Senior Citizen Files Complaint Versus BF Homes Food Joint Over Refusal To Give Him Mandated 12% VAT Exemption (UPDATED: August 24, 2019)

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Prominently displayed along Aguirre Avenue inside BF Homes subdivision, Parañaque City is this sign emphasizing Philippine senior citizens’ entitlement to 20% discount and exemption from 12% value-added tax.

Are you a senior citizen whose benefit under the national law was denied by a local business? Are you aware of the benefits for senior citizens under Republic Act Number 9994 (Full title: An Act Granting Additional Benefits and Privileges to Senior Citizens, further amending Republic Act No. 7432, As Amended, Otherwise Known As “an Act To Maximize The Contribution Of Senior Citizens To Nation Building, Grant Benefits And Special Privileges And For Other Purposes. Short title: Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010) whenever you purchase food and/or beverage in a restaurant?

Why did I ask you these questions and mentioned RA 9994? It’s quite simple – a senior citizen in BF Homes, Parañaque City filed a formal complaint against a certain food joint which refused to grant him his exemption from the 12% Value-Added Tax (VAT) when he dined at the said joint.

Here is the story with details from documents I acquired.

On June 10, 2019, Jose Luis Matti and his daughter dined at a restaurant (clue: a burger joint whose business name will be revealed in due time) along Aguirre Avenue, BF Homes subdivision, Parañaque City. He ordered food and drinks and, under law, the discounts are limited only to food and drinks he ordered for his consumption as he is a senior citizen

The problem was that, according to Matti, the restaurant applied the 20% discount for senior citizens and yet denied him his mandated benefit of exemption from the VAT. In his June 17, 2019 letter addressed to restaurant’s owner, Matti said that the restaurant personnel he encountered on June 10 claimed they were instructed (by the owner) not to give him the 12% VAT exemption. Photocopies of the receipts were included on the said letter.

As a result, Matti filed a formal complaint against the restaurant at the Office of Senior Citizen Affairs of Parañaque City (OSCA-Parañaque) urging officer-in-charge Dante Pacheco to take action against the food joint (as per his July 12, 2019 letter to Pacheco received by the said office).

A hearing between Matti and the food joint’s owner will happen very soon at OSCA’s office at Parañaque City Hall.

I visited the restaurant along Aguirre Avenue inside BF Homes to try to meet the owner and get feedback directly from him but the personnel told me over the counter that their boss was out of town.

Understanding the legal aspect

It is stated under RA 9994 (Rule IV, Article 7) that senior citizens shall be entitled to the grant of twenty percent (20%) discount and to an exemption from the value-added tax (VAT), IF APPLICABLE, on the sale of the goods and services covered by Section 1 to 6 of this Article, from all establishments for the exclusive use and enjoyment or availment of senior citizens.

Section 3 (Rule IV, Article 7) includes restaurants, hotels, recreational centers, places of leisures and funeral services with regards to the above mentioned 20% discount and VAT exemption.

Item b (under Section 3, Rule IV, Article 7) focuses on restaurants. It states that the discount shall be for the purchase of food, drinks, dessert, and other consumable items served by the establishments offered for the consumption of the general public.

Item c states for Dine-in services under paragraphs (a) and (b) of Section 3, and Section 4, paragraph 2 of Article 7, the privilege must be personally availed of by the senior citizen as defined under these Rules, and no proxies or authorization in favor of another person who is not a senior citizen will be honored.

Item e states Food, drinks and other consumable items provided in Section 3 (a) and (b), and Section 4, paragraph 2 of Article 7 purchased by the senior citizen shall be processed separately as an independent transaction from his/her non-eligible companions to ensure that it is his/her exclusive consumption and to enable computation of the 20% discount and the exemption from the Value Added Tax (VAT), which only the senior citizen is entitled to.

However, if the group of diners is composed entirely of senior citizens, all of whom present valid senior citizens IDs, each shall be entitled to a 20% discount and exemption from Value Added Tax.

Conclusion

This is an ongoing community development and if any breakthroughs happen, an update will be posted.

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UPDATE!

The hearing between Mr. Matti and the restaurant at the Office of Senior Citizen Affairs of Parañaque City (OSCA-Parañaque) at City Hall scheduled for August 20, 2019 did not push through due to the absence of the restaurant owner.

As such, the hearing will have to be rescheduled.

The restaurant accused in this conflict is Big Brat Burger.

