For those who are relying on Maynilad for water, be aware that the water concessionaire will increase its water-storage capacity by a few hundred million liters (ML) by constructing new reservoirs but it will take a few years to be completed, according to the official announcement.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the company’s announcement online. Some parts in boldface…
West Zone concessionaire Maynilad Water Services, Inc. will add 211 million liters (ML) to its water-storage capacity by 2026 with its construction of four new reservoirs in different locations to improve supply availability and pressure for customers in elevated areas.
With this increased storage capacity, Maynilad will essentially have an additional 211 ML of potable water supply that is accessible at the distribution system level, ready for release during hours of peak demand.
“Households in elevated areas are typically affected by low water pressure whenever the demand goes up. Having more reservoirs will help to maintain supply availability despite strong water withdrawals from households in low-lying areas, so we’re building more of these storage facilities in strategic locations,” said Maynilad Chief Operating Officer Randolph T. Estrellado.
The four new reservoirs—to rise in Quezon City, Valenzuela and Muntinlupa—will entail an estimated investment cost of Php2.8 billion, which forms part of Maynilad’s Php220-billion service enhancement program for the period 2023 to 2027.
Maynilad currently has 37 operational reservoirs that can store 751 ML of treated water supply—up from only 10 reservoirs with 400 ML storage capacity after it rehabilitated 13 old reservoirs and constructed 14 new ones since 2007. With the construction of four new reservoirs until 2026, the company’s total combined water-storage capacity will reach 962 ML.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? If you are a Maynilad customer, were you able to get a consistent supply of water over the past three months?
For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
For those of you craving for multisport action within the fantastic Subic Bay Freeport Zone, be aware that the 2024 NTT AST Subic Bay International Triathlon (SuBIT) is scheduled to happen on May 4 and 5, 2024, and registration online is ongoing.
A joint project of Triathlon Philippines, the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) and FUNtastic Subic Bay supported by Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), Standard Insurance and Asian Centre for Insulation Philippines, Inc., the event will have a series of contests across the race distances of Standard Distance (1.5 Km swim – 40 Km bike – 10 Km run), Sprint Distance (750 M swim – 20 Km bike – 5Km run) and Super Sprint Distance (500 M swim – 10 Km bike – 2.5 Km run).
The event is presented by NTT and Asia Triathlon.
Registration fees as of this writing are as follows: P6,000 for Standard Distance, P5,500 for Sprint Distance, P4,500 for Super Sprint Distance and P2,750 for Super TriKids category. These rates are in effect for the period of January 1 to 15, 2024.
Recently in the City of Las Piñas, four watchmen of Barangay Manuyo (note: the newspaper did not specify which Barangay Manuyo it is) were released from jail temporarily but they still will be investigated over the alleged salvaging of man, according to a Manila Bulletin news report.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt the Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…
Four barangay watchmen accused of alleged “salvaging” of a man in Las Piñas are facing investigation despite their temporary release from jail.
The Prosecutor’s Office ordered the temporary release of Jason Santos, Joseph Clarion, Romeo Natividad and barangay ex-officio Jaime Forteo, all watchmen of Barangay Manuyo, for lack of evidence.
According to P/Master Sgt. Marsito Torreon, Las Piñas police investigator, the arrested suspects were released by the Las Piñas Prosecutor’s Office pending further investigation.
Torreon said the Prosecutor’s Office had set the preliminary investigation on the alleged salvaging of Gerico Rocabo, 24, on January 8.
Torreon said they were able to submit the CCTV footage showing the arrest and mauling of Rocabo by the suspects last Dec. 26.
The police investigator said Barangay Manuyo officials refused to provide the police a copy of the CCTV footage on the incident claiming the camera was not working during the arrest despite the coordination made by city police chief, Col. Jaime Santos, with Barangay chairman Boboy dela Cuz.
Torreon said Santos coordinated with Dela Cruz for the surrender of the remaining suspects and submit a copy of the CCTV footage for investigation.
He said they were able to get a copy of the CCTV footage on the incident after learning that Generika drug store in front of Barangay Mauyo Hall was able to capture the incident.
Torreon said there are still nine suspects that remain at large and two of them were identified as Barangay Kagawad Ongie dela Cruz and Eleno Rongavilla Jr.
