If you are looking for encouraging news about our country and its struggle to rise up from the COVID-19 crisis, be aware that more than half a million foreign visitors have been counted since the Philippines reopened its borders months ago, according to a recent news report by BusinessWorld.
To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the BusinessWorld article. Some parts in boldface…
FOREIGN VISITORS have totaled 517,516 as of May 25, since the reopening of borders with minimal quarantine requirements in February, according to the Department of Tourism (DoT).
The DoT said in a statement that the US was the top source of arrivals between Feb. 10 and May 25 with 104,589, followed by South Korea with 28,474 arrivals, and Canada 24,337.
“Australian nationals, British, and Japanese were next on the list with 23,286; 20,846; and 13,373 respectively,” the DoT said.
“Other foreign visitors during the early months of the year include Vietnamese, Singaporeans, Malaysians, Italians, Irish and French,” it added.
On Feb. 10, the Philippines started accepting nationals that do not require visas to enter the country. Since April 1, borders have been opened to all nationals.
“The DoT is looking forward to an uptick in tourist arrivals in the coming weeks following the further easing of entry requirements,” Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said.
Starting May 30, the DoT said fully vaccinated and boostered inbound foreign visitors will no longer be required to have a pre-departure test for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The looser entry rules are authorized by Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) Resolution No. 168.
However, the DoT said arriving passengers are still encouraged to obtain travel insurance. All types of vaccination certificates, regardless of country of origin, will also be accepted.
“Based on the resolution, the visitor must be at least 18 years old and must have received the primary series of COVID-19 vaccines and at least one booster shot,” the DoT said.
For the newcomers reading this, more tourists from overseas means better opportunities for local businesses to make more money and recover whatever losses they had as a result of lockdowns and quarantine-related business restrictions. Tourism-related businesses like hotels, resorts and connected transportation and food-and-beverage services badly need the spending of foreign visitors.
In relation to this tourism industry development, be aware that there were foreign participants in the recent Subic Bay International Triathlon (SUBIT) which was a big sports even that attracted hundreds of participants on May 1 at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone. Speaking of the said location, I personally saw lots of hotels, restaurants (note: read my feature articles about Gourmet Garage Subic and Xtremely Xpresso), stores and other leisure facilities that operated as if the country is back in the pre-pandemic days. The more foreign tourists coming in plus the more local tourists engage in holidays, special events and travel in the country, the better it will be for local businesses to recover (plus pay their fees, taxes and keeping their hard-working employees longer) and the nation as a whole. I believe that the Philippines will continue to rise socially and economically from the pandemic.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction about this tourism-related development? Do you believe the Philippines will be able to attract 2 million foreign tourists by the end of 2022? Do you run a business that catered to foreign tourists?
Last week in the city of Las Piñas, an attempted abduction of a lady happened which was captured on CCTV. Fortunately for the lady who was actually grabbed by a male to enter the vehicle driven by a partner, the abduction attempt failed as her screams for help caught of the attention of some people, including motorcyclists. The lady was let free and the suspects’ car went away. Subsequently, the two individuals involved in the abduction attempt were arrested by the local police by means of a follow-up operation, according to a GMA Network news report.
To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the GMA news report. Some parts in boldface…
A woman successfully fended off a man who tried to drag her into a vehicle in Las Piñas City on Wednesday evening.
CCTV footage shows the man standing by the open door of a vehicle, then grabbing the woman as she is walking past and trying to shove her into the car.
According to Jun Veneracion’s report on “24 Oras” on Thursday, the woman was able to pull herself away, while her screams alerted nearby diners and motorcycle riders.
“Yung rider sumigaw ng ‘hoy!’ At saka ‘yung sigaw ng babae ang lakas din at tatlong beses yata nagsisigaw. Eh sakto, kumakain kami dito. Tinakbo namin,” said Michael Reyes, who was nearby.
(One of the riders shouted, ‘Hoy!’ And then the woman was also shouting loudly, around three times. Fortunately, we were just eating here, so we ran to her.)
“Namumutla siya sa… parang na-trauma dun sa nangyari,” Arwin Cadayday, another witness, said.
(She had turned pale… as if she was traumatized by what had happened.)
The Las Piñas City Police arrested two suspects after tracing the vehicle through its license plate. Inside, they found a gun, ammunition, and a grenade.
One of the suspects, Leonard Alfaro, claimed their only motive was to rob the woman of her cellphone and some money.
