Then #FloodsPH for updates on flooded streets.”
Once all the hashtags were properly in place, bayanihan then shifted into high gear: over a dozen active netizens of different backgrounds, a number members of #TweetupMNL, stepped up to the plate and volunteered to serve as editors of all the information streaming in, working in organized shifts round the clock. From there, they then realized the need for making all the data coming in available to the public at large. Websites were immediately launched towards this end: rescuePH.com and reliefPH.com, both of which, it’s worth noting, are still up to this day. Another group of volunteers, this time from Google, offered their programming and mapping skills to the cause. Google maps where one could easily identify the areas that were flooded or the places where calls for rescue were in dire need, the info all crowd sourced via an honesty system, proved to be of invaluable help to rescuers and most especially to distraught friends and kin.
By harnessing the sheer power of social media and through the collective desire to help, the group was able to reach out and tap other netizens who had the expertise they needed, kind souls who, heretofore, had not known each other personally.
And while one hopes that another disaster of large proportions will not hit us again especially after Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan), the effects of climate change and the fact that the Philippines is perennially typhoon-prone is a reality that we must contend with and face. But if and when it does happen, we can be sure that the indomitable spirit of the Filipino will shine through, and our kababayans will once again come to the aid of those in need – wholeheartedly and selflessly – technology and hashtag at hand. Without a doubt, bayanihan lives!
