A Social semiotic study of color in Philippine Government’s CoVid-19 information materials
Introduction
As the CoVid-19 pandemic rages on in the form of the earlier and recently
sequenced variant, the Omicron variant (WHO, 2022), governments across the
globe struggled at some varying degrees on how to deal with this new virus variant. As gleaned
from WHO website, dealing with this variant presented a new set of challenge
considering various factors affecting its transmissibility, severity,
effectiveness of prior vaccines, effectiveness of current tests as well as
effectiveness of treatments including studies being undertaken to cure if not
to formulate vaccines and other alternative remedies to ease its symptoms.
The Philippine is one of the many countries around the world struggling
to cope with this pandemic (Health Policy Watch, 2021) and as new variants
emerge, the greater the challenge and risk have to be faced. Right from the
start, the Philippine government’s response to the current pandemic has been praised
and criticized from various quarters (Inquirer, 2020; Philstar, 2021) but these
did not stop the Department of Health (DOH, 2021) from striving to take care of
the nation’s public health.
As rolled out by the DOH being one of its landmark programs in combating
this pandemic, the Philippines COVID-19 Emergency Response Project (PCERP),
with the Project Development Objective (PDO), the primary objective is to
strengthen the Philippines’ capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to the threat
posed by COVID-19 and strengthen national systems for public health preparedness.
Despite perceived recent progress, the Philippines remains one of the
countries most affected by the COVID-19 in East Asia and Pacific, rendering
vaccine purchase and deployment a national priority (DOH, 2021). With the
availability of donated and loan-procured vaccines, the Philippines has now an
opportunity to add a significant new layer to its COVID-19 emergency response.
Procuring and administering vaccines is critical to reducing mortality from
COVID, opening the economy in earnest and arresting the decline in GDP,
employment and incomes (DOH, 2021)
Background of the Study
Being the head of a family who recently had a bout with the Omicron
variant of the Sars-Corona Virus 2019, I began to experience symptoms five days
after being exposed to my wife who had been battling symptoms herself a couple
of days earlier. We received the swab test result after January 8, 2022
confirming that she contracted the virus along with the rest of her team
working in a government agency as attested by test results that came afterwards.
Being fully vaccinated did not prevent us from being infected with this new
variant that is highly contagious and easily transmitted. Thankfully, we were
alleviated from the crippling symptoms after ten-days of isolation/quarantine symptomatic
treatment/medication which may be attributed to us being fully vaccinated
prior, or the Omicron variant itself only had such mild effect on us (WHO,
2022) hence, we did not suffer greatly as compared to those who are severely
affected or even died who are either partially vaccinated or not even
vaccinated at all (DOH, 2021).
Speaking of vaccination, since the Philippines’ Department of Health
realigned focus on vaccination due to perceived shortcomings on contract tracing,
isolation, and treatment areas on the fight against CoVid-19, I wanted to focus
this study on the social semiotic study on the use of color in Philippine
Government’s CoVid-19 information materials. There are still a long way to go,
as far as the battle against CoVId-19 is concerned more specifically on the
area of vaccinating the population in order to achieve “herd immunity” and these
information campaigns are deemed to be helpful in forwarding this cause. I hope
this social semiotic study on the use of color in Philippine government’s
CoVid-19 information campaign would at least help in the national effort to combat
this pandemic.
Theoretical Framework
What is Semiotics?
Semiotics is devoted to the study not only of what individuals refer to
as "signs" in everyday communication, instead, it involves
anything which "stands for" something else. The sign is a part of
semiotic "sign – systems" (such as a medium or genre). Semioticians
study how meanings are formed and how reality is represented.
Signs can take different forms such as images, sounds, words, gestures,
and objects. A term used to represent an analytic tradition that derives from
the works of the linguist Michael Halliday’s Language as Social
Semiotic (1976) and cultural theorists Bob Hodge and Gunther
Kress’ Social Semiotics (1988). It is used to refer to several
approaches which associate semiotic range with social dimensions.
In turn, such approaches can be used to analyze the full range of
signifying systems and practices that establish all forms of culture (Bal,
1991:73). A synthesis of several modern approaches which aim to study the social meaning
and social action.
Semiotics, Formal semiotics, Social semiotics
Semiotics was established as part of the effort to find a scientific
basis for linguistics. There is a long tradition of doing this in
cultural anthropology and ethnography. The study of the social
dimensions of meaning, and the power of human processes of signification and
interpretation (known as semiosis) in shaping individuals and societies.
Semiotics focuses on social meaning-making practices of all types, whether visual,
verbal, or aural (Thibault, 1991:54) systems for meaning-making or
possible "channels“ which are known as semiotic modes (or semiotic
registers).
