The wave of high excitement and fun for both Team Xbox and all the gamers playing on Xbox One, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X or Windows PC continues to be felt as the universally acclaimed Forza Horizon 5 achieved tremendous success before and during launch in terms of being played by MILLIONS of gamers around the world! The success was so tremendous, Team Xbox chief Phil Spencer confirmed it on Twitter!
In addition, the Grand Theft Auto Trilogy – The Definitive Edition just launched digitally and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas became available on Xbox Game Pass (XGP). Oh yes, Bethesda just released The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition which has new content related to its predecessors The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (note: this I played on Xbox 360 way back in 2006.)
Adding even more to the excitement of gaming on the Xbox ecosystem, Thundeful announced officially via Xbox.com that The Gunk will be released worldwide on December 16, 2021 exclusively on Xbox One, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X, Windows PC and also on Xbox Game Pass! To start with, watch the latest video about the game below…
Personally, I am interested in playing The Gunk on Xbox Game Pass as soon as it becomes available. At the same time, I am more interested in the talents of game developer Thunderful which is responsible for the SteamWorld franchise of games. I never got to play any SteamWorld game before and as such, The Gunk will be the first Thunderful-made game for me to play ever!
The Gunk, as it turns out, will NOT be the last Xbox-exclusive coming from Thunderful. In fact, the SteamWorld developer is working on another console-exclusive game for Xbox Series consoles and the aging Xbox One which will be released in 2023…Planet of Lana. Check out the trailer below…
In closing this piece, posted below are Xbox-related videos for your viewing pleasure.
+++++
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
It’s been two days since cinemas around Metro Manila officially reopened which is a welcome move not because I personally want to watch movies on the big screen inside the theater but because the local cinema industry will contribute to the economic recovery of our nation from this ongoing COVID-19 crisis. That being said, I urge you readers – who got fully vaccinated locally – who love watching movies to take time out to support the local cinema operators and their employees by visiting their venues, buying tickets over the counter and watch movies on the big screen while following the local health protocols (note: local cinemas have invested a lot in making their venues safe and sanitized).
Be reminded that streaming will NEVER match the grandeur and immersion of the cinema! The cinema is always better than streaming. Movie venue choices aside, local moviegoers now have the opportunities to watch A Quiet Place Part II and the big blockbuster Dune (2021).
Going back to the topic of economic recovery, there is no doubt that the COVID-19 crisis combined with all the restrictions imposed by the local, regional and nation authorities brought down the national economy in 2020 along with all the economic sectors and the employees. All of these also translate into a major loss of tax revenue for the local governments, provincial governments and the national government.
In the case of the local cinema industry, the shutdown of cinemas since the pandemic started in March 2020 resulted a huge, collective industry loss of revenue according to a BusinessWorld report. I’m talking about many BILLIONS of Pesos lost!
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt of the BusinessWorld report. Some parts in boldface…
The cinema industry had P19 billion in foregone revenue from March 2020 to September this year, Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) Chairperson Mary Liza Diño-Seguerra said in a Teams video interview.
The loss had ballooned to P21 billion as of Oct. 11, Charmaine N. Bauzon, president of Cinema Exhibitors Association of the Philippines, told PTV News.
Local government units, which charge 10% amusement tax per movie ticket, lost P1.09 million daily from the country’s more than a thousand movie screens, according to estimates by the National Tax Research Center.
“We earned P11.5 billion yearly from the box office [before the pandemic],” Ms. Seguerra said. “We sold about 52 million tickets each year.”
Cinema operators get 50% of ticket sales, while the other half goes to producers, who then give as much as a quarter to the distributor, who’s in charge of marketing and distributing the film to the public.
Last year, cinemas in areas under a more relaxed quarantine made a measly P327,000, Ms. Seguerra said.
Take note that before the pandemic started, the local cinema industry as a whole had a work force of 300,000 employees and those who lost their jobs and income really suffered. In the City of San Juan, the Manila Bulletin reported about the reopening of local cinemas there with Mayor Francis Zamora issuing statements and leading the inspection on the venues. Posted below is an excerpt from the Manila Bulletin article.
