Filipino Historian receives Blogger Recognition Award

The Filipino Historian has been nominated on June 10, 2017 by the Dancing Morphemes, a relatively new blog which was just made this year. I would like to express my utmost gratitude for the acknowledgement this history blog has obtained.

Photo courtesy to the original creator

However, it is not adequate to only thank the one who nominated your blog. Evidently, the Blogger Recognition Award is circulating the web for it is a platform where bloggers get to nominate fellow bloggers as a form of gratitude and support. It is a good gesture to show bloggers that their works are not in vain. For instance, Dancing Morphemes was nominated by The Ugly Writers, which in turn was nominated by Big Tiny Steps, which was nominated by the Military Spouse on a Mission, and the list goes on. To be specific, here are the following rules prior to formally accepting the award:

• Write a post featuring your award
• Recognize the blogger who nominated you, provide a link to their blog, and include them in the nomination list
• Give the story of how your blog started
• Give two pieces of advice to new bloggers
• Nominate 15 bloggers for the award as you see fit
• Comment on/notify each blog to let them know you have nominated them and provide the link to the post you created

Humble beginnings of the Filipino Historian

The author began blogging in 2010, but his love and passion for history began during his childhood years. On December 15, 2012, less than a week before the "end of the world" (according to the Mayan calendar), the author created this blog mainly to feature articles on history. As the author once said, "The art of history writing is greatly underappreciated in this country." The following day, the debut article was published. However, it was a rough start for the blog. For more than a year, no new article was published, and the blog received only a little over 1,000 views as of September 2014.

In October 2014, the blog was restored and a new link was adopted (history-ph). As the saying goes, "When you read, you free your heart. When you write, you free your mind." Writing has shaped the author's career and this history blog has been one of the platforms wherein he can "free his mind." To begin with, there was nothing much the author expected in this blog. It was also purposed to be a thoroughly referenced and researched history blog with which people in the Philippines and the world can freely access. In a way, it began as public service, with which the author did not see he would receive anything in return for all his works, and a sense of higher calling to serve both his people and his Lord God. As it is written, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others." (Philippians 2:3-4) and "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men." (Colossians 3:23). While it took time to fly, the Filipino Historian has become the rising star of Filipino blogs as records are being made sooner than expected. As of December 31, 2016, the blog has exceeded 50,000 views and 250,000 social media impressions. It is indeed heartwarming to see people recognizing your work, even if you do not expect them.

To know more about this blog and its accomplishments, read here.

Advice for new bloggers

• Work with all your heart and mind. There are a lot of bloggers out there, and some of them make the cut early, meeting fame quickly, but it does not mean you cannot excel in the blogging world. As for me, it took time and hard work. If you do not love what you do, in this case blogging, no one else will, and then it will tend to fail. Love your work, and I recommend you not to give up on your purpose and calling. Love never fails, it never gives up.
• Focus on those who push you up, not on those who pull you down. As the saying goes, you cannot please everybody, even though there is some tendency within us to do so. As we go on with our blogging careers, there will be people with differing views and perspectives, and they may tend to bash your ideas and works. Maintain your integrity. Stand by your beliefs. Cherish those who love and support you. Only those who persevere will reap the benefits.

Nominations

I hereby nominate the following based on my personal preferences, and my belief in their pursuit of blogging excellence, making them deserving of recognition:

• Dancing Morphemes by Karen Kaye Lastimosa, a teacher, law student, and frustrated writer.
• Indio Bravo by Kristoffer Pasion, a researcher in the National Historical Commission of the Philippines.
• The Filipino Scribe by Mark Madrona, a multi-awarded blogger, journalist, and teacher.
• IT'S XIAOTIME! by Xiao Chua
• Filipino Genealogy Project by Todd Lucero
• Baybayin by Kristian Kabuay
• The Kahimyang Project led by Primo Esteria
• FilipiKnow by Luisito Batongbakal, Jr.
• First Filipino by Tim Liwanag
• MaxDefense Philippines
• Dennis Sy
• Joseph Bonifacio
• Steve Murrell
• Rice Broocks
• Hayate Report by Doughnut Gunso

It took time to complete the list, and I fear that they may be more blogs which also deserve acknowledgement, but I hope you appreciate the nominations! Again, I am grateful for the recognition, and in everything, great or small, may the Lord God be glorified.

"Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master!"

(Matthew 25:21)