All That Blogs

Week #13: Philippine photobloggers

2010-09-30T13:14:00.004+08:00

In March 2005, Eric Tenin of Paris started his own blog called Paris Daily Photo where he posted images of Paris every day. After its success and demand from his readers, he started the City Daily Photo website where bloggers from all over the world with their own photoblogs of their cities can link their blogs to City Daily Photo and have their photos seen and updated hourly in CDP's portal. There are only 3 rules to become a member: post daily about your city, photos must be of your city, and name the blog (url or title) with 'daily photo' which not many follow.

Surprisingly, for all our photo obsession at every occasion and location, there are only about 9 active Filipinos photoblogging their cities at CDP. When I say active, I mean those who do post DAILY or at least still maintains it (weekly/monthly). Some have come, some have gone. As a blogger, I know how difficult it is to maintain a daily blog. So here are the (still) active Filipino photobloggers of CDP.

Hilda with My Manila is very consistent with her posting. Her blog was nominated Best Photo Blog at the 2009 Philippine Blog Awards. Aside from the photos, she gives detailed description and information of her posted images. My Manila are photos taken around Metro Manila. Vernz with Anything Davao is a newcomer in blog years (meaning the blog isn't 1 year old yet). But already her blog is full of Davao photos as she posts not only ONE PHOTO a day, but many. Mabuhay Manila by Arabesque is also about Manila, with less words. Manila Revisited by Pia have nice photos of Manila, presented in a more personal approach. Life in Manila by Mia was just started last February, so very young in CDP years and especially in blog years.

The rest of the CDP photoblogs by Filipinos can't be considered DAILY anymore as postings happen only monthly, or sometimes, just left behind as archive photos/links. You can find the list here with Butuan, Cebu, Bohol, Tacloban, Leyte, Cavite, Apalit and Quezon City photos.

[Image: thanks to Vernz from Anything Davao.]

Week #12: The Current Philippine Political Scene in Photos

2008-03-10T05:28:00.004+08:00

The Spratlys and Treason

(Photo from Malaya. Red area covers near Palawan Island shorelines. There are ongoing El Nido offshore oil explorations, so it’s not only Kalayan Group Island, Palawan is also included in the alleged deal sell-out.)

Sold: 24,000 sq. km. of Philippine territory at Ellen Tordesilla's blog. The much disputed 'selling-out' of the Spratlys by Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to the Chinese government, including 24,000 sq km of Philippine territory for oil exploration, which encompasses Palawan, the leading environmentally-conscious province of the country. Read more here. And Six RP-occupied islands covered in controversial Spratlys deals talks more about the coordinates specified in the Annex of the agreement. For a another detailed report of the sell-out and the people and departments involved, check out Ricky Carandang's blog First the Spratlys, Next Palawan?

The Rallies

(Photo by Rep. Teddy Casiño)

More photos of the Ayala interfaith rally.

(Photo by Kabayan)

Of Symbols and Manifestos, more photo scenes of gloria-out rallies.

(photo from arkibongbayan.org)

Arkibong Bayan has a website of photos, where pictures paint more telling words, with photos of Oust-Gloria rallies all over the country and around the world.

(Photo from Kabayan)

Even Philippine bloggers had their own rally in the form of a blogswarm. See a list of the blogs that participated. The blogswarm also made the news, read Blogswarm in headline news! for the Inquirer report.

The Struggles and Fight

(Photo from EQ)

The Equalizer presents poll results from his blog, Gloria Arroyo versus the People:"The Final Straw"Scenario.

The Philippines under scrupulous powers, called the "circles of infuence" by Secretary Neri. This is the chart presented to the Philippine Senate for investigation which shows six families that influence Philippine politics. Manolo Quezon has more in his post, Dodging Concrete Demands.

(Photo by Kabayan)

For Whom do We Fight For? (Conclusion), a heartfelt reminder of the things we're fighting for from Kabayan. A must read.

Week #11: Philippine Bloggers Question the Spratlys Deal

2008-03-03T05:54:00.010+08:00

We've been hearing about the Spratly Islands lately. We heard about it during Marcos' time, a territorial rights dispute that almost sent us to war with China. And now, we hear it again in Gloria's time, that's about to send us to civil war. Many are asking, did she commit treason? Was she just greedy, selling parts of the Philippines to China for a $2B low-interest loan every year until 2010, with no conditions of transparency? Has she bigger plans that we can't see? Here are the questions being asked by Philippine bloggers over the Spratlys deal, and the answers uncovered.

