Recently in the City of Las Piñas, more than two thousand beneficiaries of the “Tara, Basa” program received cash aid from the City Government (in tandem with the Department of Social Welfare and Development), according to a Manila Bulletin news report. The distribution was led by Vice Mayor April Aguilar.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…
The Las Piñas city government, in coordination with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), distributed cash aid to 2,119 beneficiaries of its “Tara,Basa” tutoring program on Thursday, September 12.
Las Piñas city Vice-Mayor April Aguilar led the distribution held at the Verdant covered court in Barangay Pamplona Tres.
Aguilar said the beneficiaries who finished the 20-day tutorial session received P4,700 cash for their service as tutors or youth development workers.
The tutoring program is a new initiative by the DSWD aimed at employing college students from low-income families as tutors for elementary school children struggling with reading.
Through the 20-day tutorial sessions, the tutors not only help improve literacy among young learners but also provide training for parents or guardians, enabling them to continue the tutorial support at home.
Meanwhile, parents who attended the 20-day “Nanay-Tatay” sessions covering topics such as communication and child behavior, were also given cash aid for their active participation.
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 convinced that the “Tara, Basa” program is improving education as well as supporting low-income families?
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
If you love classic Japanese role-playing games (JRPGs) or if you are passionate about retro gaming, then be aware that Konami finally confirmed that Suikoden I & II HD Remaster: Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars will be released for the Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S and Xbox One on March 6, 2025.
The good news is here is that customers who proceed with their pre-orders of the game will get the following from Konami in digital form: Prosperity Orb, Fortune Orb and 57,300 potch (in-game currency to purchase in-game items).
In the remastered collection, Suikoden and Suikoden II (read my retro review) will be released with enhancements to look more presentable in high-definition with modern game consoles in mind. According to Konami, the graphical enhancements include: Pixel sprites and environment art enhanced with new screen effects including lighting, clouds, and shadow animations Flickering flames, smoldering smoke, the movement of leaves and insects, all add up to a lively in-game atmosphere!
There are also new character drawings updated in high-definition particularly with the first Suikoden RPG with the involvement of none other than Junko Kawano (the character designer of the said game’s original version from the mid-1990s).
Konami also confirmed that there are game system improvements which are as follows: dialogue log, auto-battle, double-speed battles and more.
For the newcomers reading this, Suikoden and Suikoden II were original released on the first PlayStation console in the mid and late-1990s respectively. Those games were nicely received by gamers and video game critics which resulted in a long-lasting following. I myself played both games on the PlayStation and had a lot of fun collectively. While its predecessor was good, Suikoden II turned out to be bigger, better and more enjoyable. I should state that the sequel was clearly a direct follow-up to the first Suikoden and it was special to see memorable characters from the first game return such as Flik and Viktor. In my honest opinion, Suikoden II is one of the very best JRPGs ever released in the 1990s.
As for Suikoden I & II HD Remaster: Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars itself, the said collection was supposed to be released in 2023 but Konami ended up delaying it. The collection is coming out on March 6, 2025 and I can only hope that Konami’s team did a good job with the enhancements and other technical stuff to justify the delay. I know for a fact that there are gamers out there who are disappointed with Konami’s handling of re-releases or enhanced versions of their classic games. For Suikoden I & II HD Remaster: Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars, I’m willing to give Konami a chance to prove that it took good care of the product with fans and JRPG enthusiasts in mind.
When it comes to RPGs on Xbox, the collection will be released over a month after that of the Xbox-exclusive RPG Avowed. Xbox fans have two promising RPG releases to look forward to in the 1st quarter of 2025.
Recently in the progressive City of Muntinlupa, law enforcers arrested three individuals for as a result of complaints received that the suspects were responsible for fraudulent activities involving a local property and several millions of Pesos, according to a Philippine News Agency (PNA) news article. The arrest happened in Barangay Poblacion.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the PNA news article. Some parts in boldface…
Operatives of the Southern Police District (SPD) have arrested three suspects allegedly responsible for a PHP10 million estafa scheme known as ‘sangla-tira’ in Muntinlupa City.
In a report on Wednesday, SPD chief Brig. Gen. Leon Victor Rosete identified the suspects as alias ‘Alec’, 28, alias ‘Christina’, 48, and alias ‘Daniel’, 36, all arrested in an entrapment inside a restaurant in Barangay Poblacion at 3 p.m. Tuesday.
