Top 3 Casual Reasons Why You Should Study Music This Summer

I know what you did last summer. (long pause here)

No, I don’t. #justkidding #that1997movie

But I certainly know of a way to make this summer vacation of yours a little more than worthwhile. If your last few summer vacations were spent on the usual gatherings with family and friends and/or killing time at the beach convincing yourself that you love the sun (when in fact you avoid it all cost when you’re in the city), well, it’s time to make it a little more different this time. I say, enrol yourself in a music class. Yes, that random.

It’s time to give music its long-awaited chance. I have here a couple of reasons why you should consider studying music even for just a short period of time.

Do something different with your life this summer.
Source: www.favim.com 

If you’re a student and you love music so much so that you always see yourself belting out that classic Whitney Houston song or strumming that acoustic guitar in front of a big crowd, I believe that this summer is the summer that you have been waiting for.

If you’re a young professional like me, well, all the more that you shouldn’t be wasting time. A lot of music classes are being offered everywhere especially this season and it’s time for you to get something started NOW.

But first, let’s try to see how my list of reasons looks like. Please tell me using the comment box below if you agree, or agree.

You should study music because-

1. You have already watched enough American Idol, Pilipinas Got Talent, The Voice, X Factor Philippines and other singing competitions on TV. If you are the type of person who had always imagined yourself joining one of those competitions mentioned above, then you should really be studying music. Why? Because these competitions are all about music. Well, yes, it’s about performance too but, for me, it’s just a secondary element. If you want to become a good singer, do what singers do. #music
2. You want to perfect that song by Aegis in karaoke. OK, let’s say you have been singing that Aegis song (e.g. Halik, Ulan and etc.) with your friends in karaoke for quite some time now and you’re wondering why you’re not getting enough rounds of applause and standing ovations. Maybe it’s time to find a music teacher. But here’s the thing, stop thinking that your teacher can turn you into an Aegis singer. But a good one will definitely help you discover your own “music”. It’s either he or she will help you sing that Aegis song YOUR WAY or maybe he/she will give you another song. Maybe that song is not for you. Maybe you should be singing something else, like, I don’t know, Call Me Maybe? I mean, who knows?
3. You were inspired by Sunshine Corazon who came from the Philippines where it’s sunny everyday, except for monsoons. I mean, wow! Charice on Glee. Charice on Ellen DeGeneres show. Charice on Oprah. Charice in a David Foster’s concert. And Charice in a duet with Celine Dion. Wow! I am more than inspired! Charice had truly placed the Philippines on the map of the world. But not only her, there’s also Jessica Sanchez, Jasmine Trias, Leah Salonga, Sarah Geronimo, Raph Salazar and many more! I won’t argue with Ellen when she said, “some of the best singers are from the Philippines”. When you hear good comments like this for your fellow Filipinos, I mean, won’t you really give music a chance? It runs in the blood, you know?

Other reasons. Well aside from the reasons I stated above, there are actually MORE SERIOUS reasons why you should start thinking about attending a music class- may it be a voice class, piano class, guitar class or whatnot. Here are some of them.

Music can-

Music can help you become more sociable.
Source: www.memeblender.com

• Enhance your respiratory system
• Relieve your stress
• Improve your memory
• Improve your time management and organizational skills
• Improve your listening, reading and comprehension skills
• Improve you math
• Sharpen your concentration
• Help you conquer your stage fright
• Teach you important values such as discipline, perseverance and responsibility
• Help you become more sociable
• Be an outlet for your self-expression
• Make you happy

KeyStrings Music

If you live in Manila and is currently on a lookout for a music class that you can enrol yourself in, I am happy to tell you about KeyStrings Music. I’ve met the founders of KeyStrings during one of the most unexpected moments in my life, when I was invited by my friend to sing for her wedding.

Let me just tell you that I almost didn’t go because of my lack of belief in myself that I can really sing in a wedding setting. But my friend, the bride, believed in me. I mean, it’s her own wedding right? Imagine the risk she was taking during that time. I was so mad at her for even considering me.

But something amazing happened. The first time I rehearsed with the team, I knew that I belong there. With music. (insert Pachelbel’s Canon in D Major here)

And so I want all the aspiring musicians out there who want to give music a shot, to meet this wonderful team, the KeyStrings Music team. They are currently offering classes for kids, juniors, teens and adults. If you’re five years old or above, yes, you are qualified to enrol in any of their classes.

What makes KeyStrings Music special is their unique program called DoReME. It’s a music ensemble class for adults. Through this program, students will have the chance to learn music with other students. Talk about well-rounded learning right? Through this program, students are envisioned to appreciate music even more and to connect with fellow “musicians”. After each DoReME level, students will perform in a recital as their final output that will allow them to move on to the next level.

Rehearsing with KeyStrings Music during my friend's
wedding in Caleruega Church. Liza on violin (leftmost)
and JM on keyboards (rightmost).

It’s also exciting to know that Keystrings Music also invite some of their students to play with them during events such as weddings, debuts and other functions. They value the fact that their students can take their learning to the professional level to gain more experiences outside the classroom and consequently become better musicians.
.
Sounds good music enough, eh?

So if you’re ready, why don’t you grab that phone and start giving this ah-mazing KeyStrings Music team a ring? Here are the digits: 09228935935 and 09064789177.

For more information about KeyStrings Music, please visit their ultra-beautiful website at www.keystringsmusic.com.

Postcript: What I like the most for being able to produce one’s own music is the great opportunity to sing or play an instrument to God during one’s quiet time. If you aspire to become a part of the music team at your local church, I believe that this also is a great motivation for you to study music with a professional music teacher.

God bless you!