The other suspect, George Caragdag Jr., claimed not to have known what Alfaro was going to do.
“Hindi ko naman alam na ganoon ang gagawin niya—mang-hold-up, maghahanap ng bata,” he said.
(He said he was just looking for money, so I let him in the car. I didn’t know he would do that—do a hold-up, look for a child.)
However, Las Piñas City Police chief Police Colonel Jaime does not believe the alibi of the suspects.
“Bakit mo i-abduct kung kukunin mo ang pera?” Jaime stated.
(Why would you try to abduct the woman if you were only going to take her money?)
The above report ended stating that based on police records, the two suspects were previously arrested and detained for a different case. The said suspects will be charged for attempted abduction.
Posted below is the Tagalog-language news video of GMA Network.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a Las Piñas City resident, how do you feel about this recent development? Do you believe the alibi of one of the arrested suspects that his only motive on abducting the lady was to get her money and mobile phone? Do you believe the other suspect who claimed that he was not aware what his partner was going to do?
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
Welcome back, my readers and fellow Christians! In this newest edition of my Christian Music Appreciation (CMA) series, we will focus on God of the Breakthrough, another original worship song from New Life Music. For the newcomers reading this, the previous New Life Music worship songs I examined and analyzed were Touch From Heaven and Now I’m Alive. Read about those CMA pieces soon.
If you want to discover and learn more about New Life Music, I encourage you to click here (Facebook page), here (Instagram) and here (YouTube). New Life Music is part of New Life Philippines whose main church is located inside Alabang Hills Village in Muntinlupa City, Philippines. To know more about New Life Philippines itself, visit https://newlife.ph/
Before getting into the analysis of the Biblical relevance of God of the Breakthrough, posted below for your reference are the lyrics composed by Chynna Cuna, Dem Mokamad, Jed Patricio, Gianna Bautista and Joed Avila.
VERSE 1
When the giants come my way
He is powerful to save
In the trials and the pain
His promises remain
–
PRE CHORUS
I will not be defeated
I will not be defeated
–
CHORUS
I’ll lift up my head
And shout His name
Open up the gates
And let Him in
–
VERSE 2
In the battles and the storms
You’re my victory
As I praise, I stand and see
That my God fights for me
–
PRE CHORUS
I will not be defeated
I will not be defeated
–
CHORUS 2
I’ll lift up my head
And shout His name
Open up the gates
And let Him in
–
King of glory enter in
King of glory enter in
King of glory enter in
King of glory enter in
–
BRIDGE
Walls come down
Healing now
Chains be loosed
God of the breakthrough
–
Hearts restored
Fear be gone
Faith arise
God of the breakthrough
To begin with, let’s take a close look at the lyrics of Verse 1 of the song: When the giants come my way, He is powerful to save, In the trials and the pain, His promises remain.
The Verse 1 lyrics emphasize that no matter the troubles or the odds we the faithful children encounter while living here on Earth that is so divided by problems (examples: external economic forces, war, political conflicts, etc.), we need not fear because we have the Lord to look up to not just to help us survive but emerge stronger, get restored and prosper as we follow His path and follow Him with unwavering faith. God is always faithful to us and He always keeps His promises as He created each of us with plans already made. Never forget that He sent His Son Jesus to redeem us, granting us a Lord and Savior to follow. Learn from the following scriptures below…
For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life.
John 3:16 (AMPC)
Not one word of all the good promises that the Lord had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass.
Joshua 21:45 (ESV)
For God’s Word is something to sing about! He is true to his promises, his word can be trusted, and everything he does is reliable and right.
Psalms 33:4 (TPT)
Jesus answered him, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, that unless a person is born again (anew, from above), he cannot ever see (know, be acquainted with, and experience) the kingdom of God.
John 3:3 (AMPC)
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1:9 (ESV)
For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for prosperity and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.
Jeremiah 29:11 (NASB)
But you, O Lord, your mercy-seat love is limitless, reaching higher than the highest heavens. Your great faithfulness is infinite, stretching over the whole earth.
Psalms 36:5 (TPT)
Next, take a close look at the following lines from the PreChorus: I will not be defeated, I will not be defeated.
The Pre Chorus lyrics are straight to the point. As God’s faithful children, there is absolutely no reason for us to be defeated because we are living in accordance to the Lord’s victory. We are living in His victory led by unwavering faith in Him and following Him through His Word without compromise. Under the Lord, we are more than conquerors! Learn from the following scriptures below…
Yet even in the midst of all these things, we triumph over them all, for God has made us to be more than conquerors, and his demonstrated love is our glorious victory over everything!
