Suspects apprehended for illegal firearms sale in Las Piñas City

Are you a resident of Las Piñas City who managed to spot something suspicious?

Yesterday it was reported via Philippine News Agency (PNA) that four people – including two foreigners from South Korea – were arrested as a result of a weapons buy-bust operation in the City of Las Piñas. The arrest happened on April 23, 2021.

To put things here in perspective, below is an excerpt from the PNA report…

Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) Director Maj. Gen. Albert Ferro said members of the CIDG field unit in Metro Manila nabbed suspects Tomas Adonis, Patrick Rowan, and South Korean nationals Han Bao and Hu Zhi at the Emapalico Subdivision, Las Piñas City on April 23.

Ferro said the operation stemmed from a Chinese informant who said the suspects are selling him illegal firearms through an online transaction.

One of the CIDG agents posed as a driver/assistant of the Chinese poseur buyer during the actual transaction, which led to the arrest of the suspects.

Recovered during the operation were firearms including a 9mm Colt rifle, a caliber 5.56 Colt AR-15 rifle, a .38 caliber revolver, a .45 caliber pistol, various ammunition, marked money, a laptop computer, assorted credit cards, blank cards, and a skimming device.

Furthermore, it was reported that the four suspects will be charged for violating Republic Act 10591 (Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act) and RA 11449 (Access Devices Regulation Act of 1998).

When it comes to illegal possession of firearms, posted below is an excerpt of Section 28 of RA 10591 under the Penal Provisions…

Section 28. Unlawful Acquisition, or Possession of Firearms and Ammunition. – The unlawful acquisition, possession of firearms and ammunition shall be penalized as follows:

(a) The penalty of prision mayor in its medium period shall be imposed upon any person who shall unlawfully acquire or possess a small arm;

(b) The penalty of reclusion temporal to reclusion perpetua shall be imposed if three (3) or more small arms or Class-A light weapons are unlawfully acquired or possessed by any person;

(c) The penalty of prision mayor in its maximum period shall be imposed upon any person who shall unlawfully acquire or possess a Class-A light weapon;

(d) The penalty of reclusion perpetua shall be imposed upon any person who shall, unlawfully acquire or possess a Class-B light weapon;

(e) The penalty of one (1) degree higher than that provided in paragraphs (a) to (c) in this section shall be imposed upon any person who shall unlawfully possess any firearm under any or combination of the following conditions:

(1) Loaded with ammunition or inserted with a loaded magazine;

(2) Fitted or mounted with laser or any gadget used to guide the shooter to hit the target such as thermal weapon sight (TWS) and the like;

(3) Fitted or mounted with sniper scopes, firearm muffler or firearm silencer;

(4) Accompanied with an extra barrel; and

(5) Converted to be capable of firing full automatic bursts.

(f) The penalty of prision mayor in its minimum period shall be imposed upon any person who shall unlawfully acquire or possess a major part of a small arm;

(g) The penalty of prision mayor in its minimum period shall be imposed upon any person who shall unlawfully acquire or possess ammunition for a small arm or Class-A light weapon. If the violation of this paragraph is committed by the same person charged with the unlawful acquisition or possession of a small arm, the former violation shall be absorbed by the latter;

(h) The penalty of prision mayor in its medium period shall be imposed upon any person who shall unlawfully acquire or possess a major part of a Class-A light weapon;

(i) The penalty of prision mayor in its medium period shall be imposed upon any person who shall unlawfully acquire or possess ammunition for a Class-A light weapon. If the violation of this paragraph is committed by the same person charged with the unlawful acquisition or possession of a Class-A light weapon, the former violation shall be absorbed by the latter;

(j) The penalty of prision mayor in its maximum period shall be imposed upon any person who shall unlawfully acquire or possess a major part of a Class-B light weapon; and

(k) The penalty of prision mayor in its maximum period shall be imposed upon any person who shall unlawfully acquire or possess ammunition for a Class-B light weapon. If the violation of this paragraph is committed by the same person charged with the unlawful acquisition or possession of a Class-B light weapon, the former violation shall be absorbed by the latter.

If you wish to react about this story or the crime situation there in your city, please feel free to comment below or contact me directly online.

