Brain Bang

Philippines to buy 200,000 tons of rice from Vietnam

2011-03-11T04:24:00.001+08:00

MB – Wed, Mar 9, 2011 4:26 PM PHT

MANILA, Philippines (Reuters) - Philippine Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said Wednesday that the state-run National Food Authority (NFA) will buy 200,000 tons of rice from Vietnam in a government-to-government deal.

Alcala also said he wanted the tenders for private sector rice import rights to be held this month, with traders allowed to buy up to 660,000 tons of the grain.

The government wants all shipments, including the NFA purchases, to arrive from late May and into June.

"It will be a government-to-government deal. Vietnam has actually given us guarantee that they can supply our requirements," Alcala told reporters.

He said private traders can also buy the entire 660,000 tonnes from Vietnam.

"The private sector will be allowed to negotiate for their own purchases, but will not be obliged to buy solely from Vietnam. They can buy from other exporters if they can negotiate for a cheaper price," Alcala said.

The Philippines has an existing rice supply agreement with Vietnam, which was extended to 2013.

A trader in Ho Chi Minh City said: "It means they (the Philippines) also have rice shortage, unlike before when it seemed they were slow in their purchase."

The Philippines' latest demand, coupled with a planned Bangladeshi purchase of 200,000 tons of Vietnamese rice, is small compared with Vietnam's output available for export from its current harvest of 3 million tons of milled rice.

But once the deals are finalized, these could help halt a fall on domestic and export prices in Vietnam, the world's second-largest exporter of the grain after Thailand.

The Philippines has approved rice imports of 1.3 million tons for 2011 but has indicated it wanted to limit shipments to about two-thirds of that, relinquishing its position in recent years as the world's biggest buyer of rice.

For 2010, Manila imported a record 2.45 million tons.

"We approved an import volume of 1.3 million tons to consider emergency purchases if we don't meet our production targets," Alcala said.

The government wants the private sector to take over the country's rice purchases to reduce the NFA's financial burden.

Such purchases are tariff-free, with the traders instead paying a service fee to the NFA for bringing in rice.

Source:http://beta.ph.news.yahoo.com/philippines-buy-200-000-tons-rice-vietnam-20110309-002636-106.html

Manual on Election Campaign Management Now Available

2009-05-04T19:05:00.001+08:00

For those who are running in the 2010 elections, nothing beats ample preparation and precise implementation.

Eero Brillantes is author of the election manual “Election Game Changer: Strategy, Deployment, Victory”.

A winning campaign strategist and public relations specialist, Brillantes was instrumental in the victories of national and local candidates in 2007. These included a senator, several congressmen, and various local candidates.

The manual covers important topics including chapters on Rules of Engagement, Disposition of Forces, and Composing the Strategy Canvas. It also includes a workshop guide to facilitate actual campaign planning. Case studies on campaigns successfully handled by the author and an analysis of the Barack Obama presidential campaign are likewise included.

Senator Alan Peter Cayetano and Political Communications guru Greg Garcia provided the foreword for the book.

Brillantes says that the challenge for 2010 is to find the winning formula in a playing field wherein traditional campaigns are being implemented by all.

The challenge for candidates for the next elections and beyond is to sharpen methodologies on campaign management and look for that competitive edge. Campaigns must deliver the end result and that is to win. But this is easier said than done. Victory means looking at the election exercise as a methodological step by step process. Voter registration and profiling is as important as generating and protecting the votes. It also means knowing where to essentially allocate money and people to be efficient and effective. It has become a science whether the position up for grabs is local or national.

For those who are interested in getting a copy of the manual and avail of election campaign management expertise, please get in touch with Mr. Brillantes at 09276702831, 09182974803 or email at ebrillantes@mindbullet.org and mindbullet45@gmail.com.

About the Author
Eero took up his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Organizational Communication at the University of the Philippines (UP). He pursued his Masters Program at the Asian Institute of Journalism and Communication (AIJC). His experience spans 18 years as communications specialist for various non-profits and government agencies.

On the political front, he provides media relations work and strategy to a Senator, three district congressmen, four incumbent party list groups, and spokespersons of two political parties.

Eero is the chief nurturer of Mind Bullet Inc., a marketing and public relations company. He handles account management and oversees the strategic activities at the office. He is the resident wordsmith of Mind Bullet.

Articles on How Precinct Count Optical Scans Are Hacked and Used for Election Cheating

2009-03-05T01:38:00.007+08:00

The budget for election automation has been passed. It is at a whooping 11 billion pesos. Now the reality check. The technology being eyed, the Precinct Count Optical Scan has been widely criticized as easily hackable. Below are some internet sources which tells of compelling reasons on how cheating is done with this technology.

There must be a reason for the last minute passage of the supplemental budget. It might be part of the script to stall then fastbreak the passage at the end of the congress session. So that there would be no more questions. One thing is for sure. The system being put up will provide so much advantage to those who will gain access to the counting machines before actual counting. The key is a cheating software embedded in the memory chip which self destructs after the counting is done. No traces whatsoever and the tally balances out with the actual ballots scanned. Definitely not fiction as the internet articles would show. We are fucked.

Eero

1. " Al Franken's Razor-Thin MN Senate Race Counted on Flawed Optical-Scan Systems "

2. Hacking Democracy

3. Security Analysis of the Diebold AccuVote-TS Voting Machine

4. NJ Voting-machine trial update

5. Florida Plan Gives Citizens Real Paper Ballots

6. Insecurities and Inaccuracies of the Sequoia AVC Advantage 9.00H DRE Voting Machine

2009-02-25T17:34:00.000+08:00

http://www.gmanews.tv/story/150212/Minority-bloc-eyes-own-fertilizer-scam-report

Minority bloc eyes own fertilizer scam report. www.gmanews.tv

MANILA, Philippines - The minority bloc in the Senate is set to come up with its own report on the multimillion fertilizer fund scam following the blue ribbon’s findings exonerating President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo from the said anomaly.

“We are preparing the minority report kung saan makikita na napakarami pang leads, witnesses na puwede pang ipatawag including the other contractors and suppliers and local government officials,” Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano said Tuesday.

[“We are preparing the minority report wherein we’ll show that there are still leads to follow and witnesses to summon including other contractors and suppliers and local government officials.”]

“Though we empathize with the blue ribbon committee, the keyword is not submitting the whole report but exhausting all leads,” Cayetano added.

Cayetano described the blue ribbon report, which was signed by 12 senators, as "hinog sa pilit (raw)" after it found no direct evidence linking President Arroyo to the P728-million scam.

“This is premature to say that there is no evidence against President Arroyo,” Cayetano said.

The blue ribbon report, which was released Monday, recommended the filing of a string of charges including plunder against former Agriculture Undersecretary Jocelyn “Joc-joc” Bolante and several other individuals.

Bolante was the alleged mastermind of the scam wherein some P728 million worth of fertilizer funds intended for poor farmers were allegedly diverted to President Arroyo’s campaign kitty in the 2004 elections.

Blue ribbon committee chairman Sen. Richard Gordon admitted that President Arroyo, by an act of omission, committed the same crimes of her underlings but said his committee did not find sufficient evidence that would directly link her to the anomaly.

Gordon said President Arroyo is liable under the "doctrine of qualified political agency," which provides that all executive and administrative organizations are adjuncts of the executive department.

Gordon made the recommendation as he formally submitted the panel’s 130-page preliminary report after eight public hearings.

Cayetano said Gordon’s panel should have invited to the hearing former Budget Secretary Emilia Boncodin who was then responsible for releasing the fund.

He also said the report “diverted” from the original purpose of the investigation, which is to find out if the money was used by the Arroyo administration to its campaign kitty during the 2004 elections.

“I’m saying that it (report) was rushed, and it doesn’t give justice to the intent of the investigations which is to find out the whole truth,” Cayetano said. - GMANews.TV

Election Game Changer out soon

2009-02-25T14:31:00.006+08:00

Finally. Hopefully by the time I become 40 years old on March 15, 2009, my book "Election Game Changer" will be published and made available to the public. Its my way of celebrating 4 decades here on earth.

As an added service, I will be available for speaking engagements, lectures, and orientation seminars on how to implement the book. I invite those running in 2010 to touch base and see what we can do to get you elected. You can email me at mindbullet45@gmail.com.

Eero

Selected Philippine online media sources

2009-02-22T22:21:00.002+08:00

I do daily media scanning and news analysis. Simply put I track relevant issues so that I can provide risk assessment, competitive intelligence, and early warning to clients. The following are my staple of on-line media sources.

1. www.inquirer.net
2. www.abs-cbnnews.com
3. www.gmanews.tv
4. www.sunstar.com.ph
5. www.dzmm.com.ph
6. www.pcij.org
7. www.newsbreak.com.ph

You might want to add these to your list.

Eero

Create your own social network online.

2009-02-22T21:59:00.004+08:00

If you would want to develop your own social network to loop in friends, visit www.ning.com. Its a free online service for you to have your own friendster of facebook type portal. Its cool.

Another great online social networking tool is twitter. It is a simple on line program that makes you keep track of friends and them keeping track of you on a daily basis. Its located at www.twitter.com. You just post "what are you doing?" and you get posts from friends in return. Its cool too.

Check these sites out.

Eero

Brainbang election 2010 series 3

2009-02-22T21:55:00.001+08:00

Why Senator Ping Lacson should just shut up
AS I WRECK THIS CHAIR By William M. Esposo
The Philippine Star 2009-02-15

That headline is correct. If there is anyone who should shut up and stop commenting on the farcical manner the February 11 Senate hearing (on the World Bank Report on contract rigging) was conducted, it is none other than Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson.

But why, you might ask, should Sen. Lacson shut up and stop commenting on that controversial hearing on the World Bank (WB) Report when he has been the most aggressive Senator in identifying the people behind the alleged contract rigging?

You might also ask: was it not Sen. Lacson who named First Gentleman Mike Arroyo as the alleged central figure in the WB contract rigging? Was it not Sen. Lacson who also dragged other politicians like former Representative Prospero Pichay et al to the WB contract rigging mess?

Well, it is precisely for those reasons why your Chair Wrecker thinks that Sen. Ping Lacson should now stop commenting on this whitewash issue and just shut up. Simply put, Lacson lost the moral high ground to speak out on that farce of a hearing when he left it last Thursday just to attend to another appointment.

Just what “other appointment” could be more important for Sen. Lacson that he has to leave the Senate WB hearing where he was instrumental in identifying the alleged bid manipulators? His Senate job is more important than any other appointment and that includes a possible appointment with a urologist in case he is now showing signs of erectile dysfunction.

Don’t you agree that what Sen. Lacson did is no different from grabbing the basketball during a crucial point of a ball game — then, all of a sudden, hand it over to the opposing team? He took a lead role in pressing for this investigation and just when the accused were gathered, he takes a French leave.

After what he has exposed, after identifying the alleged culprits — Sen. Lacson cannot justify leaving that hearing for another appointment.

That bizarre departure of Sen. Lacson from last Thursday’s hearing raises suspicions because he knows that the new Senate President that he was instrumental in installing — Senator Juan Ponce-Enrile — is a staunch defender of the administration. Lacson also knows that the Committee Chairperson, Sen. Miriam D. Santiago, is another administration defender.

True to form, both Senators Enrile and Santiago managed to maneuver the hearing and make the WB the villain instead of the heroic whistleblower. Did Sen. Lacson expect Senators Enrile and Santiago to perform otherwise? Has Sen. Lacson forgotten how they tried to do the same to the other whistleblowers who testified against the evil regime in previous Senate hearings?

Didn’t the “Top Cop” that Sen. Lacson has been touted to be sense the direction that the hearing will take with the actuations and pronouncements of Senators Enrile and Santiago days before the hearing? Many people, none of them with “Top Cop” credentials, sensed that a whitewash was in the works after Senators Enrile and Santiago extended super leniency to Mike Arroyo, announcing that they will not compel him to appear in the hearing.

A lot of people who expected Lacson to carry the ball and frustrate the administration plot to clear the suspected WB contract riggers were shocked when he left the hearing. Many of them asked this Chair Wrecker for an explanation.

One of them wondered if Sen. Lacson was afraid of being confronted by Prospero Pichay and the others who he linked to the WB contract rigging scandal. Another wondered if Sen. Lacson is already working undercover for the administration — citing surprise why Lacson was also siding with Enrile and Santiago in not compelling Mike Arroyo to attend the hearing.

Another person said that Lacson is under the gun because of the Senator’s pending case in the Supreme Court and that this could be the reason why the “Top Cop” has been playing the administration line. This same person added that Lacson surprisingly sponsored the confirmation in the Commission on Appointments (CA) of controversial Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez who was rejected by the CA in the past.

Sen. Lacson had the gall and the temerity to denounce the Thursday WB hearing — saying that it followed a carefully crafted script. Of course, it was a script. The editors and Op-Ed writers of the STAR agreed that it was a script. So too did many of the editors and writers of the other media.

Santiago’s theatrical antics, Enrile’s issuance of a subpoena to the WB country director, Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez’s admission (but only towards the end) that the WB did provide a thick file, the testimony of Mike Arroyo’s doctor that, in effect, the First Gentleman is fit for travel and golf but not to testify or clear his name, the letter of Mike Arroyo that his lawyer Ruy Rondain read — all that reeked of a scripted program that even the three government TV networks (that never covered a Senate hearing before) suddenly aired live.

But didn’t Sen. Lacson play a lead role in that script by leaving the hearing and abrogating his task of pressing the issues? Sen. Lacson could have put Senators Enrile and Santiago in a bind by protesting the attempt to whitewash the case and make the WB the villain.

He could have demanded for more time by saying that he was the only one who was conducting a real investigation. Santiago would have been hard pressed to deny giving Senator Lacson more time to question the accused.

When he left the hearing, didn’t Sen. Lacson provide the wide space and elbow room for the pro-administration Senators to reverse the role of accuser and accused? Didn’t Sen. Lacson’s departure constitute the equivalent of a prosecuting attorney leaving the courtroom to allow the defense lawyer to press the defense arguments unopposed?

Many would be inclined to call that deceit or hypocrisy.

Brainbang election 2010 series 2

2009-02-22T21:52:00.000+08:00

The Senate President that Ping Lacson et al created
AS I WRECK THIS CHAIR By William M. Esposo
The Philippine Star 2009-02-10

Under normal circumstances, Senator Juan Ponce-Enrile (otherwise known as JPE) would not have been elected Senate President. Other than the expected support of Senator Gringo Honasan, the other Senators were lukewarm to the idea of a JPE Senate Presidency.

However, because Senators Panfilo Lacson, Mar Roxas, Loren Legarda and Jamby Madrigal were so fixated on removing former Senate President Manny Villar as the third in the line of presidential succession, JPE became Senate President.

Senators Lacson, Roxas, Legarda and Madrigal — all claiming to be Opposition members — were willing to install one of the biggest supporters of the Arroyo regime as Senate President just so that they can erode the presidential bid of Manny Villar. This is the bane of selfish, narrow minded Philippine politics that has stunted the development of this country.

Lacson, Roxas and Legarda have a moist eye on the 2010 presidency while Madrigal is said to be positioning as the vice presidential running mate of Panfilo Lacson.

Upon his election as Senate President, JPE expressed full support for the agenda of the four who manipulated his freak ascendancy. It was freak ascendancy because clearly the administration senators were outnumbered by the Opposition senators. JPE even mimicked the Opposition mantra of “NO to Charter Change via Constituent Assembly.”

Well, last week JPE has changed his tune. Right after a compliant House of Representatives railroaded a Charter change bill, Juan Ponce-Enrile announced that he was open to Charter change pegged on instituting economic reforms.

Are we surprised that Enrile did that? Was he not the same man who turned his back on Ferdinand Marcos, the political patron that brought JPE into the national political stage? Didn’t JPE also turn his back on Cory Aquino after he helped her remove Marcos? Didn’t JPE incite that May 1, 2001 crowd that assaulted Malacañang Palace — only to later join the very Malacañang Palace occupant they wanted to remove?

From leading a solid Senate rejection of Charter change just a few weeks ago, how can Juan Ponce-Enrile now take the position that he is open to Charter change pegged strictly on economic reforms?

Representative Victor Ortega, chair of the Congress committee that passed the Charter change bill for floor deliberations, was clear that once passed the bill cannot guarantee that term limits (extensions) will not be touched when the process gets underway. Is Juan Ponce-Enrile suggesting that a supposed legal eagle like him is unaware of this reality?

Last Sunday, the STAR carried a story written by Aurea Calica that narrated how JPE blew his top when an unidentified radio listener responded to his new Charter change position via text message. JPE was being interviewed over radio station DWIZ when the program host, Cely Ortega-Bueno, read the text message to him.

Enrile reportedly slammed the texter: “My question to the texter is this — so what is your answer to the current problems of the country? What? What is your plan? So what do you advise us to do, huh? I am asking you.”

Enrile added: “If he (texter) wants he can come out and we can debate about this in front of the public, whatever he plans to do.”

“Are we just going to neglect the people who lost their jobs? Are we just going to neglect the families who are hungry? That is foolishness. Tell him he is stupid.” JPE said.

It is typical of our politicians to wave the “love for the people” flag when actually attempting to pull a fast one on unwitting Filipinos. Ferdinand Marcos, Joseph Estrada, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo — they all claimed to love and care for us. But look at where they all got us.

These three have been the most destructive presidencies to infect our land and it is no coincidence that Juan Ponce-Enrile happened to be a staunch supporter of the three at different times in his career. Marcos created the political foundation for future abuse of power and suppression of democracy. Estrada worsened the effects of the Asia Currency Crisis with his mismanagement. Madame Arroyo is just about the sum of Marcos and Estrada and then some.

JPE is peddling fallacies when he proposes to alleviate poverty and lost jobs with Charter change. The present Constitution provides the framework for spurring economic progress but fails to deliver economic benefits because of the politicians who control and manipulate the system.

The truth is this: It is political reform and not economic reform that will improve the lives of many Filipinos. What our country needs is real democracy but can we expect the oligarchy that rules this country to institute the very reform that will eliminate their monopoly on power?

This promise of attracting foreign investors when we open land ownership to aliens and foreign companies is an illusion. China and Vietnam do not allow foreigners to own land in their country but they lead in attracting foreign investments.

Foreign investors have not asked to be allowed to buy land here. What turns them off is the corruption, the unpredictable judiciary, the predators in all branches of government and so forth.

Clearly, it is the type of politicians that needs changing and not the Constitution.

The problem Senate President Juan Ponce-Enrile is political. It has always been political. And we do not trust you and your ilk to usher in the era of political reform in this country which is why we Filipinos are wary of people like you when you mouth economic reform.

Brainbang election 2010 series 1

2009-02-22T21:46:00.000+08:00

You might unknowingly vote for a GMA 'clone' in 2010
AS I WRECK THIS CHAIR By William M. Esposo
The Philippine Star 2009-01-29

The support for Madame Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (GMA) fluctuates from survey to survey between the low 20% to the last high of 29% in the SWS net satisfaction ratings released last December. Over 70% of Filipinos either rejected GMA or were wary of her in that last survey.

However, because of the multi-party system that is now in place, we have been getting a spate of presidents elected by a plurality. Unfortunately, we don’t have runoff elections to ensure that the winner is elected with a majority vote.

Even Joseph “Erap” Estrada who was considered to have been popularly elected in 1998 could only muster 38% of the total votes cast. Fidel V. Ramos was elected president with only 22% of the votes cast in 1992. In 2004, many of us even doubt that GMA really got the winning plurality.

It cannot be ruled out that, despite remaining extremely unpopular, GMA still has a good chance that her ‘clone’ could end up winning the 2010 presidential elections. Five Opposition presidential candidates running against one administration candidate could easily result in an administration victory — even without cheating.

The 70% anti-GMA voters divided by five Opposition candidates will average to a mere 14%. The average 25% pro-GMA voters will still win. Easily, there are Manny Villar, Mar Roxas, Loren Legarda, Panfilo Lacson, Joseph Estrada, Chiz Escudero and Jojo Binay from among the Opposition who are eyeing the 2010 presidency.

In fact, even if the Opposition miraculously manages to rally around one presidential candidate, people may not know it that the Opposition candidate could be a GMA ‘clone’ in sheep’s clothing! This Chair Wrecker thinks that there is one such ‘Opposition’ presidential candidate who perfectly fits the bill — Loren Legarda.

Why does this Chair Wrecker think that Senator Loren Legarda has the makings of a perfect GMA ‘clone’? Let me assure you that the coincidence that both Loren Legarda and GMA are women has not even been factored in that assessment.

First of all, let’s set the parameters for seeing a 2010 presidential candidate as a potential GMA ‘clone’. Won’t you agree with this Chair Wrecker that a person’s character and values form the best gauge for determining that?

Our actions are determined and influenced the most by our character and values. Compare, for instance, the character and values of Cory Aquino and GMA. Is it any wonder therefore that Cory Aquino spent her entire term stabilizing and preserving the institutions of our democracy while GMA spent hers eroding and destabilizing these democratic institutions?

Now what exactly has Loren shown us to be perceived by your Chair Wrecker as a potential GMA ‘clone’? Allow me please to explain.

A good gauge of character and a person’s values is that person’s loyalty to a cause. How do GMA and Loren rate in that department?

From LDP when GMA ran in 1995, she has since raised the political banner of Kampi and Lakas in 1998, the People Power Coalition in the 2001 elections, K4 in 2004 and Team Unity in 2007.

