Our Home Tahanan is the Definitive Book about Tahanan Village

April 18, 2020February 17, 2022carlocarrasco

Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from reading the Our Home Tahanan coffee table book, inquiring with Florencia Umali and doing 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.

Our Home Tahanan is the Definitive Book about Tahanan Village

If you want to discover and study the history of a well-established village such as Tahanan Village in Barangay BF Homes, Parañaque City, don’t rely on a pretentious, so-called independent local community print media publication. Instead, pursue such information recorded in the official documents or an official publication of the village produced by the villagers.

As many of us here in South Metro Manila are confined into our homes with the ongoing quarantine on communities (which is part of the COVID-19 Crisis), I found time to read the official Tahanan Village coffee table book titled Our Home Tahanan.

Published in 2006, Our Home Tahanan is a commemorative publication that emphasizes the past, the present and the future of Tahanan Village which in 2005 celebrated what was back then its 30^th Foundation Day. It has a collection of stories and testimonies from the pioneering residents and the later residents who contributed to the development of the Tahanan community in more ways than one. I myself enjoy reading it and examining the photos which clearly showed how much Tahanan Village developed through the decades.

A special project of the 2005 Board of Directors of the Tahanan Homeowners Association (THA), Our Home Tahanan has an extensive look at the history of the village starting even before it was founded in the 1970s. It also offers readers a look at the many organizations that not only organized several in-village activities and events, but also emphasized how lively Tahanan’s community really has been.

Let’s take a look at how Our Home Tahanan was conceptualized and turned into an actual coffee table book.

From concept to a published work

The idea of developing an official coffee table book about Tahanan Village was raised in a meeting that was held on June 10, 2005. The Committee composed of Tess Arriola, Florencia Umali, Corly Vergara, Peter Olivares, Reno and Malou Araneta, Nene Sandico and then THA president Milton Lalisan had a thorough discussion about the elements and topics for a souvenir program in relation to the 30^th Foundation Day of the village.

*A group photo of the yearbook committee members.*

The idea of a coffee table book alone was perceived to be challenging at first and there were expressions of skepticism and incredulity. The mood eventually turned into optimism and determination.

According to then THA president Milton Lalisan, the Committee came to a decision to develop the coffee table book project.

Below is an excerpt with words of Lalisan…

It was agreed that we would develop a really nice, glossy book, semi-hard cover, with lots of colored and black/white pictures. The book should appeal to different types of readers:

+ Residents who have grown with the village, who were here when Tahanan was still on its pioneering stage.

+ Residents who have built their houses at a later stage but who quickly managed to acclimatize to the environment around them.

+ Sons and daughters of residents who had their childhood in Tahanan Village, some who may now be in their teens, young adulthood or are parents themselves.

+ and those who have personal interests in Tahanan Village, the lot owners who have not built their houses, the prospective homeowners who are considering living in the village.

Afterwards, several forms of preparation followed: writing articles, researching, organizing an in-village photo contest, financing, editing and finally, publishing it.

According to Florencia Umali (now the incumbent president of the Century Club of Tahanan, Inc. or CCTI), she and her fellow members of the Committee worked long and hard to make the project a reality.

“We coordinated with the different clubs and organizations, and the previous Tahanan Board (of Directors),” Umali recalled. “We also coordinated with the first homeowners of Tahanan Village. We also worked on collating their old pictures and memories.”

After much hard work as well as editing done by a local resident, Our Home Tahanan got published.

The history of Tahanan Village and its origin

As mentioned earlier, this coffee table book also has the official history of Tahanan Village and what happened behind the scenes that led to its foundation way back in the 1970s.

Here’s an excerpt from the article Tahanan Village: How It All Began written by Digoy Fernandez.

I guess the Tahanan story really began with the friendship of Dominador “Bandoc” Mercado with both the Rufino and the Campillo families. According to youngest Campillo son Lito, Bandoc had a special way with his father, Sostenes Sr. Bandoc even had a free place to stay in the Campillo managed Shellbourne Hotel located strategically at the Luneta. I remember my group of friends, which included Charlie Rufino, going to watch movies for free in the Rufino theaters, and then dropping by the hotel to meet up with Bandoc and middle Campillo son, Jun, on many an occasion during our high school and college years.

One day, Bandoc approached the Rufino family with a proposition to develop 60 hectares of the Campillo rice farm in Parañaque into a subdivision. At that time, the heirs of the eldest Rufino patriarch, Vicente, wanted to try their hand in horizontal development. Their past experience in real estate was mostly in vertical development. At that time, BF Homes had already started and proved that a housing development beyond the Merville area could be a success. The Rufino family agreed provided that Bandoc take the helm of the management of the project.

Youngest son Charlie and youngest daughter Pixie were assigned to the project and were mentored directly by Bandoc. The latter drew up a joint venture agreement with the Campillo family, and thus, Tahanan Development Corporation had its beginning. The eldest Rufino daughter, Ditas, thought up the name “Tahanan” Village and also the use of flowers to denominate streets.