Watch ABS-CBN's The Correspondent in-depth report of the ZTE-NBN scandal's connection with the Spratlys deal. (Video at YouTube)

Ricky Carandang wrote more about this in his blog, raising the question whether Gloria Arroyo's Spratlys agreement with China was treasonous or not.

At the same time, Manolo Quezon wrote this commentary at Inquirer Net about the Spratlys deal, Today the Spratlys, Tomorrow Palawan, voicing concern for our sovereignty on those lands.

Quezon has an updated and more detailed report on his blog on the Spratlys deal, focusing on the Philippine-China relationship.

While at Malaya.. Probe Gloria Treason, ‘Sellout’ of sovereignty seen for dirty Chinese loans, where Sen. Antonio Trillanes files a bill to investigate the Spratlys deal. The same is written at Magdalo Para Sa Pagbabago where Bagong Katipunero accuses Gloria Arroyo of treason (written in Tagalog). Walang Ku-Corrupt! is a copy of a speech given by Sen. Ping Lacson at UP Diliman where he says, "I plan to deliver a privilege speech next week... and possibly accuse that good leader of treason."

In the meantime, fishermen's group also seeks probe of alleged Spratlys deal. They say that the Spratly waters "are a breeding and spawning ground for many species of fish that eventually find their way into the country's waters. The area is also a route of migratory marine animals such as tuna, whales and dolphins," which would be destroyed by oil explorations.

Ellen Tordesillas, in her blog wrote Arroyo Spratlys deal impacts on balance of power in Asia. There is also this same article, Manila's Bungle in the South China Sea that implies China's territorial ambitions on the South China Sea.

Far Eastern Economic Review reports the same story on the Philippine sell-out of the Spratlys to China.

Available at Newsbreak is the full text of the PNOC-CNOOC Agreement on the Spratlys.

I'm not much into conspiracy theories, but we should be questioning the bigger picture in this Spratlys deal. For us, the main concern is just the corruption in our country, Gloria's alleged treason, our fishing grounds in the Kalayaan group, and our right to sovereignty of that area. From China's point of view, it's oil and much more. DJB Rizalist wrote about China's past and its territorial ambitions in the South China Sea. I agree in part with him, and according to the Global Security Organization, Spratlys is much more than just oil, natural gas, and minerals. It's true, we should not just sit back and wait for China's dole-outs, like we did with the US. China is known for its long-term goals, its patience, and its race with the West for world economic domination. We're known for our impulsiveness, our quick-cash solutions, and our 'enjoy now, pay later' economic plans. What are we gaining now, and what are we sacrificing tomorrow? We should also not forget China's past, its relations with its neighboring countries, and what happened in Tibet. We could be next.

Photos from Philippine Commentary.

Week #10: Bloggers on Philippine Politics

2008-02-25T10:10:00.009+08:00

The past week and the week ahead will be tumultuous ones for Philippine history. In this week's feature, I'll give you links to blogs that write about Philippine politics, and you can check on them everyday for the news and analysis you don't see or hear on newspapers and tv. (UPDATE 2/29/08: The past few days and today especially, the following blogs are said to have been hacked so you will only see the Homepage: Ellen Tordesillas, Manolo Quezon and Uniffors.)

Ellen Tordesillas, Making Life Worth Living - Here you can read the latest news and scoops. Ellen Tordesillas is a journalist at Malaya, and her blog is widely read by concerned bloggers and citizens. Read the many comments too, for unheard of before information.

The Daily Tribune, the online version - Although not a blog, this opposition 'newspaper' is a perfect complement to Ellen Tordesilla's blog. Check out the Commentary Section's Editorial and Ninez Cacho-Olivares' Frontline.

Manuel L. Quezon III, Punditry, Politics, History, Commentary - If you like reading long and serious political analysis explained clearly, this is the blog to read. It may have anti-Arroyo topics, but the subjects are dealt with objectively and fairly.

Ricky Carandang Reporting - I often see him on ABS-CBN and ANC. It is rare for a journalist of a big tv network to blog as 'himself' and post anti-Gloria entries. The posts here though are moderate and 'careful'.

Our Times, Writings of Susan 'Toots' Ople - This blog raises questions we only think about. With the insider's view of the political circle (Susan being the daughter of Blas Ople), Susan blogs about politics and events from her personal view.

