Tweet Follow me in twitter @momblogger.Do not train children to learning by force and harshness, but direct them to it by what amuses their minds, so that you may be better able to discover with accuracy the peculiar bent of the genius of each.
Plato

I had known all along that my two girls are unique in their own right. In the traditional way of schooling, my eldest daughter seemed to be smarter than my second daughter. Lauren could read and write before she was four years old. My other daughter Marielle was just different from Lauren. In fact my neighborhood tutor thought she was not smart. The tutor said Marielle could not read. I felt bad for her because I didn’t want her compared to her smarter sister. Along the way, I discovered Marielle could relate to me in great detail about a story told in her Nursery class. By sheer luck or was it fate, I stumbled upon “Unicorns are Real”:A Right Brained Approach to Learning” by Barbara Meister Vitale at a book sale. I wrote more about how I used this book to stimulate Marielle’s learning process when she was six years old.

Fast forward.

My dyslexic and math-challenged daughter rose above the difficulties she faced through the years and graduated Magna Cum Laude in 2009.

I didn’t know the appropriate word back then. All I knew was my daughters learned things differently. Lauren can only study when her surroundings are quiet. Marielle loves to move around in different places to study. I wish there were more schools back then that gave options for my children’s learning styles. In fact, I believed Lauren did not thrive in a traditional school. She started to lose interest in studying by the time she reached Grade 4. Today , she tells me that she wished she were in a smaller school or got home-schooled.

Lesson learned: Each child has different learning strengths and preferences and the abilities to focus and learn. In fact, I want parents to research more about other schools or modes of learning if faced with frustration on their child’s learning pace. How many of your child’s grades did not meet expectation of their potential?

It is interesting to visit schools so I can share to other parents that there are choices. A visit to Eton International School (ETON) revealed two unique aspects in their school’s curriculum: learning styles and 3D Based curriculum.

Learning Styles

Eton uses Dunn and Dunn Learning Styles System to help every person discover and reach his or her highest potential. I already knew this after seeing my two girls finish college. There are two general processing styles: the analytical and the global.

What does it mean?

Global learners, for example, absorb new knowledge faster in an environment with soft lighting and non-traditional seating. They also need to take breaks, eat snacks, go around, and listen to music. On the other hand, analytic learners learn best in an environment with bright light and traditional seating positions. They want a quiet room, with no interruptions or disruptions.

Jacqueline Marzan-Tolentino, the owner/President of Eton even administered a Learning Styles assessment test. After a fun three minutes of coloring the sheets of papers with fellow blogger Arpee, the test confirmed that I am an analytical learner.

You might want to know more about the Dunn & Dunn Learning Styles Model that ETON uses in its curriculum. You will note the Dunn and Dunn model is based on five strands of 21 elements of learning: environmental, emotional, sociological, physiological, and psychological.

Knowing the learning styles of a child, the teachers adapt the needs and learning preferences. ETON takes it further by encouraging parents to take the definitive assessment test, too, so they can also understand the similarities and differences of learning styles between themselves and their children. I love this idea to minimize conflict between parents and their children on their learning style. A “malikot” child would be chastised to sit still and study when in fact, the child learns best by moving his body.

3-D Based Curriculum

I first got introduced to ETON’s 3-D based curriculum when I was their speaker for the 8th Leadership Awards and talked of Parenting in the new digital age. They were launching their new 3D based curriculum using technology from Eureka and thought I’d speak on the advantages of using new technology to help kids today learn more.

It is my belief that new technology in the classroom brings fun and excitement to learning, lessons are captivating and engaging, many abstract subjects become tangible for students . It can also cultivate mastery of lessons and shortened period of teaching.

Eureka, the 3D software forms an essential part of ETON’s K to 12 education in the fields of Science and Math. The software covers over 1000 topics of 3D simulations and 3D videos in Biology, Physics, and Chemistry and in different fields of Math. How can learning not be fun with these teaching aids?

Knowing that ETON will soon use a 3D curriculum in Science and math, I wish they were around in the nineties. My two girls often struggled with Mathematics. Imagine if the Math 3D curriculum was part of their Math classes. I am sure my girls would have appreciated Math more.

Learning angles in Geometry

If you are shopping for a non-traditional school or an alternative to traditional schools, check out Eton International School. Don’t take my word for it. It is important to know what you want for your child. Investigate the school’s teaching methods if it will stimulate or hone your child’s talents, strengths and interests. This might just be the school that match the individual needs and interests of your child. It is important for parents to understand that it is not so much that every child should be taught but to draw out the child’s desire to learn and to discover and reach his or her highest potential.

