Recently in the City of Las Piñas, local athletes and performers of the arts who made achievements in varied competitions met with Mayor Imelda Aguilar and Vice Mayor April Aguilar at City Hall and had warm talk together, the City Government confirmed via social media (October 6, 2023 update).
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the City Government’s social media post. Some parts in boldface…
Photo of the meeting released by the Las Piñas PIO.
Las Piñas-based athletes and performers who have garnered acclaim in recent prestigious competitions were warmly received in City Hall by City Mayor Imelda Aguilar and Vice Mayor April Aguilar on Thursday, October 5th.
Father and daughter duo, Daniela B. Silvestre and Dante Silvestre, clinched gold medals from the Gold Weight Division at the Marianas Pro Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Championship Manila 2023, held on August 5-6, 2023 in, Muntinlupa.
In addition, performers from Las Piñas, namely Anahbea B. Detosil, Micaila B. Detosil, Szophia Brielle B. Aguilar, and Scarlette S. Yape, won accolades at the World Championships of Performing Arts 2023 held from July 28 to August 6 in Anaheim, California, USA.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a resident of Las Piñas City, what is your reaction to this development? Are you delighted to find out that there are local athletes who won medals or honors in competitions?
For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
Recently in the progressive city of Muntinlupa, the City Government congratulated once again Annie Ramirez and Kaila Napolis for winning medals in women’s jiu-jitsu (in different weight categories) at the Asian Games, according to a Manila Bulletin news report. Take note that the two Muntinlupa-based athletes won medals also in the last Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games).
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…
Mayor Ruffy Biazon congratulated two Muntinlupa residents who bagged medals at the 19th Asian Games being held in Hangzhou, China.
Biazon honored Annie Ramirez, who won a gold medal in jiu-jitsu (women’s 57kg), and Kaila Napolis, who bagged a bronze medal in jiu-jitsu (women’s 52kg).
The Muntinlupa PIO released this online.
“Congratulations sa mga atletang Muntinlupeñong nagwagi sa 19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022! (Congratulations to Muntinlupa athletes who won in the 19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022),” Biazon posted on Facebook.
Ramirez, a resident of Barangay Cupang in Muntinlupa, won the Philippines’ third gold medal in the Asian Games. She previously won a gold medal in jiu-jitsu women’s newaza nogi-57 kg category at the 32nd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Napolis is a resident of Barangay Poblacion. She previously won a gold medal in the jiu-jitsu women’s newasa gi-52 kg in the 32nd SEA Games.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? If you are a resident of Muntinlupa City, are you very delighted to find out that there were local athletes who won medals for our country at the Asian Games? Are there any athletes in your local community who represented the Philippines in the Asian 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
Recently in the City of Las Piñas, the City Government organized a lecture to make local participants aware about tuberculosis in line with the local program focused on healthy living, according to a Manila Bulletin news report. The lecture was held in Barangay Almanza Uno.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…
The Las Piñas City Health Office (CHO) conducted a comprehensive tuberculosis (TB) lecture as part of the city government’s commitment towards promoting healthy living in the community.
Mayor Imelda Aguilar said the lecture was held at the Almanza Uno Elementary School on Tuesday, October 3, 2023.
Aguilar said the program aimed at educating residents about the transmission, prevention, and symptoms of tuberculosis as well as disseminating information on where to obtain free medication.
She said the scope of the program focuses on the core dynamics of TB transmission, with emphasis on protective measures to avert the spread of the disease.
The mayor said that by explaining the signs and symptoms, the attendees were equipped with essential knowledge to identify potential cases at an early stage, thereby fostering a proactive approach towards disease management and control.
Aguilar said the CHO also reached out to the Department of Education, proposing a collaborative effort to extend the lecture series to various schools in Las Piñas.
For the newcomers reading this, tuberculosis is described as “a bacterial disease that usually attacks the lungs. But it can also attack other parts of the body, including the kidneys, spine, and brain.“
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 wish to see the City Government send its officials to your local community to conduct a lecture about tuberculosis? Are there many people in your local community suffering from tuberculosis? Are you aware about the number of Filipinos who died from tuberculosis?
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
Do you have an excessive amount of coins with you right now? In recent times, the Bangko Sentral ng Philippines (BSP) launched their project to give people opportunities to deposit their coins through coin deposit machines (CoDMs) that were installed in a few locations. According to a report by GMA Network, almost P90 million worth of coins have been deposited.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the GMA News report. Some parts in boldface…
Nearly P90 million worth of coins have been deposited through the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ (BSP) coin deposit machines (CoDMs).
Since its launch on June 20, over P87.4 million worth of coins were deposited through CoDMs from more than 20,000 transactions as of September 22, 2023.
The CoDMs were launched in a bid to encourage the public to make use of their idle coins.
