America – Page 39 – Author Carlo Carrasco

Philippines attracts 5.45 million international visitors and generates P482.54 billion in revenue in 2023

January 5, 2024January 2, 2024carlocarrasco

The success of the Philippines attracting visitors from overseas and generating the related revenue in 2023 has finally been confirmed by the newly released numbers from the Department of Tourism (DOT): 5,450,557 international visitors and P482.54 billion (US$8.7 billion according to the foreign exchange rate of January 2, 2024) in tourism revenue, according to a Philippine News Agency (PNA) news article.

For the newcomers reading this, the final 2023 statistics exceeded the declared targets of 4.8 million international tourists and US$5.8 billion revenue. For further comparison, the Philippines attracted 2.65 million international arrivals and over P200 billion in revenue for the year 2022. To say the least, 2023 is undeniably a successful year for Philippine tourism and it seems that the controversial blunder behind the “Love the Philippines” tourism campaign did not lead to a massive failure (which the enemies and haters of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr., have been dreaming of).

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

The Philippines welcomed a total of 5,450,557 international visitors in 2023, well above the 4.8 million target arrivals the Department of Tourism (DOT) earlier set for the entire year.

Of this number, 91.80 percent or 5,003,475 are foreigners while the remaining are 447,082 overseas Filipinos.

From January to Dec. 31, 2023, the country also generated an estimated PHP482.54 billion in international tourism revenue, more than double the receipts it recorded in 2022.

“My deepest appreciation goes to every tourism stakeholder, collaborative partner, and passionate contributor who propelled our shared aspirations forward. Under President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr.’s guiding vision and leadership, tourism has become a pivotal force driving our nation’s economic resurgence,” Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco said in a statement Tuesday.

“These numbers speak very well of the performance of the tourism industry under the Marcos Administration,” she added.

She said the DOT will continue its work to “realize the vision of this administration to make tourism a catalyst for economic growth and resurgence.”

More than a quarter or 1,439,336 of the arrivals came from South Korea, retaining its spot as the country’s main source of international visitors.

This was followed by the United States with 903,299 tourists (16.57 percent) visiting the country; Japan with 305,580 (5.61 percent); Australia with 266,551 (4.89 percent); and China with 263,836 (4.84 percent). Ranking sixth was Canada followed by Taiwan, the United Kingdom, Singapore, and Malaysia.

Frasco said the 2023 visitor receipts also show that the tourism industry is “recovering faster than expected.”

The country’s 2023 international tourism receipts grew by 124.87 percent compared with the PHP214.58 billion estimated visitor receipts from 2022.

Before the pandemic in 2019, the DOT recorded PHP482.15 billion in international tourism receipts.

In 2023, the DOT’s marketing arm the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) generated PHP6.317 billion in total sales leads both from international and local business-to-business and promotional events.

While reintroducing Filipino destinations before the global tourism arena, the Philippines represented by Frasco last year was also elected Vice President of the 25th General Assembly of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), a prestigious global position last held by the country more than two decades ago.

She was also elected as chair of the Commission for East Asia and the Pacific, allowing the country to host the Joint Regional Meetings of the Committee for East Asia and the Pacific and South Asia in Cebu in 2024.

The Philippines in 2023 bagged at least 15 travel and tourism honors from prestigious award-giving bodies in diving, beach, cruise, culinary, retirement, and Muslim-friendly tourism, “a testament that the Philippines is indeed an emerging tourism powerhouse.”

“The extraordinary journey of Philippine tourism in 2023 saw the world express its love for the Philippines with our country’s rise to global prominence as the World’s Leading Beach and Dive Destination, and Asia’s Best Cruise Destination, among many other accolades,” Frasco said.

“The indomitable spirit of the Filipino has been globally acclaimed with the Philippines receiving the Global Tourism Resilience Award with our country seen as a benchmark for innovation amidst trials and challenges,” she added.

By 2024, the DOT targets 7.7 million international visitors, around 500,000 lower than the country’s pre-pandemic arrivals of 8.2 million.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think the Philippines will be able to meet its declared 2024 target of 7.7 million international visitors and possibly generate between P600 billion to P700 billion in tourism revenue? Did anyone from the haters/critics of President Marcos and Secretary Frasco bother you to make you believe that Philippine tourism will fail because of the “Love the Philippines” campaign blunder that was so widely reported in the mainstream news media?

Going back to tourism, do you think the Philippines should have more international-level fashion shows, film festivals, worship conferences, food festivals, sports events and trade shows to make the nation more attractive to visitors from overseas?

