PEP breaks into 100 most-visited websites
PEP breaks into 100 |
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||
| 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
| 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
| 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
PEP breaks into 100 |
For the first time, Filipinos were able to join the Amazing Race-Asian edition. Leading the pack is sexy actress Aubrey Miles.
SEXY star Aubrey Miles is part of the Asian edition of the award-winning US reality TV show Amazing Race—a competition wherein ten teams contend in various countries for the grand prize of 100,000 US dollars (five million pesos).
Aubrey Miles (whose real name is Aubrey Sandel) is partnered with model friend Jacqueline Yu while the husband-and-wife tandem of Ernesto and Jill Lopez comprises the other Filipino team included in this multiple Emmy Award-winning reality game show.
In a phone interview with YES! Online, Aubrey said that she felt intimidated by the other teams competing in the Asian edition of this highly successful reality show. “Na-intimidate ako sa mga teams na sporty-looking…[mga mukhang] mas malakas [sa amin],” admits Aubrey.
She compares the Asian edition with the US edition that was shown previously here in the country. “Wala naman kaming conflict with other teams kasi ang mga Asian people, very sweet…friendly. Di tulad sa US edition, parang seryoso masyado. Everything is fun,” sums up the star, whose last movie was Exodus: Tales from the Enchanted Kingdom.
Although she could not reveal the countries and the challenges that she went through, she did mention that she was gone from the country for two months and that the Amazing Race Asia will be shown on the cable channel AXN by early November.
Prior to the competition, Aubrey just went to the gym regularly in preparation for the physical demands of Amazing Race Asia. The 26-year old actress describes her best friend, Jac, as a good team player. “Wala kaming naging conflict since we’ve known each other for six years.”
The Amazing Race utilizes progressive elimination; the last team to arrive at a designated checkpoint leaves the game. Along the way, there are challenges that the team members must complete in order to finish the course.
American-born Chinese actor Allan Wu is the host of the Amazing Race Asia.
Like other die-hard Cosmo girls out there, I've been looking forward to the annual Cosmo Bachelor Bash for my regular dose of eye candy and ogle-worthy bodies. This year was no exception -- plus I got to see them up close at the VIP area.
Last September 12, the Philippine Trade Training Center was transformed into "Cosmopolitan Central Park," a fantasy land filled with hot hunks at every turn. 2006 also marks the fifth year of the annual fun and feisty event showcasing 69 Bachelors and 10 Celebrity Centerfolds all hand-picked by the Cosmopolitan staff.
Among the stars spotted at the jam-packed event include Keanna Reeves -- who was supporting her French boyfriend Sofian -- and Luis Alany, also a former Cosmo bachelor.
Sensuous games facilitated by Menchu Antigua at the start of the program certainly gave the crowd a teaser for the hot hunks up ahead.
The highlight of the show was, of course, the presentation of the 2006 Celebrity Centerfolds -- Marco "Boyfriend Material"Alcaraz, Victor "Boy Toy" Basa, Enchong "Love Jock" Dee, William "Absolute Eye Candy" Devaughn, Patrick "College Heartthrob" Garcia, John "Eye Candy" Prats, and Polo "Gentle Lover" Ravales.
The predominantly female crowd went wild as the Celebrity Centerfold models strutted down the catwalk. No one minded losing their poise as they scrambled to catch the shirts and even underwear thrown by the models to their screaming fans.
All these prove that no other place can rival #69 Hunk Avenue, Cosmo Central Park, when it comes to serving up uber-gorgeous males.
For more pictures, check out this URL:
http://www.yesmagazine.com.ph/latestnews/its-raining-men-at-cosmo-central-park
I can't seem to get enough of the world-famous Banaue rice terraces. I had just viewed them last Holy Week during my trip to Sagada and there I was again last August 26 - 27 to be mesmerized by the ingenuity of the Ifugaos.
This time, I participated in the first batch of the Ifugao eco-cultural tour offered by the NGO Save the Ifugao Terraces Movement (SITMo). The Ifugaos celebrated the Bakle'd Kiangan, one of the fourteen rice festivals celebrated throughout the year.
