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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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Takbong Pangarap: Joy Rojas is Running Across America

Bloggers Meet and Greet with Joy Rojas on April 18. Please sign up here here

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Lao-tzu

I remember running (half-walking) in that Island Cove “Amazing Race”. I remember feeling proud that I made it that far. I felt proud as I saw the distance I traversed. Now I finally understand runners like my friend Cathy and Pia as they inch closer and closer to their goals. I am not surprised that Joy Rojas will run 5,000 kilometers in 120 days, through 12 states and four time zones in the United states of America.

I first met Joy Rojas in early 2006 when she interviewed me and two of my friends for The Compassionate Friends. Her article came out in the Sunday Inquirer which paved the way for the awareness of my support group. The success of the article comforted so many bereaved parents and eventually inspired me to be a blogger so I could spread the awareness further.

Now I want to give back, and help Joy achieve her dream.

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Yahoo! & Nielsen First Ever Internet Habits Study for the Philippines


Jay Bautista, Nielsen Company executive director for media

If there is anything that excites me more is research findings or trends related to my interests like the internet. I was holed up at the Emergency Room of the Medical City early this morning because my daughter had to be given anti-rabies shots because her pet cat bit her hand without provocation. My daughter, knowing how I love research studies told me to go ahead to the Yahoo! & Nielsen Release of the First-Ever Internet Habits Study for the Philippines but I got there after the presentation of the study. Good thing I was able to catch up with Jay Bautista about some aspects of the study.

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Earth Hour 2009 on March 28, 2009 at 8:30 PM

Update: My Earth Hour 2009

Remember Earth Hour 2008?

Earth Hour 2008 – Zero Hour at Roxas Boulevard, 8:00 PM

Where were you last year? I remember I was at the SM Mall of Asia and restaurants and other establishments were eagerly awaiting the approach of the Earth Hour. Did you know that last year, we ranked 9th in terms of global sign-ups? Another plus is that last year’s Earth Hour initiative generated 56 MWh saved in Luzon alone. We can significantly increase the savings by just participating in Earth Hour 2009.

This year, Earth Hour 2009 is going to be at 8:30 PM on March 28, 2009.

In terms of Earth Hour countdown events, there will be an event at the SM Mall of Asia on March 28, 2009 form 7PM-10PM as well as in Cebu and Davao. Various LGUs nationwide will also be holding their own Earth Hour countdown events.

Taking the first step is as easy as turning off a light. This is an easy task as we keep our lights to a minimum anyway. I am sure you do but Earth Hour 2009 wants to send a message to the world.

Read More »Earth Hour 2009 on March 28, 2009 at 8:30 PM

Orphan Disorders & Rare Diseases in the Philippines

A parent’s love knows no boundaries. Remember the movie, Lorenzo’s Oil? Failing to find a doctor capable of treating their young son Lorenzo’s rare disease, adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD), Augusto and Michaela Odone sought their own cure. Lorenzo died on May 30, 2008 at the age of 30 though but lived 16 more years when they found the cure.

I had the pleasure of meeting another loving mother, Vilma Dee (read her story) as one of our members in The Compassionate Friends Grief Support Group. No, she did not find a cure for her daughter’s very rare disease called Wilson Disease, diagnosed at the late stage of the disease. Wilson disease is a genetic disorder that prevents the body from getting rid of extra copper. Through sheer research, she discovered contact persons abroad that provided medicines for her daughter. Her daughter didn’t live long but Vilma continues to save lives by being the contact person for Wilson Disease in the Philippines. Mary Graper, president of Wilson Disease Association (WDA), praises Vilma, ““I never imagined she would be doing as much as she has been doing for the last seven years (since her daughter died) . . . . Despite her great loss, Vilma is determined to help others in the Philippines so that they would not suffer the same loss as she had.”

Good thing her heart is big enough to accommodate all of them.

Another mother with a big heart is Cynthia Magdaraog, President of the Philippine Society for Orphan Disorders (PSOD). She had no idea back then that her 10 year old Dickoy had a rare disease called Pompe Disease. She was only told that her son had muscular dystrophy. Cynthia went as far as the USA for consultation and got the correct diagnosis, Pompe Disease, a disorder which causes the deterioration of the body’s muscular system. She was told that her son won’t live long but today, at 28, Dickoy goes about his day on a wheelchair, and aided by a breathing machine. He even managed to get a degree in Industrial Design as well as lead a productive life by forming and running a business of his own.


