The administrators of the volunteer-run Telegram channel that uploads news blasts and coronavirus-related updates announced that they are looking for people to help manage the group.
“PH Coronavirus Updates,” a channel in the platform with over 130,000 subscribers, including journalists, said that people who are willing to volunteer must have the following “non-negotiable” requirements:
1. “You do not engage, promote, or disseminate misinformation and fake news.”
2. “You only monitor legitimate news sources.”
Those interested may send a DM or a direct message to the channel’s Twitter account.
A similar announcement could also be seen in some of the channel’s posts on the platform beside its timestamps. It reads: “We’re looking for volunteers.”
The channel has not been giving regular updates as of late.
Its recent hiatus was from November 3 to 8, when it stopped providing news blasts on the daily coronavirus statistics as released by the health department.
In a tweet on Monday, it said that its current administrators have been “busy.”
Hi everyone, things have gotten a bit busy for the team hehe, we’re still looking for volunteers to help us manage the channel! https://t.co/jUgmsfsKAg
— PH Coronavirus Updates 🇵🇭 (@phcoronavirus) November 9, 2020
The channel is known for uploading real-time news blasts and updates about the COVID-19 situation in the country, as well as government policies concerning community quarantine measures.
It also shares information from experts on the global community about the viral disease through videos and articles with an accompanying brief caption or summary about the report.
The channel likewise updates Filipinos about countries with the highest number of total COVID-19 cases every morning to make them aware of the situation outside the Philippines.
It similarly gives summaries of the president’s national addresses to keep them updated in case they are not able to watch his recorded speeches.
Last August, the channel was unable to upload news blasts for more than two days. It concerned some of its subscribers but its administrators said that “work and life” had gotten in the way that time.
RELATED: The ‘PH Coronavirus Updates’ Telegram channel has been silent for days and it’s worrying Filipinos
Hi everyone! Work and life got in the way and we are all okay and safe.
Medyo pagod pero lumalaban parin. Stay safe!
— PH Coronavirus Updates 🇵🇭 (@phcoronavirus) August 28, 2020
The channel was created by its administrators last January to initially serve as a “venue” for their family and friends “who were getting a lot of inaccurate information from social media.”