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

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

A Look Back at Turok: Dinosaur Hunter #1 (1993)

January 4, 2024December 30, 2023carlocarrasco

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

Welcome back superhero enthusiasts, 1990s culture enthusiasts and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the early 1990s and explore a part of the Valiant Comics shared universe through a tale of a very notable illustrated literature character named Turok.

I say very notable because Turok, an Indian (North American native), started in comics in the 1950s published by Western Publishing through its licensee Dell Comics. The comic book series Turok: Son of Stone started from 1956 until the early 1980s. In 1989, Valiant Comics was established by former Marvel Comics editor-in-chief Jim Shooter and business partner Steven Massarsky which was the result of a failed 1988 attempt to purchase Marvel Entertainment. In 1991, Valiant published Magnus: Robot Fighter and Solar: Man of the Atom as its early titles which is notable because both characters were licensed properties from Gold Key Comics (which itself was involved in the original Turok series).

Then in 1992, a newer version of Turok was introduced by Valiant Comics in the 12^th issue of Magnus: Robot Fighter and subsequently the character (along with established side-kick Andar) became involved in the Unity storyline which was Valiant’s first major crossover comics event. By the time Unity ended, the road was cleared for Valiant to further emphasize Turok for the modern comic book readers of the time.

With those details laid down, here is a look back at Turok: Dinosaur Hunter #1, published in 1993 by Valiant Comics with a story written by David Michelinie and drawn by Bart Sears.

Early story

The story begins in Colombia (note: written as Columbia in the comic book) in South America in the year 1987. Deep in the forest, Turok performs a ritual believing that his spirit is getting cleansed and purified. He remembers the times when he and Andar discovered a land – filled with dinosaurs and other animals they never encountered previously – where time no longer held much meaning.

He and Andar got involved in an armed conflict with invaders who arrived with advanced technologies. The robot fighter Magnus then got involved and helped Turok and their side turn the tide of battle. Eventually a stunning phenomenon happened as a woman who called herself Mothergod appeared. Turok and Andar foolishly submitted themselves to her and soon, they started operating in her service with violence against those who opposed her.

After encountering Archer and Armstrong, Turok realized the error of his devotion to Mothergod and eventually joined forces with Rai, X-O Manowar and others who waged battle against her.

Back in the present, an intelligent, cybernetically enhance dinosaur attacks Turok…

Quality

*Very intense violence drawn by Bart Sears which reflected the high intensity of Turok’s fight with the dinosaurs.*

To get straight to the point here, when it comes to emphasizing a new version of Turok for comic book readers in the early 1990s, the creative team was quite successful in achieving that goal. By the time I reached the end of this comic book, Turok’s place within the huge shared universe of Valiant got established solidly and the Michelinie-Sears duo dramatized the Indian’s struggle (being lost in time and far away from where he belongs) in South America in the late 1980s.

Being lost in time and having to deal with deadly, intelligent dinosaurs brought not only the warrior within Turok but also the determine survivor in him as well. There is a good amount of character emphasis of Turok which served as an effective balance to all the spectacle (read: uncompromised bloody violence) the creative duo prepared. Instead of using thought balloons, you will read Turok’s thoughts through narration boxes all throughout which made an effective and interesting reading experience.

Considering his great skills in hunting and fighting, Turok is not really a super protagonist. He is as vulnerable as any other person and you will get to see him suffer and become so helpless, he has no choice but to avail of assistance from South American villagers who lived by the land but are themselves very vulnerable to the savagery of the intelligent dinosaurs. The symbolism regarding vulnerability as well as the ramifications of the Unity crossover on this tale is very strong. This is indeed very solid writing by Michelinie.

As for the art, Sears’ work here is very unique and his style on drawing people, monsters and locations made this comic book a visual standout among 1993 comic books. When it comes to the graphic violence, it is clear to me that Sears enjoyed the creative freedom he got and he really emphasized his imagination as to how gruesome violence caused by dinosaurs on human beings would be. That being said, there are lots of violent action scenes and images of physical damage (damage on the flesh specifically) that remain visually disturbing to this day.

