“A Return to the Age of Mass - Mass Media, Mass Organizations, Mass Actions!” by Linggoy Alcuaz in OpinYon’s Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, July 28 – August 4, 2014.
Yesterday, Sunday, July 27, the Iglesia ni Kristo (INK) celebrated its 100th Anniversary since its Foundation on July 27, 1914. Today, Monday, July 28, P Noy will deliver his 5th State of the Nation Address (SONA). Tomorrow, Tuesday, July 29, we celebrate with our Muslim brothers, the Muslim Feast of Eid Al Fitr, the end of the month long feast of Ramadan. In my six decade long, career and journey, in Politics and Protest, I have experienced several high points as well as low points. The highs were: - Nov 1953 – the campaign for and election to the Presidency of former Defense Secretary Ramon Magsaysay; - Nov 1961 – the coalition of the Liberal Party and the Grand Alliance (GA) and the Party for Philippine Progress/Progressive Party of the Philippines (PPP) into the United Opposition Party and the victory of President Diosdado Macapagal, Vice President Emmanuel Pelaez and Senators Raul S. Manglapus and Manuel Manahan; - January 26 (Monday) and 30 (Friday), 1970 – the start of the First Quarter Storm; - January 13, 1971 – the best, the most effective and widest Transport Strike; - February 22 – 25 (Saturday to Tuesday),1986 – EDSA I; - January 16 – 20 (Tuesday to Saturday), 2001 - EDSA II. There were also brief and small Highs: - April 6, 1978 – the Metro Manila wide Noise Barrage two nights before the Region wide Election of Assemblymen to the Interim Batasan Pambansa; - May 1995 – the election to the Senate of Miriam Defensor Santiago; - May 2007 – the election and victory of a majority of GO/UNO Opposition Senators; - May 2013 – the Election Victory as Mayor of the City of Manila of former President Joseph “Erap” Ejercito Estrada. On the other hand, the biggest single low was the Declaration of Martial Law in September 21, 22 and 23, 1972. That lasted formally for eight and a half years but in reality thirteen years and five months. As a Participant and Direct Witness to the above events, natural bias and nostalgia make me wish for a return to these events and a repetition of these bits of history. However, sixty one years after the Magsaysay for President Movement, forty four years after the FQS, twenty eight years after EDSA I and thirteen years after EDSA II, things and the way things work have changed a lot. In the 1950’s and 1960’s, political allies, friends, coalitions, members, movements, organizations, parties and supporters counted more than Print, Radio and TV Media in election campaigns and victories. The late sixties and early seventies were the age of Mass – Mass Actions and Mass Memberships and Mass Organizations. However, the late seventies, the eighties, the nineties and into the present Millenium, Mass Media has edged out the Mass Actions and Mass Memberships, Organizations and Volunteers in effectiveness. In the past decade, Social Media has made inroads in relation to both Mass Organizations and Mass Media. Since the middle of my sixty six years of life (since 1981), I have been a relative illiterate and retard in the modern world of high tech – computers, cellphones,the Internet, E mail, Facebook Twitter, etc … I only learned to use a computer as a typewriter when I wrote and contributed articles and columns to the Inquirer, Manila Times and Prospero Pichay’s decent Taglish Tabloid in the nineties. I learned to text when I was stranded in Iriga and Naga Cities, Camarines Sur, Bicol in October of 2000. I learned to receive and send E mails in the middle of the last decade. Until a year ago, `I did not know Facebook and Twitter. When the Monday, August 26, 2013, Million People March to the Luneta was conceptualized, initiated and organized in and through the Social Media, I was forced to learn if I wanted to be in touch, not isolated and remain and stay relevant. I learned Facebook between Luneta and EDSA Tayo. I searched backwards and as widely as possible in order to understand the origins of the new movements and mediums. After that I registered in Twitter but have not yet gotten the hang of it. Since then, I have been an avid observer, student, watcher and analyst of the Social Media that is interested in politics, protest and socio-economic affairs and matters. My observation and analysis of events and reactions after the July 12 – 15, 2013 PDI Expose on the JLN fake NGO’s and P 10 billion PDAF/Pork Barrel Scam, are contained in my OpinYon “Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow” columns of the past few months: - June 30 - “The Ides of July! Confluence of Events and Strange Bed Fellows”; - July 7 - “Quintessential Operator! Strange Bed Fellows!” - July 14 - “The Devil and Strange Bed Fellows at ‘Boy’ Saycon’s Birthday!” - July 21 - “I’m not Sorry! Erap and the Supreme Court!” - July 28 – Mass Media, Mass Organizations and Mass Actions!” In April, May and June, I wrote a series of columns on the past year and a half saga of Janet Lim Napoles and her co - conspirators. My observation is focused on the people’s popular reaction to the Conspiracy, Corruption, Cover Up, Dishonesty, Graft, Lies, Malversation, Manipulation, Oppression, Plunder, Theft Robbery, etc … , that has been going on.. Generally, there is a gradual and long term build up in small installments. Then, unless corrections and reforms are made to dissipate the build - up, the proverbial “Straw that broke the camel’s back” or what are called triggers may kick in. Examples of these are: - The First Quarter Storm!” - The April 6, 1978 Noise Barrage!” - EDSA I - EDSA II However, there are also Outbursts and Reactions that did not come out of or depend on a prolonged build – up. Examples of there are: - EDSA III - The reaction to the 2004 cheating of FPJ by GMA and the “Hello Garci:” tape - Hyatt 10, Cory, MBC, Finex and the LP’s “Gloria Resign!” and the big rally at the Batasan led by Cory and Susan Roces; - The August 26, 2013 One Million People March to the Luneta! An analysis of all of the above as well as mass religious activities like the Procession of the Black Nazarene, the Bocaue and Penafrancia Fluvial Processions, El Shaddai, JIL and other Prayer Rallies, indicate that there is a very strong “gaya gaya” or imitation factor that affects and enlarges Mass Activities. On top of this and other factors that influence and trigger the “Viral” enlargement and impact intensification of an otherwise average or normal action, activity or event, there is the Mass Media Spin that we are all quite familiar with. This Spin, in relation to the July 27, INK 100th Anniversary started sometime ago but grew in intensity just two weekends ago, a week before July 27. The same happened eleven months ago in relation to the August 26 One Million People March. The concept or idea of the rally just sparked on Friday, August 16, 2013. It went viral immediately on Social Media and was picked up by the Mass Media and Spun just a week before the Luneta Rally. Thr effects of the twin virus we saw at the Luneta. The Virus caught a lot of Us. Just witnessing the Super Mass Mobilization of the INK, might motivate our usual suspects to mass more than the average or normal numbers for the Street Counter - SONA at Commonwealth Ave, today, Monday, July 28, 2014. The Virus may also affect our Muslim Brothers to flex their muscles and numbers on the occasion of the end of Ramadan, tomorrow, Tuesday, July 29, 2014, - the Feast of “Eid Al Ftr!” -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Center for Good Governance" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. 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