Semiotic modes can include visual, verbal, written, gestural, and
musical resources for communication. They also include various "multimodal"
ensembles of any of these modes (Kress and van Leeuwen, 2001:80) which may
include signs, symbols, colors, and their various combinations to convey a messages
and meanings.
The Social Semiotics of Color
Color is a form of non-verbal communication mainly related to an effect. It appears to be the first thing the viewers notice. It is used to represent people, places, and things. It is also used to denote classes of people as well as more general ideas (Kress and van Leeuwen, 2006:229). Many people have quite a strong sense of the meanings of colors, and they could easily articulate what such meanings are.
Some Popular Denotations of Colors
According to Scollon and Scollon (2003 as cited by Hameed and Ijam, 2020), cultures have different
high modality colors and colors may have political, social, or even commercial
indexical values. The colors that are utilized in this study have specific
denotations. Some of these are:
White – purity, innocence, wholeness
and completion
Red – excitement, passion, action, and danger
Blue – promoting calm,
express feelings of sadness, reliability and stability
Yellow – success, achievement, triumph but can also incite alertness, and caution for danger
Green – balance and growth
Black – very formal, elegant, and
prestigious color
Pink – femininity, strongly emotive, unconditional love and nurturing
Grey – color of neutrality and balance
Orange - signifies caution, danger, alertness and possible harm
Methodology
For this study, I have collected ten Department of Health CoVid-19 Information
materials taken from the DOH website. These materials ranging from vaccination
promotion, CoVid-19 figures and statistics, promos, data dashboard and FAQ’s
which are all purposively chosen. These information materials are obviously colorized/colorful which are
intended to be subjected to social semiotics analysis using the theories earlier
presented. I used descriptive qualitative approach in analyzing the
data. The materials were then coded and analyzed using the lens of social
semiotics of color. In the process, I adopted the theory of Kress and van
Leeuwen (2006) used by Hameed and Ijam (2020) in their study of social semiotics of color.
Discussions
Let us begin by discussing the Department of Health’s Vaccination Promotion Campaign dubbed as “BIDA+ Solusyon sa CoVid-19” which is an acrostic of the fight against CoVid-19 string of initiatives meant to safeguard the nation’s public health.
 |
| Image 1. The Department of Health's BIDA+ Solusyon sa CoVid-19 Vaccination Promotion campaign |
In Image 1, we can see in the campaign material featuring various colors with blue as the dominant being used in the background which conveys calmness in which the department want the people to be. It also conveys the feeling of peace, stability and reliability which are things that the entire population need and crave in these times of uncertainty given the proliferation of fake and misleading news and information about CoVid-19. Blue is also the color used in the font of the letters of the word "SOLUSYON" (solution to the current CoVid-19 pandemic).
We can also see the use of color yellow which is used to foreground the acrostic of the slogan BIDA+. Being one of the dominant colors of the spectrum, yellow is universally used to alert people in order to catch attention and emphasize something about impending danger such as traffic signals, police lines in crime scenes, hazardous and dangerous sites/locations, among others. In this image, the color yellow is used to highlight the entire BIDA+ promotional campaign program which alerts and/or cautions people not to become reckless and not observe health and safety protocols all the time. The color yellow is also the color used to represent the sun and its eight rays, traditionally used to represent the Philippines (Valdeavila, 2017), which used to decorate the face mask used as a background image of the BIDA+ SOLUSYON campaign.
The color orange which similarly suggests danger and cautions the reading public to be more alert of any impending harm, is used to highlight the letters B, I, D, A, +, as the gist of the information campaign, for everyone to be the "bida" (protagonist, main actor, primary mover) in the fight against CoVid-19 disease, which highlights the call for the citizens' contribution in the over-all strategy in the fight against the pandemic. Interestingly, the color red was used as a background color for the words "sa CoVid-19". We are all aware that the color red invokes danger, presence of harm, and perilous situation which is the usual color of choice when authorities and experts depict the image of CoVid-19 virus usually in its magnified microscopic imaging.
 |
| Image 2. The B in the acrostic stands for "Bawal Walang Mask at Face Shield" |
In Image 2, we can see the same colors being highlighted such as the blue background, infused with some white designs which signify the same feeling of peace, stability and reliability which are things that the entire population need and crave in these times of uncertainty. The color yellow is used to foreground the words "Bawal walang mask at face shield" (Non-wearing of mask and face shield is prohibited) and this black font of the text over a yellow background is deemed as the most contrastive color combination that generated most fixation for dyslexic readers (Rello and Baeza-Yates, 2016) making it sure to be most readable and comprehensible for the widest range of possible audiences.
