Thursday, October 29, 2009

Back On Track by Small Time Only Promotions

Yet another gig that's free. Small Time Only Promotions (STOP), one of the local music productions existing in the city, is setting up a gig this coming Saturday, October 31, at Mandex Bar, Velez-Nacalaban St., Cagayan de Oro City. This would just be near Medical Hospital, besides Tapsi Time.


Ten bands will be playing. Most of the bands I know on the line-up have their own original compositions, and most probably will be playing them. So in order for you to see what these guys have in store for the city, go and watch the gig. It's for free anyway--but drinks are not.

I noticed that there are a number of gigs putted up around the city that's free of charge for two consecutive weekends now. This will be opportunities for people in the city to check out what Cagayan de Oro's bands have to offer without spending for the entrance fee. From the looks of it, it seems like the city is trying to revive the local music scene like it once had 2-6 years ago. I hope these groups, small as they can be, will be able to proliferate the flame that the city potentially has.

Gig starts exactly at 8pm. So you guys best be there before that time. And to all the photographers around the city, you guys are warmly invited to take shots at the gig.

Read more . . .

Retrofest at Chaibodia Bistro Cafe

Retrofest--this was a gig that happened on the night of October 24 along with the Project Lifeline gig (a tribute to the victims of the typhoon Ondoy) that happened near Rotunda in the new Bridge at Macasandig. Retrofest was a beneficiary gig to some missionary program by a certain Meling Abuga-a. I do not really know the details (I failed to ask due to fatigue), but I was able to talk to one of the persons who collected donations about what the program was all about. She said that it was raised for feeding programs and other things of the like and this will be headed by Meling Abuga-a (if I heard it right, she is active in the local Arts scene inside the city). For that, I was compelled to donate my little P30.00.


For the details of the event, some of the local bands in Cagayan de Oro City took part in the gig. These bands played acoustic versions of their songs, as well as some of the 60's and 70's song they were covering for that night. We were also able to see some of the old faces in the local music scene of Cagayan, as well as new ones.

To top it all, the gig was for free. They accepted donations, but basically, it was for free. You have to pay for your drinks of course. And the place served grilled food and others, so the place was worth going to.

A little trivia: the name Chaibodia was taken from the owner's name, which is 'Chai', and 'bodia' which is something that pertains to Buddhism. Seeing the owner of the cafe, I didn't expect her to be that young. She's probably on her mid-20's, if I may get it right.

Read more . . .

Mindanao Bloggers Summit 3 Conclusion

The Mindanao Bloggers Summit took place last Saturday (Oct. 24) at Pearlmont Inn Hotel here in Cagayan de Oro City. There were a lot of bloggers who participated in the event. Bloggers from Davao City, General Santos City, Zamboanga City, Iligan City, and even some not from Mindanao like Manila, and Baguio I guess. (Please correct me if I'm wrong.) Yes, bloggers from places as far as those came all the way here in Cagayan de Oro City to join the said event. I am sure it was an honor for Cagayan de Oro City to be hosting such an event.


Major sponsors to the event were: Nokia Ovi, Smart Communication, Havaianas, Ultracraft, 1st Rafting Adventures, Cong. Rolando "Klarex" Uy, and the Cagayan de Oro City Govt. Among the minor sponsors were: Syntactics, OLX Classified Ads, MakatiAve.com, Province of Misamis Oriental, Magnet Advertising, Del Monte, The Site, Majesty Sales Center, Clara's Shoppe, RG&K Construction, Pagua's Cottages, The Pacifica.com Companies, Asterisk Event and Communications, and Loretos Bar and Grill.

The theme of this event is "Mindanao Bag-uhon ang Panan-aw". This as a 2 day event, actually. The first day took place on a Saturday, and the next one happened on the following day. The main event happened on the first day, while the second day, which is either the City Tour or the White Water Rafting Adventure depending on the package chosen, would be an opportunity for fellow bloggers to get along and know each other better.

The first day was packed with a lot of lectures from different personalities--both from the political field, and the blogging community. The morning was filled with talks about how significant the bloggers' impact is on the image of a hometown--in our case, Mindanao. Important people who attended and gave a talk were Mayor Tinnex Jaraula, DCM Leslie Bassett, Atty. Adel Tamano, and Agusan Rep. Rodolfo "Ompong" Plaza. Mr. Bloggie Robillo also gave the introductory presentation for the summit. At the end of the presentation, he showed an inspiring scene of the map of Mindanao with all the major locations hopefully mushroomed with Blogger Groups on the area.

