Are you looking for Christmas gift ideas? Check out the BPI Sinag ng Pasko, a Christmas bazaar featuring products from Filipino social enterprises, on December 11, 2019, at the Palm Drive Activity Center, Glorietta 2.
With merchants presenting options ranging from arts, fashion, food to home essentials, Sinag ng Pasko will help you find stylish and contemporary creations that offer a glimpse of Filipino culture, reusable everyday items built from sustainable materials, upcycled pieces, and food assortments made from locally-sourced ingredients.
Natural and healthy pieces of bread by The Make Peace Bakery, a social enterprise empowering the disadvantaged youth through learning baking and business skills.
Auro Chocolate is a proudly Filipino, bean-to-bar, and an internationally-awarded chocolate company that sustainably sources our cocoa beans directly from local farming communities in Dava o White button-down shirt by Candid Clothing, a sustainable clothing enterprise which uses fabric surplus and upcycled materials for cloth and accessory making Nito Vine bag by Rolyolikha, producer and manufacturer of wall art decor, divider, lampshade, mats, baskets that are made of indigenous materials Insulated lunch bag by Mori Notes, a social enterprise that employs stay-at-home mothers through creation of innovative journal notebooks, wallets, bags, and purse
Handmade soaps by Squeaky Clean Kids, a social enterprise that provides hygiene and environmental education, livelihood programs and services to kids and communities in need Home-cleaning solutions by Happy Helpers, a home-cleaning service provider by mothers from an underserved community in Taguig under-served
Sinag ng Pasko is a
spin-off event of BPI Sinag, an initiative by BPI Foundation to support
Filipino businesses with the triple bottom line of people, planet, and profit.
With many social enterprises lacking access to the wider market, the bazaar
allows them to reach more people in time for holiday shopping.
“We offer Sinag ng
Pasko as an ideal venue to look for Christmas gifts, whether you are a
zero-waste advocate encouraging your loved ones to embrace a more sustainable
lifestyle, a proud champion of Filipino craftsmanship, or simply a shopper
looking for unique and beautiful items,” said Maricris San Diego, Executive
Director of BPI Foundation. “By bridging social enterprises and conscious
consumers, Sinag ng Pasko aims to shine the light on a more meaningful
celebration of the Christmas season. .”
BPI Sinag ng Pasko
Christmas bazaar accepts cash and BPI QR code payments.
Novelty
Bags and Beads for LifeBudget Squad ManilaCustomMade Crafts Center, Inc.Haven for Women Jacinto & LirioMori Creations
Home
essentials
Accents & PetalsBalaiKamayHappy HelpersSqueaky Clean Kids
Ecotourism
SubidaZambawood
Toys
Karaw Craftventures
Fashion
and accessory
Angie’s YakanCandid Clothing Cooperative of Women in Health
and DevelopmentDA BuenasEverything is PineGAD LivelihoodHabi Footwear & LifestyleHera BeatriceINDIMalingkat WeavesRisque Designs/Stride CollectiveRolyolikha at iba pa handicraftsXabukid Trading
Think about the times they have underestimated you. I remember friends and even relatives looked skeptical about a web page I created 25 years ago. “Why are you even doing that?” they asked me. I shrugged, “it’s something new. I want to learn from it.” Did I foresee the future of Digital? No, and I wish I did. Rather, I wished I had been braver and believed in myself more. I believe though that I learned from being underestimated and continued on despite the skepticism.
Leigh Reyes, co-chairman of DigiCon 2019, introduced the learning process during the Opening Ceremonies. She also presented seven questions for the 3,500 delegates in the plenary hall. What do you need to do to learn?
– Do you know more about the technology than your boss?
– Would you be adding new schools to your CV before 2019 ends?
– Have you yourself invested in learning new skills this year
– Has your company added a new job in the past year — in its core services?
– Could Artificial Intelligence do at least 30 percent of what you do today?
– What differences do you want to make in the world — and could your skills help you make that difference?
– Are you ready to Lead, Explore, Apply, Practice (LEAP)?
Organized by the Internet and Mobile Marketing Association of the Philippines (Immap), DigiCon adopted LEAP as its theme to solidify its status as the learning and networking experience that unlocks digital marketing excellence for its stakeholders. According to the World Economic Forum, by 2022, the core skills required to perform most roles would change by 42 percent. Imagine knowing your team having only 58 percent of the skills needed to deliver their goals. The 2019 Emerging Jobs in the Philippines Report by LinkedIn stressed that digital competency is in high demand, but so are soft skills. It is better to prepare to evolve than watch the world evolve around you. So, I was there at the DigiCon to continue learning how to LEAP and get inspiration from the keynote speakers.
Wendy Clark, chief executive officer (CEO) of DDB Worldwide in her keynote speech focused on “Bravery, belief and being underestimated,” and how the three B’s helped her career, her agency and brand clients. Curiosity and passion are what’s going to make us brave, she stressed. This is how we’re going to lead. This is how we’re going to challenge and find innovative ways to lead our brands and lead our companies. To be brave, one has to disrupt the status quo. New research from Effie Worldwide uncovers bravery as the biggest differentiator of effective marketing. Traci Alford, president and CEO of Effie Worldwide adds that “if you want to stand out with consumers today, you simply can’t skimp on bravery. The truth is, if you want to create effective work, your safest bet is to take the biggest risk.”
