Author Carlo Carrasco

Muntinlupa City Mayor tells graduates to live life with integrity instead of wanting social media likes

June 11, 2024June 1, 2024carlocarrasco

During a graduation ceremony held recently in the City of Muntinlupa, Mayor Ruffy Biazon told the graduates to live life with integrity instead of wanting likes of social media, according to a Manila Bulletin news report.

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

Amid the popularity of social media like Facebook and Instagram, Muntinlupa Mayor Ruffy Biazon reminded graduates to live life with integrity and purpose beyond online validation.

“Live for others instead of for ‘likes.’ Think about how we can serve our families, communities, and fellow citizens,” he said in his speech to the Class of 2024.

He added, “Work hard to be a champion, not to chase clout. Strive for excellence and become champions in everything you do.”

Biazon attended the graduation and moving up ceremonies of more than 20,000 students in public elementary and high schools in Muntinlupa from May 29 to 31.

He acknowledged the importance of social media and noted that while likes are not inherently bad, they should not dictate people’s actions or compromise their values and principles.

Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? If you are a resident of Muntinlupa City, do you strongly agree with Mayor Biazon’s advice to the graduates? Do you think that the Filipino youth has gotten too addicted by social media? Do you think that social media companies genuinely care about the mental health of teenagers among their many users?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. 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 with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

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

Chinese nationals arrested by immigration authorities in province

June 11, 2024June 1, 2024carlocarrasco

Recently in the province of Batangas, elements of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) arrested seven China nationals who were illegally working in a quarry and one of them was found to have been petitioned by a fake company, according to a Philippine News Agency (PNA) news article.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the PNA news article. Some parts in boldface…

Immigration authorities arrested seven Chinese nationals found to be illegally working in a quarry in Batangas province on Wednesday.

In a news release Thursday, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said the operation was initially aimed at apprehending a certain Wang Zhenglai, 34, who has a working visa but was found to have been petitioned by a fake company.

However, officers from the BI’s Regional Intelligence Operations Unit and the Taysan Municipal Police Station also apprehended six other Chinese men found to be illegally working in the same area.

They were identified as Wang Shou Min, 67; Gao Zhengyao, 47; Wang Yongshang, 31; Song Ke Wei, 33; Cai Wenbi, 33; and Huang Hai Min, 39.

Out of the six other foreigners, five were found to have a 9(g) working visa but were petitioned by companies located in Quezon City while one was found to be working with a tourist visa.

Further investigation also showed that Wang Shou Min was the mining company’s “big boss” and the father of Zhenglai.

Meanwhile, Commissioner Norman Tansingco reiterated that working visas are both company-specific and station-specific.

“Foreign nationals who possess a working visa but found to be petitioned by fake companies or caught to be working in other locations may face deportation cases,” the BI chief added.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Are you concerned that there could be more Chinese or other foreign nationals who could be illegally working on projects that are related with the Philippines’ natural resources? Do you think mainland China is trying to find way to infiltrate the mining, farming and irrigation sectors of the Philippines?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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What I’d like to see next from Ninja Theory

June 10, 2024June 3, 2024carlocarrasco

Welcome back Xbox fans, geeks and gamers! As I posted before, I enjoyed playing Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II on my Xbox Series X and eventually I managed finish it. It was indeed a short game (less than ten hours was my play time) and to my surprise, the levels were really linear (which made exploration very limited) and the puzzle-oriented challenges were less challenging compared to Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice.

What really impressed the most about Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II were the visuals which had high levels of photo-realism, really detailed facial expressions and astounding cinematic look. Developer Ninja Theory proved itself to be great in using Unreal Engine 5 (UE5) technology and fusing their artistry and all motion-captured performances onto their work.

*Apart from solid game designers, Ninja Theory has great digital artists, technicians and very talented performers.*

*It would be a big shame for Microsoft to close down Ninja Theory. Such a move will destroy the credibility of Xbox.*

While I enjoyed Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II and I can say it was worth the long wait, I don’t find the game replay-worthy at all. I don’t feel like wanting to repeat an entire playthrough with it right now. Perhaps in the next six months, I just might consider playing it all over again.

That being said, I really want Ninja Theory to prosper and keep on making more great games that will keep gamers entertained. I think it is also time for the Xbox studio to pause from the Senua franchise of games and start making something new that is also enjoyable to play.

