theory essay

Polytechnic University of the Philippines

College of Communication

Department of Communication Research

ADVANCED COMMUNICATION THEORIES AND MODELS

“TULONG NA, TABANG NA, TAYO NA:

A Closer Look at ABS-CBN’s Typhoon Yolanda Fund-Raising Campaign”

(Theory Essay 1)

Submitted by:

Jason L. Rodrigo

Submitted to:

Kriztine R. Viray

Professor, Advanced Communication Theories



ABSTRACT (English):

Since the aftermath of the Typhoon Yolanda, numerous programs and campaigns have been

implemented by public and private sectors to help the victims of the disaster. The ABS-CBN’s “Tulong

na, Tabang na, Tayo na” t-shirt fund-raising campaign emerged among these programs. The fund-raising

campaign was able to generate money that was used to help those who suffered losses from the tragedy

mainly because of its immediate popularity.

In line with the objectives: (1) to know the nature of the campaign; (2) to identify the factors that

affected the campaigns success and; (3) to know its effects on the target audience this study aims to

investigate what made the campaign a huge success.

Conducted from a Media System Dependency (Ball-Rokeach & DeFleur, 1976) perspective, this

paper examines in great detail the relationship between the media, audience and the society at large and

how these three have caused a media dependency on the network. The paper concludes by taking the

success of the “Tabang” t-shirt campaign as a result of the media system dependency of the audience.

Key words: Media dependency, campaign, motivation, social stability, needs

ABSTRACT (Filipino):

Matapos ang trahedya na idinulot ng Bagyong Yolanda, maraming mga programa ang isinigawa

ng mga pampubliko at maging mga pribadong sector upang makatulong sa mga nabiktima ng bagyo. Ang

kampanyang “Tulong na, Tabang na, Tayo na t-shirts” ng ABS-CBN ay isang programa na nangibabaw

sa lahat ng ito. Ang naturang kampanya ay matagumpay na nakakalap ng pondo na ginamit sa pagtulong

sa mga pamilya na naapektuhan ng trahedyang dulot ng bagyo dahil na rin sa daglian nitong kasikatan sa

mamamayan.

Taglay ang mga sumusunod na layunin: (1) malaman ang kalikasan ng naturang kampanya; (2)

matukoy ang mga salik na nakaapekto sa tagumpay ng kampanya at; (3) malaman ang mga nagging

epekto nito sa mamamayan, nais ng pag-aaral na ito na malaman kung bakit nagging isang maging

matagumpay ang nasabing kampanya.

Sa pamamagitan ng Media System Dependency Theory (Ball-Rokeach & DeFleur, 1976),

masusing sinuri ng pag-aaral na ito ang ugnayan ng midya, mga manonood, at ng lipunan sa kabuuan at

kung paanong ang tatlon ito ay nagresulta sa pagkakaroon ng “media dependency” sa nasabing

“network.” Sa pag-aaral na ito, sinuri ang tagumpay ng “Tabang t-shirts” bilang isang bunga ng

pagkakaroon ng “media system dependency” ng mga manonood.



The aftermath of the super typhoon Yolanda shook not only the Philippines but the entire world.

Dubbed as the strongest typhoon to make landfall in history, super typhoon Yolanda left billions of

damages to properties. But for all that material loss, nothing could have ever anticipated the lives that it

has taken away with an astounding death toll of 6300 (National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management

Council, 2014). Eastern Visayas took the worst of the blow. That’s why it wasn’t surprising to see that

most of the help coming from local and international bodies were directed there. Numerous efforts have

been made by the government and private sectors even months after the disaster. One such effort that

generated a huge buzz was the “Tabang” t-shirts made by the television network ABS-CBN. Essentially,

these t-shirts were sold to help the victims of the typhoon. All proceeds were directly sent to the relief

fund. But what made this particular campaign stand out among others? This is what this paper attempts to

shed light on.

This paper attempts to examine the ABS-CBN’s campaign and will be guided by the following

objectives: (1) to know the nature of the campaign; (2) to identify the factors affecting the success of the

campaign and; (3) to determine the effects of the campaign to the target audience.

To explain this phenomenon, this paper will utilize the Media System Dependency Theory by

Ball-Rokeach and DeFleur (1976). Rooted in the Uses-and-Gratifications Theory, this states that

individuals depend on media to meet certain needs. However, the individual does not rely on media solely

on meeting his needs as this theory also posits that the larger social system where the individual belongs

also affects his/her dependency. This is one of the first theories to propose that audiences are not just

casual observers but rather active participants in the communication process. Because of its nature, this

theory has been adopted by different scholars to understand the effects of mass media to the audience.

