In the progressive city of Muntinlupa in the Philippines, the City Government led by Mayor Ruffy Biazon formally signed the memorandum of agreement (MOA) with three cinema operators – Alabang Town Center, Festival Mall and SM Center Muntinlupa – granting free admission for senior citizens with limits starting July 6, 2026, according to a Manila Bulletin news report.
This move effectively restored the movie benefit of senior citizens in the city. Regarding the limitations of the benefit, free movie admissions will happen once-a-week, either on Monday or Tuesday.
To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…
Senior citizens in Muntinlupa will once again be able to watch movies for free starting July 6, following the signing of an agreement between the city government and cinema operators.
On July 1, Muntinlupa Mayor Ruffy Biazon signed a memorandum of agreement with SM Center Muntinlupa, Festival Mall, and Alabang Town Center granting senior citizens free movie admission.
Biazon said bona fide residents of Muntinlupa can avail themselves of the free movie admission once a week, either on Monday or Tuesday.
In May, Biazon signed City Council Resolution No. 2026-333, which authorized him to enter into the agreement with cinema operators in the city.
The resolution stated: “Senior Citizens of Muntinlupa City are given preferential attention and priority to enjoy additional grants of incentives as an expression of gratitude for their invaluable contribution to the progress and prosperity of Muntinlupa City.”
This latest development will eventually attract more senior citizens to enter the specific commercial places that have cinemas. Festival Mall’s modern cinemas are located at the 4th floor (AKA 3rd level) while those at Alabang Town Center are on the ground floor. Watching movies on the big screen inside the cinema is more immersive and clearly better than streaming.
Streaming extremists who oppose cinema viewing cannot argue with the fact that almost all movies released from long ago were made for the big screen inside the theaters, not for smartphones, not for laptops and not for TV sets. I should state that senior citizens can enjoy spending time inside commercial joints socializing with friends after watching movies, and it definitely is not ideal for them to spend all their free time inside their homes. There is the human need for the temporary change of place and it is only the cinema that can provide them the immersive, big screen entertainment experience.
If you wish to join a group of movie enthusiasts and talk about cinema, cinematic trends, Blu-ray releases and more relevant stuff, visit the Movie Fans Worldwide Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/322857711779576
Since July 1, the departure tax in Japan has been raised significantly covering both Japanese and foreign travelers in what is clearly a move to fund measures against the rising number of issues related with the surge of inbound tourism, according to a news report by Kyodo News. At the same time, visa fees were also raised dramatically.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the report of Kyodo News. Some parts in boldface…
The Japanese government on Wednesday tripled the departure tax to 3,000 yen ($18) per person to fund measures against issues arising from the surge in inbound tourism.
Fees for foreigner visitors who need visas to enter Japan were also hiked on Wednesday, rising fivefold to 15,000 yen for single-entry and 30,000 yen for multiple entries. Meanwhile, on the same day, the government reduced passport application fees for Japanese nationals to make up for the added burden from the departure tax.
The tax is collected through travel ticket purchases, regardless of the passenger’s nationality. The government will use the tax income primarily to finance measures aimed at easing congestion, such as setting up designated areas at popular photo spots that are often crowded with foreign tourists.
It will also support regional tourism initiatives, such as turning local railways into tourist attractions and renovating station buildings, in an effort to attract visitors away from heavily congested areas.
Travelers transiting through Japan and staying less than 24 hours in the country, as well as children under the age of 2, are exempt from the tax. Passengers who purchased their travel tickets by Tuesday were charged the original departure tax of 1,000 yen.
Known officially as the international tourist tax, it raised about 49 billion yen in fiscal 2025 ended March and is expected to generate around 130 billion yen in fiscal 2026.
The tax is collected by airlines, cruise lines and travel agencies upon purchase of air and sea tickets departing Japan and remitted to the government, according to the Japan Tourism Agency.
The hike in entry visa fees was the first increase since 1978.
Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said earlier the fees were raised to reflect inflation and the yen’s depreciation, and that the move is not expected to have an immediate impact on inbound tourism.
Japan’s visa fees had been considered low compared with those charged by other Group of Seven countries.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this development? What can you say about the hiked fees regarding Japanese visa and the departure tax? Do you plan to visit Japan very soon?
Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at @CarloCarrascoPH as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco
Welcome back my readers, YouTube viewers and all others who followed this series of articles focused on YouTube videos worth watching.
Have you been searching for something fun or interesting to watch on YouTube? Do you feel bored right now and you crave for something to see on the world’s most popular online video destination?
I recommend you check out the following videos I found.
#1 CinePals React To Scary Movie (2000) – In my honest opinion, Scary Movie (2000) is still the best film parody Hollywood has released in the 21st century. The film is loaded with jokes, pop culture references and fine acts by Anna Faris, Marlon Wayans and Shannon Elizabeth to name a few. In relation to the 2026 movie Scary Movie, the original film was featured in new reaction videos from YouTubers and I enjoyed watching CinePals’ reaction video of it. I encourage you to watch it now.
#2 Xbox Sports Network (XSN) Revisited – When Microsoft entered the competitive video game console industry with the original Xbox in 2001, they really invested a lot of money to make first-party games as they could not yet form strong business relationships with game companies that had been doing business with PlayStation and Nintendo. Along the way, Team Xbox established its very own lineup of exclusive, first-party sports video games with licenses of professional sports leagues or associations. That was the Xbox Sports Network (XSN or XSN Sports) and it had Xbox-exclusive games of the NBA, NFL, NHL and alternative sports. Sadly, XSN lasted only a few years and you can learn much more by watching the retrospective videos below.
#3 Ranting For Vengeance Exposes Racist And Woke Agenda Behind Matt Reeves’ Batman – If you actually enjoyed Matt Reeves’ The Batman in 2022, did you even notice the wickedness of wokeness behind it all? Matt Reeves is still pushing with the woke agenda on the cinematic Batman which is very unfortunate. To learn more, I urge you to watch the video of Ranting For Vengeance who explains a lot of things in great details. At the same time, be aware that there are lots of woke nuts, modern-day Commies, socialists and reckless social justice warriors (SJWs) who are operating as fake fans obsessed with hijacking established entertainment to turn it all into their own. Ranting For Vengeance has a huge wake-up call for Batman fans, comic readers and superhero fans in general.
#4 Retro Alleyway In Tokyo – I have been to Tokyo in Japan a long time ago. Sadly, I was unable to visit the retro alleyway district where there are lots of small shops and food joints to visit. Such a place keeps on attracting both locals and foreign tourists as there is so much to discover and experience there. Watch and learn from the in-depth video of Nippon TV below.
#5 Einhänder Revisited – Released on PlayStation in the late 1990s, Einhänder was an ambitious 3D polygonal side-scrolling shooter game that created a lot buzz and won the admiration of many as a lot of gamers enjoyed it. Einhänder was arguably a serious attempt by SquareSoft – already famous for role-playing games (RPGs) – to offer gamers something new, engaging and cinematic in the genre of 2D side-scrolling shooters. Behind the scenes, SquareSoft had Tatsuo Fujii as the game director and his experience working on Gradius II and Xexex with Konami was evident in Einhänder’s design. To learn more about the history of the game, watch the video below.
#6 CineBinge And You, Me And The Movies React To Child’s Play 2 – In 1991, my friends and I saw Child’s Play 2 and Child’s Play 3 on home video. Having seen both films, most of us enjoyed Child’s Play 2 over its follow-up. A classmate of mine who saw all three Child’s Play movies pointed to Child’s Play 2 as the very best and the most replayable one. Still, one has to wonder if Child’s Play 2 aged well after more than three decades. To see if the old movie has any impact on YouTubers, watch the reaction videos of CineBinge and You, Me and the Movies below.
#7 Jodi Huisentruit Still Missing – Since late-June of 1995, American television news anchor Jodi Huisentruit has been missing. No matter how much time and effort were invested to solve the case, her disappearance was never solved. In 2001, she was declared legally dead. There were theories about how she disappeared but no breakthroughs happened. The website FindJodi.com is dedicated to solving the mystery and remains active. As such, now is the ideal time to revisit Jodi Huisentruit’s disappearance and learn the crucial details by watching the videos below. Do you personally know someone who went missing without a trace?
