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I would like to begin by expressing my heartfelt gratitude to my sponsors, createIT, for generously covering my travel and accommodation expenses for WordCamp Asia 2025. This WordCamp Asia 2025 experience is something I will cherish throughout my career, as the event reignited a passion that had dimmed over the years.

Sessions

If only I could attend every session, I would have been there each day. Fortunately, all the sessions were recorded and uploaded to YouTube. This ensures no one misses out on the WordCamp Asia 2025 experience! My first WordCamp was in 2018. Back then, I was overwhelmed by the schedule and missed sessions I intended to attend.

This year, I took a proactive approach by plotting my own schedule and printing it. I created physical copies of my WordCamp itinerary. I marked each session as complete once attended, which helped me stay focused. I’m glad the website’s schedule page allows marking and emailing the schedule list. However, I preferred creating my own to familiarize myself with the schedule and format it to my liking.

Most sessions I attended were technical. I wanted to enhance my skills and stay updated on the latest WordPress developments. I first attended Ryan Welcher’s session, “The Block Developer Cookbook: WC Asia 2025 Edition.” It was a workshop where I enjoyed “cooking” blocks with him! Initially, I found creating blocks intimidating. Ryan’s cookbook, with its clear explanations and provided code, made me realize there was nothing to fear. I thoroughly enjoyed the workshop!

More Valuable Sessions

Other sessions I found valuable included Celia Rozalén Martín’s “Pocket to Post: Manage and Automate Your Site from Your Phone,” where she demonstrated how to automate posts from your phone to your WordPress site, encouraging a more relaxed lifestyle—live a chill life. Milana Cap’s “WordPress Gems for Devs: Fresh New Features You’ll Actually Want to Use” showcased the WP_HTML_Tag_Processor as a replacement for preg_match(), and the Interactivity API, which provides standard interactions for blocks. Birgit Pauli-Haack’s “Create a Demo with Playground” explored WP Playground, demonstrating how you can instantly run WordPress to test themes/plugins. When asked about security concerns, she mentioned they are working on it, but for now, it’s best to run locally to secure premium plugins and protect intellectual property.

Interactive Activity

The organizers of WordCamp Asia 2025 added a unique touch to the event by gamifying the interactive activities, enhancing the overall experience. One standout activity was the “Duck Challenge,” where participants hunted for miniature rubber ducks. A special prize awaited those who found the “duckling egg” (Nickname: Balut), while regular ducks offered bragging rights as a treasure hunter.

This game drew inspiration from the concept of “Rubber Duck Debugging,” popularized by Andrew Hunt and David Thomas. It’s amusing how we ‘hunt’ the rubber ducks—well played, organizers! Essentially, rubber duck debugging is a technique for solving coding problems by explaining your code aloud to an inanimate object, like a rubber duck. Over the years, my “rubber ducks” have been my desk buddies.

Being competitive, I found the duck hunt challenging until I unexpectedly succeeded. While engrossed in completing the “Bingo Game” (which I’ll explain later), I approached an organizer, Anand, and we struck up a conversation. I asked if he could sign the bingo card box for “Connect with an organizer,” and he gladly obliged. We chatted about his experience in the Philippines and his visit to one of the best tourist destinations, Palawan. It was delightful talking with him. Before we parted, he asked if I had found a rubber duck. When I said no, he handed me one! I didn’t expect that, and he explained it was because I was genuinely connecting with people, not just collecting signatures. I will never pass up a great conversation, as I believe everyone carries a fascinating story worth hearing.

Bingo Card Game

Next, let’s dive into another engaging activity, the “Bingo Card Game,” an initiative executed with the help of some amazing local team members and led by Anand. This bingo card game challenged participants to answer trivia questions about the Philippines and the event venue, place stickers collected from each session, and gather signatures or names of people who met specific criteria.

Initially, I was determined to complete the bingo card, but some boxes remained unfilled because I couldn’t attend Contributor’s Day. Instead, I shifted my focus to meeting people, using the bingo card as a wonderful excuse to get to know them. My extroverted side flourished, and I made new friends and connections.