A woman who wears face mask and face shield models the message this image campaign wants to convey. With her outfit, one can surmise she is part of the working-class citizenry as suggested by her ID lace and the accompanying backpack which is a common sight in this times of pandemic. She wears a red-colored shirt which may signify the sense of urgency and along with the white colored mask which suggests a state of good health, purity or cleanliness, we can see that she is directly looking at the spectators inciting the population to follow her lead.
 |
| Image 3. The I in the acrostic stands for "I-sanitize and Kamay at Iwasang ang Kulob na Lugar." |
For image 3, the same blue background image was utilized to achieve a sense of consistency on the design and intention of the information campaign material but this time, the I stands for "I-sanitize ang Kamay at Iwasan ang Kulob na Lugar" (Sanitize your hands and Avoid Enclosed Spaces). The black color for the text font over the over background is still retained for the same readability purposes (Rello and Baeza-Yates, 2016).
This time, an image of a man in bluish top with a dark colored-tie suggests someone who is a professional but likewise wearing the face mask and face shield. The color of the soap is blue and the soap suds is white which are both logical choices to convey the message of health, purity, and cleanliness, respectively, which is the common battle-cry in these trying times of our lives.
 | |
|
In Image 4, we can see the same dominant colors which are deliberately chosen such as the blue with a tinge of white background which is a symbolism for a feeling of peace, stability and reliability which are things that the entire population need and crave in these times of uncertainty. and the black text of the font over a yellow background containing the text "Dumistansya ng Isang Metro at Limitahan ang Pisikal na Interacksyon" (Maintain a One meter Physical Distancing and Limit any Physical Interaction with Other People). An apt warning considering that the CoVid-19 virus is airborne and can spread easily via air droplets when one coughs and even talks to another especially if the place and space has little to minimal ventilation.
Interestingly, the image of a person who is wearing the same face mask and face shield also wears a typical workman/laborer's garb of long-sleeved gray-colored shirt but an orange-colored vest suggests he is part of the labor force and being part of the frontliners make him exposed to possible dangers out there as what the color orange suggests. He needs to exercise extra precaution when fulfilling his daily tasks.
 |
| Image 5. The A in the acrostic stands for "Alamin ang Tamang Impormasyon" |
The Image 5 shows the same dominant colors deliberately chosen like the blue with a tinge of white background which suggests a feeling of peace, stability and reliability as well as hope and purity which are things that everybody craves in these times of pandemic. Still, the black text of the font over a yellow background containing the text "Alamin ang Tamang Impormasyon" (Know the Right Information) is highlighted in this information material.
The pink color of the woman's dress is very feminine which is just right as the color also conveys a message of caring and nurturing attitude which are the very characteristics of Filipino mothers and as well as Filipino women (Bruna, 2021).
The image of a woman holding a mobile phone is very appropriate too. In this times of Information age, one can easily verify and search whether something circulated is truth or falsity with just a click of a mouse or a tap of the finger using a smartphone. The light peach color of the phone is just apt which makes it stand out in the image since the light shade of the color is suggestive of shedding light to the truth about the CoVid-19 vaccines which are being peddled by fake news purveyors who spread false information such as vaccines containing microchips, dangerous nanoparticles, men and women sterility, among others (Sarukhan, 2021).
 |
| Image 6. The + in the acrostic stands for "Suportahan ang FDA-Approved na Bakuna" |
This Image 6 completes the DOH vaccination promotion campaign information material entitled "BIDA+ Solusyon sa CoVid-19" and we can see the "+" being labelled as "Suportahan ang FDA-Approved na Bakuna" (Support FDA-Appoved Vaccines) with FDA being the Food and Drugs Adminsitration, a bureau under the Department of Health which oversees the testing and evaluation of CoVid-19 vaccines being procured by the government. Aside from retaining the earlier designs and color schemes of the entire acrostic, the persons highlighted were also combined enabling us to see the totality of the context and content of the infographic.
Although the current CoVid-19 vaccines being administered today which were either donated (Pfizer/Moderna/AstraZeneca/Johnson&Johnson) or procured (SinoVac) via loans or grants were initially granted with Emergency Use Authorizations (EUA) by the FDA, these were assured to be tested and evaluated to be able to deliver the intended immunity against CoVid-19 despite varying potency and effectiveness in fighting the Sars-CoronaVirus 2019 (DOH, 2020).