#8 Ashleigh Burton Reacts To Steven Spielberg’s Hook – Way back in 1991, Steven Spielberg’s movie Hook was heavily promoted here in the Philippines complete with trailers and print ads. While the film was released in North American theaters during the Christmas season, it opened in Philippine cinemas on February 8, 1992. Hook is a cinematic take on the classic Peter Pan story but with the concept of Peter being a grown man and a father of two children. The film was not universally admired by the movie critics but it still made over $300 million worldwide. Behind it all, Spielberg described himself being a victim of the Peter Pan syndrome and he worked on making Hook with a lot of heart. To find out if Hook has any real emotional impact, watch Ashleigh Burton’s reaction video below.
There is a surging global demand for ube (purple yam) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) says the Philippines is missing out on it as its ube production declined a lot in 2025, according to a news report by the Manila Bulletin.
Ube has long been produced here in the Philippines and it has been consumed in its standalone form and also has been used as a key ingredient in making other delicacies. The strong international demand for ube of recent times is new. The purple yam is also used in certain flavors of ice cream.
To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the report of the Manila Bulletin. Some parts in boldface…
The Philippines is well-positioned to meet the surging international demand for ube (purple yam), but persistent gaps in domestic production are limiting its ability to capitalize on this export potential, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
In a market brief dated June 26, the USDA noted that the country’s ube production has significant room for expansion given its growing global appeal, driven by consumers who increasingly favor novel flavors and plant-based products.
Citing data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), the USDA reported that the country produced only 12,483 metric tons (MT) of ube in 2025, a 6.7 percent decline from the 13,382 MT recorded the previous year.
The limited output was attributed to several constraints, including scarce planting materials, fragmented smallholder production, and insufficient processing capacity.
According to the USDA, these chronic gaps keep the ube sector underdeveloped relative to its massive market potential.
“Strengthening the ube value chain—from input supply and farm production to processing and market linkages—presents significant opportunities for increasing farmer incomes, expanding rural employment, and growing agricultural exports,” the report read.
To unlock the sector’s full potential, the USDA suggested that the government explore coordinated investment programs to address these production bottlenecks in a unified manner. One such initiative is the USDA’s Food for Progress (FFPr) program, which has identified the Philippine ube value chain as a priority sector.
In a formal notice, the USDA announced plans to award $34.12 million in funding to an eligible organization to implement a field-based project aimed at boosting ube output in both Luzon and the Visayas.
This private-sector partner will be tasked with developing a strategy aligned with existing government and donor programs to tackle key challenges, particularly where access to high-quality inputs remains limited.
Other planned interventions include training farmers on good agricultural practices and financial readiness, strengthening farmer groups and cooperatives, upgrading postharvest systems and processing quality, and promoting the adoption of sustainable technologies.
Erlier, the Department of Agriculture (DA) proposed establishing a steering committee and a technical working group to streamline government coordination and harness the ube sector’s growth trajectory.
The body would define the official scope of ube, standardize raw and processed products, and harmonize quality requirements across agencies and exporters.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this development? Do you consider the UDSA’s assessment on Philippine ube as a serious wake-up call? What delicacies involving purple yam have you eaten lately? What do you think are the main factors as to why ube production in the Philippines declined a lot in 2025?
There is no denying the fact that fraud and other forms of crime went up in the United States whenever illegal aliens get involved. Recently an illegal alien was sentenced to eight years in prison for his involvement in an $89 fraudulent payroll scheme that saw illegal alien construction workers and their employers evade taxes, according to a news report by Breitbart. The convicted illegal alien criminal is from Honduras.
To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the report of Breitbart. Some parts in boldface…
An illegal alien has been sentenced to eight years in federal prison for his involvement in an $89 million fraudulent payroll scheme that saw illegal alien construction workers and their employers evade taxes.
“Today, we held an illegal alien from Honduras accountable for a brazen scheme that stole more than $38 million from American taxpayers to facilitate the employment of illegal aliens,” Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald said.
“This case exposes how unchecked illegal immigration fuels widespread payroll tax fraud and underground economies that harm American workers and taxpayers,” McDonald said. “This sentence sends a strong message: Those who exploit our open borders, cheat the U.S. Treasury, and violate federal laws will face justice.”