In addition, we also got to tour their province and visit sites such as the Bagnit Falls and the surrender site of General Yamashita. We trekked over three hours to reach the falls and the intermittent rains did not make it easy for us. I particularly liked the place where we stayed since we had an amazing view of the thickly forested mountain just behind the homestay residence.
Click the URL to view pictures of the Bakle festival:
http://s17.photobucket.com/albums/b82/jocelynpd/Kiangan%20Ifugao%20August%202006/
Here's my article about the experience:
At the end of the rice production cycle, the Ifugaos celebrate the Bakle festival. It’s time to feed the bulul (rice god)!
Gongs are sounded and the villagers dressed in traditional g-strings and colorful woven cloth gaily make binakle (traditional rice cakes) and baya (rice wine). Through the help of the non-government organization Save the Ifugao Terraces Movement (SITMo), participants were able to witness one of the fourteen rice festivals celebrated throughout the year.
Last August 26-27, the Bakle’d Kiangan was held at Julongan village in the Ifugao province. Visitors, mostly photographers and members of the press, were given a firsthand look into the way of life of the Ifugaos.
When the palay becomes golden brown in color, the Ifugaos harvest the rice from the famous rice terraces and hold a festival to give thanks for their harvest. The villagers pound diket or glutinous rice to be made into binakle (a sticky rice cake wrapped in leaves). They also offer two kinds of baya: the red rice wine and white rice wine.
Division of labor can be seen during the making of the binakle. The men pound the rice by using a heavy pestle while the women are in charge of winnowing the rice.
The highlight of the Bakle festival is the ritual of sacrifice. In it, the elders pray to the gods and sacrifice a hen and rooster’s blood as an offering to the bulul. When the rooster was being offered, it put up a fight, causing it to upturn the container with the collected blood. The elder commented that the spirit was struggling and that we needed to pray to appease it.
Even though others might brand these rituals as being paganistic, most Ifugaos are already Catholics and they conduct these rituals in order to preserve them for future generations. They also do these in the hopes of receiving more blessings in the future. It is their belief that the entrails of the sacrificed chickens hold the key to having a blessed year. After the blood letting, the two chickens are cut open and the elders check to see if their gallbladders are in good condition. If the chicken’s gallbladder is intact, this signifies a good year ahead for all the participants. If not, the Ifugaos will keep on sacrificing chickens until the gods are appeased. Luckily for us, the gods were in our favor so they only had to sacrifice two chickens.
The culminating activity was a cultural night that featured young children and adults dancing the traditional dances of their forefathers.
The Ifugaos take pride in their rich culture and heritage but economic factors are compelling them to abandon rice farming and seek greener pastures elsewhere. But SITMo staff and volunteers are dedicated to preserving the culture that nurtures the Ifugao rice terraces – the 8th wonder of the world and part of the UNESCO World Heritage list.
When I found out that Lakbay Pilipinas was opening its site to travel bloggers, I didn't hesitate to submit my own entries.
With 7,107 islands to write about, you certainly won't run out of ideas and places to feature.
Here are my entries:
I was very flattered when Ka Lito Beltran of the Federation of Philippine Photographer Foundation (FPPF) asked me to be a judge in their monthly competition which had the theme "Buhay Kalye" (Street Life). It was humbling to judge photographs that encapsuplated the essence of living in the streets of Metro Manila.
Here's an article about the April 2006 photography competition:
Street Life captured on film
Walking down the narrow streets of Manila
United under the theme “Buhay Kalye,” representatives of more than 15 camera clubs from all over the Philippines converged in Comfoods Building last April 29 to participate in the monthly photo contest organized by the FPPF.
The stark black and white photographs feature grimy street hawkers of Manila
First Prize Photograph in Buhay Kalye 2006
Landing third place was the entry of Boyet Guevarra (Camera Club: Nayon) featuring several karitons neatly lined up on one side of a street while second place went to Teddy Pelaez (Camera Club: SLR) for his heart-tugging photograph of a woman begging for alms in a crowded street. Receiving the first prize and a trophy was Tony Yu of the Camera Club Nayon for his candid shot of a young child taking a bath in a public place.
