Recently in the City of Las Piñas, Mayor Imelda Aguilar expressed her thanks to the local rescuers and volunteers who took part in helping almost five hundred families whose lives were severely disrupted by Typhoon Kristine, according to a Manila Bulletin news report.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt of the news report of the Manila Bulletin. Some parts in boldface…
Las Piñas City Mayor Imelda Aguilar thanked rescuers and volunteers for swiftly acting to evacuate 489 families affected by Severe Tropical Storm Kristine.
Aguilar was grateful to the rescuers composed of the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (DRRMO), the City Health Office (CHO), the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO), and volunteers for immediately evacuating residents who were staying in low-lying areas and bringing them to evacuation centers.
She said Vice Mayor April Aguilar led the distribution of essential aid, like modular tents to evacuees, cooked meals, and relief items to families affected by Kristine.
The mayor said families at the evacuation sites were also given prophylactic medicine for leptospirosis, distributed vitamins, free medical check-ups, and essential medications and face masks by the CHO team led by Dr. Julie Gonzalez.
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? Do you think the local rescuers and volunteers did a good job helping the typhoon victims? Do you wish to the see the City Government focus more on flood-prevention programs?
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 engagement, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
Recently in the city of Parañaque, three Chinese nationals got apprehended by the local police for different violations that include illegally possessing guns and violating the land transportation code, according to a Manila Bulletin news report.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…
Three Chinese nationals were arrested by members of the Parañaque City Police Tambo Substation for illegal possession of drugs, firearms and for violations of the land transportation and traffic code on Thursday, October 24.
Southern Police District (SPD) Director Brig. Gen. Bernard Yang said the suspects, identified as alias “Zhenhua,” 30, alias “Zhi,” 29, and alias “Miu,” 26, were arrested at around 7:58 a.m.
They were spotted by patrolling policemen acting suspiciously and changing the plate number of two vehicles.
The police said that when requested to present documents for the two vehicles, the suspects failed to show any and attempted to flee leading to a brief chase and to their eventual arrest.
The police recovered from Zhenhua 25 grams of shabu worth P197,000 and one Bersa caliber .380 pistol. The same amount of shabu was also recovered from alias Zhi. Alias Miu yielded P120,000 worth of marijuana and a .9mm pistol.
The police also recovered from the suspects six different license plates and tools including handcuffs and shovels.
Let me end this post by asking you readers: What do you think about this recent development? If you are a resident of Parañaque, are you concerned that there are still a lot of Chinese nationals violating laws within the city? What do you think makes Parañaque such a hot spot of criminal activities involving Chinese nationals?
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 engagement, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
Recently in the progressive City of Muntinlupa, eight foreigners – seven Chinese nationals and one Vietnamese citizen – suspected for scamming got arrested inside a house in Ayala Alabang Village as a result of an operation by elements of the Bureau of Immigration (BI), National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), according to a Malaya Business Insight news report.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Malaya Business Insight news report. Some parts in boldface…
SEVEN Chinese and a Vietnamese suspected as scammers were arrested in an operation in Ayala Alabang Village in Muntinlupa City, the Department of Justice said yesterday.
In a statement, the DOJ said the operation, carried out with the Bureau of Immigration, National Bureau of Investigation and the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission, stemmed from information provided by residents and corroborated by intelligence regarding the presence of the foreigners in the posh village.
The DOJ said three Chinese were initially nabbed, two of whom were found to be overstaying in the country, while the other one could not present any documentation.
It said one of the three served for a time as a manager of a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) hub in Porac, Pampanga.
“Upon entry, there was a live computer operated by a Chinese individual. When read by an interpreter, the screen showed scripts used in a standard phishing scam,” the DOJ said, adding operatives also found a voice-over IP, an equipment usually used in telephone scams to avoid detection.
Four Chinese and the Vietnamese were later arrested.
The DOJ said four failed to present documentation and were considered illegally staying in the country.
