Passion: An Indespensible Ingredient in Blogging

The era of blogging is still alive in the country, which for me - is still in its infancy. I believe we've barely scratched the surface; as the expertise and passion required to be in this industry has been satisfied by the skin of one's teeth.

I've been writing online since 1995. I started doing journals of my life, of goofy personal anecdotes as I was already building websites and didn't have content for them during the dial up era. My official hosted website started around 2003 as I've seen a surge of it of sorts in the US. I felt there were barely a few blogs in the Philippines and most of them were transcribed in Filipino which I wasn't too confident writing with. It was awesome to have been able to talk to them (US bloggers) while I was starting, I got the advice I needed from industry leaders/professional bloggers whom I could learn from early on.

 

I started covering local events in Manila and saw how my writing passion could help businesses and startups be known on the web. This started the expansion of my network as I got to be recognized with the value of what I write and see conversion first hand as people started to tell me about what I wrote about this and that product. In 2010, I got bit by the photography bug and bought my first DSLR camera. With it, I combined my love for fashion, photography and  writing appearing in Philippine Fashion Week, fashion shows, bi annual brand shows (the biggest in the country) and got to see the Philippines brightest celebrities, international stars, models, fashion designers and got to know them a little better. I also started to interview stars from broadcast stations, and increased my tribe including those from other countries because of the medium I decided to write with and established what my website is today.

Prior to that, I've been working for a multinational corporation as a Computer Engineer. It was totally off from my day job but it was something that I believed would take me places, unbeknownst to some of my peers. Others say it was a crazy idea to quit a secure and prestigious job and do this full time. When I left the corporate world a few years ago and did this stint, I didn't feel that it was work and I was only following my passion. I also had the chance to write for a travel magazine, a men's magazine with an international circulation which was only a dream for a budding writer like me. It happened all so fast, but I'm glad to have been able to go through the trials and tribulations of blogging early on.

Some international celebrities who have graced my blog. There are more, we couldn't fit them in one frame!

 
Here’s some pointers to note if you would like to start in the same profession:

1.    Don’t do it because you can earn from it. It’s a perk, but it’s not a good place to start. Pretty soon, you’ll run out of ideas and you won’t be in the right place to find inspiration to write if it’s something you’re not passionate about.

2.    Get a handy camera. These days, telling a story isn’t just going to cut it if you don’t spend time telling a story with photos or videos. Invest in a good digital camera or a mobile phone that can be your best buddy when doing interviews. It will save you a lot of time. Owning your own images and videos will also save you from the headache of fighting copyright issues from day 1.

3.    Be nice to people. Say hello and thank you often. Make sure the connections you make in one event last a lifetime because brands, deals, people would make you thrive in this industry. Help them as they help you.

4.    Appreciate the little things. From saying thanks to a simple gift, it wouldn’t hurt to reciprocate the good things people do for you. 

5.    Don’t shortchange yourself. In this industry, the last person that should doubt yourself is YOU. If you feel and think you are in the right, fight for it. Just like in any job, the playing field is huge… and there are people that will take advantage of your kindness. Be nice, but if you find a situation where you need to be stern, become it.

6.    Be honest with your readers, because they can spot who’s not from a mile away even before you press that publish button.

7.    Follow your passion. At the end of the day, it will make you happy. 

One of the highlights of my career probably was the chance to go back to my university and tell them about what I've gone through; so they too would take the chance and follow their dreams. I’ve been blogging for a little around 22 years, yet I feel like I’ve just started doing what I love… and I have no plans of stopping anytime soon. Passion is an ingredient mostly looked over, but it is the most important thing I've had - it kept my desire for writing stay.

BaiCon Infest 2021: PINOY Y2K

The biggest gathering of influencers, creators, agencies and partners is happening on October 30 and 31 as BaiCon 2021 happens virtually. They are on their 4th year and it's getting even bigger.

Their theme this year PINOY Y2K.
 

What can you expect this year? Your favorite internet celebrities will be providing dancing, singing, doing skits and different forms of entertainment. The event is organized by CICP (Creator and Influencer Council of the Philippines) and RGC (Republiq Group of Companies).