Listening to their stories and experiences made me realize that I wasn’t just engaging with people to complete the game; I was using it as a conversation starter. I’m thrilled this game existed. As a bonus, my raffle ticket was selected, and I won a prize for completing the bingo card game!

Community

The WordCamp Asia 2025 event attracted a diverse group of attendees, not just from Asia, but from all over the world! The massive support for WordCamp Asia was evident, showcasing a community built on inclusivity and empowerment. Everyone was there to learn from the best, and this is what I truly miss—learning in person. I met new friends and connections, which I will cherish. Learning from insightful sessions and discovering stories and cultures from people around the globe. These types of events are what strengthens the organization.

To the organizers and volunteers, you did an outstanding job pulling off one of the best WordCamps yet. Your hard work truly paid off! Everyone was accommodating and incredibly helpful. Kudos to all of you!

Let’s also acknowledge the sponsors for believing in WordCamps and helping attendees understand more about their products, while giving back through fantastic raffle prizes! There were a couple of sponsors whose products I’ve used. I don’t know about you, but when I meet the people behind the products and plugins I use and get to talk to them personally, I feel proud. Maybe it’s just me fangirling, or perhaps it’s the confidence that they are improving their products based on consumer needs.

Exciting news—the next WordCamp Asia will be held in Mumbai, India! How thrilling is that!?

Takeaway

Reflecting on my WordCamp Asia 2025 experience, I have several key takeaways that have made this journey both educational and inspiring. Firstly, the importance of community was evident throughout the event. Meeting new friends and forming connections with people from diverse backgrounds enriched my understanding and appreciation of the global WordPress community. Secondly, the technical sessions provided invaluable insights into the latest WordPress developments, enhancing my skills and confidence in using new tools and techniques. Lastly, the interactive activities, like the Duck Challenge and Bingo Card Game, highlighted the value of engaging with others and learning through fun and creativity. This experience has reinforced my belief that there is always something new to learn each day and countless amazing people to learn from. It reminds me of my journey into technology, as shared in my article “Tech and I, How I Got Into It.” I truly value this experience and look forward to applying what I’ve learned in my future endeavors.

As a music lover and an avid fan of EDM, I often find myself drawing parallels between the vibrant world of electronic dance music and the diverse landscape of programming languages. Each EDM genre has its own unique characteristics, just like programming languages do. Imagine if we could explore how the qualities of popular programming languages align with various EDM genres. In this article, we explore how programming languages as EDM genres highlight the unique characteristics of both fields. Let’s dive into this fun and creative comparison!

Exploring the Vibrant World of Programming Languages as EDM Genres

1. Python – Chillstep

Python is known for its clean and easy-to-read syntax, making it accessible for beginners. Similarly, Chillstep offers a laid-back vibe with smooth melodies and gentle beats, perfect for relaxation.

Additionally, just as Chillstep can blend with various other genres, Python is versatile, used in web development, data analysis, artificial intelligence, and more.

Track:

2. JavaScript – House

JavaScript brings websites to life with interactivity, much like House music energizes the dance floor with its infectious beats, rhythms, and uplifting melodies. Moreover, the House genre has a strong community, with countless sub-genres and collaborations, paralleling JavaScript’s vast ecosystem of libraries and frameworks like React and Node.js.

Track:

3. Java – Trance

Java is known for its strong typing and object-oriented structure, providing reliability in large applications. Trance music, with its uplifting melodies and build-ups, creates a sense of euphoria and stability on the dance floor.

Furthermore, just as Trance has stood the test of time, Java remains a staple in enterprise environments, proving its longevity and effectiveness.

Track:

4. C++ – Dubstep

C++ offers low-level memory manipulation and high performance, akin to Dubstep’s heavy bass drops and intricate sound design that demand attention and control.

Both C++ and Dubstep can be complex and challenging, appealing to those who enjoy diving deep into the technical aspects of programming and music production.

Track:

5. Ruby on Rails – Future Bass

Ruby on Rails is celebrated for its elegant syntax and focus on developer happiness, much like Future Bass, which is known for its melodic and emotional soundscapes.