Latest central bank data revealed that the coins deposited into the machines were mostly credited to customers’ e-wallets, while a portion was exchanged for shopping vouchers.
In June, the BSP deployed two CoDMs at the SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City, one at Festival Mall in Alabang, Muntinlupa City, and another at Robinsons Place Ermita in Manila.
Moreover, the BSP installed additional coin deposit machines at Robinsons Place Galleria in Ortigas, SM City North EDSA, SM City Fairview in Quezon City, SM City San Lazaro in Manila, SM City Bicutan in Parañaque, and SM City Bacoor in Cavite, bringing the total CoDMs count to 10.
The BSP’s CoDMs accept all denominations of the BSP Coin Series and the New Generation Currency Coin Series launched in 2018, ranging from a centavo to as high as P20.
Through the CoDMs, customers can deposit legal tender coins and have the equivalent amount credited to their GCash accounts. The BSP said it is also working to onboard Maya to provide more e-wallet options to the public.
In using the machines, the central bank urged customers that coins to be deposited must not be taped or bundled, must not come with other objects like buttons, magnets, nails, tokens, screws, or washers, and must be gently placed in the coin slot in handfuls.
Being based in Muntinlupa City, I myself managed to deposit coins into the BSP machine located inside Festival Mall in Filinvest City in Alabang. I really liked the convenience of having the amount of my deposited coins transferred electronically into my GCash account and without any technical or convenience fees charged. I can only hope that the BSP will come up with options for coin depositors to transfer the collected value directly into bank accounts without charging any fees.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Were you able to deposit your coins at a BSP machine near your local community? Do you think this project by the BSP will help prevent coin shortages from happening? If you have an excessive amount of coins in your household right now, would you be willing to deposit them all into a BSP machine?
For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
Recently in the progressive city of Muntinlupa, several local officials took part in the groundbreaking ceremony of the Muntinlupa City Skate Park in Barangay Tunasan, according to a Manila Bulletin news report. This is the latest sports-related project of the city.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…
City officials led by Mayor Ruffy Biazon and Rep. Jaime Fresnedi held the groundbreaking for the Muntinlupa City Skate Park.
The skate park, located in Barangay Tunasan, is part of the Muntinlupa City government’s vision to develop the next generation of Asian Games gold medalist Margielyn Didal.
“This facility will provide an engaging space for local skaters to connect with each other and develop their skills as individuals. It also gives us the unique opportunity to harness these skaters to help us develop athletes for medal events,” said Biazon.
He said the skate park was a result of Muntinlupa bagging the Seal of Good Local Governance, which had an incentive of P7 million. The fund will be used for the project.
The skate park will feature facilities primarily for skateboarding, such as quarter pipes and practice rails. It can also serve as a venue for various events and competitions, with an audience area and view deck for spectators to enjoy the action.
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, what do you think about the city skate park? Are there lots of skaters in your local community who could use such a facility?
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 Las Piñas, the local police department officially warned the business establishments about the ongoing solicitation scam (which includes a fake endorsement) for a so-called beauty pageant and they also revealed captured CCTV footage of the suspect, according to a Manila Bulletin news report.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…
The Las Piñas City police issued a warning to all business establishments against a solicitation scam using a fake endorsement for the “Miss Amazing Philippines’ 2023” beauty pageant.
City police chief Col. Jaime Santos said Rovic Macariola, a resident of Barangay Almanza Uno and president of Dender and Development, was reportedly approaching business establishments and soliciting donations to support the city’s candidate for the beauty pageant.
Santos said Macariola reportedly solicited donations, amounting to P2,500 to P3,500, to business establishments in exchange for reduced payments for business permits at the Business Permit and Licensing Office (BPLO).
The city police chief said upon verification, they found out that the suspect has a pending case for illegal drug possession, estafa, swindling, and falsification of legislative documents.
Mayor Imelda Aguilar also issued a warning on Friday, Sept. 29, about the use of her fake signature in an endorsement indicating that the suspect is authorized by her office to solicit funds to support the city’s candidate for the “Miss Amazing Philippines’ 2023” beauty pageant.
Upon learning of the illegal activity of Macariola, Aguilar immediately alerted the police and ordered the arrest.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a resident of Las Piñas City, what is your reaction to this development? Have you personally encountered the suspect? Were there any businesses in your local community that were approached by the suspect? Have you ever heard of a beauty pageant called Miss Amazing Philippines?
For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
Recently in the City of Las Piñas, Mayor Imelda Aguilar issued a warning to the public about a solicitation scam for a beauty pageant involving a fake endorsement, according to a Manila Bulletin news report. Eerily, this development shared common elements with what happened in Muntinlupa lately.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…
Las Piñas City Mayor Imelda Aguilar warned city residents against a solicitation scam using a fake endorsement for the “Miss Amazing Philippines’ 2023” beauty pageant.