“One Chinese national, though not lacking in documentation, is suspected to have harbored the illegal aliens in violation of immigration laws,” the DOJ said.
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, are you concerned that scammers from overseas could be living somewhere in your local community secretly doing illegal operations? Do you think that foreign POGO workers could be secretly staying in your village right now? Do you think the seven arrested Chinese nationals could be spies of Communist China?
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 engagement, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from reading the comic book and doing personal research. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.
Welcome back superhero enthusiasts, 1990s arts and culture enthusiasts, Image Comics fans and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the year 1994 to take a close look at one of the many tales of the original WildStorm universe through one of the comic books of the first mini-series of Team 7.
For the newcomers reading this, Team 7 is set in the past within the original WildStorm universe. This is the one special forces team that had major WildStorm heroes – Grifter (WildCATS: Covert Action Teams), Backlash, Jackson Dane (Wetworks), John Lynch (Gen13) and Deathblow – who were younger, were proficient with combat and were destined to gain special abilities that later defined them.
With those details laid down, here is a look back at Team 7 #1, published in 1994 by Image Comics with a story written by Chuck Dixon and drawn by Aron Wiesenfeld. This is the first chapter of a 4-issue mini-series. Also this year marks the 30th anniversary of this very comic book.
The cover.
Early story
Set in the 1970s, the story begins when the United States Special Forces Team 7 arrives in Iran with the objective of rescuing hostages. Led by John Lynch, the team encounters several Iranian terrorists along the way and eliminates them as they proceed with their mission. A lot of killings and a few explosions happened as they made their way into the facility.
Eventually, Team 7 discovers that the hostages are gone as they only found stuffed dummies made to look like hostages. As they are so deep within the facility, going outside to survive an incoming powerful bombing was out of the question. They decide to go deeper knowing that the facility has a hardened sub-basement that was designed to absorb a shockwave…
Quality
See if you could recognize the WildStorm heroes among them.
I can say out loud that this WildStorm prequel tale by the Dixon-Wiesenfield is a very inspired work of fiction that captures (intentionally or not) the vibe of R-rated Hollywood action and war movies of the 1980s. In my view, the tone and style of this comic book reminds me a lot about Predator (1987), Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985) and Full Metal Jacket (1987). Of course, this is a tale about a band of brothers who risk their lives working overseas for their country taking orders from their superiors at International Operations (IO).
As a WildStorm tale, this one efficiently puts up the building blocks needed to define the key characters who would later become major WildStorm figures in what was back then the present day stories (set in the 1990s) told through WildCATS: Covert Action Teams, Kindred, Gen13, Backlash, StormWatch and more. At the same time, readers will get a close look at the developments behind closed doors at IO which itself appeared in WildStorm comic books with a much older Lynch as director. Of course, as this is the first issue the build-up would obviously continue in the succeeding issues of the mini-series.
The team led by John Lynch fought the Iranian terrorists as they make their way through.
War imagery here is intense.
The story itself has themes of espionage, political intrigue, Islamic terrorism and military conflict. It was made clear here that IO has a wicked director called Craven and the young John Lynch (the protagonist and future IO director) could do nothing but receive intelligence (no matter how limited) and execute orders that put him and his teammates in grave danger.
Along the way, you will see younger versions of WildStorm heroes Grifter (Cole Cash), Jackson Dane, Backlash (Marc Slayton), Deathblow (Michael Cray) as well as a few minor characters whose legacies will be felt in the present day stories (example: Gen13’s Grunge is the son of member Philip Chang). Oh yes, the banter and interactions between Team 7 members were very much inspired by what was portrayed in Predator (1987) and Full Metal Jacket (1987). While Lynch is the protagonist struggling with following orders and leading the team, the young Deathblow here clearly their most natural and aggressive eliminator.
