The Vision

Up until a couple of weeks ago, I’d been holding on to the blogpress.ph domain name for several months, imagining it to become something that would encapsulate — and perhaps somehow represent — the Philippine blogosphere. But the idea didn’t germinate for quite a spell. Then all of a sudden, starting in 2008, things started happening fast. Bloggers became the center of attention in certain political issues with nationwide scope; businesses began taking closer inspection of what bloggers could deliver for their products and services. Furthermore, blog-centric events and conferences have now put down roots, and bloggers do look forward to these with much gusto.

And the idea struck me! BlogPress.ph — originally intended to symbolize all forms of blogging by amalgamating the names of the two largest blogging platforms — a voice for the Filipino bloggers as a whole!

What urged me to create The Philippine Blog Press was the vision to establish a focal point for both bloggers and their larger community. I envisioned an information portal (do forgive the anachronism) for answering questions such as, What’s going on with the Filipino bloggers these days?, Why do I need to be more conscious of my freedoms, as well as responsibilities, as a writer?, What can blogs do for my company?, and the like. In other words, a serious publication that would report on all and sundry that fall under the purview of the Philippine blogosphere.

The intended audience, therefore, is not only those who blog, but non-bloggers yet Internet-savvy individuals as well. I believe that there is a need for everyone to somehow make sense of this “emerging” or “new” form of media. Even bloggers themselves get confused — how much more those who merely read blogs and do not yet grasp the enormity of the medium?

I am very grateful for the immediate torrent of support from my fellow bloggers and colleagues. As soon as I sent out the call for contributors, the response has been most encouraging. This is a good sign: The Philippine Blog Press is on a certain path to success. Towards realizing the vision.

BlogPress.ph will be formally launched in March 2009. By then, we will have organized ourselves into an online publishing outfit. Some might view this as ironic: bloggers becoming like journalists? Well, there is a growing sense that the so-called “new media” will not necessarily supplant the “old”. It is my view that there will be a fusion of the two, and The Philippine Blog Press might just form part of the evolutionary process.