#iBlog10: Philippine Blogging Summit at 10

This might come as a little late blog about the great gathering of bloggers but my experience is something that would never be late because attending this one made a renewed vitality and inspiration to me. The Philippine Blogging Summit is now at 10 years and getting stronger due to the dedication of bloggers and of course thanks to Digital Filipino and the mom of Philippine internet, Jannette Toral. Jannette is the author of a book on Philippine internet history and also a key lobbyist on the E-Commerce Law. With such a high profile you will never see her as a snob but as a humble member of the community.

This annual event features talks from various bloggers and key members of the community. Its main aim is to update bloggers, do networking between one another and share knowledge on how to improve each others skills. It might be a glorious 10 years for this event but for all we know the internet is also celebrating 20 years this 2014 and that what made this event a double success.

I know there are lots of speakers and I cannot mention them all here, most of the time I am bad with names. We attended iBlog10 on its second day and I am with my Blog Unite parner, Ranne of www.raneveryday.blogspot.com. A fellow blogger, Jay Agonoy of www.deremoe.com reserved the entire front row for Otaku bloggers which includes Reimaru Files, Anime PH and Otakista, though Richard Arao is seated somewhere else.

Sports blogging was discused by Ivan Saldejano and I guess this was a very interesting topic. He pointed out about the necessary ingredients for sports blogging and what made rise to such a blogging trend. I hope Ivan would offer a crash course on how to be an effecitve sports blogger, I will be willing to attend that one.

Another topic that was discusses was about SEO or Search Engine Optimization and Link Building. Many thinks that this one is nearly dead but there seems to be a new perspective to it. Here are some tips which I captured during the event.

Doc Bien's topic on "Why Professionals Should Blog?" is an eye opener. This gives an insight on how a professional can extend his reach through blogging since they are not allowed to advertise, blogging would be a form of reaching out. Through this the public would know on the expertise and also interact with them. His insignt on herbal and alternative medicine is also very interesting plus the fact that he has a great sense of humor.

I was also opened up to the world of startups. I never knew that there were lots of startups in the Philippines. After hearing all the discussion I decided to help out and blog about these truly amazing people so that in someway I could help them as a blogger. Kudos to Pinoy Startups.

Howie Severino's topic on Journalism and how Philippine journalism had evolved and will evolved in the future provided lots of insights specially when it comes to the use of new technology. I was also opened up to the security issues of "Google glass" which I did love because it is kinda cool due to its similarities with Tony Starks gadget. I had to explore on that separately though, a topic on "Google Glassholes" Howie is my idol so I also listened very inetently, what made me so amazed with this person from GMA 7 is his willingness to answer questions plus he was really one with the crowd and even took a selfie of himself.

There were also topics on how one can earn from blogging and writing, a thing which I would really try to look into and perhaps get serious with it as well. Atty. Desini also discussed about key laws and issues about the internet which inclues the Cybercrime Prevention Act and the just approved Privacy Act. Not everyone knows about the Privacy Act which is for me a complicated thing and might end up misimplemented like many good laws in our counry. There are those which finds us very good at writing and concept but very poor with implementing them, what do you think?

There were raffle as well, which I did not won any. It seems I am not in my best luck that day. I tried 4 times getting from the Pick-a-Prize of GMA 7 but I always get Try Again and then my friends got a t-shirt and an 8Gb USB, so lucky. Some of those who I am with even got an iBlogx t-shirt... they were so lovely and wish I could just snatch one. Reimaru files even won a limited edition Game of Thrones figure from Sky Cable.

iBlogx was a very successful event we had a full food fest with morning and afternoon snacks plus a hefty lunch. There were also key sponsors like GMA 7, PLDT Home Fibr and DSL, Sky Cable and Broadband, Villar Foundation and Vibal.

I am really looking forward to the next iBlog and I will make sure that I attend from now on. I hope I could also be a speaker and share some of my experiences in blogging and social media. Thanks as well to this event because I finally surpassed the 800 mark on my Twitter followers and if you want to add up just follow me at www.twitter.com/shenbrood. Also met some old acquantances like Gab Diaz, Justin, Jayson Biadog, Flow Galindez and lots more. MIss all of the inspiring bloggers in the community.