Vernon Go

More than 100 ways to have Fun in the Philippines

2012-02-20T18:54:00.002+08:00

My contribution - Boodle Fight ~ Team GK Cebu Style

Do you believe in your heart that "It's More Fun in the Philippines?" Well, this is my (delayed) take on it since there are already a lot of Netizens who made their own versions of the campaign, so instead of going with the flow I collated as much as I can and made it into a presentation which I shared on SlideShare [which is shown down below :D- More than 100 ways to have Fun in the Philippines].
{A boodle fight is a military tradition type of eating where food is laid on a long table: all the elements of a meal (rice, chicken, pork, fish, vegetables, noodles, sardines, all are cooked of course but their can be variations as well :D) are placed on top of banana leaves and then eaten up togethe until nothing is left.}

Now I would've wanted to cover all of the Photos {in which I did}, but due to size limitations for free users in slideshare, I had to compress and edit to reduce the size of the presentation to meet the limitations.
Online marketing ph

View more presentations from Vernon Joseph Go

Now, to the other reason why I made this is that I was invited to speak to some Business Administration Students in a local University here in Cebu {last feb.11} on Online Marketing here in the Philippines since they were having difficulty finding book resources as well as on the internet since these developments are fairly recent and the academe is doing catch-up. So I became a Guest Lecturer talking to them about Online Marketing - Blogging, Social Media, SEO overviews and I made another presentation to show a clear example on Online Marketing ~what better way to do that by showcasing our very own government's initiative (shout out to PH's Department of Tourism) in promoting our country to not only inspire/attract foreign tourists but also local ones.

(You may want to see/read More on Tourism posts ~ Meeting Tourism Secretary Ramon R. Jimenez Jr. ; or the Pilipinas Kay Ganda vs. WoW Philippines)

More than 100 ways to have fun in the philippines

View more PowerPoint from Vernon Joseph Go

Our society overflows with critics, cynics, and faultfinders. Many people quickly point out what you are doing wrong, but relatively few take time to point out anything you are doing right. So what if the campaign was copied from the Swiss? Each country tries to take an angle of 'being a FUN place to stay' just to drive-in tourists.

eat this haters? xD

The DOT campaign is bringing out the crazy-pinoy-creativity. Now, your probably wondering how to make your own or create your own FUN campaign poster/photo? There are a couple sources that you can try:

Related Sources and More information:

Official Website: ItsMoreFUNinthePhilippines.com

Official Twitter Accounts and Hashtags:

#ItsMoreFUNinthePhilippines - Hashtag to promote the FUN in the Philippines to the world.

#1forFUN - Hashtag of our National Tourism Cheer

@DOT Philippines - Official DOT Twitter Account

@ItsMoreFUNinPH - Official Twitter Account of the Campaign.

Official Facebook Page: It's More Fun in the Philippines (Type in the search box)

“It takes a nation to sell a nation. Everyone must be involved!”
"Huwag maging dayuhan sa sariling bayan."

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What is your take/opinion on the new logo and campaign? Love to here your reply in the comment box below!

Mass Hysteria Incident in Cebu (Earthquake+After.Shocks+Tsunami.Scare+TROLLS)

2012-02-14T17:55:00.000+08:00

Photo Source: Click Here

The earthquake-tsunami incident in Cebu and Negros last Monday, February 6, 2012 is still a hot topic well except if your engrossed in this so called perceived holiday (V-Day). This incident, starting with the Earthquake, by far was the longest I felt in years, around more than 30 seconds or so.

And even after a week, the Philippine Institute of Volcano-logy and Seismology has recorded more than a thousand aftershocks. Some of them are quite strong especially in Negros Oriental and neighboring 'deep' southern towns in Cebu. My BUTT has become hyper-sensitive to these aftershocks already, but in Cebu City, I guess it's effects are no longer felt.

As of this writing, relief and rescue efforts are currently under going with Tri-Media people still heading there, and first responding foundations (GMA, ABS-CBN, & Aboitiz Foundation, that I know of). My mom, the next day closed our small restaurant-business to inspect the structure and one of our employees had to go home since he was from the stricken area, and of course we had an emergency house de-cluttering to send some help there as well.

Photo by: www.drakiness.com

Earthquake info:
Central Visayas was hit by a very strong earthquake (6.7/8/9 magnitude). The epicenter was located in the middle of Tañon Strait which is in between Negros and Cebu. Badly damaged was Negros Oriental more specifically the town of Tayasan, Gihulngan, La Libertad, Ayongon etc. Cebu was shaken but was not damaged as much, and although some cracks has surfaced in some public infrastructures and in some hillsides and mountains in Ronda, Cebu (more here).

There were no classes for the next 2 to 3 days as establishments and the government checked buildings. And by the end of the week, teachers and students had to get a make-up class.

Tsunami Scare:
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology issued “Tsunami alert no. 2? which advised to “stay away from the shoreline and to watch out for unusual waves. People living in the shoreline are advised to be watchful. ” Take note that no evacuation was recommended, but just for people to be watchful. Well, people obviously over-reacted for some reason or got the wrong information somehow:

Because of the lack of the information, panic spread all over the street and people ran, some of them even removed their shoes, they even ran from Colon, all the way to Fuente Osmeña Circle (That is a far Run!). Newspapers the next day even got some stories and images that even some policemen/tanods ran as well.

TROLLING in the DEEP:
Ahcee Flores Incident -“Ahcee” posted this:

Image Source: from the Dungeon

For me, the best way to deal w/-it is: if you feel offended, let out the emotion 1st before responding/sharing without thinking. We don't even now yet for sure of the 'person' mentioned is in itself 'a real person'. We must be mindful of our actions because if this was a real person, the crowd of netizens would end up being 'the cyber bully' which may cause the person to commit something dreadful (suicide, depression..etc..)

I rendered a quick interview for a local newspaper (SunStar) as to what one can do in this type of situation: Click-to-view-Net post enrages Bisayas in Visayas, Mindanao

EYE-OPENER:
This is a great opportunity for local leaders, academe, business and the like to help plan for contingencies and the like preventive-solutions, if something worse were to happen (same goes for individuals).

It's not yet over, earlier this weekend, PAGASA reports that it's gonna be a rainy week in Central Visayas; not to be the bearer of bad news, but there could be a chance of Land Slides in immediate affected areas. Let's continue to pray for our brothers and sisters in the Southern Cebu and Negros; let us also help whenever we can, coordinate with your local foundations or Social Welfare offices as to what one can do.

Note: If one finds the writing offensive or a bit insensitive, it's okay and understandable for those 1st time earthquake-newbies, I'm simply trying to point out the things we can do now and the areas of opportunities we can seize; and when it happened, I was seriously concentrating poo-poo-ing in the restroom so I would've probably never went outside the house even if it was the end of the world, seriously (I'm not cold, just constipated).

"Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier." -Mother Teresa #hindiakocheesy #slightlang

Heart Shaped Doughnuts from Krispy Kreme

2012-02-11T15:57:00.000+08:00

Enjoy Chocolate Ice Sprinkles, Peanut Butter with Choco Drizzle, Cookies & Cream, Snickers Classic, Powdered Strawberry, Chocolate Ice Custard, Chocolate Ice Kreme Filled, Caramel Kreme Crunch, New York Cheese Cake, Kitkat, and Choco Mania Doughnuts, as they come in cute, romantic heart shapes.

Good to give in your office, meetings and the like!

Share with your friends, classmates, teachers? Boss or whoever!

Krispy Kreme’s heart-shaped Valentine doughnuts are only available from February 6 to 14, 2012, so hurry! Grab a box now and revel in the romance this love month! This is also an interesting and awesome way of doing Attraction Marketing! Sooo coool!

So what are you waiting for? Share the love this season with Krispy Kreme, for a love like this only happens once a year! =)

CINEMA ONE ORIGINALS FESTIVAL @ SM!

2012-02-03T19:36:00.000+08:00

I normally, no longer post about events in this blog unless it is advocacy/social development related or unless it's a FILM FESTIVAL!!! HAHHAHAHAHAHA! This time around it's a combination of Filipino and Cebuano+Mindanaoan Films. The trailers I've seen so far are really neat and I'm very much excited for this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (you can't have 2 much exclamations)
The last pure visayan movie I watched was Sangtuaryo (which was set in Bantayan Island and was about the life there and also about environmental protection in the changing times of Modernity). For this one, I'm primarily interested in the Film of my good friend/Co-blogger/fashionista/Award-winning~Actress/Director? Miss Chic-in-the-tropics-dot-com~Eden and also the awesome [based from the trailers] My Paranormal Romance!!! Also I got intrigued with that Philippine-Setting-Zombie-Film :3.

After filmmaker Remton Siega Zuasola bagged international recognitions for his film “Ang Damgo Ni Eleuteria,” it’s now the time for his fellow Cebuanos to celebrate filmmaking excellence via the Cinema One Originals Festival in Cebu City this February 11 to 16, at the SM City Cebu Cinema 8.

Among the films to be shown in the South installment of the festival are Cebuano-made “Di Ingon ‘Nato [Not Like Us],” “My Paranormal Romance,” “Ang Damgo Ni Eleuteria” and “Confessional.” Mindanaoan film “Imburnal,” which is also in Visayan dialect, is in this powerful lineup.

Also featured in the filmfest are titles that recently bagged awards in the 2011 Cinema One Originals Festival such as “Ka Oryang,” “Six Degrees of Separation from Lilia Cuntapay,” “Mga Anino Sa Tanghaling Tapat,” “Cartas de la Soledad,” “Sa Kanto Ng Ulap at Lupa,” “Sa Ilalim ng Tulay,” and “Big Boy.”

Me+Eden+Director-Remton {if i'm not mistaken?}

Stars of the 7^th Cinema One Originals films like the festival’s Best Actress Lilia Cuntapay, Mercedes Cabral, Franco Reyes, Phoebe Kaye Fernandez, Paul Jake Castillo, Publio Briones III, Van Roxas and others will grace this big event. Of course, award-winning filmmakers such as Sari Dalena of “Ka Oryang” and Antoinette Jadaone, together with some Cebuano filmmakers and actors will also be there.

Recently, “Ang Damgo Ni Eleuteria” recently took home two awards at the Jogja-Netpac Asian Film Festival in Indonesia such as Golden Hanoman (for best Asian feature film) and Geber (given by the Indonesian film communities). ” It also won the Special Jury prize in the 12^th Jeonju International Film Festival in South Korea. In the local scene, the Cebuano-made film was also a big winner in the 34^th Gawad Urian—bagging the most coveted Best Picture, Best Director, Best Cinematography (by Christian Linaban) and Best Music (by Jerrold Tarog)—and was hailed Best Picture in the Cinemanila 2010 (Southeast Asian Category).

“Brave, bold and original,” goes the description on the featured films. The talents are also a mix of flag bearers and an emerging new breed. See below for the Cinema One Film Fest Movie Schedules here in Cebu:

-Feb 11, Saturday
6:30 PM Opening Cocktails/Ceremonies
8:15 PM Ang Damgo Ni Eleuteria
-Feb 12, Sunday
11:00 AM Imburnal
3:00 PM Sa Ilalim Ng Tulay
5:00 PM Confessional
7:00 PM Ang Damgo Ni Eleuteria
9:00 PM Di Ingon 'Nato
-Feb 13, Monday
12:00 PM Layang Bilanggo
2:25 PM Ishmael
4:50 PM Ang Damgo Ni Eleuteria
7:10 PM Anatomiya Ng Korupsiyon
9:30 PM Six Degrees Of Separation From Lilia Cuntapay
-Feb 14, Tuesday
12:00 PM Sa Kanto Ng Ulap At Lupa
2:15 PM Cartas De La Soledad
4:50 PM Anatomiya Ng Korupsiyon
7:10 PM Di Ingon 'Nato
9:30 PM My Paranormal Romance
-Feb 15, Wednesday
12:00 PM Di Ingon 'Nato
2:25 PM Mga Anino Sa Tanghaling Tapat
4:50 PM Six Degrees Of Separation From Lilia Cuntapay
7:10 PM My Paranormal Romance
9:30 PM Ka Oryang
-Feb 16, Thursday
12:00 PM Big Boy
2:25 PM Ang Damgo Ni Eleuteria
4:50 PM My Paranormal Romance
7:10 PM Ka Oryang
9:30 PM Di Ingon 'Nato

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SYNOPSES OF some FEATURED FILMS in the Cinema One Festival
ANG DAMGO NI ELEUTERIA

Directed by Remton Siega Zuasola

Terya, a simple island girl, is about to leave hom to marry a foreigner. On her long walk to the ferry that will take her to the airport, she mulls over the most important decision of her young life. The bizarre events of the Baliw-Baliw festival on Olango island parallel her state of mind.

