‘IamSafe’ with Face Mask and Social Distancing: Baliwag Town Proper’s Semiotic Landscape Amidst Pandemic
Introduction
Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in the country, “wearing of masks” and “social distancing” have become contemporary buzzwords and an important part of discourse in every organization and even households because these have been proven to be effective safety measures to protect ourselves from contracting the virus. These safety protocols have instantly become signages scattered everywhere, emplaced in locations highly visible to the public; hence, have become important compositions of contemporary semiotic landscapes.
The town proper of Baliwag in the province of Bulacan is no exemption in emplacing signages on wearing of masks and social distancing; however, there is another signage added to these two as a policy crafted by the municipality, that is “IamSafe”. Iamsafe is an online application that enables citizens to update and track their health status in real time. It also serves as a tool for the Municipal Health Office to fast track contact tracing, analyze, make data-driven decisions, and help control the spread of the virus. The municipality mandates everyone - Baliwagenos or not, to register in the app and secure an IamSafe ID which is scanned before entering any establishment in Baliwag. Hence, IamSafe has become an indispensable part of signages in Baliwag, particularly in the town proper. Figure 1 shows the IamSafe ID that we have to secure so that we can conduct business at the town proper.
Figure 1
In this article, I intend to present the semiotic landscape in the town proper. I particularly look into the modalities, resemiotization, and semiotic functions of the signages of the three health and safety protocols strictly implemented by the municipality of Baliwag: IamSafe, wearing of mask, and social distancing.
Theoretical Framework
My presentation of the semiotic landscape in Baliwag town proper is guided by multimodality (Kress, 2010), resemiotization (Iedema, 2003) and functionalism in semiotics (Van Leeuwen, 2005) influenced by functional linguistics (Halliday, 1985). According to Kress (2003), multimodality emphasizes that language-in-use does not occur on its own, and that it is integrated with and heavily dependent on other forms of meaning making. Hence, semiotic resources become combinations of two or more modes of presentations such as language, images, sounds, etc. Resemiotization, on the other hand, is about “how meaning-making shifts from context to context, from practice to practice, or from one stage of a practice to the next '' (Iedema, 2003). Resemiotization is about historicizing meaning, particularly aimed at surfacing how, why, and which meanings change over time.
Lastly, my semiotic analysis is guided by functionalism which according to Van Leeuwen (2005), has greatly influenced social semiotics. Functionalism in semiotics is influenced by functionalism in sociology by Emile Durkheim (1858-1917, in Van Leeuwen, 2005) whose core principle is to look at society as a relation between parts in which the activities of the parts function to maintain the unity of the whole, while the whole functions to satisfy the needs of the parts. These needs are then transformed into cultural imperatives the people internalized so that they become natural actions rather than impositions. Moreover, Halliday (1985) distinguishes two kinds of language functions: ‘function in structure’, and ‘function in society’. I only use the ‘function in society’ because just like functionalist sociology, Halliday’s account of the function of language in society stresses that the basic needs of individuals are fulfilled by the ‘whole’ that unites individuals. “Language has evolved to satisfy human needs, and the way it is organised is functional with respect to those needs" (1985).
Method
I chose Baliwag town proper, which we call ‘Bayan’ because it is the center of business and power in the municipality. Situated around the area are the Municipal Public Market and the Municipal Hall surrounded by various commercial establishments. I collected data in the first week of January. Carefully and cautiously due to the Omicron surge, I had to go to Baliwag town proper and personally take pictures of the signages, which was not difficult at all because the signages were emplaced at the front of the establishments, either posted on doors, windows, or any display in front. I took pictures, as fast as I could, of the signs that contained IamSafe, face mask, and social distancing. Of course, the least that I would want was to get the virus. After which, I selected 8 pictures that would be best for my presentation and analysis, which is also coupled with personal experiences as I and my family frequently go to Baliwag for various purposes.
Results
Upon looking at the pictures I got, I instantly recognized what I was looking for, especially in terms of modality. The following pictures showcase the use of different modalities of the three health and safety protocols emplaced at various establishments in Baliwag town proper.
Figure 2
Figure 2 shows the three signages separately, one sign for face mask, another for social distancing, and another for IamSafe. However, it is obvious that all three signs are multimodal - with language, images, and colors. Another thing that captured my interest is the 6 feet requirement for social distancing. Considering that it is an optical shop that is not big enough, it could have emphasized social distancing by just limiting the number of people inside, for instance, just putting “Only 2 persons allowed inside” on the signage instead of 6 feet, such as in Figure 3.
Figure 3
Figure 3 has a different requirement for social distancing - 1. 5 meters instead of 2 meters in Figure 2. But this sign conveys a clearer and more concrete message as it says “maximum of 2 heads allowed inside.” Just like Figure 2, the signage uses an arrow to depict “distance” between individuals.
Figure 4
Figure 4 is the close up of the IamSafe signage on the door seen in Figure 2. It shows a picture of a cell phone with the QR code which signifies that IamSafe does not have to be the physical card but can also be presented through a cell phone since only the QR code is needed for scanning. This is accentuated by the text “Ready your QR code.”
Figure 5
Similarly, Figure 5 shows separate signages for the health protocols, though placed side by side with each other. Both signs are also a combination of words and images, although the sign on the face mask just uses black and white.