Visit www.eton.edu.ph for more details.——————————-
You might also want to read Positive Mental Energy and Affirmations and my other blogs like Free Filipino Food Recipes, Shopping Finds, Pinoy Food Photo Blog and Techie Gadgets. Or Follow me in twitter @momblogger.

How about visiting my Beauty over 50 blog?

Hope you can drop by! Thanks for visiting…Noemi Lardizabal-Dado.

Add me in Facebook by introducing yourself. My facebook is at facebook.com/noemidado

Tweet Follow me in twitter @momblogger.

Good grief. What am I doing here?

If I were seated here, watching this event 12 years ago, I will not be able to recognize myself.

My grief , the loss of my son brought me to where I am today. A whole new world. A blogger that talks about “Touched by an Angel” at her blog, the aboutmyrecovery.com . A blogger that talks of Blog Watch, a citizen media endeavor.

From a homemaker to a whole new world as a blogger, citizen media and as features editor of an alternative online magazine, the Philippine Online Chronicles, I often wonder…what would I have been doing if I did not move on towards a positive resolution of my grief? Never did I conceive that the shy old me would land on TV, newspaper, radio, magazine as a resource person for grief, then later in blogging then social media for the elections. Blogging brought me new friends, reconnected with old friendships, brought me to travel places. It taught me to be more confident.

Not a day passes when I do not think of my loved ones who have gone on. I often still wonder how my life would have turned out if they were still with me. When the going gets rough in social media, I remember that the pain of losing my son is worst.

I am reminded of my friend Cathy when she wrote about The good from the grief. Eleanor Roosevelt said as she reflected upon her transition from first lady to private citizen after her husband died: “Every time you meet a situation, though you may think at the time it is an impossibility and you go through the tortures of the damned, once you have met it and lived through it, you find that forever after you are freer than you ever were before.

“If you can live through that, you can live through anything. You gain courage, strength and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face.”

Watch #whatrocksmysocks video

What rocks my socks is being a blogger and evolving to cover a larger goal- to advocate social change .

My new normal as a blogger served me well: my role as a bereaved mother is no longer the first way I define who I am, but it is ever-present in my life and cannot be separated from all that I am . . . for the rest of my life.

I realized that Luijoe’s death gave me courage even if it took me five years to realize it. Courage to let life go on, to give myself a chance that new and good things will happen to me that will add JOY to my life. I felt he wanted me to carry on the comfort to others.

Working with my advocacy is also my way of keeping Luijoe’s memory alive in the next couple of years. I also know that every time I comfort a bereaved parent or sibling, my actions are a living tribute to my child.

Thank you IMMAP for the opportunity to share my story.

Read RECAP: THE IMMAP OPEN MIC NIGHT 2 from Carlo Ople and check out more photos here.

Thank you Internet and Mobile Marketing Association of the Philippines (IMMAP), TV5 and The Peninsula Manila and others such as Yehey!, Wunderman, 1DMG, Leo Burnett & Arc Worldwide, LoudWhistle, Ripple 100, GoMotion, TV5, Peachtree SEO and eLearning Edge. Media partners: Adobo Magazine, Inquirer, and Rappler.com. Official beverage partner for the night: Casa Noble

#Whatrocksmysocks speakers aside from myself:

-Ivy Almario, Interior Designer
-Marthyn Cuan, CIO at Meralco
-Manny Osmena, Cebu’s top winemaker, Manny O
-Glenmarc Antonio, Famous cosplayer

Photo credits: Some photos from Jane Uymatiao, Jaypee David , Carlo Ople and Jules Mariano. Thanks a lot——————————-
You might also want to read Positive Mental Energy and Affirmations and my other blogs like Free Filipino Food Recipes, Shopping Finds, Pinoy Food Photo Blog and Techie Gadgets. Or Follow me in twitter @momblogger.

How about visiting my Beauty over 50 blog?

Hope you can drop by! Thanks for visiting…Noemi Lardizabal-Dado.

Add me in Facebook by introducing yourself. My facebook is at facebook.com/noemidado

Tweet Follow me in twitter @momblogger.Nope. No flowers. No card. No cake. No romantic dinner.

It’s been 34 years since my husband and I have been together but Valentine’s day is one occasion we don’t celebrate. See, we met in our college days when our allowance was just enough for our board and lodging. To this day, that habit continues. Even if he can now afford it, he thinks that flowers are just way too expensive on Valentine’s day. Well it doesn’t mean Butch does not surprise me with flowers, or gifts. Doing something special comes during ordinary days.