 

 

Nikko Huelgas at 2019 USANA Live Global Convention

Nikko Huelgas, who is a 2-time gold medalist in the Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) in the multisport of triathlon, achieved something just several hours ago. It’s not another victory in a race but rather it was his speech delivered to a live audience during the 2019 USANA Live Global Convention held at the Salt Palace Center in Utah, the United States.

Here are the details…

 

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Nikko Huelgas’ name and image highlighted at the Salt Lake Center as he delivered his speech there. (photo contributed by Nikko Huelgas)

Nikko told me that his speech lasted around three minutes. The presentation was lively as his image was magnified by the organizers complete with his name prominently displayed for everyone to see.

“I simply shared a 3-minute speech about my journey as a SEA Games champion to becoming the Chairman of the POC Athletes Commission,” he said. “So I shared that for a bit and shared the inevitable struggles of a pro athlete that is comparable to that of a USANA Associate.”

This is not the first time that the BF International, Las Piñas City resident delivered a speech. A few years ago, he spoke in front of many students at his old high school Elizabeth Seton School in BF Resort Village, Las Piñas City which inspired them.

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Nikko Huelgas outside the venue of the big convention. (source – Nikko Huelgas Facebook page)

Furthermore, Nikko attended the convention representing the Philippines and he carries a convention badge which identifies him as an USANA Athlete.

What is the convention about? According to the organizers, their event is described as the only place attendees can interact in real-time with world-class trainers, get a front-row seat to industry-changing announcements, interact with USANA management team members, shop for products in a massive store, immerse themselves at the interactive expo and be celebrated on the awards stage.

Watch for more about Nikko Huelgas and triathlon-related stuff here.


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

My Observations: The UJT Burger from Union Jack Tavern

Burgers have long been popular here in the Philippines and they can be bought from several makers like the fast food joints which are quite numerous.

At the expanded area of Festival Mall, Filinvest City, Alabang, Muntinlupa City, Union Jack Tavern has been selling and serving burgers to customers. Just open the menu when you visit them and then you will find the UJT Burger.

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The UJT Burger served to me in open sandwich fashion.

Sold for less than P300 as of this writing, the UJT Burger comes with a large plate filled with fries (which are thicker and less greasy compared to the fries sold by others) and the open sandwich with one half of the bun with the vegetables on top and the other half with the onions and beef covered with melted cheese.

In my recent stop at Union Jack Tavern, I had the UJT Burger and I started first with the fries which are quite filling and I like the fact that they are not too greasy to handle.

With the burger itself, considering the size, I took me a little effort to put the two buns (with their respective toppings) on top of each other to form the burger.

Then I took a bite on what parts are suitable for biting because this one is not the usual burger. The burger patty itself is quite thick and certainly not flat. After biting down the bread with the vegetables, I finally got to bite the cheese-covered burger patty. The result? The burger patty was quite tasty on its own and definitely worth going for. Then there is also that nice taste when biting the bread, the burger patty, the cheese and the vegetables altogether.

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The UJT Burger in its full form.

It may not be too visible for those who like burgers but failed to check Union Jack Tavern’s menu, but there is no doubt that the UJT Burger is a delicious and filling burger meal just waiting to be discovered.

The UJT Burger is highly recommended and I encourage you visit Union Jack Tavern at Festival Mall.


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

Tahanan Village HOA Confirms In-Village Parking a Horrendous Problem

Parking is now a horrendous problem in our Village. (Tahanan Flash August 3, 2019 edition)

Those were the opening words of the Tahanan Homeowners Association, Inc. (THA) through the August 3, 2019 edition of their official bulletin the Tahanan Flash. The issue at hand is the worsening problem of parking inside Tahanan Village, Barangay BF Homes, Parañaque City.

Specifically, the THA pointed out that one-side parking is allowed and that this was clearly indicated on the pavement/gutter. They stressed that each homeowner may only park one (1) of his/her vehicles in front of the house because “fairness and good neighborliness dictates that he/she must allow the homeowner at the opposite side of the street (where parking is not allowed) to also park one vehicle as he/she has nowhere else to park.”

THA reminded its homeowners that the frontage of the standard lot of 280 square meters can accommodate 3 small vehicles or 2 small vehicles with 1 medium vehicle so that visitors (or anyone who needs the parking slot) can park their vehicles.

The in-village parking problem is not new. In fact, the THA appealed to its homeowners through the April 26, 2016 and January 29, 2019 editions of the Tahanan Flash to use their respective garages for parking their vehicles just so that the streets of the village won’t be too crowded.

