A magazine on life & living in Mindanao
A pioneering effort in print media was launched today — a locally-published magazine intriguingly called m.
To quote its publishers, M is "the first-ever glossy travel and lifestyle magazine that will showcase the best that Mindanao has to offer. M features stories ranging from adventure destinations, culinary pursuits, nocturnal activities, unique fashion creations, beauty and wellness, gainful business endeavors, to little known secrets about this island paradise; it is the primary source of information on Mindanao’s contemporary lifestyle."
Well-attended by Davao’s who’s who and media personalities, the unique inaugural party at The Marco Polo Davao spoke of the palpable character of this magazine: 
vibrant, forward-looking, and yet steeped in the traditional cultures of Mindanao. The social event was marked by a fusion of the indigenous and the modern. The magazine, as well, seems to embody this quality.
The cover story of the maiden issue features Margie Moran Floirendo. To most Filipinos, she is Miss Universe. But to many Mindanaoans, she is an ambassador and an advocate. An adoptive Dabawenyo, Ms Margie has taken it upon herself to contribute to the betterment of Mindanao’s image in the eyes of the world. From her M.O.M. TV show to her various community projects, the Philippine South has greatly benefited from her untiring dedication and passion.
Other personalities are featured in M’s premier issue: an altruistic doctor who has committed his life to the needs of Mindanao’s indigent; a technopreneur involved in bridging the digital divide.
Of course, travel destinations are on M’s pages, too. Discover beaches that rival Boracay, and historical sites that can open your eyes to the beauty of the here and now.
M is published by Cr8ve Minds Inc, and its editorial team is comprised of Claire Dy (editor-in-chief), Bong Segovia (creative director), Ian Ray Garcia (features editor), and Amy Cabusao (editorial consultant). Photographers Raymund Isaac, Rhonson Ng, Paul Borromeo, among others, fill the magazine’s glossies with excellent visual renditions of the beauty of the island. Congratulations to this group of dedicated Mindanaoans and to all the people that have made M a magnificent magazine! Their role in promoting Mindanao is highly commendable indeed!
The magazine’s pursuits coincide perfectly with those of the bloggers of Mindanao (www.mindanaobloggers.com). I hope that, in the near future, both can collaborate on an effort to bring quality content out onto the global stage.
M’s website: www.m-mag.com.ph.
Check out this video teaser by Bong Segovia.
Or… he just likes playing The Sims!
April 8th, 2008 at 10:52 pm
wow. this is nice. will Bob write for this magazine?
April 8th, 2008 at 10:56 pm
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April 8th, 2008 at 11:01 pm
I’ve talked to the editor-in-chief and she said they’re very open to collaborating with Mindanao bloggers. Abangan ang susunod na kabanata…
April 9th, 2008 at 12:20 am
Weeeeee.. Good news for the inhabitants of Mindanao!
April 9th, 2008 at 12:42 am
Thanks Blogie for the support! I hope you guys continue to support M. more power to you and the rest of mindanao bloggers
April 9th, 2008 at 2:07 am
@BongSeg — My pleasure! Your magazine is very impressive, something that Mindanao can be really proud of.
April 9th, 2008 at 9:41 am
Great!
Just too bad I missed the party, I just did not hear about it.
Looks like Ms M is more than just a pretty face.
Congratulation for your successful launch.
Regis
April 9th, 2008 at 10:08 am
@Regis — Ms Marge is definitely more than just a pretty face. She’s got brains, and she’s got the drive to accomplish things. Once I was able to work with her on a project, many years ago. I must say, I learned a whole lot about events organizing from her.
April 9th, 2008 at 10:51 am
Great idea… Mindanao needs it… Good luck to you guys… God bless!!!
April 10th, 2008 at 12:26 pm
wow, claire dy?! like up mindanao’s claire dy?! tiara, si ma’am claire ni?! lol, wow. didn’t know she was going for the glossy type.
oh man, this magazine’s gonna be really good.
April 11th, 2008 at 11:22 am
Can’t wait for the first copy
April 12th, 2008 at 10:20 am
@L.A. — The maiden issue’s out already. In fact, they gave us copies during the launching. There are copies in coffee shops and hotels, but I don’t know where they’re selling the mags. It’s P120 btw.
April 12th, 2008 at 1:40 pm
you can buy the mag at bos coffee club, krua thai, metrolifetyle gym, or marco polo business center… by next week, its availble at all major bookstores nationdwide…
April 12th, 2008 at 11:57 pm
Thanks for this info, Raffy!
April 15th, 2008 at 12:34 pm
the publisher of the m. mag is a group led by a cebuano.. and they have their own establishments here in Davao. i am wondering if i could expect this mag to feature competitors of their shops, like: Kasagingan, Blugre, Cups n Lowercase, Kopr Roti, Holiday Gym & Spa, Tsuru, etc. And if this is a serious lifestyle mag, could we expect to see highly creative movers based in Mindanao featured here?
