More than 50 percent of the world's population is under the age of 30. That demographic, increasingly empowered by new technologies, is a potential driver of economic and social progress. In June of 2012, the Secretary named Zeenat Rahman as Special Adviser for Global Youth Issues and Director of the Office of Global Youth Issues (J/GYI). ACs are encouraged to engage with J/GYI at as you undertake youth reporting and programming. And In 2011, the Secretary signed a State Department Youth Policy Framework, reinforcing the pursuant of three primary strategies:

1) Advance youth issues (education, economic empowerment, civic participation, etc.) in our bilateral and multilateral diplomacy;
2) Empower young people - particularly as economic and political actors - with skills and networks through our programs; and
3) Engage in honest two-way dialogue with young people and involve them directly in our policy processes.

At the American Corner USC Main Library

With that, this is my own contribution to reach out to youth populations in my university and/or community, and come up with programs and activities that will promote growth and stable democratic government! For this engagement, I had some BIG HELP from my friends of IMove, a local youth organization engaging in youth education and many other stuffs; as well as to the University of San Carlos (Main) and the American Corner of the USC Library.

My turn to speak, we had other speakers and activities too!

Head Convener/Organizer-Speaker: Mariejo Sevilla

Audience Participation!!! Woooo~!

I basically helped administer a “Basic Internet Skills” course that introduces students and other young people to using e-mail, social media, etc.. but since it was (Midterm) election season in the Philippines, I had to make it relate-able to the young audience and use local examples of How to use Social Media for the Social Good and not just add to the dirt on politics in the Philippine Internet.

Sadly, it had to end but I enjoyed and learn a lot from the participating youth as well! See my slides below too!

Enjoy the Slides/Presentation (Do let me know your thoughts via the Comment section!) - Social Good: Social Media Beyond Politics:

In today's world, more than 50 percent of the world's population is under the age of 30. That demographic, increasingly empowered by new technologies, is a potential driver of economic and social progress. And I've been immersed and trained as well on the challenges of youth and education in this country through RAFI's (Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc.) YMA - Young Minds Academy, a youth, citizenship, education, leadership and development training program.

I have always been that (out-of-place, industrial) engineer with an inclination to ICT, and I'm quite proud of that. And since then I've been trying, in my own little way to Bridge the Digital Gap of Industry-Education in IT-BPO by engaging in Speaking Engagements. I've done so far, about more than 40 speaking engagements and I still believe I still have lots to learn and work on as well as so much to do!

I've ran a non-profit organization namely, the Cebu Bloggers Society, Inc., by being it's President back in 2010-2011 as well as being the VP-Social Media for the Media Information Network for Nutrition and Development in region 7 under the National Nutrition Council-7. At the same time I've dabbled in the Technology Services industry by engaging in my own Start-up business in which I've also closed down.

All these experiences of ups and downs gave me a lot of experiences and PERSPECTIVE. I've also learned to harness my being a Social-Digital-Influencer by actively using my voice, both in blogging and in Public Speaking by doing knowledge sharing and transfers whenever I can and this allowed me to meet a lot of people and learn from them. Now I could talk on and on all day on ICT in words but technology simplifies things or even makes for a dynamic way of communication.

I've made a slide presentation below that I believe, captures my thoughts in helping update students and teachers alike in the Academe about my observations on Information, Communications Technology (or the trend these days IT-BPO) in the Philippines! This lecture-presentation was done last December 2012 at the USC-TC campus with Pasarelle Numeriques student scholars! :)

Note: I've also written about my experience as a Guest Lecturer and the people I've met in Print Media, shown below after the slides. Enjoy!

Here's the uploaded and downloadable slide presentation I created and used for this lecture. Enjoy!

Below is the excerpt of the feature article I made published in Print (see digital version here):
--
Digital Bridges for the Youth

CEBU, Philippines - Passerelles Numériques (Digital Bridges) brings young people from poor backgrounds towards a qualified job in a promising area, and gives them a real opportunity to become actors in the development of their country.

