Recently in the City of Muntinlupa, the Bureau of Local Government Finance under the Department of Finance (DOF) revealed that the revenues of the City Government reached P4.63 billion for the year 2023, 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 City government earned P4.63 in revenues in 2023 to rank ninth among local government units in the National Capital Region (NCR).
The Bureau of Local Government Finance under the Department of Finance released the revenue data for NCR.
Muntinlupa generated P4.63 billion in revenue last year, marking a 13 percent increase in its Annual Revenue Income (ARI) from 2022.
“We are in a crucial period of pandemic recovery. The significant growth in our revenue is a positive sign that our economy is on the right track. This growth enables us to enhance public services and better support our community,” said Mayor Ruffy Biazon.
He added, “We assure our constituents that every centavo is judiciously used to enhance social services and improve the quality of life for all Muntinlupeños.”
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 find the 2023 revenue surprising? Do you think the City Government is doing a good job financially?
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 engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
UPDATED June 11, 2024 – Actual race distance clarified to me by John Chicano and verified with Powerman Malaysia’s website. The official distance of the Elite Male contest is 10 Km run – 60 Km bike – 10 Km run. The Manila Bulletin got the race distance wrong.
Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) multi-medalist John Chicano led the Philippines to the top of the Powerman Malaysia 2024 by winning the gold medal of the Elite Male contest yesterday which was an improvement over last year’s race, according to a Manila Bulletin sports news report. Chicano also has teammates who won medals as well. The official results can be viewed by clicking here.
To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the sports news report of Manila Bulletin. Some parts in boldface…
John Chicano avenged his runner-up finish last year by capturing the gold medal in the 2024 Powerman Malaysia duathlon race in Dataran Putrajaya over the weekend.
Chicano, a double gold medalist at the 2019 Southeast Asian Games, navigated the 10-kilometer run, 40km bike, 5km run endurance race with a time of 2 hours, 41 minutes and 48 seconds to beat teammate John Patrick Ciron and dethrone last year’s champion Moysan Malo of France.
Ciron settled for the silver medal with a time of 2:47:15, while Malo crossed the finish line a few seconds later with 2:47:34 to settle for the bronze medal.
After checking in the same time with Ciron in the first run leg, Chicano slowly pulled away in the bike leg and led by five minutes heading into the final run leg. He maintained his pace to finish two minutes faster than his previous time last year.
In the distaff side, Merry Joy Trupa bagged the bronze medal after clocking 3:19:17 behind gold medalist Rendy Williams of the United States, who timed 3:09:34, and hometown bet Esther Joy Hong Li Chen, who finished with 3:13:35 for the silver medal.
For the newcomers reading this, John Chicano is one of the nation’s finest multisports athletes as he won multiple medals in SEA Games contests (including the gold medal in men’s triathlon in the 2019 SEA Games) before as well as local contests (click here and here). To get to know Chicano better, read my feature article of him by clicking here.
Residents of the City of Las Piñas will be voting in a plebiscite – to be conducted by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) – to approve or reject an ordinance that will set the territorial boundaries of all barangays on June 29, 2024, according to a Manila Bulletin news report. Voting hours will be from 7AM to 3PM.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the news report of the Manila Bulletin. Some parts in boldface…
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will conduct a plebiscite to allow Las Piñas City residents to vote for or against an ordinance that sets the territorial boundaries of the 20 barangays in the city on June 29.
City Ordinance No. 1941-23 Series of 2023 delineates the territorial boundaries of the 20 barangays in the city in accordance with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ (DENR) cadastral survey that was completed in March 2015.
The ordinance states that since the creation of the barangays in 1978, “the territorial metes and bounds of the said barangays have not been properly identified such that there are barangays whose land areas are not contiguous and/or overlapping with another barangay.”
“Moreover, confusion in the territorial boundaries of the barangays is being encountered which could cause disputes, or be subject of disputes, especially since the cadastral mapping in 1980 for the barangays conflicted with the boundaries as set forth in the Presidential Decrees,” the ordinance states.
The local government offices in Las Piñas and several national government agencies such the Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of Budget and Management, Philippine Statistics Authority, and the Comelec will be given three years from the ordinance’s ratification to make appropriate changes in their respective records to conform with the new boundaries and jurisdictions of the barangays.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a resident of Las Piñas City, what is your reaction to this development? Were you able to check if your name was included in the official list of voters for the plebiscite? Will you be voting on June 29?