San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora led the inspection of cinemas in the city starting with the Greenhills Promenade Cinema.
Zamora inspected the health and safety protocols of the cinema such as the disinfection process of the establishment and the procedure of buying the tickets, which can be done before entry to the cinema or online, new seating arrangements with strict physical distancing, and the guidelines of actual movie viewing under the new normal.
“I know how Filipinos miss watching movies in silver screens which have been shut down for almost two years due to the pandemic, but now the long wait is over. With the approval of the IATF, we are allowing the opening of our cinemas in the city, provided that we take extra care and observe stringent protocols as we are still facing threats of COVID-19 despite the easing of restrictions to Alert Level 2,” Zamora said.
“I want to personally make sure that our cinemas in San Juan will be safe for all of us, not only for the moviegoers but for the employees of these establishments as well,” he added.
During Alert Level 2, the operational capacity of several businesses has been increased to accommodate more customers. It has also eased down quarantine restrictions in various indoor establishments and recreational venues including movie houses and cinemas.
Under the Inter Agency Task Force (IATF) guidelines, cinemas can accommodate up to 50 percent of its maximum venue capacity, but only those who are fully vaccinated will be allowed entry into the cinemas.
For added insight, posted below are two news videos for your viewing…
Once I again, I urge you readers based in Metro Manila and in nearby provinces who got fully vaccinated to come out to support our local cinema operators and make a contribution to economic recovery as you enjoy watching on the big screen again.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: Now that cinemas within Metro Manila have reopened, are you planning to revisit them and watch movies on the big screens anytime soon? Does Dune (2021) interest you a lot? When was the last time you saw a movie inside the movie theater? Do you realize that as a paying customer, what you pay helps not only movie producers and cinema operators but also their employees and the varied government units (that collect amusement taxes)?
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
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Manila Bulletin report. Some parts in boldface…
The Muntinlupa City Council has enacted an ordinance scrapping the mandatory use of face shields in the city.
Majority Floor Leader Raul Corro told Manila Bulletin that the City Council enacted the ordinance on Nov. 8. The ordinance, he said, lifted the mandatory use of face shields except in hospitals and clinics.
The approval of the ordinance came ahead of the decision of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on the use of face shields.
Interior Sec. Eduardo Año defended the issuance of executive orders (EOs) by Manila and Davao scrapping the use of face shields, saying mayors and local government units have the power to issue executive orders and ordinances under Republic Act 7160, the Local Government Code of 1991.
He cited Section 16 of the code, which states that “every local government unit shall exercise the powers expressly granted, those necessarily implied there from, as well as powers necessary, appropriate, or incidental for its efficient and effective governance, and those which are essential to the promotion of the general welfare.”
Año was reacting to the comment by presidential spokesman Harry Roque who said the EOs are “null and void” for violating an executive order issued by President Rodrigo Duterte.
Personally, I give the Muntinlupa City Council’s enactment my approval. Face shields should no longer be required not simply because they are inconvenient to use but because they are less relevant given the much-improved situations in Metro Manila related to the pandemic. The daily national count of new COVID-19 infections are much lower now, more people in Metro Manila have practiced caution and followed local health protocols, more people have gotten vaccinated and fully vaccinated (29.8 million as of November 9, 2021), etc.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a Muntinlupa City resident, what can you say about this latest local development? Do you think the City Councilors made the right move? Have you personally encountered someone who strongly believes that using face shields should remain a requirement all over the country?
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
The City Government of Muntinlupa announced that over 5,600 minors (aged 12 to 17) have been vaccinated for COVID-19 as of November 8, 2021, according to a recent Manila Bulletin news report.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Manila Bulletin report. Some parts in boldface…
The Muntinlupa City government said it has vaccinated more than 5,600 minors aged 12 to 17 years old.
As of Nov. 8, a total of 5,648 minors with and without comorbidities have received their first dose of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine.
The total is 10.2 percent of the estimated 55,391 population of 12 to 17 years old in Muntinlupa.
By percentage by barangay to date, Putatan has the highest vaccination rate at 17 percent (1,765 vaccinated) followed by Tunasan, 15 percent (921), Bayanan, 14 percent (558); Alabang, 8 percent (560); Sucat and Cupang, 7 percent each (379 and 390, respectively); Poblacion, 6 percent (777); Ayala Alabang, 4 percent (115); and Buli, 2 percent (33).
