Edgardo Dangoy, Jennifer Silverman, Louella Paranal, Bryan Danta, Gladys Hernando, Mike Collins and Richard Cruz. These individuals were inspired by Seth Godin’s book and they all have the fire in them to move ahead with their passions.

One is passionate about parenting and would like to share how to raise kids. Another would like to bring baseball in the forefront and sees the talent in Filipinos within the sport. There is a writer who works in one of the leading television networks, whose passion is to deliver better programming and focus on the intellects, away from the usual “brainless” shows that you see everyday in Philippine television. One linchpin is a true fan of Seth Godin (he has read all his books) and is passionate about internet marketing and has shared his expertise to 25 (and counting) Filipinos within his company. A couple of young and driven individuals are still finding their way to being one and has yet to find their true passion in life.

The group is small but it has big dreams. I don’t even expect it to grow (yet) because being a Linchpin is difficult. The lizard brain is very powerful and it takes time for anyone to master the art of seducing it. But, I know in my gut that things will “ship” very soon.

If you want to know more about how to become a Linchpin, below is a great video summary of the book. Better yet, get the book (or borrow from a friend) and I guarantee it’s worth every peso.

Still not convinced or you need more information? Here is an on-demand webinar where Seth Godin was interviewed about being a Linchpin.

Join us! We need YOU! The Linchpin Philippines Facebook page is now up and we look forward to meeting more Linchpins.

There have been several discussions online about the qualifications of party list groups and their representatives.  Father Joaquin Bernas S.J. said it best when he wrote “Crucial to the resolution of this case is the fundamental social justice principle that those who have less in life should have more in law.”

So how does one go about choosing which party list to vote for?  Especially since there are about 150 plus groups to choose from with idealogies ranging from political to cultural with plenty of crossover in between.  Think of it as choosing one ice cream flavor and eating just that flavor for the next three years.

Personally, choosing a party list should be like choosing a charity.  Pick the cause closest to your beliefs then choose the organization that, in your opinion, implements those beliefs the best.  You won’t really have a say on the exact method of application but you know that someone is fighting for what you believe in; because you believe in the same thing.

The LPGMA or LPG Marketers’ Association party list is one such specialized group that advocates access to lower priced LPG as well as the public’s right to purchase any LPG brand. They believe that keeping the LPG sector deregulated benefits the Filipino nation through lower food prices and decreased health concerns.

As a consumer, I deal with daily expenses to keep the house running smoothly and I use LPG in cooking. With the constant changes in LPG and food prices, I had to look for an alternative source for cooking which uses electricity and was forced to buy cheaper food, which is a bit out of my comfort zone being spoiled in my younger years with good quality food. Lowering prices (and keeping it there) can help in its own little way for me to manage my household budget.

Part of their advocacy is to protect the environment and encourage the use of LPG instead of wood and charcoal, especially in the rural areas.  Though I may not be part of those using wood in my daily cooking activities, it does make sense to use LPG instead to avoid the health consequences (and protect the trees). However, being an advocate of alternative sources of energy, this is just one option and utilizing LPG shouldn’t be absolute. I can say that this is a first step to the next best thing.

I look forward to what they can do to help consumers and most especially their thrust on researching towards the development of sustainable and potential sources of alternative energy. I will rally behind them if the latter does come to pass.

For additional information and updates, you can follow LPGMA 161 on Twitter. LPGMA 161 is also on Facebook to check out other consumer’s feedback on current issues related to LPG.

Hosted by Ces Drilon and Henry Diaz, the interview format showcased the use of technology by gathering the questions beforehand through social media, primarily the Bandila Facebook page and Skype.  It was evident that prior to the show, filtering was done towards multiple and similar questions.  Senator Manny Villar was then given 30 seconds to respond to each question.

