secure connection failed

I really tried more than three times to make a photo collage entry for Blogspot on my recent Bangkok trip but Google would not let me.

An error occurred during a connection to www.google.com.
Peer received a valid certificate, but access was denied.
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The page you are trying to view can not be shown because the authenticity of the received data could not be verified. Please contact the web site owners to inform them of this problem.

And just how would I do that?

tentative topics of the 1mrc-ict

Two weeks before the 1st Mindanao Resources Conference on ICT, and the preparations have reached a high pitch. The most important thing we're looking into right now is the program, and for the two-day event, here are the topics lined up subject to the availability and confirmation of the invited speakers:

Intervention for Mindanao ICT: Going the Needed Extra Mile
- Commission on Information & Communications Technology

The Report Card on Mindanao ICT Human Resources
- Commission on Higher Education

Bringing Viable Infrastructure and Services to Mindanao
- National Telecommunications Commission

Investors and Players in the Philippine ICT Industry
- Department of Trade and Industry

Mindanao as the Next Generation ICT Hub
- Cyber Services Group

ICT 101: Human Resource Supply and Demand in Mindanao
- Philippine Call Centers Alliance Inc.

The Current Issues Facing the BPO Industry
- SITEL Philippines Corporation

Growing and Preparing the ICT Youth
- Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology

Iligan ICT Reinforces Excellence in Education
- Iligan City ICT Council

Taking Specific Steps in Fueling the Growth of Davao ICT
- ICT Davao Inc.

The Enthusiasm and the Work Behind General Santos ICT
- ICT Solutions Association of Region 12 - General Santos City

Panning for the Best Find in the Cagayan de Oro ICT Goldmine
- DTI Misamis Oriental

Impact of Research and Development in Resource Availability
- Advanced Science and Technology Institute

Roadmap for a Government, Academe & Industry Linkage Program
- Technical Committee on TC GAIL Program

The Service Science, Management and Engineering Initiative
- IBM Philippines

The Challenges from Preparation to Recruitment
- Ateneo de Davao University

Our Human Resources: How Do they Fare and Where Do They Go?
- Synnex-Concentrix Corporation

The Right Mix of Hardware, Software and Peopleware
- Syntactics Inc.

Nurturing Small & Medium Information Technology Enterprises
- Office of the President MSME Program

Update on the Major Policy Resolutions for Mindanao ICT Development
- USAID Growth for Equity in Mindanao

I just hope that with the discussions in store, ICT stakeholders will attend the conference and take this invitation to assess, intervene for and monitor the industry.

getting dressed for speaking

Time to start packing for Bangkok.

Canon camera - check.
Speech in Word file - check.
Powerpoint presentation - check.

Sunscreen - check.
The right suit - check?

Liz Claiborne has the answer.

Smart style you can count on- it's a philosophy we take pretty seriously. That's why we've conjured up the perfect wear-to-work essential that's not only versatile, but ultra-flattering too.

Jacket: Liz Claiborne Perfect Blazer
Color Grotto Blue
It's the return of refined dressing, so we've added iconic touches to this wear-to-work favorite such as crisp pinstripes, bias framing around the collar, princess seams and a curved hem for more of a tailored, feminine look. Crafted in crisp cotton twill. Finished with grosgrain accents and piped detailing.

Dress Pants: Liz Claiborne Perfect Pinstripe Trousers
Color Grotto Blue
Trousers feature a classic straight leg, no-gap pockets and a curtain waistband, which resists stretching for unbeatable shape retention and a superb fit. Compact twill fibers offer a refined finish and are ideal for seasonless wear.

Classics from Liz Claiborne

tutorial on lens flare

The Oro Photographic Society will embark on a photo walk Saturday evening for the weekend Night Cafe of the city at Divisoria. That means I must prepare.. and I must study on how to avoid lens flare in my night shots.

Here are the notes I've gathered:

What is Lens Flare: Lens flare is created when non-image forming light enters the lens and subsequently hits the camera's film or digital sensor. This often appears as a characteristic polygonal shape, with sides which depend on the shape of the lens diaphragm. It can lower the overall contrast of a photograph significantly and is often an undesired artifact, however some types of flare may actually enhance the artistic meaning of a photo. Understanding lens flare can help you use it - or avoid it - in a way which best suits how you wish to portray the final image.