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 engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
Praise and thank the Lord for the latest miracle – the successful rescue of four hostages! Keep on praying to the Lord to support Israel and for their rescue operations for more hostages. Also pray for the peace of Jerusalem.
Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from reading the comic book and doing personal research. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.
Welcome back superhero enthusiasts, 1980s arts and culture enthusiasts, Marvel Comics fans and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the year 1984 to examine a small part of the Marvel Comics universe through a tale of the Amazing Spider-Man monthly series.
Between the developments of 1980s Secret Wars limited series and the debut of Venom was the time when Peter Parker wore a black new costume as Spider-Man which happens to be the alien costume he gained while spending time with other superheroes in deep space (refer to Secret Wars #8). There was this gradual approach done by the creators to tell new tales of Spider-Man who has the symbiote attached to him most of the time.
With those details laid down, here is a look back at Amazing Spider-Man #255, published in 1984 by Marvel Comics with a story written by Tom DeFalco and drawn by Ron Frenz.
The cover.
Early story
The story begins when a black costumed figure arrives at the balcony of a tall building during night time in New York City. He carefully makes an unlawful entry into the place to steal something. The figure was the Black Fox who intends to take valuables not to feed his greed but to properly subsidize his retirement. When he touches an exquisite-looking vase, it disappears and suddenly a monstrous ape appears from nowhere surprising him. Soon enough, he finds himself surrounded by more apes and faces their human leader (one who referred to the apes as pets).
Meanwhile at his apartment, a very tired Peter Parker washes his black costume (the symbiote), reflects on recent events he went through and then goes to bed. During the night, the black costume comes to life and slowly slithers its way into the bedroom wrapping itself on the sleeping Peter…
Quality
The sneaky Black Fox has no chance of escaping Spider-Man (wearing the alien costume that would later lead to the start of Venom).
I want to start with the force of opposition the creative team came up with. This is about the powerful villain the Red Ghost who has super-apes under his control and vast wealth and resources to organize criminal activities. Red Ghost here is not your typical villain as he is actually strategic, smart and even philosophical clearly knowing what he is doing and what he needs to keep on doing crime. The retiring old thief Black Fox happens to be the very criminal that Red Ghost needs for a special task involving the machine called the Cosmicizer which is essential to his need of vastly increasing his cosmic-ray induced powers.
The Red Ghost is struggling with certain limits which are related to his need of the Black Fox to accomplish something for him with the assistance of the super apes. That being said, the presentation of evil awaiting Spider-Man in this tale is a clever move by DeFalco and Frenz.
As for the iconic webslinger, you will see more of Peter Parker’s personal struggles balancing his life between real-world living and performing as Spider-Man to help people and solve problems. In this tale, his personal life is at a low point and it does not help that his has a strained link with his Aunt May. Even though he has the alien costume that is capable of aiding him a lot, there are still problems that the superhero simply cannot solve. The dramatization here is pretty good and the way the final conflict with the main villain turned out was a pretty nice pay-off.
Conclusion
Peter Parker’s sleep has been disorderly since he brought home with him the symbiote.
Amazing Spider-Man #255 (1984) is an entertaining and intriguing read. The creative team’s decision to have the established Fantastic Four foe Red Ghost as the definitive villain for Spider-Man turned out to be a smart move and what they did was fun to read. The presence of Black Fox (note: this comic book is his debut) added a layer of depth to the plot and his declared desire to retire from the life of crime made him an intriguing addition to the Spider-Man list of villains.
Recently in the City of Las Piñas, an armed man who pretended to be a police officer got arrested after he threatened a jail officer, 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…
A man who pretended to be a police officer and threatened a jail officer was arrested early Thursday morning in Las Piñas, May 30.
Las Piñas police chief Col. Sandro Tafalla reported to the Southern Police District (SPD) the arrest of alias Jerome, 45, at around 1:30 a.m. along P. Diego Cera Avenue, Barangay E. Aldana, Las Piñas
Report showed that the suspect blocked the path of a jail officer and identified himself as a police officer.
The victim reportedly demanded for the identification card of the suspect and when he failed to show any, tried to flee on board his motorcycle.
Tafalla said the victim was able to arrest the suspect and call for police assistance. Members of the Zapote police substation immediately responded.
He said members of the Zapote police substation found in the possession of the suspect one .45 caliber pistol and two magazines with 15 live (ammunition).
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a resident of Las Piñas City, what is your reaction to this development? Are you concerned that there could be more troublemakers who will commit the usurpation of authority to threaten or harm others? Does it bother you that some people would go as far as pretending to be police officers and disturb others?
