Monday, May 18, 2009

Barrio Siete dot com is UP!




Yes, it's time for the Barrio to emerge from the rice paddies and give the Filipino Blogsphere a respectable space for those who wanted to be heard. 

We have seen debauchery, pretenses, bias and elitists' jargons in the blogsphere, in which happens to mislead and distort a lot of minds. 

Are you an underdog? 

Do you feel that you're a small voice in the blogsphere? 

Were you disrespected or bullied, in a way, by fellow bloggers? 

Do you like social climbing? 

Do you want to feel relevant in the blogscene? 

Do you have a rags-to-riches story of any sorts

IF ALL OF YOUR ANSWERS ARE YES and BEAR A GOOD MORAL CHARACTER, then let's go back to the barrio and reflect to our good old modest days. Where we're free from pretenses and animosity. 

Everybody is welcome, with or without a barrio experience as long as your feet is on the ground. 

If you want to change your perception about life, to your fellows and your blogging habits. You BETTER BE HERE.

It all started in the Barrio.

After all, there's nothing wrong of having a barriotic background. Join the militia!

All images borrowed from Video 48.

Monday, May 11, 2009

Emerging Certainly, Influential Hopefully... My Response on my nomination

The Dubai Deathspire (a.k.a Burj Dubai) will be soon declared as the tallest building in the world. Do you know how much atrocities and lives lost behind it?

Johnonymous and The Blog
As usual, I publish my articles on a serious tone for the reasons that I want my readers to understand valuable information that I share. Just like many bloggers of the same nature, I wanted to provide an alternative insight -- particularly on Overseas Filipino affairs. Working overseas is not usually the key to personal success. In these modern times, there are many pitfalls in working overseas. 

My collection of past and present knowledge about Middle East life is what I tackle. I have experienced its ups and downs and the many bumpy dune rides. Middle East is a love and mostly hate relationship to me. I have seen bashed domestic helpers stranded in the consulate, a room that force fits a dozen, racism and nationality preferences, pay scale bias, distorted bureaucracy which falls to these words: IGNORANCE, APATHY and INTOLERANCE.  

I want my readers to have an informed decision about investing their time as an overseas worker in the Middle East... Social injustice is rampant on that side of the world... this blog will give you heads up while you're there or getting there. 

Influence and Involvement
My blogging affair started back in early 2008. A friend told me that someone in the blogsphere is on fire, he was wronged by a Filipino (which adds to my shame, and yours too). I have clearly studied the published articles and the person behind it. It was not difficult to know Brian Gorrell from a distance. He presents a strong case, he is credible and simply real. So yeah, Brian Gorrell is an influence to this blog's existence. 

Following my emergence, I have been blog hopping and participating to many discussion. There are a lot of brilliant bloggers of their own interest, from food to fashion and gossips to social activism. I am not a big fan of fashion, vanity and materialism -- I am comfortable with my own fashion sense but some bloggers in that sector are fantastic. Gossip blogs are tempting reads.  I am a fan of the arts and other sorts of creativity but most of all -- my biggest admiration goes to those who are into social causes and positive changes. It's something current and relevant compared to desires of material and insignificant fame. 

Dona Victorina and Reyna Elena are two of the blogs that I am greatly involved. They provide better alternative views compared to what the traditional media in the Philippines present to us. Most traditional media back there are notorious for news manipulation, political correctness, self-serving bias and have underlying business trickery. 

These blogs have different tones but share good taste, logic and awareness. They are not into elitism and pretenses, that's why I like them. I do encourage you to read these blogs I have mentioned. 

Nomination as 1/10 Emerging Bloggers
I am humbled to learn that my blog has caught the attention of veteran bloggers. Brian Gorrell added me to his special section of Social Activism 'must reads'. Reyna Elena decided to include me to his Top Ten Emerging Influential Bloggers.  

As my friend, Silver, said: Good Social Climbing Pays Off!

To those who voted me, I could not thank you enough.