My Observations: Century Club of Tahanan’s Bingo Socials Attract Lots of Participants

Between one hundred eighty to two hundred people participated in the Bingo Socials fund-raising event of the Century Club of Tahanan which was held on October 12 at the covered court in Tahanan Village, Barangay BF Homes, Parañaque City. The numbers were confirmed to me by Century Club’s president Florencia Umali who spearheaded the organizing of the games.

I personally looked around and took pictures for this article you are reading. Fortunately for me, I arrived just before City Councilor Tess de Asis delivered a short speech to the participants and the spectators. De Asis, who is best known in the City Government for her enduring legacy on local education and is now serving her third and final term, contributed to the prizes.

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A raffle prize winner posing for a picture with Century Club president Florencia Umali and City Councilor Tess de Asis.

Apart from the councilor, Umali confirmed to me that Mayor Edwin Olivarez, Vice Mayor Rico Golez and Barangay BF Homes chairman Paolo Marquez respectively donated to the cash prizes of the event. Congresswoman Joy Tambunting donate a mobile phone while City Councilors Wahoo Sotto, Giovanni Esplana, Bong Benzon, Jackie Bustamante-Mendoza, Binky Favis and Jean Yllana donated in kind resulting multiple prizes for winners.

Meanwhile, the Tahanan Homeowners Association (THA) and Martin Guzman of Village Cafe gave gift certificates to the event.

The participants were greeted personally by Councilors Sotto, Benzon and Congressman Eric Olivarez when they respectively visited the event. Olivarez even performed a dance to amuse the participants.

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A view from one side…
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…and from another side.

Umali told me that her club not only managed to raise some funds but also witnessed the happiness the participants had playing the bingo games and the smiles on the faces of very fortunate individuals who won cash prizes or raffle prizes. She added that the Bingo Socials proved to be effective in helping members of the local community get to know the new homeowners and, at the same time, promote camaraderie between them.

Ultimately the Bingo Socials brought the residents together which fit in nicely with Tahanan Village’s legacy of being one of the most neighbor-friendly villages not only in Barangay BF Homes but in South Metro Manila as a whole. The fact that several public officials of the city contributed to the prizes and made guest appearances showed that Century Club is a highly credible private club of senior citizens to them. Just a few months ago, no less than Office of Senior Citizen Affairs of Parañaque (OSCA-PQUE) officer-in-charge Dante Pacheco attended Century Club’s general meeting and made notable announcements.

Congratulations to Century Club for an event nicely pulled off!

 

 

 

 

Sun Life Aquathlon Set to Award Champions

SUN LIFE AQUATHLON SET TO AWARD CHAMPIONS

The much-awaited Sun Life Aquathlon, a multi-sport racing event hosted by Sun Life Philippines in partnership with BikeKing Philippines, is set to award its winners at the finale of the series championship on October 13 at the Vermosa Sports Hub in Imus City, Cavite.

The event will mark the conclusion of the Sun Life Aquathlon Series Championship Series 2019, which includes the Vermosa Sports Hub Aquathlon 1, Vermosa Sports Hub Aquathlon 2, and the Aquaman Aquathlon.

“Hosting the Sun Life Aquathlon enables Sun Life to nurture the growing interest of Filipinos in multisport events. This is very much aligned with our thrust to promote health and wellness in the country,” Sun Life Chief Marketing Officer Mylene Lopa said.

Now on its third year, the Sun Life Aquathlon will see almost 400 participants racing to garner more points in the last leg of the series, in hopes of winning their respective categories. Categories are divided by age-appropriate distances: the shortest course is a 100-meter swim combined with a kilometer run designed for children ages seven to eight; while the longest course is a 500-meter swim combined with a five-kilometer run for participants 15 years old and above.

The Sun Life Aquathlon series points will be tallied and the Top Aquathlete of 2019 and other champions of the series will be announced during the awarding ceremony. Moreover, top three winners of each age-group category will receive specially designed finisher medals and gift packs.

The event is also supported by Smart, SPEEDO, Apollo Petroleum Jelly, Vermosa Sports Hub, official timekeeper Garmin, and hydration partners Pocari Sweat and Sip Purified Water.

For more information on this event, visit http://bikekingphilippines.com. For more about Sun Life’s health and wellness initiatives, follow @SunLifePH and @GoWellPH on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.


Published on behalf of Sun Life Philippines.

Anti-Bullying Event at SISC on October 25 and 26

Hey everyone!

If you are looking for any event in the entire South Metro Manila emphasizing the campaign against bullying, then you should go to Southville International School & Colleges (SISC) in BF International, Las Piñas City as they will organize their big event titled Be a Buddy, Not a Bully! – A Family Affair Against Bullying on October 25 and 26.

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Set to take place from 9AM to 4PM on each day, admission is free according to SISC officials.