An example of brave work Clark got involved with is Stayfree’s Project Free Period. An insightful campaign gave Indian sex workers alternate livelihood training in the only days they were free — during their period. Another campaign was McDonald’s International Women’s Day to honor the women who comprised 60 percent of their workforce. To celebrate the day, McDonald’s stores flipped their “M” to form a “W.”
I talked to her about learning and being underestimated after her keynote speech. “On the path to learning is a failure. Failure is a bruise, not a tattoo. Too often, as a society and as an industry, we compare failure as a tattoo. It is not permanent. We need to talk of failure in a positive sense. Position it as learning. Use being underestimated as a lever, as a powerful tool. When someone is underestimating you, use the underestimation as a fuel in your tank to achieve what needs to be accomplished. Embrace when someone underestimates you.” She recalls a “famous” failure when she worked at a US mobile phone company in the nineties. When Nokia approached her about the camera phone, she told them that “people would never use their phones for cameras. Phones are for talking and are for phone calls. I mean, I couldn’t see it.”
Clark laughs at it now but remembers her old boss, that “it is okay to fail once. It’s not okay to fail twice at the same thing.” Why? It means you don’t have a learning organization. Failure needs to be demystified. We need to position failure into learning. The DigiCon cochairman affirms that in learning, “reinvention cannot happen without learning, doing, learning again, doing again, learning more things, resting in between and then you keep learning.” In learning to LEAP in digital I know I need to be brave, hold on to my beliefs and that being underestimated is part of the territory.
“The first step to teaching your kids how to handle money is being a good example.” – Dave Ramsey
My children are adults , living away from home for the past five years. I am so proud that they are independent. One of my greatest fears was dying young just like my mother. I wanted my children to be able to stand on their own even at a young age. I believe that setting an example was the key to teaching them about financial responsibility. Today, I can look back and reflect on the ways I brought them up.
I believe that kids need to learn how to manage their money in order to gain financial freedom no matter their chosen careers. So even if they will turn out to be writers or a chef, they will know how to manage their income and expenses. Money management started when they were little kids. It meant that they couldn’t demand to covet the latest gizmos and gadgets. They knew our priorities and often understood our reasons. My kids never acted like spoiled brats when I told them “no, we can’t buy that right now. Maybe some day. Or let me save for it first.”
Teaching my girls kids about financial responsibility meant setting a budget — and deciding what to do when they miss their own guidelines. When the girls were still in their high school and elementary years, I gave them lunch allowance twice a week. I did this because I wanted them to know how to handle money. The rest of the week, I gave them packed lunch which also results to savings.
There was never a need to buy branded toys, gadgets or clothes. If they wanted something for Christmas, it was always within our budget. The best way to encourage sound spending habits was to exhibit them. When we went to the mall, it was mostly to buy books that I could afford. Books are so expensive. I recall the books I could only afford was the “Little Golden Book” , a popular series of children’s books. I discouraged impulse buying.
As college students, I gave a weekly allowance for food. I wanted them to learn budgeting for the week. Pretty soon, they graduated from college. As soon as they started earning, they bought their own clothes and saved the rest of their salary. One daughter saved enough for a downpayment on a pre-selling condominium which she moved in two years ago. Today, she works for a financial comparison startup company and even wrote an article on 7 Money Saving Tips for the Very Lazy. My other daughter saved enough money for her plane fare to move to Australia for work and study.
What students can do
It is only right that children learn about stretching their allowance and saving as much as they can. Learning to save money while they are still in school can help students become financially responsible by the time they join the workforce. I know my children did.
Set a weekly or monthly budget based on your allowance. Use an old notebook where you can record all your expenses. Keeping track of where your money goes can help you understand your spending patterns. It’s a good idea to keep all receipts of purchases for easier recording. You can analyze your spending behavior and find ways to cut down on necessary expensess
Learn to differentiate wants from needs. Wants are things that you can live without while needs are basic necessities and vital things that can help you achieve your goals. Make needs your top priority.
Bring your own snacks and lunch to school instead of buying from the school cafeteria.
Buying ready meals on a regular basis can be quite expensive. If you’re staying in a dorm or an apartment that has cooking provisions, you can share the cost of buying groceries with your housemates. Cook your own food instead of eating at fast food joints and restaurants.
Limit the number of times you go to the mall with your friends and classmates. It’s alright to relax and unwind from time to time especially after a hectic week in school but take note that frequent mall visits can make you prone to impulse purchases. When you’re at the mall, you are likely to spend money on food, movies and shopping.
When you’re out shopping, make it a point to look around first and compare prices. If you find products of the same quantity and similar quality, it is practical to go for the cheapest option.
Set a limit to your mobile phone usage especially if you’re a prepaid user. Be conscious of your calls especially if you’re paying by the minute. Keep phone conversations brief by going straight to the point
Be true to yourself. Don’t pretend to be someone you’re not. Avoid forming the bad habit of keeping up with your wealthy friends even though you’re on a very tight budget. Real friends will not judge you based on your social status.
Branded items may look cool but they can be quite expensive. Don’t blow your allowance on a pair of branded shoes or a branded dress. No need to go to premium stores. You can still look trendy by wearing generic clothing. You can score inexpensive clothes in department stores and discount retail centers.
