Recently, the City Government of Muntinlupa congratulated local resident Kaila Napolis for winning the 52Kg women’s jiu-jitsu gold medal in the 2023 World Combat Games that took place in Saudi Arabia.
The congratulatory message was done through the City Government’s official Facebook page on October 28 with a picture post. For the newcomers reading this, this is not the first time Napolis made big achievements in international sports events and has been congratulated by the City Government before (read my past blog posts by clicking here, here, here and here).
From the official Facebook page of Muntinlupa City.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the PNA sports news article. Some parts in boldface…
The Philippines claimed its first gold medal in the 2023 World Combat Games following the triumph of ju-jitsu fighter Kaila Jenna Napolis at the King Saud University Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Wednesday (Thursday in Manila).
“It’s my first time to qualify in such an event. It feels surreal to be able to get a gold medal especially here in the World Combat Games,” the 25-year-old Napolis told the Philippine News Agency on Thursday.
She scored a 2-0 victory over Anael Pannetier of France in the final of the women’s -52kg Ne-Waza.
“She looks intimidating by her stance and she’s a bit bigger than me so I’m very nervous going into the match. I feel like throwing up but I had to focus and give it my all because it is finals already,” shared Napolis, who defeated Adriana Cruz of Colombia, 6-0, in the quarterfinal and Mongljin Ganbaatar of Mongolia via submission in the semifinal.
“When I stepped on the mat, my mind was cleared already. I just wanna execute my techniques first and have a very good control on her,” added the 2023 Cambodia SEA Games gold medalist and Hangzhou Asian Games silver medalist.
Napolis was grateful to national coach John Baylon for accompanying her in the tournament.
“It’s my first time to travel alone without a teammate so I’m super thankful to coach John for helping me with the training here, assisting me with the schedules, being my corner man and masseur,” said Napolis, a member of the Paranaque-based Checkmat Manila Club headed by coach Manny Jimenez.
“Kaila deserved the gold medal, she trained hard and came here prepared,” said Baylon, a nine-time judo gold medalist in the SEA Games. He also competed in the 1988 (Seoul) and 1992 (Barcelona) Olympics.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? If you are a resident of Muntinlupa City, are you very delighted to learn about the latest gold medal victory of Napolis? Does Napolis inspire people in your local community to engage in sports competitions?
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, 1980s culture enthusiasts and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the year 1982 to take a close look at one of the many tales of the Marvel Comics shared universe told through the monthly series of Uncanny X-Men.
This review will examine not only the first-ever appearance of the X-Men foes the Brood but also the effects of other developments that made their impact on key members of Marvel’s team of mutants.
With those details laid down, here is a look back at Uncanny X-Men #155 published in 1982 by Marvel Comics with a story written by Chris Claremont and drawn by Dave Cockrum.
The cover.
Early story
The story begins as a jet carrying Cyclops, Storm and Corsair flies. Tensions are already intense as Cyclops is struggling with the shocking truth that his father – Corsair the leader of the Starjammers – is still living and recently returned to Earth seeking help.
Storm tries to emotionally reconnect with her teammate but Cyclops pushes back as he just found out that she knew Corsair was his father for several months already and never bothered to tell him. Tension grew worse as Corsair tried explaining himself to his son only to get a harsh response in return. Cyclops questioned his father if he even tried to learn what happened to him and his brother Alex (Havok) over the previous twenty years.
Suddenly the jet begins to glow. It turns out that a transporter beam hit them. In an instant, jet got transported forty thousand kilometers above the Earth and into the deck of the Shi’ar Dreadnought. Cyclops, Storm and Corsair find themselves surrounded by armed personnel and an audience of several alien beings.
Suddenly, Colossus, Nightcrawler, Kitty Pryde, Wolverine and Professor X appeared out of nowhere and right next to the jet…
Quality
Wolverine takes on one of the Brood. As this marked the Brood’s first appearance in comics, Wolverine’s encounter with one of them here is a prelude of more intense things to come.
Upon close inspection of the storytelling, this comic book is pretty loaded with details related to developments that took place in previous issues. Apart from Cyclops’ personal struggle on accepting the truth about his father’s existence, there are references to what happened recently on the parts of Xavier, Colossus, Nightcrawler, Wolverine and Kitty Pryde. Not only that, this story also reveals details about Professor X’s past interaction with Empress Lilandra and the Shi’ar race.
