Muntinlupa’s 102nd Founding Anniversary Celebrated

December 20, 2019December 20, 2019carlocarrasco

On the afternoon of December 19, the City Government of Muntinlupa celebrated the 102^nd Founding Anniversary of Muntinlupa with special activities at the Muntinlupa Sports Complex in Barangay Tunasan.

Among the most notable activities was Mayor Jaime Fresnedi’s awarding of plaques of recognition to outstanding citizens who made an impact on the fields of public service, academics and sports.

For sports, it turned out that Muntinlupa is home to nine Philippine Team members who won medals in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games (2019 SEA Games) which our nation hosted to much success. It is also notable that Muntinlupa hosted the SEA Games badminton tournaments while the SEA Games obstacle course race events were held at Filinvest City.

2019 SEA GAMES MEDALISTS — In celebration of Muntinlupa’s 102^nd Founding Anniversary, the local government fetes Muntinlupa 2019 SEA Games medalists along with other outstanding citizens. Mayor Jaime Fresnedi (3^rd from right) awarded plaques of recognition to Muntinlupa athletes who snagged medals in the 2019 SEA Games last December 19 at Muntinlupa Sports Complex, Tunasan. Shown in the photo: (L-R) Congressman Ruffy Biazon, Kodo Nakano (Bronze, Judo), Keisei Nakano (Bronze, Judo), Shugen Nakano (Gold Medalist, Judo), Daryl Mercado (Bronze, Judo), Ryssa Jezzel Sanchez (Silver, Arnis), Rick Jayson Constantino Senales (Bronze, Kurash and Judo), Vice-mayor Temy Simundac, and City Administrator Engr. Allan Cachuela. (photo released by City Government of Muntinlupa – PIO)

The Muntinlupa-based SEA Games medalists who received honors and shared the stage with the Mayor, Vice Mayor Temy Simundac, Congressman Ruffy Biazon and City Administrator Engr. Allan Cachuela were Kodo Nakano (Bronze, Judo), Keisei Nakano (Bronze, Judo), Shugen Nakano (Gold Medalist, Judo), Daryl Mercado (Bronze, Judo), Ryssa Jezzel Sanchez (Silver, Arnis), and Rick Jayson Constantino Senales (Bronze, Kurash and Judo).

The other city athletes who made the honor list were Francis Casey Alcantara and Jeson Patrombon (Gold, Tennis Doubles) Jaime Delange (Gold, Skateboarding) and Jeson Patrombon (Bronze, Tennis Singles).

The above SEA Games medalists will soon receive incentives from the City Government.

On the field of public service, those who were honored were National Academy of Science and Technology of the Philippines Outstanding Scientist Dr. Nathaniel P. Hermosa II, IdeasxMachina CEO and Malaking Muntinlupa Foundation founder Clemente C. Domingo III, Metropolitan Waterworks & Sewerage System (MWSS) Administrator Lt. Gen. Emmanuel B. Salamat (ret.), former Muntinlupa Mayor Ignacio R. Bunye, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Deputy Governor Francisco G. Dakila Jr. (represented by Maura Dakila), and Department of Transportation (DOTR) Sec. Arthur P. Tugade.

For academics, the Muntinlupa residents who were honored for being ranked as top-notchers in various board and bar examinations were Coun. Jun Metong Sevilla representing Atty. Patricia Sevilla (Top 7, 2018 Bar Examinations), Mrs. Gail Turner Diaz representing Engr. James Christian Turner Diaz (Top 4, 2019 Electrical Engineer Board Exam) and Atty. Sean James Borja (Top 1, 2018 Bar examinations).

Apart from being the home city of tremendous achievers, Muntinlupa also had more reasons to celebrate big time. The city is also one of the nation’s leading investment hubs. Mayor Fresnedi emphasized the town’s progress to its people which called as Muntinlupa’s greatest resource. Also highlighted were the City Government’s sustainability initiatives and commitment to prioritize programs for education.

“As we journey through the second century of Muntinlupa, the local government will continue to invest in sustainable programs, focusing on the education of Muntinlupeños, to position the city and its people to greater heights,” Fresnedi said.