Earn extra cash doing part time work that will not affect your studies. Many students make money filling out online surveys during their free time. There are companies that pay people to answer surveys and test new products. Use your skills and talents to earn additional cash. If you’re good with children, you can consider babysitting for a relative, friend or neighbor. If you’re good in academics, you can offer tutorial services for other students. Perhaps you can apply as a research assistant for someone in the faculty. If you’re good in baking, you can accept orders of baked goodies from family and friends. Put your good writing skills to use by writing paid articles for websites. If you’re an athlete or good in a certain sport, you can teach other kids how to play the sport. There are many possible jobs that you can do on the side. Explore your knowledge and special skills to determine what type of part time work you can apply for. Just make sure that your studies remain your top priority.
It is better to be “unfashionable” than to freeze to death Lauren, in San Francisco
That is the quote of my eldest daughter who visited San Francisco eight years ago and gave some tips to the stylish tropical native visiting San Francisco . It was supposed to be summer over there but well, it takes time to get used to cool weather.
When I visited my daughter in Melbourne that August month, it was winter. I was all packed with my winter coats, and the warm clothing but the heavy material would make me go over my baggage allowance. I had to discard the winter coats but managed to squeeze in a few trench coasts and left my scarves and shawls intact. It helps that my daughter and I share almost the same size so I bought clothes that both of us can share.
It does not matter if I don’t look stylish in this cold weather. I was just happy to be with my daughter.
I enjoyed spending my day just going around the city, briefing me on how the public transportation system worked. It amazed me at how my daughters are all grown up. I used to chaperone them on choir trips abroad. During one of those tours, I figured they needed to learn to travel on their own. I taught them how to pack their clothes, to be alert for their boarding times, to keep tab of their passport and documentation requirements. And of course, the nagging word “be careful”. True enough, my daughters started to travel without their mom by the age of 13 years old.
It’s their turn now to teach me how to travel around. Quite amusing, really. It is their turn to tell me ” don’t wander out at night…don’t get lost etc”. Of course I behaved like a good mother, listened to my daughters and took their words of caution.
Of all the haunting moments of motherhood, few rank with hearing your own words come out of your daughter’s mouth. ~Victoria Secunda
Here are some photos of my trip . I dragged my mobile office through my “walking bag”. Visiting art and photo galleries filled my first day.
I could not resist taking photos of protest against the communists. I must have looked too interested , even asking for the pamphlet, that the woman asked if I was a communist.
Babies are a wonder because in just a year, they grow from closed-eyed and needy infants to toddlers taking one step at a time while babbling their favorite syllables. Click! Click! Click! A mom asks, why so many clicks? Another parent says, “Why not?”
Sharing too much information about one’s kids online is very common that Erin McKean dubbed the term, oversharenting. On May 18, 2012, the Wall Street Journal writer in a “Words of the Week” article remarked that, “oversharenting” is the tendency for parents to share a lot of information and photos of their kids online. Oversharenting was shortened to “sharenting” in the recent years. It is understandable that parents would share the growth and development of their youngsters, but there’s also a fine line between posting family pictures and cutesy photos of a baby’s first bath. You never know where your kid’s pictures might end up. Experts recommend making sure that whatever images or anecdotes parents post are things their children would feel comfortable with later in life.
Fox and Hoy discovered evidence in two complementary studies that women’s feelings of vulnerability about being a mother are associated with their posting on social media. The posts sometimes cover their children’s identifiable information, such as names, birthdates and photographs. “Providing updates on [a child’s] progress with posts of photos, videos and other personal information about the child has almost become a social norm, but it puts the child’s online privacy and, potentially, safety at risk,” the researchers noted.
I understand why mothers are vulnerable to sharenting. I have been there, and I didn’t have a mother to help me out. Questions like “Am I doing this right?” or “Is it normal to be sad?” hit me now and then. Research on the reasons for sharing ranged from pride about their child to personal reasons, involving their own vulnerability about their bodies, their new responsibilities and evolving challenges, and exhaustion, depression, and anxiety. The researchers explained: “Posting about their experiences and sharing personal information about themselves and their children served as a coping strategy, primarily related to seeking affirmation/social support or relief from parents’ stress/anxiety/depression.”
Threats to oversharing on social media are clear yet serious consequences occur when new mothers don’t have a support system or coping mechanisms. Internet was not around in the mid-’80s so I relied on books on parenting, which I had to order from my sister abroad. We could focus on the pressures faced by parents trying to do their best while reaching out for help online. Today, Facebook groups, community forums for new moms (https://www.facebook.com/groups/firsttimemomsph/) or breastfeeding moms (https://www.facebook.com/groups/breastfeedingpinays/) discuss issues online and off-line. Addressing the privacy risks, together with educating friends who could see the content and protecting their children, is a significant first step.
I love seeing the photos of babies, but I wonder how these kids feel in 15 years from now when they could understand their childhood became public without their consent. My daughters were in college when Facebook became popular. I sought their approval first before I posted any of their photos. One condition they imposed was they should look good in the photo.
Some parents go to drastic measures of posting nothing about their kids at all, but for those who still prefer to share photos or videos of their charming children to some extent online, here are some tips that might be helpful:
1. Adjust privacy settings of the social media accounts for trusted friends and relatives. If you are particular of your child’s privacy, inform them that photos taken of their child are for their personal use and not shared on social media.
2. Use a pet name, rather than your child’s real name, to offer some safeguard against companies or individuals who might use your child’s personal data.