The definitive book about Tahanan Village

Our Home Tahanan also contains articles about how the Tahanan Homeowners Association (THA) started, what were the facilities and organizations in the village, how the village’s very own tennis club began, who were the pioneers and notable residents, and more. Special attention was also paid to the THA’s relationship with contracted security agencies as well as the breakthroughs on securing the village that were realized when the association formed their Security Committee.

*A few of the many congratulatory pages.*

There are also many literary pieces written by village residents who shared their experiences and what living in the village truly is like. Adding depth to these articles are the many, many photographs of the times, the events, and the people involved with the village.

In my experience, Our Home Tahanan is not only a great published work to discover and research about Tahanan Village…it is the definitive published work complete with the contributions and involvement of the villagers.

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. 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

Special thanks to Augusto Tejada of Tahanan Village.

A Look Back at What If #42 (1992)

April 17, 2020April 16, 2020carlocarrasco

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.

Believe it or not, there was a time when the iconic superhero Spider-Man had additional arms on both sides of his body which made him even more like a spider. Such a story was told in Amazing Spider-Man #100 and #101 published decades ago by Marvel Comics.

In 1992, Marvel Comics published What If #42 to revisit the old crazy story and tell an alternate reality of it. Take note that this comic book we’re about to examine together was released the same year Marvel celebrated the 30^th anniversary of Spider-Man.

Here’s a look back at What If #42 written by Michael Gallagher and drawn by Kevin West. The hot question: What if Spider-Man had kept his six arms?

Early story

The comic book begins with the Watcher telling readers a recap of what happened to Spider-Man in Amazing Spider-Man #100 and #101. It is recalled that Peter Parker got fed up with being Spider-Man as it complicated his personal life with a bunch of problems. After he attempted to eliminate his super powers by creating and using a potion, Peter Parker suddenly grew four additional arms instead.

In reaction, Parker reached out to his friend Dr. Connors/Lizard (who was in Florida) who granted him access to his laboratory in Long Island. Tried as hard as he could, Parker could not come up with a solution.

Meanwhile, many miles away, the vampire Morbius harms the crew of a ship on the sea before diving into the water. Morbius gets overwhelmed by multiple sharks and dies. His death, as it turns out, marked the end of the solution to Spider-Man’s extra arms problem. Morbius had an enzyme unique only to vampire body chemistry which would have cured Spider-Man’s condition.

This leaves Spider-Man with an even longer lasting problem leading to a new reality.

Quality

The story is well written and nicely paced. There is a nice balance between storytelling, characterization and action here. As far as the alternate reality of events go, What If #42 is a smash in the sense that it nicely explores what would happen not only to Peter Parker had he actually kept those extra arms of his, but also what would happen to the people around him as well as balance of superheroes in the state of New York. If you just imagine yourself as Peter Parker having four extra arms, try visualizing how your personal life got destroyed and your connections with people you care about getting strained or even cut off. Nobody in real life would want to end up living like a freak, and this concept is well emphasized with Spider-Man.

Character development on Spider-Man is well done. As you read his lines and thoughts, you will feel the pressure and hassle he is experiencing with the extra arms. You’ll wonder how his Aunt May would react not only to those new arms but also his prolonged absence. As Peter Parker becomes very determined to find a solution in the absence of Morbius, you’ll even relate with his struggle. On top of these, the dialogue was well written and there were even a few intriguing moments.

I also enjoyed the way the comic book creators emphasized the shared universe of Marvel Comics here. You will see the X-Men and Fantastic Four plus several more Marvel characters make appearances.

Along the way, there is a nice scene at the Daily Bugle (the newspaper where Peter Parker works as a photographer) showing how sinister and abusive J. Jonah Jameson really is as he remains obsessed with destroying Spider-Man by means of distorted presentation of news. In this age of fake news, sinister propaganda, distorted views and local community print media publications being operated by people who don’t really know journalism, the Daily Bugle scene is pretty relevant by today’s standards.

As such, Michael Gallagher’s script and story structure here are very strong. For the art, Kevin West did good work. Not only was I able to recognize the Spider-Man-related characters and other Marvel superheroes, West’s notably made the Lizard look visceral enough and the same can be said of his take on Venom. The comic book art had a nice flow as the story was told and West provided enough impact on the action scenes.

Conclusion

What If #42 is a pretty good comic book to read exploring how things would have been had Spider-Man kept those extra arms and really looked truly spider-like. Apart from the good quality of storytelling and visuals, the presence of other Marvel Comics universe characters further add some depth into the story as Peter Parker struggled to find a solution to his problem.

This is the kind of story that I don’t believe we will ever see happen on the big screen. It’s just too jarring and even shocking for Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios to actually show Tom Holland as Spider-Man with extra arms. Such a cinematic move will surely outrage fans and might even put a dent on the credibility and believability of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

If you are seriously considering buying an existing hard copy of What If #42, be aware that as of this writing based on the ratings of MileHighComics.com, a near-mint copy of the regular edition is at $12 while the near-mint copy of the newsstand edition is priced at $39.