Who were with GMA when she came to power in 2001 and how many of those are still with her? She owed her ascendancy in 2001 to the civil society groups who clamored for REFORM AND JUSTICE. Well, did we get reform and justice?

Loren Legarda was with Lakas and actively prosecuted Joseph Estrada during his impeachment hearing in the Senate. She even did the ‘crying lady’ bit when the pro-Estrada Senators killed the opening of the Jose Velarde envelop.

From Lakas, she jumped to the Estrada-associated Opposition and ran as Fernando Poe’s Vice President in 2004. To do that, she had to eat humble pie and eat her own words. Loren renounced her role as an EDSA II player in order to be accepted by the Estrada forces and have a shot at being Fernando Poe’s Vice President.

After having lost the 2004 elections for Vice President to Noli de Castro and after winning in the 2007 midterm elections as an Opposition candidate, she did another GMA ‘jump ship’ stunt and joined the NPC (Nationalist People’s Coalition) of Danding Cojuangco — a no ifs and buts GMA supporter.

In the recent Senate coup, Loren Legarda was among the four chief plotters from the Opposition bloc (Panfilo Lacson, Mar Roxas and Jamby Madrigal are the other three) who allowed an administration man — Senator Juan Ponce Enrile — to sit as Senate President. The coup plotters did this in order to unseat Manny Villar who leads in the 2010 presidential polls.

Are you surprised that when Cory Aquino made that ill-timed joke last December 22, Loren Legarda was quick to support the so-called apology to Estrada whose endorsement she seeks in 2010?

Legarda was quoted as saying that Aquino did the right thing. “There is nothing wrong in saying sorry. In fact it shows your humility, it shows your humanity,” she added.

GMA and Loren, Loren and GMA — tell me just what exactly the difference is! Is it not obvious that they share the same values? I called the years of GMA in Malacañang Palace as the era of Harlot Politics, the era when allies and causes were scandalously traded for political gain. Tell me why we should not extend the era of Harlot Politics if and when Loren Legarda occupies Malacañang Palace?

If you were driven to cynicism by GMA, just why will you think that Loren will bring you and our country any hope?

HOW TO TARGET FILIPINO AMERICAN VOTERS TO GO OBAMA-BIDEN

2009-02-22T21:25:00.002+08:00

In the recent electoral exercise in the US, I became a member of the my.obama.com social network. I posted the following piece and would want to share it with readers of this blog.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Eero Brillantes www.mindbullet.org www.brainbang-mindbullet.blogspot.com

First and foremost is to understand America from the point of view of immigrant Filipinos. A lot of the immigrants entered the United States and worked 2 to 3 jobs. The impetus for this is a zealous commitment to succeed and help relatives at home. Usually, when these folks go home to the Philippines, they try to project themselves as success stories despite the hardships experienced in the US. There has to be a real affirmation on the part of the Democratic Party and its standard bearers OBama and Bidden that FILAMS are a positive economic and political force. In other words, a pat on the back and showing that the Democratic Party cares in specific and not in superficial terms would endear the immigrants. Moreso, since majority of FILAM immigrants are Catholic, they frame their life experiences as part of their journey towards physical and spiritual salvation. For them, the United States represents the promised land and salvation and deliverance from the hardships of their lives in the Philippines.

Second is to leverage the value system of immigrants in targeting succeeding generations of FILAMS. Succeeding generations of FILAMS, or those who are born in the U.S. are already acclimatized along American values and for all intent and purposes are mainstream Americans already. The core message for succeeding generations of FILAMS is that the Democratic Party by and large is the political party cognizant of the immense contribution of immigrants to the country’s wealth and power. Emphasis is to be given on a long track record of making sure that immigrants benefit from a strong educational, health care, and welfare system that empowers FILAMS to be productive citizens.

Third is to send a clear message of doing concrete steps for the betterment of Philippines. The Veterans bill is a start, although it is not as compelling as it was once before. Simply put, a lot of the veterans of world war 2 have died and the base of support is dwindling. A more compelling argument for the Obama-Bidden ticket is to help bring actual peace to the Philippines, a strong commitment parallel to what they are espousing in the Middle East, Africa, and Europe. There must also be a strong push to empower the Armed Forces of the Philippines. An increase in Aid and Investments with an end in view of having a strong economic and development alliance between the two countries envied by others in the region must be put forth. Nothing excites FILAMS more than seeing the motherland again becoming a strong political, economic, and military ally of the US. The operative word is “Decisiveness”. FILAMS needs to feel that the Philippines is at the center of the South East Asia or even the Asian stage as a major power. In other words, the Philippines must be part of the Obama-Bidden dinner table.

Fourth is to appeal to the Filipinos in the Philippines to ask their relatives in the States to vote Obama-Biden. Nothing beats direct appeal to the locals in the Philippines to endorse an Obama-Biden ticket to the ones in the States. The strong ties that bind Filipinos across the continents is the very foundation of support that moves the diaspora forward. Information Technology like text messaging, phone calls, e-mails, would be the main driver of communication. Folks from both countries are now conversing everyday through text and email. The use of media outlets in the Philippines to place ads on what the Obama-Biden ticket will do for the Philippines and FILAMS and an appeal to locals to get in touch with their loved ones in the States is a powerful methodology. There are media outlets in the Philippines and in the States which specifically reach the FILAM audience. The operative word for this methodology is “personalize”. The Obama-Biden ticket must be part of the FILAM dinner table. On a practical note, US citizens in the Philippines, numbering around 200,000 still have to see the Democratic Party reaching out to them.

In a closely contested match between the Republicans and Democrats for the white house, the need for personalized micro-targeting will have a big sway on the turnout. Florida, California, and Nevada, all swing states, all with a sprawling mass of FILAMS.

A GUIDE TO PUBLIC RELATIONS

2008-10-09T10:31:00.001+08:00

What is public relations?

Public relations is a group of activities aimed at influencing people's attitudes about your community or attraction with the ultimate goal of getting them to vacation there.

Public relations is one "tool" in the marketing toolbox that you can use to promote yourself as a vacation destination. Advertising is another marketing tool, perhaps the best known one. A key difference between the two is that advertising is paying the media to run your message and public relations is providing your unpaid message to the media without control over it and how they run it. You must rely on the creativity and value of the information you are presenting to get the media to carry your message to the public. Successful public relations creates an extremely credible third-party endorsement.

In this section of the workbook, we'll review tips and techniques for successful public relations, including how to write a good news release, how to "pitch" information about your community or attraction to the media, and how to develop and maintain relationships with reporters. We'll also cover how to develop a public relations plan and how to use public relations in the management of a crisis or specific issue. .

read more...

Mindbullet's creative graphic artist named finalist in Toyota Art Edge Competition

2008-10-04T13:44:00.003+08:00

Mindbullet's creative artist Achilleus Coronel and his entry Vitruvian Maiden is selected as one of the Top 20 Finalist in the Toyota Art Edge Digital Art Competition. Close to 500 entries from amateur and professional graphic artists in the country joined this event in celebration of Toyota's 20th Anniversary in the Philippines.

Blogs Will Change Your Business

2008-09-29T11:36:00.001+08:00

Look past the yakkers, hobbyists, and political mobs. Your customers and rivals are figuring blogs out. Our advice: Catch up...or catch you later...

read more...

Traditional PR Still Remains Strong

2008-09-22T10:01:00.004+08:00

Even in the wake of online media, some fundamentals hold fast.

by Steve Simon
SSPR Public Relations

About a year ago, numerous blogs were discussing the ostensible "death" of traditional PR. The dialogue centered on the idea that the competition and pressure of online media technology, like blogs, pod casts and RSS feeds, was slowly rendering this kind of PR obsolete.

read more...

excerpt from 13 Ways to Use Your Blog to Improve Your Sales Process

2008-09-17T16:39:00.000+08:00

The numbers don't lie. But, here's some antecdotal evidence and examples of how I have used blogs to move my sales process along.

1. Subscribers Sell Themselves.

Sometimes, by the time I talk to one of our blog subscribers, they know what they want, know why they need it and know that HubSpot provides it. They are ready to buy. These people have typically struggled for some time trying to figure all this stuff out on their own, they've paid expensive consultants to do it for them; and/or they've struggled hobbling together a bunch of expensive solutions to accomplish the same thing HubSpot provides in one integrated marketing platform. These educated buyers have spent their time reading through the HubSpot website, reading and commenting on our blog posts, attending our internet marketing webinars, downloading our internet marketing kit and reading our online marketing case studies. Then, they usually request an internet marketing review of their website.

Targeting Filipino-Americans to go Obama-Biden

2008-09-09T13:48:00.001+08:00

Understanding the election mindset of Filipino Americans, thoughts for the Obama-Biden Ticket.

As the US presidential elections enter fever pitch, let me share some thoughts on how to target the four million Filipino-American (FILAM) voters.
Apart from the usual demographic profiling of this voting constituency, there needs to be a concrete grounding on deeply rooted Filipino psychology and how it plays into the electoral arena.

First and foremost is to understand America from the point of view of immigrant Filipinos.
A lot of the immigrants entered the United States and worked 2 to 3 jobs. The impetus for this is a zealous commitment to succeed and help relatives at home. Usually, when these folks go home to the Philippines, they try to project themselves as success stories despite the hardships experienced in the US. There has to be a real affirmation on the part of the Democratic Party and its standard bearers OBama and Bidden that FILAMS are a positive economic and political force. In other words, a pat on the back and showing that the Democratic Party cares in specific and not in superficial terms would endear the immigrants. Moreso, since majority of FILAM immigrants are Catholic, they frame their life experiences as part of their journey towards physical and spiritual salvation. For them, the United States represents the promised land and salvation and deliverance of the hardships of their lives in the Philippines.

Second is to leverage the value system of immigrants in targeting succeeding generations of FILAMS. Succeeding generations of FILAMS, or those who are born in the U.S. are already acclimatized along American values and for all intent and purposes are mainstream Americans already. The core message for succeeding generations of FILAMS is that the Democratic Party by and large is the political party cognizant of the immense contribution of immigrants to the country’s wealth and power. Emphasis is to be given on a long track record of making sure that immigrants benefit from a strong educational, health care, and welfare system that empowers FILAMS to be productive citizens.

Third is to send a clear message of doing concrete steps for the betterment of Philippines.
The Veterans bill is a start, although it is not as compelling as it was once before. Simply put, a lot of the veterans of world war 2 have died and the base of support is dwindling. A more compelling argument for the Obama-Bidden ticket is to help bring actual peace to the Philippines, a strong commitment parallel to what it is doing to the Middle East, Africa, and Europe. There must also be a strong push to empower the Armed Forces of the Philippines. An increase in Aid and Investments with an end in view of having a strong economic and development alliance between the two countries envied by others in the region but be put forth. Nothing excites FILAMS more than seeing the motherland again becoming a strong political, economic, and military ally of the US. The operative word is “Decisiveness”. FILAMS needs to feel that the Philippines is at the center of the South East Asia or even the Asian stage as a major power. In other words, the Philippines must be part of the Obama-Bidden dinner table.

Fourth is to appeal to the Filipinos in the Philippines to ask their relatives in the States to vote Obama-Biden.
Nothing beats direct appeal to the locals in the Philippines to endorse an Obama-Bidden ticket to the ones in the States. The strong ties that bind Filipinos across the continents is the very foundation of support that moves the diaspora forward. Information Technology like text messaging, phone calls, e-mails, would be the main driver of communication. Folks from both countries are now conversing everyday through text and email. The use of media outlets in the Philippines to place ads on what the Obama-Biden ticket will do for the Philippines and FILAMS and an appeal to locals to get in touch with their loved ones in the States is a compelling methodology. There are media outlets in the Philippines and in the States which specifically reach the FILAM audience. The operative word for this methodology is “personalize”. The Obama-Biden ticket must be part of the FILAM dinner table. On a practical note, US citizens in the Philippines, numbering around 200,000 still has to see the Democratic Party reaching out to them.

In a closely contested match between the Republicans and Democrats for the white house, the need for personalized micro-targeting will have a big sway on the turnout. Florida, California, and Nevada, all swing states, all with a sprawling mass of FILAMS.

Eero Brillantes
www.mindbullet.org
www.brainbang-mindbullet.blogspot.com

UP Mass Comm holds alumni homecoming on September 27

2008-08-30T09:07:00.000+08:00

Are you a graduate of the University of the Philippines College of Mass Communication (CMC)?

Do you want to make money from (or just simply share) your old memorabilia? Do you want to hook up with old friends? Do you intend to know the answer to bugging questions like who among your classmates still loves you after all these years?

The UP CMC will hold a grand alumni homecoming titled

UP Mass Comm and You: Photographs and Memories atbp.

on September 27 (Saturday), 1 p.m. at the CMC Plaridel Hall in Diliman, Quezon City.

Special prizes await those who will bring interesting CMC memorabilia like old class cards, papers and blue books of CMC courses taken, as well as Form 5s, graded papers, course syllabus, student ID and library borrower’s card, among others.

There will also be a variety program showcasing the talent of CMC students and alumni.

If you want to bring back memories of your academic pursuits in the college (as well as ensure that your secrets will remain hidden!), the CMC will be selling to you for P1,000 your “student record jacket” consisting of your form 5s (admin copy), dropping slips, requests for reconsideration and other documents related to your stay of four years (or more) in the college. Please note that you can only buy your own student record jacket, not your classmates’.

The college will also have an exhibition area for any collection of objects you may want to share.

For details, please contact Dr. Arminda V. Santiago at (632) 920-6867 / (632) 920-6863 or Ms. Katkat Ramos / Ms. Chrissie Macaraig of UP CMC at (632) 920-6864 or email upmasscom@gmail.com / staff_upcmcfoundation@yahoo.com

ELECTION OPS E-BOOK

2008-08-19T12:25:00.002+08:00

Preparing for Elections: Analyzing the Disposition of Forces in Election Campaigns by Eero Rosini P. Brillantes is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Philippines License.

ELECTION OPS E-BOOK-excerpt - Upload a Document to Scribd

Tornado in Los Banos, Laguna

2008-08-14T21:17:00.005+08:00

A tornado formed in Los Banos, Laguna, Philippines on 14 August 2008 around 4 to 5 in the afternoon. Heavy clouds were present in that afternoon then residents observed a twister forming. Trees are uprooted and buildings are destroyed. When the tornado dispersed, Los Banos was wrapped with heavy rains with strong winds.

MANAY GINA DE VENECIA LAUNCHES ADVISORY BLOG, INSPIRES NETIZENS TO COPE WITH LIFE'S CHALLENGES

2008-08-14T10:24:00.002+08:00

Manay Gina De Venecia, life counselor, radio drama producer, and wife of former speaker Jose Devencia Jr., walks on the mild side by launching her blog, www.manayginadevenecia.blogspot.com.

The blog focuses on issues pertaining to women, family, love and life. She describes herself as a "Quintessential Filipina", and gives advice on a range of issues considered essential in the course of a woman's life. She also showcases her advocacies and activities, especially the Haven for Women, Haven for Children, and the Ina Foundation.

In her daily blog work, she posts quotable quotes she finds on the internet which appeals to her sensitivities. These include quotes for mothers, children, prayers on peace and understanding, and faith.

Comments and quotes have been pouring in, mostly about musings of everyday struggle of people

, Says Eero Brillantes, who developed the creative and technical content for the blog of Manay Gina.

If you would read the comments on the blog, you can see the potential for a powerful outlet to propagate hope. Tagos sa puso ang mga naka post. So much emotion is involved. All of us try so hard to find our patch of good earth.

Of particular interest to a lot of her blog visitors is the post on the "Miracle of the Shoes" which talks about the loss of a loved one. The De Venecias lost a daughter to a fire accident at their home.

A blog post from a certain Maria Isabelle had this to say:

Losing a loved one is never easy. My Mom once told me that there is nothing more heartbreaking than losing a child. She said it with tears in her eyes. My Mom, like you, is a strong woman. She lost twins about two decades ago..And like you, she turned to the Lord and prayed for her two prayed for her two boys…I cried with you and your family. KC and I are of the same age and I felt you pain when I saw the footage on TV. Looking back, I see that you have come a long way from the shocked parent I saw. What I see now is a strong woman who believes that her beloved daughter is at peace with the Lord.
Pairs of shoes are amazing. In your case, it is more than amazing. It is miraculous. Keep praying.

Another post comes for a certain Ann Margaret and tells of her own life and death experiences as her comment:

As I read Manay Gina's blog on "Miracle of Shoes," I felt the void inside my heart like her because I also lost my grandmother. It was so hard to accept that she's gone because I don't have enough courage and strength to endure the pain of losing her. Her death was so sudden. But it would still take a life time for me to say "I'm ok." Her blog really touched my heart; it is very sentimental. I burst into tears while reading it. Losing someone we love is never simple; it would crash our hearts into million pieces, feeling as if the world is on your back. Though we cry so hard, it would never bring them back to life. Yes, I also believe that prayers are the best way to ease the hurt, because through prayers we can talk to them solemnly and in peace. Prayers are the best channel to communicate with God and to the soul of our departed ones. It would also help their soul to find their way to heaven. Let's face the fact that they left us because they are now in the arms of God. Just be strong and have faith. Because everything happens for a reason.

Manay Gina also writes on life learnings from her interaction with Former President Corazon Aquino, who she fondly calls "Tita Cory".She says that

To the world, she (Cory) will always be the symbol of a bloodless revolution. To me, she will always be my Tita Cory -- a role model in integrity, the glow of reason in times of darkness, and someone who finds strength and perseverance in prayer. I believe the Lord has blessed Tita Cory with the gift of His peace — an inner tranquility that calms the heart and soothes the soul.

The blog also features her own showbiz activities and in the process incites comments on the importance of her work in the field. "Nagmamahal, Manay Gina" has so far garnered two Catholic Mass Media Awards. Says Enzo Emmanuel,

Showbusiness has become a tool of influence and change in society. because information is given at the same time as entertainment, the messages can easily get across. Manay Gina has used this to promote her advocacy which made a difference and lots of troubled women were given help

Nacionalista Party Stand on Cha Cha

2008-08-13T15:43:00.003+08:00

Press Release: Nacionalista Party
From: Office of the Spokesperson

For More Info: Gilbert Remulla, gcremulla@yahoo.com
Date: August 12, 2008

NP Spokesperson Gilbert Remulla: No Amendments to the Constitution Before 2010

The Nacionalista Party, headed by Senate President Manny Villar, reiterates its commitment to policy debates on how to further develop the Constitution. It recognizes that the Constitution, being the mother law that governs the nation, must be responsive to strategic issues of national interest. It supports the initiative of Sen. Aquilino Pimentel to open the doors of debate on federalism as a pro-active course of action in bringing peace to Mindanao.

Having said that, the Party categorically opposes any move to change the Constitution before 2010 as part of peace building in Mindanao. It believes that this will further divide an already polarized society. The immediate task is to build a climate of understanding between and among stakeholders to true peace in Mindanao. And this means getting the pulse of the whole nation, sincerely involving our democratic institutions, and respecting our democratic processes and laws.

The peace in Mindanao must be addressed head on if we are to move forward as a country. We hope that any initiative to bring peace to Mindanao must be done with utmost transparency and accountability. Any move to pursue a political settlement among contending parties in Mindanao under a cloak of secrecy and political maneuverings will not prosper.

This also means a commitment to a peace process that de-escalates the conflict. This starts with the immediate cessation of hostilities and veering away from a climate of fear and armed confrontation. Our ordinary brothers and sisters are the ones suffering. The displaced are already around 160,000 and still increasing. Add to this those who are being brought back to the Philippines from Sabah by Malaysian authorities, and those OFWs going home due to armed conflicts in many parts of the world.

Let us all redirect our energy towards strengthening our republic. At the end of the day, we would like to see a Philippines that is strong politically and economically. Let us strive to be a prosperous and powerful nation, worthy of respect in Southeast Asia and the rest of the world. xxx

Young Generation of Politicians Barnstorms Schools, Connects with the “Internet Nation”

2008-08-13T15:37:00.002+08:00

Press Release: August 11,2008
For more info: Eero Brillantes, 09276702831, mindbullet45@gmail.com

Young Generation of Politicians Barnstorms Schools, Connects with the “Internet Nation”

A multipartisan political group called the “Young Turks” led by Genuine Opposition Spokesperson and Pamantasan Lungsod ng Maynila President Atty. Adel Tamano has started to go the rounds of colleges and universities all over the country. Tamano, along with other young political personalities Nacionalista Party spokesperson and former congressman Gilbert Remulla, Ateneo English Professor Danton Remoto, Congressman Erin Tanada, Congressman TG Guingona and San Juan Mayor JV Ejercito are doing the rounds of campuses advocating for youth involvement in governance.

The kick-off started at Silliman University in Dumaguete City last July 10-11, 2008. Tamano described the event. “The bright students of Silliman University asked questions and we tried to answer them with substance and with style, with wit and cheer and laughter intact. It is because their questions seemed to deal with lack of hope, of being betrayed by their leaders, of abandonment. I hope we kept the spark plug of hope alive. We spoke in a chapel, a presentation room for business students, and the great church — all in one day. We hope the Sillimanians had a grand time, the way we did too, in our first campus tour.”

