Ako Mismo: Web Activism or Sugar High?

5 May 2009 at 5:32 pm | In Essays and Commentaries | 49 Comments
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So my biggest question about Ako Mismo is this: to what end?

What is its purpose? What is it supposed to do?

Is this something truly wonderful, or just an elaborate, high-budget phishing scam?

This may be the cynic in me talking, but I’d like to think it’s also the concerned citizen speaking. For I agree with the likes of Bikoy who worry that this is nothing but a feel good website masquerading as a social movement. His leftist leanings aside, he makes a genuine argument and I quote,

Really, there is no net effect if you commit to doing something you’ve already been doing, or you should be doing in the first place regardless of any social problem. It’s a neutral force. We stay where we are. Do something more. Do something out of your comfort zones. Social change is never comfortable. Do something collectively. Do something with other sectors of society. Social change is never about the individual doing things for personal growth and expecting the rest of the process to fall into place.

That is true, though I have one contention. There is actually some wisdom in allowing people to express their commitments to things which may seem neutral or comfortable. It can be said that doing so is pointless or self-indulgent — since cleaning up the environment, paying our taxes, following traffic rules, or whatever, all go without saying. But there is power in articulating these simple commitments. Taking the pledges en masse, it shows what people value.

True, paying taxes is a civic duty but articulating it helps transform it into personal responsibility. You make it your own. Moreover, these pledges also provide a glimpse at what people may — knowingly or otherwise — view as a systemic problem. Not everyone pays taxes. Not everyone follows traffic rules. Not everyone cleans up the environment. But you should. We should. Because I do.

It’s about personal empowerment. You begin with an awareness that you can change the world through the littlest, most ordinary things. And once you get that sense that others share in your fight — that you are not alone in wanting things to be better — then a genuine movement can be born.

And here is where I break away from my apparent defense of Ako Mismo, which was my way of setting up the big question: So what next?

I have not pledged.

I did not pledge for I do not know what I am pledging for. Don’t get me wrong, there is a lot I can commit to myself to. There is a lot I can type in that little box. However, what am I committing myself to the moment I sign up?

Sure, there is that security concern. The campaign is being run by DDB, an advertising agency handling Smart Communications. The 21st Ad Congress is coming this November 2009 and it is common practice among Ad Agencies to come up with these campaigns for awards purposes. Take this from someone whose parents both come from the advertising industry.

So all this I attribute to either corporate social responsibility or political opportunism, or both. That having been said, I think I’ll pass on putting my personal contact information out there. All the political conspiracies are on the table at this point and I am not willing to be part of a database that will either be sold to the highest bidder or is being built by a tycoon-turned-politico to complement his campaign war chest.

But beyond these concerns is a matter of principle. Put aside the graphics, the commercials, the celebrities and all that jazz, what is Ako Mismo?

A lot of people are calling this a movement, but I respectfully disagree. It’s not a movement because we don’t know where it’s headed. By letting people pledge, they play on their values and their sentiments, but to what end? I don’t see links to environmental groups they can support. I don’t see concrete plans of action which members can follow on through. I don’t see any advocacy about the elections, or poverty, or the economy. Heck, let’s be shallow — I don’t even see instructions on how to claim that dog tag!

And without all that — most of all the dog tag! — then the campaign will surely frustrate. Future campaigns — and possibly ones that promise and promote a genuine movement — will then be met with skepticism: “Ah, that one is just like Ako… what? Kalimutan ko na. Basta sign up lang tapos wala naman.”

Some will accuse me of being cynical. The common riposte will sound like this: But what matters is my commitment and my voice. That the site made me feel more responsible as a citizen, and that is all that matters.

That may be true, but that isn’t all that matters. There is a gap between what feels rewarding and what is right. It’s pretty much like all those who said that it doesn’t matter if Martin Nievera messed up the anthem because they felt the spirit of the anthem anyway. It doesn’t change the fact that he messed up the anthem, and that none of us should.

And this is the dangerous game being played by Ako Mismo. By promising a movement of change and what not, they play on the hopes and dreams of many. Now they will have to follow through on that. For making good on promises is what they should do. We should do. I should do.

Ako mismo, pero paano sila?