A Chapter Ahead

Today, just like any other day, there are just too many reasons to be thankful to God. First, I was able to attend the fourth session of my Foundation 4 Victory training. I know that this is a great blessing already because of the many changes that occurs with my schedule at work every now and then. Just this week, my rest days were changed from Tuesdays and Wednesdays to Mondays and Tuesdays. My F4V trainings happen every Wednesdays. Thank God it starts at 6:30pm and I’m off from work by 4:00pm. By next month, for all I know, I may be transferred to another work schedule again (we operate on 24/7 schedule) and I may not be able to attend the nexy training but still, I thank God that I was at the session earlier. Every session counts!

The old One 2 One book. The latest version
was made available this year, 2013.

Second, the fourth session was led by Pastor Nuel Nanez and the topic is about Discipleship. I thank God for the many learning I have acquired in just a single session (which lasts for only about 3 hours) that I want to go home immediately to blog about them. Pastor Nuel is such an animated speaker. I am deeply honoured to be sitting inside his class. I thank God for Pastor Nuel and for all the pastors at Victory Ortigas!

Third, I am back to blogging again. After a long time, there will be another blog post for Passion 4 Jesus again. Looking back, my last blog post was written July of last year. That’s around 7 months ago and a lot of things had happened already. I just became a born again Christian around 9 months ago and a lot of things worth sharing had not been shared in this blog yet. I thank God for every single moment that I live as a Christian. A lot of times I say that I “searched” for God and “found” Him but because of the session earlier, I realized that God was the one who was actually searching for me and found me indeed. It’s not the other way around. God was not lost. I am. I am more than joyful that I responded to His call.

 Discipleship is about responding to God’s call. From the time Jesus started his mission on earth and said, “Come follow me and I will make you fishers of men.” (Matthew 4:19) to the time that he ascended into heaven and left the apostles with the Great Commission when he said, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations…” (Matthew 28:19), we knew that his core mission was to “call” people.

My second One 2 One buddy is Dan. 

As a Christian, I know that this is not an easy task. Even the seemingly simple task of inviting my friends and relatives to Victory Ortigas even just for a time had proven to be a very daunting task to carry out. But if you will ask God for grace and if you will continue to cultivate a meaningful relationship with the people that you want to reach out to, victory is at hand. This is one of the reasons why I am so glad that I belong to a church that puts a very high premium on creating relationships. Victory actually encourages us to make meaningful relationship with others, one soul at a time.

I thank God for the One 2 One book. This book had not only changed the lives of many by leading them closer to Jesus, but it also created many meaningful relationships around it. Through it, a Christian is not anymore required to become a very fluent public speaker in order to share the Gospel. A Christian only needs to know how to create meaningful relationships- and this, I believe, is common to all human beings. 

The One 2 One book had truly given everyone a great opportunity to introduce Jesus to others in an easier way. By simply being a chapter ahead, everyone is given the power to change another person’s life.

To know more about Discipleship in Victory Church, please visit www.discipleship.ph.

The Declaration

Japz Cadelina's personal declaration

is "forgiven".

November 17, 2012. Taguig City. Mercato Centrale had declared its new location at 30th Street in 9th Avenue in Bonifacio Global City. Oxfam and Dakila also declared that day its advocacy for eating Brown Rice and for supporting the local farmers who grow it. Many bazaar concessionaires and customers also declared their support for these 2 coinciding events and among them is the Japz Cadelina. But his is a declaration of another kind.



Japz Cadelina is the owner of the Declaration Shirts. He created its concept for his thesis during his college days in the College of Saint Benilde. He took Multimedia Arts. After graduation, he joined a real estate company as a Graphic Artist. On his 6th month, when he’s about to be regularized, he declared his resignation.



He was already doing bazaars back then and was doing pretty well in it. Now he’s focusing full time in his business and also taking freelance jobs on the side.



Declaration Shirts is unique in its kind. One thing that attracted me to it is its simplicity. All shirts are in black and white only. The fonts used for the statements are uniform in style. The words imprinted in front of the shirts describe the different emotions a Christian feels on his or her faith. There’s “inspired”, “happy”, “changed” and “blessed”. I got “forgiven”. There was a certain kind of feeling that went with that word when I saw it. Japz said that it was also his personal declaration. He was wearing it that day.

Shirts may be bought along with this sleek box  for only

PhP10.00 each. It's a perfect gift for  Christmas!

Being a son of a pastor at their local Christian church, Japz may have taken his inspiration from his dad. He openly shared to me that when his dad died a couple of years ago, his uncle took over and now he’s also a member of their music ministry as a drummer.



It’s amazing how Japz was able to do these things. At an early age, he already has an up and coming business which even celebrities like Enchong Dee, John Prats and Jericho Rosales support. Then again, I really don’t wonder why whenever I think of this verse from the Bible.

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." -Philippians 4:13

INVITATION: Let us support Japz’s Declaration Shirt! It’s a perfect gift for yourself and for your loved ones this coming Christmas. For more information, please check out Declaration’s Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/declarationshirts. Or you may contact them directly at 0917-5279-768 or declarationshirts@yahoo.com.

Why should Filipinos go back to eating Brown Rice?

Bayang Barrios and Noel Cabangon entertaining
the crowd with their  enthralling voices and artisty.

I had the privilege to be invited as one of the bloggers to attend the Brown Rice Lunch and Launch at Mercato Centrale in Bonifacio Global City last November 17. I am very thankful to Oxfam and Dakila for inviting me. I had a great time listening to inspiring people who enumerated the many benefits of eating Brown Rice- not only for one’s health but also for one’s community and the environment. I also had a great time listening to great music- rendered by none other than Kitchie Nadal, Bayang Barrios and Noel Cabangon who were ambassadors of the campaign.

 I never gave much thought about eating Brown Rice until I heard the spokespersons talk about it during the event. We were used to eating the regular white rice and I never thought that there can really be a long list of substantial reasons why I should shift to Brown Rice.

