Festival Mall – Page 4 – Author Carlo Carrasco

Zark’s Burgers now serving customers inside Festival Mall

May 14, 2024May 13, 2024carlocarrasco

If you crave for burgers and fries, and if you are searching for a unique burger experience here in Alabang, then you should try visiting the brand new Zark’s Burgers branch inside Festival Mall, Filinvest City, Muntinlupa.

*This is what Zark’s Burgers looks like inside Festival Mall at the ground floor.*

Zark’s Burgers had its grand opening inside the said mall on May 10, 2024. Specifically speaking, the burger joint’s newest branch is located at the ground floor right beside Dairy Queen (DQ) and it is just steps away from Festival Mall’s food court in close proximity to National Bookstore. The new branch is easy to spot as the burger joint has its eye-catching sign composed of red and white colors.

For the newcomers reading this, Zark’s Burgers started in 2009 as an 18-seater hole-in-the-wall and they had a 3-man crew. As time passed by, the business gradually expanded as more customers flocked to them for burgers which they found tasty and even unique.

*See anything interesting on Zark’s menu?*

Already featured in the media and in blogs, Zark’s Burgers has an established reputation of being creative with the way they cooked their burgers which in turn delighted not only mainstream customers but also food enthusiasts who have specific expectations about how burgers should be presented and how tasty they should be. Of course, the business is not just selling burgers as they also offer hotdog sandwiches, rice meals, fried chicken, boneless fried chicken sandwiches and more.

Now that Zark’s Burgers’ Festival Mall branch is already operating, it will be interesting to see how they will keep up with the competition inside the said mall which already has lots of places where burgers and fries are being sold. In fact, a few steps away from Zark’s is a branch of Wendy’s which consistently attracts customers.

*Zark’s Burgers Festival Mall branch is just steps away from the food court and right beside Dairy Queen (DQ).*

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 excited to visit Zark’s Burgers branch inside Festival Mall? Do you think Zark’s Burgers has what it takes to keep up with the competition as the mall already has lots of food joints that sell burgers?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

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

What to watch on YouTube right now – Part 18

May 3, 2024May 3, 2024carlocarrasco

Welcome back, my readers, YouTube viewers and all others who followed this series of articles focused on YouTube videos worth watching. 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.

#1 X-Men (2000) movie reaction videos plus trivia and retrospective – When it comes to superheroes, I am fan of the X-Men and most of the engaging stories I read were comic books written by Chris Claremont who is also responsible with defining many key characters. The first-ever live-action X-Men movie was released in 2000 and I saw it on opening day here in the Philippines inside a cinema of Festival Mall and it was not even half-full. Today, a brand new live-action X-Men movie under Marvel Studios has yet to be released and now is a good time to look back at the first movie through the varied movie reaction videos, trivia video and retrospective video below…

#2 Flavors of NCR 2024 videos – If you love food and enjoy food bazaars or food festivals, then you should read my article about the 2024 edition of Flavors of NCR which I attended recently. Flavors of NCR is an annual food festival supported by the local governments of the National Capital Region (NCR) here in the Philippines which gives visitors opportunities to try the food and beverage products offered by different small businesses from each local government. This year’s Flavors of NCR was hosted by Muntinlupa City and Filinvest City Central Park was the venue. Watch and enjoy my videos below…

#3 The Leftists love terrorism, murder, destruction and genocide – On more serious matters, the Islamo-Leftist believers (people who hate Israel and support Iran, the Palestinian terrorists and other evil forces of the world) have turned more chaotic with their protesting and they don’t even care about the safety and concerns of the public. Here are the facts: Leftists/socialists/Marxists/Communists/liberals are consumed by evil and they took sides with the terrorists not realizing they are supporting evil forces. It is also a fact that many pro-Palestine believers don’t even have full knowledge of what they are campaigning for and their ignorance was exposed! Many pro-Palestine believers want to commit genocide against the Jewish people even as they blatantly blame Israel for genocide (a big lie). Observe the evil, the ignorance and recklessness of the people who hate Israel in the videos below. They are clearly very lost people who constantly fail to realize the evil of their ways.