Eero Brillantes, CEO of Mindbullet Marketing and Public Relations, who maintains the young turk’s blog www.oppositeofapathy.wordpress.com, says that the blog has become hyperactive after the Silliman activity. Based on site metering, he noted interest in what the group has to say. “The blog has just recently been put up. Yet it has already been visited almost 10,000 times. It is currently ranked number 13 for politics and government by topblogs.com.ph. Its just one notch lower than the “Mar Roxas for President 2010 blog which is at number 12. The blog definitely has momentum. With the campus tour catching fire, the blog is poised to be a prominent fixture in new politics for the country. The Young Turks and the Internet Nation has become properly introduced.”

For his part, Remoto was upbeat about the launch and how the internet was able to disseminate the event exponentially. “Skycable showed the complete proceedings that night of July 10, and we also had coverage from two radio stations, two newspapers and the Sillimanian college paper as well as its website. Not to mention the many blogs of the bagets from Silliman, which are now being read and re-sent and re-read all over the borderless world of cyberspace. “

Moreover, Congressman Tanada emphasized the need for dialogue between the young batch of political leaders and the youth. He said that it is important for the youth not to lose hope and for them to assert their rights. Remulla asserted that there is still hope and it resides in the youth, and the young generation should not be afraid to stand for what they believe in.

On August 26, 2008, the Young Turks will visit the University of the Philippines National College of Public Administration and Governance from 1-5 p.m. This will be followed by a tour to University of the Philippines at Los Banos in September. xxx

Audience research

2008-08-11T13:26:00.003+08:00

The audience is the receiving end of any message that we want convey. Any product, advocacy, endorsement, activity or message that need to be promoted and sold has its own set of audience. The behavior of audience can only be predicted through an intensive, methodogical, objective and scientific research. To get help in doing audience research, its theory and practice should be studied both in the theoretical and practical perspectives.

Ratings Analysis: The Theory and Practice of Audience Research written by By James G. Webster, Patricia F. Phalen, Lawrence Wilson Lichty, provides a thorough and up-to-date presentation of the ratings industry and analysis processes. It serves as a practical guide for conducting audience research, offering readers the tools for becoming informed and discriminating consumers of audience information, from broadcasting to cable to the World Wide Web. In its third edition, this essential volume:

illustrates applications of audience research in advertising, programming, financial analysis, and social policy;

describes audience research data and summarizes the history of audience measurement, the research methods most often used, and the kinds of ratings research products currently available; and

discusses the analysis of audience data by offering a framework within which to understand mass media audiences and by focusing specifically to the analysis of ratings data.

Appropriate for all readers needing an in-depth understanding of audience research, including people working in advertising, electronic media, and related industries, Ratings Analysis also has much to offer academics, critics, policy-makers, and students of mass media.

Taken from google books

You may buy this book from amazon.com

Seven Great PR Tips for Winning Press Coverage

2008-08-04T18:33:00.000+08:00

by: Robert Deigh

Reporters are always looking for compelling stories. You can help them and, at the same time, win press coverage for your products, services, organization or cause. Every organization, including yours, has newsworthy information. Sometimes you just have to dig a bit to get to it. Here are seven suggestions that will help you find the stories within your organization that you can pitch to get positive press attention and boost your public relations:

1) Identify trends in your industry - use your organization/product/issue as an example of a trend -- and pitch them as story ideas to the magazines, newsletters and Web sites your customers and prospects read.

click here to continue reading...

Why "do you use social media?" is the wrong question for marketers to ask

2008-07-28T11:31:00.002+08:00

Have you noticed there are a bunch of polls and research reports that ask people questions such as "Do you read blogs?" or "Do you use social media?" or "Do you go to video sharing sites?" Often the resulting data show rather small use compared to those who, say, use search engines or email.

From the perspective of the value of social media in an organization's overall marketing and PR efforts, this data is misleading and dangerous. Why? Because the data is used by social-media-resistant executives to justify sticking exclusively to the methods that worked decades ago like image advertising, direct mail, and the yellow pages. I frequently hear CEOs, CFOs, and VPs of marketing say things like: "See, social media is not important, so we won't do it here. It is a waste of time." Other people say: "I don't read blogs, so how important are they?"

Click here and continue reading...

How well do you know your buyer personas?

2008-07-25T15:21:00.001+08:00

If you've read my book The New Rules of Marketing & PR or spent time on my blog, you may recall that I stress the importance of "buyer personas." In fact, I believe they're one of the most fundamental aspects of great marketing. A buyer persona is distinct group potential customers, an archetypal person whom you want your marketing to reach.

Click this and continue reading...

Selecting a PR Program

2008-07-18T16:52:00.000+08:00

To determine the types of public relations programs that are right for your business, there are several considerations to keep in mind.

Your company’s goals and budget will determine which public relations programs most suited to your company. Do your homework first:

* Evaluate your business goals: Are you a local, regional, national, or international business?

read more...

Top Ten Ways to Communicate @ Workat Image Are You Projecting

2008-07-15T13:59:00.000+08:00

by: Carwin Dover

Whenever I ask people in a work setting, "What would improve work, profits and customer service the most where you work?" the answer is almost always "Better communication!"

Once the problem is noted, the next question is, "What are some effective ways to improve communication without breaking the bank?" Workshops on communication might be the place to start, but the long term answer is the day to day simple stuff. Many of the most effective ways to improve communication cost very little and require very little time on the part of anyone.

The suggestions below can be done by just about anyone from the janitor on down to the CEO. Check out the February 4, 2002 edition of Fortune for some real life examples in their list of "100 Best Companies to Work For." (Their dangling participle, not mine!)

Top Ten Ways to Communicate @ Work Effectively!

ONE: Learn How to "Read" People. Anyone who has read the newsletter, "Communication @ Work!" over the last several months has become a little familiar with the DiSC Personal Profile System®. I like the DiSC because it is easy to learn and an effective tool for learning how to "read" people. When you know what motivates individuals, you can respond to them effectively and efficiently.

read more...

Things to Avoid When Distributing a Press Release

2008-07-14T14:21:00.001+08:00

by Kim Lance, Web Marketing Specialist for JTV

Once you have carefully developed a press release for your website, it is important that you distribute it with hopes of receiving the best possible response from the press. The last thing you want to do is get on the bad side of a member of the press. There are some procedures you should pay attention to when sending a press release to a press contact.

1) Always Spell the Contact’s Name Correctly
First, avoid misspelling the contact’s name. When distributing your press release to an individual member of the press, always make sure the name and title of the person to whom you are sending your release is correct.

read more...

How to Gain Market Positioning

2008-07-10T14:04:00.000+08:00

By Michele Connors

The key to gaining market positioning is through brand differentiation and increased exposure. In order to gain market position against your competitors, you must accomplish brand differentiation first. This will separate you from the competition and clearly define who you are in the eyes of your potential target market. Brand differentiation could be achieved through logo and design development, creative in-store visuals, customer perception (high end vs. mass market), pricing, target marketing demographics and selecting effective marketing vehicles.The second step, to increase brand exposure, should be taken only when brand differentiation is accomplished. Increasing your brand exposure is achieved by increasing your advertising, marketing and promotions schedule. This can include public relations.

Things You’ll Need:

* Corporate identity
* Marketing materials: in-store POP, printed collateral
* Print advertisement
* Press Release

How to Gain Market Positioning-Brand Differeniation

Step1

Research your competition's logo and design package. Does your design package stand out from the competition? Make sure the colors and style fit your brand's identity. The logo and design will be the face you put forth to potential customers, so make sure the tone and colors fit. For example, a casual restaurant should have a friendly font with primary colors versus a more fine dining restaurant with a more formal design aesthetic and scripted font and mature muted colors.

read more...

The Rise and Rise of Article PR: What are the Implications?

2008-07-08T11:07:00.001+08:00

Article printed from SiteProNews: http://www.sitepronews.com
HTML version available at: http://www.sitepronews.com/archives.html

The Rise and Rise of Article PR: What are the Implications?
By Glenn Murray | SEO Copywriter (http://www.divinewrite.com)
& Article PR Specialist (http://www.articlepr.com) (c) 2006

Already a very popular method of achieving a high search engine
ranking, article PR (aka article submission) has now entered the
mainstream. As such, its popularity is increasing at a dramatic
rate. While this is great for SEO copywriters like myself, there
are some side-effects that need to be addressed if article PR is
going to remain a viable search engine ranking technique. This
article discusses some of those side-effects, along with how
they might be addressed.

read more...

PR Tips For Startups: How To Get And Keep The Media Attention

2008-07-07T10:26:00.000+08:00

by Alex

just an excerpt...read more here...

Hire a PR Firm

This may come as a surprise, but you do need a PR firm. An early stage startup can’t really afford one, but it does not mean that it is not necessary. The number one reason you need a PR firm is because of their connections. They know people, because this is what they do - network.

You do not really know people and if you hope that you will just email them and they will reply - it is a false hope. It is very tough to get people to answer cold emails these days. Going through a friend or a connection is always easier, it almost always works, but direct email almost never works. This is where having PR firm pays off, they come with a Rolodex (nowadays called LinkedIn). But there are, of course, a whole bunch of issues.

How to Communicate More Effectively

2008-07-03T15:24:00.000+08:00

Be sure to apply the three fundamental rules test.

by Dr. Thomas Klipstine
University of South Carolina

A basic principle in developing any written communication is when content is developed in a user friendly format and adjusted to meet the needs of the consumer, readability increases and message effectiveness is enhanced.

In writing for today's electronic medium, key factors in developing and formatting content can be basically boiled down to what I believe are three fundamental principles or rules for electronic content. If these rules are followed and applied to material developed for electronic distribution, content will become user friendly and messages will be more effective. Based on various usability studies and writing research my three rules are:

The Three Fundamental Rules:

read more...

Gobbledygook banned by English and Welsh local authorities

2008-07-01T14:13:00.000+08:00

Valerie Conyngham points us to a fascinating story.

The Local Government Association (LGA), an association of English and Welsh local authorities representing over 50 million people, has told local government officials to ditch meaningless jargon.

According to an article in The Telegraph, the LGA has sent a list to Town Halls of 100 words and phrases that should be avoided. The list includes "empowerment," "synergies," "revenue stream," "sustainable communities," and "stakeholders."

read more...

Do not read this blog post

2008-06-30T13:53:00.000+08:00

So you're reading this post, huh? Kind of a compelling title, isn’t it?

Why is that?

Read_this_post

I have strong evidence that "negative" Web headlines and links often generate lots more clicks than "positive" ones. For example, my Worst Practices blog category gets more clicks than any other category on this blog.

Several years ago I worked on a site where we included a link "For Executives Only" and this generated more traffic than other links. It turns out people react to negatives. Words like "Worst", "Not", "Don't", and "Only" are interesting and people want to know what’s there.

read more...

Grade your press release (for free!)

2008-06-27T14:44:00.001+08:00

HubSpot's Press Release Grader is a free application that evaluates your press release and provides a "marketing effectiveness score". The score is based on the language and content of the release, plus advanced factors from Internet marketing experts at HubSpot such as links and search engine optimization characteristics.

Wow. This is such an awesome tool. You’re hearing about it here first, but my guess is that this will become a popular little application in PR circles.

read more...

Facebook and YouTube blocked by paranoid corporations at their own peril

2008-06-24T15:34:00.000+08:00

I've had an opportunity to casually explore the attitudes of hundreds of large and small companies whose employees attend my full-day New Rules of Marketing seminar and my keynote speeches. In my very unscientific questioning, my guess is that about 25% of companies block employee access to YouTube, Facebook, and other social networking sites.

Twenty-five percent block access!

That is a huge number of companies that are putting their organizations at a disadvantage.

I can't tell you the names of the nanny-state dinosaurs. But you'd be amazed at some of the big names that are too scared to let people into the world of social media.

One company I can talk about is on the other side. IBM is on the forefront of embracing employee use of social media (more on IBM later in this post).

read more...

Public Relations Handbook (Media Practice)

2008-06-16T12:13:00.001+08:00

by Alison Theaker (Author)

Book Description

The Public Relations Handbook is a comprehensive and detailed introduction to the theories and practices of the public relations industry. Tracing the history and development of public relations, it explores ethical issues which affect the industry, examines its relationship with politics, lobbying organisations and journalism, assess its professionalism and regulation and advises on training and entry into the profession. The Public Relations Handbook combines theoretical and organisational frameworks for studying PR with examples of how the industry works in practice. It draws on a range of promotional strategies and campaigns from businesses and charities, including Railtrack, Voice of the Listener and Viewer, Marks and Spencer, the Metropolitan Police, the Prince's Trust, Daewoo cars and the NSPCC. The Public Relations Handbook includes: * interviews with press officers and PR agents about their working practices * case-studies, examples, press releases and illustrations from a range of campaigns from multinational corporations, local government and charities * specialist chapters on financial public relations, business ethics, online promotion and the challenges of new technology * over twenty illustrations from recent PR campaigns.

Weblogs: A curent trend in Public Relations

2008-06-12T15:41:00.002+08:00

Public Relations as an industry has a long history of evolution , this industry has had to constantly reinvent itself to keep up with the fast changing times. In contemporary times where the world is at the threshold of a digital age, there have been massive changes in the way human beings communicate. The bounds of geography, culture and nationality no longer hold true and the world is turning into a global village. In this fast changing world , it is information and communication that hold the key to success. Organizations across every industry and geography recognize the importance of effective communications. Along with the traditional PR strongholds of analyst and media relations, disciplines such as internal communications are now becoming increasingly important as a core requisite for successful business operations. (Murphy, 2005, www.globalprblogweek.com) Public Relations is primarily concerned with establishing effective communication between organizations and individuals or companies and their audience.

Tamano thanks Erap for inclusion in list of 2010 bets

2008-06-10T11:54:00.001+08:00

From The Daily Tribune online-06/10/2008

Genuine Opposition (GO) spokesman Adel Tamano yesterday thanked deposed President Joseph Estrada for including him in a shortlist of personalities United Opposition (UNO) has come up for its choices to filed in the 2010 senatorial elections, saying such a practical endorsement by the ousted leader would definitely boost one’s candidacy.

Tamano, who is also the president of the Pamantasang Lungsod ng Manila, is the son of former Sen. Mamintal Tamano.

He though said he has yet to decide if he will throw his hat into the 2010 senatorial “ring” as he is still mulling over his options for the future, including if he will remain as the opposition’s spokesman.

“I am very fortunate to have President Joseph Estrada’s support. His popularity with the masa (masses) will be a deciding factor in 2010,” he said.

Tamano reportedly was picked by Estrada to be included in a shortlist of probable candidates for UNO over his “unblemished” record.

Aside from Tamano, others in the list include former Sen. Sergio Osmeña III, who served as the campaign manager for GO during the last senatorial elections; Bukidnon province Rep. Teofisto Guingona III, Iloilo province Rep. Rolex Suplico, broadcaster and former Leyte province Rep. Ted Failon and Parañaque City Rep. Roilo Golez.

Tamano said a strong Muslim candidate is needed to be able to implement reforms that would be beneficial for Muslims in the country.

“While I personally have yet to decide, 2010 still being far away, President Estrada’s support for a Muslim candidate is a very positive signal to Filipino Muslims who have not had a representative in the Senate for a over a decade,” he said.

Estrada said he has chosen the personalities based on their “clean” record. He said since the opposition stands against corruption in government, it is important for its candidates to be not involved in any anomalies in public service.

Jason Faustino

Originally posted in http://www.tribune.net.ph/nation/20080610nat2.html

Encyclopedia of Public Relations (Hardcover)

2008-06-06T10:35:00.002+08:00

by Robert Lawrence Heath

Synopsis
The two-volume Encyclopedia of Public Relations, arranged alphabetically, contains nearly 450 entries spanning all aspects of the public relations field - from theory and practice to history, including the great, famous and infamous practitioners. With contributions from internationally recognized professors, scholars and practitioners, this encyclopedia will be a must-have for any library with collections in business, management, communication and journalism. It provides students, scholars and educated lay readers with a sound, insightful and appreciative view of what public relations is and does as well as the ethical challenges it must meet to be seen as a positive force in society.Topics Covered: - Crisis Communication and Management - Cyberspace - Ethics - Global Public Relations - Groups - History - Jargon - Management - Media - News - Organizations - Practitioners - Relations - Reports - Research and Analysis - Theories and Models Advisory Board Elizabeth L Toth, Syracuse University John Madsen, Rock Island, Illinois Dean Kruckeberg, University of Northern Iowa Kirk Hallahan, Colorado State University Timothy Coombs, Eastern Illinois University Shannon A Bowen, University of Houston A A (Betteke) van Ruler, Free University, Amsterdam Kathleen S Kelly, University of Florida

read more...

Websites are investments

2008-06-04T11:51:00.001+08:00

Mind Bullet wants to share some inputs on website creation and use.

Nowadays, a website is more than your ordinary communication tool. From your online brochure, it has evolved into - a diary, a corporate portfolio, your mall and supermarket, a library, a photo album, your newspaper, your TV, your watch, your comics, your best friend, you source of income . . . websites are tools beyond communication, socialization, entertainment and income.

For ordinary users, a website still, is a source of ordinary information. Questions on what to do with a website is crucial for those who invested on it.

Why invest in one?

Three reasons:

First, the web is a global directory. The once very useful yellowpages is obsolete. Nowadays, people search in the web for services. A company with internet visibility is necessary for them to be searched in the global directory. Of course there are content optimization that has to be done to have good visibility.

Second, websites are more affordable than TV or radio ads. Products such as cigarettes are prohibited to advertise either in print or broadcast. Websites can be the main tool -- and not your alternative. Websites are probably the best emerging marketing tool nowadays. One click and you can tell the whole about your product or your services.

Third, a website, can also be your ticket to new investors or donors. This tip is usually not taken into account. For foundations or non-government sectors, having a website rich with information of your accomplishments, activities, mission-vision and of course contact details, can be possibly clinch you with donors. At the same time, donors, use website to explain to the world where their investments go.

Website: your identity
A website is your face. It can show what your company can bring - the quality of outputs, the expertise of people and your own competence. A well-made website which is basically user-friendly, attractive, streamlined and loads fast, brings out your identity. If your website works well, then it can be an indication that the company works well too. It can be said that the rigor of website creation and the careful implementation of output and services are quite synonymous.

Those who should project clear identities - such as those in politics, in advocacy and even schools, should have websites for them to be identified and known. Sometimes, websites can be a tool for branding and creating identities.

Net users: The new critical mass
Net users' opinion are important in decision and policy making. The net users is the new critical mass. Opinions, facts, feelings, ideologies are now transparent and can be read in blogs, websites, social networking sites, etc. The net users themselves is one sector with a voice - they can form a concensus whether or not they are in the same physical territory.

The new era of no-boundaries was made possible by the internet. Now, physical territories have been broken - and thus, more perspectives rise, relate, communicate - they can fight, argue, rebuke, rebutt, mesh, cooperate -- bringing new insights to issues and everyday conversations.

SO, WHY HAVE A WEBSITE?
It is your window to this global trend. A spot to show who you are, what you can do, where you can be.

Mind Bullet Pick of the Week: Patricia J. Parsons: Ethics in Public Relations: A Guide to Best Practice

2008-06-02T10:20:00.003+08:00

For this week, Mind Bullet introduces the book by Patricia J. Parsons on Ethics on Public Relations: A Guide to Best Practice. Found through Amazon, the book by Prof. Parsons provides a

framework for understanding important ethical issues in public relations and corporate communications now and in the future to help develop an attitude that supports the concept that ethics are key to professionalism and credibility in the field to assist in everyday ethical decision-making. Written by a leading academic in the field, this practical and engaging title is a must-have for any public relations practitioner or student who wants a framework that relates underlying ethical theories to everyday issues

Prof. Patricia Parsons is a Public Relations professor and a past chairman of the Bachelor of Public Relations degree program at Mount Saint Vincent University. For more information about the author, you may visit her Linked In Profile

read more...

Kahlil Gibran and Work

2008-06-02T10:03:00.009+08:00

(photo is from Gibson books )

To keep ourselves sane in this stressful world, we should always have a moment for ourselves. The internet, a rich fabric of information, is the best source of various materials to keep us grounded, inspired and energized. Mind Bullet shares with you a site on the written works of Kahlil Gibran. Kahlil Gibran, the author of the book, The Prophet, The Madman shares inspiring tips and concepts on simple everyday things.

Here is a bit of what Kahlil Gibran says about work.

On Work

Then a ploughman said, "Speak to us of Work." And he answered, saying:

You work that you may keep pace with the earth and the soul of the earth. For to be idle is to become a stranger unto the seasons, and to step out of life's procession, that marches in majesty and proud submission towards the infinite. When you work you are a flute through whose heart the whispering of the hours turns to music. Which of you would be a reed, dumb and silent, when all else sings together in unison?

Always you have been told that work is a curse and labour a misfortune. But I say to you that when you work you fulfil a part of earth's furthest dream, assigned to you when that dream was born,
And in keeping yourself with labour you are in truth loving life,
And to love life through labour is to be intimate with life's inmost secret. But if you in your pain call birth an affliction and the support of the flesh a curse written upon your brow, then I answer that naught but the sweat of your brow shall wash away that which is written.

For more of Kahlil Gibran's work, you may visit http://www-personal.umich.edu/~jrcole/gibran/gibran1.htm.

