The Philippine Blog Awards ‘09 Mindanao

The 2009 Philippine Blog Awards Mindanao leg was held shortly after the 3rd Mindanao Bloggers Summit on the same venue- at the Pearlmont Hotel, Cagayan de Oro.

It was a long day. I had only 2 hours of sleep the night prior because of some deadlines I had to work on. I could easily opt to curl up in bed right after the summit but I just couldn’t afford to miss the PBA Night. It was a rare opportunity to accept the trophy for the Best Beauty Blog Award which was announced in Manila 2 weeks before the Mindanao leg. All along, I was thinking that claiming my precious trophy would take place off the stage. When CDO Bloggers President Chiq Montes came up to me, she said that winners of the nationwide categories had to prepare an acceptance speech. Like an ice cold water that was suddenly poured over my head, it snapped me out of lethargy. I could only blurt out to myself “Crap… But I don’t do speeches?!?”

The spotlight-loving theater artist in me stopped adoring the stage after high school. Speaking in public has been a tummy-somersaulting activity for me afterwards. It probably had to do with endorsements, grand rounds and (tor)mentors scaring the hell out of us during med school. I stutter when nervous and puke before a presentation I haven’t studied for.

What was more panic-inducing was my look for the occasion. I was dressed casually for the summit without considering my outfit for the awards night.

After all, I was expecting to be in the audience all throughout. I couldn’t climb up the stage looking like the beauty blogger who doesn’t practice what she preaches. Good thing I had extra clothes and shoes in the car. Putting out the NARS makeup palette from the bag, I worked some magic in an effort to restore some freshness into my exhausted, dried tuna look. With no makeup brushes, I used my hands in applying makeup. No breathtaking eye designs, no mascara, no “donyatic” hairstyle. Just the basics to help me pull through the night.

The dinner that was sponsored by the PBA have been sumptuous but my taste buds weren’t working due to my perceived impending doom. The announcements of winners from Mindanao were even a blur until after I delivered the speech. It was a brief one, just a quick thank you speech to let them know I could talk. For the record, I didn’t pass out on stage, slipped on stainless steel tiles nor puke before everyone. My blog title would have immediately changed to “The Doctor is Gross” had I lost my composure. My husband was my steady support throughout the day.

Thanks to the Philippine Blog Awards website, I could now share with you the list of the winners even if my memory was hazy that night:

WINNERS OF THE 2009 PHILIPPINE BLOG AWARDS – Mindanao

I. MAIN AWARDS (Nationwide Categories)
Best Business Blog – Negosyo Ideas
Mike Abonitalla

Best Beauty Blog – The Doctor Is vain
The Sissy Blogger With A Bad Case of Stage Fright

II. SPECIAL AWARDS

Mindanao Bloggers’ Choice
DavaoBase

Mindanao Advocacy Blog
Peace Initiatives in SOCSARGEN

Mindanao Destination Blog -
GenSan News Online Mag

Uniquely Mindanao Blog –
Hola Zamboanga

Globe Digital Tribe – Mindanao
angdabawenyo.com
mindanao.com

alleba.com/blog
riajose.com
migsmobile.net
gensantos.com
katherinevlara.com
lylesantos.com
ptlavina.wordpress.com
chiqmontes.com

Chikka Readers’ Choice

Gensan News Online Mag

Congratulations to all the winners and the people behind the Philippine Blog Awards, especially to the President, Mr. Juned Sonido for a job well done. May your efforts inspire more bloggers to raise the standards of blogging in this country. To Chiq Montes of the CDO Bloggers and Bloggie Robillo  of Mindanao Bloggers, congratulations for bringing the PBA ‘09 here in Cagayan de Oro. To all bloggers who attended the event, it was nice meeting all of you and I look forward to seeing you win the awards next year!

Here are some of the highlights captured through video by Zamboanga’s Ryann Elumba:

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$49 Smashbox Makeup Brush Set

When speaking of Smashbox Brushes, the quality is assured but the cost can be limiting. I’d rather look for a nameless brush that has the same quality yet is sold at a much cheaper price. But if you want to try for once how it would feel to own a Smashbox brush set without skipping your meals for a week to afford it, this is your chance!