Just as Future Bass pushes the boundaries of electronic music with its innovative production techniques, Ruby on Rails encourages creativity and innovation through its flexible and intuitive design, allowing developers to craft unique solutions.

Track:

6. C# – Trap

Trap music is characterized by its heavy use of hi-hats, deep bass, and energetic beats, similar to C#’s ability to handle complex programming tasks with its rich feature set and object-oriented design.

Just as Trap has gained immense popularity and can be found in various forms across different media, C# is widely used in game development, particularly with Unity, and is popular among developers for building Windows applications.

Track:

7. Swift – Progressive House

Swift is a modern programming language designed for iOS and macOS development, emphasizing performance and safety. Progressive House is known for its evolving soundscapes and innovative production techniques, creating a journey for listeners.

Just as Progressive House is accessible yet sophisticated, Swift is designed to be easy to learn while offering powerful features for developers.

Track:

8. Go – Techno

Go is designed for high performance and efficient concurrency, making it ideal for scalable applications. Techno, with its repetitive beats and driving rhythms, creates an immersive experience that keeps the energy flowing.

Both Go and Techno embrace minimalism, focusing on what’s essential to create powerful outcomes without unnecessary complexity.

Track:

9. Kotlin – Synthpop

Synthpop is known for its catchy melodies and modern electronic sounds, much like Kotlin’s concise and expressive syntax that makes programming enjoyable and efficient.

Just as Synthpop combines innovation with accessibility, Kotlin offers modern features that enhance productivity while being easy to learn and use, making it a favorite among mobile developers.

Track:

10. PHP – Drum and Bass

Drum and Bass is known for its dynamic beats and versatility, much like PHP’s ability to adapt to various web development tasks with its flexible and dynamic nature.

Just as Drum and Bass has a global following and presence in diverse music scenes, PHP is widely used across the web, powering a significant portion of websites and applications.

Track:

Conclusion

In conclusion, comparing programming languages to EDM genres allows us to appreciate their unique qualities. Each brings something distinct to the table. Whether you’re coding in PHP or dancing to House music, both worlds offer creativity, community, and a sense of joy. Selecting tracks that resonate with each programming language was a delightful challenge, reflecting the personal connections we form with both code and music. So next time you’re debugging your code or enjoying a festival, think about the parallels between these two fascinating realms!

Let your creativity flow, both in code and on the dance floor! Check out my daily tools as a programmer that might help enhance your coding journey.

Growing up, I’ve always dreamt of being an astronaut. I loved the idea of exploring the unknown and pushing the limits of human knowledge. However, as I got older, my interests began to shift towards tech. My first encounter with a computer happened in third grade when I started playing video games. From that point on, I was hooked.

Early years

In fourth grade, I got interested in tech during my first ever computer class that taught me basic computer functionalities and peripherals. We had typing contests, and built Christmas trees made out of special characters that was made possible by a program compiler. I was fascinated by how computers work and what it could do. As I got older, I started to explore more of what technology had to offer.

In high school, I was introduced to programming using Turbo C, and then later on, I learned about web development using HTML and CSS. It was during this time that I realized how much I enjoyed programming and creating things on the computer. I also found myself customizing my friendster social media profile using HTML and CSS to personalize it. Unfortunately, the social media website had to shutdown because of lack of engagement by the online community. So my personalized webpage is lost forever.

Profession

After graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering Major in Computer Networks, I became a software engineer by profession. It was a dream come true to work in an industry that I was passionate about. However, I knew that I wanted to do more and move up the ladder. So I took the job as a deputy manager to hone my leadership skills but still work as a programmer at the same time. I have set career goals for myself to direct me to a path where my experience, efforts, and skills will be used. My ultimate goal really is to own a software company or a company where my skills are needed and can help make the world a better place.

Realization

I believe that a career is pursued based on a person’s life experience and what they want and need. I do hope that people do what they love to do and be happy about it. You know? Find your own true calling.

Being a woman in tech hasn’t been easy, but I’ve never let that stop me. I’ve faced challenges, but I’ve learned to push through and prove myself. I believe that women have a lot to offer to the tech industry, and it’s important to encourage more women to pursue careers in this field.

