Digitalizing Cebu in just one night!

Image taken from Cebu Bloggers Society's Official Website

"Digitalizing," that's the word!

The DigitalFilipino.Com Club and Bloggers Cebu Networking event held last October 23, sponsored by PAGCOR and organized by Ms. Janette Toral, was a very successful event! No doubts with it!

Around 5PM, I arrived at Figaro in IT Park because that was the assembly area of the Cebu Bloggers Society (CBS). I was there first, and then later CBS members came gradually. I also borrowed Jerry’s laptop because I had to make a new Powerpoint presentation about CBS for the night’s event. I made one in the school but no one had a flash drive! By 6PM, we decided to proceed to the venue and prepare of minds in figuring out where in Watefront Cebu is Teatro Casino. Most of us weren’t familiar of the place. I was glad to know that Francis, who works in the said hotel, guided us to the place. If not for him, we might have kept going up and down, left and right and maybe all around the place.

Upon arriving at the venue, I was surprised to see Orville sitting at the table, whom I expected to miss the event. I called him earlier and he told me that he can’t make it because he’s going home for a vacation to their province. But due to an unexpected event, he came. I also met Annalyn Jusay, whom I also know because of her article featuring and talking about blogs. I made a comment on her blog post about the 2008 Philippine Blog Awards wherein she referred to this blog as the blog of Senator Mar Roxas and clarified her that it’s blog and not of Sen. Roxas’. I told her that it was just a small matter of clarification and it was nice to meet her.

I invited a bunch of people, especially Cebu-based bloggers and even non-bloggers. I’m glad they came! Although there were some who were not able to make it due to fortuitous events, for my part (and probably to Ms. Toral and Winston), the efforts paid off.

Food was overflowing, familiar faces were almost everywhere and people whom I know online but haven’t met them personally, well, there were lots of them. But I had to continue my CBS Powerpoint presentation! It’s not yet done, so I hurried finishing my food. Damn that waiter who took my glass of softdrink. I wasn’t done yet! Anyways, time was running out, so I just didn’t care if it hadn’t animation. It was just a “short” presentation but the information contained on it was worth listening to, promise! Then came the introduction of everyone and when it was my turn, I gave out my best and promoted my blog as well. It was my time to shine!

After Ms. Toral presented the Top 100 Blogs listed in Ratified.Org who had made significant moves in the year 2008, in which this site, the Mar Roxas for President in 2010 blog, was at No. 37, she asked me (and Winston whose blog was in No.50) to share my “secrets” in front to the event’s participants on how I achieved it. It was unexpected and I didn’t prepare for it but I remember quite a few of my words in my interview with Ms. Toral. I told them that I was just simply blog hopping and trying to comment on topics relevant and some irrelevant to my niche. I also emphasized the importance of bloggers attending bloggers’ events so that they can meet other bloggers and have some link love a few days or even hours later. It was quite a hard thing to talk about the achievement of my blog in Ratified.Org because of its partisan tone. I’m blogging about Mar Roxas for President in 2010 and expect that not all might have the same presidential bets in our mind. But I tried to break that barrier by making myself instead of an election/political blogger into a simple student blogger blogging something that someone doesn’t expect to.

Later, I returned in front to present my Powerpoint presentation promoting CBS. Some people were already asking about the group when they saw our t-shirts! I told the audience about the background of the group, shared our meet-up pictures, discussed about the group’s logo and encouraged them to join our group. It was a bit nerve-wrecking moment but I had to overcome it. Many people are listening to my presentation and I have to make it good.

Upon returning to my chair as the talk ended, a few people came to me and talk about CBS matters. I also came across with different people and talked blogging topics. PAGCOR presented an Audio-Visual Presentation about their history and achievements and later, a live band and music filled the event. Then the cam-whores took pictures to almost everyone who came out with their shutters and clicks. They were almost all around!

After the event, Paul and I (although what Paul held was of Atty. Ethelbert) betted on a game in the casino. I had no idea on how it works, but because of Paul's thinking skills on probability and statistics, we won P1,000! Where did that went? We ate pizzas at Da Vinci's in IT Park. I brought home a few leftovers.

So what more can I say? It was a great event and one of the biggest exposure of CBS to Cebu’s professionals on business and of internet. Hope to have another event like this that would foster better relations of bloggers and the Cebuano society. Congratulations to everyone who made the event successful and that includes the attendees.