The 1st Mindanao Bloggers Summit was satisfyingly successful. We could’ve gotten more participants from more areas of Mindanao, but for a first-time effort for a unique event, I was happy with the turnout. The important thing is, my colleagues and I have gotten the ball rolling. I’m counting on the viral nature of blogs: each blogger has his or her own set of readers, so when he or she writes about the Summit and its objectives, the word gets around pretty quickly.

Developing on the idea for the Summit by Davao City Councilor Pete Laviña, the MBS1 convenors put forth the noble aim of transforming Mindanao’s ravaged image in mainstream media into something more realistic and down-to-earth. Already, summiteers are blogging about their experiences during the Summit. Hopefully soon, they will take up the challenge posed to them: to blog about the goodness of, in and about Mindanao.

We’re not asking bloggers to sugar-coat anything. Most of what come out in the news about conflict and hardships in Mindanao are probably accurate. However, traditional media reporting tends to be abbreviated, and sometimes sensational. Blogs, then, can be balancers of news. Or better yet, they can be more true-to-life — albeit personal — accounts of what’s really going on. Blog posts are more first-hand, hence their value as sources of information.

The Summit may have been concluded already, but not its purpose. During the proceedings, I read out a document that will hopefully bind bloggers to a pact of uplifting our beloved Mindanao. The Summit Resolution, which was formulated during a pre-MBS1 workshop, is the output of the whole exercise. The workshop dwelt on The Role of Bloggers in Fostering Understanding & Peace in Mindanao. I encourage all bloggers who love Mindanao to view the Summit Resolution online and leave their seal of approval. Since it’s a living document, it is meant to grow and become more refined. Your thoughts and valuable input are more than welcome.