Romans 8:37 (TPT)
For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.
1 John 5:4 (ESV)
In conclusion, be strong in the Lord [be empowered through your union with Him]; draw your strength from Him [that strength which His boundless might provides].
Put on God’s whole armor [the armor of a heavy-armed soldier which God supplies], that you may be able successfully to stand up against [all] the strategies and the deceits of the devil.
For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the despotisms, against the powers, against [the master spirits who are] the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) sphere.
Ephesians 6:10-12 (AMPC)
Moving on, here are the lines from the Chorus: I’ll lift up my head, And shout His name, Open up the gates, And let Him in.
The Chorus lyrics form a lively reminder that we are to look up to our Lord, emphasize His name wholeheartedly and allow the Holy Spirit to lead us in accordance to His will. Learn from the scriptures below (note: the Model Prayer is included)…
Pray, therefore, like this: Our Father Who is in heaven, hallowed (kept holy) be Your name.
Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven (left, remitted, and let go of the debts, and have given up resentment against) our debtors.
And lead (bring) us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
Matthew 6:9-13 (AMPC)
Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;
fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,
over the man who carries out evil devices!
Psalm 37:7 (ESV)
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”
Matthew 6:33-34 (ESV)
And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.”
Mark 16:15 (NASB)
Make a joyful shout to the LORD, all you lands! Serve the LORD with gladness; Come before His presence with singing. Know that the LORD, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures all generations.
Psalm 100:1-5 (NKJV)
And they sang responsively, praising and giving thanks to the LORD: “For He is good, For His Mercy endures forever toward Israel.” Then all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the LORD, and because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid.
Ezra 3:11 (NKJV)
For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons and daughters of God.
Romans 8:14 (NASB)
Moving on, here are the lines from Verse 2: In the battles and the storms, You’re my victory, As I praise, I stand and see, That my God fights for me.
The above words express that we only need to be still, to be fearless and confident in the Lord who fights the tremendous battles that are beyond us. No matter what evil lurks and no matter what danger surrounds us, we will succeed by standing with the Lord and carrying unwavering faith in Him. With God, nothing is impossible. With God, all enemies will fall down. Learn from the scriptures below…
Do not fear them, for the Lord your God is the One fighting for you.
Deuteronomy 3:22 (NASB)
But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] shall change and renew their strength and power; they shall lift their wings and mount up [close to God] as eagles [mount up to the sun]; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired.
Isaiah 40:31 (AMPC)
You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
1 John 4:4 (NKJV)
Not one promise from God is empty of power. Nothing is impossible with God!
Luke 1:37 (TPT)
So in the same way, God wanted to end all doubt and confirm it even more forcefully to those who would inherit his promises. His purpose was unchangeable, so God added his vow to the promise. So it is impossible for God to lie for we know that his promise and his vow will never change!
And now we have run into his heart to hide ourselves in his faithfulness. This is where we find his strength and comfort, for he empowers us to seize what has already been established ahead of time—an unshakable hope! We have this certain hope like a strong, unbreakable anchor holding our souls to God himself. Our anchor of hope is fastened to the mercy seat in the heavenly realm beyond the sacred threshold,
Hebrews 6:17-19 (TPT)
Finally, we can now focus on the very title of this song – God of the Breakthrough. The title is indeed very true and truly powerful! The Lord is our Creator, our Provider (Jehovah Jireh), our Ultimate Love, our Miracle Worker, our Guiding light, our Protector, our Redeemer, our Healer and our Ultimate and All-Powerful Authority! The Lord loves the faithful and His care, blessings and guidance still continue! The Lord’s breakthroughs are undeniably real and I personally received the breakthroughs from Him shortly after I got born again. The breakthroughs continue to happen in the new life I am living and I learned to maintain unwavering faith in Him. To understand why our Lord is the maker of breakthroughs, read the following scriptures below…
“I tell you this timeless truth: The person who follows me in faith, believing in me, will do the same mighty miracles that I do—even greater miracles than these because I go to be with my Father! For I will do whatever you ask me to do when you ask me in my name. And that is how the Son will show what the Father is really like and bring glory to him. Ask me anything in my name, and I will do it for you!”
