Tarantadong Kalbo says, #KailanganTotoo

As we head into the 2022 elections, social media continues to be weaponized by those who spread fake news and disinformation. Every storyteller has a role to play in fighting disinformation and pushing for truth. If you have a platform, you have a responsibility. Along with VERA Files and our artist collaborators, we pledge: #KailanganTotoo.

#KailanganTotoo, kaya kailangan mag-verify bago i-share.
#KailanganTotoo, kaya maging mapanuri sa pagpasok sa mga endorsements at partnerships.
#KailanganTotoo, kaya dapat magpakatotoo sa mga realidad sa ating lipunan.

Our online habits and the content we consume on social media affects the people around us, and vice versa. There’s a popular belief that says a goldfish only has a three-second memory, and it’s become a rule not to put too much feed in their water because they might eat to death. Little do we know that this belief is false! But it's similar to how we often "doom scroll" on our timelines and sometimes tend to share things that aren't necessarily factual just because we got caught up in the emotion of the moment. That's when we accidentally spread disinformation.

For artists like me who have a huge following, anything we put out there has an impact, so there's a constant need to self-check.

— Tarantadong Kalbo

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