PhilWiki Community/Annual Plan 2021

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The logo of PhilWiki Community
The logo of PhilWiki Community

This is the annual plan of the activities of PhilWiki Community for 2021.

Programmes[edit]

Guesting at program 'Ini an Totoo' on DWOK 97.5 OK
3rd Annual James O Brien SJ Lecture Series at Ateneo de Naga University
Resource person on Home Radio 95.1 during its Language Month episode

The Philippine Wikimedia Community User Group has initiated engagements in promoting Wikipedia thru traditional and social media to reach a wider audience and create interest among its audience. Its members have appeared in a number of local media programs and have been invited or attended in fora and conferences to share about Wikimedia projects. The user group has also engaged in activities with different organizations that share a common interest. As an advocate of open knowledge as well as local culture and history, it has collaborated in various celebrations with cultural groups such as with Sumaro Bikolnon in the commemoration of Mariano Perfecto who is considered as "father of Bikol and Hiligaynon literature", with Nueva Caceres Heritage Movement in the annual Philippine-Spanish Friendship Day celebration held in Naga City, to name a few.

The objective of the Advocacy program is to engage in various activities for the promotion of free knowledge using different platforms. As part of its inclusive and pluralistic focus, the organization is currently presiding over various advocacy programs aimed at reaching out to marginalized groups in the Philippines. The SMART objectives of the Advocacy program are:

  • to create 6 program episodes on social media that feature local Wikipedians and their contributions to the movement during the year (e.g. winners in Wiki Loves Earth and Monuments in the Philippines)
  • to collaborate with 3 local social media influencers who will feature Wikipedia and the free culture in one of their vlog episodes
  • to participate in 3 cultural and historical celebrations and in various fora as a partner organization or participate as resource speakers or as attendees (e.g. Mother Tongue Day, Quincentenary of the Circumnavigation of the Globe by Ferdinand Magellan, Women's Month, Literature Month, Heritage Month)


Steven Fung is the Chair of Advocacy Committee (2020-present). He is one of the founders of the user group who has been involved in the Wikimedia movement since 2007. He currently serves as Vice President and the Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees. Once held the positions Auditor and Overseas Chapter Representative, he represented the user group at the 2018 Wikimedia Conference held in Berlin, Germany. Ramon Olaño, Jr. held the chairmanship of the committee from 2019-2020.
WikiGap Campaign PH 2020
Wikipedia PH month

As a free, open, and vibrant organization of Filipino content editors, the community also aims to engage diverse participation to address the gender and knowledge gaps. Since 2019, the community has organized the WikiGap Campaign in the Philippines to close the gender gap and other diversity gaps on Wikipedia. It has also conducted activities that aim to build content on Philippine minority language-based Wikimedia projects including the Rinconada Bikol Wikipedia, Bikol Wikipedia, and Bikol Wiktionary.

The SMART objectives of the Diversity program are:

  • to organize and participate in activities which focus on women and LGBT+ (e.g. WikiGap Campaign, Art+Feminism)
  • to organize a monthly Wikipedia Philippine Month inspired by Wikipedia Asian Month that aims to promote Philippine content in different Philippine Wikipedia editions and beyond
  • to conduct 2 editing activities to build contents on Philippine language-based Wikimedia projects currently in Incubation (e.g Bikol WikiSource, Rinconada Bikol Wikipedia, Miraya Bikol Wikipedia, Hiligaynon Wikipedia)
  • to recruit new contributors from different sectors of society (e.g. religious, youth, elderly, differently-abled persons)
  • to contribute 500 entries to a Philippine language in Lingua Libre


Marvin Molin is the Chair of Diversity Committee (2020-present) and currently serves as Secretary and as Board Member. He started to actively contribute on Wikimedia Commons since joining Wiki Takes Rinconada in 2015 and has been involved in Wikimedia Movement since then. He represented the user group at the 2019 ESEAP Wikimedia Strategy Summit held in Bangkok, Thailand. He is a member of the organizing team of WikiGap in the Philippines which aims to close the gender gap in the internet. The Committee was first headed by Irvin Sto. Tomas (2019-2020) who is now the Chairman of Education Committee.
Wikipedia Forum attended by elementary and secondary teachers in Catanduanes
10th Bikol Wikipedia Day attended by teachers and writers in Camarines Sur

The organization believes that Wikipedia, among other Wikimedia projects, belongs in Education hence it engages in projects, programs and activities that promote free, responsibly open-content resources and reference materials, through academia among other entities. It supports active learning and the Reading Wikipedia in the Classroom pilot program of the Education Team of Wikimedia Foundation. WikiTutorial was a project conducted from November 2018 to June 2019 which involved participants in editing tutorials as well as engagement in the training and organizing of activities. During this period, the participants along with educators learned the basic editing and got familiarized with the Wikimedia movement in the Philippines.

The SMART objectives of the Education program are the following:

  • to have at least 10 teachers involved in editing activity participated by teachers and students during the year
  • to introduce Wikipedia as a learning tool and platform in 3 schools, educational institutions, or academic communities (e.g. Reading Wikipedia at Home, Reading Wikipedia in the Classroom)
  • to organize an advocacy program in 3 schools through the teachers engaged in the projects (e.g. Wiki Camp, Bikol Wikipedia Day)
  • to increase the number of content provided within the activities in education, creating at least 500 articles


Irvin Sto. Tomas serves as the Chair of Education Committee (2020-present). He has been involved with the Wikimedia movement since 2007 wherein he became an administrator of Bikol Wikipedia. He is one of the founders of the user group and the President and Chair of the Board of Trustees. He represented the user group at the Wikimedia Summit held in Berlin, Germany in 2017, 2018 and 2019, the ESEAP Wikimedia Conference held in Bali, Indonesia in 2018, and Wikipedia+Education Conference held in San Sebastian, Basque Country in Spain. He is a 1Lib1Ref Asia Regional Ambassador. The Committee was first headed by Froy Beraña (2019-2020).
Wiki Loves Monuments PH 2018 photo walk in Cavite
Wiki Loves Earth PH 2019 photo walk in Batangas

Outreach activities are being conducted to reach more people both online and offline thru collaboration with organizations and institutions. Wiki Loves photography contests proved to have a considerable impact on Wikimedia projects. Offline activities such as photography walks have engaged new contributors and volunteers.