John 14:12-14 (TPT)
Stretch out your hand of power through us to heal, and to move in signs and wonders by the name of your holy Son, Jesus!
Acts 4:30 (TPT)
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
Hebrews 4:12 (ESV)
God can pour on the blessings in astonishing ways so that you’re ready for anything and everything, more than just ready to do what needs to be done. As one psalmist puts it,
He throws caution to the winds,
giving to the needy in reckless abandon.
His right-living, right-giving ways
never run out, never wear out.
This most generous God who gives seed to the farmer that becomes bread for your meals is more than extravagant with you. He gives you something you can then give away, which grows into full-formed lives, robust in God, wealthy in every way, so that you can be generous in every way, producing with us great praise to God.
2 Corinthians 9:8-11 (MSG)
Embrace the power of salvation’s full deliverance, like a helmet to protect your thoughts from lies. And take the mighty razor-sharp Spirit-sword of the spoken word of God. Pray passionately in the Spirit, as you constantly intercede with every form of prayer at all times. Pray the blessings of God upon all his believers.
Ephesians 6:17-18 (TPT)
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.
Acts 1:8 (ESV)
For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for prosperity and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.
Jeremiah 29:11-12 (NASB)
I love each of you with the same love that the Father loves me. You must continually let my love nourish your hearts. If you keep my commands, you will live in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands, for I continually live nourished and empowered by his love. My purpose for telling you these things is so that the joy that I experience will fill your hearts with overflowing gladness!
John 15:9-11 (TPT)
Very truly, the lyrics of God of the Breakthrough are holy and anointed! The song itself will remind you about the Lord’s victory and His guiding light. It is totally clear to me that New Life Music’s team captured strong messages from the Holy Bible when they composed the song. I believe they were led by the Holy Spirit during their work. Musically speaking, God of the Breakthrough is beautiful and powerful to listen to. That being said, it is a worship song that must be played during Sunday worship services as well as during special church activities. I also believe that this worship song – a part of the album To The Other Side – will remind people about their true identity…the identity in Christ.
Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. Sharing this Christian piece means spreading the good news of the Lord to others. It can help you save the unsaved and the lost souls out there.
Whenever a country hosts a major event that emphasizes international sports competition which involve the participation of athletes from many nations who joined in, the tourism aspect of it arguably becomes one metric of the event’s impact in relation to the host country’s tourism appeal. Case in point, the concluded 31st Southeast Asian Games (AKA the 31st SEA Games, SEA Games 31 and Hanoi 2021) hosted by Vietnam’s capital city Hanoi proved to be a magnet of both local and foreign tourists who were attracted to the games. Over 730,000 local and foreign tourists were counted specifically in Hanoi in connection to the SEA Games hosting, according to a report by VietnamPlus.vn.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from VietnamPlus.vn report. Some parts in boldface…
Hanoi welcomed 700,000 domestic tourists and 31,448 foreignerswho visited or participated in events of the recently concluded SEA Games 31, the municipal Department of Tourism announced on May 24.
As of May 23, 18 hotels in Hanoi had accommodated more than 5,600 Vietnamese and foreign delegates, referees, athletes and reporters. In addition, other accommodation facilities stood ready to welcome tourists travelling to Hanoi during the Games.
The Department of Tourism asked relevant agencies to roll out new tourism products at the capital city’s famous attractions such as the Hoan Kiem Lake pedestrian zone, Thang Long Imperial Citadel and Bat Trang pottery village.
Images of Hanoi and preparations for SEA Games 31 were promoted on the department’s portal and websites on Hanoi tourism as well as TV channels and social media.
Director of the department Dang Huong Giang said it has organised numerous events and festivals for SEA Games 31, namely Hanoi gift festival and Son Tay – Xu Doai Tourism Year.
She affirmed that the capital’s tourism sector has fulfilled assigned tasks for hosting the regional sporting event, which contributed to attracting foreign tourists and investors to Vietnam and Hanoi in particular.