In conclusion, pursuing a passion for technology has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. It has taught me to be patient, persistent, and to never give up on my dreams. If you’re thinking about a career in tech, don’t let anything stop you. Follow your passions and see where they take you.

In any job, one should have their daily tools. As simple as a pen and paper for an author, or as complex as the large hadron collider for a scientist.

The following that I am about to enumerate are software applications or websites that I use when working on projects on a daily basis. You’re probably here because you’d like to get some recommendations on what to use, or you’re just exploring around. Here are my important daily tools while working!

Coding Daily Tool: Visual Studio Code

Visual Studio Code (VS Code) takes the number 1 spot for the daily tools I use. It is a code editor that mainly helps me with creating and modifying project files. This editor supports many programming languages that many programmers use and it has intelli-sense. Intelli-sense means it detects code in a file if it is incomplete or has warnings/errors.

This editor has hundreds of themes available in the application’s marketplace. And you can even program your own theme if you’re up for the challenge.

There is more to this software than just themes. You can also integrate this editor with useful extensions to make your project development easier. Some honorable mentions for extensions: GitLens, PHP Extension Pack, and Path Intellisense.

There are plenty of editors to choose from as an alternative like Vim, Notepad++, Sublime Text, and Atom, just to name a few.

VS Code, Sublime Text, and Atom are similar. I have used the other two previously and I can recall a few incidents where the application crashed while using them, which I haven’t experienced with VS Code yet. They are customizable and those editors can be tweaked for your preferences as well.

I’ve been using VS Code for years now because of personal preferences in terms of usage, visual comfortability, and I haven’t experienced application crashes.

Knowledge-based Tool: Stack Overflow

Stack Overflow is a knowledge sharing platform that assists me while I code. Errors or warnings sometimes appear while developing a site or an application. And Stack Overflow is a database or a huge library of answers from users who experienced warnings/errors before. If not all, majority of the chosen answers have good explanations on why this occurred, and how to fix it step-by-step.

This website has collaboration features that enables other users or moderators to modify answers to correct it and provide a deeper explanation. Keep in mind that not all answers are correct fixes of the errors that’s why the community has the power to upvote or downvote the answers.

Like any other website that allows users to post anything, there are rules to follow for easy moderation. Better read the guidelines first before posting a question. Your question might be flagged as duplicate of an existing one, or be removed.

I’ve been a member since 2013, and at some point I was active in answering questions. I spend a few hours weekly during the first year looking for new questions, and gave answers (to the best of my abilities) as quickly as possible.

For the past few years, what I usually do is upvote useful and deserving questions and answers, and vote for the yearly community moderator elections. Having a reach of approximately 25k brings a little bit of pride because my answers helped a lot of people. And I know how it feels to be stuck on something, being helpless, and get stressed because of an error that’s not been fixed yet.

Stack Overflow has helped me through the years, and I thank the community for countless times of them saving my a**.

Project Management Tool: ActiveCollab

ActiveCollab is a tool for solving project management needs. Similar software that some of you might know are Jira, and Trello. I’ve been using ActiveCollab for months now and I prefer this than the others.

For those of you who don’t know, ActiveCollab offers organizing projects that can be split into tasks and subtasks, and set due dates. There are many features that ActiveCollab offers but what I really like about it is that it has its own time tracker for tasks, lets me know my daily and weekly hours, and the user interface (UI) is friendly for me.

It is not too overwhelming like Jira, and not as plain as Trello.

Project Repository Tool: GitLab

GitLab is a platform mainly for source code management. It is a place for users to maintain, monitor, and secure projects.

Similar to this are GitHub and Bitbucket.

GitHub was once my daily tool, but as you can see in my GitHub profile, I haven’t contributed there as much as before. For now, I am using a GitLab private server therefore making it my number 1.

Conclusion

There are a few tools that I haven’t mentioned here because I don’t use it everyday. I might create a separate blog for a complete list some other time.

My daily tools might differ from yours because of our personal preferences. This article is not about invalidating your preferred tools, but rather an appreciation article for the software/application developers and the community for making my daily life as a programmer comfortable and as convenient as ever.

Happy coding!