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[Media Release] Designer Villages Challenge: A Global Campaign for Climate Adaptability (Manila, Philippines) — The Philippines is pioneering a project on climate change adaptation aimed at building communities that would not only be sustainable but also be prepared to deal with the adverse impacts of climate change. The project, Designer Villages Challenge, is the country’s [...]

Another year has rolled in for one of the most anticipated online activities for bloggers — the Top 10 Emerging Influential Blogs. This project, initiated by Janette Toral, is now on its third year. Bloggers are encouraged to come up with their list of 10 new blogs (created anytime from May 2008 onwards) that they [...]

I’m happy to announce that the gang of Mindanao Bloggers and their supporters will soon be commencing plans and arrangements for WordCamp Philippines 2009! I will be calling the first organizational meeting within the following week.

It has yet to be officially finalized, but I’m excited to let everyone know that we’re working with the Asian Institute of Management to have this prestigious school be the host and venue for WordCamp this year. Thanks to Jayvee Fernandez and Regnard Raquedan for the invaluable support!

Bueno, let’s get the ball rolling!

We are now calling for volunteers for the various committees (logistics, tech, food & refreshments, etc). If you would like to be a speaker at WordCamp, let me know! And if you have suggestions on topics to be presented / discussed at WordCamp, do leave a comment right here.

Further announcements shall be posted on WordCamp.ph, the official site, whose domain name is sponsored by dotPH. More generous sponsors — we welcome you!

While the site is still being completed, we’re already working our behinds off to ensure another successful WordCamp!

Meanwhile, to my fellow Dabawenyos, we will soon be putting together more WordPress seminars (basic- and advanced-level sessions) before the summer is over within the next few weeks. Please refer to this blog for the schedules. And, yes, there will most probably be a Davao leg for WordCamp, just like last year.

Blog on!

Sponsored By: 1st Mindanao Bloggers Summit - 27 Oct 2007, Davao City

Copyright © 2009, Oliver Robillo.
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To the lovely readers who leave comments on my blog, I give you back link-love! (That is, if you provide a site URL along with your comment.) Take a look at the left-hand sidebar, below “Latest Posts”: commenters’ names are linked to their own sites, without the rel=’nofollow’ attribute.

Sponsored By: DVO Bloggers Network - the Davao blogosphere

Copyright © 2009, Oliver Robillo.
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It was a very engaging dinner and get-together I had last night with Nick Wilwayco and her colleagues in Smart Communications. They were in town for a corporate social responsibility (CSR) project by Smart, and Nick took the opportunity to meet me and discuss a SmartBro issue I had raised earlier. She made good on her word to help me follow it up with the SmartBro people.

Being part of a different department within Smart, Nick really went out of her way to address my problem, and I really appreciate it. Thank you very much, Nick, Judee and Haydee for that wonderful evening!

At Krua Thai last night, I was also apprised of some of what Smart is currently accomplishing in terms of CSR. Coincidentally, their ongoing project involved a blogger friend of mine, Kring Elenzano, who delivered a presentation to a group of Visayas- and Mindanao-based teachers and students on Internet videography. Smart is conducting a nationwide series of educational programs that hope to enable disenfranchised students and educators to get up to speed in the world of Internet citizenship.

What I find admirable is this telecommunications company’s commitment to conduct outreach programs that benefit the less fortunate. I wholeheartedly agree with what Nick and her colleagues said about developing the talent of schoolchildren in underdeveloped areas: that they can very well be the source of wonderful ideas. Who knows what these kids can accomplish given the right resources?

But what I find even more admirable is the dedication that I could clearly see in the three smart women I was with last night. Smart’s CSR programs are certainly in the right hands!

Sponsored By: DVO Bloggers Network - the Davao blogosphere

Copyright © 2009, Oliver Robillo.
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I’ve noticed that Philippine-made iPod touch / iPhone applications have been consistently featured in the Apple App Store’s list of Top 25 (paid apps) for a couple of weeks now. In fact, the #1 as of this writing is an application called Filipino iPhone Community or FiC, an app that allows FiC members “to check the latest posts in the [applei.ph] forums, as well as access the LiveChat feature of the site.”