Conclusion

*Very foolishly, Turok and Andar submitted themselves to a walking, evil idol. This should remind you that idolatry is both foolish and unholy.*

Turok: Dinosaur Hunter #1 (1993) works nice as modern portrayal of Turok and it succeeds in establishing his place within Valiant’s comic book universe thanks primarily to the Michelinie-Sears duo. Turok himself is not exactly an interesting protagonist to me but I can say it is the creators’ way of portraying him that makes the plot and the comic book work as an entertainment piece. I also liked the way Turok was emphasized as a character who got lost not only in time but also dimensionally lost as he has to live within a whole new world while focusing on survival as well as his desire to kill his rival Mon-Ark (the intelligent dinosaur). If you know your American pop culture history, you will realize that this comic book incidentally paved the way for the Turok video games (starting with 1997’s Turok: Dinosaur Hunter of Nintendo 64) that happened years later.

Overall, Turok: Dinosaur Hunter #1 (1993) is recommended.

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A successful 2023 for tourism in the Philippines

January 2, 2024December 27, 2023carlocarrasco

If you set aside all the politicking and hatred, you will realize that there is no denying that tourism in the Philippines (handled by the Department of Tourism under the administration of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr.) turned out very successful over the previous year in terms of foreign tourist arrivals and tourism revenues based on the most recent statistics recorded as emphasized in the recent news article published by the Philippine News Agency (PNA). The exact and final 2023 tourism statistics should be revealed very soon.

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

As inbound and domestic travel gain momentum, tourism in the Philippines has seen a remarkable turnaround this 2023, breaching targets and continuing to generate employment to millions of Filipinos.

Based on the Department of Tourism’s (DOT) latest data, the industry already surpassed its target of 4.8 million foreign arrivals with over five million visitors recorded as of Dec. 12.

From January to November, the Philippines has hit PHP439.5 billion in foreign visitor receipts shooting past the 2022 figures of PHP208.96 billion.

This number also translates to a 95.85 percent recovery of the 2019 pre-pandemic international visitor receipts, when the country generated PHP458 billion for the same months.

As of Dec. 12, South Korea ranked first as the Philippines’ top source market with 1,341,029 arrivals, followed by the United States with 836,694; Japan with 285,655; China with 252,171; and Australia with 238,487.

Canada landed sixth place with 206,571, followed by Taiwan with 186,140, United Kingdom with 141,516, Singapore with 140,633, and Malaysia with 92,383.

“The performance of Philippine tourism this year has exceeded all expectations. And what these numbers would indicate is a robust economic growth,” Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco said in her year-end assessment report.

Citing the country’s economic managers, Frasco said tourism this year has also emerged as one the “strongest pillars” of the economy, ranking second in terms of the source for growth.

“Notably, the number one source of economic growth is employment of which tourism also contributes in large number of over 5.35 million, in fact,” she said.

Roads, rest areas, flights – Since the beginning of the year, the DOT has been pushing for the construction of more rest areas and roads leading to tourist destinations across the country.

To date, the DOT and its infrastructure arm, the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), have launched ten tourist rest areas, with plans to build 18 more in 2024.

DOT’s collaboration with the Department of Public Works and Highways has also yielded 158 kilometers of tourism roads and an investment of at least PHP16 billion in tourism roads for 2023.

Frasco said the country has likewise recovered nearly 80 percent of its pre-pandemic international incoming seat capacity.

As of November 2023, there are over 1.4 million international seats available, vis-a-vis the one million recorded last year, and the 1.7 million recorded in 2019.

Frasco had also been meeting with stakeholders to relay Manila’s support for direct flights, including with France, the United Kingdom, and Italy.

Consistently ‘leading’ – The Philippines once again showcased the unrivaled charm of its beaches and underwater destinations to tourists from across the globe after bagging the World’s Leading Dive Destination and the World’s Leading Beach Destination awards at the prestigious World Travel Awards (WTA) 2023.

The country also net the Global Tourism Resilience Award for demonstrating “global leadership, pioneering vision, and innovation to overcome critical challenges and adversity while Manila was named the World’s Leading City Destination.

The DOT this year also introduced its new tourism branding “Love the Philippines” to emphasize that the Philippines has a lot more to offer than fun from its natural assets and history to its rich culture.

Along with the new campaign, the DOT sought to increase travel activities in other regions by helping them develop lesser-known tourism destinations.

The DOT launched various tourism initiatives such as the Philippine Experience Programs: Culture, Heritage, and Arts Caravan, which emphasized the country’s diverse cultural heritage and has so far staged four in Davao, Calabarzon, Bicol, and Western Visayas.

Better than expected – Leechiu Property Consultants (LPC) graded the industry’s performance as “better than expected,” saying the country’s focus on domestic travel also contributed to its resurgence in the face of “uncertainties” in key source markets such as China and Japan.