A guard will monitor and report homeowners who do not use their garage as the default parking of their vehicles. The THA stated that it has several affluent residents who own at least three cars and have no parking spaces for those vehicles. They are concerned that as more homeowners buy new cars each year, the number of vehicles will overwhelm the number of parking slots available. A scenario like that could lead to friction and disputes between the homeowners.

Going back to the use of the garage for parking, the THA stressed that homeowners who continue to not use their respective garage for parking their vehicles will receive a notice with a request to park their vehicles in their garage. If the homeowner defies the said notice, the he/she will be slapped with a penalty by the association.

In my experience, I sometimes encountered parking problems during the times I visited friends at their homes in Tahanan Village. Sometimes I had to park my car on an available parking slot like twenty feet away from my friend’s house. All the time, I noticed that one-side parking was followed at the street where I visited a friend.

To report problems, make inquiries or give suggestions, call the THA at 809-4345 and 358-6858. The association confirmed to me that director Gin Elbinias is in-charge of the Parking Committee.

 

 

 

Plastics Drop-off in BF International set August 29 and 30

Starting August 29 up to 30, Mindbuilders Preschool located along Tropical Avenue in BF International, Barangay BF International-CAA, Las Piñas City, will accept all kinds of plastic from anyone who wishes to donate to them.

In their August 7 Facebook page post, the preschool asked readers and potential donors to make sure the plastic they intend to give are clean and segregated between soft and hard plastics. Mindbuilders’ technology partner in the upcoming activity is Envirotech Waste Recycling, Inc.

To put things in perspective, Mindbuilders Preschool defined soft and hard plastics as follows:

SOFT PLASTICS – residual plastics like candy wrappers, sando bags, plastic labo, straws, etc.

HARD PLASTICS – like broken appliance bits, toys, the bottles the junk shops won’t take, takeout containers (clean please), etc.

Anyone who wishes to donate plastic materials to the school should visit them at 168 Tropical Avenue, BF International, Las Piñas City. You may contact them at mobile number 0927-2062506 and landline 825-7419.

The plastics drop-off project is a joint effort of Mindbuilders Preschool and Pure Oceans Philippines.

If you have lots of plastic material at your home or your business establishment that you wish to get rid of, this activity is your chance. Mark your calendars for August 29 and 30.

About Mindbuilders Preschool

Mindbuilders Preschool is a Multiple Intelligence school located at 168 Tropical Avenue BF International Las Piñas City.  It was established in 2002 and is accredited by the Department of Education.  The preschool is also an active member of the Las Pinas Private Schools Association.  To date, Mindbuilders Preschool established itself with not only good quality education but also worked with its students on several social responsibility projects.  The schools prides itself in having strong home and  school collaboration.  The bond built with families is even carried beyond the child’s preschool years – evidence that Mindbuilders Preschool is more than just a learning institution.

Mindbuilders Preschool successfully implemented its Green Guardians project this year.

 

 

 

Las Piñas City Mayor Warns Barangay Leaders About Failure To Clear Their Areas of Obstructions

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The many heads of the barangays in the meeting spearheaded by Las Piñas City Mayor Imelda “Mel” Aguilar (facing them from the background). (photo credit: Shawnette Ramos)

Recently the City of Las Piñas made waves in the national news. This was because Mayor Imelda “Mel” Aguilar issued a warning to the leaders of twenty barangays of extreme consequence if they fail to clear the respective areas of obstructions and structures that are illegal.

During a meeting held on August 1, the mayor met with the barangay chairpersons from the city’s two districts and laid down the City Government’s plan action to rid all roads and sidewalks of illegal vendors, illegally parked vehicles and overlapping structures, including those unfinished excavations by various service utilities.

“You will be accountable to me if you fail to implement the rules that endanger the lives of our fellow Las Piñero,” Mayor Aguilar told the barangay leaders.

Along with the other Metro Manila city mayors, Mayor Aguilar committed to the 60-day period given by Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo Año to clear the metro roads of obstructions.

But prior to the DILG directive, the mayor already convened Task Force Kaayusan last month which immediately conducted clearing operations in the city to address concerns on traffic and road hazards. The task force is composed of the Estate Management and Development Office (EMDO), City Engineering Office, the local Philippine National Police, the Business Permit and Licensing Office (BPLO), and spearheaded by the Mayor’s Office.

“These obstructions must be permanently rid from our main road, which is the Alabang-Zapote Road, as well as the inner roads must likewise be cleared of any obstacles. Let us give back the sidewalks to the pedestrians and the roads to motorists,” the mayor said.