Cast: Donna Isadora Gimeno, Gregg Tecson, Lucia Jeuzan, Fedwilyn Villarba, Daday Melgar, Viven Eniola

Writer: Remton Siega Zuasola with acknowledgements to Ma. Victoria Beltran. Producers: Beverly Tañedo, Jiji Borlasa. Cinematographer: Christian Linaban. Music: Jerrold Tarog.

BIG BOY

Directed by Shireen Seno

America has “liberated” the islands, and the Philippines has just been proclaimed a new republic. Every day at the crack of dawn, Father and Mother stretch Julio by pulling his limbs in opposite directions. He is made to drink a concoction believed to stimulate growth in children. Julio’s remarkable height is used to advertise this growth concoction. Meanwhile he grows distant and detached from his family, wandering around town while his parents are consumed by the success of the business.

Cast: Ian Lomongo, Pam Miras

Writer: Shireen Seno. Executive Producer: Ronald Arguelles. Director: Shireen Seno. Producer: John Torres. Creative Consultant: Sherad Anthony Sanchez. Directors of Photography: Gym Lumbera, Shireen Seno. Editor: Shireen Seno. Production Designer: Niki de los Reyes Torres. Art Director: Timmy Harn. Costume Designer: Anna Vecin, Jacyn Esquillon. Gaffers: Tristan Salas, Dan Benosa Cuanico. Set Dresser: Wilbert Doctolero. Production Assistant: Che Villanueva. Videographer: Tristan Salas, Dan Benosa Cuanico. Stills Photographer: Jacyn Esquillon, Gym Lumbera. Assistant Director: Gym Lumbera, John Torres.

CARTAS DE LA SOLEDAD

Directed by Gutierrez Mangansakan II

Rashid Ali returns to his Maguindanao hometown after studying and working for more than 25 years in Barcelona, Spain. He dreams of using what he learned in Europe to improve the lives of his people. But nothing has changed since he left. Politicians remain corrupt, poverty is widespread, his people desperate.

Frustrated, Rashid retreats to a decrepit family house far from town with Racma, the housemaid, as his only companion. Their only connection to the world is Andal the family servant and Anuk the postman. In his seclusion Rashid writes letters to himself detailing the affairs of his day, combining his own experience and his opinion of the radio news everyday. These letters written in Spanish are his remaining connection to the Barcelona of his youth. The act of writing becomes a refuge until an imminent war threatens his serenity.

Cast: Perry Dizon, Mayka Lintongan, Alexis Libres, Ma. Victoria Beltran, Rashid Alvarez, Bein Ali Unayan.

Writer, Line Producer, Production Designer and Editor: Gutierrez Mangansakan II.Executive Producer: Ronald Arguelles. Creative Consultant: Sherad Anthony Sanchez. Directors of Photography: Gutierrez Mangansakan II, McRobert Nacario, John Barredo. Assistant Director: Meriam Faith Palma. Production Manager: Elreen Bendisula. Art Director: Moises Charles Hollite.

CONFESSIONAL

Directed by Jerrold Tarog, Ruel Antipuesto

“Confessional is the Blair Witch Project of political thrillers. Made with a grant of $23,000, the coarse production quality is not a style statement like some independent digital films but instead integral to the plot. It lures the audience into a forest of moral conundrums and ends with a twist that chills to the bone.

“Shot like a home movie, it pretends to be real while undermining the very idea of verisimilitude by having narrator Ryan (Jerrold Tarog) give a demo on how to doctor a wedding video to make it more touching.

“The directors are dyed-in-the-wool cynics who don’t flinch from showing the unsavory aspects of their people. Yet they are shrewd enough to employ commercial filmmaking techniques to make their critique accessible. Their sense of humor makes the underlying political message more even hard-hitting.” --Maggie Lee, Pusan International Film Festival

Cast: Jerrold Tarog, Arodasi.

Screenwriter: Ramon Ukit. Executive Producer: Ruel Antipuesto. Producer: Ronald Arguelles. Director of Photography: Ruel Antipuesto. Music: Jerrold Tarog, Arodasi. Editor: Pats r. Ranyo. Costumes: Donna Gimeno.

DI INGON ‘NATO

Directed by Brandon Relucio and Ivan Zaldarriaga

In a remote mountain village in Cebu, Philippines, a farmer will commit murder, a young doctor will lose her first patient, and a barangay captain will find a girl brutally murdered in a cemetery.

The entire community is drawn into the mystery, and they will have to rely on each other to survive. It’s one thing to deal with the deaths of loved ones, but how should they react when these same loved ones return?

Cast: Rez Cortez, Franco Reyes, Mercedes Cabral, Donna Gimeno, Gabriel Abanto, Jefrey Ogario, Gregg Tecson

Marlon Douglas Hofer, Bernard Catindig, Aya Ng, Lito Cardeño, Daday Melgar, Ria Araneta, Nathaniel Rubio, Cara Muaña Rosende

Executive Producer: Ronald Arguelles. Writers: Brandon Relucio and Ivan Zaldarriaga. Executive Producer: Ronald Arguelles. Producers: Beverly Tañedo and Jiji Borlasa. Associate Producers: Chantel Garcia and Donna Gimeno. Cinematographer: Christian Linaban. Production Designer: Remton Siega Zuasola. Art Director: Zalde Lapiña. Assistant Director: Grace Lina. Editors: Brandon Relucio, Ivan Zaldarriaga, Christian Linaban. Visual Effects Supervisor: Philip Muaña. Sound Engineers: Vanya Fantonial, James D'Lonsod. Make Up Artists: Klaudia, Amuer Butron. Creative Consultant: Sherad Anthony Sanchez.

IMBURNAL

Directed by Sherad Anthony Sanchez

“A controversial digital exploration of coming of age in the slums of Davao City in the Philippines. Two boys, Rabay and Allen, live in sewers and cemeteries surviving through petty crime. Sanchez captures an intimate, anti-narrative world of experience, sex, and conversation framed by wandering through the landscape of the glittering city. But poverty and alienation in Davao are also framed by violence – disappearances and death squads who seek to clean the city of its juvenile delinquients. A raw, complex, compelling work exploring the slums without the Hollywood/Bollywood gloss of Slumdog Millionaire’s happy ending.” – Hong Kong International Film Festival

“… The absolute highlight of JIFF, and the deserving winner of both the International Competition’s Woosuk Award and the Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema (NETPAC) Award, was Philippine director Sherad Anthony Sanchez’s 215-minute digital experimental epic Imburnal. Though epically conceived, Imburnal refuses to be narratively “well-behaved.” Sanchez distends and hammers his images to the point of incomprehension, but they always sing, reverberating with the unformed, fearful beauty of youth.” – Shelly Kraicer, Cinema Scope

Cast: Jelieta Mariveles Ruca, Joel San Juan, Allen Lumanog.

Directors of Photography: Sherad Anthony Sanchez, Joel geolamen, Mark Limbaga, Jose Bagane Fiola, John Torres. Production Manager: Sherad Anthony Sanchez, Jelieta Mariveles-Ruca. Production Designer: Joel Geolamen. Editor: Sherad Anthony Sanchez. Art Director: Sherad Anthony Sanchez. Sound Designer: John Barredo. Music Composer: Eric Gancio. Shot in Matina Aplaya, Davao City.

ISHMAEL

Directed by Richard V. Somes

Ishmael is released on parole after 12 years in prison for murder. His dream of rebuilding his life is shaken when a mysterious girl turns up in his front yard, seeking his help. He tries to stay away from trouble, but slowly discovers that his once-peaceful hometown is no longer a safe haven.

Cast: Ronnie Lazaro, Mark Gil, Ria Garcia, Pen Medina, Dan Alvaro.

Line Producers: Riza Montelibano and Barbara Montelibano. Cinematographers: J.A. Tadena, Louie Quirino, Herman Claraval, Alex Espartero. Production Designer: Adrian Torres. Art Directors: Elmer Gamila and Charles Albert Alabado. Production Manager: Darry dela Cruz.

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Support our local artists: me + Phoebe Kaye Fernandez [ABS-CBN MAGTV NA! Host!] SUPPORTx5 My Paranormal Romance!!!

Cebuanos should support the Cinema One Originals Festival in Cebu because it truly celebrates the artistry and creativity of young Cebuano film talents.

On a side note: Should I change my hair style? or get a new one? Wondered about it for a week na and Kay na-WARLA pud kos 'SIR' ni Ms.Phoebe...I feel old :3

Catch all of the films in the Cebu leg of the Cinema One Originals festival. These movies are produced and owned by Cinema One cable channel and the Creative Programs, Inc. For more info, log on to http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cinema-One-Originals/

Photo Credits: Jaysee

What to do with Lead Generation Woes?

2012-02-02T18:58:00.000+08:00

Are you having some or a few problems concerning Lead Generation? Is it the 1st time you've heard about such a word? Well, the words have many applications in various areas of engagement in different business processes. In sales, it's basically following a lead that results into a sale. In HR Sourcing, it's a lead or an applicant which resulted into a hire. In other sub fields in marketing it is also being used or applied just like in MLM Lead Generation. See the link and view for yourself so you can learn about it. Hope you enjoy the video!

Visiting the MV Logos Hope

2012-01-22T19:45:00.000+08:00

Just recently, we were able to visit the World's Largest Floating Book Fair the MV Logos Hope! You could say this is a dream come true in it's own way because I've always wanted to see and get inside this since MV Doulos was still around. But I never got to get on board that ship because either: some weird circumstance would happen and prevent me from going there or I will, for some reason forget to go there on the day I planned to go there!

The ship's or the organizational vision is quite simple and easy to remember (but very profound as well):
Bring Hope, Help and Knowledge to the people of the world! This time around though, I was with my co-Industrial Engineers who were also somewhat free and a little bit of a bookworm/s. :3

Cultural Cafe Ticket (Not included with the Entrance)

Cultural Interaction during the Cultural Cafe

Here are some videos you can find the rest in my Youtube Channel for the Cultural Cafe Presentations:

More Videos:

Faith and International Volunteerism:
It is not just a ship that contains books, not just an international traveling community. We are also here to bring good news of God, ~mentioned one of the volunteers. The ship has been regarded as a genuine expression of international good will and understanding.

Most of its crew members are in their 20s or 30s. The volunteers, who are not paid, include seafarers, engineers, electricians, nurses, teachers and cooks. They only get sponsorship from friends, family members, and civic organization which enables the crew to serve on board. There are three Filipino volunteers on board in which, two come from Luzon and the other one is an early 20's Cebuana.

Book/s Inventory:

The ship carries a stock of half a million books with thousands of titles and topics. These include literature, music, science, technology, sports, hobbies, cookery, the arts, history, and languages. Majority of the books found in the ship are for children. Logos Hope also carries instructional DVDs and VCDs.

International Cafe

International Cafe Menu xD (Prices may change depending on location)

White Chocolate and Cinnamon Cakes!!!

International Crackers!!

