In the current state of the world where we are living which is filled with devices and other gadgets that interact and connect with each other through the power of the Worldwide Web and software and applications that provide targeted solutions for specific problems, it is very easy for people to forget that there are actually real people behind all the technology that they are using in their day to day lives.

One of the people whose job and passion is to develop such technology to help people is software engineer and part-time app developer Jomar Tigcal.

Jomar is a Computer Science graduate and is now working as a software engineer in an IT company here in Metro Manila. After graduating in 2009, he immediately dove into the IT industry with his first job as a Java developer. As he was slowly immersed into the world of information technology through his work, he found a number of interesting topics about different aspects of developing solutions for other platforms.

One of them is app development for Android – one of the top selling mobile operating systems in the market. During that time, he still had a lot of technologies and APIs, such as those from Google, Facebook and Twitter, he wanted to learn. But after getting himself an Android phone, he started to focus more on developing apps for this platform especially during his free time.

At present, Jomar is using a variety of different tools to create apps. Most of them are open-source tools and are available for free online like Eclipse for his IDE and the Android SDK (Software Developer Kit) tools. For version control, he’s using Subversion and Git while for the OS, Jomar said that he has used several versions of Ubuntu and has tried some mock-up software.

As of the time being, Jomar Tigcal has already released several apps on Google’s app market – Google Play. These include a Pinoy Jokesapp, the GDG Philippines app, Sweldong Pinoy (a salary calculator app for Filipinos) and the Moochfood app which was developed closely with the Moochfood team. He also hinted that he is already working on a few more apps, but the details of which are not to be disclosed yet.

When asked on what problems he has faced in the past about app development, Jomar says that one major hurdle he has faced and is still facing today is time. He explains that there is so much to learn and try but he just doesn’t have the time to do all of it at once. As he is just a part time developer, he need to constantly juggle the requirements of his work as a java developer with his passion and interest of apps development.

Nevertheless, Jomar adds that finishing an app gives him great joy and satisfaction. Aside from that, getting messages that you made a good app, or that it has helped a lot of users of that people like the app you made makes him feel good.

As for new horizons, Jomar hopes to learn more about game development, either using HTML5 or game engines, as well as learning better cross-platform development technologies.

We also asked Jomar to leave a message to our readers and here are his tips to aspiring app developers and his message to all our readers:

Don’t stop learning. Continue to study about the technologies and languages you use. Keep up to date with the latest information about them. Also, don’t limit yourself to the technologies you’re using now at work. Use other technologies and APIs too. Experiment! Attend events like meet-ups and hackathons to learn more about what is happening in the industry as well as to be updated with the latest technologies. Also, community events would allow you to meet and collaborate with other developers.

Lastly, Jomar adds that making apps for mobile and web is fun and exciting because it changes how people go about their everyday lives. He hopes the people would continue downloading his apps and that people would give more feedback on how they can improve them in order to better address the needs of the people who use them.

If you want to contact Jomar Tigcal for personal or professional reasons, you can reach him through his LinkedIn account or you can visit his website for more information.

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For most people, joining a group or organization can bring them joy and fulfilment by gaining some sense of acceptance and belongingness. But aside from the privilege of being in a group, there are some organizations and communities that also provide an opportunity for its members to showcase and improve their talents at the same time.

However, such groups are not always accessible to many people due to a number of different things. It can either be because these groups ask their members to pay a premium for membership, or it could be that such organizations could have some sort of restrictions or there’s also a possibility that natural challenges such as location and time that’s preventing people from joining these communities.

Location was also the reason why a certain group of photographers from the province of Batangas decided to form their own club to cater to the needs of people with the same hobby as theirs. The group was conceived by Raymond Guevarra when he realized that there aren’t many groups in Batangas that provides the opportunity to practice their passion for photography. And hence, Click Batangas Digital Photography Club was born.

Click Batangas was founded on June 2012 and initially was created of providing a way for aspiring photographers living in the province – both professionals and amateurs, to develop their skills and improve their craft by collaborating with other members of the group. The group was co-founded by Raymond Baradas, Jeffrey Javina, Victor Jose Luna and his wife Minky Avel-Luna. This number eventually grew through word of mouth and through the founding members’ joint effort in promoting the club’s endeavours in popular social networking site – Facebook.

From the initial 5 founding members, the club’s following now grew to more than 130 followers on Facebook alone. And from two volunteer models during their first event, their photo-shoots and photowalks now feature a number additional models and sizeable increase in the number of photographers.

Guevara, as well as the other administrators of the group admit that there were several challenges they had to face in order to keep the club afloat and functioning during its first few months such as coordination among members, models and makeup artists and of course the logistics of setting up a photo-shoot in different areas of Batangas. However, they say that it’s their dedication to the craft that is continuously pushing them to improve themselves and the organization to further meet the needs of its members.

