In a predominantly Christian nation like the Philippines where the critique of the long-standing religious-normative ideals and traditions has expanded to the digital space, the church hierarchy and its faithful have not shied away from making their claims and defenses known through a subtle but effective digital strategy of hashtag activism. This paper seeks to explore how the Philippine Catholic church has defended itself from the proliferation of fake news, particularly during the height of the global pandemic, to discredit its social posture and agency with the utilization of the hashtag #ChurchInAction. The paper collects and gathers postings from social networking sites (SNSs) like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram among others that incorporate the said hashtag and a cursory discourse analysis will be employed to draw out intentions, meanings, and ideologies. With this, it attempts to contribute to the scholarship of digital activism that is uniquely ecclesial and religious in nature and character.

Authors:
Willard Enrique Macaraan, De La Salle University, Philippines

About the Presenter(s)
Dr. Willard Enrique R. Macaraan is a Full Professor at De La Salle University, Manila Philippines. has published articles on theology, religion and migration, theological education, philosophy, and other related fields.

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https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Willard-Enrique-Macaraan?ev=hdr_xprf

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