Camella Holds Fathers Day Writing Contest

He's the man of the house and yes, he deserves all the care that comes with it. It's almost Father's Day, and I heard the folks at Camella would love to make it even more special for you and your family.

Their house coffee brand Dear Joe, a letter writing cafe is holding their very first Father's Day Writing Contest aimed to dish out those proud words on paper as a tribute to our fathers on this special occasion. They are also doing a Father's Day Quiz for everyone, one that would hopefully determine your Dad's personality so you wouldn't need to think about what to give him on the actual day.

Tip: Make sure you showcase how deep your love is and tell the story how you became who you are because of your Dad. 

Aside from that, give those life lessons he gave you and immortalize it with words, something other people could learn from too. 

Best letter writers will get the chance to win a brand new HONOR Mobile Phone and GC's from Dear Joe coffee shops across the country. I bet it's going to be the best gift you can give your Dad! 

All you need to do is follow the instructions listed on the mechanics. Tag Camella's official Facebook page @CamellaOfficial and use the hashtags #Camella #FathersDay #DearAwesomeDad #BrewingLoveforDAD. Who knows, you could be the one!

Passion: An Indespensible Ingredient in Blogging

The era of blogging is still alive in the country, which for me - is still in its infancy. I believe we've barely scratched the surface; as the expertise and passion required to be in this industry has been satisfied by the skin of one's teeth.

I've been writing online since 1995. I started doing journals of my life, of goofy personal anecdotes as I was already building websites and didn't have content for them during the dial up era. My official hosted website started around 2003 as I've seen a surge of it of sorts in the US. I felt there were barely a few blogs in the Philippines and most of them were transcribed in Filipino which I wasn't too confident writing with. It was awesome to have been able to talk to them (US bloggers) while I was starting, I got the advice I needed from industry leaders/professional bloggers whom I could learn from early on.

 

I started covering local events in Manila and saw how my writing passion could help businesses and startups be known on the web. This started the expansion of my network as I got to be recognized with the value of what I write and see conversion first hand as people started to tell me about what I wrote about this and that product. In 2010, I got bit by the photography bug and bought my first DSLR camera. With it, I combined my love for fashion, photography and  writing appearing in Philippine Fashion Week, fashion shows, bi annual brand shows (the biggest in the country) and got to see the Philippines brightest celebrities, international stars, models, fashion designers and got to know them a little better. I also started to interview stars from broadcast stations, and increased my tribe including those from other countries because of the medium I decided to write with and established what my website is today.

Prior to that, I've been working for a multinational corporation as a Computer Engineer. It was totally off from my day job but it was something that I believed would take me places, unbeknownst to some of my peers. Others say it was a crazy idea to quit a secure and prestigious job and do this full time. When I left the corporate world a few years ago and did this stint, I didn't feel that it was work and I was only following my passion. I also had the chance to write for a travel magazine, a men's magazine with an international circulation which was only a dream for a budding writer like me. It happened all so fast, but I'm glad to have been able to go through the trials and tribulations of blogging early on.

Some international celebrities who have graced my blog. There are more, we couldn't fit them in one frame!

 
Here’s some pointers to note if you would like to start in the same profession:

1.    Don’t do it because you can earn from it. It’s a perk, but it’s not a good place to start. Pretty soon, you’ll run out of ideas and you won’t be in the right place to find inspiration to write if it’s something you’re not passionate about.

2.    Get a handy camera. These days, telling a story isn’t just going to cut it if you don’t spend time telling a story with photos or videos. Invest in a good digital camera or a mobile phone that can be your best buddy when doing interviews. It will save you a lot of time. Owning your own images and videos will also save you from the headache of fighting copyright issues from day 1.

3.    Be nice to people. Say hello and thank you often. Make sure the connections you make in one event last a lifetime because brands, deals, people would make you thrive in this industry. Help them as they help you.

4.    Appreciate the little things. From saying thanks to a simple gift, it wouldn’t hurt to reciprocate the good things people do for you. 

5.    Don’t shortchange yourself. In this industry, the last person that should doubt yourself is YOU. If you feel and think you are in the right, fight for it. Just like in any job, the playing field is huge… and there are people that will take advantage of your kindness. Be nice, but if you find a situation where you need to be stern, become it.

6.    Be honest with your readers, because they can spot who’s not from a mile away even before you press that publish button.

7.    Follow your passion. At the end of the day, it will make you happy. 

One of the highlights of my career probably was the chance to go back to my university and tell them about what I've gone through; so they too would take the chance and follow their dreams. I’ve been blogging for a little around 22 years, yet I feel like I’ve just started doing what I love… and I have no plans of stopping anytime soon. Passion is an ingredient mostly looked over, but it is the most important thing I've had - it kept my desire for writing stay.

An Extraordinary Workshop for GMA Artists with Howie Severino

When an artist undergoes workshops, it usually means they'll be learning more about singing, dancing, interacting with other actors and acting. A few days ago, an unconventional one happened virtually with no less than the award winning journalist and broadcaster Howie Severino.

Mr. Severino held a masterclass about Baybayin which is an acient writing system. He's very passionate about teaching this to others as people reading and writing it remains scarce. He says "I'm very happy that I get to meet all of you, not just because you are artists, but you are also culture bearers. You carry our identities as Filipinos, it's a good thing you're learning how to do Baybayin. You get to be looked up to by generations that kept the writing form alive. It's a huge undertaking but we have to start somewhere, now that includes you!"

This is part of GMA Artist Center's efforts called "Ang Breakout Room: Masterclass Series" which they'll be doing on a regular basis for home grown artists and celebrities. Artists who were included in the roster included First Lady Sanya Lopez, the beloved Farrah in Legal Wives Bianca Umali, Kyline Alcantara who probably is being swooned by Mavy Legaspi, Lexi Gonzales who just released a single, Radson Flores and Matt Lozano who's excited for Voltes V Legacy, artists Claire Castro, Royce Cabrera, Zonia Mejia, Jamir Zabarte, Joaquin Manansala, Jen Maravilla, Jr Royol, Migs Villasis, Hannah Arguelles, Bryce Eusebio, Gab Yabut, Elias Point, Allen Ansay, Lia Salvador, Dentrix Ponce, Dave Duque, Kirsten Gonzales, Kimson Tan, Lime Aranya, Levince Sotto and Rain Matienzo all learned the ropes in how to read and write with Baybayin just on that day.

Howie also shared how this would impact their families, their community and the next generation. I wonder what GMA Artist Center has under their sleeves after this one. It sounds so exciting!