What will you get for free entrance? The organizers have prepared the following activities that are designed to give attendees a clear vision about what bullying is, what its effects are and what people can do to protect themselves from bullies.

  1. Parenting talks
  2. Storytelling sessions
  3. Games
  4. Merchandise exhibits
  5. Food bazaar
  6. Open house for all SISC and non-SISC families.

Previously I wrote about mobbing and that topic is closely related to bullying. To put things in perspective, bullying is defined as abuse and mistreatment of someone vulnerable by someone stronger, more powerful, etc. (according to Merriam-Webster.com)

If you want to tackle the topic of bullying seriously, take the opportunity to attend the Be a Buddy, Not a Bully! – A Family Affair Against Bullying at  SISC on October 25 and 26. 

For inquiries, call the school at (02) 8825-6374 local 100.

Community Food Fair and Bazaar in BF NorthWest on December 7 and 8 (UPDATED November 17, 2019)

Community Food Fair and Bazaar in BF NorthWest on December 7 and 8 (UPDATED November 17, 2019)

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The BF NorthWest Homeowners Association, Inc. announced this past weekend that the Food Fair and Bazaar-Sale will be held on December 7 and 8, 2019 at the BF NorthWest open-air basketball court as well as part of a roofed strip which are located just steps away from its clubhouse along Djakarta street, BF NorthWest, Parañaque City. With regards to time, the hours for December 7 are 3PM to 9PM, and 8AM to 7PM on December 8.

The Community Food Fair will eventually have a wide selection food products and beverages provided by several members of BF HomeSarap which is a very popular Facebook group created by Ditas Antenor, composed of food makers and sellers based in BF Homes as well as enthusiasts. To be clear, BF HomeSarap (administrated by Antenor and Miren Suntay) is a key partner of the organizers of the Food Fair and Bazaar-Sale and you can visit their space in Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/987695754755106/

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As of this writing, several food sellers have been selected for the Community Food Fair according to BF NorthWest Governor-at-Large Lorea Miren.

The result? Here are some food options that you can expect to see offered come December 7 and 8: Cheese roll, red velvet and chocolate cupcakes, lemon squares, Espresso, Fudge Brownies, Chocolate Chunk Cookies, White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies, fruitcake. Salted duck eggs, kesong puti, Angus Tapsilog, Turmeric Latte Embotido, Hamonado & StrawberriesFresh farm vegetables Liempo adobo, pork binagoongan, beef caldereta, garlic cream, cilantro dip, salsa, nachos, beef lumpiang togue Kaien Buffalo Sauce, Kaien Keychain, Kaien Nachos & Dip, Kaien Buffalo Wings, Baked Chicken, Nachos Boodle fight bilao, buttered shrimps in tubs, chili garlic crabs in tubs, tempura/ebi fry, Beef Asado, and Sweet-Chili Ribs.

BF Homesarap Facebook group recently has postings of the sellers in album form. If you are already a member of the group, just visit and view the sellers.

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The Bazaar-Sale is expected to have a selection of items that could make good gifts to give this Christmas. Depending on how many vendors (note: non-food items are limited only to BF Homes residents) will sign up and what kind of products will be offered, we could see items like bags, shoes, clothing, toys, household items, and the like.

Adding zest to the event are raffle draws that will be held on both days. The prizes will be products of the sellers who agreed to donate them.

For those who are not residents of BF NorthWest who plan to visit the Food Fair and Bazaar-Sale this December, if you are traveling by car that does not have a BF NorthWest sticker, be prepared to surrender your ID card at the BF NorthWest village gate along El Grande Avenue. Once you are granted access into the village, always respect the local authorities and the homeowners, and follow the rules regarding in-village speed limit and parking. Please take note that BF NorthWest is inside BF Homes subdivision. Entering BF Homes subdivision with a car without a BF Homes sticker requires you line up in the lane for cars without stickers and leave your ID card to the guard.

Personally, I am looking forward to the Food Fair and Bazaar-Sale in BF NorthWest. This past summer, I visited and observed the 2-day Community Fun Fair which was a really nice event that brought villagers, visitors and vendors together not only for business transactions but also for socializing. That event helped raise funds for the BF NorthWest HOA for the maintenance fees. The Food Fair and Bazaar-Sale’s schedule for early December is ideal as Christmas is nearing.

The Food Fair and Bazaar-Sale this December is a special project of the BF NorthWest Homeowners Association and BF HomeSarap. Visit the BF NorthWest FB group here and BF HomeSarap group here.

For the meantime, please share this news to others via Facebook, Twitter, email, Viber and text. As visitors will be welcomed at BF NorthWest for the Food Fair and Bazaar-Sale, you can consider it to be part of your Christmas shopping activities or destinations.

Finally, this event is supported by PARA APP Powered by Mobiva which is an designed to help users find tricycles to ride on for their commute in and around BF Homes subdivision.