When it comes to the visuals, Aron Wiesenfeld came up with a consistently dark and gritty look backed with uncompromising violence that strongly emphasizes the horror of war. He also has this exquisite approach on displaying the characters and the action portrayed was more of shooting, explosions and hard action. This comic book was released years before Steven Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan (1998) hit the cinemas and caused some controversy with its display of graphical violence. In short, this is a comic book visualized with adults in mind.
Conclusion
The cover of the variant edition of Team 7 #1 drawn by Whilce Portacio.
Team 7 #1 (1994) is a very compelling read and it still remains one of the most unique comic books of the original WildStorm universe ever published. It is also one of the most defining war comic books published in the 1990s.
Considering the great work done by the Dixon-Wiesenfield duo, your enjoyment and understanding of this comic book depends a lot on how much you have oriented yourself with the mentioned WildStorm heroes who appeared in the comic books of WildCATS: Covert Action Teams, StormWatch, Wetworks and the like. I enjoyed this comic book a lot because I familiarized myself with Grifter, Backlash, Deathblow, Lynch and Dane before reading it. That being said, I urge you newcomers to get to know the said characters first before reading this comic book.
Recently, an economist predicted that the economy of the Philippines will keep growing above 6% this year and next year, 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 economy is expected to remain one of the fastest growing economies in the region, with growth likely settling at above 6 percent for 2024 and 2025.
In his economic and market outlook released on Tuesday, BPI senior vice president and lead economist Emilio Neri Jr. said economic growth will likely hit 6.1 percent this year and further accelerate to 6.3 percent in 2025.
“The Philippine economy has been resilient despite significant headwinds like severe El Niño and devastating typhoons, still managing to grow by 6% in the first half of 2024,” Neri said.
“Looking ahead, the Philippine economy will likely continue to outperform in the region, supported by its strong consumer base,” he added.
Neri expects headline inflation to ease to 3.2 percent in 2024 and further decelerate to 2.8 percent in 2025.
“Inflation is expected to be more manageable in the coming year given the improving prospects of food supply. With El Niño now behind us and the potential increase in production, along with tariff reductions, rice may become more affordable,” he said.
Neri said lower inflation may help boost consumption in the coming year, while election-related spending could also further stimulate economic activity.
Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think the economy of the Philippines has enough momentum to exceed the growth forecasts of the economists for 2024 and beyond? Do you think the Philippines can do a better job on attracting more foreign investors soon?
Recently in the city of Parañaque, a man who stole motorcycle was arrested by the police who in turn responded to a victim who sought their assistance, according to a Manila Bulletin news report.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…
A drug suspect was arrested by patrolling members of the Parañaque city police Substation 2 on Sunday, October 20.
According to the Southern Police District (SPD), the suspect identified as alias “Oliver,” 33 ws arrested at around 1:10 a.m. along Roxas Boulevard, Southbound, Barangay Tambo, Parañaque City.
Investigation showed the victim, a female call center agent was seen by patrolling policemen who was frantically signaling for assistance.
The victim told police that she was threatened by the suspect with firearm and forcibly took her motorcycle.
The police said operatives from Substation 2 immediately responded and with the (victim’s) assistance was able to block and apprehended the fleeing suspect.
Recovered from the suspect were 20 grams of shabu worth P136,000, a replica .45 caliber pistol and the stolen motorcycle.
Let me end this post by asking you readers: What do you think about this recent development? If you are a resident of Parañaque, are you concerned that there could be more individuals who threaten people using replica guns and take away their possessions?
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 engagement, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
In recent times, Las Piñas City Councilor and congressional candidate Mark Santos formally asked the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to authorize the Las Piñas-Parañaque Coastal Bay Reclamation Project of the national government which is worth over P100 billion, according to a Manila Standard news report.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt of the news report of the Manila Standard Some parts in boldface…
Las Piñas City Councilor and congressional candidate Mark Anthony Santos asked the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to authorize the P103.8-billion Las Piñas-Paranaque Coastal Bay Reclamation Project of the national government.
Santos said the clearance to proceed with the project remained unresolved by the members of DENR’s Protective Area Management Board, despite the SC decision three years ago.