For historical perspective, Muntinlupa gained its independent status as a municipality in the year 1917 through Executive Order 108 issued by Governor General Francis Burton Harrison. Today, it has transformed as a Highly Urbanized City with nine equally progressive barangays and a population of 504,509.

Muntinlupa has been recognized as a model LGU (local government unit) in the country and garnered several awards and citations from various governing bodies including the Seal of Good Governance from DILG in 2015 and 2019, Seal of Child-Friendly Local Governance from Regional Committee for Welfare of Children in 2017-2019, Red Orchid Award in 2018 and 2019, Jose Rizal Award in 2017-2019, Most Business-Friendly City Award in 2001, 2002, 2017, and 2018, Green Banner Award and Outstanding LGU in Nutrition Program Management in 2018, MERALCO Luminaries Award in 2018, Government Efficiency and Resilience Award (3^rd Place) from National Competitiveness Council in 2017 and 2018, respectively; and Union Internationale des Transports Publics Awards in 2017, among others.

With the way things are going, Muntinlupa’s strong progressive drive as a highly competitive city of the Philippines (and arguably as the leading city of progress of South Metro Manila) will only keep on moving forward.

My Observations: 2019 SEA Games Obstacle Course Racing Team Relay Gold Medal Won By Philippines

December 11, 2019December 11, 2019carlocarrasco

I’m thankful to the Lord not only because the Philippines hosted the 2019 Southeast Asian Games (2019 SEA Games) but also because Obstacle Course Racing made its debut in the said games as a medal sport and their events were held at Filinvest City, Alabang, Muntinlupa City.

On the morning of December 4, I hiked from Commercenter to a closed stretch of road just beside the golf range. There the SEA Games OCR was held and, specifically, the event I got to watch was the 400-meter Team Relay event with a pre-finals match between the Philippines (composed of Diana Buhler, Jeffrey Reginio, Klymille Rodriguez and Nathaniel Sanchez) and Malaysia. I recorded a portion of that particular match on my official Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco. Watch it just below.

During the breaks between matches, I made my way through the spectators’ section observing the place, the set-up of the obstacle course and met a few friends (including a Christian sister of mine). The obstacle course really had a lot of expensive looking, customized hardware strategically placed along the closed stretch of the road.

To put in simple terms, obstacle course racing offers lots of challenges for athletes who are expected to not only be fit, strong and fast but also be strategic with their moves because the racing involves running, climbing, light-gun shooting, side-stepping and the like. In other words, it’s a very creative and exciting way of racing.

After the bronze medal match between Indonesia and Timor Leste, the gold medal batch between the Philippines and Malaysia was announced to follow. Naturally the spectators prepared themselves for what was anticipated to be a high-pressure match and they were not wrong.

Then the gold medal match happened. From where I was standing, I witnessed Malaysia overtake the Philippines temporarily before the lead went back to the Filipinos. While I was unable to move close to the finish line for the victory crossing moment, the spectators’ loud cheerful reaction and the voice-over by the event commentator confirmed the victory. Praise and thank the Lord for the gold medal victory of the Philippines!

And then the ceremony of the awarding the gold, silver and bronze medals took place which was witnessed by not only the spectators but also by special guests (including a congressman) and varied sports officials. Philippines won the gold, Malaysia the silver and Indonesia the bronze.

*Southeast Asia’s best in Obstacle Course Racing 400-meter Team Relay – Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia.*

There is nothing like witnessing the SEA Games OCR 400-meter Team Relay medal ceremony on location and in person. It definitely is a more engaging experience than watch such a ceremony on television or via the Internet video. I also made the effort to get a good position in front of the stage, record the ceremony on video and upload it on my official Facebook page. After all that, I left to visit another place.

So what can I say about OCR’s debut in the SEA Games? From what I saw, the creative sport has a future in the regional games. When it comes to South Metro Manila, Filinvest City definitely is a solid venue to have OCR events held with an outdoor setting. When it comes to holding the event inside private subdivisions, however, it can be tricky because it will involve the homeowners’ association (HOA) especially when it comes to matters like in-village traffic, security, noise pollution and crowd control. It’s too easy to suggest holding an outdoor OCR event inside Ayala Alabang (which has a country club, by the way, plus roads wider than those of other subdivisions) or BF Homes subdivision (which has no country club but has a sports club) without considering the disturbance to the residents. The way I look at South Metro Manila, Filinvest City is ideal.

