I Am Proud to be A Blogger from Mindanao!

October 25, 2008 was a red-letter day for the 2nd Mindanao Bloggers Summit participants. Bloggers from the neighboring cities and municipalities like Davao, Cagayan De Oro, Iligan, Koronadal, Polomolok, Sultan Kudarat, Tacurong, Alabel, and even as far as Zamboanga hurdled long hours of travel just to make their presence felt in this most awaited event that convened bloggers altogether.

The activity is also part of the E-Business week of the Department of Trade and Industry in this part of the region where different competitions were lined up to promote the competencies of the Mindanaoans.

MINDANAO BLOGGERS SUMMIT

The Bloggers Summit carried the theme: Mindanawon Paminawon Intawon: Blogging the Mindanao Consciousness. Different bloggers from different niches were binded together by one commonality- we are all Mindanaoans who wants our voices to be heard not only here in our beloved country but in the whole wide world as well.

BLOGGING: A POWERFUL MEDIUM

Since blogging activity heightened in the last couple of years, it has become a very powerful medium and a force to reckon with in terms of providing information in the cyberspace. Unfortunately, our beloved Mindanao was portrayed by media in a bad light which makes it unjust and unfair. We are so misunderstood in many ways.

A MINDANAOAN AT HEART

As a Mindanaoan myself, I am saddened by the fact that people outside Mindanao can see an image of our place as the haven of bloody war, terrorism, corruption, scandals and poverty. Mindanao has been my home since birth and I have no other place to call my home but Mindanao and I say ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! I want no more of those bad publicities! I want people to realize that my home is a beautiful place and it is a home where peace resides, business opportunities abound, with wonderful seascapes to boast of, plus the fact that the vibrancy of its economy is sharing a big portion of the country's national revenue.

EMPOWERED BLOGGER

The summit was able to empower me in more ways than one. I was made to understand that I have a vital role to play in shaping hearts and minds of our readers. I have the power to correct the wrong notions about Mindanao. I can use this powerful medium in transforming Mindanao not only as the Land of Promise but the Land of Fulfillment.

As a Mindanaoan blogger, I am posed with this huge challenge. There is a sense of urgency for me to move and do my share. Now I am all the more convinced that I really need to blog about the beauty of Mindanao. Instead of blogging more about myself, me and I, blogging the Mindanao consciousness is blogging more about issues, events, concerns, and dreams.

MY CALL

Let us heed the call for Mindanao. To quote one of the speakers from the summit: "Let us blog about how we can build the "WE" among Mindanaoans and not just "THEM" and "US". Altogether, let us generate synergy out of the Mindanao consciousness.