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Ako Mismo Supports Ako Mismo

Ako mismo ang magbablog para sa ikabubuti ng bayan sounds better than Ako Mismo hindi magbablog ng makasasama sa bayan.

I now support Ako Mismo. Let me Explain.

Ako Mismo finally gave some answers. I decided to write a new entry on this because my Ako Mismo Campaign and My Conditional Support is cluttered with too many updates.

Four new links are now up but the problem is I needed to click twice to get to these pages. From the Home Page, I had to click “skip Intro” because I was not yet a member then click “already a member?” before reaching these 4 pages.
(Update – May 8: Links are now in the main landing page)

1. Who is Behind Ako Mismo?

2. FAQ

3. Contact Page

4. Wall of Commitment

If already a member, you need to click “already a member” to view those pages. Unsolicited Advice: Please place Who is Behind Ako Mismo? , FAQ, Wall of Commitment and Contact Page on the main landing page. (Update – May 8: Links are now in the main landing page)

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Ako Mismo Campaign and My Conditional Support

Update (May 7)

I now support Ako Mismo. Read my updated entry on Ako Mismo.

““Hope is not a dream but a way of making dreams become reality.”

Update on May 6

There is Who is Behind Ako Mismo? and an FAQ but it is not easily spotted in the main page unless you click two links “Skip intro” and “already a member?”. It is still silent on the use of the database they collected.

What a wonderful idea! I like it. AKO (I, me) mismo (myself or me, personally) is a very rough translation. Me, myself, and I… am doing my part in making the world a better place to live and work in.

I am not helpless. I can solve most of my problems. I have the power to solve the problems that is mine to solve. In my own little way, I contribute to the society through my children. Self-reliance begins in our homes. I hope to instill self-reliance in my children even if they have to inherit this crappy economy. That was what I wrote in my reaction to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo State of the Nation Address (SONA 2008).

It is good to hope. It is better to hope than despair. Declaring one’s commitment in writing is the first step in making your good intentions manifest into reality. What you perceive becomes your reality. Imagine what it would be like to have millions of Filipinos — and those who advocate our Filipino causes — share their altruistic acts to all of us.

But wait… I visit the site at akomismo.org and I am faced with a log-in . I cannot view anything else except the HOME page with the links to the Privacy Page and Terms and Conditions because I have to register first. Fishy! If they were truly sincere in their AKO MISMO campaign, they won’t limit access to the site. They’d give us the freedom to frolic in their virtual playground or plaza before declaring our commitment in writing.

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PR Events, Blog Advertising & Internet Marketing Course at AIM

Note: This is a discussion about Bloggers and Blog Marketing and what Marketing/PR Executives can expect from bloggers.

Bloggers seated from Left to right:
Jonel, Azrael, me, Peter, Juned and Markku
while Regnard Raquedan is standing.

I thought I was just supposed to be an observer/participant of the Bloggers’ round table discussion on Blogging & Blog Marketing: Conversations that can lead to Conversions at the Internet Marketing Course specifically called Winning Internet Marketing Strategies & Tactics at the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) . The course is a three and a half-day course designed to demystify Internet Marketing for executives, consultants, and entrepreneurs. It gives participants a practical understanding of how websites, blogs, and social networks are changing the old rules of marketing. I was pretty much surprised when Regnard Raquedan told us to sit in the front and talk about blogging, blog advertising and blog events.

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Parenting, Blogging and Our Love Story in Net 25 MOMents

I groaned. Not another show. I felt there are many wonderful moms out there who are so much better than me but Net 25 MOMents was persistent. They said the show is for mothers and kids that feature the different bonding moments, child-rearing styles and the many facets of motherhood. I felt like it has been ages since I have actually been a hands-on mom. I have long since enjoyed my independence from child-rearing since the girls turned 20. What could I possibly offer to the MOMents feature?

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Round Table Talk: Ethics and the Blogger Part 1

I can’t believe it. My blog is celebrating its 3rd anniversary on February 24. What can I say? Blogging brought me a new normal, many friends, reuniting with old friends and a new sense of adventure and more. I feel like I am on top of the world. Look at me, I am having the time of my life. Though my blogger’s journey has been mostly fun and adventure, I receive comments or blog entries that are in disagreement with my views or heavy criticisms on my actions. Oh geesh, the ad hominem attacks too. Now, I am not a perfect person and I also make mistakes but I learn from them.


When the Blog and Soul Movement gathered a few bloggers to attend a round table talk on Blog ethics and other matters, I made sure I would be there to share my experiences and provide inputs to the discussion. Topics were Blog events, Copyright, Code of Ethics. The idea of the round table talk is to gather a list of ideas from bloggers on bloggers’ ethics.

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Father Blogger Needs Help

I just came from Western Union to send a little something to Angel Cuala (FatherBlogger.com) . Angel is asking for financial help—his wife, Mylene is currently confined at CP Reyes Hospital in Tanauan City, Batangas. She has been diagnosed for dengue, and is in immediate need of blood transfusion: 4 packs of fresh frozen plasma which costs P9,700. (16,000 pesos more). The Father blogger is a regular reader of this blog.

Dengue is a serious illness. I have parent-members in my support group who have lost a loved one because of Dengue Fever complications.

On details on how to help the Father Blogger, there are 3 ways:

1. Western Union. Read Dine’s post HELP Needed by Father Blogger–blood transfusion urgently needed for his wife, diagnosed with dengue fever.

