Thursday, March 22, 2007

FRUITS OF MY LABOR

This has been an incredibly wondrous week for me so far.

Last Sunday, the accumulated scores garnered by my three submissions to my photography workshop, much to my astonishment, earned me the third place trophy!

I honestly didn’t expect it, because as I had mentioned in my previous entry, the class was full of very talented photographers. Hence, one can only imagine how ecstatic I was as Ed Santiago handed me this glass trophy.

And as if that weren't enough excitement, the other day, I received word that my blog site, was selected as among the five finalists for the Philippine Blog Awards’ Photo Blog category. I almost fell off my seat.

I first learned about my having been nominated for a PBA award about a week or so ago when in checking my Sitemeter traffic report, I noticed an unusual string of visitors coming from a particular site. When I clicked on this referring site, I was very much surprised to discover that I was nominated under the Photo Blog category.

I didn’t know who submitted the nomination; until yesterday, that is, when Corsarius admitted it was him. His friend Ia's technology site, Stellify, also made it to the finals. Both Corsarius and Ia graduated last year from the University of the Philippines. They are among a select group of brilliant young minds that I admire in the blogosphere. Jhay of de la Salle, Dave of Ateneo, and the budding photojournalist, Akira, are the other three.

At first I didn’t pay that much attention to this inclusion. It wasn’t due to any disrespect for the Philippine Blog Awards; rather, there were many talented photo bloggers nominated as well. I didn’t want to raise my hopes up only to be disappointed later on. So I downplayed the entire matter from the start.

However, being selected as a finalist totally altered my perspective. This community-wide recognition was a good enough reason for me to feel like a true winner!

Of course, winning the PBA plaque will heighten the euphoria, but being a finalist is great enough as it is. You see, this gives me added credibility and confidence to formally pursue the special project I had been discussing with the executives of Nikon Philippines.

The idea is for Nikon to provide a free camera to a couple of public high schools in Manila whose students will form a photography and blogging club. Nikon will also pay for the creation of a customized blog template emblazoned with a sponsored by Nikon logo. As for the computer unit and online access, a friend will help present it to the Ayala Foundation to apply for funding. There are other resources to consider and approach should the Ayala Foundation decline.

Some of my camera club co-members whom I had shared this vision with, expressed great interest to participate by conducting basic photography classes and photo shoots for these high school students. I'm actually hoping that my camera club, Infinity Camera Club, will officially adopt this endeavor as its main community outreach project.

We will also be needing mentors to conduct after school or weekend English writing clinics to help these students hone their writing skills. I’m confident I can approach Corsarius, Jhay and Dave in this regard. Be that as it may, this photo blogging club will remain under the fulltime guidance and supervision of the participating schools' English teachers.

The goal here is to provide these youths a window, so to speak, to share their world with other high school students in Asia, America, Europe and anywhere else in the world through photography and blogging. I had already asked Sidney's assistance in connecting the participating local high schools with those in Europe; as always, he was enthusiastic to help out. I'm certain our fellow bloggers in the States and Canada will lend a hand as well in this regard.

I will also approach the administrators of FPPF and Fuji/YKL for additional sponsorship.

As per my recent email with Nikon Philippines, they remain interested to fully explore this project. I plan to meet with them after the Holy Week. I am also hoping that those behind the Philippine Blog Awards might also hear of this program and provide their support as well. What a wonderful world it will be for these kids!

Finally, I am very much honored for the accolades and kind words that Rey, Ipanema and Major Tom had recently afforded me.

For my response for their having tagged me, if I may be allowed, I would like to invite everyone’s attention to our young and talented bloggers — Corsarius, Ia, Jhay, Dave and Akira. Gutfeel tells me these young people are destined to excel in their respective field of endeavor and will someday make remarkable contributions toward the advancement of our local culture for the better.

Mabuhay!