3. Avoid tagging your child’s photos on Facebook unless you want the facial recognition tool to work on your child. Turn off geotagged photos, which show locations.
4. Ask yourself if you would take that risk to have your baby’s photos used in other sites without your knowledge and permission.
5. If still you wish to share, put watermark on the photo or at least blur the baby’s face.
Researchers added that they need future studies “to explore how new fathers, single parents and grandparents may experience vulnerability, and explore parents’ motivations to post on social media and engage with brands.” The pressures of being a “good mother” (or father or grandparent) in a connected society need understanding.
Technology brings so much ease in running the household in this day and age but modernity has its downside. Both parents usually work to support the family’s needs and they are left with two choices in dealing with kids: leave them with a relative or yaya. With the latter option, it is tough enough to leave their dear offsprings to a total stranger but even harder to make sure Yaya is honest. How do parents detect a major fib?
ARE THE KIDS EATING PROPERLY? Responsible parents can almost ensure their children eat right by leaving healthy foods in the fridge and cupboard and instructing Yaya which to chow for meals and snacks. Question is, are they actually being fed? Children have different eating styles. Some easily take whatever is spoon-fed but the more independent ones flatly refuse and need more coaxing. Nannies are different characters, too. Some are very patient in feeding youngsters and some just give up easily.
A doctor-friend Doc Don was alarmed when he noticed his daughter getting thin. She was not exhibiting any signs of sickness and Yaya assured him the baby had a good appetite. The weight loss remained a puzzle until a neighbor tipped that Yaya had the habit of chatting away with the subdivision security guards. Since his wife could not take a leave of absence, he sacrificed a great chunk of his professional life to make sure his youngest recovered from malnourishment. He discovered that his little girl ate so little and hardly finished four ounces of formula milk. The tot was more than a year old and should be consuming at least 6 ounces per feeding. After confirming the neighbor’s report of the nanny’s neglect, he fired the negligent Yaya.
ARE THE KIDS SAFE AT HOME? Parents cannot help but be paranoid with all the news about children being kidnapped. It is one thing for a stranger to abduct a minor but it is scarier if Yaya exposes your child to this kind of danger.
Little Mickey is a usually messy eater and an active toddler so Mommy Mia got wary when her son’s clothes piled up in the hamper without much smudge and dust. Yaya happily reported how her charge is handling the spoon better now. Yaya even boasted about her extra care to keep Little Mickey from getting dirty. Mia was not convinced so she decided to spot-check. She usually sent text messages to Yaya to know how Little Mickey is doing. Once, she decided to make a random call. Voila! Mia caught the ambient sounds of cars speeding by from her cell phone. It turned out Yaya was a regular window shopper of the nearby town center mall tagging along Little Mickey. Yaya was given ample warning. Thankfully, she tried to stay indoors afterwards and just contented herself with the family’s weekend visits to the mall.
ARE THE KIDS WELL TAKEN CARE OF? Mark is a contractor and stays home most of the time unless there were client calls. He and his wife Lily just needed some assistance in caring for the kids so they hired a nanny on-call.
The children were old enough to tell their parents if there was something wrong so Mark and Lily were quite at ease when they were both away. But the clever yaya sneaked out during naptime to do her own laundry and chores at her place. The kids were totally unaware of her trips.
Yaya reasoned that she makes sure the kids were fed well and their needs were taken care of when they are awake so it is okay to steal some of her paid working hours for her own family’s needs.
Good thing, a concerned neighbor who runs a store sees yaya leave every afternoon and quietly return after a few hours. The old lady lectured yaya on the need to be around even as the kids doze off. It was her responsibility to keep guard. Yaya would not hear any of it so the kindly granny opted to tell Mark and Lily about it. The couple did not have second thoughts parting with the yaya and took an old relative to take over.
ARE THE KIDS HURT? Kathy and Gilbert had the scare of their lives when their 3-year old started running a fever and throwing up. Pushed to confess, Yaya admitted that her ward fell off the third step of the stairs the night before and hit her head on the cemented landing. The husband-and-wife lost no time in rushing their unica hija to the hospital. Much to their relief, the cause of their little girl’s vomits was not brain damage. She over-ate popcorn. It was too much for her tiny tummy to process.
Janine just gave birth to their second baby when her husband Rudy got an alarming call from his sister-in-law. It turned out their toddler was in her walker when Yaya rushed outside to get the laundry as it started to rain. She made sure the door was shut but the baby somehow managed to pry it open and tumbled on to the front lawn head first. The in-laws live in the nearby house and rushed to the rescue when they heard their niece’s painful cries. Her face was full of scratches after landing on the gravel walkway. Although scared, Yaya spewed out the whole story and profusely apologized. Janine warned Rudy beforehand not to lose his temper despite the unnerving incident. She knew how dependable Yaya was and it could have been equally unsettling for her. Upon the doctor’s advice, the tiny tyke was observed for symptoms of a head injury. Thankfully, she did not vomit, run a fever or become weak and was active as ever.
ARE THE KIDS “OVER-DISCIPLINED”? There are numerous horror stories of caregivers getting too physical when kids get rowdy. It is easier if the kids are a bit older since they could always tell Mommy and Daddy if Yaya is abusing her authority but newborns and toddlers are totally helpless. Parents have no choice but to be vigilant of telltale signs like unexplained bruises or scratches and the child’s sudden loss of appetite, inactiveness or changes in behavior.