The city government said as of Nov. 8, a total of 22,665 minors aged 12 to 17 years old have registered with the Muntinlupa City COVID-19 Vaccination Program, or 41 percent of the total population for the age group.
The vaccination sites for minors in Muntinlupa are the Ospital ng Muntinlupa for those with comorbidities and SM Center Muntinlupa, Ayala Malls South Park, New Cupang Health Center and Sucat covered court for “well children” or those without comorbidities.
Comorbidities eligible for the Pediatric A3 vaccination are medical complexity, genetic conditions, neurologic conditions, metabolic/endocrine diseases, cardiovascular diseases, obesity, HIV infection, tuberculosis, chronic respiratory diseases, renal disorders, hepatobiliary diseases and immunocompromised state due to disease or treatment.
The country’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) earlier approved Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines to be used in people 12 years old and above.
Residents of Muntinlupa City who remain unregistered and unvaccinated should make a move to get registered by learning the ways to do it. Those who are prepared (with personal information available) and willing to go through online registration for the free vaccines in Muntinlupa are encouraged to click https://vaccine.muntinlupacity.gov.ph/muncovac/
Muntinlupa minors may register online through the city’s COVID-19 vaccination registration system at www.vaccine.muntinlupacity.gov.ph/muncovac and choose category “C – Rest of Population.”
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a Muntinlupa City resident, what can you say about this latest local development?
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
The Manila Bulletin reported yesterday that the registration of the vaccination program for the general pediatric population (aged 12 to 17) in Las Piñas City has reached 45,000. That figure is already the majority of the target population of minors.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Manila Bulletin’s news report. Some parts in boldface…
The Las Pinas City government has recorded a total of 45,000 registrants for the vaccination of the general pediatric population aged 12 to 17 years old.
Mayor Imelda Aguilar lauded the parents and guardians of the minors for heeding the call of the city government to register their children for vaccination against COVID-19.
Aguilar also thanked city residents for their full cooperation in having 45,000 registrants out of the 65,000 targeted children population for vaccination as part of the city government’s “Bakunahan sa Kabataan” program.
The mayor and Vice-Mayor April Aguilar have regularly been visiting the seven identified vaccination sites in the city to give the children as well as their parents encouragement as well as to highlight the importance of getting the jab against COVID-19.
Aguilar advised residents that there are three ways for them to register their children — through the Department of Education registration, through their respective barangays, and through online registration via https://bit.ly/e-covid19reg.
The above article ended stating that parents and guardians can visit the City Government’s official Facebook page to find a prepared QR code and scan it.
Any Las Piñas resident who has yet to get registered for the free COVID-19 vaccines can learn the ways (4 methods) by clicking here. Anyone who is ready and willing to register online can click bit.ly/LasPiñasVaccination
Meanwhile, the City Government is handling online registration process for COVID-19 vaccination for local minors (aged 12 to 17) and parents can get their qualified children registered at http://laspinascityonline.laspinascity.gov.ph/eCVRS/
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a resident of Las Piñas City, what is your reaction about the declared number of minors who got registered for vaccination?
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
It has been days since Alert Level 2 was declared all over Metro Manila and the result was the increase presence of people – including minors – at the parks, the shopping malls and food-and-beverage joints. This past Sunday, I noticed more vehicles traveling north on the Metro Manila Skyway which I found surprising as Sunday traffic is normally light. Vaccination for COVID-19 in the metropolis continues to grow and the national average of daily new infections has been below 5,000 per day for some time now. Things are looking optimistic.
As for the face shields that local have been compelled to use for some time now, there is a collective push to make them non-mandatory in Metro Manila. For one thing, face shields make verbal communication harder (as people are already wearing face masks). Another thing is that face shields can be quite inconvenient, even uncomfortable to use whether outdoors or indoors. Surely the local believers of face shields keep on preaching that the said things provide greater protection from COVID-19 but does the rest of the world agree with them? Locally, the OCTA Research group expressed that face shields should not be required inside cinemas.