Since there is no Valentine’s day surprise , I thought I’d share this cute video to warm your hearts.

I didn’t think much of this video when the PR of Dove sent this via email today. In the video, they captured real men as they cooked up a little Valentine surprise for their significant partners. These men agreed to join them for one night to express their real selves, showing how much they’d do to make their women special even on those days when they least expect to.

I have yet to receive something unusual like what these men did in this “Real Men Surprise Their Dates” video.

Aww so sweet. I shared it to Butch when he overheard the music so I played it one more time while typing this entry.

He watched and kidded me that he can sing much better than those real men. To prove his point and to my utter surprise, he crazily sang along and ended the song with a kiss.

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You might also want to read Positive Mental Energy and Affirmations and my other blogs like Free Filipino Food Recipes, Shopping Finds, Pinoy Food Photo Blog and Techie Gadgets. Or Follow me in twitter @momblogger.

How about visiting my Beauty over 50 blog?

Hope you can drop by! Thanks for visiting…Noemi Lardizabal-Dado.

Add me in Facebook by introducing yourself. My facebook is at facebook.com/noemidado

Tweet Follow me in twitter @momblogger.

Meet my daughter. Of course you know her by now. She is part of Bloggers United, the first bloggers-only bazaar that was created to promote a sense of camaraderie and community among bloggers and their readers. The first bazaar, held on May 2011, was so successful that a second bazaar was quickly organized in partnership with the country’s largest online shopping website, Multiply Philippines.

The thing is she will be in Singapore for business so I volunteered to man her booth.

So yes, me…the momblogger, the mom of blogger Lauren will be there to sell her stuff. (See Lauren’s blog post on this). Our house is cozy and not much closet space so she has to unclog her closet by selling her stuff. Though previously owned by her, trust that each item is of good quality. I will be selling a few of my clothes too (size medium to large). Some of them I just wore once because I hate repeating clothes if they have already been photographed and shown in Facebook.

What: Bloggers United 2
When: Saturday, December 3
Time: 11:00 AM till 3:00 PM ( the bazaar is till 10:00 PM but I have to leave early to attend a scheduled party)
Where: Treston International College, University Parkway District , 32nd street corner C-5 Road , Bonifacio Global City (See map below)
What else?: Entrance fee of 100 pesos
Click teaser photos of some items

Why should you go?

1. You will meet fashion bloggers and of course me! Some of Cebu’s very own fashion bloggers which include Kryz Uy, Eden Villarba, designer Yves Camingue, Gillian Uang and Mildred Zapanta and a few more will be part of this bazaar

2. I will give away volume discounts. A dress is around 200 pesos. (Volume discount of 2 for 300 or 3 for 500)

For tops, it is 100 pesos each, 2 for 180, 3 for 250

3. I will give early bird give-aways (for purchases 500 pesos and above) until supply last. Please come early because I can only man the booth until 3:00 PM. My helper will stay until 7 PM though.

4. This event is the perfect opportunity for both bloggers and their adoring readers to mingle and personally interact with each other. Fun contests and exciting giveaways from sponsors and entertaining performances from bloggers (Walkie Talkies, Reese & Vica) themselves .

5. Part of the proceeds from this event will go to the GMA Kapuso Foundation (http://www.kapusofoundation.com/) for its school building project, a small but significant step to improve the Filipino youth’s access to education.

This is a one-day-only event that you shouldn’t really miss! This is the perfect shopping day this Christmas because the most affordable and most fashionable clothes, accessories and footwear will be up for grabs. See you there. Look for me at iambourgeois.com / beautyoverfifty.net booth

Here is the map to go to Treston International College,Taguig City

View Larger Map

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You might also want to read Positive Mental Energy and Affirmations and my other blogs like Free Filipino Food Recipes, Shopping Finds, Pinoy Food Photo Blog and Techie Gadgets. Or Follow me in twitter @momblogger.

How about visiting my Beauty over 50 blog?

Hope you can drop by! Thanks for visiting…Noemi Lardizabal-Dado.

Add me in Facebook by introducing yourself. My facebook is at facebook.com/noemidado

Tweet Follow me in twitter @momblogger.

Most politicians are the same all over. Nikita Khrushchev says it so well , ” they promise to build a bridge even where they is no river.” As editor of Blog Watch, I make it a point to disclose political affiliations. It is a good thing I knew Pia way before she got married, had kids and became a senator. Even my girls could not shake off their shock and pleasant surprise that their Tita Pia is a senator. Not just an ordinary senator mind you. Pia is an extraordinary senator. I am really proud of her achievements unlike some senators who I feel don’t work for the good of the country.

