Blogging is alive and well in the Philippines!

A chance to meet the faces behind the blogs and comments, free food, free talk, networking and a chance to get more links, about 43 or so bloggers congregated at the National Sports Grill in Greenbelt 3 Makati. Despite the drizzle, the mood was festively bloggy: imagine a cacophony of people blogging away and transalate that to voice instead of keyboard and you’ll get what I mean. It was like blogging wtih your voice =)
Noemi was there first and Kevin came next. I arrived around 6:30PM and placed third. Sana may early bird prize. Jayve came afterwards and the others trickled in as I lost track of their name tags.

Angelo and Noemi gives a good account of the event. Ka Edong has his take here. I’ll update this post when the others publish their respective entries.

Events like these are always welcome. This should spur interest in the world of Philippine bloggers and the PH internet in general. A lot of opportunities are available for business, individuals, corporations, IT people, media and government. I believe interest will continue to grow and more people would get connected - in more ways than one.

Hats off to Globe Innove, event sponsor who is to be on the right track. There was no overt selling (though we were given Speak n’ Surf flyers and a PHP100 Worldpass Prepaid Account).

As usual, I was keen on getting the lessons from my experiences. Here’s what I got.

1. To get people to know you, get to know them first.
2. It is okay to ask.
3. Networking means talking, listening, remembering names and connecting afterwards.
4. People are unique. It’s their individuality that makes them interesting.
5. People are the same. No matter how different you are, you will always find something in common with another person.

Things to think about:

1. Blogging is now part of the Philippine Internet Culture. Businesses should look at the demographics and other pertinent data to identify opportunities for their respective markets. Ideas such as SMS-and-Blogging have begun to create new markets.
2. Blogging is a way to connect with your market. In other countries, products and companies rise and fall because of blogs. Philippine companies should realize that this is a very powerful vehicle, that they should join in. They must start integrating it with their business strategies lest they get left behind the bandwagon. Now, not later.
3. Blogging is an educational tool that should be used by the academe and industry. You will find lots of information, but you must sort which is useful and which should be ignored. Information literacy should be a prime concern. If used correctly, that would be one step towards progress. Miss it and we will take two steps back.
4. There are many ways to earn from the internet and blogging. You just have to find the right streams.
5. So you want to to get into the blogging biz? Make a life plan first and work from your strengths.

Other posts about the 1st Philippine BlogCon

ITPcom | Noemi | Angelo | Ka Edong | Marghil | Sonnie | Kiven | Gail | Chris | Jeffrey | Mike A | AJ | Juned | Abe | Annalyn |
Links to those who were there. I got the list from the original wiki and just removed the bloggers/links I did not meet or see.

Abe Olandres (YugaTech)

Jayvee Fernandez (A Bugged Life)

Rico Mossesgeld (Fool for Five)

Sasha Manuel (The Parody)

Juned Sonido (baratillo @ cubao)

Gloria Gamat (Daragang Magayon)

Bimbo Isidro (Vespinoy)

Kevin Codamon (Kiven)

Gail Dela Cruz (Kutitots)

Annalyn Jusay (Writings on the Wall)

Marc Macalua (Macalua.com)

Christine Ocampo (Shobeceo)

J. Angelo Racoma (The J Spot)

Erald Khrist de Guzman (Emina)

Chris Perez(Misadventures of Penoi)

Marhgil Macuha (Kukote in a Jar)

Karla Redor (Rockersworld.com)

Philip Arvin Jarilla (Philip’s Blog) or was it Philip Esmaquel (kuwentong usapan 2.0)

Elber Cruz (driver ng bayan)

Markku Seguerra (rebelpixel productions)

Anne Bailon (sencillez)

Ade Magnaye (Noisy, Noisy Man

Noemi Dado (Touched by An Angel)

Alan & Arlene Ocab (greatlinksevents)

Karl de Leon (Mimi and Karl)

Mimi Abesamis (Mimi and Karl)

Rick Manzano (ProjectManila.com)

Sonnie Santos (Sonnie’s.Porch)

Edwin S. Soriano (Technobiography)

Mike Leaño (Gamemonger)

Richmond Paul F. Ruiz (Pinoy Big Blogger)

Andrei Patrick (Eche…blah…blah)

Teng Mangansakan (Morofilm)

Girard Bonotan (Kawadjan)

Sarah Alvarez (Rashidsmom)

Mike Villar (Dash Media / The Man Blog/ Rising internet Star)

Peter Juan (Dash Media / The Man Blog)

Marco Palinar (Dash Media / The Man Blog)

Randy Nivales (i.ph)

Gibbs Cadiz (Gibbs Cadiz)

Cathy teodoro (lostsoul)

Jac Ting Lim (Jac Strips For You!)

Dominique Cimafranca (village idiot savant)

Charo Nuguid (The Geekette Speaketh, Fair Trade Technology, The Lioness’s Lair)

Clair Ching (clair.free.net.ph, blah!)

Chris Lagman (Fire In The Gut) - I remember!

If I missed out on your name, please leave a comment and I’ll update the list.