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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

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7th Las Piñas Food Festival all set for April 29 via Facebook

Even as people and businesses are still struggling with the ongoing COVID-19 (China Virus) pandemic, nothing will stop the celebration of cooking and gardening in the city of Las Piñas as Villar SIPAG (Social Institute for Poverty Alleviation and Governance) formally announced that the 7th Las Piñas Food Festival will take place on April 29, 2021 (Thursday) at 10AM via Facebook.

With the theme of “Harvest of Our Garden Meals”, the 7th Las Piñas Food Festival will be composed of its standard competitions for cooking (with competitors representing the barangays) as well as urban gardening (with competing barangays that do have urban gardens of their own).

The official banner for the food festival this year. (source – Villar SIPAG Facebook page)

As Villar SIPAG’s announcement specifically mentions Facebook and does not mention any venue (physical location), it is understood that this event will be streamed live via the social network and most likely it won’t be a spectator nor a visitor-oriented event compared to the previous editions of the food festival. Very likely, the cooking contest will be held somewhere indoors where the contests, event organizers and camera operators can safely organize. We will find out very soon.

During my years as a journalist, I attended and covered the Las Piñas Food Festival a few times and each time it was held at the Villar SIPAG facility along C5 Extension Road. As there was no pandemic back then, visitors and customers were welcomed to watch the competitions and the award ceremonies on-site. Very notably, the food festival back then had a section where food vendors as well as stalls of ready-to-eat food were present and welcomed visitors to buy from them. There were also freshly cooked meals, desserts and beverages being sold to customers during those years.

The 7th Las Piñas Food Festival is presented by Senator Cynthia Villar and Congresswoman Camille Villar and supported by AllDay, AllHome, AllBank, First Metro, Island Gas, Mex, Tecnogas, Technik, Mushroomburger, Handelaar Corp., and Asia Brewery Inc. To watch the event live, visit https://www.facebook.com/VillarSIPAG

If you wish to react about the 7th Las Piñas Food Festival, please feel free to comment below or contact me directly online.

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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

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COVID-19 Crisis: Almost 100,000 residents receive financial aid (ayuda) in Las Piñas City

If you are a qualified recipient of financial aid from the national government that is being distributed by the local government units (LGUs) in relation to the recent ECQ (enhanced community quarantine), were you able to receive the money?

In relation to this, there is an update about the financial aid being distributed by the City Government of Las Piñas to its constituents.

The Manila Bulletin reported the other day – with Mayor Imelda Aguilar as their source – that almost one hundred thousand city residents have received the financial aid ranging from P1,000 to P4,000. To be more specific, the official count was reported at 98,648 people of Las Piñas who received the money. To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Manila Bulletin’s report…

Aguilar said the city government recorded a total of 124,435 beneficiaries listed and approved by the Department of Social Welfare and Development-National Capital Region (DSWD-NCR). Most of them were affected by the implementation of the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ).

The mayor said the city government received a total of P501 million from the national government intended for the beneficiaries of the Social Amelioration Program (SAP) and Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).

The city government has already handed out about 65.62% of the P501-million allocation to the beneficiaries in 20 distribution points, according to Aguilar.

She said they still have a total of P172,224,000 that will be distributed to the remaining qualified beneficiaries.

As of this writing, the City Government is moving closer to achieving 100% distribution of the national government funds. The city sure has lots of distribution points set at twenty, which apparently reflects the number of barangays in their jurisdiction.

If anyone of you reading this is a certified resident of Las Piñas City and if you have received (or are still trying to receive) the so-called ayuda, you might want to share to me your experience or observations about the distribution by contacting me directly online.

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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 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

COVID-19 Crisis: Muntinlupa City Government all set to open a major vaccination hub in a shopping mall, offers free shuttle for vaccine takers

The City Government of Muntinlupa announced yesterday that it is set to open a major vaccination hub in a local shopping mall, in addition to existing community vaccination centers, and is set to provide free shuttle for vaccine takers to encourage more residents to get their COVID-19 jab.

Mayor Jaime Fresnedi is set to inaugurate the first major vaccination hub in Ayala Malls South Park, Alabang today together with other local officials. Fresnedi expresses his thanks to the local shopping mall for opening up a space for the city’s vaccination program and says that the initiative will augment vaccine demand generation in Muntinlupa.