What I’d like to see Ninja Theory make under the Xbox banner is a new action-adventure game that is less cinematic but more focused on large environments, platforming, deep exploration and having a new approach to action.

To understand what I’m saying, check out Ninja Theory’s past works on Heavenly Sword and Enslaved: Odyssey to the West. Watch the videos below…

Of course, there are other genres that Ninja Theory could daringly work on such as role-playing games (RPGs) much in the style of BioWare’s works specifically like Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (Star Wars KOTOR) and Jade Empire. They can also add their cinematic approach when making RPGs.

When it comes to zombie-oriented video games, the team behind the Senua games could make a Dead Rising-like game featuring open-world environments, varied missions and objectives, and emphasis on shooting and explosions with regards to action.

Another genre that I think Ninja Theory can challenge themselves with is turn-based tactics gaming. I believe that the Xbox first-party lineup of games is sorely lacking in this type of game. While XCOM already cornered the sci-fi realm of turn-based tactics, perhaps Ninja Theory could do a fantasy oriented game that plays well and carry the team’s cinematic touch.

The way things are right now, it remains to be seen what Ninja Theory could make next under Team Xbox and Microsoft. There is that thing called Project: Mara but there are no details as to what kind of game will turn out from that. I really want Ninja Theory to keep on making more fun-oriented games which would also feature their artistic approach that would really stand out.

Whether you like it or not, the future looks uncertain for Ninja Theory when it comes to what kind of games they will make next, and what creative direction they will take under the banners of Xbox and Microsoft.

Here is hoping Microsoft would not commit the error of closing down the team behind Senua games. I am watching your moves, Team Xbox and Microsoft.

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John Chicano wins Powerman Malaysia 2024 elite male duathlon gold medal, teammates win medals for Philippines

June 10, 2024June 11, 2024carlocarrasco

UPDATED June 11, 2024 – Actual race distance clarified to me by John Chicano and verified with Powerman Malaysia’s website. The official distance of the Elite Male contest is 10 Km run – 60 Km bike – 10 Km run. The Manila Bulletin got the race distance wrong.

Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) multi-medalist John Chicano led the Philippines to the top of the Powerman Malaysia 2024 by winning the gold medal of the Elite Male contest yesterday which was an improvement over last year’s race, according to a Manila Bulletin sports news report. Chicano also has teammates who won medals as well. The official results can be viewed by clicking here.

To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the sports news report of Manila Bulletin. Some parts in boldface…

John Chicano avenged his runner-up finish last year by capturing the gold medal in the 2024 Powerman Malaysia duathlon race in Dataran Putrajaya over the weekend.

Chicano, a double gold medalist at the 2019 Southeast Asian Games, navigated the 10-kilometer run, 40km bike, 5km run endurance race with a time of 2 hours, 41 minutes and 48 seconds to beat teammate John Patrick Ciron and dethrone last year’s champion Moysan Malo of France.

Ciron settled for the silver medal with a time of 2:47:15, while Malo crossed the finish line a few seconds later with 2:47:34 to settle for the bronze medal.

After checking in the same time with Ciron in the first run leg, Chicano slowly pulled away in the bike leg and led by five minutes heading into the final run leg. He maintained his pace to finish two minutes faster than his previous time last year.

In the distaff side, Merry Joy Trupa bagged the bronze medal after clocking 3:19:17 behind gold medalist Rendy Williams of the United States, who timed 3:09:34, and hometown bet Esther Joy Hong Li Chen, who finished with 3:13:35 for the silver medal.

For the newcomers reading this, John Chicano is one of the nation’s finest multisports athletes as he won multiple medals in SEA Games contests (including the gold medal in men’s triathlon in the 2019 SEA Games) before as well as local contests (click here and here). To get to know Chicano better, read my feature article of him by clicking here.

For Philippine triathlon updates, click https://www.facebook.com/TriPhil

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Muntinlupa City Government 2023 revenues reach P4.63 billion

June 10, 2024June 1, 2024carlocarrasco

Recently in the City of Muntinlupa, the Bureau of Local Government Finance under the Department of Finance (DOF) revealed that the revenues of the City Government reached P4.63 billion for the year 2023, according to a Manila Bulletin news report.

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

The Muntinlupa City government earned P4.63 in revenues in 2023 to rank ninth among local government units in the National Capital Region (NCR).

The Bureau of Local Government Finance under the Department of Finance released the revenue data for NCR.

