Regnard Raquedan: Self-Titled

Mafia Wars and FarmVille

regnard@raquedan.com (Regnard Raquedan) — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 04:00:00 +0000

I read Abe's blog post about Zynga's FarmVille and it got me thinking: Social games is the new gaming gold mine.

These games work because people spend an insane amount of time in them and once you spend a significant amount of time in something two things happen: a) it becomes a habit, b) its value to you increases.

Forget MMO's: Social games have the "Long Tail" effect on games. People do not necessarily have to play and spend tons of money, but since virtually everyone plays them, that's where companies like Zynga make a killing. And it seems to be working as Zynga is valued to be over $1 billion. Zynga has to thank the virtual farmers of FarmVille and mafiosos of Mafia Wars in social networks.

Speaking of those two games, I'm going to make a confession: I don't play FarmVille. I've never made an account, but I do play Mafia Wars. I'm currently at level 607.

Back during my short run as a MS Computer Science student in UP Diliman, I co-designed and developed a game called "Battle Hopper" with my group mates as our project in 2004. The concept is quite similar to a very crude Mafia Wars.

Can local companies leverage on social games? If I were the telcos or major IT companies here, I suggest making social games. Now!

Tags: Social Games

Parking in Mandaluyong Sucks

regnard@raquedan.com (Regnard Raquedan) — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 07:17:00 +0000

I've been a lot of work in the Pioneer business area in Mandaluyong City (The Globe Tower Plaza-Robinsons Cybergate area) as of late and I've realized there's something inherently broken in the mini-business area there.

The parking there absolutely sucks.

Why? Here are the options:

Globe Tower Plaza - No public parking
Robinsons Cybergate Plaza - Parking available only to tenants/employees working there
Robinsons Cybergate 1 - Parking available only to tenants/employees working there
Robinsons Cybergate 2 - Parking available only to tenants/employees working there
Robinsons Cybergate 3 - Parking available only to tenants/employees working there
Forum Robinsons - Public parking available; PhP30 for first 3 hours, PhP 30 for each succeeding hour
Street parking - not allowed
Madison Square Pioneer - PhP 80 full day parking, but you'll be parking in a construction site

Here's a map of the area:

View Larger Map

Interesting note: Despite limiting the Robinsons Cybergate towers to employees working there, there's almost always a queue of vehicles into the parking areas.

Robinsons Land could have eased up the situation but instead played the role of opportunistic business man by jacking up the price of parking in Forum Robinsons and choking the general public by severely limiting access in the buildings.

The ultimate irony is that in the vicinity of the area, there's a huge billboard of Mandaluyong City mayor Ben-Hur Abalos proudly announcing that Mandaluyong is the Tiger City.

Tiger City my A$$. The Pioneer business area has huge potential but it's hamstrung by accessibility and parking woes. The infrastructure in place has not been able to keep up with the growing needs of the companies there.

Tags: Mandaluyong

30 Things I'm No Longer Allowed to Do Now that I'm 30

regnard@raquedan.com (Regnard Raquedan) — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 10:10:00 +0000

I turned 30 yesterday.

If you ask me, being 30 is not too different from being 29...except that you're in your 30's.

Here's a list of things I feel I'm no longer allowed to do now that I'm 30:

Contribute in the Philippine Daily Inquirer's Youngblood
Make bonehead mistakes and attribute it to youth
Be financially irresponsible
Dress like I'm from someone from Da 'Hood
Expect to outrun everyone in basketball
Think that I'm too young for investments and insurance
Turn my back on leadership opportunities
Waffle on tough decisions
Ignore golf
Talk about the latest episode of Glee in public
Think I'm invincible, health-wise
Dilly-dally on my career
Get easily distracted
Call people names
Get into fist fights
Be apprehensive in seeking help from older and younger people
Not to bring up topics like children, family, house/car payments in friendly discussions
Fail to see the big picture
Be afraid to hurt someone's feelings, if necessary
Fail to make a "Plan B"
Dismiss the prospects of "settling down"
Gamble, instead of taking calculated risks
Live in a fairytale land where mythical creatures fart rainbows and shit gold
Fail to explain the global financial crisis intelligently
Not to have an opinion about politics
Have little faith in handshake deals and gentlemen's agreements
Ignore wine in parties
Resist making sacrifices
Sulk and cry in a little corner in times of adversity
Fail to realize that the future I was referring to is now

30-something folks, what do you think of my list?

Bloggers and Libel

regnard@raquedan.com (Regnard Raquedan) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 11:31:00 +0000

I want to share a very insightful interview that appeared in Juned Sonido's Baratillo.net. Juned interviewed Alex Villafania who worked with Inquirer.net, one of the top Philippine news websites.

The interview focused on libel and the legal implications to bloggers and online media practitioners. Alex's thesis is that bloggers, like any other citizens, can be sued for libel if the blogger does not provide sufficient evidence to backup his/her damaging claims or allegations. According to Alex:

If the law is to be strictly followed, to the last word, yes. Because blogs and online media are public communiques, and are read by more than two people (libel requires 3 people or so — the 2 parties involved and a third-party to actually hear it), they can put under the libel clause.

