SM City General Santos Christmas Launch

SM has a lot of surprises every month, and I can't wait to witness the magical Christmas event only at SM City General Santos!

Last year, SM City General Santos surprised us with an "under-the-sea" themed Christmas Tree as the centerpiece for the Christmas campaign.

Photos by Avel Manansala, Nanardx Zee

This time, SM City General Santos invites you to join their extraordinary Christmas launching on Saturday, November 9, 5PM at the Activity Center. Witness this once-in-a-lifetime experience only at SM City General Santos, Everything's here!

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i-SPEAK launches ICT roadshow in Region 12

i-SPEAK headed by Ms. Sheila A. Dayap, CPA, will be launching a campaign to boost the awareness in ICT and bridge digital divide in rural areas.

In partnership with DTI Region 12, Animation Roadshow & Workshop 2013 campaign will travel to Sarangani on July 24, General Santos on July 25 and South Cotabato on July 26 to educate the public, particularly students, on the use and benefits of ICT and animation especially for job purpose.

Other institutions participating in the campaign are Society of Animators and Graphic Artists and ICT Councils in Region 12, ICT Solutions Association in Region 12, Digital Innovations Cluster Economic Development in East West Coast Sarangani, Speed IT and TICK in Koronadal, along with educational institutions Notre Dame of Dadiangas University in General Santos and Notre Dame of Marbel University in Koronadal City.

Events

SM's Little Star to shine again this year

Another kid will shine for this year's SM Little Star search!

Inviting all kids ages 4-6 years old to grab this biggest opportunity of their lifetime! SM Little Star 2013 is looking for the brightest star here in General Santos to compete with other little stars and win exciting prizes!

Requirements:

1. Photocopy of birth certificate
2. Two (2) 4R photos with light make up (close up and full body)

Preliminary Screening:

1. July 14, 2013 at the Event Center, 10AM

Registration form is available at SCMC Admin Office, 2nd Floor of SM City General Santos or visit SM Supermalls Facebook Page . For more details or call SM City General Santos at (083) 878 - 0667 local 136.

Events

11YG2013 Seminars: Branding and Marketing Management

This strucked me to become an effective entrepreneur. If you have a good business but your branding and marketing really sucks, then this seminar of Yaman Gensan 2013 is definitely for you.

Yaman Gensan 2013 presents Branding and Marketing Management 101, "How to sound big while starting small" by Mr. Oliver Layco this  June 24, 2013 at the Phela Grande Hotel from 1-5 in the afternoon. For more details, call GSC SMED Council at 301-5011 or 0933-579-5528.

To get more updates and seminar reservations of Yaman Gensan 2013, better add them on Facebook.com/GSCSMEDCI; visit their website YamanGensan.com; or visit SMEDCI Office at Room 201 2nd floor, RA Bldg. South Osmeña St., General Santos City. Call them at (083)301-5011 or 09335735528 or email them at smedc_gs@yahoo.com.
This year's Yaman Gensan is brought to us by the City Government of General Santos, General Santos SMED Council, Inc. and DTI General Santos.

Events

IT is POWER! The 10th Y4IT Congress this September

Calling all IT Professionals, students and aspirants to join the 10 Philippine Youth Congress in Information Technology this September 10 to 15 at the University of the Philippines Diliman Campus!

This 2012, the University of the Philippines Information Technology Development Center (UP ITDC) is propelling itself to greater heights, as it celebrates the 10th year of the Philippine Youth Congress in Information Technology or Y4iT. With the theme “IT is Power: Celebrating a Decade of Transforming Lives,” the 10th Y4iT will continue to serve as a meeting place for the best minds in IT, while giving participants a rare chance to know the latest IT breakthroughs, establish a network of contacts, and see how the field looks like.

The 10th Y4iT will be held on September 10-15 at the University Theater, UP Film Institute, and UP Ang Bahay ng Alumni. It is considered the country’s biggest gathering of IT experts and professionals, students and educators. Since it began in 2003, the conference has already drawn a total of 105,000 participants .

For inquiries, contact UP ITDC (2/F, Vidal A. Tan Hall, Quirino Avenue corner Velasquez Street, UP Diliman, Quezon City) at 436 2217, 920 2080, or 920 2036 (telefax). You may also visit their website ( http://y4it.up.edu.ph/  ),Y4iT Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/up.y4it), or follow us on Twitter (Youth for I.T.) for more information.

Events

BlogFest 2.0: Effecting Progress and Change through Blogs and Social Media

The next speaker really changed the real idea of what is social media in the eyes of a blogger. Opinion makers should have an idea on how to mixed up great thoughts in words or comments since we are free to express ourselves not to harm others. People engaged with social media have also the freedom to learn and to think out of the box and has the capacity to change the current situation of an object. Those are just some highlights that Manuel "Manolo" Quezon III discussed during the Blogfest SOCCSKSARGEN 2.0 with a theme, "The Emergence of Blogs and Social Media".

Social media changes the trend of what is now, compared to the past, wherein there is no Facebook or Twitter to get mingle with people, Youtube to watch missed fave shows in full color or high definition, or even reading news articles via Yahoo!, CNN, GMANews.tv and such rather than reading it in very versatile paper. Because of technology, everything is made to substitute the old practice.