Vietnam, the host city and other localities worked hard in preparing for the SEA Games complete with implementing health protocols. It should be noted that foreign delegations to the SEA Games were not required to make COVID-19 health declarations upon arrival. It is encouraging to learn about the 700,000 local tourists and 31,448 foreign visitors welcomed in Hanoi and the only thing lacking from the local authorities are the economic estimates in the form of revenues and tourist-related spending that happened before and during the SEA Games. For the newcomers reading this, Vietnam reopened its borders to foreigners months ago and the nation recently recovered for very high counts of COVID-19 infections. In the weeks leading to the start of the 31st SEA Games, the daily count of new COVID-19 infections went way down. For more on the games and the tourism aspect of it, watch the videos below…
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What can you say about Vietnam’s hosting of the SEA Games? Are you interested to visit Vietnam someday? Would the city of Hanoi be your primary of place for vacation in Vietnam? Do you think that Vietnam will become a major tourist attraction internationally as COVID-19 becomes less problematic in the months ahead? Are you looking forward to the SEA Games next year in Cambodia?
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 mid-1990s which was a pretty wild time for comic collectors. To be more specific, this newest retro comic book review revisits the Ultraverse through The Night Man monthly series.
In my previous review, the Night Man was pitted against TNTNT which was the same group of villains who fought againstThe Strangers. The encounter was not only packed with solid action, the pacing was done strategically and I loved the way how the comic book creators presented the Night Man taking on each TNTNT member creatively. For this new issue, a new enemy awaits the titular hero which the scary looking cover clearly shows.
With those details laid down, here is a look back at The Night Man #7, published in 1994 by Malibu Comics with a story written by Steve Englehart and drawn by Kyle Hotz.
The cover.
Early story
The story begins in an unknown place where a man talks to a lady who just died. After wearing his coat and grabbing his cane, he leaves behind a place with lots of blood around and things ruined. The body of the dead lady had been damaged so much, the flesh on the front of her upper body is gone leaving the bones exposed.
The said man walks down the street of San Francisco. As he recalls a key part of California’s history, he witnesses three armed men coming out of a jewelry store followed by Night Man. Immediately, he witnesses the city’s vigilante fight two of the men with brutal violence. The third thug (with long hair) takes the opportunity to move away only to face the man with the cane…
Quality
The new villain meeting with the tycoon JD Hunt.
This tale of The Night Man is gritty and engaging to read from start to finish. It introduces an all-new villain who has a Russian legacy with historical connections to the city of San Francisco and northern part of California. The new figure of evil (note: quite obvious due to his murdering of the innocent) is quite a layered character and he seemed to be designed by Steve Englehart to be a recurring villain against the Night Man.
At this point in the comic book series, Night Man has established himself to be a very capable vigilante who truly believes in helping the people of the city on his own and his victories in the previous issues solidified his reputation. This essentially sets the stage for the debut of the new villain (note: the scary looking wolf on the cover) and the next big challenge for the titular hero. Without spoiling what happened, I can say the pay-off was indeed worth the build-up.
Another strong point of this comic book is the way the creators dramatized the differences and similarities between the Night Man and the new villain. Both men are violent and their each have their own obsessions directly related to their respective goals.
Conclusion
The Night Man takes on thugs as the new villain watches.
The Night Man #7 (1994) is a pretty engaging read on its own and it shows how much the Night Man himself progressed as the Ultraverse’s San Francisco-based vigilante who really pushes himself to the limits fighting evil even though his resources are very limited. The introduction of the new villain in this comic book not only proved to be a solid addition into the Ultraverse lore but also added to the titular hero’s development as well as his vigilante justice campaign. This comic book may not be as action packed as the previous issue, but you can rest assured there is a really good quality writing here and the build-up was nicely paid-off by the end. As with the previous issues, Kyle Hotz’s gritty art made this Night Man tale really look lively and very stylish.
In case you missed the news, the 31st Southeast Asian Games (AKA the 31st SEA Games, SEA Games 31 and Hanoi 2021) hosted by Vietnam is over and the Philippines won 52 gold medals (including three from triathlon and duathlon) to finish 4th overall in the medal standings. In Muntinlupa City, Mayor-elect Ruffy Biazon congratulated the SEA Games medalists based in the city, according to a Manila Bulletin news report.
To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the Manila Bulletin report. Some parts in boldface…
Muntinlupa mayor-elect and outgoing Rep. Ruffy Biazon congratulated six athletes who won at the recently concluded 31st Southeast Asian Games in Vietnam.
“Congratulations sa mga Muntinlupeño athletes na lumahok at nagwagi sa 31st SEA Games! (Congratulations to Muntinlupeño athletes who joined and won at the 31st SEA Games!),” Biazon posted on Facebook.
