Technology alone is not the answer…but at least, I am already registered!

a not-so-good photo of my hand with that meaningful thumbmark!

Second to the last day of registration for 2010 elections, Oct30 (Friday), I decided to go back to the nearest COMELEC office to my house (near SM Manila) and have myself registered no matter what. I am blogging about this so that I have something to look back to after years.

If you are thinking that I am about to whine about my experience that day, well you are right! hehe! I am aware beforehand that going through that line is definitely not easy. I admit that I am envious of my friends (Jorron, Ace, Ren) who are already registered. I also know that, as what others call it, this is the price of cramming and the bloody line/process should not be blamed solely on the COMELEC.

Enough of disclaimers. I was there at the registration for 8 freaking hours (you may change the underlined letters), hours when I should have been sleeping, playing restaurant city, starting reading Vampire Academy ebooks (given by Kath, of course), or watching TV with my brother. I was there as early as 6:30am until 2:30pm. People ahead of me came at 4:30am.

There were lines outside the COMELEC building and another line when you get inside the building. I stood up for 6 hours, sitting from time to time along sidewalks. I was wearing rubber shoes and my heels still ached a lot because of standing too long. I managed to control my sweat glands (haha!) so I did not sweat at all while I was outside the building. But when I went inside the building, the adjective hot was an understatement. Fortunately, nobody fainted.  The space of the building was maximized, people were everywhere around you. At some point, it’s hard to breathe. One false alarm would cause panic and stampede. While waiting for my turn, I was planning what to do once panic occurs.

It took me 8 freaking hours (again, you may change the underlined letters)to finish the ff simple procedures:

1. (Assuming that you are qualified and you have complete requirements with you) Get three registration forms from the COMELEC people and accomplish those. If you have downloaded forms, have them validated.
2. Submit the accomplished forms and requirements, like a photocopy of your ID with your current address, to the COMELEC official and wait for your name to be called again.
3. After receiving back your registration forms and requirements (rechecked by the officials),have  your biometrics taken…then you’re finished!!

I waited for 5 ½ hours to get to STEP 1, 30mins to finish STEP 2, and almost 2 ½ hours to reach STEP 3. Not to mention, taking my holy biometrics only lasted for not more than 3 minutes.

So WHY did it take me loooooong hours to finish these simple procedure?

1. Technology alone is not the answer especially when you are lacking in man power. Yes, taking biometrics is time efficient but what the use of that if you only have two apparatuses to serve thousands of people? Moreover, what can 10 officials do to speed up procedures for thousands of registrants?
2. There was prioritization!! In other words, people cut in and COMELEC officials allowed that! These people are not ordinary persons but maybe actors/actresses, relatives of government officials, or ordinary but RICH individuals who had easily squeezed their butts in and finished STEPS 1-3 in just 15mins just like that without falling in line! They were escorted by COMELEC officials so people in line could seldom, or not all, complain.
3. Abusive people. There were, and there will always be insistent individuals would occasionally cut in the line before people who look either too kind or gullible.

HOW did I survive?

1. I had no choice but to trust all the people ahead of me that they would not let people cut in because everyone knew the sacrifices of each person in line. Even men did not allow attractive women to cut in. haha!
2. There were interesting and bubbly people around whom you could communicate with. I met this cute little girl, called by her grandma as Teresa. She was so energetic even if she was perspiring hehe! I remember giving her one of my biscuits because she was hungry and so bored. I hope to see her again.
3. I brought water, 2 sachets of biscuits, 2 cupcakes, and lunch (longganisa with rice) with me! Of course, tissues, alcohol, fan, and a book (Rich Dad, Poor Dad) to read when there’s no one to talk to.
4. Patience and a touch of aggressiveness (in a good way, okay). I had to wait and maintain my patience while actually using the aggressive side of me when needed.
5. Humor. There were moments of laughter there. People giggle and laugh together out of jokes.