“Despite uncertainties in these external markets, the country’s focus on boosting internal tourism significantly bolstered the industry’s stability and growth,” it said.

For 2024, the DOT has set a modest target of 7.7 million foreign visitors, 500,000 less than the 8.2 million arrivals it generated before the pandemic

LPC Director for Hotel, Leisure, and Tourism Alfred Lay said South Korea has returned to about 72 percent arrivals while China only recovered 15 percent.

Lay said the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia were all in the “same boat” and have witnessed fairly low recovery rates from Chinese inbound guests but the country was still able to breach its 2023 target.

“Next year is going to be a pivotal year because where are we going to get those (2024) numbers? If the Chinese economic slowdown continues and the Japanese Yen stays where it is, maybe the Korean market will give us more but another two million more, I don’t think so,” he said.

“The 7.7 million is a very interesting target and I’m very interested to see what happens next year, to see if the Philippines has the ability to generate two million new arrivals,” he added.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What do you think about this recent development? Do you think the 2024 target of 7.7 million foreign tourist arrivals is achievable even though there are uncertainties overseas that could affect the Philippines as a tourist destination? Do you think the DOT should focus more on encouraging locals to add to the tourism industry’s growth in 2024? When it comes to foreign visitor revenue, do you think the Philippines can attract P500 billion in 2024? Do you think the recent conflicts between the Philippines and China over the West Philippine Sea could negatively affect the inflow of Chinese tourists into the country this year?

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

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A Look Back at Spider-Man #1 (1990)

December 20, 2023December 20, 2023carlocarrasco

Welcome back superhero enthusiasts, 1990s culture enthusiasts and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the early 1990s and explore a part of the Marvel Comics shared universe through a tale of the Spider-Man monthly series.

Back in the late 1980s, Todd McFarlane proved to be a highly talented artist who helped Marvel sell a lot of issues of the Amazing Spider-Man series. McFarlane was also highly involved with the creation of Venom which not only became Spider-Man’s deadliest foe but also an icon of Marvel’s. In the year 1990, a brand new monthly series of Spider-Man was launched and it had Todd McFarlane writing and illustrating the tales.

With those details laid down, here is a look back at Spider-Man #1, published in 1990 by Marvel Comics with a story written and drawn by Todd McFarlane. This marks the beginning of the Torment storyline.

Early story

The story begins in New York City where countless people walk to their respective destinations not realizing that the local hero Spider-Man was swinging above them. In a dirty alley, Spider-Man prevents an armed thug from harming a woman and leaves him hanging covered with a lot of web.

Elsewhere in the city, a sinister figure conducts a ritual, prays to evil forces and begins using magic.

In yet another location, a hideous creature emerges from the water. It’s the Lizard…

Quality

*This page is an example of Todd McFarlane creating a travel sequence that allowed him to draw something great. It’s a classic example of moving back into the comfort zone.*

To make things very clear here, this comic book is pretty shallow and hollow mainly due to its storytelling as this was the writing of a very young Todd McFarlane. There is no denying that his art here is great to look at from start to finish. In fact, this was one of McFarlane’s finest visual works ever with Marvel.

But if you look beyond the great visuals, the writing is very weak all throughout the issue. At best, this comic book is a grand-looking yet shallow set-up for the conflict of the Torment storyline complete with shared emphasis on the iconic web-slinger, the Lizard (looking more menacing than before) and Calypso (the one behind the magic and rituals).

In fairness to McFarlane, he added his own touch on emphasizing the personalities of Peter Parker and wife Mary Jane simultaneously as a couple. If you were used to seeing in-depth character development and witty dialogue about the two major characters as portrayed in the Amazing Spider-Man, Web of Spider-Man and Spectacular Spider-Man series of 1990, you won’t find them in this comic book. Under McFarlane’s writing, Spider-Man in this issue showed signs of sarcasm and cockiness in the first scene, and with Mary Jane he (as Peter Parker) expressed himself philosophically. To say the least, the portrayal of Spider-Man here is noticeably different under McFarlane.

The Lizard, a long-time rival of Spider-Man’s, was presented to be very violent and murderous in this issue. This was clearly McFarlane’s approach on emphasizing the force of opposition that awaits the iconic web-slinger and he obviously went for a more adulterated approach with the visuals. That being said, the violent content in this comic book is very unique and clearly stood out from the rest of the Spider-Man-related comics published by Marvel in 1990. Lastly, I should say that McFarlane’s visual take on the Lizard is the best I have seen.