Kahlil Gibran
The Madman
His Parables and Poems
(1918)
http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/etext04/thmdm10h.htm

Mind Bullet's Find of the Week: WARC

2008-05-27T08:22:00.004+08:00

For those who do research in advertising, marketing, public relations, new media etc., this website provides various research studies on all aspects of the field. The World Advertising Research Center (http://www.warc.com/) website updated information on the recent trends in the field of advertising, marketing and PR -- through real life case studies, best practices, research and conferences.

Public Relations: An Introduction (Paperback)

2008-05-20T11:05:00.001+08:00

Deconstructing Public Relations: Public Relations Criticism (LEA Communication): Public Relations Criticism (LEA Communication) (Paperback)

2008-05-15T16:35:00.002+08:00

Synopsis
Utilizing case studies from public relations, advertising and marketing to illustrate deconstruction and analysis of public relations campaigns, this volume provides a critical look at public relations practice. The author applies the cultural studies approach and explains how it can be used as a critical theory for public relations practice. He concentrates on looking at the material text of a campaign; therefore, the text will become the focus of deconstructing. This book seeks to reflect the work of French philosopher Jacques Derrida who proposes that one deconstructs a text as a way of examining the ideas proposed in the text. Thus, the work of deconstruction can become a critical reflection on public relations work. The book questions the purpose of a particular public relations project - whether employee communications, government lobbying, community relations, crisis communication, or product promotion. Looking at the point of view in the campaign, it examines the data or evidence for that point of view, as well as the assumptions of that view.

read more...

Know the power of de-positioning

2008-05-12T13:50:00.001+08:00

Moving your company forward is one thing. But holding back the competition is quite another. In the impulsive markets of the Internet space, today's tech marketers are expected to do more than just position, brand and promote. Added to the mix is a new imperative to de-position. It's about pushing your competitors away, not necessarily removing - and by no means letting them follow.

Without explanation, journalists may cast de-positioning as a betrayal by "fair-minded" PR sources. Traditional marketers may dismiss it as simple bashing. In Europe, where gentility rules, it could surely be shunned. The idea of moving publicly against a competitor, however useful it may be, is still often seen as guerilla marketing or trench warfare. It's often viewed as an illegitimate or even unethical means of creating difference and gaining marketshare.

But so much of what we market in technology is legitimately new, making the products and services we push naturally more marketable. So, for us, the rules must change. To win, tech marketers must play a more clever game of positioning and de-positioning to achieve competitive advantage.

What are the rules in de-positioning? They are just emerging, but here are a few guides:

A. It's about gaining and holding relative position. De-positioning is about driving a wedge creating distance - between you and your rivals. Though an improving level of recall or credibility is helpful, it does nothing to stop competitors from doing the same. Imagine, for instance, that your company achieved a four-fold increase in some measure of notoriety. By most standards, that would be a big win. But suppose your competitor chalked up a five-fold increase? Then what have you got?

read more...

“WALANG PILIPINO ANG DAPAT MAGUTOM”

2008-05-06T16:08:00.000+08:00

PRIVILEGE SPEECH
Cong. Teofisto “TG” Guingona III
Kinatawan ng Ikalawang Distrito ng Bukidnon
Ika-6 ng Mayo 2008

Si Andres at si Selya ay mag-asawa. Iisa ang kanilang anak, si Tomas. Maagang nabiyuda si Selya. Bago mamatay ang asawang si Andres, ibinilin nito sa nakatatandang kapatid na si Max ang pamamahala sa kanilang palayan at sa pondong naipon niya. Nangako si Max na tutuparin niya ang hiling ng kaniyang kapatid.

Ngunit kalilibing pa lamang ni Andres, pinabayaan na ni Max sina Selya at Tomas. Siya ay naging mabisyo at lasenggo. Ang sakahan ay tuluyang pinabayaan. Mabuti na lamang at masipag si Tomas. Siya na ang nag-asikaso sa kanilang sakahan kahit labinlimang taong gulang pa lamang siya nang mamatay ang kaniyang ama. Hindi madaling isaka ang palayan ni Andres. Wala itong irigasyon, kung kaya dalawang beses lang sa isang taon nakakapagtanim si Tomas. Kapag minalas-malas pa, isang beses lamang. Hindi lang iyon, mula sa kanilang sakahan, walang matinong daan patungong hi-way. Sampung kilometro ang layo ng hi-way. Matindi ang pagsasakripisyo ni Tomas.

Si Max naman ay pabigat kina Selya at Tomas. Bigla na lang itong magpapakita na may bitbit pang barkada, at inoobliga sina Selya at Tomas na pakainin at painumin sila. Naglalasing sila hanggang madaling araw. Perhuwisyo talaga si Max.

“Selya, si Cheng Wu, bago kong kabarkada,” pagpapakilala ni Max.
“Ha?!”, nagulat si Selya; hindi niya napansin na may kasama si Max.
“Dayuhan siya, galing sa Tsina,” dagdag ni Max.

Kinabahan si Selya nang makita niyang biglang naging seryoso ang mukha ni Max. Buo ang boses at seryoso ang tono nang sabihin niyang “A, Selya, nakapagdesisyon na ako. Mayroon kaming pinirmahang kontrata ni Cheng Wu. Uupahan niya ang sakahan ninyo. Siya na ang magtatanim ng palay at mais.Babayaran niya kayo ng upa. Ang lahat ng ani, ipadadala sa Tsina.”

“Hanep ka talaga! Kami ang may ari ng lupa! Kami ang may karapatang magpasiya kung ano ang mabuting gawin! Hindi mo man lang kami kinonsulta bago ka nakipagpirmahan ng kontrata. At wala kaming parte sa ani. Makatarungan ba ‘yan?” mapaklang bigkas ni Selya.

“Kapag pumayag kami diyan sa kontrata, sigurado bang magkakaroon ng trabaho si Tomas? Sapat ba at makatarungan ang kaniyang kikitain?” usisa pa ni Selya.

“Wala kaming pinag-usapang ganyan. Pwedeng kunin ni Cheng Wu si Tomas bilang trabahante, pero pwede ring hindi. Pwede rin siyang magpasok ng ibang tao, maski na hindi Pilipino. Bahala na si Cheng Wu.” sagot ni Max.

“At saka nga pala Selya. Kasama sa kontrata ang paggawa ng daan at kanal para sa irigasyon, mula hi-way patungo sa inyong palayan.” dagdag pa ng impaktong si Max.
“Sino ang gagastos para sa mga yan?” tanong ni Selya.
Huminga nang malalim si Max saka niya sinabing, “Kayo ang gagastos. Ang pondong iniwan ni Andres ang gagamitin.”

“Nabuang ka na ba Max! Anong klaseng kontrata ‘yan? Hindi mo kami kinonsulta bago kayo nagpirmahan. Bayad sa upa lang ang makukuha namin at ang lahat ng ani, dadalhin sa Tsina. Puwede pang mawalan ng kabuhayan si Tomas. Ang pinakamatindi sa lahat, kami pa ang magbabayad sa pagpapagawa ng irigasyon at daan patungong hi-way.” ngitngit na ngitngit si Selya.

“Ano ka ba Max! Kapatid mo si Andres! Sarili mong dugo, tinalikuran mo! Mas pinili mo pa yang dayuhang yan! Taksil ka!” tangis ni Selya.

Maihahalintulad ang pagtataksil ni Max kay Andres sa ginawa ng ating pamahalaan nang makipagkasundo at nilagdaan ang kontratang tinatawag na China Farm Agreements. Sa mga kontratang ito, pauupahan sa mga dayuhang Tsino ang 1.4 milyong ektarya ng lupang sakahan dito sa Pilipinas.

Ayon sa ating Saligang Batas, ipinagbabawal ang pagpapaupa sa mga dayuhan ng lupaing pag-aari ng Pilipinas, nang higit sa isang libong ektarya.

Ang sabi nga ni Sen. Edgardo Angara sa isang hearing sa Senado noong Setyembre 24, 2007: “…there is an agreement to set aside 1.4 million in favor of these Chinese companies, in essence. …this is illegal. No corporation or group can lease more than 1,000 hectares in our country. And if you try to lease out almost 1.2 million hectares, you are committing an illegal, unconstitutional act.”

Malinaw na walang respeto sa Saligang Batas ang administrasyon ni Gng. Gloria Arroyo. Kawawa na naman ang mga Pilipino. Inapi na naman ang Pilipinas.

Hindi lang ‘yan. Magtatanim ang mga Tsino ng hybrid na palay at mais ngunit walang parte ang Pilipinas sa ani. Ang lahat ng ani ay ipadadala sa Tsina. Palay na itinanim sa Pilipinas, bigas na kakainin ng mga dayuhang Tsino. Ang matatanggap lang natin ay ang bayad sa pag-upa sa lupa. Nais ko lamang bigyan natin ng pansin, na ang lawak ng lupang pauupahan ni Gng. Gloria Arroyo ay katumbas ng higit sa 25 % ng ating lupang palayan. Kawawa na naman tayong mga Pilipino. Inapi na naman ang Pilipinas. Ang masakit pa, sarili nating pamahalaan, ang administrasyon ni Gng. Gloria Arroyo ang lumagda sa mga kontratang ito. At ngayon pa, kung kelan problema natin kung saan tayo kukuha ng bigas. Si Sen. Angara, ang dating secretary ng Department of Agriculture mismo ang nagbabala: “…you will divert agricultural production of 1.4 million to supply the needs of …China rather than the Philippines when the incidence of starvation and malnutrition is still rampant.”

1.4 milyong ektarya ang tatamnan ng palay ngunit ang lahat ng ani ay ipadadala sa Tsina para kainin ng mga Tsino samantalang hirap ang Pilipinas na bumili ng bigas. Kawawa na naman tayong mga Pilipino. Inapi na naman ang Pilipinas.

Ang isa pang dapat bigyang-pansin sa China Farm Agreements ay ang kawalang katiyakan na mga Pilipino ang kukuning manggagawa sa mga sakahan. Puwedeng-puwedeng silang maetsa-puwera. Kawawa na naman tayong mga Pilipino. Inapi na naman ang Pilipinas.

Ang pinakamapait, ang Pilipinas ang magbabayad at gagawa ng farm-to-market roads at irigasyon ng 1.4 milyong ektaryang palayan na gagamitin ng mga dayuhang Tsino.

Ito pa ang isang punto, hindi kinonsulta ang kahit isa man lang na mamamayang Pilipino bago nakipagkasundo at nilagdaan ng ating pamahalaan ang kontrata. Mawawalan tayo ng 1.4 milyong ektaryang lupain, mababawasan ang pinagtataniman natin ng palay ngunit hindi tayo kinonsulta ng ating sariling pamahalaan bago sila nakipagkasundo sa Tsina. Hindi lang ito labag sa ating Saligang Batas , ito ay garapalang pambabastos sa dignidad ng bawat Pilipino. Biruin niyo po, basta na lang ibinigay ang 1.4 milyong ektarya upang magkaroon ng pagkain ang mga dayuhang Tsino. Hindi man lang tayo inabisuhan. Ni ha, ni ho, wala! Basta na lamang nakipagkasundo at pumirma. Akala siguro nila, sila ang may ari ng Pilipinas. Sabi nga ng isang kanta, “Nosi, nosi balasi. Sino, sino ba sila?!?”

Ang sabi ng Deparment of Agriculture, kailangan natin ang teknolohiya ng mga Tsino. Hindi ako naniniwala na mas magaling ang kanilang teknolohiya. Una sa lahat, narito ang IRRI o International Rice Research Institute, ang pinakauna at pinakamalaking pandaigdigang institusyon na nakatuon sa pananaliksik hinggil sa palay. Isa sa kanilang latest achievements ay ang aeorobic rice na ang kailangang tubig ay kalahati lamang ng dami ng kailangang tubig ng pangkaraniwang palay. Malaking tulong ito lalo na sa panahon ng tagtuyot, kapag malalâ ang kakapusan sa tubig. Ang isa pang achievement ay ang underwater o submarine rice na maaaring mabuhay kahit nakalubog sa tubig nang labing-pitong (17) araw. Malaking tulong ito sa mga Pilipinong magsasaka na nasa lugar na madalas bahain.

Pangalawa, ang klima ng bansang Tsina ay temperate samantalang ang Pilipinas ay tropical. Maaaring hindi angkop ang kanilang teknolohiya para sa atin.

Ikatlo, hybrid rice ang isinusulong ng Tsina. Alam naman nating lahat na nakasalalay sa kemikal na fertilizer ang hybrid rice. Fertilizer, na ang presyo ay hindi tumitigil sa pagtaas. Lalo lamang mababaon sa utang ang mga magsasaka at lalo lamang mapipinsala ang ating kalikasan, gaya ng ipinapakita ng marami nang pananaliksik. Panahon na upang bigyang-tuon natin ang organic farming. Ayon sa pananaliksik, nakapagbibigay ito ng aning katumbas ng siyam na metriko tonelada bawat ektarya.

Mga kababayan, oposisyon man o administrasyon, tayong lahat ay naghahangad ng sapat na pagkain para sa lahat ng Filipino. Mas makabubuti kung ang gagawin ng pamahalaan ay ang sumusunod na hakbang upang mapataas ang produksiyon ng pagkain: Una, dagdagan ang badyet para sa farm-to-market roads at irigasyon. Kulang talaga ang pondong inilalaan para sa mga iyan. Pangalawa, kailangang pagtuunan natin ng seryosong pansin ang organic rice production, na napatunayang sagana ang ani nang hindi gumagamit ng kemikal na fertilizers na napakamamahal at nakakasira sa mga lupaing sakahan.

Sa pagtatapos, iginigiit ko na kanselahin ni Gng. Arroyo ang China Farm Agreements. Hindi sapat ang suspensiyon lamang. Kanselahin lahat. Dahil ang suspensyon ay parang si impaktong Max na natutulog lamang. Maaari siyang gumising anumang oras upang lalo pang pahirapan sina Tomas at Selya. Hindi ang China Farm Agreements ang solusyon sa krisis sa bigas. Kitang-kita na ang mga dayuhang Tsino lamang ang makikinabang sa mga kasunduan at maagawan pa nila ng pagkain ang mga pamilyang Pilipino. Aping-api na ang mga Pilipino.

Kinakailangang mabigyan ng sapat na pagkain ang bawat pamilyang Pilipino. Hindi dapat magdusa sina Tomas at Selya dahil sa kasakiman at kapalpakan ng administrasyon ni Gng. Arroyo. Walang Pilipino ang dapat magutom!

---------------------------------------------------
Section 3, Artcile XII states: “Lands of the public domain are classified into agricultural, forest or timber, mineral lands, and national parks. Agricultural lands of the public domain may be further classified by law according to the uses which they may be devoted. Alienable lands of the public domain shall be limited to agricultural lands. Private corporations or associations may not hold such alienable lands of the public domain except by lease, for a period not exceeding twenty-five years, renewable for not more than twenty-five years, and not to exceed one thousand hectares in area. Citizens of the Philippines may lease not more than five hundred hectares, or acquire not more than twelve hectares thereof by purchase, homestead, or grant.”

Sen. Edgardo Angara: At bottom, whether you call it a memorandum of intent, a framework, there is an agreement to set aside 1.4 million in favor of these Chinese companies, in essence. And I am glad that you are suspending it because this is illegal. No corporation or group can lease more than 1000 hectares in our country. And if you try to lease out almost 1.2 million hectares, you are committing an illegal, unconstitutional act. So, I’m glad that you halted this illegality and rethink it. There are many ways of developing our scarce land resources and Sen. Enrile is probably the expert in this country on that. xxx So I hope that you will issue a written circular among the three that this is now suspended.

Privatize Napocor and Electric Rates Will Be Reasonable

2008-05-05T15:44:00.001+08:00

PRESS STATEMENT
Cong. Teofisto “TG” Guingona III
2nd District, Bukidnon
May 5, 2008

Privatize Napocor and Electric Rates Will Be Reasonable All of us, whether Administration or Opposition, want electric rates to go down. But do you know that generation charges make up sixty percent (60%) of our total electric bill? So, if we bring down our generation charge, we will bring down our total electric bill dramatically. The solution is in implementing the EPIRA law. EPIRA mandates that by 2009, seventy percent (70%) of NPC owned or controlled electric generating capacity should be privatized[1]. One of the purposes of EPIRA was to ensure affordability of supply of electric power[2], as well as transparent and reasonable rates, through a regime of free and fair competition[3]. Today, seven (7) years after EPIRA has become a law, NAPOCOR still owns or controls seventy percent (70%) of generating capacity. Prior to EPIRA, it owned or controlled ninety-five percent (95%) of generating capacity. This means that it took them seven (7) years to privatize twenty-five percent (25%). This is obviously too slow. That is where the cause of high electric rates lies: monopolistic dominance of NAPOCOR of the generation of electricity. The evil of this monopolistic dominance is obvious. Tingnan na lang natin yung nangyari sa WESM noong Agosto 2006[4]. Itong WESM ay isang palangke, pero sa halip na pagkain ang ibinibenta, kuryente ang ipinagbibili. Nahuli ng manager ng palengke ang NAPOCOR na nagbigay ng instruksyon sa kanyang mga planta na kailangang magkasabwatan sa pagtaas ng presyo ng kuryente. Parang pumunta ka sa palengke at gusto mong bumili ng galunggong. Sa palengkeng iyon, tatlo lang ang tinderang nagbebenta ng galunggong, si Neneng, si Selya, at si Doray. Wala nang iba. Pagdating mo sa palengke, napansin mo na napakataas ang kanilang presyo at pare-pareho. Yung pala, magkapatid sila at ang kanilang ama ay si NAPOCOR. Nadiktahan sila ng kanilang ama. Ganoon din po sa kuryente, nakakadikta ang NAPOCOR ng presyo ng kuryente sapagkat ito ang may-ari o kontrolado niya ang pitumpong porsiyento (70%) nito. The solution to lower electricity rates is genuine competition amongst private generation companies in a regime of free and fair competition on a level playing field. Privatize NAPOCOR and electricity rates will be reasonable.
[1] sec. 47-I, EPIRA [2] sec. 2-b, EPIRA [3] sec. 2-c, EPIRA [4] Market Surveillance Committee Report, dated Nov. 20, 2006, addressed to the Board of the Philippine Electric Market.

PR VS Advertising – PR Builds Credibility and Wins Hands Down!

2008-05-02T19:09:00.000+08:00

Advertising controls the message while PR does not, and because of this, PR creates credibility. Many times readers see an ad and they know that what they are reading is just overblown hype. Most readers are more likely to trust independent authorities such as reviewers, columnists, reporters or broadcasters. Without a doubt, it is these same authorities that are directly influenced by good public relations and specifically, a well-written press release.

Source: http://www.press-release-writing.com/

Press Release Made (by: Mind Bullet Inc.) for ILLAM

2008-04-25T12:02:00.002+08:00

How I Gave Away 15 Minutes and Made $5700

2008-04-22T12:51:00.000+08:00

January 24, 2008 | Written By Mason Hipp

There are a lot of experts who say you should be very selfish with your time, and for the most part I agree with them. There are only 24 hours in a day (most of which aren’t billable) and between work, family, and friends there usually isn’t much left over. Oh yeah, and then there’s sleeping too. Sometimes, the thought of giving away free time seems almost preposterous.

Clever Advertising

2008-04-17T09:51:00.016+08:00

Advertisements for a job-recruiting company in Berlin , Germany depict people working in vending machines and ATMs. It delivers the message, "Life is too short for the wrong job".

A creative ad by Mini Cooper placed at the Zurich , Switzerland train station, shows people climbing into or out of the car, when they are actually entering or exiting stairs.

(just an interesting forwarded email...)

Mind Bullet Inc. to train Masscomm Interns from PLM

2008-04-11T13:11:00.007+08:00

PRESS RELEASE

REFER TO: Dickson Comia

Intern, Mind Bullet Inc.

09278741528

thedeathlyholow@yahoo.com

April 10, 2008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Subject: Mind Bullet Inc. to train Masscomm Interns from PLM

Mind Bullet Inc. Market Positioning and Public Relations accepted nine graduating Mass Communication students from Pamantasan ng Lungod ng Maynila this summer.

The interns were under the supervision of Eero Brillantes and Angely Meggi Gayod, firm’s President and Event Coordinator respectively. The students’ potentials in Public Relations are being honed by Mind Bullet through engaging them into hands-on PR activities such as online marketing, news monitoring, press clipping, blogging and conceptualization of project through brainstorming and round table discussions.

“The interns are eager to learn and they are quite impressive when it comes to their writing abilities. The firm was very much willing to accept practicumers because of its compassion to communication students since its forerunners have taken communication-related courses.” said Meg Gayod.

The students spend more than ten hours a day accomplishing Mind Bullet’s daily activities and at times they participate in discussions with the President where they are being encouraged to squeeze their creative juices to the hilt and think out of the box when it comes to their strategic planning.

“It’s our privilege to have our practicum here in Mind Bullet, since Public Relations has been my target career path. Spending my summer here learning how PR in the real world goes like is totally worth it.” said Margaret, one of Mind Bullet’s interns.

Mind Bullet Inc. Market Positioning and Public Relations is located in 10L Burgundy Corporate Tower in Sen Gil Puyat Avenue, Makati. #

PLM STUDENTS TAKE INTERNSHIP AT MIND BULLET INC.

2008-04-11T11:57:00.005+08:00

PRESS RELEASE

REFER TO: Charmaine R. Amponin

Intern, Mind Bullet Inc.

0922-7699966

grassroot_211@yahoo.com

April 10, 2008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PLM STUDENTS TAKE INTERNSHIP AT MIND BULLET INC.