What I wished:

1. I wished I registered earlier than October. I could have avoided that line.
2. I wished there were more than just 2 apparatuses for biometrics. That would definitely speed up the line. No budget for that? Bakit yung NBI, government office din naman pero madaming aparato kaya mabilis ang proseso? No budget for COMELEC or they just don’t want to fund its operations?
3. I wished people who sneezed and coughed without covering their mouths were sent out. Ansama ba? They should have covered their mouths because in a place like that, it’s very easy to transmit and acquire viruses.
4. I wished people who sweat a lot were separated from those who don’t hehe! Joke lang pero wish pa rin! (I belong to the latter ha! Hehe)
5. I wished registrants did not bring their kids with them. I pity kids who had no choice but to endure that line with the elders who brought them. If no one would be left at home with their kids, they must’ve not gone to COMELEC and chose to stay at home with the children instead.
6. I wished that COMELEC put up an express lane for the people they gave special treatment. It was very unfair to see registrants, who did not fall in line, walking directly to the biometrics room accompanied by COMELEC officials.

I am lucky that I did not have to go back there the next day unlike others. I am lucky that my registration took only hours, not days.

After going through and finishing the procedures, I walked out of the COMELEC building feeling more than happy and contented. It was like I was floating. Haha! That’s for real! Now, for the first time, I can exercise my right to vote on May! Let’s all be responsible voters.

Alright, this is one of long posts, I guess, or the only one?

Online Services for the Dead

Even the dead can benefit from online services. This may sound a little spooky or an early Halloween post. Or is it really early? October na kaya!

About 3 months ago (Don’t get me wrong, I did not intend to save this as a Halloween post haha! It’s just that I only remembered this now), I saw a big billboard somewhere in QC promoting the funeral house’s new service—the E-LIBING. If we already have email, e-delivery, e-cards, e-games, and other online services like ordering plane tickets online, buying and paying for stuff online, even donating online, why not have an online service for our deceased loved ones.

This E-LIBING, offered by St. Peter Chapels allows the family, relatives, and friends who cannot attend the funeral to view the final rites and interment of their loved ones. The E-LIBING complements the other service which is the E-BUROL. E-BUROL enables the family, relatives, and friends to view the wake of their dear ones. These two services let people from anywhere in the country and outside the Philippines to view and be with their loved ones even for the last time, even just on line.

Now, are online services getting better?

Kids and the New Social Media

Have you met a six-year-old child who knows how to turn off, on, and restart computer and laptop? How about a preschooler who knows how to look for a file/folder that contains music and plays it using NOT JUST Windows Media Player BUT ALSO VLC? A child who logs on to a website and knows that he has to type in the Search box to find what he is looking for? A kid who can operate Skype and can change status and mood of your account? A child who recognizes the need to disable and enable internet connection and knows how to do it? If not, then you have to meet my brother. 

And! Are you using Windows Movie Maker or Ulead to edit videos and music? Here’s what my brother uses instead of those (CLICK).

I am sure that not only my brother is like this. Many children nowadays, ages 10 and below, are already computer-literate and techy. From the children’s interest in toys, cartoons, animes, to their exposure in the Internet, websites, and of course, new social media. 

Yes, new social media, indeed. New social media is not just for teens, yuppies, and (catching up) grownups, but is now also for children.

What might have introduced children to new social media?

1. Cartoons and animes promoting their websites during their airtime.
2. Older siblings and parents of children using new social media like podcasts, wikis, blogs, video blogs, (especially) social networking sites, and others.
3. Innate urge of children to interact and not just watch and listen to the sacred box. Children may be very visual but they are after interaction too.

If you will notice, websites for children like Cartoon Network Philippines, Disney, Petpet Park, and Nickelodeon have their own strategies for children continue going to their site. These sites have games, videos about latest products and shows, music, contests, online news, downloadable wallpapers, video and game comments, communities that serve as social networks, polls, posts by visitors, quizzes, and even forums.

In these, we can see that even children are starting to adapt the roles of new social media in their simple way of living. How much more in the years to come after they leave childhood?

**Note: If you are my sister’s contact in Facebook, 80% of her morning posts there are done by my little brother. If you message her and she replies “no macy,” it means that my brother is using her Facebook account to play applications and he is telling you that “macy,” my sister, is not around.

