Muntinlupa City Mayor Jaime Fresnedi receives a plaque of recognition from the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) chairman George Barcelon during the Final Judging of the business group’s Most Business-Friendly LGU Awards. (contributed by Muntinlupa City PIO)
Mayor Jaime Fresnedi and his team attended the final judging. They presented the innovations made on ease of doing business including streamlining business processes through the establishment of the Single-Window Transaction and assistance to MSME (micro-small-medium enterprises) through a zero-percent interest loan assistance, among others.
Last year, Muntinlupa was hailed (for the 2nd straight year) the Most Business Friendly LGU award during the 44th Philippine Business Conference. Back then, Muntinlupa bested other finalists in four pillars which include: Fast-tracking Sustainable Local Economic Development, Improvement of Ease of Doing Business (EODB), Investment Promotion Initiatives, and Initiatives to Enhance Industry/ Sectoral Competitiveness.
Now that Muntinlupa made the finals again, the suspense now begins for which city will be hailed as this year’s Most Business-Friendly LGU. The 45th Philippine Business Conference & Expo will take place on October 16 and 17 at the Manila Hotel.
Hi everyone! It’s me again with another Barangay BF Homes community and South Metro Manila update for you all.
If you like playing bingo games and want to win a prize or two, then Tahanan Village in Parañaque City is your next destination as the Bingo Socials will be held there on October 12 at 5PM. The precise venue is the covered court of the village which is just a short walk away from the clubhouse of the Tahanan Homeowners Association (THA).
This is what a ticket of the Bingo Socials of CCTI looks like. (photo published with permission)
Organized by the Century Club of Tahanan, Inc. (CCTI), the Bingo Socials is a fund-raising event that will support the club’s upcoming projects.
According to Century Club of Tahanan, Inc. president Florencia Umali, tickets are currently available and still for sale. Tickets are priced at P50 each while the block-out tickets are sold at P100 each.
“We have ten games and two block-out (blackout) for the grand prize,” she said. Umali stressed that details about the prizes will be announced soon as they are still finalizing them.
For those of you who are living outside of Tahanan Village, here is the good news – non-residents (visitors) are welcome to enter the village, buy tickets and play in the Bingo Socials. If you are a non-resident driving a vehicle that does not have a Tahanan Village sticker, you just have to tell the village gate guard you will play in the bingo, then leave your ID card so that you can enter.
If you have inquiries or you intend to buy tickets and play in the bingo, contact CCTI president Florencia Umali now at mobile phone number 0920-9046732.
For the newcomers reading this, Century Club of Tahanan, Inc. is a private club of senior citizens who live inside Tahanan Village. The club is recognized by the the Office of Senior Citizens Affairs of Parañaque City (OSCA-Parañaque).
On Saturday, the BFSK (led by its chairperson Mariel Angela Tumang) organized not one but two seminars inside the Phase 1 gym along Pilar Banzon street, BF Homes subdivision, Parañaque City. The seminars, which were attended by one hundred and seventy youth from around the local communities, focused mainly on the topics of early pregnancy and HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), STD (sexually transmitted diseases) and AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome). For the lecturing, some officials from the barangay health centers as well as from the health department of the City Government of Parañaque arrived.
A view of one of the seminars.
Right from the start, the youth were engaged over a series of issues relevant to the main topics. They were asked questions about puberty such as when did they each notice pubic hair first growing on them, when did their voice change, how they dealt with sexual arousal, what where the bodily changes happening and the like.
With regards to HIV and AIDS recorded cases, official statistics from the City Department of Health – Epidemiology Bureau showed that from 1984 to present, Parañaque has 275 cases of males who had acquired HIV or AIDS due to having sex with males and females, 138 cases of male-female sex only, 594 cases of males having sex with females only, 2 cases of mother-to-child and 3 cases labeled unknown. Parañaque has a grand total of 1,012 HIV-AIDS cases recorded.
Registered nurse Glovie Marie Nunez of the hygiene clinic under the City Government’s Health Department explains STDs.
When it comes to transmission of HIV, AIDS and STDs, it was explained that using condoms does not guarantee 100% protection. It was stated that abstaining from sex is the safest way one can protect himself or herself from viruses. For the record, contraceptives and condoms are still made available through the local authorities for local residents to use even though such products are being sold through several retailers.