How could I say no to the book launch of a friend and a good Senator?

Her book is called “My Daily Race”, culled from selected blog posts at mydailyrace.com. She started her blog five years ago, probably the same time I started mine. She called it “My daily Race” because it was …”striking a balance between my work in the Senate, my kids and doing the things I love. There is no prize at the end of each race, but there is joy and peace in knowing that I did my best, my children are loved and that life is better for people whose paths I have crossed.”

Media often want to portray her as a triathlete neglecting the good work she does in the Senate: on Women and health issues. Social legislation which is her strength does not hog the headlines the way her brother, Allan Cayetano does. She also admits that she does not have the skils to produce words like a rapid fire machine gun like her mentor (Senator Miriam) does.

Video at the book lauch: Pia talks about the reasons behind the book

Blogging was an option so she could write about her work, not just as a Senator but the work she does outside of the Senate and her life as a mom, a triathlete and the many other things that she choose to or have to be. Blogging was an opportunity to publish her thoughts and work even if traditional media considered it newsworthy or not. When it came to senate work, public work seems to be limited to sensationalized investigative hearings held by the Blue Ribbon Committee.

Many have started to notice Pia’s work as an advocate for women’s rights health and the rights of other minorities. No wonder she was re-elected in the last 2010 elections. The reproductive health bill is discussed over social media and she is quite popular among the RH Bill supporters.

I no longer wonder how she remains cool and collected during RH debates at the Senate. It helps to have a high level of endorphins from running. It helps deal with the negativity at work. Somehow, I agree that senators should do some exercise in between sessions just to be more level-headed in their debates.

Pia and I share similar losses: the loss of a son and a father the past decade. Pia was there to hold my hand during the wake of my son and even took time to talk to me. She even ordered a grief recovery book from the states.

In a way, her book is a grief journal since many entries were written while she was grieving either for her son, dad or her grandmother. It can also be a self-help book if you want it to be.

The book is not meant to picture her as anything more or less than who or what she is. It simply is what it is. Her objective is simply share her life experiences and answer the questions that is often asked of her…what is it like to be a senator? a triathlete? a working mom.

Though she has a good support system at her home and workplace, there are some days that things don’t fall into place.

But she picks herself up and try again.

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You might also want to read Positive Mental Energy and Affirmations and my other blogs like Free Filipino Food Recipes, Shopping Finds, Pinoy Food Photo Blog and Techie Gadgets. Or Follow me in twitter @momblogger.

How about visiting my Beauty over 50 blog?

Hope you can drop by! Thanks for visiting…Noemi Lardizabal-Dado.

Add me in Facebook by introducing yourself. My facebook is at facebook.com/noemidado

Tweet Follow me in twitter @momblogger.“A cheerful frame of mind, reinforced by relaxation… is the medicine that puts all ghosts of fear on the run.” – George Matthew Adams

Some people who are not as wired as I am think I am too stressed out with my work. Maybe because they do not understand how it is. My online friends vouch it is fun and meaningful depending on how one uses their social media tools. Having fun while working is a blessing.

I often see advice that it is important for you to relax, take a break and not stress over an email or text message that can wait until next week. It may be applicable to those in the corporate world but for an advocate using social media, this is a part of our life. It isn’t a chore or something I stress over especially if Missy, my cat is on my lap. She insists to sit on my lap or else suffer her pitiful meows. I should be flattered. “For a man to truly understand rejection, he must first be ignored by a cat.” I guess it must be in their genes. Thousands of years ago, cats were worshipped as gods. Cats have never forgotten this.

It is relaxing to have her on my lap, patting her furry head as I tweet. Time spent with Missy is never wasted.

She loves to watch the timeline scroll down. When a burning issue unravels in Twitter, it scrolls very fast which makes her more “engaged”.

No time to get totally annoyed at useless tweets with a cat on your lap. As anyone who has ever been around a cat for any length of time well knows cats have enormous patience with the limitations of the human kind.

When she gets bored, she gives me a tummy massage.

excuse the flabby tummy

I give her an extra treat by letting her watch Youtube videos of other Siamese cats. Ah..Missy, my pet is so cute.

Indeed, the time to relax is when you don’t have time for it. Why not do it while working? I am believer in finding tranquility within. It is useless to seek it elsewhere. Dr. Joyce Brothers advices is that “No matter how much pressure you feel at work, if you could find ways to relax for at least five minutes every hour, you’d be more productive.”