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 engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
Recently in the City of Las Piñas, a new health center in Barangay BF International-CAA was formally inaugurated with Vice Mayor April Aguilar present as the special guest, the City Government announced on social media. This development was described as a significant step in addressing the health needs of the local residents and the broader Las Piñas community.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the City Government’s social media post. Some parts in boldface…
On Thursday, May 23rd, City Vice Mayor April Aguilar led the inauguration of the new CAA-C Health Center in Barangay BF International CAA, a significant development aimed at enhancing healthcare services in the area. City Health Office OIC Dr. Juliana Gonzalez was also present, highlighting the city’s commitment to accessible healthcare.
The brand new health center of Barangay BF International-CAA. (photo source – Las Piñas PIO)
The new health center offers a comprehensive range of free services, including infant and child immunization, medical consultations, and dental services such as tooth extractions, fluoride treatments, and free dentures. Additionally, it provides pre-natal and post-partum care, tuberculosis diagnosis and treatment, and adolescent mental health and teenage pregnancy counseling.
Other services include STI/HIV screening, management of lifestyle-related diseases like hypertension, diabetes, and cancer, cervical screening, and nutrition assessment and counseling. The center also serves as an initial point of care for Green Card or Las Piñas City Health Program (LPCHP) holders and provides referrals for diagnostic laboratory services.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a resident of Las Piñas City, what is your reaction to this development? Is there a new health center being constructed within your local community right now?
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 engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
Recently in the City of Muntinlupa, the City Government added several new ambulances and motorcycles to its fleet with the intention of enhancing public service, 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 City government distributed 10 new ambulances and 34 motorcycles to barangays and various departments to enhance public service.
Mayor Ruffy Biazon led the distribution of the 10 ambulances to all nine barangays in the city and to the Muntinlupa Department of Disaster Reduction and Management to enhance medical and emergency response services.
The ambulances, which feature high-visibility Battenburg designs, are fully equipped with basic life support supplies and equipment, blinkers, and sirens.
“These ambulances will significantly enhance medical response services for our residents,” said Biazon during the turnover ceremony.
He said the Battenburg design is for high visibility, easier identification, and safety.
In addition, the city government also distributed 34 Honda Click 125 motorcycles to various departments, including the Business Permits and Licensing Office, Community Affairs and Development Office, and Colegio de Muntinlupa. The motorcycles are part of an ongoing effort to improve mobility and efficiency in public services.
“These motorcycles will help our offices fulfill their mandates more effectively. Let’s use them properly to better serve our community,” the mayor added.
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 think the new vehicles distributed by the City Government will improve public service and response time?
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 engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
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 topics and the related videos I found.
#1The fall of Humza Yousaf and vindication of author J.K. Rowling – In case you missed the news, Humza Yousaf (born in Scotland to Pakistani immigrants) stepped down as First Minister of Scotland as he faced imminent votes of no confidence in himself and in his government. This vindicated Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling who opposed Scotland’s new hate crime laws (which extends to people who identified as transgendered and yet ignored biological women) and pointed out Humza Yousaf’s contempt for women. For more details, watch the video below.
#2 PatmanQC’s video documentary of P.O.W.: Prisoners of War – P.O.W.: Prisoners of Wars was one of those classic arcade games that I never got to play. It was made by SNK which is the same company behind the popular fighting game franchises King of Fighters, Fatal Fury and Art of Fighting. P.O.W.: Prisoners of War was a Cold War-inspired side-scrolling beat-them-up game that achieved big success in Japan. In PatmanQC’s video, you will learn a lot about SNK’s arcade game, what elements of real life inspired it, what other arcade games influenced the game designers to create it, and more.
#3 The significance of Rik Smits in the NBA – When it comes to the NBA, one has to take a look at the contributions of retired player Rik Smits (the Dunking Dutchman). Smits’ name may not have the big attraction of other centers of his era such as Hakeem Olajuwon, Shaquille O’Neal, Patrick Ewing and Robert Parish, but still he was a really solid center as well as a huge factor behind the rise of the Indiana Pacers in the 1990s. By the time he retired, the Pacers made it to the NBA Finals of 2000. Watch these selected videos of Rik Smits. You will learn a lot and be entertained with Smits’ basketball action!