Mang Nestor Quijano from Negros Oriental
showing me the Brown Rice.

 It was said that Brown Rice is simply the “unpolished rice”. And the regular white rice that we know is the “polished rice” which actually underwent two major mechanical post-harvest milling processes. The term “two major mechanical post-harvest milling processes” is equivalent to saying more nutrients being stripped off from the rice, more energy consumption and more expenses for the farmers.

 This is what the campaign is trying to resolve. Oxfam and Dakila wants to bring the people back to eating what our ancestors used to eat- the Brown Rice. It’s healthy. It’s good for the family and the community. It’s good for the environment. It’s good for the farmers. It’s good for the country. It’s really the good food. 

Thanks again to Oxfam and Dakila for allowing me to take part in this wonderful initiative. To know more about Brown Rice, please visit their website or Facebook Page.

Aisaku's Birthday Concert For A Cause

Amira Kojic White Photo Contest

Amira is giving away a brand new Apple iPad 3 Retina 32GB plus gift packs. Check out the full mechanics below!

Please feel free to share this poster on your Facebook Account or Page.

HOW TO JOIN
STEP 1: Like www.facebook.com/AmiraItsMagic
STEP 2: Take the most creative photo of yourself with Amira Kojic White soap and submit to amirapromo@gmail.com along with your name, address & mobile number.

PRIZES
• The entry with the most number of Likes wins an Apple iPad 3 Retina 32GB plus Amira gift pack.
• Five (5) consolation prizes consisting of PHP1,000 worth of Amira gift packs shall also be given away.

PROMO DURATION
• Submission of entries starts on October 19, 2012.
• Deadline of submission of entries is until 11:59PM of November 16, 2012.
• Voting starts on November 17, 2012.
• Voting is until 11:59PM of December 10, 2012.
• Announcement of winners is on December 11, 2012.

WHO CAN JOIN
• The contest is open to all the fans of Amira Facebook Page.
• Employees of Amira Pharma Inc. and its media agencies and relatives are disqualified to join the contest.

HOW TO REDEEM PRIZES
• The winners shall be notified via email along with the instructions on how to claim their prizes.
• Upon notification, winners have 60 days to claim their prizes.
• The winners must present at least 2 valid IDs. Any discrepancy will result to disqualification.

Yabang Pinoy Launches PHmade: “It’s Worth Buying For”

Yabang Pinoy intensifies its consumer revolution campaign through the PHmade movement.

The pioneering Filipino pride movement, through PHmade, yet again encourages Filipinos to support Filipino ideas, business concepts, products, and services. The campaign aims to educate Filipinos, through videos, print materials and events, on the availability and viability of Filipino brands, and on the positive impact that going local contributes to the economy.

PHmade’s tagline “It’s Worth Buying For” encourages each Filipino to think twice before spending: is it really worth buying for? Yabang Pinoy believes that small things, when done together, can create a big difference. If each Filipino became conscious of where he spends one peso, he will understand how each choice affects himself, fellow Filipinos, and the country. PHmade also aspires to influence Filipino entrepreneurs into supporting local natural and human resources.

Indeed, patronage of locally made goods and services should be a lifestyle. It enables homegrown brands to improve and compete against foreign brands. The local economy also improves as money goes back and forth between consumer and business, employee and employer. And as more entrepreneurs create, develop, and expand their businesses, more job opportunities are generated. PHmade recognizes Filipino ingenuity and the role of each Filipino in nation-building.

PHmade focuses on seven categories: Produce, Home, Footwear, Fashion, Personal and Home Care, Food and Beverage, and Entertainment. The campaign will continue to collaborate with Filipino entrepreneurs and encourage them to continue to improve their products and services and to always aim for Filipino brands to be global brands.

PHmade is a project of Yabang Pinoy, the pioneering Filipino pride movement that started in 2005. As it celebrates its 8th anniversary, the organization includes it among numerous Filipino pride projects, such as the Y.A.B.A.N.G. Camp (Youth Achievers Building A Nation of Greatness Camp), Yabang Pinoy Goes to School, Pinaka-mahabang Todo Patintero, Global Pinoy Bazaar, and many more. In the 8 years that Yabang Pinoy has immersed itself in various nation-building activities, it re-affirms its belief that true progress and development in our country will start once Filipinos begin living a proudly Filipino lifestyle.

Yabang Pinoy invites every Filipino to be part of the PHmade movement. As early as now, save November 10- 11 2012 for the 8th Global Pinoy Bazaar – a showcase of Filipino products made with 100% Filipino Love and Pride.

For more information on Yabang Pinoy, visit www.yabangpinoy.com or email yabangpinoy@gmail.com.

Rock 4 Ages: Midlife Crisis Concert

Rock 4 Ages: Midlife Crisis Concert 
Newport Performing Arts Theater
September 25, 2012
8:00PM

Directed by Freddie Santos
Musical Direction by Kettle Mata and Roy Del Valle
 Special Participation of Michael V. and other surprise guests

For the benefit of MLC UP College of Music Scholars and Kalinga Intramuros
For tickets, please call Ms. Junie at 0922-860-9248

