racoma.com.phJ. Angelo Racoma on technology, economics, writing, problogging, and getting things done

Click here for profile.

Published Works

Publisher

• The J Spot – Online commentaries on information technology, business, economics, politics and government and public relations. This site serves as J. Angelo Racoma’s personal blog.

Editor / Contributor (present)

• The Blog Herald – The premier source for news and commentary about blogging and new media.
• Froodee – Community blog on lifestyle, business, family matters, and travel.
• Gadzooki – Community blog on software, gadgets and cars.
• Blog Tutorials – Community blog on blog design, reviews, monetization and optimization.
• Travelogger – Community blog on family travel.
• Pinoy.Tech.Blog – The Philippines’ premier technology weblog. The team comprises professionals, practitioners and entrepreneurs in the various fields of the Philippine ICT realm. Author archive here.
• Pinoy Urban Living Blog – The definitive guide to Philippine urban living, being authored by individuals from various metropolitan/urban areas in the country.
• The Man Blog – the real man’s best friend on the web.

Editor / Contributor (past)

• Forever Geek – See Bloggy Network under Professional Experience.
• Apple Gazette – See Bloggy Network under Professional Experience.
• Sun.Star Blog Chronicles – The Philippines’ largest network of local newspapers, with publications spanning the major cities. The Blog Chronicles section of the Sun.Star online edition is intended to be a guide to blogging by bloggers.

Co-author

• The opportunity to invest : the effect of the real rate of interest on fixed capital formation / J.A.B. Racoma, Renato W. Lee, III.—2001 – Undergraduate thesis (B.S. Econ), University of the Philippines, Diliman; An empirical study on the actual correlation between the real interest rate and investment in the Philippine setting, pre-1997 financial crisis.

Projects

Investment Coordination Committee Electronic Library
National Economic and Development Authority
October 2005 to January 2006

• The ICC Electronic Library project is for the design and implementation of a Web-based Library System for effective document archiving and retreival of official ICC documents, and its attendand technical, user, and system documentation.

Pinoy Teachers Network

• Development and design of the Pinoy Teachers Network official website.

Professional Experience

Splashpress Media

• July 2007 to present: Editor in Chief, Splashpress Media

As editor in chief of Splashpress Media, manages the creative, administrative, marketing and human resource aspects of the media group. Spearheaded the development of new media services, portals and applications and ensured smooth operation of existing ones. Also contributes to Splashpress Media’s various publications in various capacities.

• April 2007 to present: Editor in Chief, Splashpress Community Blogs

Was responsible for the launch/relaunch of froodee.com, blog-tutorials.com, gadzooki.com and travelogger.net as community blogs under Splashpress Media. Recruited contributors, assigned topics, and formulated the compensation scheme. Has technical, administrative, and creative oversight over these sites, with plans to expand to a bigger network.

• December 2006 to July 2007: Network Manager and Content Developer

As network manager, takes care of the technical aspects of the websites, including the databases, content management systems and design. Overhauled the design of Splashpress blogs to use the “Eratizine” theme.

As content developer, wrote for several Splashpress Media publications, including the Blog Herald (see above item on the Blog Herald), Jack of All Blogs, Blog Network Watch and Gadzooki (earlier owned by BlogMedia, and acquired by Splashpress).

The Blog Herald

The Blog Herald is the premier source for news and commentary on blogs, blogging and new media, owned by Splashpress Media.

• March 2007 to present: Assistant Editor

As assistant editor, responsibilities include editorial, technical, and administrative oversight of the site and its contributors. Was also partly responsible for ensuring a smooth software upgrade and design transition during the May 14, 2007 relaunch of the Blog Herald.

• December 2006 to February 2007: Marketing manager and contributor

As marketing manager, responsibilities include enhancing mindshare of the blog and enhancing the brand through contextual advertising programs, regular ad space, word-of-mouth and other new media.

As contributor, regularly wrote about relevant updates and news items, and occasionally wrote opinion/commentary pieces. See author archive here.

Other responsibilities include some back-end/technical management, including maintenance of the content management system.

Bloggy Network

• March to December 2006: Editor, content producer/developer

Wrote regular content for the the network’s technology-oriented weblogs. Also facilitated relevant discussions within the network and across the related media community.

Blogs authored:

• Apple Gazette
• Forever Geek
• Blogging Pro
• bMonitors
• bTelevisions
• bLaptops
• bCellphones
• bPlayStation3
• bDigitalCameras

Enthropia, Inc. (Philippines)

• March to December 2006: Media consultant

Managed and coordinated content, blog and Web-related projects for Enthropia, part owner of Bloggy Network. This includes the “Use .COM.PH” campaign, gaming blogs, and domain content creation.