From Friendster to Facebook

Many of us have totally switched to Facebook as our primary social networking site. We have somehow neglected Friendster accounts and open them once in two to four weeks or not as often (24/7) as we open Facebook .

The talk conducted by Paolo Pangan of Yehey!Philippines gave me some insights on this matter and made me think of other reasons why such a shift happened.

1. During Friendster times, one of our main goal (well, for most user, I think) was to get as much friends as possible without considering whether you really know the person or not. All we wanted was to show the world that we already have a second, third, fourth, fifth (and so on) accounts because previous accounts reached the limit for the number of friends.

But now, in Facebook, we treasure every contact we have and, more or less, we really know all the people in our list. We learned from Friendster that the number does not really matter—it’s quality over quantity.

2. Facebook tells us that we do not have to repost every picture of ourselves that our friends have. Just by tagging, we all have a copy of the pictures we want.

3. In Friendster, flooding the bulletin board is acceptable. But don’t we just hate flooding?

In Facebook, flooding the newsfeed is like humiliating yourself. There you are, discipline!

4. Friendster surveys and quizzes (from bulletin boards) make me type and answer for several minutessss. I have to open all of the others’ posts and pages to know if they have the same answers/results as mine.

Facebook surveys and quizzes make me click for my answers and get results in seconds. I can easily see the headshots of my friends with the same results as mine.

5. Facebook allows us to constantly update our status and keep track of our previous status.

In Friendster, where shall we put it? In shout outs? Shout out, once erased, is gone forever.

6. We can easily share and make our friends know that we have posted a new picture, video, comment, or even link through real-time updates seen at the lower right portion of Facebook.

7. Facebook lets you see your friends who are online and chat with them. Friendster do not.

8. Our Friendster inboxes receive and are flooded by spam messages and invites to try applications.

Our Facebook inboxes receive messages that are really meant personally for us.

9. I do not know why, but I agree with Sir Paolo Pangan, Facebook looks and is a sophisticated social networking site compared to others.

**Social networking sites constantly give us lessons on privacy. Internet presence may be a threat to everyone’s privacy but it is still up to the person to regulate the information publicized to all. Also, changes in our interests toward networking sites only prove that consumers’ preferences change too.

Do you agree with these? Feel free to comment and leave your insights and reasons about the topic.

Why we’re so alarmed by Ondoy

Philippines has experienced so many typhoons and calamities even before. How come the typhoon Ondoy has done so much not just to its direct victims but to most citizens especially in Metro Manila?

1. Ondoy, 15^th weather disturbance in 2009, caused flood that is declared to be the worst in history by Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services, Administration (PAGASA). Many areas were flooded and many people were stranded along the way.
2. The typhoon greatly affected 25 provinces (Aurora, Quirino, Nueva Viscaya, Nueva Ecija, Pangasinan, Tarlac, Zambales, Pampanga, Bulacan, Rizal, Quezon, Isabela, Mountain Province, Ifugao, Benguet, La Union, Ilocos Sur, Cavite, Batangas, Mindoro Occidental, Mindoro Oriental, Marinduque, Camarines Norte, and Bataan). Moreover, President Gloria Macagapal –Arroyo declared these provinces under state of calamity including Metro Manila.
3. I can say that Ondoy has become controversial also because it hit Metro Manila, the national capital of the Philippines, and a defined metropolitan in the country. This time, the typhoon did not only damaged provinces and remote areas but it also struck cities and places of high class people. Ondoy did not choose its victims. Poor or rich, known personalities or not, everyone was affected.
4. In addition, social networking sites (in which people of all strata from different locations all over the globe are members) especially Facebook serve as online means to disseminate information in no time. Everyone is informed of the latest about the victims and other operations. Pictures, videos, and other testimonies about the typhoon spread in the internet. Heroic stories and ways to help the victims are posted.
5. For most of us, especially for me, this is the first time that I personally know few of the victims. Now, I am completely not indifferent about Ondoy-issues. I and my family are more than safe in our house but that should not stop me from doing something about the issue.