More recently, it seems that the mayors of Metro Manila and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) want to scrap the use of face shields (note: there will still be specific places that require face shields) and make their recommendation to the national authorities, the Manila Bulletin reported.
To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the Manila Bulletin report. Some parts in boldface…
The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) will recommend to the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) the scrapping of mandatory use of face shields in the National Capital Region following mutual agreement among Metro mayors.
MMDA Chairman Benhur Abalos said Monday, Nov. 8, that the use of face shields will no longer be required except for “critical places.”
Critical areas, according to Abalos, are the hospitals, barangay health centers and public transportation.
“Ang napag-usapan namin sa faceshield number 1, ito yung isusugest ko sa IATF, na tanggalin na ho ang face shield hindi na gawing mandatory except for critical places (What we discussed about the faceshield was that the lifting of its mandatory use except for critical places. I would suggest that to the IATF),” Abalos said in a TeleRadyo interview when asked about what was Metro mayors’ say on removing the use of face shields.
Once approved by the IATF, the use of face shields will no longer be necessary in malls, Abalos added.
Last week, Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Usec. Jonathan Malaya disclosed that DILG Sec. Año will be proposing to the IATF the lifting of the same policy as Metro Manila already deescalated to Alert Level 2 status.
For his part, Senator Manny Pacquiao expressed support on lifting the mandatory use of face shields, the Philippine Daily Inquirer reported. Pacquiao, who is running for Philippine President, also expressed his awareness about economic recovery and lessening the burden people have been living with.
Going back to the Metro Manila Council and the MMDA, it has been reported by GMA Network that a recommendation or an appeal will be submitted to the IATF. Take note that the IATF is the top authority on COVID-19 matters and policies here in the Philippines.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What do you think about this latest development? Do you think that the Metro Manila mayors and the MMDA, who are partly responsible for the August ECQ and even implemented a ban on outdoor exercise, are sincere about face shields right now? Are you sick and tired of being required to use face shields? What is the one thing you despised the most about face shields?
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
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, fans of the 2099 universe of Marvel Comics, 1990s culture enthusiasts and comic book collectors! Today we revisit the adjective-less X-Men comic book series that first launched in 1991 and it has been quite some time since my last retro review of one of the early issues drawn by Jim Lee got published. For the newcomers reading this, my retro review of X-Men #5 (1992) had Wolverine encountering Omega Red.
With those details laid down, here is a look back at X-Men #6, published by Marvel Comics in 1992 with a story plotted and drawn by Jim Lee, scripted by Scott Lobdell and inked by Art Thibert.
The cover.
Early story
The story begins inside a facility in Berlin. Cyclops and Beast easily knocked out the armed guards there with Jubilee following them. As they slowly walk and talk, Omega Red suddenly appears out of nowhere surprising them and hitting Beast directly on the head.
As Omega Red quickly subdues Cyclops with his coils, Jubilee tries to use her power to help her teammate. The Russian, however, unleashes his lethal pheromones into the air which weakens Jubilee. After Omega Red knocks her out, he communicates with Matsuo. It turns out Wolverine still could not be located since he escaped from them.
Elsewhere, Wolverine is being revived by someone…
Quality
Members of the Blue Team in action.
Being the 3rd issue published after the departure of Chris Claremont (last work was X-Men #3), this comic book daringly continues to expand the lore of X-Men with paramilitary concepts, the further exploration of the untold story from Wolverine’s past as a special operative, and the growing threat against the X-Men posed by Omega Red and the organization that revived him. This was clearly Jim Lee’s vision and his way of modernizing the X-Men into the 1990s. It is unsurprisingly grittier in presentation when compared to how the X-Men were presented during Claremont’s time and fortunately the story was told satisfyingly.
I say satisfyingly because this comic book even made room to bring back Dazzler, Longshot and the monstrous Mojo all modernized by Jim Lee. Their insertion into the story really came out of nowhere and felt really jarring after getting myself immersed into the current X-Men story. At this point in the series, the creative team led by Lee really wanted to shake the X-Men storytelling and keep things fresh, if not interesting, for the fans. Speaking of Dazzler, the character made her first appearance way back in 1980’s Uncanny X-Men #130, was featured in her own monthly series and became a regular in the X-Men in the mid-1980s. As such, her sudden return in this comic book was pretty much an opportunity by the creative team to link the present-day X-Men with the X-Men from the mid-1980s which resulted added variety.
