#Yolanda: How social media ruled in a time of tragedy
In the late 90s, the Philippines was known as the texting capital of the world. Our status has been updated recently as the social networking capital of the world, as more and more Filipinos populate social networks like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
(In Doghousediaries quirky illustrated map, What Each Country Leads The World In, our country is leading in social media usemuch more preferable than Russia, known for raspberries and nuclear warheads.)
For a country plagued with natural disasters, social media has proven to be a very effective tool in mobilizing both government units and citizens to provide aid to areas in need.
The mother of all typhoons, Haiyan/Yolanda, left a devastated Visayas. Radio silence ensued as communication lines were cut off, and Taclobans terrain flattened. As the supertyphoon left the province in shambles, the social media storm surge began.
#reliefPH
Providing immediate relief to the devastated was everyones priority, and people immediately took to Twitter and Facebook to gather donations, goods and volunteers. Transportation was a problem, as roads and airports in Tacloban were destroyed.
Aid was ready, every able soul ready to lend a hand, but the logistics proved to be a nightmare. Again, people on social media offered up planes, ships and automobilesanythingto help.
Hashtags #reliefPH and #rescuePH, which have been used since Ondoy, are now standard hashtags people on social media use.
Calls for volunteers are ongoing, as refugees continue to arrive in Manila looking for food, comfort and shelter. Several Facebook groups such as Operation Salubong Villamor Air Base have been set up to help organize volunteers into shifts and duties.
#searchandrescue
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#Yolanda: How social media ruled in a time of tragedy