2011 Philippine Blog Awards

December 3, 2011 at Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium,RCBC Plaza, Makati City was held the 2011 Philippine Blog Awards. Attended by the Finalists and Guest, the event has a new theme which is “Bayanihan.”


The Philippine Blog Awards aims to recognize notable Filipino-owned blogs in their respective niches. With topics ranging from the arts, culture, technology and politics, Filipinos have become more abreast because of the fast growing blogging industry here and abroad. The Philippine Blog Awards is a venue to showcase notable blogs with quality content that engages readers from around the globe.

I am so surprised when I received an email that I am one of the National finalists for not only one but two categories, which is the “Bloggers Choice” award, and “Advocacy” category. I invited my mother to join me to the awards night, as a proud daughter, which I am, I believe that the foundation of advocacies is family. Family is where I got the wisdom and empowerment to help others. My advocacies are Human Rights, Environment, Good Governance, Reproductive Health and awareness program that is why I am blogging.

For me, through writing, I could empower, influence and encourage my friends and everyone else it could reach not only in the Philippines but also around the globe through the use of the internet.

When Janette Toral of Digital Filipino included me as one of the speakers of her Iblog 7 that was held at UP Diliman, I was ecstatic and overwhelmed. My blog title before is “empowered grace” but after that when I saw all the students and bloggers in the audience and heard the speakers who are successful in their own field, I changed the name of this blog to “Empowerment in just 1 single click.”

For me, this is the time to effectively use the power that is just in our fingertips. In just one single click, which is the “enter” in your keyboard, you could enrich, influence, encourage and empower everyone. You are empowering your readers, you are making them aware about the situation, you can encourage them to join you too in your advocacies.

Blog watch gave me a will also to write, Noemi Dado- Lardizabal is one inspiration. Her advocacies gives me a will also to continue together with the Blog Watch contributors which I am calling my online and offline family for their various advocacies from Human Rights to Good Governance while Mulat Pinoy gave me the first step when they asked me to become a contributing writer.

For me I will keep on blogging as my way of awareness program aside from the offline seminars and trainings I am doing for those who need my help. This is our time, keep on blogging.For me, that is what "Bayanihan" is all about.

Would like to thank the Philippine Blog Awards President Juned Sonido, Karla Redor and to all the organizers for the successful event. Till the next Philippine Blog Awards.

Kasambahay Bill

The Department of Labor and Employment at Region 4A invited the Media from Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon to introduced the Senate Bill number 1141 or known as “Batas Kasambahay.”

Attended by the DOLE Regional office Director Atty. Ricardo S. Martinez, Sr., Bureau of Local Employment Director Criselda R. Sy and DOLE Undersecretary for Labor Relations Hans Leo Cacdac, concurrent officer-in-charge of the National Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB) among others.

Under the proposed legislation which is introduced by Senator Aquilino Q. Pimentel, the rights and interests of household helper are enhanced and protected by ensuring just and equitable terms and conditions of their employment are embodied in their contract with their employers. This includes the following:

· the payment of at least the minimum wage, (2,500 NCR, 2000 outside NCR, 1000 3rd class municipality such as Calauan, Laguna). The current minimum wage right now nationwide is PhP 800.00 pesos.
· 13th month pay,
· Social Security System (SSS) and
· Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (Philhealth) coverage,
· maternity and paternity benefits.
Under this proposed law, employers are prohibited from sub-contracting the service of the household helper to any third party or household.

Likewise provided in this bill are the enumeration of the special rights and privileges of household helpers of minority age, as well as rights and privileges of self-employed, and part-time or day-to-day household helpers.

This proposed legislation is an affirmation of the value and dignity of every person and guarantee full respect for human rights.
One that struck my attention is the minimum age of Kasambahay which is 15 years old. Though the bill would give special protection for child domestic workers and some prohibitions on hazardous work, in my opinion, 15 years old is so young and their body built is not suitable for household work.

I asked USEC Cacdac if there will be “Amo” bill that gives protection to the Kasambahay employers because in Reality, there are many abuses also happening against the employers by the kasambahay. Because trustworthy Household helpers are hard to find these days, some kasambahay are the ones who demanded to send them transportation allowance in order for them to go to the employers place but usually they only made it as the stepping stone then in few days they will leave intentionally the employers from the province and go to the city.


The bill must give full protection to both domestic helper and the employer in order to see the fair treatment of the legislator to their constituents. The bill must be for all the Filipino people welfare.

Office of Civil Defence

December 2, 2011- At the Philippine Information Agency at Calamba City, Laguna, the media and bloggers from CALABARZON welcomed AMOR ROSANA, CHIEF, PLANNING DIVISION- OCD4A, and FREDERICK BRAGAS CHIEF of the MIS Department OCD4A to discuss the role of the Office of Civil Defence in the country and the solution to Climate Change.


“The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) has the primary task of coordinating
the activities and functions of various government agencies and
instrumentalities, private institutions and civic organizations for the
protection and preservation of life and property during disasters and
emergencies. It serves as the operating arm and secretariat of the national
disaster coordinating council and maintains the National Disaster
Management Operations Center.”

As naïve as I am for I thought the office role is to defend the people from Human induced calamities such as crimes and war rather than the natural disaster like typhoons, flood and environmental hazard.


From their website there is a law that stipulates that during times of war and emergencies, the OCD is the principal agency responsible for coordinating the activities and functions of various government agencies and instrumentalities at all levels, including private institutions and civic organizations devoted to public welfare. This is to ensure that the facilities and resources of the entire nation may be utilized to the maximum extent for the protection and preservation of people’s life and property.

I just hope that the office will be more visible and their role must be known to the Filipino People not just for Government officials.