Conclusion
When Wolverine and Sabretooth were CIA operatives.
While X-Men #6 (1992) indeed has a more bloated narrative as more characters were crammed in, more flashback scenes and attempts to add moments of twists and intrigue, I still had fun reading it. Unlike the previous two issues under the direction of Jim Lee, this comic book requires a more concentrated reading in order to fully grasp the narrative while also paying attention to the return of Longshot, Dazzler and the others. More on the X-Men themselves, you will get to see the Blue Team in action and really struggle against the group that has Omega Red. When it comes to intriguing character moments, you will see here the start of the build-up on the respective stories of the Psylocke-Kwannon storyline as well as Gambit’s connection with Sabretooth.
If you are seriously planning to buy an existing hard copy of X-Men #6 (1992), be aware that as of this writing, MileHighComics.com shows that the near-mint copy of the regular edition costs $40 while the near-mint copies of the newsstand and Toy Biz editions cost $120 and $100 respectively.
Overall, X-Men #6 (1992) is recommended.
+++++
Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. 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
Finally, the delayed 31st Southeast Asian Games (also referred to as 31st SEA Games or Hanoi 2021) that will be hosted by the City of Hanoi in Vietnam will officially take place from May 12 to 23, 2022 as the event organizers announced recently. This is a breakthrough following the previous announcement that May 2022 would be the month of organizing the events that will lure the best athletes of Southeast Asia.
Organizers of the 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEAG) in Vietnam announced on its website on Friday that the biennial multi-sport games postponed from last year will be held from May 12 to 23 next year.
The specific dates were posted on Vietnam’s national Olympic committee website and reported by Channel News Asia (CNA).
The Games will open three days after the Philippines holds its national elections on May 9, 2022, and according to Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president, Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino, the majority of the athletes, coaches, and officials on Team Philippines would be unable to cast their votes.
“This is one of those sacrifices of having to represent the country in an international competition,” he said in a news release.
The POC has determined a 626-athlete delegation to the Vietnam games, which will be played in the Hanoi main hub.
“The main bulk of the delegation will be leaving for Vietnam no less than a week before the opening ceremony,” Tolentino said. “This is because our athletes need to acclimatize and get the feel of the competition venues, environment, and weather.”
It gets hot in Hanoi in May, with temperatures expected to reach 34 degrees Celsius.
Hanoi hosted the SEA Games for the first time in 2003 in a December schedule when the weather was wintry, with temperatures dropping to 11 degrees Celsius in the evening.
Vietnam originally scheduled the SEAG from November 21 to December 2 last year, but was forced to postpone it due to the pandemic.
Hanoi will be the main hub with 11 other sub-venues.
Vietnam, the ANC said, has allocated a budget of about USD69 million (PHP3.45 billion) for the games, which are expected to attract nearly 20,000 participants, 7,000 of them athletes from 11 countries.
Visiting Vietnam
With regards to Vietnam, those who plan to visit the country during this pandemic should take note that recently the country opened specific tourist destinations for foreigners without the hassle of quarantine related to COVID-19. There will be specific rules and requirements that should be met in order for foreigners to be accepted. Posted below is an excerpt from the New Straits Times report. Some parts in boldface…
VIETNAM has opened up five popular tourist destinations in the country for foreign visitors to visit without quarantine.
The government said that foreigners who have either been fully vaccinated or recovered from Covid-19, can visit the five destinations starting this month.
The Vn Express said that the move comes after Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh approved the pilot plan by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
The plan will be carried out in three phases, with the first phase allowing foreign travellers to visit designated places in Vietnam’s biggest island Phu Quoc, Da Nang City, Quang Nam Province which is home to the ancient town of Hoi An, Khanh Hoa Province which is home to Nha Trang beach town, and Quang Ninh Province home to Ha Long Bay.
Authorities said that travellers must show proof of full vaccination or Covid-19 recovery, as well as a negative coronavirus test done within 72 hours before departure.
