#BeSafePilipinas

Proteksyon at Impormasyon Kontra Pagkalat ng Covid-19 Infection

(“Reduce the Spread of COVID-19 Pandemic” Print-Ad Reminders Campaign and PPEs to PUVs and PUV Drivers Project)

An ICTIC initiative in collaboration with Partners and Sponsors to help the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) against emerging infectious diseases in reducing the spread of COVID-19 pandemic in the National Capital Region and nearby provinces through Print-Ad campaigns for public commuting safety/social distancing reminders and other related information to be disseminated to PUVs (buses, vans, trains, jeepneys), terminals, and/or pick-up stations; and provision of PPEs among drivers of PUVs during (Modified) Enhanced and/or General Community Quarantine.

The Information Communications & Technology Industry Council of the Philippines (ICTIC), a non-profit non-government organization duly registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), organized and has executed its very first “InfoMission” project called, “BeSafePilipinas”. ICTIC focused on “Information” in combating the spread of the coronavirus 2019 or “Covid-19”. This project aims to create a positive impact to public health and commuting safety through informative content reminders placed inside PUVs and pick-up stations, and provide facemasks to drivers along with the selected areas, to support the Bayanihan Act and the IATF in implementing safety measures and the new normal to reduce the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Council estimated that thousands of workers and PUV drivers will be at risk of contamination and potentially add to the second wave of infection spread. With some industries allowed to operate during MECQ/GCQ/MGCQ with 50-75% workforce to report to their work facilities, so as the public and private transport to be guided by DOTr’s guidelines on social distancing.

We are dedicated to the process of making a positive impact on the society, especially that the ICT industry is partially hit by the pandemic. Though there are international operations that were not shifted to work-from-home arrangements, ICTIC already stayed at the forefront of battling COVID-19 spread by supporting contact tracing application such as StaySafe.ph. We recognized the essence of digital transformation and through its social media community, members from different technology partners contributed their part in sharing information. However, having this awareness on technologies and different media, we also recognized the value of information sharing on a physical level. The direct beneficiaries of this project are those who are at risk of going to their places of work by daily commuting. To aid the IATF in constantly reminding people, we launched our very first InfoMission Drive last June 7, 2020, one month after its conception.

How It All Started

They started by developing a program name and crafting its long-term vision. They did not go far from the council’s focus and thought of “InfoMission”, a wordplay for information and mission which the committee later defined as “ICTIC’s mission to keep the public informed across all communication channels through multimedia contents and an information-driven and/or related project that aims to create positive impact through proper channeling and dissemination, to eventually aid in community safety, security, and resiliency.”

Information should also be treated as a “basic need” in a data-filled society. ICTIC will help to balance the flow and truthfulness of the information in its field to create a positive impact.

Following the program name is the activity or project name that the committee wanted to be as simple as possible yet has a long-term impact related to efforts in reducing the spread of COVID-19 and also, showing the council’s care for the welfare of the society. Since there are a lot of organizations and agencies using “keep safe” and “stay safe”, the group thought of “IngatFilipino” and “BeSafePilipinas”, and without long arguments, the committee decided to use “#BeSafePilipinas” which is very catchy and has the quality the committee is looking for.

With the following in mind, the committee prepared a project proposal that was submitted to the Board of Directors and later on presented during the oath-taking ceremony of the external officers on May 9, 2020. It gained a lot of support from the Board of Directors and cited that it is timely and looking forward to the project to be realized. Without wasting so much time, the committee kick-started its efforts by working on the content layout. The group wanted the content to be eye-catching and simple yet informative. They thought of three statement banners to be placed in one design which will highlight the reminder. The elements of the content layout are composed of the project name on the middle topmost and below it is the slogan, the highlighted banner, then the reminders, and finally, the logos of the supporters at the bottom part:

The initial banner statements are as follows:

One Seat Apart muna tayo! Ingat sa biyahe

Pinagtagpo pero hindi Pinagtabi

Stay Negative! But please remain Positive

Activity Highlights

A. June 07 (Sunday)
* BeSafePilipinas Kick-off at Eton Centris, Quezon City to North Ave Station
* Landmark Terminal and North Ave
* Taft to Roxas Blvd.; Taft to Coastal Mall
* PITX Terminal

B. June 08-11 (Monday – Thursday)
c/o Mike Delta Force (MDF), covering the following areas:
* Paranaque, Pasay, and Las Pinas
* Bacoor (Aguinaldo-Molino), Cavite
* Taguig, Makati, Mandaluyong, Quezon City, and Bulacan
* Pampanga and Tarlac

C. June 12 (Friday)
* ICTIC – Independence Day Celebration and closing of Wave 1 on Alabang-Zapote Road (Las Pinas to Muntinlupa)
* Alabang South Station to Nuvali/Turbina, Calamba

This activity brought ICTIC closer to the community and gave a full understanding of what it takes to be at the forefront for others and also in terms of fulfilling its duties and responsibilities. As newly inducted officers of ICTIC, this gave them the opportunity to unite and equally put their efforts towards success. BeSafePilipinas is new and it is trying to help uplift the integrity of ICTIC towards a helping hand and the opportunity to build a backbone of continuing support from its target stakeholders. Unity can bring each and every one the success they deserve. For a small but “so far, so good” activity such as InfoMission, we left you with nothing but care and a constant reminder – #BeSafePilipinas

ICTIC would like to thank the following: StaySafe.ph IBMA PRINT CORPORATION Ms. Milagrosa Evangelista, MBA Mike Delta Force (MDF) through its National Commander – Cmdr. CDR. ELIZIER C. BONGABONG, PCGA, CSE, Ph.D. and its troops