Right after lunch break, another set of lectures were delivered by different blogging personalities who are successful in the blogging industry. Among these were Ms. Aileen Apolo, Mrs. Janette Toral, and Mr. Lyle Santos. Then after that, updates about what bloggers from the different areas have been doing were presented in the most likely fassion. First to deliver were the Davao Bloggers, then the GenSan, Zamboanga, and then CDO. I can't jot down down as of the moment the details of the lectures and the presentation on this post. Probably on future posts.

Overall, the event was fun. I learned a lot from the lectures. My urge to write up more about my beloved Mindanao was hoisted on top of the flagpole. The lectures about monitizing through blogging was very informative. And that was just probably half of the iceberge for me. The other half would constitute the meeting of a lot of fellow bloggers. Literally, everyone in the venue were bloggers; except of course for some media men who came and a few more sponsors to the event. Among the people I have personally met were Davao bloggers: Kevin Paquet, Ms. Dulce Lada, Tammy Sulit, and Pearl Dy. From Iligan is Mrs. Arlene Collado. Here in Cagayan de Oro are the ever accomodating: Mrs. Phebie Anne Normandia, Eleanor Aguilar, and Elaine Pagunsan. These are the lovely ladies I got to be with throughout the whole event. Other CDO bloggers I met are friendly bloggers: Jane, Pangit ster, Ms. Chique Montes (the lively organizer of the event), Shane, etc. I will edit this post in the future with the links to their blog site as soon as I find everyone on the web. There were still others I could not get the names because I haven’t look them up yet on various networking sites. I will add them to this list when I can.

I will probably disclose the details of the event and my experiences on it in another article. As of now I guess this will be enough. Links will come later.

Read more . . .

Friday, October 23, 2009

Mindanao Bloggers Summit 3 to be Held in Cagayan de Oro City

Calling all bloggers from all over Mindanao! There will be a summit to be held tomorrow here in Cagayan de Oro City. Attached below the photo is a press release from the CDO Bloggers group explaining the details of the event. If you wish to join the event, the details on how to join is found at http://www.mbscdo.com. There's still time to join the event. So, if you're just around the city, feel free to join. Cheers!




CDO Bloggers Group Hosts Mindanao Bloggers Summit 3



The Cagayan de Oro Bloggers (CDO Bloggers) group is set to play host to the Mindanao Bloggers Summit 3, which will be held on October 24, 2009. With the theme, “Mindanao: Bag-Uhon Ang Panan-aw,” the MBS 3 aims to uphold the beauty and strength of the island and to expunge the negative notions the world has about it.

(Cagayan de Oro City, Mindanao, Philippines – October 21, 2009) – It’s all systems go for the Cagayan de Oro Bloggers (CDO Bloggers) as they play host to the much-awaited Mindanao Bloggers Summit 3, an annual gathering of Mindanao-based bloggers, IT industry experts, community leaders and new media advocates, on October 24, 2009 at Pearlmont Inn, Limketkai Drive, Cagayan de Oro City. Roughly 300 bloggers are expected to attend this year’s summit.

With the theme, “Mindanao: Bag-Uhon Ang Panan-aw,” (Changing The Way People See Mindanao) the event aims to uphold the beauty and strength of Mindanao, to highlight the diverse cultures and fascinating tourist spots that are uniquely Mindanao and to provide a platform where bloggers and other new media practitioners can discuss concerns related to Mindanao – all with the help of new and emerging technologies.

“Mindanao is the home of everything fascinating or in bloggers’ lingo – bloggable. Through the Mindanao Bloggers Summit 3, it is the hope of the CDO Bloggers, along with our partners and generous sponsors, that we listen to knowledgeable resource persons, meet other Mindanaoan bloggers, share and maximize all of our skills and resources and adopt tried and tested practices that can help us to fully promote Mindanao and for us to become better bloggers as well,” emphasized Chiq Montes, president of CDO Bloggers.

“Of course, we also want all of the participants to have a good time and experience the sights and sounds of Cagayan de Oro,” Montes added.

Montes said that apart from Mindanaoan bloggers, the summit will also see the participation of some bloggers from Luzon and Visayas.

Expected to grace the summit is United States Embassy’s new Deputy Chief of Mission Leslie Bassett, Atty. Adel Tamano, Agusan Lone District Rep. Rodolfo “Ompong” Plaza and Cagayan de Oro City Mayor Tinnex Jaraula.