About the MV Logos Hope:

MV Logos Hope is operated by the German charitable Christian organisation GBA Ships e.V. As the fourth
ship operated by the organisation, she follows in the line of MV Logos, the wrecked hulk of which now sits on a rock shelf on the Chilean coast, MV Logos II which was retired in the fall of 2008 and which Logos Hope was designed to replace, and MV Doulos which was sold to a Singaporean interest in 2009.

Twice as big as any previous ship operated by the organisation, the ship was completely refitted over a period of 5 years. Logos Hope provides a better quality of life for crew as well as a wider range of activities for visitors and guests. The publicly accessible deck offers visitors an introduction to the vessel and the organisation, a book fair featuring around 7,000 different titles, a visual presentation called the Journey of Life and the International Cafe. All volunteer crew and staff of 400 people, represent around 50 different countries. Unlike the crew during her original use as a car ferry, crew and staff normally join the organisation to live on board for two years. --wikipedia

There is also a History Wall within the Ship :D

Quick History:
In 1973 the ship was commissioned as the car ferry Gustav Vasa running between Malmö (Sweden) and Travemünde (Germany), a route she ran for 10 years. In April 1983 she was sold to the Faroese ferry company Smyril Line and renamed Norröna. Sailing from Tórshavn, the Faroese capital, to Lerwick (Shetland Islands), Bergen (Norway), Hanstholm (Denmark) and Seyðisfjörður (Iceland) each summer, she was often chartered in the winter to cover other operators’ overhaul schedules. When Smyril Line delivered a new Norröna in 2003, the old vessel became Norröna I and was put up for sale. After much deliberation, inspection and prayer, the current owners purchased the vessel in March 2004.--wikipedia (For more detailed info. visit their website HERE).

Share your Experience!

Logos Hope will be open until Feb. 13 in Pier 1 area (Behind Malacañang sa Sugbu --viewable from the SRP). The ship is open on Tuesdays to Saturdays at 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Sundays. An entrance ticket costs Php20.00 and children below 12 years old can enter without charge. The next stop will be stops in Manila and Subic Bay in the next few months.

Special thanks to photogs~lalyn and VJG ++Anamams and Shem :P

Random Roaming in Dumanjug, Cebu

2012-01-19T07:40:00.000+08:00

Dumanjug is located in the south western part of Cebu facing the Tañon Strait. It is about 2 hours ride from the Cebu City. I've been to this times multiple times since I was little and it is only recently that I began actually documenting the trip there. It is the hometown of my mother and her parents which is one of the prominent clans of the area: the MELGARs.

It is also popular for its very tasty "Bisayang Manok", a native chicken deliciously cooked and you can only find the best in Dumanjug Town. (Well I ate one for breakfast but failed to take a picture of it since I got too excited)

Churches were one of the 1st structures erected by the spandiards --Dumanjug Church

Quick History:

It is also the hometown of the Garcias, the present ruling political family of the province of Cebu. The town was established in 1855 by Capitan Pedro Ricamora and Padre Agustin Melgar. It is 74 kilometers southwest of the provincial capital, Cebu City. It has a land area of 11,958 hectares. It is bounded on the, north by the town of Barili, on the east by the town of Sibonga, on the south by town of Ronda, and on the west by the Tañon Strait.

This scenery never changes, but what did change was there were more foreigners living here, I asked around and found out that many balik-bayans and foreigners are choosing this as a retirement place. Well I can't blame them, this place is very peaceful [except for the occasional entertaining locals running around with a 'sundang' :D] and soothing.

Town Fiesta:

Dumanjug celebrates its town fiesta every October 4 to honor Saint Francis of Assisi. During the fiesta one can witness the Sinanggiyaw Festival ("sangi-sayaw" meaning "dancing while harvesting"), a colorful and festive way of giving thanks to the patron saint for the good harvest of corn, fruits and vegetables. [It is participated by students from the schools of the different barangays of the Dumanjug] It could also be said that this ritual is of pagan origins and was later 'Christianized' during the Spanish occupation.

Name Etymology (How the Town Got Its Name?):
The Dumanjug Etymology is quite an interesting name and several sources have claimed its etymology. Here are some of the stories that tell the history of the name. Below are three versions I have come to research:

1st: As the legend states, there was once a very brave chieftain who had a very loud voice. His voice is so loud that even in far-flung places surrounding the village, his voice can be heard. In his memory, the village was called “Dumahunog” which means “loud” in Cebuano language. Eventually, the name evolved into “Dumanjug”.

2nd: During the time when Spaniards took control of the land, the village was famous for its tuba, a strong yet sweet alcoholic beverage derived from coconut juice. Duman was the most famous among tuba gatherers in the village and raised several coco trees in the village, One fateful day, Duman fell from the coconut tree while gathering for his tuba. It was also that day that Spanish Civil Guards visited the place, asking the name of the town (pueblo) in Spanish language.

The natives failed to understand the foreign language and misinterpreted the question. Thinking why the people were gathered in grief, the natives replied, "si Duman nahug" which means “Duman had fallen”. The guards thought that the name was "Dumanjug" and recorded it as it is.

3rd: Another version emerged. Duman was the mighty king and ruler of the municipality. Similar to the 2nd version, "Nahug" means “had fallen” which was the cause of the king’s tragic death. As years passed, it evolved into the name Dumanjug.

The newly renovated plaza dedicated to Doña Josefa Paras Garcia and also the local Farmers

Dumanjug Today:
Dumanjug is one progressive town in the south. It has gained importance for the traders as the “transshipment point” and the gateway to the neighboring island, Negros Oriental. Commerce is promising in the area while other industries like fishing and agriculture also flourished.

More information about Dumanjug can be found via wikipeda.

FOODIE TIP: Also, the halo-halo stores right beside the Plaza are really awesome, you should give it a try!

How To Get There: If you are coming from Cebu City, you can 1st go to the Cebu South Bus Terminal where you can get a bus that can directly take you to the town of Dumanjug or via Hired Vans. Reaching the town may take 2-2-1/2 hours land trip. Tangil Dumanjug, also has smaller ships that transport passengers from Negros to Cebu

Ritz Azul on Artistry, Normality & Public-Service

2012-01-18T18:55:00.000+08:00

Towards the Sinulog Grand Parade Celebrations, there are many events going on around town and this includes TV5 having their own activities and hosting “Sugod mga Kapatid sa Sinulog Show,” a gathering of the brightest Kapatid stars a few days before the Sinulog Festival 2012. Their I met Kapatid stars but due to time constraints, it's impossible to talk to all of them, so I'll post about my quick yet entertaining encounter with Ms. Ritz Azul.

Here's a short video of the interaction (though there were other topics that were talked about though):

*with special appearance of Libotero.com xD

While talking to her, she is really soooo mahin-hin, she reminded me of a friend of mine who is some-what the same (you can't help but smile & giggle as well while talking to her). On being an Artist, she also shared her experiences in acting, taking lessons, difficult scenes and the like (it made me think, maybe I should be a celebrity too? nahhh). Also, she is enjoying the new things she is experiencing and that she looks at it as a blessing.

Aside from being a Celebrity, she tries to find time to be 'Normal' as well, spending time with family is also a priority. And add to that, she's in a way, a Politician (She prefers 'Public Servant' though :3) and find time to fulfill her mandated role on being an SK Chairwoman which includes meetings, project planning and implementation (I'd say she's already a Super Woman at such a young age and I feel like that I'm too lazy compared to her) in her area --Pampanga.

She's still quite young since the day she arrived in Cebu was the 1st day of her being "18" hehehe, she has everything going for her, I wish her the best of luck!

Quick Facts about Ritz Azul:

4th Final Star via TV5's Star Factor
SK Chairwoman in her hometown of Pampanga
Stopped schooling due to her booming showbiz career (BS Accountancy - Lyceum of the Philippines University)

About Ritz Azul:
Ritz Ann Riggie V. Alzul, commonly known as Ritz Azul, is a Filipino television actress and homegrown talent of TV5 from the network's Talent Search program Star Factor. She was born on January 11, 1994 in Diladila, Sta. Rita, Pampanga and later moved to Quezon City. She is one of the network's Primetime Princesses which consists of Herself, Alex Gonzaga, Danita Paner, Arci Muñoz, Jasmine Curtis-Smith and Eula Cabellero.

She had recently won 2 awards for 2011, the Outstanding Breakthrough Performance by an Actress from the ENPRESS Golden Screen TV Awards and the Amazing Female Newcomer from Yahoo! Philippines OMG Awards (via wikipedia).

UnBoxing Sony Ericsson Xperia™ Ray

2012-01-17T23:08:00.001+08:00

Last Holiday season of December, I got to unbox this really cool android powered Sony Ericsson Xperia™ Ray!! Though I really prefer the Sony Ericsson Xperia™ Active, this one still packs the same power but in a much more sleek, elegant and with a bigger screen kind of way!

Stand-Out Features:

3D Sweep Panorama is a camera shooting mode where users can capture a scene in true 3D with a sweep of the camera. When pictures are played back on a compatible 3D TV, the images come alive with depth, clarity and realism.
Despite the fact that Sony Ericsson Xperia™ ray was basically designed for girls, it still packs an 8.1-megapixel camera with Exmor R™ for mobile, a technology that makes pictures a little bit awesome even in dim lighting situations. (IN WHICH MAKES THIS REALLY AWESOME for mobile Photography!!)
Add to that a Reality Display with Mobile BRAVIA® Engine from their TV-line, you can literally view awesome videos in it!

DESIGN:
Compared to other or "REGULAR" Smart Phones in the market, the RAY is somewhat smaller or you could consider using the word 'Thinner' or having a smaller waistline if you compare it side-by-side with an iPhone4S or the Samsung Galaxy; And once again, I find the steel-ish color casing awesome but for this one I got, it's tooo girly.

very slim!!

On a positively-manly note, I find the minimalism of the design soooooo awesome! It's like a dream come true for Minimalistic people like me. There's 1-2 buttons on the right side (which is used for the camera zoom), then the power button up top and 1 home button at the bottom of the touch-sensitive screen for menu/home. That's l;ike less than 4 buttons!! ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Well on the left side there's this 1 HDMI port (YES It's HDMI DAMNIT or is it a micro hdmi?!).

HARDWARE:
The Ray has a 1GHZ processor with a 3 inch-so screen which I one can find a bit small and cramped if your used to the normally bulky-standard size of a smartphone. After I was able to hold a Sansung Galaxy S and the iphone 4S, the screen is indeed quite small (but you'll get used to it) otherwise, it's amazing!

The screen is very nice to use and it's easy to do SMS on it. Calling was also one of the Xperia Ray's strong points, with conversations conducted without any groaning or moaning, simply put-good sound quality.

BATTERY:
I was able to handle Smartphone support when I was working for a local BPO firm and just like then until now, I'll still say this; the more you use it the higher the energy consumption and the more power it will drain the battery. Though there are apps that can help manage multi-tasking and what-not, energy consumption and battery life will still vary on usage.

So if you use too much browsing, and photo-video usage is too much the device does heat-up considerably. Other than that, it's stand-by mode is relatively awesome.

SOFTWARE:
Under that hood, you'll find a not-too-shabby Android 2.3.3 Gingerbread with five home screens (or what others may also call--extendable desktops). Pre-loaded software/s are pretty basic, if what's in there isn't enough, well--go download apps for it via the Android Market.

