PHBS Workshop:Blogging It and Owning It

#PHBSPart2

I had an AWESOME weekend. So awesome that I'm going to write more than one blogpost about it.

May 3 was the Philippine Health Bloggers Society's Blogging for Health and Wellness workshop. This event was made possible by our awesome partner, Zoomanity Group (literally the happiest place on Earth, ladies and gents), and our sponsors, GLI, Elabram Systems, Gardenia, and Victoria Court. The event was covered by FAME Publishing, Tribune Post, and Kipling Times.

I was also one of the speakers of the said event. It was quite a privilege to be speaking to my fellow health bloggers and those who want to be online influencers for health, so of course I prepared slides (I'm teacher-y like that)! Now I'm sharing them to you. 

 

In the Philippines, if you want to write about health and you only have eye for the surface, you're essentially stuck with the same topic. You and the rest of the health bloggers will be talking about the same banana.

...And so here is our question. This question was something I asked one of the awesome panels in iBlog 10 and they gave me some ideas on how I can be different. But given that I like doing my own research and contemplations, I was also able to come up with answers to my owl question. Tanong ko, sagot ko lang ang peg.

 Read more about iBlog10 here.

The thing we want to know about health is that it's not just something physical, but is all-encompassing. A person can't be called healthy if he or she is not physically problematic but has issues on adapting to society (read: psycho). This definition leads to what health in the eyes of a health blogger can be about.

Health is something that is affected by society. And blogging about health doesn't mean you just blog about diseases, it means blogging about policies, practice and people.

And so we go back to this question... and I have three suggestions you may want to consider.

Like I said: health is an all-encompassing topic and most bloggers have just scratched the surface. Why not look into what other things may affect health and write about that? Or about arts and literature present health? Or the how a passion for fashion is related to wellness and disease? You might be surprised about to find out we health bloggers have so much to write about. This is STEP 1.

Look into what other people are writing...and then write something else. Don't stick with just the surface. Dig.

We have a MEMEMEMEME culture in social media. We post pictures, experiences, and thoughts, many of which are self-centered or at least coming from the self. Social Media, after all, is an avenue to be heard. Blogging is about telling your stories. But it can also be about telling stories that are worth telling, like one of our speaker, Ma'am Inday, said. Moreover, we can show our readers stories through different eyes.

Stories of other people are sometimes better than your own. And stories and general can sometimes be better shown through someone else's perspective.

If a blogger is writing about HIV/AIDS for instance, he or she may write from the perspective of an expert and give information regarding the infection. This is how we commonly do it. You can even check out my stuff abour HIV/AIDS and see I tell stories through the perspective of an advocate who shares information. But what about the other side of the story? What about the story of the Person Living with HIV (PLHIV)? Wouldn't it be interesting to know how they survive the infection, how they deal with social stigma? Wouldn't it be wonderful to understand how these people, who are sometimes seen as having a death sentence already, are becoming purpose-filled contributors to society? Also, what is the story behind their support system - their partners, parents, and friends? So many stories could be told, if we just tell these with different voices and from different perspectives.

Whenever I read stuff made by my favorite authors, I would almost always hear their voices in my head. Psycho, I know. J.K. Rowling, for instance, is known to me by her black humor. Karl de Mesa can say "fuck", talk about flayed humans, and incest but still sound way too elegant to be crass. I don't know how he does it, but he does it. Ana Santos is always informative with a touch of sass.

This is what I learned: If you want to stand out, you should have a voice. Is your voice sarcastic or malandi? A combination of sarcastic and malandi like mine?

Whatever that voice is, it gives personality to your writing. You have to let it shine through. 

You are your blog and you are your brand. Make sure that it shows.

PRESS RELEASE: PHBS, Zoomanity Group to Host Free Health Bloggers Workshop

Janina: This is it, pancit! PHBS blogging workshop is this week and I am so excited! So much so that I have three consecutive sentences ending in exclamation points!

