Asia – Page 171 – Author Carlo Carrasco

Muntinlupa City Mayor visits local market and personally inspects prices of goods

October 12, 2023October 9, 2023carlocarrasco

Recently in the progressive city of Muntinlupa, Mayor Ruffy Biazon personally visited a market in Barangay Poblacion and examined the prices of goods, according to a Manila Bulletin news report.

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

Muntinlupa Mayor Ruffy Biazon visited a market on Oct. 9 to check the prices of basic commodities.

Biazon went to a market in Barangay Poblacion to know the prevailing prices of rice, meat, vegetables and other commodities.

He said a common feedback of stall owners inside the market is the competition from sellers outside the market, which has a negative impact on their income.

“Ang common feedback ng mga nagtitinda ay ang kompetensya mula sa mga nagtitinda sa labas—yung mga nasa bangketa at nasa iba pang private properties. Hindi na kasi sila napapasok ng mga mamimili; may advantage kasi yung mga nasa labas (The common feedback from sellers is the competition from sellers outside–those who are located on the sidewalk and private properties. Consumers no longer go inside (the market); those who sell outside have the advantage),” said Biazon during his Facebook live video of his market visit.

The mayor also noted that there are vacant stalls in the market, which could be due to sellers losing out to competitors outside the establishment. Biazon said he will look into the matter of illegal vendors around the market.

“Nagkakaroon kasi ng negative impact sa market mismo. Titingnan natin ang mga umiiral na batas natin kung may magagamit tayo para tugisin ang mga illegal vendor at wala sa tamang pwesto (It has a negative impact to the market directly. We will study the existing laws if we have something to use to go after illegal vendors and those who are not in the proper places),” said Biazon.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? If you are a resident of Muntinlupa City, were you able to visit any local market lately? If you did, were the prices of good higher than they were six months ago? Do you wish that more your city government officials would personally visit other local markets? Do you believe that local market vendors are being harmed by vendors outside of the markets?

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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DTI says cash aid and price monitoring related to rice to continue

October 9, 2023October 5, 2023carlocarrasco

Recently President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr., lifted the mandatory price caps on rice (regular milled and well-milled specifically). Even though this has happened, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) confirmed that cash aid and price monitoring will still continue, according to a news article by the Philippine News Agency (PNA).

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

Financial aid distribution to rice retailers and monitoring of rice prices will continue despite President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s announcement Wednesday about the lifting of the price cap on regular and well-milled rice.

Trade and Industry Secretary Alfredo Pascual, in a press conference in Makati City Wednesday, said the government will still release the financial aid to small retailers selling the said rice varieties who have not received the PHP15,000 cash assistance.

As of Sept. 29, the government, through the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), has released a total of PHP217.2 million under the Sustainable Livelihood Program-Economic Relief Subsidy to 14,480 out of the 19,685 targeted rice retailers nationwide.

DTI has helped the DSWD in identifying, profiling, and validating the beneficiaries of the cash aid.

Since Executive Order 39, which set price ceilings of PHP41 per kilo for regular-milled rice and PHP45 a kilo for well-milled rice, took effect last September 5, the Trade Chief said the compliance rate of retailers nationwide was high at 81.46 percent as of Sept.28.

“There’s (a) good number of sellers selling within those price(s),” Pascual said, adding that prices of these rice varieties in Regions 2 (Cagayan Valley) and 3 (Central Luzon), the country’s rice granary, are even lower at around PHP38 per kilo.

He noted that since rice is being produced in these regions, logistics costs are much lower.

Fair Trade and Enforcement Bureau (FTEB) Director Fhillip Sawali, during the same briefing, also assured that DTI will continue monitoring rice prices, in coordination with the Department of Agriculture, despite the lifting of the price cap on rice.

“We will see the full force of the market because the PHP41 and PHP45 (price caps) are no longer mandated,” he said.

“There is a continuing role for the DTI to play post-EO 39” since there is a need to “see if they (rice traders) continue to follow or nearing their prices at PHP41 and PHP45,” he added.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think there will be drastic changes happening with the prices of rice grain sold in markets here in the Philippines? How much did you spend on rice grain in recent times?

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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Parañaque City finishes as the 24th Most Competitive Highly Urbanized City, dead last on Government Efficiency and Innovation (CMCI 2023)

October 5, 2023October 5, 2023carlocarrasco

The official results of the Cities and Municipalities Competitive Index (CMCI) for 2023 have been published and it shows Parañaque City did worse this time finishing as 24^th Most Competitive Highly Urbanized City (HUC) of the nation and this includes finishing dead last (33^rd place) among the HUCs in the categories of Innovation and Government Efficiency.