User-Interface for the Photo-video

CAMERA:
It has a 8 mega pixel camera which I will prefer to use as a substitute for my current point and shoot camera and even sometimes my DSLR! On this note, I'll let the pictures speak for itself:

You may click on the image to see a larger version of it! xD [outdoor shot]

the front Cam is usually not the same with the one at the back~same here with the RAY

[Indoor shot] - via the atrium of the Santo Niño Basilica

[Night-Shot]

mmmmmm

On videos, well HD is already awesome, but to have that power in this small device? seriously? See below for a sample [1st impressions] review from a female blogger friend {myfruitsbasket.com/} taken with my FLIP MINO HD CAMERA:

Now compare that with a video I took during a Novena Mass during the Sinulog 2012 pre-activities at the Basilica de Santo Niño using the Xperia Ray:

Usage Critique:

The camera gives you scene modes, although curiously, only three: Normal, Smile Detection and Automatic. All seemed to work OK, but we just kept it on Automatic for best results.
You can also select the photo size (8MP, 6MP and 2MP) but, for some reason, you can pick between 4:3 and 16:9 in 2MP mode but not the others. You take pictures by tapping the screen :).
Annoyances--I figured that there was a zoom after a while; the camera software will automatically change modes for you; Can't seem to turn off the shutter sound (I WANT MY NINJA MOVES!); also I want to take 'snap photos' in video mode in which I can't do in this one [I thought it was built-in :-(]; And for some weird reason, although you only get three basic scene modes to pick from in the standard camera app, when it comes to the video camera, you're presented with lots more (Landscape, Beach, Party, Portrait, Night and Sports modes).

~other than that, with some degree of skill+patience, the photo-video results are to die for!!!

Xperia™ ray is ideal for a mainstream user with particular appreciation for meticulously crafted design and finish in a sleek format. For me, I desire it's media features but I still want the Xperia Active :3

Check out these posts wherein I took video shots using the Xperia Ray:
UnBoxing Sketchers GoRun! & ProSpeed SRR running shoes

Molave Milk Station in Barili, Cebu

2012-01-08T17:37:00.037+08:00

Stop Over

Going towards my mom's hometown in Dumanjug, Cebu, we had to pass through Barili first before reaching our target destination for the vacation/visitation of relavies/All-souls-saints-days. We first had our 2nd pit stop, aside from buying some snacks in Car-car's street-take-out-food; we first got down to relieve ourselves and had a quick snack at the Molave Milk Station in Barili, Cebu.

You can't miss the signage!

The Molave Milk Station is a popular stop-over for travelers going to and from the western coastline of Cebu island. The Molave Milk Station is part of a bigger property which is a private farm where animals graze freely in the fields.

Follow the CR Sign!

We were surprised to see the sudden arrivals of people

No worries, there are plenty of spots to choose from (eating spots)

The place is very nice to just eat away and observe nature

After many years of going to western Cebu, this place has always intrigued me until now. It is totally the perfect location for travelers who need to stretch their legs while gobbling down a frozen treat.

Check out their Menu, Note: There specialty are dairy products--so just stick with those choices :D

About MOLAVE MILK STATION:
They sell cow's and carabao's milk, ice cream and shakes there. The ice cream is of course their popular product and it comes in soft serve as well. You have flavors like chocolate, buko pandan, vanilla, mango, strawberry and even pandan chocolate and buko chocolate.

We bumped into these really huge Rooster

It is actually a private farm and the place had these picnic tables and a shop where you could buy dairy products and food ranging from roasted fishes to meats. You cannot enter the farm to interact with the animals (unless if the Chicken comes to you!) but other than that, you can enjoy a very good view of nature and of the farm.

Me and my sister had some Milk, Ice Cream and Soft Drinks

One needs to schedule a private tour to be able to check out the stables, but the milk station is completely open to the general public (yey!!!).

This is our spot

HOW TO GET THERE?
You just have to make a right turn when you reach the road intersection in Carcar, and move on for some 13 kilometers or so; Basically just follow the western coastline of southern Cebu ‘til you get to Barili (past the Mantalongon Public Market) then keep your eyes peeled for unusual yellow street signs such as chickens, cows, or horses or the like or the best 'moving' landmark to tell you if you're close, is basically an OSTRICH!!!

Nature Trolling

That means you’re fast approaching the Molave Wood Farms and Stables. And then you’ll be able to spot the signage of Molave Milk Station at the right side of the picturesque road (if you are coming from the North/City).

Back to the road and off we go!!

You can think of this place as an open-air (EMERGENCY) food trip by the side of a quiet and secluded national road. Downhill, you can see some farm animals freely grazing in the open field while YOU or your group is slurping away a dairy product of your choice!!

UnBoxing Skechers GoRun! & ProSpeed SRR running shoes

2012-01-07T20:36:00.026+08:00

Skechers Store at the Ayala Center Cebu Active Zone!

Running has indeed become a national pastime in the Philippines. As more and more people take to the streets to pound the pavement, there emerged a resurgence of interest in the right footwear to use as you see people in these runs wearing a variety of shoes from normal street rubber shoes to technical running shoes that offer a myriad of benefits. Recently, I was given a chance to test and try out a couple of shoes which led me to the UnBoxing Skechers GoRun! & ProSpeed SRR running shoes!!

This has led to the development and introduction of a new kind of lightweight running shoe from Skechers for active enthusiasts and serious athletes --- the Skechers ProSpeed SRR which is for leisure runners and the Skechers GoRun for the serious ones.

Skechers GoRun! Shoes-Line with varying colors

This one is for the PROs, it feels like you are running/walking barefoot but with a comfortable support

About Skechers GoRun!:

SKECHERS GO Run is an innovative new minimalistic lightweight running line featuring revolutionary mid-foot strike technology and GO Impulse sensors for enhanced sensory feedback. Meb has provided SKECHERS with expert insight by testing and consulting on the design of SKECHERS GO Run as well as other high-performance products currently in development.

The GO Run shoe weighs just 5.9 ounces and has a 4mm drop to promote a midfoot strike. Key technical features include a barefoot last that is wider through the ball of the foot with a lower heel drop that moves the center of pressure forward.

GO Impulse circular sensors on the outsole are positioned where impact points are greatest and are designed to provide traction, stability and reaction to the terrain. The GO Run also has a SmartShoe curved bottom that promotes natural motion, proprietary Resalyte injection molded cushioning with memory retention, and an OrthoLite anti-microbial sockliner.

ProSpeed SRR!!!

It feels like the Skechers Shape Ups!! (See post)

About Skechers ProSpeed SRR:
The ProSpeed SRR features the patented Smart Shoe™ Technology, the rocker-bottom that guides runners into mid-foot strike position. This mid-foot strike design transforms the energy of impact, through the Kinetic Return System, into forward motion with every stride.

The Skechers ProSpeed SRR is also lightweight due to the Resalyte™ cushioning with memory retention that reduces impact for a supported, comfortable ride during runs. Each ProSpeed comes in just under 10 oz. per shoe depending on the size.

Also, I talked with a sketchers representative to tell us more directly from them, about the Skechers GoRun! Product (Ms.Lorraine):

Check out www.skechers.com.ph and www.facebook.com/SkechersFitnessPhilippines for more information

Assignment: I need to RUN AGAIN!!! RAWR!!! tsk3 very inconsistent of me but now that the heavy heavy eating months are over, I CAN DO THIS!

Me in the Year-of-the-Water-Dragon 2012

2012-01-02T00:32:00.003+08:00

What kind of year will 2012 be? Year after year people wonder but for this year is somewhat special. Many believe or even expect that 2012 will bring about the end of the world (with various points and basis from varied cultures such as the MAYANS), perhaps because they mistakenly think of Mayan or Hindu cosmologies as linear rather than cyclical. From what I got and researched, the Feng Shui standpoint of 2012, is the year of the Yang Water Dragon, which brings many possibilities for good fortune. YEHEY!

In Chinese element theory, water produces wood, which signifies growth and is the natural element of the dragon, hence for this year, the Water Dragon personifies creativity at its best..SO PEOPLE SUMMON YOUR CREATIVITY!!!

Also, in 2012 the Yang Water Dragon Year starts January 23, 2012 and ends February 9, 2013. The energetic high point of the year is the dragon moon, which is from May 20 to June 18 (new moon is May 20, full moon is June 4 and dragon moon is June 18.

About the Dragon in Chinese Astrology:
The dragon is the only animal of the Chinese zodiac year that is not real. Dragons are quite special and very much revered. The dragon was seen as a powerful almighty king because it was made up of different parts of animals such as a tiger, fish, snake and an eagle. The Chinese dragon was not seen as a threatening evil being compared to how dragons are portrayed in the west - rather a symbol of power, superiority and rule.

Water calms the Dragon’s fire. Water Dragons are able to see things from other points of view. They don’t have the need to always be right. Their decisions, if well-researched, are usually better since they allow other’s to become involved.

Digging Through the internet and some left over Feng Shui Books from grandparents + the web:
Using the Ba Zi/Feng Shui Element System of sorts..I discovered that well luck changes as well as elements..So during the beginning of last year (2011) I was a fire rabbit in the Year of the Metal Rabbit which in turn, resulted to a really full of life-lessons and somewhat emotionally chaotic year for me. Then now this year of the water dragon I am now a strong yin Metal Rabbit.(What's Up doc?)

How RABBITS will be in the Dragon Year:

Stuff to wear for this year: Water - blue/black/gray; Fire - red
Career: Water - Advertising, Arts, Communications, etc; Fire - Marketing, Sales, Fashion, etc (Yes & Hmm)
The person born in the Year of the Rabbit should cope quite well in 2012.
Animal rabbits like to breed and have lots of off spring. And 2012 will be no different!~HMMM
In terms of my luck and good will (directions): North (water) will be where my proseperity lie; East (Wood) for longevity; South (Fire) for heat and South-East (Wood) for Excellence and the rest? Well let's not talk about negativity now :D

COMPATIBILITY:
Generally, as the Rabbit and Dragon have good affiliation with each other, you can expect things to good more smoothly for the Rabbit this year. YEAAHAHAHHAHAHHA!!
• Good Relationship: between Ram, Dog, Dragon, Pig
• Conflicts with: Rooster, Rat, Tiger
• Rabbits may have very good study opportunities this year.

Generally, don't be too overly strong otherwise, you will not be able to control yourself. Thus, you should increase yourself with your favourable elements as follows. Most Favourable-Water and Favourable to Fire. I should avoid earth and metal elements. (NOTED)

Strong Metal & Fire Rabbit will do pretty well this year but is most favourable to the Wood rabbit. (wee)

Source 0 Source

Additional Notes on Rabbits (FYI):

It would seem as well that luck is with me from 2010 - 2019 (Age 23 - 32) while wealth comes in 2020 - 2029 (Age 33 - 42) –this I conclude would be my time of “PLANTING” ~ I really can’t complain now.
The person born under this Chinese Zodiac Calendar sign tends to keep their emotions inside. This probably is not a good thing and can lead to high stress levels. This means they are often seen as being “cool calm and collected” and as being in control of the situation. Be careful to deal with stress in 2012 so as not to harm their health.~~~UH huh
The rabbit animal will run away from any sign of trouble. They are usually pretty quick and get themselves out of trouble.
Rabbit likes the company of others and is not happy being alone. :3
You cannot tell if an animal rabbit is angry or happy. They are quite expressionless. ~No Im just Clueless really
Rabbits are generally intelligent and has interest in worldly things. – World Domination in a good way :3

Rabbit-Virgo:

This native is a true precious stone, pure and refined. His sense of altruism is fascinating, his determination is unchangeable. Has a very efficient sense of organization and the purity of his intentions is unassailable. This subject should be aware that the world is not filled with people like himself.

Money is not overly important to the Virgo Rabbit but they do not underestimate it's necessity. They are good savers and sensible but not stingy with their spending habits. Their approach to finances pretty much sums them up in their outlook to most things in life, including relationships. They are cautious, appreciative, fairly generous and are easily able to let themselves go and relax every now and then. A Virgo Rabbit loves to treat his or her family or partner to surprises of things they want or need, as they take immense pleasure in giving.

Occasional restlessness and unnecessary worrying are the weaknesses in the Virgo Rabbit's sunny personality.
They may feel agitated if they have been cooped up indoors for longer than necessary and become restless. A long walk will usually clear their heads and give them the opportunity to expel excess physical and emotional energy. They also have a tendency to worry unnecessarily about the smallest things.