As it turns out, the Empress was abducted by terrorists and many of her ministers got killed. This previous event incidentally sets the stage for the new tasks for the X-Men to handle in this particular story which also comes with strong science fiction elements.
Adding further to the X-Men’s new mission to follow the trail to Earth and liberate Empress Lilandra if she is still living, Cyclops’ father Corsair was found to be a conspirator (to be punished) and the Shi’ar’s high officials will only follow Xavier’s lawful command (as the imperial consort) to a certain limit. This new conflict is literally loaded with lots of details that became part of the build-up, and to really grasp it all, you should pay close attention to the details here and in the previous comic books. In other words, this is not an easy read.
Apart from the general concept and plot structuring, Chris Claremont pulled off some clever moves with the way he portrayed Charles Xavier’s leadership and cunning. The X-Men leader knows that a lot is at stake in the new mission and he is certain that further Shi’ar presence on Earth would result in catastrophe.
As for the mission itself, the X-Men got someone from the Avengers to aid them. With Storm and Corsair moving and operating apart from the rest of the team. This leads to another series of developments plus twists that you should read for yourselves.
Conclusion
An intense scene that really puts the X-Men into a predicament and a potential conflict between worlds.
Uncanny X-Men #155 (1982) is not an easy read but if you have a strong understanding of the many plot details and related character developments, then you will eventually enjoy this story. The literary debut of the Brood here is not too significant as it preceded the further emphasis of the alien monster race in the succeeding issues. A highlight here is the intriguing portrayal of Professor X as X-Men leader, as Lilandra’s lover and as the bridge between humanity, mutants and the aliens of the Shi’ar empire. There is also a good amount of spectacle to keep you entertained, particularly during the 2nd half of the story. Considering all the build-up and exposition that took place in this comic book, don’t expect the mission to be concluded within.
Overall, Uncanny X-Men #155 (1982) is highly recommended!
Recently in the city of Parañaque, a man entered a police sub-station in Barangay Tambo pretending to be a member of the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP) and the Military Intelligence Group (MIG) and eventually got arrested when the ID cards he submitted were found to be fake, according to a Manila Bulletin news report. This is a case of the usurpation of authority (for past cases, click here and here).
To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…
A man posing as a member of the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP) and the Military Intelligence Group (MIG) was arrested in Parañaque City on Oct. 18.
According to the report of the Parañaque City Police submitted to the Southern Police District (SPD), the suspect appeared at Tambo police substation together with three Chinese nationals at around 8:40 p.m. to report an incident.
The suspect identified himself as member of ISAFP and MIG when questioned by police.
He presented an AFP ID and MIG ID, but the police discovered the IDs were fake.
The police said the suspect confessed that he is not a member of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
The suspect was immediately brought to the Station Investigation and Detective Management Section (SIDMS) custodial facility where he was detained.
The police filed a case of violation of usurpation of authority against the suspect.
Let me end this piece 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 a lot of individuals in the city committing usurpation of authority who have not been caught?
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, it was announced that local senior citizens, persons with disabilities (PWDs) and pregnant women will be able to vote in the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) as early as 5AM on October 30, 2023, according to a Manila Bulletin news report. Take note that Muntinlupa City is officially a pilot area for early voting for the vulnerable sectors.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…
Muntinlupa City has been chosen as a pilot area for early voting for vulnerable sectors in the Oct. 30 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE).
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) chose Muntinlupa as the pilot location for the early voting project.
“We welcome this initiative by the Comelec to test new ways in the voting process especially to help persons with disabilities (PWDs), seniors, and pregnant women–those who are recognized as especially vulnerable–and make the voting process easier and more accessible for them,” said Mayor Ruffy Biazon.
According to Muntinlupa City Election Officer Atty. Kimberly Joy Alzate-Cu, under the early voting scheme, PWDs, seniors, and heavily pregnant women will be allowed to vote in their registered voting centers from 5 a.m. – 7 a.m.
This will prioritize the vulnerable sectors in the voting process and to help them avoid the rush of voters during the regular voting hours from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on election day.
To avail of early voting, one must be enrolled in the voting center’s Accessible Polling Precinct (APP), which is located nearest to the voting center’s entrance.
If they are not enrolled, they may still vote in the center’s Emergency Accessible Polling Precinct (EAPP). This scheme designates an alternative temporary precinct where the vulnerable voter may cast their vote.
However, unlike the APP, which has its own voting machine and other materials and personnel, in the EAPP, the voter’s ballot will be fetched from their regular precinct by the support staff.
