Muntinlupa City approves landmark Freedom of Information ordinance, 4th in NCR

The City Government of Muntinlupa approved the landmark Freedom of Information Ordinance of 2020, the 4th city in the National Capital Region (NCR) to localize the FOI bill, to ensure transparency in local governance.

Mayor Jaime Fresnedi signed the Ordinance 2020-139 or known as the FOI Ordinance of 2020 On October 14, 2020 to give Muntinlupa as well as non-Muntinlupa residents access to information, officials’ records, public records and documents, and papers pertaining to official acts, among others.

Fresnedi said the City Government recognizes the importance of the people’s right to government information by providing a local mechanism to ensure that these rights are respected and upheld.

City Ordinance 2020-139 is an adoption of Executive Order No.2 s. 2016 upholding the right of people to information on matters of public concern. Muntinlupa City is the 4th LGU in NCR to enact an FOI ordinance following Pasig, Valenzuela, and Quezon City.

Under the local ordinance, departments in Muntinlupa LGU are required to make public records available such as contracts, transactions and any information requested by a member of the public, except for sensitive information and matters affecting national security.

Any person who request access to information may consult the local FOI Focal Person for the processing of a request or may go directly to the concerned office that has the information being requested.

If the retrieved information has been approved for release, the FOI Receiving Officer shall immediately notify the requestor of the decision and release the information within fifteen (15) working days upon receipt of request.

Failure of any government officer to comply with the provisions of the ordinance shall be ground for reprimand for first offense, suspension of one (1) to thirty days for second offense, or dismissal from the service for third offense.

Muntinlupa Public Information Officer Tez Navarro said the City Government supports the Presidential Communications Operations Office’s thrust on continuing proactive information disclosure efforts in the spirit of openness and transparency.

She noted that the IRR is still underway but the public can now coordinate with the Public Information Office being designated as the FOI concerned office.

For more information, visit Muntinlupa City’s website at www.muntinlupacity.gov.ph or contact the Public Information Office located at 2F Annex Building, Muntinlupa City Hall with tel. no. (02) 8886-7091 and email address lingkodbayan.muntinlupa@gmail.com.

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Latest City Government of Muntinlupa details sourced from their official media release. Some parts were edited for this website.

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, NOT to distorted views and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, engagements, commerce and updates, visit https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673

Las Piñas City Police Force at Work – October 19, 2020

The Las Piñas City Police Department continues to serve the local constituents by means of securing places, implementing rules and helping those who need assistance. Check out these recent media releases and pay close attention to the details written.

On October 17, 2020, personnel under the supervision of PLT JAMEL B RINANDANG, C, SCAS through the strong leadership of PCOL RODEL A PASTOR, COP of Las Piñas City Police Station conducted Ugnayan/Dialogue/Lecture with Hon. Romualda C Villalon, Barangay Chairwoman of Barangay Pamplona Dos re: Strict Implementation of Social Distancing and Mandatory Wearing of Face Mask and reiterated health protocols to the public. (source – Las Piñas City Police Department)
On October 17, 2020, LPCPS extended their helping hands by sharing some relief goods to indigent families and who are very much in need of such assistance. (source – Las Piñas City Police Department)
On October 17, 2020, personnel of Zapote Sub Station under the supervision of PMAJ JOYLENE A BULAN, Zapote SS Commander through the strong leadership of PLTCOL YAHYA B YUSOP , OIC while conducting Simultaneous Enhance Managing Police Operation (SEMPO) and Implementation of General Community Quarantine, suspect were chance upon playing cara y cruz at Basa Compd, Zapote,e and during the arrest recovered from the suspects pieces of evidence. (source – Las Piñas City Police Department)

If you are in Las Piñas City and you need the help of the local police, call 85516401 or visit https://www.facebook.com/pcrstation4/

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The above information and images were provided by the Las Piñas City Police Station for the purpose of public information and transparency. Some parts were edited for this website. 

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 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 FB group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673

Unless something drastic happens, do NOT expect new Bethesda games on PlayStation and Nintendo consoles

2020 is coming to an end and until now the single, most discussed video game industry news is still the Bethesda-Xbox deal. That megaton deal also means that Team Xbox has all the means to lock out PlayStation and Nintendo consoles and keep future Bethesda games exclusive to the Xbox ecosystem which includes Xbox One, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X and Windows 10 PC.  

In other words, what Microsoft owns, Sony and Nintendo cannot have!

