Recently in the City of Las Piñas, more than four hundred residents availed of the medical services provided to them during the Health and Wellness Caravan that took place in Barangay Talon Singko, the City Government announced via social media.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the social media post of the City Government of Las Piñas. Some parts in boldface…
The Health and Wellness Caravan, held on Thursday, September 26, at the Emmaus 2 Covered Court in Barangay Talon Singko, successfully provided various medical services to over 400 residents. This initiative, organized by the City Health Office, aimed to bring essential health services closer to the people and raise awareness of the existing healthcare facilities available in the city.
Vice Mayor April Aguilar personally attended the event, engaging with residents and emphasizing the city’s commitment to community health. Among the services provided were medical consultations, blood sugar testing, cholesterol examinations, blood typing, dental services, ECG, nutrition counseling, and pneumococcal vaccinations for senior citizens. A mobile nutrition food truck was also present at the event to offer healthy meals to participants, further supporting the caravan’s health-centered goals.
City Health Office OIC Dr. Juliana Gonzalez was also present, working alongside healthcare professionals to ensure the smooth delivery of services. Dr. Gonzalez noted that the turnout exceeded expectations, with hundreds of residents availing themselves of the services.
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? Do you think the City Government will organize a Health and Wellness Caravan in your local community soon?
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 engagement, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
Foreign entities that provide digital services to their customers here in the Philippines will have to pay their fair share of taxes as President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr., recently signed into law Republic Act Number 12023 (RA12023) which imposes the 12% value-added tax (VAT) on foreign digital service providers (DSPs), 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…
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. signed into law on Wednesday a measure imposing a value-added tax (VAT) on foreign digital services providers (DSPs).
A priority measure of the administration, Republic Act (RA) 12023 imposes a 12 percent VAT on foreign DSPs, such as Netflix, Disney, and HBO, to generate additional revenue for the government.
In his message, Marcos said the new law would level the playing field for local providers.
“If you are reaping the rewards of a fruitful digital economy here, it is only right that you contribute also to its growth. After all, whether you are a small tech startup or a global tech giant based halfway around the world, if you are making money here in the Philippines, you’re a part of our community, and with that comes a shared responsibility,” Marcos said.
According to the President, about PHP105 billion in revenue is expected to be collected in the next five years due to RA 12023.
The amount is enough to build 42,000 classrooms, more than 6,000 rural health units, and 7,000 km of farm-to-market roads, the Chief Executive noted.
Additionally, 5 percent of the revenues generated by the law will be allocated to the local creative industry.
“This means our artists, filmmakers, musicians, the very people who fill our platforms with storage and the content, will directly benefit. It ensures that our creative talents are not just surviving in a competitive digital market, but will be allowed by fairness and progress,” Marcos said.
The President thanked the legislators for passing the measure even as he called on companies covered by the law to support and heed the rules of the Act.
‘Fair and square’ tax policies – Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, meanwhile, said the new law is expected to address revenue losses by clarifying the taxability of non-resident digital service providers and addressing the ambiguity in the previous law.
“We believe in the importance of creating an environment where our digital services providers, whether they are nonresident or local, operate under fair and square tax policies,” Gatchalian said in a statement. He said the new measure does not mean a new tax imposition.
Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think the new law will be good for the economy of the Philippines? Do you think that the foreign digital service providers will somehow raise the subscription rates and fees for their customers here in the Philippines in response to the new law?
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 engagement, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
Welcome back, my readers, YouTube viewers and all others who followed this series of articles focused on YouTube videos worth watching. Have you been searching for something fun or interesting to watch on YouTube? Do you feel bored right now and you crave for something to see on the world’s most popular online video destination?
I recommend you check out the following topics and the related videos I found.