During my talk with her, registered nurse Glovie Marie Nunez confirmed that the City Government’s Health Department closely follows the standards of the Department of Health (DOH) and that contraceptives and condoms distributed by the high department are all imported from overseas sources.
More on the topic of STDs, there were graphic images of infected body parts – including the male and female organs – showing what they look like when infected by diseases acquired through sexual contact. I personally noticed some youth participants showing signs of discomfort from seeing the images. The others, meanwhile, were focused as they wanted to learn. Unsurprisingly, some advice was given so that they will know what to do so they can avoid STDs.
By the end of the seminars, the youth participants were enlightened and the guest speakers Glovie Marie Nunez, Markneil Santos and Richie Dayto were ceremoniously acknowledged by BFSK chairperson Tumang, the SK Kagawads and the SK officers.
The guest speakers, as well as a few other guests, showed the certificates they received from the BFSK after the seminars ended.
“We are happy that we had a good reception today as the turnout was within our targets. What is more important, however, is that the youth will apply into their respective daily lives what they learned,” Tumang said during my interview with her.
The next day, Tumang and the SK kagawads and officers went to Masville, Sampaloc Site II. Clinicville and Lagoon to organize the latest edition of their special project called Waste for Rice 3.0
The BFSK kagawads and officers with a portion of the many eco bricks they collected from local residents. (contributed photo)
The project was a trade between the BFSK and the local residents. It goes like this: a resident gives a 1.5 liter bottle filled with silver-coated sachets (this is called the eco brick) to the BFSK which in turn gives the resident one kilogram of rice grain. Under their rules, a resident can give away a maximum of five eco bricks to receive 5 kilograms rice grain.
You must be wondering how chairperson Tumang, SK kagawads Alma Galindo, Jerry Dalmero, Kelly Haboc, Irene Juanico, Anne Corre, Stephanie Sebullen, SK secretary Darrenz Fabros and SK treasurer Jefferson Ching performed with their project.
The result: two thousand eco bricks were received from the residents and two thousand kilograms of rice grain were given to the residents. These numbers were confirmed to me by BFSK chairperson Tumang.
The numbers, however, does not even include the eco bricks and rice grain exchanged at schools according to Tumang. She said there is still an amount that has yet to be counted as of this writing. That should translate to going beyond 2,000 eco bricks and 2,000 rice grain.
For each eco brick they collected, they gave a kilogram of rice grain. (contributed photo)
The next Waste for Rice activity of the BFSK will be held some time this December.
Overall, the weekend of September 28 and 29 was indeed highly productive for the BFSK whose officials really worked hard and performed their tasks independently from Barangay BF Homes (led by Captain Paolo Marquez who supports the BFSK).
No doubt about it. The BFSK is really performing its public service tasks, engaging the youth of Barangay BF Homes and literally sowing the seeds on developing the local communities with their projects and activities (with the youth in mind). The BFSK’s 2019 Linggo ng Kabataan event attracted more than 300 youth participants and their previous seminar (about suicide awareness) was also successful. They also proved to be compliant with the January 2019 Joint Memorandum Circular (JMC) Number 1 which is no easy feat to do. Clearly Tumang and the SK Kagawads/officers are showing what the Reformed SK system of the nation is meant to be.
The youth council also has upcoming events people can look forward to such as the Smart-play Mobile Legends Tournament on October 6 at the Phase 1 gym. P17,500 in cash prizes are at stake. On October 19, they will organize the Mutya ng BF Homes also at the Phase 1 gym. This local beauty pageant is currently open to local residents who are willing to participate and to do so, they need to attend the pageant screening of candidates on October 5 at 1PM at the conference at Barangay Hall.
If you want to approach the BFSK, visit their office at the Barangay BF Homes hall along Elsie Gatches street.
Another view of the venue during the Saturday events.
In ending this piece, here is a scripture from the Holy Bible.
But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.”
Matthew 19: 14 (NKJV)
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. Also my fantasy book The World of Havenoris still available in paperback and e-book format. 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
Way back in 1984, a low-budget movie titled The Terminator became a hit with moviegoers which greatly helped the careers of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton and writer-director James Cameron. Terminator 2: Judgment Day became a massive hit worldwide in 1991 establishing the Terminator franchise as an important one leading to more movies (released in 2003, 2009 and 2015), video games and even a TV series. Oh yes, the upcoming film Terminator: Dark Fate will be released very soon and it now involves James Cameron.