The operation stemmed from complaints about the suspects’ fraudulent activities related to the pawning and mortgage of a property located in Sucat, Muntinlupa City.
The suspects allegedly enticed victims with promises of substantial profits, using notarized contracts to lend an appearance of legality to their transactions.
During the operation, authorities recovered genuine a PHP1,000 bill on top of boodle money, three original sets of a contract to sell the property, two sets of acknowledgment receipts totaling PHP500,000, identification cards, mobile phones, and a gray Mitsubishi Expander registered to alias Christina while a Glock .9mm pistol was found in the possession of ‘Daniel’.
Further investigation revealed that Alec had previously been convicted for violation of Batas Pambansa 22 (Bouncing Check Law) by a court in Valenzuela City and was ordered to pay a fine of PHP400,000 and PHP1,000,000 as civil liability.
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, are you concerned that there could be a lot more scammers or “sangla tira” criminals pouncing on locals? Has there been anyone in your local community who became victims of the suspects?
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
Citing some factors, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) sees faster gross domestic product (GDP) growth for the Philippine economy in the 2nd half of this year which should result in a full 2024 growth rate of 6% to 7%, according to a BusinessWorld new report.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the BusinessWorld news report. Some parts in boldface…
PHILIPPINE gross domestic product (GDP) growth in the second semester could be faster than the 6% average in the first half amid easing inflation and lower policy rates, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) said.
“Now, with inflation lower, with policy rates lower, with the labor market continuing to be robust, I think we would see an even better second half than in the first half,” NEDA Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan told BusinessWorld on the sidelines of a Senate hearing on Wednesday.
In the second quarter, GDP expanded by 6.3%, bringing the first-half growth to 6%.
“We are expecting 6-7% (GDP growth) for the full year, and I think that the likelihood that we’ll achieve that is now very high,” Mr. Balisacan said.
However, even as inflation eased to a seven-month low of 3.3% in August, Mr. Balisacan noted that the economy remains sensitive to inflationary pressures.
Year to date, inflation averaged 3.6%, settling within the 2-4% target range of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).
The inflation downtrend has allowed the BSP to begin its easing cycle with its first rate cut in nearly four years last August. The Monetary Board lowered the policy rate by 25 basis points (bps) to 6.25% from the over 17-year high of 6.25% previously.
Mr. Balisacan noted the impact of lower policy rates “is not almost instantaneous.”
Despite this, the Philippine and US central banks’ expected easing path should help boost investment activity and support growth, he said.
“Especially now that the expectations everywhere with the Fed expected to decrease (interest rates)… then, there is now greater stimulus for us to continue lowering the policy rates,” he said. “With the business community hearing that, they are likely to rethink their investment plans.”
BSP Governor Eli M. Remolona, Jr. earlier signaled another 25-bp cut in the fourth quarter. The last two Monetary Board meetings for the year are scheduled on Oct. 17 and Dec. 19.
Meanwhile, GDP growth is expected to settle within the government’s target range this year, but may fall short of the growth goals in the next two years, according to the latest forecasts from the BSP’s Policy Analysis Model for the Philippines.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think the economy of the Philippines has enough momentum to achieve GDP growth of 7% for 2024?
Recently in the city of Parañaque, three Chinese nationals were arrested by the local police for the kidnapping of a Malaysian national, according to a news article by the Philippine News Agency (PNA). The police reacted to a report by the friend (a fellow Malaysian) of the victim who eventually got rescued.
To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the PNA news article. Some parts in boldface…
Three Chinese nationals were arrested for allegedly abducting a Malaysian national in Parañaque City on Monday.
In a report, National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief Maj. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. identified the suspects as Li Xue Chang, 34; Huang Guanghong, 27; and Wang Yefu, 24; all residents of Shore Residences in Pasay City.
The suspects were arrested in an entrapment operation by the Parañaque City Police Station at about 5:30 a.m. along Diosdado Macapagal Boulevard in Barangay Tambo, which also led to the rescue of the 42-year-old victim.
Seized from the suspects were three caliber .45 pistols, six magazines, 38 rounds of ammunition, a bolo, a pocket knife, four cellular phones, boodle money, and a silver Mitsubishi Adventure vehicle used in the crime.
