Recently in the City of Muntinlupa, the City Government announced that free school supplies and sneakers will be given to around 100,000 students (from daycare to Grade 12) in accordance to the ongoing local program, 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…
Muntinlupa Mayor Ruffy Biazon announced that public school students from daycare to Grade 12 will receive free school supplies and sneakers under the Balik Eskwela Package program in time for the opening of classes in July.
The free school supplies and shoes will benefit 98,000 students in Early Childhood Education (ECED), Kindergarten, Grades 1 to 6, and junior and senior high school in Muntinlupa.
“We are committed to supporting our students and ensuring they have the resources they need to succeed. By providing these high-quality sneakers and school supplies, we aim to ease the financial burden on families and boost student morale,” said Biazon.
For ECED students, they will receive a backpack, two notebooks, crayons, tumbler, two pencils and pad paper.
For Kindergarten, each will get a backpack, jumbo crayons, pencil sharpener, two jumbo pencils, pad paper, eight notebooks and a pair of MunWalk rubber shoes.
Students in Grades 1 to 6 will each receive a backpack, eight notebooks, three ballpens, pad paper, crayons and a pair of MunWalk rubber shoes.
Those in Grades 7 to 12 will get a backpack, spiral notebooks (eight in junior high school and 10 in senior high school), a pair of MunWalk rubber shoes and three ballpens.
Last school year, the Muntinlupa city government provided students with black leather shoes and school supplies.
Biazon explained that the switch to sneakers this year was made because many students still have usable leather shoes from last year and parents requested rubber shoes that may be used for physical education classes.
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, do you find the new batch of free supplies for students sensible and useful?
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 City of Parañaque, police officers arrested a man who has been wanted for the crime of murder, 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…
Parañaque City police arrested the Southern Police District’s (SPD’s) top most wanted person for the crime of murder last May 17.
The SPD said the suspect, alias Love Singh, 24, listed in the police gallery as top most wanted person for the month of May was nabbed at around 9:30 p.m. in Barangay Sun Valley, Parañaque City.
Singh was arrested by virtue of a warrant issued by Judge Ma. Christina De Pio Lim of Parañaque City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 296 on March 20, 2024, with no bail recommended.
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 more people who committed murder still walking freely in the city?
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
Local authorities are investigating if the scam hub in Parañaque City is connected with the controversial raided Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) in Bamban, Tarlac, according to a GMA Network news report. Take note that Senator Sherwin Gatchalian already called for a probe as he received complaints from residents of a particular Parañaque village.
To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the GMA news report. Some parts in boldface…
Authorities are looking into the possibility that the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) in Bamban, Tarlac is connected to a recent human trafficking and online scamming bust in a village in Parañaque City.
According to a “24 Oras” report by Mav Gonzales on Wednesday, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) believes the 10 Chinese and the Filipino bodyguard arrested in the police operations may have escaped from the recently raided Bamban POGO hub.
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, who had called for a probe into the incident following complaints filed by the residents of the village, agreed with Pagcor.
“Itong mga sindikato umiikot lang sila (These syndicates just switch around),” he said.
The raid was launched on May 2 following complaints from homeowners, who said that the structures violated their 3-story regulations. They also said this was not the first raid connected to POGO inside their village.
“When we saw Bamban, the structures were so similar…the process of applying for stickers, IDs, and also constructions. Some are using already local identification, passports, birth certificates, driver’s license, postal ID [and] all these things. They can’t even speak Tagalog,” said a homeowner.
Below is the related GMA news video as well as a UNTV news video for you to watch. Multinational Village was specifically mentioned as the location of the recent raid.
Let me end this post by asking you readers: What do you think about this recent development? If you are a resident of Parañaque, are you concerned that there could be a lot more Chinese nationals committing illegal activities while doing business in the city? Is your village filled with Chinese nationals and new business establishments that were set up to cater to them? How many foreigners and local residents in your village are working in a POGO? Do you think the scam hub in Parañaque is linked with the controversial Bamban POGO as PAGCOR believes?