Way back in 1990, a follow-up to the 1984 classic was released that did NOT involve Schwarzenegger, Cameron and Hamilton at all. The follow-up was a 4-issue mini-series titled The Terminator and was published by Dark Horse Comics which back then was licensed to do comic books of the Terminator franchise.
This is my review of The Terminator #1, written by John Arcudi and drawn by Chris Warner with ink work by Paul Guinan.
Early story
The comic book opens in the year 2029. In the ruins of Los Angeles, a band armed humans struggle against the machines of Skynet during the night. They infiltrate a facility to find one of Skynet’s time displacement chambers which they learned previously from their leader John Connor. Thanks to Connor’s intervention, Skynet’s attempt to change history failed but the big catch is that only a prototype of the time displacement chamber was discovered. The final model of the chamber remains.
As the armed guys make their way through, a Terminator watches them secretly….
Quality
When it comes to the writing, I can clearly see that John Arcudi (best known for The Mask) exerted effort to make this comic book relevant to the 1984 movie using key details such as the humans operating on the field only at night time (because Skynet will easily detect them during the day). Arcudi, however, expanded a bit on the franchise’s cinematic elements by emphasizing the use specific machines (steel-and-chrome wombs or tissue-generating chambers) to cover Terminator units with flesh and blood, and most notably, the use electronic communication between Terminator units which resemble telepathy among humans.
Cyberdyne, the fictional corporation heavily emphasized in Terminator 2, made an appearance in this comic book. With regards to Skynet, Arcudi emphasized that the living network was a lot more resourceful than what the movies suggested. The comic book has a nice build-up and along the way, the use of expository dialogue was pretty efficient and they are quite helpful for readers to grasp the story and key details.
With regards to the art work, Warner’s art style has that somewhat cartoony aesthetic on not just the humans but even on the machines. There were several Terminator units displayed without the flesh and from the way they were drawn, I could not even tell if those units were the T-800 type. Warner’s drawings on the physical environments carry a good amount of detail.
Terminator stealthy approach captured nicely.
While Warner’s drawing has a cartoony aesthetic, the illustrated action is pretty violent and has quite an impact in some shots. There are some bloody images and implied nude shots as well.
Conclusion
What can I say? I bought The Terminator #1at the Hobby Con this past weekend out of pure curiosity. After reading it thrice, I should say that I found this comic book proving to be better than what I expected. It is a surprisingly good read and the fact that this was published roughly a year BEFORE the release of Terminator 2: Judgment Day, I found this to be a worthy follow-up to the 1984 movie. In fact, it’s so good a follow-up I’d rather read it than waste my time watching Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, Terminator Salvation and the very awful Terminator: Genisys.
As such, I declare that The Terminator #1 is recommended.
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. Also my fantasy book The World of Havenoris still available in paperback and e-book format. 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 Carrascoand follow me at HavenorFantasy@twitter.com
Since the start of the construction of the Skyway extension project on the evening of September 24, traffic got worse on the northbound lane of the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX). The result? The construction – which resulted eating up road space – made traffic more congested than before. As I drove on the way to the office in Laguna on September 25, I saw many vehicles (heading north) jammed together tightly from the Alabang viaduct up to around twenty kilometers going south in the jurisdiction of Laguna.
And then I later experienced the hardship of being in the traffic jam going back to Alabang that same day. The trip home took an additional one hour and twenty minutes for me.
The next day, it took me more than an hour again to reach Alabang from Laguna going home. Only this time, I took the exit to go to the Muntinlupa-Cavite Expressway (MCX), turned to Daang Hari and go to Alabang. On the other side of the SLEX, motorists traveling north took the exit going to the National Road of Muntinlupa. National Road is composed of only four lanes, take note.
As the Skyway operator confirmed that the project construction will last until late 2020, we the motorists have no choice but to accept the new reality that the worsened traffic will be the new normal along the SLEX.
The City Government of Muntinlupa noticed this problem. The construction also affected the East service road’s traffic which caused inconvenience to the businesses and residents who often travel there.
This is why today (September 30), the City Government formally announced the implementation of a one-way traffic scheme at the East service road no later than October 13. The purpose of this new move is to address, and hopefully ease, the heavy traffic motorists are experiencing.
Already a consultation was organized by Traffic Management Bureau chief Danidon Nolasco with representatives from San Miguel Corporation Tollways, EEI, transport groups, and subdivisions and companies situated the East service road.
