Pride, In the Name of Love

Last weekend, I started e-mailing the DigitalFilipino.com Web Awards winners notifying that they have won. The most common expression that I got was "Wow!" and I guess it felt really great when some form recognition is given, in the most genuine manner. All I could say is that the award turnout, from the prizes to recognition, was most blessed.

Feeling proud is an understatement in describing what the winners have poured in terms of effort, vision, and plan for their respective websites to achieve. There is so much love, passion, and dedication to their craft.

Since iBlog3, this song has been lingering in my head. I dedicate this to everyone committed in their craft and purpose.



From hereon, focus is on my upcoming blogging book (outside of project commitments) targeting release next month.

Recognizing Filipino Websites

I spent the whole day today managing the final judging process for the DigitalFilipino.com Web Awards. The awards was designed to be an Internet user's choice award type as club members who judge the 31 category entries are both young and old online citizens.

Several things that came to mind when planning for it are:

• We won't charge an entry fee.
• We will actively nominate entries as necessary.
• Very basic technical rule to be used, for entries to be shortlisted to the finals, is the site must have a unique title tag per page, no broken images, and contact info (minimum of e-mail or form) posted online.
  
• During the awards ceremony, we will release a best practices guide that all site owners can take note of to improve their website further.

I feel blessed with the APEC Digital Opportunity Center's entry into this project as a co-collaborator when I least expected it. I guess this is a sign that we should do this learning experience project annually as well.

Bloggers/Journalists who wishes to cover the April 27 awards ceremony shall be more than welcome. Just send me an email at digitalfilipino (at) gmail.com.

Enjoying chaos

I admit that I'm the kind of person who thrives on personal chaos. I dislike the idea when everything around me gets too comfortable and end up creating personal challenges to grow. Although I must admit that the repurcussion can be quite tough and there are several lessons learned in that regard. Learnings gain makes it all worthwhile.

• My 3-days Software Development Policies and Procedures Workshop pushed through, when I least expect it. The class will be finished by tomorrow.
  
• The Philippine Schools Cyberfair Awards is now set on March 23. I was fortunate to get projects that allowed me to set aside a personal budget covering the expense for food, trophies, medals, and t-shirts. I might visit a province on April 20 should the winners in that area can't make it during the awards ceremony or teacher training.
  
• I am setting aside the last week of April for the DigitalFilipino.com Web Awards recognition and may organize a small forum so that club members can take advantage of the lessons learned from winners at that time.
• I'm set to speak in a conference in New Zealand next week and take a break in Adelaide, Australia.
• Will have to deal with payment of property and income taxes before taking that break.
• Send out ad per post and content development assignment to club members asap.
• Submit status reports to all SEO, advertisers, and research clients.
• Finish writing commitments and book project.
• Do all out delegates invitation hurrah for iBlog3. Aiming for 300 bloggers to attend the 2-day FREE event!
• Reactivate the DigitalFilipino.com Podcast.
  

During the travel break, I will reflect on what to do after closing all the pending items I indicated above.

Hitting Google PageRank 4 in 6 weeks

Earlier on, I was so elated with the idea that my Ituloy AngSulong entry hit Google PageRank 4 in less than 3 months. Only now that I realized, there is more reason to be happy.

The DigitalFilipino Web Awards site just hit Google PageRank 4 in just six weeks. This site only started last December 16, 2006.

Cool!!!

The Blog Parteeh After Glow

My sincerest congratulations to the organizers of the Blog Parteeh (blogparteeh07), especially to Abraham, for a successful event. Cheers to AJ for bagging the major prize. You are so lucky dude!

Special thanks to all the sponsors who provided the resources to make the event happen. Sorry guys if we were not able to listen to you well during your presentations as most of us hardly catched up with each other lately and there are a lot of matters to discuss.

I'm so glad to meet the very thoughtful Pierre. As far as my original agenda is concern, I find myself able to achieve the following and more:

1. Several bloggers committed to help me promote my Cyberfair campaign and DigitalFilipino.com Web Awards and gave them copies of the Philippine Internet Review: 10 Years of Internet History (1994-2004). (abangan ko yung plug ha!)