Another one in the Top 25 is iManila, which is by the same developer of FiC, MangCode.com. iManila is an online directory for finding businesses, stores, etc., retrieving contact information and other details from EYP. (I hope they’ll come up with a directory for Davao City as well as for other Philippine cities in the near future.)

It seems that the number of iPhone / iPod touch users in the Philippines is steadily increasing, and that the downloading of apps among Filipinos is now as commonplace as using ebay or Amazon. Judging by comments and reviews on paid apps posted by Filipino users in the App Store, I think it’s safe to assume that there’s a steady stream of good business happening for Apple.

Personally, I have purchased quite a number of apps for my iPod touch, from games to productivity software, even a couple of audiobooks. I’m so glad that the App Store is open to the Philippine market, unlike iTunes, which remains closed to us.

I understand that there are copyright issues covering US-published music, hence the inaccessibility of iTunes from the Philippines. But with the healthy activity going on in the App Store, wouldn’t it be good business sense for Apple to make at least certain parts of iTunes open to us? Podcasts and audiobooks, for example.

Having the ability to download more content into my iPod would certainly increase its worth as a companion gadget. More than just a device for playing music and videos, turning the iPod touch into a content-rich ebook reader would be very welcome indeed.

Sen. Manuel Villar (Nacionalista Party), who is expected to run for president of the republic in 2010, is in the public eye for charges of unethical behavior brought against him by Sen. Jamby Madrigal, who has recently brought to light evidence that the former has personally benefited from a public works project. Apparently, Villar owns or [...]

I am all for Japanese cuisine, but I also love spicy food. I speak Nihongo and I have immersed myself in the Japanese culture since I was a kid, but when it comes to food, I sometimes cross the Sea of Japan to Korea. See, aside from wasabi there’s not much else that’s spicy in the usual Japanese fare…

But when it comes to Korean cuisine, hot spices reign supreme!

It had been a long time since the last time I had kimchi, so it was a very welcome treat when I had dinner for the first time at Sigol Bap Sang with some bloggers.

At Sigol Bap Sang, they serve Banchan, or a set of appetizers to get your taste buds going. It’s free, and you can even ask for refills. I especially liked the fermented beans and the potato strips. Surprisingly, I also quite enjoyed the shallots; I am not a fan of onion at all, but that night, I ate so much of the stuff! And their kimchi — it made me ecstatic! I’m not an expert on Korean cuisine, but I can daresay that Sigol Bap Sang’s food is authentic (because Koreans run the place) and worthy of any food critic’s praise.

There’s a new item on my favorites list now, and it’s a spicy red noodle soup with beef and various vegetables, called Yukejang (₱250). Its distinctively Korean taste really livened up the entire dining experience at Sigol Bap Sang. I loved the way the ingredients were fresh and cooked to perfection (no soggy veggies and what not). I just wish they made it even more spicy… One serving is good for 3 to 4 people.

The rice dish that we had, Bibimbap (₱200), was something new for me too. One of the restaurant owners came by after it was served and did the honors for us. He expertly folded the eggs and vegetables into the rice and mixed in the red bean paste that gave it that zing. He also poured in a little sesame oil, which, Brendel told us, Koreans use a lot in their cooking. One order of this savory dish serves 2 to 3.

One of the dishes we ordered that I didn’t really enjoy (but which Brendel really liked) was the Dok Bokki (₱600). It’s a dish of rice cakes and vegetables. I don’t know, but the taste somehow reminded me of instant noodles… Maybe if it were spicy, then I might’ve gotten to like it. It’s a huge serving, hence the price.

The only recognizable dish for me — aside from kimchi — was the Bulgogi (₱300), which Sigol Bap Sang really knows how to prepare. The beef was tender and tangy, just a tad sweet but really tasty. It wasn’t spicy, though. The owner said they have another beef dish that’s really spicy, and that’s what I’m going to have the next time I dine at Sigol Bap Sang.

The restaurant is located in a small arcade across the highway from the Grand Regal Hotel (you’ll see a Merco bakeshop and a Korean grocer in that arcade). It’s in Lanang, approaching the intersection of J.P. Laurel Ave. and R. Castillo St. The place is not very big, with about 9 booths and a long table on one side of the restaurant. Service is prompt and the waitstaff seem to be well-informed of their food offerings.

They’re open daily, from 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM. Their landline number is 300-8989.