As expected, the first question focused on how Villlar intends to eradicate poverty in the country, asking for specific examples.  He stated he would like to focus on agriculture since a big percentage of Filipinos are fishermen and farmers. If irrigation systems are to repaired, this is a good start to helping them. He also stated that creating jobs and incentive programs, partnering with companies will be another avenue to help alleviate poverty.

Most of the questions asked dealt with the challenges in the campaign and how Sen. Villar was handling them.  A major topic was the comparison to Senator NoyNoy Aquino and how their campaigns differ from the other. Whatever the question and however the campaign is being handled,his answer was always consistent — it’s a question of whether the candidate has the capacity to run a country.

Other questions talked about plans if Senator Villar wins or loses the presidential race.  If he loses, he is ready to accept defeat and he will continue his advocacy to help the poor through a foundation and existing help lines will continue to be open. If he wins, he will prioritize bringing home the OFWs who want to come back to their homeland. Other issues will then be dealt with and emphasized that the first 100 days is critical to a president’s success.

Senator Villar was very composed during the interview.  He showed humor when talking about his campaign strategies and resolve while discussing his plans for the first one hundred days if he is elected president.  He addressed all the questions in a very calm and assured manner although the 30 second limit did not allow for too much elaboration which is probably why his answers were very general in nature.  The only time he obfuscated was when asked about his actual net worth.  True enough, his answers made sense, being an entrepreneur myself, when he discussed and clarified the difference between what his net worth is versus the holding company that had shares in Vista Land.

The only answer that didn’t sit well with me would be about his mother’s interview .  It seems that it was his mother who wanted to help and pushed for the interview to show her support for her son. I understand that mothers love unconditionally and I believe the tears are genuine, but it was a question of deciding to air the ad and what it will accomplish. In hindsight, he did say that people shouldn’t vote him because of his mother or her tears, but because of his capacity to lead the country.

As the hosts of the show in a network that has declared itself for the opposition, Ces and Henry showed little to no bias towards their guest.  Some of Ces’ comments might be interpreted as “leading the witness” or just controlling the conversation flow.  Henry was engaging without being combative.  All in all, it made good TV.

With so much activity within my online world, I experience information overload on a daily basis.  The only way for me not to go crazy and release the ideas from my head is to write and/or share.

So, here it is.  My personal blog carnival.  The only way I know how (until I find some other type of release) is to jot down my thoughts on each topic, idea, news tidbit and share it to the world.  Some might find a place on a post of its own but most would be listed in my carnival as blurbs. Hey, I might even find time to write about it a little bit more and group it into the right categories.

To kick off the carnival, here are some of the things I’ve discovered and wrote thus far:

• Aussie company Telstra publishes their Social Media training & policy online.
• Twitter has recently been hacked.
• The new Yahoo! page was launched in the Philippines.
• Your Customer Voice should be heard posted in Philippine Customer Service.
• A call center video winner was posted in Call Center Blurbs.
• Wordpress 2.9 has now been released.
• An act of kindness campaign by Yahoo! launched.

At this time, I’m still thinking whether I should upgrade my blogs with the new version though the image editing feature is tempting. The last time I tried to upgrade, the visual editor wasn’t showing up.  I’m not ready (nor will I ever be) to write code like html or even javascript!

The Yahoo! campaign is a nice product to spread kindness in the world.  Similar to the “Pay it Forward” concept.  I haven’t submitted anything. Does that mean I haven’t found the time to do kindness? Nope. I just don’t think I need to tell the whole world every little good deed I do for mankind.  I don’t need that type of affirmation.

Photo courtesy of Super Tourist’s Flickr Photostream.

Just found an alternative (and could be the next best thing) advertising medium that makes a lot of sense. Introducing Magpie, utilizing Twitter to advertise your products and services.  It’s fantastic actually and makes a lot of sense.

They claim that their ads are likely to be clicked than your average banner or text links.  A graph is even shown to compare the click-through-rates between different online advertising mediums.

Interesting to note that they only use Paypal as a payment option for your campaign.  Oh, and it is in Euros not $US dollars.  Surprised?  I was.