Department of Justice (DOJ) officials detailed how the illegal alien helped operate the payroll scheme through several maneuvers to ensure that illegal construction workers were kept off the books:
According to court documents and statements made in court, from 2015 to 2022, Mario Flores, of Honduras, an illegal alien, conspired with others to create a series of shell companies to run an unlicensed check cashing and cash courier service business. These shell companies cashed approximately $89 million in checks from subcontractors in the construction industry, charging them a percentage of the dollar amount of the checks they cashed as a fee for this service. Through this scheme, construction contractors and subcontractors paid their workers in cash without withholding and paying required payroll taxes, allowing them to operate without regard to the workers’ legal authority to work in the United States. Flores also caused the filing of false tax documents with the IRS to conceal the scheme.
…
In addition, Flores and his conspirators defrauded workers’ compensation insurance companies by leasing their certificates of insurance to contractors and by providing false and fraudulent information to the insurers about, among other things, the number of workers covered by the insurance and the amount workers were paid.
“Homeland Security Investigations is committed to protecting the integrity of our financial system and enforcing our nation’s laws,” HSI’s John Condon said. “Those who orchestrate large-scale payroll tax fraud and facilitate the illegal employment of unauthorized workers will be held accountable.”
Flores pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government and one count of conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this development? Do you think America still has a lot more illegal aliens working in construction and committing fraud to this day? Do you think illegal aliens are obsessed committing fraud and harming American workers and taxpayers?
Recently in the city of Muntinlupa, local authorities rescued almost thirty individuals – including minors – who were spotted on local streets to ensure their safety, according to a Manila Bulletin news report.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…
The Muntinlupa police rescued 28 Children, Individuals, and Families in Street Situations (CIFISS) during a reach‑out operation aimed at providing assistance and intervention.
A total of 61 police personnel, 20 barangay personnel, and three personnel from the Muntinlupa City Public Information Office participated in the one-time big-time reach-out operation in Barangays Alabang and Ayala Alabang.
Col. Olivia Ancheta, Muntinlupa police chief, led the pre-deployment briefing together with barangay offices that emphasized the importance of a coordinated, humane, and community-centered approach in assisting CIFISS.
CIFISS includes minors who live and spend time on the streets, adults who live in public spaces, and families living on the streets due to economic hardship. The composite teams were deployed to target areas, including a terminal and the Alabang viaduct.
The rescued individuals were turned over to the Barangay Social Services Department of Barangay Alabang for documentation, assessment, and the provision of interventions and social welfare services.
Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? If you are a resident of Muntinlupa City, do you approve the way the local authorities rescued the individuals spotted on city streets?
For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagement, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
Welcome back readers, fellow geeks and electronic gaming fans!
In this edition of the Retro Gaming Ads Blast (RGAB) series, we will take a look at another batch of retro gaming print ads from the 1980s to the early 2000s.
For the newcomers reading this, Retro Gaming Ads Blast (RGAB) looks back at the many print ads of games (console, arcade, computer and handheld) that were published in comic books, magazines, flyers, posters and newspapers long before smartphones, social media, the worldwide web and streaming became popular. To put things in perspective, people back in the 1980s to the 1990s were more trusting of print media for information and images about electronic games and related products.
With those details laid down, here is the newest batch of retro gaming print ads for you to see and enjoy…
1. Berzerk Arcade Flyer
The front.
The rear.
Could you imagine being trapped deep within a maze surrounded by dangerous robots (plus one other unstoppable enemy) capable firing laser blasts at you? This was the concept behind the design of Berzerk, an arcade game released by Stern Electronics in 1980. Released at a time when science fiction became wildly popular in American entertainment, Berzerk was immersive for gamers and the multidirectional gameplay feature was captivating for many. To promote the game, Stern Electronics came up with a customized visual design that blended 2D sprite elements with a photograph of two people and some hand-drawn art pieces. The front of the flyer emphasized accurate the core concept of the game while the rear explained the technical details. They even played with their company name with the line “Stern goes berzerk!”
2. Rush’n Attack North American Arcade Flyer
The arcade flyer for North America
During the late stages of the Cold War, Konami made a lot of military-themed video games which resonated not only with those who were already aware about the global conflict but also with gamers who craved for action and excitement. One of those games was Rush’n Attack (alternative title: Green Beret) which was released in American arcades in late-1985. Konami came up with an arcade flyer showing four people (looking like an American family) having a good time in front of an arcade cabinet, and three screenshots of the game were displayed on the lower half. Rush’n Attack – which was deliberately titled to resemble the phrase “Russian attack” due to its obvious Cold War setting – went on to succeed commercially and critically. One notable game review compared Rush’n Attack favorably with the movie Rambo: First Blood Part II.
