MANILA, Philippines - Jessica Zafra ruled in her fifth year as a blogger with her “minions” trooping to the JUMP Experience Center at SM Megamall to celebrate the anniversary of her blog, Jessicarulestheuniverse.com.
The celebrated Palanca awardee, top columnist and blogger extraordinaire gathered followers of her blog (whom she calls “minions”) and friends to mark the occasion and personally thank them for making her blog a cult favorite in the blog universe. The event also instantly became a meet-and-greet session among her avid readers, who were just too excited to finally meet the Jessica Zafra in person.
In celebration of her blog’s fifth anniversary, Jessica gave out five special awards to friends and readers, most of which recognized the individuals who had the best use of new media.
The Best Transition from Old School to New Media Award was handed out to Xandra Ramos-Padilla and National Book Store, who were recognized for “continuing to make books easily accessible and affordable to the general public while building up its online presence and preparing for the next stage in the evolution of publishing.” Present to accept the award along with Xandra was Miguel Ramos.
Another new media-related award given was the Best Use of Digital Technology, which was won by Raymond Lee, the executive producer and writer of the indie hit Zombadings 1: Patayin sa Shokot si Remington. Lee and his team from Origin8media made sure to come up with a movie that was not only revered for its fresh and original concept, but also for its creative utilization of new media platforms.
Other awardees of the night were blog follower Brewhuh23 for Best Online Stalker; Auntie Janey for Readers’ Choice for Best Subject/Columnist; and Momelia for Best Commentator. The last two awardees were determined through online voting.
With the event celebrating this generation’s affinity for technology and online media, the JUMP Experience Center was definitely a fitting venue to mark the occasion in digital style. Touted as the country’s first multi-dimensional hub for the latest in gadgets and technology offered by PLDT and Smart, JUMP is a digital playground unlike any other, where techies get to engage and immerse themselves in what’s in and hot in the digital universe.
Guests had a blast checking out the high-tech facilities in an environment that was truly digitally advanced and tailored to cater to today’s technology-driven lifestyle. The JUMP Geek Squad, composed of tech masters, was on hand to guide the guests during the hands-on demos and unveiling of the latest technologies that have yet to be introduced to the general public.
The highlight of the digitally powered evening was the raffle, where lucky guests went home with cool prizes from Smart such as the new Netphone 701 and the Samsung Galaxy Y.
Indeed it was a celebration that recognized Jessica Zafra’s influential reach as a blogger and one of the most notable figures in the age of new media.