#4 Wicked Iran failed to destroy Israel and got hit strategically – Iran is the heart of evil in this world we live in. Iran – which has a very wicked and unholy regime since 1979 – is Satan’s tool for spreading death, chaos and genocide through the form of terrorism. Iran’s massive attack on Israel turned out a major failure as their missiles (plus some from their terrorist proxies) were deflected by a rate of 99% by Israel’s defenses and assistance from its allies (including Saudi Arabia). Iran was humiliated not only because of the failed massive attack (which cost them many billions of Dollars) on Israel but also because a new coalition of Western and Arab nation was formed to defend Israel.

Shortly after that, Iran suffered from a strategic attack which was not even massive in terms of explosives but was more than enough to rattle Iranian systems. The attack on Iran happened the same day their supreme leader turned 85 and their evil regime got very humiliated. Watch and learn from the videos below…

#5 The Jessica Alfaro Story (1995) full movie – Here in the Philippines, the Vizconde Massacre case is one of the most controversial and most sensationalized cases ever. This is about the 1991 tragedy of three family members – mother, adult daughter and little daughter – who were found dead with multiple stab wounds in their home in BF Homes, Parañaque. In 1995, Jessica Alfaro emerged as the so-called star witness claiming she knew the suspects, was at the Vizconde home when the murders happened, and pointed to several suspects who happened to be members of prominent families. Conviction of the suspects happened in January 2000 followed by further legal disputes through the following years. In December 2010, seven of the nine accused were acquitted as a result of the Supreme Court reversing the earlier judgment of the lower court and the Court of Appeals.

Going back to 1995, believe it or not, a live-action movie dramatizing the life and times of Jessica Alfaro was actually released shortly after the star witness first emerged. The movie was The Jessica Alfaro Story (1995) which starred Alice Dixson which you can watch entirely (note: Tagalog language and several minutes of the film was muted on YouTube due to use of copyrighted music) below.

Take note that due to legal reasons, the Vizconde name was not used in the film which resulted in the use of an alternative name (examples: Vizconde massacre is called Ilagan massacre, Carmella Vizconde is referred to as Lorraine Ilagan), and do not expect to hear Hubert Webb’s name in the film. This goes the same with the other real-life suspects. The Vizconde Massacre case officially started in 1995 and the 2010 Supreme Court decision made The Jessica Alfaro Story’s overall value questionable by today’s standards. However, the movie should still appeal to people who love Alice Dixson, as well as film buffs who are interested to see how Filipino filmmakers dramatize reality and controversial cases.

#6 Elevator Action retrospective – Decades ago, I enjoyed playing Elevator Action games on console and at the local arcade. Specifically, I played the original Elevator Action game on the Family Computer (Nintendo Entertainment System in America) as a young boy. A decade later, I played the sequel Elevator Action Returns which was very fun and immersive arcade game! To learn more about the history of Elevator Action, watch the video of PatmanQC below…

#7 Stargate reaction videos – Before Independence Day (1996) and the atrocious Hollywood Godzilla (1998) were released, the creative duo of producer Dean Devlin and director Roland Emmerich made Stargate (1994). This is the very movie that served as the foundation of the eventual Stargate SG-1 TV series which itself was a sequel. To learn more about the Stargate movie, watch the selected reaction videos below…

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Almost P650 million deposited through BSP’s coin machines

May 1, 2024April 22, 2024carlocarrasco

Almost P650 million million worth of coins have been deposited through the many coin deposit machines (CoDMs) of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) as of April 15, 2024, as published on their website.

Based on the latest statistics, a total of P648,904,160.19 in coins got deposited into BSP machines on 161,725 transactions from customers. In terms of physical quantity, 179,641,987 coins were deposited.

Doing the math on the latest statistics, customers averaged P4,012.39 per transaction (versus the previous month’s P3,914.27 per transaction) at the machines. As for the grand total Peso amount divided by the number of coins deposited, the average is P3.6122 per coin deposited (versus the previous month’s average of P3.55749 per coin deposited).