Learning will never be the same for nine Mass Communication students of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila as they take their summer internship program in Mind Bullet Inc., one of the country’s leading firms in market positioning and public relations.

Mind Bullet Inc. headed by President and CEO Eero Brillantes, serves as a training ground for PLM students in enhancing their skills and competencies on the learning they have acquired from years of schooling.

In line with this, the practicumers are given chances to perform practical PR works and fun-filled activities including live and online clipping of newspapers, blogging, monitoring of news, online marketing, writing of press releases, event planning, roundtable discussions and soon, attend workshops.

Event Coordinator, Angely Meggi Gayod said that the company was very much willing to accept practicumers because of its compassion to communication students since most of the company’s forerunners once took the same paths in communication-related courses.

She also added how she was impressed with the talents and skills demonstrated by the students.

“All the interns are very eager to learn and they are very impressive when it comes to their writing skills,” she said.

Dickson Comia, one of the practicumers said that so far, his stay in Mind Bullet Inc. has been rewarding inasmuch as it is enjoyable.

“I am happy to have my internship in Mind Bullet Inc. because the company is providing us with practical learnings I never learned from school. Plus, the Mind Bullet people are very helpful and considerate.”

Mind Bullet Inc. is located at Unit 10L, Burgundy Corporate Tower, 252 Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue, Makati City Philippines 1200. The company can also be reached through 856-4231 and you can visit their website at http://www.mindbullet.org/

###

MIND BULLET INC. TRAINS PLM MASS COMMUNICATION STUDENTS THIS SUMMER

2008-04-11T11:55:00.004+08:00

PRESS RELEASE

REFER TO: Ann Margaret N. Sumilang

Intern, Mind Bullet Inc.

09287758345

cryingheart_marge@yahoo.com

April 10, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MIND BULLET INC. TRAINS PLM MASS COMMUNICATION STUDENTS THIS SUMMER.

The internship program of the incoming Fourth Year of the

Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila Mass Communication aims to expose their students in various fields of interest in Mass Media and practice other communication related industries to enhance their skills and to apply their learning from school. They are required to accomplish 250 hours for the internship training.

Mind Bullet provides strategic counsel and expertise. It focuses on two core competencies: The Market Positioning and Public Relations. It is headed by the President and CEO Eero Brillantes.

Mind Bullet Inc. trains chosen PLM Mass Communication students to develop and practice their Public Relations skills to prepare them for their future career.

The interns are tasked to clip news (live and on- line), to blog, monitor the news from radio, print and on- line, to make press releases and to participate in brainstorming and workshop. The students are also provided with lectures to broaden their understanding and knowledge in Public Relations.

Ms. Meg Gayod, the event coordinator of the company said that all interns were all accepted in the internship training because they are very eager to learn. All the interns are very impressive when it comes to their writing skills.

Mr. Jearry Berg Roperos, one of the interns said that it is a privilege to be a part of Mind Bullet because this is one of the well established PR firms and to be a part of a PR firm is a great experience because it is a trend nowadays.

Mind Bullet Inc. is not just a well established PR company but also serves as a stepping stone for the students to inculcate in their minds how PR work is done and accomplished.

Mind Bullet Inc. is located at 10L, Burgundy Corporate Tower, 252 Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue, Makati Contact us at 856-4231 or visit our website at http://www.mindbullet.org/

PLM SUMMER BREAKAWAY, THE MIND BULLET WAY

2008-04-11T11:42:00.009+08:00

PRESS RELEASE

April 10, 2008

REFER TO: Louie Miguel Manalo

Intern, Mind Bullet Inc.

0929-5272041

miggy_lou25@yahoo.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PLM SUMMER BREAKAWAY, THE MIND BULLET WAY

Nine incoming senior students of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM) are hired for an intern slot at Mind Bullet Inc., a marketing positioning and public relations company.

This summer would heed the beginning of the internship/practicum program of the incoming fourth year mass communication students of PLM. They would be exposed in the world of mass media and other communication-related industries that have a vast field of interests like advertising, marketing, journalism and public relations.

The interns applied for OJT in Mind Bullet Inc. because of the company’s excellence among others and the belief that the abilities and talents they have mastered from years of erudition would be honed and enhanced by the company’s expertise and credibility.

The nine mass communication student-interns of PLM are Charmaine Amponin, Paolo Cayco, Dickson Comia, Geraldine Ferreras, Isabelle Gacho, Louie Manalo, Jearry Berg Roperos, Ann Margaret Sumilang and Enzo Toledo.

In an interview, Sumilang said that she’s not threatened of insecurities anymore in the future because Mind Bullet Inc. has contributed a lot in teaching her the realities of PR practices in the country. In line with this, Amponin said that she’s valuing all the efforts extended to them by Mind Bullet Inc. by sharing some thoughts on excellent management through PR. “And it’s really fun here in Mind Bullet Inc. The officers are really affable,” added Roperos.

The interns’ duties and responsibilities include the following: clipping of newspaper (live and on-line); blogging (on-line); monitoring of news (radio/print/on-line); on-line marketing; and observation and participation in brainstorming, discussions and workshops of the company’s PR practices.

When asked how Mind Bullet Inc. managed to accept all the interns, Meggi Gayod, the events organizer and the internship supervisor said that “the company is very willing to accept interns because they have compassion for communication students. Because all of them are responsible communication graduates who are enthusiastic to share their knowledge about the craft.” She added, “as I can see, all the interns are very eager to learn and they are very impressive when it comes to their writing skills.”

Mind Bullet Inc. believes that communication is, primarily, a human activity. They provide strategic counsel and expertise. They are located at Unit 10L, Burgundy Corporate Tower, 252 Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue, Makati City Philippines 1200. Telefax +632 856 4231. Or log on to www.mindbullet.org.

###

MIND BULLET INC. ACCEPTS ON-THE-JOB TRAINEES, PROVIDES HANDS-ON SUPERVISION

2008-04-11T11:38:00.003+08:00

PRESS RELEASE

REFER TO: GERALDINE D. FERRERAS

Intern, Mind Bullet Inc.

09235323738

geraldineferreras@gmail.com

April 10, 2008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MIND BULLET INC. ACCEPTS ON-THE-JOB TRAINEES, PROVIDES HANDS-ON SUPERVISION

Mind Bullet has its doors open for practicumers from related fields of study.

Mind Bullet Inc., a company which focuses on Market Positioning and Public Relations currently houses nine incoming fourth year Mass Communication students of Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila for on-the-job training.

Events Coordinator and OJT supervisor Ms. Angely Meggi Gayod said that it is not the company’s first time to have practicumers. They have been very willing to accept interns ever since particularly communication students because workforce there is also composed of communication graduates.

According to Jearry Berg Roperos, one of the interns, the company had been so generous to accept all nine of them. He said that he feels really comfortable working for Mind Bullet. He also shared that he always walks home with new experiences each day.

Charmaine Amponin, also one of the practicumers commented that she finds Mind Bullet a great place for one to have his OJT. She added that superiors in the office know how to reach out and even teach the basics, themselves.

“They are hands-on and with that you’ll feel that they really care.” told Ann Margaret Sumilang, another intern.

Mind Bullet Inc. CEO/ President Mr. Eero Brillantes spends time sharing the intern his knowledge of the field despite his busy schedule. He ensures the students’ active participation during roundtable discussions and brainstorming. Moreover, students get to do the activities that Public Relations firms normally do like blogging, news clipping, news monitoring etc.

It’s definitely hard to tell which company would serve one best for his on-the-job training until he actually gets there. However, there really are companies who are concern enough for the interns’ growth and learning. Mind Bullet sure belongs to that list.

###

MIND BULLET PRESIDENT AND CEO ACCEPTS PLM INTERNS, CITES THE IMPORTANCE OF CREDIBILITY IN THE FIELD OF PUBLIC RELATIONS.

2008-04-11T11:32:00.007+08:00

PRESS RELEASE

REFER TO: MARIA ISABELLE U. GACHO

Intern, Mind Bullet Inc.

09164094096

isabellegacho@gmail.com

April 10, 2008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MIND BULLET PRESIDENT AND CEO ACCEPTS PLM INTERNS, CITES THE IMPORTANCE OF CREDIBILITY IN THE FIELD OF PUBLIC RELATIONS.

Nine incoming fourth year Mass Communication students of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila are taking their practicum at MIND BULLET INC., a premiere market positioning and public relations company in Makati. They are under the supervision of Eero Brillantes and Angely Meggi Gayod.

Eero Brillantes, MIND BULLET INC.’s president and CEO conducted a roundtable discussion last April 8. He started by asking the students why they chose public relations and what they know of the field. He recently stated the importance of credibility in the field the students wish to pursue.

“PR is all about credibility. A PR practitioner should know what to say. It is not about what you are saying. It’s about what your publics want to hear.”

Angely Meggi Gayod, MIND BULLET INC.’s events coordinator recently said that the company is very much willing to accept interns because they understand communication students.

“MIND BULLET INC.’s employees came from different fields of communication. All the interns are very eager to learn. They are impressive when it comes to their writing skills. It’s overwhelming that a lot of students applied for the position.”

Geraldine Ferreras, one of the interns said the MIND BULLET INC. is a good company because they get to perform the activities of a PR practitioner. They are hands on when it comes to tasks.

Also one of the interns, Charmaine Amponin said that MIND BULLET INC. is like her home. Although the pioneers of the company are great achievers, they are nice and considerate. They make learning fun and easy.”

This is the first time MIND BULLET INC. accepted a big number of interns. Their number, however, is not a deterring factor in task dissemination. They all get to blog, monitor and clip news, and market online. They also get to attend orientations, roundtable discussions, and, very soon, the promised workshop of MIND BULLET INC.’s president, Eero Brillantes.

The company is the best choice in honing your MIND to be the future BULLET of public relations.

The company truly lives up to its name. MIND BULLET.

For more information, you can visit the office at Unit 10L, Burgundy Corporate Tower, 252 Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue, Makati City Philippines 1200. Or contact via telefax at +632 856.4231 or theough email at info@mindbullet.org

###

9 PLMyer at home at Mind Bullet Inc.

2008-04-11T10:53:00.011+08:00

PRESS RELEASE

REFER TO: Jearry Berg N. Roperos

Intern, Mind Bullet Inc.

0918-2323674

italy_jb02@yahoo.com

April 10, 2008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

9 PLMyer at home at Mind Bullet Inc.

Burgundy Corporate Tower became an instant annex for Mass Communication students of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila.

Nine incoming 4^th year PLMyer dominated Mind Bullet Inc., a market positioning and public relations company, this summer as it marks the start of the internship program of the said college.

As it became a trend, the field of Public Relations is chosen of these students among the various fields of interest in the mass media and other communication-related industries foe it deals with different disciplines like journalism and advertising.

Among these nine communication students are Charmaine Amponin, Paolo Cayco, Dickson Comia, Maria Isabel Gacho, Geraldine Ferreras, Louie Miguel Manalo, Jearry Berg Roperos, Ann Margaret Sumilang, and Enzo Emmanuel Toledo, who are graduating next academic year with a degree in Bachelor of Mass Communication.

“Aside from the fact that I really want an inside-office job, I prefer to be in a PR firm for it simply summarizes all that I’ve learned as a communication student: news monitoring both in the national dailies and the top radio stations, internet blogging, market positioning and advertising strategies, documentary making for advocacies, events planning and of course, dealing with different publics that is tantamount to socializing”, says Manalo.

According to Mind Bullet management, they are very willing to accept interns as much as nine without rejecting not even one because of their compassion to communication students for the two forerunners once took the same path in communication-related courses. And as practitioners, they would love to share their knowledge to future leaders.

Ms. Meg Gayod, event coordinator, commented, “All the interns are very eager to learn and they are very impressive when it comes to their writing skills.”

Currently, these students are learning in as much as they are enjoying their stay in the company as they perform every duty that is assigned to them and experience the feeling of being in the real world.

“We are at work as early as 7:00 in the morning and we usually end at 8:00 in the evening, but we regret no time of our stay here because it is worth it, we are properly taught of and we are really hands on to the various office works,” says Ferreras.

Mind Bullet Inc. is located at Unit 10L, Burgundy Corporate Tower, 252 Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue, Makati City Philippines 1200 with telephone number 856423 or log on at www.mindbullet.org.

###

PLM STUDENTS TAKE THEIR INTERNSHIP AT MIND BULLET INC.

2008-04-11T10:42:00.008+08:00

PRESS RELEASE

REFER TO: Paolo C. Cayco

Intern, Mind Bullet Inc.

0927-6259554

pao_cayco@yahoo.com

April 10, 2008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PLM STUDENTS TAKE THEIR INTERNSHIP AT MIND BULLET INC.

Nine Mass Communication students from the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila take their On-the-Job-Training at Mind Bullet Inc. starting last April 2, Wednesday.

Mind Bullet Inc. is a market positioning and public relations company that believes that communication is, primarily, a human activity. It is a public relations firm which emphasizes the word "relations" in their work. The company is spearheaded by their President and CEO, Mr. Eero Brillantes.

The PLM students were given the task of monitoring the news, on-line blogging, news clipping, news archiving, participate in brainstorming and discussions, etc.

Enzo Toledo, one of the interns of the company, said that he was very happy and excited when he was accepted in the company.

“Honestly, I wasn’t really expecting that I would be accepted in the company. I think this would be a perfect opportunity for me to enhance more my skills and to be exposed to the real and exciting world of Public Relations.”

The students, as part of their requirements, are required to have 250 hours of internship in different fields of their interest in the mass media and other communication-related industries to enhance their skills and competencies on the learning they have acquired in the four corners of their classroom.

Ms. Angely Meggi Gayod, Event Coordinator of Mind Bullet Inc. as well as the Practicum Supervisor said that the company is very willing to accept interns. She also said that she was very much impressed with how the students of PLM work.

“The company is very willing to accept interns because the officers of the company have compassion to communication students. Because all of them are responsible communication graduates who are enthusiastic to share their knowledge about the craft. All the interns are very eager to learn and they are very impressive when it comes to their writing skills.”

Mind Bullet Inc. is located at Unit 10L, Burgundy Corporate Tower, 252 Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue, Makati City Philippines 1200. Contact us at 856-4231 or visit our website at http://www.mindbullet.org/

###

PLM student interns enter Mindbullet

2008-04-11T10:10:00.006+08:00

April 10, 2008

Press Release

Refer: Enzo Emmanuel Toledo

Student Intern

092229034410

enzoemmanueltoledo@gmail.com

Subject: PLM student interns enter Mindbullet

Mind Bullet Inc., a market positioning and public relations company is currently training nine students from Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM).

The company located at Burgundy Corporate Tower in Gil Puyat Ave. is headed by CEO, Mr. Eero Brillantes, a graduate of Organizational Communication in University of the Philippines Manila.

Mr. Brillantes have been assigning them to monitor the news, do press clippings, construct market positioning concepts and other activities related to Public Relations. This is in accordance to their requirements for a practicum class in PLM in which they have to complete at least 250 hours.

Ms. Geraldine Ferreras, a student intern said that her experience so far had been very productive and she really appreciates how the company is pretty hands-on when it comes to the assigned tasks.

The nine students are supervised by Mindbullet’s Events Coordinator Ms. Angely Meggi Gayod. “It’s overwhelming that many applied in Mind Bullet. All the interns are very eager to learn and they are very impressive when it comes to their writing skills.”

Mind Bullet can be reached through 02-856-42-31 and also be visited on http://www.mindbullet.org.

###

Education's goal

2008-04-08T10:06:00.003+08:00

Editorial

Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 00:24:00 04/08/2008

The current graduation period and the opening of school two months from now should prompt students, their parents, their teachers and education officials to think again about the goal of a university education.

John Henry Cardinal Newman, in “The Idea of a University,” stated the aim of a university education clearly. He said it is to develop in the students “the force, the steadiness, the comprehensiveness and the versatility of intellect, the command over our own powers, the instinctive just estimate of things as they pass before us,” which are the fruit of rigorous training and noble influences.
read more...

Yes, blogs can ruin your life

2008-04-02T09:44:00.002+08:00

By Pam Pastor
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Last updated 18:20:00 04/01/2008

MANILA, Philippines—The Internet-savvy should think of the past few weeks as more than just a hate fest and a gossip buffet. It is a wake-up call—and a testament to the true powers of blogging.

After countless names have been thrown around the World Wide Web and smeared with nastiness, many have expressed fear about people blogging about them.

But the truth is, you should be concerned not only with what others post about you. You should also be careful about what you post about yourself.
read more...

Do you agree on this or not? Feel free to post your opinion...

2008-03-27T11:28:00.003+08:00

Fifty Five Reasons to Send Out a Release

Before you contact the media, be sure you're newsworthy.

Related Resources

• Basics of PR
• Media Relations
• Jobs in PR
• PR Toolkit
• Lots More PR Articles

by Scott Lorenz
Westwind Communications

When should you send out a press release? You want to know my acid test? If it’s newsworthy and if it’s useful to the reader. It’s that simple.

There are many factors to weigh when considering the need to send out a press release. As a publicist I have sent thousands of releases over the years and while there are no hard and fast rules, the most important factor is that you’ve got to make sure it’s newsworthy and useful to the reader. Any thing else and it’s just a waste of time for the members of the media.

A good press release can accomplish a lot of things too. It can be used to announce information to the public, your investors, the media, your customers and even your competitors about you and your activities. To help my clients determine whether something is newsworthy I compiled a list of fifty-five press release ideas I give to them to get their ideas flowing about their own businesses. Some are for general consumer media and some may not apply to all business types.

1. Announce a new service.
2. Announce a new product.
3. Tie in with a national holiday, a birthday or anniversary.
4. Report a new study of your own and your analysis or forecast.
5. Tie in with a controversy by commenting on it.

Read more...

Hulagpos sa Unos

2008-03-25T23:22:00.007+08:00

Hulagpos sa Unos is a documentary film on the impact of Catholic Church interventions to the victims of calamities through a relief and rehabilitation program in the Philippines. Created in November 2006 and directed by award winning (best director, 2007 Moonrise Festival) documentary film maker, Geraldine Torres-Brillantes.

Advocacy Campaign Case Study

2008-03-24T16:46:00.006+08:00

ADVOCACY CAMPAIGN CASE STUDY: THE ANTI-MINING ADVOCACY PROJECT OF THE PHILIPPINE MISEREOR PARTNERSHIP

By: Eero Brillantes, CEO, Mind Bullet Inc. (http://www.mindbullet.org/)

I. THE CONTEXT

In 2005, The Anti-Mining Advocacy Project was launched by the Philippine Misereor Partnership (PMP) . It is a large group of civil society and peoples organizations being supported by development assistance from the German’s Bishops’ Conference. It was an attempt by anti-large scale mining advocates within members of PMP to share knowledge, networks, and on the ground advocacy experiences. It was likewise recognized that national synchronized activities needed to be done and for the group to establish working links with other big campaigns and foundations like the Alyansa Tigil Mina (ATM), Foundation for Philippine Environment (FPE), National Secretariat for Social Action, Justice and Peace-Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (NASSA-CBCP), and Ecology Desk-Archdiocese of Manila. I was hired to head the advocacy team for PMP.

To me and the team, the challenge was multifaceted. The campaign comes at the heels of a resurgent and energized mining industry with the government itself doing a global marketing blitz. The Supreme Court overturned a previous decision of not allowing international mining companies to perpetuate in the country. Mining and mining applications were mushrooming all over the country.

Armed with limited budget but lots of well meaning organizations and dedicated advocates, a strategy was mapped out to put the brakes on large scale mining and bring groups to the negotiating table.

II. THE END GAME MAPPED OUT

The end game was two pronged. First was to get support from Philippine Bishops to come out with a statement critical of the unabated large scale mining in the country. Second was to leverage the support of Bishops so that the government will engage in dialogue and hopefully concrete commitments are solicited.

III. THE TRIGGER LAUNCH

To trigger the campaign, an anti-mining road show was implemented. Two compelling videos entitled Sa Ngalan ng Mina (In the Name of Mining) were produced and distributed to all campaign members and affected communities. A photo exhibit was also distributed along with the videos. Highlighting these visual presentations were the celebrated anti-mining struggles of communities in Didipio, Nueva Viscaya, Mt. Canatuan in Zamboanga Del Norte, and Rapu Rapu Island in Bicol. (The anti-mining videos and photo exhibit were done by award winning video film maker Geraldine Torres-Brillantes).

IV. ACCELERATOR ACTIVITIES

Representatives of affected communities, especially the indigenous peoples, went on a national media blitz to drum up support for the campaign.

Tactical awareness and mobilization activities at the level of affected areas in around 78 provinces were done through out the year.

Support from Metro Manila came from Catholic Schools with strong environmental protection advocacies.

The roadshow went on for about a year. By that time, community level opposition was already gaining critical mass in many areas. Through the combined efforts of PMP, ATM, like minded groups, and affected communities themselves, the stage was set to put into motion the demand for a dialogue with government.

V. IMPLEMENTING THE END GAME SCENARIO

The PMP campaign staff sought the assistance of NASSA-CBCP, the social action arm of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, and also a member of the PMP, to spearhead the dialogue efforts.

By that time, the CBCP through a pastoral statement reiterated its call for the care for environment and for government and mining companies to become accountable for the destruction of communities with large scale mining activities.

