Philippine Commons

WikiPilipinas Pilot Tests Online Writing at NSPC 2008

WikiPilipinas.org, the Philippine online encyclopedia, in cooperation with the Department of Education, pilot tested an online writing contest at the 2008 National Schools Press Conference (NSPC) in Koronadal, South Cotabato last Tuesday, February 19, 2008.

Through this pilot activity, WikiPilipinas advocates the inclusion of online writing among the contest categories of the NSPC so that student writers can discover the power of the Internet as an effective platform for writing. Learning how to write online content means that they can also exploit the opportunities in writing for new media.

The WikiPilipinas Online Writing Contest was held at the Computer Laboratory of the Notre Dame Siena School of Marbel. The first half of the session was devoted to an online writing seminar and hands-on, followed by the actual writing contest.

WikiPilipinas selected the best encyclopedic articles in English and Filipino based on substance, adherence to format and grammar. Topics with fact sheets aligned to this year’s theme of the NSPC were picked by the contestants.

The best article in English Coco Technologies was written by Josielou-Rae Francesca Lucero, of Ateneo de Davao University. The entry on Bangus written by Maaroopha A. Abdulkalin of Parang National High School in Maguindanao was judged the best article in Filipino. Two runners up in both English and Filipino were also selected.

The judges were composed of WikiPilipinas’ editor in chief Kristine Mandigma and managing editor Alfred Ursua who also facilitated the proceedings at the NSPC venue while other members of the editorial board Roberto T. Añonuevo, Frederick N. Castillo and Kristina Joy Panogot evaluated the entries online at WikiPilipinas’ Quezon City office.

Concurrent to the special session for the online writing contest, WikiPilipinas also conducted an orientation for Internet research and online writing and editing for school paper advisers from various schools around the country.

Now on its 65th year, NSPC is the biggest and most prestigious competition for campus journalists and school paper advisers in the Philippines. It serves as a training ground for aspiring young writers from all parts of the country.

As a repository of popular knowledge, WikiPilipinas.org is primed as the biggest collaborative writing project in the country. It is a complementary website of Filipiniana.net, a digital library of primary sources. WikiPilipinas.org and Filipiniana.net are knowledge-sharing initiatives of Vibal Foundation. (By Kristina Joy Panogot)

Filipina Stories

In celebration of Women’s Month in March 2008, with its advocacy of promoting a more empowered and empowering image of the Filipina, WikiPilipinas partnered with Filipina Images as we launched Filipina Stories.

The writing contest was open to all Filipino bloggers of all ages. Interested participants were encouraged to contribute from all on three themes: The Iconography of the Modern Filipina; The Commercialization of the Filipina through the Internet; and The Role of Bloggers in Uplifting the Image of the Filipina. Cash prizes were awarded. Articles submitted were be original, previously unpublished, at least 500 words long, and in the English language. The requirements for submission were: there could only be one entry per person, the participant’s complete name and contact details, the essays were to be published in the participants’ respective blogs and were required to contain the following links: a. at least one link to WikiPilipinas.org or Filipiniana.net articles and/or images; b. a link to WikiPilipinas, using the code http://www.wikipilipinas.org”>Philippine Encyclopedia; c. a link to Filipina Images, with the code http://filipinaimages.com”>Filipina.

The three best essays were selected, and their winning authors were awarded cash prizes of:

• 1st placer - P5,000.00
• 2nd placer - P3,000.00
• 3rd placer - P2,000.00

An iPod Nano was also raffled during the launch

Other details about the writing contest are found at the WikiPilipinas:Filipina Stories page of WikiPilipinas.org or FilipinaImages.com.

The unveiling of the WikiPilipinas’ Encyclopedia of Philippine Women and Filipiniana.net’s Philippine Women’s Studies Microsite was held on March 29, 2008, 5:00-6:00pm, SMX Convention Center, SM Mall of Asia.

For bloggers and non-bloggers alike, a wiki project can be the next best thing to publishing and showcasing the stories of Filipinos all over the world. Media organizations, researchers, industry leaders and experts, community activists, and people from all walks of life are given an equal opportunity to interactively collaborate in writing and editing the Filipina story as it happens.

Launching of the Encyclopedia of Philippine Women and Philippine Women’s Studies Microsite

In celebration of Women’s Month in March 2008, Wikipilipinas.org opened a special portal called the Encyclopedia of Philippine Women which compiles and details the achievements and triumphs of Filipinas everywhere. Filipiniana.net also hosted a Philippine Women’s Studies Microsite containing selected scholarly texts, research documents and abstracts, as well as selected literary works from Filipina writers.