How do you relax?
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You might also want to read Positive Mental Energy and Affirmations and my other blogs like Free Filipino Food Recipes, Shopping Finds, Pinoy Food Photo Blog and Techie Gadgets. Or Follow me in twitter @momblogger.

How about visiting my Beauty over 50 blog?

Hope you can drop by! Thanks for visiting…Noemi Lardizabal-Dado.

Add me in Facebook by introducing yourself. My facebook is at facebook.com/noemidado

Tweet Follow me in twitter @momblogger.I thought I’d never hear the day when my daughters would appreciate me for teaching them how to fix their things. Not that I am neat freak, I just want things in their proper places. When they were little girls, I required them to at least fix their beds just before leaving school. Oh they were obedient girls of course. I slacked down a bit as they went into college and lived in a dormitory.

A few years back, they got to see how their fellow dorm mates “organized their rooms” and that I shouldn’t feel bad if I think their rooms are “messy”.

They are adults now so I can’t really be bothered with their rooms. Whenever I drop by their room, I just stay by the door. I don’t step inside because I want to avoid lecturing them on neatness.

I don’t nag my family to the point that my neat freaky attitude drives them crazy. If they are messy with their things, that is their problem. If an item gets lost because they were not organized, it’s their loss. “Don’t come crying to me that you lost a book , a CD or something”.

I believe that clutter around me creates more clutter in me so I don’t like that feeling.

It cannot be avoided that I’d see a mess or two. On one occasion, I just could not help noticing parcels of tokens or products on the floor in my daughter’s room.

Of course I wanted her to decide on ways to de-clutter her room and if I could help her. She thought she needed a new dresser and remove her writing table. Good idea. I told her: “let’s go to the furniture store and get you the dresser to organize all these beauty products, fashion accessories and other trinkets”.

She loved the idea but on shopping day, I was met with resistance due to previous work commitment. Minutes later, I was surprised that the shopping for a new dresser will push through.

It was a beautiful afternoon and that rare occasion when a daughter is with us on a Sunday. We strolled the furniture section of Market! Market! and spotted this white dresser that went well with the rest of her white-themed furniture inside the room. It was perfect!

Days after the white dresser was delivered to her room, my daughter’s room is now more organized with less clutter.

I praised her “see how nice your room looks now”. We both smiled.

Mission accomplished. ——————————-
You might also want to read Positive Mental Energy and Affirmations and my other blogs like Free Filipino Food Recipes, Shopping Finds, Pinoy Food Photo Blog and Techie Gadgets. Or Follow me in twitter @momblogger.

How about visiting my Beauty over 50 blog?

Hope you can drop by! Thanks for visiting…Noemi Lardizabal-Dado.

Add me in Facebook by introducing yourself. My facebook is at facebook.com/noemidado

Tweet Follow me in twitter @momblogger.Where do I begin to tell my Nuffnang story? Perhaps it started with that small dinner. I was among the first bloggers to be consulted about the Nuffnang Philippines launch sometime 2008. It was a private affair. What struck me the most is Eric Ramierz, one of the owners sat down with us to listen to our thoughts and suggestions.

There were blog advertising networks back then but I wasn’t too happy with the experience: late payments and selective ads. Without batting an eyelash, I agreed to sign up. I found it challenging as a blogger to grow along with Nuffnang.

with Nuffnang co-founder Tim

I activated my Nuffnang Blogger account on August 24, 2008. It’s been three years now and I have seen its growth, their trials and tribulations. From a staff of two girls, I see now a country manager, a blogger coordinator and many more job descriptions that only speak of Nuffnang’s evolution.

it took me a while to shift to “Gliterrati” where one is exclusive to Nuffnang ads. I saw the income difference immediately when I stopped all other blog ad networks.

What I like most about Nuffnang is they continue to be open to suggestions even if it is not in their policy or stand to lose a significant advertiser. Like, I was totally against milk ads because I am a breastfeeding advocate. Good thing they didn’t pursue the marketing spin of milk companies. After all, we are the bloggers who know about the influence of our community.

It feels like talking to my “parents” about future plans.

“Social Network” Premiere for Bloggers in 2010. Photo by Benjie Tiongco

Most importantly, Nuffnang raised the bar on the value of bloggers. More and more companies are advertising in our blogs. You can see how digital media has been revolutionizing the media sector.