Nolasco said SMC Tollways anticipate at least 14 weeks to finish the construction of the extension project with the currently imposed stop-and-go traffic scheme. He added that construction period will be reduced by half if a one-way traffic scheme will be enforced.
Motorists are advised that a northbound one-way traffic route will be implemented at the East service road from Alabang viaduct going to Sucat Interchange on or before October 13. While, the West service road and Baybayin will remain two-way in traffic as usual.
The representatives of the business establishments located in the area agreed to the new rerouting plan and requested that the new traffic scheme to be disseminated and implemented immediately.
As for the Skyway extension project along the East service road, EEI Project Manager Joe Ilagan said at least forty-one columns will be erected and the project’s bored piles and columns will be situated in between the service road and expressway. This is why road space is reduced resulting worse traffic on both the service road and the northbound lane of the SLEX.
The elevated toll road extension project from Sucat skyway off-ramp to Soldiers Hills, Muntinlupa is expected to be completed by December 2020.
Until that project is completed and traffic relief is realized, we motorists really have to adjust ourselves and be more patient using the SLEX. Heavy traffic obviously costs the nation’s economy (and us, the people) a lot of money and time. Imagine all the appointments, all the planned flights, all the opportunities get lost because SLEX northbound traffic prevented people from reaching their respective destination.
As the Christmas season approaches, vehicular traffic will get even worse due to the anticipated rise in business transactions related to Christmas-related spending. Take for example, the many commercial joints here in South Metro Manila. People will go out to the shopping malls (in Parañaque, Muntinlupa and Las Piñas), the bazaars and in BF Homes to buy items for gift-giving. Trucks will be going around to deliver food (example: catering), hardware and other ordered products.
Better start getting used to the new normal along SLEX. Plan your moves ahead of time as well.
The City of Parañaque is back in the news but not in a very ideal way. Rather news about the city are depressing as the City Government declared a state of calamity due to a rise of dengue cases. According to the City Government’s own health department, one thousand seven hundred and two cases of dengue were recorded for the period of January 1 to September 14 this year.
Think about it. 1,702 dengue cases in the city versus 1,174 cases in the city in the same period a year ago. That’s a jump of 44.97% in difference! That’s really sad news and no amount of diversion publicity, beauty pageants, careless journalism and showing off can take people’s minds off that. With its 1,702 dengue cases, Parañaque is now the 4th highest ranking city in terms of dengue cases among cities in the National Capital Region (NCR).
My sources at City Hall told me that their health department has been working to solve the problems. City Councilor Wahoo Sotto, meanwhile, has been going around the city informing people about dengue, what the facts are and what are the myths hounding people from realizing the facts. He recently visited Parañaque Elementary School Central and, as the guest of honor, he spoke about the dangers of dengue and what can be done to deal with it.
Going back to the City Government, the declaration of a state of calamity would allow officials of barangays (communities) in the city to release funds to boost the campaign against the disease. The city has a total of sixteen barangays and the most notable among them all is Barangay BF Homes which is led by chairman Paolo Marquez. Already the barangay took action against dengue.
For you, my readers as well as residents and stakeholders in Barangay BF Homes, I contacted captain Marquez directly for his views about the campaign against dengue. I asked him about the City Government’s support for the barangay regarding dengue prevention. His answer below.
“Yes, somehow the City Government provided assistance to us to minimize dengue,” said Captain Marquez. “However, we cannot just depend on them since we have to do whatever is necessary to minimize it.”
The barangay chief further stated that their fogging (fumigation by means of machine-generated fog to disinfect areas) and information campaigns about dengue has been done for some time already (even before the City’s state of calamity declaration was done) and they will continue to perform and serve until the epidemic dies down.
Of course, Barangay BF Homes is working even harder and making the hard adjustments.
“I’m recently acquiring additional chemical solutions as I anticipate this will go on for quite some time. I’m now looking also in the feasibility of acquiring additional machines to do the job, plus the fact that water-based misting has been rendered ineffective due to rain,” he said.
When Marquez mentioned misting, that instantly reminded me of the community wide misting service performed by the Tahanan Homeowners Association (THA) for the residents in Tahanan Village over at least the past few years. Misting is fumigation by means of liquid spray. I personally witnessed misting in the village.
Back to Barangay BF Homes, captain Marquez said he is focused on thermal fogging machines which, he believes, are effective and can protect the community from dengue even further.
