Empowerment Technology: ROLE OF ICT IN MILLION PEOPLE MARCH

The so-called Million People March was the first of an ongoing series of protests in the Philippines calling for the total abolition of the Pork Barrel fund, triggered by public anger over the Priority Development Assistance Fund scam. Initial calls circulated through social media (mainly on Facebook and Twitter) to convene a protest on August 26, 2013 at Luneta Park in Manila as well as other cities nationwide and overseas. Some media commentators consider this as the first ever massive rally in the Philippines called and organised mostly through social media channels.

Using the power of social media they are inviting the people to join the protest for the pork barrel fund mess to be stopped. Their Facebook status says ” what we need is a MILLION PEOPLE MARCH by struggling Filipino taxpayers- a day of protest by the silent majority that would demand all politicians and government officials to stop pocketing our taxes borne out from our hard works by means of this pork barrel scams and other creative criminal acts.”

ICT has almost become the platform of change because the protest is mostly organized through social media channels. Through this millennial tool, Filipinos, once again showed their love for their country and for the people who works hard for their living that pays their taxes veraciously yet some government officials or NGO’s won’t do the same thing and pockets the money of their countrymen. As time goes by, social medial will always be a part of our great history because no matter what the situation is, Filipinos will surely fight for what is right, cry for what is just and tussle for what is best for our country by the means of everything.

On the day of the protest itself, the hashtags used by the coordinating group #MillionPeopleMarch and #ScrapPork reportedly trended first in the Philippines to show widespread support for the cause and that a large number of people monitoring the event.