Overall, What If #42 is recommended.

Muntinlupa City approves Anti-Patient’s Dishonesty Ordinance of 2020, to penalize suspected cases withholding information

April 16, 2020carlocarrasco

Muntinlupa City approves Anti-Patient’s Dishonesty Ordinance of 2020, to penalize suspected cases withholding information

The City Government of Muntinlupa warns the public that withholding relevant information and committing dishonesty on medical forms required by health workers will now be penalized.

Mayor Jaime Fresnedi approved Ordinance 2020-088 or the “Anti-Patient’s Dishonesty Ordinance of 2020” this past Monday which aims to protect health workers from the risk of contracting COVID-19 due to untruthful declaration of patients.

Under the local ordinance, it shall be unlawful for confirmed COVID-19 infected persons, including suspected and probable cases, to knowingly and deliberately lie, commit dishonesty, and withhold information such as a residential address, travel history, symptoms experienced and medical condition, among others.

The public is advised to truthfully accomplish information data form, declaration or any similar document and disclose relevant information as may be asked by health workers, hospital employees, medical officers, or quarantine officers.

Violators shall be liable to pay a fine amounting to P5,000, community service for 30 days, and up to nine months of imprisonment. In case of inability to pay the fine, the offender shall be required to render an additional 30 days of community service or subsidiary imprisonment, at the discretion of the court.

Muntinlupa City Health Officer Dra. Teresa Tuliao advised persons under investigation to disclose essential information during COVID-19 testing to help the local government in curbing the spread of the virus in the city.

“For PUIs/Suspects who will undergo the testing, we implore that you give the City Health Office your genuine address and contact number. As you provide misleading information, you are wasting valuable time when we do contact tracing,” Tuliao said.

Meanwhile, Muntinlupa City started its targeted COVID-19 mass testing beginning with persons under investigation (PUI). Barangay Health Emergency Response Teams (BHERT) and DRRMO personnel transport PUIs to a field testing area located at CHO for the collection of swab samples.

The local government targets to test all PUI this week and has partnered with the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) for the processing of samples.

As of April 15, the Muntinlupa City Health Office recorded 101 confirmed cases in Muntinlupa with 17 deaths and 14 recovered cases. According to CHO, there are 133 “suspect” cases and 55 “probable” cases in the city.

While confirmed COVID-19 rises in the city, the number of cleared cases also improve with over 313 cleared “suspect” cases.

For concerns related to community quarantine and COVID-19 testing, Muntinlupa City residents may reach hotline nos. 0977-240-5217 or 0977-240-5218.

This is an official Press Release issued by the City Government of Muntinlupa. Some parts were edited for this website.

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 and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments.

Muntinlupa City to implement market schedule, stricter measures on physical distancing

April 15, 2020carlocarrasco

Muntinlupa City to implement market schedule, stricter measures on physical distancing

Following the influx of market-goers in recent days, the City Government of Muntinlupa will begin implementing a market schedule and stricter physical distancing measures amid the enhanced community quarantine.

Mayor Jaime Fresnedi announced recently that a market schedule will be imposed per district to lessen the flow of people coming to public markets.

“A market schedule will be implemented starting April 16 and stricter measures on physical distancing will be enforced in our local market. Our residents can go to the market three times a week from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM depending on the schedule of their respective barangays,” Fresnedi said.

District 1 residents from Barangay Tunasan, Poblacion, Putatan, and Bayanan buy groceries in the market on Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday. While District 2 residents from Barangay Alabang, Ayala Alabang, Cupang, Buli, and Sucat are given the Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday schedule.

Only 50 individuals are allowed to enter the Muntinlupa City Public Market (MCPM) to ensure that social distancing is observed. MCPM also implements a “No Mask, No Entry” policy. Senior Citizens, pregnant women, persons with disability, and children are not allowed to enter the market.

MCPM will be closed every Monday for cleaning and disinfection.

Muntinlupa City Administrator Allan Cachuela earlier called for an emergency meeting with private market operators to discuss the market schedule as a mitigation measure to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the city.

Cachuela urged the market operators to also adopt the market schedule.

Muntinlupa City started its targeted COVID-19 mass testing on Monday beginning with persons under investigation (PUI). PUIs are being transported to a field testing area located at the local health office for the collection of swab samples.

The City Government targets to test all PUI this week and has partnered with the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) for the processing of samples.

As of April 14, the Muntinlupa City Health Office recorded 98 confirmed cases with 15 deaths and 14 recovered cases. According to CHO, there are 172 “suspect” cases and seven (7) “probable” cases in the city.

While confirmed COVID-19 rises in the city, the number of cleared cases also improve with over 270 cleared “suspect” cases.

