1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. (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

8. 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

9. 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”.