BlogMedia, Inc.

• January to March 2006: Content producer/developer

Produced regular content for the following technology-oriented weblogs:

• MobileHerald
• Gadzooki (formerly tech.erati.com)

Freelance blogger/writer

• January to March 2006: Content producer/developer

Managed, conducted research, and produced daily content for client blogs:

• WiFi Wireless – news and views on WiFi (802.11) and related wireless technologies
• Voice-over-Internet Protocol – discussion on VoIP and communications
• UK Company Blog – blog on company formation, business practices/solutions, and productivity
• Online Dating Weblog – blog on relationships (on- and off-line)
• New Software Titles – software and information technology in general
• Visit a Lawyer – legal matters
• Google Tutor – Google news, tips and hacks

dotPH Domains, Inc.

• February to November 2005: Internal Auditor and Executive Assistant to the CEO

dotPH is the official registry of the Philippine (.PH) Country Code Top-Level Domain (ccTLD). Being an internet-enabling organization with a worldwide client-base, the firm has been and continues to be active in introducing innovations both in the Philippine and worldwide ICT industry, such as the use of a Shared Registry System (SRS), adoption of the Internet Corporation on Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) Universal Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP), and the introduction of i.PH, the world’s first anonymous domain and the Philippines’ first locally-developed blogging service.

Part of his responsibilities as Executive Assistant to the CEO, Angelo managed the award-winning (8th Philippine Web Awards) i.PH brand and is part of the Calliope Enterprise Solution development team. He was mainly responsible for coordinating the efforts of the technical, marketing and support groups in ensuring service is at par with client requirements. He continues to maintain an online presence through his i.PH blog, both in a personal and professional capacity, hence serving as one of the human faces of the company in the online world. He maintains his advocacy in raising the awareness of blogging as an interactive communications and networking tool.

• As Internal Auditor, directed budget and cost controls, analyzed and interpreted financial data and recommended changes to improve systems and financial performance to ensure that the organization achieves financial targets. Conducted regular audits to verify accuracy of records, compliance with standards, policies, and procedures and regularly provides reports on findings to the hief Executive Officer.

• As Executive Assistant to the CEO, managed special projects for the CEO. Provided assistance and represented the CEO as appropriate in communicating with internal and external constituents. Independently researched, prioritized, and followed up on multiple incoming issues and concerns addressed to the CEO, including those of a sensitive and/or confidential nature; determined appropriate course of action, referral, and/or response.

• As Brand Manager, liaised among the technical, marketing and support groups to ensure a well-coordinated effort in the technical, customer relations, and business development areas of the company’s various offerings, such as the i.PH web logging service, the Calliope Blogs enterprise solution, .PH Domains and Webhosting. Regularly conducted user-experience engineering, which includes evaluating the service features and user interface, and liaising with clients, to ensure that the quality of service is at par with client expectations. Coordinated with content providers such as artists and writers who provide premium pay-for-access content thru the i.PH service.

National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA)

• November 2004 to February 2005: Senior Economic Development Specialist (EDS), Investment Programming Division (IPD) / Investment Coordination Committee (ICC) Core Secretariat
• May 2003 to November 2004: EDS II, IPD / ICC-Core Secretariat
• March 2002 to May 2003: EDS I, ICC-Core Secretariat

NEDA is the premier socioeconomic development planning and policy coordinating body of the Philippine Government. Part of the NEDA’s National Development Office, the main functions of the Public Investment Staff (PIS) include coordination and review of the flow of Official Development Assistance (ODA) funds to the country, processing of major capital projects (MCPs) funded through Private Sector partnerships, and preparation of a rolling medium-term public investment program, where sources and uses of funds for priority programs are indicated.

• As part of the technical team directly responsible for the facilitation of information and processing for implementation of various major capital projects of the Philippine Government, contributed greatly to business process efficiency by introducing and improving the widespread use of technology in keeping track of project processing and information. His background in economics afforded him a good overview of the requirements and nuances of designing knowledge systems effective for use in such a setting.

• As Senior Economic Development Specialist under the Investment Programming Division (IPD) and as member of the Core and Technical Secretariat of the inter-agency Investment Coordination Committee (ICC), duties involved coordination with various agencies of the Philippine Government in facilitating the evaluation and approval of national-government implemented programs and projects, both ODA funded or private sector financed (via Build-Operate-Transfer or BOT Schemes), through the ICC / NEDA Board process. Duties likewise included drafting policy papers/matrices involving the ICC processes.