The Women’s Encyclopedia compiles and details the multifarious achievements, struggles and triumphs of Filipinas everywhere. WikiPilipinas’s sister site Filipiniana.net also launched the Philippine Women Microsite containing key scholarly feminist texts, research documents and abstracts, as well as an anthology of the most important literary works from Filipina writers and Philippine laws on and for Women.

Spread across the Philippines’ historical landscape are hundreds of markers of Filipina pride. There is this group of young women from Malolos who asked the Governor General that they be educated. Now that’s boldness. And who hasn’t heard about the fearless exploits of Gabriela Silang and Teresa Magbanua? Other than the Filipina being the first in Asia to be granted the right to vote, a Filipina was also the first female president in Asia. The women of this country have proven time and again that they have a say, and, more glaringly, that they should be heard. As a tribute, Filipiniana.net, WikiPilipinas’ tandem website, has created the Philippine Women’s Studies Microsite. This project puts online full texts of Philippine laws and scholarly studies for and/or by women; snippets of literary works by women writers like Lualhati Bautista, Genoveva Matute, and Paz Marquez-Benitez; and images of the Filipino women from earliest times up to the present. The Philippine Women’s Studies Microsite can be accessed for free by logging on to Filipinina.net.

Helena Benitez Global Forum

The WikiPilipinas Team took part in the Helena Benitez Global Forum on Women, Power and Sustainable Development last March 3, held at the Manila Hotel. The forum was named after pioneer Helena Z. Benitez in recognition of her staunch advocacy of sustainable development and women’s advancement. The NGO-initiated event was organized by the Ugnayan ng Kababaihan sa Pilipinas and was sponsored by the Philippine Women’s University, Asian Women’s Network on Gender and Development, and the Permanent Mission of the Republic of the Philippines to the United Nations. The team launched the Encyclopedia of Philippine Women and Philippine Women’s Studies microsite in front of an audience of local government officials, while partner FilipinaImages.com forwarded their advocacy of uplifting the image of the Filipina through the Internet.

National Women’s Day Celebration (PUP)

On March 8 (Saturday), WikiPilipinas.org and Filipiniana.net were at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP), Sta. Mesa for the 2008 National Women’s Day Celebration spearheaded by the National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women (NCRFW). There was an overview of the Encylopedia of Philippine Women, the Philippine Women’s Studies Microsite and the deadline for the Wikipilipinas Filipina Writing Contest to was then extended to March 15. Program started at 8:30am to 12:00nn.

UP Centennial Lecture of Dr. Carol Sobritchea (UP)

In connection with the UP 100 project, with an aim to build a database of all UP-related information, WikiPilipinas.org and Filipiniana.net joined the UP Centennial Lecture by Dr. Carol Sobritchea on March 11 (Tuesday).

An overview of WikiPilipinas.org & Filipiniana.net and a call for more entries to the Filipina Writing Contest were executed.

Announcement of women-centered projects (Lipa, Batangas)

On March 13 (Thursday), Vibal Foundation announced its women-centered projects, in partnership with NCRFW and local women leaders and government officials. It was held at the Batangas Provincial Capitol, Batangas City.

Women’s Studies Association of the Philippines (WSAP) 2nd Asian Regional Conference and 7th National Conference - (Miriam College)

The Women’s Studies Association of the Philippines (WSAP) held its 2nd Asian Regional Conference and 7th National Conference on March 24-26 (Monday to Wednesday) which was held at Miriam College. WikiPilipinas.org and Filipiniana.net team were there to attend the three-day event. Editor in chief Kristine Mandigma presented the Encyclopedia of Philippine Women and Philippine Womens’ Studies Microsite including the the role of women in ICT.

Women Can’t Wait! Job and Trade Fair (SMX, Mall of Asia)

In celebration of the World Women’s Month this March, ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corporation, John Clements Consultants, Inc. and Primetrade Asia, Inc. organized an event entitled, Women Can’t Wait! An all-women transformation workshop and job fair, held at Hall 3, SMX Convention Center, Bay Area in Pasay City from March 28 to 29, 2008.

Wikipilipinas.org and Filipiniana.net gave a presentation on Celebrating the Power of the Filipina Online and announced the winners of the Filipina Writing Stories on Saturday, March 29, from 5:00pm to 6:00pm.

WikiZine April issue

WikiZine launched its April 2008 issue featuring the summer month of April.

You can download all issues in this address: http://en.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=WikiPilipinas:WikiZine