I Am Blogie

[Media Release]

The National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL) will be holding a registration drive for first time voters on Friday, February 27, 2009, 10:00 a.m. at the San Beda College, Mendiola, Manila. This is part of the PPCRV-NAMFREL-CEAP-COMELEC ongoing project — Bagong BIDA be the change Botanteng Pilipino – Magpalista Ka! — aimed at drawing the students’ participation in the 2010 elections.

Mr. Albert Oasan, San Beda College NSTP Faculty Facilitator who also heads the Namfrel Manila Chapter, thought of coming up with this activity in line with the NSTP Week. “We are encouraging our students to be involved in community initiatives that promote volunteerism and vigilance in safeguarding the electoral process, which is a goal of NSTP,” said Mr. Oasan as he announced the particular theme of the event: “Guiding First Time Voters Towards Vigilance and Responsible Voting”. The National Service Training Program (NSTP) is part of the curriculum aimed at encouraging college students to conduct community service.

Some 200 first time voters who are residents of the 4th and 6th districts of Manila are expected to register in the Satellite Registration Center that COMELEC is setting up in the SBC campus. Aside from San Beda College, students from University of the East, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, San Sebastian College, Centro Escolar University and Far Eastern University will also be joining the event.

COMELEC Commissioners Rene Sarmiento and Leonardo Leonida will be the resource speakers of the event and at the same time oversee the conduct of the registration.

“Mendiola where San Beda College is located has been a traditional site for the manifestation of the Filipinos’ advocacy for freedom and democracy. It is also the cradle of student formation. I am hopeful that this special registration of young voters on Friday 27 February 2009, will signal the pro-active engagement of our nation’s Bagong BIDA – the Filipino youth voters,” beamed Amb. Henrietta de Villa, NAMFREL-PPCRV National Chairperson.

I’m very pleased to announce that one of Davao City’s IT industry luminaries is now co-author of the IT talks! blog. Rodney Jao, CEO of Lane Systems Inc., comes on board with a wealth of knowledge and experience in the field of software development, information technology business development, and as well as in education.

Rodney’s software solutions company is the longest-running and one of the most respected in Davao City. They specialize in Microsoft development platforms and deliver worldclass products to a wide range of clients, from SMEs to multinational corporations here and abroad. Rodney and I first met when the hotel I helped establish back in 1995 engaged his services for a hotel information management system. Together we designed, developed and deployed the software program, which is in use until today.

Rodney has contributed much to the development of Davao’s IT industry, although this is a little-known fact because my friend is not in the habit of honking his own horn. In terms of community-building — from the days when we organized the first IT association in the city — and education, he has had plenty of input over the years. He was a lecturer at the Ateneo de Davao University, and he has conducted numerous training workshops and seminars, which formed part of his commitment as a Microsoft MVP.

I feel inspired that Rodney has found his way to IT talks!. He will certainly bring fresh perspectives as well as valuable input into the blog.

Since 2005 — or even earlier? –, blog-centric events in the Philippines have been on the rise, with a number of major events becoming well-entrenched in the Filipino blogosphere. Foremost is the five-year-old educational event, iBlog Philippines, led by Janette Toral, who has been a very active and visible Internet figure primarily through her DigitalFilipino.com Club.

iBlog is, in my view, the realization of what the Filipino blogger had been yearning for, and has paved the way for other likeminded events to follow.

From the South, the Mindanao Bloggers Summit is now gearing up towards its 3rd annual conference, which will be held in Cagayan de Oro City this year. MBS, while patterned loosely after iBlog, is more of an advocacy undertaking by the bloggers of the Philippine South. Its purpose is to make the world more aware of the true and down-to-earth images of Mindanao through Mindanaoans’ various and myriad blogs. To achieve the Summit’s goals, bloggers gather at a different city each year.

The MindanaoBloggers Community is spearheaded by yours truly, with Andrew dela Serna, Migs Hipolito, Ria Jose and Winston Almendras in the core group.

In keeping with the an organized community’s penchant for recognition (vindication?), an awards body has also been instituted: the Philippine Blog Awards. The 3rd Awards, as well as the organization behind it, is to be presided by Juned Sonido, with the able backing of his team, including Gail Villanueva, Jayvee Fernandez and Aileen Apolo, among others.

Perhaps the most prestigious event that has had an impact upon the local blogosphere is WordCamp Philippines, which had its debut last September 2008. Attended by close to 300 WordPressers and enthusiasts, and graced by no less than Matt Mullenweg himself, the event was a big success. Planning for WordCamp Philippines 2009 is already in the pipeline. The organizing team is the same one behind the Mindanao Bloggers Summit.

It is interesting to note that the ‘movers & shakers’ behind these — and other similar but smaller — bloggers’ events belong to one loosely-knit yet cohesive group of individuals. This year, the main organizers have started to realize the need for more fluid interaction in order to better coordinate efforts and movements. Communication lines need to be more open so that there might be no unnecessary duplication of material (content scraping is indeed evil!), and that no two events impinge upon each other in terms of scheduling. Of course, there is also the question of the availability of sponsorships.

