“I think they’re trying to reach the youth. Tingin ko, advertising lang ‘yun, more than anything else. I would like to think that I am a more cognitive and rational person, kaya kung effect lang, wala masyado. Siguro, knowledge lang.”
Timothy Salomon (IV AB Psy)
“I think in theory it should; it’s just our candidates who don’t know how to maximize the networking tools and resources available to them….Unless I see more information and a genuine attempt to discuss issues on their social networking pages, I don’t think I will be swayed by their online ‘presence’.”
Lara Agay (III AB Comm)
“Yes, it gives you a bird’s eyeview of the person. It is evidence that they want to run. You can actually liken it to CNN where Filipinos rooted for Efren Peñaflorida by voting for him online. Personally, it has my hand in my decision-making kasi parang nakadaragdag na sa mga sure na boboto sa kanila [because they are assured that they have supporters].”
Annie Corpuz (Foreign Serials Head, Rizal Library)
“I think that it is becoming a trend for the candidates to reach out via the medium of social networking sites. Even if it supplements information, we have to sift through the real facts and not rely on Facebook and networking sites.”
Klarizza Anne Rose Laza (IV BS CTM)
“Strictly to a certain segment or demographic, their accounts in social networking sites do supplement their campaigns. This is because not all people have accounts in such sites in the first place. As for me, I still rely more on reports in the broadsheets or on the radio, since I still feel that they are more credible and more transparent.”
Marco Lopez (Professor, Filipino Department)
“It’s effective publicity-wise. It makes them more accessible to their voters, for them to be updated on what they’re up to. It depends on how voters are easily influenced. What we see online these days are mostly spoofs on candidates and criticisms. However, reading on their platforms and stands can help convince people. It’s also easy to access a lot of information and background on these politicians because of social networking sounds, so almost everything is laid out for the public to know.”
Dea Bernarte (I AB EU)
Not really. In the sense that they (the candidates) are trying to catch the attention and the support of the online mass on social networking sites, It can be said that in this way, they are just trying to “go with the flow” with net socialization. Actually, those candidates are showing on the plans they have for the Filipinos and for the country but they disregard the discussions on the issues to be discussed on social networking sites. (ll AB Comm)