"With great power comes great responsibility." - Uncle Ben, Spiderman Social media gives people opprtunities to communicate, learn, and earn. In so many ways, people can create careers, businesses, fame and fortune. With these opportunities are also opportunities to change lives and change societies. In the Arab Spring, social media greatly contributed to the revolutions and rise od democracy in some nations in the Middle East. Social media didn't create change. Rather, it became one of the most effective tools to contribute to change. One doesn't have to wait for a revolution to happen for a citizen to contribute to social change. With social media, a citizen can easily and possibly bring change to society. Social media can give voice to the unheard. It can amplify a message. It can give light to issues which have never been discussed. It can provoke a nation to change in ways they never thought they could. Social media gives most individuals with the opportunity to be an opinion maker, to influence, to be more important than he could ever be. With these opportunities come the opportunity to use social media to create change. Advocacies can become more powerful and can reach a wider…
Category: hobbies and interests
Surf 101 in Dahican, Mati
Ria Jose in Dahican Beach, Mati Anybody who knows me well enough knows I am not a "beach person." When the opportunity to learn how to surf presented itself, I was a bit hesitant but I accepted the challenge because... I don't actually remember why. I'm glad I accepted it because look... Dahican, Mati, Davao Oriental When we arrived in Dahican, it was already dark and our first concern was eating. Then, sleeping. We checked in to Kanakbai Resort. They 2 villas, each with 2 rooms which can comfortably fit 2 - 6 persons. Each villa has a kitchen and a common living room. In the morning, we had a hearty breakfast and set out to learn how to surf. We dropped by one spot but the waves weren't strong enough for surfing. Dahican has a very nice shoreline. It's blue, pristine, and serene. They have spots for swimming and spots for surfing. It's the learning haven for surfers. I love how the beach goes on and on and the resorts aren't too close to the shoreline. After starting to fall in love with the beach of Dahican came the fear of surfing. DUN! DUN! DUN! DUUUUUUN! Scared... After enjoying…
The #GlobeAmplified Racing Experience
On March 23, 2012, Globe Telecom launched their $700 million system transformation in Davao City. This translates to better mobile services along with a better customer service experience. The entire system transformation is is anchored on the tagline "A Bigger Globe for a Bigger YOU!" And the first roll-out for this new system is in... DAVAO CITY! In order to test the system, 21 bloggers and members of local and national media organizations were chosen to participate in a race around Davao City. Together with the Department of Tourism and AirPhil Express, Globe Telecom showcased their amplified services in a unique adventure around Davao City. I was chosen and grouped together with Alex Villafania of loqal.ph and Giovanni Flaviano of the People's Forum. We were Team GCash Remit Purple and I was the team's designated navigator. As navigator, I had to perform tasks and challenges separate from my team. Upon completion of my task, I'd inform my teammates where their next task is. Armed with an iPhone 4S and the Globe network, I raced around Davao City along with other navigators. I had to run through Aldevinco Shopping Center to find a labeled scarf, take pictures at San Pedro Cathedral,…
Dreaming of Paris
It is, perhaps, the dream of every hopeless romantic to go to France and fall hopelessly in love with a stranger. Me, however, I dream of going to Paris to drink wine, eat Boeuf Bourguinon, and gorge on petit four. Paris is such a far off land, which I only get to watch on films and television shows. I hear about it in songs and read about it in novels, poems, and articles. For a lot of people, it is the place where art takes flight, where fashion takes center stage, and where people so carelessly demonstrate their passion... be it for food, the arts, or their special someone. It is a place where dreamers dream to go so that their dreams can turn into reality. I was recently bitten by the travel bug and Paris, France is definitely now on my list of places to visit. (Along with the rest of the Philippines, Southeast Asia, Japan, Greece, and Italy.) I want to find place to rent in Paris and just take in all the culture, arts, and food it has to offer. As in most European cities, there are a lot of apartment rentals in Paris France and I…
Why I Love Iloilo
Everybody knows I'm fiercely in love with Davao but if there's one place I'd consider relocating to, it would be Iloilo. Iloilo is a small city with a whole lot to offer. Historical and Cultural Tours I love that Iloilo has a lot of nice architecture and historical places from our colonial past. The photowalk I did with friends was very interesting. We took a walk around downtown for several hours. We had a friend, who's a history nut, do the tour with us and he shared some very interesting anecdotes. We ended up in Fort San Pedro to watch the sunset over Guimaras. Such a beautiful site. And a great place to have your photos taken. Recently, I was able to visit and take a tour of the Camiño Balai nga Bato in Villa de Arevalo. It is a well-preserved house from the colonial times. The Camiños was one of the pioneers in the Iloilo weaving industry. And the entire ground floor used to be dedicated to weavers and weaving looms. Most of it still is now. The modern weavers create various sinamay and other cloths that would make for great Filipiniana wear. The Camiños still live in the…
100 Days Project: Share your Light
This year, I am bound to celebrate my birthday in another unconventional manner. Our chapter, JCI Davaoena Daba Daba has been appointed as the lead chapter for JCI Philippines in the 2012 implementation of the "Liter of Light" project. The "Liter of Light" project aims to provide a cost-effective, ecologically sustainable daytime light source for the urban and rural poor communities. Watch this video: The Liter of Light project helps communities save on electricity costs and also provides livelihood for those who have been trained to install the solar light bulbs. This is a project which gives citizens the opportunity to help out others in a simple and concrete way. It is a great way to live and celebrate the Bayanihan spirit. I have been appointed to spearhead the launch of "Liter of Light" on April 28, 2012, the day I turn 30. And while it will probably cost me a heart attack, I accepted the challenged with the confidence that all you people... relatives, friends, business clients, colleagues, and readers will be there to help me out. Here's where I ask you to help me make my 30th birthday extra-special. This year, I ask you to collect water and…