#1Antonio P. Antonio story featured by Dark Asia with Megan – I previous made a blog post about this (click here). Even before this blog and website of mine started, I had been following the crime story of the late Antonio P. Antonio (APA) who was killed by his own son in 2013. The son even stayed overseas for years before getting caught and brought back home to be tried in court. Eventually, justice was served for the victim’s family and I should say that YouTuber Dark Asia with Megan did a really good job explaining and emphasizing the details in an episode launched on YouTube on September 25, 2024. This is a must-see video for anyone who is interested in true crime stories as well as events related to the famous BF Homes subdivision in the Philippines.
#2 New cars are spying on drivers and violating privacy – Be very careful with what you wish for when it comes to buying a brand new car with the latest in technology. There is this disturbing trend growing in which drivers/owners of cars equipped with highly advanced technologies ended up getting violated by car companies who collected not only their personal data but also other types of information about them such as immigration status, race, facial expressions, weight, health and even genetic information. This is because the highly computerized cars can spy on drivers by capturing videos of them, recording sound, monitoring their use of car apps, and collecting data from smartphones or computers that got connected to the car’s system. Watch the videos below and pay close attention to the details.
#3 In-depth look at the elimination of Hezbollah’s top leader Nasrallah – I previously blogged about the elimination of Hezbollah leader and murderer Hassan Nasrallah and it contained relevant videos about the topic. For a new and in-depth look about his elimination and what lies ahead for Israel and the rest of the world, watch the TBN Israel and CBN News videos below. Pay close attention to details.
#4 Hunting legendary animals in Red Dead Redemption II – In the blockbuster video game Red Dead Redemption II, hunting is a huge and engaging part of the game. The game developers set up opportunities to find and hunt what they refer to as legendary animals. There is a variety of rewards that come with hunting the said animals and to find out where they are located, watch this video by Reptac.
#5 Last Action Hero videos – While it is a known fact that the movie Last Action Hero (starring Arnold Schwarzenegger) was a huge commercial and critical disappointment in 1993, there are still lots of people who enjoyed watching it and even do research about it. That being said, it is not surprising that there are lots of YouTubers out there who made videos about it and you can watch a variety of videos I selected for your viewing.
6. How terrorist leader Hassan Nasrallah got eliminated
Going back to the eliminated Hezbollah leader and murderer Hassan Nasrallah, posted below is a video that explains (to the best of the YouTuber’s ability) what happened and how the powerful strike happened there in Lebanon.
7. Multiculturalism is truly bad
We live in a very twisted world. It is so twisted, illegal aliens are violating the sovereignty and cultures of nations. Like diversity, inclusion and wokeness, multiculturalism is a disease and it is destructive. Watch and learn from PragerU’s video below.
Recently in the City of Las Piñas, former City Councilor Carlo Aguilar filed his certificate of candidacy (COC) at the local Commission on Elections (COMELEC) office to formalize his run for the office of Mayor, according to a Manila Bulletin news report. The candidate is the nephew of former senator and business tycoon Manny Villar and is running under the banner of the Nacionalista Party (NP)
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt of the Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…
Former Las Piñas City Councilor and businessman Carlo Aguilar filed his certificate of candidacy (COC) for city mayor on Monday, October 7.
Aguilar is running under the banner of the Nacionalista Party (NP) which his uncle, business tycoon Manny Villar, leads. The former councilor was accompanied by his supporters in filing his COC.
Aguilar said that if he’s elected, he would focus on flood control, waste and traffic management, accessible health care, and livelihood for residents.
“We are at a crucial time where we need effective and decisive leadership to tackle pressing issues in Las Piñas. We need to elevate the quality of life of every resident. My priority is to maximize the city’s revenues through better tax collection, which will be channeled towards providing the best social services for our people,” Aguilar said.
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? Will you vote for Carlo Aguilar as Mayor of Las Piñas in May 2025?
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 engagement, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
Recently in the City of Las Piñas, police officers arrested five individuals (described as employees of a certain company) for illegally towing a vehicle, according to a Manila Bulletin news report. The police responded to the complaint of a resident who told them that the suspects arrived at his residence and towed his vehicle.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the news report of the Manila Bulletin. Some parts in boldface…
Five employees of a credit management company and a towing service were arrested by members of the Las Piñas police for illegally towing a vehicle on Monday, September 30.