LESSEN THE LIES. Three common denominators arise from the cases cited to promote honesty among nannies. (1) Be good to your neighbors and their genuine concern will naturally crop up especially in looking after your children. (2) Be observant of your kids’ well-being. There are always detectable physical traces of abuse. (3) Fear of being scolded or fired are major reasons for a cover-up. Learn to deal with them gently in small faults to encourage nannies to tell the truth when it really matters.
Did you know that starting 40 years old, adults start losing muscle mass? I wished I knew that.
Research shows that 9 out of 10 aging adults aren’t meeting the daily recommended amounts of key nutrients for a healthy and active life. From the ages of 40 to 70+ years of age, adults can lose up to 33% of muscle mass. Muscle loss may not always be visible, but it can manifest through symptoms such as weakness, slower walking speed, unintentional weight loss, exhaustion, low physical activity, body pain and cramps.
I had my strength tested with the free hand grip strength and my strength is till within normal range.
I have heard of Ensure Gold from my parents-in-law because they drink it so I always associate this brand with elderly adults. Not anymore.
The new Ensure Gold® is an adult nutrition supplement, scientifically formulated with high quality protein, calcium, vitamin D and 28 vitamins and minerals to help build muscle mass and help adults Stay Strong®. A unique nutritional ingredient in Ensure Gold® is HMB, a metabolite of the essential amino acid leucine. HMB is naturally found in small amounts in some foods and in your body, but levels may decline with age. HMB has been shown to support muscle health.
Dr. Jun Dimaano, medical director for Abbott Nutrition Asia Pacific said, “Abbott helps people live their best life by providing nutritional support for Filipinos’ ageing loved ones. We believe nutrition is the foundation of good health and we are excited to bring the new Ensure Gold ® with HMB as a gift of strength to adults in the Philippines, so they can continue doing the things they love.
Remember that we need 600 muscles to stand up, 200 muscles to take a single step down the stairs and 133 muscles to dance?
The death of someone we know always reminds us that we are still alive – perhaps for some purpose which we ought to re-examine. Mignon McLaughlin
I am saddened that Juned Sonido, a fellow blogger and one of the co-founders of BlogWatch passed away on July 7, 2019. I didn’t get to read the sad news until Monday morning when I checked my phone. Our friendship dates back 13 years ago when I was still new in blogging. “A celebration of life” is probably the best phrase to describe what I am writing here. Remembering his life through my blog posts and photos is like looking back at history in Philippine blogging when bloggers met up for the first time. Bloggers were referred to as “new media publishers” then “emerging media” and today, “influencers”, “content creators” . I searched for my old blog posts with mentions of “Juned” and found these. Some of the photos are from Facebook and friends. I am more detailed in the years before BlogWatch because most of the activities can be read at his articles at https://blogwatch.tv/author/juned-sonido/ and his blog at http://baratillo.net . Perhaps I will write a separate post on his advocacy and musings.
This marked the first time I met Juned Sonido. Bloggers in Metro Manila met up at the 1st Philippine BlogCon (Meet the Bloggers) . I was pretty excited about this meet up. No formal program was planned, just meet and greet fellow bloggers. I don’t have a photo with Juned but I was struck by the name of his blog, baratillo.net. I talked on “Content is Still King”. Abe Olandres talked on “History of Blogging in the Philippines & Professional Blogging” while Jayvee Fernandez on Blogging as New Media vis-a-vis MSM. Marc Macalua talked of “SEO and Blog Make-Over”. How exciting it was to meet fellow bloggers.
December 23, 2006 – Christmas Blogger Meetup
Abe Olandres organized the longest EB I have ever attended. I went home midnight. I thought I was only going to stay for 1 hour. Quite a number of bloggers were present including Juned and my daughter, Lauren. The 20 bloggers present in this meetup must have enjoyed the conversation so much.
June 24, 2007- Dinner and Conversation with the Band of Bloggers
It was Juned’s idea that we meet up in our homes. He once said
I still remember the dinner parties at our house. They were fun and less costly. But, now it seems to be a thing of the past.
It doesn’t have to be that way, Juned. I told him. Though technology and urbanization indeed has made things so much more convenient for us, dinners and great conversation should never be a thing of the past. I had just moved to our new home and I used it as an excuse for a party. Together with my daughter, we hosted a housewarming party for the Band of Bloggers like Jayvee, Abe, Gail, Marc, Sasha, Aileen, Rico, Marc , Sharms and Juned. At the same time, it served as one of the small intimate gatherings for my 50th birthday celebration. Perhaps we had such a great time, that we ended at 2:00 PM
Three B bloggers?
July 4, 2007- Taste Asia Food Fest at the SM Hypermarket
This is probably the first time bloggers met in one big place. Brands and companies now tapped bloggers to their events. The Taste Asia Food Fest laid out laptops as well as food.
By this time, PR started to invite us to their clients‘ product launches. The benefits of blogging not only spread the word on my advocacy but brought friendships and adventure in this “new media publishing”. One time, Juned and I attended an anti-dandruff shampoo event. He muttered, “I don’t need this”. The question that went through my mind that time was, “Why is there a need to launch another anti-dandruff shampoo?” Because inviting bloggers were so new back then, we often stayed together. Sometimes Juned and I would ask ourselves, “what are we doing here?”.