The SMART objectives of the Outreach program are the following:

  • to organize 2 lecture-workshops on Wikimedia Commons for photography and art enthusiasts
  • to utilize 2,000 images on Wikipedia through in editing activities
  • to organize 2 events on the anniversary of a local Wikipedia outside the Bicol region
  • to increase the number of contributions to 5,000 images
  • to increase the number of participants to 500 contributors


Maffeth Opiana serves as the Chairman of Outreach Committee (2019-present). She has been involved in Wikimedia movement since 2015 as part of the Wiki Takes Rinconada project team. She represented the user group at the 2018 ESEAP Wikimedia Conference held in Bali, Indonesia in 2018. Currently, she is serving as Treasurer and a Board Member. She is the project lead of Wiki Loves Earth in the Philippines since 2019.
Wiki Takes Rinconada Exhibit at Iriga City Public Library in 2016
Wiki Loves Earth PH Edit-a-thon at Raul Roco Public Library in 2019
1Lib1Ref Campaign attended by librarians in Naga City

The organization also aims to engage with galleries, libraries, archives, and museums or GLAM as these institutions are the foundation for our verifiable information such as original books and manuscripts. Partnership with these institutions means more collaborations toward the promotion of accessible information. Past activities held within these institutions are the 1Lib1Ref Campaign Philippines at the University of Nueva Caceres E-Library to add references to Wikipedia, an edit-a-thon to use the images in Wiki Loves Earth in the Philippines on Wikipedia conducted at Raul S. Roco Naga Public Library, the celebration of the 10th anniversary of Bikol Wikipedia at James O'Brien, SJ Library in Ateneo de Naga University and at the Central Bicol State University of Agriculture, among others.

Partnership with Raul S. Roco Naga Public Library and James O'Brien SJ Library will be established further through collaborations and mutual sharing of resources such as reference materials which will benefit the users of Wikimedia projects and the clientele of the library. The libraries will also be pilot GLAM institutions of Wikipedian In Residence (WIR) program of the PhilWiki Community.

The SMART objectives of the GLAM program are the following:

  • to conduct 3 activities at GLAM partner institutions during the year such as editing activities, fora, and exhibits (e.g. 1Lib1Ref Campaign, Wiki Loves Earth/Monuments Exhibit)
  • to at least 1 Wikipedian In Residence (WIR) who will train 10 employees of GLAM institutions and at least 50 new articles edited by them
  • to establish a partnership with 3 GLAM institutions


Ralff Nestor Nacor is the Chair of GLAM Committee (2020-present). He was admitted to the organization on March 8, 2020 and is an active contributor on Bikol Wikipedia, Wikimedia Commons and Wikimedia Incubator. He currently serves as a Board Member, Auditor and also he chairs the Membership Committee (2020-2021). The Committee was previously headed by Irvin Sto. Tomas (2019-2020).
PH-WC monthly Board meeting (June 15, 2019)
PH-WC monthly Board meeting (July 5, 2019)

Since its foundation, the community has grown from strength to strength as evidenced by the numerous activities it has organized and participated to further its aim of promoting the nation’s many languages and cultures, as well as the growth of the various Philippine Wikipedias. Since its recognition as an affiliate organization, offline activities have been conducted in Metro Manila and in sixteen (16) of the eighty-one (81) provinces of the Philippines. Community outreach activities for Wiki Loves Earth in the PH 2018 were conducted in Albay, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Cavite, Catanduanes, and Sorsogon. On its 2nd edition, photo walks were organized in Batangas, Catanduanes, and Masbate. For Wiki Loves Monuments 2018 PH, the provinces covered were Albay, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Cavite, Quezon Province, and Quezon City. In its initial period of recognition were outreach events in Camarines Sur, Samar, Northern Samar, and Leyte. Historically, it conducted outreach activities which covered Pangasinan, Baguio City situated within Benguet, Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur. It always welcomes volunteers and participants who share our broad vision and encourage everyone with an interest to take part.

The SMART objectives of the Capacity Building program are the following:

  • to conduct a monthly physical meeting and 10 physical meetups with new contributors within and outside Camarines Sur during the year
  • to recruit 5 active contributors on different Philippine language-based editions of Wikipedia
  • to submit the required documents on time and secure permits necessary to continue to operate as a non-profit company
  • to submit the project reports on time and update the latest information about the user group on Meta regularly
  • to send at least 1 delegate in regional, global and thematic Wikimedia Conferences, and at least 3 delegates in Wikimania
  • to get a Chapterhood recognition from the Affiliations Committee within the year


The Officers of PhilWiki Community (2020-2021) are the following: Irvin P. Sto. Tomas (President), Steven Fung (Vice President), Maffeth Opiana (Treasurer), Marvin Molin (Secretary), Ralff Nestor Nacor (Auditor and Chair of the Membership Committee), and John Paul Collantes (Public Information Officer).