The prevailing vaccine hesitancy among Filipinos is viewed to be an aftermath of the overly-publicized Dengvaxia controversy which the present Duterte administration's supporter aimed to pin down the previous Aquino administration (Alfonso, Dayrit, et al, 2021). As a result, the initial mass vaccination efforts were met with suspicion if not hesitancy among the less-informed sector of the population. Hence, the DOH came up with this initiative to boost awareness and combat the vaccine scare in the earlier phase of CoVid-19 vaccination program.
 |
| Image 7. The DOH promotional campaign "Resbakuna Kasangga ng BIDA: Bakunado Panalo" |
The Image 7 features the DOH program called "Resbakuna Kasangga ng Bida: Bakunado Panalo" (from the Filipino word "resbak" (to fight back) + "bakuna" (vaccine) which translates to "fight back the CoVid-19 via vaccination" and the words "kasangga" (an ally) "ng Bida" (of the protagonist), "bakunado" (vaccinated individuals) "panalo" (winner). Over-all, this translates to: Fightback with Vaccine an ally of the Protagonist: Vaccinated Individuals are Winners. This project is an added reinforcement to the earlier vaccination promotion campaign, the "BIDA+ Solusyon sa CoVid-19"
As gleaned from the image, the color green used as a background presents a hopeful countenance considering this as a raffle draw promotion. The yellow text background creates an already exciting prospect of a chance to win a million pesos in the grand draw just by availing yourself the vaccination. The blue color of font text of 1,000,000 is not only hopeful but also oozes with optimism. The woman holding a mobile phone wearing a light peach colored dress is rejoicing as pieces of Php 1,000 peso bills are flying around here is what completes the message of the infographic.
 | |
|
Image 8 features the Department of Health's supporting supplemental vaccination promotion campaign entitled "Resbakuna Kasangga ng Bida: Halina't magpa-bakuna, sama-sama tayo sa Bida Bakunation" (Fight back with Vaccine an Ally of the Protagonist: Let's be vaccinated together towards a Vaccinated Nation). This is a campaign to encourage more Filipinos to avail the free CoVid-19 vaccines being rolled-out in order to achieve a herd immunity as well as to mitigate potential severe cases of CoVid-19 disease.
As we can see from the image, a washout blue and white background of high-rise buildings suggest a progressive nation as illustrated by a hopeful and calm blue color and white for a healthy and clean environment. The word "resbakuna" from the concatenated "resbak" (fight back) and "bakuna" (vaccine) has the colors orange and blue which implies fighting back against the virus with a weakened form of the virus itself which is a form of "revenge" as inoculating the population.
 |
| Image 9. The DOH Check the FAQ's page featuring the Question: "Is there a Cure for CoVid-19?" |
An FAQ page on the Department of Health's website is shown on Image 9. This infographic features a combination of text, images, colors and designs which together forms a potent multimodal communicative tool (Kress and van Leeuwen, 1996). We can see the dominance of the dark blue color being the background but this was contrasted by the white text font color as well as the images and graphics below the question which surprisingly created a balanced contrast. The orange borders on the top and bottom parts seem to enclose the page and create a demarcation but also highlight the text "Be part of the Bida Bakunation" being part of the many slogans/campaigns of the DOH.
The dark blue color is a cool color but since combined with white font color of the text and graphics, these two created a vibrant interaction which suggests purity, health, and hope. The bordering orange color suggests that there is still danger around but with everyone's cooperation (such as availing the free vaccination), we can overcome this pandemic together sooner if not later.
Image 10. The DOH's National COVID-19 Vaccination Dashboard
Image 10 shows the Department of Health's National CoVid-19 Vaccination Dashboard featuring various figures and text about the status of the nations CoVid-19 Vaccination program component in the fight against the CoVid-19 pandemic. Please note that the coverage of the data is from March 1, 2021 until November 30, 2021 only.
As we can see, there are colors which serve as background colors to the white and blue colored texts/figures. The blue color highlights the Total Doses Administered at 86,421,420 and this conveys a feeling of hope and optimism that this figure will continue to increase. The yellow color highlights the total of those who received the first dose at 49,742,227 obviously the highest among the three clustered data set, followed by a dark green for those who received the second dose at 36,365,357 and finally those who received the booster dose at 313,836 highlighted by the purple color.
The contrast of the cool colors of green and purple against the yellow suggests a need for heightened activity in the form of a more aggressive stance not only on the part of the Department of Health but also among the entire population in order to combat the virus. This can only be done with the implementation of more proactive measures intended to debunk the vaccine scare, incentivize those who are willing but preferring to earn their livelihood, as well as those who have limited if not denied access to the vaccines (Gomez, 2021)
Conclusions
Based on the foregoing discussions of the presented data, the following conclusions were drawn:
Color is a powerful and indispensable tool for communication. The effective use of color in terms of contrast and highlights is a great tool to enhance the verbal and written communication. It adds meaning to communication as it revitalizes the visual message, delivering an instant impression that is widely understood if not universal and specific to culture and tradition.
