April is just the second publication month of the B&F channel, but I'm pleased by the quality of content that has been pouring out from its dedicated writers. Believe me, it's not an easy task, being an editor and a writer for thePOC. It requires intellect, commitment, attention to detail and most important of all - passion.

I might sound mayabang here, but the truth is not just anyone can do this unless this is where your heart is. After two months of working with my writers, I can say with all honesty that they love what they're doing.

I'm sure that some of you might find it hard to take the channel seriously - after all, it's not from Summit or any of the big publishers in the real world. thePOC is a project of Vibal Foundation, the charitable arm of Vibal Publishing House. The goal of the foundation is simple: to foster the development of knowledge through the support of digital media. It's the only foundation of its kind here in the Philippines to actually utilize the Internet for this reason. We would all appreciate it if you can support that goal by reading and providing feedback at thePOC.

Aside from that, here are the reasons you should read our Beauty and Fashion Channel:

I'm back! Busier than ever, of course. I'll write about what we did in Boracay soon. In the meantime, here are some nice pieces I got from beachfront sellers:

Necklaces like this were everywhere, but what caught my eye was the delicate, irridiscent lavender color of this particular piece. It's made of shells and freshwater pearls. Very classy! I can imagine myself wearing this out to formal dinners and events.

This piece is made of capiz shells and tiny rocks. It's great for both casual and semi-formal outings with plain tops and dresses.

I am off to Boracay next week! Yay. It's my first time to visit so I'm really excited to do all sorts of fun stuff with my family. I bought a couple of bikinis, a lovely hat from SM, all the sunblock I need from Nivea (they gave me two of everything), have two new lovely flip flops courtesy of Ipanema, a weekender bag from Avon (which is nicely huge, by the way). I'm all set! 

These beautiful flip flops are from Ipanema's newest collection - the Gisel Bundchen Colorful Sea Collection. I got the Sandal Star Fem. I hope to get more pics of this in action while in Boracay! The picture up there featuring the black Ipanemas was taken in Batangas.

Sun protection at its finest. I've been using the sunblock spray everyday! Love it to bits since it's not sticky at all and the sunblock-y smell dissipates as soon as it dries, which is pretty fast.

Swoon-worthy hat. Got this for only P250 at SM Department Store.

Hi guys. Hope you've subscribed to the Beauty and Fashion Channel of The Philippine Online Chronicles. Come on, it's free. That's the beauty of the whole online thing!

News

Sizzling Summer: The Avon Fashions Summer Launch You've got the cool clothes, Avon's got the hot underwear! Coverage by Kira.

Camp Nivea My coverage of the uber-cool camp for teenage stars!

Sean John launches newest fragrance "I Am King" The rapper's sophistication and lifestyle in a bottle

 I fancy that I am not a purist when it comes to blogging. The medium has evolved tremendously in the past couple of years so it's really hard to set and expect a certain standard for bloggers and their content. So yes, I'm not a purist in the sense that I don't expect anyone's blog to be so and so. I can always simply stop following a blog that ceases to have value to me. 

I do however have preferences. The blogs I read are always about real, personal experiences by the blogger. I stay away from the press release blogs because I don't see the point - I can always find that information in a proper website, magazine, or newspaper. In other words I prefer content that I can't find anywhere else but a specific blog. 

Here's a summary of what the channel's been up to!

News

Going nautical: Wynn Wynn Ong’s jewelry in WWD Another Filipina gets featured on the daily fashion bible!

Style and function: the Asus EEE PC Karim Rashid Edition The shiny, sleek, and pink reincarnation of the Eee PC

Mich Dulce wins Int'l Young Creative Entrepreneur award The quirky designer wows London!

Pinay wins first runner-up at Ford Supermodel of the World 2010 A Filipina supermodel walks the talk

Jay Nicolas Sario: Making history in Project Runway The first Pinoy in the contest ever!

Rajo Laurel’s dress webbed in WWD Insects and cobwebs lands Laurel on the international fashion scene