So I started a new blog. It’s called Jeric Pena Reports (JPR).

(Aside: I chose to go by the name “Jeric Pena” because “ñ” doesn’t have any place in the digital world.)

Jeric Pena Reports

JPR is my news blog. It’s where I post my video and/or photo essays, audio reports, and news articles. Yes. I basically shoot, write, edit, record, and report. I even do programming.

I’ve been working on this blog since December last year. And I know that I’ve still got a lot of things to do to make it the way I want it to be. For one, I need to buy more equipment. I just use my iPhone and a point-and-shoot digital camera to take photos and videos. I’ve already bought some gadgets to help me come up with awesome multimedia content, but they are still in transit. (Check my multimedia journalism gear wish list.) Nevertheless, I believe that JPR looks just fine for now.

So, are you interested in taking a behind-the-scenes look at Jeric Pena Reports? 

Broadcast Design

Well, I am also a broadcast designer for JPR. I designed and animated the lower thirds that I’ll be using for my video reports. Yes, it is inspired by the lower thirds that you see on CNN International.

Art Project

I also made my own microphone flag (You know, that box thing just below a reporter’s microphone that bears the station’s logo). I want a professionally-made microphone flag, but I can’t find a store or a person that does this thing so I decided to make my own.

Finished Product

Here’s the JPR microphone flag.

Stand-up

So, here I am testing the microphone flag I made and the lower thirds I designed. I am so excited to do some stand-ups!

Voiceover

Of course, I need to record voiceovers for my video essays and/or audio reports.

I don’t know if I really like reading books. But I am required to love/like reading books because I’m a pseudo-literature-major. So here is my 2011 book wish list.

(Sorry, I’m too lazy to add pictures.)

1. The Newspaper Designer’s Handbook by Tim Harrower (6th Edition) – I love newspapers. I also love reading well-designed newspapers. I just want to learn more about designing newspapers. I heard that a new edition of this book will come out in 2012 so I might as well wait for that. But if you’re going to give me one, please do so as soon as possible (Yes, the current edition is fine.).
2. The Best of Newspaper Designer by Society of News Design (31st Edition) – I think I want to start a career in news designing so I really need this book for inspiration.
3. Jane Eyre (Penguin Classics) by Charlotte Bronte – It’s a shame that I haven’t read Jane Eyre. I want to read it. But I don’t have a copy. Plus the Penguin edition of the book is quite expensive.
4. Anna Karenina (Penguin Classics) by Leo Tolstoy - I got a copy of Anna Karenina from my grandfather’s library. But I’m not a fan of the translation.
5. Noli Me Tangere (Touch Me Not) (Penguin Classics) by Jose Rizal – I wasn’t able to appreciate Noli Me Tangere when I read it about six years ago.
6. El Filibusterismo (Penguin Classics) by Jose Rizal
7. First Voyage Around the World (1519-1522): An Account of Magellan’s Expedition by Antonio Pigafetta

That’s all for now.

I got a ‘Kalabaw’ and I have the photos to prove it!

(Leftmost Photo by Fritz Tentativa / Philippine Blog Awards)

My podcast network, Brink Notes Podcast Network (BNCAST), was awarded as the 2011 Best Podcast Blog during the Philippine Blog Awards awarding ceremony held yesterday, December 3, 2011, at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium in RCBC Plaza, Makati City. I attended the ceremony with my mom and she also won a touchscreen phone from Nokia during the raffle.

The kalabaw that I got is actually the Philippine Blog Awards trophy for this year.

I was so nervous before, during, and after the awards night. Really. I think my mom felt nervous too! When BNCAST was announced as the winner, I had to look at the screen showing my podcast’s name and URL several times just to be sure that I did win. I was shocked and my mom was shocked too! Who would have thought that I’ll win an award from the Philippine Blog Awards for the second time?

I am glad that I was able to say something when the award was presented to me. Yes, winners were given two minutes to give an acceptance speech. A fews before the awards night, I was advised thru email to prepare a two-minute acceptance speech. But I didn’t prepare one because I wasn’t really expecting to win. I really can’t remember the exact words that I’ve said during my speech. But I did say that podcasting is not dead.

