Perhaps Shari best described our collective and individual feelings at the end of the Bloggers’ Kapihan with Among Ed last Saturday: tiring, yes… but nevertheless jampacked with so many lessons and starpower we could handle in a day.

Among Ed’s remarks were thought-provoking and it should open the eyes of everyone about the potentials of blogging for the cause of good governance. Methinks, the quest of the Pinoy blogosphere is not to find or write the best posts at any time of the day. Among Ed was looking for the expressions of hope, the expressions of young people longing for change, and the hearty dialogue that should follow. We must sweep away all sense of selfishness and encourage everyone — especially the voiceless — to find their voice.

The event cast a wide net and gathered a smattering of bloggers of various persuasions and interests. I was glad to be in their company, and wished we had more time to interact among ourselves and with Among Ed himself. In hindsight, we should’ve asked for a more intimate audience with the Pampanga governor himself because the forum-type event simply was too formal for comfort.

Anyway, the mere sight and presence of Among Ed made the outing completely worth it the moment he stepped in the simple Executive House. The wifi connection allowed Noemi and this bloggist to live-blog the event. Personally, I was surprised to see Among Ed actually type his initial post right before our very eyes. Naka-projector pa!

The trip to the Juan Nepomuceno Center for Kapampangan Studies was itself a feast. I wish all provinces will have such a center, not just to salvage what’s left of our heritage but to make us remember and cherish what our forebears went through.

Later at our visit to the quarrying places of Porac, we were able to discover how Among Ed helped initiate change right in the middle of barangays that were submerged by lahar. Good thing Among Ed defeated the traditional politicians because it allowed him to give back to the lahar-stricken barangays what is due them: respect and a fair share of proceeds from quarrying.

Click here to view the photos shown in the slideshow at the start of this post.