First, I would like to thank the wonderful people I am working with to make this event possible: Ate Grace Nicolas for hooking us up with our awesome partners;  Ate Jofti Villena for all your hard work in coordinating with our speakers; and my bhebhe Drei dela Cruz, for being the catalyst of this event, for helping us make the certificates and posters, for finding sponsors, and for being one of the best people I get to work with. Mahal ko kayo *Ms. Universe Wave*.

On with the press release!

To hone the skills of online influencers of health, the Philippine Health Bloggers Society has partnered with Zoomanity Group to hold its first ever workshop, Blogging for Health and Wellness. The free event will be held on May 3, from 7AM to 4PM. Health bloggers will be in touch with nature as they spend the day learning and relaxing in Paradizoo, Tagaytay City.

 “Social media and blogging are powerful platforms for advocating for health,” said PHBS president Janina Santos, who is also speaking at the workshop. “This initiative is truly a group effort of the Society. Our working group has been very passionate in putting this thing together. But of course, this would not have been possible without all wonderful people supporting our cause.”

Health bloggers are in for a treat as their transportation, venue, and food are shouldered by Zoomanity Group, while top brands in the business industry such as Elabram Systems Group, Gardenia Bread Philippines, Inc., Victoria Court, and GLI have also offered support. The event shall be covered by media partners FAME Publishing, Tribune Post, and Kipling Times.

Blogging for Health and Wellness also features speakers from the blogging and journalism industry who have years of experience and knowledge to share. Included in the roster of trainers is Ms. Inday Verona-Espina, Campaigns Director for the Philippines of Change.org, and Michaela Sarah De Leon of Health Beat Magazine. Joining them are marketing and brand specialist Engr. Grace Bondad Nicolas, nurse blogger and PHBS Founding Chairman Alvin Dakis, and PHBS President Janina Santos. The workshop will cover topics like starting a blog, making profit from one’s blog, creating good content, and, something every veteran and newbie blogger should know, the intricacies on online libel.

The Blogging for Health and Wellness workshop is one of the many activities the PHBS is planning to help build a community of online influencers who will advocate for health.

For more details, you may get in touch with Janina Santos.

Cell phone number: 09054167233

E-mail address: janina_santos54@yahoo.com

Dear iBlog10: (Channel Tom Cruise and Say) You... Complete... Me...

The PHBS: Likes, Andrei, Raim, and Ate Grace Nicolas at #iBlog10 <3 b="">

I took a leave of absence on April 4, which meant that when I get back to work, a tower of paperwork would await be on my desk. The probability of it being several towers is quite high. I woke up at 4AM and dragged myself to the shower. I left the house at 5:30AM to make sure that I don't kill myself in the morning MRT rush. As I made my way to UP Diliman, my head was filled with bittersweet memory of the place. In between reminiscing I nodded off, exhausted at having to wake up so early when I slept quite late the night before. 

Why the sacrifice you say? One word: iBlog 10. 

Last year, I also attended iBlog with the Philippine Health Bloggers Society. Here's a bit of a throwback:

From L-R: Raim, Hussein, Yours Truly, Drei, and Erick.

 This year, I was only able to attend Day 1 because April 5 is my mom's birthday. But Day 1 was more than enough to convince me that the sacrifice was quite worth it.

Let me tell you why: Like my blog (Codswallop) I am also a niche-less writer. As a freelancer, I've experienced penning down everything from marketing paraphernalia to website content offering different services to articles about improving one's English. I've written business proposals, letters for lobbying a certain ideology, press releases, text blast for marketing, poetry, short horror, literotica, love stories, and even Facebook posts for advertising purposes. I've also written a lot for advocacy, which is obvious in this blog. That's a whole lot of Codswallop.

Which is why attending iBlog 10's Day 1 was perfect for me. Sure, I fell asleep a couple of times (damn exhaustion), but being able to hear all of the speakers talk and - le gasp - covering almost ALL the areas I work on as a writer and blogger is just so amazing. 

