Globe Telecom is joining the ongoing National Vaccination Day which will run until December 1 via its anti-fake news campaign.
With the telco’s Truth in Action campaign, the public is encouraged to be discerning online and be confident about vaccination.
“Globe encourages its customers to stay educated and protected when online,” said Miguel Bermundo, Globe’s senior manager for sustainability integration.
According to Bermundo, some examples of fake news that have been circulating online are vaccination site shutdowns and different misleading information about vaccine efficacy in the country.
“Even more serious is how disinformation is being spread about vaccines,” he warned.
Addressing fake news forms part of Globe’s education initiative, the Digital Thumbprint Program (DTP).
It is a multi-awarded free workshop series for students, teachers, parents and even larger groups, such as local government units and interest groups. Participants are taught how to develop strong critical thinking skills when online, which are important for netizens’ safety today.
Through the DTP, Bermundo shared some key insights on public protection against fake news, such as the importance of being able to identify facts from opinions and distorted news.
He reiterated the importance of understanding the concept of perspective and the value of empathy when encountering others online.
“With the amount of time we spend on social media, it is important to be able to identify fake news by diligently checking sources, and validating the information. We should all play an active part in fighting fake news by reporting false claims through social media and online messaging platforms,” Bermundo added.
Globe has committed to make the DTP available to all interested communities and groups via scheduling of actual workshops and train-the-trainors sessions for those who would like to be program facilitators.
The company has also made digital versions of the program available for self-paced learning via its free learning platform called the Globe eLibrary, which can be accessed through globeelibrary.ph.