For the past months, our group of Soccsksargen Bloggers has been working silently together on the roadmap we have designed for the conduct of the 2nd Mindanao Bloggers Summit slated on October 25, 2008 in General Santos City.
We all knew that the first one in Davao City last year was a tough act to follow but knowing that we have got a job to do, we immediately started gathering a few volunteers, called ourselves the Convenors Collective and had a planning workshop courtesy of Hector Miñoza last 27 July at the City Mayor’s Office.
From that workshop, we were each given our individual chores and targets but not before we decided on the theme: MINDANAWAN, PAMINAWON INTAWON: Blogging the Mindanao Consciousness.
A series of email exchange followed including our decision to hold a BLOG SEMINAR on September 20 at the NDDU, in preparation for the BIG THING come October. Spearheaded by Ariel Lalisan of Sarangani, this will also assure us of more participants from this side of the island on that day.
In between all these were a string of consultation email exchange with MBS 1 Team Leader Blogie Robillo and the latest, a personal meet-up over coffee at SM Davao. In the end, he also gave his blessings on the tentative programme I showed to him. Thanks Blogie! 
Here are the other updates:
- Our co-presentors for the MBS2 are the City Mayor’s Office of Gen. Santos (under Mayor Pedro B. Acharon, Jr.)and the Congressional Office of the First District of South Cotabato (under Representative Darlene Antonino-Custodio).
- AMA-Computer Learning Center and STI-Gensan have also agreed to sponsor but will still have to decide on which capacity (Co-Presentor, Gold, Silver or Bronze Sponsor).
- Ronald Velasquez’s Prints and You who sponsored the mugs together with my Bariles Republic for WORDCAMP Philippines in Manila also agreed to sponsor the tokens for our speakers and some prizes for our raffles.
- Coca-Cola Bottlers Philippines has agreed in principle to be our Beverage Sponsor. Expect Coke Zero to flood the event.
- Pacific Seas Seafood Market, Sta. Cruz Processors, Damalerio Fishing Corporation are only three of the local tuna companies to have agreed to sponsor the SASHIMI Night on the evening of October 25. More are coming.
- For the venue, it’s still a toss-up between East Asia Royale Hotel and Family Country Hotel and Convention Center. We will be finalizing on this very, very soon.
- We have also initiated talks with a local bus company to ferry interested blogger-participants who want to go on a DAY TOUR to the GenSan Fishport Complex (where all the giant tuna are unloaded) and the world-famous Lake Sebu on October 26, 2008. A quick trip to the controversial Pacquiao Building can also be fitted in the itinerary. Who knows? The Champ himself might show up?
Are you still there? Here’s more….
- The Kapisanan ng mga Brodkasters ng Pilipinas- Socsargen will be our media partner, meaning, practically all the radio stations and tv stations in this locality.
- We are finalizing talks with Sunstar to be our major print media partner.
- The featured resource speakers who have agreed to share with us their brilliance are: Manuel Luis Quezon III, Aileen Apollo, Bobby Timonera, Hector Miñoza, Walter Balane and Ria Jose.
- The poster you see above was designed by Zamboanga-based multi-media artist Ryann Elumba who also teaches at the Ateneo de Zamboanga University. We are printing a few copies of that to distribute to our blogger contacts all throughout the island. Ryann is part of the Convenors Collective for Zambo Peninsula.
For the next update, we will be posting the REQUIREMENTS for PARTICIPATION. Just like the first MBS in Davao, this is FREE-OF-CHARGE but requires a certain amount of SWEAT EQUITY (ala Gawad Kalinga).
We will also be posting pertinent info on GenSan like hotel/pension house rates for those staying overnight to enjoy the Sashimi Night and join the Fishport/Lake Sebu Tour the following day.
Other than that, we are soliciting information from all Mindanao Bloggers on the possible Transport Expense from any point in the island to the Tuna Capital which we can post here. Backpackers, speak up!
As for now, General Santos City beckons and waits for you.
Sa GenSan, sagot ka namin!
Possibly related posts:
- (UPDATED) E-pass for MBS2 to be emailed out this week
- MBS2 to be held in GenSan
- WordPress 101 seminar in GenSan
- (Last Call!) Registration for 2nd Mindanao Bloggers Summit now open
- MBS2 Update: Book your rooms NOW at any of GenSan’s Hotels and Inns
