[PHOTOS] #1LaBS: 1st Laguna Social Media & Blogging Summit

Cultural Center of Laguna.

The FIRST Laguna Social Media and Blogging Summit (1LaBS) was held at the Cultural Center of Laguna last September 27 and 28, 2012.

The expected 300 participants from all around the Philippines who are compose of writers, bloggers and students became 600 on September 27, 2012 and on September 28 was 900, these are students from Laguna State Polytechnic University (LSPU), STI, AMA and bloggers from Manila, Pampanga and nearby provinces who allotted two days of their time to attend this historical event.

students from LSPU, STI, AMA are starting to arrive.

free books for all participants! Included is the booklet by Tony Ahn, "Blog Like a Star."

all registered attendees got these cool nameplate and lanyard from COMELEC that has a text saying, "I WILL VOTE 5/13/13"

The #1LABS team.

TV5 crew covered the event!

#1LaBS crowd.

Pagsanjan Mayor Girlie Javier Ejercito giving her welcome message.

Pagsanjan Mayor Girlie Javier Ejercito welcomed everyone and she even gamely sang the Bangkero song live that made the opening of the summit more memorable. Yup! she's the one you see (almost) everyday on TV singing the catchy Laguna theme song. I feel LSS everytime I hear it!


#1LaBS head organizer Engr. Grace Bondad Nicolas with the Pagsanjan Mayor.

The Opening Remarks came from the Lead organizer of the event Engr. Grace Bondad Nicolas who not only a social media one of the most influential blogger, columnist, advocate and but also a speaker herself at different summit in the Philippines and who is also a Lagueno from Calauan. She said during his opening remark, "One doesn't need to be a philanthropist to help."

#1LaBS "Trended" on Twitter Philippines! via @nobodybutgrace

Here are the list of speakers and their topics who came to Laguna not just to share their expertise in blogging and Internet but also to experience and promote the tourism of Laguna:



First speaker is social media pro Tony Ahn who talked about "Agency Confidential: Behind Blogger Relations." Tony will display a blogger event budget and talk you through how and why agencies charge what they do in order for their clients to engage with bloggers. When one of the audience asked Tony Ahn how much he charges clients for a bloggers' event. He said about 200,000 pesos for about 20 bloggers. "There's nothing wrong with getting paid for writing a blog article," said Tony Ahn.


Next in line is "Blogging for Advocacy" talk by cyber wellness expert Sonnie Santos. "Is it OK to earn by blogging for advocacy? NO. Earn from day job; spend for advocacy and YES. So that the advocacy can support itself." He also added that  "Because its not always a numbers game. Though I am not a social media rockstar, little surprises come along," then he showed us a screenshot of an email from Cambridge University (UK) asking for permission to include one of his article in an upcoming book! Wow.


Followed by Democratic Socialist Women of the Philippines National Chairperson Elizabeth Angsioco for her talk entitled, "Advocacy and Social Media" For her, "Social Media = Social Change." she also reminds us that, "The click matters. The click is powerful."



Impact of Social Media on Voters Education
 (Comelec Spokesman James Jimenez)


Social Media in Good Governance and Advocacy
 (Congress Chief of staff Wenchie Flores Sabban


"What To Do With The Money You Earn From Blogging" 
 by financial speaker Fitz Gerard Villafuerte


iBlog for Health 
(presidential awardee for health Nurse Alvin Dakis)


The Art of Personal Branding 
(Famous voice talent and GNN producer Pocholo Gonzales) 


Blogging for motivation and empowerment
 (Best selling author Lloyd Luna) 


(Benjamin Vergel De Dios) 
Executive Director- Knowledge Community

 The last 3 photos above are courtesy of co-blogger Mac Vasquez I forgot to snap some photos of them because I super enjoyed the laughtrip discussions with Sir Pocholo Gonzales & Sir Lloyd Luna! For me that's the highlight of the summit, well aside from the very informative talk of business blogger Fitz Gerard Villafuerte.

I loved the first day of the summit! I'm expecting to be sleepy because I only had 4 hours of sleep but not! Thanks to the lively and interesting speakers who made an extra effort to make the participants enthusiastic :) Too bad I didn't made it to Day 2 because I had to go to Grande Island Resort in Subic.

These are talks and speakers that I missed during Day 2 of FIRST Laguna Social Media and Blogging Summit:

  • Welcome Address from the Regional Director of the Philippine Information Agency (Norito Cabotaje)
  • Keynote Address from Dr. Nestor De Vera, President of Laguna State Polytechnic University (LSPU)
  • Ethics and Etiquette in Blogging ( Juned Sonido)
  • The State of Education in the Philippines–present conditions, needs and prospects for reform. (historian and rocket scientist Dean Jorge Bocobo)
  • Travel + Photography and Social Media (Jaypee David)
  • Marine Life Advocacy (Jayvee Fernandez)
  • Actionable Start-Up SEO Blogging Strategies. (Mark Acsay III)
  • Strategies to Maximize Facebook Business Pages – (Jonel Uy)
  • Politics in Blogging (Author Janette Toral)

The first Laguna social media and blogging summit is a success. The event hashtag which is 1LaBS or an acronym of the summit TRENDS on Twitter at number 6 that day. Trend is a twitter term which means its the MOST talk topic in the WHOLE Philippines.


TEAM #1LaBS with Comelec Spokesman James Jimenez.

The objective of the summit is to bring to Laguna the best speakers and writers from social media to share to Lagueno the benefits of technology today. This in return, because the speakers are famous plus with writers and media as participants who are there not only to learn but to cover the whole summit. This will give mileage to the province in terms of tourism.

The organizers would like to thank Governor Jeorge "ER" Ejercito of the Province of Laguna, Laguna 2nd District Board Member Neil Andrew Nocon, Andrew Grace Home Builders, Tiny Buds, Tony Ahn & Co., Melba's farm, Teen Azkals, OneA events place, Cafe Lupe, Asia Blooms hotel, KCs Catering, Jonessa Enterprises, D Star salon, Walk this way, Solid hosting, Geiser Maclang, Gardenia, Chowking, SM, When in Manila, Creative Voices, Microsoft, STI, AMA, Laguna State Polytechnic University, Manila Blogger, Phil IT, Philippine Information Agency 4A, Mary Pauline Salon, PRC, Kliping Times, McCarranz Graphics International, ALAM, Comelec and Mayor Ed Pamintuan of Pampanga, TaG Media and public relations.