It seems that the public has warmed up to the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority’s (MMDA) recent jump from “old school” radio and television to the faster-paced world of the internet.

The agency said that it is gaining more and more followers on its “Twitter,” the ultra-popular micro-blogging site.

“Lalo pong dumadami, ngayon po ay lampas na sa 8,000 ang followers sa Twitter account ng MMDA sa Twitter.com/tweetMMDA (It continues to grow, now there are over 8,000 followers on the MMDA’s Twitter account on Twitter.com/tweetMMDA),” Yves Gonzales, agency spokesperson, said.

Launched online last August 2, MMDA’s Twitter has since become the preferred venue for inquiries and announcements on traffic around the metropolis as well as advisories during rains and floods.

The website particularly makes use of intentionally truncated announcements or “shout-outs” – in this case, called “tweets” – making them perfect for the busy motorist or traveler who needs short and specific information.

MMDA tweets also served as the replacement – whether intentionally or unintentionally – to its now-defunct radio and television stations collectively known as MMDA RTV. It permanently signed off last August 16.

Agency Chairman Francis Tolentino ordered the closure of MMDA RTV as an austerity measure, noting that it cost them P1 million monthly to operate.

Tolentino said that MMDA RTV, created in 2008 under the tenure of then-chairman Bayani Fernando, “was not able to reach out effectively to the public in terms of information dissemination.”

In contrast, Tolentino pointed out that the Internet, through networking sites such as Twitter, is a good way to “directly communicate with the people.”

Aside from Twitter, MMDA also relies heavily on “Metrobase,” its 24-hour traffic and communications center, for interacting and communicating with the public.