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49 Comments »

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  1. Sir ginaya lang ata yung pangalan ng blog ninyo na AKOMISMO.:))

    Comment by jersonfrancia — 5 May 2009 #

  2. Baka nga. :p

    Comment by Martin Perez — 5 May 2009 #

  4. Exactly what I was thinking when I visited the site.

    Comment by LGAE — 5 May 2009 #

  5. When I searched for “Ako Mismo” in Google last Sunday at around 2 pm, the link to your blog was the very first link that appeared in the search…hehe

    Comment by Iel — 5 May 2009 #

  6. Yes, Iel. My blog’s traffic surged 900%! 900!!!

    Comment by Martin Perez — 5 May 2009 #

  7. mmp. d nyo ba sir pde benta ung name n yan or sumthing sa kanila? :) )

    Comment by jv — 5 May 2009 #

  8. That’s because you didn’t understand the concept. Maraming nagsasabi, “Hindi ko maintindihan kung para saan ba to, kung anong balak nila”. It’s about YOU, what are YOU willing to do. Ask what YOU can do for your country. It doesn’t matter how small it is, there’s power in numbers. Stirring up the nationalistic pride in our youth is a huge step towards prosperity.

    Comment by maw — 5 May 2009 #

  9. It’s like T-shirt Nationalism – it does nothing TANGIBLE for us as a NATION.

    Comment by crocea-mors — 5 May 2009 #

  10. T-shirt Nationalism — I like that. That’s pretty popular these days.

    Comment by Martin Perez — 5 May 2009 #

  11. I get it, maw. Stir up pride, but to what end? That remains my question.

    Comment by Martin Perez — 5 May 2009 #

  12. I hope that the motives behind this campaign are sincere and patriotic. Otherwise, it would be a shame that all of these were for some personal or political gain.

    I don’t mind T-shirt Nationalism considering how easily we embrace western fashion or even dress up as japanese anime characters. So if people take time to show some pride in being a Filipino by wearing a t-shirt for a day, I think that is a good start. Not everyone is cut out to be an activist.

    I understand why most of us are still skeptics at this point about the whole thing. Sana naman ipaliwanag nila ng mabuti kung ano ito at kung sino-sino talaga ang nasa likod nito.

    Comment by reviewer22 — 5 May 2009 #

  13. Well-played, sir !
    But I think, the operative word you are looking for, is ‘ Orwellian ‘.

    Comment by sobra-na-tama-na-durugin-na — 5 May 2009 #

  14. Nothing wrong with T-Shirt nationalism, except that it has the dangerous tendency to remain superficial.

    Orwellian — hmm. Depends on what they do with all the information they’re mining. Yikes!

    Comment by Martin Perez — 5 May 2009 #

  15. reviewer22 :
    Does it take for one to be an ‘ activist ‘ to be a socially-responsible citizen nowadays ?
    Is that such a tremendous leap to make your politicians use your taxes properly ?!?!?

    Comment by sobra-na-tama-na-durugin-na — 5 May 2009 #

  16. @ Martin Perez.
    The very project ITSELF is Orwellian.
    Come on. ‘ Assert your rights by wearing dogtags. ‘
    Double-think.

    Comment by sobra-na-tama-na-durugin-na — 5 May 2009 #

  17. @ maw
    Tol, mukhang alam naman na ng mga tao rito ang mga balak nila.
    Ang mga balak nila ay NAKAKAKILABOT.
    Never mind the whole ‘ Manny V. Pangilinan ‘ thing, seriously. That’s a cherry on top of the icing. Or, parang yung tipong ang ganda na ng pagkakahirit mo nung joke – tapos me bilang pumasok pa at ipinaliwanag at inilustrate yung joke sa iyo.
    ‘ Big Figure. Small Word. ‘
    ‘ He he he. Big Figure funny, kasi pandak siya. Tignan mo, yung tinatawag niyang Big. Figure. Panggok at maliit siyang tao, see ?!? ”

    He he he. Trapo.

    Comment by sobra-na-tama-na-durugin-na — 5 May 2009 #

  18. smart communications today denied they own this website… and there’s an email circulating that this is a phishing exhibition for a politician this coming 2010 elections… read more http://itpinoy.blogspot.com

    Comment by itpinoy — 5 May 2009 #

  19. [...] According to IT Pinoy’s post, Ramon Isberto, public affairs head of Smart Communications denies that they own the website. On the other hand, Yugatech’s investigation shows that akomismo.org is owned by Tribal DDB and that the server is hosted at PLDT. DDB is the advertising agency that handles Smart Communications, according to Martin Perez’s post. [...]

    Pingback by AKOMISMO is all about what? « TatayK — 6 May 2009 #

  20. [...] First, the domain “AkoMismo.org” is owned by an ad agency, Tribal DDB. This supports the theory that this campaign is for the 21st Ad Congress as mentioned in Martin’s post. [...]

    Pingback by Constant Random Change » More Ako Mismo — 6 May 2009 #

  21. looks like Edu Manzano is the one behind this Ako Mismo campaign (http://www.pep.ph/news/21556/Edu-Manzano-spearheads-Ako-Mismo-movement/1/1)

    Comment by iphonedevpinoy — 6 May 2009 #

  22. Obviously, AkoMismo is building a list. However, we still don’t know where it will use the list. I might use this list to earn big money by selling it to web/mail advertisers looking for a Filipino crowd. If I where you, I won’t sign unless this I know their purpose and have seen the legal agreement.

