Presence of Chinese militia ships in Juan Felipe Reef draws negative reception online
A social listening report from Capstone-Intel Corporation revealed that approximately 78 percent of Filipino social media users (combined with likes and angry reactions) are negatively taking the issue of the swarming of over 135 Chinese militia ships in Juan Felipe Reef, adding that Filipinos are mad at how Chinese forces occupy the Philippine territory. Capstone-Intel is a high-impact research company that uses innovative research technologies, tools, and methods to convert data and information into breakthrough insights and actionable intelligence outputs. It is committed to helping its clients solve problems, find solutions, grow markets and constituencies, build reputations, navigate risks, manage crises, and be the country’s leading private research and intelligence agency. Background The Philippine Coast Guard said on Sunday, December 3, 2023, that more than 135 Chinese maritime militia vessels were being watched near Julian Felipe (Whitsun) Reef in the West Philippine Sea. The PCG reported that it first witnessed 111 Chinese ships swarming the disputed waterway’s Julian Felipe Reef, which is a member of the Kalayaan Island Group, on November 13. Based on military monitoring, the number of Chinese militia vessels increased to 125. The Coast Guard reported that by Saturday, over 135 boats had been “dispersed and scattered” in the area. The PCG referred to the increasing number of Chinese boats on the reef as an “alarming development.” The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) stated on Monday that the presence of more than 100 suspected Chinese maritime militia (CMM) ships at the Julian Felipe Reef may be a prelude to reclamation efforts. This is just one of the possibilities, according to PCG spokesperson for West Philippine Sea Commodore Jay Tarriela, given that a significantly higher number of vessels were seen in the sand bank than in previous months. Methodology Capstone-Intel examined the online presence of Juan Felipe Reef in the country as a topic of discussion over the weekend, from December 3, 2023, to December 5, 2023, by utilizing all publicly accessible posts from social and non-social media platforms in order to gather the sentiments of the public about the recent swarming of Chinese militia ships in the country. Facebook Performance Capstone-Intel found that Juan Felipe Reef garnered a 6,771.1 engagement score for its 149 total post count, which yielded over 24,301 total reaction counts. When broken down, “Facebook like” accounts for 39.7 percent of the total reactions, with 9,641. This was closely followed by “Facebook angry” with 9,504 reactions (39.1 percent), “Facebook sad” with 2,772 (11.4 percent), “Facebook haha” with 1,645 (6.8 percent), “Facebook wow” with 428 (1.8 percent), and “Facebook love” with 311 reactions (1.3 percent). Looking at the data, the majority of “Facebook like” and “Facebook angry” reactions can be attributed to several Filipino social media users getting mad at how Chinese militia ships swarmed the Philippine territory. However, it is also worth noting that, although the majority of the engagements are negative. Although the issue is a national concern, the intensity of the engagement scores reaching the number of users is not enough to spark a comprehensive discourse as it yielded a small number of reach. Online mentions Capstone-Intel likewise revealed that the Juan Felipe Reef received 90 percent negative mentions, and the remaining 10 percent were positive mentions. This means that the article mentions the brand was mostly angled negatively – mostly against the Chinese occupation of the area. It is also worth noting that Juan Felipe Reef received 13,905,855 combined social media reach, while its non-social media reach yielded over 1,134,074 non-social media reach. Top posts In terms of top posts, the top post for Juan Felipe Reef was a news report from GMA News featuring more than a hundred Chinese militia vessels spotted at Julian Felipe Reef (Whitsun Reef), some 169 nautical miles off Palawan, on December 2, 2023. This story received a 2,727.7 engagement score. This was followed by another news report from ABS-CBN News, which reported the “dispersed and scattered” view of Chinese militia ships along Julian Felipe Reef. This post yielded a total of 620.1 engagement score. The third most engaging post for Julian Felipe Reef was another news report from a news agency, namely Rappler, which explores, in video format, the intensity of Chinese militia presence along the Julian Felipe Reef, yielding a total engagement score of 447.1. Looking at the top posts, the main drivers of stories for the issue are news websites highlighting the necessity for concerned government agencies, through their official social media pages, to air their concern regarding the swarming of Chinese militia ships in the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines.