The way different colors can affect emotions depends largely on a color's brightness, shade, tone and whether it is a cool or warm color. Red, yellow, and orange are next to each other on the spectrum and are all warm colors. They often evoke feelings of happiness, optimism, and energy. However, they can also have an attention-grabbing effect and signal danger or make people take action.
Colors can be used to influence certain physiological reactions. When used properly in infographics and other materials, they influence perceptions that are not obvious. They have qualities that can cause certain emotions in people. For example, warm colors are generally used as stimulants. On the other hand, cool colors often spark feelings of calmness as well as melancholy. Hence, skillful use of these colors and their qualities and characteristics must always be considered all the time.
Over-all, the use of colors in the Department of Health's CoVid-19 information materials is successful in disseminating the much needed information to the entire population at least for those who have access to these materials. The choice of colors and the way these are used, merged, contrasted, and highlighted created a balanced and nuanced effect as to how the information materials are read and perceived.
References
Alfonso, Dayrit, et.al. (8 March 2021). The Diplomat. From Dengvaxia to Sinovac: The Vaccine hesitancy in the Philippines. Retrieved on January 15, 2022 from https://thediplomat.com/2021/03/from-dengvaxia-to-sinovac-vaccine-hesitancy-in-the-philippines/
Bal, M. (1991). Reading "Rembrandt" Beyond the Word-Image
Opposition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Beasley, R. and Danesi, M. (2002). Persuasive Signs: The Semiotics of
Advertising. New York: Walter de Gruyter.
Birren, F. (1989). Color Psychology and Color Therapy. New York: Carol
Publishing Group.
Bruna. (18 Jan 2022). Colors Explained: The Meaning of the Color Pink. Symbolism, Meaning and Uses. Retrieved on January 15, 2022 from https://www.colorsexplained.com/color-pink-meaning-of-the-color-pink/
Chandler, D. (2007). Semiotics: The Basics.
Cobley, P. and Litza, J. (1999). Introducing semiotics. Australia:
Victoria.
Department of Health. (22 Nov 2021). Philippines CoVid-19 Emergency Response Project. Retrieved on January 15, 2022 from https://doh.gov.ph/COVID-19/emergency-response-project
Eco, U. (1976). A Theory of Semiotics. Bloomington: Indiana University
Press. New York: Routledge.
Gomez, Carla P. (6 Nov 2021). Inquirer.Net: Give people incentives to get vaccinated. Retrieved on January 15, 2022 from https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1511354/give-people-incentives-to-get-vaccinated-says-robredo
Jewitt, C., Bezemer, J. and O'Halloran, k. (2016). Introducing
Multimodality. London, United Kingdom: Routledge. [8] Kress,G. and Van
Leeuween, Th. (2001). Multimodal Discourse: The Modes and Media of Contemporary
Communication. New York: Oxford University Press.
…...….. (2002). Colour as a semiotic mode: notes for a grammar of
colour. Visual Communication. (London, Thousand Oaks, CA and New Delhi) Vol
1(3): 343– 368 [1470-3572(200210)1:3; 343– 368;027271].
Lemke, J.L.( 1990).Talking Science: Language, Learning and Values .
Ablex Publishing Corporation.
Rello & Baeza-Yates. (19 Nov 2012). Optimal colors to improve readability for people with dyslexia. Retrieved on January 15, 2022 from https://www.w3.org/WAI/RD/2012/text-customization/r11
Sarukhan, Adelaida. (17 Nov 2021). IS Global. Disinformation has no religion: The most common fake news about CoVid-19 vaccines. Retrieved on January 15, 2022 from https://www.isglobal.org/en/healthisglobal/-/custom-blog-portlet/los-bulos-no-tienen-religion-las-fake-news-mas-comunes-sobre-las-vacunas-covid-19/3098670/0
Scollon, R. and Scollon, S. (2003). Discourses in Place: Language in the
Material World. New York: Routledge.
Thibault, P. J. (1991). Social Semiotics As Praxis: Text, Social Meaning
Making, and Nabokov’s Ada. University of Minnesota Press
Valdeavilla, Ronica. (22 Dec 2017). Culture Trip. What does the Philippine flag symbolize? Retrieved on January 15, 2022 from https://theculturetrip.com/asia/philippines/articles/what-does-the-philippine-flag-symbolise/
WHO. (2022). World Health Organization Update on Omicron. Retrieved on January 15, 2022 from https://www.who.int/news/item/28-11-2021-update-on-omicron
Comments
Post a Comment