A look at the set-up of the major vaccination hub inside a mall. (source – Muntinlupa PIO)

The first major vaccination hub in Muntinlupa can accommodate up to 500 residents from Barangays Alabang, Bayanan, and Putatan per schedule. Residents from A2-A3 categories will receive a text message for their assigned schedule while a free shuttle service will be provided for vaccine takers starting 8:00 AM for the following routes: Alabang Barangay Hall to South Park and vice versa, and Muntinlupa City Hall to South Park and vice versa. Additional major vaccination hubs in other local malls will be installed in the coming weeks.

Further, community vaccination sites in the barangays will continue to accommodate other residents from different priority groups. The schedule in barangay vaccination centers will be posted in the City Government of Muntinlupa Facebook Page.

As of April 20, there are 18,093 vaccinated individuals from priority groups in Muntinlupa, of which 13,977 received Sinovac and 4,116 inoculated with AstraZeneca, according to the City Health Office.

Muntinlupa CHO has recorded a 100% vaccination rate among A1 Healthcare Workers with 5,123 vaccinated individuals and A2 Senior Citizens with 5,630 inoculated residents based from the number of registrants in the city’s COVID-19 Vaccination Registration System. Vaccination for A3 Persons with Comorbidities is ongoing with 7,337 residents who already received their vaccines as of April 20. Meanwhile, the City Government continues to inoculate members of A1-A3 until supplies last.

Another look on the other part of the place. (source – Muntinlupa PIO)

Recently, DOH-NCR execs led by Regional Director Dr. Gloria Balboa and Asst. Regional Director Dr. Ma. Paz Pecson Corrales visited Muntinlupa last April 19. DOH-NCR officials discussed the national government’s vaccine plan and status of the country’s vaccine purchases. Fresnedi reported the city’s COVID-19 vaccination status and the local COVID-19 situation including healthcare capacity status and updates on isolation facilities.  He also appealed for more vaccine allocation in Muntinlupa as more residents register for the vaccination program.

Fresnedi urges residents who are members of the priority groups to avail the vaccination services of the government for them to have an added protection against the adverse effects of COVID-19. He also encouraged the public to register in the city’s COVID-19 vaccination registration through www.vaccine.muntinlupacity.gov.ph/muncovac and to continue observing health protocols such as frequent hand-washing, wearing of face masks and face shields, and physical distancing.

As of April 22, Muntinlupa City has 10,292 confirmed cases with 8,636 recoveries, 1,383 active cases, 273 reported deaths, 181 suspect cases, and 982 probable cases.

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The above information was provided by the City Government of Muntinlupa for the purpose of public information and transparency. Some parts were edited for this website.

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 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

COVID-19 Crisis: New isolation facility to open soon in Las Piñas City

Even as the City Government of Las Piñas continues with its COVID-19 (China virus) vaccination program, the Manila Bulletin reported recently that the local authorities announced that a brand new isolation facility will open soon.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the news report. Some parts in bold…

Mayor Imelda Aguilar said the new isolation facility will be called the Ligtas Center 2 located along Talon Dos with a 120- bed capacity.

Aguilar said the city government has two existing isolation facilities — Ligtas I located in Barangay Daniel Fajardo with 100 beds, and Ligtas 3 located in Barangay Almanza Dos with 88 beds.

She said the City Health Office (CHO) reported that due to the city government’s intensification of its isolation efforts, Ligtas 1 is already 70 percent occupied while Ligtas 3 now has an 85 percent occupancy.

The mayor said that Ligtas 2 is now ready to open to help residents who have contracted COVID-19 virus and need to be placed in a quarantine facility.

Do the math, the addition of the new isolation facility will push the total bed-count from the current 188 to 308. That’s a jump of 63.8%! As much as possible, there should be available beds for people in the city who got infected with COVID-19. This is really good news for people of the city.

Las Piñas residents who want to get vaccinated are encouraged to get registered digitally or manually. Click right here for information.

In case you missed the news, our nation will be receiving many millions more vaccines from overseas in the months to come.

Meanwhile overseas, Israel has made tremendous progress with its widescale vaccination program and already a second round of COVID-19 vaccination is being planned. Already the mask mandate in Israel has been rescinded. Schools have been reopened and more people are moving around without masks. With regards to being in indoor public places like stores, malls and churches, masks are still required.