For concerns related to community quarantine and COVID-19 testing, Muntinlupa City residents may reach hotline nos. 0977-240-5217 or 0977-240-5218.

This is an official Press Release issued by the City Government of Muntinlupa. Some parts were edited for this website.

A Look Back at X-Men 2099 #3

April 15, 2020April 14, 2020carlocarrasco

When X-Men 2099 #1 was released in 1993, it was an instant hit with comic book collectors and became one of the top-selling comic books in America during its month of release. That was no surprise not simply because the comic book speculator boom was still in effect back then, but also because the X-Men 2099 monthly series was launched at a time when Marvel Comics spent a lot of money promoting the 30^th anniversary celebration of the X-Men franchise and, on the other hand, agreed to expand the Marvel 2099 universe apart from Spider-Man 2099, Ravage 2099, Doom 2099 and Punisher 2099.

And there I was eager to witness how the 2099 universe got expanded through the futuristic X-Men whose adventures took place far away from New York. After reading the first two issues, I was hooked already on X-Men 2099. And then X-Men 2099 #3 appeared at the shelves of the local comic book store with a rather intriguing cover.

I admit that after seeing that cover, I became more eager to find out if anyone from the futuristic mutants would actually die. By that time, the story that started with issue #1 turned out to be a 3-part story with the objective of establishing X-Men 2099 to readers.

Anyway, let’s start with the retro comic book review of X-Men 2099 #3 published in 1993 by Marvel Comics with a story by John Francis Moore and illustrations by Ron Lim.

Early story

Picking up shortly after the events of issue #2, the comic book begins with Xi’an’s cocooned body being transported back to headquarters by Junkpile (who turned traitor on the X-Men) while captured X-Men team members Meanstreak and Metalhead were placed into liquid-filled chambers. Team member Krystalin managed to elude capture while her teammates Serpentina, Cerebra, Skullfire and Bloodhawk are temporarily free.

*The free X-Men members try to infiltrate the place to rescue their teammates.*

Lytton, who took over the family corporation since the death of his father Noah Synge, is running a brutal operation. His sister Desdemona does not fully trust him. Bloodhawk flies and breaks into a building in Las Vegas causing trouble for the Synge security personnel.

On the side of the chaos, Shakti/Cerebra, Tim/Skullfire and Tina/Serpentina quiet grab uniforms of Synge security personnel to infiltrate the place to rescue Meanstreak, Metalhead and their cocooned leader Xi’an…..

Quality

When it comes to storytelling, the creators delivered a satisfying ending to the 3-story arc complete with actually killing one of the X-Men 2099 members. John Francis Moore was successful in creating a 3-part story that ultimately gave me clear views of the respective personalities of each X-Men member (examples: Tim is the newcomer who is slowly finding his purpose, Shakti is the strong lady with leadership values who supports the leadership of the reformed Xi’an, Bloodhawk is a hard-headed rebel, etc.) while also succeeded in telling a cohesive story that placed the mutants in conflict with the Synge corporate family.

The twist regarding the murder of Noah Synge (the patriarch) was decently pulled off and the executed death of an X-Men 2099 member actually raised the stakes for the team. By the end of issue #3, the purpose of the futuristic X-Men became clear and was different enough from the mainstream X-Men. Unlike Charles Xavier’s mutants, Xi’an’s X-Men have to reclaim their heritage in a totally different America where corporations ruled the cities and outlaws ruled the wasteland and wilderness of the American southwest region. The X-Men of 2099 are nomadic and they don’t have the facilities nor a safe place to live in which Charles Xavier’s X-Men had.

*Desdemona, Junkpile and the cocooned Xi’an.*

When it comes to art, I noticed that Ron Lim exerted more effort not only with visualizing John Francis Moore’s script but added noticeable visual details on key moments in the comic book. Seeing Tim/Skullfire so enraged followed by a violent impact of action was unforgettable when compared to other highly charged, emotional scenes Lim drew in his other works. Lim also delivered good stuff with the action scenes and further visualized the look of Las Vegas of 2099. His design of Desdemona, however, really looks uninspired and generic.

Conclusion

On its own, X-Men 2099 #3 is a good and fun comic book to read complete with a good amount of characterization. To really know the X-Men on a personal level, you really have to buy issues #1 and #2. On the creative side of things, I like the fact that John Francis Moore kept references to Charles Xavier’s X-Men to a bare minimum which nicely kept a strong focus on the X-Men of 2099 and the world they live in.

For the comic collectors reading this, if you are seriously considering acquiring a hard copy of X-Men 2099 #3, be aware that according to Mile High Comics, a near-mint copy of the regular edition costs $4 while the near-mint copy of the newsstand edition is priced at $8.

Overall, X-Men 2099 #3 is recommended.