Let’s act, share a helping hand, and get out from the comforts of our house. Let’s DONATE , REPORT, and help in repacking goods for the Filipinos in need.

I wish people would set aside their own interests, even just for now.  Why put names, labels, and logos on styrofoam, plastic bags, and others when you can just give it plainly to the people?

Where you can get the ULTIMATE EXPERIENCE

This is all about a homework on SOCIAL MEDIA RELEASE instead of the traditional PRESS RELEASE. I think I somehow overdid it because I really made a video and pseudo-podcast for this homework (some told me that the URLs in their homeworks don’t work).

So what can we get from a social media release?

• It obviously serves as a press release but now it is online
• It is cost-efficient and a company doesn’t have to spend a lot to disseminate information
• Aside from plain text, you can also add other media such as numerous photos, videos, podcast, blog, vlog (videoblog), and link up other sites such as the company’s official website.
• Allows the company to be interactive because it can gather real time feedback from the audience since it is online!

Is there a difference between a social media release and a press release?

Aside from social media release being an online media release, another difference between them is that social media release shifts the focus from the company’s products and services to the customers’ needs and concerns. Meaning, from the traditional press release that introduces new products and services comes the new social media release that introduces the answers and solutions to the consumers’ needs and concerns.

What do I have here for you? Here is a sample social media release about Hotshots located at Robinson’s Midtown Mall. I also included the interview video with Mr. Jeffrey Yap, OIC for Robinson’s Midtown branch, and the official FM Demo of Hotshots.

Hotshots FM DEMO

There you have it! A million thanks to Mr. Jeffrey Yap and to the rest of the wonderful crews of Hotshots Rob Midtown!

I hope you’ll visit the said branch today and get that ULTIMATE BURGER EXPERIENCE!

How Disappointed Can You Get?

It’s your last year in your university and probably your last time to watch UAAP Cheer Dancing Competition as a college student. Your university did not win, nor the other universities that you expect. How disappointed can you get?

With all those tamaraws using “sarimanok,” eagles (who happen to have the same color as the sponsor) imitating “MJ,” archers performing a “pseudo-masquerade,” falcons turning “Japanese,” tigers being “set on fire,” warriors with “jeeps,” and bulldogs who (oops! I honestly can’t remember their performance ), still judges are judges and I cannot contest their decision. In the same way, I am the “judge” of my own blog and I have the right to say that when UP Pep Squad started to add story (adding “kwento” and not just dance there) to their cheer dance last year, it seemed that other universities suddenly did just the same. Oh well, that’s it. Imitation is next to admiration .

After getting your attention, let’s move forward to something else. Have you tried searching your whole name or nickname in Google and other search engines and getting unwanted/disappointing results like a hate blog or site of another person with the same name as yours? I know this is a bit late post in response to Sir Barry’s question in his blog last time. But this is another story, okay.

I remember trying to search my name in Google when I was in 4^th yr high school like what our English teacher told us to do. I saw that my name was registered in a database of a school where I never attended. Then, just this semester, I found out that my name was still registered in that database. It’s not that I am against that school or what, but seeing my name under that school may bring unnecessary problems in the future since that school can’t be seen in my resume.

Here are some tips (based on experience) on how you can save your online reputation:

1. Copy the exact URL of the site where you see your name.
2. If possible, copy the exact location and paragraph/text where your name appears (because this is what the search engine keeps on finding when your name is typed)
3. Double check your accounts and see if you are registered in that site in any way. (Most databases and other sites send messages to email once in a while and these messages often include a link that allows you to unsubscribe.)
4. Contact the admin or webmaster of the site and relay your problem politely. (There is always a way to contact the admin or webmaster of a site. You must give the URL and even the exact location and text where you see your name to make it easier for them to address your problem.)
5. If the problem persists, repeat all steps (hehe!).

As for my own problem, I did not get the result I wanted when I first contacted the webmaster. I repeated the first four steps carefully and that time, I was successful. Now, I am completely happy with the results when I search my name online. This is one thing UP has taught me: speaking without getting intimidated, even to the person of authority (like here, a webmaster hehe!), as long as I really have my point.