Article 355 states that “a libel committed by means of writing, printing, lithography, engraving, radio, phonograph, painting, theatrical exhibition, cinematographic exhibition, or any similar means, shall be punished by prision correccional….in addition to the civil action which may be brought by the offended party.” That also includes articles written in forums, email and yes, online stories and blogs.

The interview is a reminder to all folks, not just bloggers, that social media and any online sites can be basis for a lawsuit. Just ask Ella Rose.

Tags: Blogging

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What I Have Against Runners and Marathons

regnard@raquedan.com (Regnard Raquedan) — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 08:37:00 +0000

Friends of mine who have read my blog posts about my issues on the Quezon City International Marathon and often hear me rant about another running event in Fort Bonifacio last month think I have something major against runners, running events, and marathons.

Finally, to answer the the question, "What does Regnard Raquedan have against runners and marathons?", my reply is "Nothing!"

What I'm against are poorly organized and implemented running events.

Runners are happy these days because of the numerous events held in the city. That's fine, really, because running folks have more options and casual runners can enjoy as well. But when these running events become a traffic nightmare and become headaches to non-runners like myself, that's when it gets a little testy.

Problems like incompetent traffic management, lack of viable alternative routes, inadequate public information, poor runner/driver safety, and shoddy planning make me want to go on a Bayani Fernando mode and put a huge damn pink fence around the running venue. I'm sure runners and motorists will agree with me.

So friends, just to clarify, I'm not on a crusade against running, running events, and marathons, per se. I'm just against the idiocy of marathon organizers, plain and simple. :)

Tags: Running

Filipino Dancing Inmates Pay Tribute to Michael Jackson

regnard@raquedan.com (Regnard Raquedan) — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 13:08:00 +0000

The "Dancing Inmates" of Cebu are at it again!

Thanks to members of Michael Jackson's This Is It team, choreographer Travis Payne and dancers Daniel Celebre and Dres Reid, the inmates of "Thriller" fame (37 million views and counting!) were able to pay tribute to MJ once again. This time, the inmates danced to "They Don't Care About Us"

The internet sensations busted out their trademark dancing cohesion and may well be the first Filipino YouTube hit of 2010.

Tags: Dancing Inmates

Marty's Cracklin' (aka "The Healthy Effect")

regnard@raquedan.com (Regnard Raquedan) — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 11:03:00 +0000

One snack I've been into the last couple of months is Marty's Cracklin', a unique snack that's positioned as "Vegetarian Chicharon" (chicharon is a local delicacy made of crispy fried pork rind). While it Marty's Cracklin doesn't fully capture the taste of of chihcaron 100%, it does have a nice salty taste that kids and adults love.

The reason why I think Marty's Cracklin' is blogworthy because lately, it has been absent from supermarket shelves in the last month. It's not because Oishi, the company behind Marty's Cracklin', has pulled the product out but because it has been flying off the shelves.

I briefly interviewed a merchandiser from Landmark and he shared that Marty's Cracklin' is a top seller as of late. He said that the stocks more or less get sold out within the day, and sometimes people even buy Marty's Cracklin' by the box, without even letting the merchandisers place them on the shelves!

This Marty's Crackli' phenomenon reminds of the C2 Green Tea effect a few years back. C2 Green Tea took the Philippines by storm and created a new product category space in the market. Now, almost all beverage maker in the Philippines offer a green tea drink similar to C2 Green Tea. The reason it became a hit because C2 Green Tea promised healthy drink and an alternative to soda. The success of C2 Green Tea is validation that the market is looking for healthy options.

Which brings us back to Marty's Cracklin'.

Marty's Cracklin' promises that consumers will get the enjoyment of chicharon while avoiding the unhealthy side effects. But the funny thing is that as far as composition is concerned, Marty's Cracklin' contains almost the same ingredients as the majority of other snacks in the market. But compared to traditional chicharon, Marty's Cracklin' seems like a celery stick!

If you ask me, Marty's Cracklin is successful because a) excellent product positioning, b) the market is clamoring for healthy food, and c) people are probably unaware of the common ingredients Marty's Cracklin' shares with other "unhealthy" snacks.

Marty's Cracklin' is proof that ignorance is bliss and great taste.

(Photo taken from Foodiestation)

Tags: Marty's Cracklin'

Goals & Plans for 2010

regnard@raquedan.com (Regnard Raquedan) — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 17:07:00 +0000

I once heard someone said that you have the luxury to dilly-dally until you are thirty. 2010 is the year I turn leave my 20's and enter the prime-time decade. (To be honest, I don't feel like I'm turning thirty, but that's a different story...)

I want to start my year right and I figured good old planning and goal setting session was in order. My girlfriend and I spent a couple of hours in a Starbucks shop (to my chagrin, really, because I've always been a fan of The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf) during the first weekend of the year and we spent a couple of hours verbalizing our plans and goals for the year and putting them on paper.