Ricky J. C. Bagahansol was one of these students who benefited. Now, he’s a young professional. He recalls: “It never crossed my mind that I will be able to go to college. Even before graduating in high school, I was already actively participating in a local youth group which was the RCYO - Right Circle Youth Organization under Nazareth Children—pero wala nani ni-exist karon.

“For a couple of years, I was enjoying my exposure and experience with the group but of course we didn’t have much so I worked for a local construction company immediately after I turned 18. I did ‘manual labor sort-of-work’ together with my father. After more than a year, I realized that it was really difficult working, seeing ‘the real world’ with my own eyes. But an opportunity came up wherein I was informed from my community circles that a French NGO was looking for qualified youth to become scholars for college.

“I didn’t expect to be accepted since I was no longer fresh from high school but I had to try nonetheless. Everything was new to me since I was exposed to entrance exams, interviews, home visits. It was all worth it when I got in.”

He was part of the first batch of PN scholars for Cebu, one of the 24 graduates of the pioneering program. He shared this message as an alumni of the program to the upcoming beneficiary youth: “Ayaw lang mo kalimot kung asa mo gikan...” Also, one of his favorite quotes is from Steve Jobs: “Stay hungry, stay foolish.” Being challenged in life is inevitable, but being defeated is indeed optional.

Ricky is now employed with one of the biggest IT-BPO companies in the country, but he still finds time to give back to the organization that helped him. He is volunteering either by joining in the search for qualified youth or through mentoring, by doing BLTs (Business Life Trainings) that enables him to share what he has learned in the industry to the new batch of 90+ freshmen scholars of PN; this is to bridge that gap of industry-academe learning experience which will definitely put these students at an advantage from the rest.

PASSERELLES NUMERIQUES (Digital Bridges) is a French NGO established in 2005. Its advocacy is to provide IT education and job opportunities to the most underprivileged youngsters.

The first training center was launched in Phnom Penh, Cambodia in 2005, offering training in Systems and Network Administration (SNA). Today, there are more than 150 students that graduate in Phnom Penh every year and 90% of them get a qualified job within two months after graduation. Their average wages are 3 to 4 times the average wage of Cambodia. With this success, Passerelles Numeriques decided to expand to other countries in Asia and selected the Philippines and Vietnam, where similar projects were launched.

In the Philippines, Passerelles Numeriques launched its project in 2009. It has its own student center in Cebu City where students from the Visayas and Mindanao are housed. These students are selected based on performance, motivation and social background. There are 69 students who are currently enrolled in the program. They follow a 3-year Systems and Network Administration curriculum at the University of San Carlos.

For more information, visit http://www.passerellesnumeriques.org/philippines/

--

Yes, I got issues lately. First and foremost, DAMN you facebook, the fudge LinkedIn? raaawrrr 9gag! Hmmm tweet tweeet tweet; google+ huh? !@#$%^&*() Instagram!!! I could go on all day but no, this is a bloody rant which needs to be out of my system. I think I'm having a watchumacalit... Social Media Fatigue!

Aside from the image above, there are many 'other things' that I'm not liking as far as my social media engagement is concerned.So, let me list it down for yah:

The increasingly-annoying "personal branding" process - although it used to be advantageous to brand onself as a particular type of person (for business purposes), once it crosses the personal part, the over-OC-disciplining of oneself can be a bad thing.We slowly become an overly edited-version of ourselves because we want to project certain type of professionalism or what-not, and self expression in it's purest form is threatened by weird laws or even overly sensitive people who think I'm talking about'em -_-? seriously?

TROLLS EVERYWHERE - Gone are the days that I want to just rant/express myself on any social network, I always have to: "edit-my-post" for fear of trolls, grammar nazis, too-many-VAIN-people [I went thru this phase too but BLOODY HELL!] and the like (well not really fear -it's just really annoying). You can argue that most people need a sounding-board-person to talk or express their problems, frustrations; well I'm not most people, so screw you!

Diet, budget, lives ruined?

Digital Social-Envy - blame it on smartphones or the increasing availability of mobile internet but yeah this shit happens everyday now--as long as your connected. It could be food, travels and the like, these sorts of things ruin - LENT, diet, self/social esteem, and whatever other things are ruined.

