Passing by Toledo City on my way to Lamac, Pinamungahan last week, one can’t miss the giant tarpaulin of Mayor John “Sonny” Osmeña welcoming visitors to the southwestern city. Toledo City is a vote-rich, second class city with more than 103,000 voters. By Mayor Sonny Osmeña’s reckoning, Toledo City will go Rodrigo “Rody” Duterte in the May 9 elections.
As I surveyed the wharf area, where we stopped to drop off a friend en route to San Carlos City, I felt as if Duterte’s recent sortie last April 3 was still fresh because it was reportedly one of the biggest “miting de avances” seen in Toledo in recent times.
Sonny gave the presidential front runner a warm welcome by holding a press conference and helping organize a pro-Duterte rally in the Toledo City Parola. This development raised a lot of eyebrows because Sonny had earlier pledged to support United Nationalist Alliance UNA presidential bet Jejomar Binay. The veteran politician was quick to say he is still committed to Binay but emphasized he won’t impose on his supporters if they wish to support Duterte.
Political leaders exercise their power like a psychological whiplash that nobody dares defy the command of the top honcho. At 81, perhaps Sonny no longer has the energy to whip his supporters to toe the line, or is he simply saying that the world has changed, that voters now can no longer be swayed?
I attribute this radical change to digital technology which has democratized education and given the people the power to control what type of information they want to consume.
In the past, people depended only on mainstream media (newspapers, radio and broadcast television) for information and news analysis. People living in urban areas used to read newspapers coupled with broadcast information from radio and TV newscasts and commentaries.
Not anymore; digital technology has empowered people in ways that even mainstream media needs to make adjustments because their audiences now have digital tools to publish and distribute the news in real time.
* * *
The world has changed.
I said this during the training program for cooperatives in reference to the impact of new media technologies that have impacted on lifestyles and business.
Held under the auspices of Lamac Multipurpose Cooperative, the highly successful and diversified co-op based in Barangay Lamac, the 3-day training program attracted 32 participants from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, eager to hear the overview of new media and how to leverage social media in cooperatives.
“Harnessing the Power of Cooperatives in Social Media” is a breakthrough training program for self-help organizations that have yet to fully embrace the power of digital media in raising awareness and inspiring people to action.
Leveraging new media in cooperatives, using social media as tool for human development kept participants on their toes throughout the three-day seminar. But it was the heartfelt talk of Lamac MPC Ellen Limocon that topped the technical presentation and which left the participants rethinking the direction of their respective cooperatives.
Heartfelt thanks to resource persons and fellow journalists Eileen Mangubat, Mildred Galarpe, Vic Kintanar and communications expert Maria Cristita Lopez for helping make this training program happen.
Yesterday, I had the rare privilege to meet guests from the Manila Archdiocese who visited CCTN Channel 47 President Nonito “Tatay Dodong” Limchua.
Fr. Jojo Buenafe and Fr. Roy Bellen are executives of TV Maria, the national Catholic television channel owned by a foundation under the guidance of the Manila Archdiocese. There are current moves to energize the programming of TV Maria and program executives are looking at partnerships with other Catholic television stations outside the capital city by integrating local programs with Manila-produced shows.
For starters, Tatay Dodong’s “Dear Tatay” and “Paghigmata”, two values-based telenovelas, are most likely to be shown this year in the national Catholic TV station. If plans gel, the co-op advocacy show, “Co-op TV” will also debut this year in Manila.
Disclaimer: The comments uploaded on this site do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of management and owner of Cebudailynews. We reserve the right to exclude comments that we deem to be inconsistent with our editorial standards.