September 9, 2007 – Helping my daughter in a group’s focused group discussion
For the love of my daughter, I gathered five bloggers for a focused group discussion for her Psychology 118 study over at my house for a Friday night dinner. It was such a short notice and knowing young bloggers, their friday night often gets fully booked. Am I glad that Dine, Shari, Juned, Rico and Sasha took time off from their busy schedules for a round table discussion on why bloggers blog.
At that time, Juned and I have the same reasons on why we blogged.
1. I blog to point things out. Anything worth pointing both tho beautiful and not-so-beautiful, the exciting and the mundane; A perfect ice crystal or the drip-drop and sloosh of the monsoon as it makes its way to the house.
2. To chronicle events. To record things for posterity and probably more i importantly to record events from your own perspective.
3. To move people or a group a desired way. It could be political and then again it could be not. The important thing to remember is the personal need to motivate, convince and a maybe even inspire.
4. To satisfy the Ego.
Blog and Soul Movement
Photo via Aileen Apolo
The Blog and Soul Movement initiated by Jayvee brought us together again. I remember this was such a busy week. Bloggers were in demand to talk in a bloggers kapihan and then this new movement. The goals of the Blog and Soul Movement : (i) Blogcentric; (ii) Skills enhancing; (iii) Fun and (iv) altruistic.
October 7, 2007 – Nintendo Wii Games are Fun
If I didn’t know what the Nintendo Wii Games Console was all about, I would have thought my daughter together with Juned, Jayvee were loonies waving their “wands” about in front of my TV set.
Those were the days, when bloggers would hang out at our house and I allowed them to sleep over. The podcast taping materialized at 12 midnight after they played Wii. For the first time in a long time, I slept at 4:00 am
October 21, 2007 Thank You Day Concert
I took this photo when Geiser Maclang called bloggers onstage during the “Thank you day concert” . It was thoughtful of them to acknowledge the bloggers and even called us on stage to stand beside the hosts for a countdown of the Sweet Shower. I guess it was their way of saying “Thank You” for the online viral campaign of the National Thank You Day.
March 9, 2008- Butch Dalisay and Writing Tips
Photo via Jane Uymatiao
For the month of March, I invited Butch Dalisay to talk on Creative Non-Fiction for bloggers at the Kape Isla in Serendra. This was also an activity of the Blog & Soul Movement.
Here were the tips that I gathered from the two hour conversation with Butch and the 22 bloggers in attendance.
1. You are your first audience. You have to please yourself. If you are not happy with your blog, then who else will read it?
2. When you think of your readers, you write for a reasonably intelligent reader. Your reader is just smart as you are. That’s the reader worth going forth.
3. When you write about yourself, it’s never just yourself. It can’t be. Who the hell are you anyway? Why should your life be so interesting to people? It could be interesting only up to a certain point. There’s got to be a point when you are no longer talking about yourself. Or even when you are, there are points others can relate to .
4. Educate , enlighten and entertain. Have a way to make them accessible and funny. Using self-deprecating humor makes your reader feel relaxed and that’s what creates a bond.
5. Find the image that will capture the idea rather than express the idea itself.
6. Move towards one syllable words. The simpler the word the better. It is not the fancy word that carries the story.
7. Read authors you want to emulate. Stop reading authors that don’t write as well as you. You won’t grow.
He added that “Blogs are here to stay. Standards will emerge. People and readers will develop a sense of good and bad. Someone will not set these standards. People will be discerning of the writer and the reader.”
It’s been eleven years since we talked Butch Dalisay. Is his prediction of blogging still relevant today?
2008 Philippine Blog Awards
The Philippine Blog Awards started in 2007 but it was only incorporated in 2008. I was the first President & CEO of the Philippine Blogging Inc. and Juned took over in 2009. The other officers are Gail Villanueva and Jayvee Fernandez. It wasn’t easy getting sponsors that time since bloggers were still so new. At that time, the awarding was open to all Filipino bloggers who have full ownership of their blogs. This implied that blogs belonging to blog networks or corporate blogs couldn’t be included because of ownership rights. The awards paid homage to “grassroots bloggers” who built up their blogs from their own efforts.
August 8, 2009 – Meeting Secretary Mar Roxas
The buzz at that time was that Senator Mar Roxas was likely to run for the 2010 Presidential Elections. He saw the potential of bloggers and new media to promote his advocacies. I was really hesitant about the whole meeting idea because first of all, I don’t like politics. Second, I felt uncomfortable having to “chikka” with a senator. But I was with fellow bloggers like Juned, Sonnie. Abe and others
December 10, 2008 – Orbit Event at Chef Laudico Bistro Filipino
December 18, 2008-Department of Tourism/MTV 2009 Plans
Secretary Ace Durano and MTV present to bloggers a sneak peek into DOT and MTV Plans for 2009. Happy Slip (Christine Gambito) was also present during the dinner
January 9, 2009 – Another meet up with Mar Roxas
I found myself once again with Mar Roxas and other political bloggers last f at the Balai Ni Mar in Cubao’s Araneta Center
April 19, 2009- Blogging & Blog Marketing: Conversations that can lead to Conversions
I thought we were 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) . We ended up seated as panelists on blogging, blog advertising and blog events. It was during this panel, that we laid out what bloggers are:
Bloggers are diverse: We come in all shapes & sizes, and different backgrounds, interests & motivations
Despite the diversity, bloggers have one big thing in common: passion
Bloggers follow a personal code of ethics (e.g. advertising, blogger events, etc.)
