Three Winners of the Island Travel Promotional Video and Contest

Today we have three lucky winners of our raffle draw of the Island Travel Promotional Video and Contest that ended yesterday. The contest simply requires one to share the island travel promotional video below to friends in Facebook, own blog or Twitter and then to follow us at Island Travel.



The winners will receive a pack each of MDPlus Golden Shield with SPF50, your skin's best defense against sun damage this summer, to be delivered right at their doorsteps.


Submissions were individually verified and qualified entries were assigned numbers chronologically, i.e. according to the order of submission. Using a random numbers generator, the three lucky numbers are 18, 1, 16. These numbers correspond to the entries of:

18- zoan - the blogger behind the blog "luckyzoan", a self-confessed internet addict and a mom who loves freebies and contests.

1- fabgirl - the first to share the video to her friends and an avid fan of Island Travel and our other blogs like Mama Sez at Hubpages, Parenting Journey and Daily Happiness Tips.

16- Madel Martin - is one of two Island Travel followers who shared the video in three ways, i.e. via Facebook, Multiply and Twitter, a strategy that paid off handsomely for her.

Congratulations to our three lucky winners! They still have about a month to go to enjoy the rest of the summer with their MDPlus Golden Shield prize for sun protection.

They will be contacted directly so we can get the addresses to send each of their prizes.

Cheers!

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Winners of Island Travel Guess Where We Are Contest

Congratulations to the winners of the two Island Travel Guess Where We Are Challenges:

Guess Where We Are Challenge #1 Winner is Gin E.

She submitted the best guess for this photo

Her answer was San Francisco, Agusan del Sur. A separate blog will be posted about this Lion House that is actually an orphanage.

The level of difficulty of this challenge is assessed to be at $4.00 (based on the range of $2.00 for easiest to $5.00 most difficult). Gin E will receive $4.00 via paypal. We will contact her using the available contact details as a follower of Island Travel.

Guess Where We Are Challenge #2 Winner is Josie

She gave the best guess for this photo
Her answer is MacArthur Landing Memorial in Red Beach, Palo, Leyte. We will also have separate posts and more photos about our activities in this park and about our stay in Leyte.

Josie wins $2.00. She will be contacted directly using the available contact details as an Island Travel follower.

Congratulations to the first winners of our Island Travel promos and contests.

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Island Travel Contests and Promos Announcement

Based on recent assessments of our current situation as a result of the incident in Quezon, we really cannot realistically proceed further north as planned and would likely spend much of the remaining vacation time in Laguna and perhaps in the Greater Metro Manila area. We think that the message of this unforeseen twist is “stay put and balance family commitments, travel and writing” in and around an area we’re already familiar with.

Therefore, we made the following decisions related to the contests and promos of our travel blog:

1. Island Travel Promotional Video and Contest – We will proceed with this contest as originally announced. We have a good number of participants and we encourage further entries until the end of April. Three lucky entries based on a raffle draw will be proclaimed on May 1. Each would win MDPlus Golden Shield with SPF50. Click on the photo below to go to the youtube promotional video and share to friends via Facebook or to your blog readers via a post with the video embedded, notify us in the comment section and we shall confirm your entry (or entries) to this contest as soon as possible. By the way, you have to follow us via Google Connect, Facebook (NetworkedBlogs) or Twitter to be eligible to join.
   
   
   
2. Island Travel Guess Where We Are Contest – We have posted two challenges, namely:
   
   
   GUESS CHALLENGE #1
   
   
   
   GUESS CHALLENGE #2
   
   
   
   (please click on photo to see specific blog posting/challenge and the corresponding guesses/entries submitted)
   
   While there are guesses that can be considered correct already, there’s still room for improvement…i.e. better, more accurate guesses. So we’re giving another week for more guesses from you, i.e. until April 26. Remember that you can have multiple entries as long as they are posted in separate days. Winners will be announced on April 27. Be sure you are an Island Travel follower in Networked Blogs, Facebook or Google Connect (or an email or RSS subscriber), which is the minimum requirement to join; then check our official announcement and direct communication to you.
   