3. Turbo Out Run North American Arcade Flyer
The flyer.
Following the massive success Sega achieved with Out Run in 1986, the company went on to release the follow-up Turbo OutRun three years later. As seen in their North American flyer, Sega emphasized the in-game locations, the look of the machine with the driver’s seat and steering wheel, and the excitement they can expect. Turbo OutRun went on to become successful in the arcades worldwide and it got ported to a variety of consoles and computer systems in the years that followed. On its own, the arcade flyer sparked excitement for gamers.
4. Air Duel Japanese Arcade Flyer
The artwork here is captivating to look at.
Released in Japanese arcades in 1990, Air Duel from Irem is an intense and fast-paced 2D sprite vertically scrolling shooter that attracted a lot of players. It had a war theme and its aesthetic has a mix of military and somewhat futuristic science fiction elements. The game’s arcade flyer featured a very intriguing artwork by Takashi Yamasaki showing two aircrafts flying over a city heading towards a massively large enemy in the distance. In my opinion, the artwork alone is pretty engaging to see and it’s more than enough to make me think about playing the game.
5. Spellbound Adaptor Print Ad
The Spellbound Adaptor print ad in Europe. UK design and manufacturing emphasized.
Remember back in the old days when there were hardware lockouts on game consoles that prevented users from playing games imported from different regions? In Europe, a special cheat and regional bypass cartridge called the Spellbound Adaptor was released and it allowed Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) users to bypass the lockouts and play games from overseas. The Spellbound Adaptor was notably advertised in European print media showing two sexy ladies posing with the adaptor itself (on the SNES), the television and many SNES games. The ad even includes a promo of buying the adaptor with a game of choice for only £69.95. The ad is still impactful to look at.
6. Contra III: The Alien Wars North American Print Ad
Konami’s made a huge impression visually with this 2-page print ad promoting Contra III: The Alien Wars.
By the time the SNES was launched in America in 1991, a lot of gamers who enjoyed Contra games on the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) have been craving for a sequel on the newer console. Their dreams finally came through in early 1992 when Konami released Contra III: The Alien Wars on the SNES, and it was a lot more than visual upgrade as it had groundbreaking features connected with the game developers’ clever use of the console’s technology. Konami was already aware of Contra’s huge following in America, so they came up with an aggressive looking print ad promoting Contra III: The Alien Wars. With a red-and-black background, the ad had a variety of screenshots that were tilted to look 3D (showing what the game offered) and used a minor space for the descriptive text and image of the game box. This old print ad is one of the finest ways to promote a sequel while also emphasizing the next-generation experience fans can enjoy. This ad is a classic!
7. Apocalypse Print Ads
With Bruce Willis’ face, this 2-page Apocalypse print ad captured the attention of readers.
The more action-oriented 2-page print ad of Apocalypse. Bruce Willis is more visible here.
Believe it or not, Hollywood legend Bruce Willis actually starred in the ambitious video game titled Apocalypse. Before its 1998 released on PlayStation, Apocalypse started with the player character having an AI-controlled partner named Trey Kincaid to be played by Willis. Publisher Activision signed a multi-million Dollar deal with Bruce Willis to use his likeness and voice for the Trey character. Eventually the Trey Kincaid role was modified to be the playable character. Given the huge deal signed with the super star and the additional costs that came with game design revisions, Activision launched an aggressive marketing campaign for Apocalypse and they heavily used Bruce Willis’s name and imagery. Ultimately the game sold less than one million copies and yet Activision was satisfied with the sales which convinced them to go back to Apocalypse developer Neversoft for a new project.
8. R-Type Delta North American Print Ad
R-Type Delta was the 4th game of the R-Type series and also the first to be made with 3D polygons.
R-Type, the long-running series of 2D side-scrolling shooters by Irem, fully embraced 3D polygons with R-Type Delta on PlayStation in 1998. To promote the game in North America, Irem and their partner Agetec went all-in emphasizing their series shift into 3D polygonal graphics while promising new in-game weapons. Very smartly, they included positive quotes from Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM), PlayStation Magazine (PSM) and Official PlayStation Magazine (OPM) to show credibility. In recent times, an enhanced version of R-Type Delta (R-Type Delta: HD Boosted) was released on modern game console and PC.
