My "Firsts" in 2008

I decided to do this at the beginning of 2007, to record all the "Firsts" for the whole year but at that time i didn't have a blog yet so now I present to you my 2008 Firsts! By that I mean the things or the like that I have done for the first time.

January:
Made a Blog!!! This blog! And I'm @ my 1st year this January 10, 2009
1st Blog Event: Sinulog Stuff
A Record Sinulog for Me (6am-11pm)
First Foodtrip
First semester wherein I had limited extra-curriculars
Co-Organized the Six Sigma Appreciation Seminar

February:
Yes we did the Black Valentines Day Fad
Co-Organized The COOL 2B Green Forum
Started Recycling and made some cash @ the Waste Market Fair

March:
Joined Cebu Bloggers Society
First march in which my dad didn't come home (He's an OFW)

April:
Enrolled in my first Major Thesis Subject
My first company study
Joined a Lecture Organized by the PIIE - Cebu Chapter

May:
First Time I got sick because of school work..overstress and Fatigue 9units of Hell
Went Crazy over our System Simulation Course

June:
Handled 2 Thesis Subjects but was Underloaded
Organized a Continuous whole day Lecture Series (Research methodology & Integrated Plant Survey - Project Chairman)

July:
Joined another School Organization, The Technologian Student Press' & Affiliate Org.
Did my first correspondence and writing for the press

August:
First time I cried for a course/subject
Did insane amounts of field work for our Industrial Research project

September:
Celebrated my Birthday with my whole family!! Yes that's a first for me...
Won 3rd place in a Quiz Bowl (English-Trivia Category)
The month wherein I attended the most number of Seminars Ever!!

October:
First and Last Ringhop Ceremony
Made a speech for the Ringhop Ceremony (1,233 word speech)
On-the-Job Training @ HABAGAT OUTDOOR EQUIPMENT, INC.
Applied for Young Minds Academy Season 3
First time to really Apply SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
Attended mt 1st CBS (Cebu Bloggers Society) Meeting/Meet-up
Major Event for CBS through the Digital Filipino Event
I step foot at Cebu Asiatown IT Park & The WALK
Became a panelist for IE and Engineering Presentations

November:
Felt the Global Economic/Financial Crisis
Didn't celebrate Halloween and All Saint's and Souls' Day, Didn't go to cemetery.
Joined 2 seminars at the same time (Well there schedules overlapped)
Was Insanely Lazy
Tried MangInasal for the 1st time...wahahahah I'm such a late adopter
First time to do Actual Industry Standard Time Study

December:
Got Accepted for the Young Minds Academy
1st time to do a Religous/Dramatic/Interpretative skit
Won something in a Christmas Party (Habagat Party) Php3,000 cold cash
Got a standing Ovation for a performance
Gained Weight and a bulging Waistline
Was Invited and Attended Holiday Parties

Others:
Met around 30 interesting people for the whole year
Joined 8 Social Networking sites
Invited 2 people to do Blogging
Made 9 Presentations for school and Extra-curricular
Named one of the Best Cebu Blogs of 2008

Now is the time to let go of the past, set aside one’s regrets and despair and now have the courage to step forward! Look ahead, think positive, be filled with joy to the bright and glorious Future. May I be able to pursue my plans, hopes and dreams for this coming year of 2009!

How about you? What are your firsts in 2008?

By Vernon Go with 5 comments

Holiday Party Hangover

OK this Holiday year was the most busiest for me for some reason, I got invited to more parties than expected unlike previous years. I mean Christmas Parties here, New year Parties there..I was flattered, overwhelmed and confused!!!