Going back to Las Piñas City, something happened that should remind you all to avoid getting scammed. According to GMA Network News, three suspects were apprehended in the city as a result of an entrapment operation in relation to the alleged issuance of fake RT-PCR test results for COVID-19.

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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 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

COVID-19 Crisis: Muntinlupa City Government to include qualified families in villages, subdivisions affected by ECQ to ‘ayuda’ distribution

Following the distribution of emergency subsidy to families from priority groups who were affected by the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ), the City Government of Muntinlupa announced that it will include qualified beneficiaries from local subdivisions and villages for the financial assistance program.

The Muntinlupa Social Service Department has distributed the emergency subsidy to initial beneficiaries who were members of the Social Amelioration Program, Waitlisted Individuals (SAP), and Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) as prescribed by the Joint Memorandum Circular of DSWD, DILG, and DND to be the priority groups for the financial assistance.

Muntinlupa Public Information Officer Tez Navarro said that after the pay-out for priority groups, qualified residents who were not included in the previous list of beneficiaries, even those living or renting in villages and subdivisions, can apply for the emergency subsidy.

She clarifies that other city residents who are not beneficiaries of SAP, those who are SAP waitlisted, and 4Ps can receive the financial assistance given that they qualify the requirements from the JMC.

Navarro noted that individuals who were directly affected by the recent imposition of the ECQ need to coordinate with their respective barangays and homeowners’ associations (HOAs) to fill-up a Client Information Sheet (CIS) and submit necessary documents. The submission of CIS to the barangays was set from April 19 to 22, 2021.

The allocated budget for Muntinlupa City is P442,191,000 which covers 80% of the local population as projected by National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).

The City Government has established a Grievance and Appeals Committee (GAC) to resolve issues and concerns from the beneficiaries. As of April 19, Muntinlupa GAC has responded to 809 inquiries sent via email and resolved 83 phone call inquiries.

Recently, Muntinlupa has requested an extension for the distribution of emergency subsidy to the DILG. Initially, local government units (LGUs) are enjoined to conduct the distribution of the emergency subsidy within 15 calendar days from release of Notice of Cash Allocation if the assistance is done in cash and within 30 days if assistance is given in kind.

Mayor Jaime Fresnedi signed an executive order for the distribution of emergency subsidy in cash amounting to P1,000 per individual with a maximum amount of P4,000 per family to target beneficiaries.

The local exec noted that the assistance will be in cash as the local government is continuously providing food packs to city residents. Muntinlupa LGU has distributed 72,900 food boxes to city residents from January 2021 to April 2021.

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The above information was provided by the City Government of Muntinlupa for the purpose of public information and transparency. Some parts were edited for this website.

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 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

Las Piñas City Police Force at Work – April 19, 2021

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 April 17, 2021 at Samata Village, Barangay Talon Singko, PBGEN ELISEO DC CRUZ DD, SPD together with PCOL MANUEL JAVIER ABRUGENA DDDO, SPD, PMAJ RANDY MORATALLA C, DCADD, assisted by PCOL RODEL A PASTOR, COP, LPCPS and SCADS personnel led by PCPT ERNIE B ORTEGA C, SCADS distributed food packs to more or less two hundred (200) members of the Muslim Community. The Philippine National Police extended their helping hands by sharing some food packs and support to our Muslim Brothers and Sisters. This humble act of kindness will constantly gain the trust and confidence of the people. The NCRPO will remain trustworthy and reliable for the benefit of the Filipino citizens. (source – Las Piñas City Police Department)
On April 17, 2021, Alabang Zapote Rd. Cor Tramo St., Brgy. Zapote, elements of Zapote Sub Station led by PLT FRANCISCO T GUEVARRA JR, Deputy Commander under the direct supervision of PMAJ JERIC M TILAON, Sub-Station Commander thru the strong leadership of PCOL RODEL A PASTOR, COP Las Piñas City Police conducted Law Enforcement Checkpoint which resulted to two (2) issued OVR including apprehension of four (4) violator for loitering during the imposition of MECQ. Apprehended persons were given stern warning and latter released in good physical and mental condition. (source – Las Piñas City Police Department)
On April 17, 2021 at at BQCP along Naga Road corner Aurora Drive Brgy Pulang Lupa Dos, elements of CAA Sub Station led by PEMS Noel Supan with Five (5) others under the suppervision of PMAJ ALBERT DT AREVALO, CAA SS Commander and under the strong leadership of PCOL RODEL A PASTOR, COP of Las Pinas City Police Station conducted Checkpoint. (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, 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