Communications was one of the major problems after the super typhoon hit the affected

provinces. Communication towers were down so there was no reception on mobile phones. Reporters

from different television networks had all their equipment damaged if not completely lost. There was no

way at all to know what the situation there was. Although everyone is eager to help, no one had the

ability to coordinate with the people there. ABS-CBN news anchor Ted Failon was one of the first people

who had the chance of telling everyone what had been left by the typhoon. Few days after Yolanda

struck; his team and others have been successful in broadcasting the devastation brought about by the

typhoon. With firsthand experiences, they told everyone what it was like there and which places needed

the most help. Finally, after a few more days, help was pouring in from all over the world. It was a

painfully slow process but still it was progress.

On November 12, afew days after the tragedy, the ABS-CBN started selling t-shirts with words

“Tulong na, Tabang na, Tayo na” printed on it. All the income that was generated proceeded directly to

the Sagip Kapamilya Foundation, the network’s foundation. It was an instant hit. Hours after it release,

purchases from different retailing stores poured. One sales staff even reported that people hadn’t

complained even if they waited under the sun for few hours (Choa, 2014). Soon almost everyone wants to

get a hand on this t-shirt. Celebrities and common folk wore it as a symbol of the help that they are

giving. It was really amazing to see how a simple piece of cloth could serve as a symbol of the Filipino

“bayanihan” spirit. This hype, I believe is a result of the people’s dependence on the network. Everybody

wanted to help, and they gave everyone exactly a perfect way to do so.

According to the Media System Dependency Theory, two factors affect an individual’s media

dependency. One is the number of needs that the media provides. It is said that real life learning for the

audience is limited, that is why they turn to media. On the Yolanda situation, people generally had limited

information on the situation there. That’s why when the network provided not just news but an alternative

way to help the victims, the audience immediately grabbed it. They could have gotten the information

from other networks but as stated in the theory, people will become more dependent to a media that

provides more of their needs. This is what the “Tabang” shirt had accomplished.

Another factor that affects media dependency is social stability. After the typhoon, the

government received numerous complains as to how they responded in the calamity. Poor preparation

was seen as a determining factor to the demise of the victims and right after the typhoon, coordination

within different sectors became a hot issue. In an online article, a writer said the world just witnessed and

“incompetent government of a showbiz-designed president” in the face of a horrific calamity (Papa,

2013). Furthermore, it was on these times that the “Pork Barrel” issue and the Disbursement Acceleration

Program (DAP) were on the heat of discussion nationwide. Indeed, the government and the society at

large were on the verge of change thereby by causing greater media dependency because of the need for

information, support and advice from other sources. Instead of turning to the government to be able to

help, the audience turned to alternative bodies such as the ABS-CBN.

However, not all audiences are susceptible for developing media dependency on the said network

and throw support for their cause. As stated earlier, the audience plays an active role on this theory. An

individual is always free to choose among different media as long as it satisfies his or her needs.

Prolonged and extensive use of the media will result to a dependent relationship between the individual

and the media. This dependency may be intensified through cognitive and affective motivations.

Cognitive motivation involves persuading the audience to sustain their level of attention to the media. The

affective motivation meanwhile has something to do with the individual’s attitude toward the media and

enhances the satisfaction that is brought about but the dependent relation. In the context of the network’s

campaign, the celebrity endorsements in television and social networking sites may have helped to

capture and maintain the audience’s attention. At the same time, the campaign’s purpose, which was to

help to survivors, may have triggered the audience’s affective motivation as they know that if they

purchase the shirts, they can also help the victims.

The media dependency may produce three types of effects namely: cognitive, affective, and

behavioral. Cognitive effects involve a change in a person’s way of thinking about an issue. Affective

effects include development of feelings towards something. Behavioral effects involve a change in

someone’s act or behavior. The dependency on the network may have changed the way people think

about helping the Yolanda survivors. They might have realized that aside from the government and other

know institutions, other avenues of help exist and can be used. The affective change that is brought about

by the dependency may include the development of feelings of compassion and pity to the victims and the

need to help them. Lastly, the media dependency may have caused the act of purchasing the t-shirt as a

result of the above-mentioned changes.

In conclusion, the “Tabang” t-shirt fund-raising campaign of the ABS-CBN has been a success

because of the media dependency that the audience developed with them as a result of the campaign itself

and the social situation at that time. This dependency in turn have result in changes including behavioral

ones as seen in the audience’s support to the campaign by purchasing the t-shirts.



The aftermath of the super typhoon Yolanda shook not only the Philippines but the entire world.

Dubbed as the strongest typhoon to make landfall in history, super typhoon Yolanda left billions of

damages to properties. But for all that material loss, nothing could have ever anticipated the lives that it

has taken away with an astounding death toll of 6300 (National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management

Council, 2014). Eastern Visayas took the worst of the blow. That’s why it wasn’t surprising to see that

most of the help coming from local and international bodies were directed there. Numerous efforts have

been made by the government and private sectors even months after the disaster. One such effort that

generated a huge buzz was the “Tabang” t-shirts made by the television network ABS-CBN. Essentially,

these t-shirts were sold to help the victims of the typhoon. All proceeds were directly sent to the relief

fund. But what made this particular campaign stand out among others? This is what this paper attempts to

shed light on.