Here's how Day 1 went: 

In the first talk, two familiar faces took to the stage: Carlo Ople, who was one of the moderator the TG Guingona's Cybercrime Law forum I attended a couple of years ago, and Mom Blogger aka Ms. Naomi Lardizabal Dado, who I during an interview with Risa Hontiveroz. In their talk abour Bloggers as New Media Personalities, they shared their experience as they transition from bloggers to online bringers of news.

Mom Blogger, in particular, shared with us how she started blogging as a form of healing when her son died. She also shared her transition from blogging about her personal life to informing people about certain products and lastly, her work at Blogwatch, in which she focused on educating netizens regarding the Philippine politics and other social issues. 

Carlo Ople was one of my personal favorites, especially when he showed us an online venture he worked on called  "Bury the Past Project". Apparently the Philippines is Sex Scandal Capital of the World, and with some savvy SEO tricks, BPP pushes down sex scandal sites down three to four pages. Cool. Here's a picture of Mr. Ople and all his coolness, giving us (relatively) young bloggers advice:

Sir, yes sir! :)

The next couple of talks centered on the building online communities and digital marketing - which was why my cool boss, John Lalic, should have been there. We both would have picked up something cool. 

In Building Communities Through Blogging, the Azrael Coladilla talked about spreading one's blog's network by involving new contributors who share the same interests, whereas Jinoe Gavan shared his experience in not only starting Takbo.ph, he also talked about the challenges and rewards of maintaining it. Vince Golanco, founder of When in Manila shared how he started the website and, although rather hesitant, allowed contributors to add to content, thus creating one of the most popular blogs in the Philippines today. He also talked about the perks of belonging to community blogs, which suddenly made me want to try my luck. I wonder if they publish codswallop-y stuff?

Of course, since this was iBlog, free food was served for lunch and the PHBS people and I took our grilled chicken and C2 across Malcolm Hall to enjoy UP Diliman' sprawling greenery. We also had ice cream before going back to the hall for the afternoon talks. 

The next topic was really interesting for me, because it zeroed in on Digital Marketing. The panel was made up of Ate Grace Bondand Nicolas, Jonel Uy, and Fitz Villafuerte. Real interesting stuff and I suddenly wish my boss was there. Being the eager-beaver-Hermione-Granger that I was, of course I asked questions. 

At this point, I have to apologize. Not only did I zonked out (I swear, I'm narcoleptic), I also had to step out because of an emergency at work. Calls, cusses, and giving my teachers some virtual (platonic) love for handling the situation the best they could were in order. When I came back, I had missed the entire talk on Interner Marketing and Advertising (which was done by Jeoff Solas, Manniz Borromeo Pabalan, and Brad Geiser)

Their talk was followed by something much closer to my heart: Blogging as Activism. Delivered by Tonyo Cruz and Francis Acero, the cruz of the talk was heart shattering and simple to the point that it almost (literally) drove me to tears:

Aye!

Day 1 of iBlog 10 ended with a bang (well, with a raffle, but that's kind of the same, really) and exhausted as I was, the event was worth. I would definitely go back next year!

Oh wait, did I mention that I happen to win an iBlog shirt from the raffle? Which made ALL the other PHBS members temporarily hate my guts. Which is fine. The Red Queen in Alice in Wonderland, played by the wonderful Helena Bonham Carter, did say "It is better to have a shirt than to be loved" or something along those lines.

PHBS members deserted me in the middle of taking this photo, because that white thing I'm holding - that's an iBlog10 shirt, friends and neighbors!

More PHBS vanity at the iBlog poster outside Malcolm Hall.

The Queer Ranter Raim.

Me with the Nurse Tambay, Drei.

Drei with Random Nothingness Owner Erick.

 I can't wait for iBlog 11!

The Importance of Shutting Up

It was my brother who taught me how to love animals.

When I was young, he would take me to empty lots around our subdivision to catch dragonflies. He told me that there was a crocodile living in the creek near our house.  When we got older, my brother would always take me to Cartimar, this little place in Manila known for selling birds, cats, fish, and dogs. We would go around and hang out with his fellow pet enthusiasts.

