Recently in the progressive City of Muntinlupa, the City Government was awarded by the Anti-Red Tap Authority (ARTA) for innovation with regards to business registration, according to a Manila Bulletin news report.
To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…
The Muntinlupa City government was recognized by the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) for its innovative business registration.
Muntinlupa is one of the cities that received the Accelerating Reforms for Improved Service Efficiency (ARISE) Award to recognize initiatives to improve the delivery of government services.
“We are definitely proud of this recognition, as this is validation of the City Government’s commitment to bring quality public service to every Muntinlupeño,” Mayor Ruffy Biazon said.
The city’s Business One-Stop Shop (BOSS) and its electronic format eBOSS, which places all the necessary agencies for a business license or permit in one location, was commended earlier this year by ARTA in its latest compliance monitoring as a benchmark for other local government units (LGUs) to follow.
In addition to BOSS, Muntinlupa also has the Business Permits and Licensing Office Single-Window Transaction (BPLO-SWiT) program in partnership with Festival Mall in Alabang in order to bring tax payment and registration services closer to business owners.
Alternatively, business owners may also renew their license and mayor’s permit at the BPLO at Muntinlupa City Hall, as well as online via the Business E-payment System (BESt), through the city’s official website (www.muntinlupacity.gov.ph).
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a Muntinlupa City resident, what is your reaction to this development? Are you delighted with the award from ARTA for the City Government?
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
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 culture enthusiasts and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the year 1993 to take a close look at the second issue of the second Venom comic book mini-series Venom: Funeral Pyre.
In my previous review, the Punisher and Venom encountered each other for the first time ever and along the way Gray – who is secretly a journalist with a mission – struggles to maintain his composure and his sanity as he finds himself in the middle of a very violent gang war in Oakland, California. The more time Gray spends time with the crime gang he joined, the tougher the situation becomes for him.
With those details laid down, here is a look back at Venom: Funeral Pyre #2, published in 1993 by Marvel Comics with a story written by Carl Potts and drawn by the late Tom Lyle.
The cover.
Early story
The story begins with Gray and his gang companions riding a car approaching a group of people on the street. The gang leader pressures Gray to use his weapon to kill them. Gray is deeply worried not only because he has to prove his worth to the gang by killing other, but also because the rescue attempt he was waiting for had not yet happened.
Meanwhile, Venom finds himself trapped on the doorway of a building with the metal gate locked and with rays of microwave from the Punisher’s van radiating him painfully. As the Punisher leaves them behind, Venom manages to use the symbiote to reach into the van and smash the control panel inside which disabled the microwave rays.
Immediately, he recovers and breaks out to continue his mission: to rescue Gray…
Quality
The murderous Venom actually helped the Punisher.
When it comes to the storytelling, there are some improvements that made this comic book more readable than issue #1. For one thing, the exposition has been reduced which allowed the pace of the story to move faster. Most of the exposition here has been limited to Gray who at this stage of the mini-series was clearly bound to become the central object of the Funeral Pyre concept. Another thing is that the story’s structure here is simpler and easier to follow as Venom and Punisher moved on their own struggles separately before predictably getting together again.
While the mini-series has clearly been a tale of a city gang war – with a pretentious and unwilling gang member who expected to be rescued before things become too chaotic – that happened to pull the Punisher and Venom in for different reasons, Carl Potts added some elements that would resonate with Marvel Comics fans who are familiar with HYDRA and the Super Soldier aspects of the Marvel Comics universe history. Not only that, there is a science fiction-inspired setting near the end of the story that added variety to the in-story environment.
Like the first issue, this one is packed with a good amount of action scenes and that means Punisher and Venom fans have a lot of stuff to enjoy. Tom Lyle really is good with showcasing the respective spectacle of the vigilante and the symbiote-wearing murderer, and when he has the two together, his visual creativity intensifies.
Conclusion
Grey shooting blindly at the targets while riding the car of the gangsters he joined.
Venom: Funeral Pyre #2 (1993) is clearly an improved reading experience over issue #1 mainly because of the reduced information dump, the simpler plot structure and the creative showcase of Venom and the Punisher. While Gray remains uninteresting, his late-stage transformation turned out to be somewhat surprising and it was only near the end of this comic book that the Funeral Pyre concept became clear.