• As PIS Information Technology (IT) Coordinator, represented the Staff in various institution-wide activities involving IT. Also led in coordinating the Staff’s Knowledge-Management initiatives and recommending IT-related decisions to the management. As Database Administrator, maintained the Staff’s databases, including the ODA Database and the ICC Project Appraisal Monitor. Also headed the Staff in its initiatives to implement the Project Proposal Monitoring System, an internet-accessible database integrating the ODA, BOT, ICC, and Project Monitoring databases. Also designed and created the database for the 2005-2010 Medium-Term Public Investment Program (MTPIP).

• As PIS Sector Officer for the Industry and Services Sector and Division Focal for the Infrastructure Sector, facilitated the processing of proposals, communication, and other matters pertaining to the sector. Also attended relevant meetings within and outside of NEDA, as well as coordinated with financing desk officers and other sector officers, as necessary. Provided technical inputs and Staff representation in various technical working group discussions, stakeholder consultations, and cabinet cluster meetings in the formulation of the 2005-2010 Medium Term Philippine Development Program (MTPDP), the country’s economic blueprint in the medium term, and its attendant MTPIP, the pipeline of priority projects, programs and activities the government shall undertake in meetings its MTPDP goals.

• As member of the PIS ad hoc committee on the Medium-Term Mindanao Investment Program, maintained the documentary submissions of Regional Development Councils (RDCs) and national line agencies with regard to requirements and agency commitments for the Mindanao region, respectively. Coordinated with agencies, Staffs, and personnel concerned with Mindanao Investment Programming (such as the Mindanao Economic Development Council or MEDCo, and NEDA Regional Offices), and provided Staff representation to the Mindanao Working Group, a stakeholder discussion forum on the Mindanao Investment Program.

Professional Accreditation

• Philippine Civil Service Professional Level Eligible since 28 February 2002, with Career Service Professional Examination rating of 91.89%.

Educational Background

• Postgraduate: Diploma, leading to Master, in Development Economics, University of the Philippines – Diliman, ongoing


• Tertiary: Bachelor of Science in Economics, University of the Philippines – Diliman, November 2001 (Dean’s Medal Awardee)


• Secondary: Ateneo de Manila University, March 1998 (Honorable Mention)


• Elementary: Claret School of Quezon City, March 1994 (Honorable Mention)

Events, Trainings, Seminars, Workshops Organized or Attended

• iBlog 3, UP Diliman, April 2007 (Panelist/speaker, blogging and media panel)


• NETGENS: Learning Preferences of the New Generation, Techfactors, July 2006 (Resource person and speaker)


• Blogging and Podcasting Workshop, Friedrich Naumann Foundation, April & July 2006 (Resource person, podcasting panel)


• iBlog 2, UP Diliman, April 2006 (Panelist/speaker, professional blogging panel)


• iBlog Mini Summit: Blogging and the Gloriagate Scandal, UP Diliman, 4 August 2005


• First Philippine iBlog Summit, UP Diliman, 7 May 2005 (Participant and i.PH presenter)
• First Diliman Governance Forum: “Reinventing/Reengineering & Reorganizing the Bureaucracy in the Philippines: Why We Should be More Hopeful”, UP Diliman, 15 September 2004


• Fifth Program in Development Economics Lecture Series: “Philippine Economic Development: Learning from the Past and Looking into the Future”, UP Diliman, 20 February 2004 (Organizer)


• Workshop on the Harmonized Gender and Development Guidelines for Project Development, Implementation, and Monitoring and Evaluation, Asian Development Bank, 19 February 2004


• Philippines-Japan Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Policy Dialogue, Makati Shangri-La Hotel, 17 February 2004
• 2002 InMagic Training Seminar / Workshop, Centro Escolar University Library, 14 October 2002


• Introduction to Extensible Markup Language (XML), Informatics Computer School, Mandaluyong, 10 July 2002


• Seminar / Workshop on Effective Writing, NEDA Communications Advocacy Program / LEAD, 11 to 13 December 2002


• Second Mindanao Budget Summit, EDSA Shangri-La Hotel, 22 June 2002

Organizational Affiliations

• Digital Filipino Club, Member since 2006


• Asian Development Bank Camera Club, Member, 2000-2001


• COPA-NET (Email group of the Council on Philippine Affairs), Member since December 2002
• Pinoy Teachers Network, Technology Liaison and Core Group member since July 2005


• Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) / National Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL), Volunteer Poll Watcher, May 2001 Elections


• SEO Philippines, Member since 2005


• University of the Philippines Alumni Association, Member since November 2001
• UPROTC Noncommissioned Officers Alumni Organization, External Affairs Committee Head, SY 2000-2001; Founding Member


• UPROTC Service Support Battalion, Battalion Executive Officer, SY 1999-2000


• Philippine (web) Usability Group, Member since 2005

Click here for profile.