Torreon said the arrest of the four suspects was made by his team composed of Master Sgt. Glen Acaba, Staff Sgt. Lary Reparejo, and Cpl. Mark Edwin Orongan.
He said the body of Rocabo was discovered at around 10:00 a..m. on Dec. 26 in a creek in Barangay Manuyo and was reported to the police at around 11:00 a.m.
The police investigator said the victim died due to strangulation and his body was badly beaten.
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 concerned that the salvaging of a victim could spread fear in your local community? Are the barangay watchmen in your local community disciplined and always implement the laws with regards to safety and security?
For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) announced recently that they prevented two sex offenders from the United States from entering the country in separate times at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), according to a Manila Bulletin news report. Both foreigners were respectively convicted of varied offences in the past.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…
Two convicted American sex offenders have been barred from entering the Philippines when they arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) separately on Dec. 27 and Jan. 1.
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) identified them as Paul Neal Coltharp, 46, and Zachary Tyler Thompson, 39.
“Both aliens have been immediately excluded and flown back to their port of origin and their names have been included in the BI’s blacklist of undesirable aliens,” the bureau said.
As registered sex offenders (RSOs), the bureau explained “both Thompson and Coltharp are excludable aliens under the Immigration Act which forbids the entry of aliens convicted of crimes involving moral turpitude.”
It said that Thompson, who arrived from Los Angeles, had been “convicted in 2013 and 2015 for possessing obscene materials depicting a minor in sexual conduct and for annoying or molesting a child under 18 years of age.”
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think there still will be more registered sex offenders from overseas who will do what they can to visit the Philippines? Do you think the BI has what it takes to prevent undesirable aliens from entering as well as preventing the rise of sex tourism?
Welcome back, fellow gamers, geeks, role-playing games (RPGs) enthusiasts and fantasy lovers!
In recent times, I completed my first playthrough of Starfield on my Xbox Series X and it lasted me over 220 hours of fun, discoveries and intriguing moments. Having played it so long, I will replay Starfield with a new playthrough only after Bethesda implements the next series of patches/updates (to refine the game) and release the planned downloadable content (DLC).
That being said, I finally started playing the inspired Japanese-style role-playing game (RPG) Sea of Stars on my Xbox Series X. Having played some hours of it, I can say that I am really enjoying Sea of Stars and I intend to finish it. Oh yes, Sea of Stars is available on Xbox Game Pass (XGP) right now!
This is one of many great looking scenes composed of really fine 2D art style and pixel artistry in Sea of Stars.
Developed by Sabotage Studio, Sea of Stars is a turn-based RPG with a strong retro feel that will remind you of past Japanese RPGs (JRPGs) like Chrono Trigger and Secret of Mana. The game follows the exploits of two Children of the Solstice who combine the powers of the sun and moon to perform Eclipse Magic, the only force capable of fending off the monstrous creations of the evil alchemist known as The Fleshmancer. Along the way, the two Children of Solstice start a quest joined by their friend and together they travel to different places encountering different inhabitants and engage in situations that only they can solve.
Having played Chrono Trigger, Secret of Mana, Final Fantasy IV, Final Fantasy VI and a lot of JRPGs from the so-called 16-bit era of console gaming, I can say that Sea of Stars is a very inspired game that has lots of elements common with the mentioned games (plus more) with regards to art style, gameplay, quests, music, character development and visual presentation. To put it short, the guys at Sabotage Studio took a lot of inspiration from the classic JRPGs to make something fun for this current console generation. I am having a lot of fun with the game which itself is available for Xbox Game Pass (XGP) subscribers to avail.
An important meeting about to happen in the game.
A boss battle early in the game.
This is just a part of the world map of Sea of Stars.
In my experience and recollections from the past, Sea of Stars has visual style that is best compared with Chrono Trigger. Sabotage Studio really created a lot of nice looking 2D artworks and highly detailed sprites that made the new game look lively. With regards to the storytelling , character development and character expressions, the game has a wholesome tone that never felt childish. The tone as well as the humor made Sea of Stars comparable with several Japanese RPGs from the 16-bit age of consoles.
You will encounter really interesting characters who will join your party as the game progresses.
