On February 8, the award-winning nine-piece band Ben&Ben shared their thoughts about misinformation and fake news amid Philippine national elections.
During the media conference for Google and Ben&Ben’s music collaboration Mag-Ingat, band member Paolo Benjamin noted that it would be a grassroots effort to fight disinformation, especially during the elections.
“And I think that since it’s such a crucial time since it’s the elections also. Kasi may mga better tools na to help us be vigilant to the truth and therefore fight these sources of disinformation. I think it’s really a grassroots effort to make that happen.
“As much as the reliance on massive efforts and platforms making a difference will definitely shake things up, at the end of the day, it’s really one person at a time making that difference in terms of reaching out to actual people.”
He also concluded that misinformation and fake news existed long before the election season.
“I think regardless of whether it’s the elections or not, something that’s definitely been on the rise for the past two to three years or probably, even more, is ‘yun nga eh, disinformation. Form of fake news, troll accounts, coming from anywhere, and really gaining traction, [and] most likely, we have relatives na–relatives or friends who’ve fallen victim to it.”
He also urged others to reach out to those who may have been a victim of misinformation with empathy.
“Kasi, I think that’s the key to fighting this, eh. By reminding ourselves na the ones we are trying to reach out to say na fake news ‘yan, or that’s a troll account, or that’s not a very reliable source, ay tao na kasing prone na magkamali as you.
“And therefore, that level of empathy–one person at a time, could probably be the key to moving forward finally from this problem na matagal ng nagpe-persist.”
Pat Lasaten also shared a message to netizens to use the Internet, responsibly and safely.
“There are many sides to the internet, it can be a really/ useful tool for school, for work, but it can also be dangerous if you’re not careful. And because of that, we need to learn how to use the Internet responsibly and safely.”
Google and Ben&Ben’s collaboration song, Mag-Ingat, conveys a similar message about online safety being a shared responsibility for all people.
The song sheds light on online threats such as scams, misinformation, catfishing, and the importance of critical thinking and verifying information through trusted sources to protect oneself and others through a head-bopping and catchy tune.
The song is currently available on Ben&Ben’s YouTube page and all digital music services worldwide.
