Congratulations to the winners of the Best Blogs in 2008 by OFW or Expat.
Congratulations too to the organizers. It’s a laudable project and should be sustained.
TEN BEST EXPATS/OFW BLOG in 2008
1.Writing on Air, Australia
by Jim Paredes
Voted 7 times to the Top 10, twice as No. 1, three times as No. 2, and twice again as No. 3.
As per the judges verdict,
His blog is No. 1 in the BLOG CONTENT
No. 1 in the Blog Element
No. 2 in the Visibility and Metrics
No. 4 in the Voting/Popularity category
and
No 1 in the Over All Judges Pick
Some of judges’ notes:
“Meaningful and inspiring posts” “Brings out pride in being Filipino” “Writing on Air has depth and substance. Jim’s blog is brilliant and inspiring. His take on issues around the world and as well as personal experiences are culturally enriching as a Filipino. The lay-out and design is clean.”
2. Pansitan ni Ate Sienna, USA
Gigi Refugia, the woman behind the Pansitan.net is one of the most admired and respected blogger in the Pinoy blogging world. As a Filipina expats in the US, she is hosting expats bloggers worldwide through her Pansitan blogging portal. Voted 6 times to the Top 10, her blog is insightful, witty and real life stories. “I love the lay-out, and the content is good” says one judge.
3.The Sandbox, Saudi Arabia
Voted 4 times to the top 10, Ed or Bloguvox of the Sandbox is No. 2 in the Blog Content, and picked twice as the No. 2 best blog. It is one of the most insightful and truly OFW blog especially the cartoons he himself make. Judges cites the Sandbox as “Expresses OFW emotions. Effort to keep alive Filipino identity admirable.”
4.Pedestrian Observer, USA
Voted 5 times to the Top 10, twice as the No. 1 pick. Cites by the judges “Though he is away from the country…Blog that must be read by OFW to be aware of what’s happening in our country’s socio-political situation.” “Highly research blog posts. (Well maybe it’s just his interest)” “Up to date on issues that concern Overseas Filipinos. Passionate and competent writing. Layout can stand improvement.”
5. Pamatay Homesick, Kuwait
Everlito’s blog is Voted five times to the Top 10, and picked twice as No. 1 by two judges citing “Pamatay Homesick delights not only expats but pinoys all over the world with its light take on everything that comes out of the talented blog author’s mind. He writes, he paints, he draws, he composes poems, he designs buildings, he is a stand-up comedian, etc. He is one super OFW blogger. I am so pleased to have encountered his blog.” Another judge commented: “The blog is very conversational. It has a great appeal to readers for its approach”
6.Manilenya, Canada
Picked once by a judge as the No. 1 Blog, and four times to the Top 10, Manilenya of Nalen Aguilar is a photo and fun blog. One judge chose Manilenya as No. 1 by citing “Nakakatuwa ang blog na to kasi masaya basahin ang mga experiences na sinusulat nya. Purely written in tagalog din, kaya kahit nasa abroad sya, di nya parin kinakalimutan ang sarili nating wika. Masaya ang mga karanasan, haka-haka at opinyon ng isang “bobang” pinay sa abroad.”
7 Sleepless in KL, Malaysia
Voted five times to the top 10, and managed by Mimi, Sleepless in KL is a very nice blog about family, fashion, food and parenting. “You won’t simply get to bed and sleep without reading this blog,” one judges noted. Another judge added, “The contents are worth reading.”
8.Sari Saring Kulay, Japan
Voted 4 times to the Top 10, judges says the Sari Saring Kulay of Caryn Santillan is “a well read, just takes long to scroll the entire page…as another judge added” still has navigational problems but the contents are worth reading.”
9. Mumsified, Malaysia
Josiet, a UP graduate stay-at-home-mom who loves to blog about her adorable son EJ is the Mumsified. Voted 4 times to the Top 10, one judges commented, “The blog layout is good and loads fast. Insightful posts also are a big plus…” another judge added “it embodies the way how Josiet shares her experience in KL.”
Picked 5 times to the Top 10 by the judges, Emelyn’s blog is one the most visible blog in the sophisticated and state of the art haven-country of Dubai. It is also a blog fun to read, at the same time informative. Said one judges; “It’s a nice blog. I think the blogger should not be shy for being nominated in this award. You deserve it.”