Was I surprised when his interests turned into reptiles and other exotic animals? No. Was I surprised that he started going on several trips, climbing mountains, to take pictures of the local wildlife? Not one bit. Did I find it amazing that he became a resource person of a show about Philippine wilderness and whatnot? No. My brother, who has a Masters in Public Administration and who worked his butt off to get his PhD in Educational Management, has always been destined to be awesome (I'm his sister after all).

My family and I during my brother's graduation. 

My brother’s love for the local wildlife meant that he has worked to ensure that we normal people are aware of the existence of the diverse fauna endemic in our country, as well as to preserve the said exotic animals.

This love is most likely the reason for this scathing status:

A Thin Line Between Public Service and Self Service

I have always believed in that writers, regardless of whether they tell fiction or non-fiction stories, are obliged by their craft to tell the truth. Writers who are journalists are even more compelled to do so. It is their work. It is their calling. It is their mandate. But like any job, telling the truth should be done with caution. Case in point: The Quirino Grand Stand Hostage Crisis. Hong Kong has yet to forgive the Philippines for that not-so-hospitable end to the tourists. 

If there is one proof that sometimes truth can be used in the worst of ways, it is this. 

When I was in high school and during the media training for RH that I attended, one important thing was drilled onto me by my teachers and trainers: responsible reporting. This can mean several things, and here are just some ideas that can be related:

1. Accuracy is the name of the game. This means that before a writer writes he or she must check sources, get in touch with experts, and make sure that whatever and however the piece is written is not intellectually dishonest, whether you meant to do it (for agenda setting - not cool, man) or not.

2. Protect your source. This is where confidentiality comes in. Say you're writing about a crime, like the PDAF scandal. It's often very tempting to say that you got the scoop from the mistress of a senator, or a perpetrator's brother in law, but sometimes, there are more important things that sensationalizing your story with undertones of betrayal, immorality, and sex. Your source could be risking more than their relationship with the people they choose to be a snitch to, they can very well be risking their lives.

3. Some truths are not meant for public ears. There are certain information that, if made public, such as the name of your source in some high-profile crime story, the identity of a rape victim (especially that of a minor), and the location of the Philippine Orange Tarantula, especially if your source has explicitly asked you to not divulge such information because it may lead to endangering the species. 



Many people use the banner of public service to rationalize voicing their opinions and telling truths. I believe in this. But sometimes shutting up is just as important as speaking up.

If, in disseminating the truth, you have hurt or endangered other people's lives or have compromised something that is good, then you might just be self-serving instead of people-serving. And as much as good writing, a nose for the news, and an instinct to get to the bottom of an issue are qualities of a good writer-journalist, I think learning when to shut up should be given as much value abovementioned traits.

Because, Bullocks, It's the Love Month: On Writing

Sorry.

I haven’t written ANYTHING for February because this so-called “Love Month” isn’t something I’m supposed to celebrate, being single with a cold and shattered heart and all that drama. Of course, I’m bitter. Laugh all you want, happy, in love people, but there you go. I don’t have dates to write about, or sweet stories to share. I might have a couple of make-up ideas for the Forever Alone ladies, but I’m too lazy to make a tutorial/blogpost. 

But of course, I can’t leave my Codswallop alone. I did promise to myself to continue writing. I mean, sure, I have a couple of dozens of article I get paid to write, but I promised myself I’d write for myself just to keep myself sane. (See how many “myselfs” I wrote? Self-centered, eh?).

And then, of course, I am reminded that I’m in love with writing and am passionate about so many things – rape prevention and survival, HIV/AIDS awareness and stigma elimination, my friends and family, the arts.

I’ve decided that I can still write about love, and what better way to start than to write about writing?

I’ve been writing since I was in 4^th grade and have endeavored to be a writer since I decided I can be one – again, since 4^th grade. I was a very assertive ten-year old. I was also a half-crazy, suicidal, depressed teen-ager. It was Writing and the arts took me out of the danger zone. Thank goodness for art therapy. This is why I kept on it despite not being very good at it. Writing is like finding the most convenient soul mate. Writing does not demand so much – only that I be there when it needs me. Usually at 3-bloody-AM.