Viewpoints, Personal Views and Commentaries - written by Most Rev. Oscar V. Cruz, Archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop's Residence, this is only one Catholic priest's view of the current events. The events are commented upon, but no names are mentioned, even Jun Lozada's. But a good peek at the Church's moral stand on the issues.

Uniffors, Life in Gloria's Enchanted Kingdom - To 'cool off' from the heated events, here are jokes and funny stories inside Gloria's palace. I love the stories here, funny versions of the breaking news. But there is always truth in humor.

The Daily PCIJ - Keep updated with the news blog of the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism.

And here is a list of other regular 'bloggers' who sometimes rant, sometimes analyze, sometimes personalize, sometimes criticize, and always blog their discontent:

Pedestrian Observer - A human rights blogger, critiques the "dysfunctional governance in the Philippines... ravaged by corruption and mismanagement."

Bayan ni Kabayan - Malacanang and its oppositions compared to Star Wars. Gloria as the Emperor, Joker Arroyo as Darth Vader, Speaker Jose de Venecia as Yoda, Congressman Nograles as Jar-jar, and the infamous Atty. Antonio Bautista as Bautista the Hutt. Can we call the youth of today as the young Jedi knights?

Tongue In, Anew - Personal anti-Gloria commentaries of the current political events. Sometimes too sad but funny. Or is that the other way around?

Manila Bay Watch - Here, no words are minced. Get high and get politicized.

The Equalizer - Equalizer says this in his blog: "What We're Fighting Against: Corrupt Establishment, Incompetent Establishment, Authoritarian Agenda, Political Spins." This is what he blogs about.

Mon Casiple’s Weblog on Philippine Politics - "A running commentary on Philippine politics." Objective analysis of the latest political news.

Diego K. Guerrero - Diego's "chronicle, perspective, random standpoint, rantings and personal opinion on Philippines current events, politics, and environment".

TonyoCruz.com - Commentary and personal blog.

Still working on the list.. more to come...

And also, announcing the Gloria Macapagal Arroyo Resign Blogswarm:

(Photo from Kabayan)

ANNOUNCING THE SCHEDULED BLOGSWARM ON FEB 24-25, 2008. USE GLORIA MACAPAGAL ARROYO RESIGN ON YOUR TITLES AND CREATE LINKS WITH THOSE TWO WORDS. POST YOUR FAVORITE PICTURE OF GLORIA! SHARE YOUR DISCONTENT WITH THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION ON YOUR BLOGS! ALL FILIPINO BLOGGERS ARE INVITED TO JOIN!

Week #9: Calling for the Gloria Resign Blogswarm

2008-02-18T03:45:00.010+08:00

By definition, a blogswarm is "a situation in which thousands of bloggers comment on the same story or news event. A blogswarm can become the "hot topic" of the day in both the blogosphere and mainstream media." - WhatIs.com

But when Jenjen called for a blogswarm of Gloria Resign..

Bloggers unite!
Tomorrow, Friday, February 15, if you cannot join the mass protest actions in Makati because you cannot leave the comforts of your home or the toxicity of your workstation, or simply because you're in another province, nation, or planet, then you can.....BLOG about it! Put the title "Gloria Resign" together with your favorite photo of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo-Pidal!

.. only a few bloggers responded:

GLORIA RESIGN! Utang Na Loob
Uniffors - Life in Gloria's Enchanted Kingdom
Mob mentality: Supporting the Resign Gloria Blogswarm
Emperor Palpakparin Arroyo, Resign!
My Dad's a Rich Fatso - Luli Arroyo
Gloria Resign
Gloria Resign!
Gloria resign! Now na!
Philippine MOST WANTED: Gloria PINAGHAHANAP Arroyo
Sobra na. Resign!

This is only a microscopic drop of the Filipino bloggers all over the world. Not all are concerned or awake, yet. But as Ramon Casiple writes, "the situation is definitely developing and what’s interesting, is the involvement of the middle class and other various sectors." Hm.. maybe the bloggers will follow too, once they're ready. As Pedestrian Observer observes, Jun Lozada's plight and the counter-moves of the government to remain in power.

The rally held last Friday is fully reported at Ellen Tordesilla's blog, Sobra na. Resign!. Makes you feel you were there too. And PCIJ reports the week's events ending in the rally of ousting Gloria at Ayala, Makati. This report also includes links to the different sectors' full statements against the government, from the MBC, to the UP Faculty's call for Neri's resignation, the CBCPs and the AER's. Worth reading..