She also requested the City Council, through Vice Mayor April Aguilar-Nery (the mayor’s daughter), to review the existing ordinances on obstruction and public order and safety.

Overall these developments reflect the City Government of Las Piñas response to the directive of President Rodrigo Duterte during his recent State of the Nation Address (SONA) that public roads used for private ends should be reclaimed. Duterte also ordered DILG Secretary Año to suspend mayors or governors who refuse to comply.

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A Look Back at X-Men 2099 #1

1993 was a special year for X-Men fans. It was the year Marvel Comics celebrated what was back then the 30th anniversary of the X-Men which explains why they released not only a lot of X-Men-related comic books but also issues with hologram cards on the covers of specific issues of X-Force, X-Factor, X-Men, Uncanny X-Men and Excalibur. While superhero movies were not that many at the time, fans had the X-Men animated series to enjoy on TV.

Along the way, the comic book speculator boom continued and Marvel Comics exploited the trend as its creators worked to expand what was back then their still-young 2099 lineup of comic books. This led to the release of X-Men 2099 #1 in the 2nd half of 1993, the comic book of which I bought on a weekday during a short visit to the comic book store in BF Homes, Parañaque.

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Cover of X-Men 2099 #1.

Before exploring a bit of the story, let me share that in my personal analysis, releasing X-Men 2099 #1 the same year as the 30th anniversary celebration of X-Men made sense even though the contemporary X comic books made no real story reference to the mutants of 2099. Back in 1993, an undisclosed amount of money was spent to promote, distribute and sell comics and merchandise in relation to the anniversary celebration. I’m confident someone behind the scenes at Marvel thought it was a smart idea to debut the X-Men 2099 series at a time when the X-Men brand was very strong among collectors.

Now on to the comic book.

Written by John Francis Moore and drawn by Ron Lim (with ink work by Adam Kubert), X-Men 2099 #1 opens with Timothy Fitzgerald/Skullfire alone and uncertain visiting a large, abandoned facility in the Nevada desert called Nuevo Sol. He stands in front of a large gate with an X marking. After a bumpy introduction with Junkpile, Tim enters and, to his surprise, there he finds a large gathering of people partying despite the deteriorating conditions of the place. He meets Tina/Serpentina who tells him that he is welcome and their gathering attracted mutants, and “nomads and fringers.”

“In Nuevo Sol, you’re not just some corporate bar code, sorted and filed like a product. Here, everyone has a name. Everyone’s equal–no matter where they’ve come from,” Tina tells him.

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As Tim discovers Metalhead, so do the readers.

After the subsequent for-the-readers introductions of Eddie/Metalhead and Shakti/Cerebra, the narrative moves to Las Vegas where a horse-riding Noah Synge (an old man who “ruthlessly controls the greater Nevada syndicate”) gets confronted by Xi’an/Desert Ghost who tells him that his men (of Synge) continue to kidnap members of the nomad tribes for his decadent amusements. In other words, it’s an accusation about human trafficking.

After a harsh exchange of words, Xi’an shows to him his left, creepy looking fist telling him that the red market will fall, that the Synge empire will crumble and that if Synge seeks to hurt the affected people, he (Xi’an) will make him suffer.

Xi’an touches a short stone wall with his left hand which makes it crumble within seconds (as he walks away). This is all I have to share about the plot and if you want to know more, you better get and read this comic book.

So you must be wondering what I think about the quality of this 1993 comic book. When it comes to storytelling, it is well written, entertaining and engaging. John Francis Moore’s script really is good even by today’s standards. Moore managed to carefully introduce not only the X-Men of 2099 but also the supporting characters and the bad guys properly all within 23 story-and-art pages which is a very hard thing to achieve. While the writing was challenging, Moore managed to us symbolism to show “good versus evil”, especially with the conflict between Xi’an (representing the oppressed and the powerless) and Noah Synge (who, by today’s standards, is a caricature of the cruel and rich person).

Tim meanwhile symbolizes the reader’s perception. As he discovers Nuevo Sol, readers feel and see what he perceives. His discovery of the place, the culture and people serves as the eyes of us readers.

When it comes to the art work, this one shows that Ron Lim exerted a lot of effort to give the X-Men of 2099 a unique look of their own without taking any visual inspiration from the contemporary, mainstream X-Men of the 1990s. While it is easy to criticize Lim for the quality of art, we must remember that he worked on a whole lot of other comic book for Marvel back in 1993. During that year, he illustrated The Infinity Crusade which featured a whole bunch of Marvel’s superheroes and many other characters in each comic book. Could you imagine the headaches and stress an illustrator has to go through drawing so many characters in a comic book limited series?

