Nigh time at Siem Reap, Cambodia. (Photo from Wikipedia/Wikimedia)

SIEM REAP, CAMBODIA – Bloggers from across Asia, including a number of Filipino colleagues, have started to arrive in droves here in this beautiful part of Cambodia for the BlogFest.Asia 2012 for several days of fellowship, group study, discussion and fun too.

The program covers diverse topics from the basic to advanced, and also aims to discuss issues and concerns that affect bloggers and technologists in the continent. Topics include: mobile blogging, photo blogging, digital comics, Wikimedia Commons, Internet Security, online advocacy, long form writing, the Philippines’ cybercrime law and Southeast Asia media situation. 

Mr. Aquino signed the Cybercrime Prevention bill into law last Sept. 12, 2012.

On September 12, President Benigno S. Aquino III signed into law Republic Act 10175, otherwise known as the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.

No doubt about it: Congress – through the House of Representatives, the Senate and the bicameral conference committee – proposed, drafted and finalized the text of the document. The responsibility of Congress ended when the bill was transmitted to and received by the Office of the President for whatever action he wishes to take.

Mr. Aquino could have vetoed the bill.

Hello. I’m Tonyo Cruz @tonyocruz of TweetUpMNL.

Thank you, thank you for coming. Thank for watching and tweeting. Thank you to our speakers. Thank you to our supporters AIM, Smart, Globe, Sureseats, Ayala Malls, and Starbucks.We also thank MiLi, Oishi, Unilab, Team Manila and Chops Chicago Steakhouse. Thanks to our volunteers and to those who have been working behind the scenes or snaking around us, the production team. Palakpakan naman natin sila.

TweetUpMNL is happy to be a co-organizer of your Social Good Summit.

Today, as we tackle social media for social good, I wish to share and call out the elephant in the room…

Thanks to Filipino netizens, the Philippines has become, since late 2010, the world’s social media capital.

Social media, digital, the web, new media – whatever we call what we do online (and which we do so with such sophistication befitting the title “social media capital”) has become important to a growing number of Filipinos across classes, sectors, regions, causes and industries.

Former President-turned-Congresswoman Gloria Macapagal Arroyo ruled the country for nine years and made corruption its byword and hallmark, according to most Filipinos.

Suhol, lagay, padulas, pampadulas, tongpats, SOP, kotong, regalo, Christmas gift, pamasko, birthday gift, delihensya, pangyosi, love offering, pang-almusal (for breakfast), pang-tanghalian (for lunch), pang-merienda (for snacks), pang-hapunan (for dinner), para sa birthday ni hepe (for the chief’s birthday), Ninoy (short for P500 which features the face of former Sen. Ninoy Aquino), pakimkim, kickback, porsyento (percent), and more.

blogfestI have a couple of good news to share.

First is about what is touted as a gathering of Asian bloggers, Blogfest.Asia ’09 set to be held on Nov. 5-8 in Hong Kong.

Among the speakers are fellow bloggers Blogie Robillo and Juned Sonido. They will share insights on “Peace Initiatives through Blogging” based on the experience of Mindanao bloggers as well as introduce the Philippine blogosphere to the participants.

I will also be a Blogfest.asia speaker on the topic “Bloggers and social media users in the aftermath of typhoons Ketsana and Parma”.

Youngest sister Kris and President Cory Aquino flank Sen. Noynoy Aquino in a 2007 political rally (Photo grabbed from noynoyaquino.ph)
Youngest sister Kris and President Cory Aquino flank Sen. Noynoy Aquino in a 2007 political rally (Photo grabbed from noynoyaquino.ph)

A day after Sen. Mar Roxas purportedly gave up his presidential ambitions in favor of the only son of former President Cory Aquino and former Sen. Ninoy Aquino, it was Sen. Noynoy Aquino‘s turn tonight to speak.

Here is a full transcript of the statement made by the younger Sen. Aquino at a press conference at Club Filipino:

marroxas
Mar Roxas lights a candle at the tomb of former President Aquino whose son Noynoy he now vowed to support as Liberal Party presidential candidate. (Courtesy of MarRoxas.com)

PLEASE SEE UPDATES BELOW. Liberal Party President and Senator Mar Roxas II made the following “major and important announcement” tonight at the historic Club Filipino.

After months of being considered LP’s presidential candidate-in-waiting, Roxas formally gave way to partymate Senator Noynoy Aquino, son of former President Cory Aquino and former Sen.  Ninoy Aquino. Noynoy and other LP leaders joined Roxas at the press conference.

Roxas could not have chosen a better date to make this announcement as it falls exactly a month after the death of President Aquino who herself took her presidential oath of office at the same venue.

However, Roxas did not directly state that he is open to be Aquino’s runningmate or whether he will abandon plans to run for higher office and instead run for reelection as senator next year.

Following are excerpts of Sen. Roxas’ statement:

IMMAP's Arthur Policarpio and MMA's Mike Wehrs formalize their group's partnership
IMMAP's Arthur Policarpio and MMA's Mike Wehrs formalize their group's partnership. (Photo courtesy of Digital Manila)

Top officials of the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) and the Internet and Mobile Marketing Association of the Philippines (IMMAP) today formally announced their partnership and launched the the MMA Philippines Local Council in a press conference during the 3rd Internet and Mobile Marketing Summit in Manila.

Calling 1 million new voters, take the pledge!
Calling 1 million new voters, take the pledge!

The deadline for new voter registration is fast approaching. But many have yet to get listed to ensure that they can vote in next year’s elections.

Enter Kabataan Partylist and the National Union of Students of the Philippines with their “Isang milyong kabataan, isang milyong panatanew voter registration drive to be launched on August 20. The target is obvious: 1 million new registered voters, mostly young people, on top of the measly 800,000 or so that have listed themselves up so far.