In March 10, 2006, at the Traders Hotel in Manila, NASSA-CBCP conducted a National Mining Forum, attended by social action directors and staff representing many of the affected communities. It was also during that forum that an important side meeting was scheduled. A selected delegation of Philippine Bishops met with President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Speaker Jose De Venecia, along with some cabinet secretaries. Incidentally, March 10 also marked the anniversary of the passage of the Philippine Mining Act.

The dialogue resulted in the following:

1. A review by the legislature of the Mining Act of 1995
2. Creation of the Bastes commission to review and recommend courses of action on the issue of fishkills and pollution done by Lafayette Mining in Rapu Rapu island, Bicol.
3. Direct assistance to communities affected adversely by large scale mining.

VI. ENFORCEMENT OF AGREEMENTS

As of this writing, the enforcement of the agreements are being done through the Office of the President and the NASSA-CBCP. In turn, NASSA-CBCP updates the PMP and other campaign stakeholders. While this constitutes a very important track, other campaigns and initiatives are ongoing at the international, national, and community levels. The struggles of affected communities continue.

Free On-Line Clipping Service Launched

2008-03-24T11:12:00.002+08:00

March 24, 2008

Mind Bullet launches Free Daily On-line Political and Current Affairs Clippings

Mind Bullet Inc. (http://www.mindbullet.org/), the market positioning and public relations consulting group, has launched its political and current affairs monitor on-line at (http://www.newsmonitoring-mindbullet.blogspot.com/) . It is an internet based clipping service on major news and current affairs as seen in today’s on-line newspaper editions. It aims to help decision makers and business leaders make intelligent analysis of current events through a one stop navigation portal.

Newspapers scanned daily include the on-line editions of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Philippine Star, Manila Times, Manila Bulletin, Daily Tribune, Malaya, Business Mirror, Business World, Abante, Abante Tonite, Pilipino Star Ngayon, and Philippine Journal.

Specialized and topic specific editions of the online-clipping services are currently being sent to selected clientele including the offices of Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano (Graft and Corruption, Education Issues), Sen. Pia Cayetano (Health and Environment), Cong. Maria Laarni Cayetano (Education, Political) Cong. Teofisto TG Guingona III (Power and Electricity), Cong. Maria Evita Arago (Water, Political).

Eero Brillantes, Mind Bullet CEO, says that the on-line monitor serves many purposes. He says the foremost function is to make key judgments based on trend tracking and news analysis. Tracking also serves as early warning for potential political flashpoints or opportunities. Key staff of clients are likewise able to fast track their familiarization of policy issues by learning the policy and political environment and the different stakeholders involved.

The online monitor can be accessed through http://www.mindbullet.org/ and http://www.brainbang-mindbullet.blogspot.com/.

David Meerman Scott

2008-03-19T18:42:00.003+08:00

The http://www.webiknow.com/ blog is the official blog of David Meerman Scott, an online marketing and public relations guru. I have read his book "The New Rules of Marketing and PR". Its a very practical book and is a goldmine of web sources about re-tooling marketing and public relations in an on-line environment. It is also incisive as it provides "in your face" analysis of emerging PR realities amidst time tested theoretical and traditonal banalities held sacred by practioners of the craft.

It is with this that two websites are put forward. http://www.davidmeermanscott.com/ and http://www.webinknow.com/

Transcript of President Arroyo’s interview with Joe Taruc of DZRH on the ZTE deal last 23 February 2008

2008-03-03T14:18:00.000+08:00

(EXCERPT)

TARUC: Isa sa mga nasa isipan pa ng ating mga kababayan at ang pinag-uusapan ngayon tungkol doon sa broadband contract. Ano po ba talaga ang malinaw na nangyari dito? Ito po ba ay kinansela, sinuspinde o ano po ba ang talagang estado nito, Madam President?

PGMA: Alam mo Joe, talagang para sa akin, una sa lahat, hindi ko gusto ang katiwalian. Ang taumbayan galit sa katiwalian, ganoon din ako. Galit din ako sa katiwalian. Kaya itong proyektong ito, oras na may pag-uusap na may anomaliya ay agad-agad kong kinansel na, ah ano, agad-agad gumawa ako ng hakbang para kanselahin. Ang isa sa mga hakbang na ito ay kailangang kakausapin muna ang gobyerno ng China dahil sila naman ang ating pinakamalaking ah, pinakamalaking market ngayon sa export. So, at hindi lamang iyon, dinagdagan natin ang pondo ng Ombudsman para lalong mapalakas ang kanyang bantay kontra sa kurakot at direkto tayong kumilos diyan sa sinabi ko sa iyo na, yung tinanong mo sa akin pala na tiyakin na masusing subaybayan ang lahat ng ganoong proyekto ng mga mamamayang tumatanod para makasiguro na walang katiwaliang mangyayari.

TARUC: Ibig sabihin kanselado na iyong broadband project?

PGMA: Kanselado na yun matagal na. Oras nga na may sumbong sa akin, tinignan ko na yung paraan kung paano kanselahin. Nasumbong sa akin the night before the signing of the supply contract, pero hindi pa naman kasi but that was only one of many signings. So, e papano mo naman maka-kansel the night before meron kang ibang bansang kausap? Isang gabi. So tinuloy ang signing pero sa unang pagkakataon kinausap ko na agad yung pangulo ng China para sabihin sa kanya na kailangan kanselahin yung proyekto.

TARUC: Naunawaan naman nila?

PGMA: Sa umpisa hindi masyado, nagulat, pero sa pangalawang pag-uusap ko sinabi na naiintindihan niya at magkaibigan pa rin tayo kahit na kakanselahin yung proyekto.###

“Failure of Leadership, Failure of Command”

2008-02-28T11:04:00.002+08:00

Privilege Speech delivered by Cong. Teofisto “TG” Guingona III

of the 2nd District of Bukidnon on February 27, 2008

Jason and Fe Aquino have been happily married for 14 years now. Jason Aquino is a Major of the Philippine Army, assigned at Fort Bonifacio. He is no ordinary soldier, for he is the class baron of Philippine Military Academy Class ’91 and former Operations Chief of the elite Scout Rangers. His wife, Fe, is a housewife who hails from Cagayan de Oro. They are blessed with four daughters; Chen, who is 13 years old, a first year high school student; Chel who is 12 years old, a grade six student; and Chez who is 8 months old. All of them study at the Holy Spirit School at New Manila, Quezon City. Last year, the couple was blessed with another baby girl.

It was a bright, sunny day last February 27, 2006. Jason had already eaten his breakfast; drank his cup of coffee and had finished his Marlboro. He kissed his wife Fe goodbye and off he went to work at Fort Bonifacio. Little did they know that that was the last time they would see each other in a long, long time.

February 24, 2006 was the day that GMA declared a state of emergency. On February 27, Jason did not come home. The next day, Fe was worried sick. She called his office. She called almost everyone whom she thought could help her. Nobody knew where Jason was. She was frantic. She even confronted Col. Bacarro, the AFP spokesman, who said that he did not know the whereabouts of Jason.

My friends, I don’t know if you’ve ever had the experience and agony of having a family member not coming home. The experience is traumatic and the mental anguish is terrible. Your heart beats at the pace of a racehorse, your mind is numb with uncertainty – as if it had been injected with dental anesthesia, your throat dries with tension – like sandpaper, and your chest tightens with anxiety. Can you imagine? Ms. Fe Aquino, all alone in their house, with four daughters? Everyone she calls tells her: I don’t know where your husband is! After three sleepless nights, through the help of Jason’s Mistahs, Fe was finally informed that Jason was imprisoned at the Maximum Security Detention cell at the Intelligence Service Group or ISG compound. She was not allowed to see Jason.

Fe wondered why her husband was at the ISG. The ISG is not a custodial facility. It is a facility for interrogation and torture. In fact, this is where the members of the Abu Sayaff group are incarcerated. Jason was put in solitary confinement – in a cell that is hot, dark, and isolated. Jason was arrested and put in solitary confinement without notice to his family, without notice to his lawyers. Worst of all, Major Jason Aquino, a distinguished officer and gentleman, class baron of the Philippine Military Academy Class ’91, was made to suffer solitary confinement without any charge for five months. He was treated worse than a hardened criminal.

It took a whole week before Fe and her daughters could see Jason. They were made to wait an hour before they could actually see him. Upon seeing him, his daughters broke down in tears. He was very thin and haggard. There were deep markings on his face. Chen and Chel broke down in tears. They could not understand what was happening. Fe was warned by an officer that if she filed a case against them, they would not allow her to visit Jason anymore. As this was not enough, her house inside the heavily guarded Camp Aguinaldo was ransacked three (3) times and up to now, the Military Police and CIDG, despite their resources, have yet to arrest a single suspect.

After five months of solitary confinement, Jason Aquino was charged with attempted mutiny in connection with the alleged plan of the Scout Rangers under Bgen. Danilo Lim and the Marines under MGen. Renato Miranda. This was with regard to their alleged withdrawal of support from the administration of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

Today, I speak to you not only about the plight of Major Jason Aquino, but of the plight of the 28 distinguished Officers of our Armed Forces who are now facing a court martial for their alleged withdrawal of support last February 2006. If you will recall, that was when the people came out in EDSA to protest the legitimacy of the Arroyo administration brought about by the “Hello Garci” scandal. GMA declared a State of Emergency. These distinguished Officers are now being subjected to countless indignities and their constitutional rights have been trampled upon by the Arroyo administration. Let me read some of their names:

Maj. Gen. Renato Miranda, Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim, Col. Ariel Querubin, Col. Orlando de Leon, Col. Januario Caringal, Col. Armando Bañez, Lt. Col. Custodio Parcon, Lt. Col. Achilles Segumalian, Lt. Col. Nestor Flordeliza, Lt. Col. Edmundo Malabanjot, Maj.Francisco Domingo Fernandez, Maj. Jason Laureano Aquino, Maj. Jose Leomar Doctolero, Capt. James Sabadan, Capt. Montano Almodovar, Capt. Joey Fontiveros, Capt. Ruben Guinolbay, Capt. Isagani Criste, Capt. William Upano, Capt. Dante Langkit, Capt. Allan C. Aurino, Capt. Frederick Sales, Lt. Belinda Ferrer, Lt. Ervin Divinagracia, Lt. Jacon Cordero, Lt. Homer Estolas, Lt. Sandro Sereno, and Lt. Richiemel Caballes.

Let’s take some indignities. Last February 1, Col. Ariel Querubin, a recipient of the Medal of Valor1, the highest award given by the AFP for gallantry in combat, was forced to attend the court martial proceedings despite having a high fever and dizziness. Ariel was suffering from a combination of bronchitis and urinary tract infection. A military medical doctor who examined him found his fever to be at 38.5 C°. Instead of trying to minister to Ariel’s high fever, the doctor just filled up a medical certificate stating that Ariel was “fit to travel with medical team”. When confronted by Mrs. Pong Querubin, the doctor just replied that he was just following orders.

Another example was the way they manhandled the officers and ridiculed their families when they were transferred from Camp Capinpin in Tanay to the ISAFP Compound in Camp Aguinaldo. On the morning of that day there was a gentleman’s agreement, that the officers would be furnished a written order for their transfer and that they would not be handcuffed. At around 4:30 pm a commotion started. In breach of the previous gentleman’s agreement, the officers were being handcuffed in front of their wives and children. No written order was ever produced. Lt. Col. Custodio Parcon, another Medal of Valor Awardee2, was forcibly handcuffed and carried by eight-men: “parang baboy na binuhat” ang sabi ng isang asawa. The officers were brought to the ISAFP compound at Camp Aguinaldo at 9 in the evening. ISAFP is not a custodial facility. It is a facility for interrogation. Their transfer to ISAFP was for no other purpose but to break their spirit. The cells are very hot, dark, and devoid of ventilation. Their beds are located right beside their waterless toilet bowls. Their families were not informed where they would be transferred. When the wives went to the high steel gates of the ISAFP compound to verify, the guards just mocked them, laughed at them and ridiculed them. Exhausted, hungry, cold, and traumatized by the day’s events, the officers’ wives and their children could only cry in desperation. As Jun Lozada said: “I have seen the ugly side of the state!”

General Esperon has persecuted these Officers and their families. They are not asking for mercy. All they want is justice, to be treated fairly and decently befitting an officer and a gentleman.

They are being forced to face an illegitimate court martial without any proper charges. The basis of the charges are two documents. Ironically, the first document, called the pre-trial investigation report (PTIR), recommended the dismissal of the mutiny charges against all of the accused. This was the result of an investigation by a three-man panel headed by Colonel Al Perreras. The second document, called the Pre-Trial advice, which reverses the PTIR, recommends the filing of charges. This was not signed by Esperon. Had Esperon signed this document, there would be no doubt about the legitimacy of the court martial. It is like a civilian being made to undergo a trial based on an unsigned criminal information sheet. To this date, Esperon has not signed3. The result is an illegitimately constituted court martial. In the absence of a signed pre-trial advice, there is no basis to detain these officers. This is a blatant display of abuse of authority without responsibility. This is a failure of leadership that further divides an already divided Armed Forces.

That is how our present Arroyo administration regards our military. To GMA, the Armed Forces of the Philippines is not the protector of the people. They are being used as tools. Tools to perpetuate her illegitimate and immoral hold on the Office of the President. Tools to suppress and intimidate legitimate opposition and dissent. Tools to extra-judicially kill our countrymen, just because they have progressive ideas. The Arroyo administration will do anything to stay in power. At first they will plead with you, and if you do not agree, then they will try to bribe you. If you do not agree to be bribed, they will threaten you and your family. Professor Randy David, in his column4 eloquently described the Arroyo administration in four phrases – “No Qualms, No Shame, No Conscience, No Limit!”

Aside from the question of legitimacy of the Arroyo administration, there is an apparent failure of leadership in the AFP. As Columnist, Ramon Farolan, a former General and PMA’er puts it5: “The AFP is not the Armed Forces of the Philippines. It is the Armed Forces of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (AFGMA). Every officer who makes it to star rank and who aspires for high position in the military organization must, first and foremost, indicate a sense of personal loyalty to her over and above loyalty to country and people. …what matters most is personal loyalty to her more than efficiency, honesty or even honor.”

As the Philippine Daily Inquirer editorial states6:

“Esperon has shown his Commander-in-Chief utmost fidelity, ……… But overriding loyalty to the Commander- in-Chief is the quality one looks for in a commander of the presidential guard. The AFP Chief of Staff; however, must place both the national interest and the interest of the military as the protector of democracy above that of the President. This is exactly the thing that Esperon has failed to do.

He has not risen above his formative experience as commanding officer of the Palace guard. He has failed……. to de-politicize the military.

In a word, he has acted as a partisan.

Under his term, Esperon has also failed to stop the spree of politically motivated killings that will forever haunt his… legacy.

Consider the legal or political battles over the Mayuga report, over the Jonas Burgos case, over the Peninsula Manila incident -- indeed, over the damaging disclosures in the Hello Garci tapes.”

The track record of Mr. Esperon sends a spine-chilling effect on all of us. If asked by the President to do an illegitimate and non-democratic act, we doubt very much if he will stand up for the nation’s true interest.

Mr. Speaker, I therefore move to refer this speech to the Committee on Human Rights so as to inquire into the conditions of detention and the violation of the constitutional rights of the 28 officers detained at ISAFP compound at Camp Aguinaldo, as well as those detained at the CIDG compound at Camp Crame.

Secondly, I renew my call on Gloria Arroyo, to vacate the Office of the President. She never had any legitimate right to be President. She stole that office in 2004, as revealed by the “Hello Garci” tapes. Having stolen that Office, she is nothing but a usurper. I therefore call upon the usurper, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, to stop the lying, stop the stealing, stop the kidnapping, stop the killing, and vacate the Office of the President of the Philippines!

Lastly, I call on General Hermogenes Esperon to immediately step down for failure of leadership. For failure to institute a credible military justice system. For oppression and persecution. For failure to fulfill the Constitutional mandate that makes the Armed Forces of the Philippines the protector of the people. For using the Armed Forces as a tool for perpetuating a corrupt and illegitimate administration.

The new Noah's ark: Doomsday seed vault

2008-02-27T18:46:00.001+08:00

Photo is taken from Svalbard News

The science community's buzz is the doomsday vault or the Svalbard Global Seed Vault. This is good and bad news at the same time. Good - because such technologies assures the world of food security in times of extreme climate and natural occurrence. Bad - because why do we have it now? Is something bound to happen?

Funded by Global Crop Diversity, the doomsday vault aimed to provide mankind with food in the event of a global catastrophe. It is built in the mountainside near Longyearbyen, in the remote Svalbard islands between Norway and the North Pole.

According to the National Geographic website:

The Svalbard Global Seed Vault or "doomsday" seed bank will store backup copies of as many as three million different crop varieties in case of a worldwide catastrophe.

The high-tech vault opens for storage in February 2008. It is going to "put an end to extinction [of] agricultural crops," said Cary Fowler, executive director of the Global Crop Diversity Trust in Rome, Italy, which is the leading force behind the project.

The mission is crucial, Fowler noted, because the stored seeds provide researchers with the raw genetic materials needed to adapt the global food supply to survive climate change as well as water and energy shortages.

Here are other articles related to the doomsday vault. Just click on the links provided.

Svalbard News
CNN
Newsscientist.com
National Geographic News

The Handbook of Strategic Public Relations & Integrated Communications

2008-02-26T11:18:00.000+08:00

I've come across an online gold mine. Its entitled The Handbook of Strategic Public Relations & Integrated Communications.

As the media grows more ruthless, the role of public relations has become increasingly complex and critical. Savvy businesspeople know that how a company conveys and maintains its image has never been more important or...Read More

I enjoin everyone to read on.

Transcript of Lozada's Press Conference This morning at La Salle Greenhills

2008-02-07T18:28:00.000+08:00

I’d like to start by thanking a lot of people who expressed their sincere sympathy for the family. I’d like to thank them first, so many of them. And in Tagalog, nagpapasalamt po ako sa lahat ng nagpahayag ng pag-aalala sa akin at sa sampu ng aking pamilya.

Ako po’y nagtawag sa pagpupulong na ito upang mabigayan ng liwanag. Madami kasing mga katanungan ang bayan ukol sa proyekto ng NBN-ZTE na ito.

At upang huwag na sanang mapilitan pa yung iba, marami nang mabubuting taong napilitan pang magsinungaling dahil sa akin. Hindi naman sila kasama rito, napipilitan pa silang magsinungaling. Ayokong maging dahilan na magkasala sa Diyos at sa bayan kahit sinoman. Ayoko ho iyon.

Mabigat po sa aking damdamin ito at isipan, ang aking gagawin. Ngunit kailangan kong gawin ito para sa kaunawaan, para maliwanag na ang isipan ng bayan, tungkol sa mga bayan na ito na lubhang makaka-apekto doon sa kinabukasan nila.

Ang aking ilalahad na mga salaysay ngayon tungkol sa ZTE-NBN ay yung mga bagay na ako’y may personal na ginampanan, the things that I’m involved with. And I’m going to say this with malice to no one.

Wala ho akong malisya kahit kanino man. Ang sasabihin ko ay kung ano lang ginawa namin, at kung ano ang nangyari.

To my recollection of events, I’ll start off the first time I was introduced to this project by Secretary Neri, monitored action to Chairman Ben Abalos. I guess if it was not late September, early October I was introduced by Secretary Neri to Chairman Ben Abalos in Wack-Wack together with his entourage sina Ruben Reyes…and the ZTE president Yu Yong and Fan Yang. We had lunch in Wack-Wack wherein we talked about the NBN-ZTE.

I remember that the Secretary told Chairman Abalos to course his project proposal to the proper channel. NEDA received the first copy sometime in October…prepared by…All questions were referred back to Asec Formoso.

When the Secretary gave me a copy for me to review, the first three that really caught my attention, when I was reviewing the financial cost, the financial projection were based on… September 20, 2006 issue wherein they were quoting how much government was spending for telecom expenses…

…So, I told the Abalos group, through their guy Leo San Miguel, that they should revise their proposal. They should fix it and try to avoid the education part of it, because there’s already a cyber-education project.

Sometime in November, that was the time that I also met Joey de Venecia, to see the presentation on a similar project but on a BOT basis. And at that time, the Secretary asked me if the project was appropriate for NBN.

Until we presented the project proposal for the NBN, And the Secretary asked If I think it was appropriate and I said yes, so he encouraged Joey to push through the project development further.

And when the Secretary asked me if there was a synergy between the two projects I said, yes. But both of them were pitching for the same project. The Secretary told me to reconcile the two proponents. And at that point, it was really a good project.

At that point, when the Secretary told me to reconcile the two proponents, I immediately went to work and proposed one tool for the two proponents wherein both of them can achieve both of their objectives. Joey’s objective was to do a BOT with government, which was completely above board, and then Chairman Abalos’s objective was to do a loan, a project on a loan basis.

So the project structure that I proposed was that Joey becomes the lead contracting party to the government, it’s on a BOT basis anyway. And that Abalos, to achieve his objective of supplying, becomes supplier to Joey’s project.

I thought at that point it was already a win-win situation for everyone involved. The government gets its NBN project, Joey gets his BOT project, and then Abalos gets his supply comes up.

So, at one point I got them already to do their own thing. It’s finished. But I guess the trouble started when Chairman Abalos wanted to protect his $130-million… how shall I put this…commission on the project. So dapat daw proteksyonan ‘yong $130 million, (before) we agree that Joey become the main proponent.