Considered unprecedented in the Philippine blogosphere, a top ranking United States Embassy dignitary is set to deliver the keynote address. Bassett’s trip to CDO will be her first trip to Mindanao since assuming office in June. She previously served as DCM in Mexico.

“We are deeply honored. We’re certain that the summit participants will be delighted to meet her and we can’t wait for her to see our beautiful city,” Montes said.

Other speakers during the whole-day affair include Cagayan de Oro City Mayor Tinnex Jaraula, Agusan Lone District Rep. Rodolfo “Ompong” Plaza and Atty. Adel Tamano.

Google’s Philippine representative Aileen Apolo, whose talk will focus on beginners, Digital Filipino’s Janette Toral, who will discuss blog advertising and Lyle Santos, who will talk about making money online will also be present. Representatives of other blogger groups including those in Davao City, General Santos City and Zamboanga will also give updates.

After the summit proper, participants have the choice of joining either the city tour (Xavier University Museum, Cathedral, Divine Mercy Shrine, Opol Aviary, Limketkai Mall) or the whitewater rafting adventure.

Also happening on October 24, right after the MBS 3, is the Philippine Blog Awards – Mindanao awarding ceremonies.

CDO Bloggers, Inc., a group duly registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission, is the lead organizer of this year’s Mindanao Bloggers Summit 3. Previous summits took place in Davao City and General Santos City.

The Mindanao Bloggers Summit 3 is generously supported by SMART Telecommunications, Nokia, Syntactics, Inc., STI, Rafting Adventure Philippines, MakatiAve.com, Majesty Sales Center, Havaianas Philippines, OLX Philippines Free Classifieds, Clara Shoppe, ASTERISK Events and Communications, RG & K Construction, Paguia’s Cottages, The Pacifica.com Companies, The Site, Spruce, The City Government of Cagayan de Oro, Office of CDO First District Rep. Rolando “Klarex” Uy, SM City Cagayan de Oro, Ultra Craft Advertising Corporation, Magnet Advertising, Provincial Government of Misamis Oriental and the Mindanao Bloggers community. Media partners include Papa Ardie’s Concepz, STI, ABS CBN, MOR 91.9 and HOT FM 106.3.

For more information about the Mindanao Bloggers Summit 3, log on to http://www.mbscdo.com

About CDO Bloggers

CDOBloggers or Cagayan de Oro Bloggers, Inc. is a duly SEC-registered organization that promotes Cagayan de Oro through blogging. Among the group’s goals are to create impact in society through blogging, to help promote Mindanao to the world as a bustling and peaceful land, to promote Cagayan De Oro City and Kagay-anons around the world with a sense of pride and to use blogging as a media platform.

The CDO Bloggers group is the main organizer of the Mindanao Bloggers Summit 3 (MBS 3). For more information about MBS 3, log on to http://www.mbscdo.com

For more information about CDO Bloggers, visit http://www.cdobloggers.com or send email to cdobloggersinc@gmail.com

About Mindanao Bloggers

Mindanao Bloggers aims to unify the island through this exciting new medium — the way of the blog — thereby promoting deeper understanding of our different cultures and beliefs. Thus, it is hoped that this community blog will help in presenting to the world at large the true beauty of the Philippine South, as well as the marvelous diversity of the peoples of Mindanao. For more information about Mindanao Bloggers, visit http://www.mindanaobloggers.com

- 30 -

FOR MEDIA INQUIRIES, PLEASE CONTACT:

ASTERISK Events and Communications
http://www.asteriskeventsandcommunications.com
Mobile number: (+63) 919 238 6575 / (+63) 922 478 5218
Email address: asteriskEC@gmail.com

Read more . . .

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

The Nation's Answer to Ondoy's Visit

After the onslaught of the tropical depression Ondoy, people from the Luzon area have been preoccupied on helping each other out, sending relief goods to the areas severely hit by the storm, and sending out rescue teams to areas where people are stranded or paralyzed. Never has the country seen such a tragic wreck for decades (as I can strongly remember) caused by a severe flood in just one hit of the typhoon. With this heart-breaking devastation inflicted upon the country, people not only from the Luzon area are affected by this tragedy. The whole Philippines for that matter was dumb struck by the unforeseen calamity that would cripple the lives or living of millions of Filipinos in the northern part of the country. Not only that, people from other parts of the country most likely have relatives or friends living or temporarily staying in Luzon and thus would be deeply affected as much as the people living in the areas of calamity. It is really depressing.

