E-Business Week and Mindanao Bloggers Summit in Gensan

Mindanao was known to be an island of mixed culture with unity and peace. Now it is a sad reality that peace at the present is followed by a question mark when it comes to talking about the said island. Everybody wants to live a peaceful life yet they couldn’t because of these walls that were built together with technology. These had become the walls separating us from other cultures. Time has given everyone much more comfortable lives yet is slowly breaking down our fellowship with other people. Technology and communication could work together to make things better. That is the reason why we, the people of Mindanao struggle to be heard.

General Santos City is now known to be one of the most competitive cities in the Philippines. What was once known only as the Tuna Capital is already getting known for other businesses. The economy is getting better and better and development is rapid. The city Mayor Jun Acharon intends to make it that way by continuing to provide good service, welcoming new development techniques and of course welcoming new technology in the city.

The last week of October this year is the E-business week, held at KCC Mall of Gensan, where there was a showcase how Technology and business come hand in hand as entrepreneurs of Gensan advertise their products be it food or gadgets. It started with an introductory program on how technology helped in the success of lots of people especially in Gensan. It is also here where talents with the use of computers were displayed as different contests took place namely Poster making, Web Designing, Programming, 3D CADD, Animation, Video Documentary, and Blog Writing with the sponsorship of Sagitarrius Mines Inc., Cyber12, GSC LGU, ACLC and the others. A job fair was also open for the citizens of Gensan who are looking for good jobs. I had to say that being able to witness such activities there was cool. At first I was there to accompany my classmates for their Video Documentary and as I did, it turned out to be a good experience for me as well to take part of it.

Last Saturday October 25, 2008, was the 2^nd Mindanao Bloggers Summit and this time the meeting of bloggers was held in General Santos City at Family Country Hotel & Convention Center. Bloggers from Mindanao and some guests from Manila were invited to share their thoughts for what blogging was all about. Even people from Google Philippines like Ms. Aileen Apolo were there to take part of the program as a pro blogger and of course, Mr. Bariles himself Avel Manansala was there too for he is a blogger and one of the event organizers of both E-Business week and MBS2. They all tackled about how blogging played such an important role for the betterment of mankind. Good communication is practiced and through that not only bright ideas emerge, but also strengthens the socialization among one another. Blogging has these main purposes which are to persuade, to share ideas, or even to merely express ones thoughts. These purposes may seem simple yet they all help to change or to improve. Like what Walter I. Balane said “We all are responsible to communicate with others and to speak up. If no one else will have the will to do so, who will? Why point a finger to another person when you yourself can do it?” It’s true! We all have our own stories to tell and ideas to share. The internet is the strongest media today and is very influential. When one starts to talk about something with detail and opinion through the internet then that’s blogging. It was also there that I discovered that you could earn through blogging. Since you could persuade and promote through blogging, it could also advertise places, establishments and products. A good blog is a combination of technology and good communication and could be a good component for improvements in any field.

The E-business week together with the 2^nd Mindanao Bloggers Summit surely gave a big contribution for the improvement of Mindanao and its people. It is also to prove our fellow Filipinos in the North that the people of Mindanao have something to say and be proud of and that there are lots of us that are excellent in or field as well. As the saying goes “For every Dark Cloud, is a silver lining” Mindanao is indeed in a crisis right now but hope is always around. That is why we need people to stand and speak up. There are hundreds or maybe thousands of brilliant ideas that are waiting to be heard. Now is the time that we use technology and communication to pave the sky clear blue again.