In addition, a companion assisting the PWD, senior, or pregnant voter may also vote during the early voting hours, provided they are also registered in the same voting center as the individual they are accompanying.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? If you are a resident of Muntinlupa City, do you welcome the early voting scheme for the BSKE? Are there several senior citizens or PWDs or pregnant women in your local community who want to vote in the BSKE on October 30?
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
October 30, 2023 (Monday) has officially been declared a special non-working day which would give people an advantage when it comes to voting in the much-anticipated Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) that day, according to a Philippine News Agency (PNA) report.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the PNA news report. Some parts in boldface…
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has declared Oct. 30, a Monday, a special non-working day to allow Filipinos to cast their votes in the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (BSKE) elections.
“It is imperative that the people be given the full opportunity to participate in the said elections and exercise their right of suffrage,” according to his proclamation, which was made public on Wednesday.
The Supreme Court has greenlighted the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to proceed with the conduct of the BSKE scheduled on Oct. 30, 2023, as previously provided for under Republic Act (RA) 11935.
RA 11935, signed by Marcos on Oct. 10 last year, moves the holding of BSKE from Dec. 5, 2023 to the last Monday of October 2023.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Will you be voting in the BSKE on October 30? How many people in your local community expressed willingness to vote on October 30?
It has been days since the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas launched a large-scale attack against Israel using tactics of infiltration, firing of multiple rockets, violating the Israel-Gaza border, kidnapping and murdering. Israel and the rest of the world were shocked by the sudden attacks and the Israeli authorities under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s leadership have since been working hard to fight back against the terrorists, reclaim locations and rescue the hostages. The number of casualties, deaths and damaged places are rising as I write this.
Very clearly, Iran and the Palestinian terrorists formed an axis of evil that Leftists around the world are supporting. Together, the wicked forces formed an anti-Semitic group of nations that are working to destroy Israel.
Very clearly, this is no longer about Palestinians being the so-called victims of the Jewish state. The Palestinian terrorists are driven by hate and were brainwashed to destroy Israel which happens to be the most significant Jewish nation in the whole world. Hamas and its evil army have Democrats in America as supporters and it so happens that the mentally deteriorating Joe Biden is occupying the Office of the US President. The Communist Biden administration has a pretentious diplomatic relationship with Israel and to this day the Democrats still love terrorists.
Considering all the evil forces of this world and their attempts to destroy the Jewish state, I can declare out loud that my love for Israel and Jewish people remains rock solid. My love for Israel and its people is directly connected with my unwavering faith in Lord Jesus and the Word of God! That being said, I am confident that Prime Minister Netanyahu and the government of Israel will defeat Hamas, bring Gaza down a certain degree, and rescue any remaining hostages. It is a matter of time before Israel’s next victory over the Palestinian terrorists happen.
Trust in the Lord because Israel is part of His plan! I stand with Israel knowing God is faithful and eventually Lord Jesus will return someday to impact the world with immense holiness!
In line with what I just stated above, I urge you all reading this to pray for the peace of Jerusalem! Be led by the Holy Spirit with the following translations of Psalm 122:6-9 below…
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May they prosper who love you.
Peace be within your walls, Prosperity within your palaces.”
For the sake of my brethren and companions, I will now say, “Peace be within you.”
Because of the house of the Lord our God I will seek your good.
Psalm 122:6-9 (NKJV)
Pray for Jerusalem’s peace!
Prosperity to all you Jerusalem-lovers!
Friendly insiders, get along!
Hostile outsiders, keep your distance!
For the sake of my family and friends,
I say it again: live in peace!
For the sake of the house of our God, God,
I’ll do my very best for you.
Psalm 122:6-9 (MSG)
Watch this CBN YouTube video about praying for the peace of Jerusalem…
As mentioned earlier, the next victory of Israel is just waiting to happen. It happened before and it will happen again. God also has His timing and He knows how faithful the Israelites are to Him in times of war. Hamas really will be crushed in due time. Learn from the scripture below…
And it came to pass, when Jabin king of Hazor heard these things, that he sent to Jobab king of Madon, to the king of Shimron, to the king of Achshaph, and to the kings who were from the north, in the mountains, in the plain south of Chinneroth, in the lowland, and in the heights of Dor on the west, to the Canaanites in the east and in the west, the Amorite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Jebusite in the mountains, and the Hivite below Hermon in the land of Mizpah. So they went out, they and all their armies with them, as many people as the sand that is on the seashore in multitude, with very many horses and chariots. And when all these kings had met together, they came and camped together at the waters of Merom to fight against Israel.