Overall, Venom: Funeral Pyre #2 (1993) is satisfactory.
The recent raid in Las Piñas City was referred to once more as Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla emphasized that coordination between agencies of the government when it comes to tackling Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) believed to be illegal, according to a Philippine News Agency (PNA) news article. This is not the first time the Secretary made a reference to the Las Piñas raid. Already there were foreign fugitives uncovered in the same raid.
To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the PNA news report. Some parts in boldface…
Government agencies must exert concerted efforts to ensure that illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) are discontinued, according to Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla on Friday.
Remulla underscored the need to scrutinize the rules on regulatory compliance following recent raids conducted on boiler room operations staffed by thousands of local and foreign workers in Pampanga and Las Piñas City.
“A lot of sensitive legal salient points have to be threshed out and this involves the agencies of the DOJ (Department of Justice) coordinating with every other office in the government that will help out in the efforts to weed out illegal POGOs,” Remulla said during a press conference.
The coordination will include the Bureau of Immigration (BI), Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Foreign Affairs, and the police, according to Remulla.
“We will thresh out these issues so that we will not be pointing at each other. We will be working as a team for the government,” he said.
Remulla said they will also seek guidance from the Supreme Court so that the procedures necessary to carry out their mandates to stamp out illegal POGOs will be done properly.
“So ang ginawa namin tiningnan namin lahat ng (we are exploring every) weak points from the experience that we have. We are making sure that the weaknesses of the cases in the past will no longer be there,” he added.
Remulla said the BI will continue to enforce the rules against illegal aliens or offenses involving foreigners.
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 POGO raid in the city was not handled properly by the local authorities?
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
Recently in the progressive City of Muntinlupa, the City Government formally declared November 17 of every year as “Students’ Day” by means of approving a piece of legislation, according to a Manila Bulletin news report.
To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…
The Muntinlupa City government has designated Nov. 17 of every year as “Students’ Day” to recognize and honor the youth.
Mayor Ruffy Biazon signed Ordinance 2023-095, passed by the City Council, “declaring November 17 of every year as Students’ Day in the City of Muntinlupa, and advocating for student participation in nation-building.”
“Our students are the lifeblood of the city, and it is important that we provide all the means available to empower and enable them to build up Muntinlupa with their own contribution, young as they are,” said Biazon.
The ordinance, called the “Students’ Day Celebration Ordinance,” noted that student leadership is part of Biazon’s “7K Agenda” under “Karunungan” (Knowledge) and “Katarungan” (Justice).
It suggests that the city government may conduct activities including an Education Summit; trainings, seminars and workshops; student leadership forum; recognition of student leaders; and student competitions.
“The National Students’ day is included in the DepEd Annual Activities and shall be observed every November 17. The Education Sector, all public and private schools, all local and national government employees, and all Barangays within the jurisdiction of Muntinlupa shall participate in this event,” according to the ordinance.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a Muntinlupa City resident, what is your reaction to this development? Do you consider “Students’ Day” in Muntinlupa necessary or needed?
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
In Las Piñas City, the City Government honored three more local athletes who won in sports tournaments overseas including the 32nd Southeast Asian Games, according to a Manila Bulletin news report.
To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…
Las Piñas City Mayor Imelda Aguilar warmly welcomed three athletes who won medals in international competitions, making the city proud.
The athletes met the mayor in separate courtesy visits last July 13 and 14.
Aguilar commended Jeon Bardley dela Cruz, a five-year-old Jiu Jitsu athlete who won silver medals at the Asian Sport Jiu Jitsu Federation (ASJJF) Philippine International Jiu Jitsu Open and the Abu Dhabi Pro (AJP).
Dela Cruz with the Mayor and Vice Mayor of Las Piñas City. (source-City of Las Piñas FB page)
She said despite Dela Cruz’s young age, he displayed immense skills and determination in sports, serving as an inspiration to aspiring athletes.
Joseph Arcilla and Sherwin Nuguit, renowned tennis players, were also honored for their remarkable achievement in the sports abroad.