Don’t get me wrong. People who own Nintendo Switch, PS4 and the PS5 (note: compatible with most PS4 games) can still avail of the current Bethesda releases of Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (the remastered edition specifically), Elder Scrolls Online, Doom Eternal and others in the market. They just should accept the fact that future games like Fallout 5, Starfield, Elder Scrolls VI, the next Doom, the next Wolfenstein, the next Dishonored and whatever new intellectual properties Bethesda comes up with!

No matter how loud and emotional the fanboys are over the Xbox-Bethesda deal that tremendously changed the game, Nintendo and PlayStation consoles are NOT part of the Xbox ecosystem! Microsoft did not spend $7.5 billion only to make new Bethesda games and franchises available on non-Xbox platforms, and they also invested a whole bunch of money building up Xbox Game Pass (XGP) and Project xCloud.

This bring me to my next point – Kotaku’s in-depth interview with Xbox head Phil Spencer.

The said interview discussed a whole bunch of topics. The Xbox-Bethesda deal, unsurprisingly, was discussed and it dealt with what Microsoft will do with Bethesda game properties that they now own and control. Here’s an excerpt:

Spencer had said in previous interviews that existing deals involving ZeniMax games would still be honored, suggesting that something like the time-traveling game Deathloop would still come first to PS5, as previously announced. Beyond that, though, fans have wondered whether ZeniMax games would go Xbox and PC-only. In other words, they’ve wondered if PlayStation would stop getting Fallouts and miss out on the sequel to Skyrim.

I wondered that, too.

“Is it possible to recoup a $7.5 billion investment if you don’t sell Elder Scrolls VI on the PlayStation?” I asked.

“Yes,” Spencer quickly replied.

Then he paused.

“I don’t want to be flip about that,” he added. “This deal was not done to take games away from another player base like that. Nowhere in the documentation that we put together was: ‘How do we keep other players from playing these games?’ We want more people to be able to play games, not fewer people to be able to go play games. But I’ll also say in the model—I’m just answering directly the question that you had—when I think about where people are going to be playing and the number of devices that we had, and we have xCloud and PC and Game Pass and our console base, I don’t have to go ship those games on any other platform other than the platforms that we support in order to kind of make the deal work for us. Whatever that means.”

As seen above, Phil Spencer answered with confidence that they can recover the $7.5 billion Bethesda investment with the Xbox ecosystem, Xbox Game Pass and other services they have. The PlayStation and Nintendo console bases are undeniably large but they are not really needed in Microsoft’s master strategy on not only recovering their Bethesda investment but also expanding the Xbox ecosystem as a whole worldwide.

As I observed, a lot of Xbox fans are very enthusiastic for Bethesda’s games and have collectively spent huge amounts of money on them. These same Xbox fans are willing to spend more for the next-generation Xbox Series consoles and the Bethesda-Xbox deal is a big factor in their decisions and excitement.

Sony had tremendous success selling over 100,000,000 PS4 units worldwide but that does NOT mean Microsoft and Bethesda will plead to them and offer future games of Fallout, Elder Scrolls, Doom, Wolfenstein, and others on PS5. Sony does NOT have the upper hand at all with the next-generation and they do not own Bethesda.

It’s really the other way around for Sony and Nintendo when it comes to convincing Microsoft to allow Bethesda to release their future games on PS5 and Switch. Imagine PlayStation head Jim Ryan approaching Microsoft and offer them $500,000,000 to release Starfield on PS5. I know it’s crazy but with the many Xbox-hating PlayStation fanboys online who are still restlessly ranting over the Xbox-Bethesda deal, they might be willing enough to pressure Jim Ryan to do it. As for Nintendo, what can they offer to Microsoft?

As for the two timed-exclusive Bethesda games coming to PS5 initially, you can expect those games to land in the Xbox ecosystem in the near future. I don’t expect Sony and Bethesda will renew their deal now that Microsoft is in the game.

The way things are right now, Starfield and other future Bethesda games will be exclusive to the Xbox ecosystem. Those who own non-Xbox platforms who really crave for sequels to Fallout, Elder Scrolls and the like can simply use their capable Windows 10 PCs or buy an Xbox Series S or an Xbox Series X console, and then subscribe to Xbox Game Pass. If they want to play Xbox ecosystem games on their smartphones via streaming, there is Project xCloud to support them.

