The Filipino online presence has had a steady increase since its first connection in 1994. According to Yahoo!, there are over 29 million Filipinos online. As of 2011, almost 30% of the Filipino population has Internet access, 93.9% of which have active Facebook accounts. On Twitter, the Philippines has the 8th highest number of users. Filipino topics continue to trend not only in the Philippines but also worldwide. There has been a 50% increase in the number of Internet users here in the Philippines from 2009 to 2010, and statistics show no signs of slowing down.
The online Filipino has a wider reach and a broader online network than most, and Mulat Pinoy seeks to take advantage of this online network by teaching young Filipino netizens to become online advocates.
“Social NetWorth: The Filipino Youth on Social Media and Popdev” is a workshop that aims to teach college students to use their social networks for a good cause, that of population and development (popdev). The four-day workshop will take place in Metro Manila in January 2012, and will expose the participants to popdev issues that concern the Philippines, in particular, population momentum.
The youth must realize personally how population and development are linked, and that their present and future actions, whether it’s marriage or child-bearing, what they buy or how they use resources, will make a huge impact on society. “Mulat Pinoy hopes to empower young Filipinos to address population momentum by making informed decisions and actions on early sex and pregnancy, early marriage, large families and similar issues,” says Dante Gagelonia, project coordinator of Mulat Pinoy. Our country has more than 94 million people, and our population is growing faster than our ability to address our needs.
In addition to learning about popdev, the selected participants will also be taught information dissemination techniques unique to social media. Meals, transportation and workshop materials will be provided. College students are invited to apply. The deadline for applications is December 31, 2011.
Interested applicants may download the application form from Scribd. For other inquiries, send an email to [email protected].
Contact:
Regina Layug-Rosero
Project Coordinator, Mulat Pinoy
(+63917) 8163500