The two local SEA Games medalists with the Mayor and Vice Mayor of Las Piñas. (source – City of Las Piñas FB page)
In the recently concluded 2023 South East Asian Games held in Cambodia, Arcilla clinched the highly coveted gold medal in soft tennis while Nuguit secured the bronze, adding to the growing list of accolades earned by Filipino athletes.
Aguilar expressed her immense pride and appreciation for the athletes’ hard work, commending their exceptional performances and remarkable contributions to the sport.
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 delighted to find out that more local athletes got honored by the City Government?
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
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 fellow geeks, pop culture enthusiasts and comic book collectors! Way back in 1982, the horror comedy anthology film Creepshow was released in cinemas and it gave moviegoers a fun time getting scared as it featured well-made short stories written by Stephen King and directed by George Romero. The two creators were strongly influenced by the 1950s horror comic books of EC Comics when they made the movie. Very recently, Creepshow was released on 4K Blu-ray loaded with lots of extras for fans and moviegoers to enjoy. The said 4K Blu-ray release can be ordered online now.
I myself first saw Creepshow on home video sometime in 1983 and got to replay it occasionally on cable TV and DVD. Strangely enough, it was only a few years ago when I first learned that there was indeed a comic book adaptation of the movie that was also released the same year it hit cinemas.
With those details laid down, here is a look back at Stepehen King’s Creepshow published in 1982 by Plum with stories written by Stephen King and drawn by Bernie Wrightson (with Michele Wrightson). The cover was illustrated by the late EC Comics legend Jack Kamen.
The cover.
Early stories
Father’s Day – Sylvia Grantham, her nephew Richard, niece Cass and Hank (husband of Cass) enjoy time together at the Grantham estate anticipating the arrival of Bedelia for the annual family dinner. It is an open secret within the family that Bedelia killed her late father Nathan Grantham who was so overbearing to her as she became responsible on nursing him full-time.
Bedelia apart from her relatives in Father’s Day.
The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verril – A lonely farmer named Jordy witnesses the unexpected arrival of a meteorite from out space which landed violently on his farm. After realizing what it is, he touches it without any protection and gets his fingers burned. Considering the rarity of the object, Jordy begins to imagine making a lot money by bringing it to the local college.
A page of the story of Jordy and the meteor.
The Crate – In the basement level of Amberson Hall (science building of Horlicks University), a janitor accidentally finds a very old wooden crate located right under the staircase. The writings “Ship to Horlicks University via Julia Carpenter – Arctic Expedition – June 19, 1834” were marked on the crate. Meanwhile a faculty party is taking place across town. During the party, the mild-mannered college professor Henry Northrup experiences embarrassment as his unhinged wife Wilma (note: referred to as Billie) talks way too much in front of professor Dexter Stanley and many others. Henry reveals to Dexter that he has grown to hate his wife. Suddenly, someone tells Dexter that a telephone call for him is waiting. It was the janitor who made the call.
Henry, wife Wilma (AKA Bilie), the janitor and Dexter Stanley in The Crate.
Something to Tide You Over – At a beach, Harry Wentworth could do nothing but remain helplessly immobile as his entire body and neck have been buried under the sand by Richard. It turns out that Harry has been having an affair with Becky, Richard’s wife. The helpless Harry expressed that he and Becky were really in love with each other. For his part, Richard has something else to show to him and he certainly has some things prepared.
Richard and Harry in Something to Tide You Over.
They’re Creeping Up on You – A wealthy and cruel businessman named Upson Pratt is alone in his well-lighted apartment. He has been suffering from mysophobia and has been living in isolation and only communicates with others using the telephone and other electronic methods. Slowly but surely, cockroaches begin to multiply in his apartment.
Upson Pratt and the cockroaches in They’re Creeping Up on You.
Quality
Starting with the storytelling with emphasis on how the comic creators selected content from the movie and translated it all into illustrated literature format with a little over sixty pages to work with, I can say that this comic book is pretty much a faithful adaptation of the film’s five short stories (note: the cinematic prologue and epilogue were never adapted). For each short story, it is clear that sufficient details from each cinematic tale were adapted and the overall concepts, acts and characterizations were pretty much maintained. This is a credible piece of illustrated literature work as each tale is not only readable but also engaging and entertaining complete with shock moments. Take note that Stephen King not only wrote all these tales for the movie, there were two tales that were previously published in literary format before Creepshow was even made. Whoever participated in the editing process behind the production of this comic book deserves commendations.