Trip2 laag2 >_< I'm so broke-I'm such a loser, my life sucks

You don't get things done -nuff said (╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻ [kudos to Social Media Managers who have not fallen]

Stalking - it's bad for your health and has become mainstream

I know nobody lives such perfect lives but (it appears, it is though) when yours isn't that perfect human tendency is to compare and then you are screwed. Perhaps a lesson for me here is to stay away from facebook when your life is not necessarily on the upside.

I guess, we all want to be appreciated and loved but sometimes it gets annoying that to some extent I think or over-think that the positive-part of me is being welcomed and that there's this weird-underlying eerie-expectation that I can probably solve my own crisis/problems or whatever and people have this assumption that I'm carefree and have no problems; then, when I tell the truth (which is most of the time) it seems/sounds unbelievable? Perhaps I dug my own grave and that olden habits/mechanisms took over and I just by default shut-out people.

Yeahp this blog has been a sounding board for me, which is a good thing! Which brings me to the things that I gained through this area of engagement: New friends, additional/alternative income, a different lens/perspective, new learnings, emojicons, baby animal photos, memes, inspirational videos/quotes (Ted.com), TALES FROM THE FRIENDZONE, disaster mitigation applications, crowd-funding..etc. to name a few...

I now know what my non-Netizen-friends feel when I was doing all those things back in 2010-2012 --for that, I apologize for being insensitive/arrogant :P AND THANK YOU for those who bothered to listened to my worries last 2011 who took a moment of their precious time to chat and render advice (from another country at that!)
--

Dear Social Media,

Here's what I'm gonna do. I'll let go, laugh more (not just type LOL); hang-out with friends PHYSICALLY; move, being more 'mindful or in-the-moment,' being more patient with myself, others & the world, and scream YOLO!

Now, it's time to grow once again, change-anew, and keep moving forward! ^_^

Best Regards,
-Fatigued User


-- Quick self cheer/reflection/prayer: Dear Lord, when feelings of inferiority, insecurity and self-doubt creep into my heart, help me to see myself the way You do. Amen :D

Consider this a change-up or change-of-pace. Maybe I'm just getting more lazy or bored but I'm not gonna make a year-ender post, nor a resolutions type of post either; and I'm not gonna make a damn chinese-zodiac-hororscope-related post either. I'll rather make a quick summary below and then get on with the NEW ritual/post/life-changing habits.

Quick 2012 Recap:
The year was started awesome and was featured in a video shoot; then on Sinulog, my life changed or not really it was more-of my heart got resurrected all of a sudden; met some celebrities (1, 2..etc.); travelled mainly in Cebu (and olango islands) and once in bohol; published some write-ups in Print Media as well as the occasional speaking engagements (CIT-USC-USJR, corporate); of course a lot of  Volunteering was also done (1, 2, 3..etc.) and planted around 4 native Tree seed/saplings as well; and the most prominent update would be... i'm back in the Corporate World in which most of my time spent is there now (which includes: events, volunteering, work, side-projects and event corporate blogging). Aaaaand all the while, regaining my enthusiasm, confidence and smile! :))) So there you go!

Interesting scenarios/experiences:

1. To sum it all up, I'm still adjusting to the corporate life and managing my family and personal life as well
2. SO MANY NEW YEARS??!
• Our company follows a fiscal year (and that is all I'll talk about my company)
• After that, I became older --BIRTHDAY! yeah it's kinda like a new year if you reflect and think about it.
• The so-called end of the world scenario of the ending of the Mayan Calendar (which was a basically an end to a cycle--in other words a new cycle = NEW YEAR)
• Winter Solstice - holds many meanings in different culture but it basically points to a new cycle of rebirth of sorts (GOOGLE the rest of the details :D)
• The "Normal New Year" :3 normal style is good! (Gregorian Calendar)
• Chinese New Year -  Gong Xi Fa Cai / Kung Hei Fat Choi!
• AAAAAAAND HAPPY NEW YEAR FOR MARCH 1 - The early Roman calendar designated March 1 as the New Year. The calendar had just ten months, beginning with March. That the New Year once began with the month of March is still reflected in some of the names of the months. September through December, our ninth through twelfth months, were originally positioned as the seventh through tenth months (Septem is Latin for "seven," Octo is "eight," Novem is "nine," and Decem is "ten." UNTIL January and February came --ahahha just google the rest bwahahah!!!
3. Constant Changing and improvement of my self in the shortest span of 6 months, after September 2012 -->It's soOoOoO insane!!!
4. Challenges appeared as well, which I myself caused (due to fear, despair or just plain fear)