Here are some of my personal targets for the year:

Health - Since we're all coming off the holidays and the food fests that come with it, getting into better shape is one of my goals. (Well, me and 95% of the city's population). I also target to eat better and do something physical (basketball, badminton, etc.) more regularly, like at least once a week. So if any of my friends are reading this, let me know when you're playing hoops. :P
Blogging - I target to be more disciplined when it comes to blogging. I plan to prioritize a couple of blogs (Screensucked & Big Lakers Fan) and gradually put less attention on Standard Web Standards and The AIM Blogger. The reason for this is that a) I think the web standards war is almost won and that web standards have already hit critical mass and b) I'm writing a free book about AIM MBA and that takes away time in writing at The AIM Blogger.
Community & Evangelism - This is very related to my goals on blogging. I plan to put in more content for the Philippine Web Designers Organization (PWDO) and the Mozilla Philippines Community. It may be in the form of blogging or another social medium. But the bottom-line is I want to make 2010 less about myself and more about the things I advocate and communities I'm part of.
Learning - A more idealistic goal here-- I plan to read at least one book a month. Not blogs, not websites, but books. I'm currently reading The New Community Rules: Marketing on the Social Web right now. Why books? I think I need to extend my capacity to keep my attention on things.

There are other other goals I had set, but I think these ones are the goals worth sharing to the blogosphere. But if you ask me, the main theme for all the goals I've set is discipline-- It's really not about doing more things, but it's about being able to do things with disciplined execution. I think that's something a thirty-year old person would do. :P

Tags: 2010

Don't Look Now: 3D Screen Now in a Notebook

regnard@raquedan.com (Regnard Raquedan) — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 10:10:00 +0000

I recently attended the Acer Group's press event for the launching of their new line of notebooks and desktop computers. Of the eight new products the company showcased, there was one that literally stole my view-- the Acer Aspire 5738DG.

What makes this notebook very remarkable is that it's the first commercially available notebook computer to feature a 3D screen. This means that people can view 3D movies (like Up, which was released in Disney 3D) and see the images "pop-up." Of course, this is made possible by altering how the notebook displays the images and by wearing a special set of glasses.

I tried the notebook out and the 3D effect was impressive. Watching 3D movies from the notebook is almost as good as watching them in the theater (at least visually). I'm pretty convinced that this is the future of mobile computers in terms of display. Almost everyone who tried it out was equally impressed. This will be very useful when more 3D movies come out in the market.

Even if you're not on the market for a notebook, try to watch 3D movies in the Acer Aspire 5738DG. I'm sure you will find it an immersive experience.

--

BTW, here are the specs of the Acer Aspire 5738DG:

Intel® Core™2 Duo processor T6600 (2 MB L2 cache, 2.2GHz, 800 MHz FSB)
Microsoft Windows® 7 Home Premium 64-bit
15.6" HD 1366 x 768 pixel resolution, high-brightness (220-nit) Acer CineCrystal™ LED-backlit TFT LCD with integrated TriDef® 3D screen
Mobile Intel® PM45 Express Chipset
ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD 4570 with up to 2304MB of HyperMemory™ (512 MB of dedicated DDR3 VRAM, up to 1792 MB of shared system memory)
4GB of DDR2 1066 MHz memory
320GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive1
Multi-in-1 Digital Media Card Reader
Acer InviLink™ 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi CERTIFIED®
8X DVD-Super Multi double-layer drive
Integrated Acer Crystal Eye Webcam
Dolby®-optimized surround sound system with two built-in stereo speakers
Multi-Gesture Touchpad
4 - USB 2.0 Ports
6-cell Li-ion Battery (4400 mAh)
6.16 lbs. (system unit only)

Tags: Acer Aspire

Betting on Maguindanao

regnard@raquedan.com (Regnard Raquedan) — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 08:33:00 +0000

The Philippines and the whole world is aghast with the massacre that happened in Maguindanao in the island of Mindanao. As of this writing, the death toll stands at 57 and it could be higher as investigators are still excavating the crime scene. 34 of those killed were journalists.

To quickly summarize the events: Last November 23, 2009 armed men abducted and killed political rivals of the provincial governor, along with the media folks. The perpetrators tried to cover up the crime by burying the bodies, and even the vehicles of the victims.The harrowing images of the victims sent a collective chill through the spine of the country-- people are dumbfounded that a country, supposedly as civilized as the Philippines, would be a place a massacre of such magnitude happen. Global media has tagged the Philippines as the most dangerous place for journalists, beating places like Iraq, Afghanistan, and Somalia.

How could something like this happen? Well, here in the country, there are still warlords in the provinces who have a stranglehold on their territories. This is very common in rural areas, especially in the island of Mindanao where the governors/local officials are political strong men with their private armies. (The massacre was purportedly carried out by the private army of the governor.)

What I find ironic is that during the day I first learned about this tragedy, I read this article in Business World entitled "Betting on Mindanao," which showed optimism on the region of Mindanao, where the province of Maguindanao is located. Said by the author: "Mindanao is a success story waiting to happen."

With what happened in the region, Mindanao became a tragedy waiting to happen because of Magiundanao. If people were to bet in Mindanao, it will be a losing bet, no thanks to Maguindanao and its leaders.

Tags: Maguindanao Massacre

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf got their Holiday Promo Right

regnard@raquedan.com (Regnard Raquedan) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 03:32:00 +0000

If you ask me, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf (CBTL) has one of the best, if not the best, holiday promo for coffee shops this year.

What they are doing is that for every beverage you buy, you get a stamp in your card. You'll need twelve stamps for 1 Original Ice Blended, 1 Tea Latte, 1 Caramel Macchiato, and 9 any other beverage to complete the stamp card. Once you complete them, you'll get to choose one of three notebooks (pictured above).