Ron Lim also helped visualize what Nevada looks like in 2099 which is a nice change from the super futuristic, towers-filled New York City. In terms of society, the X-Men 2099 series further showed that America’s wilderness or the abandoned places are filled with outlaws and living there can be even more dangerous for people to do when compared with living in New York under the watch of Alchemax.

This old comic book, which has a solid cover with foil and a price of $1.75, also has a 15-page Marvel 2099 promo which includes a 2-page X-Men 2099 “coming at you” portrait by Lim. The promo includes short previews of the other 2099 feature characters and it also serves as a reminder that X-Men 2099 is part of the same universe with them.

Overall, I declare X-Men 2099 #1 is still a good, old comic book worthy of being added to your collection. Its financial value is not that high right now and the X-Men 2099 themselves pale in comparison to Spider-Man 2099 (easily the most popular 2099 feature character of them all) when it comes to today’s comic book environment.

What you have to keep in mind, however, is that X-Men 2099 #1 just might gain a boost in its financial value if ever the mutants of the future make a big comeback as part of Marvel’s official announcement that it will revive the 2099 line of comic books this November! Granted, X-Men of 2099 had appeared in X-Men comic books in the past few years but the revival of the 2099 line will be a more suitable place for readers to discover them in this age of social media and smartphones.

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The X-Men of 2099.

Financial value aside, X-Men 2099 #1 is engaging and entertaining, and it has that 1990s charm to it.

X-Men 2099 #1 is highly recommended.


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

Barangay BF Homes Sangguniang Kabataan (BFSK) to tackle Youth Suicide

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Recently at the developing community of Masville in Barangay BF Homes, Parañaque City, a 21-year-old man died by suicide by hanging himself to death in a residence. The reason? Because he broke up with his girlfriend.

This was revealed to me by Barangay BF Homes Sangguniang Kabataan (BFSK) chairperson Mariel Tumang during my exclusive interview with her on the topic of youth suicide.

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Barangay BF Homes Sangguniang Kabataan (BFSK) chairperson Mariel Tumang.

To put things in perspective, Tumang stated that the age definition of youth under the Reformed SK system is 15 to 30-years-old. The guy who took his life is therefore identified as a youth and was already working. On July 20, Tumang attended the man’s funeral at his family residence and the experience reminds her that the SK has a responsibility to ensure that youth suicides would be prevented.

“We had one project with Kagawad Rocel Espino who handled the barangay committee on education which includes youth. The project she created was the youth camp and it was organized at a local school,” Tumang said. “Many young people attended and they shared problems and concerns. We at the SK will adapt that kind of project.”

In preparation for the planned youth camp, the BFSK chairperson and the kagawads will have to do some research as well as make presentations in seminars. A youth orientation activity done by Barangay BF Homes Kagawad Espino was held recently which educated many youth participants. This, of course, sets a model of guidance for the BFSK as part of their preparation for the planned youth camp which, as of this writing, still has no date nor a venue finalized.

“We also have the mental health awareness counseling program planned at the SK. Right now we are still discussing as to when we could organize it,” Tumang stated. “I really want to organize the mental health awareness program and youth camp soon as I learned many helpful lessons from a seminar at Paranaque City Hall.”

The said seminar was about mental health awareness and by participating in it, Tumang said she realized the many factors that contribute to suicide such as depression, insecurity, uncertainty and the like. Even words can hurt a person and even cause him or her to get depressed.

“That was a very engaging seminar the discussions were very in-depth. I learned so much from it and I believe we can really help the local youth,” she said.

Tumang added that Kagawad Espino taught her that youth struggle as they grow up and get educated. The struggles include being unable to open up and speak out about their concerns, being fearful about others judging them, and the like. There are also those who are a lot more vulnerable or more sensitive than meets the eye.

“Because words can be painful, some jokes cracked at youth hurt them very deep inside reaching to the point of cracking under social pressure, becoming stressed or, even worse, they begin to think about suicide,” Tumang said.

To put suicide in perspective, it was reported in Business Mirror that in the year 2012, a total of 2,550 cases of suicides (all ages) in the Philippines were registered according to Department of Health (DOH) Undersecretary Herminigildo Valle.

The BFSK chairperson plans to have the youth camp (and hopefully the mental health awareness counseling program) push through sometime this September. However pulling it off remains challenging due to budgeting, the time management of activities and getting valuable resources.

