Exclusive: Noynoy’s ‘secret weapon’
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By Shielo Mendoza and Izah Morales
Yahoo! Southeast Asia
What made him win?
Apart from spiritual guidance, Senator Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino’s campaign was fueled by a specialized election management system that was said to be responsible for raising his game in the presidential race.
Aquino’s election management system, called the NoyMar Stratbase Electron, is a “practical and user friendly information technology (IT) system” that supported the critical operations of the Liberal party’s campaign.
The Stratbase Electron was designed by Prof. Dindo Manhit together with a group of volunteer IT professionals. The IT team was organized right after Aquino announced his candidacy in September last year.
Antonio “Tony Boy” Cojuangco called them up to create this election management system that would help Aquino catch up with the campaign.
Cojuangco, together with former Ambassador Albert del Rosario, sponsored the resources and operations.
“I think it’s the only one of its kind. The very base of this electron system is a rich database. It’s not an ordinary database because it’s based on political information and data going back to 1992,” said Orlando Oxales, a team leader of Stratbase Electron.
“These we integrated in the system together with the robust enterprise level management system that is now being used by most big multinationals,” added Oxales.
Rich Database
The Stratbase Electron team showed Yahoo! Southeast Asia the system, which included political maps, political analysis, and database which supported their campaign teams.
This rich database helped Aquino’s campaign team identify the “key election battlegrounds” and manage strategic campaigns in different areas.
Stratbase Electron also monitored the performance of the party candidates during the course of the campaign. It mapped the projected number of votes per municipality through surveys.
The monitoring helped the team spot the areas that needed more campaigning.
“Now that we have automated elections, what people didn’t know was that Noynoy had a very hi-tech campaign as well,” said Oxales.
“On a three-month campaign period, it is difficult to cover the whole country. What Noynoy did was to focus on the voting corridor and that made him win,” said Sam Jacoba, also a team leader of Stratbase Electron.
This election management system was kept undisclosed until the campaign ended to preserve the competitive advantages and for security reasons, said Oxales.
‘Glue’ to the campaign
Stratbase Electron also facilitated the flow of information between the groups in the campaign.
The online accessibility of Stratbase Electron made it easier and faster for the campaign teams in different regions to share intelligence reports, and post campaign directives and messages.
“Noynoy’s campaign was not conventional. It was not just a campaign but a movement of different organizations and there is a need for a centralized communication to coordinate with these groups,” Jacoba said.
Aside from managing internal communications that involved the campaign staff and volunteers, Stratbase Electron was also in charge of delivering “a unified, unadulterated campaign message” to the supporters, media and voters via SMS, email and voice calls.
Optimized volunteer potential
Startbase Electron further increased the support for Aquino and his party through volunteer recruitment and training.
The recruitment was made through the volunteer centers, online registration and SMS sign-up.
Meanwhile, the volunteers’ training, which was also made available online, taught them how to campaign in their community, recruit more volunteers and protect the votes on election day.
According to Jacoba, they were able to process over a million volunteers on their database.
Photos by Izah Morales.
Yongle Emperor on May 13, 2010 at 11:18 am
ahahah dapat talga ipag bawal ang endorsement nang iglesia or kahit anung religious group, hindi p namn tayo parliament, eh gaya nang sa england.
Haydee Ann Hoffdhal on May 13, 2010 at 11:35 am
Yonlge Emperor you are a MORON par excellence. BAWAL? Why? I thought the Philippines is a free country? Why will you stop religious groups from endorsing the candidate who they think is worthy? In a society – like the Philippines – with democratic institutions, people are free to voice out their opinions, sentiments, grievances, etc. in a what you call free market of ideas. It is one of the reasons (and reasons enough) that your national hero fought for and willingly gave his life so that the future Filipinos like you will have a free market of ideas that you can discuss the dynamics of a democratic system. I hate to hear things like BAWAL. Wake up Philippino MORON! By the way, I am a German. Reason with me in haydream_1981@y.h.com
mike on May 13, 2010 at 11:38 am
SECRET WEAPON??? PALAGAY KO SI MA AT SI PA, HAHAHA….
