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| (Image Source: Swirling Over Coffee/Google Philippines/Monica Regalario-Cacatian) |
Everyone has a role to play in making the internet a safe and responsible space, including local artists and content creators. This is why as part of its Safer Internet Day campaign, Google collaborated with a talented local female artist who creates great content using the power of sand art. Google tapped Monica Regalario-Cacatian, a Filipina artist who uses sand as an art medium to spread positive messages online. She first rose to prominence on TV5’s Talentadong Pinoy talent competition. Aside from inspiring content, she uses her art to promote advocacies such as raising awareness for gender equality and victims of sexual violence, child abuse, and displacement, to name a few.
In collaboration with Google, Monica created a 60-second sand art content on YouTube Shorts focused on simple tips that netizens can follow to be safer on the internet. These tips are: (1) secure your accounts using Google Passkeys, (2) avoid scams on SMS and online, (3) fact-check information, and (4) educate others so they too can be safer on the internet. With millions of Filipinos using YouTube and Shorts, promoting creative content on the platform will reach and engage a lot of netizens. To also show the use of responsible AI, Google, and Monica used Bard, Google’s generative AI, to develop the script of the YouTube Shorts content. “Google is committed to helping people be safer online. Aside from Google products which are safe and secure by design, we deliver on this goal through several initiatives including raising awareness and forging local partnerships. We believe that by collaborating with Filipina artists like Monica, we can support local creatives and at the same time, champion internet safety,” said Google Philippines Head of Communications and Public Affairs Mervin Wenke.
Monica said, “Sand art can be a creative and effective medium for promoting advocacies like internet safety. It offers a unique and entertaining way to tell stories which can engage audiences of all ages online. I hope that this campaign will reach as many people as possible. May this project help educate Filipinos to use the internet safely and responsibly.” She added, “I am deeply grateful to Google and the individuals behind this collaboration. Their dedication to support and promote local artists like me is really encouraging and will greatly benefit the creative community. It is truly fulfilling that my art can be of help in raising awareness about the importance of internet safety.”