Special award was given to Ronel Livelihood, UK as the Most Populas Expat Blog
Rolly Marcial’s blog is the No. 1 in the Voting/Popularity category
I protest. Bakit wala si Reyna Elena?
Most of you are aware of the current case against the so called three “Alabang Boys” who bribed their way for their release. The three rich kids were involved and caught in a large scale buy-bust operation by PDEA agents. Surprisingly, the case was dismissed by DOJ and was about to be released before Christmas had it not for PDEA’s quick action to stop the same after discovering the P50M bribe. Here’s a message I came across which was passed to me for all masons or anyone who wants to put a stop to drugs and corruption. I think our fellow blogger Norpil is also a mason. Please pass this to those you know or even your friends:
Brethren,
Please join me in congratulating our very own Bro. Ferdinand Marcelino of GARL 322 , an upright mason, who has uphold the true tenets of a Mason by not accepting bribes to eradicate the drug menace in our society. I have known him
to be an incorruptible official, a true officer/ gentleman and a family man. According to PDEA Director General Dionisio Santiago, Bro. Ferdie was responsible in most of PDEA’s big time drug bust operation. Please read the
news account of Bro. Ferdie’s great trait as a mason and PDEA officer.
Bro. Ferdie, we are proud of you.
Bro. Mon Zabala
Let me say that good officers are not limited to freemasons only (some are also bad); but there are many more upright officers that are not recognized. The detained soldiers is an example.
Tounge!
Many thanks! Hahaha! But first, my congratulations to all the winners! Mahal ko kapwa ko OFW! Kaya pala Tita Ellen left a message on my blog at medyo di ko naintindihan at first. So I researched. Now, I remember. In fairness to Kenjebs, below was the comment he left on my blog. Akala kasi nya, I was kotsengkuba haha pero wala namang offense or anything. Ok lang un, no problem at all. I could have joined naman, but I don’t recall now kung bakit I didn’t, alam nyo naman sa blog ko, pag di ako binabato, hina-hack naman! Yaan mo sa susunod, kahit pa binggo, sasali na talaga ako! hahaha
Again, congratulations sa winner.
“This blog site http://kotsengkuba.com/ was nominated by your friends or someone to the search for the 2008 TOP 10 PINOY EXPATS BLOG. Please read more details HERE and Voting and Ranking Here . The contest which will run till December 30, 2008 includes the blog of Jim Paredes who is an expat in Australia, and Lea Salonga who lives in New York, USA. The list is growing and we are grateful that your URL had been submitted and voted as a nominee.
We ask you to display the banner which you can copy at the link above. This will serve as a verification that you are the nominee. You can also encourage your friends and visitors to vote for you by posting a blog entry.”
Let us hope and pray for men like F. Marcelino will not be silenced, killed, framed, detained, blackmailed or anything that will prevent him from doing their good work.
I asked Kenji Solis (one of the movers behind this laudable project) why Reynaelena was not included (enjoy talaga yung blog ng Kamahalan) and he said it’s because You Highness didn’t display the banner of the pinoyblogawards which was a requirement. As the notice stated, it serves as a verification.
This is just a start. So, next year we would like to see more interesting Pinoy OFW/expat blogs among the finalists.
To Tita Ellen, “You Highness didn’t display the banner of the pinoyblogawards which was a requirement”,I know! hahaha! but it’s ok. busy ang blog ko sa mga kababalaghan! next time! pramis! hahaha!
Sana may kasama nang cash award ang winners next time.
The power of blogging:
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20090102-181064/DAR-chief-Dont-condemn-my-family
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20090102-181104/No-talk-of-brawl-in-Dela-Paz-media-noche
I am Filipino. I am a child of the One God who is the Creator of all that is in our world and the universe. I am as perfect and as beautiful as my Creator planned me to be, for God created me in His image, out of His perfect love.
I am a beloved child of God, like everyone else in our world, no less than the stars above or anyone else below. As such, I have equal right and claim to all the beauty and bounty that God provided in my country and in the world.
I am an equal part of the family of humanity. I am therefore a sibling to all the men and women of our world, brethren to all Christians, to all Muslims, to all Jews, to all Buddhists, and all other peoples whose faiths lie somewhere else.