The Philippine Blog Press shall endeavor to report on the progress of these, as well as other similar, events.

Mabuhay ang blogistang Pilipino!

Araw ng Dabaw will be upon us again in March 2009. This year is the 72nd anniversary of the city’s foundation day, and the theme is “Pagtupad sa Dakilang Pangako“. For more information about Davao City’s history, please see the relevant entry in Wikipedia.

Here is the Calendar of Activities, courtesy of the City Tourism Operations Office. The official date of Davao City’s foundation day is 16 March, but there are many events scheduled around this date (including the 2nd Davao Food Appreciation Tour).

Copyright © 2009, Oliver Robillo.
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If you’re looking for a classy but cozy café in Davao City (or in Tagum, for that matter), Caffè Firenzo just might be the place for you. There are presently two in the city: their first coffee shop is in Lanang, and the newer one is in downtown Davao.

Caffè Firenzo’s brews are alright — their Americano is better than most others’ in town, although it’s a tad pricier for Davao standards. I like the way they prepare my favorite brew, because I can always detect that subtle chocolatey after-taste.

Speaking of price, I find it rather odd that they would price the Caffè Americano higher than their Espresso Con Panna (which, anyway, didn’t taste all that great the one time I had it).

The panini at Firenzo are quite satisfying. My favorite is their Hungarian sausage sandwich, which always gives me that hit-the-spot feeling whenever I have it. And at ₱120, it’s practically a steal!

One sandwich that I was craving for, however, didn’t make the grade for me. Their corned beef sandwich (₱60), while it did taste good enough, had too little meat — I wouldn’t mind if they made it a little more expensive as long as they put more meat in the sandwich. The bread that they use, though, is high quality.

If Basti’s Brew is my “office”, Caffè Firenzo is Andrew’s. And I think he’s got a better deal because they don’t charge for Wifi nor for power. Also, both shops have ample space for lounging around, as well as for conducting an intimate business meeting.

Service. Hmmm… I just wish they’d invest just a little bit more in their customer service training. Their staff need to smile a little bit more, I think.

Caffè Firenzo
• G/F Damosa Business Center, Mamay Road, Lanang
• Quirino Ave. (beside Honeybear Chicken House and across the street from the Bangko Sentral)

Copyright © 2009, Oliver Robillo.
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[Media Release]

It can be extremely stressful for businesspeople in these uncertain times. To put more time and energy on work may seem like the most practical way to survive and succeed in the global financial crisis, but doing so can also take its toll. Play and relaxation are much needed after a long day of business meetings and corporate decisions. Balance is the key to living a successful, happy life–in business and in everything else. But then again, in this harsh economic climate, more work means less play… or does it?

That’s why ExcelAsia President Rita Trillo-Ugarte chooses only the HTC Touch Pro in helping her keep a balance between business and fun. “I need a phone that is as fast and efficient as I want to be, so that I can communicate easily with my staff and my clients,” she says, “and the HTC Touch Pro does just that.” With its elegant touch-screen user interface and slide-out QWERTY keyboard, sending short text messages and typing out long e-mails and business letters on the Touch Pro can be done in a zip.

“The HTC Touch Pro really is a powerhouse beauty. It has all the features that I need, in a sleek and smooth little package,” says Rita. As ExcelAsia president and first and foremost a mother and a wife, Rita likes to stay on top of her business affairs without sacrificing time with her family. “My daughter, husband, and I were in Palawan recently, and I couldn’t believe I was able to take care of my e-mails through my phone! My laptop didn’t even get the service,” Rita explains. “I can be online all the time with my HTC Touch Pro, which is very necessary for me. Now I don’t need my laptop that much,” she says.

The HTC Touch Pro’s 2.8-inch VGA touch screen provides four times the resolution of most PDA phones, making e-mail and web-browsing easier and sharper. It also runs on the Windows Mobile 6.1 professional operating system, allowing quick and convenient access to Microsoft Office applications and important documents while on the go.

“I recommend the HTC Touch Pro to individuals like me who strive for balance between work and play. The Touch Pro is a fully equipped business phone with all the non-business perks. I can use the stylus, tap the unique TouchFLO 3D interface with my fingertips, or type using the slide-out QWERTY keyboard. Even my friends think it’s so nice and chic!” says Rita.

Rita also likes taking pictures with her phone, especially with the HTC Touch Pro’s 3.2 megapixel color camera with auto-focus and flash. “I sent my sister Annie some pictures I took while we were in Palawan, and she couldn’t believe they were taken from my phone,” Rita says. And the wallpaper on her HTC Touch Pro screen? A lovely photo of husband Jose Mari and daughter Camila. No wonder Rita is always inspired with the most brilliant ideas.

I began revamping my blogs’ themes about two weeks ago, starting with my food blog, and finally came to a satisfying conclusion with IT talks!. All in all, I was able to completely change the designs of 5 personal blogs — that is to say, those blogs for which I personally write. It has been an exhilarating, although at times frustrating, experience!