In ending this article, here are some more gaming-related videos for your enjoyment.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. 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 as well. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me at HavenorFantasy@twitter.com

For more Xbox-related stuff, check out the Xbox Series Philippines Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/XboxOnePH

Looking good on the way to Xbox Series consoles launch, Part 4

Hey Xbox fans and gamers! Have you been following the recent updates leading to the inevitable launch of the Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X? Let’s start first with these two videos from Colteastwood! Watch, learn and enjoy these because the heavy hitters (hot exclusive games) for the Xbox ecosystem are coming out after the launch of the two Xbox Series consoles!

The launch games lineup for November 10, 2020, which includes cross-generation games that will be optimized for the new consoles, don’t look that red hot but rest assured, the excitement will only begin that day and will only get even better starting 2021. Speaking of 2021 games, check out my article about the Xbox-exclusive The Gunk.

What are the launch games for Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X? Here’s the list:

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla (Smart Delivery)

Borderlands 3 (Smart Delivery)

Bright Memory 1.0 

Cuisine Royale (Smart Delivery)

Dead by Daylight (Xbox Game Pass + Smart Delivery)

Devil May Cry 5: Special Edition 

DIRT 5 (Smart Delivery)

Enlisted 

Evergate

The Falconeer (Smart Delivery)

Fortnite 

Forza Horizon 4 (Xbox Game Pass + Smart Delivery)

Gears 5 (Xbox Game Pass + Smart Delivery)

Gears Tactics (Xbox Game Pass + Smart Delivery)

Grounded (Xbox Game Pass + Smart Delivery)

King Oddball (Smart Delivery)

Maneater (Smart Delivery)

Manifold Garden (Smart Delivery)

NBA 2K21

Observer: System Redux

Ori and the Will of the Wisps (Xbox Game Pass + Smart Delivery)

Planet Coaster (Smart Delivery)

Sea of Thieves (Xbox Game Pass + Smart Delivery)

Tetris Effect: Connected (Xbox Game Pass + Smart Delivery)

The Touryst (Xbox Game Pass + Smart Delivery)

War Thunder (Smart Delivery)

Warhammer: Chaosbane Slayer Edition 

Watch Dogs: Legion (Smart Delivery)

WRC 9 FIA World Rally Championship (Smart Delivery)

Yakuza: Like a Dragon (Smart Delivery)

Yes, Your Grace (Smart Delivery)

With a great mix of 1st party exclusive games, new intellectual properties (IPs) and 3rd party games that cover vast genres and types of games, there will always be something new and fun for gamers who use Xbox consoles and Windows 10 PC. Even gamers who have not yet subscribed to Xbox Game Pass (XGP) won’t be left out.

Remember years ago when PlayStation fanboys criticized Xbox for the lack of exclusives and lack of great games? That is all over and the huge amount of games produced by Team Xbox’s 1st party game studios (including the game studios of Bethesda) will be released once completed…and the beauty of it is that the wait for the hot exclusive games won’t take too long. As reported by Colteastwood in the above videos, Xbox fans can expect exclusives like Avowed and The Outer Worlds 2 from Obsidian Entertainment, the next Doom from id Software, Forza Horizon Festivals from Playground Games, and the Perfect Dark-related 3rd-person action-stealth game from The Initiative. These are just a few of the upcoming heavy hitters coming to Xbox and Windows 10 gamers. As Colteastwood confirmed, Xbox Game Studios are currently producing at least forty games.

Going back to the November 10, 2020 launch, the early batch of games for Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X are not satisfying enough, there is backward compatibility on the new consoles that will not only ensure you get to play games from past Xbox console generations, you will get to play them with visual enhancements (example: improved frame rates reaching up to 60FPS) and much reduced loading times.

In an Xbox.com article dated October 13, 2020, Compatibility Program Lead Peggy Lo confirmed their team’s respect for fans’ gaming legacy. She stated: We believe your favorite games and franchises, your progression and achievements, your Xbox One gaming accessories and the friendships and communities you create through gaming should all move with you across generations. We also fundamentally believe that not only should you be able to play all of your games from the past without needing to purchase them again, but they should also look, feel and play better on the next generation of Xbox consoles.

And then there are the hot details Xbox fans can expect regarding backward compatibility on the new consoles. Here’s an excerpt:

Games play best on Xbox Series X and Series S

Backward compatible games run natively on the Xbox Series X and S, running with the full power of the CPU, GPU and SSD. No boost mode, no downclocking, the full power of the consoles for each and every backward compatible game. This means that all titles run at the peak performance that they were originally designed for, with significantly higher performance than their original launch platform, resulting in higher and more steady framerates and rendering at their maximum resolution and visual quality. Backward compatible titles also benefit from significant reductions in load times due to the massive leap in performance from our custom NVME SSD at the heart of the Xbox Velocity Architecture.