Southern Police District (SPD) Director Brig. Gen. Bernard Yang said the Las Piñas police, headed by Col. Sandro Tafalla reported the arrest of the suspects identified as alias Floyd, 26, alias Napoleon, 23, alias Jefferson, 27, all collection agent, alias Jeric, 27, helper; and alias Jaime, 55, driver.
Tafalla said the victim, identified as alias Angelo, 42, called for police assistance and claimed the suspects arrived at his residence in Barangay Talon Tres at around 8:22 p.m. He said the suspects illegally towed his vehicle, a Suzuki Alto.
The city police chief said police operatives who responded to the call demanded legal documents for the conduct of towing operation. However, the suspects failed to present any documents which led to their arrest.
The suspects were detained at the police custodial facility after their arrest and were charged for violation of RA 10883 or the New Anti Carnapping Act of 2016.
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? Do you think there are still some individuals out there who would tow people’s vehicles from the residential communities even as they don’t have any legal means to do so?
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 engagement, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
Friends, as we paid tribute yesterday, I hope you are responding to this day of remembrance in prayer. Daniel Cohen, the News Director in Israel for Real Life Network produced a realistic look back and a beautiful tribute to Israel’s resilience and the ministries that are reaching out to bless Israel. If you are not […]
Barangay Baclaran Captain Jun Zaide is running for the office of Mayor of Parañaque City again as he recently filed his certificate of candidacy (COC) in the presence of Commission on Elections (COMELEC) officials at City Hall. The local elections will happen in May 2025.
Barangay Baclaran captain Jun Zaide. (photo source – Kap Jun Zaide – Baclaran Facebook page)
For the newcomers reading this, Jun Zaide has been serving as the head of Barangay Baclaran for many years now. He first ran for Mayor of Parañaque as an independent candidate in May 2022 but lost.
Captain Zaide has an official Facebook page where viewers can find updates about his campaign. To visit the FB page of the candidate, click https://www.facebook.com/kapjunzaideOfficial
Let me end this post by asking you readers: What do you think about this recent development? If you are a resident of Parañaque, would you be voting for captain Jun Zaide for Mayor in the May 2022 local elections? What is your impression of captain Zaide right now? Knowing how badly Parañaque City turned out amoung the 33 highly urbanized cities (HUC) in the Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index (CMCI) results of 2023 (24th place) and 2024 (27th place), do you hope that Zaide as Mayor will be able to inspire positive changes and improvements?
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 engagement, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
Yesterday at the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) office in the City of Las Piñas, Vice Mayor April Aguilar filed her certificate of candidacy (COC) to run for the office of Mayor in the May 2025 local elections. Her mother – Mayor Imelda Aguilar – filed her COC to run for Vice Mayor. City Councilor Mark Santos formalized his candidacy for the city’s Congressional seat the day before.
The Aguilars and Santos lead the election group called Team Aguilar which also announced its slate of candidates for the City Council covering the two local districts. The City Council candidates names are as follows:
District One – Alelee Aguilar, Zardi Abellera, Brian Bayog, Robert Cristobal, Marlon Rosales and Mac Mac Santos.
District Two – Henry Medina, Luigi Casimero, Tito Martinez, Lester Aranda, Macky Saito and Euan Toralballa.
For the newcomers reading this, Mayor Imelda Aguilar is serving her third consecutive term while Vice Mayor April Aguilar is serving her second term. The maximum number of consecutive terms of public service is three terms.
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? Do you intend to vote for Vice Mayor April Aguilar as Mayor in May 2025?
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 engagement, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
There is an ongoing trend here in the Philippines in which fraudsters/scammers have been calling up customers pretending to be officials of the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) with the intention to extort money from them. Already there have been victims and telecommunication giant Globe recently warned the public about the trend and advised them not to be fooled by the fraudsters, according to a GMA Network news report.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the GMA news article. Some parts in boldface…
Ayala-led Globe Telecom Inc. on Monday warned customers against a new vishing or voice phishing scam, where fraudsters call victims pretending to be officials of the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC).