COVID-19 Crisis: Muntinlupa launches localized targeted COVID-19 mass testing, to confine confirmed cases

April 14, 2020carlocarrasco

COVID-19 Crisis: Muntinlupa launches localized targeted COVID-19 mass testing, to confine confirmed cases

*A medical staff member from the Muntinlupa City Health Office performs swab collection as the city starts its targeted COVID-19 mass testing. (source – Muntinlupa City Public Information Office.)*

The City Government of Muntinlupa officially started its targeted COVID-19 mass testing yesterday, beginning with persons under investigation (PUI) and will begin confinement of confirmed cases.

Muntinlupa City Health Officer Dra. Teresa Tuliao said five PUIs were initially transported to a field-testing area located at the local health office by Barangay Health Emergency Response Teams (BHERT) and DRRMO personnel for the collection of swab samples.

Swab booths are being used by CHO personnel during the targeted mass testing to lessen the exposure of health workers to possible COVID-19 patients.

Tuliao said the Muntinlupa City Government partnered with the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) for the processing of samples. The local health officer said the results will be released three to four days after testing.

“Initially, we are testing city residents showing flu-like symptoms and those who are suspected cases of COVID-19. For those who will test positive, we will subject them for confinement and referral to isolation site in Ospital ng Muntinlupa,” Tuliao added.

Confirmed cases will be registered to PhilHealth for medical assistance. While those who will test negative will be allowed to go home, but are still required to undergo self-quarantine for 14 days.

Muntinlupa City aims to test all 180 persons under investigation (PUIs) in Muntinlupa until April 17. The City Government recently received 240 test kits from the Department of Health (DOH) and will augment the testing conducted by RITM.

Mayor Jaime Fresnedi said that through mass testing, the local government would be able to assess the impact of COVID-19 transmission in the city and help identify necessary interventions.

“We need a more aggressive approach such as the early detection of a COVID-19 infected person to contain the spread of the virus. This localized targeted mass testing is critical in the determination of medical assistance to be administered to our residents and identification of measures to be implemented by the local government,” Fresnedi said.

While mass testing is ongoing in Muntinlupa, barangay health workers continue to daily monitor reported cases of PUI and PUM in the communities and distribute vitamins and medicines for those with underlying conditions.

As of April 12, the Muntinlupa City Health Office recorded 77 confirmed cases with 13 deaths and 13 recovered cases. According to CHO, there are 215 persons under monitoring (PUM) and 180 patients under investigation (PUI). While confirmed COVID-19 rises in the city, the number of cleared cases also improve with over 533 cleared PUM and 229 cleared PUI.

For concerns related to community quarantine and COVID-19 testing, Muntinlupa City residents may reach hotline nos. 0977-240-5217 or 0977-240-5218.

This is an official Press Release issued by the City Government of Muntinlupa. Some parts were edited for this website.

A Look Back at What If #44 (1992)

April 14, 2020December 8, 2022carlocarrasco

Are you a fan of Venom and you want to find out how he was presented within the realm of alternate realities within the Marvel Comics universe as told through their What If? monthly series?

Join me in exploring something new in What If #44, written by Kurt Busiek, drawn by Luke McDonnell and published in 1992 by Marvel Comics.

The key scenario here: What if Venom had possessed the Punisher?

Early story

The story begins with Venom already armed with guns moving around the city. In broad daylight, he stalks criminals walking down the street. Using the symbiote’s ability to alter his looks, Venom approaches a certain Mr. Vance (accompanied by bodyguards) and kills him quickly in public.

It turns out, Venom is actually Frank Castle/Punisher already with the symbiote. With his intent to eliminate crooks, this new Venom daringly goes up against the gangs even without the usual hardware (weapons) since the symbiote already provides him with uncanny weapons.

Elsewhere in the city, Spider-Man (wearing his black suit that shared the same style as Venom) swings by a lady who begged him not to hurt her. This sparks Spider-Man’s curiosity since he believes that he succeeded in killing the symbiote that tried to possess him.

*Punisher/Venom goes against the criminals!*

In another part of the city, Daredevil senses Venom passing by and recognizes the heartbeat as that of Frank Castle. He also senses other readings that something is odd. He decides to take a close look at Venom/Punisher.

Quality

Let me start with the core concept of this comic book: it’s a bold and great concept to explore, and it was well executed! To put things to perspective, I personally witnessed the debut of Venom in 1987 and back then seeing Eddie Brock/Venom as a new mortal enemy of Peter Parker’s was a tremendous event of its own. On top of that, having Brock already with the symbiote forming Venom together established an undeniable consequence that goes back to the alien world in Secret Wars where Spider-Man first got the symbiote. Gradually through the years in real life, Venom became one of the greatest super villains of not only Marvel but in superhero comics in general.

That being said, to show the Punisher getting possessed by the symbiote made a nice alternate reality. Frank Castle lost his family and this alone drove him to become a vigilante and often used lots of guns and explosives in his one-man war against crime. To see him have the symbiote and become the new Venom is both interesting and intriguing. I won’t forget how the Punisher used the symbiote to organically form guns on his arms and actually fire bullets.

