The use of Social Media became popular in the 2008 United States Presidential Campaign where U.S. President Barrack Obama was one of the Presidential candidates. US President Obama gathered volunteers and monetary donations to support his campaign through Social Media. The use of Social Media was used as formal information dissemination and gathering tool by the U.S. federal government through a memorandum issued by President Obama known as “Transparency and Open Government”.
Social Media is also used as a tool for government communication in the Philippines. Same as with President Barrack Obama of the United States, Philippine President Benigno Simeon Aquino III used Social Media to engage the citizens during his campaign for the presidency. When President Aquino assumed office, the use of Social Media in Philippine government communication was formalized when the Office of the Press Secretary was reorganized into the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) with the addition of the New Media Department through the issuance of Executive Order No. 4.