More thoughts later.

Basketball is a game from which we can glean a lot of lessons from. From teamwork,hardwork discipline and a host of other values.

Last Sunday was a classic basketball game between the Ateneo Blue Eagles vs the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers.

The was just one second on the clock. The Tigers were jubilant, celebratory. The Eagles were somber as Coach Norman Black plotted the last play. With one second left, the only option was a catch-and-shoot scenario.

Shooters from ADMU were fielded in. Escalona, a guard was to make the inbound pass. In cases like these, it is usually the big man who makes it. But that was part of the plan.

With the ball in play, 2 shooters of Ateneo made their cuts to the side, with their guards trailing close. The other shooter slides out near the top of the three point line, with the trailing guard on him and the center who double up on him, leaving the man least likely to make the shot free to slide near the basket. Escalona loops the ball over the big man harrassing his inbound pass straight to Kramer who makes the open shot in the nick of time.

Ateneo wins with a one point lead. Game over.

The lessons:

1. There is always hope.
2. The game is not over until the last buzzer.
3. No matter how big you are, somebody can always pass the ball over you.
4. Basketball is a team game.
5. It is not always the best player who wins the game.
6. The player who is at the right place at the right time makes the bucket. And it is not luck which placed him there.
7. Things are not always what they seem.
8. Communication is the key to victory.
9. Miscommunication is the key to defeat.
10. And lastly, losing is not the end of the world. There is always the next game.
11. Losing teaches you lessone you will never forget.

Marc Macalua has the highlight here.

PS: I was rooting for the underdog but enjoyed the game immensely. This is comparable to the last shot win of Russia VS USA a long time ago in the Olympics.

One of the reasons why this website exist it to bring positive news and information to inspire the Filipino nation. My original concept was to have a user-contributed site from the whole country and around the world, sort of Web 2.0-ish. We need good news everday, round-the-clock all-year-round. With my limited clout, budget, time, network and expertise, I settled for a blog-type when-able personal posting.

I still have this vision and would welcome any help or proposal for co-development (hint-hint) of this site.

With that being said, I was relieved that somebody (Rico Hizon) has put up a website with a similar meaning to MagandangBalita.com and a similar concept.

With a fiesta-like them and a user interface that is intuitive and simple, www.goodnewspilipinas.com is:

Good News Pilipinas is an information website that highlights the good in the Filipino and the Philippines.

Good News Pilipinas focuses on the positive action, triumphs and victories, whether big or small of fellow Pinoys around the world.

Good News Pilipinas is here to uplift, inspire and inform the world the greatness of our country and people.

Good News Pilipinas wants to make every Filipino feel proud and smile, that yes indeed we have achieved a lot as a people, and continue to be successful in various sectors in our very own country and overseas.

Good News Pilipinas has a NO POLITICS and NO RELIGION information policy. All we want is just to tell the whole world that the Philippines is a big beautiful country and that the Filipino is hospitable, talented, smart, and resourceful.

The website features stories, news and information on business, sports, entertainment, technology and the usual categories of a newspaper. But the glaring difference is the type of news there. It is all positive and good.

While mainstream news focus on problems, scams, political strife and overall bad news that burden, Good News Pilipinas uplifts, lightens the load and makes your day. The first time I read an item there, I was quite surprised at the tone: No frills, no gore, no intrigues, non-combative. Quite a pleasant change from what i was used to reading. I admit that my mood becomes better.

The best part, in my opinion is the section Inspirational Views. Contributors from all walks of life talk about the good news or positive experiences they have. It’s like getting a boost of adrenaline, a helping hand even.  It gives you hope, it re-affirms your belief in the Filipino, that all is not lost. More articles and posts there please!

Make it a frequent read.

More Good News Pilipinas!

A suggestion: A good feedback mechanism where readers can leave comments, like those in blogs would be good. Interaction in the community, a forum for good news and maybe a source of more articles or entries. Maybe a Good News Pilipinas blog is not such a bad idea.

The second noblest profession is being a teacher. The first is being a parent.

Last September 9, a gathering of around 14,000 teachers from all over the Philippines filled the Araneta Coliseum. It was their day, a fitting tribute to educators from Bato Balani Foundation of Diwa Learning Systems.

From Inq7.net

Now on its third year, “A Tribute to Teachers” was conceptualized by the Bato Balani Foundation “to pay homage to teachers through relevant talks, sharing, entertainment and, more importantly, through the presentation of exemplary educators.”

This year’s honored educators are spiritual mentor and teacher Fr. Joseph Roche from the Ateneo de Manila University; Father of Filipino Philosophy Dr. Florentino Timbreza from De La Salle University; social catalyst and teacher Dr. Feny de los Angeles-Bautista of the University of the Philippines’ Child Development Center and the School of Children for Community of Learners, and Dr. Queena Lee-Chua, mathematics professor at Ateneo and columnist of the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

As Dulce led the singing of the national anthem, I had goose bumps all over. Here, the real patriots and nationalists were singing as they have always sung Lupang Hinirang before – from their hearts. In unison, in harmony, in camaraderie, these teachers live the lines “ang mamatay ng dahil sa iyo” by the vocation they have chosen; molding minds, shaping hearts and holding hands.