But the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid because of them, for tomorrow about this time I will deliver all of them slain before Israel. You shall hamstring their horses and burn their chariots with fire.” So Joshua and all the people of war with him came against them suddenly by the waters of Merom, and they attacked them. And the Lord delivered them into the hand of Israel, who defeated them and chased them to Greater Sidon, to the Brook Misrephoth, and to the Valley of Mizpah eastward; they attacked them until they left none of them remaining. So Joshua did to them as the Lord had told him: he hamstrung their horses and burned their chariots with fire.
Joshua turned back at that time and took Hazor, and struck its king with the sword; for Hazor was formerly the head of all those kingdoms. And they struck all the people who were in it with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying them. There was none left breathing. Then he burned Hazor with fire.
So all the cities of those kings, and all their kings, Joshua took and struck with the edge of the sword. He utterly destroyed them, as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded. But as for the cities that stood on their mounds, Israel burned none of them, except Hazor only, which Joshua burned. And all the spoil of these cities and the livestock, the children of Israel took as booty for themselves; but they struck every man with the edge of the sword until they had destroyed them, and they left none breathing. As the Lord had commanded Moses His servant, so Moses commanded Joshua, and so Joshua did. He left nothing undone of all that the Lord had commanded Moses.
Thus Joshua took all this land: the mountain country, all the South, all the land of Goshen, the lowland, and the Jordan plain—the mountains of Israel and its lowlands, from Mount Halak and the ascent to Seir, even as far as Baal Gad in the Valley of Lebanon below Mount Hermon. He captured all their kings, and struck them down and killed them. Joshua made war a long time with all those kings. There was not a city that made peace with the children of Israel, except the Hivites, the inhabitants of Gibeon. All the others they took in battle. For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts, that they should come against Israel in battle, that He might utterly destroy them, and that they might receive no mercy, but that He might destroy them, as the Lord had commanded Moses.
Joshua 11:1-20 (NKJV)
Victory of Israel over Hamas is inevitable and it does not matter that pro-terrorist/pro-Palestine people around the world will react violently and spread their lies through Leftist mainstream news media outlets. What really matters are faith in the Lord, faith in His Word and His plan for the world with Israel as the beacon (model nation for all).
I should remind you all that the Palestinians have no stake in the land of Israel at all! God established His covenant with Abraham whose rightful heir has always been Isaac (the father of Jacob who was later renamed Israel). I understand that the anti-Semitic, the woke, the political correctness extremists, the LGBTQ, the Leftists, the atheists, the secularists, the idolaters and other people still under wicked influences will bash me for telling the truth and preaching His Word but I will never be stopped! Learn from the scriptures below.
God told Abram: “Leave your country, your family, and your father’s home for a land that I will show you.
I’ll make you a great nation
and bless you.
I’ll make you famous;
you’ll be a blessing.
I’ll bless those who bless you;
those who curse you I’ll curse.
All the families of the Earth
will be blessed through you.”
Genesis 12:1-3 (MSG)
And God said to him, “Your name is Jacob; your name shall not be called Jacob anymore, but Israel shall be your name.” So He called his name Israel. Also God said to him: “I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall proceed from you, and kings shall come from your body. The land which I gave Abraham and Isaac I give to you; and to your descendants after you I give this land.”
Genesis 35:10-12 (NKJV)
Finally, I know the truth that vengeance belongs to the Lord. That being said, God will have His vengeance against the enemies of Israel and that means grave punishment for Hamas and all those who supported the terrorists.
Beloved, don’t be obsessed with taking revenge, but leave that to God’s righteous justice. For the Scriptures say: “Vengeance is mine, and I will repay,” says the Lord.
Romans 12:19 (TPT)
Vengeance is Mine, and recompense;
Their foot shall slip in due time;
For the day of their calamity is at hand,
And the things to come hasten upon them.’
Deuteronomy 32:35 (NKJV)
As written in the Holy Bible, Israel is strongly connected with the Lord. God is faithful. He is in control of His Kingdom and He will intervene on behalf of Israel in this very divided and destructive world we live in. Israel will emerge victorious over Hamas and that should send a strong message to Iran’s evil regime and the Democrats of America that God and Israel are not to be messed with.
