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10 Virtual Volunteers: Helping out in the time of tweeting

Published: Oct 2, 2009 - 9:19am

While most areas went without electricity when typhoon Ondoy hit Manila, others found technology useful in disseminating info, calling out for help and mobilizing volunteer efforts even after the storm. SPOT.ph lists 10 netizens who used social media to keep everyone afloat.


1. Rico Blanco

ricoblanco

Rivermaya vocalist-turned-solo artist Rico Blanco was in Tokyo for a short vacation when Ondoy happened. Though he tweeted that he "[felt] helpless [and didn't] know how to help," he did help by tweeting rescue numbers and relief centers. His first tweet when he landed in Manila on September 29 was: "I want to hold a unified fundraiser with MYX, MTV, GMA, ABS-CBN and all the country's top artists. Anyone with me on this? Need to do it right away."

Response was quick with Gary Valenciano, Chynna Ortaleza, Maxene Magalona, Gang Badoy of RockEd and DJ Monica "Francesca" Tobias of RX 93.1 already giving their support. Georgette Tengco of MTV, Winner Santos of 99.5 RT and Dennis Poliquit of Magic 89.9 also tweeted they're willing to help out.

As of Blanco's September 30 tweet, "radio and music channel commitment [looks] very promising." Big TV networks are next since "a simultaneous broadcast/telethon would be ideal," said Blanco. If you know a way to help, send Blanco a tweet.


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  • CaseyEsther30 Mar 21 2010 @ 09:23am Report Abuse
    This post was deleted due to its inappropriate content. Please click this link to read our posting guidelines. – Webmaster
  • suira Feb 15 2010 @ 04:01pm Report Abuse
    This is rubbish! Where is DIVINE LEE or JENNIE EPPERSON in the list? aber aber??
  • inyakki Feb 03 2010 @ 05:38pm Report Abuse
    I think Biangca Gonzales and Angel Locsin did had lots of tweets specially during the ondoy tragedy. They should be in the top 10 list :)
  • ajie Oct 14 2009 @ 11:05pm Report Abuse
    By the way, I would like to add that ordinary people including me are "heroes" in our own ways.

    Mabuhay lahat ng taong tumulong sa iba.
    Mabuhay ang mga taong nagdasal para sa pagtigil ng ulan at paghupa ng baha.
    Mabuhay sa mga taong lumusong sa tubig para mailigtas ang kani-kanilang buhay,
    Mabuhay sa mga truck/vehicle owner na nagpa-hitch para makatawid sa baha ang ibang tao.
    Mabuhay. Mabuhay. Mabuhay.
    Mabuhay tayong lahat! =)
  • ajie Oct 14 2009 @ 10:59pm Report Abuse
    Oh, I think your list is SO incomplete. For me, Ms. Gang Badoy should really be given much thank-yous.. Without her and her whole Rock-Ed team's effort to lead others to give their used clothes, foods, medicines and others, somehow, smiles after the past disaster won't be totally seen.

    In addition, the Brgy. Soup Kitchen headed by Ping Medina is a very good example of what teamwork is -- be it due to a disaster or not.
  • emil Oct 10 2009 @ 12:40pm Report Abuse
    sana ung mga binigyan ng merits at parangal ay yung mga bolunter at mga bagong mukha ung bang not job related at di na sahod.... anyway mabuhay ang lahat lalo na si Howie.....
  • Connie Veneracion Oct 05 2009 @ 09:14pm Report Abuse
    You should have specified that the this is biased in favor of celebrities and public figures. Nakakahiya dun sa mga ibang tao who exerted just as much if not more efforts.
  • Paddy Oct 05 2009 @ 08:53pm Report Abuse
    Bakit karamihan dito artista? Ang hirap maarok yung good will eh. Bakit elitista kayo, spot.ph? Hindi kayo ganyan dati. Nagbago lang itsura niyo.

    Celebrities ang karamihan na nasa listahan niyo, hindi NETIZENS. Ang kaya ko lang saluduhan talaga si @mlq3 at @carlosceldran, dahil dati pa man, may twitter na sila. At dati pa man, tumutulong na. E yung ibang nasa listahan niyo? Anong laman ng twitter nila bago ang Ondoy?