Yeah, the notebook is pretty standard fare these days, but what makes their promo great is that proceeds of the sale during the promo period will be donated to a total of 24 charities in the Philippines. These charities include non-profit groups that advocate education, culture, poverty reduction, and environmental conservation.

One more thing: The notebook contains 12 coupons that can be redeemed for each month in 2010. (Starbucks had a similar coupons included in their planned a few years back). This inclusion of coupons is a killer addition since everyone wants more value in promos like these.

This is a very timely promo since social awareness is higher than it used to and I think the charities will appreciate folks drinking more tea lattes from CBTL. :)

Tags: The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf

World Usability Day 2009 & Five Years of Firefox in Manila

regnard@raquedan.com (Regnard Raquedan) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 07:34:00 +0000

For the next two weeks, I'll be very busy with two community events.

The first one is Design/Sustain: World Usability Day 2009 in Manila. It's the last pending event I'm spearheading as the User Group Manager of the Adobe User Group - Philippines as I've stepped down a couple of months ago.

It's a very interesting event because unlike the past events on the World Usability Day in Manila, this year focuses on the theme around design and sustainability. The event will be on November 12, 2009 (3pm-5pm) at the Thomas Aquinas Research Center (TARC) Auditorium at the University of Santo Tomas
in Manila. Registration fee is PhP 50.00 and folks who are interested in attended must pre-register.

The next event is the Five Years of Firefox in Manila event on November 21, 2009 (3pm-5pm) at the Asian Institute of Management in Makati City. This events marks the very first event of the Mozilla Philippines Community and the fifth year of the hottest browser in the planet, Mozilla Firefox.

The event will be free, plus Mozilla Firefox swag will be given away. So if you're interested in attending, RSVP at the event's official Facebook page.

Both events are very close to my personal advocacy on Web Standards and Usability and even though it's hard and time-consuming, I'll still find time to support these community events.

Tags: Mozilla Firefox, World Usability Day

Manny Pacquiao on Jimmy Kimmel Live

regnard@raquedan.com (Regnard Raquedan) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 03:03:00 +0000

Manny Pacquiao has been known to throw mean uppercuts and fast combinations but he recently shared to the television-watching population his "hidden" talent: His singing!

Manny recently was a guest at Jimmy Kimmel's show and he was a very pleasant guest. I found his reactions and retorts typical Filipino-- from the giggling to questions he didn't quite understand and smiling when he has a hard time expressing himself in English. But what he showed was very authentic and I think it's shows his good nature despite being touted as the "Best Pound for Pound Fighter" of our era.

Here are some videos of PacMan's guesting on Jimmy Kimmel:

And for his rendition of "Sometimes When We Touch":

I personally found the guest appearance entertaining and funny. Great work Manny! :D

Tags: Manny Pacquiao

Uno Magazine's Band of Bloggers

regnard@raquedan.com (Regnard Raquedan) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 04:06:00 +0000

Uno Magazine's October 2009 has lots of interesting features, and one of them is piece about bloggers in the Philippines. The 2-page spread (a seen in the photo above) puts the spotlight on 21 bloggers with a yearbook-style writeup by fellow blogger and Uno's online top guy Jayvee Fernandez.

I feel fortunate to get included in the list. Bloggers here in the Philippines are getting more mainstream and coverage in more established media is proof to that. Blogging-folk are appearing on commercials, getting featured in television shows, and even some are getting recognized in public. (Although I don't fall in any of those categories :P)

Here's a list of the bloggers who were included in Uno Magazine's feature:

Bim Barbieto of http://comicology.i.ph
Coy Caballes of http://www.thisiscoy.net
Ferdz Decena of http://www.ironwulf.net
Noelle de Guzman of http://pocketnoelle.blogspot.com
Enrico Dee of http://www.byahilo.com
Jonas Diego jof http://www.jonasdiego.com/theblurb
Kring Elezano of http://www.funnysexy.ph
Lia Espina of http://www.gadgenista.com
Jennifer Juan of http://sexynomad.i.ph
Liz Lanuzo of http://projectvanity.i.ph
Jehz Laurente of http://www.jehzlau-concepts.com
Sasha Manuel of http://www.stylemanila.com
Rico Mossesgeld of http://www.technogra.ph
Karla Redor of http://www.rockersworld.com
Marck Rimorin of http://www.marocharim.com
Juned Sonido of http://www.baratillo.net
Fritz Tentativa of http://www.fritzified.com
Sophie Uy of http://www.beautynomics.com
Gail Villanueva of http://www.kutitots.com
Hannah Villasis of http://www.flaircandy.com

Thanks again to Uno Magazine and Jayvee for the wonderful feature. :)

--

Trivia: Among the 21 bloggers, there are some who are part of the original "Band of Bloggers" in the Philippines. Can you name them? Hint: Google Search. :)

--

Blog posts on Uno Magazine's Band of Bloggers feature:

Photo credit: Fritz's blog post

Tags: Uno Magazine

I'm Not Yet Done with the Quezon City International Marathon

regnard@raquedan.com (Regnard Raquedan) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 06:34:00 +0000

My blog post yesterday on the first Quezon City International Marathon (QCIM) elicited a feedback from one person I know. Pablo "Pabs" Yambot, an avid runner and marathon veteran, posted this on my Facebook account:

Regnard, to be fair- don't blame the organizers. They rely on the local government, police, traffic enforcers, etc- to reroute traffic, advice commuters (private & public transportation). I'm sure the 1st Milo Marathon 33 years ago was cursed as badly but it's now one of the longest running marathons in Asia. Instead of cursing the marathon- wouldn't you look to traffic management and the media for not controlling traffic and informing QC residents better?