For most bloggers, online reputation matters
When working with bloggers, authenticity of the advocacy & commitment of the company/proponent is important (i.e. “one shot advocacy events,” hard sell to bloggers)
Money is generally looked down upon as a reward/incentive
When working with bloggers, companies should strive to make an impression and make sure the blogger has a story to tell after the event
October 10, 2009 – 3rd Philippine Blog Awards
Juned took over as the President of the Philippine Blog Awards.
September 4, 2010 Embassy of the United States in Manila invites bloggers
The government inviting bloggers was slowly catching on. It was a matter of time that the embassies in the Philippines would invite bloggers to their reception or events.
August 2011- Tatt Awards
Photo via Globe Tatto Tatt Awards page. Blog Watch members who are Tatt Awards Finalists Dean Jorge Bocobo, Jane Uymatiao, Noemi Dado, Dine Racoma, and Juned Sonido
We didn’t often see each other that often in media events of brands
We were at the Samsung 5 launch
ASEAN social media coverage
In January 2017, Juned, Sonnie and I were hired as consultants for the Committee on Media Affairs and Strategic Communications, led by the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) for the the ASEAN 30th Summit and Related Meetings . 2017 was a busy year for us and we saw each every week for work.
February 2017- BlogWatch Core group meeting
#AllMediaPH
Juned was part of a public consultation held by the Presidential Communication Operations Office . It was a town hall themed event and had participation from attendees on-site and online — via Facebook and Twitter. Around twelve of us were resource persons given five minutes to give our comment on the draft policy.
It wasn’t all work.
2018- Democracy and Disinformation Conference
It saddens me that after our busy year, we barely met up in 2018 and 2019. This was the last time Juned and I were together. I gave up my slot as a panelist for the “Disinformation and Social Media: The Global Experience” because I thought he would give another perspective.
Though we communicated online, I did not want to disturb him after I found out he was hospitalized late last year. Knowing Juned , he avoids talking about himself but I should have followed my instincts. A few days before I left for the farm this weekend, he was always on my thoughts. Perhaps , this is why I wrote this post.
I am filled with regrets, with questions of “why? If only? I should have” , “why God? ” but I am also aware that all these are part of my grief talking . He also leaves behind the people who loved and cared for him, for truly, it is in us that Juned will live on. How? Because we – the ones who were touched by his grace – will share with the world, the parts of us he was able to influence. This is what a man truly leaves behind when he passes.
And though these memories may bring back pain, they bring back memories of joy. All these because pain is the price I pay for someone who touched my life.
Yes, I am comforted with the knowledge that Juned will be forever alive in my heart and in my memories.
Juned, you know, I love you. Every life you have touched will forever live on. Until we meet again my friend, I will carry your precious legacies within my heart..
Below is the last photo I took of Juned. I want to remember him this way: thoughtful, kind and insightful. You will be missed, Juned.
I would like to end with a quote from Thomas Campbell.
To live in hearts we leave behind Is not to die. ~Thomas Campbell
Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live. ~Norman Cousins~
Rising skills signal tech transformation in industries in the Philippines: LinkedIn studyMy good friend asked me what I should tell her son who is interested to pursue digital marketing. I have already written on Emerging jobs in the Philippines reveal growing demand for talent with hybrid skills. One must understand what skills to look for instead of job titles. Digital competence, is composed of a blend of hard and soft skills. There are many possible ways to develop skills on digital competency. I shared the current report of LinkedIN‘ s Future of Skills 2019 Report, which identifies the top 10 rising skills of LinkedIn members in the region over the last 5 years. LinkedIN looked at the skills listed by members with the highest month-on-month growth. As part of the report, LinkedIn also conducted a deep dive into employees’ readiness to tackle the future workforce and how L&D professionals are responding to the skills transformation.
Remember, World Economic Forum reveals 65% percent of children entering primary school will end up in jobs that don’t yet exist. So if you have kids wondering what skills to pursue, let them be aware of the future of work and the skills required in traditional industries. ?
Anticipating rising skills to ensure businesses stay competitive
As traditional industries adopt
new technology and ride the wave of digital transformation to improve
operations and introduce new products and services, it is unsurprising that the
top rising skills in APAC are dominated by technology-related skills.
These rising skills can be used
as a signpost for organisations to determine how the industry is innovating and
transforming, and help their employees cope with the pace of change through upskilling.
The report also studied the top three rising skill categories in each country that
are more prevalent compared to the APAC average. These are the skills that have
a higher prominence in the Philippines compared to the region:
Rising skill
What do professionals
with these skills do?
Examples of
occupations with these skills
Social media marketing
Promoting
products and/ or services through social media platforms to achieve business
goals
•
Digital Marketing Specialist
•
Marketing Manager
•
Social Media Marketing Specialist
Frontend Web Development
Converting
data to?a graphical interface to build websites?or web apps
•
Frontend Developer
• Full
Stack Engineer
• Web Developer
Human-Centred
Design
Developing
solutions to problems with a deep focus of understanding the human
perspective in all steps of the process
•
Graphics Designer?
•
Product Designer?