The main reason why I switched themes was to keep up with WordPress technologies. Since version 2.7, new-fangled features have already been made available to WordPress bloggers (and those who use this awesome platform as a CMS). However, themes and plugins needed to be upgraded as well. Plugins are easy: when authors upgrade them, they’re readily available for deployment. Themes, on the other hand, need a bit more tweaking to make them WP2.7-ready.

So, since my blogs had already been sporting those old designs for long enough (except for Blogie Blog, but that’s beside the point), and because I was able to get my hands on a set of terrific WP themes from WooThemes.com, I decided to take the plunge.

I hope you like the new “look and feel” of my IT blog.

Talking about coffee shops recently, a friend and I drifted towards those cafés we hadn’t been frequenting yet. One of which was Miko’s Brew, in Davao, located on Chavez St. (which is more known for lechon than coffee). And then another friend said that this coffee shop actually comes from Tagum, and that this city is now on the rise.

So, off we went to Tagum to check it out, my friend Rodney, his wife Emmy, Karen and myself. We also wanted to have a look at the night market over there.

It took us just over an hour to get to the capital of Davao del Norte from downtown Davao. Davao del Norte, or Davao Province, bounds Davao City to the north and the Agusan provinces beyond. The map here shows the route we took (thanks to Microsoft’s Live Search Maps).

The night market did not disappoint. In fact, we were impressed — it wasn’t what we were expecting. The night market, which happens only on weekends, is a string of barbecue stalls wrapped around the town plaza. But it’s not just a hodge-podge of vendors: the city set up durable, well-built stalls each equipped with a grille and food preparation area. Vendors rent stalls at, get this, ₱50 per day, inclusive of electricity. Beside the stalls are tented stainless-steel long tables for the patrons.

The barbecue bonanza — weekends, from 5:30 PM to 2:00 AM — has been going on for 5 years now, according to the locals. It was the initiative of Tagum’s mayor, reportedly after seeing the night market in somewhere in Thailand. Tagum is lucky to have such a forward-thinking chief executive. Mayor Rey T. Uy clearly has the economic development of his city in mind.

Another enviable development in Tagum is the city hall that’s being constructed now. As you can see in this perspective drawing, the new city hall will look like a proud beacon of Tagum’s bright future. It is scheduled to be completed in September this year.

There does seem to be a feeling of busy-ness in Tagum. Things seem to be looking up out there. While there are still a lot of open spaces, I prefer to think of that as the presence of huge potential. In fact, there are lots of ongoing construction projects, including two big malls. If only Tagum had their own airport, they would surely catch up to Davao and Cagayan de Oro pretty soon.

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This restaurant has been around for a long time now, and it’s one of those that I enjoy each time I visit. The food — Filipino cuisine — is simply delicious. Yellow Fin Seafood & Restaurant is on its way to becoming a culinary institution in Davao City.

Typical of early Davao dining places was the turo-turo, or buffet spread. But it’s not the type where you eat all you can — you choose what you want and you pay for what you eat. Yellow Fin still has that, as well as à la carte servings. Their huge selection of Filipino dishes, from superb soups to grilled goodies, is something to look forward to, and the place is perfect for big or small gatherings.

It is a seafood restaurant, but curiously enough, Yellow Fin is quite well-known for their fried chicken meal. They could actually give restaurants that specialize in fried chicken a run for their money! For less than ₱200 per plate, you get half a chicken, a side of salad, and perfectly cooked steaming rice. You’d appreciate it, too, that they serve huge portions.

Like all Davao seafood joints worth their salt, Yellow Fin has tuna and other types of fish on the menu (as well as on the turo-turo spread). And those dishes are always worth the trip to their place. But what really makes my mouth water just thinking about it is the Tinolang Imbao at Yellow Fin. When I was there with fellow foodie bloggers last weekend, I was so happy they didn’t care much for clam soup — more for me!

You could tell that they pick only the choicest clams, fresh and lusciously delicious. For the thin soup, they put just the right amount of leeks and garlic and other spices to complement that tangy taste of the clam. My father also knows how to prepare clam, and I’ll let you in on a secret he shared with me, in case you find yourself in a wet market looking for imbao. Buy only female clams, and look for those that are fat and whose shells are not too smooth. Don’t ask me why, but it’s always worked for us.

Yellow Fin has grown from a small, open-air affair to what it is now. Today they even have function rooms, as well as an enclosed restaurant space for those who’d rather order off the menu. Marco, whose family owns Yellow Fin, is also experimenting with coffee. So they now also have a coffee shop in the al fresco dining area.

Ask Dabawenyos who know about good food, and they will always recommend Yellow Fin.

Yellow Fin Seafood & Restaurant
Sandawa Plaza, Quimpo Boulevard
Ecoland, Davao City
Tel. 297-8777, 298-0299
Operating Hours: from 9:00 AM to 10:00 PM, daily

Copyright © 2009, Oliver Robillo.
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Here#8217;s a few words of wisdom, taken from The Word God Spells. It is not necessarily about religion, but about how we can see the words of Christ being relevant in our daily lives. Our Lord was warning His disciples against the teachings of the Pharisees and the bad influence of King Herod. Both were proud [...]img src="http://feeds2.feedburner.com/~r/rp2010/~4/uGBkfpXyFj8" height="1" width="1"/