COVID-19 Crisis: Almost 7,000 people vaccinated in Las Piñas City

Here’s a quick look at the China virus situation in Las Piñas City. The Manila Bulletin reported recently that almost 7,000 people in the said city got vaccinated specifically with the China-sourced COVID-19 vaccine.

For transparency, below is an excerpt from the Manila Bulletin’s April 14, 2021 report. Key details in bold…

A total of 6911 individuals received the China-made Sinovac vaccine since the start of the Las Piñas City government’s vaccination rollout last March with the theme of “Ligtas na Las Piñero, Lahat Bakunado.”

The City Health Office (CHO) reported to Mayor Imelda Aguilar that a total of 3902 frontline workers composed of doctors, nurses, and other health workers coming from public and private hospitals, including clinics, already received their Sinovac jabs.

A total of 1,745 senior citizens have also been vaccinated in the city. The inoculation for the other senior citizens will continue after the Department of Health (DOH) approved the use of Sinovac.

The report also showed that a total of 1264 persons with comorbidities also received their first dose of vaccines.

The Public Information Office said the city government is continuing to conduct vaccination simultaneously at the city’s 10 vaccination sites.

For the newcomers reading this, it was confirmed previously that Las Piñas senior citizens got vaccinated with AstraZeneca vaccines (click here and here) which the City Government already paid for. Why AstraZeneca was not mentioned in Manila Bulletin’s report is curious.

Meanwhile, local citizens reading this who wish to avail of COVID-19 vaccines are encouraged to get themselves registered with the City Government by means of digital method (QR code scanning, Google account to be used) or the manual method. For reference about Las Piñas vaccine registration, posted below are official images of instruction.

If anyone of you reading this is a certified resident of Las Piñas City and if you got vaccinated (or you are still waiting to get vaccinated), you might want to share to me your experience or observations about the vaccination process or the local vaccine registration processes by contacting me directly online.

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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 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

COVID-19 Crisis: Las Piñas City Government released P154.4 million in cash aid payout so far (according to Manila Bulletin)

Hey readers! You heard about the local government units (LGUs) doing what they can to release to their respective constituents the cash assistance provided by the national government in relation to the ECQ (enhanced community quarantine) that happened in recent times?

Recently the City Government of Las Piñas was reported by the Manila Bulletin to be doing its job. To be clear, distribution is not the only thing that the LGU should do but also avoid the temptations of using the politician’s name, photo or image in the said distribution. The fund is popularly referred to as ayuda.

Going back to Las Piñas City, posted below is the excerpt from the Manila Bulletin report. Key details in bold…

The Las Piñas City government completed a 30.82 percent payout to a total of 126,000 qualified beneficiaries of the P1,000 up to P4,000 financial assistance coming from the national government.

Mayor Imelda Aguilar said the city government received P501 million from the national government for distribution to beneficiaries listed under the Social Amelioration Program (SAP) and approved by the Department of Social Welfare and Development Office-National Capital Region (DSWD-NCR).

Aguilar also said the other beneficiaries were those from the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).

Based on the financial assistance report provided by the city government, it has already released a total of 154,402,000 to about 44,043 beneficiaries coming from 20 barangays in the city affected by the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ).

The mayor said the city government still has P346,598,000 for distribution

Aguilar said the payout of the financial assistance is being held simultaneously in 20 distribution sites at the covered court of each barangay.

To put things in perspective, P154,402,000 (note: did you notice the lack of a Peso indicator in Manila Bulletin’s report above?) out of the grand total of P501,000,000 (this figure based on the above details) is equivalent to 30.82%. The City Government still has a long way to go before all the national government-provided funds have fully been released. For her part, Mayor Imelda Aguilar said (in the Manila Bulletin report) that her administration expects to finish the payout of the funds before the deadline given to each LGU. For insight, watch this news video.