It is not all ads in Nuffnang. We have lots of fun and we meet new friends here and abroad. There are the movie dates, the picnics and the Nuffnang Asia Pacific Blog Awards. It was fun meeting other bloggers within the Asia Pacific region.

Meeting a few Malaysian bloggers in 2009

I don’t know where the story ends. More and more we are seeing consumers accessing multiple media platforms simultaneously, especially accessing the internet whilst watching television which many consumers are doing several times per week.

I forsee a bright future for Nuffnang and their bloggers as emerging trends happen.

Come 16th of December 2011, 500 bloggers from around the Asia-Pacific region will flock to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for the Nuffnang Asia-Pacific Blog Awards 2011 in Putrajaya Marriott. The Awards aims to not only honour the region’s best bloggers, but also to bring together blogger communities from across Asia-Pacific. The Nuffnang Asia-Pacific Blog Awards is brought to you by Volkswagen Malaysia and Putrajaya Marriott.

Win exclusive invites. Nuffnang.com is giving you the chance to win an invite to the Blog Awards, simply by participating in the blogging contest as outlined below! The contest starts 25 October 2011 and ends 11.59 pm, 19 November 2011.

Photo via Ada Lajara. Glamorous Filipina bloggers gather at the Link Hotel before proceeding to the Pan Pacific Hotel for The Nuffnang Asia Pacific Blog Awards Ceremony

With Alodia Gosiengfiao, Ashley Gosiengfiao, Jehzeel

Photo Credits to Ada Lajara . Philippine Nuffnang President Eric Ramirez with Filipino Bloggers at the Pan Pacific Hotel
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You might also want to read Positive Mental Energy and Affirmations and my other blogs like Free Filipino Food Recipes, Shopping Finds, Pinoy Food Photo Blog and Techie Gadgets. Or Follow me in twitter @momblogger.

How about visiting my Beauty over 50 blog?

Hope you can drop by! Thanks for visiting…Noemi Lardizabal-Dado.

Add me in Facebook by introducing yourself. My facebook is at facebook.com/noemidado

Tweet Follow me in twitter @momblogger.The countdown to the world’s population is expected to hit seven billion soon. I want to reflect on how I fit into this story of human life. After growing very slowly for most of human history, the number of people on Earth has more than doubled in the last 50 years. I feel quite ambivalent about these figures. While it it means people are living longer and more children are surviving worldwide, not everyone has benefited from this achievement or the higher quality of life that this implies.

7 billion and me

By filling out the number in this calculator, I see myself fitting in the world’s population.

In 1500, the population is estimated at 500 million but in 2011, it is 7,000,000,000

When I was born, I was the 2,873,706,564th person on Earth and the 76,375,542,810th person to have lived since history began.

The figure is an estimate of how many people were alive on my date of birth. It is one possible value based on global population figures and estimates of growth rates over time. Data before 1950 is less accurate than figures after that date. The second figure includes calculations based on the methodology of scholar Carl Haub, who estimated how many people had been alive since 50,000 B.C. His calculation has been amended by the UN to include additional points in time.

I’d like to take you further through the UN Population Fund’s detailed population calculator, 7 billion and me to see more.

On the same day I was born 278,627 were born throughout the world. It is interesting to add that on the day I was born, 910,171,342 were living in cities and towns

1,963,529,226 were living in rural areas
1,433,951,908 were women
1,439,748,660 were men
1,041,043,490 were under age 15
and 226,759,928 were over age 60

How does the world population of 7 billion affect me?

On the day I was born , 2,873,700,568 people were alive and 6,839,911,966 were born since then. Sadly, 2,713,691,135 people have died since I was born. As a result, the population today is 6,999,921,400

The Philippine population

The Philippines population is pegged at 93,800, 552. Every hour, there are 265 births, 60 deaths with an average yearly growth of +1.7%

In developing nations, where improvements in health care and sanitation are seeing death rates fall, birth rates still remain relatively high. This is leading to rapidly rising populations. In fact, 97 out of every 100 new people on the planet are currently born in developing countries. Qatar – which has a large immigrant workforce – has seen its population rise rapidly in recent years. In richer economies, although death rates are also low, widely-available birth control and a desire for smaller families keep birth rates subdued. Fewer babies ensures populations level off or even decline. Moldova, although poor by European standards, has seen its population drop mainly because of emigration.

The average life expectancy in the Philippines is 67.8 years with female at 71.3 on average and male at 64.5.