https://www.facebook.com/groups/midlifecrisisph/ 

Top 10 Emerging Influential Blogs 2012 Writing Project

1. www.momforacause.com. This blog evolved from being a child-advocate to being an advocate of other causes such as women and the environment. I am personally looking forward to seeing more posts from this site and witness how the blogger will change lives of her fellow Filipinos through her works and writings.
2. www.allhonestreviews.blogspot.com. I am very impressed on how specific is the niche that this blog chose to focus on. The blog's advocacy is to be the online marketing arm for small and medium businesses, maybe even for the micro-entrepreneurs, who doesn't have much voice in the online world. The blogger chooses unique products and services by small and medium businesses and blogs about them.
3. www.filipinobloggersworldwide.com. The purpose of this blog is to unite the many Filipino bloggers all around the world. I am looking forward to seeing more about this group and the initiatives that will carry out in the future in order to promote camaraderie among Filipino bloggers.
4. www.unsugarcoatedreviews.com. This blog's promise is to become a source of honest and truthful reviews of products and services that cater to the Filipinos. I am looking forward to more of her impartial assessments about different products and services and how she'll be able to successfully differentiate her blog from other review blogs.
5. www.gadgetgambit.com. Gadget Gambit is one of the newest technology blogs in town that features different cool gadgets geeks are crazy about!
6. www.sittiecateslovestories.blogspot.com. SittiCates Loves Stories is a blog about authors and their books. I love reading so I'm voting for this influential blog.
7. www.reginstravels.blogspot.com. Regin's Travels is really cool travel blog by Regin Reyno. This guy had been to Europe and Southeast Asia and what can be more interesting than to read from someone who have reached these places.
8. www.nognoginthecity.com. Nognog In The City is an urban adventure blog. Yes! Adventures also abound in the city. I'm reading this blog because I've always been a city guy and I know that I don't need to go out of town just to have an adventure.
9. www.peanutubo.com. A Pensive Peanut is a must-read for marketing and social media enthusiast like me!
10. www.davaoeagle.com. The first time I went to Davao, I remember its profound sense of beauty and peacefulness. Given a chance, I'll go back there again and bring as many mangosteens with me to Manila. Kudos to this blog!   

Top 10 Emerging Influential Blogs 2012 Writing Project is supported by Tof Salcedo, Philippine data center,  Philippine online shopping, Manila Standard Today, DigitalFilipino Club and Search Profile Index. 

Five People You Meet In A Small Group

The Let Us series of talks at Victory Ortigas emphasized the importance of having a small group who shall act as your spiritual family on Earth as you move along in your walk with God. A single Christian was compared to an ember which needs to be with other embers in order to survive longer through the heat that they can produce altogether.

The series allowed me to realize how blessed I am to be a part of a small group which is very instrumental in my growth as a Christian. Because of my small group I am constantly reminded that God designed us to be in fellowship with others and that it pleases Him to see us praying, singing and carrying out tasks for Him altogether.

Below is a list of the Five People You Meet In A Small Group, inspired by the title of Mitch Albom’s novel “The Five People You Meet in Heaven”. This is also inspired by what Mr. Anthony Pangilinan shared to us during one of his talks that I attended. He said that we should meet quarterly five people who we look up to so that we can learn from them and eventually be like them.

For people who are in a small group, this can be a fun way to spot “who’s who” among you and you can also use this as an opportunity to know more about each other by opening up to the group the roles that each one of you play.

You can also use the list as a springboard to other names/titles that you can come up with to describe the other members of your small group. If you were able to do so, please feel free to share it with us by using the comment box below!

Please download the image above to tag your small group friends on Facebook! Don't forget to share this
to your church-mates too!

1. The Leader is the person that you personally look up to when it comes to his faith in God. You are inspired by the way he lives his life as a Christian and/or by the way he relates to others in the group. You, at some point, would want to emulate his ways.
   Keywords: Inspirational, Role Model, Servant Leader


2. The Teacher is a great sharer of God’s Word. He normally cites biblical verses during discussions and his insights are remarkable and worth listening to. He can be a great pastor.
   Keywords: Bible, Instructor, Pastor, Teacher


3. The Prayer Warrior is the first person you would turn to when you are in need of prayers. He blesses others by the way he prays and is probably the first one to ask for any prayer requests from the group during meetings. He can also be a great source of encouragement.
   Keywords: Encouragement, Prayer 


4. The Confidante is the one who knows most of your innermost thoughts and feelings more than anyone in the group. He can also be your activity partner, best buddy or bestfriend.
   Keywords: Activity Partner, Bestfriend, Buddy, Secret Keeper 


5. The Lil' Bro/Sis is the one you have once reached out to or would want to reach out to give any kind of help such as advice or guidance. You have been or has the potential to be a Leader, Teacher, Prayer Warrior or Confidante to him/her.
   Keywords: Advice, Guidance, Help

Are you interested to be a part of a small group in Victory? Please check out this link.

Stratmark 2012: Marketing Mash Up Speakers Briefing

What will you do if the Philippine Marketing Association sent you an email inviting you to become one of the panelists to the annual Stratmark Conference and speak in front of thousands of college students inside the newly built MOA Arena?

Stratmark 2012 Poster

Courtesy of the Philippine Marketing Association

I don’t know with you but as a young professional with not too many significant achievements in marketing, I thought that the offer was a big grace from God and I accepted it. Who would have thought that after four years, I will be invited to speak in the very conference where I participated as a contestant along with my colleagues from UST. Four years ago, we were part of the Stratmark Marketing Plan Competition and our invited speaker was Jay Conrad Levinson, author of the Guerilla Marketing book. Never in my imagination that four years later I will be doing the same thing that he did in front of us. To God be the glory!



The venue for the Speakers Briefing is in the office of Yahoo! Philippines in BGC. It was the kind office you would like to go to everyday. Clean. Minimalist. It looks good! I was very happy to be sitting inside it with some of the coolest folks from the Philippine Marketing Association during the meeting.

Ms. Arlene Padua of PMA, Mr. Bjorn Pardo of Xend

and Ms. Arlene Amarante of Yahoo! Philippines

being interviewed.

In the Speakers Briefing, we were given a more thorough explanation about this year’s theme which is “Marketing Mash Up: Hybrid for the New Breeds” and also a walkthrough of what is going to happen during the event. We were also given guidelines on how shall we be preparing for our talks.



