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IN the spirit of the upcoming Valentine's Day, we're giving you a chance to say it out loud, why do you love to blog? What compelled you to blog? What keeps y ou from blogging? Declare your love for blogs. Fire away!

HI, I'm Pam Pastor. And I'm a blog addict. I had an afternoon meeting with people from a mobile phone company last week an d I made them late for dinner because they started talking to me about blogs. I even had my computer out, as if I was making a big presentation. It's almost e mbarrassing, now that I think about it. Last month, I spent eight days in Germany on assignment with a bunch of people I had never met before. I was fairly (and uncharacteristically) quiet during mo st of the trip -- except on the last night when I couldn't stop talking during dinner. One of my companions turned to me, "You barely spoke during the ent ire trip and now this. What happened?" Blogs happened. Someone asked me about the blogging phenomenon, which blogs I l iked, why people read blogs and just like the Energizer Bunny on steroids, I ke pt going on and on. And that's probably why I'm here as one of the Blog Addicts. I started blogging in 2000. My ancient computer had crashed just weeks before a nd I was heartbroken (actually, pissed is more like it) over losing so many dia ry entries, pathetic attempts at fiction and even sadder stabs at poetry. I did n't know what blogging was then, I just wanted an online depository for my writ ing. Drew Europeo told me about Blogger and that was the beginning of my love affair with blogging. It took a couple of yea rs (and Site Meter) for me to realize that people were actually reading my posts. Blogging has become a huge part of my life. I've blogged from every place you c an think of and when I couldn't (like when I'm stuck inside a plane over this o r that ocean), I write entries that I can post once I get Internet access again . Blogging is fun and therapeutic -- although sometimes I feel like I'm running my own reality show. I'm actually getting used to people approaching me in mal ls or restaurants to say they've been reading my blog. I've met a lot of great people (and a couple of crazies) that way. When I am not blogging, I am writing articles, planning issues, closing pages, giving out assignments, holding photo shoots, doing interviews, covering events and attending meetings. These things (and more) are part of my job as the chie f of correspondents for Inquirer's 2bU!, editor for Inquirer Super and reporter for Inquirer Lifestyle. I also spend a lot of time writing songs, recording and getting drunk at gigs w ith my band Mozzie. And, believe it or not, I still have enough time left over to shop, date strang e men, take lots of photos, hang out with my friends and do what I can to chang e the world. I guess this is my way of saying hello. And thank you to the very cool Joey Alarilla who invited me to join the Blog Addicts team. P.S. I promise to drunk-blog only in my personal blog.

THAT'S me and the other members of the Blog Addicts team with Abe Olandres (second from right) goof ing around with plastic swords. From left to right, that's me, Erwin Oliva and Jayvee Fernandez. This was taken on March 2 after we recorded Episode 4 of hackenslash: the podcast (which e xplains the plastic swords, sort of, heh) and right before the video interview with Abe and Jayvee.

HELLO. My name is Jayvee Fernandez. I'm the guy in the scary picture to the left. By profession I wear several hats , serving the Inquirer Group in several ways -- as contributing editor to Mobile Philippines and as an interacti ve media consultant for INQUIRER.net. I'm also a professional blogger and channel editor. A pro what--?! It's like being paid to write stuff. Oh wait... A writer and editor at heart (and sometimes tragic love song composer), I have embraced the call of new media, using A Bugged Life as my platform to write about the things I love doin g. In a private conversation with Abe Olandres, the "father of Filipino blogging" he categorizes me as the "Public Relations Blogger of the Philippines" as I love to make press relea ses about everything that fancies my eye. If you want to know more about me, click here. And now this. I have been invited by Joey Alarilla to co-blog with the rest of the INQUIRER.net blog add icts. I actually don't know exactly what I'm going to write about yet but I kno w it has something to do with important things. Like blogs. And how they are ch anging the world one post at a time. In between blogging, writing and editing (aren't these all the same??!) I am us ually found lost in Wo rld of Warcraft or playing with Hondo Vicente, the cutest Boston Terrier in the Philippin es. Leave a comment, save a lemming from drowning. Cheers!

I'M writing this entry from my BlackBerry. Why? Power is out, and I am currentl y fighting the summer heat and the irritating mosquitoes feasting on my toes. Thanks to the power of wireless technology and the Internet, I can still post a brief entry. I remember this same scenario during Milenyo, the super typhoon that rendered M etro Manila powerless. It was back to basics. But some people who managed to fi nd power kept on blogging. Everybody can blog now, given the access to technology. It has, as my fellow b logger and editor Joey Al arilla says, become a "commodity." So how do you differentiate yourself now from millions of blogs? Content is crucial. Like a poem, it should appeal to t he senses. People want to feel, see, hear, and soon taste the stuff we write. T hey also want to react immediately. They can now say yay! or boo! through the c omments section. So please feel free to interact with us not only through words but also picture s and videos. With that, I hope our conversation becomes interesting. Imagine h ow we started as kids? We called it show and tell. By the way, I am Erwin Oliva, technology reporter for INQUIRER.net. I've been b logging for close to three years now under the name Cyberbaguioboy. Why do I blog? I want to strike a conversation with you. I want to know what you think. I believe news is no l onger about us telling you what it is. We hope to go back to the very reason we write. And that is to give voice to the voiceless. Let yourself be heard.

YUP, your eyes aren't deceiving you. Blog Addicts is now a blog, and it's no lo nger a section in our YOU youth site but the first team blog in the INQUIRER.net Blogs network. With more blogs to come. I guess a little introduction is in order. I'm Joey Alarilla, the gaming and multimedia edito r (hey, the acronym is GAME, heh) of INQUIRER.net, and I'm a blog addict. OK, I haven't been blogging that long; it was in late 2004 when I took the blog ging plunge after being introduced to it by my UP Tinta college orgmates whom I hadn't seen in years, namely Pauline Orendain, Dean Alfar, Ni kki Alfar and Eric Evan o. That newfound passion for blogging gave birth to the Blog Addicts section in YO U, since I wanted to feature different bloggers and encourage more people to bl og. When I started Blog Addicts, I never really thought it would receive an ove rwhelming response from bloggers, but the support has been heartwarming and I f igure it's now time to make it a blog and expand its scope. Which is why Blog Addicts won't be part of YOU anymore. As you'll soon discover once you enter the blogosphere, blogging isn't just for teens and twentysometh ings. Blogging has become a passion for people of all ages, who are drawn to it for different purposes ranging from the lighthearted to the serious. Now we c an feature different bloggers, no matter how old they may be (no offense intend ed to old fogies like me, heh). And while the featured Blog Addict of the Week will still be our bread and butt er, we've expanded the scope of Blog Addicts to cover tips for bloggers, review s of different blog tools, news about the blogosphere and much, much more. You could say we'll be blogging the Filipino blogosphere. Joining me are Erwin Oli va and Jayvee Fernande z, and I'll let them introduce themselves and talk about what they plan for Blog Addicts. We're the first three members of the Blog Addicts team blog, but you might see others join our ranks soon :) So, welcome to Blog Addicts. And remember: 2007 is the Year of the Filipino Blogger!