Sea of Stars is really fun to play and it is a great change of pace and style for me as I finished my Starfield playthrough which lasted more than 220 hours. This Sabotage Studio game will help ease my wait for the expected 2024 RPGs such as Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes and the Xbox-exclusive Avowed. As much as I hope to see past JRPGs like Xenogears, Breath of Fire and Lunar get remastered and released for Xbox consoles (and XGP), I know such possibilities remain uncertain and Sabotage Studio’s game easily fills the void. If you are looking for a Japanese-style RPG that is fun, nostalgic and visually pleasing, you can’t go wrong with Sea of Stars. Go for the game on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Windows PC and Xbox Game Pass now!
UPDATE: Muntinlupa City officially extended the deadline to January 31, 2024 according to a Manila Bulletin news report.
Recently in the City of Muntinlupa, the City Government announced that it has formally launched on January 2, 2024, the annual processing of applications for business permits – both new and renewals) at the Muntinlupa Sports Center in Barangay Tunasan, according to a Manila Bulletin news report. As of this writing, the entire process will last until January 20, 2024, but an extension of the deadline might be declared as with prior years.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the news report of the Manila Bulletin. Some parts in boldface…
According to the city government, the renewal of business permits will be held from Jan. 2 to 20 at the Muntinlupa Sports Center.
According to the Muntinlupa Business Permits and Licensing Office (BPLO), the requirements for the renewal of business permits this year are:
1 BIR Monthly/Quarterly Payments for 2023 (photocopy and original)
– Form No. 2550Q/2551Q/2550M
– Form No. 1701Q/1702Q
2. Audited financial statements duly filed before the SEC/BIR (for the period covering two years prior) / Annual Income Tax Return
3. Previous Mayor’s Permit
4. Declaration of gross sales:
a. Notarized Certificate of Gross Sales for 2023
b. If financial documents are consolidated”
– Notarized certificate of breakdown of gross sales per branch for 2023
– 2023 Business Permits/Assessment from other LGUs
– Official Receipts/Sales Invoices/Journals/ POS Reports, etc. (if applicable)
c. Certificate of gross sales for 2023 from the mall admin (if business is located in the mall)
5. Others
a. Copy of 2024 cedula from head office (If business is a branch only)
b. Certification from market administrator (If business is located in Alabang Central Market)
c. Authorization letter and valid ID for representatives
Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? If you are a resident of Muntinlupa City who plans to start a business locally, do you find the list of requirements intimidating? Do you think it is inevitable for the City Government to announce a deadline extension?
For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
During the past Christmas season, it was widely reported in the local media that a certain taxi driver charged his passengers (foreigners) several thousands of Pesos at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) which was recorded on video which in turn became viral online. Very recently, the Land Transportation Office (LTO) suspended for 90 days the driver’s license of the controversial taxi driver, according to a news report by the Daily Tribune.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Daily Tribune news report. Some parts in boldface…
The Land Transportation Office has issued a 90-day preventive suspension on the driver’s license of a taxi driver caught in a viral video charging P10,000 fare to a foreign tourist at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
In the Show Cause Order issued to the driver of the taxi with license plate ABG 7845, LTO chief Atty. Vigor D. Mendoza II said that the driver was ordered to explain why no sanction would be imposed for violations of at least three provisions of the Joint Administrative Order 2014-01 for overcharging passengers, discourteous and arrogant to passengers and violation of the franchise.
Citing the result of the investigation, Mendoza said the taxi driver was identified as Arnel Acle.
“Under the guidance of Department of Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista, we are now coordinating with the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board on the sanctions that may be imposed on the operator of the taxi,” Mendoza said.
Bautista earlier disclosed that the entire fleet of the taxi company that owns the cab will no longer be allowed to operate at the NAIA as Mendoza also stressed that the incident was a clear violation of the law.
He added that the investigation they conducted led to the identification of the taxi through a CCTV and later resulted in the identification of the driver.
To recall, the taxi was seen in parking area of the taxi company in Valenzuela City and based on the statement of the operator after the video went viral, Acle told them that he would go on vacation in his province.
Acle, however, did not report for work since he last appeared to remit his earnings to the taxi owner on 19 December and is believed to have gone into hiding.