If anyone of you reading this is a certified resident of Las Piñas City and if you have received (or are still trying to receive) the so-called ayuda, you might want to share to me your experience or observations about the distribution by contacting me directly online.

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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 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

San Miguel Corporation to speed up work on completing Skyway Extension

You must have heard about the opening of the northbound section (entry point at Susana Heights part of the South Luzon Expressway) of the Skyway Extension Project that happened just days ago with the presence of San Miguel Corporation (SMC) president Ramon S. Ang and Department of Highways and Public Works (DPWH) secretary Mark Villar who made final inspections that day. That’s really great news!

Here are more good news! SMC announced that it will do more with the construction of the Skyway Extension Project’s southbound section (exit also in the Susana Heights area of SLEX) and things will move at a faster pace with a 3rd quarter completion in mind.

To put things in perspective, below is the excerpt from the press release published through Philippine News Agency (PNA)…

“It’s only been a number of days since we opened the northbound section, free to the public until further notice, and already we have seen a huge improvement in traffic flow, particularly on SLEX (South Luzon Expressway) and the Alabang viaduct. That makes us even more determined to complete construction of the southbound section so this project can fully serve motorists and improve traffic and connectivity to and from the south,” SMC president Ramon S. Ang said in a statement Wednesday.

Ang said the soft-opening of the first two of the three lanes of the northbound Skyway Extension from Susana Heights to Sucat, Paranaque proved to be timely, as it coincided with the easing of quarantine restrictions.

Despite the higher volume of vehicles on the expressway, traffic has been smooth because many Class 1 vehicles now use the Skyway Extension. 

“We’re already seeing how convenient and much faster travel is now, and it will become even more evident when traffic volume picks up and starts to normalize. That is why we’d again like to ask for our motorists’ cooperation and understanding as we move towards completion of the southbound Skyway Extension,” Ang said.

As part of the next phase of construction, Ang said the Hillsborough off-ramp of the elevated southbound Skyway will be closed to traffic permanently starting April 19 at 6 a.m.

As such, vehicles coming from the elevated Skyway will now exit at the steel ramp in Alabang. Heavy traffic is expected in this area.

“Unfortunately, there is no way around it, we need to close this portion to secure the staging ground for equipment and workers and to accelerate construction and ensure the safety of our motorists. I appeal to our motorists again for their patience and understanding. We expect heavy traffic to persist for the duration of the construction, but rest assured we will do everything we can to help mitigate this, and complete the project within the timetable,” Ang said.

With this, SMC Infrastructure is advising motorists to take the following alternative routes:

Class 1 vehicles from Pasay, Makati, Manila, and Quezon City bound for SLEX and farther South

• From Skyway Elevated, keep left to Steel Ramp towards destination.

Class 1 vehicles from Pasay, Makati, Manila, and Quezon City bound for Alabang

• From Skyway – Elevated, keep right to Alabang-Zapote off-ramp.

The Skyway Extension southbound section has two lanes and runs from the Skyway Main Toll Plaza to Soldier’s Hills in Muntinlupa, with a total distance of four kilometers. 

Meanwhile, Ang reiterated that use of the northbound Skyway Extension will remain free for motorists until further notice. 

The Skyway Extension project is part of the 38-kilometer elevated Skyway System, which includes the newly-opened Skyway Stage 3, also fully-funded by SMC.

Did you enjoy the above news and details? I sure did. What San Miguel Corporation (in coordination with the national government) has been doing is already benefitting people of Metro Manila and those from both the north and south of the National Capital Region (NCR) who need to travel great distances efficiently and faster. The results will be even greater once the entire project has been completed and the benefits will be available not only to travelers and motorists today, but also for future generations of people. Check out the related Skyway video below.

That being said, SMC and the Skyway projects are great examples of capitalism making great improvements to the national infrastructure. It is clear that the private sector is essential as it has the technologies, the expertise and resources to improve the quality of life (apart from providing good paying jobs) here in the Philippines. Capitalism is essential and good, and socialism (and all its related Leftist garbage) sucks. For more insight about capitalism and socialism, watch these videos from John Stossel plus another video that debunks the Left’s propaganda that the poor got poorer.

In closing this piece, let me ask you what you do think about the latest developments about the Skyway project? If you actually traveled via the Skyway lately, how was your travel experience?

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