To put things in perspective, the HUCs (which covers very dense cities in the National Capital Region and the provinces) are determined by means of Competitiveness (the main category) as well as other related categories such as Economic Dynamism, Government Efficiency, Infrastructure, Resiliency and Innovation.

The 2023 CMCI showed that Parañaque City scored 36.301 for 24^th place in Competitiveness (versus 19^th place in 2022). The city’s highlight is finishing 11^th place on Economic Dynamism with a score of 5.3264, 16^th place on Infrastructure with 5.2753, and 26^th place on Resiliency with 11.4956.

What is most notable is that Parañaque finished dead last among the 33 HUCs on the categories of Government Efficiency and Innovation with scores of 8.2859 and 5.9169 respectively.

How and why did Parañaque end up as the worst HUC on Government Efficiency and Innovation needs to be explained in detail by the local officials. I know for a fact that Parañaque has been a hot spot for crime but that alone does not explain the CMCI’s 2023 findings. I can only wonder how efficient the City Government of Parañaque has been over the past 24 months as well since the day Mayor Eric Olivarez took office.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What do you think about this recent development? If you are a resident of Parañaque and had been doing transactions with the City Government, did you notice anything wrong? Has the City Government been performing sluggishly in recent times? Did transparency at the City Government weaken? What do you think should the City Government do with regards to innovation in relation to public service?

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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Philippine economic growth for 2023 could hit 5.5%

October 4, 2023October 2, 2023carlocarrasco

In the views of the First Metro Investment Corporation (FMIC) and the University of the Asia and the Pacific (UA&P), the economy of the Philippines could grow by 5.5% for the year, according to a news article by Philippine News Agency (PNA). 2023 has been an economically challenging year and many anticipated that the national economy won’t grow as high as it did in 2022.

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

The Philippine economy is projected to grow by 5.5 percent this year, driven by the growth in government spending, a report released by the First Metro Investment Corporation (FMIC) and the University of the Asia and the Pacific (UA&P) said.

In the September issue of The Market Call released on Wednesday, FMIC and UA&P said Philippine economic growth in the third quarter of the year will likely reach 5.0 to 5.2 percent.

For the fourth quarter of this year, FMIC and UA&P project the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) to grow by 6 percent.

This would bring the full year GDP growth to 5.5 percent which is slightly below the government’s 6 to 7 percent target for this year.

“Despite the weak July-August, we think the NG will accelerate further its spending on infrastructure and transportation for the rest of the year, and employment will have strong rebound in September,” the report said.

The Philippine economy grew by 4.3 percent in the second quarter of this year. During the quarter, government expenditure contracted by 7.1 percent.

FMIC and UA&P however expect government spending to accelerate in the second half of the year.

“National Government took up the slack in July spending as it ramped up expenditures by 16.2 percent year-on-year in July through higher social protection and infrastructure outlays,” the report said.

Aside from government spending, FMIC and UA&P also expect manufacturing and construction to drive growth.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think the national economy can do better than the 5.5% growth foreseen by the First Metro Investment Corporation (FMIC) and the University of the Asia and the Pacific (UA&P)?

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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Police arrest wanted man for lasciviousness in Las Piñas City

September 26, 2023September 21, 2023carlocarrasco

Recently in Las Piñas City, a man who has been wanted for lasciviousness was arrested by local police officers as a result of manhunt operation, according to a Manila Bulletin news report.

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

A man tagged as the tenth most wanted person for acts of lasciviousness under the district level in Las Piñas City was arrested in a manhunt operation on Wednesday afternoon, Sept. 20.

According to the Las Piñas City police, the suspect identified as Jonathan Hacutan was arrested along Riverside Basa Subdivision, Barangay Zapote, Las Piñas City at around 3:00 p.m.

Hacutan was arrested by virtue of a warrant of arrest issued by Judge Mildred Jacinto Marquez, of Las Piñas City Family court Branch 2 on Sept. 11.

Marquez recommended bail of P400,000 for two counts of acts of lasciviousness.

Joint forces of the Warrant and Subpoena Section (WSS) and Intelligence Section (IS) conducted the operation against wanted persons.

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 struggling to buy rice grain for your family now? Have there been acts of lasciviousness in your local community over the past twelve months? Are you concerned that there could be more sexual predators within the city?