Only test results done using RT-LAMP or RT–PCR methods will be accepted.
Visitors will also need to have a medical or travel insurance that includes coverage for Covid-19 treatment worth at least US$50,000 and must book a package tour.
Children under 12 years old travelling with a parent or guardian do not require a certificate of vaccination against Covid-19.
They must also install the contact tracing IGOVN application on their smartphones and use it during their tours in Vietnam.
Although there is no quarantine requirement, visitors will be tested on the first day of arrival using a rapid antigen test and if the result is positive, they will be taken to a medical facility and the cost will be borne by the insurance company or the tour operators.
Authorities said that foreigners who want to see their families in Vietnam can register with the tour operators to do so.
The second phase of the plan is expected to take effect in January next year and it will allow tourists to travel between the five destinations allowed in the first phase.
The Express said that the third phase will see Vietnam fully reopen to foreign visitors.
However, a detailed timeline will depend on the pandemic situation in the country.
And now here is Vietnam tourism video for your viewing…
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: Are you looking forward to the 31st SEA Games now that it has a finalized set of dates for the organizing? What is the one sport you are looking forward to watch in the Hanoi SEA Games? Are you interested to visit Vietnam anytime soon?
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
The high excitement for gaming on Xbox One, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X, Xbox Game Pass and Windows PC is real right now as Forza Horizon 5 gained lots of rave reviews from video game critics and YouTubers! As of this writing, the Playground Games-developed Xbox-exclusive game is averaging a score of 91 (out of 100) out of 81 published reviews according to Metacritic!
If you are wondering how does Forza Horizon 5 looks like and what the reviewers said, we can start by taking a look at each of the following video reviews below…
And now, let’s take at some text-based reviews of the game with key quotes highlighted. I highly recommend you read each of their respective reviews for the best possible insight and immersion.
Windows Central Gaming: Forza Horizon 5 is grand and beautiful. It also launches on more platforms simultaneously than any previous Forza game, giving people more ways to experience everything this game across Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC, and Xbox Cloud Gaming through Xbox Game Pass. Absolutely a game of the year contender for 2021, Forza Horizon 5 is the quintessential choice among the best racing games.
TheGamer: Collectively, Forza Horizon 5 does everything right, and in doing so makes Playground Games’ latest entry into the Forza franchise an absolute must-play for any racing enthusiast or casual racing fan.
Game Revolution: Forza Horizon 5 is the best Forza yet and, not only that, but it also makes a strong case for being the best racing game period. A joyous combo of arcade racing and simulation-level depth, all wrapped up in a beautiful bow thanks to its diverse, expansive Mexico setting, this is an unmissable iteration in what is arguably gaming’s most consistently fantastic series.
Press Start Australia: I’ve played a few open-world racers in my time, but I’m not sure I’ve ever come across one so feature-rich. It really is comprehensive, nailing the scope of its world while filling the world with meaningful things to do, offering a suite of multiplayer and co-op possibilities, and free-roam of a boiled-down vision of Mexico that’s begging to be explored.
Now that the game critics and YouTubers have spoken, it is clear that Forza Horizon 5 is a great game just waiting to be played by gamers worldwide and the 3-year wait for it is worth it. Playground Games worked hard to make the Xbox-exclusive racing game and it looks very polished and almost flawless. Forza Horizon 5 is set for a general release worldwide on November 9, 2021. If the rave reviews it gathered have convinced you already, you can acquire a copy (digital or physical) online here, here, here or here to name a few.
Very clearly, the age of “Xbox has no games” is over and Forza Horizon 5 is just one of many upcoming Xbox-exclusive games realized. Given the open-world racer’s massive critical success, it is clear that Team Xbox has indeed reached a turning point heading towards a new age of super fun and high quality Xbox-exclusive games. Neither Sony nor Nintendo has anything to compete with Forza Horizon 5 with regards to the open-world racing genre. Now is only the beginning of a new age of high excitement for Xbox fans (reminder: Xbox 20th anniversary celebration will take place on November 15, 2021) and anyone who loves games on Xbox platforms and Windows PC! I believe Forza Horizon 5 will impress even the most rabid Xbox-haters when they play it enough. I would not be shocked if Gran Turismo creator Kazunori Yamauchi is playing Forza Horizon 5 in secret somewhere, to learn from it so he can complete his work on Gran Turismo 7.