With the whole country experiencing this distress, people from all over the country are flared to act against the misfortune the typhoon Ondoy has left on the soil of this nation. I strongly believe that the Visayas and the Mindanao region have done their part. In Cagayan de Oro City alone, I can see streamers found in key areas of the city saying that people in the area could donate stuff through these stations. In the university that I go to, they have this fund raising campaign named Oplan Ondoy. Anyone in the community can donate cash for the flood victims through the university's savings account. For those interested in donating cash, they can deposit it through the Xavier University savings account number 9331-0133-63 (BPI Division Branch), or they can look for Kris S. Buntag at the university's KKP office. To contact them through the phone, they can be reached through the landlines: 858-3116/72-3116.

People from all over the country are trying to fight their way against the ravage that the typhoon Ondoy has left on its path. People from my community are doing their part . Together, the whole Philippines can rise up from this nightmare.

Read more . . .

Friday, October 2, 2009

Travelling to Iligan City by Night

I never thought I might be travelling to Iligan City by night time so unexpectedly. Okay, here's my recount of our unexpected trip to Iligan City:

Me and one of my bands were given a slot to play at Iligan City's National High School which organized a gig to be held inside the campus. This was probably also in celebration of the city's fiesta the following day. The group traveled at the eve of the city's fiesta. This would fall at Monday, September 28, 2009. To get there, we took a bus at Bulua Terminal here in Cagayan de Oro City. There were a lot of people at the bus terminal during this time. That was to be expected because of the upcoming fiesta happening the following day. Because of that, we have to fall in line which stretched all the way to the bus terminal entrance. But it didn't take us too long. The line moved constantly because each bus took around 15 minutes or less to alternate. Finally, passed 6pm, the group was able to hop in to one of the buses. They have nice buses, by the way. For a non-stop trip to Iligan City, you only get to pay only Php50.00. And this bus is already air-conditioned.

The trip took around 1 hour and 45 minutes. It was already dark, so all we could see are shadows of trees and lights from the houses by the street. I could see a hint of development from the municipalities we happened to pass by. One of these is El Salvador. For most of the trip, we enjoyed watching the movie that was played in the bus. We then arrived at Iligan's bus terminal at around 8pm.

Outside the bus station, there are already taxi's and public utility vehicles waiting to fetch passengers. Of course, because the group were in such a short notice and were not able to prepare more than enough money for the trip, we took the public utility vehicle called multicab in the local term. The fare costs Php5.00 for students and senior citizens. After 5 minutes or so, we were able to take the first glimpse of the city's vibe. For a fiesta, I thought that the streets were a bit quiet below the usual atmosphere found on a fiesta. It was still the eve, one of my friends said, so probably, the crowd wouldn't be until tomorrow.

Our guide (our guitarist's friend) took us at a stop and lead us to walk at some few turns which eventually lead us to the venue where we're going to play for that night. We were well accommodated. With the help of another friend, we were lead inside the venue without any hassle. Reaching the gym where there was a band already playing, we were given dinner by the organizers and was informed of our slot. After our performance, which was already around 10:30pm or so, it was time for us to go home.

We arrived at the bus station a few minutes before 12pm. The next bus is to be scheduled at 1am. I sipped coffee while waiting, while my friend ate. Aired on the TV was the news about the devastation inflicted by the typhoon Ondoy in the Luzon area. During this time, my friend and I were discussing about this issue.

At around 12:30am or so, the bus arrived earlier than we expected. There were a number of passengers during that time. So what happened was some of the passengers including our group have to either join the trip but stand, or wait for the next bus which is scheduled to arrive at 3am. We decided to go on. For the first half of the trip, I was standing while my friends were already able to find seats. Eventually, I was able to find one while a few more passengers started getting off. We reached Cagayan de Oro City at around 2am plus. At around this time, taxis are available. But if you guys are short of money, you can always take a motorela towards the city. For 5 persons, we were able to negotiate a rela for only Php70.00. But they usually charge at around Php90.00 to Php100.00. But I think that is too much.

The whole trip to Iligan City was satisfactory. The streets were quite peaceful. And there were not too much hassle; except for the part where we were forced to stand inside the bus on our way home. But other than that, everything was fine. No heat--atmosphere was cool. And with the right person, we were unlikely to get lost on our way.

Read more . . .