This paper attempts to examine the ABS-CBN’s campaign and will be guided by the following

objectives: (1) to know the nature of the campaign; (2) to identify the factors affecting the success of the

campaign and; (3) to determine the effects of the campaign to the target audience.

To explain this phenomenon, this paper will utilize the Media System Dependency Theory by

Ball-Rokeach and DeFleur (1976). Rooted in the Uses-and-Gratifications Theory, this states that

individuals depend on media to meet certain needs. However, the individual does not rely on media solely

on meeting his needs as this theory also posits that the larger social system where the individual belongs

also affects his/her dependency. This is one of the first theories to propose that audiences are not just

casual observers but rather active participants in the communication process. Because of its nature, this

theory has been adopted by different scholars to understand the effects of mass media to the audience.

Communications was one of the major problems after the super typhoon hit the affected

provinces. Communication towers were down so there was no reception on mobile phones. Reporters

from different television networks had all their equipment damaged if not completely lost. There was no

way at all to know what the situation there was. Although everyone is eager to help, no one had the

ability to coordinate with the people there. ABS-CBN news anchor Ted Failon was one of the first people

who had the chance of telling everyone what had been left by the typhoon. Few days after Yolanda

struck; his team and others have been successful in broadcasting the devastation brought about by the

typhoon. With firsthand experiences, they told everyone what it was like there and which places needed

the most help. Finally, after a few more days, help was pouring in from all over the world. It was a

painfully slow process but still it was progress.

On November 12, afew days after the tragedy, the ABS-CBN started selling t-shirts with words

“Tulong na, Tabang na, Tayo na” printed on it. All the income that was generated proceeded directly to

the Sagip Kapamilya Foundation, the network’s foundation. It was an instant hit. Hours after it release,

purchases from different retailing stores poured. One sales staff even reported that people hadn’t

complained even if they waited under the sun for few hours (Choa, 2014). Soon almost everyone wants to

get a hand on this t-shirt. Celebrities and common folk wore it as a symbol of the help that they are

giving. It was really amazing to see how a simple piece of cloth could serve as a symbol of the Filipino

“bayanihan” spirit. This hype, I believe is a result of the people’s dependence on the network. Everybody

wanted to help, and they gave everyone exactly a perfect way to do so.

According to the Media System Dependency Theory, two factors affect an individual’s media

dependency. One is the number of needs that the media provides. It is said that real life learning for the

audience is limited, that is why they turn to media. On the Yolanda situation, people generally had limited

information on the situation there. That’s why when the network provided not just news but an alternative

way to help the victims, the audience immediately grabbed it. They could have gotten the information

from other networks but as stated in the theory, people will become more dependent to a media that

provides more of their needs. This is what the “Tabang” shirt had accomplished.

Another factor that affects media dependency is social stability. After the typhoon, the

government received numerous complains as to how they responded in the calamity. Poor preparation

was seen as a determining factor to the demise of the victims and right after the typhoon, coordination

within different sectors became a hot issue. In an online article, a writer said the world just witnessed and

“incompetent government of a showbiz-designed president” in the face of a horrific calamity (Papa,

2013). Furthermore, it was on these times that the “Pork Barrel” issue and the Disbursement Acceleration

Program (DAP) were on the heat of discussion nationwide. Indeed, the government and the society at

large were on the verge of change thereby by causing greater media dependency because of the need for

information, support and advice from other sources. Instead of turning to the government to be able to

help, the audience turned to alternative bodies such as the ABS-CBN.

However, not all audiences are susceptible for developing media dependency on the said network

and throw support for their cause. As stated earlier, the audience plays an active role on this theory. An

individual is always free to choose among different media as long as it satisfies his or her needs.

Prolonged and extensive use of the media will result to a dependent relationship between the individual

and the media. This dependency may be intensified through cognitive and affective motivations.

Cognitive motivation involves persuading the audience to sustain their level of attention to the media. The

affective motivation meanwhile has something to do with the individual’s attitude toward the media and

enhances the satisfaction that is brought about but the dependent relation. In the context of the network’s

campaign, the celebrity endorsements in television and social networking sites may have helped to

capture and maintain the audience’s attention. At the same time, the campaign’s purpose, which was to

help to survivors, may have triggered the audience’s affective motivation as they know that if they

purchase the shirts, they can also help the victims.

