Photos: Ground-breaking social media coverage of US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton

Wednesday, 16 November 2011 23:21 Noemi Lardizabal-Dado

The "US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton: A Conversation in Manila” forum was “described as "ground-breaking" by Clinton's advance team for its youth-oriented social media component, breaking away from the formalities of many of the globe-trotting Clinton's public events.”

Robin D. Diallo, Counselor for Public Affairs of the US Embassy Manila talked to us before the forum and was quite excited that this is the first social media coverage for Clinton. This was also the first time that cellphones, cameras, laptops, small flip cameras, tablets and other portable gadgets were allowed in her media coverage. At first, Diallo was unsure whether bringing in bloggers was the right decision since it is a first.

Among the bloggers present aside from myself were Jane Uymatiao, Brian Ong, Juned Sonido, Vince Golango, Rico Mossegeld, Janette Toral, and Marcelle Fabie.

Around 105 guests were present on Wednesday's social media event including media personalities , social media users, students and Blog Watch. Though aired live on GMA News TV and live streamed on GMA News Online , Blog Watch was also able to stream in our channel.

Questions to Clinton were moderated by GMA News Online from the audience, Skype, and social media sites Twitter and Facebook. Among the questions was whether she had knowledge on Former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s request for an asylum. Clinton had no knowledge of such request and added that "these are internal issues (she's) very unwilling to venture into."

"These have to be decisions to be made by your government so I can't comment on something like that. It's not really within my authority”, says Clinton.

She does not plan to “participate in politics after President Barack Obama's current term.”

"I appreciate that (people want me to run for president) but I really believe that it's time for me to finish my public service”.

She also urged “claimants to the South China Sea not to resort to intimidation to push their cause in the potentially oil-rich waters, an indirect reference to China ahead of a regional leaders' summit.”

A question from Skype came from Filipino Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Jose Antonio Vargas asking her “Given the important role that documented and undocumented Filipino immigrants play in society, how would you define American?"

Clinton said it is “important" for undocumented immigrants to “be treated with a humane approach," especially if they are young. "I think of America as an idea as much as a place — a place of freedom [where people can] pursue their own God-given talents in a system that rewards hard work and effort”

"Social media gives you power not just in communicating your ideas but in bringing about social change. " She lauds the power of the internet in allowing young people to make real change.

Towards the end of the forum, Marjohara Tucay, editor-in-chief of the Philippine Collegian, “raised a banner calling for an end to the US-Philippines Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA).”

Tucay was right at our back when he repeatedly yelled in a high pitched voice , “Junk VFA. There was nothing mutual in the Mutual Defense Treaty” . He continued to shout “Junk VFA” as he was escorted out of the venue.

Clinton came to Manila to attend the 60th anniversary of the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT), “which requires the US and the Philippines to support each other when either country gets attacked by external forces.” She countered the protesters’ claim that there is nothing mutual in the MDT by saying that “there’s real benefit in mutual solidarity.”

Despite the commotion, Clinton remained calm saying, "I’m pretty much used to it after all these years." She mentioned earlier that politics can be very painful and one needed to have "the skin of a rhinoceros if you want to get in it." This incident just proved it.

Too bad , we didn’t have a photo opportunity since Clinton had to fly to Bangkok for dinner. Friends in my twitter timeline thought the forum came out too “showbizzy”. Much as Blog Watch wanted to field in some questions, GMA News was given the task to moderate the questions.

Clinton’s cheerful and thoughtful replies made up for the lack of better questions from the audience. @mangpandoy in Twitter thought “she was charming” and hoped that Secretary De Lima was taking notes and pick up a few lessons from Secretary Clinton. @maxenemagalona admires her. "She's very eloquent, intelligent and based on her answers seems to have a very good heart."

She left a challenge to the Filipinos, "Think of the role you can play in your country". She adds that " "we're really betting on you. This is the Philippines' time. You have to open up your economy."

This ground-breaking forum should inspire the Aquino government to hold a similar social media coverage. Blog Watch sent a letter of request for a “Coffee Chat with The President” and a “Town Hall” concept paper to the President’s new media team as early as January 2011. The year is almost ending. Will the social media strategy that the Aquino government boast of merely lip service? The US Embassy in Manila is setting the pace for social media coverage in the Philippines even including bloggers like ourselves in their events.

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Photos by Noemi Lardizabal-Dado. Some rights reserved.

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Disclaimer: Comments posted here reflect our readers’ views and not the opinion of The Philippine Online Chronicles.

Molech 17 November 11, 04:11 PM

You people are SO NAIVE. Clinton is not here to help Filipinos, she's here to engage the country in a quagmire. She does not represent the American people who right now are being subjected to being stripped of their Bill of Rights, their Constitution when Marshall Law was instigated after 9/11, an inside job created specially to start Marshall Law and to dismantle the US. Hillary Clinton is a globalist, part of the Zionist group that controls the planet, which control the US government with the US military as its private army, who along with other billionaires like Bill Gates, have engaged in world population reduction by 90% using war, weather manipulation, poison in food, food containers, toiletries, soft drinks, ink in money, vaccines, spraying poison chemtrails all over the planet all in the name of generosity in a "soft kill" genocide. The trick to prepare Filipinos for security against the Chinese is part of their global plan to destroy every country to make way for global government, while reducing the world population through sickness and disease, forced inoculation with disease laden vaccines like Gardisil purposely engineered to give you the disease and more. Research all this information as it is true. China is part of the same globalist group and these globalists will make it appear that China is to be seen as an enemy. They are just playing good cop-bad cop, forcing you to choose a side. China will sacrifice its population too. They want to start WW3, most likely in the Middle East starting with attacking Syria and then Iran, as these lie on the 33rd Parallel. Same for Hiroshima, which lies at the 33rd Parallel, when they dropped the atom bomb on those innocent Japanese, signed by President Truman, the 33rd US President. It's Satanic numerology. Don't laugh. Its true. Google it. Fukushima was no accident, it was done on purpose using weather manipulation, ground manipulation and a portable nuclear device to explode the nuclear plants to radiate the planet with radiation poisoning. If you don't investigate these for yourself, you are useless as a news entity and if you are not asleep, you are siding with the Illuminati who will use you and throw you away, the same way they are using the American soldier as a throw-away with no thought or care for their safety or well being. The only thing "ground breaking" here is your inability to fathom what's really going on as you mindlessly set a precedent for your family, your nation, your people to be victimized and murdered. Ask Ms. Clinton about that faked situation room scene when they faked they killed Bin Laden. They all sat there in that room pretending to be shocked at the raid on Bin Laden's home. Another lie "eloquent" Hillary told the world. Good heart? You are ignorant of the facts Ms. Dado!! What's so ground breaking about a surreptitious liar? You want to break some new ground? You want Filipinos to be challenged? Easy, just WAKE UP and stop being so gullible!

n_dado 17 November 11, 07:14 PM

Interesting. This article only covers the social media coverage. The comments and opinions were towards the person...Sec Hillary Clinton not US policy which should be tackled separately.

Now the issues you raised may indeed be valid but cannot be tackled in this one article. One of our writers will cover this.

The social media coverage is ground breaking because it is a first for Clinton to have such medium.

Ignorant? read carefully the links that were curated when protester yelled out.

Pray tell me what have you done about this problems? can you point out an article you have written..an action. Get back to me after.

Marcelle Fabie 21 November 11, 11:35 AM

Nation, because it's on the internet, it must be true! Apparently, America is so powerful now that they can manipulate the weather and cause earthquakes with their gadgets.

Undeniable truthiness!!! Woohoo!