At present, Click Batangas Digital Photography Club is open to anyone with the passion for photography. The only requirement they ask from people who want to join their organization is that they should regularly attend the club’s monthly events and of course they should at the very least have a point and shoot digital camera.

As members of the club, a person will have the opportunity to collaborate with other photography enthusiasts. The group is open for questions about photography and will help its members to find gadgets and accessories they need or want. Their Facebook page also acts as a market place where people can lend, borrow, sell or buy photography-related things such as lenses, batteries, reflectors and tripods.

 

According to its founder, their dream is to expand the group and build the “Click” brand to different provinces all over the country (e.g. Click Manila, Click Cavite, Click Laguna, etc.) and thereby creating a network of communities united with their passion for photography.

If you have any questions about the group or would want to contact them for whatever reason, you can drop by their Facebook Page for more information.

The openness of the internet has allowed a lot of people (including us) to air our thoughts and ideas for everyone to see. Social media sites like Facebook and Twitter and blogs have given small people the voice in the world of the internet.

In the vast number of small people with big voices, there are a few rare individuals whose voice are distinct and unique. When bloggers around the web stick to writing about gadgets, fashion, food, travel, photography and design, there are those who venture into a niche so unique that they become an authority in that particular field of interest. One good example of this kind of blogger is PEBA (Pinoy Expats/OFW Blog Awards) coordinator – Pete Rahon.

Pete is one of only a handful of bloggers who have decided to express his love and enthusiasm for a particular topic – chocolates. According to Pete, his passion for chocolates has deep roots, which started from his childhood which was later renewed by social bookmarking site Pinterest.

Pete also adds that although he was already writing for several blogs that talk about different topics from personal to social issues, his chocolate blog is relatively new. In fact, according to Pete, he has barely scratched the surface of the iceberg of topics that are related to chocolate and its by-products.

When it comes to his chocolate preference, Pete says that he used to like white and sweet chocolates, but as time passed by, he developed a taste for the much healthier dark and bitter varieties. 

For now, Pete enjoys doing reviews or tastings of chocolate products that he finds in shops, boutiques, restaurant, groceries or those given as balikbayan gifts. However, he said that he’s also thinking of writing articles that talk about the history and tradition related to chocolates in the country such as doing a review of the best tablea that are used to make hot chocolate drink. He also would like to visit cacao plantations and write about how they are grown and processes into the chocolate products we buy as end consumers.

He also adds that although we are so much exposed to brands like Cadbury, Hershey’s and other Swiss and Belgian chocolate products that abound in Duty Free Shops and even local supermarkets, we should always patronize products that are produced locally, especially those created by Filipino artisan chocolatiers as these were made with devotion, passion and creativity.

When we asked Pete if he’s planning to blog about other type of sweets, he said that although he really has a sweet tooth and that he’s open to possibilities, he currently plans to stay focused on blogging about chocolate. He admits that he is still in the process of developing his blog since even for chocolate as a topic; there are a multitude of subtopics that one can feature and discuss.

As a final message, he reminds that passion, commitment and creativity are essential for anyone who’s planning to become a special niche blogger. The hard work needed to do research and readings for one’s blog even though there are numerous other things to be done in one’s day are important if one wants his blog to succeed. Bloggers should also spend time to make their blog as relevant and interesting as possible to one’s readers and one’s self.

If you’re a chocophile just like Pete, you can visit his blog using this link.

Also, if you haven’t done this yet, please follow us on Twitter and add us on Facebook for more features from the Filipino Lifestyle team. Till next time! 

For most people, the word photographer would usually conjure up images of a person clutching a fully loaded DSLR camera and a bag full of camera accessories. But rapid improvements in the tech industry have changed all that. Smaller, thinner yet more powerful image sensors can now be fitted in small form factor devices such as media players and mobile phones; and hence, gave rise to a new form of photography – mobile photography.

And today, we are featuring one of its practitioners – 23-year old, Reinald Daguio.

Reinald comes from Bacarra, a small town in Ilocos Norte where he has practised the art of taking pictures using his very handy mobile phone. According to Reinald, he started using mobile phones as a tool for taking pictures, around two years ago.

His weapon of choice is Samsung’s entry level droid – the Samsung Galaxy Y. He also says the he uses different apps to add image filters and enhancements to the photos that he takes. But before that, he says, he used to practise on other older phone models from Nokia and even Motorola.

Furthermore, he also adds that even though he owns a Canon digicam, he still prefers using his very handy Galaxy Y since it’s more convenient to carry around and it’s always there when the perfect scene comes along.

When it comes to his area of expertise, he says that he likes taking pictures of beautiful things in nature. However, he would also like to venture into portrait photography in the future. And for this, he aspires to own a decent DSLR camera in the future.

Here are some of Reinald’s works, which you can also find in his blog.