Image from Smashbox.com

The $134 value Smashbox 5-piece brush kit is now only $49! It contains 5 exclusive travel-size brushes, protected in a shiny raspberry case. The Perfect Tools Set is just one of the WISH Holiday 2009 collections. With every purchase of the WISH kit, Smashbox donates $1 to the Children’s Miracle Network for sick and injured kids.

The set includes:
TRAVEL ANGLED BLUSH BRUSH
TRAVEL BLENDING BRUSH
TRAVEL CREASE BRUSH
TRAVEL SHADOW LINER BRUSH
TRAVEL ANGLED PRECISION LINER BRUSH

Among the 5, what grabs my attention is the blending brush. I’ve always wanted to have one because the ELF blending brush I got is a little too abrasive for the sensitive eye area. I hope this one’s different. The Smashbox website doesn’t say what the handles are made of, which is an important factor when deciding to purchase makeup brushes.

The size may not be for professional use but it serves the same purpose and it makes a handy yet elegant companion for your purse. My ultimate WISH for Smashbox, however,  is that they start shipping to the Philippines so I wouldn’t have to wait for a relative or friend to come home before I could purchase their products.

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Mindanao Bloggers Summit 3

Last Saturday, October 24, 2009, bloggers from Mindanao  convened at Pearlmont Hotel here in Cagayan de Oro City. It was the 3^rd Mindanao Bloggers’ Summit, a yearly event which was spearheaded by Bloggie Robillo in 2007.

The gathering was attended  by bloggers mostly from various parts of Mindanao, while some flew in all the way from Luzon.  The summit  instilled the responsibilities that come along with the power of blogging.  Our websites may not be the mainstream source of information but its influences cannot be understated. The occasion called for ways to change the way people view Mindanao, hence the theme: “ Mindanao, Bag-uhon and Panan-aw.” Beyond the insurgencies regularly featured on national TV, we hope to unravel the other side of Mindanao, its beauty that is oftentimes tainted with the ugly circumstances in certain areas. What people don’t know is that in most parts of Mindanao, we live quite normal lives.

Pearlmont Inn’s Bayanihan Ballroom was perfect for the event. Its design furnitures in the hallway are consistent with the hotel’s Filipino-Spanish interiors. However, the downside of this convention place is its limited parking space.

The summit was graced by key speakers like Cagayan de Oro Mayor Constantino “Tinnex” Jaraula  who welcomed the delegates to the summit, US Embassy Chief of Mission Leslie Bassett who represented the US Ambassador to the Philippines, Kristie Kenney (who sent her greetings through a video),  Atty. Adel Tamano, and Agusan Lone District Rep. Rodolfo “Ompong” Plaza.

Atty. Adel Tamano won the attendees’ hearts with his enigmatic presence, engaging talk on leadership and palpable sincerity as he reached out to each one in the room. For the showbiz-inclined, you may know him as Dr. Vicky Belo’s lawyer and the face on Belo’s Ads along EDSA that say “Smart is the New Sexy.” The first Filipino-Muslim scholar of Harvard Law School who gave the validectory address during graduation certainly has a lot more going than good looks. His anti- corruption leadership model as President of Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM) won me over more than his enviably clear skin ,which was the first thing I noticed (pardon the beauty blogger in me speaking).

Through videos, Senator Kiko Pangilinan and Liberal Party Senatorial Candidate Neric Acosta extended their inspirational messages to all bloggers and expressed their regrets for not making it to event personally.

Victor Sapar encouraged us to join  Iblog for Peace, a site that aggregates blogs, videos and podcasts of anyone’s view on peace.

The afternoon session started with Google’s Philippine Representative, Ms. Aileen Apolo giving the talk on “Blogging for Beginners.” It amazed us to know that she only spends 5-10 minutes each day updating her various blogs. Digital Filipino’s Ms. Janette Toral spoke on blog marketing techniques, an area which I admittedly suck at.  Lyle Santos sparked interests on bloggers who wanted to make money online with his google adsense expertise.

Updates from Mindanao bloggers were given by representatives of each city: Avel “Sexy Bariles” Manansala of Gen San,  Jaime Haw, Jr. of Davao City, Edward Ragpala of CDO, and Ryan Elumba of Zamboanga, where the 2010 Mindanao Bloggers’ Summit will be held.  Interestingly, Davao’s Jim Haw is likewise a doctor who trained in Radiology before he decided to quit residency, which leaves me wondering what’s in Radiology that prompts its ex-residents to pursue blogging. Uh, radioactive ideas, perhaps?