While the writing used in adapting the film’s concepts and characters turned out good, it is clearly obvious that certain cinematic elements could not be translated here. Remember how frantic and scared Dexter Stanley (played by the late Fritz Weaver) was in the movie after he witnessed the janitor got killed by the monster? Those cinematic emotions never made it in illustrated literary format here.
The artworks by Bernie Wrightson are pretty good to look at. Similar to the writing, the visuals here were made to recapture the look of the movie not in a shot-for-shot manner but with the artist’s own approach on how such scenes should be presented. That being said, I should state that the comic book panels that appeared in the movie’s transition scenes (example: still live action image slowly turning into illustrated comic book form) are NOT here at all.
You will instead see Wrightson’s own visual interpretation of the scenes from the movie and the artworks were inspired a bit by the 1950s horror comics of EC Comics and ultimately were more in line with the contemporary approach of drawing comic book art of the 1980s. The gory scenes from the movie made it in this comic book. When it comes to drawing monsters or the undead, the art result was uneven. While Wrightson’s art of the monster in The Crate was really scary to look at (in accordance to how it appeared cinematically), the work on the walking dead in Something to Tide You Over looked much less scary compared to those in the film.
While Wrightson clearly did not prioritize recapturing the likenesses of the actors to illustrate their respective characters, there were a few shots in which professor Henry Northrup somewhat looked like the late Hal Holbrook, and the illustrated Bedelia resembled the late Viveca Lindfors.
Conclusion
The best way to describe Stephen King’s Creepshow (1982) is this…it is indeed a very solid adaptation of the movie and its five short stories. While it was clear that not all the dialogue and other types of content of the movie could ever fit in this comic book, the creators did a very credible job of adapting Creepshow’s core elements and succeeded in making what they had solidly presented for readers to enjoy. Each short story from the movie turned out to be cohesive and enjoyable for reading.
When it comes to really enjoying this graphic novel, I personally would recommend you readers to watch the Creepshow movie first before reading. The film is the complete package of entertainment showcasing the combined works of Stephen King and director George Romero, while this comic book is ultimately the companion piece for those who enjoyed the movie as well as EC Comics’s horror comic books of the 1950s.
Overall, Stephen King’s Creepshow (1982) is highly recommended!
The Manila Bulletin recently published a news article about the record-breaking number of Filipinos who visited Israel this year citing the Ministry of Tourism’s data. To be clear, more than 19,000 travelers from the Philippines made it to Israel this year and I myself am one of them! I really am thankful to the Lord for the pilgrimage tour to Israel with my local church.
On my blog, I posted several Israel 2023 feature articles that include the Dead Sea, Nazareth Village, the Pool of Siloam, as well as nice commercial joints (click here, here, here and here) that were all tourist-friendly. I have yet to write about the Western Wall, the Temple Mount and other significant sites in the Holy Land.
Going back to the topic of this post, to put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Manila Bulletin news article. Some parts in boldface…
The Israel Ministry of Tourism vowed to make progress on issues of awareness and connectivity as it welcomed the “record-breaking” number of Filipinos traveling to the Holy Land this year.
Sammy Yahia, the director of the Israel Ministry of Tourism office in the Philippines, said this after the number of Filipino travelers broke its “all-time high” record, with 19,300 Filipino tourists traveling to Israel during the first half of 2023.
Data from the ministry showed that the figure was a “whopping growth” of 40 percent from the number of Filipino travelers in Israel during the same period in 2019.
In a statement, Yahia said the year 2023 has been outstanding so far for Israeli tourism, as he noted that the Philippines has always been an important market to them.
“2023 has been outstanding and by far the best year for Israel tourism in the Philippines,” he said.
“It has been an important market for us, and we see huge potential in the Philippine market,” he added.
With this, the tourism official vowed that the Israel Ministry of Tourism in the Philippines “will continue to make progress on the issues of awareness and connectivity.”