Alexis Saniel on May 13, 2010 at 11:52 am
hahahahaha nice one mike
kkimbee on May 13, 2010 at 11:54 am
@mike
BITTER ka lang ata eh dahil ba talunan manok mo.
wondrael on May 13, 2010 at 11:56 am
MIKE AGREE AKO SAU..HAHAHA
Melong on May 13, 2010 at 11:57 am
ibig sabihin tinaniman ng mga micro chips ang mga bumoto kay noynoy Tsk tsk
Anak on May 13, 2010 at 11:59 am
Secret weapon? Di ba si Cory? Kung hindi siya anak ni Cory eh malamang kahit gaano ka-high tech ang campaign nya, talo pa rin siya. If we’ll just base it on performance ( at kapatid siya ni Kris Aquino, isama mo na ang kanyang ads), without her mother’s legacy and timely (I’m sorry I have to use this word) death, Nonoy has nil chance of winning.
Katherine Yamson on May 13, 2010 at 12:00 pm
Well, Aquino did a job well done in this “high-tech” campaigning system
and also, thank God for the Iglesia endorsement.
It was a really big help(over a million votes from Iglesia).
But, sad to think that if Noynoy wasn’t a presidential candidate,
Estrada would win. Estrada, a convicted plunderer, for president??
ohh please. we have been fooled right on our faces by Estrada and some Filipinos gave their precious votes to him!!!
that’s ridiculous and very uncalled for.
brainwashed on May 13, 2010 at 12:00 pm
TAMA UNG IPAGBAWAL ANG RELIGIOUS ENDORSEMENT LALO NA UNG NAG EENDORSE BY FORCE SA MGA MEMBERS NITO AT PAG DI SUMUNOD AY DI MALILIGTAS BRAINWASHING THE MEMBERS IT IS NOT FREEDOM OR DEMOCRACY
ramon on May 13, 2010 at 12:01 pm
tama ka mike, wala ng iba.
overpriced on May 13, 2010 at 12:02 pm
@Mike, absolutely.
There is no secret weapon, this article is just an advertisement of a new IT product/services to the market, see Tony Boy Cojuangco, start of business, boys.
kkimbee on May 13, 2010 at 12:02 pm
@Melong
laughtrip marunong kaba mag intindi sa binasa mo. may naka lagay ba dyan na hackin nila ang election lol. survey lang po yan ang ginagawa nila.
isipX2 nman chong
Juan dela Cruz on May 13, 2010 at 12:03 pm
I totally disagree with that kind of secret weapon… When you go to the provinces, common folks would only mention Noynoy’s parents as champions of democracy, hoping he would do the same. NOTHING MORE THAN ANY I.T. SYSTEM OR WHATSOEVER. He is best alternative for a less evil politician, i hope he is. I would think he is not corrupt but, can he control his men and women not to be corrupt? That i cannot say he can… SCRAP THAT NONSENSE SECRET WEAPON IDEA… IT’S A TRASH…
ejrocker on May 13, 2010 at 12:03 pm
the secret behind the big win of noynoy was the shadows of his parents nothing less..
yes on May 13, 2010 at 12:04 pm
isama niyo rin si kris! haha!! salamat na rin kay villar kung di sila nagbatuhan ng dumi di hindi sana nabawasan boto ni villar.. haha
Teyob on May 13, 2010 at 12:04 pm
Ang galing ni Tony boy Cojuangco at Albert Del Rosario, they desreved a bid appluse..