As of this writing, it has been confirmed that Barangay BF Homes personnel have been doing fogging operations around the community. They have done it on key areas of depressed communities (or mission sites) and also in private subdivisions like BF NorthWest. The barangay itself is open to requests for services related to dengue prevention. You want your residential community or establishment to be cleared of dengue mosquitoes? Visit barangay hall along Elsie Gatches street as soon as possible.
Right now, the officials of the three cities of South Metro Manila – Parañaque, Las Piñas and Muntinlupa – are performing their respective duties on preventing dengue infections among the constituents, informing people to be knowledgeable about the dreaded disease. Of course, the City Governments and barangay units cannot do the tasks alone as they need help from the constituents. Did you spot a particular location near your residence that could be a potential breeding ground for dengue mosquitoes? Call the local authorities immediately.
For those of you who know someone who is already infected and suffering from dengue fever, take time out to read my article about the use of papaya leaf juice as a remedy. I did not write that piece out of the blue. Rather, a certain scientist I met during the networking night of the Israel Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ICCP)encouraged me to do a research on papaya leaf juice as the cure for dengue fever.
Dengue is a national problem here in the Philippines right now. Beware of bites from dengue-carrying mosquitoes.
For more updates on Barangay BF Homes and South Metro Manila, come back here.
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. Also my fantasy book The World of Havenoris still available in paperback and e-book format. 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
Hundreds Avail of Health Services in Tahanan Village
This morning, three hundred people – composed of villagers and homeowners association employees – trooped to the village clubhouse to avail of paid varied health services during the Health Check-Up activity organized by Century Club of Tahanan and its partners in Tahanan Village, Barangay BF Homes, Parañaque City.
Century Club of Tahanan president Flor Umali assists some people.
Before the services started at 6AM, several people were spotted waiting to get in line to be served. Many of them availed of the P350 health package which was composed of good and bad cholesterol check, Triglycerides, Creatinine, SGOT, ECG, blood sugar count, total cholesterol count, BUN, Urice Acid, SGPT, CBC and urinalysis. Most of the attendees not only fasted for ten to twelve hours but also brought samples of their own urine.
Other health services offered were PSA, Hba1c, T3, T4, TSH and Na, K and Ci (electrolytes). Those who had their eyes checked availed of computerized eye refraction. Those who had their consultation with a doctor went on to avail of prescription drugs. Medical test results will be released on October 6.
A line of people waiting for their turn.Free food and coffee.
Century Club of Tahanan president Florencia Umali confirmed to me that her club was delighted that their health project was well attended and that those who availed of the services were satisfied.
“Our project was very nicely attended. Of course, this project would not have been made possible without the support of the Tahanan Homeowners Association board of directors, Barangay BF Homes captain Paolo Marquez, City Councilor Wahoo Sotto, Asian Hospital and the Alviar Laboratory,” Umali said.
Adding further zest to the project apart from the free food and free coffee (provided by the office of Councilor Wahoo Sotto) was a raffle draw which saw some fortunate winners going home happy.
Medicine on the table.
The Health Check-Up activity on September 28 was a project of the Century Club of Tahanan in coordination with the Tahanan Homeowners Association, Inc. (THA) which is in-charge of the venue.
There is nothing like seeing squabbling individuals (each with a unique talent or two) realize that they have to end the division between them and work together to solve a problem that affects everyone.
Tropes like that are common in superhero comic books, animation, movies and other forms of media. The concept of having superheroes is precisely the key element behind the UltraForce of the Ultraverse.
To put things in perspective, UltraForce is a team of superheroes (called Ultras in the Ultraverse) composed of Prime, Hardcase, Prototype, Topaz, Ghoul, Pixx and Contrary. The team was formed to protect the public while, at the same time, keep their fellow Ultras (examples: Mantra, The Strangers, Night Man, etc.) from getting out of line with the general public and their government leaders.
Previously, I discussed what would it be like had superheroes conspired with government officials and corporate media as told in UltraForce #2. For this article, we take a look back at the formation of the team in UltraForce #1, published by Malibu Comics in August 1994 with a story by Gerard Jones and art by the legendary George Perez.
Great cover by George Perez.
Early story
The story begins with a disaster as fighter planes get pulled down to the ground by an unknown force. A pilot who ejected and flew by parachute finds himself pulled down as well. Down on his back, he feels intense pain and could not get himself up. His body begins to get destroyed when a voice is heard.