Here's a quote that moved me that I decided to finally have this post up:

To have the kind of year you want to have, something has to happen that you can't explain why it happened. Something has to happen that you can't coach. - Bobby Bowden

Resolutions are easier to break and do not have that value of commitment, hence my shift to creating "rules" because rules forces one to make it into their habit --good habits that is, so here is my rule/habit list:

• Write and Read each day - it can be anything, current events, book, article, blog..etc..it could even be 30min. to an hour a day or even less!
• I do not engage in confrontations with anyone, in-person or online. This is a waste of time and energy. If I have caused harm, I apologize and fix the situation. However, if someone simply doesn’t like something I have done or something that I do or disagrees with me, that is fine, but I’m not going to get into an argument about it. For any confrontation-like situation, I simply take a deep breath, relax, breathe out, and re-focus my efforts back on my work and goals.
• Remember short memorable quotes for motivation and restraint: 
• "My pace is good." - this makes sense really, in a society that seeks to compare anyone just to determine who is better, it's a vicious cycle really and this quote helps re-assure my self-worth and re-focuses my attention and action to what I believe matters most. :)
• “It will all be over soon or this too shall pass” - in the best and worst of times, this will serve you well. Everything happens for a reason and in God's time; I know that it will all be over soon. A small amount of suffering now will be forgotten later when I will enjoy the rewards of my work. And in good times, I will remember that life is short, and I must make things count now, and no matter how good things are going I must never let myself become soft and lazy, because I have too much to accomplish in such a short time.
• "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit."- Aristotle; NUFF SAID ;)
• “I will always keep the child within me alive.” – Frank McKinney. I will laugh every day. Even if I don't want to, I will force myself to SMILE
• "Concern yourself not with what is right and what is wrong but with what is important" -I will not be negative when it is easier to be positive. I will not hurt others when it is possible to help.It’s my life and that matters more than what other people think of me.
• "God is with those who patiently persevere. - Arabian proverb" - Faith + Actions = Dreality
• I will write and speak with more feelings and restrained honesty - What matters more than others’ opinions is the number of people that I can help by sharing advice and encouragement in my writing. The most powerful songs are written by songwriters who bare their souls. So screw it, let’s do it. Let’s put it all out there.
• I'll just be Thankful and stop complaining I guess. Live more, complain less. Have more smiles, less stress. Less hate, become more blessed!
• TAKE RISKS, TRY NEW THINGS AND EXPERIENCES - If you don't try, you don't fail. You don't fail, you don't learn. You don't learn, you have failed anyway. The more failures, the faster and closer you are to success. Therefore, "to improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often." - Winston Churchill :3 But don't forget to have fun and enjoy life as well..

Let me share this short reflection with you:

“The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree...”(Psalm 92:12, NIV)

Have you ever seen a palm tree in the midst of a great storm? That tree may be bent so far over that it’s almost touching the ground, but when the wind finally stops, that palm tree bounces right back up. What’s interesting is that while that palm tree is hunched over under the pressure of the storm, it is actually becoming stronger.

See, the reason God said we’d flourish like a palm tree is because He knew there would be difficult times. He knew things would come against us to try to steal our joy and victory. But God said, “You’re going to be like a palm tree because when the storms of life blow, you are going to come right back up stronger than before.”

As you reflect on the events over the last year, remember, the storms you have encountered have only made you stronger. You are wiser, you are more alive, and you are headed for victory. Your brightest days are right out in front of you! Always remember that with God on your side, nothing can hold you back!

