MANY people’s daily lives have been altered as a result of the pandemic. The global economy, in particular, was compelled to discover new ways to prosper in the new normal.
During the pandemic, Filipinos were forced to stay at home and look for alternative sources of income and do other recreational activities. They saw how the pandemic hastened the digital growth of civilization.
According to Forbes, the pandemic elevated the value of content creators to an all-time high. Many firms have successfully integrated content creators into their campaigns, signaling a significant opportunity to reach new, larger audiences and sell more products.
When the COVID-19 restrictions were lifted in the country, Filipinos were eager to return to their normal lives. This allowed content creators to reintroduce their work to the public.
Unfortunately, several content creators have fallen victim to crimes, such as robbery, as they film their content.
In a recent report by GMA News, two young digital content creators were robbed by motorcycle-riding suspects while they were filming a music video on a bridge in Pasig City before dawn.
The suspects initially approached the content creators to ask for directions, but after getting their response, one of the suspects swooped down on the victim’s bag and declared the robbery.
Cameras, extra batteries, a tripod, a cell phone, and other gadgets were stolen from the victims.
This is just one of the many crimes committed against content creators in the country. With such incidents, do these people feel safe whenever they create their content in public places?
Public places are battleground
CA Sitson has been doing content creation since 2020, as a way for him to interact with people and inspire them. He started doing food content at home, such as making the popular Dalgona coffee, and taking on dance challenges on TikTok.
“Ang pinaka content talaga yung majority ng contents ko ay dance trends kasi that’s my form of exercise,” Sitson told republicasia.
The 23-year-old content creator shared that he usually does his dance videos at home, but sometimes, he films in public places.
Sitson has visited different places in the country as part of his job as a talent for television shows. From dance videos, he also began filming “A Day in a Life” videos, where he would share his typical days as a talent.
“Lahat ng ganap ko sa isang araw kasi talent nga ako sa mga taping, sa shooting from Angkas, to the van nasakyan namin ng service from GMA or ABS-CBN going to the location, so mostly parang I’m sharing my life, the productivity of my life,” he said.
Sitson has also tried filming in other public places such as outside a university or on the streets.
Fortunately, the content creator said he hasn’t encountered any unfortunate events when filming outside as he takes extra care of his belongings, particularly his gadget. But this does not mean that he always feels safe to do content in public places.
“Nandun pa rin yung takot and lagi yun eh. Parang ‘pag ilalapag ko yung phone ko sa isang area na matao, iniisip ko kaagad titingin ako sa kaliwa’t kanan, I always check kung, ‘Shocks, may papalapit ba? May nakatingin ba na parang ano na ‘to, kahina-hinala or mysterious na yung tingin na there’s something wrong going on?’” he said.
He added, “It’s a feeling na rin kasi. Mafi-feel ko na, ‘Ah, it’s safe,’ ‘Oh okay wait lang, change location CA kasi medyo iba yung pakiramdam.”
Sitson said public places have become a “battleground” for content creators.
“Yung public area, doon ko masasabing I cannot say na safe ako kasi parang it’s a battleground,” he said.
“Marami na rin masasamang loob na tina-target yung content creators na, ‘Oh, mahal yung gamit nito,’ ‘Oh naka-iPhone ‘to. Maganda kasi yung quality ng camera kumbaga for sure mahal yung gamit neto kasi nagco-content creation siya,’” he continued.
Presence of mind
Since safety is not certain outdoors, Sitson said it is important for content creators to always have a presence of mind.
“Alam naman natin na maraming mga hindi magagandang loob, like ang daming balita ngayon na nanghoholdap, nangi-snatch ng mga cellphone na parang akala mo public place na secured yun pero may manghoholdap pa rin,” he said.
“You just need to really secure yourself kasi you’re not secured in public places like,” he advised.
Meanwhile, 21-year-old TikTok content creator Janna Labasbas also shared with republicasia that content creators should be aware of dangers that could possibly happen when they film outdoors.
“Parang responsibility rin ng content creator na alam ‘yung consequences, na pag nag-shoot ka sa labas, mataas ‘yung possibility na makuha yung phone mo,” she said.