Minimizing Flare Through a Lens Hood: A good lens hood can nearly eliminate flare caused by stray light from outside the angle of view. Ensure that this hood has a completely non-reflective inner surface, such as felt, and that there are no regions which have rubbed off. Although using a lens hood may appear to be a simple solution, in reality most lens hoods do not extend far enough to block all stray light. This is particularly problematic when using 35 mm lenses on a digital SLR camera with a "crop factor," because these lens hoods were made for the greater angle of view. In addition, hoods for zoom lenses can only be designed to block all stray light at the widest focal length.



Minimizing Flare Through Composition: Flare is thus ultimately under the control of the photographer, based on where the lens is pointed and what is included within the frame. Although photographers never like to compromise their artistic flexibility for technical reasons, certain compositions can be very effective at minimizing flare. The best solutions are those where both artistic intent and technical quality coexist.

One effective technique is to place objects within your image such that they partially or completely obstruct any flare-inducing light sources. Even if the problematic light source is not located within the image, photographing from a position where that source is obstructed can also reduce flare. The best approach is to of course shoot with the problematic light source to your back, although this is usually either too limiting to the composition or not possible. Even changing the angle of the lens slightly can still at least change the appearance and position of the flare.

The basics from Understanding Camera Lens Flare

Photo by Marcelo Alves

garden greens

I think I'm starting to live the life I like.

I get to prepare in early mornings the sandwiches for my girls, I can drive over to my husband's office to bring him a vegetable salad, I am doing a little research work to keep the juices flowing, I have the time to fold the ironed drapes and bed linens and arrange them in the cabinet, I am encouraged to feed my passion for photography, I have WiFi Internet connection at home to stay online for friends, the treadmill is working again, and yes.. I am starting my garden.


And I am recently filled to the brim with this organizing work for the ICT sector of the city. At home. Where should I take a break.. I go out into the yard and take snapshots of my plants. Fab.

Photo by This Girl

museum of three cultures

Last Saturday, for our weekend together time, I brought Annika and Angela to Capitol University for a visit to the Museum of Three Cultures.


It is an institution within the organization of Capitol University in Cagayan de Oro City. From its main academic base, the Museum of Three Cultures houses galleries of the three rich intermingling cultures present in Cagayan de Oro City – the migrant lowland cultures of Cagayan de Oro City, Iligan City and the province of Bukidnon.. the indigenous peoples of Northern Mindanao.. and the Muslim M’ranao of Marawi.

This new tourism site in Cagayan de Oro City is a special dedication of Madame Laureana San Pedro Rosales, founder of the Capitol System of Schools, who started her educational apostolate in Mindanao in 1951 and served the three distinct culture groups of Mindanao. Thus, the museum traverses the three cultures to reach a concert of unity.


We began with the Prehistoric Gallery displaying a rare collection of artifacts of Cagayan de Oro and a collection of Chinese tradeware porcelain and pottery from Butuan City's archaeological sites. The collection of stones and bones and pottery were fascinating. And the girls were so happy to see the story of the "balanghai" and its role in the early trade - a familiar lesson in Philippine history.


The Kasaysayan Gallery houses a mixed and multi-disciplinary collection of historical and ethnological objects. Its main collection consists of rare period photographs of Cagayan de Misamis and North Mindanao, many of which date back to the Hispanic era and to the American era.

At this point, we were joined by Dr. Antonio J. Montalvan II, the Museum Curator and Director, who kindly involved himself into a short conversation with the girls. Annika and Angela discussed with him about knowing Juan Luna and studying about his famous paintings in their Civics class in St. Mary's School.


The Lumad Gallery shows ethnic crafts from the indigenous people of Bukidnon - basketry, jewelry and accessories, weaponry and musical instruments. Photos of the daily routine of the Higaonons were on display.


The center of the museum is the Posaka M'ranao Gallery which houses the personal collection of Madame Rosales. It showcases antique M'ranao brasswares, weaponry, ceremonial crafts, jewelry, wooden crafts, implements and musical instruments, and textiles. This collection is the most extensive in the entire Mindanao. Annika took to the intricate art in the brasswares, while Angela noted the chest laden with mother of pearls so similar to the one at home.

We spent a good time in Galerie Rawari, the girls interpreting the works of local budding artists of the area. Then we ended up visiting the Archive and office, where again Dr. Montalvan so generously shared the photos featured here.