In my experience, depositing coins at the BSP coin deposit machine inside Festival Mall in Alabang got a bit more challenging to do. I noticed that the machine in the said mall has been breaking down or malfunctioning more compared to previous times.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Were you able to deposit your excess coins into a BSP coin deposit machine in your locality recently? How long did you wait in line before you got your turn to deposit coins at the BSP coin deposit machine? Whenever you successfully deposited your coins, is GCash your main choice of e-wallet?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Over P577 million deposited through BSP coin machines

April 1, 2024March 26, 2024carlocarrasco

More than P577 million worth of coins have been deposited through the many coin deposit machines (CoDMs) of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) as of March 15, 2024, as published on their website.

Based on the latest statistics, a total of P577,421,900.87 in coins got deposited into BSP machines on 147,517 transactions from customers. In terms of physical quantity, 162,311,398 coins were deposited. All these numbers are accurate as of March 15, 2024.

Doing the math on the latest statistics, customers averaged P3,914.27 per transaction (depositing of coins) at the machines. As for the grand total Peso amount divided by the number of coins deposited, the average is P3.55749 per coin deposited.

As with recent times, in my experience, it is getting more challenging for me to deposit loose change at the BSP coin deposit machine inside Festival Mall in Alabang not just because more people lined up but also because more people are individually carrying jars or bags full of coins to deposit. The more coins a customer tries to deposit during his or her turn at the machine, the wait can be a few to several minutes long. I also noticed that more motorcycle delivery operators have joined the line inside Festival Mall supposedly to do the deposits for their clients.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Were you able to deposit your excess coins into a BSP coin deposit machine in your locality recently? Do you think the BSP should put up more coin deposit machines to keep up with the growing consumer demand? How long normally is the line at the BSP coin deposit machine in your locality each time you visit?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Have you tried the food at Firehouse Pizza in Alabang?

February 16, 2024February 7, 2024carlocarrasco

If you are looking for a good place to enjoy pizza, pasta and salad with the family in Alabang, you should consider Firehouse Pizza.

Located at the ground floor of the Entrata Urban Complex along Civic Drive in Filinvest City, Alabang, Muntinlupa City, Firehouse Pizza is the “place where friends and family can gather over great food in a place that promises a warm welcome and a whole lot of delicious fun.” As published on their website, the restaurant intends to “introduce a new way of enjoying pizza” because they are “more than just a pizza joint.”

On my part, I had dined with the family at Firehouse Pizza twice and the most recent visit was for dinner. Posted below are pictures and descriptions of what we had the last time…

This is the Burrata Salad, easily the most unique thing from Firehouse Pizza’s menu. It is composed of cherry tomatoes, mesclun leaves, Burrata cheese (meant to be opened and spread over the ingredients), Balsamic reduction and olive oil. As of this writing, it was priced at P750.

*This is the Antipasti Platter composed of assorted cheese, assorted cold cuts, artichoke, mushroom, olives and vegetable confit. For sharing, this one costs P740.*

*This is the solo-sized Lasagna Bolognese which costs P360. Composed of minced beef, mozzarella and parmesan, it was cooked well and each bite was tasty and smooth.*

Like the first time my family dined there, all the food served to us by Firehouse Pizza were well prepared with regards to the cooking of the pizza and pasta, and also the way they ensured the freshness of the ingredients on making the Burrata Salad. There definitely is special attention paid on the quality, taste and presentation. On my part, each bite was tasty. If there was anything lacking, it was their hot plate special of Grilled Tenderloin with Potato Wedges which was out of stock during our last visit. With regards to getting served, the restaurant’s personnel were really attentive and helpful to us as well as the other diners. That being said, I encourage you to visit Firehouse Pizza when you have the chance and the means to do so.

*This is what Firehouse Pizza looks like from the outside during night time. It is a corner unit and just walking distance away from Crimson Hotel.*

For the newcomers reading this, if you will be traveling to Alabang to have a meal at Firehouse Pizza, be aware that the restaurant is just a short walk away from Crimson Hotel which is also part of the Entrata Urban Complex. You can park your car at the Festival Mall parking lot just outside of Shopwise, or at the multilevel parking facility nearby (bordering Civic Drive).

For more about Firehouse Pizza, visit https://firehousepizzaalabang.com/ and follow them on social media by clicking here and here.

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Almost P400 million deposited through BSP coin deposit machines

January 29, 2024January 30, 2024carlocarrasco

Recently the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) posted an update on their official page about their coin deposit machine (CoDM) project revealing that almost P400 million worth of coins got deposited by customers as of January 15, 2024.

