THE PHILIPPINE BLOG AWARDS: RECOGNIZING FILIPINO’S FINEST BLOGS

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By Christine Ombania de Asis
IV-Madame Marie Curie


Although blogging started years ago, it has become extremely popular with more than 70 million blogs in the Internet (The Blog Herald, 2005) on news, politics, education, entertainment, and all things of human interests. Indeed, these modern-day diaries have been spreading throughout the World Wide Web community, and now making their way to conquer the computer screens of the Filipinos. As they become more abreast on the expanding blogging industry here and in abroad, Filipinos find ways to bring out their best when it comes to blogging, but of course, their time and effort would never go unrewarded! There is the Philippine Blog Awards, which showcases Filipino blogging talents, for these notable Filipino-made and Filipino-owned blogs right at their respective niches. And now on its second year, the Philippine Blog Awards has been highly-anticipated by the local blogging industry, not only the blogging enthusiasts, but also the engaged readers from all over the nation.

Originally started in the latter part of 2006, the Philippine Blog Awards aims to recognize outstanding blogs with quality content, discussing topics ranging from arts, culture, technology, and politics. This year’s event continues what has begun by extending its reach towards network blogs written by Filipinos, blogs written by mainstream media practitioners as well as local corporations that use blogs as effective communication tools.

The event is also open to determine the Philippines’ best blogs and bloggers, in 36 categories with Best Blog, Best Single Blog Post, and special awards as the main divisions. These categories include technology, travel, culture, personal, photoblog, network blogs, and bloggers’ choice among others. The decision on who will emerge as the winning blogs will be determined by the judges, who will be selected from the persons from within and outside the Philippine blogging community renown in their particular field of expertise, based from the given criteria for the Best Blog division such as: content, 80 percent; and design and usability, 20 percent. Meanwhile, there is only one criterion for judging the Best Single Blog Post division, which is content that comprises 100 percent.

The Philippine Blog Awards was originally organized by the three forefronts of the local blogging scene, together with a handful of volunteers. The main propagators of the project are Abe Olandres, more famously known as “Yuga” on the worldwide web and acting as the head of the oraganizing team, Gail dela Cruz-Villanueva, and Jayvee Fernandez, who are involved in different areas of online media. These individuals have become attracted to a common passion of oraganizing the Filipino blogosphere and helped give Filipinos a louder voice in cyberspace.

With the growing diversity and richness of the blogging world, the Filipinos are definitely not being left behind. The Philippine Blog Awards is a proof that aside from our festive culture and heritage, we have also something to boast and to be proud of when it comes to the fast growing blogging community.