I stand with Israel! I encourage you all to stand united with Israel, learn to love and bless the Jewish people and pray for the peace of Jerusalem!
Recently President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr., lifted the mandatory price caps on rice (regular milled and well-milled specifically). Even though this has happened, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) confirmed that cash aid and price monitoring will still continue, according to a news article by the Philippine News Agency (PNA).
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the PNA news article. Some parts in boldface…
Financial aid distribution to rice retailers and monitoring of rice prices will continue despite President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s announcement Wednesday about the lifting of the price cap on regular and well-milled rice.
Trade and Industry Secretary Alfredo Pascual, in a press conference in Makati City Wednesday, said the government will still release the financial aid to small retailers selling the said rice varieties who have not received the PHP15,000 cash assistance.
As of Sept. 29, the government, through the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), has released a total of PHP217.2 million under the Sustainable Livelihood Program-Economic Relief Subsidy to 14,480 out of the 19,685 targeted rice retailers nationwide.
DTI has helped the DSWD in identifying, profiling, and validating the beneficiaries of the cash aid.
Since Executive Order 39, which set price ceilings of PHP41 per kilo for regular-milled rice and PHP45 a kilo for well-milled rice, took effect last September 5, the Trade Chief said the compliance rate of retailers nationwide was high at 81.46 percent as of Sept.28.
“There’s (a) good number of sellers selling within those price(s),” Pascual said, adding that prices of these rice varieties in Regions 2 (Cagayan Valley) and 3 (Central Luzon), the country’s rice granary, are even lower at around PHP38 per kilo.
He noted that since rice is being produced in these regions, logistics costs are much lower.
Fair Trade and Enforcement Bureau (FTEB) Director Fhillip Sawali, during the same briefing, also assured that DTI will continue monitoring rice prices, in coordination with the Department of Agriculture, despite the lifting of the price cap on rice.
“We will see the full force of the market because the PHP41 and PHP45 (price caps) are no longer mandated,” he said.
“There is a continuing role for the DTI to play post-EO 39” since there is a need to “see if they (rice traders) continue to follow or nearing their prices at PHP41 and PHP45,” he added.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think there will be drastic changes happening with the prices of rice grain sold in markets here in the Philippines? How much did you spend on rice grain in recent times?
Have you been searching for something fun or interesting to watch on YouTube? Do you feel bored right now and you crave for something to see on the world’s most popular online video destination?
I recommend you check out the following topics and the related videos I found.
#1Godzilla videos in preparation for the new Japanese Godzilla movie
In case you missed the news due to the excessive amount of entertainment developments, there is indeed a brand new Japanese-produced movie of Godzilla (Gojira in Japan) titled Godzilla Minus One which will open in cinemas in Japan this November and in America this December. You can check out my post about Godzilla Minus One by clicking here.
With renewed interest in Toho’s Godzilla sparked in moviegoers’ minds, here are some videos that can help you get to know Japan’s iconic giant monster better before the new movie comes out.
#2 Forza Motorsport (2023)
The much awaited big-budget simulation racing game Forza Motorsport (2023) is coming out on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Windows PC plus Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass within a few days from now for its general release. The big-budget Xbox-exclusive racing game is actually available via early access to those who paid extra for the privilege via the Premium Edition. As with tradition, gaming media outlets produced several video previews and updates of the game recently as the release date came closer and here are the videos you must watch on YouTube. Already Forza Motorsport (2023) received acclaim from critics (click here, here, here and here). Take note that this is the first new Forza Motorsport video game since 2017.
#3 Stay away electric vehicles (EVs) as they could kill you
No matter what the Leftists and climate change extremists do, I personally reject electric vehicles (EVs) and the elimination of fossil fuel and the lessening of energy choices for consumers. No matter what flashy publicity and loud talking points were made, I am not convinced that electric vehicles are safe enough to use for daily travel. In fact, many EV makers don’t want you to know that when their vehicles spark into flames, the fire is much harder to put out and often requires a higher amount of water to do so. Why is that EVs spark and become major fire hazards on the street (and even burn down homes) can be realized in the videos below.
#4 Music video of New Life Music’s worship song Testimony
The music team of New Life Philippines released the official music video (note: backstage sessions specifically) of their newest worship song Testimony. Written by Nash Soliven, Camille Cuna, Erican Reyes, Timothy Mena, Charity Patricio, Josiah Patricio and Sam Mokamad, Testimony reflects the meaning of Revelation 19:10 in the Holy Bible and it was made to strengthen people’s faith in the Lord and believe He is still moving no matter how bad things are around us in this very divided world we live in. The song will remind you about having the testimony of our Lord and Savior Jesus. Watch the official music video by New Life Music below.