I shall be talking together with Ms. Janette Toral of DigitalFilipino.com and Ms. Vanj Padilla of Pangalatalk.com. It is such a big honor to be working with these two women. Ms. Janette Toral was our mentor at the Ateneo-DigitalFilipino Certified Blog and Social Media Entrepreneur Program, a digital marketing certification course I and Ms. Vanj took. She was among the first batch who took it while I am the most recent graduate from the third batch. Ms. Janette Toral was the one who referred us to the Philippine Marketing Association to be her co-panelists. Ms. Vanj and I agreed that this one of the great perks of being a CBEP graduate. To know more about the program, please click here.

Ms. Vanj Padilla and I posing in front of the door

of the meeting room named "Presidentiable".

Below is the list of the other invited speakers:

• Mr. Jun Umali, President of Gardenia Bakeries


• Mr. Bjorn Pardo, President of Xend Business Solutions


• Ms. Leah Besa-Jimenez, General Manager of NetBooster Asia


• Mr. Ed Mapa, President of Media Contacts Manila


• Ms. Anubha Sahasrabuddhe, Marketing Director of Coca Cola

Stratmark 2012 shall be held on July 31, 2012, Tuesday, 8:00am – 5:00pm at MOA Arena. The conference is now open to all college students (any course) and professionals.



We were informed that the reservation of tickets is highly encouraged due to its limited availability. Please contact Mr. Richard Anonuevo of the Philippine Marketimg Association at (02) 634-5722, (02) 634-4890 or (02) 638-7700.



Each ticket costs PhP500 inclusive of a lunch meal. Exciting freebies and promos also await the participants.



See you!

On Readiness and WikiChurches

The greatest challenge that I have encountered when I was still starting to build this blog, Passion 4 Jesus. Net, is the concept of “not being ready yet” to share my Christian experience to others. Everytime I think of a new topic to write about, a voice inside of me says that I am “not equipped yet” in sharing the Gospel through my blog.

When I attended the worship service at Victory Ortigas last Sunday, something extraordinary happened.

Last Sunday’s preaching was focused on how Victory Christian Fellowship was founded. I have learned that a man named Steve Murrell along with other missionaries from the United States came to the Philippines during 1984 to share the Gospel especially to the students who are attending classes in colleges and universities within the University Belt or U-Belt. I knew that during those times (1984 to 1986) a lot of rallies were staged to express the opposition of the Filipinos against the dictatorship of Marcos. In the middle of the rallies, imagine a group of American missionaries sharing the Gospel in front of “rallying-mode” students inside the old Tandem Cinema.

When Steve Murrell came to the Philippines as a missionary, he will describe himself as “idealistic” and “unprepared” for what was in store. Perhaps, his whole experience as a missionary in Manila is what became his motivation to write the book WikiChurch. In his book he said that today’s churches should be “WikiChurches” or use Wikipedia’s successful concept that people of all ages, backgrounds, expertise, and cultures (and not just paid experts) contribute. [Source: http://bit.ly/yqvIAe]

WikiChurch by Steve Murrell
[Source: http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com]

He further explained that the Bible didn’t speak about “being ready” in terms of sharing the Gospel to others. Jesus did not necessarily call the “experts” to be his followers but instead he called the common people- the fishermen- and even the “sinners”.

When I became a Christian, it occurred to me as a blogger that one day I can use my knowledge and skills in blogging to share the Gospel to others. In one of the previous worship services at Victory Ortigas even a young pastor said, “If you want God’s best for your life, find out what God is doing in your generation and throw yourself into it." Blogs and other social media sites (e.g. Facebook, Twitter and YouTube) are some of the greatest communication channels ever invented during our time. And clearly, these tools can be used to share the Gospel to others.

This is how I came to the idea of creating Passion 4 Jesus.Net. My goal is to inspire as many young people as I can to be passionate about Jesus.

I couldn’t describe to you the feeling that I felt when I realized that I can actually bless others through blogging for Jesus. I also couldn’t describe to you the experience of being tempted not to continue writing anymore each time I sit in front of my computer to start an article. But I thank God that I can always ask for His grace to keep me going and to rely on faith that it is Himself who is supplying me with the strength and wisdom that I need to share my experiences to others. I realized that when you start getting closer to God, that’s when more temptations come in. Knowing this, the more that I felt more blessed. It gave me the slight nudge that at least I am actually doing something for Jesus and that I am also getting somewhere near Him.

Another line that I will never forget during last Sunday’s worship service goes like, “God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called.”

For me, this nailed the message that Steve Murrell is wishing to impart to everyone through his book. God doesn’t call the “experts”, instead he calls every one of us, even the weakest among us, to share in the building of his kingdom.

Whoever we are and wherever we are in the world, we are welcome to share our Christian experience to others and to encourage others to start their own walk with God.

Just like how Victory puts it, “Honor God. Make disciples.”

To God be the Glory!

Top 5 Reasons to Attend the Ateneo-DigitalFilipino Certified Blog and Social Media Entrepreneur Program

If you are a blogger, writer, social media enthusiast, student or a marketing professional who would like to understand blogging and social media more, you have stumbled upon an article that can help you with this pursuit.



I am a blogger and a marketing professional as well. I started blogging way back in high school (2004-ish) and it is only last 2010 that I discovered that there is more to blogging than what I used to know it for. Bloggers are actually earning through their blogs and a lot of opportunities come their way such as career in social media marketing, special seats in cool events, appearances on TV and many more. These things alongside my passion for writing and marketing compelled me to take blogging really seriously.



A great opportunity knocked last October 2011, when Ms. Janette Toral of DigitalFilipino posted a writing contest online for a chance to win a slot in the Ateneo-DigitalFilipino Certified Blog and Social Media Entrepreneur  Program  (aka CBSME) where she is teaching. Without much thinking, I gathered my thoughts and answered as spontaneous as I can the essay question, “Why do you want to become a Blog and Social Media Entrepreneur”.