One of the things I like most in this comic book was the presentation of the encounter between Spider-Man and Punisher/Venom. It’s a great alternative to the classic first encounter between Spider-Man and Eddie Brock/Venom!

Ultimately, Kurt Busiek’s storytelling is strong and engaging. Art by Luke McDonnell is serviceable at best but he really exerted effort to add impact on the action scenes which are plentiful to see.

Conclusion

I really enjoyed reading this comic book. To put things in perspective, What If #44 was released several months before the Punisher and Venom actually appeared together in Venom: Funeral Pyre #1. This comic book was also released before Venom got his own mini-series with Lethal Protector.

If you are serious in collecting a hard copy of What If #44 soon, be aware that as of this writing and based on the ratings of Mile High Comics online, a near-mint copy of the regular edition costs $51 while a near-mint newsstand copy costs $153.

Overall, What If #44 (1992) is highly recommended.

A Look Back at Punisher 2099 #1 (1993)

April 14, 2020April 12, 2020carlocarrasco

As already established here on my website, I reviewed several comic books of the Marvel 2099 line of superhero comics. I reviewed the respective launch issues of X-Men 2099, Spider-Man 2099 and Ravage 2099 to name a few.

Some of you must be wondering what was the first-ever Marvel 2099 comic book I bought back in the 1990s. Believe it or not, it was not Spider-Man 2099 #1 (the one comic book that launched the Marvel 2099 line in late 1992). It was actually Punisher 2099 #1 which I bought in December 1992 (comic book was cover dated February 1993).

You read that right. I was a latecomer on discovering the Marvel 2099 universe in the late 1990s. Prior to the launch of Punisher 2099, comic books of Spider-Man 2099, Ravage 2099 and Doom 2099 were already on the shelves of comic book stores.

One day in Makati here in the Philippines, I passed by a comic book stall in a department store and saw Punisher 2099 #1 (which had a gimmick cover) and other 2099-related comic books displayed. After observing the available 2099 comics, I decided to buy Punisher 2099 #1 not simply because of its gimmick cover but because I wanted to discover the 2099 universe through the futuristic version of the Punisher (which I’m not even a fan of).

Here is my retro comic book review of Punisher 2099 #1 published by Marvel Comics in late 1992 with a story by Pat Mills and Tony Skinner with illustrations done by Tom Morgan.

Early story

The story begins with a man running away from danger. Because he does not have enough money to summon law enforcement for protection (note: cities in 2099 are all run by corporations and even public services have been privatized), he easily gets ganged up and killed by crooks armed with surgical devices. They killed him to get his heart.

Shortly after, the Punisher of 2099 arrives and easily kills the crooks. His action caught the attention of Public Eye Police Force (note: a service of police protection that responds to transactions by paying clients) via the city surveillance system, the cameras of which are unable to identify him because his head is automatically covered digitally (the Punisher here has his own identity protection system).

Jake Gallows, who is Punisher 2099 himself, enters the office of Public Eye. He is an employed enforcer of theirs and he notices that his employer has been watching his acts of violence against criminals…..

Quality

When it comes to establishing Punisher of 2099, the creators of this comic book pulled of a decent job. They not only introduced Marvel’s vigilante of the far future efficiently, they also made him look interesting temporarily. They also did a nice job with connecting Jake Gallows with Frank Castle, the 20^th century Punisher.

Still, Punisher 2099 #1’s clear weak point in presentation was the back story of Jake Gallows who became the Punisher as a result of his family getting killed by group of armed, wicked people. In concept, this is too similar to the origin of the original Punisher who also lost his family.

While the origin lacked creativity, the creative team at least tried something new by introducing Kron Stone as the first-ever villain for Punisher 2099. Kron Stone, if you know your 1990s Marvel 2099 history, was not only the son of Alchemax chief Tyler Stone (a key character in the Spider-Man 2099 series) but also went on to become Venom 2099 (who debuted fully in Spider-Man 2099 #35).

The creative team also made a nice move establishing Jake Gallows as an actual working law enforcer who took a huge risk as he also secretly made moves as a vigilante when he’s not working.

While the comic book writers did a decent job with the story and characterization even though they had less than 25 pages of storytelling, the art by Tom Morgan will only please readers who enjoy violent and gritty imagery. Personally, I’m not impressed with Morgan’s art and his work on the cover of this comic book is laughable. Punisher 2099’s character design (what’s with those three frontal tubes that formed the teeth of the skull design?) is really corny to look at and not even famous painter Joe Jusko could improve the character’s overall look.

JuskoCardPun2k99 — *Punisher 2099 as painted by Joe Jusko for the Marvel Masterpieces card series.*

Conclusion

Given the fact that Punisher 2099 never became a significant character of Marvel Comics all these decades, I would suggest thinking very carefully before spending any money to buy or even rent Punisher 2099 #1. It’s not a terrible comic book, just flawed with some limited engaging stuff here and there. If you are really craving for early 1990s Marvel superhero stuff, then this one could be worth it.