#5 Visit the Pool of Siloam in Israel
As some of you may have known by now, I went to Israel on a pilgrimage tour with my local church which was hosted by a very good Israeli strategic partner who ensured everything was in order. Among the many sites we visited in the Holy Land was the Pool of Siloam which was the very place where a blind man (born with blindness) got healed because he followed the instructions of our Lord and Savior Jesus without hesitation. For reference, read John 9:1-11 in the Holy Bible.
You can read my Pool of Siloam feature article by clicking here. I also have several other Israel 2023 articles on this website and I hope they will inspire you to visit the Holy Land in Israel to deepen your faith in the Lord. It is in Israel where the Holy Bible comes to life!
Watch the videos – including my very own video at the place – about the Pool of Siloam below.
Recently in the City of Las Piñas, the local police department officially warned the business establishments about the ongoing solicitation scam (which includes a fake endorsement) for a so-called beauty pageant and they also revealed captured CCTV footage of the suspect, 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…
The Las Piñas City police issued a warning to all business establishments against a solicitation scam using a fake endorsement for the “Miss Amazing Philippines’ 2023” beauty pageant.
City police chief Col. Jaime Santos said Rovic Macariola, a resident of Barangay Almanza Uno and president of Dender and Development, was reportedly approaching business establishments and soliciting donations to support the city’s candidate for the beauty pageant.
Santos said Macariola reportedly solicited donations, amounting to P2,500 to P3,500, to business establishments in exchange for reduced payments for business permits at the Business Permit and Licensing Office (BPLO).
The city police chief said upon verification, they found out that the suspect has a pending case for illegal drug possession, estafa, swindling, and falsification of legislative documents.
Mayor Imelda Aguilar also issued a warning on Friday, Sept. 29, about the use of her fake signature in an endorsement indicating that the suspect is authorized by her office to solicit funds to support the city’s candidate for the “Miss Amazing Philippines’ 2023” beauty pageant.
Upon learning of the illegal activity of Macariola, Aguilar immediately alerted the police and ordered the arrest.
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? Have you personally encountered the suspect? Were there any businesses in your local community that were approached by the suspect? Have you ever heard of a beauty pageant called Miss Amazing Philippines?
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 watching the movie 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, readers and movie enthusiasts! Chances are you must have heard about the controversy and debates over Sound of Freedom, a movie about the child trafficking which was made years ago but only got released this year after overcoming many hurdles. The film starring Jim Caviezel as real-life hero Tim Ballard and directed by Alejandro Monteverde, was released at a time when wokeness in Hollywood got so feverish a lot of movies were no longer interesting for me.
In case you missed the news, the low budget Sound of Freedom performed beyond expectations in the American box office and has since been making waves gradually in cinemas around the world. The film opened officially here in the Philippines on September 20 and I finally saw it in the local theater.
With regards to the controversy about Sound of Freedom, I urge you to reject the Leftists’ constant ranting against it and make the effort to see it yourselves. If you take into account the conceptualization of the movie, it is almost a decade old now and efforts to write the script happened years before QAnon even started (for context, watch Midnight’s Edge video by clicking here). Blatant accusations of QAnon conspiracy theory against this film are simply false and officially denied by Tim Ballard. Communist-filled Hollywood (Commiewood) and the woke mob are simply lying to stop people from seeing the movie.
With those details laid down, here is my review of Sound of Freedom.
The official movie poster.
Early story
The story begins in Honduras when a pretty lady visits the home of a father who has one young daughter and one young son, and convinces him to have them audition into modeling. The audition happened in a different location (filled with the man’s two kids and many others) and as the father was not allowed to be present, he was asked to return in the evening. By the time he returned, the place was empty and the children were kidnapped. They secretly shipped to another country.
In America, Tim Ballard and his time successfully apprehended a man for possessing and distributing child pornography. Tim’s teammate points out to him that although they have arrested many child predators, they could not even save a single child from exploitation and abuse…
Quality
I will start first by saying that this movie was not made to entertain viewers but to emphasize the real-life problems of child trafficking, kidnapping, the abuse of minors, sex trafficking and why slavery today still has many millions of victims (including minors).