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To others reading this, if you are dissatisfied with print media and you want your community/organization/business/special event or project to be featured on this website, please contact me locally via mobile number 0905-3350831 or via email at Carlo.Carrasco@gmail.com

We can negotiate, work together and be achievers together.


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 Havenor is 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

 

 

My Observations: BFSK’s Mutya ng BF Homes Screening Done

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The twenty-five applicants with some coaches and handlers waiting for the screening results to be announced.

Yesterday afternoon at the hall of Barangay BF Homes along Elsie Gatches street, Parañaque City, the Barangay BF Homes Sangguniang Kabataan (BFSK) organized a screening of many pretty ladies which resulted a selection of sixteen candidates for the Mutya ng BF Homes beauty pageant which is set to happen on October 19.

Specifically there were a total of twenty-five ladies from around the barangay – including a few from the private subdivisions – who applied and took part in the screening which was done by a panel of three which includes BFSK chairperson Mariel Angela Tumang, Raymond Sison and Chrize May Arañez. SK kagawads Alma Galindo, Jerry Dalmero, Kelly Haboc, Irene Juanico and Stephanie Sebullen were present and helped around.

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The panel composed of Raymond Sison, Chrize May Arañez and BFSK chairperson Mariel Tumang.

Each candidate was asked why she wanted to join, what would she do if ever she wins the Mutya title and other questions. After the Q&A, each candidate was asked to do a beauty pageant walk so that her confidence and precision could be tested. Below are pictures of a few candidates for your viewing.

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When all the applicants were screened, the panel analyzed carefully behind closed doors which sixteen candidates should be selected to compete in the October 19 pageant. Out of respect to the BFSK and the candidates themselves, I’ll keep their names hidden and let the organizers have the honor to do the revealing. To make things clear, I don’t work for any print media-based publication (note: I’m working in industry right now) and I’m free to blog to inform and entertain readers online.

Afterwards, all the sixteen candidates were oriented about the conditions on participation, what is required, what pre-pageant activities they should participate in and the like. Since the screening ended, the countdown for the October 19 beauty pageant has begun!

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The selected sixteen candidates along with the BFSK.

For more information about the fast-approaching Mutya ng BF Homes, visit the BFSK’s Facebook page now.

Village Food Fair 2 at Madison Galeries on October 20

If you are looking for a new food-and-beverage event here in South Metro Manila, then here is something that you should seriously consider.

Madison Galeries, a nice open-air mall located in Barangay Cupang, Muntinlupa City, recently announced it will be organizing Village Food Fair 2 which will take place the whole day of October 20 (Sunday). To be specific, the event will take place at the Madison Events Place which is located at the 3rd floor of the mall.

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For the newcomers reading this, Madison Galeries is located along Don Jesus Boulevard in Alabang. The boulevard is a long road that connects Alabang Hills Village, Hillsborough and other villages to the West service road. Available for visitors with vehicles are open-air parking slots as well as covered parking.

“The Food Fair will offer the same joyous, community presence from our nearby villages and serving local to branded quality foods. With this, we also open our doors to all customers who wish to taste quality items from our participated concessionaires,” Madison Galeries expressed in response to my inquiry.

The mall operator stated they are expecting a good number of concessionaires to participate, the same as from the previous food fair.

Personally, I got delighted over the announcement that Village Food Fair 2 is happening in a few weeks’ time. This was because I attended the 1st Village Food Fair a few months ago and it was a really nice experience. There were lots of concessionaires selling pies, cakes, Shawarma, sushi and maki, rice meals, dessert, shakes and more delicious stuff. There were also some organic food products offered to customers for their home cooking needs.

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From the 1st Village Food Fair at Madison Galeries.

By the end of my attendance of that food fair, I wished that it would happen again…..and Madison Galeries decided to organize another one. My wish came true! The wait won’t be too painful as October 20 is fast approaching.

If you have any inquiries about Village Food Fair 2, feel free to contact Madison Galeries at 0917-6369160 or visit their administrative office at the 4th floor of the mall. Visit their official Facebook page as well.


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 Havenor is 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

Muntinlupa Qualifies for PCCI Most Business-Friendly LGU Award

 

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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)

 

The City Government of Muntinlupa announced today that the City qualified yet again for the Most Business-Friendly Local Government Unit (LGU) award as the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) organized on the October 2 the final judging.

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.

 

 

 

 

Bingo Socials in Tahanan Village set for October 12

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).

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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).

My Observations: Another Highly Productive Weekend by the BFSK

This past weekend, the Barangay BF Homes Sangguniang Kabataan (BFSK) proved itself to be very productive yet again.

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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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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.

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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 Havenor is 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

My Observations: Muntinlupa City to Implement New Traffic Scheme No Later than October 13

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.