I didn't just get a hangover from booze but also from wine, dancing, singing and food hang-over as well. And because they kept coming I had to decline some of the invitations and another surprise was I was invited very early, so I was able to plot a schedule on which party to attend and vice-versa. Here are the list of parties:

Advance Family Christmas/New Year/B-day(My Cuz) Party - Hey we are in a recession eh?
Cebu Blogger's Society - Wasn't able to join, YMA application commitments
Habagat Company Christmas Party - I was Forced, our grade and graduation was at stake
Technologian Student Press Holidays Celebration - Joined! T'was a great experience!!
IE Department & Council Party - my buddies invited ourselves - it sucked..we left
Another Family Party (Relatives on Father's Side) - After this event I got sick, Nagkalibang ko!
Christmas Party Neighbors Salo-salo - There was booze, wine and more food..surprise?
Habagat Production Department new year party - Declined, I was encoding by this time
Salo-salo sa Pardo - It was raining, oh well it was another party...food was good tho
New Year with the Neigbors - We gather & eat outside until New year...its a warzone!
New Year Gathering @ Hilton - My mom's friends (Former employees of Fairchild Semicondicters who are now Balikbayans) mom said they wanted to see me? goodness my mom is overly proud of me for some reason...

The reason i declined the others since I knew in advance my body could not handle this sudden abundance of free food although freebies are nice too but that's not the issue here. I knew I had a long list of to do lists this holidays and most of those tasks are WORK. Backlog assignments from my On the Job Training from Habagat, 3 Chapters to cover (brainstorm and encode)for our Feasibility Project, Kaizen Policies to Formulate/create, Feasibility Study Consultation of our FGD (Focus Group Discussion) and blogging.

I still have books in which I want to read but don't have time anymore such as Rule #1 by Phil Town, The Art of War (Edited w/ Foreword by James Clavell), Sheperds Abiding by Jan Karon, A Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren, How to Read a Person Like a Book by Geral Nierenberg and Henry Calero, Positive Thinking for a Time Like This by Norman Peale, and Bringing out the best in people by Alan McGinnis. Also I'm also planmning to buy Malcom Gladwell's Latest book "Outliers: the Story of Success," I have finished 2 of his books Blink and Tipping Point already but I hope I can finish those other books before I can by this one.

Oh well T'was fun while it lasted..

By Vernon Go with 2 comments

Idiots in Office: Why a Politician Beats up People

Mayor Nasser Pangandaman Jr. (DAR chief’s son) Mauled A Father & Son at Valley Golf and Country Club. When master Clado, a CBS member and friend plurked about this through a link, I immediately checked it out and am simply utterly disgusted. I read Vicissitude’s blog which tells us about the tale of how this Masiu mayor and his company (including his father, the Secretary Nasser Pangandaman of Department of Agrarian Reform) bullied and mauled her father and her brother:

“The world has gone crazy. Two politicians beat up a defenseless 56-year-old father and his 14-year-old son. At a golf course. I swear to God, I thought golfers were decent people. You would think politicians were decent people. I guess not. I guess they gang up on 56-year-old men and beat up pleading 14-year-old kids.”

Continue to read the Blog post Here.


(Photo credit to abs-cbnnews.com video)

Only a person with such impunity can say these words to people who do not know him: ”Hindi nila kami kilala! Sabihin mo nga sa kanila kung sino ako!”

I mean what the..? A politician is supposed to be a servant of the people, so what if they don’t know you and are residents of the area, that just goes to show that you are not doing a good enough job in serving the people in creating relevant projects to enhance your city. In an act to show off his power, he beat up a 56-year old man and a 14-year old boy…in a golf course because of a simple misunderstanding and a non-conformance to golfing etiquette. And to think this guy is a politician, Mayor Nasser Pangandaman Jr. of Masiu, Lanao del Sur.

FYI: IT IS NOT THEIR JOB TO KNOW YOU BUT RATHER IT IS YOUR JOB TO KNOW THEM FOR YOU ARE A PUBLIC SERVANT WHICH ADDRESSES AND CATERS TO THE NEEDS OF THE PEOPLE IN YOUR AREA EVEN IF THESE ARE ONLY 3 People!!!!!

I know and understand that there are two sides of the story and I’d like to hear the mayor’s side in explaining how he could beat up a kid and a much older guy not just ONCE but TWICE!!! Just Think what this person might do if this so called mayor had a higher position.

Bambee closes her entry with Please pray for my dad, my brother and for my whole family. Please pray that we get JUSTICE. Oh God, please, give these people what they deserve.