Going back to the visuals, McFarlane implemented strong elements of horror, darkness and grittiness which went along well with the adulterated approach to violence. These mixed elements, as they turned out in reality, became part of McFarlane’s future works past Spider-Man.

Conclusion

*McFarlane’s vicious and horrifying approach on visualizing the Lizard can’t be ignored. This Lizard makes the cinematic Lizard of the 2012 movie The Amazing Spider-Man look cartoony.*

Spider-Man #1 (1990) is a very mixed bag when it comes to literary enjoyment. It clearly has great artwork by McFarlane whose adulterated approach on expression and spectacle made it very unique. The writing by McFarlane (who was very young at the time of production) is clearly the big letdown although his own approach on portraying Spider-Man, MJ and the Lizard are very notable. Take note that this was Todd McFarlane starting with writing while doing the art (his true strength), and at this point in comic book history his talent on telling compelling stories would not be realized until a few years later (particularly with Spawn and Image Comics). Notably, his use of visual horror and darkness predates his work in Spawn which makes his Spider-Man take very distinct. Ultimately, this comic book served as a build-up for things to come in the Torment storyline. Don’t expect too much when acquiring this comic book.

Overall, Spider-Man #1 (1990) is satisfactory.

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Bureau of Immigration (BI) prevents two foreign sex offenders from entering the country

December 19, 2023December 12, 2023carlocarrasco

Two foreign sex offenders who arrived from Taipei by airplane were prevented from entering the country by the Bureau of Immigration (BI) which has a database of undesirable aliens, according to a Philippine News Agency (PNA) news article.

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

Two Americans with criminal records for sexually abusing minors in the United States and the country were recently barred from entering the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 in Pasay City.

In a statement Tuesday, Bureau of Immigration (BI) Commissioner Norman Tansingco said the passengers were identified as Keith Michael Lacek, 63, who was intercepted on Dec. 5, and Peter Maehler de Leon Guerrero, 54, who was turned away on Dec. 2.

Both foreigners arrived at the NAIA Terminal 1 aboard Air China and Eva Air flights from Taipei. They were immediately sent back to their country of origin.

“We had to remove them out immediately after they arrived at the airport. They are undesirable aliens who pose a very serious threat to our children,” Tansingco said in a statement. “Consequently, they are perpetually banned from re-entering the Philippines.”

He noted that Lacek was excluded after his name prompted a hit in the bureau’s derogatory base, indicating that he was banned from entering the country for his involvement in sex tourism.

The BI blacklisted Lacek in June 2020 after the bureau received information from the Office of Cybercrime of the Department of Justice that he was reportedly involved in the online enticement and sexual exploitation of children in travel and tourism.

Lacek allegedly enticed a Filipina to produce and send indecent photographs of children and to engage in sexual activity with a minor in exchange for money.

On the other hand, Guerrero is a registered sex offender in the US due to his record of conviction as a child rapist.

For the newcomers reading this, the BI has been working hard to not only protect the nation from undesirable foreigners but also to prevent the potential rise of sex tourism in the entire Philippines.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Are you convinced that the BI will be able to detect and reject incoming sex offenders from overseas?

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

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For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673

A Look Back at Armorines #6 (1994)

December 13, 2023December 6, 2023carlocarrasco

Welcome back superhero enthusiasts, 1990s culture enthusiasts and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the early 1990s and explore a part of the Valiant Comics shared universe through the Armorines monthly series.

During the said decade, Valiant Comics was notable for having crossovers that some readers found to be tightly executed in relation to continuity. The armored U.S. Marines (Armorines) and the powerful individual X-O Manowar have the spider aliens as a common enemy.

With those details laid down, here is a look back at Armorines #6, published in 1994 by Valiant Comics with a story written by Jorge Gonzalez and drawn by Jim Calafiore.

Early story

The story begins in space when the spider aliens (located inside a huge space ship) are organizing themselves to get back to their home world.

Meanwhile above the Earth, X-O Manowar significantly helps the Armorines with repairing their space shuttle. It turns out that they have been spending a long time in space and the crew has gotten exhausted after the big battle with the spider aliens. Going back home was their next objective.

Just as the crew prepares to return to Earth, the same huge space ship of the spider aliens suddenly approaches them…

Quality

Set after the crossover tale about the humans’ battle with the spider aliens in space, this tale served as a creative extension of those events utilizing space travel and sci-fi action concepts. The Armorines once again fight the spider aliens and X-O Manowar (a major Valiant character) gets heavily involved as he has a personal grudge against them. Without spoiling the plot, I can say that themes of freeing yourself from the enemy and getting back home are evident.