WordPress 2.7, which introduced major changes to the platform’s core, was released only recently, and now there’s another significant upgrade on the horizon: version 2.8. It’s still fresh in beta 1 status (Matt hasn’t even chosen a jazz musician to name it after yet).

Still, WP2.8 is already looking to be a very welcome upgrade. Number one on the list: automatic theme installations. I’m beta testing it now, and the built-in theme installer seems to be working just fine. Much like the automatic plugin installation functionality, the theme installer lets you search for themes (that exist in the WordPress.org directory) from within your dashboard, and get your chosen theme up & running in no time. The theme search facility is pretty accurate, too. You can search by keyword, tag, and/or author, either by manually entering the keywords or selecting predefined values.

There is also a way for you to upload and install theme .zip files that are already sitting in your hard drive. No need to go to your web host’s control panel file manager any longer. Whew! Now that’s what I call a content management system to beat!

More on WP as a serious CMS: themes templates and plugin codes are now presented to you in technicolor. OK kidding aside, editing theme templates are now easier on the eyes because of what Automattic calls CodePress syntax highlighting. It’s now easier to sift through templates’ codes, thanks to basic color differentiation of PHP, HTML and normal text. Nothing like what you might expect in industry-strength code editors, but it’s a start.

All in all, WP2.8 will be a major enhancement and a collection of bug fixes and security patches — all in the effort to make using WordPress much more user-friendly and yet powerful. Here’s a list of the new features we can expect from this upcoming upgrade. Can’t wait for the final release!

Copyright © 2009, Oliver Robillo.
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The much-anticipated annual exercise initiated by Janette Toral in 2007 is now upon us once more, and the blogosphere is again abuzz with bloggers and their top 10 offerings. Each year, the Top 10 Emerging Influential Blogs writing project catapults into fame new blogs that have a great potential to influence thought and opinion in the blogosphere and beyond.

And so, in an attempt to contribute to this worthy endeavor, here are my top 10 choice picks (not listed in any order). According to the rules, these are blogs that were created on or after 1 May 2008.

A Photographic Saga: Photography and Lifestyle

Leonard Pe is an accomplished photographer, and this blog is his expression. He definitely has an eye for composition, and everything else that comes naturally to talented photographers. His blog is certainly one that can become an inspiration to other photographers.

Batang Lakwatsero

The Batang Yagit recounts experiences of his travels in this new blog. Winston, although he professes to be from very modest roots, is destined to go places, so I think his new blog will be an interesting read now and in the future.

The Philippine Blog Press

This new blog aims to be a news portal that covers bloggers’ activities, blogging events, and other readables regarding the Philippine blogosphere.

RP Elections 2010 – The Election Watchblog

A community blog, RP2010.com hopes to deliver timely news and opinion regarding the upcoming electoral exercise in the Philippines this May 2010, and thus become a useful resource for Filipino voters.

Regnard Raquedan: Self-Titled

This self-titled personal blog is owned by Regnard Raquedan, a Web & Usability consultant. Think UX — user experience for websites, that’s Regnard’s domain.

The Thirsty Blogger

I love this food blog’s name! And I love the fact that it focuses on drinks in particular. I hope this blog will gain more popularity in the coming months! (There’s another blog whose name I also admire: A Scientist in the Kitchen. Too bad, though, because that blog was started in 2007, so I can’t nominate it here any longer.)

Patay Gutom

It seems foodie bloggers have a penchant for coming up with catchy blog titles, and Patay Gutom tops ‘em all! A group effort, it’s not far-fetched to think that this blog will go far indeed (what with the appetites of the member bloggers).

Father Blogger Dot Com

It’s refreshing to see a personal blog written from the point of view of a father. For some reason, there’s a dearth of such blogs… I’m sure Father Blogger will become a helpful resource for fathers and would-be fathers.

Let’s Go Sago!

Let’s Go Sago! is a travel blog, and a personal journal of an adventurer. The blogger relates his travel experiences, as well as his excursions into various cuisines.

New Media Philippines

A marketer’s blog, I think New Media Philippines has the potential to provide invaluable knowledge to those in the marketing arena, as well as to businessmen who would like to be kept abreast of this field of expertise.

That’s it! I hope my selections make it to the final Top 10!

Copyright © 2009, Oliver Robillo.
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