Talking of links, the Supreme Court allowed the airing of the 'Garci tapes', although during Saturday's news, the govt still threatened they will take to court any tv or radio station or newspaper/magazines, (probably blogs too) that will air or print the transcription of the Garci Tapes. I don't know why they should be alarmed about it being aired, as it's readily available at YouTube and the downloadable mp3s of the tapes (of all versions) and transcription are provided at PCIJ's website. You might want to read Tonyo Cruz's blog, High Court trashes gov’t ban on airing of Hello Garci tapes.

Here are the links:
Gloria-Garcillano Tapes, downloadable mp3s at PCIJ.

And if you want a laugh at YouTube, Hello Garci (animated) from Tembaron and Gloria Arroyo funny by macant3232. These two videos are worth a laugh.

What you can do aside from march:

Petition for UP Faculty Members only, UP Faculty Demand Resignation of Romulo Neri as CHEd Chair.

Petition for all Filipino citizens: Calling for the immediate resignation of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Noli de Castro and for the Holding of Special ("Snap") Elections within 60 days.

Black and White Movement, sign and be counted.

Pinoy Big Briber. You get this bribe of thanks from Pinoy Big Briber if you vote for the eviction of Ate Glo. :D Although deadline was Christmas, this is a replay and can go on indefinitely. As of last site visit, the vote was 53,459. This one lists the ALLEGED Violations of Ate Glo of the House Rules, with funny descriptions (in Tagalog): 1) Hello Garci, 2) Joc-joc only, 3) ABZTEFG, 4) Self-impeachment, 5) Christmas Caroling, 6) Liar! Liar! and 7) Erap's Pardon Me.

And of course, always choose truth and transparency.

Monday, the Senate Hearing will continue, followed by the scheduled rally on the 22nd Anniversary of EDSA next week (Feb 25). Filipinos, be vigilant and be aware! Take action and make your choice!! NOW.

Here are pictures you can re-post on your blogs. These are my favorites. Don't forget to link to the source--not me.

Photo from Kris Jou

Photo from Kabayan

Photo from arkibongbayan.org

Photo from arkibongbayan.org.

Photo from GMA Resign

Week #8: Blogging Filipino Events

2008-02-11T05:20:00.000+08:00

I'll just list the events blogged about by Filipino bloggers this week.

On the very light side, witness the new newspeople of today, bloggers and their poised digital cameras and camera phones. It's not fun to be a famous person these days. I'm So Happy I Met HappySlip, Happy Slip turning Filipino bloggers into papparazzis.

More about Happy Slip (sigh, I'm not envious). Except this post starts with a New Year greeting. Kiong Hee Huat Tsai is Happy New Year in Binondo.

On a more serious side (although it's another comedy in Philippine politics), a blog post by Manuel Quezon on Lozada's Great Escape. If you want the full story, a full history of the event is recounted here. This one kept everyone glued to the television, could this be the one to topple down the GMA regime? Abangan..

An apt celebration of Heart's Day this week. Black hearts at
The Black Parade, Revolutionize The Face of Valentine's. A good way to celebrate Valentine's by burning your heartaches and bridges behind you. Free for college students.

And if you are the kind who's not into freebies, watch the 12th Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta, Philippine's annual Hot Air Balloon Fiesta (PIHABF), the country’s biggest aviation sports event. Full schedule is provided.

And another fantastic fiesta, the Panagbenga 2008, Flower Festival in Baguio. This post gives tips on how to enjoy the festival.

Until next week!

Week #7: Philippine Food Culture According to Bloggers

2008-02-04T01:59:00.000+08:00

An American once asked me, "What is it with Filipinos and food?" Of course, it'd be no different from the question, "What is it with Filipino bloggers and food?" Recipes are swapped, secrets in cooking are revealed, memories are unearthed, local cuisines are written about, restaurants and food and cooking are reviewed, some even write about what they ate for breakfast, lunch, snacks and dinner. But what is it with Filipinos and food? Maybe.. the diversity? Each region, each town has its own specialty and delicacy, its own way of preparing a certain Filipino dish, its own perspective on food, and its own traditions. And consider what one writer in the US wrote when talking about Philippine cuisine, "there is no such thing as Filipino food". (Gasp!) Could it be true? Could all our eating and writing about Filipino food be all false and delusional? Or could it be that Filipino food is the original fusion food because as Doreen Fernandez says, we ingest not only food but culture and make our own what we like from others?

So this week, we look at the food culture in the Philippines, according to Filipino bloggers. And find out for ourselves if there really is such a thing as Filipino food.. culture.

