By Ting Sindiong
Last March 21, 2012, Edward and I attended “Blog the Beat,” an exclusive music and events media night for BMI’s friends, bloggers, and social media partners held in the Prestige tower at Origas. It was an exciting experience to represent Whatmag . I enjoyed myself as I got to meet several bloggers, including:
- Obed de la Cruz from Truth On-air. Truth on Air is a Christian Internet radio station; positive radio for positive living.
- Cheryl Golangco, Mitzi Uy, and Ivica Rae Say of WheninManila.com.
- Kim Hao, who is also a good friend of mine from CCF. I was actually surprised and ecstatic to see her in the event. She is planning to start her own blog soon.
- Cheryl Golangco, who is an educator and creative writer. She introduced her blog as the Little Running Teacher.
- Noelle De Guzman, who has a personal blog at http://noelledeguzman.net/. I found out she loves to run and write about her experiences.
- Jen Manongdo, who is a lifestyle and advocacy blogger and social media specialist
- Iris Camacho, who is a blogger and business developer
- I also met Trent Rollings, a mission mobilizer and speaker from SEND International. It was a blessing to hear about his testimony– how God sent him as a missionary to the Philippines.
- I also met Christin Alvarez, who is a part of true love waits and http://www.wagmuna.com/.com; an organization that promotes purity among the youth.
There were many other bloggers whom I wish I could have met during Blog The Beat. Attendees enjoyed bottomless Folger Gourmet Coffee, white cream pasta, chicken drumettes, and vegetables while videos of Switchfoot were flashed on large LCD televisions and a projector screen.
I was blessed by Juddah Paolo’s short message about social responsibility for bloggers and media. He basically talked about stewardship and explained that “words” can either be a blessing or a curse. We must use the gift of writing or social media as a tool to influence and empower people. We can also use this gift as a means to minister and to share about God, important events, and experiences that can encourage people to draw closer to Him.
Another speaker was Ganns Deen of http://www.gannsdeen.com/. His blog showcases music, pop culture, and humor from a Christian perspective. He spoke about how to use social media to your advantage. He gave tips on how to set up an interview with your favorite artist. He also reminded us of how important it is to do a lot of research before the interview. One tip was to ask unique questions; questions that wouldn’t be usually asked to make the interview more interesting.
After the messages, I realized that social media is such a POWERFUL tool that we can use to reach people who do not know God. We should be responsible on how we use these gifts, for social media is a tool to empower, encourage, and glorify God.
All bloggers and media partners took home Blog the Beat media kits, which included Switchfoot CDs, posters, and information about the band and BMI. There were also prizes from Istudio (ipod shuffles) and tickets for the upcoming Israel Houghton and PLANETSHAKERS concert. Also, books from OMF were raffled. Unfortunately I did not win anything. Haha! But I’m happy for Edward. He won a book from OMF!
My heartfelt thanks to Becca Music Inc for sponsoring this enjoyable event, and for inviting Whatmag Inc as their media partner. Special thanks to Najee (Marketing of Becca Music) who welcomed us and was so friendly. I can’t wait until the next Blog the Beat! God bless you, BMI, and God bless all my new blogger friends.
More photos at our Facebook page.
Janina Marie Rivera is the author of the book, A Night Bird Sings of Blindness and Fear and has co-authored the devotional, Dawns, published by OMF Literature. She is a contributing poet in the books Joyful Light and Whitmanthology: on Loss and Grief by Various Authors. She is the Editor-in-Chief of One Voice Magazine.