“We are now coordinating with the Philippine National Police and our local offices to locate this man,” Mendoza said.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think the suspension issued by the LTO will send a strong message to errant drivers that they will be held accountable for their actions?
For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
If you set aside all the politicking and hatred, you will realize that there is no denying that tourism in the Philippines (handled by the Department of Tourism under the administration of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr.) turned out very successful over the previous year in terms of foreign tourist arrivals and tourism revenues based on the most recent statistics recorded as emphasized in the recent news article published by the Philippine News Agency (PNA). The exact and final 2023 tourism statistics should be revealed very soon.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the PNA news article. Some parts in boldface…
As inbound and domestic travel gain momentum, tourism in the Philippines has seen a remarkable turnaround this 2023, breaching targets and continuing to generate employment to millions of Filipinos.
Based on the Department of Tourism’s (DOT) latest data, the industry already surpassed its target of 4.8 million foreign arrivals with over five million visitors recorded as of Dec. 12.
From January to November, the Philippines has hit PHP439.5 billion in foreign visitor receipts shooting past the 2022 figures of PHP208.96 billion.
This number also translates to a 95.85 percent recovery of the 2019 pre-pandemic international visitor receipts, when the country generated PHP458 billion for the same months.
As of Dec. 12, South Korea ranked first as the Philippines’ top source market with 1,341,029 arrivals, followed by the United States with 836,694; Japan with 285,655; China with 252,171; and Australia with 238,487.
Canada landed sixth place with 206,571, followed by Taiwan with 186,140, United Kingdom with 141,516, Singapore with 140,633, and Malaysia with 92,383.
“The performance of Philippine tourism this year has exceeded all expectations. And what these numbers would indicate is a robust economic growth,” Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco said in her year-end assessment report.
Citing the country’s economic managers, Frasco said tourism this year has also emerged as one the “strongest pillars” of the economy, ranking second in terms of the source for growth.
“Notably, the number one source of economic growth is employment of which tourism also contributes in large number of over 5.35 million, in fact,” she said.
Roads, rest areas, flights – Since the beginning of the year, the DOT has been pushing for the construction of more rest areas and roads leading to tourist destinations across the country.
To date, the DOT and its infrastructure arm, the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), have launched ten tourist rest areas, with plans to build 18 more in 2024.
DOT’s collaboration with the Department of Public Works and Highways has also yielded 158 kilometers of tourism roads and an investment of at least PHP16 billion in tourism roads for 2023.
Frasco said the country has likewise recovered nearly 80 percent of its pre-pandemic international incoming seat capacity.
As of November 2023, there are over 1.4 million international seats available, vis-a-vis the one million recorded last year, and the 1.7 million recorded in 2019.
Frasco had also been meeting with stakeholders to relay Manila’s support for direct flights, including with France, the United Kingdom, and Italy.
Consistently ‘leading’ – The Philippines once again showcased the unrivaled charm of its beaches and underwater destinations to tourists from across the globe after bagging the World’s Leading Dive Destination and the World’s Leading Beach Destination awards at the prestigious World Travel Awards (WTA) 2023.
The country also net the Global Tourism Resilience Award for demonstrating “global leadership, pioneering vision, and innovation to overcome critical challenges and adversity while Manila was named the World’s Leading City Destination.
The DOT this year also introduced its new tourism branding “Love the Philippines” to emphasize that the Philippines has a lot more to offer than fun from its natural assets and history to its rich culture.
Along with the new campaign, the DOT sought to increase travel activities in other regions by helping them develop lesser-known tourism destinations.
The DOT launched various tourism initiatives such as the Philippine Experience Programs: Culture, Heritage, and Arts Caravan, which emphasized the country’s diverse cultural heritage and has so far staged four in Davao, Calabarzon, Bicol, and Western Visayas.
Better than expected – Leechiu Property Consultants (LPC) graded the industry’s performance as “better than expected,” saying the country’s focus on domestic travel also contributed to its resurgence in the face of “uncertainties” in key source markets such as China and Japan.
“Despite uncertainties in these external markets, the country’s focus on boosting internal tourism significantly bolstered the industry’s stability and growth,” it said.
