The power of social media

“The tweet is mightier than the sword,” Citizen advocate Jane Uymatiao pointed out in her presentation during the Social Good Summit (SGS) on Saturday, September 22. Speaking before a select group of 50 in the morning panel, Pipol Power Institute executive director Niña Terol Zialcita also pointed out that netizens have become “super citizens” online, able to help disaster-stricken countrymen or criticize politicians who are credit-grabbers. As such, netizens should be protected by a Magna Carta that will protect their rights and provide for self-regulation. In the second panel, Communications Undersecretary Manolo Quezon III said netizens can lobby for amendments to the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012. For his part, Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez pointed out in the afternoon session that the power of social media lies in its ability to “validate” or “invalidate personal conviction.” The SGS was organized by Rappler and TweetUpMNL.

Read the full story on Rappler. 

A Rappler story on Communications Undersecretary Manolo Quezon’s take on the Cybercrime Law is available here. 

Another story on social media’s ‘real power’ as stressed by Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez is here. 

A related story about journalists’ take on social media is also on Rappler.