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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Foreign tourist arrivals in the Philippines approaching 4 million

September 25, 2023September 25, 2023carlocarrasco

Close to four million foreign tourist arrivals have been counted lately as Department of Tourism (DOT) secretary Christine Frasco confirmed, according to a Philippine News Agency (PNA) news article. Take note that the target for 2023 is 4.8 million foreign tourist arrivals and the government intends to make the country a stronger tourism force in Asia by the year 2028.

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

The Philippines is close to hitting its 2023 arrival target after recording more than 3.87 million foreign tourists as of Sept. 19, Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco said Wednesday.

At the opening of the 2023 Philippine Travel Exchange (PHITEX) in Cebu, Frasco said the country logged 3,877,183 inbound arrivals or at least 80.77 percent of the 4.8 million foreign tourists that the DOT targets to reach by the end of the year.

In the same period, the Philippines generated PHP316.9 billion in revenue from tourists coming mostly from South Korea, the United States and Japan.

Frasco is optimistic these figures will increase as business-to-business meetings between sellers and buyers at the PHITEX commence on Sept. 20.

She said the Marcos administration would continue working to transform the Philippines as a “tourism powerhouse in Asia”.

She shared the DOT’s plans and programs aimed at promoting ecotourism, the development of tourism communities across the country, fostering robust private sector participation to promote heritage protection, diversification of the country’s tourism portfolio and other initiatives to benefit tourism stakeholders.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What do you think about this recent development? With the likelihood that the Philippines will be able to surpass its 2023 foreign tourist arrivals target of 4.8 million, do you think the number could reach 6 million by the end of the year? Did you notice any positive economic impact from the rising foreign tourist arrivals? If you own a business, did you benefit from foreign tourists’ spending?

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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Muntinlupa City Mayor and Congressman warn public about beauty pageant solicitation scam

September 22, 2023September 19, 2023carlocarrasco

Did anyone in Muntinlupa City approach you and tried to solicit funds for a beauty pageant? There is a scam happening locally and no less than the Mayor and Congressman of Muntinlupa warned the public about it, according to a Manila Bulletin news report.

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

Muntinlupa Rep. Jaime Fresnedi and Mayor Ruffy Biazon warned the public of a solicitation scam using a fake endorsement letter for a beauty pageant.

In a Facebook post, Fresnedi said a fake endorsement letter indicating that it came from his office was being used to solicit from business establishments for the “Miss Amazing Philippines” beauty pageant in exchange for a five percent discount when they renew their business permits.

The fake endorsement letter certified that a certain Rovic Macariola from Barangay Putatan appeared on Sept. 15 in Fresnedi’s office “with the purpose of seeking permission for the introduction and fulfillment of the candidate requirements for the competition of ‘Miss Amazing Philippines 2023’ pageant.”

“The public is hereby warned that Rovic P. Macariola did not appear on the 15th day of September 2023 and sought permission from this Office relative to the requirements for the competition of ‘Miss Amazing Philippines’ 2023 pageant,” Fresnedi said in a statement.

He added, “Further, Atty. Miguelito Rueda-Gozos who allegedly approved the Certificate of Appearance as a lawyer holding position as a mere Administrative Aide II is not connected with the Office of the House of Representatives of the Lone District of Muntinlupa.”

Fresnedi said the letterhead used in the fake endorsement letter “pertains to the City Government of Muntinlupa and not to the Lone District and the signature of the undersigned in the Certificate of Appearance was forged.”

He said, “the public is hereby advised that the Office of Representative Jaime R. Fresnedi did not issue the Certificate of Appearance and that they should not transact with Rovic P. Macariola who made the foregoing false representations in order to solicit donations for the alleged beauty pageant.”

Biazon said this is a scam and the city government does not ask money or donation in exchange for a discount.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a Muntinlupa City resident, what is your reaction to this development? Did someone approach you and tried to solicit funds from you for a special event or activity? Do you think there could be more solicitation scams happening within the city right now?

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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Several Chinese nationals and a few Filipinos arrested in Parañaque City for illegal gambling

September 8, 2023September 7, 2023carlocarrasco

Recently in the city of Parañaque, several Chinese nationals and a few Filipinos were apprehended for illegal gambling as a result of a raid that took place in Barangay Tambo, according to a Manila Bulletin news report.

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

Ten Chinese nationals and three Filipinos were arrested by personnel of the Southern Police District (SPD) –Special Operation Unit (SOU) for illegal gambling in Parañaque City on Monday, Sept. 4.