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards."

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. Surround yourself with what you love and cherish your health. Laugh often, long and loud. Keep only cheerful friends, and tell the people that you love them, at every opportunity. Keep learning and enjoy the simple things. Peace and Love to all, 2012 is gonna be another awesome year!!!

No matter what anyone says, I like what I like. Because that is me. And I refuse to blame anyone else for it.

B+

Previous posts on Chinese New Year and Zodiacs:

On a side note: I know it's gonna be a big year for movies, mini-series and original series (*cough GAME OF THRONES), can't wait for the dragons weeeee~

Things I did to survive this year!!

2011-12-31T12:50:00.258+08:00

Well it has always been my blog tradition to have a year end round-up of sorts but this year, I finally decided to get creative with the title..hehehe So here it is a year end round-up or a year in-review blog post! Also, this time around I won’t be lazy or ‘pressured’ to make this post, believe it or not I really took time to plan and write about this blog post since I’ve always been jealous of other bloggers (like Mikyu) who makes a very ridiculously comprehensive year end posts. :3

Monthly Highlights:

January - Free HUGS during Sinulog!!

February - 1st time to cook my own Japanese food inside a restaurant

March - I felt unworthy but still overly humbled to have witnessed and interacted with various South East Asians and Europeans thru an Urban Development Forum

April - Summer Chillin @ the Beach

May - Summer kicks in and learned me some basics of Wing Chun Kung Fu!

June - June was no doubt the craziest month of 2011 --more than 5 speaking engagements, 1st time TV Shooting :D; met Brother Bo Sanchez & Amar Delon and indulged in a lot of fooood (Authentic Cantonese Chinese Cuisine)!

July - interacted with some awesome Russian musicians (ROSSIYA)

August - Got news that KRISPY KREME is now in Cebu by late quarter of 2011

September - my birthday passed peacefully but I was moved with the movie 'Christmas in August' thru the Korean Film Fest

October - got blown away by KFC's Zinger Double Down!! --shout-out to sponsor Donna.K. :D

November - Papa kit's Marina and Fishing Lagoon

December - Major2 Live blog on iPhone4S Cebu launch and met Siri

Of Health:

Health Advocacies – breast cancer, cervical
MIND 7 – NNC7 ~Breastfeeding
Nutrition Learning Visit in Bohol

On Blogging:

This year marks my 6^th year in blogging (Started 2005 with friendster-multiply-blogger[2008-super active]-Tumblr-WP~now)
Helped organized Cebu Blog Camp 2011 this year!
I won an award given by the CAMMA – Cebu Archdiocese MassMedia Awards~ Best in personal website
Made a successful transition of responsibilities and powers with CBSi’s new head; this includes the fulfillment of a personal goal to get new members in, in which became the new movers of the organization
Gained new followers via social networking accounts and broke the 100K views of my personal blog –weeeee
Went back to school, but this time via E-Learning with Ateneo De Manila University-Digital Filipino’s Module 1 on becoming a Certified Blog-Social Media Entrepreneur (First time to experience E-Learning!!! ^_^)
Did my first paid workshop~ UNPLUGGED TALK SERIES
A very active year for my speaking engagements, the most by far and ended with the highlight of VBS2011

Panglao, Bohol ~ Preview ^_^

On Travel:

Went to Bohol early December (Backlog posts xD)
Somewhere in the middle Mactan and Bohol strait thru a sunset cruise
Pre-HolyWeek attack @ Bantayan Island
Discovered some Cebuano Metal-Age ancestors in San Remegio, Cebu
Exploring Badian, Cebu thru Terra Manna

South-bound during the Kalag2 towards Dumanjug--another backlog hehee~

On Writing:

The gift of Volunteerism this Holiday Season - Link 1 - Link 2
Hope, Honor, Heroism (For our nation) - Link 1 - Link 2
Bloggers Gather for a Camp
Historical and Cultural Tourism: A youth's perspective

At the Capitol during the Rossiya Musical but an awesome place to do a speaking engagement I'd say

On being a Speaker:

"Getting Steady with Blogging"
"Blogging 101: Introduction and Opportunities"
"Blogging Basics"
"Run 2 Plant 4 GREENIN' Philippines" Orientation/IEC
"Round table Discussion on World Communications Day: Truth, Proclamation and Authenticity of Life in the Digital Age (Papal Message)"
"Cebu Bloggers' Annual Report"
"The Filipino Blogosphere: Political Expression, Communication, and Participation"- A Dissemination Forum
Panel Member~Public Speaking and Presentation application
"Let your Passion Shape your Blog"
"Hello, Social MEdia"
"Video+Blogging Talk"
"CNU Youth Talk"

On Business:

Hey I’m an Entrepreneur!!! (A female friend commented ...so you’re unemployed!? -_-) In the strictest sense I experienced it more heavily this year and yes you could say one is unemployed…
Launched our Start-Up Restaurant Business
First time to pay percentage tax to BIR monthly~ehehehe
Got paid by my first big client!! Yehey! But then one splurges…and parents sucked on it as well
Invested in some books which ended up as a backlog, also bought a bunch of Entrepreneur Magazines

On self-learning:

Visayas Blogging Summit 2011
Learned about our New Philippine Currency design and Security features
Money Summit & Wealth Expo 2011
Entrepreneur Ph Networking Night
Money Magnet Seminar
Truly Rich Seminar
Philippine Stock Exchange Campaign
RAFI's Branding & Community Identity
Bitter-Sweet 6th AFLBS
One Cebu Business and Sustainability Summit 2011 (My 2nd year)
Cebu Blog Camp 2011
Learning and understanding the Kto12 Initiative PH
Urban Development & Governance: Risks and Opportunities, learning from other cities
Met & listened to Industrial Engineer-Entrepreneurs!!!

Walang Iwanan!

On Community Work:

House Build with Dutch, Belgians and Spaniards

On People, VIPs:

Met the new Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr.
Atty. Antonio Oposa Jr. (Although I've met him a couple of times before, this was the 1st full blown face-to-face talks and engagement)
Meeting Bam Aquino
Brother Bo Sanchez
Being Happy with Amar Delon
Martial Arts Master - Sifu Sergio Iadarola
Face to Face with Miriam Quiambao

Yehey!

Random Notes:

Had many fun moments with friends!!! :D
had some emo and self-motivating posts as well EXAMPLE
Also a very active year in terms of exercise, compared to the last 5 years (Tried Chinese Martial Arts called Wing Chun; consistently ran, lift some weights)
Engaged in new areas of personal advocacy – tourism, health, and social welfare ~all of which were totally unplanned
Traveled to Bantayan Island and witnessed the GK Bayani Challenge 2011;
Joined in with GK Builders’ Camp with other volunteers and did about 5 House Builds this year with one non-GK
Traveled once outside Cebu this year –explored Bohol (still need to blog about it though); compared to last year’s 3 times
I have a new look and hair cut :D
Influencing People to Blog randomly or whenever I go and meet some students and random people..I'm seeing some progress from them!! :3
Saw some new animes which touched my heart and soul – Gintama and Gurren Lagann ~they do have some life lessons in’em :P

How could I forget the various types of food I ate this year? Check out the FOOD section at the top of this blog :3

2011 will be a year I will never forget, a year full of twists, firsts and major turning points:
I was at the beginning of the year, in terms of matters of the heart, a Man who can't be moved..But then I had to say "Never Mind I'll find someone like you.." or hope for a better one to rock my world.

On the same instance, I was also betrayed..well one can't really control how people may change or feel but one thing's for sure; there are a lot of demons in human form in this world and people can be really insincere and lie with a straight face IN MY FACE! As this was a test of my sanity and emotions, I was almost overcome by RAGE but then I had to channel it somewhere else for I was for the most part of the year incapable of working properly and it took a long while to recover.

Finding hope in the constant - GOD ~ as this year reminded me also that there are always second chances in life, especially to those who would keep on moving (even if it is slow) forward. No retreat, no surrender, never give up and give in. Your demons may be bigger, better, stronger and just simply better; but if you lay your heart, your soul, your faith on the line, from the strengths of your backs, the soles of your feet, with every ounce of blood you've got in your body and fight on as if you are to die, then you will never be defeated.

Keep Moving Forward:
I am not interested in the posibilities of defeat but I do welcome failure more now. Be Not Afraid of Failure, if possible Fail Brilliantly, for failure teaches you more things that you can ever imagine compared to Success: "Around here, however, we don't look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things, because we're curious...and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths"- Walt Disney (~Meet the Robinsons --Keep moving forward) :3

Who the heck do you think I am? Believe in the Impossible and Kick Reason in the Face!!!

I'm thankful for the pain, indecision, loss, regret, every bit of challenge, fear, and rejection this year. All these things helped me live a much fuller, filled-with-lessons life; and with them in my past now, I can look forward to 2012 with more cheer, love, grace, and faith.

Happy New Year, everyone!

Check out my previous year-enders:
2009 a year of growth
my 2010 Highlights
Kaizen Plan 2010

The gift of Volunteerism this holiday season -Published Article

2011-12-21T23:46:00.001+08:00

I got another article published recently to an activity that we did last November 30, 2011 but with the recent tragedy in Mindanao-Dumaguete-Iligan-CDO sendong aftermath, I believe the core concept and title of this article can be relatable to what happened and hopefully people will get inspired by it. :D The activity that I participated in was about Cebu's initiative and interest in the PILIPINAS NATIN initiative as well as engaging in the recovery and restoration of our environment through the activities that shall be mentioned in the article. It is about 'The gift of Volunteerism this holiday season.' Please see the full article quoted below:

----
CEBU, Philippines - Students from USC, USJR, UP, CTU and a few yuppies participated in the recent multi-location outreach for the “Pilipinas Natin” initiative in Cebu last November 30, 2011. Most youth, or even adults for that matter, would look forward to a holiday as a Free Day, Rest Day, Laag Day, and look forward to receiving gifts. For those experiencing poverty, it’s a different story. But for a group of young people, it is better spent as they would rather dedicate time and energy to serve others in the community.

The event was spearheaded and participated by youth from varied organizations, having found the initiative of “Pilipinas Natin” as a good venue for attracting youth to do community work. On that one day, the groups initiated outreach programs in different places in Cebu such as: Barangay Alaska, Mambaling; Barangay Suba, Pasil, and Lorega.

The groups tackled different activities in the area such as Street Cleaning, Waste Management briefing, River and Coastal Clean Ups. Here are some of what the volunteers had to say:

“We volunteered because were really interested with how problems of garbage disposal are dealt with especially in the coastal areas like the one in Pasil and we’d like to become part of finding solutions. When we arrived at the area, I realized that we do not only need the cooperation of the residents but also educational engagements with them and of the Local Government Units in the area. Perhaps we are looking to do something that’s simple yet sustainable.” — Clarissa Beth Degamo, Chairperson of Union of Progressive Students, University of the Philippines-Cebu

“I just felt there is this urgent call that needs to be answered, the call for change. As one of the young people of today, I believe in my capacity to instill change in our nation. I have gone to various places already and I have seen how badly our surroundings need rejuvenation. I had the time and energy to do the clean up, so I decided to join and even invited my friends and schoolmates. It was a unique experience because it was really a dirty place and it was so challenging. Nevertheless, even though I got dirty and stinky, I definitely learned a lot in the process. ” — Camille Anne Garcia, USC-Management Accounting Student

Pilipinas Natin

Bawat Pilipino ay ang solusyon! Bawat Pilipino kasama sa pagbabago!And this will start from every Filipino’s pledge of taking accountability to our country, thus, Pilipinas Natin. Most of the citizens feel they have done their part by contributing their personal time and efforts in electing the President. They now sit in the sidelines and watch. In order to effect change, we need to keep them involved. We need to make them understand that winning the Presidency is just the first step. We have a long way to go and we need solidarity in our quest for change.