At that point, I just felt that…it might be a little too big, in the vernacular sabi ko bubukol po ito, sabi ko siguro kalahati pupuwede. But nonetheless I relayed the information to Joey, because it’s going to be Joey’s project anyway.

And Joey’s reaction was really like ballistic, parang he was worried, saan n’ya kukunin itong $130 million na ‘to, because the project cost is $262 million, and Abalos wanted $130 million na komisyon. So sabi ko sa kanila, hindi ko problema ‘yan, that’s your problem.

So at that point, I don’t know if the listener can realize how much money all of these are na pinag-uusapan…$130 million…At that point, I was telling them na problema n’yo na ito basta you make sure you’ll get this thing together because we don’t want another Atong Ang or Chavit Singson scandal to rock this country. I also made it very clear...na basta maayos lang.

Sometime in December, the ZTE rep, si Yu Yong at saka si Fan Yang, who get quite close to me, along the progress of the work, were already getting frantic and talking to me about developments in the project, because they’d already gave enough advances daw to Chairman Abalos. So, sabi ko sa kanila, the project is moving along, they should not be alarmed.

So, it was also at this point because of Joey’s hesitance to agree on the $130-million commission, that Chairman Abalos started considering doing the project on his own, derecho na siya.

Ang sabi ko ho sa kanya na hindi ho puwedeng de-deretcho kayo, kasi ang kabilin-bilinan ni Secretray Neri, na yun din ata ang utos ng Presidente, na this project can only be done through a BOT basis, hindi puwedeng utang.

So I was standing firm on that, na hindi talaga pupuwede. At that point, that was the time that Chairman Abalos said, halika, tawagan natin si FG. So, sabi niya, nung tinawagan niya, pare nandito yung taga NEDA sa tabi ko, hindi raw puwedeng i-utang yung project ko.

I cannot hear the voice from the other end, pero sabi n’ya, kung ganyan kayong kausap, and the Chairman continues, kung ganyan kayong kausap, ang hirap n’yo palang kausap, kalimutan n’yo na lang ang usapan natin.

I don’t know what that meant. But the following day, totoo nga, a letter from the Chinese ambassador came addressed to the government, and… with Mike, stating that this is already December.

You can check this with the records. I’m just doing this through my own recollection. But if you can check sometime December, a letter addressed to Mike yata, came in from the Chinese ambassador saying that there is now money available for a loan, for the NBN project, independent of the cyber-education project.

Kasi yung cyber-education yun ang napag-agree-han na ilo-loan na. Ngayon there’s another loan na naman na puwede na rin yung NBN i-loan, it was sometime early December.

So, I told the Secretary about it, Secretary Neri. And his instruction to me was very clear, sabi nya, Jun, you moderate their greed. I was naive to accept that order. I do not know what moderating greed means, but I followed Secretary Neri.

And due to the insistence naman nitong mga taga ZTE that the project gets going, Chairman Abalos invited us sometime on the third week of December, I’m pretty sure of the timing, over dinner in Makati Shang-rila. He asked to invite Joey as well, kasi si FG will be there with us.

Actually the First Gentlemen did not say much, except that Chairman Abalos told him na pare okay na kami nina Joey, ok na kami sa NEDA. (and the FG answered) Ah, ganon, mabuti naman, okay na , okay na.

So, I’m just narrating to you with no malice intended. Whatever that means, kayo na po ang bahalang umano.

And on their trip to China, I did not join them anymore, and I guess Joey can speak omn what happened in China.

Sometime in early January naman, Secretray Neri again invited us for lunch with Abalos in Edsa, in Makati-Shangrila in a Chinese restaurant together with Yu Yong and Fan Yang, the ZTE, and the Chinese commercial councilor. At that point, the Chairman again was making the impression that the project is already a go. May be there was parallel trust…because…(but) it was not yet a go.

So there was some negative reaction from the ZTE person, and the Secretary noticed some awkward moments there, and then he immediately ask a leave, and said that he had to go, and asked me to stay behind.

Chairman Abalos and the ZTE guy were in curious exchange of words, because the ZTE people were like demanding from Chairman Abalos that he promised that the ZTE deal will be done on a loan project under the North Rail. I don’t know why they speak about the North Rail. I don’t know why they speak about the North Rail. They keep on mentioning ala North Rail terms loan agreement.

So, that was last meeting I had with the Chairman. And on January 18, I remember the date very well. This is the only date that I can remember because this was the date I said bye to the project.

I was then in Dumaguete in Negros, together with Henry Teves, when Chairman Abalos called me up, to some like early evening, and asked me questions like, “Alam ba ni Neri yung ginagawa mo, (I said) Opo. Alam ba ni Neri yung ginawa mo. Opo. Alam mo bang malapit ako sa military. Opo. Alam mong malapit ako sa intelligence. Opo. Alam mo namang malapit ako…

And then he started cursing. Mura siya nang mura in Tagalog, lahat-lahat. At ang sabi niya, nandito sa akin yung CD lahat ng phone conversations ninyo nina Joey, mga hayop kayo, tina-traydor n’yo ko.

I don’t know what gave him that impression..but the fact, that they said I know the week 17 in ISAPF can do that, which Chairman Abalos and Ruben Reyes are …close to, I was not surprised.

So, I just took with a grain, and then Chairman Abalos ended up…his words with, “Huwag kang magpapakita sa aking hayop ka sa Wack –Wack o sa Mandaluyong at ipapapatay kita."

That’s when all my troubles started. So, I quit the project. I told the Secretary that I don;lt think this project is worth risking my life for. All I did was trying to help the Secretary understand it.

So on February 2007, the executive order was issued. So this is now my personal participation ended and where it ended for the project concept.

In February 2007, an EO was issued by the Office of the President, transferring the telos, the implementing agency to DOTC. And on April, the project… the NBN was approved…at $329 million.

When I quit the project, the project cost was $262 million. So it was approved. I don’t know what happened then. I’m not imputing anything now. But when it was approved, it was already approved at $329 million. And the day after it was approved, the President together with PagCor officials, went to China to witness the signing of the agreement.

This project for me is one transactional example of a dysfunctional government procurement, a systemic dysfunction on how we procure projects. There are other more that have escaped scrutiny, but ganun din ang sistema. And I have agonized over this decision...

Ang dasal ko lang sana maintindihan n’yo yung dusang dinananas ng pamilya ko ngayon. Ang dasal ko lang sana matutunan na natin after nito na ang salitang Pilpino ay hindi lang tumutkoy sa isang pamilya. Ang salitang Pilipino ay tumutukoy sa isang bansa, ang bansang Pilipino. And sometimes, it’s worth taking a risk for this country.

Lozada at Senate Video

2008-02-07T18:17:00.000+08:00

Please click link http://www.veoh.com/videos/v3899445SagzXbcx to see video...

Lozada at Senate

PASAY CITY, Philippines--ZTE witness Rodolfo Noel Lozada Jr. at the Senate. Here he is shown inside the office of Senator Alan Peter Cayetano with the nuns who protected him. Video taken by Cayetano staff member Girly Brillantes at the Senate on February 7, 2008.

Tips for online PR

2008-01-31T16:34:00.001+08:00

I came across an article that provides practical PR tips in a wired world. Suffice to say the writer knows his tradecraft. The direct, practical, and succint pointers of on-line PR makes for a must read for PR practioners attuned to modern times.

the url is at http://www.toprankblog.com/2006/04/tips-for-online-pr/.

Tips for Online PR
Posted by Lee Odden on Apr 11th, 2006 in Reputation Management, Press Release Optimization, SEO, Online PR, Online Marketing

I did an interview recently and thought some of the Q/A would be useful for Online Marketing Blog readers:

What’s the difference between online PR and offline PR?
Basically, online PR invlolves activities geared towards influencing media, communities and audiences that exist solely on the Internet using online channles. That includes search engines, blogs, news search, forums, discussion threads, social networks and other online communication tools. Brand reputation monitoring and management is also a focus area for online PR.

Offline PR deals with the same things except with print, radio TV, conferences/events and other “real life” venues. One difference between online and offline PR is in pitching. For example, before pitching a print journalist, the publication’s editorial calendar is researched to see if there are any planned story opportunities. The subsequent pitch is specific to the upcoming story.
Popular blogs can be as influential as many print publications, but pitching a blogger requires a careful approach. There is no editorial calendar for blogs so it is important to read previous posts and become very familiar with the subject matter covered. When pitching a blogger it is better not to include the press release in the pitch, since most bloggers don’t write stories based on press releases, they point links to a release and write their own commentary.
When you pitch a blogger poorly, they may post your pitch to their blog for all to see. A print journalist will just hang up on you.

Are online PR tactics appropriate for any business?
As with all marketing tactics, a company should really consider the overall marketing strategy and choose the appropriate mix of tactics that will support the execution. That said, I’m a bit biased as my company focuses on SEO, blog marketing and press release optimization. The mix of those online PR tactics along with integration with offline marketing/PR tactics can be very powerful.

If a business has news, they should make it easy for the media to find out about that news. Tools include press releases, wire servies such as PR Newswire and PRWeb, an online media kit, an optimized blog and a good SEO effort. Whenever a company gets online media coverage, they should be sure to use social bookmark services such as furl.net and del.icio.us to archive them. It’s also a good idea to use a company blog as a way to reach out to other blogs in the same space to encourage coverage of company news.

What are your favorite online PR tools and sites?
PRWeb has a great mix of tools for distributing press releases as well as hosting high resolution images, permanent redirects for URLs and a podcast feature for certain levels of press releases. PRWeb also offers a trackback url on press releases so blogs are encouraged to link to them. Doing so creates an automatic link back to the blog. Other wire services we use include: PR Newswire, Business Wire and PR.com. However, PRWeb is by far the most feature rich for SEO.
Some of the online PR sites I like most are: micropersuasion.com, mediarelationsblog.com and thenewpr.com. There are many more, but I like to keep it simple.

The most important online PR resource you can have is a talented PR pro that can research story opportunities and persuasively pitch both online journalists and bloggers accordingly. Sending out press releases alone is like throwing spaghetti against the wall to see if it sticks. Software tools can help make things easier, such as blogpulse.com or Google Alerts for brand monitoring, but it is human interpretation that provides the most value.

What skills, knowledge and contacts are important for online PR practitioners?
Like SEO, online PR requires a mix (although in a different order of priority) of social, creative, persuasive and technical skills. Developing relationships with online publication editors and bloggers is also particularly useful.

When is it a good time to outsource public relations and when should you keep it in-house?
When companies have an internal public relations staff, they often only need consulting from a online PR specialist on best practices or with a particular situation. For companies that do not perform their own PR, then an online or offline PR firm can help on an ongoing basis for as long as that company has a need for public and media relations.
What is “reputation management” and should companies be using it for their own sites?
Basically, reputation management (online) is the business of monitoring what the marketplace is saying about your brand. It also means responding to situations before they run out of control.

Venues include blogs, discussion threads, forums and social networking sites. A simplistic forumla is to allocate a proportion of resources to reputation management in relation to how important your brand is to your overall business.

Monitoring how consumers talk about your brand can provide early warning signs for product or service issues as well as promotion opportunities that can be leveraged. Companies can start by subscribing to RSS feeds of search results on their company name from blog and news search engines, set up a Google Alerts account or use the BlogPulse conversation tracker.What three tips would you give companies that want to optimize their press releases for search engines?
The first priority for the release is the reader, not the algorithm. An optimized press release is the means, not the end.

Map keywords to the press release like you would map keyword phrases to a web page. Use keywords in the title, sub title and in the body copy of the release.

If possible, create a strong call to action or incentive to click through on the release to destination content on your site. A free guide, report or discount can be effective. Use tracking urls to determine how effective the release is at generating traffic and inquiries.

Be sure to check out a previous post, Lowdown on Press Release Optimization for more information on how to leverage press releases for SEO and online promotion.

Creating Your Online News Room

2008-01-31T16:22:00.000+08:00

I came across this very interesting article. It provides practical tips on how individuals and organizations set up online news rooms. The url is at http://www.aboutpublicrelations.net/ucstoller4a.htm.

Creating Your Online News Room
How to build a site the media will love.

by Bill Stoller, PublisherFree Publicity

From time to time, people ask me how public relations has changedduring the two decades in which I've been seeking publicity. My answer: technology.
Twenty years ago, the fax machine was a newfangled novelty. Our primary means of communicating with journalists was the telephone and the US Mail. The advent of e-mail and the web has made life easier in many regards and tougher in others -- namely, thanks to hordes of clowns with money making schemes and software that "blasts" press releasesindiscriminately to reporters, it's become very hard to get your e-mails through to spam-weary reporters.But there's another great advantage provided to publicity seekers by the Internet -- the ability to create an "online news room." In the "old days," the press kit reigned. Big bulky folders loaded with press releases, glossy photos and slides were standard. They were expensive to design, costly to reproduce and required lots of manpower and postage to assemble and distribute.
Today, you can simply direct a reporter to a web URL, where all your press materials and high definition artwork awaits, ready to be used. It's a huge time and money saver.A quick note: the traditional press kit isn't dead. It's still handy to create some physical kits to use with key journalists, as the very novelty of printed material can give you an edge at times. Also, some journalists still prefer a physical kit. Press kits are an important tool at trade show booths & press rooms, and special events. However, gone are the days of sending out large press kit mailings. Keep the kits for targeted use only.Creating a useful online news room is really pretty simple. One of the main things a busy reporter wants is easy access to press releases, corporate and executive info and artwork. A well put together media room should provide a seamless walk-through.Where Should the News Room Go?There are two schools of thought on where to put your online news room. Some companies prefer to have it as a section on their main site, visible to all as a link on a menu bar or other navigational element. Others build entirely separate sites just for the media.There are pros and cons to each. Putting it as part of your main site allows a journalist to "poke around" your site, absorbing more of the feel and culture of your company and its products. It also makes it easier if the reporter wants more information about a particular product than can be found in your media materials.
Of course, since you'll need to provide clear links to the online news room to help such reporters find their way back, anyone visiting your site can access your press materials. This is probably not an issue but, if you feel potential customers may become confused if they wander into the online news room, this could be worth considering.Creating a separate site allows you to tailor everything to suit the needs of the reporter and prevents the possibility of confusion for potential customers visiting your main site. The reporter however, will be unable to quickly "poke around" themain site as described above, so you may consider that in your decision.
If you do choose a separate site, give it a name that incorporates your company (if you're the Acme Company, go for acmepress.com or acmeonlinenewsroom.com). Also, provide clear links to your main site throughout, and code them so that they open in a new window, allowing the reporter to see your main site without having to backtrack to the online news room.Some Do's and Don'tsDON'T force journalists to register or sign in for access. They're busy folks and may very well decide not to bother. Make life as easy as you can for them.DO offer the opportunity for journalists to enter their e-mail address if they wish to be kept abreast of the latest news from your company, but don't link it in any way to the ability to access any portion of the site. DON'T confuse non-journalists who may wander into the site. Make it clear at the top of your main page of your online news room what it and who it's for.DO provide a link to your consumer FAQ page and an e-mail link for customer service to give non-journalists a place to go to get their questions answered. This will save you a great deal of time responding to messages from non-journalists asking "why am I looking at a press release? How do I download a new driver" or some such thing. Here's what Gateway says, "Gateway presscontacts are only able to provide assistance for qualified members of the news media. They are not qualified to respond to product or technical support needs...If you are not a member of the news media, please feel free to visit our pages for Product Service and Support."DON'T try to lay out the online news room if you're not a talented web designer. Don't use flash, heavy java scripts and other doo-dads. The face you put forth to the media must be highly professional, and the ease of navigation and logical flow of the news room is vital.DO hire a professional designer who has a portfolio that includes simple, easy-to-navigate, clean-looking sites.What To Include in Your Online News Room:Personal Contact Info. The name, address, e-mail, phone number,fax number and cell phone number of your primary media contactsmust be front and center. If you have an Instant Messaging ID,put it in there, too.Press Releases. Place press releases in chronological order (mostrecent at the top). Keep traditional press release formatting anduse easy-to-read fonts.Executive photos, product photos, charts, graphs, and otherappropriate artwork. Provide multiple versions -- 72 dpi (lowerresolution) for online publications and websites, and 300 dpi(higher resolution) for offline publications. Put instructionssuch as To download, right-click and choose "save" next to thegraphics. Make sure your pitch letters and press releasesprovide links to the appropriate artwork on your site.Backgrounders, executive bios, white papers, investor relationsinfo (if applicable), fact sheets, speeches, awards, streamingmedia of: press conferences, product demonstrations, president'sspeeches, etc.Search Tool. Make it easy for journalists to find just what theywant, by making all your press materials fully searchable.Online News Rooms to Study:The best way to learn how to put together an online news room isto see how some very smart folks have done it. Here are threeoutstanding examples....

www.microsoft.com/presspass/default.asp

www.google.com/press/index.html

www.crayola.com/mediacenter/

"Second Life"

2008-01-31T12:34:00.001+08:00

In the recent global initiative on climate change, the virtual world "Second Life" was used as portal for those who participated on-line. What makes this world unique is the use of avatars and the sense of community involved in the interaction of participants.

I have linked the wikipedia explanation of "second life" at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Life.

As an initial description, wikipedia mentions that "Second Life (abbreviated as SL) is an Internet-based virtual world launched in 2003, developed by Linden Research, Inc (commonly referred to as Linden Lab), which came to international attention via mainstream news media in late 2006 and early 2007.[4][5] A downloadable client program called the Second Life Viewer enables its users, called "Residents", to interact with each other through motional avatars, providing an advanced level of a social network service combined with general aspects of a metaverse. Residents can explore, meet other Residents, socialize, participate in individual and group activities, create and trade items (virtual property) and services from one another.
Second Life is one of several virtual worlds that have been inspired by the cyberpunk literary movement, and particularly by Neal Stephenson's novel Snow Crash. The stated goal of Linden Lab is to create a world like the Metaverse described by Stephenson, a user-defined world in which people can interact, play, do business, and otherwise communicate.[6] Second Life's virtual currency is the Linden Dollar (Linden, or L$) and is exchangeable for real world currencies in a resident to resident marketplace facilitated by Linden Lab.[7]
While Second Life is sometimes referred to as a game, this description does not fit the standard definition. It does not have points, scores, winners or losers, levels, an end-strategy, or most of the other characteristics of games. There are, however, several games within Second Life, e.g., international football matches.[8]
In all, more than 20 million accounts have been registered, although many are inactive, some Residents have multiple accounts, and there are no reliable figures for actual long term consistent usage. Despite its prominence, Second Life has notable competitors, including IMVU, There, Active Worlds, Kaneva, and the erotic-oriented Red Light Center.

The Second Life Portal is at http://www.secondlife.com/.

It just made the world smaller but its inhabitants closer even more.

Market positioning and public relations strategy session for businesses

2008-01-31T11:17:00.000+08:00

"One-day market positioning session" for business start-ups
Mind Bullet Inc., a market positioning and public relations (PR) firm in the Philippines, introduces its "one day strategy session" aimed at helping predominantly start-up enterprises and companies position themselves properly in the market.

At the launching of its website, www.mindbullet.org, Mind Bullet leverages market positioning as it applies to new business. President and CEO Eero Brillantes elaborates. 'What we have done is to concentrate on key market positioning subject areas appropriate for start up businesses. With some preparatory time, a session would last a day with a measurable market positioning program as output. After the session, we present our strategic recommendations. After that, it all nurturing time spread over the period a program is being implemented. "

Brillantes emphasizes the need for proper positioning as necessary to roll out new business.

"Now more than ever, market positioning is a major activity for any new business to succeed or even become dominant in a market. As a process, market positioning encompasses certain factors essential to roll out strategies and launches. Identifying real value, actually owning key words and phrases in the consumers mind, and establishing consumer relationships based on human interaction is what market positioning is all about".

Brillantes mentions that a lot of new businesses spend so much resources on capital outlay and tactical marketing campaigns only to be frustrated.

"How many times have we seen owners of businesses spend on equipment, expertise, and marketing gimmicks which do not give real value. It just so happens others have spent on these also. The same equipment is bought. The same media-marketing mix are employed. Similar corporate philosophies and business models are cascaded throughout the organization. But if you look closely, a lot of spending go to expenditures which do not anymore provide the competitive edge needed to succeed. Many factors of competition are already at parity. Yet this type of mistake is common. "

For his part, Nestor Mijares, Accounts Director at Mind Bullet says that nothing beats owning real estate in the mind of consumers.

"With so much information out there, and a galaxy of options for consumers, how do products and services stand out if these are new? Owning a word or phrase and relating this with what is offered is the most powerful outcome of any in market positioning strategy. Done properly, positioning makes a product, service, or individual stand out in the crowded market place and even at times dominate . Pushing the envelope further, proper positioning opens up new markets."

Impressions on those in marketing

2008-01-29T09:03:00.001+08:00

Renaldo Lapuz: instant hit in TV and internet

2008-01-20T23:08:00.000+08:00

Who is Renaldo Lapuz?

"I wanna audition because this is a privilege to sing to the whole world, that's it". He did not aspire popularity. He just wanted to sing.

This guy, Renaldo - a Filipino from Arizona USA, auditioned in American Idol 2007. He was the last guy in the line and was wearing an extravagant white cowboy outfit. He is very nice and likeable but was gutsy.