   Because you already know that we are in and around Laguna and Greater Metro Manila area in the past as well as in the next few weeks, we will hold off any further Guess Where We Are Challenges until further notice.
   
   
3. Island Travel Blog It Contest and Island Travel Blog That Photo Contest – Because of the changes in our travel plans and the minimal participation so far, we are suspending these two contests until further notice. We hope to relaunch them in the near future. Those who already participated will be notified that their entries will be considered valid entries when specific contest is relaunched.
   

We are hoping for your understanding about these changes. As much as we want to honor our commitment as originally announced, we need to be realistic and step back a bit so we can go forward again in the future.

We appreciate your concern and understanding of our current situation.

We remain,

Papa Sez and Mama Sez

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Guess Where We Are Challenge #2

Guess where Nadine and Mama Sez are in this photo. Quite tricky but it's actually rather easy. C'mon have a guess...

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Guess Where We Are Challenge #1

For our very first challenge in the GUESS WHERE WE ARE CONTEST, don't forget to follow us on twitter, Facebook/ Networked Blogs or Google Friend Connect before posting your guess in the comment section of this post.  You may have more than one guess (=posts in the comment section) as long as these are posted in separate days. 

We moderate the posting of the comment section so expect lag time between your submission and appearance of your guess so we can confirm you've complied with the follow us requirement.  For details about this contest click this link to the Kick Off Promo.

Happy guessing!  Cheers!

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Some Updates and Contest Reminders

I checked on the countdown widget to the right and it's about right, give-take few hours. We're on the edge of our sanity as we cram the last few things in our to-do lists and bite the bullet so to speak as we made another adjustment to our date of departure.

March 21 it is! We might miss our relatives from Nevada if we do not give an extra travel day, an allowance for delays, etc. They're leaving on the 27th and in our last schedule, we're arriving Laguna on the evening of 26th. It's just too close for comfort. Our visiting Tita and Tito have requested pomelo, mangosteen and lanzones from Davao (and even an herbal tea!).  They can't find lanzones in Laguna around this time! and it's the Tita's fave fruit.  We can't have her leave without a taste of our luscious lanzones, right?

A Reminder on Contest Requirement.  All of the ongoing four contests require that you follow/friend us in any of the following: Facebook Networked Blogs, Google Friend Connect or Twitter.  It's as simple as clicking on the "follow" button of the appropriate social networking option at the bottom of this page.

Guess Where We Are Challenge.  Postings for this contest will start to appear anytime between March 21 and May 20.  So watch out daily for the blog post title along this line "Guess Where We Are # __".  The prize for each challenge (=post) will vary between $2 to $5 depending on the degree of difficulty of the challenge. One can have as many guesses as one wants as long as they are posted in the comment section of that particular challenge in different dates (based on Philippine Standard Time). Remember that the comments will be moderated to screen out those that do not fulfill the requirements, particularly that pertaining to following us (see paragraph above).

Blog It Contest is open until May 15.  So you can still blog about these contests and get a chance to win $5 in a raffle or $5 based on quality and referring power of your post. Check the Kick Off Promo mechanics for details.

Blog That Photo Contest.  Use any of the photos posted in this site until May 31 and blog about it.  Get a chance to win $15, $10 or $5 for the top three blog posts, respectively.  See Kick Off Promo mechanics for details.

Share the Promo Video and Win Golden Shield with SPF50. You may grab the video from youtube, Facebook or in this promo post, then share it to your friends or readers via Facebook, a blog or twitter. Details can be found in Island Travel Promotional Video and Contest.  This video share and win promo runs until April 30.

If you need to reach us, send message to islandtravelphilippines[at]gmail.com.  We'll get back to you as soon as our situation in the field allows us to access the internet. Cheers!

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BLOG THAT PHOTO contest

"BLOG THAT PHOTO" is one of the three contests announced in the Island Travel Kick Off Promo post and it is open to all bloggers.