As a flagship campaign of the PCOO (Presidential Communications Operations Office) Office for Special Concerns, Pilipinas Natin shall fulfill its mandate – to connect government with the people – by forming a volunteerism movement that will harness the Filipino’s potential for greatness. In partnership with the government and different stakeholders, Pilipinas Natin shall create an enabling environment for people to care, share and support one another in order to build healthy, humane and nurturing communities that embody our aspiration for an empowered nation.

The Gift of Volunteerism

There was nothing really to be gained from such an activity aside from the community benefiting from it; in fact, it was more of giving something away which was simply time and energy. To some, it was time away from work, family, and friends in order to do community work. Though some of the adults in the areas mentioned were a bit negative and would even lecture you on how different the past was from the present, the surprising thing was that small children (around the ages 8-11) who were in the area, just became curious and helped the “cleaners” clean up the place without asking why it was being done. That bayanihan act surprised and empowered the cleaners even more and one blurted out, “..there is still hope for this country.”

Perhaps, people power is in the ability of the Filipinos to work together for the common good. Government and citizens must work side by side to genuinely pursue change and development. They must be each other’s partner in nation building.

You may get knocked down, but all you can do is get back up. You may be surrounded with discouragement, but you can’t give up. And although the impact of such actions may not necessarily immediately bear fruit, we were happy to plant the seeds of this country’s future in those children who helped us.

All it takes is one person really: one tree can start a forest. One smile begins a friendship. One star can guide a ship at sea. One vote can change a nation. One act can save a life. One step starts each journey. One word starts each prayer. One hope will raise our spirits. One touch can show one cares. One’s presence can overcome fear. One can make a difference. That one moment is all it takes. So don’t get tired of doing what is right and true, even if you’re alone. Don’t let your voice of hope and optimism get drowned by the grumbling of others.

You see, its up to YOU! You maybe just one, but you can be ONE BIG BLESSING not just these holiday season but everyday! (FREEMAN)
---
You can check out the Full Digital Article of Freeman-Philstar HERE

Globe's iphone4S Cebu launch (Live Blogging)

2011-12-16T11:57:00.002+08:00

Early Bird Subscribers

Why should you get your iPhone 4S from Globe this Christmas holidays? Here are some ways you should consider or count. Topping the list is the exclusive trade-in scheme for existing iPhone users who want to upgrade their Apple devices for the ultimate experience. Users of Globe-issued iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4 in good working condition can trade-in their units at a specified trade-in value, which may be applied and treated as a discount for qualified purchases or availments of iPhone 4S at designated Globe stores and launch venues (see related previous post here).

9AM - Opening and kick off of Globe Event for iPhone 4S
9:10 - Early bird customers attack
9:40 - Found Patrick Gloria and made the video of him welcoming us
10:05 - met some of the globe people and of course the image models :D

Aside from the trade-in, Globe subscribers can also purchase a case for their newly-bought iPhone 4S at 20% off the original price. (iphone-Trade in details 3G-PHP3,000.00 3GS-PHP5,000.00 iphone4-16GB-PHP10,000.00; 32GB-PHP15,000.00~less Php500.00 for incomplete accessories [box, charger, USB Cables and earphones]). Also things to remember: these prices are fixed; make sure your personal data has been backed up for ofcourse, globe won't be liable for any data loss, trade-in units will be subject to evaluation if it is still in good working condition; and the trade-in program is only valid for today, December 16, 2011 :D.

Dress up your newest Apple baby in time for the holiday season by taking advantage of this exciting discount available until December 31 only from Globe. On-site their are various representatives from globe that can assist you on your queries and purchases. You can even get someone to do you a demo or a walk-through on the new features.

Here's a quick clip from Mr. Patrick Gloria, Retail Head for Stores, Central Visayas:

The iPhone 4S is best enjoyed with a slew of mobile applications to take your smartphone experience up a notch. By getting the much-talked about device from Globe, you are also rewarded with free applications – from games, social networking, lifestyle, to entertainment and sports. Just text REWARDS APP to 4438 on your iPhone 4S to get your dose of free apps. An exclusive app for Globe subscribers using the iPhone 4S who want to check their balance is also available for free. Through this app, users can subscribe to a wide array of text, call and mobile browsing promos with a simple touch on the screen. Talk about form and functionality, brought to you by Globe! Just text IPHONE to 2222 for free to download the app.

And because the iPhone 4S is such an amazing device, Globe pairs it with its equally amazing postpaid plans that are customizable, consumable and affordable. Under the different plans are bundled offers, which include unlimited access to mobile internet. Globe understands that the iPhone 4S is a data-intensive smartphone, with users more prone to bill shock because of features such as Siri and iCloud. With Globe data plans giving users unlimited mobile internet with fixed charges, there’s no way you’ll receive postpaid bills that will make your hair rise.

I had fun playing around with the new SIRI~impressions? I had to summon my callcenter background again and use my slang-english tongue to get siri to do what I want otherwise you'll fail in vain :P:

10:20 - had someone from globe do a walkthrough and demo on the iphone4S
10:30 - watched the AVPs on-site
10:45 - immersed myself in the iPhone 4S UI and of course played around with SIRI while documenting it via video
11:00 - started to organize this post hehehehe
11:30 - ate a bunch of food on-site

On top of giving customers the power to choose their own plans, they can also order their iPhone 4S devices through various options — they can have it picked up at all Globe stores nationwide or they can choose to have their iPhone 4s delivered by calling the Customer Sales hotline at 730-1010, or ordering online via www.globe.com.ph.

pardon my look, I am not a morning person during this week :P

YEHEY for SIRI ahahha lingaw ra hahahaha

Here's a full demo about the iphone 4S I found in Youtube:

Glicerio P. Lucrecia, Triennial Awardee

2011-12-15T23:45:00.002+08:00

Glicerio P. Lucrecia is a 4^th triennials awardee for the Ramon Aboitiz Award for EXEMPLARY INDIVIDUAL last 2008. He was awarded through his efforts in his organization: Lapuyan Multi-Purpose Cooperative Pob., Lapuyan, Zamboanga del sur.

Gliceria “NONO” Lucrecia comes from a dead-end town where even few people have heard of in their area. He came from a poor family, which led him to try out odd jobs before reaching the success he was recognized for today.

He has tried to work as a plant technician (He even was a janitor at some point in time) while studying at the Mindanao State University – Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT) where he got his electronics degree. Because of his drive to support himself and his family, he also became an OFW and worked in Saudi Arabia for a few years where he planned to save up some money before coming back to start a business back in the Philippines.

Because he was the type of person that does multiple things at a time (multi-tasking), an accident happened in which he lost his right arm in the process. Though the arm was re-attached, gangrene already was eating the hand out and it had to be amputated. Though he still had his job, he didn’t want to accept pity pay so he went home and in the process of it all he got deep in depression.

This was a great struggle in his life, having to lose an arm, becoming less productive and his pride as a skilled worker –gone. But Sit Nono overcame this through getting grips with reality that it still hasn’t changed the situation of his family and he still had to do something. It could be said that through this time of reflection, he not only saw the struggles of his family but also the struggles of his townsfolk who were also not in a good situation.

While staying at home, helping in the family-owned farm, he found a way to still practice his skill by teaching what he knew and sharing his experiences abroad to the young people in his community. When helping out these kids, he also sought to help his community which led him into politics. Despite his impoverished status, he ran and won as a barangay councillor and later a seat in the municipal council. He tried for the last time for a vice-mayorship position but learned the hard way the corruption and the need for funds for a sustained campaign.

Sir Nono engaging the youth --with my friend Lady Vernie

Despite the defeated sir nono never lost the desire to serve and be of help to others, especially his community. With his ingenuity, he found ways to materialize this desire by founding the LAPMUCO (the Lapuyan Multi-Purpose Cooperative) in 2000 while still being a municipal councillor finishing his term. However, it only launched or became fully functioning and operational when the coop was granted a credit line with an initial loan of PHP200,000.00 from the Land Bank of the Philippines.

He enthusiastically shared his story on how he wrote so many letter s to government agencies, politicians and the like asking for support for the cooperative despite only having one hand through a type-writer with the help of his wife. His efforts really paid off that he was granted a PHP700,000.00 credit line from the United Coconut Planters Bank. And today the coop has an over 9million pesos in credit line and assets.

What amazes me is that despite Sir nono’s success, he is still humble and prefers to live a simple life, still living in the same place with his sturdy yet old house. I remember him joking that his frugality at home is also brought into the coop, despite being a multi-million peso organization, they prefer to be simple (no fancy signages or branding, no aircondition-system, just the stuff that matters).

LAMPUCO’s activities as mentioned by Sir nono is not limited to providing loans to individuals and income-generating enterprises, small-micro businesses but at the same time is also into creating scholarship programs and land redemption. The land redemption program is for farmers who defaulted on their loans and through the program, will help them reposes those lands that they have lost.

Having the chance to meet such an individual is indeed a rare opportunity and here's a video clip of him in a short interview and his message to the young people (Christine Teopiz --interviewer, and the me as camera-man):

About RAFI Triennial Awards:

The Triennial Awards started since 1996 to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the founding of RAFI in 1966. And because majority of the awards given in the Philippines have gone to individuals and organizations based in Luzon, RAFI focuses to the Visayas and Mindanao regions where many outstanding individuals and organizations should also be recognized, rewarded, promoted and acknowledged in the visayas and mindanao.

The Triennial Awards for exemplary individual and outstanding institution in the Visayas and Mindanao, is an initiative of the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. to recognize noteworthy individuals & institutions and to encourage them who through their efforts that bring about hope and change for the betterment of the lives of the less privileged--reflect the philanthropic, humanitarian and holistic ideals of Don Ramon and Don Eduardo Aboitiz.

“Are you going to quit and live in mediocrity, Or Fight and Live in Victory!?”

It is truly inspiring to hear the achievements of exemplary individuals and their best practices. Sir Nono’s life alone is very inspiring, the struggles, challenges he underwent was so immense, and yet he overcame it and still able to live in a simple manner. His story is something that is quite unique in a way that really touches one’s soul.

It really proves to everyone out that not having money is something of a hindrance, Glicerio Lucrecia did it and he did it while helping people. He had no money, no following, almost nothing; he definitely has a rare kindred spirit combined with an overwhelming determination and desire to help.

He did everything, from setting up the coop, finding loans or fund sources, to training the staff, advising how to manage money, how to run the institution while engaging stakeholders and other institution externally is truly no ordinary feat.

Perhaps, this proves the capacity that each and everyone of us has. Just imagine if we activate that into a people power which is in the ability of the Filipinos to work together for the common good. Government and citizens must work side by side to genuinely pursue change and development. They must be each other’s partner in nation building

You may get knocked down, but all you can do is get back up. You may be surrounded with discouragement, but you can’t give up.

All it takes is one person really; Sir Nono's story is a simple fact and inspiration. One tree can start a forest. One smile begins a friendship. One star can guide a ship at sea. One vote can change a nation. One act can save a life. One step must start each journey. One word must start each prayer. One hope will raise our spirits. One touch can show one cares. One's presence can overcome fear. One can make a difference. That one moment is all it takes. So don't get tired of doing what is right and true, even if you're alone. Don't let your voice of hope and optimism get drowned by the grumbling of others.

You see, its up to YOU! You maybe just one, but you can be ONE BIG BLESSING to others!

Note: “This is an official entry to the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI) Triennial Awards Blogging Contest."

Hotel Elizabeth 1st year: An Experience on its own

2011-12-14T13:08:00.030+08:00

Hotel Elizabeth Cebu is a boutique business hotel at the heart of Cebu and promises to make each guest’s stay ‘An Experience on its Own’. After the overwhelming success of Hotel Elizabeth in Baguio as the City’s 3-time Hotel of the Year, Fersal Hotel Group is now bringing Hotel Elizabeth to the Cebuanos to experience its distinct ambiance and impeccable service.