In closing this piece, posted below are Xbox and Forza Horizon 5-related videos for your viewing pleasure.
+++++
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
Good news for Filipinos who wish to visit Israel and the Holy Land! According to the recent report by the Philippine News Agency (PNA), Filipino travelers who have been fully vaccinated (with the 2nd dose received within the previous six months or 180 days) can final visit Israel, take the swab test there, go through the mandatory quarantine and once the result shows a negative reading, visitors will be able to enter and start touring.
As we are all living in this ongoing pandemic, there are lots of requirements to be made before even booking a flight to Israel. Those who wish to travel there should also be aware as to what brands of COVID-19 vaccines are acceptable to them.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the very short PNA article. Some parts in boldface…
Israel is accepting Filipino and other foreign tourists as long as they are fully vaccinated and their second dose had been administered within the last six months, Israeli Ambassador to the Philippines Ilan Fluss said Wednesday.
“On the 1st of November this week, we opened for vaccinated tourists so anybody who is vaccinated can visit Israel. Filipinos are now welcome to visit Israel,” he told the Philippine News Agency in an interview.
Tourists may travel to Israel “individually or as a group” but are advised to check first the specific entry guidelines and requirements before booking their flight and tour packages.
The envoy said travelers will have to present a negative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test result taken 72 hours prior to departure and take another swab upon arrival at the airport.
After the test, the tourist will undergo mandatory quarantine until the result is out.
Fluss noted that Israel is only allowing foreigners who had been vaccinated with a jab recognized by the World Health Organization, such as Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, Sinovac, and Sinopharm.
Among others, the second dose must be administered within the past six months and supported by a vaccination certificate.
“If (the last shot) is more than six months, you are considered unvaccinated. So either you take the booster and then you can visit or you can’t,” he said.
Filipinos are allowed visa-free entry to Israel but Fluss said they must secure a “special entry permit”, which had been required from all foreign nationals following the Covid-19 pandemic.
‘Tourism exchanges’
As Israel looks forward to welcoming Filipino tourists to the Holy Land, Fluss said Israeli travelers are likewise waiting to visit the Philippines, popular for its picturesque beaches and world-class dive spots.
“The Philippines, for Israelis, is a very interesting attraction. Israelis have been to Thailand but they like to always find new and exciting destinations and in the last few years they found the Philippines. So I want to see more of the Israeli exchanges,” he said.
In the meantime, he invited Filipinos to visit their religious sites and churches that had been closed to foreigners since March 2020.
“The Philippines is a Christian country and I think people are very keen to travel to the Holy Land and we would be very happy to see more tourists to come and visit,” he said.
“Israel is an interesting country with the combination of the Holy Land, history, religion, culture; and Tel Aviv is a city of fun and is one of those cosmopolitan cities that goes 24 hours. It’s a combination of modern and traditional,” he added.
Fluss is also hoping the Philippine Airlines could finally mount its direct flights between Manila and Tel Aviv in April 2022 after the target launch last October 2021 was postponed “due to issues with the routes”.
Whew! That was a heavy load of information posted above. To make your dreams of visiting Israel come through, you will have to meet all the requirements related to vaccination (note: always have your records ready), COVID-19 testing, getting the special entry permit, booking and more. It’s challenging to meet the requirements but it’s not impossible and ultimately Israel is always a great place to visit filled with wonders of discovery. Visiting the Holy Land with deep faith in the Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit will be tremendous.
If you truly believe in Lord Jesus, the Holy Spirit and God the Heavenly Father wholeheartedly and you continue to be faithful (not religious), you should be aware that Christians are meant to stand united with Israel, love the Jewish people and pray for the peace of Jerusalem. You can do your part supporting Israel by donating to Christians United for Israel (CUFI). Do not forget to read the Holy Bible, then pray in tongues to the Lord in the privacy of your room with the door shut.
In ending this I Love Israel piece, posted below are Israel-related videos.
+++++
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
Author Carlo Carrasco 