Filipinos can enjoy visa-free travel to Israel for up to 59 days, while Israelis can enjoy visa-free travel to the Philippines for up to 59 days.
Israel has been attracting tourists as it is known as the Holy Land. For Christians, Israel is where they celebrate their faith by visiting the birthplace of Jesus Christ, walking where He preached, sitting, and just watching modern-day scenes roll out along the sites mentioned in the Holy Bible.
Very clearly, the Lord blessed both Israel and the Philippines in multiple ways that go beyond tourism statistics. This reminds me about how grateful I am to the Lord for sending me to Israel with my local church’s pilgrimage tour group hosted by a great and very caring Israeli partner. I brought the Holy Bible with me many times to the Holy Land sites.
For the newcomers reading this, you will get the most out of visiting Israel when you are faithful to the Lord and when you seek His presence at the Holy Land. Always read Matthew 6:33 in the Holy Bible and read the many references about Israel in both the Old and New Testaments. That being said, read the holy scriptures about our Lord and Savior Jesus who was in such places like Galilee, Nazareth, Jerusalem, the Garden of Gethsemane, the Temple Mount and more.
On the aspect of travel and touring, there is so much to enjoy when it comes to shopping, dining and discovering new things and people there in Israel. I should also state that Jerusalem is the holiest city in the whole world and you will realize that when you make it there. Whatever blessings you received from God during your visit in Israel, always thank Him and honor Him.
To my fellow Filipinos reading this, I encourage you to accept the truth that Israel is the land God designated specifically for the Jewish people (read Genesis 35:10-12) and His command must be followed by all. If you want to be blessed further by the Lord, do so by loving and blessing the Jewish people (Genesis 12:1-3). I did my part when I was in Israel. Also, let me remind you all that the ties between the Jews and Christians are truly biblical!
Members of the Philippine Team who won medals in the 32nd Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) and the 12 ASEAN Para Games (APG) will be awarded with the promised cash incentives by the national government on July 20, 2023, at Malacañang Palace, according to a Philippine News Agency (PNA) news article. The cash incentives will be released in accordance to Republic Act Number 10699 and President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr., himself will be in attendance.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the PNA news article. Some parts in boldface…
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. will present cash incentives to the medalists of the 32nd Southeast Asian Games (SEAG) and 12th ASEAN Para Games (APG) in a ceremony scheduled on July 20 at the Malacañan Palace.
“We are grateful for President Marcos’ decision to personally award the incentives to Team Philippines, an expression of his admiration to our national athletes and their unwavering passion and dedication for representing the country,” Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Chairman Richard Bachmann said in a statement on Monday.
The government cash incentives amounting to PHP74 million, including PHP14 million for Para Games medalists, is in accordance to Republic Act 10699, or the Expanded National Athletes and Coaches Incentives and Benefits Act.
Medalists in the SEAG will get PHP300,000 for gold winner, PHP150,000 (silver) and PHP60,000 (bronze), while for the ASEAN Para Games winners, the incentives are PHP150,000 (gold), PHP75,000 (silver) and PHP30,000 (bronze).
The cash bonuses will come from the monthly remittances of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) through the PSC’s National Sports Development Fund (NSDF).
“In the past, the PSC conducted two separate awarding for SEAG and APG medalists, but I believe it is more fitting to join the two for the President’s first-ever incentives awarding during his administration,” Bachmann said.
Bachmann will be joined by PSC Commissioners Matthew “Fritz” Gaston, Edward Hayco, Walter Francis Torres and Olivia “Bong” Coo during the awarding ceremony.
Also invited to the ceremony are Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, Senate Committee on Sports Chairman Sen. Bong Go, House Committee on Youth and Sports Chairman Rep. Faustino Dy III, Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) President Mayor Abraham Tolentino, and other sports executives and officials.
The Philippines won 58 golds, 85 silvers and 117 bronzes in the SEA Games to surpass its 52-70-105 haul in Vietnam last year, but remained fifth overall.
World champion Carlos Edriel Yulo bagged two gold and two silver medals for the gymnastics team, which also won two bronze medals.
