In the midst of pandemic crisis (COVID 19) that we are facing right now, the government have launched a program called Social Amelioration Program (SAP) which aims to provide emergency financial assistance (amounting to Php 5,000 – 8,000) to all Filipino households belonging to informal or vulnerable sectors or the so-called “poorest of the poor” who have affected by the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ).Assuming that you are one of the PR Personnel of City Mayor of San Pedro City, Laguna, how will you address/handle/solve the “issues” and “rants” of online netizens (San Pedronians specifically) on social networking sites with regards to distribution of the said emergency financial assistance. Note that, as PR professional, your ultimate goal is to create a good publicity for your client (who happened to be the City Mayor of San Pedro Laguna
Answers
Since the main aim is to create good publicity, the focus will be on:
A. Reducing bad publicity -The one way to reduce bad publicity is by creating a lot more good publicity, through regular online interaction with the public, posting updates about the current situation in the city and the sanitisation measures being taken. Also, share updates from around the world, especially from countries where no such help is being given to citizens.
B. Reassuring the citizens- While Pedronians can reach out to the government, they have limited access to first hand information. Therefore, it is most important for the mayor’s PR team to:
1. Acknowledge their problems
2. Assure them of action being taken (in the form of SAP, or other services)
3. Share with them the actual figures of money being doled out or the number of households that have already been helped. Also encourage the beneficiaries to share their experience.
4. Social media posts should also have visuals of medical staff and cops working hard and the mayor and councillors having meetings to strategise how to handle the situation. This will send out the message that everyone is putting in their best and may be overworked; so things will take a little time to be implemented, including the SAP.
5. Further, care should be taken to ensure that no ‘build-up’ of complaints happens. Hence, an individual should be appointed to guide the disgruntled people to the right department. For instance, anyone facing issues with the grocery delivery system needs to be put in touch with the concerned department, rather than the mayor himself.This will lead to the resolution of smaller issues at a quicker pace and allow the mayor to focus on other bigger issues.Similarly, a particular department should have all the information regarding the SAP- who qualifies, what is the criteria, when will the money be disbursed, etc. This information needs to be made available to the public, so that the most obvious questions are already answered.