I can’t describe to you how much of a blessing from God it felt for me to be singled out from the many by Ms. Janette Toral herself and be chosen to attend the then 9-week intensive digital marketing program with her (now CBSME Program is running for 14 weeks) and with Ms. Fleire Castro of Third Team Media.



Now that I am already done with the program, I’d like to look back to the 9 weeks that I spent learning about blogging and social media marketing which truly helped become the effective marketing professional that I aspired to be. While I was writing this article, I have just recently accepted a social media management position in a young and aggressive creative agency which I think can help me discover more about what I can do in the field of digital marketing.



There had been a lot of offers that came my way. There even was a big advertising agency that called me up for an opportunity to work with them but then I chose to be in a company which I believe can develop the entrepreneurial skills that I already have in me.



If you are a driven and passionate young professional like me who would like to explore this exciting industry, I can say that attending the Ateneo-DigitalFilipino program will undoubtedly equip you with everything that you need to know about digital marketing. Allow me, through this article, give you a walk-through of my Top 5 Reasons to Attend the Ateneo-DigitalFilipino Certified Blog and Social Media Entrepreneur Program.



1. Complete and strong program design. One thing that I am truly proud of for being a graduate of CBSME graduate is that I know that I have just undergone a program that is well-planned and well-designed. The program is complete and strong that you can literally create your own agency after you complete it. The individual modules (it has 3) are also strong by themselves and will suit those who are not really after the certification but only after some specific topics. But if you really wish to become an entrepreneur or a social media executive someday, I strongly suggest that you find a way to attend all the modules. The 3 modules are as follows:

• Blog Launch, Copywriting and Social Media Promotions


• Professional Blogging, Social Media Marketing and Advertising as a Business


• Make Money from Blogging and Social Media as a Service Provider

Take a look at the topics under each of the 3 modules by looking at the image located at the bottom of the page on this link.    



2. Well-esteemed mentors. Being a student of Ms. Janette Toral herself with Ms. Fleire Castro, 2 of the most well-esteemed personalities in the digital marketing industry gave me the assurance that I have chosen the right program to spend my time and energy on in my pursuit of being a digital marketing professional one day. I describe my mentors with words such as committed and generous. They are committed to really helping you become the professional that you want to be and I can attest to this in so many instances even after the program had ended. They are also very generous for they shared to me all their learning and experiences being seasoned digital marketing practitioners that they are. In my 9 weeks of relationship with them as my mentors, I never felt that they held back in supplying me with advice and insights that can help me in completing my projects.



3. Close and supportive mentoring. The benefit of having only 2 mentors all throughout the program is the value of being “watched closely from start to finish” as you grow into becoming a digital marketing professional. Having this kind of relationship with your mentors will give you the assurance that your activities are more closely guided and your progress, more supportively sustained. You have to have a mentor who can focus on you as you learn your way towards becoming a digital marketing professional.



4. Practical application, not just theories. CBSME is not for typical students who only wanted to learn by listening to the teacher, taking some notes and so on and so forth. It is for people who would want to make things happen. I consider the social media campaigns I created under the program as 2 of the most important achievements I have accomplished as a marketing professional. Looking back, all those college-like sleepless nights and hard works were all worth it knowing that my performance was assessed based on what I can actually do and not just on what I know. I created the Intramuros Bloggers Challenge 2012 and Chef Hasset Go Bloggers Night: The Il Mercanti Experience along with the blogs that were the foundations of these campaigns. I can never have the motivation to turn those ideas into real projects if not because of the program.



5. Entrepreneurship not just expertise. Lastly, I believe that what sets CBSME apart from the other digital marketing certification programs out there is its entrepreneurship approach. In the program, I was honed to become an entrepreneur and not just a mere professional. I was trained to be able to stand up on my own and become more innovative and resourceful, rather than just become an employee who shall do what he was ordered to do. In the program, we were trained to think and do. In fact, we can’t pass the module without much thinking and doing for we are evaluated based on our outputs. I truly enjoyed the process of creating an idea and turning it into real campaigns. Being equipped as an entrepreneur is a must in an industry that is constantly innovating and renewing itself. No one can really claim that someone is an expert in social media, for every single day there are new campaigns being created, new applications being launched and new platforms being developed. We can’t just afford to be mere spectators in this “Like” and “Tweet” industry. We have to be leaders. In the program, we can become leaders in our own respect by becoming entrepreneurs or intrapreneurs.



To know more about the program, check out this link.

Keeping The Fire Burning

God gives timely answers.

Saturday night. My event at SMX just ended. I decided to taste the famous Pares that can be found in Retiro in Quezon City. My officemate lives near the site of the famous Pares restaurant so I decided to go with her.

As we get near Sta. Mesa area, I realized that it was a Saturday night and in my phone it just turned a bit past 7:00pm. The youth service at Victory Ortigas had just started. While inside the taxi, I looked around and saw that there appeared a bus in front of us that I used to ride going to Victory Ortigas. I knew just exactly what to do.

Since my officemate knew about my faith, I need not use much words to explain to her that I need to postpone our Pares night for another time. I need to go to the church.

In the middle of the road, with the taxi going to a halt and the stoplight burning scarlet, I jumped out of the taxi and hopped inside the bus that shall take me to Victory Ortigas.

Victory indeed!

Inside the bus, I was contemplating to myself. I was praying to God that may He help me keep this passion for Him alive inside my heart forever. This passion that is so strong that without much thinking I can postpone pre-planned activities and decide to seek for His word.

Once again I was reminded of the same youthful passion that used to intoxicate me way back in high school. I was a typical overachiever during my high school days. I just really love going to school every day. Back then, while most of my classmates are happy during holidays and weekends, I was the saddest person in the planet. I can't help it. I just love being at school! Achieving at school is what wakes me up early in the morning and what makes me sleep late at night too. I just love the life inside the campus! The school was a home to me!