Auto HDR for everyone

Modern games often implement high dynamic range (HDR) to improve overall visual quality. HDR allows a game to render a much larger range of brightness values and colors. This gives an extra sense of richness and depth to the image when compared to a standard dynamic range (SDR) image. For example, the light from a flashlight looks much brighter and red flowers look much more vibrant.

However, thousands of Xbox games shipped before HDR was first introduced with Xbox One S, and even for some Xbox One games, developers simply didn’t have the development resources or time to implement HDR. With Xbox Series X and Series S we are introducing a new feature named Auto HDR. Auto HDR automatically adds HDR enhancements to games which only shipped with SDR. Auto HDR enhances the visual quality of an SDR game without changing the original artistic intent of the game. Auto HDR is implemented by the system so developers don’t have to do any work to take advantage of this feature. Also, since Auto HDR is enabled by the console’s hardware, there is absolutely no performance cost to the CPU, GPU or memory and there is no additional latency added ensuring you receive the ultimate gaming experience.

If you want to play your legacy Xbox games with a much higher frame rate for the best experience, such improvements are also confirmed as part of the backward compatibility feature on the new consoles. Check out the details below:

Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S bring next-gen performance to your favorite games. Higher, steadier framerates make games feel smoother, resulting in more immersive gameplay. Many improvements are the result of the custom designed processor that allows compatible games to play and leverage the increased CPU, GPU and memory from the new consoles. In addition however, the backward compatibility team has developed new methods for effectively doubling the framerate on select titles. While not applicable for many titles due to the game’s original physics or animations, these new techniques the team has developed can push game engines to render more quickly for a buttery smooth experience beyond what the original game might have delivered due to the capabilities of the hardware.

To emphasize the above, Team Xbox showed via YouTube the 2015 game Fallout 4 running at a buttery smooth 60FPS on Xbox Series S! Watch below!

With regards to enhanced visuals via backward compatibility on the new consoles, Peggy Lo wrote: On the Xbox One, we were able to provide a curated list of titles that were enhanced for the Xbox One X via the Heutchy method. This allowed titles from Xbox 360 that rendered at 720p and original Xbox games that ran at 360p to play at 4K on Xbox One X, well beyond the capabilities of their original platform. The Heutchy method continues to be used to bring a variety of titles to 1440p on Xbox Series S and 4K on Xbox Series X.

Improved texture filtering is also coming to backward compatible titles on both Xbox Series X and Series S. On Xbox One X, a portion of the catalog benefited from increased anisotropic filtering, improving image quality of games. On Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, 16x anisotropic filtering has been enabled for nearly all backward compatible titles so you can experience the very best visuals the games have to offer.

With Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X, the future of next-generation gaming is very bright and promising, even more exciting than what Sony is offering with PlayStation 5 (PS5). Supporting the excitement for the Xbox ecosystem is Team Xbox’s very powerful bridge to the past (legacy gaming) with backward compatibility that also enhances the old games when played on the new consoles.

Peggy Lo further wrote: The backward compatibility team has been working hard to make all the games you love and remember available to you on Xbox Series X and Series S. Playing the games will be just as easy and magical as it’s always been. Simply insert your favorite backward compatible Xbox One, Xbox 360 or original Xbox disc into your Xbox Series X, install the game, and you’ll be ready to play. Your digital library will instantly appear and ready for download on the console when you sign in. If you’ve already installed your games to an external drive, you can bring that with you to the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S. This all happens with no additional cost to you. And, with cloud saves, you’ll jump right back in where you left off.  For those of you still enjoying Xbox 360, cloud saves will soon be free to all Xbox 360 users, making transferring your favorite games to Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S even easier.

In ending this, posted below are gaming-related videos for your learning and excitement for the next-generation!

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. 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 as well. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me at HavenorFantasy@twitter.com

For more Xbox-related stuff, check out the Xbox Series Philippines Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/XboxOnePH

Muntinlupa City partners with DOST, UP-IPB to train communities on hydroponics, provides free seeds and seedlings to promote urban farming

The City Government of Muntinlupa, through the Extension Services Office (formerly Department of Agriculture – Muntinlupa), launched its “Gulayan sa Lungsod ng Muntinlupa” program and has partnered with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and University of the Philippines Institute of Plant Breeding (UP-IPB) for the training of communities on innovative farming technologies and to promote urban agriculture.

