CONTACT: FOR IMMEDIATE

RELEASE
Rosario Juan (for interviews)
Twitter: @juanxi
Email: rosariojuanonline@gmail.com

Niña Terol-Zialcita (for media coordination)

Twitter: @ninaterol
Email: nina.terol.zialcita@gmail.com
Mobile: (0917) 554 6758

MANILA’S NETIZENS JOIN GLOBAL “TWEETUP” FOR A

CAUSE
IN TWESTIVAL MANILA

MANILA, Philippines – On March 24, 2011, Manila joins other cities around the
world in using the power of online influence to change lives through Twestival
Manila, an offline event that brings together some of the city’s top Twitter
buzzmakers and online advocates for some real-world changemaking.

Taking place at Le Bistro Vert, a sustainable restaurant in Makati’s central Salcedo

Village, Twestival Manila (@TwestivalMNL on Twitter)) aims to raise at least
Php140,000) for JeepneED (@jeepneED), a non-profit organization that uses a
redesigned jeepney as a mobile science and technology labs for rural schools in the
Philippines. Each mobile lab will contain 10 laptops, a 3G hub for internet
connectivity, a printer, a projector, and other basic educational materials.

According to Rosario “Ros” Juan (@juanxi), one of Twestival Manila’s main

organizers, “Our initial target may be modest—Php140,000 or, like the familiar 140-
character tweet, but multiplied many times and converted to money and directed at
a good cause.” She reveals that a reason for choosing JeepneED as the charity of
choice was “the uncanny combination of jeepneys, children, education, science, and
technology… that appealed to a lot of the ‘Twitterati’.”

“The sustainability of JeepneED’s project in terms of hardware longevity and the

lasting effect of a good education were factors that also added to JeepneED’s
overall impact,” she adds. JeepneED was also screened by Twestival Global prior to
its approval as the event beneficiary, and passed the criteria without a hitch.

What is a Twestival?

Twestival® (or “Twitter Festival”) is defined in its website as an event that

“uses social media for social good by connecting communities offline on a single
day to highlight a great cause and have a fun event.” The largest grassroots-based,
social media-driven fundraising initiative to date since its inception in 2009,
Twestival organizers and volunteers have raised around US$1.2 million for 137 non-
profit organizations from around the world. All local events are organized purely by
volunteers, with 100% of all ticket sales and proceeds going directly to
beneficiaries.

“Twestival was born out of the idea that if cities were able to collaborate on an
international scale, but work from a local level, it could have a spectacular impact,”
the website states. To date, over 200 international cities worldwide have already
participated in Twestival.

Juan adds, “Twestival [aims to demonstrate] that social media can be used for social
good—that online efforts can produce significant offline impact. Twitter is not just
about playful banter, mundane musings, and sharing YouTube links. Given the right
objective, Twitter can be quite a powerful tool. And that can be said about social
media in general.”

The Philippines: 3rd in Twitter penetration in Asia

According to ComScore, Inc., a measurement service for assessing digital influence

and digital intelligence, the Philippines is the third biggest market in terms of
Twitter penetration in Asia, and the sixth worldwide, with an estimated 2.1 million
Filipinos active on Twitter. However, experts argue the figure could be higher
considering this initial figure excludes those accessing Twitter from internet cafes
and mobile phones.

“We’ve had first-hand experience in how social media has helped us in periods of
great distress, such as Ondoy,” Juan recounts. “We now know that social media can
be an invaluable tool in raising awareness about certain causes and, subsequently,
mobilizing people to help.”

“What’s really amazing is that I have not even met half of the Twestival Manila
team prior to the event, but we managed to get this event together. I think that is
proof enough of the value of crowdsourcing that is directed toward one, specific,
potentially life-changing, goal,” she enthuses.
Taking online advocacies on-the-ground

Twestival Manila aims to debunk the myth that Twitter advocates and activists are
active only online and are unable to translate their tweets into grassroots actions
with lasting impact.

By supporting JeepneED Inc., it also aims to support “community-driven,

sustainable, in-school support in science and technology.” The jeepneys being used
for JeepneED’s projects are also redesigned jeepney and run on used vegetable oil.

“Hopefully, through Twestival Manila 2011, we can significantly contribute to

JeepneED and help cover the expenses for their first year of operations,” Juan
shares.

“Also, on the event date itself, Twestival Global will be announcing how Twestival
plans to help Japan in the wake of the recent calamities they have experienced.
Efforts for Twestival Japan will be launched on March 24.”

Aside from all these, Twestival is seen to have practical benefits to young
entrepreneurs and changemakers. According to Gen Tiu, proprietor of MiLi
Philippines, a company that distributes creatively-designed universal chargers and
power packs for Apple products, “I decided it's a good idea to support Twestival
because, overall, it's an event that benefits the community. Not just through
JeepneED foundation, but also by providing an avenue for people to connect,
reconnect, and build a common network that would benefit industries. In turn,
hopefully, this move would extend to supporting whatever small economy there is.”

For his part, celebrity news anchor and Twestival Manila host, TJ Manotoc, shared
via Twitter DM (direct message): "I support the growth of the Pinoy Twitter
community and it's great that we're getting together for a great cause ;)"

***

Twestival Manila is seen to be only the first of a series of annual events in support
of Twestival Global’s objectives and for the benefit of local communities. This year’s
organizers say that bigger, better things are up ahead, and they enjoin the rest of
the Philippine online community to take part in activities that bring the energy of
the digital realm onto causes and communities that need it most.

TWESTIVAL MANILA 2011 was organized with the support of the following
partners:
Pepsi
Bellarocca Island Resort and Spa
asianTraveler Magazine
Le Bistro Vert
Ammado
MiLi Philippines
Divoom
Freshman
Galileo Enrichment Learning Program
Naked Sun swimwear
Netbooster
Renegade Folk shoes

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, VISIT THESE WEBSITES:

Twestival Manila: http://manila.twestival.com/
Twestival Global: http://www.twestival.com/info.html
Twestival Global video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wg2w2EMIWTM
JeepneED: http://www.jeepneed.org/

###