ZUProme Xpress

The 30 Day Blogging Challenge ended yesterday. For the entire month of October, I was able to do daily blogging. It feels great that I was able to accomplish such task! It’s no easy feat considering there were some challenges along the way, and I fulfilled them all!  I’m a bit exhausted from my Siquijor trip with the Cebu bloggers (I’ll blog about it in the coming days) but I don’t want to break the streak, so here I am trying to make another blog post.  LESSON LEARNED Here are the lessons I learned from this blogging exercise: 1. Blogging becomes a habit if you do it for 30 consecutive days. It feels off that I won’t be able to blog in a day. If not every day, probably I wish to blog at least twice a week. Blogging has not become a part of my daily life. 2. Write for your readers, not just for yourself. When writing for my blog, I realized not I should write something that will give value to my readers. I’m not just writing a diary but a ...

After a dozen attempts in blogging, here I am pursuing blogging Zuprome more than just a hobby. I aim to make blogging a source of fun and funds for more adventures to come. Zuprome is more than just a random word created out of nowhere, I envision it to become a respected brand. Who knows, it might become one. Blogging, just like anything you do, demands you to focus and improve your capability as a blogger and a writer. As the medium continues to evolve because of the advent of technology, the core of blogging will always remain: to showcase your experience to the readers and give them a worthwhile experience.  Now that it’s already 2015, the challenge to become a blogger stands still. More than just a blogger, to become a responsible blogger should be the vision of everyone who writes beyond just fun.  WHAT’S IN BLOGGING I have a friend who questioned the value of blogging since it’s already 2015. Gone are the days when blogging was an easy source...

As we explored the place, we learned that Siquijor is more than just a Mystical Island. It’s a paradise. During our #SensationalSiquijor trip organized by the PIA Cebu and Information and Tourism Officers of Region VII last October 28-30, 2015, fellow bloggers from the Cebu Blogging Community were invited to join the workshop-seminar-adventure-race with the theme “Bridging Information and Tourism Through Social Media” at Coco Grove Beach Resort, San Juan, Siquijor. During the first day of the event, we were welcomed by the Governor of Siquijor, Hon. Zaldy S. Villa. During his Welcome Message, he noted that the social media and bloggers is a powerful device to promote Siquijor. As bloggers, we initiated several learning adventures with the local government units and tourism officials on how the maximize the power of social media and blogging in order to promote the beauty of Siquijor and other events organized by various local government units online. After the Welcome ...

We just arrived in Larena, Siquijor after our exciting boat ride from the Queen City of the South, Cebu. For the past 12 hours, we have been traversing the waters of Cebu and Dumaguete to reach this part of Central Visayas. The mystery of Mystical Island of Siquijor is slowly unfolding. On the next two days, we will be on an adventure to teach the basics of blogging to the local government and tourism officials for this #SensationalSiquijor adventure trip tapping bloggers from Cebu Blogging Community to facilitate the activities. With the theme “Bridging Information and Tourism through Social Media”, #SensationalSiquijor is expected to teach LGU officers and national government agencies from Cebu, Siquijor, Bohol, and Negros how to maximize the potential of blogging and social media in promoting their respective agencies. On our boat ride to Siquijor that started in Cebu Pier 1, we were guided by the Public Information Agency (PIA) Cebu. We met with them at around 7PM...

As part of the 30 Day Blogging Challenge, today I will thanking 30 people/things/anything-I-like for whatever-reason-I-know. If it sounds a bit crazy, well, it is.  Zuprome says thank you to these 30 people/group/things/technologies/whatever-it-is for helping me survive each day of my life and as a blogger in Zuprome. My sincerest gratitude to you, my fellow mates and partners in crime. 1. UP Cebu To my alma mater, thank you for teaching me all the random things in this world. With you, I wouldn’t be able to meet the crazy people of my life and I am most grateful of accepting me in your university. I hope, at the end of the day, it’s not just me who’s always proud of you. Mayta ikaw sad nako. 2. Family To my Mama, Lola and everyone who have always been on my side no matter what happened, thank you for believing in me. Thank you for helping me become what I am and owe every success I got to all of you. I will do my best to make you proud of me. ...

It has been 25 days since I started joining this 30 Day Blogging Challenge of Cebu Blogging Community. Out of the 26 blog posts, I decided to curate the top 10 most-read blog posts and give some takeaway from these blogging journey that you can on your blog, too. Since I started joining the 30 Day Blogging Challenge, no challenge has passed without me accepting it. Today, we were tasked to write a blog post covering 10 of the blog posts from this challenge. With that, I decided to curate this 10 most-read blog posts.  10 MOST-READ BLOG POSTS 10. How This Blog Became Zuprome Okay, I didn’t expect this blog post to get attention from the community. I was just told to be vain for a moment and talk about myself. I don’t know how to be not too vain so I decided to write about the history of Zuprome. With this entry being included in the top 10 most-read blog posts this month is a shock to me. Why would vanity be something that people love to read? If you dare, you c...