ESO acting chief Malou Lobo said the city aims to revive urban agriculture and urban farming as a response to augment food security amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Lobo said the City Government has partnered with DOST and UP-IPB for the conduct of SNAP Hydroponics Training, an innovative farming technology, to two pilot communities in Brgy. Sucat.

She noted that the urban site in Doña Rosario Heights serves as the city’s Urban Model Farm while the farming site in Paradise Garden community is the city’s Communal Model Farm which is being managed by the 4P’s (Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program) beneficiaries. Recently, the DOST donated 200 S.N.A.P (Simple Nutrient Addition Program) Kit Solutions for Hydroponics to the City Government and were distributed to pilot communities.

This project brought Muntinlupa back to its agricultural roots. (source – Muntinlupa PIO)

DA-ESO is working with 12 Home Owners Associations, three (3) Cooperatives, and six (6) Youth Organizations for the urban agriculture initiative. The agriculture department conducts regular urban farming site visitations, online trainings and monitoring of communities to ensure the sustainability of the program.

As of October 2020, at least 2,224 packs of vegetable seeds, 5,302 vegetable seedlings, and 118 liters of organic fertilizers were distributed to the different communities through the Sustainable Nutrition Augmentation Program.

Further, DA-ESO provides free seeds and seedlings to the public to further promote backyard farming. Residents and urban farmer may need to register via DA-ESO Facebook Page fb.com/daeso.muntinlupa.

Recipients will be asked to coordinate and send documentation of their progress to DA-ESO for monitoring. The department commits to provide recommendations and trainings to the recipients to help them grow their crops.

DA-ESO also launched Balitang Agri, a series of educational shows demonstrating proper ways of planting vegetable crops, as part of the department’s information campaign. Balitang Agri covers topics which include plant culture, soil groups, composting, and agricultural marketing, among others. For more information, visit DA-ESO Facebook Page or reach them at 5th Floor, Annex Building, City Government of Muntinlupa with tel. nos. 8861-6498 / 8861-3042.

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Latest City Government of Muntinlupa details sourced from their official media release. Some parts were edited for this website.

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, NOT to distorted views and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, engagements, commerce and updates, visit https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673

Be in Your Room with the Door Shut and Pray to the Lord Wholeheartedly

Praying to the Lord is truly sacred and honorable. Prayer is an extension of having faith in the Lord and maintaining the personal relationship with Him. That being said, prayer is more than just a form of communication with Him…it is your personal time together with the Lord and it should never be disregarded nor compromised!

I pray every day and I always pray to God wholeheartedly in the privacy of my room here at home with the door closed and locked (which I normally do) for it is clearly written in Matthew 6:6-8 in the Holy Bible. Knowing that idolatry is truly unholy, there are no images, no statues, no statuettes and no relics in my room that detract me from the Lord. Definitely there is no display of religion as well! What I always have with me is the Holy Bible (the Word of God) and when I pray, I reach out to Him wholeheartedly and acknowledge the presence of the Lord who is also watching me and listening to me. Praying in tongues to Him is also part of the process. These I urge you, my readers, to be aware of and you are always free to decide when to pray to Him in your respective rooms and available time. When you pray to God, you must do it in an honest and sincere manner.

Right now, we can examine the holy scripture of Matthew 6:6-8 in the New King James Version of the Holy Bible. These are words of Lord Jesus and are part of the Model Prayer He taught long ago.

“But when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees you in secret will reward you openly. And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.”

Matthew 6:6-8 (NKJV)

Lord Jesus’ words are very clear when it comes to praying to God with the right place (note: physical location) that ensures you have a controlled local surrounding that is not only completely private but protects you from disturbances from outside. The secret place referred to in verse 6 is none other than our hearts where the Holy Spirit dwells in since the day we got born again. Our hearts are also where our believing happens.  As such, the secret place is not to be confused with the closed room we pray in.

The Lord is pleased when you prepare yourself to reach out to Him. This includes making time for Him, isolating yourself to be with Him and prioritizing your relationship with Him. As such, these actions are ways of honoring God. While it is true that we, His children, must converge as a spiritual family to worship Him as His church on Sundays, each of us (as individuals) still must prepare ourselves to be with Him more personally (individually) and privately. In other words, praying to the Lord should not be limited at all. Believe in Him and pray to Him, and He will reward you in return. Also remember that when you have fellowship with God, always be ready to quickly listen to Him, go where He tells you to go to, speak His Word to others when He orders you to do, and accomplish whatever He tells you to do. He is our Heavenly Father and with the Holy Spirit in our hearts, we will be blessed, guided and protected always. As such, always treasure your time with the Lord.