Muntinlupa generated P4.63 billion in revenue last year, marking a 13 percent increase in its Annual Revenue Income (ARI) from 2022.

“We are in a crucial period of pandemic recovery. The significant growth in our revenue is a positive sign that our economy is on the right track. This growth enables us to enhance public services and better support our community,” said Mayor Ruffy Biazon.

He added, “We assure our constituents that every centavo is judiciously used to enhance social services and improve the quality of life for all Muntinlupeños.”

Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? If you are a resident of Muntinlupa City, do you find the 2023 revenue surprising? Do you think the City Government is doing a good job financially?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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COMELEC-led plebiscite in Las Piñas City set for June 29, 2024

June 9, 2024June 9, 2024carlocarrasco

Residents of the City of Las Piñas will be voting in a plebiscite – to be conducted by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) – to approve or reject an ordinance that will set the territorial boundaries of all barangays on June 29, 2024, according to a Manila Bulletin news report. Voting hours will be from 7AM to 3PM.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the news report of the Manila Bulletin. Some parts in boldface…

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will conduct a plebiscite to allow Las Piñas City residents to vote for or against an ordinance that sets the territorial boundaries of the 20 barangays in the city on June 29.

City Ordinance No. 1941-23 Series of 2023 delineates the territorial boundaries of the 20 barangays in the city in accordance with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ (DENR) cadastral survey that was completed in March 2015.

The ordinance states that since the creation of the barangays in 1978, “the territorial metes and bounds of the said barangays have not been properly identified such that there are barangays whose land areas are not contiguous and/or overlapping with another barangay.”

“Moreover, confusion in the territorial boundaries of the barangays is being encountered which could cause disputes, or be subject of disputes, especially since the cadastral mapping in 1980 for the barangays conflicted with the boundaries as set forth in the Presidential Decrees,” the ordinance states.

The local government offices in Las Piñas and several national government agencies such the Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of Budget and Management, Philippine Statistics Authority, and the Comelec will be given three years from the ordinance’s ratification to make appropriate changes in their respective records to conform with the new boundaries and jurisdictions of the barangays.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a resident of Las Piñas City, what is your reaction to this development? Were you able to check if your name was included in the official list of voters for the plebiscite? Will you be voting on June 29?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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REJOICE! 4 Israeli Hostages Rescued in Daring Mission

June 9, 2024carlocarrasco

REJOICE! 4 Israeli Hostages Rescued in Daring Mission

Praise and thank the Lord for the latest miracle – the successful rescue of four hostages! Keep on praying to the Lord to support Israel and for their rescue operations for more hostages. Also pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

A Look Back at Amazing Spider-Man #255 (1984)

June 7, 2024July 3, 2024carlocarrasco

Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from reading the comic book and doing personal research. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.

Welcome back superhero enthusiasts, 1980s arts and culture enthusiasts, Marvel Comics fans and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the year 1984 to examine a small part of the Marvel Comics universe through a tale of the Amazing Spider-Man monthly series.

Between the developments of 1980s Secret Wars limited series and the debut of Venom was the time when Peter Parker wore a black new costume as Spider-Man which happens to be the alien costume he gained while spending time with other superheroes in deep space (refer to Secret Wars #8). There was this gradual approach done by the creators to tell new tales of Spider-Man who has the symbiote attached to him most of the time.

With those details laid down, here is a look back at Amazing Spider-Man #255, published in 1984 by Marvel Comics with a story written by Tom DeFalco and drawn by Ron Frenz.

Early story

The story begins when a black costumed figure arrives at the balcony of a tall building during night time in New York City. He carefully makes an unlawful entry into the place to steal something. The figure was the Black Fox who intends to take valuables not to feed his greed but to properly subsidize his retirement. When he touches an exquisite-looking vase, it disappears and suddenly a monstrous ape appears from nowhere surprising him. Soon enough, he finds himself surrounded by more apes and faces their human leader (one who referred to the apes as pets).