According to the research presented by Quezon, Filipinos are engaged with the use of computers instead of listening to the radio for news and information, crying in front of the TV while watching telenovelas, or even reading comic books and newspapers to kill information. Because computer and internet are somewhat, addictive, we should set up new rules on how to handle our thumbs.

In politics, Social Media has a big role in promoting themselves, I mean promoting their platforms, well it is only for election time purposes, perhaps. Before, politicians spent a lot of mickey mouse money to print out their lame posters and flyers as if people notice it. But now, because of the social media era, politicians are now invading social networking sites to touch people, to have their www[dot]com websites to share their political diaries and projects. It really influences people, says the internet.

Undersecretary of Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Manuel "Manolo" Quezon III during his speech about Social Media. (Photo Credit: Mr. Kyawster)

EVERYONE USES FACEBOOK. Filipinos has the world's highest Facebook penetration. It means that we tend to open the internet and directly login to our Facebook accounts. Indeed, it's true. Facebook is not for laptops and desktop computers. We can access to Facebook by using smartphones, tablets, or even SMS. That's how powerful social networking is.

FILIPINOS LOVE TO SHARE PICTURES AND VIDEOS. Don't deny it, alright. We love Project 365 or even the next Youtube Sensation. Those are some filipino traits that are widely seen online.

FILIPINOS PREFER TO READ OTHER PEOPLE'S BLOGS THAN TO WRITE THEIR OWN. Yea. Applicable to some bloggers. Even myself fond of reading other people's blogs, just to find inspiration for my new blogpost or to gain idea.

Teens are watching less TV, listening to less radio, reading less books and magazines, doing less sports, less interaction with friends, face-to-face frequently, and spending less money or traditional consumer items. Thanks to virtual connectivity technology like text messaging and the internet. - McCann, 2007

The second version of BlogFest SOCCSKSARGEN was made possible by Fat and Fab Brothers of the Philippines, Mr. Avel (www.gensantos.com) and Orman (www.gandaeversomuch.com) Manansala in cooperation with SOCCSKSARGEN Bloggers. Co-Presentors Dole Philippines, Inc., Sagittarius Mines Incorporated, Circle of Arts Productions and Smart Telecommunications were there to support the event. Not to mention the help being extended by Gold Sponsors AirPhil Express, ACLC College, the GSC Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Local Government of General Santos City, and the Department of Trade and Industry - Region 12. Official Hotel SunCity Suites, Sarangani Highlands, Google Philippines, GMA Network and ABS-CBN were also there to make the event possible.

BlogFest SOCCSKSARGEN 2.0 is considered as the biggest gathering of bloggers in the Philippines, with almost 100 bloggers from different parts of the Philippines, including bloggers from Iligan, Davao, and as far as Iloilo, Cebu and Manila, and was attended by eleven intelligent and highly-respected speakers in the country who shared their knowledge about Emergence of Blogs and Social Media. 

Events , News , Tekkie Reviews

BlogFest 2.0: History of the Internet in Mindanao

What do you think of the real situation in Mindanao during 90's? What if there's no source of news and information about Mindanao until now? What if, Mindanao has no Bob Martin? What do you think?

This guy, Bob "MindanaoBob" Martin, is actually famous for promoting the Philippines not to his fellowmen in United States but also in the world by his top emerging blogs and websites. He was one of the keynote speakers of this year's BlogFest SOCCSKSARGEN 2.0 with a theme, "The Emergence of Blogs and Social Media".

Martin shared his life before he engaged in blogging especially promoting Mindanao to the world. It was in 1990's when internet was introduced to them. He has no idea about the internet, communicating with other people with the use of e-mail (he said that it took 30 minutes to send an ordinary e-mail to someone, it was as slowest as the dsl line) until he found out that he could do something better with it. He was responsible for posting insights about Mindanao, particularly in General Santos City (2nd for having a website in Mindanao that time, Davao being the 1st) promoting the island on how beautiful, wonderful and lovely the people are. He was also responsible for creating the first website for Mindanao, www.MINDANAO.com

He always come to Mindanao until his family decided to live in General Santos in 2000. After several months, he established his own internet cafe business (one in RD Plaza and second in East Asia Royale Hotel) using a satellite to have a high speed internet connection (well, not that really fast compared to this generation). Until his family decided to move in Davao because of terrorism activities happening in General Santos but it was not a hindrance for him to stop blogging about Mindanao. It was a challenge for him that Mindanao, as an island, is really safe to travel.

Since 1990's, Martin already visited 24 out of 26 provinces in Mindanao, including some of the dangerous places such as Lanao Provinces, Tawi-tawi, Sulu, and ARMM Provinces. Well, it was really dangerous to travel in those places especially if you're a foreigner but Martin find it not that scary or dangerous, at all.