In the ASEAN Para Games, the country collected 34 gold, 33 silver and 50 bronze medals to duplicate its fifth-place finish last year in Indonesia.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Are you inspired by what the Philippine Team athletes won in the recent SEA Games and ASEAN Para Games?
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
In Las Piñas City, employees at city hall received training on cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to prepare themselves how to respond properly during emergencies, according to a Manila Bulletin news report.
To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…
The Las Piñas Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (DRRMO) conducted cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training for its city hall employees to equip them with proper knowledge to respond to emergencies.
Mayor Imelda Aguilar said 30 CPR instructors received certifications from the Department of Health (DOH) recently after they finished the said seminar.
Aguilar said the instructors were composed of members from the DRRMO, City Health Office, Nutrition Office, Lying-In Clinic, and the Bureau of Fire Protection – Las Piñas,
She said with the new group of instructors, Las Piñas City can now offer free comprehensive CPR training to schools, offices, companies, and barangays.
The mayor said the group started training at least one representative from different offices in the city hall for them to be prepared anytime.
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 feel confident that the training will help city hall employees to respond better during emergencies?
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
Recently as Team Xbox announced the July 2023 lineup of games added on the Xbox Game Pass (XGP) subscription service, the inclusion of the massive best-selling open-world game Grand Theft Auto V (GTAV) turned out to be the biggest surprise of them all.
Franklin traveling on waves. This entire sequence ran smoothly at 60FPS with ray tracing enabled.
To be very clear, this is not GTAV’s first time to be in XGP. In fact, it was made available to Xbox Game Pass subscribers in limited time periods in 2020 and 2021. In my case, since I bought my Xbox Series X console and subscribed to XGP in late-2021, this is my first time to play GTAV on the service and the first time in years for me to replay the game since the Xbox One version. Oh yes, I first played GTAV on Xbox 360 way back in 2013.
What makes GTAV’s newest return to the service significant is that it includes the most updated versions of the game optimized specifically for Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S. This means that the next-generation console graphical enhancements include the Fidelity Mode, the Performance Mode and the Performance RT Mode, and only the Xbox Series X is capable of those three. Refer to the details below sourced from GINX.TV
GTA 5 Fidelity Mode – The highest visual quality possible and targets 30 fps. PS5 and Xbox Series X supports native 4k resolution in this mode with Ray Tracing enabled. Xbox Series S supports upscaled 4K resolution.
GTA 5 Performance Mode – Performance Mode in targets 60 fps for the most responsive, smoothest gameplay experience yet on PS5 and Xbox Series X, with an upscaled 4K resolution. Xbox Series S, on the other hand, supports a resolution of 1080p in Performance Mode targetting 60 fps.
GTA 5 Performance RT Mode – The Performance Ray Tracing Mode is only available for PS5 and Xbox Series X, and is not supported on the Series S console. This is a hybrid between the Performance and Fidelity modes. It targets 60 fps with Ray Tracing enabled, with an upscaled 4K resolution to boot.
This huge crash happened during one of the scores in the game. Captured on Performance RT Mode.
That being said, I started playing Grand Theft Auto V on my Xbox Series X via XGP with the Performance Mode setting for the graphics followed many hours later with the Performance RT (ray tracing) Mode.
As such, I am enjoying replaying the game with super smooth 60 frames-per-second (60FPS) and I can say it made the single-player gameplay experience more fun and engaging to do. Since I enjoy the 60FPS frame rate a lot, I will play the game with the Fidelity Mode some time later.
With Starfieldand Forza Motorsport (2023) launching on Xbox Game Pass this September and October respectively, playing GTAV on the service with the Xbox Series X console is strongly recommended. That being said, there is no telling how long with Rockstar’s game remain on XGP. If you are already an XGP subscriber with an Xbox Series X console and you love open-world games, then you should avail of Grand Theft Auto V while it is still available. Xbox Series S-owning XGP subscribers can still enjoy 60FPS gaming with the Rockstar game.
Go and play Grand Theft Auto V on your Xbox Series X or Xbox Series S console while it is still available on XGP.
In concluding this post, posted below are Xbox-related videos for your enjoyment.
Author Carlo Carrasco 