To make this short, he did not make it to Hollywood. However, he was able to hit it off with his audition piece-composition made for American Idol judge, Simon, "We're brothers forever". The song has a very high retention rate among the audience. From his audition's airing (16 January) to date (20 January), Renaldo has a wikipedia entry, an official website with t-shirts for sale and freebies, a discussion topic in various forums, internet articles and print articles. His song has a remixed version by Rocko. If searched in google and yahoo, more than 40 pages of blogs, videos, podcasts and articles featured him. All in four days.

The newest internet sensation
Apart from the elaborate costume and the highly addictive song, Renaldo just wanted to sing to the whole world, and be an inspiration to those in despair *but according to him, in despairs. The website, renaldolapuz.com claimed that this website have been visited in 57 countries. In youtube, he is in this week's top rated video, most discussed and most favorite -- not in one youtube account but in three separate youtube accounts, totaling to more than one million views.

An instant celebrity
Elaborate costume, sincere guts, nice and cool, and a highly addictive song. Reality tv has definitely changed the television viewing landscape. Ordinary people, like Renaldo, becomes instant celebrities through reality TV. Supplemented by the internet, those we see for minutes on TV can be replayed over and over. At present, the internet - alternative to the capital driven TV entertainment.gives the audience a venue to communicate their opinion, preferences and critiques. Soon, the mass communication models will be able to measure and analyze methods of audience feedback through the internet.

Renaldo Lapuz had around 15 minutes of airtime in the American Idol auditions, but he was given more bandwidth by bloggers and entertainment writers through the net. Just his web presence alone is phenomenal -- making him and his song, an instant hit.

Here is a video clip of his audition in American Idol

LYRICS
We're Brothers Forever by Renaldo Lapuz
"I am your brother
Your best friend forever
Singing the songs
The music that you like
We're brothers til the end of time
Together forever til the end of time
I am your brother
Your best friend forever
Singing the songs
The music that you like
We're brothers til the end of time
Together or not, you're always in my heart
Your hurting feelings
Will reign no more."

Power Sector Reform Blog Launch

2008-01-14T13:16:00.000+08:00

Bukidnon Rep. Teofisto "TG" Guingona III has formally launched his power sector reform blog. Entitled NAKUPO (http://www.nakupo-nakupo.blogspot.com/), the blog seeks to be the internet site for Rep. Guingona's advocacy to bring down electricity rates. His major advocacy includes the Privatization of the National Power Corporation (NAPOCOR) and the full implementation of the EPIRA law.

In his previous policy adovacy statements, he sees the NAPOCOR as a mafia controlling the price of electricity by having a virtual monopoly on power generation.

The blog includes newspaper articles quoting Rep. Guingona's statements. It also includes transcripts of radio interviews he made in the course of his advocacy. Also available are the two major privilege speeches he made on corruption and questionable dealings of NAPOCOR and that of the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corporation or PSALM, the agency tasked to privatize NAPOCOR's assets.

It is envisioned that with the blog, Rep. Guingona would reach more online citizens, including the private sector and civil society groups with the same concern for lowering of electricity rates.

The blog will also be Rep. Guingona's way of building bridge with the more powerful consumer rights blogs which could provide pressure to national government officials to seek meaningful reforms in the power sector.

Qualitative research methods and emerging techniques

2008-01-14T08:53:00.000+08:00

In marketing research, qualitative research has been highly utilized – with businesses struggling to convert data into information. We can see how picky and detailed consumers are in their preferences and behavior through various qualitative research methodologies.
The main stars of qualitative research methodologies are the standard focused group discussion (FGD) and focused interviews (FI). These methods are both fast and cost-effective; immediate, comprehensible and visible.

Gill Ereaut, a qualitative research expert, described the evolution and revolution of qualitative research. For Ereaut, at present FGDs and FIs are

no longer possible or sensible to represent a whole research philosophy with a single method. People are thinking radically about the kinds of qualitative services there could be. They are taking a wider view of what constitutes 'qualitative market research', bringing other data-collection and analysis processes under this heading. They are putting real expertise in place to deliver complementary approaches; and being brave and bold about these alternatives, their benefits, their organisation and pricing. It has meant suppliers and clients alike working outside their comfort zones and rethinking business models. (Ereaut, 2004)

For Ereaut, FGDs are not yet dead, because they remain to be the core methods in the qualitative inquiry. However at the other end,

clients have more need than ever to understand the texture, context and meaning of consumers' lives. And they are increasingly willing to use complex research methods with or without more sophisticated varieties of consumer groups to do this.

In order to describe client expectations, Ereaut presented the emerging marketing research methods, which are:

Using direct dialogue or facilitated interactive sessions to get closer to consumers. Thus, researchers help clients experience consumers' lives by proxy: immersion sessions, workshops and video-clip libraries increasingly replacing PowerPoint.

Behavioural data and psychological insight alongside socio-cultural analysis are utilized.

According to her,

important 'new' methods of data collection and analysis semiotics and ethnography are looking increasingly mainstream and essential. They are no longer 'fancy stuff', but sit alongside face-to-face interviewing.

These trends show that qualitative research methods are alive and evolving. Researchers facilitate new methods to further substantiate clients' needs and get to know the consumers better.

Evolution and revolution in qualitative research
Gill Ereaut, Admap, October 2004, Issue 454, pp.146

Goverment information using mobile phones: Are we ready yet?

2008-01-09T08:58:00.000+08:00

Text capital of the world - that has been claimed for the Philippines. In the recent age of digital technology, tech-curious Pinoys grappled over various new media gadgets such as cellular phones and the internet. Pinoys sought cellphones for personal messages, or for business. From a lowly laundrywoman to the CEO of the largest company, cellphones are found to be useful, cheap and convenient.

The Philippine government attempts to utilize the mobile phones through the E-commerce Law . M-government, as one of the components of e-government, sets the
whole world in utilizing mobile technologies to communicate government actions and concerns (Signo, et. al, 2004). Adopting this new scheme, the Philippine National Police (PNP) created the TEXT 2920 service where, mobile phones are used to report crimes and other community concerns. A paper entitled PNP TEXT 2920 SERVICE: A Communication Perspective on M-Government in the Philippine Context presented in two international conferences held in South Korea and recently, in Chennai India, analyzed how m-government, a component of e-government services, utilizes the mobile phones to inform Filipinos on government services and programs. The existing PNP Text 2920 was studied using survey methods, focused interviews with mobile phone users and Philippine National Police key informants.

The study showed low information and awareness among mobile phone users (40%). Almost 60% of the respondents said that they are hesitant to use the PNP Text 2920. Further on, according to the study, "there are elements that should be studied to make PNP TEXT 2920 efficiently and effectively utilized. These elements include the institutional capacity of the PNP in mgovernment and the public impact on the program. Technological requirements should be satisfied first so as the smooth implementation of the program. The PNP’s drive for implementation should also be strengthened. A tri-media campaign is also deemed necessary for a massive information
campaign of the program" (Signo, et. al, 2004).

Conclusion:
Government attempts in using e-government - or using new media technologies for information dissemination, policy making, strategic implementation and any government concern can be effective and efficient means in building relationships with the citizenry. Cellphones are the best media to start building relationships. However, related issues such as broadband deals and cybered were subjected to corruption issues. The high amount of budget for government infrastructure is indeed questionable. The Philippine NAtional Police's implementation of their text service is one example of how unready government infrastructure in implementing these devices. The failure to satisfy technology requirements and the failure for a massive information dissemination were examples of how poor government is in implementing their communication strategies. Thus, it is our role, as communication advocates, to continue producing scientific data and recommending strategies on institutions like the government can apply and maximize their projects and programs. And ultimately, eliminate corruption.

Reference: Buenaventura V., de la Rosa M., Domingo, E., Signo C, Valera I. (2005). PNP Text 2920: A Communication Perspective on M-government in the Philippine Context. A paper presented in the CPRsouth, Chennai India, 15 December 2007.

'New media shaking up public relations industry'

2008-01-08T20:00:00.002+08:00

This is a very interesting article on blogs as direct to consumer communications. Turns out the Philippines is one of five Asia Pacific countries where blogging is a national phenomenon.

Saturday, September 15, 2007By Brian Asmus, Special to The China Post

TAIPEI, Taiwan -- Len Apcar, chief editor of the New York Times, once intoned that, "Newspapers, in the traditional sense are dead. PR people have an opportunity to create content that will be delivered to consumers and embraced by the media." The South China Morning Post, in an editorial, chimed in that, "Blogs and sites like Wikipedia have become the thinking man's graffiti."
Tectonic shifts in how news is reported are forcing corporations and their public relations strategists to adapt. Central to this new focus is the role of advocacy, said Andrew Pirie, president Asia-Pacific, Weber Shandwick at an AmCham Marking and Distribution Committee breakfast held yesterday at Shangrila's Far Eastern Plaza Hotel in Taipei.
According to Pirie, 90 percent of consumers regard word of mouth as the best source of ideas and information about products and services. Today, 26 percent of Google search results on the world's 20 largest brands are coming from consumer-generated sources with 45 percent of consumers engaging in some form of advocacy activities and 54 percent saying they have more power to influence a company's success or failure as well as having a greater say in what is sold.
Advocates, pointed out Pirie to the gathering of corporate executives, are knowledgeable, connected and passionate, giving them colossal power to convince others. This spread of information is more than just word-of-mouth awareness; these advocates are making recommendations about everything from brands to issues. This is underlined by the fact that 63 percent of consumers are deciding more quickly to buy products and services, and to support or reject issues, causes and companies because of the influence of advocates.
This has impelled major changes in how public relations is conducted. In the 1980s, said Pirie, the industry was mostly about announcements, presentations and collateral; then moving into opinion, strategy and awareness in the 1990s before attaining new forms of influence in the first decade of this century, namely, engagement, experience and participation.
Corporations are spending great effort on determining how to best engage advocates to share their experiences, (hopefully positive) and get them to participate in the company's effort to get its message heard. Some of the reasons for the new power held by advocates, said Pirie, are the fact that fewer consumers trust established institutions such as government, corporations and traditional media channels. "They have put greater trust," he stressed, "in their peers and nongovernmental organizations."
Digitization of society has also led to networking among consumers with shared interests. "Ordinary citizens," he said, "have a powerful voice." This means that information and ideas can spread faster and farther than ever before.
To underscore just how networked people are these days, Pirie cited a number of figures on global Internet usage. Today, there are 1 billion global users online with 37 percent of these in the Asia-Pacific. In Asia, the top three countries for reading blogs are China, Korea and Malaysia with the top five for running a blog being China, Korea, the Philippines, Japan and Malaysia.
Pirie further observed that, in 2006, China had more than 160 million Internet users, 51 million regular users of bulletin boards and 35 million regular blog users. There are, he continued, as many as 100 companies trying to imitate Myspace with another 200 mimicking Youtube. "Sohu.com.cn, Mop.com, Wangyou.com and Baidu.com," he noted, "are all popular social networking sites with millions of Chinese users every day."
Anyone doubting the strength of these consumer sites can examine the spate of recent incidences in China, where well-known foreign companies have been forced to react to negative campaigns involving their corporations and products.
Blog -- and other advocacy -- activity sees consumers taking the lead in generating media. Internet search ability means that consumers can instantly connect with anyone who has an opinion. Distrust of corporate marketing means that consumers are demanding open, honest interaction and dialogue. "Brands must be seen to be human, honest and willing to engage directly with audiences," Pirie said.
The marketing model must, therefore, change. Rather than filtering news through the media, companies must now involve consumers in the journalistic process to fuel electronic word-of-mouth evangelism. Rather than control the dialogue, concluded Pirie, corporations and their public relations strategies must now settle for merely setting the terms of the debate, while enlisting multiple voices and utilizing an integrated approach.

Communicating the Philippine water crisis

2008-01-07T12:40:00.000+08:00

I am posting a communication briefing paper on how a senator can generate public support for the water crisis issue. Hope our presidentiables generate ideas from this.

Eero (http://www.mindbullet.org/)

Mind Bullet Briefing Paper: Communicating the Philippine Water Crisis as a Defining National Issue for Candidates Running for the 2010 Presidential elections.

I. Rationale

Defining moments are very important in capturing the imagination, hearts , minds of the people to genuinely entrust leadership. Through conscious efforts and expected historical milestones, defining moments can be laid out as a story line leading to a positive perception or conclusion. Defining moments establish how the market (electorate) will perceive and decide what to do with the product (politician). Simply put, defining moments in history will determine the market positioning of candidates running for President in 2010.

All Philippine Presidents in contemporary Philippine history have been defined by the times they were situated in. President Ferdinand Marcos postured his New Society amidst widespread agrarian unrest, proliferation of private armies, the continued stranglehold on the economy of the feudal and industrial oligarchs, opposition to the Vietnam conflict, and the Cold War. President Corazon Aquino was swept into power as the anti-thesis of the Marcos authoritarian rule. President Fidel Ramos was a legitimate hero of the EDSA revolution. President Joseph Estrada became an iconoclast of the poor, on an off the screen, aside from being once a mayor, Senator, and Vice-President. President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo had EDSA dos as her conjuncture.

For the present batch of Presidentiables, each one will be consciously doing two strategic activities. One is to look presidentiable by taking on issues of national concern even if by way of sound bytes at the very least. The second activity is to be able to latch on an issue which would define character and relevance in history.

Similar patterns are being employed in the run up to the presidential elections in the United States. On a strategic note, Senator Barack Obama has owned the concept of “change” while outlining his political agenda. Senator Hillary Clinton positioned herself as the one with “White House experience to institute change”. However, both of them drum up their candidacies by creating the impression that America is at a historical cross roads of change and all the melodramatic packaging that goes with it.

It is the attempt of this briefing paper to provide a sample market positioning plan to communicate the historical relevance of a candidate through a defining issue. The core message is “meaningful leadership” and the issue is the Philippine water crisis. A marketing mix of community action, policy advocacy, public relations, direct to consumer communications, and engineered events are to be employed.

II. Review of Related Literature

1. The water crisis in the Philippines is directly connected to climate change. It is already a ticking time bomb. As far back as 1998, former President Fidel Ramos has said on many occasions that water will be a flashpoint for conflict. It is both a political and economic issue with catastrophic implications.

2. Alert International is an independent peace-building organization working in over 20 countries and territories around the world. It has included the Philippines in its list of 46 countries facing high risk of armed conflict as a knock on consequence of climate change. It has likewise included the Philippines as one of the countries with serious to extreme exposure to climate change.

3. Expert studies done by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) indicate a looming water crisis (Inquirer.net, Dec. 2, 2007). Consider the following :

In its publication "Asian Water Development Outlook 2007, the ADB warned that water availability in the Philippines could be "unsatisfactory" in eight of its 19 major river basins and in most major cities before 2025.

The Philippines’ water resources are fast deteriorating with rapid urbanization, with only about 33 percent of river systems still suitable as a supply source and up to 58 percent of groundwater now contaminated, a new Asian Development Bank research shows.

The ability of groundwater—or water held underground or in pores and crevices in rocks—to meet future water demand has been projected to be limited, amounting to only 20 percent of the total water requirement in the country's nine main urban centers by 2025.

Depletion of groundwater resources has been an increasing problem in Metro Manila and Metro Cebu, the study pointed out.

"Water quality is poorest in urban areas, the main sources of pollution being untreated discharges of industrial and municipal wastewater," the ADB said.

Although groundwater resources are generally abundant and of adequate quality for domestic purposes, the study states that poor environmental management of extractive resource industries—such as uncontrolled forestry, mining and minerals extraction—has been leading to the pollution of downstream water courses and aquifers.

"The majority of solid waste disposal and landfill sites are poorly operated and maintained, permitting leachate to pollute some water resources," the study stated.

In Manila, for instance, the study noted that less than four percent of the population were connected to the sewer network, with many high-income households constructing their own facilities.

"Flush toilets connected to septic tanks are widely used, and often serve large housing developments. However, sludge treatment and disposal facilities are rare, resulting in indiscriminate disposal of untreated or poorly treated effluent into the Pasig River, one of the world’s most polluted rivers," the study pointed out.

Over-exploitation has been lowering water tables, leading to increasing intrusion of saline (salty solution), it noted.

"The rapid urbanization of the Philippines, with more than 2 million persons being added to the urban population annually, is having a major impact on water resources,“

16 rivers are now considered biologically dead during dry months;

48 percent of water pollutants arise from domestic waste, 37 percent from agricultural waste, and 15 percent from industrial waste;

Solid waste generation in Metro Manila, now estimated at 5,345 tons per day, is expected to double by 2010. But, only 65–75 percent of the waste generated is collected, with only 13 percent of that recycled, and the remainder just thrown anywhere, particularly into creeks, threatening health and increasing flooding;

Some 700 industrial establishments in the Philippines generate about 273,000 tons of hazardous waste annually, but at present there is no integrated treatment facility in the country to deal with it, although there are some 95 small to medium-scale hazardous waste treatment facilities;

Approximately 50,000 tons of hazardous waste are stored on or off-site due to lack of proper treatment and landfill facilities.

The priority sector constraints that the country must address include sector "under-funding" and slow promulgation of environmental legislation, such as the Water Resources Management Act and the creation of a National Environmental Management Authority, the ADB study said.

The study also lamented the insufficient enforcement of existing legislation, and the weak legal and regulatory framework for environmental impact assessments, monitoring and coordination. Data for planning and management are incomplete, according to the study.

Investments over the last two decades have been insufficient. At least P40 billion or at least one percent of GDP (gross domestic product) will be needed to meet development goals," the study said.

4. Political-Economic Analyst Peter Wallace wrote an article on the Water Crisis (Aug. 18, 2006). Specifically he mentioned that:

Based on a survey conducted by the National Statistics Office, only about 80 percent of Filipino households (eight out of 10 families) had access to a supply of clean water in 2002, virtually no improvement from 79 percent in 2000.

And many of those belonging to that 80 percent have to trek quite some way to get water they can drink.

This translates to 17 million Filipinos that use and drink water that could make them sick, and does make them sick.

About one million cases of water-borne illnesses such as diarrhea, cholera, typhoid and hepatitis are recorded every year.

In Metro Manila, two million people do not have access to water that is clean and affordable. The most unfortunate part of the story is that these two million are poor.

The World Health Organization cited that deaths due to gastrointestinal diseases in the country have increased from 502 per one million people to 5,151, or 10 times more because people do not have access to clean water.

And when the poor get sick, they have no money, and can’t afford to be treated. So many of these 5,151 people die unnecessarily.

According to Asian Development Bank estimates, the government would need P92 billion just to bring water to an additional 14.3 million Filipinos by 2015.

But the problem is not just in bringing clean water to everybody; it is ensuring that there is enough water for everybody for many years to come.

Levels in the country’s water sources are at their lowest in years.

Since 2002, the water level in Angat Dam, the source of about 76 percent of the water supply in Metro Manila, has fallen to critical levels.

Despite the high average rainfall, the Philippines will have, according to estimates by the United Nations, the second to the lowest per capita freshwater in Asia.

III. Campaign Objectives

To be able to establish a macro-economic and political reform initiative to address the water crisis. If possible a bill will be filed.

To develop a policy environment for the universal access to potable water among Filipinos

To effectively identify, track and address specific locations in the country where conflicts may arise because of disputes over water sources

To provide community based showcases of proper water management initiatives

IV. Campaign Directives

Trigger Activities (Jan. 28 2008 or the first day of congressional sessions)

1. Privilege Speech and proposed bill filed on the water crisis (legislative staff)

2. Publicity of the Privilege Speech (Publicity Staff, MRO, media group)

3. Publicity of popular stories about the water crisis

Example Story lines:

17 million Filipinos will not have safe drinking water for Christmas
189 municipalities still do not have potable drinking water?
RP considered potential high armed conflict area due to effects of climate change
Will the water crisis in Atlanta, Georgia happen to us?

Accelerator Activities (Feb. 1 to March 21, 2008)

1. A video-documentary on the water crisis by Sen. X

2. A national road show of the video in 80 provinces. This will be initially done in the central schools, state universities, and provincial capitols for a total of 240 venues.

3. Initial 10,000 advocacy kits including video, frequently Asked Questions, and Sample Resolutions given to the environmental committee chairpersons of provincial, municipal , and city councils

4. 1 million signatures supporting the water bill (Legislative staff, various cause oriented and civic groups)

5. Sense of Senate, House to support the bill (head count)

End Game Scenarios (March 22, 2008, World Water Day)

End game Minimum

1. Resolution of the League of Provinces (Legislative and political staff)

2. Resolution of League of Municipalities (Legislative and Political staff)

3. Resolution of League of Cities (Legislative and Political Staff)

4. Sense of the Senate and the House to support for bill (Preliminary head count-Legislative and Political staff converted into primary lobby group and supported by other advocacy groups).

5. Pilot projects on community based water management. At least 1 NCR, 1 Luzon, 1 Visayas, 1 Mindanao.

End Game Maximum

1. Privilege speech on World Water Day

2. 80 provincial resolutions supporting the advocacy (Legislative and political staff)

3. One million signatures supporting the water bill formally delivered to Senate (Legislative staff, various cause oriented and civic groups)

4. Sense of the Senate, House (preliminary head count)

5. President signs the bill as urgent

6. Pilot projects on community based water management. At least 1 NCR, 1 Luzon, 1 Visayas, 1 Mindanao.

7. Bill is passed on March 22, 2008, World Water Day (Best Case)