Looking for another venue further south? There is Vermosa Sports Hub along Daang Hari, Imus City, Cavite. Apart from the sports facilities, they have a lot of roads and wide open spaces (vacant lots). I can imagine an OCR event being held there. Vermosa Sports Hub is already established as a popular destination for triathlon (swim-bike-run) and aquathlon (swim-run).

No doubt about it. Obstacle Course Racing has a nice future ahead here in the Philippines and the rest of Southeast Asia.

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

You can check out my varied marketing services (including Twitter boosting) right here.

We can negotiate, work together and be achievers together.

Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. Also my fantasy book The World of Havenor is still available in paperback and e-book format. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me as well. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me at HavenorFantasy@twitter.com

New Skyway Ramp to Open on December 1

November 27, 2019carlocarrasco

Hi everyone! Have you been struggling with the constant heavy traffic along the northbound lane of the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) since September due to the construction of a Skyway extension project (planned to reach Susana Heights) within the Alabang viaduct area?

Well here are the good news: effective December 1, 2019, the third lane of the at-grade level of the Skyway will be re-opened and the brand new, two-lane ramp connecting the Alabang viaduct to the elevated Skyway will be opened to the public!

The anticipated developments should result an improvement of the flow of traffic going north.

“These enhancements will ensure that there will be five lanes available to northbound SLEX vehicles during rush hours, even as we go full blast with the construction of the Skyway Extension project. Motorists will be able to use the original three lanes at the at-grade section, plus 2 more lanes at the elevated section,” San Miguel Corporation (SMC) president and chief operating officer Ramon S. Ang said according to the press release.

Due to the construction of the new ramp started this past September, traffic worsened as road space was reduced. What used to be five lanes on the northbound direction of the SLEX at the Alabang viaduct was narrowed down to three lanes. The City Government of Muntinlupa itself implemented a one-way traffic scheme along the east service road in connection to the construction.

Skyway managers made the hard adjustments by reconfiguring and maximizing the first section of the elevated Skyway coming from the Alabang-Zapote road to three lanes, from the original two.

The operators stated that with the new ramp connecting to the elevated section, northbound traffic from SLEX can be accommodated without significantly impacting traffic coming from the Alabang-Zapote road.

It was pointed out that the original design for the Alabang-Zapote road Skyway ramp, built by the previous concessionaire, is one lane northbound and one lane southbound. At certain times in the morning, when traffic is heaviest, both lanes are used for northbound traffic.

As such, they emphasized that the advantage of the new three-lane configuration at the start of the elevated portion is that lane assignments can be easily adjusted depending on traffic volume. Even with the new ramp in effect, motorists coming from the Alabang-Zapote road will retain the use of one to two lanes, depending on traffic volume.

With regards to night-time southbound traffic, which normally gets heavy, more or all lanes—including the two lanes on the new ramp–can be assigned for southbound use.

To put things in perspective, the Skyway Extension project is an initiative by SMC worth P10 billion designed to extend the Skyway from Alabang to SLEX near Susana Heights and the Muntinlupa-Cavite Expressway (MCX). Completion of the whole project is set for December 2020. By then , there should be three additional northbound lanes and two southbound lanes on either side of the existing SLEX. It will allow both northbound and southbound motorists to bypass the Alabang viaduct.

This is welcome news and there should be relief starting Sunday (December 1).

In my personal experience, I work at an office in Calamba, Laguna and since September 25, traveling back to Alabang became more challenging due to the increased traffic congestion. Many times, the tail-end of the traffic jam going north along SLEX reached the Susana Heights area. Some times, the tail-end was at the Southwoods exit.

We will soon find out starting Monday how the promised benefits of the new Skyway ramp will improve the northbound flow of vehicles.

My Observations: Mardi Gras Bazaar 3 at Madison Galeries

November 23, 2019carlocarrasco

Hey everyone! This morning I made the trip to Madison Galeries in Barangay Cupang, Alabang, Muntinlupa City to visit their Mardi Gras Bazaar 3 activity which was held at their 3rd floor facility. The bazaar, which is my first time to visit and look around, officially opened today and will last until tomorrow (November 24).