But first, a background on Philippine Culture, What Is Filipino Food? by Doreen Fernandez. And from the same site, Reynaldo Alejandro writes about The Basics of Philippine Cooking.

From bloggers:

The Heart and Soul of Filipino Food. Here Connie Veneracion tries to answer her editor's question "What characterizes great Filipino food?" And in another article, she writes about Cultural Differences and Acquired Tastes, a defense of Filipino cuisine.

In a way, it's true that we are known for eating pig's feet and chicken feet, and intestines and blood and snouts, eyes and brains, and duck feotus, but it's also true that we have a whole tradition behind us of food that foreigners and Fil-Ams have never even heard about. They know adobo (because of the band?), pancit and lechon (because they're ubiquitous), and dinuguan (for its icky factor). But do they know Ginataang Kuhol (escargot, snail)? Do they know we eat frog's legs? And dogs? And rats? Bats? Okay, enough joking around.

Here's a list of food as talked about by bloggers:

Pangasinan Cuisine by Kai, she writes a vivid picture of food traditions and introduces us to Pangasinan Cuisine. Who is familiar with intemtem, masikoy (palitaw), inlubi, katiba, unda-unday, inkaldet and patupat?

Filipino Food by Connie Veneracion. Sweets such as palitaw, buko pandan, pichi-pichi, puto maya are everyday snacks for us but curiosities for foreigners.

Or you might want to read Margaret Magat's long essay: Balut: Fertilized duck eggs and their role in Filipino culture.

I will add more blogs here as I find them, that talk not only about Filipino food recipes, but also the preparation, the traditions, the memories, and the culture that are still to be unearthed. Come to think of it, we need more food bloggers writing about Filipino food in their region, as they know it.

Week #6: Bloggers on Books and Reading

2008-01-28T01:55:00.000+08:00

Nino raised this question in his blog “Are books on the way out?”, a thread he followed from Tropophilia that quoted Steve Jobs as saying, books are dying. With the launching of Kindle, this has become a topic of concern for booksellers and booklovers. Are books on the way out? Torn and Frayed in Manila thinks so in his post “Twilight of the books”. He writes, "I can't help thinking that this is indeed 'the twilight of the books'." He quotes New York Times' concern, "What will life be like if people stop reading?”. Indeed.

On the parallel side of an imaginary universe, other bloggers do not seem concerned about the books vs Kindle, books vs. YouTubes, books vs. technology debate. Toni in her blog Wifely Steps starts a book carnival urging her readers to finish this sentence in their blogs "If Books Were Food...". She herself writes, "The Book Thief by Markus Zusak would be a pumpkin soup with pieces of bread, a glass of water to wash it down..." Dr. Emer of Parallel Universes writes about A Thousand Splendid Suns as tasting "like Tandoori Chicken, the only Punjabi food I love. Very spicy and very hot, it can move you to tears while eating..." Intention To Treat writes If books were food, "then JK Rowling would be a great chef, and the Harry Potter series would be...worth lining up for and making reservations." I tried out this game, but could only come up with "If books were food.. then I wouldn't mind being a bookworm." I was never good with imaginary games.

On a more serious note, Dave Llorito writes a review of After the Neocons: America At The Crossroads by Francis Fukuyama. His review almost tempts you to read the book yourself.. almost. But he explains the "neocons" (new conservatives) very well, that it's almost as if you know the subject. But he writes, "It’s a must-read for all those who want to understand the nature of America’s foreign policy after 9/11 and figure out where it is heading for." A big concern for us because we are always blindly following the US tail.

And in a separate parallel universe where books are not only food but also oxygen, Jessica Zaffra of Jessica Rules the Universe has 30 posts in her Book categories. You might want to check out her "literary" choices.

So are books dying? Can't answer that. But Torn and Frayed says that the Philippine population"is largely 'alliterate'; people who can read but choose not to." And he quotes Samuel Jackson as saying "people in general do not willingly read, if they have something else to amuse them."

So because it's a loop, back to Nino's Reading and Kindle, "Are Books Dying?".

Week #5: Mindanao bloggers

2008-01-21T04:12:00.000+08:00

I have heard a lot about Mindanao's Top 100 Bloggers, the Mindanao's bloggers convention held last December, Davao being the next silicon valley of the Philippines, etc.. So I thought I'd take a look at the top 100 bloggers and choose the ones I like. Sure it made me decide to visit Davao this year, but I think all we really want to know about Mindanao is.. what's it like there? So here is this week's featured Mindanao bloggers talking about THEIR Mindanao.