April 15th, 2008 at 12:55 pm
cebu’s premiere lifestyle mag is “Zee” …very stylish. did the publisher of m. come up with a name with zee in mind? just curious.
April 15th, 2008 at 4:23 pm
As far as I know, M is a separate business. And as far as I know, the owner of Metro Lifestyle (or one of them) is in fact from Davao, but stayed in Cebu for a spell.
Furthermore, the people behind M, in my honest estimation, are professional, über-creative and very talented, not to mention passionate about Mindanao.
It’s not bad to be constructively critical of new things, but being too wary or negative is uncalled for. This is a magazine with the noble intention of portraying Mindanao in a good (and true) light, for crying out loud.
April 15th, 2008 at 5:23 pm
well said blogie : )
April 15th, 2008 at 5:46 pm
while having coffee at SM Davao, we bumped at this magazine on the shelf of the coffee shop. it was actually my boss who first scanned it and saw Dinagat and Siargao being featured. so it gained my attention and get it after my boss finished. when i saw my friend ian garcia being the author, i immediately remembered his email announcing the release of the premiere issue of the magazine. so i hurried myself to the nearby national bookstore… but it was sold out. all i did was photographed it and read ian’s article.
then i requested ian to courier me a copy. hehe. hopefully i can have a copy of it. so useful for travels.
April 15th, 2008 at 8:08 pm
M is a product of global thinkers thus the owners’ birth places and origins really do not matter. In the same breath, the publishers’ great belief in Mindanao’s dynamic growth knows no biases and they would go the extra mile in publishing great stories about Mindanao may it about coffee shops, gyms, malls, industries and people of different persuasions, interests, color, beliefs, religions, faiths and backgrounds.
April 15th, 2008 at 8:17 pm
Very succinctly put, junjun!
April 15th, 2008 at 8:33 pm
The magazine is entitled M. Life and Living in Mindanao. I see no parallelism whatsoever with Zee Lifestyle Magazine’s title. The phrase Life and Living in Mindanao encapsulates the true value of our heritage, the dynamism of the present and hopes and aspirations of the future. It is truly a deep message for all of us to appreciate Mindanao.
Nonetheless, I like Zee, the stylized word for the letter “C” of Cebu in the same manner that I like M as a straightforward and simple letter that starts the word Mindanao.
As to magazine content, let’s leave it to the publishers who I think would do greater than our expectations
April 22nd, 2008 at 4:36 pm
hala wala na lagi nag tubag si minda?
April 22nd, 2008 at 5:34 pm
A mark of an honorable person is the graceful acceptance of defeat.
April 23rd, 2008 at 9:14 pm
“being too wary or negative is uncalled for” ..i wonder which part of the comment was uncalled for.
In addition, the reality is, the “Creative Director” of a mag is the Editor-in-Chief. If it means magazine layout “design,” then where’s the battalion of designers or at least 1 superb Art Director or Graphic Designer under the CD? CDs have really creative people under them.
What happened to Ms. Margie on the cover? Did Raymund Isaac take her picture only to be washed out by too much Photoshop? Look at her chin, her arm..
I hope my “uncalled for” comments calls the attention of those who want to put Mindanao on the map again and again. Problem is, some people cannot take constructive critique. And can you not think of anything else other than using Mindanao?
I saw the mag’s maiden issue. Sayang. Zee Lifestyle is better off by a looong mile.
And that makes me sad!
April 23rd, 2008 at 9:27 pm
Constructive criticism / critique means you point out the bad and you suggest what you think might be good. All you’ve done, minda, is point out what you don’t like, and offering no recourse whatsoever. So, you are NOT being constructive at all.
(In my opinion, people who leave comments like minda’s been doing but keep themselves anonymous have no right to criticize and be imposing of what they think should be.)
@phillip — I guess you spoke too soon!
April 23rd, 2008 at 9:31 pm
phillip :
ha! ha! ha! I’m sorry but i really have other things to do. Some friends just invited me to this blog coz they were too hesitant to give their constructive opinion. By the way, we’re just a bunch of award-winning creatives in the advertising industry having a short vacation in Mindanao.
And, Philip, could you just add this on your list of phrases:
“No comment” could sometimes mean, “I’m Busy.”
April 23rd, 2008 at 9:33 pm
Blog-e, let me share with you a little wisdom in Marketing:
If you want to know what people really want, ask them what they don’t want.
Gets mo? Huwag kang magagalit, ha? Bye, bye, rest assure, I’m not spending a second more in this hypertensive Blog-e.
April 23rd, 2008 at 9:42 pm
I was right. This guy just likes to hear himself talk. Award-winning huh… just got his first award I bet! Sige, i-enjoy mo muna. Later when you have wisdom, open your mouth again and see the big difference.
Hindi po ako galit. (Why does everyone think I’m angry when I speak my mind? Hmmm….)
Enjoy your stay in Mindanao.