Indeed, aside from being a great way to spend time with two enthusiastic and appreciative daughters, the Museum of Three Cultures now stands as a new place not only to tell the story of its founder's cultural biography, but also to show the dialogical kinship between the three cultures in Cagayan de Oro City.. and more importantly, to preserve the heritage of its people.

Material from the Brochure of the Museum of Three Cultures
Photos from the Collection of the Museum of Three Cultures

available in stands near you

Ms. Myra, thanks for the tip!
Magazine Cover: MagMyPic

my canon 1000d project #1

Clouds, At All

One Sunday Sunrise

Early Morning Dig

Project #1: Sunrise
Site: Villa Ernesto Phase II Beach Line
Date and Time: September 14 2008 5:30am-6:30am

Photos by This Girl

confirm after reading

Cagayan de Oro City has been initiating various activities to develop the ICT sector, not only in the city and the region, but for Mindanao as a whole. One of its strong collaborations for this year is the hosting of the Cagayan de Oro ICT Business Council, with the RITECC of Region 10, of the

1st MINDANAO RESOURCES CONFERENCE
ON INFORMATION & COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY
October 2-3 2008 at the Grand Caprice Restaurant,
Limketkai Center, Cagayan de Oro City

As we continue the efforts in bringing investments and jobs to our area in the country, we constantly face the challenge of equipping ourselves with competitive and efficient telecommunication infrastructure, and adequate pool of skills and talents from our human resource.

This Mindanao-wide conference is called to focus on these resources and see how Mindanao and its cities and other major areas would fare and continually prepare for this rapidly expanding global economy. We shall not only look at benchmarks, but we shall work on a road map that will help secure the needed human and technical resources.

We believe that you and your organization want to share in this goal. We are inviting you to be a part in the gathering of ICT stakeholders, business companies, government agencies, academic institutions and committed individuals eager to work together for ICT development.

You are warmly invited to participate in this two-day event. Coincidentally, the 1st Mindanao Resources Conference on ICT (1MRCi) is one of the major events of the 2nd Cagayan de Oro Business Enterprises, Services and Trade Exposition (Oro BEST Expo 2008) of the Cagayan de Oro Chamber of Commerce & Industry Foundation, Inc. For a minimal registration fee of One Thousand Five Hundred Pesos (P1,500) per participant for the 1MRCi, you will find it most advantageous to your company as you can maximize your investment with the other related events.

We look forward to seeing you as we line up opportunities in the ICT sector. Join us as we AIM FOR ICT! Assessment, Intervention and Monitoring for Mindanao ICT Resources.

For your confirmation or inquiries, please contact the 1MRCi Secretariat c/o Ms. Cheche Seronay at the Oro Chamber Business Development Centre, President Macapagal Drive, Cagayan de Oro City through telephones (088) 859-1426, 859-2911 and 309-0044 or drop an email to orochamber@gmail.com.

a bug's life

Photo by Mike Mendoza

things we can't learn in school

Hi Ms. Ela! Thanks so much for this very interesting material - I'm keeping a copy for present and future use! But it's not from Bill Gates as purported around in the web. The original eleven rules are from a book not written by him. I just care for the ten though. So how are you? Tell me what you've been doing! Keep in touch!

Rule 1:
Life is not fair - get used to it!

Rule 2:
The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.

Rule 3:
You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.

Rule 4:
If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.

Rule 5:
Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your grandparents had a different word for burger flipping: they called it opportunity.

Rule 6:
If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.

Rule 7:
Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.

Rule 8:
Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.

Rule 9:
Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF. Do that on your own time.

Rule 10:
Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.

beauty of the night

By five thirty in the afternoon today, which was quite dark because of the clouds and the rain, I already knew it was going to be one of those nights.

When I cannot get a decent reply from my spouse, when the anger I'm storing is hitting its high level mark, when it's a great effort to make small talk in the dinner table with my daughters.

So I take two glassfuls of wine from one of those Bordeaux glasses, hole myself up in the guest room with my best pillow, do not take phone calls nor heed the knocks on the door.

But after my tipsy feeling is gone, when embraces were made with my daughters as I put them to their beds, and the object of my antagonism and fury is spread-eagled on the master bed, sleeping and oblivious to my rage - I turn to the darkness and the silence of the room. The best time as any to work on some photography!

I took down the flower hanging by my bathroom mirror and used it as my object. With the combination of darkness, light and color - here is my companion:


Photo by This Girl