Being present at the Fourth Mindanao Media Summit

Participants take time to smile and relax for a date with posterity (Photo by Skippy Lumawag courtesy of Mindanews)

The formal sessions of the 4th Mindanao Media Summit just concluded early afternoon today, 09 August 2008.

The theme: “Mindanao 2020: The vision begins with us”, is placed in an imposing tarp at the back draft. It was a reminder to me as a member of the group who took on “drafting” the vision from the participants. “Where are the other members of the styling committee?” I asked myself.

I ate a late breakfast today as I stayed late for my recent attempt to write a narrative report. So when I entered the summit hall, I have to do some catching up on who did what the night before.

I caught up on the secretariat who were busy calling the rest of the group for the picture taking.

Meanwhile, I picked the shiniest plate on the buffet table and proceeded to feast on hotel breakfast. In my peripheral vision and hearing I could hear Jocan talking me to drop the breakfast for a moment and smile it out in the photographic firing squad.

I managed some sips of brewed coffee and few scoops of the one-serving steamed rice and the hard-boiled egg and beef curry sud-an. I have to or I couldn’t move a muscle to say “cheese”. Oh, I went there seconds later as I have to squeeze in my summit shirt. I went there to see if the pool was really tempting enough for some laps of swimming, to regret I didn’t plunge when I could last night.

The last day of the three-day gathering of Mindanao media’s “decision-makers” started with quaint picture taking by the poolside of the Waterfront Insular Hotel in Lanang, Davao City.

It was supposed to capture for the future the faces of the news professionals who participated in the summit in a step to improve capacity as stakeholder to peace and development in Mindanao.

US software expert in town for free workshop

A world renowned US programmer would be in town next week for a free workshop on Java Script, an important program on developing website and accessing objects embedded in other Internet applications.

Thom Parker, touted as one of the top three world experts on JavaScript, would offer a free workshop at Felis Seminar Resort on Friday November 16 at 3:00 pm.

His talk would cover many areas of JavaScript programming and he would show examples of results one can achieve using JavaScript, according to a press release. The Davao Acrobat and Adobe User Group and Felis Seminar Resort have sponsored the workshop “as part of a series to help boost the so-called Silicon Gulf Coast of Davao”. Read the rest of the report on MindaNews.com.

Blogging for freedom in Burma

It is an inspiring thing to do and probably one that could become a worthy study of the usefulness of blogs.

BBC reported on how Burma cyber-dissidents crack censorship to report on the protests and definance of saffron-robed monks in the military ruled country.

I’m sure some of them are inside Burma right now, but those who have greater leeway are those based in other countries who have sources of both image and text reports from inside.
It is such a relief that they went past the military junta’s severe censorship. It takes a lot of courage and skills, too, to pass through all the blocks and censors.

Among the people we need to thank for the reports we get from inside Burma are the bloggers. It is such a good way to illustrate the power of the blogs, if used for purposes above self. (Photo grabbed from BBC website)

What is ASEAN’s take on Burma now?

The European Union, the British and US governments, and the United Nations have initiated moves (mostly talks for now) to address the present crisis in Burma.

But what about the Association of South East Asian Nations? What plans does the regional grouping have now?