For 2024, the DOT has set a modest target of 7.7 million foreign visitors, 500,000 less than the 8.2 million arrivals it generated before the pandemic
LPC Director for Hotel, Leisure, and Tourism Alfred Lay said South Korea has returned to about 72 percent arrivals while China only recovered 15 percent.
Lay said the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia were all in the “same boat” and have witnessed fairly low recovery rates from Chinese inbound guests but the country was still able to breach its 2023 target.
“Next year is going to be a pivotal year because where are we going to get those (2024) numbers? If the Chinese economic slowdown continues and the Japanese Yen stays where it is, maybe the Korean market will give us more but another two million more, I don’t think so,” he said.
“The 7.7 million is a very interesting target and I’m very interested to see what happens next year, to see if the Philippines has the ability to generate two million new arrivals,” he added.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What do you think about this recent development? Do you think the 2024 target of 7.7 million foreign tourist arrivals is achievable even though there are uncertainties overseas that could affect the Philippines as a tourist destination? Do you think the DOT should focus more on encouraging locals to add to the tourism industry’s growth in 2024? When it comes to foreign visitor revenue, do you think the Philippines can attract P500 billion in 2024? Do you think the recent conflicts between the Philippines and China over the West Philippine Sea could negatively affect the inflow of Chinese tourists into the country this year?
During the past Christmas season, varied elements of the Philippine National Police (PNP) staged different operations that resulted in the arrests of people who engaged in the online selling of firecrackers, according to a Philippine News Agency (PNA) news article.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the PNA news article. Some parts in boldface…
The Philippine National Police (PNP) has arrested five online firecracker sellers since Dec. 19 in separate entrapment operations, a police official said on Thursday.
In a statement, Col. Jay Guillermo, chief of the PNP-Anti-Cybercrime Group’s (ACG) Cyber Response Unit, said the entrapment operation stemmed from the directive of the PNP leadership to intensify its drive against the illegal manufacture and sale of firecrackers and pyrotechnic materials.
“My personal take on this is that these can be used by criminals. They can buy firecrackers with a huge amount of gunpowder and if you combine them all, they can turn into explosives. There is a need to regulate the sale of these firecrackers so that we can monitor who buys them,” he said.
Guillermo said ACG operatives contacted online sellers for the purchase of firecrackers during the conduct of regular cyber patrol.
He identified the suspects as Jaymar Sandoval, 22, and Eugene Macasaet, 23, who were arrested in an entrapment operation at Barangay San Ramon in Dinalupihan, Bataan on Thursday morning.
Seized during the operation were two bundles of kwitis (rocket), one sawa 1,800 rounds firecracker, one box piccolo firecracker, and three bundles of five colors with the total amount of PHP5,300
At around 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Victoria So, a female seller, met with the ACG undercover agent that resulted in her arrest in her house in Tondo, Manila.
Seized during the operation were a cellular phone, the marked money and 10 rims of prohibited firecrackers.
Two persons were recently arrested by ACG operatives in Caloocan City for selling firecrackers online.
Sabino Medenilla, 19, was arrested on Dec. 19, and Rodel Constantino, 39, was collared on Dec. 21. The suspects negotiated with ACG operatives posing as buyers of firecrackers.
Guillermo said the arrested suspects will be charged with violation of Republic Act No. 7183, or the “Act Regulating the Sale, Manufacture, Distribution, and Use of Firecrackers and Pyrotechnic Devices” in relation to Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.
For this year, Guillermo said there were four police operations conducted that resulted in the arrest of 11 persons and seized PHP40,700 worth of firecrackers.
He discouraged the public from buying firecrackers sold online as this may endanger their lives.
Meanwhile, Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. called on local government units (LGUs) to strictly enforce ordinances banning the use of illegal firecrackers to minimize, if not totally eliminate injuries for the New Year revelry.
Based on DILG data, Abalos said at least 1,210 LGUs already have ordinances banning the use of harmful firecrackers in their respective localities.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think that it is indeed illegal to sell firecrackers online? Are you aware of your local government’s restrictions towards firecrackers?
2024 is finally here. Whether you look back to the year that passed or look forward in the new year, never let anything nor anyone separate you from the Lord and His Word (the Holy Bible).
