SARAH GERONIMO, MATTEO, ALAMAT + Viva Artists Headline Caritas PADAYON Concert on the 25th

If you haven't have plans yet on March 25, Caritas Manila and Viva Live Incorporated is having a concert called "PADAYON: Pag-ibig Damayan sa Pag-ahon". This is a online concert set to raise 20 Million pesos aimed to benefit several churches, chapels, evacuation and community centers in Visayas and Mindanao that have been ravaged by recent typhoons (Typhoon Odette).

In a recent press conference, they announced Sarah Geronimo-Guidicelli, Matteo Guidicelli, Mark Bautista, the phenomenal Alamat, Angelo Garcia, Atsaka, Bandang Lapis, Caleb Santos, Ethan Loukas, Ezro, Ferodina, Guji Lorenzana, Jehramae Trangla, theater and TV actor Jerald Napoles, his loved one Kim Molina Lits, suklay diva Katrina Velarde, Kayla Miel Camerong, champ singer Lyca Gairanod, Magnus Haven, Marielle Belleza, PPOP Generation, Rob Deniel, The Juans, This Band, Thyro Alfaro and Yumi Lacsamana will perform for this cause only on this date.The event will also be graced by His Eminence Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle, the President of Caritas Internationalis and former Archbishop of Manila.

You may purchase tickets via KTX.PH or Caritas Manila's Online Donation site caritasmanila.org.ph/donate-1 and ticket prices come in Php 1,000, Php 3,000 or Php 5000. If you are an organization or company that's interested to donate for the cause, they have different Gift of Hope, Love and Faith packages, so please inquire. You will get certificate of donations, promo spots on Caritas and Viva's websites, plus a spot on the livestream. You will also be mentioned on the spiels while the concert is going on. You may reach partnerships_events@caritasmanila.org.ph or call 09175955083. This is the time to help, make sure you do. You get to watch a world class show, and help churches help communities around the country too.

Come #SparkTheEnergy with Berocca!

January was certainly pretty busy as in between events and online activities, I had to stop, pause and get my vaccine booster shots done prior to attending physical events later that month. After a few days of feeling a little numbness on my right arm and sleepless nights, I barely had time to work because those times of blankly looking at the screen came back and I had to sleep, take a break and reset.

Whenever I feel something's about to go down, my personal regimen is to take a tablet of Berocca to get those vitamins and minerals in my body. With it, I kinda reset, never feel like I'm tired and get so alert I'd be raring to write creatively and shoot vlogs, interview some of the country's biggest stars and spend lots of time with family. It's always like a perfect day when I've gotten that done after breakfast. Even if I'm a diabetic, I take it as it's sugar free and don't have to worry my readings would shoot up. 

Since it gives me more energy, I'd take it and have extra enthusiasm to squeeze in a quick workout before I go to sleep. I got to lose a lot of weight even when I'm at home because the sessions I do (even when I don't visit a gym) is enough to get me running around the neighborhood. I feel my energy is back and I'm raring to even do more!

Times are also changing, and so is the restrictions easing down. Now there's a more easier way to go out, still stay safe by following all health protocols and taking time to take care of ourselves while we're in or out of our homes. Berocca helps me keep my mind on the game. I don't get often sick because I get the nutrients I need with it. I also think sharper, helps me concentrate, and help me work out smarter even when I'm at the comforts of my own home. If you need ideas and want to see success stories like mine, you may visit superchargedsquad.berocca.com.ph and sign up. Come join the events, participate in the free squad challenges (lots of that there!), gain rewards and share your stories too while you're at it!

With Berocca, come and #SparkTheEnergy! 

COCO MARTIN Endorses Partylist That Champions Transport Sector and Livelihood Advocacies

Looks like your friendly neighborhood Cardo Dalisay is going to be dipping his hands in endorsing a Party List entity called AP Partylist #AkoyPilipino (Alliance of Public Transport Organization Inc.) which aims to represent  the transport sector and providing livelihood and help for the ordinary joe. He's making rounds today February 25 to advance the party's agenda together with first nominee Rep. Ronnie Ong and publishing videos that would introduce their projects since the pandemic started which includes free transportation for health workers #LibrengSakay,  free vegetables for community kitchens #LibrengGulay and free educational tablet units #LibrengTablets that benefited teachers and students during these times. 

Rep. Ronnie Ong has been Coco's long time friend and has been dubbed in PeopleAsia as "Frontliner Congressman". He has always been a staunch supporter of programs that alleviate poverty, those concerned with labor and employment. He has been on the ground arranging work for able bodied Seniors who still need to make a living, working students, transport workers and drivers, even laid off ABSCBN workers who were displaced in the company's recent shutdown.

Coco says "Whatever hardships we go through, we have people we can count on. AP Partylist can help provide jobs and create opportunities for small businesses. This would be apt for for Filipinos who would want to earn a living, put food on the table for their family."

Coco's compatriots in the show "Ang Probinsyano" at Task Force Agila also lauds the party list group and saw how they helped in advocacies. They also are fervently helping support #164 AP Partylist so they could continue helping people that are not just in the sectors they represent, but the communities that need it.

Here's  the video which came out today:

Coco hopes that those who support him would also be able to do the same with AP Partylist #AkoyPilipino which you can find #164 this coming election.

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.