“The status of the project remains at the detailed engineering stage,” he said.
Santos said that in an en banc decision on Oct. 21, 2021, the Supreme Court, voting 11-2, approved the reclamation project of around 530 hectares of the Manila Bay coastline in Las Piñas- Parañaque, ruling that the supposed threat to environment was not sufficiently established.
Alltech Contractors proposed the project to develop 321.26 hectares of land in Las Piñas and 174.88 hectares in Parañaque, both along the coastline of Manila Bay in 2009. The Philippine Reclamation Authority approved the project in 2010 subject to compliance to environmental rules.
Alltech submitted an amended environmental performance report management plan (EPRMP) in December that year and expanded the project to cover 203.43 hectares in Parañaque and 431.71 hectares in Las Piñas.
The DENR-Environmental Management Bureau issued the environmental compliance certificate (ECC) for the project In March 2011, after Alltech Contractors submitted scientific and expert studies that assessed the potential flooding and flushing impact that may arise from the coastal bay project.
The SC decision suggests that the city government of Las Piñas may proceed with the reclamation project despite residents’ objections, said Santos.
Santos said the city councils of Las Piñas and Parañaque issued the corresponding resolutions authorizing their respective city mayors to explore the proposal under a joint venture agreement (JVA).
The cities of Las Piñas and Parañaque eventually accepted Alltech’s proposal, and the parties executed their respective JVAs, he said.
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? Do you think it is high-time for the reclamation in Las Piñas to proceed?
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 engagement, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) announced that the 4th Asian Youth Games (AYG) will take place in Tashkent, Uzbekistan from September 7 to 17, 2025.
A total of 24 sports have been confirmed for the AYG which goes as follows: Athletics, Basketball, Cycling, Football and Futsal, Hand to Fight, Karate, Sambo, Volleyball, Aquatics, Belbolgi Kurash, Chess, Gymnastics, Judo, Kurash, Triathlon, Weightlifting, Boxing, Canoe, Fencing, Handball, Jiu-Jitsu, Rowing, Taekwondo and Wrestling.
As per the OCA Constitution, athletes in the age group of 14 to 17 years will only be allowed to participate in the AYG. This is being done in order for these athletes to participate in the 2026 Dakar Youth Olympic Games.
To compete in the Youth Olympic Games (YOG), athletes must be 15 to 18 years old as of 31 December in the year of the Games. The OCA aims to prepare future AYG athletes for the YOG, which is why it has aligned age limits with the YOG criteria. This allows National Olympic Committees (NOCs) to adequately prepare their athletes for participation in the YOG.
The OCA states that athletes should be born not before 2008 and not after 2011 and should be between 14 to 17 years of age as of 31st December 2025.
Welcome back fellow geeks, Blu-ray collectors and movie buffs!
If you are looking for new movie about America’s iconic President Ronald Reagan to watch in the comfort of your home, be aware that the Blu-ray disc (with DVD and digital copy) of the film Reagan (2024) will be released on November 19, 2024, according to a Blu-ray.com update. The good news here is that pre-orders for it are already being accepted online and you can go for it by clicking right here. The movie was directed by Sean McNamara.
Reagan Blu-ray disc includes DVD and digital copy.
In this movie (released on August 30, 2024 in cinemas), Dennis Quaid played the iconic Ronald Reagan. The supporting cast includes Penelope Ann Miller as Nancy Reagan (the First Lady), Jon Voight as Viktor Petrovich, Robert Davi as Leonid Brezhnev, and Kevin Sorbo as Rev. Ben Cleaver.
The official description is as follows: From dusty small-town roots, to the glitter of Hollywood, and then on to commanding the world stage, REAGAN is a cinematic journey of overcoming the odds. Told through the voice of Viktor Petrovich, a former KGB agent who followed Reagan’s ascent, REAGAN captures the indomitable spirit of the American dream.
