My first blog was like an online diary—I shared almost anything and everything but it was all for the netizens's consumption. People close to me have never read even a single line from my blog. When lookbook.nu took the online world by storm, I joined the bandwagon. I re-branded my blog into a fashion blog and that's where I knew Kryz Uy, Laureen Uy, and others of their generation. Gosh, writing this brings back the memories and I vividly remember the outfits that would make my 2022 self cringe. Lol.
I took a rest post-pregnancy because of course, I had a different and a greater responsibility. When I entered the industry, I slowly crawled back to the blogging world. I juggled school, work, and motherhood. But it was also during that time that I realized that I wanted to see more of the world. I wanted to go out, explore new places, and try new things. So, I re-branded my blog and transformed it into a travel blog. That's when Wandering Ella was born.
Wandering Ella was my stepping stone to what I have and what I am now, as a blogger. I became a member of the Cebu Bloggers Society, I expanded my network, opportunities started coming in, and I got nominated at the Best Cebu Blogs Awards for the very first time. That was the year of 2016. A year after, I got nominated again in the same travel category. Both years were all just nominations. I never won. And I knew that. I was a mere beginner in travel blogging and I still had so much to learn. Those nominations were already a great honor.
It was in 2018 when I decided to, yet again, re-brand my blog. I wanted my brand to resonate with who I really am and what I wanted to do. And yes, that's the birth story of my passion project, Off-Duty Mama. I launched the blog with a goal to reach my fellow mamas and send a message to the world that it's okay for us, mamas, to take time for and take care of ourselves. That every mama deserves a day off.
2021, three years since the re-branding, I got nominated at the Best Cebu Blogs Awards in the Photo Blog category. I didn't win but I was the PLDT Home's Choice awardee. I was ecstatic and honored that a major brand chose to give the recognition to this mama.
This year, Off-Duty Mama is a Best Cebu Blogs Awards finalist in the Lifestyle/Style/Fashion category. Here we go again... but at least, I finally got in the right category! Lol. But again, I don't expect to win because my fellow finalists are equally strong and deserving. Being a finalist is already an honor for me. People recognizing me and what I do is more than enough. My 11-year journey was definitely worth it. Off-Duty Mama is four years strong now and opened even more doors of opportunities for me. I am excited and looking forward to its growth and to where it's going in the years to come.
The Best Cebu Blogs Awards (BCBA) is a yearly Awarding Ceremony of Cebu-based Bloggers. BCBA is the only and pioneering award giving body that recognizes the existence of blogs, bloggers and social media influencers or movers in Cebu’s blogosphere. It acknowledges the existence and importance of Cebu Bloggers in the Visayas and in the Philippines. BCBA aims to recognize the finest blogs by Cebuanos and Cebu-based bloggers which are at par even with their foreign counterparts.
Best Cebu Blogs Awards is organized and handled by Blogger Volunteers headed by Cebu Bloggers Society Inc. Founder Mark M. Monta. Judges for the Best Cebu Blogs Awards By Niches are changing every year. Most of them came from Manila, Cagayan De Oro, Ilo-ilo, General Santos, Davao, and of course, a home-based judge here in Cebu.
This year's BCBA Awarding Night will be on December 3, 2022, at Holiday Inn Cebu City, the awarding body's Co-Presenter for this year's installation. Special thanks to the following sponsors, as well, because without them, this event would not be possible. Thank you for your generous efforts in helping recognize Cebu bloggers!
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