On Design and Feel:

Envisioned by renowned interior designer Tessa Prieto-Valdez, Hotel Elizabeth Cebu is a sight to behold with its Modern Mediterranean aesthetics, comfortable and thoughtful guestrooms, and personal approach to Filipino hospitality and Quality service.

Whether staying for business or pleasure, each of Hotel Elizabeth’s 130+ guest rooms & suites is designed to provide rest and relaxation for your individual needs.

Lobby-Bar Area

Food offering:

The Flora Café serves delicious international cuisine to please your palate and the Piano Bar is the perfect place to unwind after a long day. There is also a Piano Bar if you want to chill, listen to music and have a few drinks.

Location:

It is just a stone’s away from the Ayala Mall, Metro Mall and Ayala Business District, Hotel Elizabeth in Cebu is the convenient choice for accommodations in the middle of the city. Experience Hotel Elizabeth and fall in love with the experience on its own.

Hotel Elizabeth, Cebu is located specifically at the Archbishop Reyes, Cebu City, Philippines.

Penthouse Suite - naay sala o DMD

Accomodations:

131 Luxurious Guestrooms and Suites (Extra Person = Php1,500.00)

-Deluxe Rooms~ Single = Php4,800.00; Double = Php4,800.00; Triple = Php5,500.00

-Junior Suites = Php6,750.00

-Executive Suite = Php8,000.00

-Honeymoon Suite = Php12,000.00

-Penthouse Suite = Php18,000.00

Still the Penthouse, pero mao ni ang murag Solo-Master Bed Room

Hotel Facilities and Services:

Complimentary Wi-Fi
Daily Newspaper
Business Center
IDD and NDD Calls
Room Service
Laundry Service
Transportation Service
Security System: 24-Hour Security Guard and CCTV monitor system
High powered stand by generator
VRF Centralized Airconditioning
Hotel Boutique

The 2nd room in the Penthouse

Guestrooms Features and Amenities:

CD TV with Cable Channels
Imported US linens and towels
Fully automated fire safety system
In-room coffee and tea setup
Hot and Cold Shower
Mini Bar
Telephone
Safety deposit box

Events/Meeting Places:

Santorini Grand Ballroom – up to 100 pax
Tuscany Function Rooms: A – up to 40 pax; B – up to 30 pax
Board Rooms for meetings
Terrazas Outdoor Garden

Good luck Hotel Elizabeth!! May more years to come! and Hopefully I can get to stay in there longer! :D

Globe Telecom ready to launch iPhone4S on December 16

2011-12-06T21:56:00.001+08:00

The iPhone4S is finally here in the Philippines! YEHEY!! THIS IS A MAJOR2 UPDATE TO THE APPLE FANS!!! Globe Telecom announced the Philippine commercial launch of iPhone4S on December 16, 2011 (Friday). Globe said it would also make available the complete array of Apple mobile devices—from the iPhone3Gs to the iPad2—bundled with innovative plans. Globe has started taking pre-orders for iPhone4S as early as December 1, 2011. To place an order, log on to at http://iphone4s.globe.com.ph.

Globe President and Chief Executive Officer Ernest Cu reiterated that the company maintains a formidable partnership with Apple, having had an exclusive partnership that began with the launch of the first iPhone in 2005. Its partnership with Apple has allowed Globe to offer best-value deals for the complete iPhone and iPad product suites.

“Apple has been our strong partner since 2005 and this relationship has allowed Globe to provide our customers with the best deals for the complete Apple product portfolio. Backed by several years experience in handling Apple mobile devices, Globe is better-equipped to deal with the specific needs that face iPhone users, particularly in mobile data. We have developed offers and services that cater to the mobile browsing habits of a wide variety of consumers,” Cu said.

As of end-September 2011, Globe postpaid subscribers reached 1.37-M, up 39% year-on-year. The company’s mobile data business is also a key growth driver, with revenues accounting for 52% of total mobile service revenues and growing by 11% to P20.8-Billion, on the back of new, affordable services that promote the use of mobile internet for social networking, search engine and email services.

Meeting Tourism Secretary Ramon R. Jimenez Jr.

2011-12-01T17:51:00.000+08:00

At the Radisson Blu Hotel - Executive Floor Club Lounge

Cebu, together with the rest of Central Visayas to lead tourism push in the Philippines starting 2012 said Secretary Jimenez. He was recently here in Cebu to attend to courtesy calls to Business institutions, clubs, including the awarding of the 1st Asian Underwater Federation Photography Championships. Meeting Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez was truly a privilege, that DOT-7 gave me a chance to join-in the roughly 45min. small media conference of roughly 10 people including me.

Aside from that, he also mentioned that Cebu will be one of the considered ‘areas of inspiration’ for national tourism development starting next year. Being a blogger, I definitely was at a loss in terms of my limited knowledge of tourism (but still ended up gaining/learning a lot), so I was only able to ask 2 questions and the rest of the tourism related ones to the Business Club heads, Reporters, Columnists and industry stakeholders.

The 1st question I gave was about the digital side or aspect for the Tourism marketing for the Philippines and my 2nd question was pretty simple – “How or what advise can he give us bloggers in terms of marketing the country or our local community tourism in our own little way..”

Let’s answer the 2nd one first he answered: “The 1st answer will be biased~as a tourism secretary, I’d say that only mention or focus on positive things…he laughs..”; “But then, don’t lose the honesty of course, that’s the strong point of bloggers since that is what makes the post influential…Keep it experiential whilst real in terms of not only taking a picture or video of a place that one has been to but also talk to the people in that place, you’ll definitely find or learn more new things or places directly from the locals.”

For the 1st question: “he encourages that local promotion of tourists can be enhanced by maximizing online tools, like social media, social networking sites and the like initiative..”; this comes as a welcome development for those engaged and/or into the promotion of local social media initiatives here. I’d say the answer of the secretary was on point. NGAs – National Government Agencies are not the only institutions that should engage more into social media but also local government units as well!

Tourism Update in Cebu:
From August to November this year had an 11 percent increase in tourism arrivals for Cebu alone compared last year. DOT7-Regional Director Rowena Montecillo said that “we can maintain and we will be consistent if not surpass it once again next year. And add to that in order to boost Central Visayas Tourism, we will be planning to synchronize the websites of municipalities as well.”

Up Close with Ramon Jimenez:
It was his 1st time in Cebu as a government official but had been here multiple times before for business and pleasure. One of his itinerary he had for this visit aside from the formal ones was to meet former DOT Secretary Ace Durano whom he seeked guidance and advice, which he found very useful~before we had the meet-up.

On the national tourism campaign side, they are still on the process of deliberating for the new PH Campaign; “We are being very meticulous since this is after all for our country but rest assured come 2012, the people will get the core campaign.”

Lessons Learned in Tourism, heritage and Marketing:

Toilets/Comfort Rooms will make or break National Tourism – totally agree, this is my major2 fear in travelling ~finding a rest/comfort room in the provinces!!!!
DOT only endorse/recommend infrastructure projects, it is another agency that implements the construction and infrastructure is not necessarily what tourism is about, it’s more of the ‘experiences’ a tourists get.
Tourism, compared to other industries has a higher and faster ‘trickle down effect’ which helps everyone. It spreads wealth faster that manufacturing, therefore, chances of everyone benefiting from tourism is higher.
There are a lot of opportunities in tourism, not just on tourism infrastructure developers (hotel, resorts, etc..) but also in the tourism service side (Eco-Tourism, Cultural Tourism, Tour operators) which Cebu definitely has already partially developed (Heritage Sites and Museums)—it needs more service providers.
The YOUTH will definitely play a big role, since they blog, and share their pride of place and country online!
Goal setting is a form of ‘marketing pressure,’ for if you don’t increase targets for next year (even with limited budget) –no development will occur, no increase in profits, and NO CHANGE.
In any place or tourism venture in the world, the goal is not just sell destinations, but the “EXPERIENCE.”

Some quotable quotes I got from him:

“Tourism should not be treated only as an administrative function but as a business.”

“It takes a nation to sell a nation. Everyone must be involved!”

“In reality, we don’t necessarily spend a lot of time selling our country. We spend even more energy complaining, and talking more of what we don’t have and of our problems. That is one of the reasons why we are where we are. But that can still change!”

“We are our own hero and enemy. We sometimes create a bad image about ourselves.”

Photo Credits: Mafe Barcelo

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2011-11-30T00:22:00.001+08:00

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Lessons Learned @ Visayas-Blogging-Summit 2011

2011-11-29T18:02:00.000+08:00

This year’s 2nd Visayas Blogging Summit 2011 was organized by the Cebu Bloggers Society, Inc. which was held last November 26, 2011 at the SM Trade Hall Cebu. Before I will be sharing with you the lessons learned from the 1st Blogging Summit I attended as a participant and as a Speaker, let me share with you first a quick background of the #VBS.

The "IT" moment for me, Mr.Problogger himself, introducing Chris Ducker via video

Last year, it was held also in SM Iloilo with the Iloilo Bloggers at the helm of it’s success, (Though I was not able to be there, as the Cebu head, I issued a letter of support for their initiative and Cebu Bloggers were there to represent as well.

Mga ni eksena sa stage, na OP gud si mayor rama :D

Early this year (late 1st quarter of the year??), Iloilo bloggers President at the time Claire P. (if I'm not mistaken @_@) and Mr. Batang Yagit dot com together with me engaged in the conversations for the possibility of Cebu to be the next hosts. After emails, random life tragedies, weird happenings and taking into consideration my term was about to end; I made a decision to challenge the upcoming new CBSi President whoever it maybe. After that was done we did a secret-location TURN OVER ceremony+meeting >_< and perhaps began the preparations, then one could say, the rest is what you call history.

The day before the event - Ingress :D

Now speaking about history, this is the 2nd time that CBS was approached for VBS :D But due to factors of the time, perhaps some squabbles or what-not, the 1st time did not push through –how should I know, I was not there :P and I only knew of this through engaging other bloggers, but anyway this is one of those situations called “deserving a 2nd chance..” and I was happy on the side lines that this pushed through --You did a KICK ASS JOB Kevin Ray Chua, Ruben Licera, Jr. and the rest of Cebu Bloggers who volunteered including the sponsors and partners.

For every speaking engagement, I always try out new things in my preparation, speech and style. To be honest, this was my 1st summit, though I’ve done school or academe talks, corporate, open-field, facilitation, and training/workshops, this was definitely a first for me. Aside from that, I had some degree of pressure being the 1st presenter of the whole-day-long summit which makes me the one who sets the momentum in my opinion. (See my slides about the talk & explanation HERE!)

This was definitely the most diverse crowd I had faced (students, professionals, businesses, & media all in one place) and my 2nd over 200 heads speaking engagement to date. I had learned once again to improve and continually tailor my craft for future engagements in which I got good feedback from fellow bloggers as well.

Special mention to LaagCebu.com for giving good feedback for improvements, to those who tweeted me via Twitter [@mancelitaRam, Cyber_Deathscyte, winsel_ama, tymaee, GeffChang, jpthehistorian, TheLordTweets, jem_villaverde, shipcod3] (and for the rest, you know who you are!! AHAHAHA) for your appreciation which gives me more motivation to do this and of course, to be better!