2. I was able to catch up with DigitalFilipino.com Club Member Mike Abundo about his membership and our advertising revenue program for club members. I also hope that Elymar will sign up as a club member na.
   
3. I was able to talk to several bloggers (too many to mention) about speaking or panel moderating at iBlog3: The 3rd Philippine Blogging Summit. Anyone interested can check this out for possible topics and e-mail me at jtoral at iblogph.org on or before January 31 as I badly need to finalize this already.
   
4. I was able to catch up with Migs and agreed to pursue our collaborative work with the Philippine Internet Review online. He'll be co-blogging there soon. (yehey!!!)
   
5. Catched up with Aileen and posted my announcement of finding a suitable Valentine's Day date for her. Boys, apply na!
   
6. Marc, who is also a club member, couldn't make it to Manila so will keep on reading his daddy adventures online.
   
7. I was able to meet several Ituloy AngSulong participants but never got the chance to sit down and share experiences.

Many thanks GMA New Media for the ride home and look forward in collaborating with you.

Can't get enough? Here's more coverage from all those who attended the Blog Parteeh!

On a mega-request note, hope you can help me disseminate the word on this upcoming Blogging 101 Workshop book. Cheers!

Get a Philippine Internet Review at the Blog Parteeh

I just got an e-mail that I'm already approved to attend the Blog Parteeh! (blogparteeh07)

I plan to bring copies of the Philippine Internet Review (1994-2004) and give it to those who'll be able to do any of the following:

• Disseminate our last call for entries and support for the Philippine Schools Cyberfair 2007: Empower and Unite!
• Disseminate our call for entries to the DigitalFilipino.com Web Awards experimental project.

To ensure proper count, please post a comment here with a link to your blog entry. Only one copy of the Philippine Internet Review (1994-2004) per person. Thanks!

Ten reasons why I wanna Blog Parteeh!

Abe Olandres is organizing a Blog Parteeh! 2007. It is the largest blogger meet-up ever organized by bloggers for bloggers.

This will be on January 27, 2007 from 2 pm to 8 pm at the 6th Floor (Poolside Area) Classica Tower 2 Condominium HV dela Costa St., Salcedo Village,Makati City 1200

I have a clear agenda on why I want to be there. This includes:

1. Talk to bloggers, educators, and site owners to seek for help in promoting the Philippine Schools Cyberfair 2007 (sample blog plug) and DigitalFilipino Web Awards.
2. Catch up with club members about our advertising revenue program for bloggers and site owners.
3. Catch up with Abe, Angelo, and other bloggers about speaking and moderating at iBlog3 to help out in getting more newbies and non-bloggers into blogging.
4. Talk to Aileen about forthcoming activities and her plans. (show up wearing the necklace she gave as a gift from Indonesia)
5. Talk to Migs about Philippine Internet Review book 2.
6. Catch up with Marc and check out if he brought pictures of his well-beloved baby that he often blogs about.
7. Catch up with Noemi about the Weight loss competition by Fitness First and how is her experience with it so far. I've been actually considering to sign up with Fitness First for quite sometime now but never got to do it.
8. Catch up with Anton and inquire about his next food trip.
9. Catch up with bloggers who joined Ituloy AngSulong and exchange survival experience.
10. If there's a demand for it, I might even bring my fortune reading kit.

Congrats Abe and to all the organizers of Blog Parteeh 2007!!!

Event Sponsors are:
Migs Paraz, MyJournal Philippines, FeedText, Inc., A Bugged Life, The Blog Herald, b5media blog network, About My Recovery, Pinoy.Tech.Blog, Sheero Media Solutions, Enthropia, Inc., Krispy Kreme Philippines, GMA New Media, Awesome Philippines, Codamon.com, Bouncing Red Ball

Event Donors are: Bo Sanchez, Marc Javellana, Bubba Gump, e-YellowPages, Adobe User Group - Philippines, Microwarehouse Inc., http://weddingsatwork.com/, Google Philippines, Hinge Inquirer Publications

Technorati tag: blogparteeh07