It was nice to know that podcast blogs dominated the Best Vidcast / Podcast Blog category of this year’s Philippine Blog Awards—4  out of the 5 finalists for the said category were podcast blogs—unlike the previous years. I have been podcasting since 2005 and I really appreciate the fact that the Philippine Blog Awards do recognize podcast blogs.

Thank you, Philippine Blog Awards, for giving me (my podcast) this award!

Mom

I would like to thank my mom for tirelessly buying me microphone when I was still young.

I remember that you bought me my first microphone and sound system when I was still 4 years old. I think you’ve bought me more than a hundred microphones during those days because they broke easily. Can you still remember this?

Without that first microphone and stereo system, I wouldn’t have learned the art of using and speaking into microphones. Thank you.

Photo by Azrael Coladilla

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visited the Philippines a few days ago to grace the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the US-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty. In between the events regarding the said celebration, Hillary Clinton also attended a forum organized by GMA News and the Embassy of the United States of America in the Philippines.

On the eve of the forum, GMA News tweeted, “Any light questions (i.e. What makes you smile? et al.) for U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton? Tweet using #SecClintonManila hashtag.”

Knowing that there’s no harm in trying, I replied to the said tweet with a question for Hillary Clinton. I asked, “What’s on your iPod?”

I hope nobody stones me to death for asking a shallow question. GMA News asked for light questions and I gave them one.

But how did I come up with the said question?

Here’s the story. I just finished reading Steve Jobs’s biography by Walter Isaacson about a week ago. I remembered that Isaacson talked (wrote) about the contents of Steve Jobs’s iPod quite extensively. He also wrote about how Steve Jobs loved Bob Dylan. That part of the Steve Jobs’s biography made me think-slash-wonder about the kind of music famous people listen to.

I didn’t actually care whether GMA News would ask Hillary Clinton to answer my question or not. I just wanted to ask the said question.

The forum Hillary Rodham Clinton: A Conversation in Manila aired on GMA News TV 11 and was also streamed live on the Internet last November 16, 2011 at around 2:30pm. I wasn’t able to watch it live because I was in school (I was in my Philippine Literature class at that time).

When I arrived home at around 4:00pm, I immediately checked GMA News TV and I discovered that the forum was already over. So, I turned to Twitter to check on what transpired during the said forum. I did not see any hint that my question was answered. But I remember reading that Hillary Clinton is a BlackBerry person.

I was sad and heartbroken although I didn’t expect anything at all. But how can GMA News ignore such a witty question? And so I tweeted, “So @gmanews didn’t ask my iPod question for Sec Clinton.  #SecClintonManila”

But I was wrong. GMA News did ask my iPod question for Secretary Clinton.

At around 9:00pm, my sister, Dianne, arrived home and turned on the television just in time to see a portion of Station of the Nation Address’s (a news program) feature on the said forum. GMA News included in that feature the clip wherein Secretary Clinton was answering my question.

I jumped. I screamed. I danced. I did some crazy things to express how happy, ecstatic I was upon learning that US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton actually answered my question! 

I don’t care if I was not invited to attend the said forum. I am happy and grateful because I was able to ask Hillary Clinton a question and she answered! And she answered lengthily!

Thank you to everyone who made this possible! You don’t know how much you made this lowly creature happy.

I’m back!

I just want to make a quick post on the things that I want to have this Christmas. So, below is my Christmas 2011 wish/hope list. I decided to use the word “hope” to indicate that the things that I want to have this Christmas are (very) attainable!

1. Apple iPhone 4s

I’m actually saving up for an iPhone 4s. I heard that it would be available here in the Philippines (through Globe) by January 2012. I’m not buying one because of Siri. I’m buying one because I miss having an iOS device. I need an iOS device in my life. My first iOS device is the iPhone classic (the very first one that Apple released), which I bought in 2008. But I sold my iPhone to my sister because I needed a phone with a physical QWERTY keyboard and dedicated mail service. So I bought a BlackBerry phone about two years ago.

Bottom line: I want an iPhone 4s and I’m going to get one soon!

