#fwdPH

Philippines' Social Media Weekend 2013's theme is #fwdPH. Read this article to learn why.

*lifted verbatim from tweetupmnl.com

See you on June 29-30 for Social Media Weekend in PH!

This 2013, the Philippines celebrates Social Media Day in a different way.

Events get underway a day early, on June 29, when netizens from Metro Manila hold a big meetup at the Glorietta Activity Center in Makati City, the country’s financial capital. The fun continues on June 30 with meetups in Baguio, Cebu, Cagayan de Oro, Bukidnon, Davao and other cities Thus, a Social Media Weekend across these amazing islands.

This year, too, we are taking the theme “Let’s move #fwdPH”.

More than a century ago, a young man who grew up selling paper fans, educated himself by reading books and later worked as a bodegero rallied the nation with his call “Sugod, mga kapatid!”. In our own little way and as a tribute to dim and those who responded to his battlecry, we say today “Let’s move #fwdPH”.

It is a call on all Pinoy netizens to use social media for social good, and to maximize our personal and collective social media capital for social change. We have done it before and we must do it again and again – not just because we can, but because we must.

“Let’s move #fwdPH” means being a good citizen both online and offline. Being responsible. Being vocal. Taking a stand on issues. Exposing corruption and incompetence. Making politics work for the country, especially the voiceless, poor and marginalized. And using social media to help achieve these.

“Let’s move #fwdPH” means making #ReliefPH and #RescuePH our permanent personal pledge and national movement. Perhaps no better way is there to show the power of our use of social media than when our people need in the most – during disasters.

“Let’s move #fwdPH” means supporting entrepreneurs and developers, community managers and strategists, programmers and artists – especially those who have taken their space in the expanding social media landscape. Just imagine how much more opportunities we could create for community and country.

“Let’s move #fwdPH” means taking action to improve Internet service quality, to bridge the digital divide, to support moves to connect all provinces, cities, towns and villages to the web using high-speed, reliable Internet. And to keep Internet free, our privacy intact, and our rights respected. Citizens of the world’s social media capital deserve, no less.

“Let’s move #fwdPH” means bridging gaps using social media. Rich and poor. City and countryside. Those of us in the homeland and the millions living and toiling abroad. Veterans and newbies. Offline and online. And we do so by forming communities and together never giving up on our personal and collective needs, wants, and hopes.

We may have many differences – gender, faith, politics, color, region, language, class and others – but we share two common things: Boundless hope in the future and a belief that we can only rely on ourselves to move our country forward. And so we say “Let’s move #fwdPH”.

And so we say proudly and clearly this Social Media Weekend, “Let’s move #fwdPH”.