We are making this separate post so that blog entries (URL) can be posted under the comments section and get maximum exposure for the later second phase that involves voting by our readers/followers to win the top three spots. Read the guidelines below as previously posted, with modification on the photos that can be blogged about.

"We expect to be posting many photos of the places we'll visit and faces we'll encounter during our Island Travel adventure. We don't want them to go to waste, but instead we want to show them to as many people as possible.

Since "a picture paints a thousand words", we want you to take those words from the photos and write it as a post in your blog site. You may choose any of the photos posted on this travel blog until May 31. There's no limit to the number of entries (=posts) you can submit. The last blog post entry should be done on or before May 31.

The only requirements are: a) put the "BLOG THAT PHOTO" contest button prominently on your blog post; b) attribute the photo(s) you used to the specific page(s) you found the photo(s) in this blog site; and, c) email islandtravelphilippines[at]gmail.com each time you post so that we can check it out.

What are at stake? The best "blog that photo" post will be awarded $15. The second and third placers will receive $10 and $5, respectively.

How do we determine the winners? This is a two-stage contest.

i.) After May 31, we will choose the top ten "blog that photo" posts based on quality. Did the blog post do justice to the photo selected? Is it free from careless errors in writing? Is it appealing to the general public? There is no minimum or maximum length of posts as these depend on the subject (photo) and the style of the blogger. We will leave that up to individual blogger's judgment.

ii.) After the top ten are identified, these will be voted upon by readers and followers of Island Travel."

Now, after blogging about any photo in this travel blog, you may call everybody's attention to it by posted a comment with the URL of your entry.

Enjoy the photos and enjoy blogging!

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Island Travel Promotional Video and Contest

We're proud to announce that we will have another contest here at Island Travel on top of the three contests announced earlier.

Instead of cash, our sponsor, MDPlus Golden Shield with SPF50, your skin's best defense against sun damage this summer, is giving away three packs to be raffled off on April 30. In this contest, we are utilizing our new promotional video-- Island Travel: Around the Philippines in 60 Days.



Mechanics of the Contest:

1. After viewing the video here, in youtube, or in other websites, share it (or repost/embed) to your friends in Facebook or your own blog.
2. Follow or friend us in Facebook (also Networked Blogs) or via Google Connect Friend. For your convenience, please use the buttons below. For those without Facebook or google accounts, you may also use Twitter or email subscription.
3. Go back to this post to give a comment and inform us how you complied with steps 1 and 2.

We will then verify your post(s) and your subscription or account you used to follow us. An email or private message will be sent to inform you whether or not your entry qualifies.

You may have more than one entry as long as steps 1 and 2 are separately complied with for each entry.  For example, (i) you may share the video to your friends in Facebook and follow us in Facebook/Networked Blogs, and (ii) you may post the video in your blog and say something about it and follow us in Google Connect Friend.  Anybody can join as long as you follow the above mechanics.

For questions or clarifications, please email islandtravelphilippines[at]gmail.com.

So join now and get a chance to win the best sunblock to protect your skin from the sun this summer.

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A Shoutbox Feature is Added

We got feedback that it was difficult for some visitors/readers to leave a comment in this travel blog. This was a consequence of requiring commenters to log in some form of identification (email or other IDs, including OpenID) prior to posting their comments. These we had to do because of the need to acquire email address (for verification purposes) for those joining the "Guess Where We Are Contest" that would start when we begin our road trip.

We are relaxing that a bit. The comment section is now open to anybody (including anonymous commenters), but we will moderate the comment section of the Guess Where We Are Contest posts only, so that we can verify that those joining the contest are followers via Twitter, Google Friend Connect or Facebook, or an email subscriber (which is a requirement to join as announced here).

To encourage even more feedback, a new channel is opened-- a shoutbox is placed at the bottom right corner near the "subscribe" section.

You can use it as you may, hopefully to let us know what you think is good as well as those that needs to be improved about this site or about our travel. We value your feedback so let us know what you think.