Upon entering the Madison Events Place, I saw sections of many kinds of products displayed and waiting to be sold. Already there were lots of people shopping, looking for the best deals and trying to decide which items to buy for their needs or for gift-giving this Christmas.

*Lots of nice looking stuff at this side of the venue.*

*Wanna save P349.75 for a rice cooker that also serves as a lunch heater?*

What caught my attention instantly were the discounted rates on all the products offered. There were these electric fans of varied sizes (from the personal mini-fans to the desk fans) that had these attractive prices. The same can be said about pillows, dolls, tumblers, rice cookers, toys, home appliances, some electronic products and many other times that were displayed.

After looking around initially and carefully analyzing what to choose for Christmas gift-giving (which is the main purpose of my visit today), I finally went ahead choosing five items. Because I did not have a bag, I carefully picked the five items and carried them as I lined up for checkout.

*The products for sale were placed in an organized fashion.*

*This where customers line up for check-out and paying. There were sufficient people assisting.*

At the cashier, an assistant helped me put the items for checking. I asked if they had a bag I could use to carry them on my way out, and the lady behind the counter said they had one for P25. After agreeing to it, they brought out a really large shopping bag. It was so large, there was still a lot of vacant space inside even though my items were in it. The shopping bag is reusable and I like that!

And so I left Mardi Gras Bazaar 3 feeling happy and satisfied. I achieved my objective of finding some good items for Christmas gift-giving. Now I’ll have to wrap these items.

For those of you reading this, I highly recommend going to Mardi Gras Bazaar 3 at Madison Galeries ASAP if you really have to shop for your needs or for your Christmas gift-giving plans. Tomorrow is the last day already! Today was my first time ever to attend a Mardi Gras Bazaar at the Alabang shopping mall, and it was a good experience.

Oh yes, I should mention that Madison Galeries has a very nice looking Christmas tree at the ground floor that you should see. Really nice for picture taking!

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

We can negotiate, work together and be achievers together.

Mardi Gras Bazaar 3 at Madison Galeries on November 23 and 24

November 16, 2019carlocarrasco

Hey everyone. Madison Galeries in Barangay Cupang, Alabang, Muntinlupa City will be the place to be at for shopping as they will be organizing the Mardi Gras Bazaar 3 on November 23 and 24, 2019.

Mardi Gras Bazaar 3 will take place at the Madison Events Place at the 3rd level of the open-air mall. It is the same air-conditioned, indoor venue where the successful Village Food Fair 2 was held and this means shoppers can go around looking for goods to buy in comfort. The hours for the bazaar is from 10AM to 9PM on each day.

The bazaar organizers promised that there will be a discount of up to 80% off on what they described to be a huge selection of toys, house ware, gadgets, accessories, gift items and other things that could suit your needs or your Christmas shopping goals.

For the newcomers reading this, Madison Galeries is located along Don Jesus Boulevard between Alabang Hills Village and the West Service Road in Muntinlupa City. BF Homes residents who intend to go to the mall without using the service road can pass through Alabang Hills Village provided that their vehicles have valid non-resident car stickers issued by the Alabang Hills Village Association.

For your personal needs or Christmas shopping needs, consider Mardi Gras Bazaar 3 and mark November 23 and 24 on your calendar.

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We can negotiate, work together and be achievers together.

Muntinlupa City is among 2019 Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) awardees

November 5, 2019November 5, 2019carlocarrasco

Muntinlupa City is among 2019 Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) awardees

Today the City Government of Muntinlupa announced that they have been feted by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) as one of the 2019 Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) awardees for its excellent delivery of public service. This latest development continues to show why Muntinlupa is a standout city among South Metro Manila’s cities.

MuntiSGLG2K19 — DILG Sec. Eduardo Año turns-over the 2019 Seal of Good Local Governance award to Mayor Jaime Fresnedi during an awarding ceremony at Manila Hotel last November 4. SGLG is the DILG’s progressive assessment and reward system that gives LGUs distinction for their remarkable performance across various assessment areas in governance. Also attending the program were Muntinlupa City Administrator Engr. Allan Cachuela and DILG Muntinlupa Field Office chief Bernadette Ferino. (source – Muntinlupa PIO)

The prestigious SGLG award was received by Mayor Jaime Fresnedi from DILG Sec. Eduardo Año during the awarding ceremony held at the Manila Hotel yesterday. With the mayor were City Administrator Engr. Allan Cachuela and DILG Muntinlupa Field Office chief Bernadette Ferino.