The Good Life by benhurjun

In his header description, Benhurjun writes "This blog contains adventure tales, travel stories and those little trips that make living a little exciting.... "

It is about travel and adventure tales, a mixed writing of the past (childhood memories) and present (travels to other countries). The memories are best because of its Philippineness. It would be better though if the names of the barangays, mountains, rivers, towns, were named and given life. Nice writing though.

Cantilangnon ini by Cantilangnon

Cantilangnon ini is purely written in the Cantelangnon dialect. Cantilan is a place in Surigao del Sur, and this blog is about the blogger's everyday life (um, monthly?). Although this blog hasn't been updated since November 2007, I thought I'd feature it here for its use of the dialect. If you visit the site, you'll know why.

Davao Diaries by Dava Maguinda

Well-written blog by a Davao journalist. The title describes what the blog is about: Davao, diary. But get this, 2 posts in 2005, 51 in 2006, 59 in 2007, but 3 so far this January. If Falling In Love With Butuan is a sign of what's to come this year, then we're in for a good read.

Davao's Food Huntress by Davao's Food Huntress

With the list of restaurants in this blog, you'll never go hungry when visiting Davao. Light reading, but very informative about Davao restaurants, prices and food. Yum.

And for those who never leave their homes without their laptops..

Davao WiFi Hotspots, a blog about Davao's Hotspots! How nichy can you get?

Week # 4: Blogging the Philippine Environment

2008-01-14T01:56:00.000+08:00

We only have few Filipinos blogging exclusively about the environment, let's estimate 1 environmental blog for every 50 food blogs or 100 personal blogs. How can that be, when the Philippines has been tagged as a "biodiversity superstar" by the Conservation International, meaning many of the world's species of plants and animals are endemic to the Philippines. Filipinos love nature, and treks and the beach and travel.. and food (all connected to the environment), yet do not blog about the environment?

The issue raised by GMA-7 alone about the Philippine National Shooting Team and other Gun Clubs shooting Philippine wild ducks and other wildbirds (which is illegal by the way) didn't raise the expected questions and concern in the bloggers community. Unlike the 2008 Blog Year Awards does.

But back to the environment. Here is a list of the few Filipinos blogging about the environment:

Samu’t Saring Buhay, although updated only monthly now, there is a full archive of information about the Philippine biodiversity and environment.

Layas, has few entries but are long and informative with lots of photos. It is more a report on the state of the environment, from the Philippine wildlife (birds), to the Tubbataha Reefs.

Romy Ocon's Philippine WildBirds with his selected bird photos. In his blog, Romy says this: "There are close to 600 species of Philippine birds, and about 180 of these are endemic to our islands. Many of these species are threatened or near-threatened. By photographing these magnificent winged creatures in their natural habitat and sharing the pics through the web, I hope that in my own little way I can help raise awareness for the protection of their habitat. I wish that the children of our children will still be able to behold their beauty long after our generation is gone."

For Philippine bird wildlife appreciation (non-blogs):

We have the Largest Eagle in the World, and back in 2004, a new bird species was discovered in the Babuyan Islands. In 2005, a Philippine Eagle-owl was born in captivity, which was a world's first. For more about Philippine birds, visit the Wild Bird Club of the Philippine's website.

Some of the dangers our wildlife faces (more blogs):

CJ wrote at Blogging Out Loud, "It's a Bird! The Philippine Duck - Anas luzonica - Hunted and Killed".

Yeez wrote the same on his Multiply blog, "Goodness Gracious, Help Stop Wildbird Massacre". Allsummers had the same reaction from the GMA-7 news while Nino reacted to the post. If we can have this kind of chain reaction (positive or negative) to things that really matter so the issue can be resolved by those who can implement the laws. That's what blogs are for!

Edible Garden reports Josef's speech last December 2007 at the Dutch Embassy about the Illegal Hunting of Wildlife (Birds) in the Philippines. Josef has started a petition to stop the illegal hunting, especially by gun clubs. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species lists the Philippine Duck as one of those endangered. You can search other red listed species in their site.

The North Philippine Times' has an Environment Watch update and reports around the Cordillera, Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley and Central Luzon.

This website reports the plight dolphins, turtles, and divers face against the illegal use of dynmaites.

A Distress Call for the Philippine Environment posted by Vina Veron Cruz at aenet, although not dated, doesn't mean the problem is long past.