This passion that I am currently feeling right now because of my renewed relationship with Jesus reminds me of how afire I was for school during my younger days. And I just prayed fervently to the Lord to never ever let this fire inside me die down and instead keep it burning, and keep it burning hotter and hotter each day that the person next to me will be able to feel it too! I want to affect others with this fire!

I reached Victory Ortigas. As I entered the service center, the words of the youth pastor blew me away.

The topic was taken from 2 Timothy 1:6-7. It says, “For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.”

Fan into flame the gift of God. Fan into flame the gift of God.Fan into flame the gift of God. The youth pastor was talking about passion for God!

Source: www.christthekingwaco.net

This letter of Paul to Timothy incredibly blew my mind and clearly this was God’s answer to the prayer that I said to Him while I was inside the bus. Right then and there, I just wanted to thank Him for giving me the chance to catch the youth pastor's preaching, though halfway through it I arrived, I was able to catch the main essence of what he was talking about. Passion. Keeping the fire burning. 

As a new Christian, this was a real blessing to me. I couldn’t describe to you how much I felt so blessed by God that Saturday night. I just literally wanted to sing for Him and shout His name filled with gratitude and praise! I wanted to write about it immediately and share it to you just like what I am doing right now through this blog.

I believe that we have an indescribable God. He works in ways that we won’t expect and once we put our trust in Him, we can expect to be amazed by His awesome power from that moment on! If you are a new Christian or a long-time Christian, my prayer for you is to keep your passion for God burning forever. May God keep it ablaze so that you too will be able to cause fires inside the hearts of others. May your passion for God never die away but instead continue to inspire others and affect as many people as you can to do the same!

God bless you!

Jesus In My Generation

The Youth Service at Victory Ortigas is being held
every Friday starting 7:00pm.

I went to the Youth Service of Victory Ortigas (4/F Robinson's Galleria) last Friday. I couldn't miss this service because the energy of the youth is unmatched! Once you started singing with them, you will be unstoppable! (Insert Chris Tomlin's Our God song at the background and sing!)

I prayed that moment that may our loud singing and fervent prayers be worthy enough to be heard by the Almighty Father. I also prayed that He may use my generation in order to form an army who shall win souls for Him and fight for His glory.

The preacher last Friday told us that we are young and we are living in the most exciting part of our lives. He quoted someone who said, "If you want God’s best for your life, find out what God is doing in your generation and throw yourself into it."

Looking at the present time, I believe that God is using three important resources in making Himself known to the world - music (Chris Tomlin and Planetshakers); social media (blogs, Facebook and Twitter); and influential people (Manny Pacquiao and Jeremy Lin).

Words can't describe how grateful is my soul to God for allowing me to use my talents in both music and social media for His glory. When I already have the time, I am planning to audition for the Music Ministry of Victory Ortigas and get ready to sing my heart out for God! (Auditions are held every Wednesday, 5:00-6:00pm.) And as a blogger, I am determined to use my skills in order to spread God's message of love for all of us. This is the reason why I started this blog- to inspire the youth to be passionate about Jesus!

How about you? What special skill or talent can you use to give glory to God?

"Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy." -Psalm 33:3

Chef Hasset Go Bloggers Night: The Press Release

PASIG CITY, Philippines – Chef Hasset Go Bloggers Night: The Il Mercanti Experience was held last May 5, 2012 at Il Mercanti Food Bazaar in Metrowalk. It marked the launching of Chef Hasset Go’s website, www.chefhassetgo.com, in an event attended by bloggers, social media influencers, media, sponsors as well as the friends and family of the young and multi-awarded chef and Sweets Master- Chef Hasset Go.

Chef Nando's famous Paella at Il Mercanti Food Bazaar

The event was opened through a welcome remarks by Ms. Analou de Castro, Marketing Manager of Il Mercanti Food Bazaar. It was followed by a live demo cooking by one of the concessionaires of the food bazaar, Chef Nando of Los Hermanos. He cooked his famous Paella in front of the guests and let each of them have a taste of it after the demo.

The highlight of the whole event is the live demo cooking of Chef Hasset Go, a product of Heny Sison Culinary School and co-owner of MedChef Homemade Cakes and Pastries. He cooked a pasta dish using products courtesy of King Sue and also his bestselling Pastry Tower using ingredients courtesy of Puratos.

Chef Hasset Go's bestselling Pastry Tower
ready to be demolished by
participating bloggers at the
Pastry Tower Demolition Contest

After every dish, the guests were given a chance to taste the final product which is how the event was differentiated from the usual cooking shows on TV. It offered a whole new way of experiencing a live cooking demo show within a new and emerging popular food bazaar in the metropolis.

The live cooking demos were followed by a Cake Fashion Show showcasing the cakes that are to be featured in Chef Hasset Go’s soon-to-be-launched recipe book entitled “Desserts to Go”.

Mark Joseph Delgado of Mediactiv8
being interviewed by ABS-CBN

Upcoming band Boyz Next Door and Tagalog-speaking Japanese singer Aisaku entertained everybody with their songs and punchlines in between the live cooking demos. DJ Churley of 101.9 Tambayan and Ms. Kathy Solis of ABS-CBN hosted the whole event.

The event was finally capped by a message from the organizer, Mark Joseph Delgado of Mediactiv8 Communications, who thanked everybody especially the Lord Almighty, the guest bloggers, the sponsors, the media as well as his friends and family who supported him with his “school” project- a requirement for the last module of his online classes at the Ateneo-DigitalFilipino Blog and Social Media Entrepreneur Program.

To know more about Mediactiv8, please click here.