Despite having a more stringent assessment criteria for the award, the City of Muntinlupa has passed “all-in” seven assessment areas in governance namely: Financial Administration; Disaster Preparedness; Social Protection; Peace and Order; Business Friendliness and Competitiveness; Environmental Protection; and Tourism Culture and the Arts.

To put things in perspective, Muntinlupa City was among the three hundred and eighty local government units (LGU) in the country conferred with the coveted award in governance. In the National Capital Region or NCR, only eight LGUs received this year’s Seal including the cities of Caloocan, Malabon, Mandaluyong, Navotas, Pasay, Quezon City, and San Juan.

Fresnedi thanked the DILG for its recognition of Muntinlupa’s commitment in improving local administration and service delivery for Muntinlupeños.

“We are honored to receive this award as it validates our efforts towards local governance reforms and development. This recognition is an outcome of the collective efforts of dedicated city officials and employees who tirelessly worked in facilitating a transparent, caring, and accountable government for the people,” the mayor said.

As an incentive, 2019 SGLG recipients are set to receive Performance Challenge Fund (PCF) to finance local development projects and capacity development assistance from the DILG.

To be clear, SGLG is the DILG’s progressive assessment and reward system that gives LGUs distinction for their remarkable performance across various pillars. This year’s award is the second SGLG award conferred to Muntinlupa City after receiving the same recognition in 2015.

Furthermore, Muntinlupa City was also awarded with three major awards from the Department of Health (DOH) last November 4 at the Metro Manila Center for Health Development’s “Gabi ng Parangal” held in Crowne Plaza Manila.

The DOH conferred the City Government with Best in Rabies Prevention and Control Program, Best in National Voluntary Blood Services Program, and Plaque of Appreciation for the implementation of the Universal Health Care.

Previously, Muntinlupa became the only South Metro Manila city to make the Top 10 of the Most Competitive Highly Urbanized Cities when the results of the 2019 Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index (CMCI) were revealed.

Parañaque City Government officials silent

More about the NCR city governments and the DILG’s organizing of the 2019 Seal of Good Local Governance awards, I reached out to my contacts at the City Government of Parañaque and asked what was their reaction about their city NOT receiving the prestigious SGLG award. They did not reply at all today.

Those same Parañaque City officials did not reply to my previous inquiry regarding their city’s failure to make the Top 10 of the Most Competitive Highly Urbanized Cities of the entire Philippines as per the results of the 2019 CMCI.

I guess it’s more comfortable for them to remain silent than answering tough questions about competition with other city governments. Now I’ve got to check with one other South Metro Manila city regarding the SGLG awards.

My Observations: Muntinlupa City the 8th Most Competitive Highly Urbanized City of the Nation in this Year’s Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index (CMCI)

October 27, 2019October 28, 2019carlocarrasco

When it comes to being competitive among the many cities of the Philippines, making the Top Ten of the most important category is a big achievement already. Thanks to the respective news releases of Business Mirror and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) the latest Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index (CMCI) for 2019 showed that Muntinlupa City is now the 8th most competitive highly urbanized city (HUC) of the entire nation.

Specifically, Muntinlupa is one of six Metro Manila cities that made the Top 10 of the Most Competitive Highly Urbanized Cities category as revealed during the 7^th Regional Competitiveness Summit held at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City on October 24.. The city that is home to Ayala Alabang, Alabang Hills, Filinvest City and Northgate Cyberzone is the only South Metro Manila city to make it in the Top 10 of the said category. This is a notable improvement over last year’s results.

Muntinlupa’s Public Information Officer Tez Navarro responded to my inquiry by saying that their administration is glad that the city made it in the Top 10 among HUCs. I also made inquiries to my sources within the city governments of Parañaque and Las Piñas and, as of this writing, nobody responded. The Most Competitive City for HUCs is Quezon City.

In my view, it’s not surprising that Muntinlupa made it big given the City Government’s (headed by Mayor Jaime Fresnedi) continued public services, efficiency and the local economy’s strong growth. Muntinlupa also made it in the Top 10 on the categories of government efficiency and infrastructure.