Investigation showed that the suspects abducted the victim at about 11 p.m. on Sept. 6 in Barangay Tambo.
The operation stemmed from the report of the victim’s friend, also a Malaysian national, who claimed the suspects sent him ransom demands and photos of the victim being tortured via messaging app Telegram on Sunday.
The arrested suspects are now facing criminal complaints of kidnapping, violations of Republic Act 10591 (Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act), and Batas Pambansa 6 (An Act Regulating the Sale, Use, and Possession of Bladed, Pointed, or Deadly Weapons).
Let me end this post by asking you readers: What do you think about this recent development? If you are a resident of Parañaque, are you concerned that there could be more Chinese nationals – those who are living within Parañaque or in another city nearby – who could be armed and be engaging in kidnapping? Was anyone in your local community kidnapped by Chinese nationals?
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
If you are an Xbox fan who is fond of Japanese role-playing games (JRPGs), then I encourage you to buy Grandia HD Collection which is available for Xbox online. I am saying this because recently I enjoyed replaying the classic JRPG Grandia on my Xbox Series X a lot and I finished it once again (my 2nd time overall including my 1999 completion of the game on PlayStation). This is not a game review of Grandia but a commentary of replaying it from start to finish.
Feena and Justin are very memorable protagonists. The writers of Game Arts really did their jobs developing and defining the personalities of the characters.
For the newcomers reading this, Grandia HD Collection contains Grandia and the sequel Grandia II. Grandia was originally released on the Sega Saturn in Japan in 1997 and was ported to PlayStation shortly after. It was on the PlayStation when Grandia was translated and dubbed into English and released to gamers in the West. Grandia II was released originally on the Dreamcast console in both Japan and America in 2000. Eventually the sequel was ported to the PlayStation 2 and Windows PC in 2002.
Going back to the original Grandia, the game has visuals that were remastered and made clearer to look at while still maintaining the vibrant colors of its late-1990s version. It took me a little over fifty hours to complete on my Xbox Series X and I can say that the entire replay experience was indeed a lot of fun to do. I’m so happy and satisfied with finishing Grandia, I already got my money’s worth with the entire Grandia HD Collection. I’m currently playing Grandia II and so far I’ve been enjoying it.
Game Arts was exceptional with their work on the graphics and art style.
Without spoiling the story, I can say that Grandia was written and made to emphasize the wonders and risks of adventuring while managing to dramatize a tale of epic fantasy proportions. Along the way, the game has a memorable cast of characters – Justin and Feena are clearly the leads – and the creative team of Game Arts really ensured that their personalities got developed (as the story moved on) and became worth caring for.
The gameplay is also fun to go through once again. There is a satisfying room for exploration whenever I visited a new location and the battle system is still top-notch in terms of mechanics, presentation and functionality. I should say that the battles are not too stressful to do and that means it is more doable to do some grinding to make your characters stronger and their abilities better.
After finally defeating the main villain and completing the last conflict, it was really nice to see the story’s ending (told with a labor of love by the game developers) as well as the follow-up cut-scene that played after the end credits rolled (read: post-credits ending). It’s like 1999 all over again but with much better visuals and the benefits of playing the game on Xbox Series X connected to our 4K TV. This is both retro gaming and fantasy role-playing of great quality and deep enjoyment!
By finishing Grandia and enjoying it a lot, I already got my money’s worth with Grandia HD Collection.
There is no doubt that Grandia is the best gaming experience I’ve had on Xbox this year. That being said, I encourage you fellow Xbox gamers as well as those who love JRPGs to seriously consider buying Grandia HD Collection while it is still available.
Recently in the city of Parañaque, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) seized about P85 million worth of agricultural products, beverages and other imported items after doing an inspection at a local warehouse, according to a Philippine News Agency (PNA) news article.
To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the PNA news article. Some parts in boldface…
An inspection of a warehouse in Parañaque City has yielded around PHP85 million worth of smuggled frozen agricultural and beverage products, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) reported on Sunday.
Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio said the operation was conducted after he issued a Letter of Authority (LOA) by the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service-Manila International Container Port (CIIS-MICP) on Sept. 5.
