New year. New decade. New job.

I love blogging for CNET Asia, and I've always considered it a privilege to be part of this blog network. Seems like it was only yesterday when I was part of the first batch of CNET Asia bloggers when this network debuted back in 2006. This, however, will be my last post for Babelmachine, as I embark on a new online adventure as the social media editor of Yahoo! Philippines.
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Back in October, I blogged about Filipino couple Michael Paul and Jennifer, who were hoping to reach the finals of the Ultimate Thailand Explorers competition, in which contestants would use blogs and social networks to chronicle their adventures in Thailand.

I'm happy to share that they made it to the finals, vying with four other couples for the top prize. They're now asking for the help of fellow Filipino Internet users to check out their blog, vote for them, and help spread the word.
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After months of speculation, Friendster's search for a buyer in Asia has finally ended with today's announcement that an affiliate of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia-based online payment solutions provider MOL AccessPortal Berhad is acquiring the pioneer social networking site.

The affiliate, MOL Global Pte. Ltd., will acquire 100 percent of Friendster, which recently unveiled its new look and repositioned itself to cater to the Asian market, where most of its users are.

Here's a video showcasing the new look that was unveiled on Dec. 4.



Here's an excerpt from the press statement issued by Friendster.

“The merger with Friendster will continue to transform the social networking industry, combining a highly intuitive and successful social media site and online marketing channel with an integrated payment platform and content network which includes games, goods, gifts, music and video. We are creating a unique company that will be well positioned to provide content to a huge, regional user base, here in Southeast Asia," said Ganesh Kumar Bangah, president and chief executive officer of MOL.

MOL uses the leverage of a network of over 500,000 physical and virtual payment channels across 75 countries worldwide to collect payments for content and services. Its core markets are Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand and India. MOL has relationships with over 70 online game publishers that have a suite of over 200 online game titles. It also has partnerships with music, movie and video content owners and distributors across the region.

What do you think will be the future of Friendster?

The editorial Let's Abolish 'Citizen Journalists' on The Digital Journalist caught my attention, thanks to a tweet from @gangbadoy retweeting the link from @glossmania.

While I don't agree with the article entirely, it does raise good points on the need to vet stories posted and spread through social networks, and the kind of dedication and courage it takes for journalists to actually cover news events. Read more »

I've always been a big believer in online video, and I'm happy to note that filmmakers in the Philippines are also experimenting with this medium to share their vision with a global audience.

One of these initiatives is the 180 Microcinema Festival, an online short film competition hosted by the Film Development Council of the Philippines that's open to aspiring Filipino filmmakers from all over the world.
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