Meanwhile at his apartment, a very tired Peter Parker washes his black costume (the symbiote), reflects on recent events he went through and then goes to bed. During the night, the black costume comes to life and slowly slithers its way into the bedroom wrapping itself on the sleeping Peter…

Quality

*The sneaky Black Fox has no chance of escaping Spider-Man (wearing the alien costume that would later lead to the start of Venom).*

I want to start with the force of opposition the creative team came up with. This is about the powerful villain the Red Ghost who has super-apes under his control and vast wealth and resources to organize criminal activities. Red Ghost here is not your typical villain as he is actually strategic, smart and even philosophical clearly knowing what he is doing and what he needs to keep on doing crime. The retiring old thief Black Fox happens to be the very criminal that Red Ghost needs for a special task involving the machine called the Cosmicizer which is essential to his need of vastly increasing his cosmic-ray induced powers.

The Red Ghost is struggling with certain limits which are related to his need of the Black Fox to accomplish something for him with the assistance of the super apes. That being said, the presentation of evil awaiting Spider-Man in this tale is a clever move by DeFalco and Frenz.

As for the iconic webslinger, you will see more of Peter Parker’s personal struggles balancing his life between real-world living and performing as Spider-Man to help people and solve problems. In this tale, his personal life is at a low point and it does not help that his has a strained link with his Aunt May. Even though he has the alien costume that is capable of aiding him a lot, there are still problems that the superhero simply cannot solve. The dramatization here is pretty good and the way the final conflict with the main villain turned out was a pretty nice pay-off.

Conclusion

*Peter Parker’s sleep has been disorderly since he brought home with him the symbiote.*

Amazing Spider-Man #255 (1984) is an entertaining and intriguing read. The creative team’s decision to have the established Fantastic Four foe Red Ghost as the definitive villain for Spider-Man turned out to be a smart move and what they did was fun to read. The presence of Black Fox (note: this comic book is his debut) added a layer of depth to the plot and his declared desire to retire from the life of crime made him an intriguing addition to the Spider-Man list of villains.

Overall, Amazing Spider-Man #255 (1984) is recommended.

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Man who pretended to be a police officer arrested in Las Piñas City

June 7, 2024May 30, 2024carlocarrasco

Recently in the City of Las Piñas, an armed man who pretended to be a police officer got arrested after he threatened a jail officer, according to a Manila Bulletin news report.

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

A man who pretended to be a police officer and threatened a jail officer was arrested early Thursday morning in Las Piñas, May 30.

Las Piñas police chief Col. Sandro Tafalla reported to the Southern Police District (SPD) the arrest of alias Jerome, 45, at around 1:30 a.m. along P. Diego Cera Avenue, Barangay E. Aldana, Las Piñas

Report showed that the suspect blocked the path of a jail officer and identified himself as a police officer.

The victim reportedly demanded for the identification card of the suspect and when he failed to show any, tried to flee on board his motorcycle.

Tafalla said the victim was able to arrest the suspect and call for police assistance. Members of the Zapote police substation immediately responded.

He said members of the Zapote police substation found in the possession of the suspect one .45 caliber pistol and two magazines with 15 live (ammunition).

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a resident of Las Piñas City, what is your reaction to this development? Are you concerned that there could be more troublemakers who will commit the usurpation of authority to threaten or harm others? Does it bother you that some people would go as far as pretending to be police officers and disturb others?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Muntinlupa City Government adds several new ambulances and motorcycles to its fleet

June 6, 2024May 30, 2024carlocarrasco

Recently in the City of Muntinlupa, the City Government added several new ambulances and motorcycles to its fleet with the intention of enhancing public service, according to a Manila Bulletin news report.

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

The Muntinlupa City government distributed 10 new ambulances and 34 motorcycles to barangays and various departments to enhance public service.

Mayor Ruffy Biazon led the distribution of the 10 ambulances to all nine barangays in the city and to the Muntinlupa Department of Disaster Reduction and Management to enhance medical and emergency response services.

The ambulances, which feature high-visibility Battenburg designs, are fully equipped with basic life support supplies and equipment, blinkers, and sirens.

“These ambulances will significantly enhance medical response services for our residents,” said Biazon during the turnover ceremony.

He said the Battenburg design is for high visibility, easier identification, and safety.

In addition, the city government also distributed 34 Honda Click 125 motorcycles to various departments, including the Business Permits and Licensing Office, Community Affairs and Development Office, and Colegio de Muntinlupa. The motorcycles are part of an ongoing effort to improve mobility and efficiency in public services.

“These motorcycles will help our offices fulfill their mandates more effectively. Let’s use them properly to better serve our community,” the mayor added.

Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? If you are a resident of Muntinlupa City, do you think the new vehicles distributed by the City Government will improve public service and response time?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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