Fellow Bloggers and Readers, Help spread a wild fire through the blogosphere and make this pathetic politician feel the power and wrath of bloggers (Filipino or not) and of the Internet!!! If your not a blogger you may go to Vicissitude’s blog, pass on her link or email her story to your friends and families.

Evil Prevails when good men do nothing. Let JUSTICE Prevail!! See related posts Here.

By Vernon Go with 6 comments

Miss Cebu 2009

Miss Cebu 2009, the pageant, is not only an event Cebuano's looked forward to, a Definite Vitamins for the eyes and ears. Here are the Candidates of Miss Cebu 2009 from Left to right:



Ana Coritha Desamparado, Sheda Lyn Dusaban, Christine Tan, Nadia Claire Urbino, Tara Frances Oliver, Ethel Bitoon, Phoebe Kay Fernandez, Kimberley Therese Burden, Michelle Isa Eguia, Angela Grace Alinabon, Rizzini Alexis Gomez, Kris Tiffany Janson.

Me and my OJT Buddies stumbled upon a Voting Kiosk/Area of sorts last sunday in SM North Wing powered by Ngenius, in which showcased the pictures and profiles of the Candidates. Kristian's Miss Cebu 2009 Bet is Candidate Number 2 since she's a schoolmate and my bet would be candidate Number 12 which also a former High school Schoolmate of mine.



For those interested in joining for future Miss Cebu in the coming years, here are some helpful info. Click Here.

Who do you think will be the next Miss Cebu for the year 2009? Vote for your Miss Cebu 2009 Bet Now!!!

By Vernon Go with 10 comments

Habagat Christmas Party Experience

I had my On-the-Job Training at this company, Habagat Outdoor Equipment, Inc. and they had their Company Party Celebration for the Holidays Last December 16, 2008 with a Hawaiian Theme for the event. The event was held at the Sacred Heart Center, Cebu City.

Although we were not included in the giveaways part, we did enjoy and were thankful of the free food in which we were not required to pay (Mabaw ra gyud kog kalipay). We were required to present a presentation per the instruction of the General Manager in order for the habagat employees to have something New to look forward to this year. We presented a skit to the tune of Lifehouse's Everything in which we partially modified and added some new steps since we kind of lack people to do the skit and added our own twist to it. It talked about God's greatest sacrifice.

It was very successful and indeed a great experience for us On-the-Job Trainees (OJT). Together with Mariel, Daisy, Kristian and Rio, we have presented a comical skit in order for us to have grades (hehe..lol). We were very happy because unexpectedly we won. We were not supposed to be part of the contest but thank you to Ma'am Famela, Sir Lester, Ronil and Sir Butch for helping us be part of it. We were very overwhelmed not because they gave us a standing ovation but it's all because they have recognized God. They have realized how good is God and praise God for everything He did for the mankind. It was not for the prize, definitely. We offered it all for God. And the Set of Mentos, Certificate of Recognition and Php3,000 were just a bonus consolation.

By Vernon Go with 1 comment

Young Minds Academy Season 3

Young Minds Academy is a youth citizenship and leadership development program of the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. (RAFI) aimed at developing young emerging leaders to become responsible citizens and accountable, pro-active leaders that are ready to serve the public and its interests.

After a process of application and screening, successful applicants officially signed a covenant with RAFI and its sponsors last December 13, 2008, indicating their willingness to fully participate in and comply with the requirements of YMA and to finish the entire eight-month program.

Recognizing YMA’s effort in molding the youth, City Savings Bank and UnionBank Philippines are supporting the program by sponsoring the YMA scholars.

The YMA scholars are grouped into teams of 4 to 5 members categorized into three generations - Generation 1 (21-30 years old); Generation 2 (17-20 years old); and Generation 3 (12-16 years old). They will undergo sessions on leadership and character formation, social development, creative thinking, research, participatory project development and proposal making. They will also undergo learning visits and immersions. Their final output will be a community-based project proposal to address issues and concerns related to Education, the theme for YMA Season 3.