The other communication channels-- the now less restrictive comment section of each blog and email islandtravelphilippines[at]gmail.com - would, of course, continue to be available for you.

Thanks in advance for participating.

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Island Travel's Blog It Contest

Attention Bloggers! Wanna earn easy money?...Blog It!

Yes, Island Travel also has a contest specifically for bloggers.

For a couple of minutes in front of your computer, you'll have a chance to win $5 in a raffle and/or $5 for having the best blog promoting any of the three contests at Island Travel.

It's so easy.

Just click on this link or the icon above and grab an icon code promoting one of the three contests. Stick it in your blog post and write anything to attract your readers to join the contests. The full explanation is found in the site you link to so you don't have to worry about details.

Hey have I told you that you have three chances of winning if you blog the three contests separately? You can even have additional entries if you have another blog or website where you post announcements about these contests. When you're done, just email the link to islandtravelphilippines[at]gmail.com so we can validate your entry.

Easy, isn't it? So blog right away and beat the competition to the draw!

Of course, you can also join the other contests.

Here's a sample blog promoting Guess Where We Are Challenge.

Here's to a GREAT SUMMER ADVENTURE!

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Island Travel's Guess Where We Are Contest

NOTE: This is a sample blog post to promote the first contest: "Guess Where We Are" Challenge
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CLICK! CLICK! CLICK!

The newest travel blog, ISLAND TRAVEL, is giving away between $2-$5 per challenge just to guess where the island vacationers are. They will be posting photos and blogs from the places they've been while they're on the road for 60 days. In certain blog posts, readers will be "challenged" or asked to guess where they are based on a specific photo as a clue.  So if you are good at naming places in the country or been around to many Philippines tourist destinations, this is your chance to earn some easy money.

Anybody can participate after signing up as a follower in either Google Friend Connect, Twitter or Facebook, or subscribing via email. Prepare your paypal or BPI accounts just in case you win (other payment options may be requested as well).

The challenges will be spread throughout the sixty days of travel, so there are many chances to win.  So visit Island Travel daily starting March 22 and meet each challenge head on.  Remember, the most accurate answer wins.  Therefore, although being first to take a guess helps, having the most accurate answer is still best.  You may also post more than one answer for each challenge, but post it in separate days.

For more details, visit ISLAND TRAVEL KICK OFF PROMO.  By the way, bloggers can win some cash also, click (put the link to your other post here).

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Note: You can either blog the three contests together or separately.  I opted for separate blogging in this example (plus the next two to be posted next time) to maximize the number of chances to win in the raffle draw because one blog post=1 raffle entry.

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Win a Free Boracay Vacation Package by WOW Philippines Travel Agency

Win a Free Boracay Vacation Package by WOW Philippines Travel Agency

WOW Philippines Travel Agency, Inc. is celebrating it's 5th year in business during July of 2010, and we would like you to have a chance to celebrate with us, so we have decided to give-away a FREE Boracay Package complete with 5 Star accommodations at the luxurious Le Soleil de Boracay Hotel on Boracay Island. The lucky winner will win the following Boracay vacation package.

Vacation Package Inclusions:
- 5 Days / 4 Nights Luxury 5 Star Accommodations at the Le Soleil de Boracay  Hotel
- Flights to Boracay from Manila to Caticlan Airport on Philippine Airlines
- Island Transfers - Door-to-Door from Manila to the resort and back to Manila
- Three (3) Meals each day, Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
- Boracay Activities - Horseback Riding, Island Hopping, Glass Bottom Boat
- PLUS - 5,000 peso Spending Cash

Read More Information: http://www.boracay-packages.com

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Island Travel Kick Off Promo

On March 22, our family is set to start our grandest vacation ever. Besides doing it for the first time, our summer family vacation entails driving thousands of kilometers, riding six ferries, crossing many islands and visiting even more towns and cities all over the Philippines in 60 days, such that the experience ought to be shared with as many people as possible.