If you are seriously considering acquiring an existing copy of Punisher 2099 #1, be aware that as of this writing, and according to the rates of Mile High Comics online, a near-mint copy of the regular edition costs $6 while a near-mint copy of the newsstand edition is priced at $16.

Overall, I say that it’s best to purchase a copy of Punisher 2099 #1 BELOW its cover price.

COVID-19 Crisis: Muntinlupa City records fourteen COVID-19 recoveries, to conduct mass testing of PUIs to “flatten the curve”

April 14, 2020April 13, 2020carlocarrasco

COVID-19 Crisis: Muntinlupa City records fourteen COVID-19 recoveries, to conduct mass testing of PUIs to “flatten the curve”

As of April 13, the Muntinlupa City Health Office recorded 14 recoveries of COVID-19 patients and improving cases of over 590 cleared persons under monitoring (PUM) and 253 cleared persons under investigation (PUI).

Muntinlupa Public Information Officer Tez Navarro said the increase in recoveries and cleared cases translates to the local government’s stricter quarantine measure and pro-active initiative to “flatten the curve.”

Navarro noted that the local health office alerted barangay health workers and physicians in barangay health centers to implement tougher measures against sustained local transmission in the communities.

Muntinlupa health personnel in the barangay daily monitor reported cases of PUI and PUM in the communities and distributed vitamins and medicines for those with underlying conditions.

“The improvement we see in COVID-19 recovered patients and cleared cases can be accounted to the local government’s pro-active community-based campaign in identifying and providing immediate health care assistance to city residents manifesting symptoms of COVID-19 and locals with travel history,” Navarro added.

Isolation areas in barangays were also installed for residents suspected to have contracted with the virus for monitoring by the local health office. A field hospital has been constructed in Ospital ng Muntinlupa to treat patients with COVID-19 symptoms.

In a bid to flatten the curve and strengthen its fight against COVID-19 in the city, the local government is also set to purchase testing kits through its Quick Response Fund and eyes to conduct mass testing of its residents starting with PUIs.

The Muntinlupa City Council approved a resolution allowing Mayor Jaime Fresnedi to procure Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) machines and testing kits following the rise in confirmed cases and persons under monitoring and investigation in the city.

Fresnedi said a more aggressive medical intervention is needed to effectively contain the virus. He added that early detection of a COVID-19 infected person can deter the spread of the virus and the purchase of PCR machines and testing kits is critical in the determination of the medical assistance which must be administered to the locals.

Muntinlupa LGU has designated Ospital ng Muntinlupa to house the testing area of the PCR machine upon the approval of DOH.

To date, Muntinlupa City has 77 confirmed cases with 13 reported deaths.

This is an official Press Release issued by the City Government of Muntinlupa. Some parts were edited for this website.

In a Time of Crisis and Quarantine, Love-Love Tioseco Gives Food to the Frontline Personnel

April 12, 2020April 11, 2020carlocarrasco

Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from Love-Love Tioseco by means of an interview and 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.

All photographs used in this article are properties of Love-Love Tioseco and were approved for publishing.

In a Time of Crisis and Quarantine, Love-Love Tioseco Gives Food to the Frontline Personnel

It’s really mind-boggling how microbes in the form of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) stopped much of the world. Not only have most economic activities stopped, people have been advised by their respective authorities to stay at home in order to avoid getting infected.

Here in Metro Manila in the Philippines, enhanced community quarantine and a 24-hour curfew (specifically in the cities of Muntinlupa, Las Piñas and Parañaque) have been implemented around which severely limited people from traveling out of their homes. Checkpoints have also been set up along national roads while businesses that were allowed to operate had to use thermal scanners and set up sanitizers for people to use.

To put things in perspective, the people who work for long hours each day at the checkpoints, at the village gates, on the roads, and inside the commercial joints still operating are referred to locally as the frontliners. At the frontline, they work not only to serve and guide people but also provide security in accordance to the guidelines of the declared quarantine. Such work is undoubtedly hard and tiring, even risky since any person infected with COVID-19 could approach them any time of the day. The frontliners definitely deserve support from anyone blessed who is generous to be a blessing to them.

Very recently, I saw my very dear college buddy Love-Love Tioseco share via social media images of her generous act of giving food to the frontliners. I was very touched by it so I immediately reached out to her and publish this exclusive article for you all.

LL1 — *Love-Love Tioseco with the hard-boiled eggs provided by The Rustic Kitchen.*

Introduction

Again, to put things in perspective, Love-Love and I were classmates at Colegio de San Juan de Letran in the late 1990s. We both finished Communication Arts there. She was a member of the Philippine TaeKwonDo Team for 11 years and, along the way, she was a 3-time gold medalist in the Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games), a 3-time bronze medalist in the Asian Games and a 3-time 5^th placer in the World Games.

