#iPHLGood

Nowadays, we rarely think what we post on the internet. Our social media accounts become our personal diaries and these thoughts are instantly shared with everyone. We are not aware of the consequences of our words, and with the looming Cyber Crime Act, it is only apt to have events like this.

Last September 22, we attended the Social Good Summit at Asian Institute of Management organized by @Rapplerdotcom, @TweetUpMNL and @Mashable. It is a global event that discussed the promise to do social good in Social Media. With a wide array of topics from various speakers, we knew we were in for a show!

We were only able to attend the afternoon session which kicked off with Department of Tourism Secretary, Mr. Mon Jimenez. Being the man behind the hit tourism campaign “It’s More Fun in the Philippines”, he and his team used Social Media to spread nationalism in a modern way. The campaign was evidently successful with more than 75,000 memes, and a huge increase from 8 million local trips in 2008, to 29.5 million in 2011!

Secretary Jimenez was followed by Communications Secretary Ricky Carandang, who talked about the correlation of Social Media and the government. He presented how the Official Gazette of the Republic of thePhilippines, which was first produced in 1906, is now available online. Hecited other examples of exceptional service in Social Media like the Twitter account of MMDA, the site of PAGASA and Project Noah, and the President’sFacebook Fan Page – proving how efficient our government is online.

From how the government utilizes Social Media todoing social good in corporations, Mr. Mon Isberto, Smart/PLDT Public Affairs head and one of the friendliest bosses we’ve met, discussed leveraging corporate social responsibility by using Social Media. One example he cited was how Smart continuously develop apps necessary for social good. Another story he shared was about how publishing the school paper online became the solution for lack of resources for printing. 

The next speaker came as a surprise. It was the infamous Chris Lao, popular for being cyber-bullied when he appeared seemingly arrogant on national TV. He told his story on what he went through after thousands of Filipino tormented him mentally and emotionally. It was an enlightening experience hearing the voice of someone who went through distress and agony from cyber-bullying.

After that heavy talk, Bianca Gonzales livened up the mood with her talk on “10Twitter Rules I Try to Follow”. As an influencer with the most number of followers, she deliberately shared her personal experiences and thoughts about each rule. Everyone was probably guilty with a couple of those. Our favorite was Rule 10: live in the present! Read more athttp://www.rappler.com/move-ph/33-editors-pick-moveph/13018-bianca-gonzalez-be-the-twitter-user-you-want-to-follow

Lastly, Maria Ressa discussed the chemical reactions happening in our bodies we get from responses to what we post online. Her creative yet intricate visuals supplemented her talk on how information spreads. Through this, she showed the “God’s eye view” on how weconnect through Social Media.

During the event, there were luckier ones who had the chance to win free #SmartIphone4s! Congratulations to them :)

The event deepened our familiarity with online behaviour and the consequences of our actions. We have more responsibilities once we engage with people online. It is how we use our profiles that reflects who we are as persons. Respect and be constructive to everyone, regardless of what medium we use, and never forget to live in the present!

As @SMART_Myka, @SMART_Tob and @SMART_Kimberly, we wish and also try our very best to apply what we have learned to the consumers we engage with

(Views are our own)