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 arts and culture enthusiasts, Marvel Comics fans and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the year 1984 to examine a small part of the Marvel Comics universe through a tale of the Amazing Spider-Man monthly series.
By now, you readers should be aware that I reviewed a lot of comic books about Spider-Man and his deadliest enemy Venom. It is already established through comic book history that the iconic webslinger is responsible for the establishment of Venom as he brought into the world the alien costume (the symbiote) coming from deep space (as told in the Secret Wars limited series), and he also became responsible for the destruction of Eddie Brock’s career in journalism. Of course, Venom did not debut immediately after Spider-Man’s return from Secret Wars and there was a lot more about the symbiote when it was with Peter Parker.
With those details laid down, here is a look back at Amazing Spider-Man #252, published in 1984 by Marvel Comics with a story written by Roger Stern and Tom DeFalco, and drawn by Ron Frenz. This comic book marked the first appearance of the alien costume.
The cover.
Early story
The story begins inside the New York headquarters of the Daily Bugle. It has been observed that several superheroes such as Captain America, Thor, Spider-Man, Iron Man, the X-Men and the Avengers have been missing this resulted in a rise of crime. Publisher J. Jonah Jameson and editor-in-chief Joe Robertson discuss the newest edition of their newspaper.
Meanwhile over at Central Park where police officers and others stand by an area that was closed off, a physical structure suddenly appears spreading bright light to onlookers. Suddenly Spider-Man (wearing a new dominant black costume) leaps out of the structure carrying Dr. Connor (the Lizard) surprising the people.
After realizing they have returned home at last after spending lots of time and struggle in deep space (Secret Wars), Spider-Man could not help but feel jubilant to be home. As the police officers don’t realize that they are talking with the same webslinger due to the new costume, one of them was about to draw his gun which prompted the superhero to use his web on him.
Suddenly, the Avengers, Captain America, Thor and Iron Man emerge from the physical structure which provided Spider-Man relief as he thought that only he and Dr. Connors made it home. With the people focusing on the other superheroes, Spider-Man and Dr. Connors slowly exited. Connors asked him what are they going to tell the world about all they have seen and experienced in deep space…
Quality
Spider-Man’s first night in New York wearing the alien costume .
I really like this story. I first read this a long time ago and I re-read it all over again for this retro review, and still this story engaged me a lot. There is a lot of richness in the script and you will get to see Peter Parker transitioning into a series of major changes that await him. Without spoiling the plot, there is no hero-versus-villain element here at all. It is all about Spider-Man who just arrived home from a major conflict (and also one of the most significant comic events ever published by Marvel Comics) and the alien costume saga truly began right here. The Venom debut did not happen until a few years later in reality.
In accordance to what was established in Secret Wars (not to be confused with the 2015 series of the same name) and the standards of then editor-in-chief Jim Shooter, the creative came up with a tale that not only showed a different Spider-Man but also portrayed him in ways that defied the tropes and creative ideas the preceded this comic book.
For one thing, Peter Parker is literally like a fish out of water here. As far as the whole world is concerned, only days passed when the superheroes went to deep space. But for the webslinger, a lot more time passed as so many battles, discoveries and intriguing events took place for him along with the others. That being said, Peter Parker’s perception of reality and track of time really got messed up and the weight of Secret War’s events really turned out overwhelming on him. This was well dramatized in the scene wherein Peter – who realized that so much time had passed – he had to call his aunt May fearing that she must be worried sick over him. There was also the moment when by walking down the street, he realized how much he missed not only his home but also the local surroundings.
It was also in this comic book when Peter started getting more oriented with the alien costume he first got in Secret Wars #8 (which was actually published after this comic book) and started to enjoy the benefits with the way it responds to his thinking. Of course, at this stage, he has yet to realize the unfortunate truth about the living costume he brought home and this story really kicked off a new and profound stage in the comic book history of Spider-Man
Conclusion
When Spider-Man finally arrived home after spending so much time during Secret Wars.