Based on the latest statistics, a total of P399,081,734.54 in coins got deposited into BSP machines on 110,910 transactions from customers. In terms of physical quantity, 117,120,209 coins were deposited. All these numbers are accurate as of January 15, 2024.

Doing the math on the latest statistics, customers averaged P3,598.25 per transaction (depositing of coins) at the machines. As for the grand total Peso amount divided by the number of coins deposited, the average is P3.40745 per coin deposited.

In my personal experience, it’s gotten more challenging to deposit my coins into the BSP machine located inside Festival Mall in Filinvest City, Alabang. Locally, a lot more people became aware of the machine which resulted in longer lines as well as families or business managers/owners bringing huge volumes of their coins contained in bottles or bags. There were also times when the BSP machine inside the mall got filled to its limit during the day and it could not function until the BSP’s own collectors gather all the coins.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Were you able to deposit your excess coins into a BSP coin deposit machine in your locality in recent times? Do you think the BSP should put up more coin deposit machines to keep up with consumer demand? How long normally is the line at the BSP coin deposit machine in your locality each time you visit?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Bikes-for-Rent at Filinvest City Central Park

January 27, 2024October 28, 2025carlocarrasco

UPDATE – The bikes-for-rent business in the blog post below is no longer occupying the space along Spectrum Midway near Filinvest City Central Park.

Here in Muntinlupa City, the Alabang area continues to be a dynamic place for leisure, shopping, fitness, dining and exploration. One of the more vibrant places to be in is the Filinvest City Central Park which is accessible via Spectrum Midway, East Asia Drive and Promenade roads within Filinvest City (formerly known as Filinvest Corporate City). Notably, the commercial places located in close proximity to Filinvest City Central Park are Commercenter (along East Asia Drive) and at a slightly farther distance Festival Mall.

Filinvest City Central Park has a nice wide portion of grassy land (facing East Asia Drive) where visits can relax at during the afternoons (when the sun is not too intense) and there is also a small playground where kids can play at. There is also another wide portion of grassy land on the other side (facing Festival Mall).

Filinvest City Central Park also has connecting roads plus a few cemented paths where people can travel on without the hassle of incoming motorized vehicles. The roads are ideal for those who love to hike, run and bike around.

Bicycles-for-rent – Along Spectrum Midway road, just steps away from Filinvest City Central Park, is a local service where visitors can rent bicycles for a fee (depending on what bicycle you want) for an hour’s use. Check out the video and images posted below.

*Lots of bicycles lined up for visitors to choose and rent.*

At the bike rental service are two large signs displaying details about the bike rental rates per hour and the bike rental guidelines. Those who plan to rent bikes can avail of the Double Seater Sidecar for P250, the Big Sidecar for P200, the Small Sidecar for 150, the Mountain Bike for P200, the Big BMX for P150, the Small BMX for P100, the Lady’s Bike for P150, the Go Cart for P200 and the Kiddie Bike for P100. All fees, which are to be paid first, are non-refundable.

As per the bike rental guidelines, visitors who wish to rent a bike must provide or show a valid ID card. If children are to ride, they must be accompanied by parents or guardians at all times. Biking around is limited within the designated areas and warning signs must be followed without question. Bike racing and exhibition are prohibited.

*The covered area is where visitors can approach for transactions on renting bicycles. This is along Spectrum Midway.*

If you seek fun biking around Filinvest City Central Park, you can enjoy the convenience that comes with renting bikes there. Visit the bike rental service soon.

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Southern Police District (SPD) officers arrest leader of gunrunning group at Festival Mall

January 16, 2024January 10, 2024carlocarrasco

Recently in the City of Muntinlupa, the Southern Police District (SPD) conducted an entrapment operation at a part of Festival Mall that resulted in the arrest of the leader of a gunrunning group for the alleged illegal sale of firearms and ammunition, according to a Manila Bulletin news report.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the news report of the Manila Bulletin. Some parts in boldface…

A suspected leader of a gunrunning group was arrested by the Southern Police District (SPD) at a popular mall in Alabang, Muntinlupa on Jan. 9.

The SPD Special Operation Unit carried out the operation against the illegal sale of firearms and ammunition.