“You thought your little flying toys would stop me. You thought your mastery of light and air made you invincible. And no creature of the dark, hidden places could possibly beat you. Now feel the weight. Feel what we feel. The weight of the core of the Earth. The weight of eons of darkness. The age of light and air is done. Prepare for a new age. The age of Atalon!”
Inside a ship above the desert, Hardcase reacts as he watches multiple monitors showing current events highlighting people’s fear of the Ultras, citizen demanding controls, Hardcase reported as saying “only Ultras can control Ultras”, plus an image of Prime and Prototype in action. With him were Contrary, Pixx and Ghoul.
“No!” said Hardcase. “I won’t go through that again!”
Harcase clarifies to his companions that, due to his past with The Squad ending in tragedy, he won’t join a group and end up counting friends’ bodies again. Regarding his reported quote in the media, he stated that he specifically said that government could never control Ultras plus he did not say an UltraForce should try to do it. Being an actor in Hollywood, he decides to go to the media and wash his hands of this.
Contrary, who is the schemer in the team, asked him, “Won’t the public fear Ultras more and more…unless someone steps up to teach Ultras how to function in the world?”
Hardcase asked if she was the one to do the teaching.
Pixx butts into the conversation telling them that Prime and Prototype are about to approach the press. After calling Pixx an attentive student, Contrary tells Hardcase she is the to teach the Ultras which she claims is her business.
In front of the press, Prime (who is a kid inside that overly muscular body) talks impulsively to them and Prototype (who is receiving communication feed from Ultratech which seeks a public coup with the idea of him gathering the team) who states that an UltraForce is needed and that he will recruit one.
This sets off Prime to act even more impulsively over who has credit over the UltraForce idea. Behind the scenes, Ultratech’s Leland and Hardcase watch as things turn wrong (between Prime and Prototype) in front of the press.
An incident like that in front of the media is enough to mislead the public into thinking negatively about who got covered in the press. There are those who acted badly in front of the press and there are media operators who practice journalism wrongly.
“They’re going to force the government to crack down on Ultras!” – Hardcase.
Concerned that the embarrassment could start a civil war between Ultras and Normals (the people), Hardcase tells Contrary he wants to leave the ship to prevent things from getting worse. Contrary gets on his way saying she was going to talk to Prime and Prototype and even have their ship fly after them.
Hardcase disagrees with her idea and insisted she should not be near the mess (about Ultras and the public) until she comes clean with all her secrets and explain what her academy for Ultras is about.
“Is this the same Hardcase who didn’t want responsibility of leading other Ultras…laying down the law for me?” – Contrary
Eventually Contrary sends Hardcase away and tells Pixx to bring their ship to the Redstone Arsenal.
Meanwhile, in Los Angeles, Topaz appears suddenly in the middle of a football game causing confusion to the players and the spectators.
The power of Prime!
Quality
I absolutely enjoyed reading UltraForce #1for the fact that it has a very engaging story, great art, in-depth characterization and a great presentation of superheroes banding together for a higher cause. It is the complete package of what a fun yet thoughtful superhero comic book should be!
The story written by Gerard Jones shows lots of signs that things were carefully planned not just for the comic book but for the Ultraverse as a whole as it focused on the concept about the Ultras being on the edge of getting misunderstood by the general public (the people who don’t have powers) who in turn relied on the news coverage of corporate media (which itself has lapses or made deliberate moves that did not give the viewers an accurate look at the events that happened) to take a look at beings with powers.
This concept kinda reminds me of the traditional concept behind the X-Men. Charles Xavier founded the X-Men to train mutants to use their gifts for good while trying to establish a bond of understanding and tolerance between mutants and humans.
UltraForce’s concept of the fragile link between Ultras and ordinary people really went deep as it involved not only the media but also the private sector, the government leaders and the armed forces. Heck, in Prototype #1 the corporation Ultratech made its move with Ultras by having a flying, armored guy representing them. In Prime #1, the element of militarism was involved.
The comic book’s concept is nicely reflected in Hardcases thoughts below.
“Great. The military, the media, the eyes of the world…dying for a sign. Are Ultras for them or against them? And what sign are we giving them?”