Labels: Federation of Philippine Photographers Foundation, Fuji/YKL, Nikon Philippines, Philippine Blog Awards

posted by Señor Enrique at 5:22 AM

66 Comments:

Anonymous said...: Wow, these are really good times for you bro; no better time for a blogger than this.

I actually have known bout your finalist slot yesterday from iskoo of Glance Over, and he is equally good. But wasn't able to notify you or congratulate you as quickly for some reason.

Congrats to the thirds place placing also and I see you winning more awards than you have now in the near or coming future; March 22, 2007 8:16 AM
fionski said...: Mabuhay ka!; March 22, 2007 8:56 AM
carlotta1924 said...: congratulations!!!

your special project is bound to be a success for sure. i wish you all the best! =); March 22, 2007 9:28 AM
Jaja said...: i've been a lurker of this blog. Congratulations! I do hope your special project pushes thru. =) Good luck on the PBA!=) Hope to see more fabulous pictures=); March 22, 2007 10:23 AM
Sidney said...: I am happy to see that your hard work is being recognized.
I wish you good luck on the Philippine Blog Awards.; March 22, 2007 10:32 AM
Ching said...: Congrats!; March 22, 2007 10:34 AM
Anonymous said...: Eric, Congratulations! Mabuhay! (I sent you an email) :); March 22, 2007 12:11 PM
NOYPETES said...: Congratulations on your awards! Hope your awesome projects pushes through.; March 22, 2007 12:32 PM
-= dave =- said...: You're on a roll Señor E! Congrats! In this light, it's an honor to be mentioned in your post. I guess I have to perpetuate the meme, but it's so hard to choose among so many good ones!

So it's not just inspiring stories you have in mind but concrete actions too! Let's have an email correspondence on this.; March 22, 2007 1:04 PM
Señor Enrique said...: I agree with you Major Tom ... Iskoo's Glance Over is very nice, as well as another friend's Dubai Chronicles by Jeff Vergara. Jeff was the one who designed the template of my site:

At this point, I will be happy for whoever wins because they're all friends naman :); March 22, 2007 2:01 PM
Señor Enrique said...: Maraming salamat, Fionski!; March 22, 2007 2:01 PM
Señor Enrique said...: Thanks, Carla! The project's success hinges on participation of many :)

I'm still waiting details of Quiapo events from Heritage Foundation. Give me until tomorrow.; March 22, 2007 2:03 PM
Señor Enrique said...: Many thanks, Jaja. So far, been receiving a lot of interests from fellow photography enthusiasts and camera club members. Will keep everyone posted -- parang reality TV ... hehehe.

Thanks for visiting; glad you enjoy this site :); March 22, 2007 2:07 PM
Señor Enrique said...: Many thanks, Sidney! I wish you luck as well with the 2007 Photobloggies Best Southeast Asian Photo Blog!; March 22, 2007 2:08 PM
Señor Enrique said...: Thank you, Ching!; March 22, 2007 2:09 PM
Señor Enrique said...: Read your email, Rhoda. As always your support is greatly appreciated :)

Good luck with your exams!; March 22, 2007 2:10 PM
Señor Enrique said...: I will my best, Noypetes! I really want to say to myself someday that I was able to make some sort of contribution however humble for the betterment of our fellow Pinoys. I think this is one way of going about it :); March 22, 2007 2:12 PM
Señor Enrique said...: Yes, Dave, we expect you to keep the meme going ... hehehe!

Not sure if you had already done it before, but you're about to discover the pain and pleasure of mentorship, as well as the eventual wondrous reward you'll get from the universe!

