March 22, 2004
Text Brigades and Youth texters fuel Presidential campaigns in the Philippines
Another good article, from Newsflash this time, giving details on how political parties in the Philippines are using text messaging in the presidential campaigns, thanks to "Text Brigades" and "Youth Texters".
Panfilo Lacson campaign
"Raymond Burgos does not leave home without his two mobile phones, the most important tools of his trade as media chief and campaign strategist for presidential candidate Sen. Panfilo Lacson.
The Lacson camp has a "text brigade" composed of volunteers whose only job is to spread calendars and news about the candidate through SMS and block or counter negative publicity.
They work behind the scenes independently and use highly advanced software purchased from Hong Kong that could spread more than 100 text messages in a minute, Burgos said.
The unit also uses a database that has numbers of 4,000 volunteers and friends on the field, who relay messages to their own networks of friends.
Raul Roco campaign
Presidential candidate Raul Roco's campaign staff boast of an army of "youth texters" who send out his campaign schedules via SMS, as well as to relay his stance on the "issues of the day.
Each volunteer typically sends out 50 text messages a day, which are then hopefully circulated to friends by those who receive the original messages.
"The youth sector, which is between 18 to 35 years old, is the biggest voting bloc in this May elections," Roco earlier said, when he launched his campaign.
He could also be reached through text using his own mobile phone and replies are automatically generated by his office".
Links to articles on Text Messaging and Politics in the Philippines:
-- Text messages shape politics in Philippines
-- Asian candidates embrace technology to get the word across
-- Philippines: Military to use texting to fight communist extortion
-- Philippino soldiers can «text-a-complaint»
-- New Disruptive Political Texting Tools From Philippines?
-- Text 117 for crime and emergency reporting
-- Military coup rumors spread by SMS in Texting Capital of the world
-- Text ire unleashes on Philippine Government
2001 - The overturning of President Joseph Estrada
For further insight into how powerful SMS can be in shaping public opinion and mobilizing people, read reference article on how «Technology Changed the Philippine Political Dynamics» written by Helen S. Andrade-Jimenez, for which she was awarded the 2001 Citi Journalistic Excellence Award (CJEA).
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