My bet (landed in 6th Place)
Yet another favorite photo (landed in 8th Place)
Boasting of photography clubs that come as far as Zambales and Ilocos, the FPPF has been conducting thematic monthly photo contests that serve as eliminations for the annual PhotoWorld Cup, a much-coveted prize among Filipino photographers. Established in 1996 under the wing of the FPPF, the PhotoWorld Cup enables members of duly-accredited camera clubs to compete and hone their skills in the art and science of photography.
The regular competitions are conducted monthly from February to November, with the themes predetermined beforehand by the PhotoWorld Cup committee. The upcoming themes are: Travel (May 2006); Lupang Hinirang (June 2006); Kitchen Art (July 2006); Contrast or the striking difference between things being compared (August 2006); Food photography (September 2006); Dark or photography in low-light conditions (October 2006); and photos featuring the number Ten (November 2006).
Photographer-members of FPPF earn for themselves, and their respective camera clubs, points that will be tallied by the end of the year to determine which club will receive the “Best Photography Club award” as well as P15,000 cash prize and the silver PhotoWorld Cup. Individual members also vie for the title of “Top Photographer of the Year” which comes with a trophy.
By the end of the year, the performance of the various accredited camera clubs will be assessed by the PhotoWorld Cup committee in order to determine which one will receive the award for the “Most Improved Camera Club of the Year.” Another minor award to be given away by the FPPF is the title of “Rookie of the Year,” which is reserved for the most promising individual photographer who has made an impressive first year performance.
Since 1987, the FPPF has been advocating for the upliftment of Philippine photography and the welfare of Filipino photographers. This non-stock, non-profit organization encourages cooperation rather than competition among fractious photography associations – of which the Philippines
One of the FPPF’s most-awaited activities is the Photoworld Manila, which is considered to be the biggest and longest running photography convention and trade show in the country. It is held annually from January to February and attracts the country’s leading photo importers, distributors, and dealers to offer their products with substantial discounts.
In honor of Earth Day 2006, I made this feature article about an environmentally-oriented fair at National Ecology Center mini-park in Quezon City. I would have loved to stay and listen to their organic rice-wine making seminar but I still had duty that day. Anyway, I did manage to taste tahong (seafood) flavored chips from the eco-fair and they were excellent.
Here's the original text of my feature article:
Green Haven in QC
http://news.inq7.net/metro
By Jocelyn P. Dimaculangan
Picnickers and nature trippers now have another venue to add to their growing list of green havens in Quezon City. The National Ecology Center (NEC) in front of the Philippine Heart Center along East Avenue, Quezon City, boasts of a 4.5-hectare mini-park that is open to the public every day of the week free of charge.
The mini-park was officially inaugurated in June 4, 2004 and offers tree-lined walkways and picnic groves for families and couples who want to commune with nature amidst the hustle and bustle of city life. What used to be a site for informal settlers has now become a haven for indigenous and endemic species of trees such as yakal, kamagong, narra and katmon.
Visitors can come in for free and follow the eco-trail weaving in and out of the NEC mini-park, find shelter under the majestic canopy of the numerous trees in the area or take a short rest in the airy gazebo located in the compound.
With the absence of entrance fees, the NEC mini-park is maintained by the Urban Forestry Division of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-National Capital Region (DENR-NCR). To date, only 1.5 hectares of the mini-park has been developed while the remaining 3 hectares have yet to undergo renovation.
“We plan to put up an aviary in the area...as well as build offices for the Environmental Management Bureau and the DENR-NCR,” says Division Chief Carlos Gubat I, when asked about the future plans for the NEC compound.
Established under Republic Act No. 9003 (Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000), the NEC is tasked to provide consulting, information, training and networking services for the implementation of the provisions of R.A. 9003. Aside from the mini-park, the NEC compound also houses the training facilities of the Zero Waste Recycling Movement of the Philippines Foundation, Incorporated (ZWRMPFI), a non-government organization specializing in training, advocacy and consultancy for solid waste management.
Being one of the green havens of Quezon City, the NEC has been tapped as one of the venues for the simultaneous celebrations of Earth Day 2006. A two-day fair dubbed as “Samu’t Sari 2006 (An Eco-Market for Eco-Friendly Products)” was recently concluded at NEC but plans are underway to open another two-day eco-fair on April 28- 29, 2006.