How can we do that? By offering a "kick off promo!"

The promo consists of three contests that can be participated in by various communities.

1. "GUESS WHERE WE ARE" is a contest open to all.

During our Island Travel, we will be posting blogs and photos of the places we went to.  In certain days, we will pose the challenge "guess where we are."  Anybody can give one guess per day by commenting on that particular post/photo and win between $2 to $5 depending on the degree of difficulty of the challenge.  Answers (=guesses) to a particular challenge may be posted in the comment box until declared closed by admin.  Challenges will be spread throughout our 60 days of travel around the Philippines.

The person with the most accurate answer wins.  For example, the photo used in the challenge was taken in front of Davao City Hall.  Dennis was first to post the answer "Davao City."  Brenda and Matt were the 7th and 10th to post, respectively, but both answered "City Hall of Davao."  Brenda would win the prize as hers and Matt's answer is most accurate plus she posted it earlier than Matt.

Anybody can join in the fun as long as these two simple requirements are met to facilitate identification and payment of prize: a) must follow Island Travel blog as a google follower, Facebook Networked Blogs follower, Twitter follower, or email subscriber (see buttons below); b) must be ready to provide email address, and paypal or BPI account numbers for payment of prize.  If you prefer other means of payment, please contact admin at islandtravelphilippines[at]gmail.com to inquire. 

For bloggers, here's a sample blog post for this contest: ISLAND TRAVEL'S GUESS WHERE WE ARE CHALLENGE that you can use for the BLOG IT CONTEST below.

2.  "BLOG IT"  is a contest open to all bloggers.

To join, bloggers should blog about this promo and use the buttons at the right side to refer their readers to this page.  As there are three contests ("Guess...", "Blog It" and "Blog that Photo"), you have the option to write just one post detailing the three contests or three separate blog posts to introduce the contests individually to your readers.  One post is equivalent to one raffle entry.  A blogger can have up to three entries (=posts) per blog.  If a blogger has more than one blog site, he/she can still write posts for the other blog sites and get more chances to win.

What are at stake?  For the raffle, two $5 prizes are to be given away.  Another $5 will be awarded to the best blog post in terms of quality of the post and quantity of visits generated by the post..

So join now and beat the others to the draw.  When your blog post(s) is (are) ready for inspection, kindly send an email to islandtravelphilippines[at]gmail.com.  This contest is open now until May 15.  Winners will be announced before the month of May ends.

Here's a sample blog post for this contest: ISLAND TRAVEL'S BLOG IT CONTEST

3.  "BLOG THAT PHOTO" is a contest also for bloggers.

We expect to be posting many photos of the places we'll visit and faces we'll encounter during our Island Travel adventure.  We don't want them to go to waste, but instead we want to show them to as many people as possible.

Since "a picture paints a thousand words", we want you to take those words from the photos and write it as a post in your blog site.  You may choose any of the photos posted from the start of our travel to the end.  There's no limit to the number of entries (=posts) you can submit. The last blog post entry should be done on or before May 31.

The only requirements are: a) put the "BLOG THAT PHOTO" contest button prominently on your blog post; b) attribute the photo(s) you used to the specific page(s) you found the photo(s) in this blog site; and, c) email islandtravelphilippines[at]gmail.com each time you post so that we can check it out.

What are at stake?  The best "blog that photo" post will be awarded $15.  The second and third placers will receive $10 and $5, respectively.

How do we determine the winners?  This is a two-stage contest.

i.) After May 31, we will choose the top ten "blog that photo" posts based on quality.  Did the blog post do justice to the photo selected?  Is it free from careless errors in writing?  Is it appealing to the general public?  There is no minimum or maximum length of posts as these depend on the subject (photo) and the style of the blogger.  We will leave that up to individual blogger's judgment.

ii.) After the top ten are identified, these will be voted upon by readers and followers of Island Travel.

So join now!  With these three contests, there's a chance for everyone to participate and win!

Here's another contest: Island Travel Promotional Video and Contest

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