Blue Pencil Chronicles

We know that our country needs–to put iit n medical terms–a liver cleanse, a complete detoxification, a heart bypass and a brain surgery.  We all acknowledge the need to spare our system of corruption and greediness to fully effect change and developments in society.

Most of us have expressed our grievances over our failed electoral system, seeing as to how it has been used to keep power-hungry personalities safe in their comfortable positions.  But still, some of us still hope for a spark, a catalyst that will drive change throughout the system.  While many detest our electoral system, I think there are still a considerable few who have hope in it.

So, if you’re one of those who still hope and believe, you may want to attend Bloggers’ Kapihan and Comelec’s Bloggers’ briefing on poll automation. (more…)

The past few weeks have become witness for the beleaguering of both the Mainstream media and the Pinoy blogosphere.  I’ve wanted to write about this for so long but thought of holding off some of my thoughts until all the flames thrown have dissipated.

Blogging and Ethics
Let’s start with the first issue triggered by an unsolicited comment from Dean Luis Teodoro, a staunch ethics advocate who’s also part of the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR).  Dean Teodoro called on Mainstream Media journalists to blog so that they could be an example for people who irresponsibly post things online, saying that these people who have no account for ethics are bringing about disastrous effects with the erroneous and sometimes maligned information they post.

Of course, the Pinoy blogging community took offense and went on a blogging tirade against the professor.  Most have resented Dean Teodoro’s comment, saying that the veteran journalist and professor had no right to impose his “ethics” upon bloggers.  Some have also criticized the mainstream media in particular, saying that most journalists don’t practice these ethics anyway, so why impose them on the bloggers? (more…)

They said that if you want to expand your network, you’d have to extend your reach. That is why I’m bringing up a new baby into the blogosphere.

Now I know my posting frequency here is bad enough, so why open up a new blog? Well, BPChronicles is like my personal/opinion blog and, well, I don’t have personal things and opinion to share all the time. But this blog I’m launching is a hobby of mine. More like a past time. And hopefully, I’d be able to post frequently on this one as well.

So without further ado I welcome you to my movie blog, Popcorn Chronicles! =) *clickclick!*

Ma’am Janette Toral tagged me earlier and it prompted me to write about this topic. Truth be told, I got a lot of insights from the last iBlog Mini held at the College of Law–brief as my stay is–and it prompted me to be more aware of the potentials of blogging during Elections in the country. Personally, as a (hopefully) future media practitioner, one of the fields I want to dabble in is Election reporting. I don’t know why but I get the kicks out of the election season. Maybe because it’s a sign that somehow, even after all the totalitarian measures imposed upon us by the government, the elections still gives us hope and the voice to speak out what’s on top of our heads.

Anyway, going back to Ma’am Janette’s tag, elections are a hotbed of personalities slugging it out to be the next people’s choice. But more vital than personalities, I believe, are issues and their responses to them. One barometer for gauging the viability of a candidate for a certain post is his stance on pertinent issues that concern the nation.

If I were to interview any candidate, here are a string of issues I would want them to have an opinion on:

• Foreign Policy. It’s as important as any other issue out there. Will the next president still allow himself/herself to be controlled by foreign forces (IMF/WB) or countries (US/Europe)? I believe we’ve had enough of the influence the States has over our domestic policies. It’s time to act on our own. How about JPEPA? OFWs and the Brain Drain? Exchange Rate? (more…)

So yeah, basically, once again, just like before, I bailed out on my blogging. Bleh. Hehe. I just couldn’t stand seeing that last entry over and over again for the past week so that basically pressured me to blog tonight. Haha. And what I’m gonna post isn’t very sensical, but a friend interviewed me about blogging for her Media Ethics class, and I’m posting my answers here. Yay, how fun! Now go read. (more…)

So yeah, since weekend wrap-ups, round-ups and syntheses are the latest fad online, I jump in the bandwagon and provide you with my own version of a weekend recap. And this being a personal blog, I intend to do this in the old-fashioned, journalese, web-log kind of way, the one we got used to when blogging was just in its nurturing stage.

To tell you honestly I missed blogging by just simply narrating what transpired in my day, so that’s why I’m doing this. I don’t know why I keep on trying to be profound in coming up with “articles” instead of just “entries” for this blog. So suffice to say, this segment will attempt to fill that void.

Let’s do this, guys! (more…)

Note: This is the Third part of a Three-part series on the Trinoma Bloggers’ Food Tour. Part 2 is here. Part 1 is here.

Our tummies were filled and we have a lot of restaurants to thank for that. However, the tour didn’t come with only the good stuff, because we experienced certain disappointments and frustrations as well.

Thank God our group wasn’t part of the bunch who went to Cabalen and got a mouthful from the manager. Come to think of it, even if my group insisted on going to Cabalen I think I know better because I’ve had some dining horrors with them before, plus I’ve had enough of Filipino food and would like to try something new for the tour. I love their Crispy Kangkong, though, simply one for the curious taste buds.

I enjoyed the Food Tour experience a lot therefore there weren’t much blunders. Here’re the restos that didn’t quite make an impression on me: (more…)

Note: This is the Second part of a Three-part series on the Trinoma Bloggers’ Food Tour. Part 1 is here.

After digesting nearly a dozen kind of cuisine in the food tour, it’s time to digest the impressions the different restaurants have made upon the bloggers. Different tastes and different flavors have melded so succinctly in my mouth that I tend to confuse one restaurant’s food over the other.

This part will showcase the most-recommended restaurants we’ve been to based on their food, the restaurant’s ambiance and their crew’s service. The next and last part will be for the bad publicity present to you the restaurants that didn’t make quite an impression on me, as well as on other bloggers. So here goes! (more…)

Seven Years. Wow. That’s a long time. I can’t believe 7 years have already gone since we toppled a corrupt president, only to replace him with someone far worse than we’ve imagined.

I fondly remember that day. The people went out the streets in protest of the rejection of the Senator-juries to open the “Second Envelope,” an evidence rumored to be so compelling that it would assure the impeachment of then President Estrada.

I was actually frustrated that the revolt ended quickly. I wanted to stay tune to the TV more and see what else would transpire. My aunt, who then works at Robinson’s Galleria, always had fond stories to share. She had a hard time going to work everyday because of the volume of people assembline at the EDSA shrine, but she said that seeing the Filipino people in solidarity made the trip to work a bit less tedious. (more…)

At first, pigging out on over thirty different restaurants in a short span of time sounded like a good idea. But when it was time for the Trinoma Bloggers’ Food Tour last January 9, I believe everyone would agree that feeling satiated would be an understatement. Bellies bulged. Mouths were filled. Stomachs were filled to the brim. I swear a bucket would’ve come in handy that day, if only to throw out all the food we’ve tasted from the previous restaurants just to taste the next ones.

I believe I have tasted every possible dish available for pork, beef, chicken and shrimp out there. There were just a lot of food and cuisines around, all ready for tasting and sampling. But before I get to my reviews of the 32 or so restaurants who participated in the event, let me cue you in on my whole experience, and possibly tell a few behind-the-scene stories as well.

I was at the event quite early as always, but I found out some bloggers were even a lot earlier than me. And I thought I was punctual. Karlo arrived at Trinoma at around 10am. Excited? Not much.

Registration was a breeze and I was assigned to the Blue Group (which, as we found out later in the event, didn’t have that much significance anyway). They served cocktails near the registration booth, as well as some food so that we could eat properly (perhaps they foresaw that some restos were gonna feed us words instead of actual food). Several minutes later and the place was jampacked with bloggers, all hungry and ready to take on the food fest that’s coming their way. (more…)