As for Parañaque, this year marks another chapter in history in which the city (whose local government unit is led by mayor Edwin Olivarez) failed to break into the Top 10 among Highly Urbanized Cities. In the 2018 Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index, the city that is home to BF Homes subdivision as well as those fancy casinos and resorts of Entertainment City ranked 14th among HUCs and 21st place overall in the competitiveness chart that includes HUCs and component cities.

Going back to this year’s Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index, Parañaque got tied with Caloocan City for the 3rd place ranking for the Most Improved LGUs category among HUCs. The Most Improved LGU for Highly Urbanized Cities is shared at the top by Valenzuela and Malabon. When it comes to economic dynamism and infrastructure, Parañaque got mentioned.

Now that the CMCI for 2019 has been published, now is a good time to take a close look at the infrastructure quality and government efficiency in Parañaque. Very recently traffic along Presidents Avenue (the road that connects Dr. A. Santos Avenue with the BF Homes commercial zone and the villages) worsened due to the three road operations (two belonging to Maynilad and one with the Department of Public Works and Highways) happening there at the same time. Those operations occupied significant space on the road making the flow of traffic tighter and more congested. Already motorists who travel regularly along Presidents Avenue are already annoyed with the worsened traffic congestion and a few of them questioned as to why is it that the City Government did not bother to send inspectors on the three road operations. Going back to this year’s CMCI, government efficiency is clearly where Parañaque is lacking.

As for the City of Las Piñas, there is a lack of available information as to how it fared among HUCs in varied categories as of this writing.

Ranking the Competitiveness

According to the CMCI website, The rankings of Cities and Municipalities are based on the sum of their scores on four pillars: Economic Dynamism, Government Efficiency, Infrastructure and Resiliency. Provincial rankings meanwhile are based on population and income weighted average of the Overall scores of cities and municipalities under a province.

The Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index or CMCI is an annual ranking of Philippine cities and municipalities developed by the National Competitiveness Council through the Regional Competitiveness Committees (RCCs) with the assistance of the United States Agency for International Development.

Cordillera Region Products to Be Showcased at Festival Mall starting November 15

October 24, 2019carlocarrasco

Cordillera Region Products to Be Showcased at Festival Mall starting November 15

CordilleraProds — Cordillera’s best products will be on sale in the annual ‘Impakabsat’ trade fair organized by the Department of Trade and Industry-Cordillera Administrative Region at the Carousel Court Festival Mall in Muntinlupa city on November 15 to 24. Photo shows the DTI One Town One Product hub in Kalinga where Cordillera products can be bought. (Philippine News Agency file photo)

From November 15 until November 24, the finest products from the Cordillera Administrative Region will be featured in a trade fair at Festival Mall in Filinvest City, Alabang, Muntinlupa.

This was announced yesterday by Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) CAR regional director Myrna Pablo who elaborated that the department has been supporting the Cordillera region by making their products more available to Metro Manila-based consumers for the past twenty-three years.

“Excited na po tayong lahat dahil ito na yung time na reding– ready na si Cordillera to bring products not only in Baguio, CAR but also in the whole Philippines and may mga nag-e-export na rin tayo na few exporters on woven items, Sagada weaving, and other exporters of coffee on limited volume (We are excited because this is the time when we are very prepared to bring our products not only in Baguio, CAR but in the whole Philippines. We also have exporters on woven items, Sagada weaving and limited volume for coffee),” Pablo said.

The DTI regional director added that the region’s products this time are much better.

For the trade fair that will be held at the Carousel Court of Festival Mall, there will be eighty exhibitors composed of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) which will be assisted by the DTI.

Products that consumers can look forward to include food items (licensed by the Food and Drugs Administration), traditional culture-based woven items, wearables and homestyle, and small woodcraft items that use softwood.

In terms of revenue, the DTI hopes to see this year’s trade fair generate between P50 million to P60 million in sales. Last year’s trade fair saw revenues of P40 million.

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Press releases are accepted.

We can negotiate, work together and be achievers together.

My Observations: Village Food Fair 2 at Madison Galeries

October 22, 2019October 24, 2019carlocarrasco

After worshiping the Lord at church this past Sunday in Las Piñas City, I proceeded straight to Madison Galeries in Barangay Cupang, Alabang, Muntinlupa City to attend their special event of the day called Village Food Fair 2.

