Best Website, Blog Category in 9th Philippine Web Awards is….

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Philippine web awardMy blog , this blog Touched by an Angel… Receiving the Best Website award , blog category of the 9th [tag]Philippine Web Awards[/tag] is a bittersweet feeling. The theme of this blog is mainly about my grief journey. I’ve had websites, and other techie blogs in the past but a personal blog was not part of my plan. It was Luijoe’s death and my grief that spurred me to start a blog, and share my pain so others may know they are not alone. All of us experience pain or losses one way or another. It could be the pain of losing a boyfriend, a girlfriend, a spouse, losing a job, losing a parent or losing an opportunity. It could be the pain of an illness , a philandering spouse, a rebellious child and other life changing events. Pain is a universal theme. We all know that.

Another kind of pain struck me tonight. A pain in the ass kind of pain. My “annoying husband” kept blabbering over and over again that “You are going to win.” I was stressing over my “future” husband’s disappointment if ever I lost the award. I just wanted him to shut up because it’s not a big deal. Don’t get me wrong. Even if he was annoying that night, he’s still a darling . It didn’t help that the rock bands played deafening bass sounds leaving my heart pounding a thousand times.
meandhusband.jpgI was actually surprised to win because I thought this blog’s theme might appear depressing to the judges. Also, my blog design is not original. In fact, I just used one of those freebie templates. I was planning to customize the design with a new header but it was against the rules to do so once you are in the semi-finals. I am assuming it’s the content that got me the judge’s nod. Thanks to the judges. One of them might have been BryanBoy. I appreciate the award because it means more exposure for my blog. More exposure means wider reach to readers who might find comfort with my blog entries. The prize money will go a long way in funding projects for my advocacy, The Compassionate Friends. I placed the award on Luijoe’s Memorial Table (it’s behind me in the photo above) as this belongs to him too.

Congratulations to the other winners of the 9th Philippine [tag]Web Awards[/tag] . View photos of the award ceremony

Thank you for this [tag]Best Website Award[/tag], Blog Category.

This blog is a pre-finalist in The 9th Philippine Web Awards

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PWA semi-finalist badge.jpgI just received this email.

October 20, 2006

Dear Representative,

Congratulations!

Your Web site, Touched by an Angel, is one of the Pre-Finalists in the Blogs Category of The 9th [tag]Philippine Web Awards[/tag]. You have been qualified to move on to the Pre-Finals round that will take place on October 20, 2006 and will end on November 8, 2006.

As a Pre-finalist you are required to post The Philippine Web Awards Semi-Finalists Badge on your site. Digital resources can be found here. Please link back to The Philippine Web Awards Web site (http://www.philippinewebawards.com).

You also have the chance to be this year’s People’s Choice in the Blogs Category. The voting for The People’s Choice Award can be done through SMS or online. For details on how to vote, please log-on to www.philippinewebawards.com.

Thank you and good luck!

Best Wishes,
The 9th Philippine Web Awards

Congrats to the other pre-finalists in the BLOGS category!

…well whatever www.wellwhatever.com
Fire in the Gut chrislagman.com/blog
fivefeetflat.com | illustrated www.fivefeetflat.com
Pinoy Tech Blog www.pinoytechblog.com
Pinoy Travel Blog www.pinoytravelblog.com
PROJECT MANILA projectmanila.com
Sexy Nomad sexynomad.i.ph
The Man Blog man-blog.com
The Orangelover www.orangelover.net

Technorati’s Philippine Top 100 Blogs

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top100.gif I was googling for my name and discovered that my blog is now on Technorati’s Philippine Top 100 Blogs (View stats here). In fact at the bottom rank at number 92 with Rank: 71,446 (103 links from 41 sites). Not too bad at all considering the official launch of this blog was on February 2006. A big thank you to all my beautiful readers who believe my blog is link worthy. Please sign my map so I know what part of the world you are coming from. (Thanks to Cathy for the link)

Chatting with Bayantel guys

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I’m right now at the VOIP conference having a lunch break. Remember that entry I wrote about the Bayantel ad? I visited their Bayantel booth to check out their Sky Internet VOIP services. For their cheapest subscription fee of 499 pesos a month with a 2900 pesos installation fee, one can get clear voice calls for as low as 5 pesos per minute and 100 minutes free voice calls. Then I met Ricky, the associate brand manager and I couldn’t help asking him “What is that satisfaction guarantee?“. I introduced myself as the blogger who wrote that entry. “Ah so you are the one who wrote that? I finally meet the writer. “, he laughed. Apparently, their satisfaction guarantee is a 15 day money back guarantee. So why couldn’t the ad agency or their marketing guys promote the “15 days money back guarantee” instead of that tasteless ad? I wanted to test their Sky Internet VOIP services but my sister in San Francisco barred incoming calls. The satisfaction guarantee has yet to be tested . If and I ever get satisfied, I don’t intend to look like that model in their tasteless billboard ad. Anyway, I am looking forward to talk to the Brand Manager later for other business questions.

VoIP Conference 2006

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VOIPJust came from the First International VoIP Conference in the Philippines at the World Trade Center. The conference is timely because the House of Representatives just recently approved the VoIP deregulation bill on June 5, 2006. The Senate has yet to approve it. [tag]Voice Over Internet Protocol[/tag] ([tag]VOIP[/tag]) is a transmission technology that uses the internet to send voice and image in real time. Bah, I’m tired to talk about it so just browse the photo gallery

Ban on billboards

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Edit- October 2, 2006– Read Total Ban of Billboards in congested areas in the Philippines.

It says in the news that “FOLLOWING complaints from motorists, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has finally drafted a circular which would ban billboards from being displayed alongside major roads nationwide.” Larger-than-life billboards like Bayantel Ad and scantily-clad models in Bench ads are a distraction to motorists. Not only that, these billboards destroy the landscape of Metro Manila. Once approved, it would prohibit the putting up of advertising billboards or signs within a 100-meter radius of the center of national roads as well as transmission lines. It also calls for the removal within six months of existing display boards within the 100-meter radius. Now, I wonder when this will be implemented.

Speaking of Bayantel, I’ve been getting so many hits from them and probably comments from their staff or their PR guys. (check the latest comments in this entry: Bayantel Ad:Sex in Advertising )