Amazing Spider-Man #252 (1984) is still a great comic book to read all over again. This was released during the time when Secret Wars (1984) was still being published and years before Venom’s big debut in the series’ 300th issue. In my view, the alien costume saga was a big turning point in the literary history of Spider-Man and the creators who got involved in this comic book really sowed the seeds of compelling and intriguing events that followed. What is intriguing is that all of these significant developments started when a Marvel Comics reader from Illinois came up with the idea of a new costume for Spider-Man, wrote to them and the publisher responded to acquire his idea for over $200 (click here).
This comic book is also a reminder of how significant Jim Shooter’s rule at Marvel Comics really was and I can say that the Marvel’s literary universe of the 1980s should not be ignored.
Recently in the City of Las Piñas, police officers arrested a man whom they suspect to be responsible for the killing of three people (including the suspect’s live-in partner) whose bodies were discovered in a residence, 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 suspect in killing of an employee and two students in Las Piñas were arrested during a follow-up operation conducted by the police on Saturday, May 18.
Las Piñas police Chief, Col. Sandro Tafalla, said the suspect identified as Vicente Karagy, 36, mechanic and was arrested at around 10:15 p.m. along Aurora Drive Extension, Vergon Ville, Pulanglupa Dos, Las Piñas.
Tafalla said the victims were identified as Mary Jean Avellna, 27, live-in partner of the suspect, Natalie Jane Cabintot, 19, and Oliver Bula, 11, both students.
The lifeless bodies of the victims were discovered after Princess Kanagy reported to the barangay, a foul odor originating from the room of the victims located at Charles St., Saint Joseph Subdivision, Barangay Pulanglupa Dos, Las Piñas.
Authorities immediately responded to the scene and discovered the bodies on the floor and the place in total disarray.
According to the family of the victims, they were last seen alive on May 15.
Police suspect jealousy as the motive of the killing as Mary Jean was allegedly having an affair according to Karagy.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a resident of Las Piñas City, what is your reaction to this development? Do you think the suspect was indeed responsible for the deaths of the three victims?
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 City of Muntinlupa, the city health office stated that there are no cases of the new variants of COVID-19, according to a Manila Bulletin news report.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Manila Bulletin report. Some parts in boldface…
The Muntinlupa City Health Office said there are no cases of the new variants of Covid-19 in the city amid the start of screening for arrivals at the country’s points of entry.
Dr. Juancho Bunyi, CHO head, said as of May 28, there are only four active Covid-19 cases with mild and moderate symptoms in the city confined at the city-run Ospital ng Muntinlupa in Alabang.
“No new variants reported as per DOH [Department of Health],” said Bunyi.
The country’s Bureau of Quarantine ordered the screening at points of entry on all arrivals from countries where Covid-19 FLiRT cases have been reported.
The DOH said based on the update by the World Health Organization (WHO), the three new variants of Covid-19 being monitored are JN.1.18, KP.2 and KP.3, which are “descendants of JN.1.”
It said KP.2 and KP.3 are known as the “FLiRT” variants, “a nickname coined by some researchers to describe amino acid changes in the COVID-19 virus’ spike protein, specifically from phenylalanine (F) to leucine (L) at position 456, and from arginine (R) to threonine (T) at position 346.”
WHO observed that “there are currently no reported laboratory or epidemiological reports indicating any association between VOIs/VUMs and increased disease severity.”
In the Philippines, the DOH reported that from May 7 to 13, a total of 877 new Covid-19 cases were recorded with an average of 125 reported cases per day.
It said that while there is an increase of Covid-19 cases in the country recently, it is small and lower compared to previous observed increases.
Of the 877, seven had severe or critical disease and five people died, which occurred from April 30 to May 13.