Labasbas started her content creation during the pandemic in 2021. Her contents are mostly focused on dancing, product promotion, and point-of-view videos such as “A Day In My Life” which requires her to film outside her home.
Learning about news reports on content creators who have fallen victim to crimes, she said she needs to take extra precautions whenever she does her content creation in public spaces.
“Dahil nga do’n sa incident na ‘yon, edi magiging mas maingat [ako]. Hindi na ako pwedeng mag-shoot outside na mag-isa ako, kailangan ko na may kasama ako if magvi-vid ako,” she said.
Tips
Manila Police District (MPD) PIO Major Philipp Ines shared a few tips on how to do content creation safely in public places.
The first thing that content creators should do is to coordinate with local authorities in places so they could have security when they film their content, Ines said.
“Dapat familiar kayo sa lugar na pupuntahan niyo. Coordinate with the barangay, yung local authorities doon or the local police na nandoon,” he said.
But this would depend on the type of content they would create.
Depende kasi sa gagawin niyong content eh. Halimbawa, for the sake lang ng TikTok niyo, kung ganon lang ang gagawin niyo at hindi katulad ng ginagawa ng ibang mga malalaking content creator, siguraduhin niyo kung saan kayo magco-content,” he explained.
Ines also said that they should be aware of the places they would visit.
“Aware parin kayo [dapat] doon sa lugar. Bago kayo pumunta at kung hindi niyo lugar ‘yan, alamin niyo muna kung ano meron sa lugar na iyan,” he added.
The official also stressed the importance of having contacts with local authorities in case a crime transpires.
If they don’t have the contact number of the police, they can always reach out through social media, Ines said.
“Ngayon, halos lahat ng tao ay gumagamit ng social media. Gumagamit din kami ng ganon. Pwede ka mag-report doon sa [Facebook] account namin, send mo yung video,” he said.
“Ang pulis niyo dito sa Manila Police District ay nasa dulo ng daliri niyo. Pindutin mo lang ay lalabas lahat ng number. So, walang dahilan na hindi mo macocontact,” he continued.
How to report
Crimes, such as robbery, should be reported to the police as soon as possible, according to Ines.
“Pinakamahalaga talaga ‘yung element of time,” he said, adding, “Yung pagitan ng limang minuto na hindi na-call [yung] attention, kung ikaw ay nabiktima ng isang riding in tandem, mga riding motorcycle criminal na ‘yan, gaano na kaya kalayo yung five minutes?”
Ines said that it is important for victims to have a detailed picture of the suspect as the police will rely on their description.
He added that they should note specific details about the suspects such as the type and color of the vehicle they used, number of occupants, and their clothing.
“From head pababa, naka-helmet ng black. Ano ba, full face or half face?Bukod dun na naka-helmet, merong marking na ganito kasi maraming naka helmet,” he said.
“Sunod naman pababa, anong damit? Anong kulay ng damit? Naka-jacket ba? Ano naman style nung jacket?” he added.
The suspects’ body features and accessories like tattoos and wristwatches can also help the authorities to track them quickly.
Maximize police presence
The City of Manila currently has a population of two million people, according to Ines. With this number, crimes are likely to arise on occasion.
But Ines assured Manileños that they have nothing to worry about as the city has a high crime solution efficiency rate.
The MPD deploys approximately 250 bicycle patrols daily to increase police presence and visibility on the streets.
It also has an integrated patrol system known as “Hotspot” and “Crime Clock” to track when and where crimes occur.
“Halimbawa robbery, snatching perpetrated by a motorcycle criminal. Anong oras? ‘Pag time na rush hour na, ‘yung mga lumalabas na mga estudyante from school, from U-belt, do’n ka magde-deploy ng tao,” he explained.
He continued, “Before pa lumabas ang mga estudyante nandyan dapat ang pulis.”
Ines noted that the police could not prevent crimes, but he assured the public that they would go after the perpetrators.
“Palagi natin sinasabi at gusto natin ipa-abot sa mga ‘to na ‘pag gumawa ka ng krimen, pinaliliit namin ang mundo,” he stressed.
“Hindi kami pumapayag na ‘di ka namin mahuli, masampahan ng kaso, at mapanagot sa batas,” he ended.