April 23rd, 2008 at 11:25 pm
Hala, nalingaw ko sa exchange. Ingon ana siguro ang mahitabo kung maniguwang na ka ‘no kay malingaw na lang ka. Lami pud unta panagsa muapil-apil padugang sa kalibog, pero what for man ‘no? I’d rather be out there spending time with nice guys than playing mind games. Wahahahaha!
Blogs, biliba nako nimo uy, you’re still into this web thing. Ako, I am about to retire. I am just maintaining my old sites and not accepting new ones anymore. Tired of learning techie things na. So many new things happening and I can’t keep up. Naniguwang na gyud. Now, I prefer long, lazy walks.
By the way, will keep in touch with you later on some matter. But much later. Miss you! Mwah!
April 23rd, 2008 at 11:29 pm
Uyy! nabanhaw akong ‘miga! Naniguwang ka diha! Saba ja!
Sige, contact me na. Mao lang guihapon number nako.
Ciao ciao!!
April 24th, 2008 at 9:37 pm
TO MINDA -> if its a constructive criticism why dont u write the publisher or the EIC and give ure comments and suggestions on how they can improve the mag. naiiiingit ka lang ata minda… sa ugali mongg ganyaan aasenso ka talaga!
April 24th, 2008 at 10:19 pm
TO MINDA -> “we’re just a bunch of award-winning creatives” -> asus award winning gud oi you can claim that anytime you want! show us some proof minda! and besides i suggest para mas credible ka use ure real name or complete name…
nga pala, minda negative lang lahat nang sinabi mo, walang bang positive? walang ka bang nakitang kagandahan sa mag?
if award-winning creative ka talaga i guess mas marami ka dapat masabing kagandahan about the mag.
naawa ako sa you minda… nag mamarunong ka na.. inggitera ka pa! nga pala illusionada ka rin! AWARD WINNING KA DIYAN! KILALA BAYA KITA!
April 24th, 2008 at 11:55 pm
@patricia — take it easy, sister. losers like that minda are not worth the stress.
April 25th, 2008 at 8:27 pm
good luck and more power to m magazine.
April 27th, 2008 at 10:02 pm
Enjoyed reading the exchange of messages. Tnx everyone! Good or bad, we take and appreciate all types of criticism as long as it will contribute in making the next issues of M better than the first (conditional pala ang appreciation ko, hehehe)
Personally, I don’t want to compare M with other publications. Kanya-kanya lang naman yan eh and we don’t claim to be better than this or that. People will always say that one is better than the other. That’s just fine.
The most important thing is that we (Mindanawons, not just the people behind M) are doing something good and positive for Mindanao (such as this blog and those by other Mindanawon bloggers - more power to you, guys!).
We just want to give our readers a positive image of Mindanao unlike the perennial image that is being projected by those from the national media and those so-called “award-winning creatives in the advertising industry” (if they’re really creative, how come they can’t seem to think of other icons that represents Mindanao other than vintas??? so 1970’s!). . Ooops, I need to calm down…hehehe…
Last na gyud ni - about minda’s message> “…And can you not think of anything else other than using Mindanao? ” Tubagon lang gyud nako ni, ha. Allow me lang gyud
Alangan naman Timbuktu ang imong i-promote, di ba? 
Blogs, thanks so much for giving everyone an avenue (thru ur blog) to express their opinions about M. We really, really appreciate them - including Minda’s. Kung asa man sya karon, unta naka-hunahuna na sya ug mga suhestyon to help us improve the mag. We really appreciate fresh, exciting and brilliant ideas from everyone.
Guys, feel free to suggest and make comments. After all, this magazine is for our beautiful Mindanao
Kudos to you guys!
April 28th, 2008 at 12:24 am
Thanks, Ian! Looking forward to the future of your magazine!
April 29th, 2008 at 6:03 pm
Interesting exchange of ideas and awards, indeed! At the end of the day this exercise is still about our desire to show the best of Mindanao. Our magazine, young that it is, was conceived with the best ideals and given the best care in circumstances affected by time, money and talents. It is fortunate that many have read our premiere issue. We are more fortunate to have the readers say something about it. Good or bad, it really does not matter. It is obvious that our magazine has ignited fire in our core.
Rest assured (yes, this is spelled with a d), bad reviews are well accepted and contemplated on. Good ones keep us going. Thank you and hope you all continue reading what we have started. We are certain more publications will follow our efforts and perhaps even get more fantastic remarks from readers. When that happens, we can only be proud in saying that we have kindled a good flame that many have caught.
Love Mindanao!
April 30th, 2008 at 6:55 pm
hala nahilom na pud si minda… kuyaw na dyud ni kay tinuod na pangalan na gi gamit.. ian gracia and art boncato! keep up the good work guys! i love your mag… minda pagtubag na!
April 30th, 2008 at 11:32 pm
marky uy, hamunin pa gyud si minda… hayaan mo na yun.