A lot of great cities in the world block off significant portions of their streets on Sundays for a lot of good reasons. I suppose a lot of drivers cursed UP when it closed down the Academic Oval to vehicular traffic that first Sunday. It's now teeming with runners, cyclists, walkers, strollers; serious athletes in training, casual joggers to whole families. Cars- private transportation, are a necessary evil in a crowded metropolis without a very efficient mass transit system. One Sunday's inconvenience should help people figure out how to live without cars, even for just a morning.

Pabs makes an good point about the accountability of the Quezon City local government in managing the traffic and informing the public effectively about the traffic congestion the marathon will produce. After reading an article from ABS-CBN News about the massive traffic jam the marathon caused, I'm more convinced that the Quezon City government failed big time in the information campaign.

None other Quezon City mayor Sonny Belmonte made a comment that irked me a lot. He gave a condescending advice to the people who were affected by the traffic jam:

Read the newspapers and listen to the radio so you’ll be informed of events like this. This has been planned since last year.

Wow. Mayor Belmonte is washing his hands of any accountability and has gone as far as blaming the ignorance of the thousands of motorists and commuters for getting stuck in traffic. Let's put it this way Mayor Belmonte: It's your city government's job to reach the relevant people about the effects of your plan. You could have placed several advisories on the road where people can plan ahead.

Here's my advice to Mayor Sonny Belmonte: If you had utilized the areas where you and other Quezon City officials/wannabes place your "campaign" posters, then maybe the people could have been better informed about the traffic advisory on the traffic jam due to the QCIM.

Tags: Quezon City International Marathon

Quezon City International Marathon: Nightmare for Commuters and Motorists

regnard@raquedan.com (Regnard Raquedan) — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 07:55:00 +0000

Dear Quezon City International Marathon Organizers and Managers,

First of all, I am not a runner, but I do run casually some times. I can understand there's now a lot of people interested in running and marathons as a way to be fit and feed the competitive spirit.

However, the first Quezon City International Marathon (QCIM) was a nightmare for the thousands of people, commuters, and motorists who plied Commonwealth Avenue, C.P. Garcia Avenue, and the Quezon City Elliptical Road today. Closing a good portion of one major thoroughfares in northern Quezon City resulted in massive traffic in the area. If you ask me, I think you did a poor job in implementing this marathon.

I'm sure a lot will dub your event a success, but I shall not be one of those. I'm sure there are several other thousands of people who have cursed you to the high heavens for ruining their Sunday morning travel andhave probably vowed to tell their nightmare stories of the QCIM to their friends and family. I seriously think that the marathon did more inconvenience to the majority than good.

I hope that the first Quezon City International Marathon will be the last.

Sincerely,

Regnard Raquedan

Tags: Quezon City International Marathon

Climate Change is a Bitch: Blog Action Day

regnard@raquedan.com (Regnard Raquedan) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 02:34:00 +0000

The video you see above is one of the harrowing scenes people in Manila saw and experienced last September 26, 2009. That was the day when Typhoon "Ondoy" (internationally known as "Ketsana") inundated the city with a month's worth of rain fall. To date, there are 712 deaths and losses amounting to almost US$400 million.

While there are many theories how a month's worth of rainfall can happen in six hours, there's one that makes sense: Climate Change.

From storms like these to sinking islands, Climate Change is a bitch.

Finally, here are some photos of the aftermath of the floods in the video shown above (taken by Rod Dizon):

Note: This post is my contribution to the 2009 Blog Action Day.

Tags: Blog Action Day

Buy a Krispy Kreme Doughnut, Help Typhoon Ondoy Victims on October 11

regnard@raquedan.com (Regnard Raquedan) — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 06:42:00 +0000

Tomorrow, October 11, 2009, Krispy Kreme branches in Metro Manila will donate all sales revenue from Original Glazed doughnuts to relief operations helping the victims of Typhoon Ondoy.

While the dangers of the flooding in Metro Manila has subsided, there's still much work to do and help to give as people displaced by the typhoon get back on their feet. People in the city (myself included) responded to the call of volunteerism in the first week of the natural calamity and this move by Krispy Kreme could let people who'd like to help contribute a little bit more.

So if you're in these places tomorrow-- Bonifacio High Street, SM Megamall, Greenhills Drive-Thru, Trinoma Mall, SM Mall of Asia Main Mall and Drive-Thru, Robinsons Galleria, Gateway Mall Ground Floor and Cinema Level, Glorietta 4, The Annex SM North EDSA, SM Fairview Annex-- you can buy an Original Glazed doughnut and help the typhoon victims.