Gerard Jones also achieved a great job with the characterization. Prime is the impulsive powerful superhero who is also a loose canon because he’s really a kind inside the large, muscular body of a man. Prototype is piloted by a young guy working for a corporation and along the way, he has trouble balancing himself between duty and personal interest. Hardcase, who has been living with guilt as one of two surviving members of The Squad, struggles between his internal struggle and keeping the peace between humans and Ultras. The way I remember these three notable Ultraverse lead characters from their respective comic book series, their personalities were successfully replicated and developed in this comic book.
Contrary meanwhile is subtle yet brainy and strategic figure of the team. For the most part, she is mysterious and yet already has a clear vision about mentoring people with super powers. She is easily the most defining member of UltraForce who does not have her own comic book series. Topaz, who comes from a society of women, is clearly the Ultraverse parallel to DC Comics’ Wonder Woman. She appeared in prior issues of Mantra and her addition to UltraForce added more depth and variety. Of course, given her background, working alongside men is a challenge for her personally. Pixx and Ghoul, meanwhile, contributed nicely as supporting characters in this comic book. For the villain King Atalon, he succeeded in presenting himself and his group as a credible threat to the world. Not only is he powerful in combat, he is very driven with a mission for his kingdom and his people strongly love him and support him.
Even though this was just the first story, UltraForce #1 is already a nice exploration of each member’s personality and the personal relationships between them. How these characters formed a team was not only convincing but was done with a lot of depth and focus. At the same time, the dialogue written for each character is lively to read. Take note how Atalon reacted to Prototype’s attack on him.
“Didn’t your Dr. Einstein tell your people decades ago that great gravity could bend even energy? But you never do listen to your own wise men, do you? Just like my people. We wise ones must find ways to make you listen.”
Spectacle and action? There’s lot of them in this comic book. More than enough to satisfy anyone who enjoys reading superhero stories that pack a lot of hard-hitting action, intense moments of damage on the surrounding made only possible by superheroes, energy blasts and the like.
This bring me to the next aspect of the comic book….George Perez’s great art! I should say that Malibu Comics made the best decision to hire Perez for UltraForce #1 given his established talent of drawing multiple superheroes in high detail (with that distinct style on drawing human faces) and ensuring that what was written on Gerard Jones’ script would come out not only looking great but also always look very lively. I love the way Perez drew the facial expressions of Hardcase, the visualization of Prime’s immense strength, Pixx looking really like a teenager, the high level of detail on the backgrounds, Ghoul’s creepy look and much more. No doubt about it, each and every panel drawn by Perez is great to look at!
Conclusion
I really love reading and re-reading UltraForce #1. It succeeded in its goal of getting the divided superheroes together to form a team in convincing fashion complete with a clear and present danger (Atalon and his people) that justifies the events. It’s got great writing and art, very engaging characters, heavy action and a good amount of characterization. The good news about this comic book is that it can be found in good supply online and you don’t have to worry about paying high prices for it. As of this writing, you can order a near-mint copy of UltraForce #1 for only $4 at the website of Mile High Comics. Apart from comic books, there were some action figures of UltraForce released and there was a short-lived animated series of it on TV.
If you are a comic book reader who is dissatisfied with today’s comic books (and even superhero movies), if you are reader looking for a great superhero team reading experience, or if you want the best superhero comic book experiences of not only the Ultraverse but of the 1990s as a whole, then UltraForce #1 is highly recommended! This comic book is a classic of its decade!
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On the afternoon of September 24, the City Government of Las Piñas posted via its official Facebook page its response to a report they received from people living at Ohanan Place in Barangay Almanza Uno regarding a key area (located beside the condominium) described as a massive dengue mosquito breeding ground.
The said area is a construction site.
As a result, Mayor Imelda “Mel” Aguilar issued orders to the City Health Office and the City Engineering Office to address the Ohana residents’ concern.
The City Health Office responded saying it has conducted an inspection (jointly done with Barangay Almanza Uno personnel) of the construction site which has stagnant water and, so far, a negative result for mosquito larvae was found.
The contractor of the construction site, who remains unidentified as of this writing, was asked by the City Health Office to clean the site. The City Engineering Office, which also organized its own inspection, asked the contractor to pump out the stagnant water immediately.
To put things in perspective, stagnant bodies of water serve as breeding spots for dengue mosquitoes. If left unchecked, those mosquitoes can multiply, fly around, bite and infect people and cause dengue fever.