Chef Hasset Go Bloggers Night: The Il Mercanti Experience is a project of Mediactiv8 Communications as part of the completion of Module 3 requirement at the Ateneo-DigitalFilipino Certified Blog and Social Media Entrepreneur Program. This event was fully supported by Chef Hasset Go of MedChef, DigitalFilipino.com, Il Mercanti Food Bazaar and concessionaires, Federated Distributors, King Sue, The Maya Kitchen, Puratos, Culinary Institute of Cagayan de Oro, Chef's Garb, The Blounge, Mr. Jayson Carlos of GUC, Mr. Jayson and Jamie Sy, Mr. Bert Sy, Mr. Eduardo Nabong of Nabong Property Specialist and Mr. Gary Alan of Gary Alan Media.

Call for Sponsors for Chef Hasset Go Bloggers Night: The Il Mercanti Experience

Chef Hasset Go Bloggers Night: The Il Mercanti Experience is to be held on May 5, 2012 (Saturday) from 7:00pm to 11:00pm at Il Mercanti Food Bazaar (Metrowalk) one of the emerging popular food bazaars in the metropolis.

The event shall be attended by different food and lifestyle bloggers as well as by the different concessionaires of Il Mercanti and their customers. We expect a high volume of food lovers to be present at the food bazaar as it was scheduled on a weekend - Saturday.

We believe that this event will help you immensely in building a stronger presence online as well as offline for your brands. Through this brand activation activity involving bloggers, concessionaires and food lovers, we believe that we will be able to highlight your brands to the perfect captive market.

Below is the list of support requirements as well as the benefits that you will get in supporting this event. Shall you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact Mark Joseph Delgado at +63 917 838 7545 or at hello@chefhassetgo.com.

*We can also send you a formal sponsorship letter. Just send us your full name, company name and email address. Thank you.

SPONSORSHIP PACKAGES

Gold Sponsors (4 Slots)
PhP12,000 worth of cash sponsorship, products to be used during the live demo and Bloggers Kit containing marketing collateral and freebies for 50 bloggers

• Usage of the brand/s during the live demo
• Inclusion of the brand name on the demo recipe + external link to website
• Brand mention on all the blog posts from the participating bloggers + 1 external link to website
• Brand mention on the campaign announcement + 1 external link to website
• Inclusion of brand information on Chef Hasset Go.com’s Suppliers Directory
• 300 x 250 banner ad on Chef Hasset Go.com for 1 month
• Posting of up to 4 banners during the event
• Mention during the event as a Gold Sponsor
• Inclusion of marketing materials (e.g. brochures, freebies, flyers and etc.) on the Bloggers Kit

Silver Sponsors (3 Slots)
Php8,000 worth of cash sponsorship and Bloggers Kit containing marketing collateral and freebies for 50 bloggers

• Brand mention on all the blog posts from the participating bloggers + 1 external link to website
• Brand mention on the campaign announcement + 1 external link to website
• Inclusion of brand information on Chef Hasset Go.com’s Suppliers Directory
• Posting of up to 3 banners during the event
• Mention during the event as a Silver Sponsor
• Inclusion of marketing materials (e.g. brochures, freebies, flyers and etc.) on the Bloggers Kit

Bronze Sponsors (3 Slots)
PhP6,000 worth of cash sponsorship and Bloggers Kit containing marketing collateral and freebies for 50 bloggers

• Brand mention on all the blog posts from the participating bloggers + 1 external link to website
• Brand mention on the campaign announcement + 1 external link to website
• Posting of up to 2 banners during the event
• Mention during the event as a Bronze Sponsor
• Inclusion of marketing materials (e.g. brochures, freebies, flyers and etc.) on the Bloggers Kit

Chef Hasset Go Bloggers Night: The Il Mercanti Experience

Photo by Dessert Strip. Poster by Gian Pisuena. 

Free Recipe: Strawberry Cheesecake Springrolls

Ingredients

1 cup creamcheese, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup crushed graham crackers
1 can/cup strawberry preserves, filling
springroll wrapper / lumpia wrapper
cooking oil for frying
white sugar

Sauce
Prepared strawberry sauce

Procedures

1. Beat the creamcheese. Add powdered sugar. Mix for 10 minutes until creamy and well combined.
2. Fold in crushed grahams.
3. Add strawberry filling. Chill for 3 hours.
4. Scoop a tablespoon of the cheesecake mixture and place it on a springroll wrapper. Wrap and roll. Seal with water or flour-water paste.
5. Heat the oil and deep fry the springrolls.
6. Drain well and roll in sugar or crushed grahams.
7. Top with strawberry filling and dust with powdered sugar.

Free Recipe: White Chocolate Almond Cream Puffs

Choux Pastry

1 cup butter
2 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups all purpose flour
8 pcs eggs

Pastry Cream
4 cups fresh milk
1 cup sugar
4 pcs egg yolks
4 pcs whole eggs
1 cup cornstarch
1 tbsp. vanilla
½ cup butter

Garnish
500 grams white chocolate, melted
toasted almond flakes

Procedures

1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. Choux: Combine first 3 ingredients in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat until it simmer and butter has melted. Add flour at once. Stir very well until it forms like a ball or a dough.
3. Beat using wooden spoon until slightly cooled. Add eggs one at time.
4. Transfer dough in a piping bag or you can just use ice cream scooper. Scoop dough and place it in a cookie sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes until it puffs. Set aside.
5. Pastry Cream: Combine 3 ½ cups of fresh milk and sugar in a saucepan. Let it boil.
6. Meanwhile, you can now dissolve cornstarch in ½ cup milk. Add eggs. Set aside.
7. Once the milk mixture boils pour half of the mixture unto the egg mixture. When the egg mixture has been tempered, you can now bring that mixture back unto the fire and continue cooking until thick. Turn off heat, add butter and vanilla. Let it cool.
8. Assemble: Fill each choux puffs with pastry cream by using piping bags. Dip each puffs unto the melted white chocolate and sprinkle top with almond chips.