Japan’s high life expectancy has been put down to a combination of a healthy diet and good public health provision, which includes regular check-ups. The low life expectancy of those born in poorer countries, such as the Central African Republic, is explained by a number of factors, including poverty, conflict, poor access to health care and the high prevalence of Aids.

What’s next?

The global population will continue to increase during my lifetime and beyond, reaching 10 billion by 2083. It is expected that the rate of growth will slow down. Most of the current growth is happening within the developing world.

Longer lives: Death rates and birth rates are falling in my area. This means working-age people like myself will be supporting increasing numbers of older people during the next decades. By 2050 , there will be just 4.6 working-age people for every person aged 65 or above – a decrease of 63% from 2000.

Battle for resources: It is estimated that the richest group of countries consumes double the resources used by other areas of the world – including the Philippines. The UN estimates that if current population and consumption trends continue, by the 2030s we will need the equivalent of two Earths to support us.

Wow, those statistics are frightening.

I believe that the youth hold the key to the future, with the potential to transform the global political landscape and to propel economies through their creativity and capacities for innovation.

“But the opportunity to realize youth’s great potential must be seized now. We should be investing in the health and education of our youth. This would yield enormous returns in economic growth and development for generations to come.”

Did you know? Every day 1,000 women die giving birth – one every 90 seconds.

And 4,991 people is the amount the population has grown while I have been working on these stats?

Ensure every child is wanted & every birth is safe.

The clock is ticking. 1 day to 7 billion.

Where do you fit into this story of human life? Put your birthday in this calculator.

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You might also want to read Positive Mental Energy and Affirmations and my other blogs like Free Filipino Food Recipes, Shopping Finds, Pinoy Food Photo Blog and Techie Gadgets. Or Follow me in twitter @momblogger.

How about visiting my Beauty over 50 blog?

Hope you can drop by! Thanks for visiting…Noemi Lardizabal-Dado.

Add me in Facebook by introducing yourself. My facebook is at facebook.com/noemidado

Tweet Follow me in twitter @momblogger.“In the long history of humankind those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed.”
~ Charles Darwin

David Hatcher’s email popped up on my iphone as I stopped to read my inbox while stalled in traffic. He said he was working for the GIZ, a German development organisation that is facilitating a meeting about Social Media Strategy on behalf of ASEAN on October 27-28 in Jakarta.

Whoa, I had to laugh. Two weeks before a meeting? He must be kidding. This must be a scam. I couldn’t resist being more investigative.

Curious about the GIZ, I fired up my browser and read the website. It seemed GIZ was legitimate and impressive. Okay, I could risk talking to David via Skype as he suggested. Well, well…David called via Skype and a smiling handsome German appeared on the screen of macbook laptop. I instinctively fixed my rumpled hair as I talked to him. Funny I did that. Our 20-minute conversation convinced me even more that this invitation was not a scam.

I asked David how he found me because I never get invited to blogger forums or workshops abroad. He said he did a search using various metric tools. They were looking for power users in social media. I wonder what those tools were. I agreed to be there at the meeting to share my experiences.

Let’s face it – Social Media is everywhere today. Social media is being social but I like that it has also influenced positive change in the community I live in. Stories that traditional media picked up from my twitter timeline and that first broke in Twitter include many relevant issues”

• Pilipinas Kay Ganda
• @congMP deletes his twitter account
• Plunder of our Philippine Marine Life
• Child abuse against Willie Revillame
• Manny Pacquiao alleged Boracay resort
• PCSO – He said, She said

The 1st ASEAN Social Media Exchange and Social Media Communication Strategy for ASEAN became a reality as I flew in Jakarta on October 26. I warned David that I have no abstract theories about social media. Everything I learned about social media came from my own mistakes, the engagement and just being true to myself. Sharing my experience is definitely something I can do but don’t ask me to talk about principles of social media.

Lessons learned in social media

I cannot share the discussion in this meeting. Suffice it to say that the overall objective is to facilitate a reasonably informal exchange about Social Media Strategy for ASEAN. It is likely that various formal outcomes and implementations would emerge from the meeting and be rolled out in 2012, probably as a suite of related projects which may include internal training at ASEAN, follow up initiatives addressing topics that emerge from the meeting, etc.

Being there with other social media personalities in the ASEAN region was a learning experience. The sharing meant also an exchange of ideas that can be also replicated in my sphere of influence. What did I share? There is no secret to SOCIAL MEDIA except to listen, connect, share and engage and be passionate about the topics shared. The informal meeting also inspired me to consider writing more about the ASEAN instead of just concentrating about Philippine issues. The progress in ASEAN integration and the ongoing community building efforts is something that everyone should know.