    Comment by Aldrin Cabrera — 6 May 2009 #

  23. [...] word on Ako Mismo, which certainly has gotten tongues wagging (and Martin Perez’s blog, AKOMISMO, getting deluged with stray hits), and not a few people feeling patriotic -or merely lusting after [...]

    Pingback by Hell hath no fury like a Sala scorned : Manuel L. Quezon III: The Daily Dose — 6 May 2009 #

  24. [...] posts like Ako Mismo Web Activism or Sugar High and plurks and tweets have mostly been cynical and negative: And this is the dangerous game being [...]

    Pingback by AkoMismo On the Road to 2010 | Filipino Voices — 6 May 2009 #

  25. [...] word on Ako Mismo, which certainly has gotten tongues wagging (and Martin Perez’s blog, AKOMISMO, getting deluged with stray hits), and not a few people feeling patriotic -or merely lusting after [...]

    Pingback by Current » Hell hath no fury like a Sala scorned — 6 May 2009 #

  26. [...] Ako Mismo: Web Activism or Sugar High? [...]

    Pingback by Taking my blog’s name back — it’s AKOMISMO « AKOMISMO by Martin Perez — 6 May 2009 #

  27. this new campaign is nothing but a sheer ploy to divide this nation for sporting a very individualistic approach at things, and political campaign.

    Comment by elmot — 6 May 2009 #

  28. to sobra-na-tama-na-durugin-na:

    Politicians will always be politicians. No one is saying that by wearing a shirt or going to a rally that your local public official will become a patriot overnight. Neither are dog tags the anting-anting that will scare off ghoulish public officials from implementing their selfish schemes. True, some of your hard earned tax pesos will still end up in someone’s pockets. But I am not saying that just wear the shirt and go on with your life. Baby steps muna. Ngayon kung gusto mo na talaga, join an organization that really works toward national progress. Hindi necessarily grupo silang palaging nag proprotesta sa kalsda.

    Comment by reviewer22 — 6 May 2009 #

  29. [...] me to discuss Ako Mismo in a wider context. For despite my alleged cynicism (which you can read here and here), my first reaction was a positive one. I was impressed. Their launch had impeccable [...]

    Pingback by Symbolism as Nationalism: The Frantic Search for the Filipino « AKOMISMO by Martin Perez — 7 May 2009 #

  30. [...] Ko from Walks of Life Ako Mismo Campaign by Carlo Ople Ako Mismo Supports Ako Mismo by Noemi Dado Ako Mismo: Web Activism or Sugar High? by Martin Perez Ako Mismo by Karla Redor On Ako Mismo by Bikoy Ako Mismo: A Sekptics View from [...]

    Pingback by Ako Mismo ang Magkokonek Da Dots | NOYPI — 8 May 2009 #

  31. [...] addicts we can’t get enough of the drama. An example of this angry train of thought is by Martin Perez who wrote: And this is the dangerous game being played by Ako Mismo. By promising a movement of change and [...]

    Pingback by On the Road to 2010, Ako Mismo Nagtatanong: Where’s My Cut? | Filipino Voices — 8 May 2009 #

  32. sir perez, you should try this site out:
    http://thebrownraise.org

    Deserves a second look

    Comment by Skiverz — 8 May 2009 #

  33. Now THAT looks very interesting.

    Comment by Martin Perez — 8 May 2009 #

  34. wag nyo na sana batikusin mga bro kaya nga AKOMISMO tapos dyan na naman tayo sa pagiging crab mantality kunin natin yung sense na AKOMISMO kung hindi nsila basta ilagay MO sa isip MO AKOMISMO Uun lang un

    Comment by rolan santos — 9 May 2009 #

  35. hi 2 all
    ako mis mo
    im like to join the project

    Comment by marvin — 9 May 2009 #

  36. im marvin
    from dasma cavite

    maraming pilipino ang
    guzto bagohin ang bansa

    kaya kahit d2 sa project na 2 makatulong ako sa

    lumalaganap na pininira sa kabataan pilipino

    tulad ng droga..
    at pinag babawal na gamot

    na kung saan ang ka bataan ang lubus na naapiktohan

    Comment by marvin — 9 May 2009 #

  37. hi to all
    WHO IS A FILIPINO but the heart that truly loves the one whole nation of the Filipinos.

    A heart who truly understands our nation as WE being the one whole people of the one whole social democracy represented by our one whole Philippine Republic.

    A heart who willingly embraces our one whole people, from the least to the greatest.