Expect my email this evening!; March 22, 2007 2:16 PM
christine said...: And all so well-deserved! You shouldn't be so surprised, Eric, a man with your talent. :) Congratulations to you and all the best for the blog awards! Wish I could vote! lol; March 22, 2007 2:35 PM
Anonymous said...: senor, we're in! hehe. congrats on your recent achievements and hopefully you grab more trophies (and cash prizes too..hehe) further! yodaman! :); March 22, 2007 5:32 PM
sheilamarie said...: Eric, congratulations! Galeng! :0) your blog posts serves as an inspiration to all.

wishing you all the best for your future projects/endeavours.

cheers!; March 22, 2007 6:30 PM
Nashei said...: wow...congratulations...judging from your work you're talented...and it's no wonder you won..; March 22, 2007 6:40 PM
Señor Enrique said...: Many thanks, Christine! But there is indeed lots more I need to learn. Actually, I realized this is really a lifelong endeavor. So much to learn! Again thank you for the kind words :); March 22, 2007 6:42 PM
Anonymous said...: Congratulations! Wow, I'm impressed! I would also like to commend you on your special project for the high school students. It's a noble and worthy cause, and I wish you and the organizers all the best! :); March 22, 2007 8:28 PM
eye said...: congrats on the well-deserved award and nomination! but above anything else, i'd like to congratulate you on an excellent project eric :)

i hope it pushes through. this will be a great opportunity for talented enthusiasts to improve their technical skills w/o having to spend much. who knows, it might even lead to a bright career for them. good luck! if i could do something to help, just let me know :); March 22, 2007 8:32 PM
Anonymous said...: congratulations again, senor eric! :D i'm sure if i hadn't nominated you, someone else would have, hehe. good luck in the final round!

re: your offer of a lunch treat -- i’ll take you up on that! :P especially since banawe’s near our house (i live in cordillera street, the manila-bound side as opposed to Sta. Mesa Heights).

thank you so much for mentioning ia and i in the kindest words :) your project sounds great! just contact me if you need anything. spare time permitting, i'll do my best to help you out.

coincidentally, the student org which i officiated for more than a year, UP ACM (the country's first ACM chapter) holds yearly community service activities at Brgy. UP Diliman. the activities have been successful, so much so that the org has been a two-time International Chapter Excellence winner for community service :P

if you wish to expand your project, ia and i (she's also a past officer) can help you arrange a partnership with UP ACM. just send us word ;)

congrats and good luck again!; March 23, 2007 1:22 AM
Anonymous said...: Congratulations Eric! You really deserve it! :); March 23, 2007 2:39 AM
Señor Enrique said...: Right After I responded to Christine's comment last night, Blogger crawled to a complete stop. So, in continuing ...

Hi Jeff!

Like I had said, I never expected to be nominated in the same league as you. After all, it was you who designed my site and your photos with technical information included, to this day, expand my knowledge on photography.

As far as I'm concerned, we all won already; the plaque will be mere icing. What's more important is the comaraderie that the PBA promotes amongst the blogging community.

When are ou coming back for a visit? Make sure we all get together first before you go out there shooting, ok?; March 23, 2007 6:23 AM
Señor Enrique said...: Hi Sheilamarie!

I'm confident that with everyone's best wishes, this project will indeed move forward. After all, this will show how empowering the blogging community is :); March 23, 2007 6:25 AM
Señor Enrique said...: Many thanks, Nashei. But more important, I'm glad for having gained another new blog friend -- you!; March 23, 2007 6:26 AM
Señor Enrique said...: Thank you very much, Kathy!

Who knows, our local high school students will someday connect and make friends with other kids their age in Japan as well.

My high school English teacher once connected us to Japanese students in a pen pal program. I was a freshman then, but my penpal and I kept up our correspondence throughout high school. I want the same experience for our current high schoolers!; March 23, 2007 6:30 AM
Señor Enrique said...: I will most certainly knock on your door, Eye!!!

As I said, this will eventually become a community-wide effort. I trust that our sponsors will recognize the value of such endeavor and provide their utmost support.; March 23, 2007 6:32 AM
Wil said...: congrats on making it to the top 5! Good luck with that and also on the high school project. :-); March 23, 2007 6:40 AM
Señor Enrique said...: Hi Corsarius!