• User
Experience Designer
Feon Ang, Vice President for Talent and Learning Solutions, Asia Pacific, LinkedIn shares: “As digitalisation continues to transform the workforce at a rapid speed, certain skills are becoming less in-demand simply because different skill sets are required to navigate such transformation. It is therefore important for organisations to have a deep understanding of their current talent pool, and how to evolve it for their long-term business goals. Helping current talent to upskill or reskill early can help organisations ensure that their future talent needs are met.”
“While we encourage organisations to tap on real-time data and insights to help inform them about trends in the talent marketplace, we also believe that embracing a culture of learning is just as important for organisations to remain resilient amidst a rapidly changing workforce,” said Ang.“At the same time, employees need to be empowered and motivated to learn on their own terms, given difficulties in finding time and accessing opportunities.”
Encourage our children to develop hard and soft skills even outside their education. The future of work won’t be about degrees says Stephane Kasriel, Upwork CEO . “More and more, it’ll be about skills. And no one school, whether it be Harvard, General Assembly or Udacity, can ever insulate us from the unpredictability of technological progression and disruption.”
Kaspersky strongly advises Filipino parents to keep a closer eye on their children’s online activities on the heels of soaring web threats the company has been monitoring in the country. From its latest data, the cybersecurity company confirmed that 82.46% of web threats from January to December 2018 have attempted to attack home users in the Philippines.
The global cybersecurity company also recorded over a 230%
increase on annual web-based infections in the Philippines for 2018 at
31,887,231 versus 2017’s 9,487,775. These web threats were scanned and blocked
by Kaspersky Lab products when its users accessed websites or downloaded online
files.
About 33.39% of the country’s population currently make up
the 0-14 age group while 19.16% comprise the 15-25 age bracket according to
statistics from data portal IndexMundi.
Latest data from the
cybersecurity company revealed that the following categories of websites were
the most popular among Filipino children, which they have either visited or
attempted to visit from their computers:
1. software, audio and
video – 42.04%
2. internet
communication sites (social networks, messengers, chats, and online forums) –
29.17%%
3. e-commerce (online
stores) – 16.04%
4. news – 4.76%
5. computer games –
3.76%
Gathered from May 2018 to May 2019, the
report confirms that kids are now fast moving towards the use of mobile devices
for their online activities instead of using computers.
“The younger set is
undeniably the most connected of all age groups today. Some even have their
digital presence laid down long before they are even born — the consequence of
our inherent nature of sharing that has crossed over to the internet world. And
when these kids get older, they exhibit curiosity, another primitive instinct,
but which they do online albeit carelessly. Just as the internet has been used
to empower individuals, communities and nations, so too can it be used to
destroy reputations, steal identities and hurt the vulnerable, particularly our
children,”
said Yeo Siang Tiong, General Manager for Kaspersky Southeast Asia.
“When it comes to kids’
online safety though, we recommend that parents should step in so that the
balance is tipped for good. By staying in constant contact with them plus
getting a little help from advanced security solutions, parents can continue to
harness the positive benefits of the internet and keep their children safe from
online dangers simultaneously,” he said.
In the Philippines, mobile broadband is becoming more
affordable than fixed broadband and it’s one of the countries where Facebook
offers its Free Basics service which allows users to get free access or what
Filipinos refer to as “free data”. This enables anyone in the country with an
internet-ready mobile phone to access the web instantly and without limits.
Recent figures show Filipinos surf the net from two to 10 hours daily.
“As a cyber security professional and soon-to-be-dad myself, the online security of my child is surely going to be one of my foremost concerns. We’re lucky that, as modern-day parents, we’re now presented with an array of tools to safeguard our children from online threats so parenting becomes easier. We don’t need to protect them the old-fashioned way anymore! Kaspersky Safe Kids is one solution that empowers parents to be fully aware of their kids’ online activities without the need to check their devices frequently and still respecting the children’s privacy,” said Eunice Quilantang, Pre-Sales Manager for Kaspersky Southeast Asia.
Kaspersky Safe Kids is a feature in Kaspersky Total Security
(KTS). With this module, parents can now:
Manage the child’s screen time
View the child’s location using a GPS tracker with a real-time online map
Know the child’s device battery level so they can be warned to recharge the device
Monitor their public Facebook activity
Block access to adult websites and content for most platforms
Kaspersky Total Security is available online at https:/www.kaspersky.com at P2,764 (1 device for 1 year), P3,801
(1 device for 2 years) and P3,455 (3 devices for 1 year). KTS can also be purchased from the on-demand subscription service
through telco company Smart where a single license costs P30 for 7days (Text
KTS30 to 8933) and P120 for 30 days (Text KTS120 to 8933).
Below are top tips from experts at Kaspersky for parents to
help internet-proof children:
1. Have the talk regularly. Be involved in
children’s online activities from an early age so this is the established norm.
Encourage communication so you can both learn from each other and to help build
mutual trust.
2. Set boundaries. Ensure that children know what is acceptable
and what is not. Also make them aware of the consequences of going somewhere
that they shouldn’t or using tech when they shouldn’t be. This should be
reviewed as child gets older.
3. Use available resources. Understand that there’s a lot of help as you
raise digital children. Use the resources provided by some companies or
organizations such as parental control software as well as tips and techniques
to better manage kids who use digital devices. Also remember that not everyone
has the same parenting style and that is OK — pick and choose what is right for
you and your family. If a situation ever seems like it is going out of control,
especially with cyberbullying or pedophiles, remember that you can get help
from the local law enforcement agency.