Back in college, Love-Love was a working student in the media and the entertainment industry. After graduation, she worked as a bartender at Italianni’s restaurant for 3 years but still continued working for the media and the entertainment industry.

Love-Love went on to become an advocate of safety oriented driving. She also engaged in motorcycling and competed for a time which ultimately paved the way for the acceptance of women who ride and drive motorcycles. Love-Love also appeared on TV in some entertainment programs as well as motoring-related shows.

Today, she is in the business of selling batteries of Imarflex Battery and is the current Secretary of the Luzon Motorcyclists Federation, Inc. (LMFI). To this day, she is still active in the motoring industry and continues to emphasize the essence of driving safely and following traffic rules to make local travel safer for everyone. Below is a 2017 Alisto video which involved her as a guest traffic analyst. Love-Love starts appearing at 0:20 on the timer.

Being blessed and being a blessing to others

Going back to assisting the frontliners who have worked so hard and long during the quarantine, I asked Love-Love what inspired her to make a move.

“During this time of the quarantine period, I asked God how can I show my appreciation in my own little way to heroes or frontliners who have been on duty while risking their lives being exposed to the virus,” Love-Love said. “Then one of my scooter friends Micar Briones Santana of The Rustic Kitchen sent a message that she had hard-boiled eggs from her bakery up for donation but she needed someone who can help her give away those eggs, so I told her right away that I will do it and, yes, I did it.”

LL2 — *Emergency personnel were pleasantly surprised with the eggs offered by Love-Love.*

LL3 — *A soldier grabs something to eat.*

Clearly the God answered Love-Love’s question paving the way for the opportunity to help the frontliners. After getting supply of hard-boiled eggs, she organized things first. The hard-boiled eggs with broken shells were made into egg spread sandwiches (as energy food for the garbage collectors). With the help of a fellow LMFI club member named Willy Lopez (Takaz Boyz), she received onions which became a key ingredient of her egg spread recipe.

Subsequently, Love-Love went around the metro to feed the MMDA Patrol Team on both the northbound and southbound lanes of EDSA, feed the MMDA Rescue Team under the EDSA flyovers, feed the personnel at the Mandaluyong checkpoints, feed the Makati City police officers on patrol, feed the security guards at an Army Navy branch, feed the Transportify delivery drivers, the motorized drivers of Grab Food and Food Panda, feed the attendants at a Caltex fuel station, feed the manpower staff at Bel-Air Village, and feed a truck-full of Philippine Army soldiers.

I asked Love-Love how the frontliners reacted when she first approached them with the prepared food.

“At first, they thought I was selling eggs to them but when I told them the eggs were free, some of them got more than three eggs, and I did not have time to count how many people got free eggs because my mind was focusing on giving to the deserving ones,” she recalled.

LL6 — *Frontline personnel outside an Army Navy were happy to receive free eggs from Love-Love.*

Love-Love’s generous move is a clear example of her being blessed by the Lord as well as being a blessing to others. To put things in perspective, read the words of Lord Jesus in the following scripture from the Holy Bible.

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

Matthew 5: 16 (NKJV)

Unsurprisingly, the frontliners thanked her for the eggs as it provided them some much needed relief from the stress they accumulated. To Love-Love’s surprise, there were delivery personnel who took selfie shots with her for them to post on Facebook.

What is even more astonishing was that no less than Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman General Danny Lim expressed his praise and gratitude to Love-Love for her valuable assistance.

In an April 3, 2020 Facebook page post, Lim stated: Maraming salamat sa lahat ng mga sumusuporta sa serbisyo ng #MMDA, lalo na ngayong panahon ng #COVID19! Salamat kina Ms. Micar Briones Santana ng The Rustic Kitchen at Ms. Love-Love Tengsico Tioseco para sa malasakit na binibigay niyo. Kahit sa simpleng paraan man, laking tulong ito sa pag-boost ng morale ng ating mga kawani. Makakaasa kayong paiigtingin pa natin ang ating frontline at emergency services. Patuloy ang pagtutulungan natin laban sa krisis na ito.

I asked Love-Love if she will repeat her moves of generous assistance to the frontliners.

“Yes, of course. I hope there will be more generous sponsors soon for me to distribute their donations again,” she said.

CONCLUSION

LL11 — *MMDA personnel worked so hard, Love-Love’s giving of eggs proved to be a major relief for them. They were very thankful to her.*

Love-Love’s special message to those who could help

“Spread the love, action speaks louder than words especially with helping others, and share the simple joys of life.”

Love-Love’s special message to those who are affected by the quarantine

“Please be a prayer warrior and pray that the virus will be gone already instead of being paranoid or being a basher, which is no help at all with the crisis we are all experiencing now.”

In closing this, here is a video of the Hillsong performance of Thank You, Lord (my Christian Music Appreciation of it right here) that will remind you to be thankful to the Lord who is the source of opportunities, happiness, protection, prosperity, provision and so much more. God is the source! Enjoy!

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