There is plenty of action to enjoy here and the sci-fi settings (including the interiors of the spider aliens ship) are nicely presented. I also like the fact that the tension gradually built-up as the story went on. Still, at this particular stage of this series, I could not help but feel that the Armorines have been in conflict with the spider aliens for too long.

Conclusion

*There is a lot of sci-fi action to enjoy here.*

Armorines #6 (1994) is a pretty good read but I was getting tired of seeing the Armorines remaining in conflict with the spider aliens. What added strong value to the comic book was the heavy involvement (and crossover) of X-O Manowar and his interactions with the Armorines was well executed. To be clear, the story was not conclusive and at this stage, I still am interested to see what would happen next. Here is hoping that the Armorines conflict with the spider aliens will improve somehow.

Overall, Armorines #6 (1994) is recommended.

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Grand Theft Auto VI coming to Xbox Series X|S in 2025

December 8, 2023December 6, 2023carlocarrasco

It has been more than ten years since the day I first played Grand Theft Auto V (GTAV) on my Xbox 360 and that game was very in-depth and provided loads of fun gameplay. I replayed GTAV on Xbox One and most recently on my Xbox Series X console via Xbox Game Pass (XGP).

Recently, Rockstar Games released the official trailer of the much-awaited new game Grand Theft Auto VI (GTAVI or GTA6 for short) online ahead of schedule (note: someone shamelessly leaked the trailer which compelled the publisher to do an early launch) which attracted many millions of views from fans and gamers on varied platforms online. The new game will be released on Xbox Series X|S consoles sometime in the year 2025. To begin with, watch the official trailer below…

And below is a statement from Rockstar Games founder Sam Houser…

“Grand Theft Auto VI continues our efforts to push the limits of what’s possible in highly immersive, story-driven open-world experiences,” said Sam Houser, Founder of Rockstar Games. “We’re thrilled to be able to share this new vision with players everywhere.” (source – official press release)

*A view of a beach and the buildings of Vice City. Clearly the city is inspired by Miami in real-life.*

As expected, the GTA6 official trailer looks really impressive and I would not be surprised that the developers will make the gameplay experience more varied by means of implementing lots of features and play styles. The trailer even showed images of in-game social media which will most likely become a gameplay feature eventually as it will resonate with gamers who mostly spent a lot of years using social media accounts in real life.

In the press release, the fictional Vice City and the state of Leonida were explicitly mentioned. For the newcomers reading this, Vice City was the main setting in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (2002) and the said city will be getting the modern game presentation and design similar to what happened to Liberty City in Grand Theft Auto IV, and Los Santos in GTAV. Vice City is clearly patterned after the real-life city of Miami in Florida and within the new game are lots of parties (lots of neon colors too), populated beaches, wildlife, desolate locations for exploring and groove-related activities.

*We will find out soon enough how detailed a populated in-game beach like this will turn out on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S.*

*Interacting with the wildlife in the game’s more isolated environments could resonate nicely with those who played Red Dead Redemption 2 extensively.*

Expect Rockstar Games to make adjustments and refinements not only with the core gameplay but also with the way cops and criminals will react to each other. Lastly, it seems that the developers took inspiration from the real-life American crime couple Bonnie and Clyde for the in-game couple that was several times within the game trailer. That being said, the developers are not only staying away from the 3-protagonist formula of GTAV, they are also challenging themselves to create something new and even more compelling with the GTA6 couple for players to experience.

I am also interested to see how Rockstar will design the open-world environments this time. I have never been to Miami but I visited Orlando during my one and only trip to Florida. I noticed how different Florida’s physical surroundings were compared to other states in America I visited, and I noticed in the GTA6 trailer the more desolate locations filled with varied forms of vegetation were inspired by the said state. Oh yes, there were also images of alligators in the trailer which remind me of real-life Florida sightings of the creatures in populated places. I can only imagine how this will add variety to the gameplay and exploration in GTA6. Check out the news videos below…

Grand Theft Auto VI is still far from release and a lot could happen as the release date gets closer. Here is hoping that Rockstar Games will deliver a game that is not only great but also turn out to be truly worth the wait of over a decade. For the Xbox fans reading this, do you think the Xbox Series S version of GTA6 will turn out good? If you already have an Xbox Series S as well as extra money, would you be willing to upgrade by buying the Xbox Series X console for GTA6?