I just hope Krispy Kreme can extend its support to the typhoon victims in the northern Philippines who were slammed by Typhoon Pepeng. ;)

Tags: Krispy Kreme

Why I Won't Vote for Anyone in the Philippine Blog Awards' Bloggers' Choice Award

regnard@raquedan.com (Regnard Raquedan) — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 01:21:00 +0000

The Philippine Blog Awards opened the voting for the Bloggers' Choice Awards last October 1, 2009. Unlike last year, I have opted NOT to support anyone this year.

The reason? Well, nothing controversial really. I was tabbed as one of the judges for this year's Philippine Blog Awards. I evaluated blogs for the preliminary screening that shortlisted the entries and I'm still going to judge for the final round. I personally think it's inappropriate for me to vote for anyone in the Bloggers' Choice Award, since the votes are counted via blog posts expressing support for a particular blogger.

It's too bad because there are lots of blogs worth supporting for this year's Bloggers' Choice Award. So if you feel like supporting a blog, vote for it by writing a blog post expressing your vote of confidence. Deadline for voting is on October 7, 2009.

Tags: Philippine Blog Awards

Volunteering at the Typhoon Ondoy Relief Operations

regnard@raquedan.com (Regnard Raquedan) — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 10:02:00 +0000

Relief operations for the victims of Typhoon Ondoy in Metro Manila is now in full gear. My girlfriend and I participated in some of the relief operations in the city.

We dropped off relief goods in Ateneo De Manila University in Quezon City. This place is near her place and the efforts there are very organized. People who are near the area and want to donate relief goods, you can drop by Cervini Hall and approach the relief operations reception desk.

After that, we went to support ABS-CBN Foundation's Sagip Kapamilya relief operations. We initially went to the warehouse located in Examiner street, but the place was already teeming with volunteers and the place was already too crowded. The coordinators referred us to a newly-opened relief center in the compound of ABS-CBN in Scout Bayoran Street.

A television studio was converted into a relief operations center and a hundred or so volunteers were able to lend a hand.Volunteers were segregating the goods, packing them, and transporting the goods to the trucks that were going to the affected areas. Despite the number, the operations lacked male volunteers to do heavy lifting of sacks and boxes of relief goods. So, you could say I had a workout while helping out the relief efforts.

Here are some pictures of the relief operations:

If you're interested in helping with the ABS-CBN operations, just go the their relief operations in Examiner Street or in Scout Bayoran Street. Coorindators will give instructions on how you can volunteer. For other relief operations, you can check out my previous post on helping out Typhoon Ondoy victims.

I encourage folks who weren't severely affected by Typhoon Ondoy and who are willing and able to volunteer and share your strength and effort in helping our countrymen out in their hour of need.

Tags: Typhoon Ondoy

Help the Typhoon Ondoy Flood Victims

regnard@raquedan.com (Regnard Raquedan) — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 02:27:00 +0000

The shocking video you see above is just one of the effects of Typhoon Ondoy (internationally known as Typhoon Ketsana) in Metro Manila yesterday. It was said that the city experienced a month's worth of rain in just a few hours, that's why a good portion of the city was submerged in flood water.

There are a lot of victims of the flood lost a lot and now need clothes, food, and relief goods. If you want to help, one of the best ways is to support the efforts of the Philippine National Red Cross in giving help to the victims.

Here are just some of the ways we can extend our support to the Red Cross:

Cash or Check
Please send cash or check donations to the PNRC National Headquarters in Manila. Checks should be made payable to The Philippine National Red Cross. We can also arrange for donation pick-up.

Cash via SMS

SMS
text REDAMOUNT to 2899 (Globe) or 4483 (Smart)

G-CASH
text DONATEAMOUNT4-digit M-PINREDCROSS to 2882

Cash via Bank Deposit
Account Name: The Phil. National Red Cross

METROBANK
Port Area Branch
Peso Acct.: 151-3-041-63122-8
Dollar Acct.: 151-2-151-00218-2
Type of Acct. : SAVINGS
Swift Code: MBTC PH MM

BANK OF THE PHIL. ISLANDS
Port Area Branch
Peso Acct.: 4991-0010-99
Type of Account: CURRENT

BANK OF THE PHIL. ISLANDS
UN Branch
Dollar Acct.: 8114-0030-94
Type of Account: SAVINGS
Swift Code: BOPI PH MM

For your donations to be properly acknowledged, please fax the bank transaction slip at nos. +63.2.527.0575 or +63.2.404.0979 with your name, address and contact number.

In-Kind Donations

Please send in-kind local donations to The Philippine National Red Cross – National Headquarters in Manila.

For more information, please visit the Philippine National Red Cross website.

