iBlog5- 5th Philippine Blogging Summit

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The bottom line is that blogging is like sex. You can’t fake it. You can’t fake passion. You can’t fake wanting to engage with the public. If you do, it will ultimately be an unsatisfying experience for both the blogger and their readers., Kevin Anderson

Behind me are Cebu Bloggers wearing T-shirts with “Blogger ko Bai”

As a newbie blogger in 2006, I dared volunteer for iBlog 2 as a moderator for speakers. I wanted to network with bloggers and also meet my idol bloggers. I am the type of person who is not easily star struck with celebrities or Hollywood stars. But that was the feeling I got when I met blogging idols like Abe “Yuga” Olandres and Manolo Quezon in the 2006 summit. The following year, I talked in iBlog 3 and my topic was “Personal Blogging Success”. *Gasps* I don’t want to minimize myself because success is very relative but there I was… The star-struck me in 2006 was now a speaker in 2007. The same thing happened in iBlog 4 in 2008.

This year…my role is a bit stress-free, well sort of . I was the The Time Keeper. You know the one that holds a piece of paper that notifies the speaker that they have 5 minutes or 2 minutes or Let’s wrap it up. I enjoyed it just as much as the previous iBlog summits. Every role or task counts to make the iBlog a success.

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Cheche Lazaro, PROBE and The Wire-tapping Case filed by GSIS

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I’ve known Cheche Lazaro through two live interviews (here and here). It is such an honor to be interviewed by her. I am aware that most TV hosts get their research materials from their assistants but in all those interviews, she personally wrote down notes about me before airing live. She verified all the materials given to her and didn’t just take her assistants’ word for it.

So when Ricky Lim (Associate Dean of AIM who I met in a Bloggers’ Roundtable) sent me an email about her sister, I was just appalled. Cheche has been charged for wiretapping by GSIS, when her Probe Team tried to do a story on unfair compensation practices. Cheche had explicitly told GSIS that she was recording their conversation beforehand. She had offered them all the airtime to present their side of the story. In the end, because the story was negative, GSIS is now charging her with criminal offenses.

Cheche is the only one facing the wiretapping case at the moment. ““They have made it a point to singularly point me out as the person who wiretapped the whole conversation that they alleged was wiretapping. That is not true,” she said.

““I think this is intimidation of the press. They are trying to send a message to the press and using me as a sample for this kind of a message.”

Cheche Lazaro’s Statement on the wire-tapping case filed by the GSIS against her
May 8, 2009

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Ako Mismo Supports Ako Mismo

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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

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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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Celebrating Our 24th Wedding Anniversary

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“An anniversary is a time to celebrate the joys of today, the memories of yesterday, and the hopes of tomorrow. ”

If blogs were around in 1985, then I’d have a photo for every year of our wedding anniversary. Since the start of my blog in 2006, I’ve only written four times, counting this entry. Why is it so important for me to share this day with you? It is not that I want to brag that “hey, we lasted this long” but it is more of “Wow, we have reached this far. Let’s celebrate the joys and the sorrows. You may pick up a lesson or two”.

As Mignon McLaughlin would say, ” A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person.” Falling in love is not easy especially when that person can get annoying. But at the same time, it is so gratifying to find that one special person I want to annoy for the rest of my life.

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Up Close with Charice Pempengco and Her Mommy Raquel

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““Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, “I will try again tomorrow.” Mary Anne Radmacher

I have always been curious to hear Charice Pempengco sing live. Watching her sing at Oprah Winfrey Show, I wasn’t too impressed with the ““birit” style. Though quite awesome, her lung-busting vocal skills are simply not my type of singing. Perhaps, seeing her singing live will change my mind. I jumped at the chance when a good friend, Claire invited me to watch Charice Pempengco sing at Melawares’ 30th Anniversary Celebration at the SM Makati.

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Manny Pacquiao wins in the Pacquiao Vs. Hatton Fight: Youtube Video

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Manny Pacquiao wins! Manny Pacquiao wins! TKO in Round 2!


Photo via Thepinoy.net

Manny Pacquiao knocks out Ricky Hatton in the second round Saturday (around 11:36 AM, Sunday in Manila) in Las Vegas, Nevada, stripping the light welterweight crown and carving his name as one of the legends in boxing history. (Source: Pacquiao KO’s Hutton)

The end came in 2 minutes 59 minutes in Round 2 in TKO victory. Freddie Roach predicted it to last 3 rounds.

Here are youtube videos in four parts:

Part 1

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Kiko Pangilinan with Hope and Reform

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““Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.” Albert Einstein

Disclosure on Political Affiliations: I do not work for Kiko Pangilinan or any other politician. Kiko and my husband know each other way back in the UP College of Law. Neither am I affiliated with a political party. I am close to Senator Pia Cayetano and Senator Alan Cayetano . Our relationship ties date back even before they became senators. Former President Fidel V. Ramos is a family friend due to ties from my father-in-law. I used to be a student activist in my UP Diliman days. My political views range from conservative to liberal. I don’t have plans to run for public office. Meeting with politicians and writing about their programs is part of my current plans for this blog till 2010. Any endorsements will be made just a few weeks before Elections 2010.

Niña Terol, fellow blogger and Political Communications head of Senator Kiko Pangilinan said it was an “an intimate discussion/dialogue about how we can use the power of social media to transform the Philippines and usher in positive things for our people and our country” and would last from 6:30 PM till 8:30 PM but our dinner actually ended at 10:00 PM. As usual, I’m an early bird and took my time taking photos of Mesa Greenbelt 5 which I found later on is owned by Kiko and friends (read my Mesa, Greenbelt 5 post). Shortly after, Kiko walked in. Oh, he is an early bird too. I found out that he knew my husband way back in Law school so there was a lot of common ground to babble around with, before his staff and the other bloggers arrived.

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Deadly Swine Flu (H1N1) is Worrisome

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“Ninety percent of the things we tend to worry about we have no control over, so why worry about them?” Author Unknown

A (H1N1) Influenza Booklet A (H1N1) Influenza Booklet Noemi Lardizabal-Dado Things to Know, Things to do . A UN publication

With the swine flu having already spread to at least six other countries, authorities around the globe are like firefighters battling a blaze without knowing how far it extends.

WHO spokesman Peter Cordingley singled out air travel as an easy way the virus could spread, noting that the WHO estimates that up to 500,000 people are on planes at any time.

Governments in Asia — with memories of previous flu outbreaks — were especially cautious. Singapore, Thailand, Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines dusted off thermal scanners used in the 2003 SARS crisis and were checking for signs of fever among passengers from North America. South Korea, India and Indonesia also announced screening.

Source : Deadly Swine Flu Spreads to Mideast, Asia

My husband has been worried sick of this Swine flu. Travel outside the Philippines is part of our graduation present to my daughter and she leaves on May 6. That’s all he talks these days during dinner time. It is natural for parents to worry but up to what degree?

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Mom Bloggers at the Expo Mom 2009 on May 10, Rockwell Tent

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Mommy bloggers, and Future Mommy Bloggers, come join our Mommy Bloggers Booth on May 10 from 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM at the Expo Mom 2009, Rockwell Tent. Yeah, we can only be there on May 10 because we are attending the iblog5 on May 9. But don’t miss us there!

Your favorite mommy bloggers will be hanging out there and present a powerpoint slideshow of blogging 101 and other mom blogger sites to booth visitors.

If you are a mommy blogger, please post a description of your blog and the url on the comment section so we can include your url and screencap of your blog in the presentation.
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