“All Philippine regions remain to be at low risk for COVID-19. There is no scientific basis for travel restrictions to any country because of an increase in COVID-19 cases. The Department remains to be in close coordination with international health authorities, and its Bureau of Quarantine is keeping watch over points of entry nationwide. The voluntary use of face masks should be done properly, along with standard precautions like hand washing, avoiding crowds, and choosing good airflow,” the DOH said.
As of May 12, only 11 percent (119/1,117) of dedicated Covid-19 ICU (intensive care unit) beds were occupied and only 13 percent (1,238/9,571) of dedicated Covid-19 non-ICU beds were occupied, the DOH added.
Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? If you are a resident of Muntinlupa City, are you concerned FLiRT variants of COVID-19 could be detected in the city soon?
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 the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) announced that more than four million voters were removed from the official record of voters which is the result of voters failing to vote in two successive elections or for other reasons, according to a GMA Network news report.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the GMA news report. Some parts in boldface…
Some 4.2 million names have been removed from the Commission on Elections’ (Comelec) official list of voters, Unang Balita reported on Friday.
Most of those delisted were from Region IV-A (Calabarzon).
Reasons for the delisting were failure to vote in two successive preceding regular elections, by court order, loss of Filipino citizenship, and having non-valid documents.
Comelec earlier said that as of May 5, 2024, more than 2.5 million new voters were already registered for the 2025 national and local elections, nearing the three million target set by the poll body.
The voter registration period for the May 2025 midterm polls started on February 12, and will end on September 30, 2024.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you anyone in your local community who got delisted by the COMELEC? Are many members of your local community aware of the ongoing voters registration process? Do you find it surprising that most of the 4.2 million voters who were taken off the official list were from the CALABARZON region?
Recently in Batangas, police officers arrested a lady for allegedly stealing money from senior citizens at automated teller machines (ATMs), according to a GMA Network news report. As it turned out, the arrested suspect scammed victims in multiple locations and she was previously arrested for the same crime. The suspect’s tactics include the pretentious assistance of senior citizens at ATMs and using glue on keypads of the machines.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the GMA news report. Some parts in boldface…
A woman dubbed the “Glue Lady” was arrested for allegedly stealing money from senior citizens withdrawing from ATM Machines.
According to a 24 Oras report by John Consulta on Friday, the woman was arrested in an operation in Lipa, Batangas.
“Ang modus niya ay kunwari aalalayan niya ang mga matatanda para makapagwithdraw. Yun pala, gagamit siya ng glue at pag umalis na yung biktima, siya na ang magwiwithdraw ng pera,” said PNP PRO4A Regional Director Police Brigadier General Paul Kenneth Lucas.
(Her ploy is that she pretends to assist senior citizens in withdrawing. All along, she uses glue and withdraws money when the victim leaves.)
Based on police reports, the suspect puts glue on the ATM keypad so that it appears broken.
When the suspect persuades the victim to ask for help from the guards, she removes the glue and withdraws from the account.
The suspect was able to scam victims in Rizal, Batangas, and other areas outside of CALABARZON. She had previous arrests for the same crime five years ago.
“Ngayon ay naisilbi na ang 9 na warrant of arrests, may paparating na 9 pa, ang isa doon ay non bailable. Importanteng nahuli na natin siya para di na siya makaperwisyo,” added Lucas.
(We have now served nine warrants of arrests, and nine more are coming with one non-bailable case. It’s a good thing that we have apprehended her so that she can’t trouble anyone else)
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you know anyone who got scammed by the apprehended suspect? Did you notice suspicious people standing near you whenever you visit an ATM to withdraw cash?
If the Philippines is to keep growing economically in the long-term, it needs to have abundant energy and that makes nuclear power essential (for related posts, click here, here, here and here). That being said, the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) recently stated that nuclear power can prevent power shortages in the country, 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 Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI), on Tuesday, May 7, said nuclear energy sources can help prevent energy shortages in the Philippines due to its “capacity factor” and “energy density.”