    Pano na si @gangbadoy at @rockedradio?
    At ang team sa likod ng @bayanihan_?

    Yang mga taong yan ang nakatulong nang malaki. Sana yun yung bigyan niyo nang pansin.
  • Rico Blanco Oct 05 2009 @ 04:21am Report Abuse
    Lahat ng Pilipino bayani. Mabuhay ang Pilipinas.
  • maridol pena Oct 03 2009 @ 08:43pm Report Abuse
    what happened to bianca, miriam, ruffa g, christine babao? unfair itong report nyo ha!!! sila ang laging nag update sa mga tao tungkol la mga nagyari nung ondoy.
  • Raffy Nicdao Oct 03 2009 @ 01:05pm Report Abuse
    I think this list is missing the boys and girls of Philippineaid.com who managed to raise 10,000 us dollars for ondoy victims
  • SPOT.ph Oct 03 2009 @ 10:29am Report Abuse
    Hi, Raffy! You're right, there are so many more out there. We never meant to imply that the 10 we were able to list were the only ones who did anything worthwhile. We apologize if that's how it came across. We should have been more clear in our intro.

    In any case, thank you for your comment. Thanks also to Mr. Jim Paredes for taking the time to post his thoughts.
  • lisacheng Oct 03 2009 @ 09:57am Report Abuse
    Hi, Jim Paredes and Raffy Pekson II, good ideas! I think the purpose of this article was not to exclude anyone but to inform readers that these ten have good twitter feeds to follow. (Not to say that they are the only one who have good feeds, of course!). We will be more careful in the future about labelling and angling our stories. Thank you for all your great feedback.
  • Raffy Pekson II Oct 03 2009 @ 12:01am Report Abuse
    Hats off to these people but you're highlighting a trickle of so many others more. This makes you biased to these 10 people, highlighting them "only." You should have just written a piece on what the entire Filipino netizens did and citing them as a few examples. There are many non-celebrities who are celebrities themselves in the web.

    So, I'd rather not tell others of this article and just keep it to myself.
  • Jim Paredes Oct 02 2009 @ 09:57pm Report Abuse
    There were many heroes, almost all unnamed. I salute all of you. We are a wonderful people.Whoever made this list must have a slot for he anonymous ordinary Filipino who has risen to the occasion. In truth, celebs often get too much credit for doing so little.

    Mabuhay tayong lahat
  • hoeroLLa Oct 02 2009 @ 03:26pm Report Abuse
    kudos to aj and his friends who helped raise money to help people in the philippines even they are miles away from the country. i hope that there would be more people like him who would continue to live out being a filipino, being a hero specially in times of need.
  • Kikay Oct 02 2009 @ 01:19pm Report Abuse
    @Chris - It really doesn't matter who made it to this list. The idea is that people were mobilized to encourage donations and relief for Ondoy victims.

    there are a lot of other names that should be mentioned, but perhaps the writer is not following them. Example: Ruffa Gutierrez's tweets are set to private. How would the writer know she was tweeting about donations when he couldn't even read her tweets? Anyways, all these bigger celebrities have their respective networks announcing their efforts.
  • chris Oct 02 2009 @ 01:11pm Report Abuse
    what happened to Bianca Gonzales, Divine Lee, Bubbles Paraiso, Ruffa Gutierez, Tintin Babao, Slickrick, Anne Curtis even Antonette Taus? why are these names not on the list? Pls. somebody answer me.
  • L Oct 02 2009 @ 12:53pm Report Abuse
    AJ's so awesome, and so are the rest of the Filipinos who cannot be here with us/are living in another country but are still making an effort to help.

    Sa ganitong paraan napapatunayan ng mga pinoy na YES, we are still worth dying for.
  • Kristine F Oct 02 2009 @ 12:44pm Report Abuse
    A salute to all these fine people, but definitely there were plenty of ordinary citizens out there who did their share, and sometimes more. I know a person who raised over Php200,000 in donations over FB, and many more who organized donations and volunteering in relief centres.
  • mayumi yabut Oct 02 2009 @ 11:31am Report Abuse
    There definitely are more heroes than these, because the best thing that typhoon Ondoy did to our country is to bring out the best in the Filipinos - bayanihan and kapwa tao. We really are a great people, and hopefully, we will come out stronger.
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