And so I am one of the finalists in Globe’s #TattAwards 2012 under the Explorer category. A BIG BIG reason to celebrate and be happy. I want to thank those who nominated for me and the #TattCouncil who chose me as one of the 5 finalists. It is already an achievement for me and for the 2-year old blog.
Finalists for Globe #TattAwards Explorer category
Cheers to fellow finalists who I believe are much deserving,
1. Bogart the Explorer is a video slinger! A youtube sensation and funny at best. He is as the name says “the Explorer.”
2. Enrico Dee’s Byahilo.com has been a helpful guide when it comes to festivals, when and where. Helpful!
3. Gideon Lasco’s PinoyMountaineer has been a must-check in all my hiking trips and yes, indeed an Explorer of the mountains here and abroad.
4. Anton Diaz is the one who encouraged me to blog about running and travels when I attended a travel blogging seminar more than 2 years ago.
Now to be a finalist with these guys, I am so honored and humbled. Congrats sa atin and hope to meet you guys in the near future!
BIGGER than TattAwards
I will be fooling myself if I tell you that I don’t like to win this. I want to, 101%! This is a steep competition. But more than that, this voting session gives me free social media mileage in promoting something BIGGER than winning the TattAwards. So I would seize the opportunity promoting it. This is the perfect time to say my piece.
Why I like to win this award?
1. Because if I win this, I would be able to top my 100-Day Journey with a much more exciting and adventurous challenge. Clue: It’s out of the country. So I will be using some of the Php100,000 prize to start my travel fund. Confession: It’s hard to build travel funds when you are a freelancer ha. Promise, the next challenge will blow your mind away!
2. Because if I win this, part of the Php100,000 cash prize will go to the Book Sharing Project which I am organizing together with some of the best travel/outdoors bloggers in the Philippines. Yes, I will donate some of the winnings to the kids in a small baranggay in Sorsogon. As much as I need the money to fund my wanderlust, I believe it will go a much longer way if I help the kids. After all, my ultimate desire is ‘inspire the youth.’ How about big maps, encyclopedias, atlases, books, etc to their new libray? (Last year, we gave shoes to the young athletes in Negros Oriental and to the victims of Typhoon Sendong in Iligan).
3. Because I deserve to win! The Globe TattAwards rule says, “The Explorer: A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. And the first step to get this year’s Food and Travel Award is that this blogger has to have a good reputation in the food and travel blog world. His or her blog should have a good mix of cool photos and write-ups so engaging—it encouraged a whole town to go to have a travel and culinary adventure.”
>>I journeyed more than a thousand miles (roughly 5,625 miles) after that single step I did when I started my successful #ISANGDAAN Journey early this year. GMA News To Go and ABS-CBN News Channel saw that achievement and invited me to do some live interviews. If you are new to the blog, I ask that you read not only the content but moreso the comments on how many, hundreds of Pinoys, are encouraged and inspired to go and have a travel and culinary adventure.
There you go, I hope the TattCouncil reads this piece.
Yes, I want to win but but more than that, I ask that you support a project BIGGER than winning this award: The Book Sharing Project which I and Pinoy Outdoors, Lakas ng Trip, Jovial Wanderer, AzialBatangGala, PinayTravelJunkie and We Are Solesisters will reveal soon.
Voting
If you believe in the cause, please share this post and show some love by voting for me.
> Log in www.TattAwards.com/vote > Click the Explorer Category > Log in via Facebook, Twitter or Google+ and click Vote under my name James Betia.
Note: You can cast your vote once every hour until June 20 (Wednesday) so make your vote count!
Vote lang ng vote, parang Globe lang- GO LANG NG GO!
To all my God, readers, supporters and friend, THANK YOU VERY MUCH! This badge is for all of you:
Kudos to Globe Tattoo for awarding the raddest in the social media! Thrilled to be part of this.
Note to Globe: Please forgive the title.
UPDATE: Bogart the Explorer won this. Congratulations Bogart, I really like your Youtube videos!

Voted already sir. Ok yang Book Sharing Project.
thanks killerfillers! hope you can suport the book sharing project too.
done voting!
thanks LJ!
voted for you always the nth time..ahihihi..rock on James! will see you soon sa gubat sorsogon..wohooo!
really thankful for the support emm! hope i win so i can better help the project. see you in sorsogon this weekend
Good luck panyero! Would be a huge help for the project. Ahem, and take me out for dinner please.
its a date panyera! alam ko gusto mo videoke at sml? hahaha
isupport you dude
thanks kulapitot! hope you share the cause
Hi James, I just voted for you. I hope you win! 😉
thanks Lala!
Voted 🙂
just voted for you James. good luck! thanks for coming last night. Ü
candidate din pala si Calvin Lo sa tech category. he’s my former ofismate.
thanks much chyng! nice to see you sa PHL360 launch, so excited for the webisodes
wish your good luck!! sana manalo ka 🙂
thank you so much rachel. thanks for your votes!
tight race!
GO JAMES!
just voted! goodluck! 🙂
Good Luck James. Been voting every now and then.
thanks man!
Good luck! I support you all the way. It’s more fun in the Philippines, indeed!
Rizza (beingwell)
thanks rizza!
praying that you win this game:) God bless you and more blessing’s to come with your good heart ambition..so keep moving on…:):)
thanks eden! blessings!
Hey James! I’ve been following your blog for a while now. Say, I really got inspired by your entries here. I’ve just voted for you on the Globe TattAwards. Hope you win this one. Oh, by the way, is that “Book Sharing Project” open to anybody? If yes, then could you provide me details on how can I participate/support that project?
hi rei! thanks for supporting! the book sharing project is open for everyone. keep posted on how you can be a part of this exciting project.
Oh wow! Congrats for making it there. I really do think you deserve to be there but I’m a big fan of Bogart. 🙁
torn? thanks grace!
I’m routing for you James! been voting for you.. 🙂
thank you so much mai!
goodluck to you hope god will bless you in this!! xx
thanks jane!
Praying for you to win so that you can share your blessings with the Book Sharing Project. Good luck!
thanks rossel, really praying for that.
hopefully you’ll win!
congratulations for being included in the finalists 🙂
i’m supporting sinugbang sugbo as well 😀
congrats in advance JaMes!
Good luck on this. Hoping for you to win for a good cause.
thanks rachelle!