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Here are some blog posts on Typhoon Ondoy:

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Here's a list of the Typhoon Ondoy relief efforts from all over the city:

Victory Fort is opening its doors to those affected by the typhoon. Call 813-FORT.
NoyMar relief Operations: Clare Amador (+639285205508) or Jana Vicente at +639285205499). Drop off for relief donations is at Balay Expo Center across Farmers Market Cubao.
Miriam Quiambao drop off points: One Orchard Road Building in Eastwood, or message http://www.twitter.com/miriamq for more details.
Philippine Army Gym inside Fort Bonifacio or GHQ Gym in Camp Aguinaldo are now distributing donations for Ondoy Victims.
Team Manila stores in Trinoma, Mall of Asia, Jupiter Bel-Air and Rockwell shall be accepting relief goods (Canned Goods, Ready-to-drink Milk,Bottled Water and Clothes) for distribution by Veritas.
Caritas Manila Office at Jesus St., Pandacan Manila near Nagtahan Bridge (+632-5639298, +632-5639308)
Radio Veritas at Veritas Tower West Ave. Cor EDSA (+632-9257931-40)
Aranaz Stores in Rockwell & Greenbelt is accepting donations of any kind for Payatas communities affected by Ondoy
Simbahang Lingkod ng Bayan Task Force Noah, a disaster response arm of the Jesuits, is accepting donations. Please drop it off sa Ateneo Cervini Dorm.
Philippine National Red Cross‘ different ways to Donate.
Red Cross Load Donations: Right now the easiest way to make donations from the seat of your chair is via mobile phone load. The Red Cross Rescue and Relief Operations. Text: RED<space>AMOUNT to 2899 (Globe) or 4483 (Smart)
Ateneo de Manila University is now accepting donations for the victims of Ondoy. Donations can be dropped at MVP Lobby. For those stranded/those who need help: To all students who need help or know of people who need help. Please text the name, location, and contact number to (+6329088877166). ATENEO, which is now an open shelter, accepts refugees. Call (+632917-8952792)
Papemelroti stores in 91 Roces Ave. / Ali Mall Cubao / SM City North EDSA / SM Fairview / SM Megamall / Glorietta 3 in Makati / SM Centerpoint / SM Southmall are accepting relief goods (canned goods / milk / bottled water / clothes – NO CASH pls.)
TXTPower now accepts donations via SmartMoney 5577514418667103, GCash 09179751092 and Paypal http://is.gd/3GvuN
Our Lady of Pentecost Parish (+632-4342397, +632-9290665) per Gabe Mercado, donations are very much welcome. The Parish is located at 12 F. Dela Rosa corner C. Salvador Sts., Loyola Heights, Quezon City.
Hillsborough Village Chapel – Water, blankets, shoes, and clothes may be sent to Hillsborough Village Chapel in Muntinlupa City. These will go to families whose houses were washed out in the nearby sitios.
Greenhills/Mandaluyong/San Juan Area, if you want to help out with the rescue and relief operations, you can drop off your donations (clothes, food, etc..) at La Salle Greenhills Gate 2 tomorrow or volunteer from 9am to receive, sort, repack the donations.
Petron: You may bring your relief goods to all Petron branches.
LUCA stores (Rockwell, Shang-rila, Eastwood, or GA towers): Send your old clothes & donations (no cash pls).
“LUZON RELIEF: Volunteer / Donate / Pray”: Donations can be brought to RENAISSANCE FITNESS CENTER, 2nd Floor, Bramante Building, Renaissance Towers Ortigas, Meralco Avenue, Pasig City starting MONDAY (Sept.28) / 9am – 7pm Contact Person: Warren Habaluyas (+632929-8713488) or email at luzonrelief@gmail.com
MOONSHINE boutique in Rockwell also accepting relief good to help Ondoy victims in Marikina and Cainta.
Katipunan Avenue. Contact Erica Paredes at (+632917-4741930) — they need bread, packed juice, sandwich filling (tuna, chicken, anything) You can help her make them, deliver the sandwiches to her house, or help her distribute! Call for more details.
Manor Superclub, Eastwood City will accept goods and other emergency items starting Sunday at 10 am.
Citizens Disaster Response Center (CDRC): Relief goods for typhoon victims being accepted at 72-A Times St., West Triangle, QC. Tel (+632-9299820/22)
MINISTOP IBARRA (Espana cor. Blumentritt, Sampaloc Manila) is also accepting relief goods, Food (non-perishable goods only) Clothing, Medicines, Beds, Pillows, Blankets, Emergency Supplies to help Typhoon Ondoy victims.
Whitespace 2314 Chino Roces Ave Ext as a Mkt drop-off for relief goods.

List taken from http://sourpolitics.wordpress.com/2009/09/26/typhoon-ondoy-emergency-hotlines-and-relief-operations/

Tags: Typhoon Ondoy

International Coastal Cleanup Day 2009

regnard@raquedan.com (Regnard Raquedan) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 04:00:00 +0000

Last Saturday, September 19, 2009, I joined the P&G Philippines volunteers that participated in the International Coastal Cleanup Day activities in Manila Bay.

There was a short opening program that kicked off the cleanup, but it was quite late and disorganized, so after the program, people were more than happy to get on with the cleanup.

There were lots of volunteers in the Manila Bay cleanup, mostly from schools and colleges. There were also volunteer groups from private, public, and even religious sectors that helped in removing garbage from Manila Bay. (Which was a LOT.)

To be honest, when I first came near the area top be cleaned, I almost threw up, as the garbage from the bay stank. Imagine trash in the form of plastic containers, styrofoam cups and plates, even waste food floating in the murky Manila Bay waters for days. But for some reason, I eventually found the fortitude to just pick up a sack and shovel garbage in to it as I saw the hundreds volunteers doing it.