So if you think you have failed, DON'T everyday is an opportunity to change and improve, so Flourish in the New Year, for a NEW YOU, slowly but surely day by day!

In my bid to return to blogging after a relatively inconsistent updates and long time hiatus, I'm gonna share to y'all an interesting event, which is the Social Media Influencers Summit 2013. I know I promised not to post anymore event-type-blog posts but this one's an exception, I'd say.

The Social Media Influencers Summit 2013 is an interesting event since it's gonna gather not only thought leaders, but also social media influencers in one place, in this case, Cebu. The Social Media Influencers Summit theme will be focused on “#TrendingForward”. As posted on it's site, here's their explanation for their chosen theme for the Social Media Summit:

“Trending” means “the general direction in which something tends to move.” Each individual or company may have separate goals, but the ultimate goal of any “Social Media Influencer” is to create a buzz for its cause to make it appear on the “trending” topics of the social media networks.

“Forward” is being used to depict the innovation/presentation that each social media influencers should do to reach and influence the target audience. Buzz is not created by all. It is practiced by those who had mastered it. And this craft is fast changing with the dynamic preference and attitudes of the social media users.

The Social Media Influencers Summit 2013 will be happen at the JCenter Convention Hall, JCenter Mall, AS Fortuna Avenue on March 16, 2013 (Saturday). A sneak preview of the speakers is shown below (these are only some of the speakers since these are the people whom I'm very interested to listen to :D):

1. Maria A. Ressa is the CEO and Executive Editor of Rappler, a social news network which uses a hearts and minds approach to news through a unique mood navigator. Rappler combines the best of professional journalism with citizen journalism and crowdsourcing. 
2. Fitz Gerard Villafuerte is a business, investments and personal finance advocate best known for his award-winning blog, Ready To Be Rich. An entrepreneur by heart, he now works as a consultant for several traditional businesses, helping them create online marketing campaigns through social media.
3. Hannah Almira Amora is a finance educator by heart, financial consultant by profession.  But when told that her family needs to raise one million pesos as soon as possible for her son’s much needed open heart surgery and not having the financial resources for it, she sought out the help of her Facebook friends and hoped to create a community who could help them raise the funds. Thus, Maven’s Heart Fund was born. 

Note: Profile summaries are taken from the Social Media Influencers Summit site

This event is organized by iNewMedia Online Network and co-presented by JCentre Convention Hall, JCentre Mall; SMART; Platinum Sponsor - BLUEWATER RESORTS: Sumilon, Panglao, Maribago; Bronze Sponsor - Click Photo Club; with partner organizations: Cebu Blog Camp, iloilo bloggers, and GBG - Cebu.

So if you wanna participate on this unique social media event, you may want to visit: http://summit.socialmedia.org.ph/2013/be-a-participant/

Having a family member who is an OFW (Overseas Filipino Worker) is always a challenge. My dad is an OFW and has been working outside the Philippines for years and it has always been a problem, in terms of communicating with each other. However, I found this curious little website that offers International Mobile Airtime Recharge called SwissClear Global.

They offer an interesting service that allows you (or OFWs) to send gifts to their loved ones back home easily (with no additional charges as well). This could be through Mobile Airtime Recharge (load credits of sorts or the like--they call it differently though--> Mobile recharge), DTH TV and  Gaming Credits (though these two I'm not yet sure if it applies to Filipinos).

If you don't have those Techy-OFW-relatives, this is a sure fire way for them to communicate with you using Philippine-Telco-Carriers talking or texting each other!! This unique service that SwissClear Global offers is indeed somewhat-tailored for Pinoys who still holds the title the SMS or Texting Capital of the World and one of the places in Asia in which mobile penetration is high! Oh also, last time I checked they had about 200 operators in more than 70 countries in which they serve, so wherever your OFW friend, family member or the like is working, surely this service can definitely reach them!

Here's some quick video showing the steps as to using their services (It's really EASY!):

And some an informative Photo for you!

You may be interested in visiting and liking the SwissClear Global Facebook page!

What do you think? :D