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Mostly Everything

Keynote Speech for 2009 Blog Awards by Gang Badoy

Dear Gang, thank you for inspiring the community. We knew you were in the middle of relief operations but you made it just in time. Your presence at the awards was very important to everyone. Thank you!

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ONE BLOGGING NATION
Keynote Speech for the 2009 Phil Blog Awards
by Ms. Gang Badoy of Rock Ed Philippines

What an honor and a frustration to be given ten minutes to address, perhaps (arguably) the most eloquent group of people ever gathered in 2009. But here I am, so here I go.

I cannot discuss any other ‘angle on blogging’ tonight except my gratitude to bloggers. During a crisis- you have kept many of us informed, during darker times – you, blogger have inspired, during births – you spread the joy and during death – many of you have rendered those who have gone before us immortal. There is no single phenomenon that has done all those in such a level. Ang diin ng saad ng blogger sa sugat at balat ng Inang Bayan.

Your personal thoughts, observations, factual research even urgent yet seemingly trivial emotions have contributed greatly to us who read you. Imagine how wide the understanding of the next generation will be of us who have gone before them -because of your blogs. Mas maiintindihan nila kung saan tayo nanggaling. For me the best description of one who loves his country is someone who is interested in where we came from, where we are today – and where we want the country to go. Imagine the advantage the next generation has because they have our blogs to refer to.

Bloggers may have shook mainstream journalism out of its seeming (not apparent) complacency. It has pressured people to decide faster and smarter during emergencies because bloggers, for the most part, cover the many angles of truth. From the ground. I am aware that it is not all positive – lies, panic, confusion, anger, negativity have also stemmed from blogs. Blogs have given us headaches, I know one or two that have – but one thing is for sure – I have never encountered a blog that made me more complacent. And wow- what a gift. What a gift to the country – a country that desperately needs participation, incisive thinking, swift reason, informed suggestions and countless other values.

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Whenever the subject of press freedom comes up we always used to hear ‘better an abusive press than a suppressed one.’ I think bloggers took that one step further. Which is why my contention is this: there may be very few networks as powerful and as influential and as crucial as a responsible, articulate, prolific blogger.

2009 made me realize that a nation is not its government. Thank God. Blogging has relieved me with the fact that the history of the Philippines is no longer solely in the hands of the textbook writer. (Thank God) A history of a nation is really the collection of stories of individual lives. Our individual lives. Yours.

You know, during this recent crisis -one typhoon then the next – I observed that politicians will be ‘press-conning A” – networks will be reporting B – and bloggers will be saying C. How lucky we are to have all those views, may we have the resources and smarts to sift through all that. If we do, then we’re on our way.

Though divided in opinion I am still grateful to all who blog. Unity was never my premise for us to move and to make great a nation – but unity certainly is the goal. Not the premise — but the goal.

In my wobbly logic I will say that a country is a shared geographic space. It is the assigned square area where people live together. But a nation – wow, a nation is different; a nation is a frame of mind, a general direction, a common rhythm that a group of people share. That’s a nation.

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I like the title of this year’s awards. Three words that I hope to someday re-arrange. Maybe some day we can be just ONE NATION – and we just all happen to blog.

Last thought – blogging is not the ultimate verb here tonight. I know you have caught a lot of flack in the past about the seeming non-active motion bloggers take. For those who think that blogging is a minor verb, I have something to share: One cannot blog unless one goes out there. If you never got your hands dirty or walked streets, helped out, experienced heartbreak, death, birth, victory, defeat, betrayal, pain, sweat- then really- you have nothing to blog. I think it is because you live and you live well — this is why you can blog. Someday it will be said that blogging is merely the record of ‘lives well-lived.’ Again, for that I am grateful.

Keep on doing what you do, living the lives that you lead. If the country is lucky, you will still continue to blog and (quoting Plato) – your storytelling will be the education of our future’s heroes.

Welcome to the Philippines, One Blogging Nation.

Mabuhay tayong lahat.

Categories
Mostly Everything

Rocked Radio relaunches blog for something more engaging

rockedradio revamp

More and more organizations are using blogs to get their message across. Recently, Rocked Radio revamped their site (ultra amazing designer Cynthia Arre and I did the back end) moving it from Blogspot to a self hosted WordPress account. The push was made when Gang Badoy and co. moved stations from NU 107 to their new home with Jam 88.3. They’re in for a longer time slot too — three hours of interesting talk from 9 PM to 12 midnight every Wednesday.

To supplement the show, the site has branched out into something like an online magazine with regular columns from luminaries in local literature and art — Alexis Tioseco, Yvette Tan, Luis Katigbak, Erwin Romulo, Arnold and Cynthia Arre, Kidlat de Guia, Earnest Mangulabnan-Zabala, Ricky Torre, and Nico Puertollano.

Rocked Radio has a unique appeal, bringing forth the clout of mainstream radio broadcasting with the conversation on the Internet. And really, the content is like no other:

This is our classroom. Your alternative social studies class on FM. Usapang ugali, musika, sining at sibika. Rock Ed Radio is a project of Rock Ed Philippines. Music powered by Terno Recordings. Forums moderated by Lourd de Veyra (Radioactive Sago Project’s frontman) and Gang Badoy (Founder of Rock Ed Philippines). Our main objective is to promote inquiry and informed discussion. Magtanong naman tayo.

Bookmark and subscribe to the revamped Rocked Radio, easily one of the newest influential blogs to grace our local Internet. Or text 0920-214-7922 for comments and questions which will be read on air!