CAMCAM on May 13, 2010 at 12:06 pm
Gibo is really educated person, he easily accepted his defeat..educated then ba ang kanyang supporters?
kkimbee on May 13, 2010 at 12:06 pm
@CamCam
nuff said.
rezel on May 13, 2010 at 12:07 pm
haydee ann, if you’re a german, how come you understand what yongle emperor said? i’m just curious…
sashi d on May 13, 2010 at 12:08 pm
kkimbee: nanalo manok mo kasi bobo bumuto sa kanya, kasing bobo mo!!!!! lol
JACKAL on May 13, 2010 at 12:08 pm
hehehe.. mike!! ang galing mo talaga!!! sana lang magampanan niya ang mga responsibilities niya.. i dont think na ang isang tao na hindi sanay maglaan ng time for the country ay makakaadjust agad., ipinagmamalaki ng mga supporters niya na wala raw na.babalita na pangit about KAY NOYNOY about sa kanyang pagkapulitiko.. eh ang sagot jan, meron bang NEWS about sa kanya na NAKAPAGPASA XA NG BATAS!!!.. WALA!!!!!!!! walang news about sa kanya kasi wala naman xang ginagawa!!!,, oh,,my..poor filipino people.. sana lang may gawin xang pagbabago..
BIBILIB KAMI SA KANYA PAG.MAIBIGAY NIYA SA MGA MAGSASAKA ANG MGA LUPA NG HACIENDA LUISITA SA LOOB NG 100 DAYS SA KANYANG PAG.UPO BILANG PRESIDENTE NG PILIPINAS..
jimmy on May 13, 2010 at 12:08 pm
hahaha the only effective weapon of noy that I know is Abs- cbn
kkimbee on May 13, 2010 at 12:09 pm
@rezel
she is a German. Reason with him/her in haydream_1981@y.h.com
dito cgoro yun lumaki
josephine on May 13, 2010 at 12:10 pm
BRAINWASHED ARE YOU OK? BAKA YOU NEED TO SEE A PSYCHIATRIC, BAKA IKAW ANG UNANG NABRAINWASH NA DI KA MALILIGTAS BWAHAHAHAHA
mike2 on May 13, 2010 at 12:10 pm
hey guys!!!! inggit lng kayo k noy noy….talo kc manok nyo…s mga ayaw k noy…. better SHUT UP!!!!!!!!!
magdalo on May 13, 2010 at 12:10 pm
yah Haydee Ann Hoffdhal…you are a dunkoff antisemitic hitler loving ringworm
you understand tagalog you hypocritical yet you say you are german?then you dont have the right to talk to filipinos like that.keep your nazi ideas as well as your “schnell,hil hail and achtums” to your self you nancy winkle picker.
lala on May 13, 2010 at 12:11 pm
secret weapon??? si krissy? si krissy? at si krissy!!! +ma/pa…
jho on May 13, 2010 at 12:11 pm
not a secret at all..
JunM on May 13, 2010 at 12:12 pm
Congratulations President Noynoy! Well, I will stick to my contention that If God is not given His rightful place in this nation – as Lord and God to the president and to the whole nation, we will have a very hard time ahead of us. If the President will rely on his own personal capability – integrity, experience and wisdom; and rely on the wisdom of people around him who also rely on their own wisdom, then we can only hope for what they can. There will be changes, good things will come… I am not saying that nothing will work for the better… it is just that comparing what God can do as the Lord over this nation and the things that man can do over this nation..!@?* it will be a lot easier with God. If Noynoy will seek the face of God and seek His vision/plan and direction.. and if he is careful to obey them… it will be a lot easier for him… Why? All of God’s resources will fall in to place over the nation. The earth will open up, the sea will open up even wealth of the rich will pour out for the nation because God has found a man he can trust. Can He trust Noynoy? Can he trust the people around him?… will there be no corruption from top to bottom? Can Noynoy handle or stop the people below from corruption?…time will answer that. If this happens within 6 years, my choice of Bro. Eddie is not wrong… In the middle of Noynoy’s term, he realized he can not do it by himself and turned to God and asked Jesus to be his Lord… and ask God to take control and told God, “Take over Lord, I am listening, please speak… I will do what you want me to do..” For Bro. Eddie, we could have received the miracles as easily and as early as he sits in Malacanang. For Noynoy, it took him long to realize that his best is not good enough. It was just the right time to realize that He needs God.