Eventually, though, I got good enough to write for money. It’s always been my dream to. When I was younger, I imagined myself to be sitting in front of a well-loved type writer, a cup of coffee next to me, with words flowing from the tips of my fingers, creating my next novel, my next millions of pesos.

Well, the cup of coffee (and chocolate, Mountain Dew, chips and crackers – essentially sugar and caffeine) came true. Writing for money isn’t as glamorous as it seems. Instead of novels, I’ve written blogposts (for another blog, Codswallop is mine), business proposals (in less than a day, thank freaking goodness for my NGO training in proposal writing), all forms of corporate communication, website content, and marketing paraphernalia (tip to companies out there: hire marketing people with great com skills, it’ll cost you less).

Me, writing. Not exactly the epitome of beauty and grace, but there you go.

Do I like it? Yes. The rush and fulfillment of finishing an article and getting money I can use for my and my family’s needs is great. 

Is it as great as I envisioned? Writing for money is different from writing to keep away from self-destructive tendencies. Here are some things I learned from writing for a living.:

    

    1.       Not everything you write is your baby. Sometimes, you’ll be asked to write about awesome things – letters to legislators and powerful people to advance a cause you believe in, for instance – or some totally stupid topic given by some idiot who doesn’t even understand the topic they gave you. To be honest, I would really not want to be associated with the latter. To many writers, that seems calloused – that’s your name in the byline, published online, where people can read it! – and would think that this is tantamount to abandoning my own kid. This isn’t true at all. In writing, there are some pieces to pour your heart and soul into, pieces that fulfill you as a writer and as a person. These are your children. You send these out to the world like your own kids and they get beaten and criticized by both editors and readers. It’s like watching your children going through problems the world throws at them and feeling incompetent as a parent. It hurts. But how these artistic offsprings you produce survive being mauled by the editor and criticized by readers would always help you create better literary children. (Gosh, I should like a mom).

The same can’t be said for write-ups. 

(Number 1 is especially dedicated to my friend who spent an hour writing and revising one sentence. Dude, you're awesome, but seriously, after that hour-long struggle, I needed chocolate.)

This is one of the poems I write when I was younger. Conclusion: I was one effed-up kid.

   

   2.       Despite not being your baby, you still have to do your damnest to produce well-written article. You get paid for what you write. You owe it to the client to produce something he or she can work with. This is not to say that you have to write a masterpiece all the time. Making sure that you don’t commit any horrible grammatical sins or that you did your research before writing your piece are things that should be constant in your practice.

    3.       Some pieces are worth more money than others. There are times I’d had to write marketing messages for text blasts and other times, a business proposal about some obscure product that even my client had no idea about (read:#/wrist). Some write-ups are worth more money than others. When agreeing on a price, make sure that you take into consideration the work that goes into the piece and not just the number of words required.

   

   4.       Learn to say “No”. Money is awesome. It buys me stuff I like, such as weird accessories, books, and art stuff I can play with. When my mom was suffering from insanely high blood sugar, I was the one who spent for her meds and check-up. The money came from my writing jobs. The money I gave my family for Christmas came from the PHP200 blogposts I write every week. I was able to help out some friends whose family were affected by Super Typhoon Haiyan because I choose to bleed words. In freelance writing, the more jobs you get, the more money there is. But you should have a limit. Can you really deliver 10 articles per week, on top of other writing jobs, on top of your regular job? Say no if you can’t. 

Note to self: Don’t take in more writing jobs. Quit the others.

I love writing. I do believe that it saved me from death by ingesting too much paracetamol and vodka, from cutting and slacking off from school too much. Earning from what I love makes it so much more precious because I can help my friends and family while saving myself from insanity.

I don’t know what else to say, really. We talk about love all the time and we always equate love to a person. It’s almost always understandable, to be in love with a person. But we can also be in love with our passions, can be not?

I guess that’s what my February will be about.  It may be Single Awareness Month for me, but that doesn’t mean I can’t write about love, right?