To see what the film looks like, watch the official movie trailer below.
In my honest view, Ronald Reagan is clearly the most defining President of the United States not only in the 1980s but in the entire 20th century as he used the full might of his office to push back hard against Communism while also lifting Americans up from the social downturn and rebellious norms that hurt the nation since the 1960s.
Reagan is known for reviving patriotism and economic progress (focused on capitalism and the Reagnomics policies) in America. It has been argued again and again that had Reagan never been US President, America would have fallen deeper into turmoil and the Communists would have gained ground in the Cold War.
1980 US Presidential Election material from Ronald Reagan’s campaign. The words “make America great again” was spoken by him long before US President Donald Trump’s time. If you think about it carefully, Reagan was an ordinary American who became President of the United States.
It was only right that a proper movie about President Reagan was made. Of course, knowing the traditions of Hollywood, I am anticipating that creative liberties were taken in order to make the cinematic narrative work. I am based here in the Philippines and it is frustrating for me that this movie was never released in local cinemas. That being said, I am closely watching this as a possible addition to my Blu-ray movie collection.
Looking back at the official trailer above, it looks like the filmmakers did a good job making Dennis Quaid look, move and sound like President Reagan. The movie looks like it has a strong focus on the Cold War through Reagan which really interests me.
US President Ronald Reagan in real life.
The cinematic President Reagan played by Dennis Quaid.
If things go well, the recent deal made between Ayala Corp. and Japan’s Mitsubishi Corp. will likely boost the anticipated initial public offering (IPO) of e-wallet entity GCash, according to a BusinessWorld news report referencing analysts.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the BusinessWorld news report. Some parts in boldface…
THE RECENT deal between Ayala Corp. and Japan’s Mitsubishi Corp. is likely to increase the valuation of the anticipated initial public offering (IPO) of the electronic wallet GCash, according to analysts.
On Friday last week, Ayala Corp. announced that it was selling its 50% stake in AC Ventures Holding Corp. (ACV) to Mitsubishi for a minimum of P18.4 billion.
ACV owns 13% of Globe Fintech Innovations, Inc. (Mynt), which has two fintech companies, G-Xchange Inc., the operator of GCash, and Fuse Lending, a tech-based microlender.
“The deal reinforces the value of Mynt for its future IPO. With key investors coming in at a valuation of around $5 billion, Mynt is poised for an IPO at a much higher valuation,” Chinabank Capital Corp. Managing Director Juan Paolo E. Colet said in a Viber message.
GCash previously said it was planning an IPO but would wait for a more favorable market.
According to Mr. Colet, the IPO could happen as early as next year depending on market conditions.
“I can see the IPO within the next two to three years. Perhaps as soon as next year if market conditions are very good,” he said.
“So far, it seems Globe wants a local IPO for Mynt. But it would be better if they do a dual listing in the Philippines and a larger stock market to get the best of both worlds,” he added.
Globalinks Securities and Stocks, Inc. Trader Mark V. Santarina said in a Viber message that the deal helps GCash’s international expansion plans.
GCash services are available in 16 countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, Italy, Australia, Canada, Germany, and other Asian countries.
“For GCash, Mitsubishi’s entry paves the way for potential international expansion, particularly into Japan, and may boost its service offerings in microlending and financial technology,” he said.
“While GCash is considering overseas listings for its IPO, there is still hope it may choose to list on the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) instead, which would be a significant win for the local market,” he added.
AP Securities, Inc. Research Head Alfred Benjamin R. Garcia said in a Viber message that the deal could help improve other Ayala ventures.
“With its entry into ACV, Mitsubishi is not only buying into GCash but also into other ventures under ACV like Gogoro and Zalora. We believe Mitsubishi’s expertise can help improve these businesses and maybe even accelerate the expansion of GCash into Japan,” he said.
Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think an IPO of GCash could happen sometime in 2025? Are you an investor waiting for the GCash IPO to happen?
Author Carlo Carrasco 