Aguilar said the endorsement using her fake signature states that a certain Rovic Macariolla, a resident of Barangay Almanza Uno, Las Piñas City and a president of Gender and Development was being authorized by her office to solicit to the public to support the city’s candidate for “Miss Amazing Philippines’ 2023” beauty pageant.
She said the local police, under the supervision of Col. Jaime Santos, was already alerted and ordered to arrest the suspect.
The mayor urged the public to call the local police hotline numbers at 0998-5987928/0947-4622859 or at (02) 8832-6422/8808-7395/8525-8403 once approached by the suspect.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a resident of Las Piñas City, what is your reaction to this development? Are you concerned that scammers pretending to have endorsements of local officials could be pouncing on potential victims in your local community? Has anyone approached you and tried to solicit money from you for a beauty pageant?
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 an excerpt from the Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…
Muntinlupa City was named the No. 5 overall most competitive highly urbanized city in the Philippines and landed in the top three in resiliency and infrastructure.
Mayor Ruffy Biazon received the awards at the Philippine Creative Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Congress held on Sept. 28 at the Manila Hotel.
Local government units were ranked based on the Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index by the National Competitiveness Council.
“Cities and municipalities are ranked on their competitiveness based on an overall competitiveness score. The overall competitiveness score is the sum of scores on five main pillars which pool data from several sub-indicators. The five main pillars are: economic dynamism, government efficiency, infrastructure, resiliency, and innovation. Scores are determined by the values of the actual data, as well as the completeness of the submitted data. The higher the score of a city or municipality, the more competitive it is,” according to the CMCI website.
Overall, Muntinlupa ranked fifth under the most competitive highly urbanized cities category in the country with a score of 49.59.
It is also No. 3 in the resilience and infrastructure pillars, and No. 6 in the innovation pillar.
“Infrastructure pertains to the physical assets that connect, expand, and sustain a locality and its surroundings to enable provision of goods and services,” according to CMCI.
Resilience, on the other hand, “applies to the capacity of a locality to build systems that can absorb change and disturbance and being able to adapt to such changes.
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, what is your reaction to what the city achieved in the latest CMCI rankings? Do you believe that Muntinlupa is a blossoming and highly competitive city among all highly urbanized cities of the nation?
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 here in the Philippines, GMA Network made waves to boost their sports coverage by unveiling their artificial intelligence (AI) sportscasters named Maia and Marco which drew varied reactions from Filipinos online. Check out the official video unveiling of the AI sportscasters from GMA Integrated News’ YouTube channel below…
If you look at Maia and Marco’s unveiling, you probably would have been impressed with how photo-realistic they look and how almost human they sounded (including being able to speak Tagalog). They were made to look like Filipinos convincingly You might be saying to yourself that this is a shining example of Filipino achievement in the world of technology and be totally accepting of it. But make no mistake as Maia and Marco are indeed not real people (fake Filipinos) and most notably, they have no souls at all.
This bring me to the fact that AI has no soul and we humans must take action to prevent artificial intelligence from overwhelming us. Overseas, the development of AI is moving at a rapid face and the competing tech giants (which invested heavily on AI) involved are so focused on outmaneuvering and outdoing each other, they don’t seem to care about the possibilities that AI could turn into a rebellious force that could harm people around the world in multiple ways. Already, artificial intelligence and robotics are emerging as threats to humanity. To put things in perspective, watch the CBN News YouTube videos below…
With AI and robots left unchecked, a new form of religion that has nothing to do with God, Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit is emerging already. There are those who pulled themselves away from the Lord to dedicate themselves to intelligent robots, human-like AI-driven characters and other aspects of technology. I would not be surprised if I find out that GMA’s Maia and Marco are being idolized by some people right now (note: idolatry is both foolish and unholy).
In the world of entertainment, AI is already being used as a tool for visuals (combined with computer-generated imaging or CGI) which includes the process of recreating the likenesses of actors (both the living and the dead) to make characters on-screen look as real as possible. In relation, the digital ways of resurrecting dead actors to portray their respective characters is morally disturbing to say the very least. It should also be stated that AI itself is being used to make articles, essays and even scripts – literary pieces that were not composed by the human user himself/herself. Has it occurred to you that the movie or streaming show you watched used a script that was partially made with AI because the screenwriter took shortcuts when working? Learn from the YouTube videos of Dave Cullen below…
Going back to GMA Network and its AI sportscasters, a lot of Filipinos have been questioning how artificial intelligence will affect not only journalism but also Philippine sports broadcasting (a lively sector) and job opportunities (which millions nationwide need badly). No matter how life-like and charismatic they look on-screen, Maia and Marco are still fake Filipinos created with AI and CGI. They are characters, not human beings. Did GMA Network even try to search for talented and charismatic prospects for their sports broadcasting needs among the many living and breathing Filipinos present in the country? The Philippines has a population of over 100 million people and that includes many young adults and adults who can be employed.