SPD Director Brig. Gen. Mark Pespes identified the arrested suspect as alias Ivan, 51, alleged leader of the Sgt. Ivan Gun Running Group. The driver of the van with the alias Alvin, 41, is being investigated.

A member of the group, alias Daryl, 40, was arrested in another operation in Sampaloc, Manila.

The arrest was made at about 8 a.m. in front of a Korean grill restaurant in Festival Mall in Alabang.

A subsequent operation at 11:15 a.m. on the same day in Sampaloc, Manila led to the arrest of Daryl, the second target of the operation.

The SPD said the operation stemmed from intelligence provided by a confidential informant, allegedly detailing the involvement of the Sgt Ivan Group in gunrunning activities.

The group is allegedly composed of reservists or former uniformed personnel and believed to be operating in the southern part and nearby cities of the National Capital Region (NCR).

SPD said the entrapment operation, jointly conducted with the Station Intelligence Section of the Muntinlupa Police, the Philippine National Police’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group Quezon City District Field Unit and Manila Police District Substation 4.

At Festival Mall, Ivan, the No. 1 target of the operation, sold two ammunition boxes of 5.56mm containing an estimated 2,000 rounds after receiving marked buy-bust money. Subsequently another operation was launched involving three high-caliber firearms.

The transaction started in Muntinlupa City and extended to D. Tuazon, Quezon City. Target No. 2, Daryl, aware of the situation, swiftly changed the location to Bataan Street, Barangay 55, Sampaloc, near the boundary of Quezon City and Manila. Despite attempts to evade arrest, Daryl was swiftly apprehended by the team.

Recovered by the police from Ivan were P1,000 genuine bill marked money, two ammunition boxes containing an estimated 2,000 rounds of green tip 5.56 ammunition, one Intelligence Service Identification Card under the name of suspect alias Ivan.

Meanwhile, recovered from Daryl, the SPD said, were P1,000 genuine bill, one unit of Imbel Brasil .45 caliber pistol, one magazine for .45 caliber pistol, 15 live ammunition for .45 caliber pistol, black inside holster for .45 caliber pistol, one Bentley shotgun, 35 shotgun shells, red sling bag intended as pouch for shotgun ammunition, one US carbine with foldable butt and sling, 82 live ammunition for carbine, black pouch intended for carbine ammunition, brown sling bag. An Armscor .45 caliber pistol recovered from Daryl is under verification.

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 surprised that the buy-bust operation and arrest happened within the area of Festival Mall?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Where to deposit your excess Peso coins while you are in Alabang

November 29, 2023November 27, 2023carlocarrasco

If you are constantly present here in Alabang in Muntinlupa City, and if you have an excess number of Peso coins that you want to have deposited for safekeeping or for personal use, then you should visit the coin deposit machine (CoDM) of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) located inside Festival Mall in Filinvest City.

To be more specific, the BSP CoDM inside the said shopping mall is located on ground floor very near the escalators which itself is in close proximity to the following ground floor businesses: SM Savemore grocery, Saibachi Japanese Restaurant and Café BLK & BRWN (this one is just steps away from the machine).

*This is the BSP coin deposit machine inside Festival Mall in Alabang.*

Before you join the line for depositing your coins at the BSP’s coin deposit machine, you must have a valid GCash account (to receive the value of the coins successfully deposited). If you don’t have a GCash account, you can still have the value of the deposited coins converted into SM shopping vouchers (accepted by The SM Store). There is also a Maya option available.

Still before joining the line, you must make sure that your Peso coins are not dented/damaged, and each coin is loose (meaning not taped together as a bundle). Obviously, foreign coins, tokens and demonetized Peso coins (Peso coins that are outdated) will be rejected. These tips are to ensure that the coins will be counted by the machine once deposited. To learn more, watch the video below and pay close attention to the details…

Once you join the line, you will need to be patient not simply because there could be several customers ahead of you but also because there will most likely be other customers ahead of you who brought at least one large container of coins with them for depositing which can take some minutes to be deposited into the CoDM (note: there is always a BSP assistant who will help and occasionally troubleshoot the machine whenever it malfunctions).