Laugh Thrift

Watch and see if you are guilty of these.

You have to read this even if you’re not my dadddy :-)

In one of my conversations with daddy via Skype, we talked about blogs, especially why do I have to ask him everytime we talk to view and read my posts often (haha!). I pointed out that this is a way of helping her daughter in her academic needs. Aside from that, our conversation reached SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and what it can do to one’s personal site.

It really helps when your parents are computer and net-literate because explaining new social media becomes easier. So, here it is, extension of my OrCom 152 class discussion. (Here it is, daddy!)

What is SEO?

Search Engine Optimization is the process of making a site and its content highly relevant for search engines and searchers. It is through SEO that your site can easily be seen in search engines like Google and Yahoo Search and more people will visit your website.

Why is SEO important?

• SEO allows your site to be at the top list when titles, tags, and other words related to your site and posts are typed in search engines.
• It increases the credibility of your site.
• It enhances your online presence and reputation by giving a credible site as a result when your name is typed for example.

Do I need to get special services for SEO?

You don’t have to get a professional to do SEO for your site. You can do it by yourself.

Here are the tips for optimizing your site:

1. Make your site and its content reader-friendly.

• Make sure your site is easy to navigate (and not an eye sore )
• Put headings and subheadings
• If possible, don’t make your posts too long (most people have short attention span)
• Be concise
• Present lists in bullet form
• Use bold, italic, and underline to highlight ideas
• Add relevant pictures
• Use appropriate tone (formal?informal?conversation-like?)
• Contribute knowledge and information to your readers

2. Mind others’ businesses

• For blogs, create a blogroll
• Link up other sites related to yours
• Reply to comments you receive and comment to others’ posts (this will help the number of your visitors increase)

3. Promote your site

• Make RSS feed or feed subscription available to your site
• Have good choice of tags
• Submit your site to these feedreaders:

My Yahoo!        Bloglines       NewsGator          My MSN         Pluck       Feedster.com      Syndic8.com       Pingomatic.com

• For blogs, submit your blog to blog listings like:

technorati.com        blogsearchgoogle.com     blogorama.com       blogpulse.com        topblogs.com.cph       daypop.com       ratified.org

• Put a link to your website in your social networking accounts
• Make your site’s URL your status in Yahoo! Messenger and Skype (haha!)
• Write your site in your business cards or include it at the end of your email (I don’t know how you call that)
• Use word-of-mouth technique (hehe!)

OOPS! I think this is too long already but I hope you, especially my dadi, learned something from this post. I intend to share something else here.  Maybe I’ll just create a separate blog for that haha!

Overnights, Stress, and Friendship

Two weeks had never been that stressful. However, one of the ironic things is that most stressors were not directly academic-related but extra-curricular activities which others, including me, called unnecessary-but- wanted stress.

It was my first time to be allowed (or my first time to impose) to spend two nights at my 2 friends’ houses, in the same week and another overnight the week after. In addition, staying extra hoursss in school and in coffee shops, and going to school even if I had no class must also be counted.

Aside from unsolicited eye bags and zits, another indicator of busyness and stress is an exhausted wallet. We had to buy overpriced coffees and bars from shops that provided haven during group meetings. Moreover, it’s during these consecutive hectic events that you would love your laptop and Wi-Fi even more. Your and your friends’ laptops and Wi-Fi become your best friends. USB’s  and CD’s become secondary because you can send small files to others through email and big files through sendspace.com. Search engines, such as Google, are very helpful for immediate information and needed pictures. Furthermore, access to social networking sites such as Plurk, Facebook, and Twitter become avenues for venting your stress and for getting updates from your friends. For instance Restaurant City, an application in Facebook, has become my favorite pastime, online detoxifier, and motivation to stay awake and work.

Of all the factors that turned out to be visible and felt in this stressful two weeks, friendship has been the most fulfilling and uplifting among them all. Now, I know this is being too cheesy but your friends (your FTF social network) are the only ones who will remain after all your experiences, happy and sad ones. And to those who endured my being RC-addict and my low tolerance for sleepiness, this is for you–> (another smiley).