Sox Bloggers celebrate Xmas & 8th Year with amazing partners

Mindanao’s Funnest Blogging Community, the Sox Bloggers (short for SoCCSkSarGen) celebrated Christmas 2015 and their 8th Anniversary in festive fashion separately, with two of their most loyal partners, Smart and Dolefil, plus a host of more friends.

Christmas came early for us bloggers when our friends from Smart and its subsidiary, Voyager Innovations helped tender a Yuletide Red & White Party, on December 13, 2015 at the classy Paseo del Sol, owned by Ranchero’s.

Not only did were they afforded an exquisitely delicious Spanish-Chinese themed-dinner but were also recipients of door prizes consisting of PayMaya personalized cards, Smart Call and Text Cards and many more. After a couple of parlor games, a new and exciting gift exchange game, which was the first for everyone, turned the night into a LOL riot.

Making the event most special is the presence of Ms. Nick Wilwayco, of Voyager Innovations and her team, together with Ms. Haydee Bernabe, from the Corporate Communications Department of Smart in Davao and her assistant, Alexis.

These two gracious ladies have been there for the bloggers shortly after the group was formed 8 years ago.  Without them and Smart, the group would have not grown stronger at this point in their advocacy to share the good news about SoCCSkSarGen.

A few weeks later, on January 18, 2016, it was Dole Philippines or Dolefil’s turn to fete the Sox Bloggers, on the occasion of their 8th anniversary, via a special fellowship dinner, arranged by Dolefil’s hardworking Ms. Gwyn Ebol-Palima, at the Admiral Hall of the newly-renovated and reopened Anchor Hotel.

This time, Dolefil’s VP for Corporate Affairs, Atty. Mel Hernandez was there to personaly thank the bloggers for having been their partners in sharing stories through their blogs and social media accounts, about the pineapple company’s Corporate Social Responsibility projects and campaigns since 2011.  He assured the group that Dolefil is one with them in their advocacy to empower local writers to be the bringers of Good News about the the beauty, tourism wonders, cultural treasures and economic potential of the region to the rest of the world.

The simple Hawaiian-themed dinner’s highlight was the giving out of Certificates of Appreciation, signed by yours truly, as Lead Convenor and Co-Founder of the group to the establishments and organizations that have been supportive of the causes of the Sox Bloggers.

These are Smart Communications, Dolefil, SM City General Santos (repped by Assistant Mall Manager Hermon Hernandez), Mayor Ronnel C. Rivera (repped by Exec Assistant Dave Arregaldo & Ms. Blanche Yamba), Representative Pedro B. Acharon, Jr of the First District of South Cotabato (repped by Atty. Paolo Acharon), Lone Representative Emmanuel Pacquiao of Sarangani (repped by Chief of Staff Michael Bren Evangelio, Ms. Michelle Solon of Sarangani Tourism Council (repped by Mr. Rain Ramas), Gensan Tourism Council (repped by Ms. Maya Cartojano), Glan LGU (repped by Ms. Lodar Escobillo, Tourism Officer), Dolores Hotels and Resorts (repped by Ms. Teresa Mondido), and ABS-CBN Socsksargen.

The delightful evening was capped by a raffle, consisting of prizes from friends of the Sox Bloggers, before the announcement of the First Sox Bloggers Awards that will run for the whole year of 2016 and more exciting blog-related events for the next four quarters of the year.

Cheers to my fellow Sox Bloggers and millions of hugs to all who believe in their commitment to share the Good News through their blogs and their social media accounts.