MOBILE TECHNOLOGY AND ME

By: Pocholo “The VoiceMaster” Gonzales

THE VOICE

What’s to sell these days when you think every imaginable thing is already being

sold and being bought – from food to fashion to technology to even, garbage.

But how many times has it

happened that even the most

overlooked and things that are

taken-for-granted could become

a gold mine for some people who

are just brilliant and very

passionate about their craft. And

this gold mine for me is my God-

given gift, my voice.

Why not? Come to think about it,

those unnamed voice actors are

everywhere. Their anonymous

voices could be heard in

advertisements, movies, TV

shows, radio announcements,

events, computer games,

telephone, cellphone, and in

every emerging media.

I realized the potential as I made

my vision, or should I say, my

voice, become my ticket to

entrepreneurial success.

My growth from a mere voice

talent who has voice acting skills

that are amazing and entertaining to a voice director and to someone who has

always dreamed of becoming more and of reaching my fullest potential through

the craft I am almost obsessed about.

SMALL BEGINNINGS

I am a very young yet

revolutionary entrepreneur with

passion and determination to

make a statement of inspiration

to others. Starting with P20,000

capital to pay for office rentals

and register my business, I used

my voice as an initial lifeblood of

my business.

It’s not an easy path to

entrepreneurship as I was raised

by a family of employee and

factory worker, in a small town of

Mariveles in the province of Bataan. There was no concept of business and

entering into business isn’t even an option.But I had a chance to study in the

University of the Philippines-Diliman and took up Speech Communication as

major. I actively involved myself in youth affairs that sooner rather than later

made me an excellent choice as Presidential Technical Assistant in Malacanang

Palace. As early as 16 years old, I would audition and apply as a radio

broadcaster, dubber and reporter. Fuelled by my passion to use my golden

voice, I was able to make a respectable name in the dubbing industry.

MOBILE TECHNOLOGY

Mobile Technology helped me to fulfil my dreams. My first high-tech gadget was

a pager. When, I started my career as a voice talents and dubber of ABS CBN,

the only means of communication that time was a pager, the year was 1996. I

got my very first mobile phone in 1998 and it was a second hand Nokia 5110

I’ve bought from my co-dubber.

As of today. Because of this

gadget, I had a chance to produce

and create thousands of voice

over works from different client

because they communicate with

me through my mobile phone. I

still remember when I lost my

phone and also lost a lot of

project, opportunities and money

because that’s the only way to

contact and reach me.

YOUTH ADVOCACY, VOICE OF THE YOUTH NETWORK AND MEDIA

I am dedicated youth

advocate for years,

who has always

inspired young people

– motivated them and

make them move.

This is through the

organization I

founded, the Voice of

the Youth (VOTY)

Network – a

volunteer

organization of young

people encouraging

the Filipino youth to believe in themselves and to promote positive social

change. VOTY already received numerous citations and awards, most notable is

the Youth Action Net Award by International Youth Foundation awarded in

Washington D.C. in 2003 and Global Youth Action in Action Award by Global

Youth Action Network (GYAN) awarded in New York City in 2004. I was also

awarded in Quezon City as one of Youth Achievers Award in 2003.

One if its pioneering project is a radio program dubbed as VOTY Radio which has

been airing for five years now over DZME 1530kHz (Sundays 9 – 10AM). We

also have a radio program in DZSR Sports Radio (Saturdays 10-11AM) entitled

YOUTH SERVICE.

Last August to November 2008,

I produced the first TV program

for youth volunteer entitled

VOICE OF THE YOUTH TV.

The use of mobile technology

plays a major role on our

organization especially in

inspiring, informing, involving

and empowering young people.

And these two sides of myself

honed and prepared me to step

into a higher level of becoming a

true artist and an entrepreneur –

and a true VoiceMaster.

SOCIAL ENTREPRENEUR

Through Creativoices

Productions, I opened

the doors of the

elusive, and somehow,

untapped, voice acting

industry. Not only did

Creativoices provided

jobs and projects to

our local voice talents,

scriptwriters and

translators as the

business responds to

the demand of local

and international

clients - it also made

hundreds of young

people realize their

potential to becoming

voice talents. It is no

longer enough for

aspiring voice talents to

merely have a good or

flexible voice to get

into the business. For it

would take a lot of

discipline, days or even

years of practice to

truly become a

professional and make

a living out of the craft.

VOICEWORX AND SOCIETY OF YOUNG VOICE ARTISTS OF THE

PHILIPPINES

Also, to break into the

industry is difficult

enough, and this is

where Creativoices

steps in. Its series of

voice acting and

dubbing workshops –

Voiceworx – already

had graduates getting

jobs for dubbing, voice-

overs, and

advertisements. These

first – timers did not

only enhanced their

talents, they also

gained self – confidence

and realized their

dream. My reputation in

the industry (where I’ve

been involved since I

was 16 years old) has

also become a selling

point to these

workshops as I was able

to invite the best

mentors and

practitioners to teach

aspiring voice artists

that range from

students to

professionals looking for

other avenues for their

career. And these students did not only become practitioners in the industry,

they also found potential life-long friends with one another as they get involved

with several events and projects through the workshop’s off-shoot organization

called Society of Young Voice Artists of the Philippines or SYVAP.

With its 10 workshops that produced 200 graduates to date that have been truly

consistently successful, I realize that there is really a need for it. People are

indeed willing to invest in improving their voice skills. They are just waiting for

something like Creativoices to happen. Taking into consideration that the

participants only receive the announcements of its workshops through email

Blasts, social networks and text blast – the response truly is unprecedented.