In my experience, 2023 was a very blessed year. The Lord blessed me when I visited Israel on a pilgrimage tour with my local church New Life Alabang. Together, we visited several significant sites in the Holy Land such as the Pool of Siloam, the Dead Sea, the Yardenit baptismal site, Hezekiah’s Tunnel, Caesarea Philippi, Nazareth, the Sea of Galilee and its region, and, of course, Jerusalem. Following God’s Word, I arrived in Israel to love and bless the Jewish people for the rest of my natural life. My support for Israel is uncompromising!
For those of you who enjoyed my Israel 2023 tour feature articles, I will be posting some more this year. As it was a blessing from the Lord, the Israel 2023 pilgrimage tour I joined was truly a blessing from Him and along the way I witnessed the Holy Bible come to life right there at the holy sites we visited. What was written in Matthew 6:33 is absolutely true!
This image of the sun rising in the distance was from my early morning visit at the Dead Sea beach (Ein Bokek) during the Israel 2023 pilgrimage tour I joined. I took this picture.
This was me touching the pillar inside the Upper Room during the Israel 2023 pilgrimage tour. I’ll soon be posting new articles of Israel 2023 sites I visited.
I am also thankful to the Lord for other blessings in the past year such as the establishment of a new business entity (my first-ever registered), the successful selling of comic books from my collection (click here to see more), the very anointed New Life Conference 2023 I attended, and the continuing reach of my official website and blog at www.CarloCarrasco.com
Speaking of my website, I am thankful to our Lord and also happy to share with you what was achieved in 2023. Over 136,000 hits (page views) worldwide were achieve in the past year with over 97,000 visitors worldwide recorded. The top f nations of hits and visitors are the Philippines, Cambodia, the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada. The 2023 numbers pushed my website’s lifetime hits to over 940,000 worldwide and I hope the figure will reach the 1,000,000 hits mark this year.
When it comes to newer developments online, I am thankful for the first-ever online donations the came in related to my website and I wish to thank all the donors for trusting my online publishing. Those who wish to donate can do so at https://carlocarrasco.com/donate/. Your donations will be very helpful in keeping my website and blog going.
January 4, 2024 will mark the 5th anniversary of my website. Looking back to the day it all started – January 4, 2019 was a Friday – I am very happy with what was achieved with www.CarloCarrasco.com through the years. The blogging of local community developments, magnified news articles or reports, special features, Christian teachings, Christian music appreciation, entertainment pieces and other forms of content helped me achieve good connections (and the trust) of varied communities, organizations, businesses, local churches and many other people. My thanks to the Lord God for these growing achievements and connections, and I am also grateful to you readers, the local government units, the homeowners’ associations, local churches, the local news media outlets and other private entities your trust in my website and blog.
For 2024 and the future, I urge all of you readers to never lose faith in the Lord and keep living on with unwavering faith in Lord Jesus who is truly the hope of all nations! Keep moving forward with faith in Him and the Word of God. May the following scriptures below help you all…
Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”
John 8:12 (NKJV)
For God is one, and there is one Mediator between God and the sons of men—the true man, Jesus, the Anointed One.
1 Timothy 2:5 (TPT)
Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”
John 14:6 (NLT)
For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life.
John 3:16 (AMPC)
For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father [of Eternity], Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6 (AMPC)
Therefore, the honor that belongs to the Father he will now share with his Son. So if you refuse to honor the Son, you are refusing to honor the Father who sent him.
John 5:23 (TPT)
Always trust, honor and praise the Lord God as His love for the us the faithful children is endless and He made plans for each and every one of us which clearly means He will not abandon us. God’s mercy is real and His promises never fail. Learn from the scripture below…
Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name!
Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits:
Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases,
Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,
Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
Psalm 103:1-5 (NKJV)
Always remember to maintain unwavering faith in our Lord and Savior Jesus to move on with the year 2024. Reject the evil ways of the world, push the idols out of the way, and reject religion, political correctness, wokeness, atheism and secularism so that you can clear your path of faith in the Lord and make room for Him in your heart. In addition, I request you all to pray for Israel to overwhelm its enemies, rescue the hostages and ultimately push back against the forces of evil. Always be the fearless and aggressive church of Lord Jesus!
Author Carlo Carrasco 