Do not be surprised to see other customers ahead of you who brought multiple plastic containers of coins to be deposited. Based on my personal experience depositing coins at the machine inside Festival Mall, I noticed that more families and local businesses are having their idle coins put into the CoDM. There was a time when one customer ahead of me deposited coins from four large containers and it took several minutes for the machine to count them all and this includes moments when the machine malfunctioned and the BSP assistant had to do some fixing on the spot.

Once you start your turn to deposit at the CoDM, let the BSP assistant guide you. There will be buttons on the machine for you to press before you start putting your coins into the receiving mechanism. From time to time as coins get counted, there will be a few coins that the machine will reject and will instead fall into the lower part where you can reach into and collect. You can try depositing the uncounted coins until it gets counted. As mentioned earlier, foreign coins, tokens and demonetized Peso coins will be rejected.

Once your deposit is successful, you can decide whether to have the counted value transferred into your active GCash account or into an SM shopping voucher. Receipts will be issued from the machine which you must always keep to yourself. Do not throw away the receipts.

*Another look at the BSO CoDM inside Festival Mall located near the escalators at the ground floor..*

I hope this post will be helpful to you and your effort to deposit excess Peso coins into the BSP DoCM inside Festival Mall. In my experience, the lines range from very short (1 or 2 customers ahead of me) to long (8 customers ahead of me). There will be customers who will be depositing a small amount and there are others who brought so much coins as the BSP coin deposit project has attracted a lot of attention locally. You will need to be patient and manage your time when you join the line for the CoDM. To learn more about the coin deposit project, click https://www.bsp.gov.ph/Pages/CoinsAndNotes/CDM.aspx

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, have you deposited your idle Peso coins into the BSP CoDM inside Festival Mall? If you were able successfully deposit your coins, how long did you wait before your turn happened?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Almost P115 million worth of coins deposited through BSP’s machines

October 20, 2023October 18, 2023carlocarrasco

As the public became more aware of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ (BSP) coin deposit project, it is unsurprising that the accumulated amount of coins deposited through machines reached almost P115 million, according to a BusinessWorld news report. Take note that the BSP recently installed additional machines which should give people more opportunities to deposit their idle coins.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the BusinessWorld news report. Some parts in boldface…

THE BANGKO SENTRAL ng Pilipinas (BSP) has collected P114.9 million in coins less than four months after the launch of their coin deposit machines (CoDMs) nationwide.

The central bank collected 42.4 million coins worth P114.9 million via the CoDMs as of Oct. 6 since they were rolled out in June, it said in a statement on Tuesday.

“We would like to thank our participating retailers and coin savers, especially those who have been promoting the usage of CoDMs on social media, for being instrumental in the program’s continued popularity and success,” BSP Deputy Governor Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said.

The coin deposit machines form part of the BSP’s efforts to improve the circulation of coins in the financial system.

“A case was made for a cash recycler program because we had about 36 billion coins in circulation then, but there seemed to be an artificial shortage in some areas in the Philippines,” BSP Deputy Director Jann Ryan D. Jose said.

The central bank said there were 39.1 billion coins in circulation as of April for an average of around 358 coins per person, almost three times the 2005 average of 121 coins per individual.

“When coins are not recirculated and left idle, an artificial coin shortage can happen in certain regions. This increases the likelihood of businesses shortchanging their customers,” the BSP said.

The BSP has finished deploying its target of 25 coin deposit machine units in malls across Metro Manila and other nearby provinces.

The value of coins deposited in CoDMs may be credited to the depositor’s e-wallet account or converted into a shopping voucher for over-the-counter transactions. Customers depositing coins can credit the equivalent amount to their e-wallets.

The awareness of the coin deposit project of the BSP is only growing and this prompted people to collect their coins and deposit them. Very recently at Festival Mall in Alabang, I noticed a growing number of people who lined up at the BSP coin deposit machine at the ground floor carrying plastic jars full of coins. One particular customer ahead of me who carried such high number of coins took a lot of time to deposit them into the machine (supported by a designated technician) as the counting got disrupted a number of times which required the technician to do some fixing. That customer’s coins were worth over P20,000 in value.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Are there any BSP coin deposit machines near your local community? If you were able to find the machines, were you able to deposit your idle coins? Are there many people in your local community who are interested to deposit their coins into the machines?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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