#4 X-Men: The Last Stand movie reaction videos – For a movie declared as an inferior or disappointing follow-up to 2003’s X2: X-Men United, X-Men: The Last Stand still became a popular film subject in several movie reaction videos on YouTube. Just type the keywords on YouTube’ search engine and you will find a lot of movie reaction videos of the Brett Ratner-directed superhero movie. For your entertainment, the most enjoyable movie reaction videos have been posted below.
#5 You, Me and the Movies’ reaction video of Clash of the Titans (1981) – As a young boy, I saw Clash of the Titans (1981) and it was an entertaining ride of its time. This was one of those many fantasy movies that were released in the 1980s and it was the final work of stop-motion visual effects legend Ray Harryhausen. Recently, You, Men and the Movies published their reaction video of it which is entertaining and you can watch it below.
#6 PatmanQC’s Super Pac-Man retrospective video – I first learned about Super Pac-Man way back in the 1980s by seeing it on TV but I never got to play it in the arcades. In recent times, I downloaded Pac-Man Museum+ through Xbox Game Pass (XGP) and finally got to play Super Pac-Man on my Xbox Series X. I had fun playing it as I adjusted with the gameplay which had notable differences compared to the original Pac-Man arcade game. To learn more about Super Pac-Man, watch PatmanQC’s retrospective video below.
#7 Extensive look back at Sega Saturn games – YouTuber Sega Lord X recently published this extensive video looking back at the Sega Saturn and its games. This is a must-see video because the Sega Saturn had numerous games and many of them were actually fun to play. Ignore those articles that called the Saturn a bad console and just focus on the games by watching the video below.
#8 FilmComicsExplained’s video about how to survive Deep Impact – In relation to my previous post highlighting the movie reaction video of Deep Impact (by YouTuber Popcorn in Bed), posted below is FilmComicsExplained’s video is focused on survival within the context of the 1998 film. There are some sensible and notable points of discussion made which should encourage people to replay Deep Impact and even question the way governments deal with disaster management on a massive scale. You will possibly think twice about depending on the government for your survival. Watch the video below now.
With the next local and national elections set for May 2025, local authorities will have to work harder to preserve election integrity and Philippine democracy itself as more people and even companies are using artificial intelligence (AI) and deepfake technology on their projects. The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) is eyeing a ban on AI and deepfake technology, according to a Philippine News Agency (PNA) news article.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the PNA news article. Some parts in boldface…
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is looking into prohibiting the use of deepfake technology and artificial Intelligence (AI) during the campaign period for the May 2025 midterm polls.
In an interview Wednesday, Comelec chairman George Garcia said the measure is timely as these technologies might create confusion among voters.
“Maganda mapag-usapan na kung dapat ipagbawal ang paggamit ng AI or deepfakes sa kampanya. Dapat ‘yung makatotohanan na kampanya. Kukumbinsihin ko ang ating Commission en banc na ipagbawal namin sa campaign ang paggamit ng deepfakes at Al sapagkat madami po ang nalilito, misrepresentation, madaming hindi makatotohanan na nangyayari kapag ginagamit po ‘yan (It would be good if we can tackle the ban on the use of AI or deepfakes in election campaign. Campaign should be realistic. I would convince our Commission en bacn to ban the use of deepfakes and AI in election campaign because many are being confused and it can cause misrepresentation. We are veering away from reality if we use these),” he said.
Deepfakes are an advanced form of digital content manipulation through generative AI, where a person in an image or video is swapped with another person’s likeness.
Garcia said personal interactions between poll bets and the electorate is much better than communicating using new techonologies.
“Alam po natin ang (We are aware of) modern technology. Bakit ba hindi? Subalit dapat po, kapag kampanya, ikaw mismo ang nakikita ng sambayanan. Ikaw mismo ang nanliligaw sa kanila. (Why not? But during campaign period, you the candidate should be visible to the people. You should court them personally),” he said.
Garcia, however, said he is open to the ideas of other members of the en banc who would like to allow AI use during campaign.
”Kaya lang sa ating palagay, masyado itong threat sa ating demokrasya, sa tunay na dapat ginagawa kapag halalan at may kampanya (But in my view, this is a big threat to our democracy, to the reality of what should be done during elections and campaign),” he said.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Are you concerned that AI and deepfake technology will be abused by people who have cruel intentions to ruin Philippine democracy as we know it? Do you think antagonistic forces like China (which has been in conflict with the Philippines on the sea west of our country) will use AI and deepfake technology to mess with future elections in our country? Are you aware that AI has no soul? Would you vote for candidates who use deepfake technology during the election campaign period?