The Sangguniang Kabataan of Barangay BF Homes is reaching out to generous members of the public who wish to donate to them (cash or in kind) for the purpose of organizing the youth camp and its campaign to prevent youth from dying by suicide.

To inquire or give something, communicate directly with BFSK Chairperson Mariel Tumang at Barangay BF Homes hall along Elsie Gatches street in Parañaque City.

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UPDATE! (September 3, 2019)

The Barangay BF Homes Youth Camp is indeed coming and already efforts are being made on preparing it. This was announced by Barangay BF Homes Kagawad Rocel Espino during the Youth Forum held at the Phase 1 Gym along Pilar Banzon street in BF Homes subdivision on August 31.


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

 

My Observations: Starbucks Coffee at One Griffinstone in Alabang

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The front of Starbucks One Griffinestone branch.

Yet another coffee shop of Starbucks opened in the Alabang area in Muntinlupa City very recently. Specifically, this is about the one that opened at the ground floor of One Griffinstone located along Commerce Avenue corner Spectrum Midway in Filinvest City.

Very recently, out of curiosity, I visited to take a close look.

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From inside facing Commerce Avenue.

Like the other new Starbucks coffee shops I visited recently, the One Griffinstone branch has a nice interior and more notably, it’s got views of the immediate surroundings.

When it comes to seating capacity, I counted fifty-one seats, including the stools. For the use of the common rest room, a code is required to be able to use it. The code is printed on the receipt of the Starbucks drink/food customers buy. If you need to use the toilet during your time at Starbucks One Griffinstone, do not throw away the receipt fast.

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The counter.
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Many places to sit and enjoy.

After receiving my drink, I sat down facing one side of the place looking at the Festival Mall in the distance. Then I realizing something…Commerce Avenue literally connects with four different Starbucks branches in Alabang.

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Facing the far end of Commerce Avenue heading towards the direction of Festival Mall (hidden by the trees).

Along Commerce Avenue (note: distances between the coffeeshops and the said road) are the Alabang Town Center branch, the One Griffinstone branch and Starbucks Reserve (part of Westgate) branch.

In a way, Commerce Avenue leads to the old Starbucks branch at Festival Mall. Coming from the direction of Ayala Alabang, one can drive to the said branch by reaching the end of the road entering the area of mall, turn right on a short road going to the open-air parking area (where the old Starbucks and Robinsons department store are).

Are these enough Starbucks branches in the Alabang area as a whole? That’s hard to figure out at this point in time but what is clear is that Alabang is a hot spot for the world’s largest coffee chain. Previously I visited another new Alabang branch of the coffee chain at Madison Galeries.

Check out and visit the Starbucks One Griffinstone branch if you have time.

Barangay BF Homes’ Erla Cortesta Recognized as an Outstanding Nutrition Scholar in NCR

Barangay BF Homes’ Erla Cortesta Recognized as an Outstanding Nutrition Scholar in NCR

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Erla Cortesta of Barangay BF Homes (holding the award) was one of fifteen National Capital Region-based nutrition scholar recognized by the National Nutrition Authority as a City/Municipal Outstanding Barangay Nutrition Scholars. (photo contributed by Barangay BF Homes)

On the afternoon of July 26, Erla Cortesta of Barangay BF Homes, Parañaque City brought home honor to her locality as she was recognized as a City/Municipal Outstanding Barangay Nutrition Scholar for 2018 during the 2019 Regional Nutrition Awarding Ceremony – National Capital Region held at The Heritage Hotel in Pasay City.

Specifically, Cortesta was one of only fifteen such scholars to receive such a recognition and she is the lone awardee of Parañaque. Considering the multiple barangays there are in the NCR involved in the search, being among the fifteen scholars is a significant achievement on its own. Like her fellow scholars, Cortesta received a plaque of recognition as well as a cash prize.

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Standing beside awardee Erla Cortesta were Barangay BF Homes Nutrition Action Officer Zeny Pascual and Kagawad Cielo Lazatin. (photo contributed by Barangay BF Homes)

“It is a significant distinction for Barangay BF Homes as there were several contenders in NCR and only few were awarded,” Barangay BF Homes Kagawad Cielo Lazatin said. “They all went through a very intensive evaluation before getting declared as awardees.”

Present during the ceremony, apart from Kagawad Lazatin, Barangay BF Homes Nutrition Action Officer Zeny Pascual and Parañaque City’s First Lady Janet Olivarez.

The 2019 Regional Nutrition Awarding Ceremony – National Capital Region was an event organized by the National Nutrition Council.