According to Globe, scammers call victims claiming that their number had been linked to illegal activities, and would then extort money from them with threats of arrest if they do not cooperate.
“Criminals prey on our natural respect for authority, using it as a weapon to deceive and manipulate. This is what we see in this new scam modus, where fraudsters pretend to be NTC officials,” Globe chief information security officer Anton Bonifacio said in an emailed statement.
“We call on our customers to be very vigilant and do not fall victim to these scammers,” he said.
Globe also urged its customers to be wary of unsolicited calls, refrain from giving out personal information or financial details over the phone, and report suspicious calls to the authorities.
Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think that local authorities will be able to track down the scammers and arrest them? Were there many members of your local community who received calls from people claiming to be officials of the NTC?
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 engagement, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
Welcome back readers, fellow geeks and electronic gaming fans!
In this edition of the Retro Gaming Ads Blast (RGAB) series, we will take a look at another batch of retro gaming print ads – including arcade flyers – from the 1980s and 1990s.
For the newcomers reading this, Retro Gaming Ads Blast (RGAB) looks back at the many print ads of games (console, arcade, computer and handheld) that were published in comic books, magazines, flyers, posters and newspapers long before smartphones, social media, the worldwide web and streaming became popular. To put things in perspective, people back in the 1980s and 1990s were more trusting of print media for information and images about electronic games and related products.
With those details laid down, here is the newest batch of retro gaming print ads for you to see and enjoy…
1. Vendetta UK and North American arcade flyers
Vendetta arcade flyer for North America
Vendetta arcade flyer for the UK.
In 1991, Konami released the 2D side-scrolling beat-them-up game Vendetta in arcades around the world achieving commercial success. While it is hard to tell if the promotions helped the game commercially, there is no doubt that the arcade flyers for the North American and United Kingdom (UK) markets were indeed very eye-catching.
The North American Vendetta arcade flyer had a photographic approach showing models playing characters supposedly representing the Cobras gang and the Dead End gang. The display of wooden boxes and the rope was done to symbolize the rough city environments of the game. On the other hand, the UK arcade flyer has illustrated artwork that captured the look of the Cobras gang from the game.
2. Star Control II: The Ur-Quan Masters print ad
This ad has great art that strongly emphasizes its science fiction concept.
This print ad of Star Control II: The Ur-Quan Masters (PC version) really caught my attention when I read gaming magazines in the early 1990s. The painted artwork showing a human and a hideous alien in the background with a planet, space ships and space stations filling the rest of the space was very captivating to look at. So captivating, it enticed me to search for the game but our PC at home had really low specs. Strangely enough, I played another version of Star Control II on a rented 3DO Interactive Multiplayer console in 1995. For the newcomers reading this, the game was critically acclaimed and was declared as one of the very best PC games ever made. Enjoy looking at the print ad above.
3. Space Channel 5 print ad
The visual style and character designs are the result of the game designer’s research that includes interviews with lots of young girls over their interests and tastes in video games.
When Sega launched their Dreamcast console in Japan in late-1998, their financial health was already in a very bad state and the future looked grim. Even as they faced tremendous odds, Sega still went on to aggressively sell Dreamcast consoles with exclusive games and Space Channel 5 was one of them.
First released in Japan in 1999, Space Channel 5 was a musical, puzzle-oriented game that was the result of Tetsuya Mizuguchi’s work backed with research he did that included interviewing young girls to find out what their tastes in gaming are. The print ad showing the highly stylized protagonist Ulala and a few screenshots really caught the attention of gamers and kept the Dreamcast in their minds. While the game did not achieve commercial success as a Dreamcast-exclusive, Sega went on to release a version of Space Channel 5 on the PlayStation 2 console, plus sequels.