Lessons learned:

In terms of speaking, I had to properly prepare a guide/structure to my talk (in future engagements) and this probably re-enforces the next level need of joining Toastmasters (which I have been stalling or a while..hehee)
Awesome to hear from Chris Ducker’s talk, I’m thinking of getting an accent dammit! Or benchmark his presentation style perhaps? :P
The Photoblogger’s talk (Evanjohnn Mendoza) reminded me to re-focus my niche blog (investinghabits.com), it’s the S.H.I.T. – Share; Have a channel for expression; Income OL; Transcribe ur memories
Quotable quotes (QQ) vanjohn ~ And wat is the secret of perseverance? love, fall in love...-St.Jose Ma. Escriva
Tim Bennett talk a different perspective for bloggers and newbie bloggers
Sir Max Limpag’s talk was really simple and direct to the point ..see his talk notes here.
QQ Max - Write for people, not algorithms; Good writing stands the test of time; First thing to do to become a better blogger - improve your writing.
Chris Ducker is awesome, period..I learned a lot more about Professional-side of Blogging and yes, I need to be more creative!
QQ – Chris D ~ People don't read blogs for adverts, they come for the content; There's nothing a Filipino can't do, you guys are full of talents.
Moving into Social Media blogger friends Joanne Apat shared useful tools while Coy Caballes, Social Media Manager of Globe Telecom shared how they do their Social Media Campaigns –Bottom Line ~ Be Creative and innovate (Repeat 100 times or #TodayIwill #GolangNgGo)
Brad Geiser’s talk is always useful for PR and Marketing Pro’s understanding or going into the online world where a few were also in the house –thanks to you and Ms. Amor Maclang for the Krispy Kreme & for the 1st Photo in this post!! YUM!!
The Queen of Ecommerce in the country shared valuable insights on engaging Social Media Responsibility on a personal and professional perspective.
QQ – Janette T.~Don't debate with a close minded person, influence the observers instead!
First time for me to hear a congressman directly talking about blogging and social media, it was very interesting to listen into~ it’s like a whole-nother world :D
Gina Lopez, managing director, ABS-CBN Foundation, Inc. was supposedly the last speaker but she had a flight to catch up to. In short, she was the most dynamic and moving speaker I have listened to, to date. Her topic was also cool, the synchronization of Online and Offline campaigns for Social Causes. She was focused on the Save Palawan Movement – No to Mining in Palawan! I learned a lot from her definitely and for that, it needs another blogpost :D
Last speaker before the panel discussion was Haidee Emmie Palapar, communications officer of the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc..She basically talked about RAFI’s Community projects and calling on bloggers to blog or assist in the Social Media promotions of projects that benefit the community. Ms. Haidee was a co-batch YMA-3 Scholar with RAFI and for that I am quite familiar with RAFI’s programs, but I hope other bloggers will also get into blogging advocacies.
I just realize that being the first speaker had some benefits, you actually have a lot of time to do photo-ops & bombs :))
I was finally able to analyze the Krispy Kreme packaging quality and it was real good, hence I bought all the used packaging I could find and donated them for CIT IE Council’s Project NOWTBUKS!

Until the next time, Happy Blogging!

Photo Credits: Bryan Karl Yuson, Tiborsho, Fleire Castro, Amor Maclang & Hannah Amora

Forward Awareness celebrations 2011

2011-11-20T21:42:00.000+08:00

I was invited to speak during the Forward Awareness 2011 @ USJR, Cebu to talk about blogging basics to a curious crowd of students. FYI, the FORWARD PUBLICATION is the Official Publication of the University of San Jose - Recoletos (USJR). Forward Celebrate this sort of event to give thanks to the readers, who are the students of the school and at the same time to give awareness of their role in advocating the truth and also student concerns and issues in school.

I was honored and surprised to get an invitation from a student press since I didn't know they were this proactive in terms of keeping up with technology (well, I'm basing this from experience since I was once a part of a student press as well :D).

The crowd I encountered was a mix of courses from mass communications to marketing communications, developmental communications, Marketing Management, Business Administration, Tourism/Hospitality Management, Accountancy and of course some engineering students as well!

I explained again to the audience that there is a vast need or demand for local-user-generated content (For the Philippines); most students, when doing research immediately run to google to search for content and basis for their assignments, research and the like for their school works. But often times, we are hit by a brick wall that says "No search results found," especially for local or Philippine related topics such as languages, culture, geography and history to name a few. This can be a good venue to promote the country in terms of tourism and the like!

Blogging forward

View more presentations from Vernon Joseph Go

I basically talked about the basics and potential uses of blogging, for advocacy, career, making money online, marketing and the like. Also by far, this was the most interactive crowd yet, as far as I counted I got around 10-15 questions during the Q&A portion. WOW!

Happy Blogging!

Photo Credit: Forward Publications 2010-2011

Why do I Choose Tattoo?

2011-11-17T12:18:00.000+08:00

Last October, Globe Telecom had launched the I CHOOSE TATTOO campaign for Globe Tattoo. The Globe Tattoo campaign will get you a chance to win 20k weekly plus & see yourself in one of their digital billboards, like the one above along EDSA featuring various brand ambassador, that includes me! Hahahaha! And I also got MY Globe Tattoo Stick recently which I find soooo convenient whenever I do on-the-move-work where there is no wifi anywhere, and awesome with it's flexible plan options!

Haggard, pero GO lang ng Go! :D

I specifically posted this late because some of my friends who knew about this and saw it kept teasing me about it and it was kind of good at first and eventually became annoying.."Di na daw ko ma-reach!" #Minatay. SO Imagine of the more people knew, I'd probably switch to recluse mode. But hey, the bright side is, I got a story to tell to my grand children or something...And oohhhh First Feature for Geoh Media!

Oh here's the link for the Digital Rotating Ad -- http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10150362762517941 (Courtesy of Globe)

Tattoo offers the best-value Surf-All-You-Want offer with SuperSurf!

There are two ways to avail of SuperSurf:

Text SUPERSURF50 to 8888 and get Surf-All-You-Want for 1 day.
Text SUPERSURF220 to 8888 and get Surf-All-You-Want for 5 days.

And you can SuperSurf anytime, anywhere. It's that easy! Now, you can customize your Home Broadband Plan according to your lifestyle. YEY!

You may check out this link for the FAQs and more details about the Tattoo offerings>> http://tattoo.globe.com.ph/promo/supersurf#faqs

Another thing I found out is Tattoo’s Broadband Customizable Plans—the first in the country—you can enjoy not just the WiMax Plan of your choice but also all the Add-ons you need!

For those who keep on complaining with the ICT Infrastructure in the country, well we just have to wait, till then we do what we can to INCREASE one's speed when you want it with SPEED BOOST ADD-ONS.

For as low as Php150.00, you can boost your WiMax Base Plan speed by 1 Mbps on certain time periods of the day—whether it’s for late night video downloading, heavy browsing during lunch break, or online gaming until dawn.

Here's another link for the FAQ & details for the Tattoo Customizable Plans-- http://tattoo.globe.com.ph/product/customizable-plans#details

Make the most of your landline service experience with VOICE ADD-ONS.

Call Waiting– Receive calls while engaged in a conversation with another caller.
Call Forwarding – Divert calls from a landline to either a mobile phone or another landline phone.
Multi-Calling – Engage in a group conversation with only one landline phone.
Caller ID – View the caller's telephone number before answering any calls.

For more info. you may visit http://www.facebook.com/GlobeTattoo

Reasons to be @ Visayas-Blogging-Summit-2011

2011-11-16T14:24:00.001+08:00

Blogging and Beyond is this year’s Visyas Blogging Summit tag line as it aims to encourage community participation, highlighting the value of blogging in community development, happening on November 26, 2011 at SM City Cebu, Philippines. Ohh! and I will be there as a speaker and my firm Geoh MEdia as Media Partner (Documenting the event) as well. :D

Theme: “Quality Online Publishing For Personal, Business, Government“

Visayas Blogging Summit 2011 is hosted and organized by Cebu Bloggers Society

Co presented by:

Sony Ericsson aims Android leadership with new Xperia™ smartphones

2011-11-11T21:05:00.001+08:00

Sony Ericsson boosts its bid for leadership in Android with an exciting range of new models like the Sony Ericsson Xperia™ ray and Xperia™ active, which bring 3D Sweep Panorama functionality from Sony Cyber-shot™ cameras to the Xperia™ Android line. The new models were unveiled at the Sony Ericsson 3D Expo in SM Cebu Cyberzone.

Sony Ericsson is showcasing its new Android smartphones in the three-day Sony Ericsson 3D Expo (November 11-13). The line-up includes the Xperia™ ray, Xperia™ active and the recently launched Xperia™ PLAY, the first Sony Playstation-certified smartphone. The Xperia™ line has become one of the bestselling smartphone lines in recent years with 22 million units shipped globally to date.

3D Sweep Panorama is a camera shooting mode where users can capture a scene in true 3D with a sweep of the camera. When pictures are played back on a compatible 3D TV, the images come alive with depth, clarity and realism.

“By working closely with Sony to incorporate Sony technology innovations into mobile, we are best equipped to provide a superior experience of Android. We’re aiming for the lead position in the Android arena and with products such as Xperia™ ray, Xperia™ active and Xperia™ PLAY, we are moving closer,” said Dennis Manzano, Sony Ericsson General Manager.

For 3D Sweep Panorama, users just pan the camera and up to 100 images are automatically taken from a number of different angles. The camera’s processor then analyzes and combines these images to build the full 3D picture, which can be viewed as a fully three dimensional panoramic image on a compatible 3D TV.

The first of these smartphones with 3D image capture is the Xperia™ ray, an elegant smartphone with a side profile of only 9.4mm and a 3.3-inch touchscreen. The Xperia™ ray’s body is based on a genuine aluminum frame, visible on each side of the display.

The front face is made of clear black scratch resistant glass with integrated touch keys. It also packs an 8.1-megapixel camera with Exmor R™ for mobile and the Reality Display with Mobile BRAVIA® Engine, as well as a front-facing camera for self-portraits and video chats. The Xperia™ ray also represents power and speed, and has a battery similar in size to larger smartphones.

Meantime, the Sony Ericsson Xperia™ active aims for consumers with a fit and active lifestyle, being dust-proof, scratch-resistant and water resistant. The smartphone also incorporates wet finger tracking, ensuring great performance even when the phone or the user’s fingers are wet.

The Xperia™ active comes with sports apps such as iMapMyFitness plus built-in GPS, barometer and compass functionality. With a 3-inch screen and running the latest Android platform for smartphones (Gingerbread 2.3), the phone features Reality Display with Mobile BRAVIA® Engine, a 5-megapixel camera with HD video functionality, and a powerful 1Ghz processor.

Both smartphones carry Facebook inside Xperia™, which makes Facebook immediately accessible to one’s picture gallery, music player, phonebook and calendar; and the Sony Ericsson exclusive Timescape application, which brings all communication with one contact, whether email, SMS or calls, into one place. Another new Sony feature available in both handsets is xLOUD, a feature that enhances and improves volume in the loudspeaker during playback.

“Xperia™ ray is ideal for a mainstream user with particular appreciation for meticulously crafted design and finish in a sleek format. Xperia™ active is for consumers who seek a worry- free, healthy and active mobile life. Both handsets provide unique propositions that will appeal to different consumers searching for the right handset this holiday season,” said Mr. Manzano.

Xperia Play

The Sony Ericsson 3D Expo will travel to other SM Cyberzones including SM Baguio (November 18-20) and SM Marikina (December 9-11). More locations are to be announced soon. The roadshow highlights the Sony Ericsson Christmas in 3D promo where buyers of Xperia™ handsets will get the chance to win one of three Sony 3D showcases. Over P1 million worth of prizes are at stake.

For more details, visit the Sony Ericsson Concept Shops. Join the Sony Ericsson PH community on Facebook at www.facebook.com/sonyericsson.ph.

About Sony Ericsson

Sony Ericsson is a 50:50 joint venture between Sony Corporation and Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson. In October 2011, it was announced by Sony and Ericsson that Sony will acquire Ericsson’s stake in the company and that Sony Ericsson will become a standalone division within Sony Corporation. The transaction is expected to close at the beginning of 2012 and is subject to regulatory approvals.

Over the years Sony Ericsson has brought together the best communication technologies with superior entertainment user experiences to create its Xperia™ line of the ‘most entertaining smartphones’ in the industry. With its global corporate functions in London, Sony Ericsson has sales and marketing operations in all major regions of the world, as well as manufacturing in China, and product development sites in China, Japan, Sweden and Silicon Valley, California.