PROTOCOL P-21 | Communication & Information Sharing

Rumor Response Protocol Protocol

TRIGGER When informal narratives circulating in the community diverge significantly from accurate project information; when the Signal Tracker captures contextual signals suggesting misinformation is spreading.

STEPS

1. Detect the rumor through monitoring channels

   Signal Tracker entries; reports from barangay focal persons; frontline staff observations; social media monitoring where applicable. Log in Signal Tracker immediately.

2. Assess the rumor accurately

   Three questions: (a) Is it factually false, partially true, or a misunderstanding of true information? (b) What underlying concern does it reflect, even if the specific claim is inaccurate? (c) How widely has it spread, and through what channels?

3. Develop a plain-language response that addresses the underlying concern

   The response should: (a) acknowledge what is true in the concern; (b) correct what is inaccurate, specifically and clearly; (c) explain what the project is actually doing about the underlying concern. Do not respond only to the inaccuracy, respond to the concern beneath it.

4. Deliver the response through the same channels the rumor is traveling

   If the rumor is spreading through barangay assemblies, respond at a barangay assembly. If it is spreading through group messaging apps, respond through those channels as well. Meeting people where the misinformation is circulating is more effective than a formal response in a venue they may not attend.

5. Brief barangay officials and LGU contacts on the response

   Ensure that community officials who are asked about the rumor can give a consistent and accurate answer. A barangay captain who gives a different answer than the developer undermines both responses.

6. Follow up to verify whether the response reached those who heard the rumor

   One week after the response, ask your community contacts: is the rumor still circulating? Have people's questions been addressed? If not, adjust and re-deliver.

7. Log the rumor and response in the Signal Tracker

   Record: rumor content, spread, underlying concern, response delivered, channel, verification finding, and outcome.

PURPOSE

To provide a structured, rapid process for identifying, verifying, and responding to misinformation circulating in communities, before it becomes entrenched as community belief. Rumors are not merely wrong information. They are symptoms of information gaps, trust deficits, or legitimate concerns that have not been addressed through official channels.

Roles and Responsibilities

Primary:

Actor: ComRel Officer / PCO
Responsibility: Detects the rumor; develops the response; coordinates delivery through appropriate channels; verifies reach.

Supporting:

Actor: Barangay Officials / LGU Focal Person
Responsibility: Receives briefing; delivers response in community settings; relays questions back to ComRel officer.

Supporting:

Actor: Frontline Staff
Responsibility: Reports rumors detected during site work; delivers response messaging when interacting with community members who raise the concern.

Field Notes and Adaptation Guidance

• Field Note — Respond to the concern, not just the inaccuracy

  A rumor that a floating solar project will eliminate all fish from Laguna Lake is not just a false claim about biology, it is an expression of genuine fear about the livelihoods of fisherfolk. Responding only to the biological inaccuracy ('the solar panels will not affect fish populations') without addressing the fear ('we understand your livelihood depends on fishing, and here is specifically how we are protecting fishing areas') misses the point and misses the community.

• Field Note — Speed is a trust signal

  How quickly a rumor is detected and responded to communicates how closely the project is listening. A rumor that circulates for a month before receiving a response tells communities that the project is not paying attention, or does not care. A rumor detected and responded to within a week communicates genuine attention to community concerns.

• Adaptation Guidance

  In high-rumor environments (where misinformation circulates frequently due to information gaps or low trust), consider a regular 'project update' format, a brief monthly factsheet or community bulletin that proactively addresses common questions and recent rumors. Shifting from reactive rumor response to proactive information provision reduces the conditions in which rumors take hold.

Required Output / Documentation

• Signal Tracker entry: rumor content, spread, underlying concern, response, channel, outcome

• Barangay officials briefed on consistent response

• Verification finding (is the rumor still circulating one week post-response?)