Going back to the City Government, Mayor Aguilar and her daughter Vice Mayor April Aguilar-Nery requested their citizens to report immediately to the City Health Office or to their respective Barangays what could be possible spots in their local communities that may be breeding grounds for dengue mosquitoes. It was announced that local health centers are equipped with dengue testing kits for free to the residents.
Meanwhile, people who are already infected with dengue virus and are sick should consider using papaya leaf juice. Of course, consult with a doctor first or a medical expert who is experienced with papaya leaf juice as a cure.
The City Government of Parañaque declared on September 23 a state of calamity as already over 1,700 dengue cases have been recorded in the city from January 1 to September 14.
Dengue fever is a harsh condition that includes symptoms of high fever, vomiting, pains on the muscle and joints, headache, pain behind the eyes, fatigue and skin rash. The time it takes for a sufferer to recover from it is two to seven days. However, there have been a small number of cases in which dengue fever becomes severe (referred to as dengue hemorrhagic fever). The symptoms for severe dengue include low blood platelets, bleeding and blood plasma leakage. There is also dengue shock syndrome which includes low blood pressure.
Watch out for more South Metro Manila updates here.
However, if you are a reader based in South Metro Manila and you want to expose a possible dengue mosquito breeding ground or create awareness about dealing with dengue fever, please contact me via mobile phone at 0905-3350831 or send me an email at Carlo.Carrasco@gmail.com
During the recent edition of the Usapang Sports forum held at the National Press Club in Intramuros, Manila, 2-time SEA Games medalist Maria Claire Adorna expressed that the Philippines campaign will achieve success in the triathlon events (Individual Men, Individual Women and Mixed Team Relay) of the 30th Southeast Asian Games (30th SEA Games) which will be held at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.
Adorna, who won the SEA Games triathlon gold in 2015 in Singapore and the silver medal in 2017 in Malaysia, was confident that the team will do well this year.
“We have strong chance to win especially because we will host the SEA Games,” Adorna said during the forum.
To put things in perspective, in the Men’s race, the Philippines will be represented by John Chicano and Andrew Kim Remolino. 2-time SEA Games medalist Kim Mangrobang and Kim Kilgroe will race in the Women’s competition. Adorna has been shortlisted with Mangrobang and Kilgroe in the mixed team relay for women while 2-time SEA Games gold medalist Nikko Huelgashas been shortlisted with Chicano and Fer Casares on the men’s side. Specifically, a decision will be made as to which triathletes will do the mixed team relay event the day before the race begins.
The distance of the triathlon will be 1.5-kilometer swimming, 40KM biking and 10KM running.
Hard-earned SEA Games Gold Medal
It is recalled during the 2015 SEA Games, Adorna revealed to reporters and bloggers that winning the gold medal was very hard to achieve not only because of competition from other Southeast Asian nations but also due to the fact that she had been injured along the way. Check out the video below.
Back to the sports forum, the 2-time medalist pointed to Singapore and Malaysia as the likely biggest rivals.
When it comes to entering the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Adorna said that local triathletes need to participate in many Asian-level tournaments as possible in order to accumulate the essential ranking points in order to qualify in the said Games. She urged the entire nation to pray and support for the entire Philippine team.
The Usapang Sports forum was presented by the Tabloids Organization in Philippine Sports (TOPS) and sponsored by the Philippine Sports Commission, National Press Club, Pagcor, Community Basketball Association, and HG Guyabano Tea Leaf Drinks. TOPS president Ed Andaya and Games and Amusements Board (GAB) Chairman Abraham “Baham” Mitra were present during the forum.
No Three-peat in SEA Games Men’s Triathlon
With Chicano and Remolino (who is preparing in his native Cebu) representing the Philippines in the Men’s race in the SEA Games triathlon, there definitely will be no “three-peat” this year in reference to Nikko Huelgas who won the Men’s gold medals in 2015 and 2017. The Triathlon Association of the Philippines announced this past August its SEA Games lineup for the triathlon event.
Huelgas however still has a chance to share the glory of winning another gold medal in the men’s mixed team relay.
Among the ladies, 2017 SEA Games gold medalist Kim Mangrobang has a chance to win a 2nd consecutive gold medal. Recently she finished 5th in the Elite Women category of the 2019 ATU Triathlon African Cup in Morocco. Her teammate Kim Kilgroe finished 8th in that same race.
For more triathlon updates, visit the TRAP Facebook page here.
For updates of the 30th SEA Games, click here for the website and here for the Facebook page.
