COVID-19 cases in the Philippines jumped to 8,000+ in the last week of April 2020. In Mindanao alone, more than 250 confirmed cases have been recorded from its six regions, with Davao region having the highest number. With millions of Filipinos entreated to stay at home and jobs put on hold, government and non-government organizations are working together in providing better relief efforts and communication response. To better serve Mindanaoans in this pandemic, the OURmindaNOW Messaging Hub is intensifying its efforts to provide up-to-date and relevant information through the OMN COVID-19 Updating Platform Facebook page.
Since it first launched in March, several features were added in the online platform to accommodate other relevant information aside from health and safety measures to avoid being infected with the coronavirus.
The National Update covers memorandum, circular orders and guidelines released by different national departments in relation to its programs and services directly and indirectly affected by the pandemic. The Social Amelioration Program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), COVID-19 Relief Programs for displaced workers of the Social Security System (SSS) and Livelihood Programs of Affected MSMEs (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises) of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), were among those that gained traction and elicited inquiries from the netizens. To accommodate such, the platform acts as a referral pathway for inquiries addressed to concerned agencies.
The spread of misinformation is another kind of challenge that the platform aims to address during this pandemic. Aside from letting the netizens become aware of fake information circulating online through the #OMNFactCheck segment, the platform also provides online users important reminders on how to personally fact check information to avoid from further sharing it to their social network.
While making sure that health and nutrition are not compromised during the community quarantine, several social issues that have occurred even before the pandemic raised some alarms. These include increased reports on gender-based violence and child abuse. Under the #OMNTips, the platform shares effective measures to avoid these from experiencing such, and who to call and ask for help.
The platform maintains its popular contents. The Mindanao Updates that highlights news from the six regions in Mindanao is done on a daily basis, while the #OMNCOVID19Update showing statistics on COVID-19 cases for both the Philippines and Mindanao are done twice a week. #OMNLihokKontraCOVID19 is another regular content on the platform that features initiatives done by community members to fight the health crisis, as well as the #OMNCQDiaries that features special co-created content by Equal Access International’s Peace Promotion Fellows.
More helpful features are expected on the platform in the near future. This is after a random online survey was done to assess the effectiveness of the platform as a communication response effort on COVID-19.