Way back in 1992, in a response to Marvel Comics’ expression that creative people (their employees) are secondary to their comic book characters, Image Comics co-founder Rob Liefeld emphasized the need for a living and breathing work force to keep the company and the business moving.
“Without your creative people, there would be no Batman, there would be no Spider-Man, there would be no Hulk. That’s short-sighted as far as I am concerned. You will need warm bodies, warm creative bodies to create properties to keep your company going,” said Liefeld.
While he specifically did not talk about AI at all, what Liefeld said long ago is still highly relevant which companies and organizations here in the Philippines can learn from before going all-in with artificial intelligence (which will deprive job seekers the opportunities). At least in my view, AI is unnecessary with sports broadcasting. There is nothing like watching a live sports event happen in which the human broadcaster makes powerful or exciting verbal expressions whenever a fun moment happens during the game. That being said, do you seriously think an AI sportscaster can pull off such human reactions in natural and believable fashion for the millions of viewers watching? In case you did not notice, Maia and Marco of GMA still have that robotic tone with the ways they talked – undeniable proof that AI has no soul. Humans who work have souls.
In fairness, GMA Network is aware of the public’s concerns about AI with regards to ethics, human labor, journalism and more. Watch the GMA YouTube news video (mostly in Tagalog) below…
Regardless of how AI develops and make impact on Filipinos, what is clear to me is that measures must be taken to ensure that humans will always have an advantage over artificial intelligence. I am talking about the need for kill switches covering all AI applications and projects to ensure that human users will have the edge in the event that AI turns rogue against humanity. That being said, I encourage you readers to contact your congressional representative and tell him or her to make laws that will make kill switches on AI a requirement all over the Philippines, and that includes requiring all AI providers/makers (including the foreign entities) to comply. Users of AI should be prioritized always! Do you want ChatGPT to control you or destroy you and your family? Do you want robots with AI to be a major part of your household and your lifestyle? I don’t think so.
Once again, AI has no soul. If you want to cook, do it yourself. If you want to write a letter or an article, do it yourself. If you want to compose a teaching module or a new prayer for a bible-focused session in your local church, push AI out of the way to follow the lead of the Holy Spirit and then proceed with the Lord’s command. By the way, artificial intelligence and technology could never understand the Holy Spirit and you definitely should never let them be part of your Christianity. No matter how many people around you worshipAI, robots, science and technology, you should never let them pull you away from the Lord.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this latest development? Do you think GMA Network has set a bad example with their AI sportscasters Maia and Marco with regards to Philippine sports coverage and journalism in general? Why do you think the network wanted their AI sportscaster to look human? Do you think the technology of artificial intelligence will be abused by those who possess it here in the Philippines? Do you think Philippine Congress should come up with a new law requiring kill switches on all AI projects and applications within the country to ensure that users will still have an advantage in case AI goes rogue? Do you think a rogue AI can bring down the security and economy of the Philippines?
Recently in the progressive City of Muntinlupa, the local sellers of rice grain received temporary relief as the City Government implemented a moratorium on the collection of rental payments, 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 Muntinlupa City government has imposed a moratorium on the collection of rental payment from stall holders engaged in the selling of rice as assistance to them following President Marcos’ decision to put a price cap on regular and well-milled rice.
Marcos issued Executive Order No. 39 on Aug. 31 imposing a mandated price ceiling of P41 per kilo for regular milled rice and P45 per kilo for well-milled rice. The rice price cap took effect on Sept. 5.
To assist the affected rice retailers, the Muntinlupa City Council passed Ordinance 2023-120 “imposing moratorium on rental payment for public stall holder in the retail business of selling rice during the effectivity of Executive Order No. 39 or the imposition of mandated price ceiling on rice.”
Mayor Ruffy Biazon signed the ordinance on Sept. 26, which became “effective immediately upon its approval.”
According to the ordinance, the President issued E.O. 39 “with an end view to put a price cap on rice in the effort to ease off the increasing price of the staple caused by illegal price manipulation such as hoarding by opportunistic traders and collusion among industry carters in the light of the lean season, as well as global events taking place beyond the Philippines’ control, such as the Russia-Ukraine conflict, India’s ban on rice exportation, and the unpredictability of oil prices in the world market, among other factors, have caused an alarming increase in the retail prices of rice/”
The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) issued Memorandum Circular No. 2023-131 for mayors to assist and ensure the effective regulation of the price of rice through “regular inspections of public and private markets, as well as rice warehouses; activation of hotlines, consumer complaints desk, and Timbangan ng Bayan; and deputation of barangay officials and non-government organizations to monitor abnormal price increases,” the ordinance added.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you approve of the City Government’s moratorium on the collection of rental payments with regards to the local sellers of rice grain?
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
Author Carlo Carrasco 