Because blogging is now trending in this generation, Martin encourages young and professional bloggers to keep on blogging positive vibes about Mindanao, interesting facts, foods in order to promote the tourism of the place, and to replace the bad news with these stuffs. Martin started nothing but when he explored Mindanao, everything's changed. He put it on the web, people read his posts, and he influenced people to come to Mindanao to invest, to relax or perhaps, to live. A good example is the www.GENSANTOS.com by Mr. Avel Manansala, where he keeps on promoting General Santos to the world and now, one of the emerging and influential bloggers in the country.

The second version of BlogFest SOCCSKSARGEN was made possible by Fat and Fab Brothers of the Philippines, Mr. Avel (www.gensantos.com) and Orman (www.gandaeversomuch.com) Manansala in cooperation with SOCCSKSARGEN Bloggers. Co-Presentors Dole Philippines, Inc., Sagittarius Mines Incorporated, Circle of Arts Productions and Smart Telecommunications were there to support the event. Not to mention the help being extended by Gold Sponsors AirPhil Express, ACLC College, the GSC Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Local Government of General Santos City, and the Department of Trade and Industry - Region 12. Official Hotel SunCity Suites, Sarangani Highlands, Google Philippines, GMA Network and ABS-CBN were also there to make the event possible.

BlogFest SOCCSKSARGEN 2.0 is considered as the biggest gathering of bloggers in the Philippines, with almost 100 bloggers from different parts of the Philippines, including bloggers from Iligan, Davao, and as far as Iloilo, Cebu and Manila, and was attended by eleven intelligent and highly-respected speakers in the country who shared their knowledge about Emergence of Blogs and Social Media. 

Events , News , Tekkie Reviews

Grandest Blogging Event: Blogfest SOX 2.0

From small gathering of local bloggers to unexpected nationwide popularity: well, that is the BlogFest SOCCSKSARGEN. Hundred bloggers from different parts of the region will merge in the Tuna Capital with a common advocacy of projecting South Central Mindanao in a more positive light through blogging.

The second installment of BlogFest this year is called The BlogFest SOCCSKSARGEN 2.0 (well, that reminds me of a software version which is 2.0) with its theme "The Emergence of Blogs and Social Media". Eight of the most influential personalities in the country will be the speakers of the much-awaited blogging event in the south. (*Exciting!)

LiveinthePhilippines.com's Bob Martin (popularly known as MindanaoBob in cyberspace) is a foreign blogger who loves the county so much, Mindanao in particular. He is responsible for blogging positive lights about Mindanao despite of not-so-good news (terrorism, kidnapping, etc) from print media, television news and internet.

Hon. Darlene Antonino Magnolia-Custodio, or known as the prettiest politician (and I like that tagline!) was was a former representative of the first district of South Cotabato and the current mayor of General Santos City. She is responsible for launching the official websites of the city’s 69 public elementary schools and 26 barangay high schools through her administrations SHEEP-Computer Literacy Program, making GenSan the first in the country to have done so.

Mr. Jack Madrid, is the country manager of Multiply Philippines. Before joining Multiply, he was the Yahoo! Philippines top honcho. (Then perhaps, future CEO for Facebook Philippines, that would be awesome!)

Raffy Tima, is a notable TV News Anchor, Producer and Host of GMA Network and its affiliate GMA News TV. He was one of GMA’s main reporter during the 2000 to 2004 series of kidnapping by the Abu Sayyaf group and the all-out war of the Armed Forces of the Philippines against the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. Tima has also covered the war in Afghanistan in 2001 and Iraq in 2004. He also covered US President Barack Obama’s inauguration for GMA News.

Flow Galindez, a blogger advocate of UN World Food Programme and WFP's Bloggers Against Hunger Connector MDG advocate. (Whoa! I love his advocacy!) He is well-known for having informative and personal blog, http://angsawariko.com/

Abe Olandres is known in the blogosphere as Yugatech. (This guy is superb!)  He is a tech blogger whose site, Yugatech.com is the country’s #1 review resource for electronic gadgets and IT-related stuffs.

Mae Paner, popularly known as Juana Change (I'm craving to meet her personally for 2nd time around), is one of the Philippine Web’s biggest personalities. She portrays different characters to show Filipinos about the relevant issues in Philippine politics and government.

Manuel Quezon III, more popularly known as Manolo Quezon, is a essayist and blogger. He is currently an Undersecretary of the Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office (PCDSPO). Prior to being appointed to the undersecretary position, he served as host of The Explainer and The Explainer Dialogues on the ANC cable news channel. He also headed the Speaker’s Bureau, columnist, and editorial writer for The Philippine Daily Inquirer and was the Assistant Managing Editor and an editorial writer for The Philippines Free Press weekly news magazine.

I can't wait to attend the grandest blogging event of the year, the BlogFest SOCCSKSARGEN 2.0 on November 26, 2011 at Sun City Complex, General Santos. This blogging event is sponsored by Smart Telecommunications Philippines, Dole Philippines, Inc., Circle of Arts Productions, Sagittarius Mines, Inc., organized by Project O! Consultants and is spearheaded by the Soccsksargen Bloggers. Its lead convenors are GenSan News Online Mag by Mr. Avel Manansala and GandaEverSoMuch.com of Mr. Orman Manansala.

Are you EXCITED? Well, see you at the BlogFest! :)

Events , News