9. Racing Lagoon Japanese Print Ad
Have you ever played this game from SquareSoft?
Released in 1999 for PlayStation only in Japan, Racing Lagoon was one of many games SquareSoft made for a genre other than role-playing games (RPGs). Released at a time when the PlayStation already had lots of racing games available from around the world, Racing Lagoon was a racing game that had role-playing elements mixed in. To promote it, SquareSoft made a print ad that had a night-time city vibe and they showed some screenshots with a unique visual style. The in-game story was influenced by the illegal street racing trend that happened in Japan during the 1980s.
10. Resident Evil – Code: Veronica North America Print Ads
Truly a next-generation Resident Evil experience first launched on the Sega Dreamcast! I know some people who bought the console just to play Resident Evil – Code: Veronica.
The 2-page print ad of RE – Code: Veronica.
When Resident Evil – Code: Veronica was released on the Sega Dreamcast in Japan in February 2000, it delivered a next-generation survival horror experience to die-hard RE fans and it was easily one of the must-have games for Dreamcast owners of the time. Along the way, RE fans and Dreamcast owners in America were already anticipating the game. Capcom had an aggressive ad campaign for the game with US gamers in mind and this particular single-page print ad showed the fan-favorite characters Claire and Chris Redfield on one corner, six selected screenshots and quotes from the published game reviews of Game Informer, Next Generation and the Official Dreamcast Magazine. The 2-page print ad had the same elements but had the Redfield siblings on the 2nd page. I remember seeing these ads on a few gaming magazines and they made me think about buying a Dreamcast just to play RE – Code: Veronica. These old ads emphasized the strong business trust between Capcom and Sega (which itself lost a lot of money and credibility with the Sega Saturn consoles and many add-on devices released years prior).
The State of Israel is literally climbing great heights as Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed the development of space lasers capable of carrying out attacks above Earth, according to a news report by The Jerusalem Post.
To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the report of The Jerusalem Post. Some parts in boldface…
Israel is developing space lasers to carry out attacks above the Earth, Defense Minister Israel Katz said Monday.
“One of the central goals that the prime minister and I set is that we are recruiting the best minds,” he said in a briefing with military reporters. “As of today, no country has the ability to mount attacks in space. We must be the leading country in the world with this capability.”
“If we achieve this, it will ensure the advantage of deterrence, of the ability to attack, destroy, and all of the other matters, versus our enemies with large resources,” he added.
Last Thursday, Katz said Israel was committed to becoming the leading player with capabilities to attack from space. But his latest statement was the first time he had specifically mentioned space lasers.
Israel is already a leading country in this field, having developed Iron Beam as a land-based space laser. During a recent visit to Elbit, The Jerusalem Post both witnessed and was informed about a project to enable fighter jets to fire lasers in the future.
Israel leads in developing laser weaponry – During the briefing, Katz seemed to be referring to Iran. Notably, during the war with Iran this year, Israel struck multiple Iranian facilities related to the space war, including those that were developing capabilities to attack satellites in space.
What remains unclear is whether Katz seeks to deter Russia and China from assisting Iran in the space race and other matters.
His statement that no other country has these capabilities was not entirely accurate, however, because both Russia and China have performed attacks on their own satellites and convincingly destroyed their test targets.
Lasers potentially could destroy enemy satellites and incinerate debris caused by attacks in space, according to foreign reports.
There has been speculation that Israel has the capability to destroy enemy satellites using the Arrow 3 missile system, which currently can strike ballistic missiles in space.
Being that Russia and China already have experience dealing with debris, however, many countries are working on other techniques, such as paralyzing, damaging, jamming, dragging, or using lasers against satellites in space.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this development? Do you think Israel will be able to achieve huge breakthroughs with its development of space lasers? Do you think having a highly efficient space laser system will enable Israel to destroy enemy satellites while enhancing national defense? What is your opinion about the current state of the space race?
