About This Blog
Thanks for stopping by and spending some time on my blog.
When I first launched this blog in July 2016, it was meant to be a place for sharing thoughts I'd written in college about things like happiness, relationships, the environment, politics, family, and leadership. My hope was to connect with others who thought about these topics too.
Unfortunately, my external hard drive crashed, and I lost all those original writings. It was frustrating, but instead of giving up on blogging completely, I decided to continue sharing other things that I thought people might still find helpful or interesting.
Over the years, the blog has also received a few recognitions that I honestly didn’t expect:
- On June 26, 2019, Feedspot included this blog at #22 on its list of the Top 30 Philippines Lifestyle Blogs.
- Then on August 17, 2020, the blog was featured again at #81 on the Top 100 Online Business Blogs and Websites for Beginners.
Vission
To build a reliable online resource that people can genuinely find useful and easy to navigate.
Mission
To share helpful guides, tools, and resources that save people time and make information easier to find.
About the Man Behind This Blog
I'm Van Dewey Balao (VDB). Outside of my full-time corporate job, I spend most of my time being a husband, a father, and working on this blog.
When things are quiet, you’ll usually find me tweaking CSS or JavaScript and trying to improve the site little by little. I’ve reached a point where I value peace and simplicity more than anything else. These days, I’d rather spend my free time on meaningful things than deal with unnecessary drama or noisy crowds.
I’m a proud Kankanaey, part of the Igorot indigenous tribes from the Cordillera region. Fun fact: Our ancestors resisted Spanish colonization, which remains an important part of our history and identity. I speak my native dialect along with Ilocano, Tagalog, and English.
Random Facts (If You’ve Made It This Far!)
- I'm a bit of a jack of all trades and genuinely enjoy learning how things work and trying my hand at new skills.
- I’m a naturally loud talker. I honestly don’t notice it sometimes.
- I’m not anti-social — I just prefer spending time with people I genuinely connect with.
- I’ve learned to be more honest about who I am, even if not everyone agrees with me.
- If you want to make me happy, just let me sleep! I’m a huge fan of a good rest.
- Before working in an office, I spent years helping my parents as a small-scale farmer and laborer while studying.
- You might see me chewing "nganga" or moma when I visit my home province; it’s a traditional practice I still value.
- Honestly, I see myself as just an ordinary person trying to live a decent life.
- I used to smoke, but I quit in 2015 and never went back.
- I don’t have tattoos, and I’ve never really wanted one.
- I believe people should live based on their own values instead of constantly trying to meet everyone else’s expectations.
- I learned to cook, wash dishes, and do laundry at a very young age, often using a gas lamp because we didn’t have electricity back then.
- One of the turning points in my life was spending five straight days tilling land with a hoe. That experience pushed me to study harder and aim for a different kind of future.
- I’ve also worked as a "pahinante," carrying heavy loads and doing physical labor to help make ends meet.
- One of the most unforgettable experiences in my life was becoming a "convent boy."
- I’m also a former diocesan seminarian.
- Growing up, I spent more time working than playing, and there were moments when I even thought about running away from home.
- Working on the farm was totally normal for us, but I know for many, it's hard to imagine doing that kind of strenuous work daily, especially under extreme weather conditions.
It’s completely fine if we don’t agree on everything. Different perspectives are part of life.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the story behind this blog?
This blog started in 2016 as a personal space for sharing thoughts and reflections. Over time, it slowly grew into a resource hub where I share guides, blogging tips, faith-related topics, and useful online tools.
Who is the man behind the blog?
I'm Van Dewey Balao, a tech enthusiast and proud member of the Kankanaey Igorot tribe. I balance family life, a full-time corporate job, and maintaining this blog as a personal project and resource site.
Are you a priest?
No, I am not a priest. I am a lay Catholic who shares Faith & Life content. I advocate for accuracy in how I am addressed, so please avoid adding 'Fr.' before my name on blogs or social media posts to avoid confusion.
Do you develop custom Blogger templates from scratch?
I don't build them from the ground up, but I love tinkering with CSS and JavaScript to optimize sites. I handpick and promote modern, responsive, AdSense-friendly templates to help others save time.
Do you provide licenses for the templates in your list?
Licensing is handled by the original authors. Since every designer has different terms, I recommend checking their specific websites directly to ensure you have the right permissions.
Where can I find your recommended Blogger templates?
You can browse my curated collection of stylish and SEO-optimized templates here: https://vandeweybalao.blogspot.com/2025/03/best-stylish-blogger-templates.html