They are Annie Ramirez, who won a gold medal in Jiu-jitsu Women’s 62 kg.; Shugen Nakano, gold medal, Judoka Men’s 66 kg.; Rose Ann Marie Robles, gold medal, Grindsky Esports (LOL: Wild Rift – Women Team Event); Carlo Biado, gold medal, Men’s 10-Ball Pool Singles Event, and silver medal, Men’s 9-Ball Pool Singles Event; Keisei Nakano, silver medal, Judo Men’s 73 kg.; and Daryl John Mercado, silver medal, Judo Men’s 55 kg.
“Thank you for bringing pride to our country and city!” added Biazon.
The Philippines ended its campaign at the 31st SEA Games in fourth place overall with 52 gold medals, 70 silvers and 104 bronze medals for a total haul of 226.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a Muntinlupa City resident, what is your reaction to this recent development? Are you happy to learn about local residents who represented our country in the 31st SEA Games came home as medalists? Do you think that more Muntinlupa-based athletes will represent our country in the 2023 SEA Games in Cambodia?
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
Two persons from South Korea wanted in their nation for alleged fraud were recently apprehended by elements of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in Las Piñas City, 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…
Operatives of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) have arrested two South Koreans who are wanted in their country for alleged fraud during a follow-up operation in Las Piñas City.
They were identified as Seol Kwangsu, 33, and Han Haneul, 28. They were arrested on at around 10 p.m. on May 19 in Barangay Almanza Dos.
“Both individuals are listed in the Interpol Red Notice for the alleged crime committed in their home country,” said Police Lt. Gen. Vicente Danao, officer-in-charge of the Philippine National Police.
Danao said the operation was based on the information shared by the Korean Desk and Fugitive Search Unit of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) launched the operation in Barangay Almanza Dos and arrested the foreign nationals who were accused of Fraud.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a Las Piñas City resident, what is your reaction to this recent development? Do you believe that foreign fugitives could be living within your local community?
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
With the news that the more contagious Omicron subvariant is already present in the Philippines, the need to get vaccinated and boosted for COVID-19 is becoming more urgent. Did any anti-vaccine crazies tried to mislead you from getting vaccinated or boosted? Regardless, in the City of Muntinlupa, it was announced that more than 1,400 people have received their 2nd booster shots (AKA the 4th shot after two doses of most COVID-19 vaccines and one dose as the booster) according to a recent Manila Bulletin news report.
To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the Manila Bulletin report. Some parts in boldface…
The Muntinlupa City government has administered second booster shots to more than 1,400 individuals.
The Department of Health (DOH) has allowed the administration of second booster shots using Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines to immunocompromised individuals, frontline health workers (A1) aged 18 and above, and senior citizens (A2) aged 60 and above.
Data from the City Health Office (CHO) showed that as of May 21, a total of 1,423 individuals have received their second booster shot or fourth dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.
Of the total, 458 are from Barangay Ayala Alabang, 177 from Putatan, 142 from Alabang, 113 from Tunasan, 66 from Poblacion, 58 from Cupang, 35 from Sucat, 18 from Bayanan, four from Buli, and 352 unclassified.
According to the DOH, the second booster shot is given four months after the first booster dose.
“The second booster for our health workers and senior citizens will enhance protection given by the first booster and the primary series against all variants, including the recent Omicron subvariant BA.2.12.1. said Health Usec. Maria Rosario Vergeire.
To date, 134,116 individuals in Muntinlupa have received their first booster shot, equivalent to 30.31 percent of the target population of 443,517.
Of the target population, 497,157 are now fully vaccinated, or 112.35 percent of the total.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a Muntinlupa City resident, what is your reaction to this recent development? Are there people in your local community who were boosted already and are eager or interested to get their 2nd booster shot? Have you verified with MunCoVac if you are qualified for the 2nd booster shot? Also, did you notice that people who oppose vaccination often make big claims like “I am not anti-vaccine” and still went on to rant negatively about vaccines and boosters? Have you encountered a local movement of anti-vaccine fanatics lately both in person and online?
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
To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the Manila Bulletin report. Some parts in boldface…
The Las Piñas government congratulated a daughter of the city, Jocel Lyn Ortiz Ninobla, for winning the gold medal in the individual female poomsae at the South East Asian (SEA) Games held in Vietnam.
Mayor Imelda Aguilar expressed pride in Ninobla, a resident of Talon Dos and a true Las Piñero, for winning the gold medal and giving pride to the city.
Aguilar said Ninobla also won a gold medal in the same category in the 2019 SEA Games.