The line up of speakers were impressive, each one successful in their own fields. But one thing binds them: there were teachers who taught them.

Sandy Prieto of the Philippine Daily Inquirer started with a tribute to her teachers. She spoke of her “tormentor mentor”, something that many of the teachers could relate with,e judging from the reaction that she got. These type were those who do not settle, who push you to the limit. In the end, you end up thanking them for being hard on you. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have known what you are really capable of. They also build up your spirit. She highlighted her gratitude with a quote from John Maxwell “Talent is a gift; Character is a choice.”

With his commencement addresses doing the email rounds all over the world, Butch Jimenez of PLDT and SMART emphasized hope. He related that Lance Armstrong only had a 3% chance of surviving his cancer. When first asked his doctor replied “There is hope.” That was all the youngest-ever Tour de France champion needed. And he went on to win 7 more Tour de France titles.

Of special note is the formula that Mr. Jimenez believes we need to survive and succeed, taking his cue from Lee Kwan Yew: Education and the Internet. As his tribute to the teachers who were present, he made a generous offer for broadband internet subscription. (Details here).

To be continued

Jack Canfield is one of my favorite authors. I actually bought an ebook and paperback edition of his book, The Success Principles, How To Get From Where You Are To Where You Want To Be. And I am going to attend his seminar this October!

You have within you an awesome power that most of us have never been taught to use. Elite athletes use it. The super rich use it. And peak performers in all fields are now starting to use it. That power is called visualization. The daily practice of visualizing your dreams as already complete can rapidly accelerate your achievement of those dreams. Visualization of your goals and desires accomplishes four very important things.

1. It activates your creative subconscious which will start generating creative ideas to achieve your goal.
2. It programs your brain to more readily perceive and recognize the resources you will need to achieve your dreams.
3. It activates the law of attraction, thereby drawing into your life the people, resources, and circumstances you will need to achieve your goals.

When you have finished this process — it should take less than five minutes — you can open your eyes and go about your business. If you make this part of your daily routine, you will be amazed at how much improvement you will see in your life.

Create Goal Pictures

Another powerful technique is to create a photograph or picture of yourself with your goal, as if it were already completed. If one of your goals is to own a new car, take your camera down to your local auto dealer and have a picture taken of yourself sitting behind the wheel of your dream car. If your goal is to visit Paris, find a picture or poster of the Eiffel Tower and cut out a picture of yourself and place it into the picture. With today’s technology, you could probably make an even more convincing image using your computer.

Create a Visual Picture and an Affirmation for Each Goal

We recommend that you find or create a picture of every aspect of your dream life. Create a picture or a visual representation for every goal you have — financial, career, recreation, new skills and abilities, things you want to purchase, and so on. When we were writing the very first Chicken Soup for the Soul® book, we took a copy of the New York Times best seller list, scanned it into our computer, and using the same font as the newspaper, typed Chicken Soup for the Soul into the number one position in the “Paperback Advice, How-To and Miscellaneous” category. We printed several copies and hung them up around the office. Less than two years later, our book was the number one book in that category and stayed there for over a year!

Index Cards

We practice a similar discipline every day. We each have a list of about 30-40 goals we are currently working on. We write each goal on a 3×5 index card and keep those cards near our bed and take them with us when we travel. Each morning and each night we go through the stack of cards, one at a time, read the card, close our eyes, see the completion of that goal in its perfect desired state for about 15 seconds, open our eyes and repeat the process with the next card.

Use Affirmations to Support Your Visualization

An affirmation is a statement that evokes not only a picture, but the experience of already having what you want. Here’s an example of an affirmation:

I am happily vacationing 2 months out of the year in a tropical paradise, and working just four days a week owning my own business.

Repeating an affirmation several times a day keeps you focused on your goal, strengthens your motivation, and programs your subconscious by sending an order to your crew to do whatever it takes to make that goal happen.

Expect Results

Through writing down your goals, using the power of visualization and repeating your affirmations, you can achieve amazing results. Visualization and affirmations allow you to change your beliefs, assumptions, and opinions about the most important person in your life — YOU! They allow you to harness the 18 billion brain cells in your brain and get them all working in a singular and purposeful direction.

Your subconscious will become engaged in a process that transforms you forever. The process is invisible and doesn’t take a long time. It just happens over time, as long as you put in the time to visualize and affirm, surround yourself with positive people, read uplifting books and listen to audio programs that flood your mind with positive, life-affirming messages.

Repeat your affirmations every morning and night for a month and they will become an automatic part of your thinking — they will become woven into the very fabric of your being.

© 2006 Jack Canfield

Jack Canfield, America’s Success Coach, is the founder and co-creator of the billion-dollar book brand Chicken Soup for the Soul and the nation’s leading authority on Peak Performance. If you’re ready to jump-start your life, make more money, and have more fun and joy in all that you do, get your FREE success tips from Jack Canfield now at www.JackCanfield.com