What’s also admirable is

my advocacy, which is

to promote voice acting

as an art - for it is true

that no skill, craft,

business or profession

would ever become a

legacy until it has

become an art.

Creativoices does not

only serve as a studio

for voice and audio

needs; it is also a

school, an events venue

and an avenue where

young bright minds meet. It has become a melting pot of ideas, maximizing the

fullest potential of the craft and the offerings of new technologies. And the

possibilities are indeed endless – from voice and audio services, to audio books,

to podcasts, to radio dramas and promos, to events management and speaking

engagements. To mobile phone content creation such as audio drama, which I

also did and I’m proud to say that the latest version of Yahoo Messenger was

voice by me and CreatiVoices talents.

Walking into the office make you see that

whoever owns the place is a young man

who never really left his childhood with all

the toys and action figures scattered

everwhere, the cool gadgets, the posters

of animes and movies plastered on the

walls; among all the accolades I received .

An ordinary voice talent would be content

of just having enough pay slip after

receiving a project or two once in a while

and to be kept anonymous by their various

voices.

But I had a different thing in mind. I

wanted to provide opportunities to other

people, to motivate them and to enrich

their talents. I wanted to open the Pinoy

voice talent industry to the other people

who are just waiting for such doors to be

unlocked. I also wanted to open the Pinoy

voice talent industry to the world.

(My entrepreneurial

spirit is truly

unstoppable that in

spite of the growing

success of my voice

productions company,

I recently put up the

Creativevents

Management aimed at

putting more zest and

creativity in every

events that clients

would want to stage

with the added value

of the audio-digital-

technical expertise that is sure to produce quality events.)

And I believe as a VoiceMaster , I’ve already got what I’ve wanted. Through

Creativoices Productions, My voice was heard paving the way for many other

talented Filipinos.

MOBILE TECHNOLOGY

I believe that Cell Phones or Mobiles phones have already taken in our lives and

have made their own exceptional place. Before, I consider it as a lavish and

pricey gadget, but it is now the thing I love. I couldn’t even buy a brand new

cellphone because it is too expensive. I don’t use wristwatch, because these

phones have even replaced the watches, I find it easier to see the time on my

cellphone. For I also made it as my personal notes and diary. It even acts like

my parents and wakes me up in the morning; it also keeps me updated of all

your meetings and important events, off course with the help of my secretary

and Google. It even became my personal assistant. Mobile phones replaced

many other devices. Actually I have 3 cellphones on my pocket.

To many professionals, accessing the internet has become compulsory, I am

actually online 24/7 literally. As of the moment, I think it also replaced the

laptop by enabling internet access through the mobile phone which I always use

to do, when I’m out of town and during my talks and speaking engagement to

different schools and universities or when I’m travelling.

I always listen to mp3 music and FM station through my phone. Mind you, I love

AM station more, I’m just wondering why they don’t put AM station to cellphones

only FM stations. I hope Nokia will put AM to its mobile phones. I also love using

my camera phone to shoot my everyday affairs.

Mobile phone has popularized the SMS and this has made it easy for us to send

across messages and nearly erasing the traditional mailing system. I owe

everything that I have now to this greatest invention, The Mobile Technology, it

has already got involved in my life in a positive manner and it will continue to

make my future better.

NOKIA INSIGHT MAGAZINE SINGAPORE

SHOUT IT ALL OUT

Pocholo Gonzales, 28

Social Entrepreneur

It is highly unusual to find a young man whose vision is to turn the apathy of his

country’s into passion for nation building. But such a young man can be found in

28-year old social entrepreneur, Pocholo Gonzales.

Pocholo founded Voice of the Youth (VOTY) based on personal experiences as a

young voice talent, writer, and director while I was still a student. VOTY is a

non-profit organization run entirely by youth and is dedicated to developing

leadership among talented children and youth in the Philippines, and making a

difference by focusing on education, youth participation and development,

through the use of technology and media.

The innovative VOTY, funded by Pocholo himself, has reached out to youth

through the airwaves, cyberspace and mobile technology. The organization had

its own radio youth programs to promote youth participation and development

through broadcasting, becoming the only youth programs of their kind in the

Philippines. VOTY also broadcasts a variety radio show where young people

showcase their talents. Even on the cutting-edge of technology, VOTY now

promotes youth empowerment using mobile technology. Simply by typing “Enter

VOTY” and sending the SMS to a number, one can become a cyber-member of

VOTY, and receive updates on youth events.

VOTY has grown from strength to strength and is now a multi-award winning

organization, having won the Global Youth in Action Awards 2004, Youth Action

Net Award of the International Youth Foundation 2003 and the second Quezon

City Youth Achiever’s Awards for Community Work Category 2003. Despites this

accolades, nothing is sweeter for Pocholo than being appreciated by those he

has helped. “The greatest award that I’ve received was during my birthday when

VOTY members gave me an “Award of Empowerment”, simply by giving them

empowerment, involvement and inspiration.

Pocholo’s not stopping at setting up just one award-winning organization. An

entrepreneur in all senses of the word, he has also set up his own company,

Univoicesal Productions, a recording studio, voice talent, agency, and voice-

acting school. Quizzed on his long term goals, he says, “I dream to have

programs from TV, radio, web cast, and Internet run by youth for the youth. I

also dream of having my own youth centre, a one stop shop where all youth can

come together to solve all the problems they face in life”.