Thursday, December 04, 2008 Cebu bloggers create group
THE Cebu Bloggers Society (CBS) started with at least five individuals who simply wanted to gather Cebu-based bloggers to create a venue for them to exchange ideas.
Now, 10 months after they first formally met, they have about 80 registered members, 25 of whom actively participate in CBS activities. The group is readying documents for its registration as non-profit organization with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Kevin Ray Chua, CBS spokesperson, said the group also has members who are not Cebuanos but are based in Cebu. CBS members include lawyers, students, call center agents, models and businessmen who share the vision of CBS to become a premier blogging society that promotes Cebu Province.
Blogging, or the practice of regularly posting entries in an online personal journal called blog (short for weblog), is not yet a big phenomenon in the Philippines as it is in countries, like the United States, where it is used for many ways, including election campaigns.
More awareness
“People in Manila and Davao already have active blogging communities. Cebuanos still need to be more aware about blogging as another increasingly important source or medium of getting information,” said Chua, an information technology student at the Cebu Institute of Technology.
To help address this, CBS made a website (www. cebubloggers.com) and appointed CBS member Jorich Ponio as the online moderator to invite other bloggers to join the group and participate in fora, as well as post events held in Cebu.
Mark Monta, a founding member, admitted that getting members to actively participate in meetings twice a month is difficult since most of them are working full-time. This prompted members to come up with ways to meet, if not physically, virtually.
Chua said that during CBS’ first few meetings, several individuals who have not yet started blogs attended because they wanted to know how to earn money through blogging.
“When you blog, it’s a matter of sharing your ideas. It’s okay to make money out of it through ads, but what’s important is the content,” he said.
Other CBS members, like Evanjohnn Mendoza who is into photoblogging, are more interested in filling up blogs with entries about Cebu rather than earning money.
Chua also noted that the trend in blogging has shifted from personal events to ideas and discussions on specific sectors like politics, real estate, development and technology.
Since its conception in February this year, CBS has networked with other blogging societies as well as political and corporate bloggers who helped in marketing the group.
CBS is in talks with the Cebu City Government and the Sinulog Foundation about covering the Sinulog Festival next month through live blogging. (NRC)
