Showbiz bloggers gather for PEBA

MANILA -- Entertainment bloggers covering television, movies, theater and online content came together for its first general assembly last March 21 to form the Philippine Entertainment Bloggers Association (PEBA), which aims to benefit the entertainment blogging community.

“We’re doing this because we love sharing entertainment news. We hope that we won’t be left out and that we continue to do what we are passionate about and that is writing. But of course, for us to be able to achieve it, we will go through a lot of difficulties. We have struggled before but we’ve learned from those struggles and for sure, there will be more on the way. We just need to be prepared to be able to keep up with digital storytelling,” PEBA president Albert Abelido said, explaining the organization’s vision.

While it has been more than a decade since blogging started in the Philippines, this is the first time that an organization of bloggers was formed. What some members thought of as just a dream has become a reality.

With a mission to help equip the entertainment blogging community with tools and opportunities to successfully build personal brands, connect with industry professionals, leverage their platforms for positive impact, and tell legitimate stories, PEBA, which has 38 members, said it aims to uphold the standards to digital storytelling and provide a better working environment to the current and future members of the organization.

Announced projects during the first general assembly are: PEBAyanihan, skill-building workshops, collaborations with industry professionals and the PEBA Awards Night.

The PEBA general assembly was held at 38 Valencia Place, the home of Regal Entertainment, Inc., and was attended by A Class and Project Z of AsterisK Entertainment, actor Gold Aceron, Martin Riggs and Kenaniah of OC Records, Salome Salvi, JD Aguas, VR Relosa and Armani Hector of VIVA Artists Agency.