Activist party-list group campaigns via YouTube

Hoping to take advantage of the influence and reach of cyberspace to the Filipino electorate, left-leaning party-list group Anakpawis posted their campaign message on popular video sharing website YouTube.com. Willy Marbella, internal deputy secretary general of Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) and himself an Anakpawis party-list nominee, said "the video basically tackles the problems faced by the poorest sections of the country and what is the platform of governance of the group." In a statement, he said the video also states what the party-list has done with its mandate for the last three years and what it plans to do when it wins again on the coming elections. The video, lasting eight minutes and five seconds, was uploaded last April 9 by staff members of the group. Marbella said Cherry Clemente, secretary general of Anakpawis served as the interviewer and talked to a broad spectrum of individuals and organizations representing workers, farmers, fisher folk, government employees and the urban poor to get a solid feel of what Anakpawis means to them. "By using YouTube the advocacy and platform of the group would not be limited just to the reach of our leaflets and our posters on the streets and sidewalks. Now we can even reach the middle class of our society especially the youth, who are more technically inclined," said the peasant leader. "Another advantage of YouTube is that it is free and we do not have to spend a lot of money in making the video," he said, adding in Filipino that, "This is for the techies among the masses." He added that, "We hope that people would see the video to know what Anakpawis really stands for." Earlier, Bayan Muna Rep. Satur Ocampo emerged out of hiding also via YouTube, posting his message condemning the Arroyo administration for harassing leftist leaders. The lawmaker has denied charges of participating in the murders of alleged communist rebels in Leyte during the 1980s. Ocampo has gained temporary liberty from police custody. Even the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has tapped the popularity of YouTube by posting its Lenten video to reach the younger generation who spend a significant amount of time in front of a computer. - GMANews.TV