4. Cybernator print ad
The mention of Terminator and RoboCop rivaled the artwork when it comes to grabbing people’s attention.
I remember seeing the print ad of Konami’s Cybernator (Japanese title: Assault Suits Valken) in several comic books I read back in 1992. I never got to play it but the print ad’s artwork was memorable as I was fond of robots in anime, movies and video games back then. What was arguably the most memorable aspect of the print ad was the line that mentioned RoboCop and the Terminator in a comedic way. This is a creative way to market the game.
5. NBA Basketball 2000 print ad
There were a lot more NBA video games back in the 1990s.
NBA Basketball 2000 was one of those basketball videos games of the 1990s that was not published by EA Sports nor published by the other established game publishers like Sega, PlayStation and Konami. In fact, the one thing on the ad that caught my attention was Fox Sports Interactive which published some sports videos games during the decade. The print ad also served as a reminder that there were a lot more NBA video games for gamers to choose from during the 1990s.
6. Food Fight arcade flyers
Food Fighter arcade flyer with illustrated artworks.
Food Fight arcade flyer with a photographic touch and actors.
I never got to play the 1980s game Food Fight in the arcades nor did I ever had the opportunity to play it on Atari consoles and Xbox 360. Released in 1983 in the arcades by Atari, Food Fight was designed to allow players to control a character moving through a 2D field to consume an ice cream on a cone (placed on the opposite end of the field) before it melts while avoiding the chefs who are out to chase and block the player.
The arcade flyer with illustrated artwork on the characters interacting with the arcade machine is really amusing to look at. Equally amusing is the other arcade flyer that had a photographic approach showing two kids (one playing the arcade machine and the other about to throw a pie) and four chefs. Considering the nice visual concepts Atari came up with for the arcade flyers, Food Fight actually never became a commercial hit selling only a few thousand arcade units.
7. X-Kaliber 2097 print ad
This print ad from the 1990s had a nice visual style.
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) had plenty of 2D side-scrolling adventure games and among them was X-Kaliber 2097 released by Activision (now a Microsoft-owned company and integral part of Xbox) in America in 1994. The game had a really interesting story concept about a chaotic far future society plagued by overwhelming crime and violence. The print ad showed a mild taste about the game’s concept and gameplay, but it was more effective when it comes to showing the formidable foes that await the playable protagonist Slash. This print appeared in several comic books I read and was eye-catching.
8. Jet Moto 3 print ad
When was the last time the police caught you for over-speeding?
This print ad for Jet Moto 3 had a clever concept of showing a police officer apprehending a jet biker for over-speeding. The visual presentation was done in photo-realistic fashion to make the sci-fi aspect of the video game look real. The ad made me interested enough to do some research of Jet Moto 3 a few months before finally buying it for my PlayStation console.
9. Wipeout 3 print ad
Were you fond of futuristic racing and techno music back in 1999?
Released in 1999, Wipeout 3 was one of those video games that showcased what the PlayStation (originally launched in Japan in 1994) could do in terms of visual fidelity, special effects and frame rates. The print ad, which had a radical visual concept emphasizing intensity and energy, had style listing down vertically the technical details of the game which required a close look in order to be read. With only two screenshots displayed, the ad makers smartly included the E3 acclaim of “Best Racing Game of E3” as well as the names of artists behind the game soundtrack on the lower-right corner. This print ad was cool and intriguing to look at.
10. Breath of Fire II print ad
This was a good effort to lure American gamers to buy and play Breath of Fire II.
When Breath of Fire II was released on the SNES in America in late 1995, Japanese role-playing games (JRPGs) were not yet wildly popular among American gamers. To grab the attention of gamers, Capcom and the ad makers came up with the eye-catching image of a sword and posted key questions to emphasize the fantasy aspect of Breath of Fire II. While the game received mixed reviews upon its North American release, Nintendo Power listed it as 171st best game in its Top 200 Games chart published in 2006.
Author Carlo Carrasco 