PH Embassy Holds Seminar on Social Media Communication Ethics for Filipinos in Madrid

Chargé dÁffaires, a.i. Ralf G. Roldan emphasizes the importance of the responsible use of the social media before the Filipino Community in Madrid. (Madrid PE photo)

MADRID 02 August 2018 – Charge d’ Affaires, a.i. Ralf G. Roldan underscored the Philippine Embassy in Madrid’s thrust to provide meaningful interventions to promote the welfare of Filipinos living and working in Spain, during the seminar on “Ethics in Social Media Communication” for Filipinos in Madrid held on 26 July 2018 and organized by the Philippine Overseas Labor Office.  

The seminar is part of the Embassy’s Gender and Development program for the Filipino Community.

In his remarks, Charge d’Affaires Roldan emphasized that the seminar is very relevant and important in these times when use of social media has become pervasive in the daily lives of Filipinos and, as such, the community can benefit from some guidelines and reminders for its use in a responsible manner.

Resource speaker and current Filipino Chaplain of Parroquia de Nuestra Señora del Espino Mark Angelo Ramos Martinez discussed how global transformation, particularly globalization, led to mediatization, birth of generation.com, and growth of social media. 

Father Martinez also dwelled on the definition of social media for better understanding of the participants, its effects, and purpose. He then discussed the social media ethics as it applies to Filipinos, particularly in Spain.

He also spoke on the main principles of social media ethics and etiquette, judicious use of freedom of speech, issues on privacy, content of posts, spotting fake news, and the Do’s and Don’ts on Facebook.

Father Martinez cited “Digital 2018,” a study by a UK-based consultancy “We are Social,” which revealed that Filipinos topped the world in terms of social media usage with 67 million Filipinos in the country having Facebook accounts and using the Internet. The study also mentioned that Filipinos spend an average of nine hours and 29 minutes per day on the Internet, four hours of which are on social media particularly Facebook.

As a precaution and to instill responsibility and accountability for personal postings, Father Martinez reminded the participants to T.H.I.N.K. (Is it True, Helpful, Inspiring, Necessary, and Kind) before posting, and to aim for quality content versus quantity because a person’s post is his or her reflection. END

Father Mark Angelo Ramos Martinez encourages participants to T.H.I.N.K. before posting in social media. (Madrid PE photo)

For more information, visit www.madripe.dfa.gov.ph / www.philembassymadrid.com or https://www.facebook.com/PHinSpain.