In verse 7, the vain repetitions done by the others (the heathen) Lord Jesus referred to are the empty babblings and long prayers that confuse meaningless verbosity with piety. To put things in perspective, Lord Jesus actually teaches that we must always have focused prayers that truly acknowledge God’s needed reign in every facet of life and society. As His children, we are not supposed to pray like the others who do not truly know the Lord. Those others are wasting their lives with their belief that God will hear them only because of their repetitions and excessive words used in praying to Him. I should also state that praying in tongues (which means praying in the Spirit to Him) is itself a method that also prevents vain repetitions.

Moving on to verse 8, Lord Jesus said that we should not be like them. Praying to the Lord should always be by faith and by heart. It’s not supposed to be hypocritical and pretentious. To put things in perspective with regards to biblical times, Lord Jesus wanted to free people from the pretentious practices of piety of the Pharisees.

For additional faith-based learning you might seek, posted below are the Passion Translation and the New Living Translation of Matthew 6:6-8.

“But whenever you pray, go into your innermost chamber and be alone with Father God praying to him in secret. And your Father, who sees all you do, will reward you openly. When you pray, there is no need to repeat empty phrases, praying like those who don’t know God for they expect God to hear them because of their many words. There is no need to imitate them, since your Father already knows what you need before you ask him.”

Matthew 6:6-8 (TPT)

“But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!”

Matthew 6:6-8 (NLT)

As it is clear in Christianity, faith is really done by the heart, not the brain. When we pray to God, it is by heart and not by rituals and certainly not by traditions. Prayer itself is an attitude of the heart! Whenever we look up to Him, we do it wholeheartedly and sincerely! And when we deepen our personal relationship with Him by means of prayer, we must have a private place to have fellowship with Him. This is why as a spiritual family, we gather together as one church on worshiping Him on Sundays and during prayer group sessions or bible studies. Between Sunday worship services and the mentioned activities, we have opportunities to individually have fellowship with Him. This means only you and the Lord having precious time together in private! Remember, the secret place is your heart where the Holy Spirit dwells.

Now that this bible lesson is done, I would like to reach out to the lost and the unsaved people reading this. You can save yourselves by submitting to the Lord willingly. No force and no coercion here. You have time and freedom to decide. For those who have decided to get born again now, please read the instructions below and follow the prayer that I learned from our pastor.

Are you ready? Firstly, open your heart to the Lord and pray this simple prayer in sincerity from your heart:

Dear God,

I believe that Jesus is Your Son, and that He died on the cross to pay the penalty of my sins. I believe that Jesus has been raised from the dead and that He is alive! Right now, I call on the name of Jesus. Jesus, come into my heart. I receive You as my personal Lord and Savior. Forgive me of my sins and cleanse me by the power of Your blood. Thank You for saving me and giving me eternal life! Help me now to follow Your plan for my life. Amen.

Congratulations! You are now a child of God! You have received Holy Spirit in your heart! This is easily your greatest decision ever made and also the greatest miracle of your life. Always praise, thank and honor the Lord. No more darkness in your life caused by politics, radicalism, toxicity, rebellion, religion, unbelief, evil, idolatry, traditions and rituals! Leave behind the darkness of your life and don’t look back to it. With Lord Jesus, you are already moving forward! You also have a personal relationship with God, a relationship that is strictly off-limits to others (even to your household members or biological family members).

With your new life realized, make an effort to acquire a copy of the Holy Bible (New King James Version is recommended), study it and apply its lessons into your life no matter what situation you are in right now. I also recommend you to join a church of born-again Christians near you and find your place in the spiritual family (God’s family). Worship the Lord together with them and always remember that faith, not religion, is essential in your personal relationship with God.

The Holy Bible is the ultimate authority and nothing else comes close. Remember always that Lord Jesus did not die on the cross to start religion. He died to redeem us all and showed that we must be led by faith in Him, faith in the Holy Spirit and faith in God the Heavenly Father. He rose from the dead and made His earthly presence felt once more to those who believed in Him. Since then, Lord Jesus ascended to Heaven and He promised to return in the future.

In ending this, here are some Christian worship videos for you to enjoy and praise the Lord with. Always be the fearless and aggressive church of Lord Jesus! 

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. Sharing this Christian piece means spreading the good news of the Lord to others. It can help you save the unsaved and the lost souls out there.

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 as well. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me at HavenorFantasy@twitter.com

Triathlon’s inclusion in the 2021 Southeast Asian Games confirmed!