2. A Cat

I was looking for iPhone 4s camera test videos on YouTube when I stumbled upon the video above. The first cat on the video is so adorable. I want one for myself. But I’m not sure if I’ll be allowed to keep one here at home. Last night, I actually tweeted that I want a cat and an iPhone 4s.

3. Moleskine Messenger Bag

I love Moleskine notebooks although they’re way too pricey. I also love messenger bags. My school bag is actually a messenger bag. So when I heard about Moleskine bags, I jumped for joy. But the excitement immediately died down when I learned how pricey these Moleskine bags are. I am not sure if I’m willing to spend around Php 8,000 for a messenger bag. May be not. But I still want one.

4. AppleCare for MacBook Air

My 4-year-old 13″ white MacBook died last August 7, 2011. So I immediately replaced it with an 11″ MacBook Air. Since my funds aren’t that enough, I wasn’t able to purchase an AppleCare Protection Plan for my new MacBook Air right away. Well, I still have around 10 months to save up for one.

Having an AppleCare Protection Plan is really worth it. Apple replaced my white MacBook’s keyboard for free (once) and its top case (at least thrice) also for free.

That is all for now.

I am writing a novel.

I shall finish writing it by the end of the month (July) or by mid-August.

I shall edit it, if necessary.

And of course, I shall submit it to publishing house/s for publication.

Rinse and repeat.

I can do this!

…and Manila is currently submerged in floodwaters because of the nonstop rains, I proudly present to you the most awesome cover/rendition of Rebecca Black’s sensational song “Friday,” a song that I sincerely and totally love.

The orchestration is just awesome, perfect, wonderful, magnificent, (insert a “positive” adjective here). I totally love it!

Enjoy!

Dear UP Diliman Carillonneur,

I love carillons.

In fact, I want one for myself.

I love the fact the UP Diliman has one (a functional/working one). When I first heard the UP Diliman Carillon being played in 2008 (I was a freshman then), I almost cried. No kidding. Who would have thought that the lifeless odd structure beside the University Theater is actually alive? I was so amazed. I was so moved by that indescribable sound from the Carillon that can be heard all over the campus. It’s not a set of bells cling-clanging. It’s different. It’s wonderful. It’s simply sublime.

I know that there are only few carillonneurs in the country. And I also know that there are also few carillons in the metro. So I am wishing, hoping, and prayer that you grant this simple wish of a carillon lover.

All I want for Christmas is for you to play a Lady Gaga song, preferably Bad Romance, on the UP Diliman Carillon. Please, please, please, and please. Pretty please with cherries on top.

I will forever be grateful if you grant this wish of mine to hear a Lady Gaga song being played on the UP Diliman Carillon. If you can play a Beatles song on the carillon, why not play a Lady Gaga song? Sige na, please?

I just want this thing to happen in UP Diliman. I promise to sing and dance while you play Bad Romance on the carillon. Promise.

Thank you, thank you, and thank you.

Respectfully,

(sgd) Jeric

PS: Please inform me when you’re going to play a Lady Gaga song so that I’ll know when to cut class. Thanks!

PPS: I’m so tempted to write you a formal letter requesting that you play a Lady Gaga song on the UPD Carillon. Maybe I should ask the Carillon guard give it to you. Hmmm… Good idea? Yes? But I hope this open letter will reach you. I hope this would suffice.

The Roman Catholic Church (or at least the Roman Catholic Church here in the Philippines) is not the enemy in this Reproductive Health bill thingamajig. They’re not lawmakers. They have no ‘say’ in Congress.

Catholics including the bishops and the rest of the clergy can say all they want against the reproductive health bill. They can even have their own definitions of contraception, abortion, abortifacient or whatever (Hey, language is arbitrary). But in the end, it is still up to our legislators whether to pass the bill into law or not. The last time I checked, the Roman Catholic Church is not involved in the law making process of this country.

So again, if the reproductive health bill fails to become a law, I strongly believe that it is not the fault of the Roman Catholic Church.

If the reproductive health bill fails to become a law, I strong believe that our legislators (including the president if ever he vetoes it) are the only ones to be blamed.