Sponsored by the Alternative LyfStyle Mktg & Consultancy (AlterMktg) and ZWRMPFI, the environmentally-oriented fair showcases 30 exhibitors offering organic produce, health products and indigenous items that are proudly Philippine-made. Pinoy inventors also took centerstage as they showed off their green technologies specially designed to help Mother Nature.
Another highlight of the two-day Earth Day celebration was the book launching of a manual for non-government organizations and local government units looking for a comprehensive guide to solid waste management. Entitled “Ecological Solid Waste Management – Theory and Practices,” the book can be bought for P300 for the duration of the eco-fair.
Now on its third year of exhibiting at NEC, the eco-fair’s theme for 2006 is “Science & Technology in harmony with the environment.” Visitors can view the exhibits from on April 28 – 29 as well as attend the free eco-livelihood demonstrations on soap making, virgin coconut oil making and organic rice wine making, among others.
An interesting stall to visit is the Mother Earth Hydroponics booth which showcases plants grown hydroponically or grown in a soil-less medium. Using a Nutrient Film Technique, this soil-less and pesticide-free farming technology can produce vegetables that grow at a much-faster rate compared with those planted in soil.
Yet another green technology being promoted in Samu’t Sari 2006 is the use of vermicomposting or the production of organic fertilizer using earthworms, specifically African nightcrawlers.
With earth-friendly activities such as these, the organizers of Samu’t Sari are optimistic that communing with nature and the use of green technologies become a habit among Filipinos that will continue long after the fanfare of Earth Day celebration has died down.
When it comes to promoting your products and services online, flashy graphics and excellent site design can only do so much. The content of your website is still the heart and backbone of your marketing efforts. Whether you aim to sell pharmaceuticals on the Net or entice surfers to browse through your website.
You can maximize your selling potential by writing text (or copy) that appeals to your target audience and fires up their curiosity for your products and services.
Before you even start writing, clarify
the goal of the text. If your aim is to sell a product or service, make sure
that everything you write directly supports this objective. Appeal to the
interests of your target audience. Customers only care about the benefit they
get from buying your product or service so keep your copy focused on the advantages
of choosing your product over others.
Online versus Print
Take note that writing for online
media is significantly different from writing for print media for several
reasons: First, web surfers tend to be impatient and want fast access to
information as opposed to print media readers who tend to read at leisure. Web
users also have a tendency not to read full articles but prefer to read short
chunks of the page in search of what they need. The average person will only
read between 5 and 10 percent of your website. This is because most readers who
don’t find what they're looking for within the first few pages will leave and
move on to other sites. If you're trying to sell something, make sure your
important benefits are listed upfront and get to the point quickly.
Secondly, consideration must be given not only to the human
audience of a website but also the search robots who will periodically crawl
the website. In order to be properly indexed in search engines, a web page
needs a minimum of 500 to 750 words on it. In addition, the keywords or key
phrase for a web page also needs to be repeated at least four to five times.
Thirdly, since the web is non-linear, we expect hyperlinks
and jump frequently, both within pages and to other pages, reading what we need
and then moving on, often very quickly. Good writing for the web should be
clear, concise, relevant, scannable, consistent and error free. Since the web
is interactive, your writing style should be conversational; not necessarily
familiar or casual, but direct and friendly.
Lastly, Web pages should ideally have text and image
complementation. The ratio of images to text should preferably be 50:50. Since
web users tend to pass by websites rather quickly, it would help if their
attentions are grabbed by compelling images and text. The liberal use of
whitespace also makes a web page look less cluttered and allows the reader to find
information more easily.
Qualities of Successful Web Writing
a.
Clarity
Clarity
is in the eye of the beholder, not of the writer. No matter how clear your
words seem to you, never assume they're clear to your readers. Express
only one idea in each sentence. Use the active voice since it is more direct
and vigorous than the passive voice. It also results in shorter, stronger
sentences.
b.
Relevance
It is
important that every page of your site contains relevant, information rich
content. Readers expect relevant content online. If they don't find it quickly,
they'll leave your site.