Rubio said operatives of the CIIS-MICP served the LOA to a representative of the warehouse that was found containing various poultry, meat and other products from China suspected to be without proper customs duties and taxes.
“The audacity of these people to smuggle and hide agricultural products right in the heart of Metro Manila is beyond me. They belittle our laws and make a mockery of our hardworking Customs agents by thinking they can operate these illegal activities just a few kilometers from our port,” he said in a statement.
BOC-CIIS Director Verne Enciso said they found frozen duck meat, chicken meat, pork meat and food items with Chinese markings, and assorted food and beverage with foreign markings.
“The initial inventory found that these poultry products will amount to about PHP85 million in the market. But we’re still determining the actual cost once final inventory is conducted by our examiners,” he said.
The warehouse was temporarily padlocked and sealed to protect the subjected goods as the final inventory will be conducted by the assigned Customs examiner and witnessed by warehouse representatives, CIIS and Enforcement and Security Service.
The owners of the warehouses will be given 15 days to present the proper documents to clear out allegations they were hoarding imported agricultural products.
Let me end this post by asking you readers: What do you think about this recent development? If you are a resident of Parañaque, are you concerned that more imported products may have been smuggled into the city?
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
If you are looking for a spacious, furnished condominium within Alabang, we have one of 6 units only at the upper floor of The Mondrian Residences in Filinvest City available for lease. The Mondrian Residences is located at 5321 East Asia Drive, Filinvest City, Muntinlupa City.
The Mondrian Residences up close.Its building is very visible for those traveling along Commerce Avenue in Filinvest City.
At 93 sqm, it has one large bedroom, 3 bathrooms, living room with sofa, chairs and tables, kitchen with cooking equipment, one basement parking slot and 2 terraces overlooking Commercenter, Westgate and Alabang Town Center.
Residential facilities of The Mondrian Residences include a jacuzzi, a fitness center, function rooms, owners’ lounge, passengers’ elevators and service elevators. 24/7 security service, reception service, building maintenance and valet service are guaranteed. If you own a car, you can avail of the dedicated basement parking space that goes with the unit.
The Master’s Bedroom with indoor aircon, a balcony and view outside.
The living room with enough space for dining.
The view from the terrace of the unit.
The kitchen with refrigerator, microwave, toaster oven and cooking unit. At left is the main door.
The Mondrian Residences at night time.
The Mondrian Residences is strategically located in close proximity to office buildings, restaurants, hotels, coffee shops, banks, ATMs, the Filinvest City Central Park, movie theaters, shopping malls, gas stations, convenience stores, car dealers and groceries. This means that living in the unit is convenient for your job, your needs and your lifestyle.
Living at the The Mondrian Residences is peaceful as crime rarely happens in Filinvest City. At the same time, Filinvest City is a popular destination for fitness buffs and people who enjoy the open air surroundings with trees.
If you are interested to visit and see the unit, please send me a private message or call me at 09053350831.
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
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the PNA news article. Some parts in boldface…
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) said Thursday it has processed over 6 million voter applications since the registration period started seven months ago.
Citing its latest data, the poll body has received 6,131,834 applications filed from Feb. 12 to Sept. 11.
The region with the most number of applicants is still Calabarzon with 1,020,212; followed by the National Capital Region with 794,855; and Central Luzon with 691,627. Cordillera Administrative Region has the lowest number of applicants processed with 86,991.
Aside from voter registration, the poll body also accepts transfer, change/corrections of entries in the registration records, reactivation of registration records, inclusion of registration records and reinstatement of name in the list of voters, and transfer of registration records from foreign service post to local.
Eligible to register as voters must be 18 years old and above, residing in the Philippines for at least one year, and residing in the area where he/she is looking to get registered for at least six months prior to Election Day.
The voter registration for next year’s midterm polls would end on Sept. 30.
Meanwhile, the poll body said the number of deactivated voters is now at 5,376,630 as of July 15. A majority of the deactivated voters are those that failed to vote in two successive preceding elections totaling to 5,371,376.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Are there many voters in your local community who need to apply at the local COMELEC office? Are there many members in your local community who intend to vote in the 2025 National and Local Elections?
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 comic book readers, 1990s arts and culture enthusiasts, movie fans and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the year 1992 to take a close look at the official comic book adaptation of the action movie Universal Soldier.
