Let's talk about the economics of activism AKA why some celebs/influencers/public figures remain silent, but why a public figure's economic position means they SHOULD speak up instead // [A THREAD]

This is about opportunity cost. Prior to recent events, there has always been massive pressure within the industry against talking politics: "mawawalan ka ng followers/endorsements." Handlers, managers and even networks want a product (you) that can appeal to as many as possible.

Speaking from experience: I was on TV for years, and throughout this time I was warned by peers for being vocal about issues like LNMB, Martial Law, sexism, racism, etc. When you speak up, you are perceived as "pasaway" / "controversial" —and this comes with an economic cost.

Mas mabilis bang dadami followers ko kung puro selfie lang pinopost ko? Yes. Would that translate to higher talent fees for hosting and influencer partnerships? Yes. But what's the opportunity cost of NOT speaking up? Ayan nawala buong network, stomoyon? Nasisira bansa, stomoyon?

Public figures are the most equipped members of society to absorb the opportunity cost of activism:

Economic capital: Mas malaki ang kinikita sa parehong oras kumpara sa ordinaryong manggagawa
Social capital: Hindi ipadadampot o aarestuhin, mauuna ang mga walang pangalan

The sad part about our economy is that wages aren't tied to the inherent value of work, but rather how many/few people are capable of doing work.

So celebs are paid thousands of pesos (hundreds of thousands pa for big names) for IG posts, but network cameramen have fixed salary.

Marx wrote about upending class structures, but reality is we still live in this capitalist society. That's not changing soon. Pero kung nandito na tayo, at tayo ang nasa taas, iangat natin ang mga nasa ibaba! If you get influencer deals, ask yourself: What is my influence for?

So what if influencer ka at baka di ka na kunin ng isang brand na questionable ang politics ng may-ari? May darating pang iba. Hindi ka pa rin maghihirap.

Napakaraming ordinaryong mamamayan ang pumipiling lumalaban araw-araw. At sila, buong kabuhayan na ang nawala.

Nakakalungkot na ang daming celebrities na may "advocacy" lang kapag convenient: marami nang sang-ayon, bahagi ng isang brand campaign, may beauty pageant na sasalihan. Pero pagdating sa tunay na buhay, takot pa ring magtaya.

Siguro kung self-interested celeb ka talaga at TF lang paki mo, sige devil's advocate. Heto ako, tibak at nakakakuha pa rin ng endorsements at influencer deals! (Masaya pa kasi lahat sila, siguradong aligned sa values ko.)

Activism isn't a zero sum game between speaking up and losing everything, or staying silent and securing your future. All I ask fellow public figures is that we sacrifice a little (na sa totoo lang kaya natin, at walang wala kumpara sa sakripisyo ng iba!) for the greater good.

So, to celebs/influencers: Lalaban ka ba o mananatiling tahimik? Every choice comes with opportunity cost. Mamili ka na lang ng sakripisyong kaya ng konsiyensya mo—bulsa mo o bayan natin?