Divisoria Buys ‘Loves,’ ‘Likes’ from online users
Divisoria is widely recognized as a popular destination in Manila due to its extensive array of affordable merchandise, particularly during the holiday season. Capstone-Intel Corporation conducted an analysis of the public’s perceptions and attitudes towards this bustling area. Capstone-Intel is a high-impact research company that uses innovative research technologies, tools, and methods to convert data and information into breakthrough insights and actionable intelligence outputs. It is committed to helping its clients solve problems, find solutions, grow markets and constituencies, build reputations, navigate risks, manage crises, and be the country’s leading private research and intelligence agency. Background Irrespective of the occasion, such as the commencement of classes or the festive season of Christmas, it is widely observed among Filipinos to engage in shopping activities at Divisoria, a bustling commercial area located in close proximity to Binondo in Manila. Divisoria offers an extensive range of shopping options, with seven malls available for exploration. These malls are particularly known for their affordability, providing a stark contrast to other renowned shopping destinations in the city. Whether it be morning or night, visitors can indulge in a shopping spree, as the night market has gained significant popularity in recent times. The desire for cheap prices for goods in Divisoria can be attributed to several factors. The place offers a wide range of products at significantly lower prices than upscale malls or retail stores, attracting a large number of people seeking budget-friendly options. This has been the culture of Divisoria for decades. Moreover, Divisoria has gained a reputation as a hub for wholesale and retail trading. Many small business owners and entrepreneurs flock to this bustling marketplace to source goods at low prices, enabling them to sell their products at competitive rates and generate higher profits. The affordability of goods in Divisoria allows these business owners to stay competitive in the market and cater to the needs of price-conscious consumers. Also, it is important to note that while the allure of cheap prices is a significant factor, consumers also consider the quality and reliability of the products they purchase. While some vendors in Divisoria offer genuine and high-quality goods, others may sell counterfeit or substandard items. Methodology The study was conducted from November 28, 2022 to November 28, 2023. Capstone-Intel utilized its social listening tools to analyze publicly available Facebook pages for posts related to “Divisoria.” No demographic or personal data was tracked in this study. During the analysis, a total of 10,158 posts were scanned, resulting in 131,149 comments, 171,573 shares, a reaction count of 1,301,876, and an engagement score of 314,875.5. Reaction distribution Out of a total of 1,301,876 Facebook reactions, the breakdown is as follows: 665,414 (51.12%) Likes; 363,310 (27.92%) Love; 196,263 (15.07%) Haha; 24,817 (1.92%) Wow; 48,323 (3.72%) Sad, and 3,749 (0.28%) Angry reactions. Top posts The keyword “Divisoria” garnered considerable engagement scores from various Facebook pages of news agencies and influencers. The most popular reaction post, as determined by the number of responses it received, belonged to Jon Oraña. It garnered an engagement score of 54,339.8. It had a total of 20,804 (59.60%) Haha reactions, 6,819 (19.50%) Likes, 5,072 Wow reactions, and 2,205 (6.30%) Love reactions. Notably, there were no Sad or Angry reactions recorded. The second highest post that garnered reactions was from TV Patrol. It had an engagement score of 15,748.6. It had 93,466 (65.10%) Like, 49,072 (34.20%) Love, 543 (0.40%) Wow, 382 (0.10%) Haha, 30 (0%) Sad, and 30 (0%) Angry reactions. Additionally, the post with an engagement score of 13,028.8 was shared by Raevin Bonifacio. This particular post garnered 61,415 (58.90%) Love, 4,1443 (39.0%) Likes, 960 (0.90%) Sad, 453 (0.40%) Wow, 43 (0%) Haha, and 2 (0%) Angry reactions.
