So Where Did That 'Philippines, Province Of China' Geotag Come From?
Over the weekend, Filipinos were angered to discover a geotag on Facebook and Instagram labeled “Philippines, Province of China.” Right now, the location tag is still present on the two platforms, with 15,726 check-ins.
On May 18, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque dismissed the geotag on Facebook and Instagram as fake news. “I also call the attention of Vera Files and Rappler. They are the fact verifiers on Facebook. Why did they let this slip them? They should flag all fake news because this is clearly fake news and is not worthy of comment,” Roque said in an interview with Inquirer.
What is a geotag?
A geotag or geographical tag is information about the location where any form of data, such as social media check-ins, photos, and status updates, is created. Geotagging involves tagging a location to social media posts, like where you are eating or where you are going.
Geotagging lets your friends know where you are and what you're doing there, giving them a glimpse of your life, while you add a digital footprint about your habits.
How was the ‘Philippines, Province of China’ geotag created?
You cannot create your own geotags on Facebook—you only select them from tags already available in its system. Facebook relies on third-party developers such as Google Maps for location tagging. Hence, all available locations on Google Maps can be geotagged on Facebook.
Upon investigating, we discovered that someone added the “Philippines, Province of China” location on Google Maps over the location of Malacañang Palace and labeled it as a grocery store.
It is likely that the geotag was created as a form of protest against the government’s pro-China policy.
It is fairly easy to create location labels on Google Maps. Simply click on a location on the map and add a label. You will be asked to add a category for your location and input address details. Depending on whether you set the location as publicly viewable, people will be able to see it and use it as a geotag on Facebook once Google’s algorithm determines it as not a residence or private location.
Adding locations on Google Maps makes it easier for businesses to be visible online, especially when people search for stores and businesses on the map.
In 2018, banners with the words “Welcome to the Philippines, Province of China” were hung on foot bridges around Metro Manila. It was deliberately done on July 18, the second anniversary of the Philippines’ international arbitration case victory against China regarding disputes in the West Philippine Sea.
The geotag and the banners are simple but send a very powerful message to Filipinos and their government. It is a masterstroke that uses the words of President Duterte himself: “Why not make Philippines a province of China?”
Duterte’s supporters argue the comment was made as a joke. But now the joke is haunting us. As long as the government continues to appease and make excuses for China’s unfavorable policies toward Filipinos, we will always remain the Philippines, Province of China.
This story originally appeared on Esquiremag.ph.
* Minor edits have been made by the Candymag.com editors.