In a PTV interview, PNRI Executive Director Carlo Arcilla said nuclear power has two factors—energy density and capacity.
Energy density means that even a tiny amount of nuclear fuel, about the size of a finger, contains an incredible amount of energy, he said.
“If you had several tons of coal, it’s that powerful. It’s a very, very concentrated power,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino.
Arcilla cited the second factor, “capacity factor,” explaining that the availability of a nuclear plant is approximately 90 percent of the time.
“When you’re running a nuclear plant, it’s reliably available about 90 percent of the time, regardless of the weather,” he said.
He further explained this by citing the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant as an example, along with other power plants built in the 1980s.
“Similar plants in Slovenia, South Korea, and Brazil have been in operation for 40 years and are even being relicensed for another 20 years,” he said.
“These plants can run for an impressive 18 months straight without needing to refuel. The amount of fuel they require is roughly equivalent to what you’d put in a jeep, and they keep running continuously,” he added.
The PNRI official then emphasized that nuclear energy production produces no emissions, including no carbon dioxide. The cost of running such a plant is estimated to be around 30 million dollars.
If that were compared to a coal plant running for 18 months at 620 megawatts (MW), it would be the same.
“The amount of coal needed would fill 50 Panamax ships. Each Panamax ship carries 50,000 tons. That’s 50 of them. Not to mention the CO2 (carbon dioxide). The cost of importing that coal would be around 800 million US dollars,” he explained
The PNRI is a research and development institute under the Department of Science and Technology (DOST)
Furthermore, Arcilla pointed out that even though nuclear power plants are initially costly to build, they have a lifespan of up to 80 years.
“America, for example, has 94 operating nuclear plants, average age, 60 years. Supplying 20 percent of America’s energy. Many of them don’t even know they have nuclear,” he said.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think that nuclear power is the key to ensuring abundant amounts of energy that the Philippines will need to for economic growth as well as the needs of the people? Are members of your local community still living with a fear of nuclear power?
In light of the recent news that the economy of the Philippines grew by 5.7% during the 1st quarter of 2024, economic analysts stated that growth should be more than 6% per quarter over the next three quarters in order to meet the set target of the year, according to a BusinessWorld news report.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the BusinessWorld news report. Some parts in boldface…
THE PHILIPPINE ECONOMY should expand by more than 6% in the next three quarters to meet the government’s growth target this year, analysts said.
“The Philippines needs to grow almost 6.1% for the remaining three quarters to reach 6% growth for the entire year, which appears to be a tall order, particularly given the slowdown in household spending in quarter one and the subdued global economic backdrop this year,” Makoto Tsuchiya, an economist at Oxford Economics Japan, said in an e-mail.
Philippine gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 5.7% in the first quarter, slightly faster than the 5.5% in the fourth quarter of 2023 but below the government’s 6-7% target.
University of Asia and the Pacific Senior Economist Cid L. Terosa said GDP growth should average 6-6.5% for the rest of the year to hit the lower end of the government’s target band.
“We had always been expecting growth to stay subdued largely due to the ‘triple threat’ faced by the economy. Elevated inflation, high borrowing costs and fiscal consolidation are the troika of challenges we face,” ING Bank N.V. Manila Senior Economist Nicholas Antonio T. Mapa said in an e-mail.
Household spending, which accounts for nearly three-fourths of economic output, rose by 4.6% in the January-to-March, the slowest since the coronavirus pandemic and weaker than 5.3% in the fourth quarter and 6.4% a year ago.
Mr. Tsuchiya said private consumption lagged due to “economic-wide” pressures on spending in the first three months of the year.
“We believe the softening in household consumption was due to a combination of elevated inflation, tepid confidence and the impact of monetary tightening,” Mr. Tsuchiya said.
Inflation quickened to 3.8% in April amid rising food and transport costs. April was the third straight month that inflation accelerated.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think that inflation will continue to rise and prevent the Philippines from achieving economic growth of 6% for 2024?
Author Carlo Carrasco 