CEBU, Philippines - Cebu's longest-running newspaper, The FREEMAN, is now using Facebook Live to engage the public during the Know Your Candidate roundtable discussion with local and national candidates.
Political bets sit down with the editorial staff and discuss their platforms of government. They also answer issue-based questions from editors and reporters.
Netizens can also participate by posting questions they want editors to ask the candidates.
Facebook Live is the latest innovation by Mark Zuckerberg, allowing users to go on live broadcast in real-time.
Joeberth Ocao, assistant news editor and online editor of The FREEMAN, said the company can now open conversations with the candidates to the community with this technology.
Through roundtable discussions, Ocao said the public can know the candidates better as leaders and more importantly, as persons.
Yesterday, Liberal Party standard bearer Mar Roxas and Cebu City mayoralty aspirant Tomas Osmeña were the first candidates to take the challenge of the "Know Your Candidate: CEBU VOTE 2016 Roundtable."
As of 8:30 p.m. yesterday, Roxas' video gained 16,000 views, 599 likes and reactions, 497 shares, 1,622 comments, and reached 105,232 people.
Osmeña's video gained 4,300 views, 61 likes and reactions, 97 shares, 171 comments and reached 23,347 people.
Other candidates who are scheduled for the roundtable discussions are Cebu gubernatorial candidate Winston Garcia on April 12, reelectionist Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama on April 13, Lapu-Lapu City mayoralty candidate Efrain Pelaez Jr. on April 15, Cebu Governor Hilario Davide III on April 18 and presidential candidate Senator Grace Poe on April 27.
To watch the live feed and to interact with the candidates during the discussion, go to CEBU VOTE, the newspaper's special election coverage page on Facebook, and also engage on Twitter using The FREEMAN's official hashtags #cebuvote2016 and #BilangPilipino. (FREEMAN)