I am Filipino. My Creator planted me on a specific spot on earth, where the sun always shines, in an archipelago of 7,107 wonderful islands, which the whole world calls the “Pearl of the Orient.” Pilipinas is the country God gave to me and my people. It is the birthplace of my race. It is the home of the Filipino.
The beauty and richness of my country lured many mighty powers of the world to invade our shores. So today, my blood is a mixture of the best and the finest of the West and the East. My mind is an heir to all the great thoughts of the West, and the great virtues of the East. My heart beats with the romanticism of the West and the passion of the East.
I am Jose Rizal, Andres Bonifacio, Juan Luna, Ninoy Aquino and all those who fought for our land to become a nation of free people. I am the grandeur of Banaue, the enchantment of Boracay, the serenity of Manila Bay, and the depth and breadth of Tubbataha Reef.
I am Filipino. My Creator’s plan is for me to live my life as a Filipino and therefore, in my heart and in my mind, I shall always be a Filipino wherever I may be in the world. God wants me to belong to the Filipino family and as such, I am a “kapatid” [brother] to anyone and everyone who is Filipino, wherever he or she may be on earth.
You will know me by the word “po” in my sentences. You will know my children by their “mano po.” You will know me by the smile on my face and the warmth of my hospitality. Most important of all, you will know me by my loving and caring heart when you are in need of help, even if you are a stranger.
As a child of God, my Creator has a beautiful story for me and my people. And the story we see today is but a fleeting portion of that beautiful story that has yet to fully unfold before the eyes of the world.
I am Filipino. I am who I am today because of the role God wants me to play.
I am born to succeed. God has equipped me, within me and around me, with all the essentials I need to succeed in this world. God truly wants the highest, the best, and the most beautiful for me, because I am His child.
I am destined to be great. God planted seeds of beauty and greatness in me. He truly wants me to be great and beautiful, for God truly wants me to add more beauty and greatest to our world.
I am Filipino. I am born of freedom, in a free country. As such, I dedicate my freedom to ensuring that my people and country shall always remain free. I shall use my freedom to help other peoples, in my country or in other parts of the world, gain their own freedom.
I am born of love, out of God’s immeasurable love, in a country and in a world that can only be made beautiful by love. Love is the reason why God made me. It is what He wants me to bring into this world, so love shall be who I am.
I am born as part of the whole, as part of the answer to the question, as part of the solution to the problem, as part of the hope to our people. I am born to help the Filipino become great not only in the eyes of the world but, more so, in the eyes of our Lord.
I am Filipino. I am a faithful child of God. I shall live my life to do God’s work on earth, to help build a beautiful country for my Filipino family, and a better world for all humanity. And soon the world shall see the full measure of the greatness of Filipino, for truly the world has yet to see what God can do to and through a child, like the Filipino, who is faithful to the Lord.
I am Filipino.
Alexander Lacson is author of the Book “12 Little Things Every Filipino Can Do To Help Our Country.”
be:
i read that one this morning also and i’m a bit perplexed with what the writer wrote. ok, it’s just a poem. but i doubt if he’s Filipino at this point in time because if he is, it would have been a different tone.
par exemple: “I’m Filipino and I’m really pissed at what she has done to my country”.
now, i wonder if Alexander can edit his poem and insert that line. will he? or maybe we could all edit his poem, what do you think?! hahaha!
Wow, all the bloggers at this moment are now listed with some numbers, more like the numbers of wannabe prisoners! Hacked na naman si Ellen!
At this time, the blog has returned to normal.
Ellen,
Thank you for your time and effort in judging the top 10 expat/ofw blog of year 2008…
Pahabol…. for those who believes that the Pangandamans should resign, please sign AKP’s petition.
PO GB, ganda ng blog mo, ha. It really gives service to OFWs by keeping them up-to-date with issues that affect the Philippines which they oftentimes think don’t affect them when actually that’s the reason why they are toiling in foreign lands away from their families.
Bilib ako diyan kay POGB, updated sa Maynila, daig pa yung mga nasa probinsiya lang.
This was passed on to me by Kenji:
thank you! huli man daw at magaling nahahabol parin!
salamat!
You are welcome, Ever. Continue blogging!