Migs Hipolito was the emcee who kept the atmosphere fun and lively. In between breaks, prizes were given out. I got a cool SMART Communications Netbook bag for publishing the press release of MBS3 on this blog. Alvin Tan from Manila won a 1st Rafting Adventures freebie. Other giveaways were convention shirts, Wordpress and Firefox buttons, Make Your Own Havaianas cellphone pendants and the most coveted Nokia  Ovi cellphones, one of which my husband luckily snagged during the raffle. Other sponsors who made the event possible were: UltraCraft, Syntactics, Majesty Sales Center, Clara’s Shoppe, MakatiAve.com, Asterisk Event and Communications and Loreto’s Bar and Grill.

Congratulations to the hosts of this year’s MBS- the CDO Bloggers, headed by Chiq Montes,  and Bloggie Robillo for uniting bloggers from Mindanao and everyone behind the success of the event.

After capping off the summit, we were set to attend the Philippine Blog Awards 2009 Mindanao leg an hour after. Who were the most influential Mindanao Bloggers and how did it feel accepting the trophy for the 1^st best beauty blog award? Find out on my next post.

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Multiply Gives In

Multiply announced that they are changing their policy which technically prohibited the selling of goods through the site. The rule created a scare among sellers a year ago or so, but Multiply, realizing that the bulk of its users are entrepreneurs, brushed aside the violations issue and gave the users a leeway so long as they don’t spam. Recently, they decided to give the sellers some peace of mind by revising the terms of service, finally making online selling at Multiply legit.

While Multiply is a good site for building portfolios whether as a photographer, makeup artist, etc, the features also provide a convenient set up for a free online store. Had multiply insisted on its previous rule, they are sure to lose thousands of users who can always turn to Sulit, Ebay and other online marketplaces.

I am happy about the news because I am a regular shopper myself at various multiply stores that sell makeups and accessories, fashion items and skin care products. Among my favorite shops are the following:

• Suesh – supplier of affordable yet excellent quality makeup brushes, traincases and other makeup artist accessories.
• Nui Clothing- although they have their own site where they sell their up-to- date fashion pieces, the multiply site gives a preview of their collections every month.
• Kimi’s Drawer- a Cagayan de Oro- based online boutique. Stylish yet affordable merchandises that are easily sold out.
• Beauty and Wellness 22- Derma soaps and formulations that work.  Quick shipping.
• Stellar Closet- GMA talent Chynna Ortaleza  sells fabulous fashion finds at low prices through this shop. Her Celebrity closet raids are worth checking out!

The list is endless. There are just too many multiply shops you can indulge on. If you’re on the hunt for great bargains without leaving your home, you may want to try out shopping at the “Multiply mall.” If you have stuffs to unload, you can open a store as well, now that Multiply has fully given its nod to enterprising netizens.

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CDO Bloggers Group Hosts Mindanao Bloggers Summit 3

The Cagayan de Oro Bloggers (CDO Bloggers) group is set to play host to the Mindanao Bloggers Summit 3, which will be held on October 24, 2009. With the theme, “Mindanao: Bag-Uhon Ang Panan-aw,” the MBS 3 aims to uphold the beauty and strength of the island and to expunge the negative notions the world has about it.

(Cagayan de Oro City, Mindanao, Philippines – October 21, 2009) – It’s all systems go for the Cagayan de Oro Bloggers (CDO Bloggers) as they play host to the much-awaited Mindanao Bloggers Summit 3, an annual gathering of Mindanao-based bloggers, IT industry experts, community leaders and new media advocates, on October 24, 2009 at Pearlmont Inn, Limketkai Drive, Cagayan de Oro City. Roughly 300 bloggers are expected to attend this year’s summit.

With the theme, “Mindanao: Bag-Uhon Ang Panan-aw,” (Changing The Way People See Mindanao) the event aims to uphold the beauty and strength of Mindanao, to highlight the diverse cultures and fascinating tourist spots that are uniquely Mindanao and to provide a platform where bloggers and other new media practitioners can discuss concerns related to Mindanao – all with the help of new and emerging technologies.

“Mindanao is the home of everything fascinating or in bloggers’ lingo – bloggable. Through the Mindanao Bloggers Summit 3, it is the hope of the CDO Bloggers, along with our partners and generous sponsors, that we listen to knowledgeable resource persons, meet other Mindanaoan bloggers, share and maximize all of our skills and resources and adopt tried and tested practices that can help us to fully promote Mindanao and for us to become better bloggers as well,” emphasized Chiq Montes, president of CDO Bloggers.