The mayor said Ninobla won silver award in the 2018 World Championship in Taipei, a gold medal in the 2019 SEA Games in Manila, a gold medal in the 2021 World Daedo Champs, and a silver award in the 2021 Asian Championship held in Lebanon.
Aguilar said Ninobla also won a bronze medal in the 2021 World Taekwondo Online championship, a gold medal in the 2021 World Mastership championship, a bronze medal in the Asian Taekwondo Online championship, a silver award in the 2021 and 2022 World Taekwondo Poomsae challenge, and the latest gold medal in the female poomsae at the SEA games in Vietnam.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a Las Piñas City resident, how do you feel about a fellow local resident like Ninobla winning the SEA Games gold in her sport? Does Ninobla’s achievement inspire you to get into sports someday? Do you believe that there could be more Las Piñas residents among the many Philippine team athletes who won medals in the recent SEA 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
If there is anything significant in the recent National and Local Elections that happened here in the Philippines, it is the fact that two notable partylist groups linked to Communist forces were defeated which unsurprisingly caught the attention of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), as reported recently through the Philippine News Agency (PNA). There are still a few more Leftist partylist groups that won and will be part of the next Congress.
To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the PNA report. Some parts in boldface…
The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) is elated by the electoral loss of party-list groups linked to the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF).
In a press statement on Sunday, NTF ELCAC spokesperson for sectoral concerns and Communications Undersecretary Lorraine Badoy thanked Filipinos for not voting for Reds-linked party-list groups Bayan Muna and Anakpawis.
“The expulsion, particularly of Bayan Muna, is of notable worth because for 21 years, they have formidably sat in Congress, garnering the allowable maximum seats, three–while using the immense powers of Congress to destroy our people and our country and wasting the precious time of our real Representatives in Congress with their filibustering and their constant obstruction of important legislative work meant to move our country forward and ease the burdens of the most marginalized among us,” Badoy said.
She said Bayan Muna is “on its way to extinction” with just a little over 200,000 votes compared to over a million in the 2019 elections.
“We applaud the Filipino people for closing ranks behind our President, Chair of the NTF ELCAC, and heeding his call to defend and protect our country from these ruthless urban operatives of [CPP founder] Joma Sison/CPP-NPA-NDF by fully using the power of your vote. Truly, you understood so well that your vote is not only your right but your power. And you flexed it mightily,” she added.
According to Badoy, voting Reds-linked party-lists out of Congress is “the fiercest expression” of Filipinos’ love for the country by giving protection to the most helpless, such as children, indigenous peoples, and the poor.
She also thanked Filipinos for slashing in half the number of seats in the House of Representatives for what she described as “urban operatives of the CPP NPA NDF.”
“From around 3 million votes they garnered in the 2019 elections, they could only manage a little over a million votes in this year’s elections,” she added.
However, Badoy said the NTF-ELCAC is “saddened” that other left-leaning party-list groups, such as Kabataan, registered an increase to half a million votes.
She blamed losing presidential candidate Vice President Leni Robredo’s collusion with the CPP-NPA-NDF as a factor in Kabataan’s three more years in Congress.
“We attribute these votes to the treachery of Leni Robredo who colluded with the CPP-NPA-NDF which have co-opted Robredo followers in the youth sector and are now being radicalized and targeted for recruitment into this communist terrorist organization,” she said.
Robredo’s camp has repeatedly dismissed these allegations as “red-tagging”.
Badoy said NTF-ELCAC work “is not done” because there are still three Reds-linked party-list groups in Congress — Kabataan, Alliance of Concerned Teachers, and Gabriela.
To be clear, the evil of Leftism has been present in Philippine Congress for a long time. As such, what happened in the last national-level election was a very welcome change and this is something to be thankful to the Lord for. What the Philippines and the rest of the world should follow are God the Heavenly Father, His Son Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit. The next Philippine Congress will serve the people from mid-2022 until mid-2025. Knowing that, I urge you readers to pray for all the nation’s leaders as well as all the newly elected leaders (from the town/city councilors all the way up to incoming Philippine President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr.) so that they will open their hearts to the Lord, seek His guiding light and follow His commands to truly take care of the nation and its people. I also urge you to pray for and support the NTF-ELCAC.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this latest national-level development? If you voted in the last national elections, did you intentionally reject Left-linked partylist groups? Do you believe that Leftist members of Congress were abusive and corrupt? Do you actively support the NTC-ELCAC?
Author Carlo Carrasco 