It seems that economic disappointment lack of breakthroughs will keep hounding the Philippines in the short term as ANZ Research slashed its economic growth forecasts for 2026 and 2027, according to a BusinessWorld news report.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the report of BusinessWorld. Some parts in boldface…
THE PHILIPPINE ECONOMY could see its weakest post-pandemic growth this year as last year’s corruption controversies continue to weigh on confidence, compounded by accelerating inflation and rising interest rates amid the Middle East conflict, ANZ Research said.
In its latest outlook for the third quarter, the New Zealand-based think tank slashed its 2026 gross domestic product (GDP) growth forecast for the Philippines to 3.9% from 4.7%.
It likewise cut its growth outlook for 2027 to 5% from 5.6% previously.
“The Philippines’ outlook is more constrained by weak household and business confidence, elevated inflation, and higher interest rates,” ANZ Research Chief Economist for Southeast Asia and India Sanjay Mathur said on Tuesday.
Economy, Planning, and Development Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan said on Monday that the economy may grow by 3.5-4.5% this year, due to underspending and the fallout from the US-Iran war.
ANZ’s projections are below the government’s original targets of 5-6% for this year and 5.5%-6.5% next year. The Development Budget Coordination Committee has yet to release revised macroeconomic assumptions.
For 2028, ANZ sees the Philippine economy expanding by 5.5%, still below the government’s 6%-7% goal for the year.
Mr. Mathur noted that the weaker outlook also reflects expectations that lingering governance issues from last year’s flood control mess will prevent any significant rebound in public spending.
“Public spending likely bottomed in (the first quarter of) 2026, but a material recovery is unlikely until governance issues surrounding infrastructure projects are fully resolved,” he said.
In the first quarter, government spending grew by 3.22% year on year to P1.491 trillion from P1.444 trillion. It slightly improved at end-April after rising by 5.12% to P1.996.2 trillion from P1.899 trillion a year ago.
In late 2025, a flood control corruption scandal involving Public Works officials, private contractors and lawmakers took a major toll on public and business sentiment and dampened investments and government spending. This dragged the economy to its weakest growth since the COVID-19 pandemic at 4.4% last year from 5.7% in 2024.
“The Philippines stands out with negligible fiscal support, reflecting tight fiscal constraints and legal rigidities in fuel and utility pricing,” Mr. Mathur said.
Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Are you convinced that the national economy will not achieve 6% growth rate during the final years of the Marcos administration? Do you think the administration’s hosting of the ASEAN Summit and participation in a big meeting with Vladimir Putin in Russia will not result in economic breakthroughs for the Philippines?
Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at @CarloCarrascoPH as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco
Clinical trials of pig kidney transplants to humans could start as early as 2028 in two specific hospitals in Japan, according to a news report by Kyodo News. This one-of-a-kind development, if successful, could help Japan address the shortage of organ donors.
It should be recalled that a recipient of a pig kidney in the United States survived a record-breaking 271 days before the organ had to be removed. Over a hundred thousand people in America are currently waiting for organ transplants and most of them in need of kidneys.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the report of Kyodo News. Some parts in boldface…
A Japanese startup said Monday it will conduct clinical trials of pig kidney transplants to humans at two hospitals as early as 2028, which if successful would likely make them the first of their kind in the country.
It is hoped that organ transplants from pigs to humans will address the shortage of organ donors in Japan. Pig kidney transplants have previously been carried out on a trial basis in the United States and China.
According to the Meiji University venture, PorMedTec, the kidneys, which have been genetically modified to prevent organ rejection, will be transplanted at Hokkaido University Hospital in Sapporo and Shonan Kamakura General Hospital in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture.
“We want to lay the foundation of xenotransplantation in Japan,” Hiroshi Nagashima, a Meiji University professor and representative director of the company, said in a press release, referring to the surgical transfer of non-human animals’ organs to human recipients.
The startup imports genetically modified pig cells developed by U.S. biotechnology company eGenesis Inc. and produces pigs with the same features in Japan. The genes of the animal have been modified in 69 areas to prevent organs from being rejected by recipients’ bodies.
The Japanese firm said it will finalize plans for the clinical trial and hopes to promote the widespread use of the treatment for patients with severe kidney failure once manufacturing and marketing approval is granted.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this development? What is the first thing you think of when it comes to transplanting animal organs into human bodies? Are you concerned that kidneys from pigs are not 100% compatible with humans? How many members of your local community suffer from kidney-related problems?
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