    A heart that understands the entirety of our one whole truth that our people is an unbroken lineage of sacred life extending from generation to generation unto the Last Day.

    A heart that shares with our common hope, anchoring it firmly in eternity and extending it across the long march of exile time from sacred trust to sacred trust unto this present day.

    A heart that joins together in the continuity of our noble endeavor of Country, Country being the synthesis of both state and nation linking every Filipino together from beautiful life to beautiful life across the vast desolation of this world of endless battle.

    A heart that believes enough to journey among the numberless stars across the midnight sky to quest for a shining peace that shall take us safely across the darkness into the dawn of the new morning from on high and a better, kinder and safer time for all our men, women and children.

    O my beloved nation, I can not describe to you the static face of our people but I can show you who a true Filipino is when I see his or her heart in motion.

    For we must never again allow ourselves to be defined by the vanity of our external world. Thus do we finally free ourselves from the last vestiges of our martyred colonial past.

    Ever since the birthing of our ancient fathers, we have always been as a people defined by what timeless virtue is contained within those infinite worlds inside each and every Filipino heart.

    By thus we were recognized of old and by thus we must again be recognized the same today, tomorrow and forever.

    We are a people not because of what we were in our colonial past but because of who we are as we are of old.

    We are the one whole Filipino nation.

    Comment by remac — 10 May 2009 #

  38. to all filipino resist communsim. they are the sorcer of our nation they pioson us by thier nonsense,vintage idealogy.

    Comment by markum — 11 May 2009 #

  39. activist and the communist are one of the burden of our society we must resist them and wipe them out we cant afford to have them in congress

    long live for filipino democracy uphopld justice and promote nonpartisianship

    Comment by manay ko — 11 May 2009 #

  40. Akomismo – isang simula ng pagbabago sa bawa’t Pilipino. Huwag ng lumingon…. harapin natin ng kinabukasan ng may pagkakaisa.

    Comment by Cellie P. Uichanco — 12 May 2009 #

  41. Sir..sana itong ako mismo gamitin nila sa kaayosan, kaunlaran at kapayapaan ng bansa hindi sa sariling kapakanan.

    Comment by Alan — 13 May 2009 #

  42. Sana sa samahang ito dito magsimula ang pagbabago

    Comment by Alan — 13 May 2009 #

  43. i am hoping that by joining AKO MISMO, i could somehow help my fellow FILIPINOs

    Comment by Cyndi — 16 May 2009 #

  44. bakit, ano ba talaga ang problema dito sa LIPUNAN?? IPBK.. ayan lamang ang tanging problema kya nagkakaroon ng pagsasamantala sa iba’t ibang sektor sa lipunan.. lalung lalo na sa hanay ng mga magsasaka at manggagawa. sa pagkakaroon ng sosyalismong lipunan, walang magsasamantala, walang mang-aapi at walang mga kapitalistang ganid na magpapatakbo at mamumuno sa lipunan. HOW CAN U SAY THAT THOSE ACTIVISTS AND COMMUNISTS ARE THE BURDENS OF OUR SOCIETY??? pinaglalaban lamang nila kung ano ang talagang dapat tamasahin ng mga pilipino sa ating bansa. Ibagsak ang imperyalismong US, PYUDALISMO at BURUKRATA KAPITALISMO..

    Comment by laya — 16 May 2009 #

  45. why tell the obvious thing we can do, we had been doing all of these things yet nothing has changed, what we should expose are those doing those bad, treacherous things… why not say “ako mismo ang mag witness, first had information ito, si ____________ ang protektor ng droga” in that way people would recognize them and they would be deterred from doing their illegal stuff

    Comment by iatros — 19 May 2009 #

  46. Hindi mga tibak o komunista ang salot sa lipunan; ang tunay na salot ay ang mga taong nangbabatikos ng isang ideolohiya na hindi naman nila na naiintindihan.

    Nonpartisanship, my foot!

    By the way, check your spelling! Nothing nothing shows incompetence like ‘communsim’, ’sorcer’, ‘pioson’ and ‘uphopled’.

    Comment by Anon — 26 May 2009 #

  47. hi^^

    Comment by jeremyallan — 30 May 2009 #

  48. [...] Martin Perez – Web Activism or Sugar High [...]

    Pingback by Ako Mismo www.akomismo.org – making my commitments, taking our country’s progress into our own hands | Technobiography.com — 15 June 2009 #

  49. [...] Ako Mismo FiascoMartin Perez’s Ako Mismo Web Activism or Sugar High?Four-eyed Journal’s Another One on Ako MismoBikoy.net’s On Ako MismoLet me just post here [...]

    Pingback by Weekend Treat With Fiascos, Comic Judge and Crazy Stuffs — 9 July 2009 #


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