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| Figure 6 |
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| Figure 7 |
Figure 7 is similar to Figure 6 in such a way that the health protocols are combined in one signage. As a matter of fact, it even includes the use of a face shield. However, this signage is too simple that it does not use any image or other colors aside from black and white. It only uses bold letters to emphasize the message.
Figure 8
Quite different from the others, this signage on Figure 8 is posted on the table at the front of the store, because literally, there are no door or windows. This is just a small store and the table serves as the gate for entry. Like Figure 7, the signage does not use other modalities except for words, and it only uses bold letters to highlight the message.
Discussion
In terms of multimodality, most of the signages use a combination of different modes such as words, images, and multiple colors; others simply use black and white and bold letters to emphasize the message. Affirmative of Kress’ (2003) multimodality, the signages use the three modes in the one sign – writing, image and color. Doing so has real benefits as each mode functions differently: image shows what takes too long to read, and writing names what would be difficult to show. Color is used to highlight specific aspects of the overall message. Without that division of “semiotic labor” (Kress, 2003), the sign would not work. Each mode is used to achieve maximum effect and benefit of the message. True enough, when you approach any establishment, you can’t help but notice and read the signs because aside from the fact that they are strategically placed in front, they are designed to capture attention.
Moreover, these signs reflect the resemiotized meaning of the concepts they carry. Historically, face masks are used by medical practitioners such as doctors and nurses and limited to hospitals and other medical facilities. But the pandemic has ultimately changed the meaning and perception of face masks. It is now perceived as a basic necessity like the food we eat and the clothes we wear. The concept of “wearing a mask” has become a part of our lexicon as they are now used by everybody- men and women, young and old, regardless of social status and profession.
Likewise, social distancing has been given a new meaning. The Department of Health suggests one meter as the ideal physical distance between individuals that is safe enough to not contract the virus. However, the signages reflect different measures of distance- others use 6 feet, others 2 meters, others 1.5 meters, while others the number of persons allowed inside. This shows differences in perception and interpretation of ‘social distancing’ which can be attributed to the specific contexts of the establishments, such as the nature of the business as well as the size and structure of the establishment.
Because of the alterations in meaning, the functions of the concepts carried by the signages have also changed during the pandemic; these functions are embedded in the everyday environment of the town proper. Like I said, the signages have been strategically placed in front because they serve as entry passes. You can not enter an establishment in Baliwag town proper without a face mask on and without presenting your IamSafe card or QR code for scanning. These two are the minimum requirements to secure entry at any establishment in Baliwag, unlike in other places which require only the wearing of mask. IamSafe and masks have now become self-attachments that we can not leave our house without them.
I remember one time, I went to a supermarket in Baliwag to buy groceries. When I got there, I realized I forgot my IamSafe card. I pleaded with the security guard to allow me the pass that one time because my house was a 30-minute ride away. Unfortunately, the guard, as obedient as he was, did not allow me, so I had no choice but to go back home and get my IamSafe card. Since then, I had put my QR code in my cell phone so I would always have a backup in case I forgot my card again.
Moreover, the number of people inside the establishments are dictated by the specific “social distancing” adopted by a particular establishment, whether 1.5 or 2 meters or by the number of people allowed inside. The security guard would see to it that both company employees and customers strictly follow this rule to avoid overcrowding inside.
The use of IamSafe, wearing of mask, and social distancing also function as a discipline. It is surprising to see people always with masks on and taking out their IamSafe upon approaching any establishment. It’s amazing to see people falling in line waiting for their turn to get inside to transact business. I believe, contrary to what others say, that we Filipinos are abiding citizens who know how to respect and follow rules.
Moreover, the obedience of the people to the signages strongly affirm functionalism in sociology (Durkheim, 1858-1917, in Van Leeuwen, 2005) and Halliday’s (1985) ‘function in society’ which both emphasize the relationship between parts: the parts function to maintain the unity of the whole, while the whole functions to satisfy the needs of the parts. Our need to always bring our IamSafe card, wear mask on, and follow social distancing protocol have been transformed into cultural imperatives that we have internalized that they have become natural actions rather than impositions. Furthermore, as Halliday (1985) puts it, “Language has evolved to satisfy human needs, and the way it is organised is functional with respect to those needs’ (1985). From my experience and observation of others, I believe that the signages, strategically designed to achieve their purpose, have been successful in satisfying that basic need of protecting both oneself and others from contracting the virus.
Conclusion
COVID-19 has undeniably changed our lives in so many ways. It has paved the way for the creation of new semiotic landscapes reflective of these changes, as displayed by the signages in Baliwag town proper. The signages utilize multimodality to emphasize the message. The strict implementation of IamSafe and wearing of mask as entry passes have made them self-attachments, and the concept of wearing of mask and social distancing have been resemiotized as basic human actions that must be carried out at all times not just to protect oneself but the bigger population as well. All this clearly tells us that signs are important tools for meaning-making, and meaning making as a social practice is manifested in our perception and behavior that directly influence our lives and the society in general.
References:
Halliday, M.A.K. (1985, 1994) An Introduction to Functional Grammar, London:Arnold
Iedema,R. (2003) Multimodality, resemiotization: extending the analysis of
discourse as multi-semiotic practice. Visual Communication 2(1): 29-57.
Kress, G. (2010). Where meaning is the issue. In Multimodality: A social semiotic approach to contemporary communication. NY: Routledge
Van Leeuwen, T. (2005). Semiotic principles. In Introducing social semiotics. NY: Routledge
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