Happy New year. Tonight, it will only be the noise of my “torotot” and the 2007 video of this firecracker explosion from our neighbors. I remember how the explosion deafened me for a few minutes . It was the worst explosion I witnessed. I could only take a minute video. Listen to it.

Tonight, I will pray for the victims of Seniang. So many deaths and loss to property. While everyone was in a holiday mode, parts of Visayas and Mindanao experienced flashfloods, landslides that were unexpected. I know 2015 seems bleak while we experience this heartbreaking yearender. I continue to hope that the Philippines will recover from this. I hope that more Filipinos are discerning towards choosing their leaders.

“Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.” says Albert Einstein. Let’s also remember Mother Teresa when she said “Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.”

I expect good things for myself and my loved ones despite the Seniang storm late this year.

1. When I wonder what is coming, I tell myself the best is coming, the very best in life and love have to offer, the best God will send and claim it as mine.

2. I see the best in my mind and envision what it will look like and feel like.

3. After I have envisioned the good things, I let it go and come back to the present moment. I will not obsess. I become excited.

word cloud for year 2015

Today, as the year ends, I am full of gratitude for all that I received this year. Good and bad.

I will wait and expect good things for 2015.

To all my readers, I hope that when you think about the year ahead, you will focus on the good that is coming.

New is the year, new are the hopes, new is the resolution, new are the spirits, and new are my warm wishes just for you. Have a promising and fulfilling New Year. Happy New Year!

Golden 2015 Happy New Year Greeting Card With Sparking Spot Ligh

Good bye 2013. Hello 2014. I will affirm the good things for the New Year 2014. I will offer a prayer, wait and expect good things to happen to me and my loved ones. Whenever I wonder what is coming, I tell myself the best is coming, the very best love and life have to offer, the best God has to send. I open my hands to receive to claim it and it’s mine.

I like to look back at 2013 and count my blessings. Most of my top moments in 2013 is being part of social media initiatives like #NoToCybercrimelaw #ScrapPork, #juanvote and Blog Watch. Family is important to me and remains my number one priority. Though my kids have now flown the coop, I am grateful for the days we were together.

1. Family day – January 6, 2013

It is not often we are together for a family day. What a wonderful day at the Pinto Art Museum . I treasure this day.

family photos

2. Black Tuesday Reloaded- January 15, 2013

Dubbed as “Black Tuesday: Reloaded”, PIFA together with ally organizations stormed infront of the Supreme Court in Padre Faura, Manila on January 15, 2013, to revive its protest since the passage of the law last year. An indefinite TRO was eventually issued.

stop cybercrime law

3. Covering the 2013 elections- February 7, 2013

Blog Watch as the social media partner livestreamed The Rundown 2013, a youth-oriented senate elections forum organized by the UP Eco Soc. This was the start of our Voters Education coverage.

covering the elections

4. Resource speaker in Social Media – February 21, 2013

I shared my social media initiatves on “Blogging and Citizen Media during Elections” at the Conference on the Use of Social Media and Technology for Democracy Promotion sponsored by the United States Government through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), U.S. Embassy’s Public Affairs Section, and the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES).

edemokrasya_day_one_event_44_20130301_2045520719

5. Photo shoot with my daughter- March 9, 2013

Family is important to me. My daughter was leaving for Germany. So I spent time with her by joining her for a photo shoot at our alma mater. (The young photographers are from Sunday Morning Studios)

photo shoot with my daughter

6. Philippine representative at the ASEAN 2nd Social Media Exchange – March 22, 2013

I represented the Philippines for the Social Media Communication Strategy for ASEAN & 2nd Social Media Exchange which was held in Bangkok. It is my second conference with ASEAN.

asean social media exchange

7. #juanvote Miting de Avance – May 5, 2013

#juanvote is an offline and online community efforts led by Blogwatch, with support from various individuals and groups across the country. We met to watch

juanvote tweetup

8. I turned 56 years old on June 14.

Always feeling young at heart.

56 years old

9. #epalwatch finalist at the Tatt Awards 2013 – July 14, 2013

Together with my good friend, Jane Uymatiao, we represented #Epalwatch for the Tatt Awards’ Best Social Movement Finalists: #Epalwatch , SAVE PHilippine Seas, PAWS, Gawad Kalinga and Rescuse PH. Though #epalwatch did not win, I am grateful for the recognition.

tatt awards 2

10. Volunteer at the Million People March- August 26, 2013

It is such a privilege to be part of the organizers/volunteers (and later on being part of #scrapPork network). I was in charge of the Command Center.

million people march3

11. Made it to the Great Wall of China- October 21, 2013

The Great Wall of China has always been in my bucket list and my husband and I made it. I booked this trip a year ago at zero fare.

beijing

12. Covering Napoles hearing at the Senate- November 7, 2013

The bonus that day was when Senator Miriam Santiago interviewed me on national TV on what a blogger is.

with miriam santiago

During the press con with Senator Miriam Santiago, I introduced myself as @momblogger on twitter. Before I could ask my question… I was horrified, when she started to interview me instead:

“Ang blogger ba may hanapbuhay ba o wala? Does anyone pay you people? You have to have advertisers, right?”

I said that I write for the Philippine Online Chronicles. And that I don’t have ads because I am “controversial”. And if I discuss about bloggers, it will take time. LOL

Then I asked my question:

My question was taken from one of my twitter followers..”You have been telling the public about tanda, aren’t you scared considering that tanda is a real EVIL?”

She seemed to hesitate for 5 seconds and replied “no I am not scared of him”.

Then rattled off more than I could chew, that Enrile is the mastermind and the godfather (or grandfather) of all this scam.

My question to Sen Miriam Santiago at the 6:06 mark on Enrile.

13. Volunteer at Villamor Air Base- November 18, 2013

The Bayanihan para sa Mag-Ina at the #NanayBayanihan Tent is a project aimed at protecting babies in the Philippines during disaster situations.

project bayanihan

I will continue with the unfinished work in 2013. It is my resolve to change for the better in 2014 and continue to be grateful for all the blessings that come my way. I will affirm the good things for the New Year 2014.

happy new year 2014 2

You might also want to check Carlo Ople’s Thirteen Cheers for 2013 and Blog Watch Top 13 posts in 2013.

Year’s end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us. Hal Borland

Peace , love and prosperity is what I wished for 2009. Though Ondoy hit us and to this day, our cars are still in the shop, life is good. When I wondered what was coming for 2009, I told myself the best is coming, the very best in life and love had to offer, the best God will send and claim it as mine.

As the year ends, I feel blessed to be offered the position of Features Editor of Vibal’s Foundation, Philippine Online Chronicles (POC) in recognition for the editorial work I do for blogwatch.ph.

How did I end up in an election watch project anyway when my only exposure to politics was my student council days? I had long envisioned myself to be of service to our country. Perhaps blogging is one way. New media events just fell into place. Sure, I am a blogger but a new media publisher is the more accurate word, because I create content, collaborate and connect.

Here are the events that brought me to the challenge I face today.


It started when Carlo Ople, the New Media Consultant of Senator Mar Roxas back in August 2008 invited me for a bloggers’ meetup and I almost choked:

““Whaaat? I hope you won’t ask me to endorse him or something”.

mar roxas
Another meetup with Mar Roxas in early 2009 brought me to the realization that politicians will actually meet with bloggers as election nears. I resolved to meet up with each candidate if an invitation is offered to me. It seemed important to share my thoughts to my readers in a simple and effective format.

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