One follower can make a world of difference
MANILA, Philippines - Nowadays, you don’t have to be a doctor, or a policeman, or a politician, or a celebrity to help save someone’s life. You just have to be on Twitter.
Twitter just used to be a social networking site that feeds “status updates” and makes us closer to people whose lives we want to “follow”. But this week? It has been a force to help all of us reach out.
Take, for example, Maymay Balatayo, 21, who comes from Cebu City. A volunteer for Gawad Kalinga, she was one of the first to spread the info about their relief center at RFM Gym, Pioneer through Twitter. “That was the only thing that I could do at the moment because I am located here in Cebu but wanted to help very badly in any way.” And help she did. People “RT-d” or reposted her tweet which helped the massively successful whole-day-whole-week operations of the site.
Dember Castaneda, 23, from Mandaluyong, one of the thousands who had to bring household items to higher ground, was up and about in volunteer sites as soon as his loved ones and home were safe and well. A photography aficionado, he “took some photos and videos and immediately posted them on Twitter, Facebook, Multiply, with links on how to help, and couldn’t believe the huge and immediate response even from Pinoys abroad.”
Karen Posadas, 22, from Quezon City was working for the Sagip Kapamilya Telethon as early as Sunday and “kept on posting about what was happening in the telethon. Also got so much information from Twitter about areas needing rescue, listed them down, and submitted to the team to be announced by the hosts.”
Volunteerism Is Alive
Jeanne Khe, 20, from Pasig, was one of the first few volunteers at Megatent Pasig when it started operations last Monday. “There were more or less 20-30 people who were packing very minimal donations.” She says that because of people posting and reposting updates about Megatent, on just the second day of the mission, she “was surprised to see more than 800 volunteers who packed more than 40,000 relief good packages!”
Dennis Poliquit, 39, also from Pasig, works with radio station 89.9 and looks to Twitter as a major source for announcing info like who needs what and where. But through Twitter, he also reposted a lot of announcements. “I was thinking it does not matter whether you have a million or just one follower. A mere follower can make a world of difference. He just might be the right person who has the needed connection to make things happen.”
Erica Paredes, 30, from Quezon City and her friends were out on the sites themselves every day since Sunday. Marikina, Pasig, Cainta. They didn’t join any existing relief group, and instead formed their own. Because of the overwhelming posts on Twitter, they had to move their sandwich-making headquarters from her home to Arellano Univeristy in Pasig. “We got balikbayan boxes of food from as far as Cebu, volunteers coming in and out helping us cook, pack, and deliver to the sites. [Twitter] helped us know what sites exactly were in need and what supplies were needed.”
People who have never even met coordinate pick-ups in sites that need it, news is updated real-time about what exact sites need what exact items, everyone gets updates on what sites are overmanned or undermanned, persons missing and persons found are broadcasted every few minutes, stories of inspiration are passed on to give every single one hope.
Twitter is just one way to help. There are countless other ways. Please just keep going! This week and beyond! What you’re doing doesn’t have to stop.
Follow me at www.twitter.com/iamsuperbianca, superbianca.blogspot.com.