This movie closely examines the struggles that come with fighting the syndicates (that kidnapped children and sell them) and the customers (who paid to illegally acquire children for their wicked desires) as told through the eyes of Tim Ballard (Jim Caviezel) who is clearly feeling the heavy stress of his US Homeland Security job (which takes a lot of strength, sacrifice and sheer will to do). Ballard himself has many kids with his faithful and supportive wife (Mira Sorvino) and therefore he can easily relate with the parents whose children got kidnapped and sold in other countries.
Caviezel is mostly subtle with expressing Ballard’s emotions as well as his verbal expressions with the other people he interacted with. This is not to say that Caviezel’s act is wooden, rather he is straightforward with portraying a man who feels disturbed by the collective stress of his duty (but still far away from the breaking low-point). Even though he is getting worn down, Ballard’s sheer determination to save a specific kidnapped-and-abused daughter for a Honduras-based father is nicely captured by Caviezel.
The efforts of fighting the criminals who pounced on children involves a lot of hurdles to overcome. I’m not just talking about Homeland Security agents taking down people in America who engaged in child pornography but also going after the very criminals overseas who kidnapped children, shipped them from one nation to another and sell them as “models” to pedophiles. As such, Ballard’s efforts involves spending time overseas (away from his family), making local connections and secretly working his way into different locations where the risks of getting killed are high.
Again, this tale is not about entertaining viewers as it works on emphasizing to them how extremely difficult it is to bring down the criminals in real-life. The good news is that this film is nicely directed by Monteverde whose cinematic style is simplistic and yet engaging to watch. There is a clear subtle approach on showing what little violence the film has. As for scenes of child abuse, there is nothing graphic to see (left ambiguous) nor was there anything intense about them. While I am certain that some parts of the story involved liberties in order to establish a functional cinematic narrative, this movie strives hard with realism while also avoiding becoming preachy with its message (expressed in subtle fashion) about human trafficking, child slavery and the business involving pedophiles and kidnappers.
Conclusion
Sound of Freedom was clearly made to inform the world that children are still being kidnapped, used for illegal transactions, transported around the world and sold to the predators. This real-world problem continues to happen somewhere every single day and there are simply not enough law enforcers who could fight the criminals and rescue the kidnapped minors. Nor do the law enforcers have the resources to stage major rescue operations while facing off with armed criminals and their bodyguards.
While it is told through Tim Ballard, this movie is not about him and his profession. It is about the extreme difficulties that law enforcers – both domestic and overseas – have to go through to save the very young victims. The story was told with consistent realism and subtlety which make it very believable to watch. Jim Caviezel is indeed a solid performer and his portrayal of Tim Ballard will easily remind you that true heroes are the ones who bravely face tremendous odds to achieve their goals (for good) while still maintaining their sanity no matter how hopeless the situations appeared.
Sound of Freedom is a cinematic call to action to make others aware about the ongoing menaces of sex trafficking, kidnapping, abuse of minors and the cartels (demonic people) that profited from their evil trade. Like Steven Spielberg’s Schindler’s List, this film was made for reflective viewing and not for amusement. Indeed, God’s children are not for sale and this is the truth that the bashers of this movie do not want you to realize. There is also the biblical truth to the popular quote from the film. Read the holy scripture below…
Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin. Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him.
Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.
In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.
1 John 3:1-10 (NKJV)
To put things politically, you must be wondering why the Satanic Left – Democrats, Communists, socialists, Marxists, liberals, the SJWs and the woke extremists – keep on bashing and hating Sound of Freedom. Here is why…because the Leftists are themselves pro-crime (example: “Defund the police.”) and they have made efforts to weaken law enforcement which emboldened the criminals such as robbers, murderers, kidnappers, smugglers, rapists, terrorists, molesters, illegal immigrants and, of course, the pedophiles. The Leftists are clearly wicked and they are lots of them present not only in government but also in showbiz, the mainstream media and other sectors of societies. The Leftists care less about the children and nuclear family, and this is why they want more drag queens and homosexuals to go after the children without law enforcers blocking them. The Leftists are okay with children getting kidnapped, abused and raped. In short, those in the Left are okay with being evil and doing what Satan wants.
I saw Sound of Freedom at the local cinema.
The Leftists are very afraid of Sound of Freedom and remember that it is the one notable movie that almost never got released. That being said, you must watch the movie whenever you have chance to do so.
Author Carlo Carrasco 