The media dependency may produce three types of effects namely: cognitive, affective, and

behavioral. Cognitive effects involve a change in a person’s way of thinking about an issue. Affective

effects include development of feelings towards something. Behavioral effects involve a change in

someone’s act or behavior. The dependency on the network may have changed the way people think

about helping the Yolanda survivors. They might have realized that aside from the government and other

know institutions, other avenues of help exist and can be used. The affective change that is brought about

by the dependency may include the development of feelings of compassion and pity to the victims and the

need to help them. Lastly, the media dependency may have caused the act of purchasing the t-shirt as a

result of the above-mentioned changes.

In conclusion, the “Tabang” t-shirt fund-raising campaign of the ABS-CBN has been a success

because of the media dependency that the audience developed with them as a result of the campaign itself

and the social situation at that time. This dependency in turn have result in changes including behavioral

ones as seen in the audience’s support to the campaign by purchasing the t-shirts.



ABSTRACT (English):

Since the aftermath of the Typhoon Yolanda, numerous programs and campaigns have been

implemented by public and private sectors to help the victims of the disaster. The ABS-CBN’s “Tulong

na, Tabang na, Tayo na” t-shirt fund-raising campaign emerged among these programs. The fund-raising

campaign was able to generate money that was used to help those who suffered losses from the tragedy

mainly because of its immediate popularity.

In line with the objectives: (1) to know the nature of the campaign; (2) to identify the factors that

affected the campaigns success and; (3) to know its effects on the target audience this study aims to

investigate what made the campaign a huge success.

Conducted from a Media System Dependency (Ball-Rokeach & DeFleur, 1976) perspective, this

paper examines in great detail the relationship between the media, audience and the society at large and

how these three have caused a media dependency on the network. The paper concludes by taking the

success of the “Tabang” t-shirt campaign as a result of the media system dependency of the audience.

Key words: Media dependency, campaign, motivation, social stability, needs

ABSTRACT (Filipino):

Matapos ang trahedya na idinulot ng Bagyong Yolanda, maraming mga programa ang isinigawa

ng mga pampubliko at maging mga pribadong sector upang makatulong sa mga nabiktima ng bagyo. Ang

kampanyang “Tulong na, Tabang na, Tayo na t-shirts” ng ABS-CBN ay isang programa na nangibabaw

sa lahat ng ito. Ang naturang kampanya ay matagumpay na nakakalap ng pondo na ginamit sa pagtulong

sa mga pamilya na naapektuhan ng trahedyang dulot ng bagyo dahil na rin sa daglian nitong kasikatan sa

mamamayan.

Taglay ang mga sumusunod na layunin: (1) malaman ang kalikasan ng naturang kampanya; (2)

matukoy ang mga salik na nakaapekto sa tagumpay ng kampanya at; (3) malaman ang mga nagging

epekto nito sa mamamayan, nais ng pag-aaral na ito na malaman kung bakit nagging isang maging

matagumpay ang nasabing kampanya.

Sa pamamagitan ng Media System Dependency Theory (Ball-Rokeach & DeFleur, 1976),

masusing sinuri ng pag-aaral na ito ang ugnayan ng midya, mga manonood, at ng lipunan sa kabuuan at

kung paanong ang tatlon ito ay nagresulta sa pagkakaroon ng “media dependency” sa nasabing

“network.” Sa pag-aaral na ito, sinuri ang tagumpay ng “Tabang t-shirts” bilang isang bunga ng

pagkakaroon ng “media system dependency” ng mga manonood.

Polytechnic University of the Philippines

College of Communication

Department of Communication Research

ADVANCED COMMUNICATION THEORIES AND MODELS



(Theory Essay 1)

Submitted by:

Jason L. Rodrigo

Submitted to:

Kriztine R. Viray

Professor, Advanced Communication Theories

Bibliography Ball-Rokeach, S., & DeFleur, M. (1976). A Dependency Model of Mass-Media Effects. Communication

Research , 3-21.

Choa, K. E. (2014, March 18). PhilStar.com. Retrieved March 7, 2015, from PhilStar.com:

http://www.philstar.com/entertainment/2014/03/18/1302062/shirt-bound-filipinos

National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. (2014, April 17). Internet Archive. Retrieved

March 7, 2015, from Internet Archive Web site:

https://web.archive.org/web/20141006091212/http://www.ndrrmc.gov.ph/attachments/article/1177/

Update%20Effects%20TY%20YOLANDA%2017%20April%202014.pdf

Papa, R. F. (2013, November 15). News Junkie Post. Retrieved March 7, 2015, from News Junkie Post:

http://newsjunkiepost.com/2013/11/15/typhoon-haiyan-yolanda-exposes-philippine-governments-

failure-and-corruption/

Rappler.com. (2014, December 1). Rappler.com. Retrieved March 7, 2015, from Rappler.com:

http://www.rappler.com/science-nature/life-health/76625-doh-anti-pregnancy-video-flak

theory essay

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