2. Bank Deposit. Please email me if you want to deposit through his friend’s BPI account. I will send you the account name and number.

3. Via paypal through my account at [email protected]. I will advance proceeds, transaction fee and deposit it to the the BPI account in number 3. I will also furnish copy of your paypal donation to Angel.

Sending via paypal maybe the most convenient option but it’s your choice.

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Bloggers’ Rights

I told myself that I should take a break from blogging. Just when I thought the waters are calm, Mike Abundo reveals that a hearing on a proposal by the Philippines’ National Telecommunications Commission that will require licenses for online content developers will be held today. The public hearing is set at 2pm Thursay GMT+8 (meeting got cancelled) at the NTC Executive Conference Room, 3rd Floor, NTC Building, BIR Road, East Triangle, Diliman, Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines.

The proposal is called the GUIDELINES ON THE PROVISION OF CONTENTS, INFORMATION, APPLICATIONS, AND ELECTRONIC GAMES. Content definition is not quite clear but I hope that can get threshed out. Is the memo applicable to commercial sites? And are personal sites exempted from this definition? Imagine paying 6,000 pesos annually for licenses when people create and post content online. Just the same, I asked my husband to read the memorandum so I don’t miss any fine print.

(edit -updated at 7:00 PM: My husband’s opinion below and read this Business Mirror article that explains the memorandum. Thanks Scrufus for the link. )

The definition of Content Developer is too vague and broad although it would appear to regulate content provided ““for compensation”. It could be dangerous as it could be used to stifle the blogosphere…

Bloggers should question this measure.

It’s not the money, although 6k is a lot. It’s using government policy to control and regulate content online. It’s a freedom of expression issue. It infringes on the constitutional right of free speech and expression.

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Credibility in Blogging and the Libel Suit Against Blogger, Bambee de la Paz

Credibility in Blogging

Edit- Added January 14
If you came here because of an entry written by Manuel Viloria in “Credibility in Blogging”, let me make it clear. I don’t give a hoot if I have credibility or not. You can have it, Manuel Viloria. I can stop blogging today and still continue on with my goals in life. (edit on January 16, 2009Watch the Media in Focus episode on de la paz and Blogging, as I talk more about Credibility in Blogging.)

Manuel Viloria, author of that entry, Obliterated and “Credibility in Blogging” should offer a disclosure as well. (edit- January 17, 2009- Manuel Viloria and I discussed things personally and I felt he need not disclose anything if there is nothing to disclose. There is no feud. We agree to disagree. )

And now the main entry….

If I am not mistaken, I believe this is the first libel case filed against a blogger because of their blog entry. Another blogger survived a libel case but it was not about an entry he wrote but as the webhost of a libelous entry. The latter case was dismissed.

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Being Right

Being in recovery is not about being right. It’s allowing myself to be who I am and accepting others as they are. I cannot help it if others perceive me in a positive light while others look at me as the complete opposite. One’s perception of me is based on another set of circumstances while others based it on my past mistakes.

That concept of “being right” is difficult for many of us if we have lived in systems that functioned on the “right-wrong” justice scale. The person who was right was okay while the person who was wrong was shamed. The value and worth may have depended on being right; to be wrong meant destruction of self and self-esteem.

I don’t have to stand up for myself when I know I did nothing wrong but I have the responsibility to set boundaries and take care of myself. I do not need to justify taking care of myself by condemning someone else. I avoid the trap of focusing on others instead of myself.

At first I could not figure out what Patricio Mangubat’s entry on The Genesis of Every Blogger Byte meant. I wonder what he meant when he said:

People like Butch Dado and his lovely wife Noemi, Dang, Janet, JV and all others are trying their darnest best to keep the Pinoy Blogosphere clean as a whistle but this stupid ingrate tried to spoil everything.

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My Very Own Siamese Pet Kitten

I once wrote about the Health Benefits of Cat Ownership but the thing is I don’t own a pet kitty. My two daughters each own a pet cat. Kylee is almost 10 years old on January 2009. Lady is 7 years old. That’s in cat years. I am often lonely at home when the kids are at school and hubby is at work. I want the two kitties to adore me the way they do their respective masters. But nada.

I resolved to get my own Siamese cat. Why a Siamese cat?

Well, the Siamese are talkers! I see it in Lauren’s Siamese cat, Kylee. He makes a number of sounds and some of the sounds begin to sound very much like human words. The more we talk to our Siamese cat the more it understands our language. So yes, the Siamese is the cat for me.

I searched high and low at pet shops until I decided to check online forums like adpost.com. The ad caught my attention because of the owner. Look at her requirements…

– owner loves cats kaya they are well taken cared of for sure
– I need to talk to the future owners of my kittens, before each transaction.They must be caring…. I won’t sell my kittens to you if you will cage them lang.

I find it touching that Danielle, the cat owner is particular about the future owner of her kittens. I showed her cat entries in my blog to prove that I am truly a cat lover. Danielle seemed happy enough. Today, I finally brought home Missy, a female Siamese (formerly named as Autum by Danielle). She is so adorable.


Missy loves to pose for the camera. I took this photo at Danielle’s home when I was still trying to figure out which of the remaining two kittens fit my personality. The other Siamese scampered away from me as I tried to be friendly. No, not her. Definitely, Missy is the cat for me since she calmly posed for the camera. What a cutie.

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