Tutubi writes in his website about the film, Endangered Tales of the Philippines, which shows the biodiversity of the Philippine flora and fauna and the extinction it faces. The film interviews the scientists involved in the fight for the wildlife preservation.

Solutions:

Visit the website of Haribon Foundation and the World Wildlife Fund-Philippines for more information and what you can do to help.

It also pays to know the Philippine Environmental Laws. Another site provides a list of Philippine Laws on the Environment.

Sign a petition or start one at Care2.

Hoping for more Filipino environmental bloggers and watchers..

(If I missed a Filipino environmental blog somewhere, please let me know.)

Week #3: Money-Making Blogs

2008-01-07T01:01:00.001+08:00

Here are some Filipino bloggers who are into the game of making money online. Maybe we can learn some few lessons from them. They admit to playing the game, they write about it, they give advice to making it and they give tips, and they make us envious and think, why didn't I think of that? (although it's hard work like any other). This is a phenomenon that hit the western world years ago (remember those annoying ads and spams and networking stuff?) and reached its peak because now, they're calling for content quality. Now the online money-making game has hit our country in the name of SEO and PPC, and unfortunately about to reach its peak, too. Or maybe not. However, Yuga has predicted that the Adsense craze may die out this year. Like in the network marketing business, the early bird always gets the worm.

Make Money Online - From Mindanao's top 100 blogger, Lady Influence experiments with keywords to increase the blog's SEO: "payday loans", "consolidate debt loans", "making money online", and on her other sister websites: "sex", "sexual diseases", "money", etc.. This site claims to have made it to the 2nd page of Google search ranking which increased the site's ECPM rate. The site is a good example on how to use keywords effectively on your blog.

Make Money Online: Make Money Online with a 13 year old - see the trend? That seems to attract searchers a lot. Carlocab is a (now) 14-year old blogger who's making money. This site is Google's #1 result when you type "make money online" on your search. The site gives tips and advices, and also shows you how to get rich. Last year, Carl was part of a controversy when he came in 4th in the Top Ten Emerging Influential Blog of 2007 and his identity was questioned by other Filipino bloggers.

(Because this controversy raised too many ethical issues, here's a quick rundown: Ethical issue was raised by Noemi, Yuga took a neutral stand, and so did Connie. The fireworks in the comments on Connie's post are extremely hilarious which Manuel seems to sum up well.)

Teens Make Money With Kirby - Targets teenagers, uses lots of teens keywords, money, online games, you get the picture. Another example of how to use keywords effectively to making money online (I seem to have used that a lot in this post too!) . This is also a lesson on choosing your target demographics well.

Since there will be more bloggers jumping into this online money-making game, I thought I'd make an exception and include an article by a non-Filipino blogger. Her advice on how to add content to your blog and still make tons of money is so relevant to this post. I'm sure Filipinos wanting to write blogs with this intention can learn lots of tips from Lorainne's must-read post: 10 Really Rad Righteous Blogging Tips.

Week #2: 2008 in the Philippines

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Celebrating the arrival of 2008 means eating lots of food, making lots of noise, having fun, making plans and listing resolutions and goals, and sometimes looking back at past accomplishments and failures. Here are some bloggers blogging about the year 2008:

Do You Have a New Year's Resolution?, Connie Veneracion (Sassy Lawyer) prepares for the New Year with her resolution to stop evil disguised as housework.

In Philippines Before New Years, A visiting foreigner's view of the Philippine holiday celebration(s).

13 Round and Sweet Fruits for New Year, Where the year is expected to be greeted with round fruits, probably a Chinese tradition denoting prosperity. Now that tradition is being celebrated in France by a Filipina blogger.

Do you do any of these during New Year's Eve? Toni reminisces the old traditions practiced by Filipinos during New Year's eve and wonders if she'll keep them this year.

Making Fun in 2008 (because you can't have what you haven't made yet), Jester-in-Exile plans to do more blogging in 2008.

In RP, Mindanawons least hopeful in greeting 2008, Walter (a journalist), reports on the result survey on hope versus fear in 2008 in the Philippines.

May all have a blessed year!!

Week #1: Blogs I read

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Adam's Reef - Jean Claire's Blog. Based in Mindanao, Claire blogs about Mindanao (of course), feminism, books, art, dance, writing, teaching, travel, politics, stupidity and ignorance, and her struggles for and against all these..

Bucaio - Kai describes her blog as "A blog about Pangasinan cuisine, and Filipino food in general, as well as a documentation of life in the Philippines." I think that says it all. A must read if you're into food.