I’ve been blogging for about four years now, and I’ve been a resource person in several blogging and podcasting seminars and workshops (iBlog, FNF, Digital Filipino). Blogging has been my passion and my occupation for most of that time, too. I started with being a corporate problogger, then a network/independent problogger. And just recently, I have also ventured into blog lordship (as they call it), with several blogs and blog networks under my care (a few of them very high-profile ones).

I’ve decided to up the ante. I’m now offering to share my knowledge in blogging through business blogging consultancy and blogger workshops. I know I’ve been helping people and even a few businesses learn the ropes of blogging (including business blogging). Perhaps some of my posts here are leading to that, too. However, I thought that making it a more established undertaking will help me become more organized, and perhaps even get me more clients.

Of course, my priority is still my problogging and and blog network management. Consulting will be part of the bigger picture.

Come to think of it, business blogging and blogging consultancy in general could be part of my network. I’m just not sure that can be included in our thrusts right now.

So what is this all about? If you run a business, and you’re interested in marketing your products/services through word-of-blog, I can help you.

If you run an organization and you want to harness blogs and new media for collaboration and information sharing, I can help you.

If you are clueless about blogging and you want to start blogging without having to learn the ropes the hard way, I can help you.

If you’re already a blogger, but you want to improve on your blog/s and blogging (like enhancing traffic, optimize for the search engines, and even earn or earn more), I can help you.

If you’re interested, head on to my consultancy and workshops page for information and for the contact form.

• Twitter friends at iBlog3, how was my presentation? I’m writhing in pain still! #


• Google talk is working. Even Gmail. But YM is not. I guess twitter is a good way to chat while here at iBlog3! #


• Back home. Pain has subsided. Had a late breakfast/dinner (yes, first meal of the day!). #


• Rather, late breakfast/lunch . Oh, bought doughnuts, too! #


• Jayvee thought I was using keynote on my Mac for my presentation (because of the black BG). Nope, just powerpoint on the PC laptop, I said. #


• I just like making presentations like Steve Jobs does. Just the keywords – so that the focus will be on me, and not the screen. #


• Drowsy. I feel like I’m drugged. #


• @babababa madali lang ang math54. #

• How’s iBlog 3? See you there tomorrow. #


• Ants crawling on my desk . Hope they don’t get into the laptops. #


• What makes twitter so cool: http://tinyurl.com/yqhhj4 #


• Might pass by iBlog3 this afternoon, before fetching Caren from work. #


• Be sure to be there tomorrow 1pm for my talk on Social News and mainstream media! #


• @babababa how was your driving? #

• Just woke up. Holidays (at least for the rest of the country) are over! #


• so, everyone is either at work or working? #


• Trying out Abiword on Mac and PC laptops. #


• @tonyhung – yes. or that! we just came from a very long holiday here (maundy thursday to the monday after easter), btw. #


• iblog3 is this friday. i gotta start working on my presentation (for saturday)! #


• @rom, I find gtalk’s interface obtrusive, especially if you’re using the default windows client. #


• fixing the desktop computer #


• Thinking which is better: a clean Dock with less apps or one with many for easy access. #


• @jayvee actually my mac has a VGA port (it’s old, remember?). but i’m currently using the monitor for the desktop. #


• @jayvee err, sorry. i guess i misunderstood your tweet. was reading something about macs and external screens, heheh. #


• @jayvee if you need to borrow a VGA adaptor for your mac, i might know someone who has an extra one. didn’t your macbook come with one? #


• @jsuplido i tried it once. didn’t have much patience with any new stuff! heheh. (i’ve got a slow mac!) #


• @jsuplido anyway, i’ve just launched quicksilver. wish me luck this time. #


• @jayvee oh. let me know then, if you need a loaner. i’ll see if i can borrow one for you. #


• Looking for a Google Desktop widget for twitter. #


• Gadget, i mean. #


• Installed Twitter gadget on google personalized homepage. What about Goog desktop? Still looking. #


• undefined #


• Off to dinner. #


• I want (no, I need) a faster Mac notebook! #


• trying to decide w/c laptop to bring – the (slow) powerbook, or the (faster and lighter) presario. #


• figured out the prob with the desktop – it’s one of the RAM sticks. now i’m trying to get by with 512mb (not that i use the desktop often) #


• Visiting at the parents’ place (5 houses away) #


• Thinking (again) of installing Ubuntu on my laptop. #


• Hmm. I think i’d go with OSX86 (my second attempt, actually). #


• @davidcubed Max Limpag likes it so much http://tinyurl.com/2krhzx . #


• Ubuntu Breezy is actually the 1st OS I ran my Powerbook Pismo with, since the OS X 10.1 tht came w/ it didn’t have support for my wifi card. #