Jim Guzman the CICP President says "I can't hide how excited I am for BaiCon 2021. CICP was put together in 2019 when we had our creator fan fest in Cebu where we invited lots of creators and partners. There's a constant pressure to set gold standard in influencer marketing and we are ahead of this space. CICP was founded to guide our members, to make most of content creation and this space in marketing. We have had lots of town halls, GMM's, in the past several months, we did events where we invited industry speakers from creators, agencies and brands. That's on top of seminars, with partner groups, CICP has been in the forefront doing that for the industry. The benefits are listed on CICP.com.ph wherein you get discounts, trainings, seminars, talks, much of which are for members. We also have legal committees and they handle including taxation. It's part of the benefits that they get. If you want to know more, please visit our website. BaiCon is instrumental in who we are now.  

Day 1 Schedule

Day 2 Schedule

RGC's COO Bea Evardone says "I'm excited to be part of BaiCon 2021 and we are creative rebels based entirely in Cebu. We are the creatives behind Bai TV, VisMin's Bisaya Entertainment channel that does content from the region. Bai Social has over 90 creators under our management and 300+ in our network. BaiCon Infest started in 2018 and it was small then, when creators and influencers came to Cebu in 2019, 2020 (albeit digital) we had successfully made it possible still connect.  We made sure we discuss digital media and literacy. On October 30 and 31, you may access your favorite artists, creators and influencers in different social channels of BaiCon."

They chose the theme as the 2000's was nostalgic. BaiCon this year is going to be completely FREE. You can access it on Facebook, KUMU and TikTok for FREE. They will also have Spolight Awards on the dates mentioned. There will also be different musical performances including your favorite artists.

Vice President of CICP and CEO of Blogapalooza Ace Gapuz says "We have a solid lineup of influencers in BaiCon Infest 2021. This includes AC Bonifacio, Kween Yasmin, Medyo Maldito, Snake, Alem, David Jones Cua, Davao Conyo, Justine (Marites) Alem Garcia, Kim Cruz, Xavier Gonzales Solis, Inka Magnaye, Angie Cayetano, Kimpoy Feliciano, Anghet, AJ Rafael, Ranz Kyle, Niana Guerrero, Natalia Guerrero, Claire Inso, Cheska Carandang, Dr. Kilimanguru, Mikey Bustos, Bogart the Explorer (Mikey and Bogart will also serve as hosts) and tons of other creators. Esteemed musicians include Kean Cipriano, Mayonnaise. I'm excited because you'll see more than 50 content creators in BaiCon 2021."  

Dindo Marzan the CICP Director for Awards also explained the Spotlight Awards. "Over 15,000 nominations, and over 400,000 public votes... and you decide who wins."

Jako De Leon the CICP Executive Director says "Being a good creator these days is needed. The brands we work with, the role we play, we need to inspire, educate, have our voices shine in the social media world. BaiCon celebrates the creator, to showcase Filipino talent with the rest of the world. This is the time for you to learn to grow, to interact with the best and brightest in the country. This is a time to share your expertise, to witness first class talent wherever you are in the country. I'm excited for BaiCon because to see the talent grow, it's special. The pandemic has made creators evolve, be more creative and there's so much more to watch out for. Good influence will hopefully remain supreme, more powerful in the long run."

CICP Director for CSR Rj Garcia adds "We look forward to the entertainment, the event, but we need to create significant impact in the community. Children are vulnerable at these times, we need to help them. The best way to combat them is through digital media literacy. Funds will given to manuals for children, to educate them how to verify fake news, be responsible on the internet. You may donate for the cause suing BaiCon's channels. #CreatorsUnited Donation Drive. (see CSR tab on main website)"

I had so much fun talking to the organizers earlier, and the lineup of creators and influencers this year is just exciting. Just like you, I wanted to see them in the flesh but since we're still recovering from the pandemic, this event made it convenient for the public to watch, especially because of the different platforms they made it available. I have the schedules posted above but if you need more details about this year's BaiCon, you may visit their website baicon.ph because it's all there!

See you then!