We went through the application stage which had challenges on its own like meeting the application deadline, the preliminary individual testing (The nosebleed IQ, personality Test and Time-Limited Essay), 2nd Exam (Team Dynamics) and the Panel Interview which sucked out all my Verbal English! And Thankfully last week December 13, we had our covenent signing in which makes us officially YMA Scholars for the 3rd Season!!!! YEHEY!!!! YATA!!!! OK PA SA ALRIGHT!!! YEY For Our Team Generation 1, Team 1, wohoo!!!

Hopefully this will be a GREAT Experience, meet new friends, create new bonds, Learn a lot, and be able to attend all the scheduled trainings!! See the Press Release Here

By Vernon Go with 3 comments

CIE Business Fair 2008

(Centere for International Education) CIE is an International School in the Asia Pacific which uses British standards. CIE Had its annual business Trade Fair in Ayala Center Cebu. The school’s third and fourth year high school students have successfully opened small-scale businesses in compliance with their Business Studies, and Technical Works Ethics (TWE) classes.



Me and my buddy kristian came from our On-the-Job Training work from Habagat Outdoor Equipment Inc., and as we always pass by Ayala, we stumbled upon students selling some stuff. We decided to drop by and see what's all this fuss people are making. Students were selling some clothing, Paintings, Painting Frames, There own brand of Bottled Water, Some small pouch thingys and the like. Among those stuff I mentioned, One thing caught my attention, this:



This thing caught my attention immediately, and I ask the student selling it what it was. To my surprise he said it was the packaging for their T-shirt product, Wow! Then I looked at their shirts and the the designs also stands out like: "I'm stuck in Kindeergarten", "TAMBAY"-w/ corresponding art and the Cebuano-Cebuana with corresponding Art. Another surprising thing is that All of the student-entrepreneurs had all business permits and their "Businesses" are registered in DTI (Department of Trade and Industry) which made our mouths open. Wow, If only we had that kind of training in our school!!! waaaaaaaaa

Anyway, I bought the cebuana one (As seen above) as an advance Christmas Gift for my sister. It cost Php230.00, It might seem expensive but the innovation and creativity with some cool designs totally makes it worth spending my money. Also the "Company" of the Shirts in which I bough was called "Blanko Clothing Co." and another thing that made me smile is the inner bacl print which said:

"Hello and Thank You for Purchasing a work of Art from Blank! Each Shirt is made with Tender love and care =). We are sure that you will love this shirt as much as we loved making this in our garage."

-Made in a Garage (LOL!!! WAHAHAHAHAH!!!!)

By Vernon Go with 3 comments

10th Biz (Business) Quiz Bowl

Yesterday was quite interesting again, it was the last screening for the 3rd season for the Young Minds Academy and All I can say is NOSEBLEED!!! That Happen for the whole Saturday morning and in the Afternoon was the Business Quiz Bowl Hosted by the College of Commerce in our school. We watch the business quiz bowl high school category first and afterwards was the Open category.

The Business Quiz Open Category was interesting since any college or even a department may be represented. And because of this there were some weird situations which occured. The Technologian Student press was represented, as well as the Computer Engineering Department and the Civil Engineering Departments whose participants were all from the press (Wahahah--LOL!!!). And as for the College of Engineering and Architecture, IE students represented. But since there were slots, the audience were invited to join in and my fellow YMA Team Members ended up joining the competition and I just cheered for them on the side lines and took some pictures.



Well for us IEs, many of the business terms were so to say NOSEBLEED Terms since it was not our field, but in the End we ended up almost sweeping the competition. In 1st Place my YMA Teammates won!!! and 2nd place were the CEA Representatives who were IEs won 2nd place and the Computer Engineering Department whose participants were from the Press got 3rd. Also during audience participation session, I won some rizes as well (Igo ra pamliti!!) wahajajahahah



After that we celebrated and ate Bread together with our Department Chair and also the cheerleaders!!! wahahahaha, Since we were quite many we decided to go eat and celebrate in a bakeshop, while the techno peeps bought some Ice cream and some soft drinks.

By Vernon Go with 5 comments