Cynthia Magdaraog, PSOD President and a parent of Dickoy, who at the early age was diagnosed with Pompe disease

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Piolo Pascual on Loving Yourself More


Piolo Pascual and Marian Rivera at the Bluewater Day Spa Capitol Hills Branch Launch

Let’s have some showbiz break with Piolo Pascual. A few bloggers got invited to the BlueWater Day Spa Capitol Hills Opening. Going to the spa is one of my favorite ME time that I couldn’t miss the opportunity to check out another spa especially since it is near the girls’ university. Now it isn’t the first time for me to meet Piolo Pascual and Marian Rivera. I met them in another launch of Bluewater Day Spa last year.

Like I told you, I find Piolo so charming, er gorgeous looking guy to put it mildly. This time around, he looks even more gorgeous than ever. Kinilig talaga ako but I didn’t show my giddiness even if Piolo kept smiling away to everyone. Acting poised and collected, I boldly approached Piolo for an exclusive interview. Lucky me got to sneak in a 2 minute exclusive close-door interview with a few bloggers. Here is his video message to all of you my dear readers:
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Ukay ukay, Bargain and Vintage Clothes Shopping

Visit ukaymanila.com to check for online ukay ukay store or its mirror site, Ukay Multiply

ukay ukay>


I first came across the word “ukay-ukay” from my mother-in-law who lives somewhere in Benguet. It was circa 1992. Just so everyone knows what ukay-ukay means, let me quote my daughter:

Simply put, ukay-ukay is thrifting/thrift-store shopping, Philippine-style. I say ““Philippine style” because ukay stores are not so much clean, brightly-lit places like the ones you see in malls as they are hole-in-the-wall outlets that are often dusty and disorganized. Clothes are generally arranged according to tops, dresses, jeans, etc., but there are racks and racks of them and sometimes, piles and piles of them. Which is why the thrift-store shopping experience is called ukay. The word ukay is a Visayan word that literally means ““to dig through” (source: my mom, who speaks Bisaya) and ukay-ukay shopping can sometimes involve hours of wading through junk (and suffering from sneezing fits) to find dirt-cheap fashion gems.

Now that everyone knows what ukay-ukay means, allow me to give you a history of how ukay-ukay became such a hit with my girls.

One day, mom gave me a bunch of lovely children’s clothes. “Used clothing?”, I thought it was only meant for those that can’t afford to buy clothes. But when I saw the array of unique children’s clothes on my sofa, hmm…I thought it was cute enough to wear at the oath taking of my father-in-law at the Malacanang Palace. The girls never knew it was ukay-ukay clothing until they were in college. Not that it mattered. Lauren seemed fascinated with sailor clothes that she’d often buy marine-themed tops or skirts. Apparently, she had fond memories of this particular sailor dress. I told her that the dress she wore in Malacanang was ukay-ukay. She seemed pleasantly surprised.

When my mom-in-law told me the cost of each of the children’s clothes, I was amazed at the low prices and the good quality despite being used clothing. Those clothes above cost around 20 to 30 pesos during those days. Mom, a talented crafts person bought these ukay clothes for her beautiful quilt projects. She’d cut up the dress and use the fabric for her grandmother’s quilt. I got sucked in to grandmother quilt projects myself but until now, I still have to finish working on it. Most often, she’d be in the lookout for clothes for her grandchildren until they reached their pre-teen years. What a sweet grandma she is.

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It’s BB Gandanghari not Bebe Gandanghari

Bloggers’ meet with BB Gandanghari is on Saturday, March 14 at Mag-net, Bonifacio High Street, at 3-5 PM. You can Sign Up Here



I am absolutely charmed by BB Gandanghari. “Call me BB” as she hugged me. I found out that it is spelled BB not Bebe. BB is actually derived from her own motto Be all that you can be or be all what you want to be and from her first name, Binibini. The Gandanghari came from a family name of a UST beauty queen which caught her attention and thought it was perfect for her. She is beautiful, much prettier in person than photos shown in newspaper and magazines. With just light powder on her face, lipstick and faint blue eyeshadow on her eyelids, BB looks like a sweet schoolgirl. “I want my skin to breathe”, she says. Simple , classy and bubbly. Her happiness shows in the glow of her face and the smile that escapes her lips. It must be her newfound peace that makes her look and feel beautiful.

Before Dine and I started our interview, BB was more interested in us and started to ask questions about our blogs. You can see the concern in her eyes as she asks about the circumstances on how my son died. It was like talking to an old friend. No awkwardness, no airs.


I took photos of BB as we continued to banter about her new life and before the video interview. How absolutely charming! She flashes a smile now and then, an aura of happiness surrounding her that I can feel the positive vibes. I see nothing pretentious about her. I was with her for over 6 hours. She is BB.
Read More »It’s BB Gandanghari not Bebe Gandanghari

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a mom blogger who advocates constructive engagement in issues on family & society.
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