Kalinga: Expect the Unexpected at the Cordilleras

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Summer is the season which students are usually excited with. Well it wasn’t like that for me. In my opinion summer is just another hot and tiring time at home. But this year’s summer vacation made me change my mind and realized it is far from what I thought it was. In fact my summer vacation was very fun and memorable. I was able to go to different places, meet new friends and visit my relatives which I rarely see.

It was my father who decided to change our annual routine. He told us that we will be going to their province. At first I wasn’t excited to go because I really don’t like to be in a place without my friends but when we got there already, I found out I am able to have fun even without them.

My family and I went to a nearby river and swam there. Though it was very cold, I enjoyed it because the water was very clear and it even had crabs and small fishes swimming on it.

After that we went to the neighboring town to participate in their fiesta which I really enjoyed. I even sang and performed a dance number with some friends I met there. We stayed there for a day and walked back home which took us almost four hours. Oh, haven’t I mentioned that my father’s province is in Kalinga province? And I’ll tell you it’s a 4 or more kilometer walk from the downtown to their “baryo”.

The Rise and Fall of the Blogging Community?

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The statement below is something I got from a "bubwit" (not the one who was found in a Starbucks Frap) who is also part of the blogging community. If there is any truth to it, I surely hope it's not 100% accurate as I believe we are still among the ones that publish only what we really feel no matter how others feel it as uneducated observance or lacking the critical eye to be legit and authoritative.

"Nice chat with a PR earlier about the ups and downs of the blogging community, and how the negative issues involving bloggers are not entirely different from what goes on with trad media (print, radio and TV) practitioners. 

Sadly, many bloggers now exhibit the negative traits that were previously attributed to erring members of the media.

Blogging for many is no longer what it was originally meant to be.

Unfortunately, it has been tainted when bloggers started holding back or go easy on writing the truth so they can retain friendships with the sponsors and brands.  

It has been ruined when bloggers only aim to get as much loot bags or tokens from the sponsors, brands or companies that they are promoting. They don't really advocate a single brand and does not stay away from the brands that they do not really like. Meaning, everyone can avail of their service in exchange for a fee or freebie. 

It has been diluted when bloggers started to participate in syndicated Comments, Likes, Shares, etc., exchanges. 

It has turned into a joke when brands now think that views, hits, impressions, ranking, etc., is the primary factor to determine if the blog is significant or not. 

Many people used to rely on bloggers to share real reviews and information with a personal touch. Now, most of what we read are either spoonfed or posted without any personal involvement of the blogger.

Now, it has become so easy to manipulate blog rankings, but it has become so difficult to keep our contents appropriate."

How about you? Do you believe in this point of view? I would rather keep my comments after everyone else has shared their own beliefs.

But what I would not tolerate is when some would look down on others just because the person under scrutiny is part of a community. You do not generalize a group based on a few members' acts. Each one still has their own personality that is unique and never similar to anybody else. Even twins do not share the same point of views, how much more are two individuals born from different mothers.

The Arrogance of People Heightens When in Social Media

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Social media has its positive points, but many have been also using it to bully those they believe are inferior and does not meet their high standards.

Many of us believe we are faultless and fail to see that big lump of mole right smacked in the middle of our foreheads. If we really care for the community, we do not shame, harass, bad-mouth, or alienate our fellow men. Instead, we should try to work it out as decent grown-ups.

Madalas kasi, kapag inuna mo ang pakikipag-away, defensive siyempre agad ang kabilang party. So instead na magka-ayos, lalo lang nagkakagulo at lumalala.

Please do not single out a certain online community and generalize them as sole perpetrators of these acts. Even the so-called number one blog or online magazine in the Philippines post press releases as is.FYI...some PRs give options to just copy-paste or edit as preferred, but copying an "entire article" from other publications should never be tolerated unless there was permission from the original source or author. This has been debated on just recently.

I think the real reason people block you is because you confront them publicly with disrespect with the sole intent to humiliate rather than help. We can see naman that you have your own share of typos, arrogance and mistakes.

If you have a personal grudge against an individual or an entire community, talk to him/her/them privately. Peace.

Daanin na lang natin ito sa ma-boteng usapan. :)