Hey triathlon fans and sports enthusiasts! If you are looking for some important triathlon news right now, here’s the big one – triathlon has officially been added to the 2021 Southeast Asian Games (2021 SEA Games) which will be hosted by Vietnam!

According to a report published by VnExpress.net written by Dang Khoa, the Southeast Asian Games Federation Executive Committee approved the inclusion of triathlon and a few other sports in the said regional games. The mentioned federation had an online meeting and a formal announcement will be made next month.

The official logo of the Southeast Asian Games Federation.

More on triathlon, here’s an excerpt from the report:

Vietnam said triathlon (swimming, cycling and running) is a developing sport with many international races being held in the region. It was also included in previous editions of the games.

Vietnam, which plans to hold a triathlon in the northern Quang Ninh Province, will set up a federation in future to develop the sport in the country.

As you can see in the above details, triathlon’s inclusion is significant not only because there are already sufficient SEA Games nation members that competed in the regional games’ official triathlon events but also it adds weight to the development of the multisport in Vietnam. Vietnam, which has a population of more than 96 million people, already has its own communities of triathletes and has hosted several triathlon events.

Here in the Philippines, Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Abraham Tolentino reacted to the inclusion of triathlon, jiujitsu, esports and bowling in next year’s SEA Games.

Tolentino stated: This is good news for us because we dominated three of these four sports when we hosted the games in December 2019.

In last year’s SEA Games, the Philippines won the gold medals in the men’s triathlon, the women’s triathlon and the mixed relay triathlon at Subic Bay.

Here on my website, I invite you to check out my feature articles of 2019 SEA Games triathlon gold medalists Kim Mangrobang and John Chicano so you can know them better. If you are interested to follow triathlon developments in the Philippines, visit the Triathlon Association of the Philippines (TRAP) official FB page.

The 2021 SEA Games in Vietnam will be held from November 21 to December 2 next year. The nation previously hosted the SEA Games way back in twenty-o-three.

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POPCOM-NCR, Muntinlupa City sign MOU on enhancement of local development planning

The City Government of Muntinlupa formally entered into a partnership with the Commission on Population and Development-NCR to enhance the city’s planning process through the integration of population and development (PopDev) interrelationships and dynamics. 

Muntinlupa Mayor Jaime Fresnedi signed a Memorandum of Understanding with POPCOM-NCR Director Lydio M. Español, Jr. and other local execs at Muntinlupa City Hall on October 14.

Also joining the ceremony were POPCOM-NCR ARD Joyce Hilvano and Accountant Samuel Bicaldo, City Administrator Engr. Allan A. Cachuella, City Planning and Development Officer Alvin Veron, and City Health Officer Dra. Tet Tuliao.

The Commission on Population and Development-NCR partners with the local government of Muntinlupa to enhance the local planning process last October 14. (L-R) POPCOM-NCR Accountant Samuel Bicaldo, City Administrator Engr. Allan A. Cachuella, City Planning and Development Officer Alvin Veron, Mayor Jaime Fresnedi, City Health Officer Dra. Tet Tuliao, POPCOM-NCR Director Lydio M. Español, Jr., and POPCOM-NCR ARD Joyce Hilvano. (source – Muntinlupa PIO)

The partnership aims to enhance the city’s Ecological Profile (EP) to ensure evidence-based development planning and integration of people’s actual needs and aspirations in the local development plan.

Under the MOU, POPCOM-NCR shall provide technical assistance to the City Government for the identification of population and development indicators that can be integrated in the EP to ensure comprehensiveness of local demographic and critical socio-economic indicators to be used as bases for development planning.

The Commission shall also mentor LGU personnel to develop a model of good practices for PopDev mentoring approaches at the local level.

Mayor Jaime Fresnedi extended his gratitude to POPCOM-NCR for their commitment in assisting the city towards achieving sustainable and data-informed development.

Following the MOU signing ceremony, POPCOM-NCR execs turned over the commission’s donation composed of sets of personal protective equipment for local medical frontliners.

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Latest City Government of Muntinlupa details sourced from their official media release. Some parts were edited for this website.

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, NOT to distorted views and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, engagements, commerce and updates, visit https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673

Skyway 3 project completed

It is all out in the news here in the Philippines and it is the best piece of infrastructure and travel-related news for travelers, business stakeholders and other concern parties specifically here in Metro Manila and the communities outside its boundaries – San Miguel Corporation (SMC)’s president and chief operation officer (COO) Ramon S. Ang announced the completion of the Skyway 3 project (AKA Skyway Stage 3) which is almost eighteen kilometers long. Right now, they are working on completing the finishing touches before formally opening it to the public.