Ivan About Town - Ivan Henares travel journal around the Philippines. Has won many awards on travel writing. If you want to know about certain places in the Philippines not covered by travel agencies or Lonely Planet, come to this site. He has an index of the towns, cities, and provinces he has covered.

Jessica Rules the Universe - Jessica has ambitious plans for world domination. Writes about books, movies (or films to be snob about it), rants about the food she eats and where she eats them, her favourite writers and not so favourite, people who can't speak/write English well, pirated movies, tennis, uncultured culture, herself, and many other topics about world domination I can't mention here because there are too many of them..

Sassy Lawyer - All about Philippine politics. Connie is a lawyer/journalist who analyses Philippine politics, Philippine food and motherhood. Her blog is currently under repair, but will be back January.

Philippine Food Blogs

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Bucaio, Kai describes her blog as "A blog about Pangasinan cuisine, and Filipino food in general, as well as a documentation of life in the Philippines." I think that says it all. A must read if you're into food.
The Scent of Green Bananas, the scent of green bananas: food from the guambat.
The Mommy Journals, Tales from a house on a hill
Market Manila, Marketman is a well-traveled management consultant who loves buying, cooking and eating good food.
English Patis, A Filipina living in Middle England. Dreams of cooking for a living.
Iska n Dals, Ako po si Iska, anak ng isang Batanguena at isang hampaslupang Ilocanong Accountant na parehong may talento sa pagluluto; mga magulang na nagkaron ng carinderia not for the money but for the love of cooking kaya ako naman ay natuto ng mga lutuing pangmasa. Ito po ang aking Edible Experiments.
Lasang Pinoy, The Filipino Food Blogging Event. Lasang Pinoy is a monthly food blogging event to promote Filipino food.
Pinoy Cook, My name is Connie Veneracion and this blog is about the meals I cook for my family, my personal observations on restaurants we have eaten in, and information about Filipino delicacies and other locally available food products.
Munchin ' in Manila, great eats & treats in Asia's friendliest city

Philippine bloggers

2007-12-23T09:10:00.000+08:00

Alaism, Ala Paredes, 24 years old, blogging since July 2003.
Art A2Z, Everything about art, reviews by Nino de Veyra.
Bananacue Republic, Foodcart of ideas, opinions, and hidden news.
Books A2Z, Everything about books, reviews by Nino de Veyra.
Concaved Lenses, a story of the lonely behind that concave lense
:D, yellow, because I can
Davao Diaries, Grumblings of a BlogBug
Denciojuan (apathy), simply black and white - the beauty of duality, of oppositions, of structuralism
Digital Filipino, This is the e-commerce resource website of Janette Toral marketing her books, articles, events, and advocacies online.
Digital Imageer, Create, Unique, Impact
Gibbs Cadiz, Theater, travel, movies, music, books, bloviations.
Istambay Sa Mindanao, Notes on Mindanao, mostly
Life In Between Banana Split, WARNING: Adult, adulterous and adulterated contents
Manuel L. Quezon III, Punditry, Politics, History, Commentary.
Morofilm, Gutierrez Mangansakan II is a writer, documentary filmmaker and heritage conservationist from Pagalungan, Maguindanao, in Southern Philippines.
Nino Soria de Veyra, The Not So Official Blogsite
Rambling Soul, a monstrous, all-consuming, wizard-hating balrog; the father of Blogging.
Shirley ni Ely, filipina, feminista.
Torn and Frayed in Manila, "And his coat was torn and frayed / It had seen much better days" (Jagger/Richards)

(more to come)

Philippine Travel Blogs

2007-12-23T05:35:00.000+08:00

Ivan About Town - Ivan Henares' blog about his Philippines travels. Has won recognition on his travel writing. If you want to know about certain places in the Philippines not covered by travel agencies or Lonely Planet, come to this site. He has an index of the towns, cities, and provinces he has covered. (featured Wk#1)

Pinoy Travel Blog - an experimental project on group blogging. This site provides information on Philippine travel, destinations and travel tips. Mostly it's about the bloggers' travels and experiences.

Happy Tripper - If it's information you want, I would suggest to just click the Philippines category and read about the blogger's travels in the country. Check out the tips too, you might learn some for your coming trip. Lots of excellent photos, and informative descriptions.

Byahilo - Not an informative travel blog, but it offers lots of photos with long captions. It reads as the blogger's personal travel photojournal with side comments about promo fares and hotels.