“Of course, we also want all of the participants to have a good time and experience the sights and sounds of Cagayan de Oro,” Montes added.

Montes said that apart from Mindanaoan bloggers, the summit will also see the participation of some bloggers from Luzon and Visayas.

Expected to grace the summit is United States Embassy’s new Deputy Chief of Mission Leslie Bassett, Atty. Adel Tamano, Agusan Lone District Rep. Rodolfo “Ompong” Plaza and Cagayan de Oro City Mayor Tinnex Jaraula.

Considered unprecedented in the Philippine blogosphere, a top ranking United States Embassy dignitary is set to deliver the keynote address. Bassett’s trip to CDO will be her first trip to Mindanao since assuming office in June. She previously served as DCM in Mexico.

“We are deeply honored. We’re certain that the summit participants will be delighted to meet her and we can’t wait for her to see our beautiful city,” Montes said.

Other speakers during the whole-day affair include Cagayan de Oro City Mayor Tinnex Jaraula, Agusan Lone District Rep. Rodolfo “Ompong” Plaza and Atty. Adel Tamano.

Google’s Philippine representative Aileen Apolo, whose talk will focus on beginners, Digital Filipino’s Janette Toral, who will discuss blog advertising and Lyle Santos, who will talk about making money online will also be present. Representatives of other blogger groups including those in Davao City, General Santos City and Zamboanga will also give updates.

After the summit proper, participants have the choice of joining either the city tour (Xavier University Museum, Cathedral, Divine Mercy Shrine, Opol Aviary, Limketkai Mall) or the whitewater rafting adventure.

Also happening on October 24, right after the MBS 3, is the Philippine Blog Awards – Mindanao awarding ceremonies.

CDO Bloggers, Inc., a group duly registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission, is the lead organizer of this year’s Mindanao Bloggers Summit 3. Previous summits took place in Davao City and General Santos City.

The Mindanao Bloggers Summit 3 is generously supported by SMART Telecommunications, Nokia, Syntactics, Inc., STI, Rafting Adventure Philippines, MakatiAve.com, Majesty Sales Center, Havaianas Philippines, OLX Philippines Free Classifieds, Clara Shoppe, ASTERISK Events and Communications, RG & K Construction, Paguia’s Cottages, The Pacifica.com Companies, The Site, Spruce, The City Government of Cagayan de Oro, Office of CDO First District Rep. Rolando “Klarex” Uy, SM City Cagayan de Oro, Ultra Craft Advertising Corporation, Magnet Advertising, Provincial Government of Misamis Oriental and the Mindanao Bloggers community. Media partners include Papa Ardie’s Concepz, STI, ABS CBN, MOR 91.9 and HOT FM 106.3.

For more information about the Mindanao Bloggers Summit 3, log on to http://www.mbscdo.com

About CDO Bloggers

CDOBloggers or Cagayan de Oro Bloggers, Inc. is a duly SEC-registered organization that promotes Cagayan de Oro through blogging. Among the group’s goals are to create impact in society through blogging, to help promote Mindanao to the world as a bustling and peaceful land, to promote Cagayan De Oro City and Kagay-anons around the world with a sense of pride and to use blogging as a media platform.

The CDO Bloggers group is the main organizer of the Mindanao Bloggers Summit 3 (MBS 3). For more information about MBS 3, log on to http://www.mbscdo.com

For more information about CDO Bloggers, visit http://www.cdobloggers.com or send email to cdobloggersinc@gmail.com

About Mindanao Bloggers

Mindanao Bloggers aims to unify the island through this exciting new medium — the way of the blog — thereby promoting deeper understanding of our different cultures and beliefs. Thus, it is hoped that this community blog will help in presenting to the world at large the true beauty of the Philippine South, as well as the marvelous diversity of the peoples of Mindanao. For more information about Mindanao Bloggers, visit http://www.mindanaobloggers.com

A Press Release From CDO Bloggers Thru:

ASTERISK Events and Communications
http://www.asteriskeventsandcommunications.com
Mobile number: (+63) 919 238 6575 / (+63) 922 478 5218
Email address: asteriskEC@gmail.com

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