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A Look Back at G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #23 (1984)

December 6, 2023December 2, 2023carlocarrasco

Welcome back superhero enthusiasts, 1980s culture enthusiasts and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the mid-1980s to explore Marvel Comics’ extensive publishing of a comic book series based on the wildly popular military-themed franchise of toys – G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero.

Whenever a war between good and evil happens, it is only desirable for people siding with the good guys to score a major breakthrough against the evil ones. Breakthroughs include annihilating the enemy entirely or compelling them to surrender unconditionally, or capturing one of their most powerful leaders alive.

With those details laid down, here is a look back at G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #23 published in 1984 by Marvel Comics with the main story written by Larry Hama and drawn by Mike Vosburg.

Early story

The story begins near the Italian border of Switzerland. GI Joe member Snow Job sits high up on a cliff and monitors an institute from long distance. He carefully sees the Baroness (wearing a white garment) and reports to Duke about it. Duke, who is seated close to Roadblock in public, tells him to maintain passive surveillance as their team is anticipating that the Baroness will lead them to Cobra Commander.

Moments later, Roadblock notices a man across the street coming out from one of the buildings. The man turns out to be Major Bludd, a mercenary working for Cobra. Duke then sends a message to Cover Girl and Clutch (both of them riding a car elsewhere) to follow Major Bludd…

Quality

*Cover Girl and Clutch chase the vehicle that has Major Bludd and Baroness.*

I really like this story. While this is clearly not the bombastic, gun-blazing conflict between G.I. Joe and Cobra, this tale has stronger elements of espionage, suspense and intrigue nicely mixed together. The story moved at a medium pace and there were suitable pay-offs to the build-up that occurred throughout.

While the cover of this comic book is indeed a spoiler, it is within the details of the script and its story structure that justified the capture of one of Cobra’s most notorious figures. How G.I. Joe pulled it off and what obstacles they went through were nicely portrayed by the Hama-Vosburg team.

Not only that, the comic book also shed light on the character moments and story developments told through the side of Cobra which are quite intriguing to read.

Conclusion

*Cobra Commander making his way through in the American town of Springfield which is their front.*

G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #23 (1984) is another fun and engaging tale Larry Hama crafted. The creative team succeeded in justifying the capture of Cobra Commander (as seen in the cover) while giving readers some new insights about the characters and how they do their duties. By the time I reached the end of this comic book, I was satisfied and convinced to look forward to what would happen next.

Overall, G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #23 (1984) is recommended.

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The pending resurgence of sex tourism in the Philippines is a major concern for the BI

December 6, 2023December 4, 2023carlocarrasco

While the Philippines continues to attract more tourists from around the world (read the related post), the Bureau of Immigration (BI) is concerned about the pending resurgence of sex tourism in the country, according to a Manila Times news report. Already there have been reports of sex offenders from abroad who were intercepted by the local authorities.

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

THE Bureau of Immigration (BI) has expressed alarm over the likely resurgence of sex tourism in the country as indicated by the frequent arrival and interception of foreign sex offenders (FSO) at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) and other major ports of entry.

Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco said on Sunday that entry attempts by sex offenders into the country have become almost a “daily trend” and are not limited to the national capital Manila, but are also in provincial airports such as Cebu.

Tansingco also said that some unscrupulous groups or individuals could be promoting sex tourism, the practice of traveling to foreign countries with the intention of engaging in sexual activity in exchange for money.

“We will not allow that to happen. We are duty-bound to implement a provision in our immigration act that prohibits the entry of aliens convicted of crimes involving moral turpitude. We will not allow the entry of these undesirable aliens to pose a threat to our women and children,” Tansingco said.

He attributed the possible resurgence of sex tourism to the reopening of the country’s border after the pandemic.

“During the pandemic, there was an increase in online exploitation of women and children. When international travel resumed, the number of FSOs rose, which could show that the exploitation is being continued,” he said. “With the return of tourism, foreigners who intend to abuse our hospitality seem to be returning.”

“We warn these predators not to attempt to enter the country, as we have close coordination with different governments, who provide us information about sex offenders that might attempt to enter the Philippines,” he said.

Under the Philippine Immigration Act of 1940, those who have been convicted of a crime involving moral turpitude, which includes sex offenders, are ineligible to enter the country.