There were many insights I shared along the way.

1. Action speaks louder than words. . Walk the talk. All those tweets and status notes are utterly useless without action. Actions and hard work speak for themselves. At the end of the day, these matter because they are what people use to judge you. The rest does not matter.

2. Treat others the way you would like to be treated. Always take the high road even if someone is rude to you. Mistakes happen but be willing to acknowledge them and try not to repeat it again.

3. Be interested in people’s lives. Create bonds between your social media friends even if you think this is just an online friendship.

4. Continue learning from your own mistakes or from others.

5. Forget the numbers. Forget quantity. Real influence is measured by the way others look up to you — no matter how big or small your circle is. ( I didn’t know quite how to phrase this but I found tips from How do I become influential?)

One cannot claim to be influential unless others tell that about you.

ASEAN: “One Vision, One Identity, One Community”

“Asia is a major driver of global growth, and ASEAN is right in the center of the action. Our countries offer complementary advantages to businesses, and a neutral core around which the rest of Asia can build economic ties, and a regional framework of cooperation. To sustain this, ASEAN has to become more integrated and cohesive. Only thus can we keep up with larger and stronger economies like China and India,” said Singapore Prime Minister LeeHsien Loong when addressing the opening ceremony of the ASEAN Business and Investment Summit held here on Nov. 17.

The vision of “One Vision, One Identity, One Community” benefits all the ASEAN neighbors but how many of us know exactly what ASEAN stands for. It is about time ASEAN reaches out to the member states. Social media is still a new way to communicate. One has to jump into the pool to be in it. It is just natural that people who are in the institutions have a natural fear of it. But the scary part is not being there at all.

Pete Cashmore once shared that “We’re living at a time when attention is the new currency. Those who insert themselves into as many channels as possible look set to capture the most value.”

To achieve the historic collective leap of ASEAN countries towards ASEAN’s goal of “One Vision, One Identity, One Community” starts from communicating this charter acros the ASEAN.

How can you squander even one more day not taking advantage of the greatest shifts of our generation? How dare you settle for less when the world has made it so easy for you to be remarkable?

I believe ASEAN needs to be there, to be seen, to listen and be heard in social media. It might seem overwhelming but baby steps will do at the start. Even those delving in social media still know nothing.

#Twitter is where 40% of users spam, 5% share/interact & 55% are social media experts.

I continue to learn about social media.

“Social Media is about being open, being a connector, being supportive and being yourself.” ~ Michael Q. Todd, @mqtodd, 12Most

Thank you for the company and the experience, my fellow co-participants:

Durudee Sirichanya, Assistant Director, Head of Public Outreach and Civil Society, ASEAN: http://www.asean.org/, http://www.facebook.com/aseansecretariat, http://twitter.com/#!/ASEAN2015

Nuraini Soulisa, Public Outreach Officer, ASEAN

Chris Tan, consultant, ASEAN Web team

Delwin Keasberry, Brunei’s most prolific tweeter: http://twitter.com/#!/BruneiTweet and Founder of ProjekBrunei.com: http://www.projekbrunei.com/

Prof John Ure, Economist and consultant based in Singapore with consultancy in Hong Kong: http://www.trp.trpc.com.hk/, also Executive Director of the Asia Internet Coalition, http://www.asiainternetcoalition.org/

Melina Chan, Founder of Kinyei in Cambodia: http://www.kinyei.org/, extensive experience with development, peer-to-peer education, unconferences and social enterprises

Ong Hock Chuan, Technical Advisor at Maverick, protagonist behind Pesta Blogger and this year’s ON|OFF: http://www.maverick.co.id, http://theunspunblog.com and http://www.onoffid.org/

Danny Butt, Member of Editorial Board at Digital Review of Asia Pacific (joint project of the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and the ORBICOM Network of UNESCO Chairs in Communications, Member of Creative Industries Advisory Group for Auckland City: http://dannybutt.net/

Lucas Josten, Policy Assistant to Vice-President Neelie Kroes at European Commission and manager of Commissioner’s social media presence: http://ec.europa.eu/commission_2010-2014/kroes/

Marco Hamacher, Senior Project Manager, Capacity Building for the ASEAN Secretariat – Component Media and Communication, International Institute for Journalism (IIJ) / Div 2.02: www.giz.de/iij

David Hatcher, Director, MEDIA CONSULTA Interactive: http://www.media- consulta.com/

Andreas Wegner, Director, MEDIA CONSULTA Deutschland——————————-
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