The cleanup reminded me of the "Bayanihan" spirit I was working with people I didn't know (mostly folks from Land Bank and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), dredging garbage and pulling big chunks of waste from the water. It was tiring and but it gave me a new perspective on how hard it is to handle waste of massive proportions and how irresponsible folks near the Bay can be.

I'd recommend groups, not necessarily volunteer groups, to join the International Coastal Cleanup Day next year. But make sure you have the following: face masks, heavy duty gloves and boots. I think they should be required as muck and dirt will splash over you-- and that includes your face. (Eww...) Yeah, I had my share of getting garbage all over me, but after seeing we did make a little difference in making Manila Bay cleaner, I think it was all worth it.

Tags: International Coastal Cleanup Day 2009

Propaganda, Evil, and Good

regnard@raquedan.com (Regnard Raquedan) — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 06:53:00 +0000

I just finished reading posts by Juned and Caffeine Sparks about the same topic: "Good" and "Evil"in Philippine politics.

After reading them, I remembered a line from the TV series "Lost," said by a character named Frank who encountered an group of strangers that claimed that they were the "good guys." Frank replied to them, "In my experience, the people who go out of their way to tell you they're the good guys are usually the bad guys."

I remember that line because the "Good" and "Evil" lines are being drawn now in the political scene, ie a certain candidate is the "Good" choice and anybody from the current administration is "Evil." To be honest, I believe nobody can ultimately say which is which because I think all politicians are ethically compromised. It's just that some people have a bigger burden of not doing evil, if you ask me.

I think Juned is spot on when he talked about "Good" political perceptions as a result of propaganda:

The story of Good and Evil is a story.Yes good and evil exsist but not distinct in humans, specially when applied to politicians. It is spin. It is myth building. It is cult promotion. It is marketing and PR. It is branding. It is propaganda.

But with the way the country is being run, may people have lost hope that any act the government does gets the "Evil" tag outright, deserved or otherwise. People taking the "Good" side are having a field day because I think the folks on top lo longer have any moral ascendancy. It's easy to be perceived as "Good" because a lot of people in power are just so "Evil."

And a lot of times, it's what perceives that matters.

Tags: Politics

12 Topics to Watch at the 2009 Y4IT Conference

regnard@raquedan.com (Regnard Raquedan) — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 01:15:00 +0000

It's Y4IT season once again and this year's 4-day event is full of very interesting topics on Information Technology and Computing. Here are 12 topics that I think are worth taking a look at (in random order):

Developing Web Toys - Mr. Luis Buenaventura II
Marketing Through Social Networks - Mr. J. Angelo Racoma
IT in the Early Grades- Ms. Sabrina Par
The 7 Habits of an Effective Developer - Mr. Chuk Munn Lee
The Next 5 in 5: Predicting Innovations - Mr. Lope Doromal, Jr.
Love in Cyberspace - Prof. Cherrie Joy Billedo
Creating Dynamic Web Application Using ASP.NET 3.5 - Ms. Alezandra Nicolas
Democratizing Innovation Using the Web - Mr. Mark Ruiz
Empathic Computing: Innovations and Challenges - Dr. Merlin Teodosia Suarez
Innovation on the Web -Mr. Jay Trinidad
Internet Romance - Mr. Jayvee Fernandez
To Tumble, to Twitt; to Twitt: Perchance to Plurk: Ay, There's the Rub - Mr. Juned Sonido

I'll also be speaking at the conference with the topic "Web Usability and User Experience Design".

The Philippine Youth Congress in Information Technology (or Y4IT Conference) is an annual event organized by the UP Information Technology Training Center (UP ITTC) to give the Filipino youth a glimpse of relevant current and emerging topics of Information Technology in Business, Society, and Research.

Tags: Y4IT

Canon Digital IXUS 95 IS

regnard@raquedan.com (Regnard Raquedan) — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 05:46:00 +0000

I recently was asked the folks at Canon to take the Digital IXUS 95 IS for a spin and share my thoughts on the gadget. After a week of using it, I think it's a solid digital camera.

Right out of the box, the product contains the digital camera, basic interface and AV cables, a battery pack with charger, a wrist strap and the manuals (printed & digital on CD). The Canon folks included an extra SD card for storage, as this is not included by default. The assembly was pretty straight forward, but I encountered some little hitches as after turning on the camera, it took some time before the SD card was recognized.

As far as the actual using the digital camera is concerned, it took some time to get used to. I initially found he navigation key too small. Also, there are instant functions in the physical interface (aka buttons for the flash, review, white balance, image deletion, etc.) that I found confusing, considering there were other options found in the screen interface (color settings, scene settings, etc.) . It probably took me a few minutes to figure out the distinct features on both menus.

What I liked about the camera:

The Image stabilizer was pretty fast and the processing did not take much time (unlike my current digital camera).
The preset color themes and scenes were easy to choose and implement.
Unlike my current digicam, the IXUS 95 IS had a nice viewfinder. Plus, the LCD was crisp and clear.
At 10 Megapixels, the image quality was pretty sharp and not too grainy.

I grew to like the IXUS 95 IS. I think it's a nice upgrade camera to those who bought digicams 2-3 years ago (5-7 Megapixel generation). It may take some getting used to at first, but I think the IXUS 95 IS is a camera the point and shoot person will definitely love.

Tags: Canon IXUS