Again, thank you for having nominated me, and for your interest to participate in this project. As for Ia, I'd really want her to design the template for this project. Again, everyone's participation will be dependent upon their spare time. I wouldn't want this to intrude on anyone's regular schedule; otherwise, it'll lose its luster and would only become a nuisance.

I will email you and Ia about lunch.; March 23, 2007 6:45 AM
Señor Enrique said...: Thanks, LA! Appreciate it!

BTW, are you a member of any camera club, yet? If not, and if you'd like to join one, you're more than welcome to check out ours. Just email me, ok?; March 23, 2007 6:47 AM
Señor Enrique said...: Many thanks, Wil!

I hope I can someday knock on your door and ask for your help to connect this blog project to a high school where you are in the States ... hehehe.

Salamat!; March 23, 2007 7:27 AM
Anonymous said...: Congratulations! Reading about the Philippine Blog Awards has shown me a lot good blogs for my reading pleasure. Keep it up!; March 23, 2007 7:39 AM
Señor Enrique said...: Thanks a lot, Gay!; March 23, 2007 7:43 AM
Sebastiane said...: Ang galing!

(:

Congratulations Kuya!!!

*popping confettis*; March 23, 2007 11:30 AM
Anonymous said...: Hey Eric - congrats on your double win - being a finalist is almost winning LOL but I hope you get the big salami hehe:)

Isn't that great ? That sure feels pretty good when you're getting recognition for the thing you love to do photography :) Well, this gives you the incentive to pursue it further ! All the best :); March 23, 2007 1:04 PM
Anonymous said...: wow! ayos to ah... sunod sunod ang blessings mo from God... you deserve all of them...

i pray that your project pushes through, i think it's a great vision, if i can help in anyway, just tell me... i'm in a broadcasting station...; March 23, 2007 3:37 PM
Señor Enrique said...: I know, BW ... how sweet it is to take home the big salami! lol!

BUT, in all honesty, I'm willing to defer to my friend, Jeff Vergara. I am an admirer of this young man's talents -- intensely creative. I just wish that he'll someday come home to Manila for good.

Thanks for your wishes an support!; March 23, 2007 5:17 PM
Señor Enrique said...: I think there's a catch to all these blessings, Lino -- God wants me to do something to help out our less-privileged kids ... lol!

But seriously, many thanks for your support. Once this project is up and running, I'll invite you to come and check it out. Perhaps, you'll be able to help us spread the word so other groups would pick up on it and create similar projects across the country :)

I've a feeling there's a lot of our fellow Pinoys out there who'd want to make a difference and help out.

This is actually a simple effort but its positive impact can be immense :); March 23, 2007 5:22 PM
ladybug said...: Wow Eric! COngratulations! I've always believed in your talent. Good luck in your plans.; March 23, 2007 6:22 PM
Señor Enrique said...: Many thanks, Ladybug! I really appreciate your kind words.; March 23, 2007 7:28 PM
Photo Cache said...: most deserving of the award. senor, hats off. may this recognition push you even further to a new adventure in photography and blogging. i truly enjoy your site. good luck.; March 24, 2007 3:14 AM
Anonymous said...: Congratulations!; March 24, 2007 6:05 AM
Señor Enrique said...: Thank you, Photo Cache! I, too, enjoy your postings -- make me miss San Fran. One of these days ... hehehe!; March 24, 2007 6:29 AM
Señor Enrique said...: Many thanks, Alex!; March 24, 2007 6:29 AM
Señor Enrique said...: Maraming salamat, Kyels! Sorry naligtaan kong sagutin agad ang comment mo.

Good luck din sa photography mo!; March 24, 2007 6:31 AM
Anonymous said...: Brother Eric,

Congratulations. I wish you all the best and good luck . You deserve to win, cause you are second to none.

batapaloc; March 24, 2007 6:23 PM
Learning Team said...: Hi Senor Enrique,

your photos are great, i like it. congratulations and i wish you luck. you deserve to win. keep the photos coming. good luck also in your blogging project.