Months ago, out of curiosity, I attended the first Village Food Fair held at that same open-air shopping mall and I had fun looking around and enjoying some food and beverages. The pleasurable experience I back had then made me wish that the mall would organize another food fair and, as what happened this Sunday, they delivered!

*The food vendors outside the Madison Events Place.*

At Village Food Fair 2, I visited first the food stalls at the 3^rd floor just outside of the Madison Events Place (which is a large, air-conditioned hall) where food products like shawarma, rice meals and freshly cooked meat were served. I noticed beef wagyu offered in both packed and in cooked form.

Inside the Madison Events Place was a whole lot of vendors that offered a great variety of beverages and food to choose from. There were packaged sushi rolls, coffee (in powdered form, in beans and in brewed form), organic pasta, noodles, dumplings, pies, nuts, beans, sandwiches, carrot cakes and the like. On keeping the atmosphere lively, the mall operators hired a lady to play the guitar and sing on the spot.

*This lady sang nicely during the food fair.*

There was a whole lot to choose from Village Food Fair 2 and I am very glad that Madison Galeries organized this. As a coffee enthusiast, I ordered black coffee mixed with condensed milk. That coffee was prepared for me with the utmost care as two containers were used to pour and mix the coffee and condensed milk together before serving it on a cup. I liked the taste.

I went outside Madison Events Place to try a chicken shawarma. The chicken was really well cooked and the vegetables and pita used made each bite a delight. I got my money’s worth as a result. Before going home, I bought Barako coffee powder from one of the vendors inside Madisons Events Place.

*Coffee, honey, chocolate and other nice stuff for sale.*

In conclusion, I should say that my experience with Village Food Fair 2 was even more pleasurable than the previous time. It sure was nice to see a wide selection of food and beverage products of nice quality along with several customers making transactions with the sellers. I sincerely hope for another Village Food Fair to be organize there at Madison Galeries which is clearly the best open-air shopping mall to be at in South Metro Manila. For Ayala Alabang residents and BF Homes residents (as well as those living in related communities like Tahanan Village) reading this, to visit Madison Galeries without having to travel along the West Service Road from Parañaque, I highly recommend securing a non-resident, passing thru vehicular sticker from Alabang Hills Village Association (AHVA) so that your access will be better.

*The other sellers inside the Madison Events Place.*

*This one really smelled good as the cooking went on.*

My thanks to Madison Galeries and the concessionaires who made Village Food Fair 2 happen. I would love to attend another edition of it in the near future. Village Food Fair is easily a standout among all food fairs in South Metro Manila.

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We can negotiate, work together and be achievers together.

Muntinlupa Joins National Campaign Against Polio

October 15, 2019October 15, 2019carlocarrasco

Yesterday the City Government of Muntinlupa joined the entire nation in the Sabayang Patak Kontra Polio which was a simultaneous mass polio vaccination campaign of the Department of Health (DOH) and the World Health Organization (WHO) for children aged 0-5 in the country.

Mayor Jaime Fresnedi led the launching of the synchronized polio vaccination at NHA, Southville 3, Brgy. Poblacion in Muntinlupa City together with Congressman Ruffy Biazon, representatives from WHO, DOH, Rotary, and other partners.

Kick-off events of the polio vaccination campaign were held in various cities in Metro Manila, Davao City, Davao del Sur, and Lanao del Sur, including Marawi City. The first round of free polio vaccination will run from October 14 to 27 while the second round is scheduled from November 25 to December 7.

Fresnedi vowed to support the campaign to end polio and ensure that Filipino children will receive proper vaccination to protect them from acquiring preventable diseases.

What is Polio?

For the newcomers reading this, Polio is a contagious viral illness that in its most severe form causes nerve injury leading to paralysis, difficulty breathing and sometimes death. (source – Mayo Clinic)

Polio symptoms include fever, sore throat, headache, vomiting, fatigue, back pain or stiffness, neck pain or stiffness, pain or stiffness in the arms or legs and muscle weakness.

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Muntinlupa City is among 2019 Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) awardees

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Cordillera Region Products to Be Showcased at Festival Mall starting November 15

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