One trick is to mention the keyword a couple of times at the start of the first paragraph and also at the start of the final paragraph. A search engine such as Google examines the page and realizes that a few paragraphs have content that is relevant. However, bear in mind that you should not repeat the same words too many times. To assist you in this, you should look at the keyword density, which is the ratio of the amount of times the keywords are used divided by the amount of words on the page.
Never go above 6% density per page. Anything above this could be classed as spam. To be on the safe side, and cater to other search engines, I recommend not exceeding 4-5% per page.
Another search engine trick is to write the most relevant keyword at least 4 times in the content area and the rest of the keywords 2-3 times. Be sure to use phrases that you have used in your other tags (meta, alt, headings, title, etc.) during the optimization process.
c.
Brevity
As
a general rule, online text should have half as many words as print text, but
often one-quarter or even one-tenth is called for. However, shorter isn't
always better. Writing concisely is a juggling act. Remove unnecessary words,
but never sacrifice clarity for brevity. Don’t forget to test after you've cut.
d.
Scanability and readability
Online readers tend to scan, quickly looking for what
they need. Whenever possible, organize text by using headlines, bullets, and
frequent paragraph breaks. Use brief sentences, short paragraphs and
simple language. Use sub-headings, bold text and italicised
text to break up the information. Present the information logically and
write with your readers firmly in mind. Use the occasional exclamation mark (!)
to get your readers attention. Forget the ALL CAPITAL LETTERS and exclamation
points!!! This is another reason why it's important to include a site map or
table of contents on your site. Make sure that it is accessible from
every page.
e.
Consistency
Navigation, terminology, style, and tone should be
consistent throughout the site. Inconsistency tends to confuse and annoy
readers.
f.
Freedom from errors
Grammatical
mistakes, typos, and misspellings can spoil or even ruin a reader's experience.
Errors project an air of
unprofessionalism, sending your visitors away.
Don’t
try to be the sole proofreader of your writing. Have someone else -- prefereably
a professional proofreader or editor -- proof it both before and after coding. Proofing
it before coding isn't enough since text can be dropped, put in the wrong
place, retyped incorrectly, or miscoded.
g.
Good integration with the site design
Designing
web pages should be a shared responsibility between the writer and the designer
because a site's design can have a big impact on the text. What looks good in a
text file might be all wrong once the text is incorporated into the design.
Work closely with the web designer throughout the process, and cultivate a collaborative relationship. Both the text and the design will be the better for it.
When writing text that sells,
remember the acronym A.I.D.A. which stands for: Attention, Interest, Desire,
and Action. These
are the critical elements of a winning ad.
1. Start with an emotionally packed opening statement that
will get the attention of your reader. Remember the seven qualities of good
web writing when making your opening statement, which may be:
Ø A headline;
Ø An opening sentence;
Ø A subject line on an email;
Ø The header on a website page; or
Ø The opening words in a telemarketing script,
radio commercial, or TV spot.
After you’ve grabbed the attention your target audience:
2. Make a promise. Concentrate on the strongest interests
and concerns of your target audience. Successful ad copy demonstrates a high
level of knowledge and understanding of the product and the problem it solves.
Tell the reader something he/she already knows, proving that you are attuned to
his/her needs.
3. Build desire for your product by telling your prospect how your product will benefit them or affect their lives. Supply convincing proof to the reader. Stress a benefit and make that benefit immediately clear to your reader. Ads that provide specific, usable information to the reader usually get higher readership and a better response.
Use testimonials when applicable. Let your prospects know
they won't be the first to try you. Give results-oriented testimonials from satisfied
customers who have benefited from your product or service. Give people's full
names with their titles and companies (or towns and states of residence) -- and
be sure to get their permission first.
Give your reader an offer he
cannot refuse by giving free information, special price, free bonus with order,
etc. The stronger your offer, the greater the response you'll get. Always
include the best offer you can afford as well as a deadline of when the offer
ends.
I'd just like to promote a site that features my work as a Web Writer:
http://www.onlinebusinesshowto.com/journal/
The articles are a bit technical but I tried my best to discuss them in layman's terms. I did around 30 articles for this client and they post one article a day so you can expect to learn something new each day.