Reports showed that the SPD-SOU raided a recreational hub located at Bayview Drive, Tambo, Parañaque at around 9:30 p.m., leading to the arrest of the suspects who were allegedly engaged in illegal gambling activities.

The suspects were identified as Gong, Zhao Wei, 34; Long, Junfei, 33; Tang, Xiaoxang, 29; Dong, Jian Hua, 27; Zhao, Zheng, 26; Li, Xin, 35; Tan, Yucheng, 31; Chen, Guo Dong, 28; Yu, Shuai, 37; Han, Xu, 33 and Yue, Xiao Lu, 27; all Chinese nationals.

The three arrested Filipinos were identified as Salman Ali, 28; Jonathan Tañedo, 43; and Anna Silverio, 22.

The SPD said members of the SPD-SOU, in coordination with the Tambo police substation 2, recovered three table gaming machines, 170 token pieces, a counting machine, three bundles of money amounting to ₱27,000 in different denominations, a 9mm caliber Rock Island M1911 A1-FS, a 9mm magazine, and four pieces of 9mm live ammunition.

The arrested suspects are facing charges for violation of Presidential Decree 1602 or illegal gambling. Additional penalties for violation of Batas Pambansa 881 or the Omnibus Election Code was filed against Ali.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a resident of Parañaque City, what is your reaction to this recent development? Are you concerned that there could be more Chinese nationals secretly operating illegal activities in the city?

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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Muntinlupa City Government distributing supplies to over 90,000 public students

September 7, 2023September 5, 2023carlocarrasco

Recently in the progressive City of Muntinlupa, the City Government of Muntinlupa led by Mayor Ruffy Biazon officially started the distribution of free shoes, bags and other supplies to over ninety thousand local public school students, according to a Manila Bulletin news report.

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

The Muntinlupa City government has started distributing its free Balik Eskwela Packages to public school students.

The Balik Eskwela Package will benefit 90,007 students from day care level to senior high school. Mayor Ruffy Biazon led the distribution of the Balik Eskwela packages on Sept. 4.

“With the high cost of commodities, your City Government has set aside funds so we can help families provide for their children. This is our way to help offset the cost of school supplies especially for struggling families,” he said.

Biazon distributed the free packages to students at Sucat Elementary School, Cupang Senior High School, Cupang Elementary School, Alabang Elementary School, Pedro E. Diaz High School, and Putatan Elementary School.

Councilors and city government department heads also joined the simultaneous giving out of the kits in other schools around the city as well.

Each Balik Eskwela Package consists of a school bag, a pair of leather shoes, eight notebooks, a case of pencils and sharpener for Kinder to Grade 3, and assorted ballpens for Grade 4 to Grade 12 students.

For day care students, the kits include a school bag, two notebooks, two jumbo pencils, pad paper, crayons, and a drink bottle.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? If you are a Muntinlupa resident, do you approve of the City Government’s distribution of school-related supplies to the local public school students?

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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New diagnostic center in Las Piñas City inaugurated

August 23, 2023August 18, 2023carlocarrasco

Recently in Las Piñas City, a brand new diagnostic center located at the ground floor of the City Health Office within the area of City Hall was formally inaugurated by Mayor Imelda Aguilar and Vice Mayor April Aguilar according to the City Government’s social media post dated August 17. The new facility aims to provide free laboratory services for qualified patients of the city.

To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the City Government’s Facebook post (translated from Tagalog into English). Some parts in boldface…

The first Las Piñas City Diagnostic Center of the City Government located at the ground floor of the City Health Office, in the vicinity of Las Piñas City Hall is now open for qualified residents.

This was after the presided by Las Piñas City Mayor Imelda Aguilar and Vice Mayor April Aguilar, the simple ceremony of the inauguration and blessing of such a diagnostic center this August 16.

*The Vice Mayor and Mayor (in the background) with City Government personnel posing outside of the new diagnostic center. (photo credit: Las Piñas PIO).*

This diagnostic center of the local government will provide better and free laboratory services including blood count, fasting blood sugar, cholesterol or lipid profile, uric acid, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine examination, urinalysis and 12-L-ECG.

The purpose of this is to lessen the burden of Las Piñeros who spend more money if necessary to undergo laboratory examinations.

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 there several people in your local community who are motivated to avail of the free laboratory tests at the Las Piñas Diagnostic Center right now?

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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