Mindanao Bloggers Community

The most underrepresented sector of society is, undoubtedly, the youth. Even though the youth are hailed by many as the future of our country, very few actually take the time to listen to them. On the other hand, one reason for this might be the perceived apathy among the country’s high school and university students. [...]

Early this month, civil society delegates from all over Southeast Asia converged in Hong Kong to attend and contribute to the 1st Asia-Pacific Regional Internet Governance Forum (APrIGF). The purpose was singular: to be heard in the global multi-stakeholder forum where there is an ongoing discussion on issues surrounding the Internet. The civil society group, [...]

ICT Davao Inc. (IDI), the umbrella organization of all information and communications technology associations in Davao City, is spearheading a truly worthy endeavor to help protect the environment. Recognizing that its particular industry is a huge contributor to e-waste, this organization has mounted this campaign to hopefully stave off environmental damage. Such damage, caused by [...]

The Mindanao Economic Development Council (Medco) organized last 26-27 November in Davao City a forum for government, media and citizen communicators, for peace initiatives in Mindanao. This was done through Medco’s Mindanao Information Network for Development and Peace, or MINDPeace. It was a well-represented group of concerned parties: there were delegates from mainstream media, non-traditional [...]

The hideous event yesterday in Maguindanao Province has proven yet again how power corrupts the weak and the cowardly. It corrupts people to their core. The Mindanao Bloggers Community condemns the perpetrators, those criminals, and their masters who allowed the massacre of innocent people. The bloodshed, we are all too aware, was meant as a [...]

BlogFest.Asia, the first-ever pan-Asia bloggers’ conference, became a venue for introducing the Mindanao Bloggers Community to the world. Put together by the DotAsia Organisation (the registrar for .asia domain names) in Hong Kong from 6 to 8 November 2009, 3 Filipinos were present at BlogFest.Asia to provide the audience with primers on the Philippine blogosphere. [...]

The 3rd Mindanao Bloggers Summit, held in Cagayan de Oro City last 24 October 2009, despite a rather poor showing in the number of participants, was another feather in the cap of the MB Community. The CDO Bloggers group displayed their cohesiveness and enthusiasm and unfailing energy to pull off the event quite admirably. The [...]

I was very happy to have visited — at long last! — Asia’s Latin City (from 17 to 20 October), and to have touched base with the bloggers of Zamboanga. I’d already met some of them online (and two of them ‘offline’ during the 2nd Mindanao Bloggers Summit last year), but seeing them all together [...]

At a time when Manila is rocked by controversies surrounding the questionable declaration of some personalities as National Artists, a Davao-born art talent quietly carved a niche among history’s greatest surrealists. His stuttering childlike speech, incompatible with his towering 6-foot height, sometimes amuses people. But today, Bienvenido Banez, Jr., towers all the more for achievements [...]

The Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC), through its Southeast Asian regional secretariat, Initiatives for International Dialogue (IID), has launched a worthy program that is very much in line with what the Mindanao Bloggers Community stands for: iBlogforPeace. “iBlogforPeace seeks to broaden the discourse on peace by providing an online platform for [...]

Unprecedented in the Philippine blogosphere, a dignitary of a foreign mission will be taking part in the 3rd Mindanao Bloggers Summit this month. The United States Embassy, whose ambassador has been known to frequent Mindanao on many official trips, will be represented by the Deputy Chief of Mission, Ms. Leslie A. Bassett, who will deliver [...]

The Philippine Blog Awards, the first of which was held around the same time that the Mindanao Bloggers Community came into existence, is embarking on a grander and more meaningful undertaking this year. In order to make the Awards a truly Filipino experience, PBA2009 is going to be a nationwide effort, with Regional Awards to [...]

Last 13 & 14 May 2009, Lyle Santos and I conducted a blogging seminar at the Coffee Club 101 in General Santos City, concentrating on WordPress and Google AdSense. In attendance were GenSan’s bloggers, both seasoned and neophyte, all under the tutelage of Avel Manansala. It was a good group, coming from various age groups, [...]

This is to officially announce the venue and host of this year’s summit of Mindanao’s bloggers: Cagayan de Oro City. I am certain that the bloggers of Cagayan de Oro will be able to organize and stage the 3rd Mindanao Bloggers Summit successfully. This year, we are aiming for more meaningful and practical topics. Spearheading [...]

My trip to Cagayan de Oro City last 7 to 9 December was very fruitful, as I was able to meet up with a good number of bloggers there. This is the second incarnation of an active bloggers group in Cagayan de Oro — the first group, the members of whom I met last June [...]