Pinoy Passenger

Doing a Google search for the long-tail search query: How many Internet users are there in the Philippines?, the internetworldstats.com site came up number 3 in the list of Google results.

According to that site, we have:

14,000,000 Internet users as of April 2007, - that is 16.0% of the population, according to Yahoo.

I was inspired to write this post when I read about Facebook’s initiative to create language translation in its widely popular social networking site. Pinoys are known for being good suckers of social network sites. In fact, many believe that Friendster’s huge success can be partly attributed to the average Pinoy - the type who loves displaying his/her pics (and inviting friends online to come take a peek to his/her latest adventure). I mean you gotta admit it, don’t you love displaying your cute little bikini when you went to Boracay?

Anyway, Facebook is a growing social network in the Philippines. Due to its large base of patrons, it has gotten ways of monetizing the site - like ad postings, events, etc. Now it is busy cooking up a new initiative - language translation.

Imagine if we can all share applications in Tagalog. How would those stupid quizzes, and 2-minute tests sound? Something like: “Meron kang 1 Anong Klaseng Bulaklak ka na pagsusuri!” How outrageous! But I think it’ll be fun

How would this Facebook language translation affect the common Filipino?

1. It will open doors for a larger audience - pati ang mga nagno-nosebleed sa English

2. It will keep a lot of employees busy checking out the latest quiz in “Filipino” - as if we’re not sneaking during office hours haha!

3. There’ll be a lot of opportunities for local entrepreneurs to advertise on Facebook - Imagine if tagalog searches will finally return results for you

Social networking has taken a step higher than the normal picture sharing, and friend invitations. It has become a rich melting pot of varied cultures, experiences, and opportunities for everyone living in the planet. With Facebook’s latest initiative, it can encourage Pinoys to make use of more opportunities presented to them online. We can have smarter, and better equipped Internet users in the Philippines by then.

There is a question on the usage of the word “shortage” in the latest national issue battling the Philippines. Does the “shortage” in rice really exist? Maybe it does, but it doesn’t necessarily mean the significant decrease in the farmer’s yield.

I bet you’re thinking what I’m thinking – rice hoarding. As per Secretary Arthur Yap, there is really no significant shortage of rice in terms of yield of the Philippine’s staple food. There is just a dangerous sector called the “hoarding businessmen”, who in the desire to profit, stocks rice supplies intended for the table of Filipino families. Who’s that Chinese again who bought NFA rice, then re-packed it to sell high in the market? Very business-minded indeed (and very selfish too!)

Although it’s a known fact that more rice fields are being converted to residential and commercial areas, as compared to the early years. That is why the government is targeting 98% rice sufficiency in 2010. I strongly feel they should include the abolish of graft and corruption in the agriculture/trade and industry sectors too. Regardless of the hectares of rice you have, hoarding will still do its dirty work unless you act on it.

Anyway, just to lighten up things, here’s a quick to-do-list for Filipinos to conserve rice in the looming rice “shortage” era of the country:

• If you’re among the weight-conscious girls out there (but actually loves pigging out), order half rice instead of whole. Carbo can really grow your belly.

• Don’t order a cup of rice or more if you can’t finish it all when eating in restaurants. The Department of Agriculture (DA) is now urging food chains to offer a half cup of rice to their patrons.

• Try eating bread, or pasta. It’s a new variation of your usual rice meal.

• Singangag! I love it! Don’t throw away last night’s dinner rice left over. Saute garlic, butter/margarine, and left over hotdogs, corned beef, tapa meat, then mix with left over rice. Good breakfast meal.

• Don’t fill the entire rice cooker with bigas if it can’t be consumed completely. Just cook the right amount of rice appropriate for the size of the whole family.

• Last: share the rice you can’t finish with your boyfriend. He’ll appreciate it (men are better rice eaters than women).