Well done.
MM; March 24, 2007 7:36 PM
Anonymous said...: mabuhay ka talaga!
I'm happy for you po!
congrats sa lahat ng awards at darating pang mga awards.
keep it up!; March 25, 2007 3:19 AM
Anonymous said...: Wow! Congratulations on all the awards and recognition that your are receiving, Eric. You deserve all of them. Of course, I'm rooting for you to win the PBA.

And the photo blogging club is a great idea. Only you could think of such a thing.; March 25, 2007 5:42 AM
Anonymous said...: Hi,

Congratulations for being a finalist for the Philippine Blog Awards 2007 under the Photo Blog Category.

I'm Moslemen "Jun" Macarambon Jr. part of the organizing team and committee for the Awards Night.

I'm making the rounds to gather the contact info and establish direct communication with the finalists. This will give us an avenue to give instructions and other details.

May we ask for the following please?

Real Name:
Email address:
Mobile Number:
City and Country where you are based:

Once this is settled, we'll know where to communicate the Awards Night details with.

We hope to hear from you soon. All the best to you and your blog.

Email me the details here jun [at] wyzemoro [dot] com; March 25, 2007 6:03 AM
Señor Enrique said...: Thank you very for your kind words, Batapaloc! I will strive to live up to such accolades. Salamat po!; March 25, 2007 11:23 AM
Señor Enrique said...: Many thanks, M. Del Rosario! I shall need all the good luck I can muster to turn that vision into reality :)

You have a very interesting site also. I'll be visiting often, especially to check out your photographs.; March 25, 2007 11:26 AM
Señor Enrique said...: Maraming-maraming salamat, Melai!; March 25, 2007 11:29 AM
Señor Enrique said...: Many thanks, Irene! I truly appreciate you kind words :); March 25, 2007 11:37 AM
Señor Enrique said...: Thanks, Jun! I'll be sending you the email soonest.; March 25, 2007 11:39 AM
Anonymous said...: Wow Eric! Your reaping the fruits of your labor. Congratulations! And hope many more will come.

And to bring something back to the community with this project of your is great. I'm hoping to see it in fruition and will pass the word to as many people I can.; March 25, 2007 4:18 PM
Señor Enrique said...: Thank you, Ferdz. Hard work pero enjoy din naman.

I'm hoping that others will also be inspired to do the same in their regions, Ferdz, not necessarily to help mine, but to start their own grassroots programs to promote photography and blogging as a healthy measure for our youth to share their world to others their own age.

Thanks a lot, again, Ferdz!; March 25, 2007 6:35 PM
wysgal said...: This comment comes a little late, but this sounds like a really worthwhile project (close to your heart, to boot!). Best of luck with this, and with the Blog Awards! =); March 30, 2007 2:44 PM
Señor Enrique said...: Many thanks, Wysgal. Truly appreciate your support.

The other nigh was our camera club meetin wherein I formally presented the project to them. I was so happy when it was auspiciously received and supported. I guess, half the battle is won.

Thank you again!; March 30, 2007 6:18 PM
Anonymous said...: I nominated you Eric. I don't know if I was the first but the moment the nominations started, I wrote your name and url. Am happy that you won.; April 01, 2007 9:48 PM
Señor Enrique said...: Many, many thanks, once again, Noemi for having nominated me for this prestigious award. You have no idea how much my having won it boosted my confidence in pursuing this Photo Blogging Project (that I am developing with Nikon Philippines).

Also, I am reminded of what Sidney had told me once: the power of the blogging community behind a worthy cause can be awesome. And I'm ever cognizant of your being in the forefront of such efforts, Noemi. I also intend to someday make a valuable contribution toward the development of our blogging community!

Thank you, once again!; April 02, 2007 5:46 AM

Wish you were here

Thursday, March 22, 2007

FRUITS OF MY LABOR

66 Comments:

About Me

Archives

Recent Posts

Links