Universal Soldier stood out among Hollywood action films in 1992 as it had Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren as the main stars and both of them were established action movie stars each with huge followings of fans. As it grossed almost $100 million worldwide on a budget of less than $25 million, the movie was successful and eventually sparked its of franchise of movies, TV shows, video games and comic books. NOW Comics was in-charge of making and publishing the comic book adaptation of the 1992 film.
With those details laid down, here is a look back at Universal Soldier #1 published in 1992 by NOW Comics with a story written by Clint McElroy and drawn by Lenin Delsol. This was the first chapter of a 3-issue mini-series.
The cover showing a photographic image of star Dolph Lundgren.
Early story
The story begins in Vietnam in 1969. The American soldier Luc Deveraux arrives at a village that was secured by the U.S. Army. To his shock, he finds several dead bodies of his squad members and villagers, then encounters Sergeant Andrew Scott with two Vietnamese individuals (male and female) tied together near him. It turns out that Scott, who made a necklace composed of severed ears, has gone insane and executes the Vietnamese man. As Deveraux refuses to follow Scott’s order to shoot the Vietnamese female, the sergeant kills he. Deveraux and Scott shot each other to death and eventually their corpses were recovered by another squad to be cryogenically frozen.
A few decades later in Nevada, the elite counter-terrorism unit of the UniSol (Universal Soldier) arrives and among the members are Deveraux (identified as GR44) and Scott (GR13) who have been reanimated by the government with their past memories fully suppressed. Their team gets deployed to the Hoover Dam (Mackinley Dam in the comic book) to resolve a hostage situation…
Quality
Operating very much like robots, two Universal Soldiers take down terrorists and manipulated their communication as they make their way through to save the hostages from the remaining terrorists.
As an adaptation, I find this comic book a surprisingly accurate translation of the movie’s early part of the story (note: the literary narrative ends when Deveraux leaves with the female reporter). While not 100% of the film’s plot and visual details were captured, this comic book still succeeded in replicating the look, feel and tone of the movie. It is clear that the comic book team had access to the footage of the film and a copy of the screenplay (written by Richard Rothstein, Christopher Leitch and Dean Devlin).
Clint McElroy really stuck close to the film’s plot, the dialogue and the way the characters were portrayed. Again, not 100% of the relevant details were adapted and some liberties were taken but McElroy managed to craft a comic book narrative that was solidly structured, had sufficient details to keep readers oriented and engaged, and ensured the story moved at a satisfying pace. By the time I reached the end of this comic book, I got oriented with the story, the characters and the details shown in between.
Like in the movie, this comic book emphasizes the government’s very cold and heartless approach on handling their Universal Soldiers who are treated more like tools instead of people.
Lenin Delsol’s artwork here is really good. It is clear that he had access to the film’s production footage as several images of locations and characters here very closely resembled what was shown in the movie most of the time. When it comes to the action scenes, Delsol did not go for visual dynamism (note: the dynamic action style was common with superhero comics of the 1990s) but rather he portrayed the action with realism and varying degrees of brutality.
When it comes to visualizing the characters, it is clear that the creative team was not authorized to use the likenesses of the actors. Luc Deveraux looks absolutely nothing like Jean-Claude Van Damme while journalist Veronica Roberts does not look like Ally Walker. Ironically, there are a few images of Scott’s face that somewhat resembles Dolph Lundgren. The way I see it, it is not problematic to see the characters not resembling the actors from the film. In fact, I like the new character designs Delsol came up with for the characters.
Conclusion
This early scene sets the tone of the entire comic book. As for the characters, Deveraux look nothing like Jean-Claude Van Damme and Sergeant Scott does not look like Dolph Lundgren (note: in other images of Scott shown later in the comic book, he looked a bit like the actor).
Even though I was not a fan of the 1992 movie, Universal Soldier #1 (1992) succeeded in keeping me engaged and entertained until the end. This is a really good adaptation of the early part of the film and I like the approach the Elroy-Densol team took on establishing the literary experience. Of course, if you want more dynamic visuals of the Hoover Dam scene or if you want that strong rated-R vibe when it comes to hard action, you should watch the movie. As of now, I am convinced to look forward to the next issue of this 3-part mini-series adaptation.
Overall, Universal Soldier #1 (1992) is recommended.
Author Carlo Carrasco 