Our world is filled with artists. Reinald is one of those, who have proven that when it comes to art, equipment and technical know-how aren’t all that matters but the vision. 

The Philippines being a country rich in natural resources has no shortages in terms of land forms and terrain. Scattered around the archipelago are various forests, lakes, rivers and mountain ranges, which for some people have made it a life-long obsession to conquer.

Media practitioner and assistant director at TV5, Edzhel P. Herrera is one of those conquerors who plans to seize the peak of every known mountain in the Philippines. Edzhel gives us a quick peek on his hobby – mountain climbing and how it has influenced his life.

32 year old Edzhel has long been a fan of outdoor activities such as SCUBA diving, playing airsoft, canyoneering, skydiving, spelunking, 4-wheel drive off-roading, rock and wall climbing, running and even fire fighting (he’s also a volunteer fire fighter). But of all the outdoor sports and activities he has tried, one of the most fulfilling is mountaineering.

He started mountain climbing back in 1998 when one of his friends, theater director Raymond Alonza, who happens to be a member of PALMC (Philippine Airlines Mountaineering Club) invited him to climb Mt. Banahaw in Quezon.  Since then, the thrill of climbing a mountain has made an imprint on his personal life. In fact he has made it a point to do mountain climbing at least twice a month.

For most people, it’s the view on top of the mountain that gives them a certain “high”, but for Edzhel, It’s actually the climb that gives him that adrenaline rush. Although he also admits that each ascent to a mountain is usually the hardest part since a climber has to endure a fully loaded backpack against the force of gravity, he says that reaching their final destination unscathed makes the climb truly worthwhile.

Edzhel also adds that mountain climbing helps him achieve inner tranquillity and for a short moment allows him to forget all of his problems and relaxes his mind.

Just like any mountaineer out there, Edzhel also aspires to conquer the highest point on the planet – Mount 

Everest. However, he admits that Everest is still too expensive for him and that he still needs to condition his body for that gargantuan task. For the meantime, he dreams of claiming the peaks of all the mountains of the Philippines.

When asked if he could give aspiring mountain climbers some advice, he says that each climber should never forget to bring a backpack, a camping tent, sleeping bag, food, water, first aid kit, medicines, trekking shoes, sandals, match and a trekking pole.

As a final note to all our readers, here’s what he has to say:

Mountains are an important part of our culture and society. It is a source of livelihood to a lot of our countrymen and adds aesthetics to our country’s landscape. In this age of digital living and virtual environments, it’s good to know that there are still people such as Edzhel Herrera that still respects the value of these natural wonders.

                “Photography is Fun, do it as often as you can”

A boom in the number of amateur and sub-professional photographers was seen recently due to advances in the field of camera making and digital photography. This allowed ordinary people to experience taking professional looking photos without the need to buy super expensive equipment and advanced know how in photography.

Raymond Guevarra is one such individual. We sat down with Raymond and asked him about a few things that other photography enthusiast might find useful. Here’s the gist of our discussion.

Raymond comes from a humble town in Sto. Tomas, Batangas. Although a nurse by profession, his first love was art and photography. At a young age, Raymond was already joining art and drawing contests in school and has always had an affinity with subjects related to arts and creativity.

His love for photography and the arts didn’t end in teenage years. In fact, in blossomed even more during his college days. He recalls organizing photo shoots and joining photo contests with college buddies who share the same passion on photography. With his former classmates as photo shoot subjects and a DSLR camera borrowed from friends, Raymond was able to sharpen his eye for detail and widen his perspective as a young aspiring photographer.

After college, he saved some money and got himself an entry level Sony α DSLR camera. Although he practiced nursing right after college, his love for photography didn’t completely take a back seat in his life. During his day offs, he still practiced taking shots of people around him (like his friends and workmates) which paved the way for his discovery that he has a knack for taking portraits.

At present, he is an active member of several photography groups and clubs that do photo-shoots and art exhibits. And just recently, he, together with some other photographers in Batangas, created Click Batangas Digital Photography club. And as one of the co-founders of the club, he is partly responsible for some of the club’s activities such as organizing photo ops, choosing the location, contacting models and communication for the entire organization.

Here are some of Raymond’s works.

Although his expertise is in portrait photography, Raymond still aspires to know a little bit of everything.

When asked if he has any tips to give to people who want to have that perfect portrait shot, he says that it’s always important to make a connection to your subject and that practice is the key to success. He advises aspiring portrait photographers to learn by reading online and magazine tutorials, taking series of shots, thinking out of the box, altering one’s perspective and experimenting with lighting. But most of all, he encourages newbies to just be prepared for each shot.

Lastly, we asked him if he could leave an inspiring message to people who want to pursue a career in photography, and here’s what he has to say:

If you like Raymond’s work, he offers photography services such as prenup photo-shoots and other special events. You can contact him through email, using his Facebook account or at 09186965181. 

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