|
PIUS Position on Electoral Partisanship
The Philippine Internet Users’ Society (PIUS) leadership and management does not take a partisanship position with regards to electoral politics, because doing so will typecast PIUS and limit its expansion reach.
PIUS does not have a unified stand or preference for any presidential candidate, or any politician in general, but it respects the individual private choices of its officers, members and its alliance partners.
PIUS is still a young newly-formed organization, but it has the potentials of becoming strong, huge and widespread as it is organized, not as a monolithic exclusive organization of peers of homogenous likes and activities, but as a movement that is powered and anchored on the following strengths:
1) A Strong Advocacy, which is spelled out clearly in the PIUS vision and mission and capsulized in its slogan “Empowering Everyone thru Computer and Internet Access.” PIUS has ideas on how to bring computers to every Filipino home, but this will also entail the cooperation of every stakeholder, including the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector, the foundations and NGOs, national agencies, local government units (LGUs), the support of Congress and Senate, and above all the support of all internet users.
2) Strategic Alliance Building and Networking, which has enabled an infant organization like PIUS to have gone this far in a short span of time, despite the fact that it has no financial resources and does not even have an office, nor any full-time personnel involved in PIUS work. Although it has a core of advocates, its structure as a broad alliance does not make it a consolidated tight-knit organization. Nonetheless, it has its inherent strength as it aims to represent the interests not only of the 24 million internet users nationwide, but also those who are still computer illiterates due to lack of access.
3) Volunteerism or “Bayanihan Spirit,” which is a traditional Filipino cultural trait that is fast vanishing to the “dog-eat-dog, survival of the fittest, and for all I care about others” culture that is increasingly getting dominant in the highly competitive market place. But it is because of volunteerism and the bayanihan spirit that PIUS is gaining momentum and achieving so much, despite its limitations.
We deeply express our gratitude to groups like Events Philippines Inc. that has volunteered to help, even at the last minute, in organizing hastily the main Sept 22 event at SM Mall of Asia. Also worth mentioning for their volunteerism are various PIUS partners like the Brotherhood of Destiny International (BROOD), which is mainly behind the SM Baliaug event; Upd8.com and MyDivisoria.com for organizing the 20 computer technicians, who are volunteering to do computer repair for free; XEND express and Asyanna, for offering space for meetings; Obra.com.ph and Pygmata Media. Inc., for helping in the website designs; Sulit.com.ph. for supporting the PIUS-OneWebDay and uploading it on its site; and of course Bizyonaryo.com. Powershopper.com.ph and Atin’to Develoment Services and others for spearheading the establishment of PIUS.
All these factors will indeed contribute in making PIUS a potentially strong organization. Unfortunately for the politicians, PIUS cannot officially endorse anyone among them, because this will only break our ranks.
Instead, we will invite and encourage all of these politicians to support the PIUS advocacy that will benefit every Filipino home. Any statement or support they may extend in cash, in kind, or in whatever form, we will acknowledge and upload on our website for everyone to see, in the spirit of transparency. We will also appreciate if they take the initiative of helping PIUS by riding on its advocacy and getting themselves published or aired by media outfits, expressing their support for PIUS and OneWebDay.
We will allow them to make commitments for any legislative measure they have in mind as well as support the PIUS plan to hold a summit by early next year that will discuss issues like ethics, safety, security, cyber-crimes, child pornography and for future legislators, a proposed magna carta for computer and internet access. #####
 |