Personally, I am happy for their achievement!

A great view of a portion of Skyway Stage 3. (source – Mark Villar Facebook page)

For the newcomers reading this, the Skyway 3 project is composed of a 17.93 kilometer stretch that links the norther and southern parts of Luzon by means of a modern highway. More specifically, once the newly completed project finally opens, travel from the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) to the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) will take only twenty minutes which will be a major improvement from the average of 2-3 hours (without Skyway 3). It should be noted that the project was completed way before the October 31, 2020 target of completion.

“I’m happy to announce that the whole structure of Skyway 3 is now complete. With this, Skyway 2 in Buendia is now officially extended all the way to the North Luzon Expressway. After many challenges, this project faced in previous years, the dream of connecting north and south and providing an alternative to Edsa is now a reality,” Ang said in a press statement released on October 13.

As mentioned earlier, I am happy for the completion of Skyway 3 and soon it will finally be opened to public motorists (who can afford to pay the eventual toll fees). Each year for the past several years, I travel from Alabang to Clark and Subic Bay to attend important events. During those times, it was a struggle to move from south to north and back WITHOUT Skyway 3. The traffic along EDSA (which passes through different Metro Manila cities and on the maze of roads within the City of Manila were often bad, time-consuming and unpredictable.

Another stretch of Skyway Stage 3 over water. (source – Mark Villar Facebook page)

With Skyway Stage 3, travel between SLEX and NLEX will be much faster. It is stated in the press statement that travel from Magallanes to Balintawak will only take about 15 minutes, Balintawak to Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) also only 15 minutes, and Valenzuela to Makati in just 10 minutes. As for people from the cities of Muntinlupa, Las Piñas, Parañaque and even further south from Laguna province who need to travel to Subic Bay faster in the near future, imagine going north using the SLEX, then the Skyway (in the south) moving through the metropolis in quick fashion to reach the NLEX thanks to Skyway 3’s stretch and then take the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX) to get to Subic Bay faster than ever before. Travelers from Cavite province will also benefit from the improved access and travel too since their province has highways that connect to the SLEX. Really, a lot of people, especially families business people who need to travel within Metro Manila and those who want to go further north or south will really benefit from the eventual operation of Skyway 3 not for just a year but in the years to come.

From this point on, watch out for SMC’s announcement of the formal opening of Skyway 3. Congratulations to SMC and their strategic partners for their accomplishment! Thank the Lord in Heaven also for making big dreams a reality!

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Las Piñas City Police Force at Work – October 14, 2020

The Las Piñas City Police Department continues to serve the local constituents by means of securing places, implementing rules and helping those who need assistance. Check out these recent media releases and pay close attention to the details written.

On October 13, 2020, elements of Sub Station6 led PLT DAVID B UNCIANO and four (4) others under the strong leadership of PCOL RODEL A PASTOR, COP Piñas City Police conducted Checkpoint. (source – Las Piñas City Police Department)
On October 13, 2020, joint Operation of Elements of WSS led by PEMS Jay Joseph de Guzman together with Two (2) others and elements of Southern NCR MARPSTA led by PCPT PRIMITIVO R CAÑETE JR. with three (3) others under the supervision of PLTCOL YAHYA B. YUSUP OIC, City Police Station together with PMaj JOSE A ANAZ, ACOPO, Las Piñas City Police Station arrested an a suspect at Camara Avenue, Happyville Subd., Talon 4 , Las Piñas City who has a pending Warrant of Arrest issued by Hon. Judge Karen S. Canullas-Armada of Metropolitan Trial Court Branch 123, Las Piñas City, Docketed under Crim. Case No. 76479 dated August 28, 2020 with bail reccomended of Php 10,000.00. (source – Las Piñas City Police Department)
On October 13, 2020, personnel of Sub-Station 2 under the supervision of PMAJ JOEL P GOMEZ, SS-2 Commander through the strong leadership of PLTCOL YAHYA B YUSUP, OIC of Las Piñas City Police Station conducted Oplan Galugad and Strict implementation of Social Distancing and Mandatory Wearing of Face Mask and remind health protocols to the public to include the presence of police in the area as part of visibility patrol. (source – Las Piñas City Police Department)

If you are in Las Piñas City and you need the help of the local police, call 85516401 or visit https://www.facebook.com/pcrstation4/

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The above information and images were provided by the Las Piñas City Police Station for the purpose of public information and transparency. Some parts were edited for this website. 

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 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 FB group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673