Yes, the air in Metro Cebu is already considered unhealthy for sensitive groups according to Environmental Management Bureau (EMB-7). Cebu Daily News confirmed that there is haze in Cebu, as there are ‘small dust particles exceeding the allowable limits’ present in the air. ABOUT HAZE, SMAZE, AND NEWS BITES What is haze? According to Wikipedia, it is an atmospheric phenomenon where dust, smoke and other dry particles obscure the clarity of the sky. What is smaze? It’s basically haze plus smoke or air pollution in the metro. What caused Cebu haze? According to Cebu Daily News, Mactan weather bureau chief Alfredo Quiblat and atmospheric physicist Gerry Bagtasa believed that the haze is from the ongoing forest fires in Indonesia. This has to be verified in the coming weeks after getting all the results of the tests conducted. Is this haze just in Metro Cebu? No, it’s not exclusive to Cebu. PAG-ASA also confirmed that haze is present in Davao, Cagayan and Pal...

Who are the top performing universities in Cebu? It’s difficult to find the top universities in Cebu without the guidelines for such list. If given a chance, I wouldn’t want to create this blog, and it’s the CHED and other academic institution’s job to come up with this list. Giving my personal opinion doesn’t make a credible source and I know that students will always insert their opinion and extend their support to their university. Having a credible list is definitely a challenge. The following can be basis for your personal ranking: board exam rating, performance of graduates, courses offered, teacher quality, and teacher-to-student class ratio. With that, I need your help by voting the best universities in Cebu. If you believe that the university included on this list isn’t performing well, you can vote it down. (Disclaimer: This is an unofficial ranking and only based on the respondent's views and opinions. This does not represent the blog site...

Have you been to Cebu City? The Queen City of the South is the one of the most popular cities in the Philippines along Manila and Boracay. If you are a Cebuano, you have probably realized that many streets in Cebu are named after famous people in history. I decided to gather 10 common streets in Cebu and create a list of meaningful information about these streets. 1. Colon Avenue Named After: Christopher Columbus (c.1450/1451–1506) Trivia: Cristobal Colon, or more popularly known as Christopher Columbus to many, is an Italian explorer. He has completed 4 voyages across the Atlantic ocean. Location: Colon Street is in downtown Cebu. Previously known to be the center of commerce in the city, Colon is now to known to be the Divisoria of Cebu. 2. Gorordo Avenue Named After: Bishop Juan Bautista Perfecto Garces Gorordo (1862–1934) Trivia: Did you know Bishop Juan Bautista Gorordo is one of the former Bishop Emeritus of Cebu from 1910 to 1931? Locat...

Many of us Filipinos love traveling so much. However, traveling isn’t always something that can happen on a whim. When the country you really want to visit requires information-heavy visa applications and a visit (or multiple visits) to that country’s embassy, it can certainly tarnish the fairy tale feel. The process itself can take a while, and since there’s no promise you’ll actually receive that visa in the end, it can also end up being cost-ineffective. But don’t let that discourage you from traveling. Stay positive! There is hope. Not all countries require that pesky visa. In fact, Philippine passport holders have a treasure trove of countries they can visit. Limits vary, but some countries allow you to stick around for more than 90 days! Here’s a breakdown of these countries and their respective limits. This information was compiled by the DFA’s Office of Consular Affairs, Wiki and GMA News Online. Visa-free (zero limits): Cape Verde Islands Comoros St. H...

Traveling requires more than going out and spending your time in a different environment. It requires planning, patience and a good state of mind. It is a great opportunity to explore new places, meet new friends, learn new things and rediscover yourself. For me, a fulfilling trip is one that is spent with positive attitude and good vibes. You should know by now a few tips on traveling like planning ahead your itinerary, going beyond your comfort zones and appreciating the little things. Here let me share 5 tips on how to keep your good vibes while traveling: 1. Don't forget your earplugs. This , my friend, is a traveler's best friend. At some point on your trip, you'll need to muffle the sounds of annoying passengers, noisy engines, crying babies, barking dogs and more. Make sure to keep your cool and turn that good music on. But be sensitive when to use it especially when traveling with someone or with your friends. 2. Don’t be afraid to laugh a...

The University of the Philippines Cebu is looked up to as among the top universities in Cebu and the Visayas. That label is not drawn from thin air. The UP Cebu lifestyle is unique, being the university that demands the most out of its students. More than academic excellence, UP Cebu students are expected to be involved with the community at large in living up to their Iskolar ng Bayan tag. If that in itself is not yet too daunting as an expectation to live up to, the UP Cebu lifestyle also requires learning to get along with different personalities, make do with meager learning resources, help shape up school policies, uphold academic freedom, and stand up for what you think is right. Because of such a demanding lifestyle, not every UPCAT passer ends his or her UP Cebu journey with a diploma in hand. But there are those who made it to the end, some barely surviving yet some doing it with flying colors. We asked those who went through living the UP Cebu lifestyle and earned...

Have you fallen in love with UP Cebu yet? If not, this collection of photos might just do that. Upon doing a regular search on Instagram one day, I realized that UP Cebu is a picturesque university that is both close to nature and, of course, close to the heart of every Iskolar. Here are 10 lovely photos were taken inside the UP Cebu campus that proved this place is full of stories we all want to hear. As a UP Cebu graduate, here are 10 things I realized while looking at these photos. 1. We Know Oble A photo posted by Rebekah (@_rebekahxd_) on Apr 6, 2015 at 6:56pm PDT We have met Oble since we stepped into this university, or even before. We have been children of Oble that know one thing: we are here not just to study but be involved in the community.  2. We Are Oble A photo posted by Trinidad C. S. (@chmarkme) on Mar 23, 2015 at 8:38pm PDT You may have noticed it yet but we are the Oblation. As Oble, we are brave en...