The Philippines is regarded as among the top 10 sex tourism destinations in the world. Others on the list are Germany, the Netherlands, Columbia, Thailand, the Dominican Republic, Spain, Kenya and Brazil.

Just over the weekend, BI frontline officers intercepted two more FSOs, identified as Mark David Scanlon and Richard Stuard Patterson, both Americans convicted of sexually molesting minors in the US. They arrived via separate flights at the international airports in Cebu and Manila.

Scanlon, 53, was intercepted after arriving aboard an Eva Air flight from Taiwan at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA), while Patterson, 33, was turned back upon arriving from Los Angeles via a Philippine Airlines flight at the NAIA 1 terminal.

Both passengers were sent back to their ports of origin hours after they were denied entry.

Information obtained by the BI revealed that in 2012, a court in Cook County, Illinois, convicted Scanlon on the charge of indecently soliciting a child over the internet.

On the other hand, Patterson was convicted in Oregon in May 2011 on the charges of sexual abuse in the second degree and sodomy in the third degree, where the victims were 15 and 13 years old, respectively.

Scanlon and Patterson are only two of the more than 150 foreign registered sex offenders (RSOs) who have been refused entry at the airports since January.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What do you think about this recent development? Do you consider sex-related tourism a major issue for the Philippines’ standing in international tourism? Do you think that there are lots of suspected business joints within your city that could secretly be engaging in prostitution, pornography and human trafficking? What do you think should be done to prevent sex tourism from growing in the Philippines? Do you think that illegal sex-related activities involving foreigners here in the Philippines (for insight, click here, here, and here) are somehow attracting foreign sex offenders to come into the country?

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

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Philippines’ credit ratings affirmed by S&P Global Ratings

December 4, 2023November 30, 2023carlocarrasco

The credit ratings of the Philippines for both long-term and short term were affirmed by the US-based S&P Global Ratings which also saw stronger economic growth for the country in the next few years, 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…

United States-based S&P Global Ratings on Wednesday affirmed the Philippines’ ‘BBB+’ long-term and ‘A-2’ short-term sovereign credit ratings, citing the country’s sustained economic recovery due to the government’s ongoing efforts to address infrastructure gaps and improvements in the business climate.

“The stable outlook reflects our expectation that the Philippine economy will maintain healthy growth rates and the fiscal performance will materially improve over the next 24 months,” S&P Global said in a report.

According to S&P, the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) is projected to grow by 5.4 percent this year, reflecting the impact of high base and the slower growth of the world economy.

The report also showed that Philippine economic growth is projected to accelerate to 5.9 percent in 2024, 6.2 percent in 2025 and 6.4 percent in (2026).

The credit rater expects that the Philippines’ economic growth will remain well above the average among its peers “due to the government’s ongoing efforts to address infrastructure gaps and improvements in the business climate through regulatory and tax reforms, which will further support expansion in economic productivity.”

It also recognized the government’s efforts to prioritize infrastructure development and fiscal measures and cited crucial reforms such as the public-private partnership (PPP) framework and the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) Act.

“The Philippine government has generally enacted effective and prudent fiscal policies over the past decade. Improvements to the quality of expenditure, manageable fiscal deficits, and low general government indebtedness testify to this. This track record of sustainable public finances helped the government accumulate fiscal resources to respond to the pandemic,” the report said.

It also underscored the importance of tax reforms in ensuring that public finances remain sustainable, while infrastructure and social needs are addressed.

S&P said the general government (GG) deficit is estimated to decline and to settle at 3.8 percent of GDP in 2023, from 4.4 percent in 2022.

“We believe the fiscal shortfall will continue to narrow over the coming years while the economy regains its footing and the government scales back stimulus measures. We expect the medium-term fiscal framework (MTFF) revealed by the Marcos administration last year to guide the consolidation process,” it said.

The report also highlighted the country’s solid household and corporate balance sheets and sizable remittance inflows, and expects foreign direct investments to remain stable this year.

However, S&P said it may lower the country’s ratings if economic recovery falters, if general government debt exceeds 4 percent of GDP, if net debt stock exceeds 60 percent of GDP or if interest payments exceed 15 percent of revenue on a sustained basis.

“We may raise the ratings if the economy recovers much faster than we expect, and the government achieves more rapid fiscal consolidation,” it said.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What do you think about this recent development? Are you satisfied with what was accomplished this year with regards to foreign tourist arrivals and the related revenues? Do you think the Philippine economy will continue to grow stronger each year until 2026? Do you believe in the findings of S&P Global Ratings?

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

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