Acknowledgement

I have to acknowledge and thank Mr. Archie Lacson (my friend and former colleague in Philippine Airlines) for kindly sharing the following historical insiight into the Filipino National Attire.

Delving into some relevant college experiences, would this help me zero in on my choice not only for 2010 but for the time after? And the time after means my future and all our futures.

Out of curiosity (and in the context of Filipino technopreneurship and what it takes to communicate effectively to the global market), is being in the Philippines (and being associated with the "Philippine brand" if there is such a thing) bane or boon to founding a tech startup? Or does it matter at all?

As a noun, keel refers to a central fore-and-aft structural member in the bottom of a hull to provide stability. Used as a verb, it means to turn or upset so as to bring the wrong side or part uppermost.

In ascribing Bill Luz as a keel meant for me that he brought his abilities to “upset” and to turn the wrong side of the Philippines and the Filipinos into something positive and pro-active so that the “stability” we all yearn and dream for is indeed possible.

Sachin Dabir, Sr. Manager at Red Hat Asia Pacific, poses an interesting question in his blog and he asks: “Why Indians can not make good IT products, but make good solutions.” Is it the same for us Filipinos?

In Saudi Arabia, I noticed characters in Filipinos very different from what I have been accustomed to back home in the Philippines.  On the other hand, I saw at least some semblance of Filipino culture in my clients who now live in the US and in Australia.

Is there a pattern here?

In a day and age when “virtual” friends are as important as the “live” ones you have coffee with once a week, creating the appropriate online persona and cultivating a fruitful online social network become imperative. Gone are the days when colleagues and clients have no clue about our lives outside work and about how we spend our weekends. These days, everyone knows what everyone else does, eats, wears, loves and hates.

Last August 14, 2009, Carissa was privileged to deliver a speech at the 18th National Retail Conference & Stores Asia Expo.

If you are one of those curious about her book Surreality, Carissa shares some excerpts from it and at the same time enriches her delivery with her own experiences and realizations.

86 million Filipinos = 86 million tourist spots. Want to know how?

Carissa Villacorta reveals and revels in the simplicity of how we Filipinos are able to show the beauty of our country through our qualities and experiences.

Through her simple writing and profound insights, Carissa's words encourages us to trace our steps on how we are as individuals today and who we can possibly be further. Asking "who cares?" can mean something different for each one of us - some may read it as a sardonic remark OR a thought prompting us to search for those reassurances we need in coping with life's tides.