my thoughts on the 4th Mindanao Bloggers Summit

first heard about Mindanao Bloggers Summit last year from my friend Grace... i cant remember how our conversation started but her mentioning of the bloggers summit she attended in CDO got me intrigued... and all the more giddy when she told me it'll be in Zamboanga this year. :-)

i just started to blog last year.... and this is my first time to go to a blogger's event... i did't know what to expect.... i went there not knowing what exactly i want to get out of it.... once i got there i realized it will be a whole day worth of talk... i was worried i will get bored, thinking i should have brought my laptop with me... but to my surprise i loved every bit of the summit.... the speakers were great, i like what they talked about and how although they went there independently but each of their message complements each other... and i didn't even think of getting a cup of coffee just to keep me up the whole time.... i was hooked from start to finish! :-)

class picture!!! Mindanao Bloggers Summit 2010

Zamboanga City Mayor Lobregat was invited to talk.... I have to admit I was feeling nega about it before he started (just had a not so good experience from his too much talking and promises)... but in fairness his speech was good! Recognizing the power of blogging at this time, i'm amazed by his speech content... although for sure it was not him who wrote it but he delivered it well....

His main point: Be a responsible blogger... blog only facts, not gossips. Know when not to blog about something if it will not help us grow at all. (But I just hope that they wont do stupid things in the office too).

He was right when he said that one of the reasons we can not move forward big time is the "attitudenal" problem... that negativism that instead of helping rally an idea to move forward, there will always be individuals who would by cynic about it.... But the thing is, sometimes its their actions not matching their words that turn people away.... I really hope they would give reasons for the people to support them by reconciling their actions and their words... It is ok to hype people through words but dont leave them there.... rally further by showing that you do what you say.... I am a guilty cynic of his administration, but the way he tried to market Zamboanga City during his speech hyped me and made me proud of the city and how much it has today.... i am hyped by the visions and plans he presented for the city... im trying not to think that it can't be done... i have all hope that it will happen. :-) glass-half-full thinking! :-)

Mayor Lobregat's half-empty/half-full glass speech



a little tech talk about Google and Blogger by Ms. Aileen Apolo.... I was still shy and still on warming-up mode when she had a game.... regrets later for not participating because I really wanna have that green Google shirt hehehe :D

Here's Zamboanguenos performing during the Summit.... the beatbox guy was awesome.... and I love the Hola Zamboanga Hola Chavacano song! :-)

Bobby Soriano talked about Internet Security... he started his talk by scaring us all, flashing on screen accounts of attendees who were using the hotel's wifi.... he told us that it's easy to get hacked if you're using open networks. So be careful when connecting through free Wifi in public places... you'll never know who's using it too and are already ready to post nasty stuff through your account.... His advice: use platforms that are in https and not just http.

Do you know that Facebook is not in https? It's default is in http  only, so when you access your account by connecting through public wifi's, chances are if a hacker is also in that network, you're an instant giveaway....Sigh**... I wish I can explain this further but im just not as techy as many of us.... but at least being aware about these possibilities should keep as cautious always....

Another favorite speaker that day: Juana Change! She's using videoblogging in helping spread awareness about the issues in our country.... she's also into the idea that if each of us uses our voice... collectively we can really make huge sound to effect change.... one blog, one vlog, & other medium at a time...

I wasn't able to take a photo with Arianne, TG Guingona's representative... But she shared to us Guingona's TVTG project.... sharing and explaining things that are happening in the senate....

Jay Jaboneta from PNoy's Media group was also there... also talking about advocacy blogging, about individual contributions to turn our country around, and about The Little Orange Book about 12 little things you can do for your country....

and another speaker from MINDA. I haven't heard about Minda (Mindanao equivalent of NEDA) until that summit... And I appreciate how much effort they're doing to call the National Government's attention on Mindanao's concerns.... We were told that only a little percentage of the National budget is allocated to Mindanao... pathetic, yes? He presented their new framework for Mindanao in the next years... (so much for delaying this post that I forgot my thoughts on what he had shared with us... sorry). But one thing I can share, I'm glad Minda was created so that Mindanao's interest will be protected as well....

It had been mentioned several times that the Mindanao bloggers were being applauded by the blogging community for taking the initiative of creating a solid group to work on one big advocacy: to show the good side of Mindanao, to counter all the negative posts about our place down here.... it's already the 4th summit and how much had this blogging community had done for Mindanao....I just simply admire how they were able to grow their group and create a blogging force in their region... As Ms. Yolynne said, we hope we can have a clone of Avel down here in Zambo too! :-)

Apart from winning an award, i really had a good time during the Summit. Thanks to Ms.Yolynne and Grace Sojor and their friend (who became my seatmate the whole time but I forgot the name... hehe sorry!!!) for keeping me company because i didn't know anyone else there... ;-) If you're going next year, please tag me along too!!! hehe

Really great job to MBS4 organizers!!! Grace Sojor, Yolynne Medina, Ryann Elumba, Ced Zabala, and im not too sure who else... !!! thanks thanks!

I'm a proud Mindanao Blogger!!! :-)

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Grand ballroom, Garden Orchid Hotel

Canelar, Zamboanga City

30 October 2010