By Shirin Bhandari | 2025-06-24

Philippine officials are ramping up efforts against Chinese online propaganda.

The Philippine Congress held a series of four hearings between February and June 5 on the weaponization of fake news and social media propaganda, sparked by revelations that some Filipino influencers attended a Chinese-funded seminar in 2023.

During these hearings, lawmakers warned that online disinformation was actively promoting foreign interests and undermining the Philippines' claims in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea).

"Filipinos have the right to know the truth. We have to protect them from our fellow Filipinos who also spread fake news that spreads fear and division in our society," said Laguna Rep. Dan Fernandez, as media reported June 5.

"This propaganda seeks to weaken our resolve, divide public opinion, and normalize their illegal presence in our maritime territory," Fernandez said.

Disinformation stands as a major threat to Philippine sovereignty, second only to China's maritime aggression.

In this digital age, vloggers and influencers have become powerful in shaping both perception and policy discourse as the public increasingly turns to social media for information.

Propaganda playbook

Certain Filipino vloggers are actively amplifying defeatist narratives about the West Philippine Sea, Philstar.com said in an investigation published in May.

Their content often encourages fear, portraying China as overwhelmingly powerful and the Philippines as helpless, while shifting blame to the United States as the supposed provocateur.

These vloggers use diversion tactics, downplaying maritime issues by redirecting attention to unrelated domestic problems.

Sociologist Alvin Camba affirmed these patterns, explaining that such messaging aligns with standard tools in Chinese state propaganda.

"They overestimate the Chinese power," Camba told Philstar, adding that many influencers show limited understanding of the topics they cover.

These creators often cherry-pick sources and credentials to lend false authority to narratives that undermine Philippine sovereignty, he said.

A broader study conducted by AidData last September revealed that pro-China narratives in the Philippines were not limited to vloggers alone but were part of coordinated campaigns involving troll farms and foreign-funded training programs.

These efforts aim to normalize China's presence in the South China Sea while emphasizing infrastructure projects linked to Beijing.

Pro-China messaging on social media weakens public support for asserting Manila's maritime rights, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesperson Jay Tarriela in February warned.

These concerns found validation when reports surfaced that Filipino content creators had attended a 2023 Chinese-sponsored seminar to push pro-China messaging.

The subsequent congressional inquiry in February summoned more than 40 social media personalities and digital content creators to testify, including Trixie Angeles, who served as presidential spokesperson in 2022.

These hearings were essential to assess the scale of the disinformation problem, identify gaps in legislation and explore ways to hold digital actors accountable, said lawmakers.

Fighting back

Government agencies have launched counter-disinformation initiatives to reinforce facts and protect public discourse.

"The Philippine government has a clear stand on its position in the West Philippine Sea and its maritime rights, and has trained and designated strategic communications and spokespersons within the Philippine Coast Guard, Philippine Navy, and Armed Forces," Ares Gutierrez, former deputy director-general of the Philippine Information Agency (PIA), told Focus.

Gutierrez, a veteran journalist and longtime government communicator, spent the past three years with the Marcos administration strengthening transparency efforts and exposing online manipulation.

"It helps that the current administration has been more open in calling out those guilty of spreading fake news and disinformation," he added.

The Philippine News Agency (PNA) has worked with local government units to organize strategic workshops and community activities across Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, which together comprise the entire Philippine archipelago.

These initiatives aim to counter disinformation by simplifying complex maritime issues and increasing grassroots awareness.

Meanwhile, the PIA has launched school forums inviting maritime specialists like PCG spokesperson Tarriela to speak directly to students.

These sessions aim to educate youth about maritime law and help them build critical thinking skills, rather than rely solely on social media for information.

Digital battleground

Surveys suggest these efforts are gaining traction.

A Social Weather Stations survey, conducted in June 2024 for the Stratbase ADR Institute, found that 60% of Filipinos called the government's actions in the West Philippine Sea sufficient, the PNA reported.

They include initiatives like joint patrols and military exercises with allies. The poll surveyed 1,500 respondents nationwide, indicating broad public support.

As digital media reshape public discourse, media literacy programs have expanded nationwide, equipping students, teachers and content creators to detect falsehoods, push back against disinformation and defend Philippine sovereignty -- not just in disputed waters but across online platforms and algorithms.

"We are at a turning point in history. What we do today will define the Philippines of tomorrow. If we remain silent, we surrender. If we stay indifferent, we allow others to dictate our future," declared Karl Josef Legazpi, assistant secretary of the National Youth Commission, at a March event against disinformation.

"But if we choose to act -- if we fight for the West Philippine Sea, for our country, and for our people -- then we prove ourselves worthy of our ancestors," he added.