Tag: Korea-Philippines

COMELEC claims that Miru Systems is ready to deliver 110,000 automated counting machines for 2025 national & local elections

COMELEC claims that Miru Systems is ready to deliver 110,000 automated counting machines for 2025 national & local elections

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With the 2025 national and local elections happening less than a year from now, the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) announced that the contracted provider Miru Systems is ready to deliver more than one hundred thousand automated counting machines (ACM) for the said polls, according to a Philippine News Agency (PNA) news article.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from PNA news article. Some parts in boldface…

Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman George Garcia on Wednesday said the Miru Systems is ready to deliver the 110,000 automated counting machines (ACMs) for the 2025 mid-term elections.

Garcia made the remark after he and other Comelec officials visited on Monday the facilities of Miru, a South Korean firm contracted to provide the automated technology for next year’s polls.

“Kuntento at satisfied ang Comelec sa nakikita namin so far. Hindi po tayo nagkamali nung nabigay natin ang award kay Miru (The Comelec is satisfied with what we see so far. We did not make a mistake when we gave the award to Miru),” Garcia said in a statement.

Last Feb. 22, the Comelec awarded the full automation system with transparency audit/count (FASTrAC) project to the joint venture of Miru Systems Co. Ltd., Integrated Computer Systems, St. Timothy Construction Corporation, and Centerpoint Solutions Technologies, Inc. (MIRU-ICS-STCC-CPSTI).

Garcia thanked the South Korean company for showing the Comelec team how the manufacturing will be done. Miru Systems was the lone bidder for the lease of FASTrAC project worth PHP17.9 billion.

“Napatunayan natin na ang Miru talaga ay isang manufacturing company ng mga automated counting machines dahil nakita natin lahat ng mga makina na ginawa nila at ginamit para sa ibang bansa (We have proven that Miru is actually a manufacturing company of automated counting machines because we have seen all the machines they made and use for other countries),” he said.

“Nakita din namin na handang-handa sila na talagang ideliver sa atin yung 110,000 machines na kakailanganin natin sapagkat on-time at yung timeline nila ay sadyang sinusunod. Nakita din natin kung gaano kagaling ang kanilang mga technicians at engineers habang ginagawa nila ang makina (We also saw that they are ready to actually deliver to us the 110,000 machines that we will need because they are on-time and their timeline is being followed. We also saw how good their technicians and engineers are while they are building the machine),” he added.

Miru officials headed by chief executive officer Jin-Bok Chung and vice president for Overseas Sales Ken Cho welcomed the Comelec officials and other stakeholders.

“We are honored to welcome Comelec Chair George Garcia, Commissioners Nelson Celis and Aimee Ferolino, and all other important stakeholders from the Philippines to oversee these early stages of production,” Cho said.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for us to show the status of the ongoing customization of the machines according to the needs of the Filipino people to all stakeholders, including the Philippine Computer Society, KBP (Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas), and other media friends,” he added.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think Miru Systems will be able to deliver all the ACMs needed for the 2025 national and local elections?

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

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

Philippines tourism gains from influx of South Korean visitors

Philippines tourism gains from influx of South Korean visitors

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Tourism in the Philippines continues to progress in terms of attracting visitors from overseas as tourists from South Korea emerged as the top source of foreign visitors this year, according to a news article published by the Philippine News Agency (PNA).

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

South Korea is again the Philippines’ top source of foreign visitors so far this year.

Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco bared this on Thursday when she greeted a batch of 300 travelers from South Korea at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport.

The travelers are members of the Korea branch of UNICITY, a direct selling company on health functional foods, cosmetics and household items and with over 60 markets globally. 

As a reward to their top agents, sellers, and distributors, UNICITY-Korea sends a big volume of incentive groups to Southeast Asian countries annually.

This year, the company is sending 1,400 people in four batches (April 9, 13, 17, and 21) to Cebu.

Department of Tourism data showed a significant pick up in Korean arrivals since last year, with 428,014 or a 16.13 percent share of the country’s arrivals received between Feb. 10 — when the country eased its borders for leisure travelers — up until Dec. 31, 2022. 

“The good news is that as of today, we have over 1.5 million tourist arrivals to the Philippines and our number one top source market are the Koreans. So we’re very grateful to our friends from Korea for continuing to show their love for the Philippines as they have come back in droves, and the UNICITY group in particular, has come with a delegation of no less than 1,400 individuals,” Frasco said. 

Upon their arrival, the travelers were welcomed with leis and performances by Filipiniana-clad rondalla serenaders as well as by Sinulog dancers. 

Prior to the pandemic, Korea ranked number one in terms of visitor arrivals to the Philippines, with 1,989,322 or 24.08 percent of the country’s total number of arrivals for 2019.

Arrivals from Korea declined drastically during the pandemic, dropping to 338,877 and 6,456, for 2020 and 2021, respectively. 

“They’re coming on a daily basis and the numbers are increasing by the day. Last year, they were at number two, because it is the United States that [provided] our number one top source market. But this year, the Koreans have reclaimed the number one spot and we send out the message to all our friends in Korea, that you are more than welcome to keep coming back again and again to Cebu, Bohol, Palawan, and the rest of our beautiful islands in the Philippines,” Frasco said. 

PH as ideal MICE destination 

Frasco noted that the arrival of a delegation as big as the UNICITY group is a welcome development especially with the DOT “seeing MICE tourism become a very strong product for the Philippines and also for Cebu.”   

“They are staying for a few days and we expect that this will contribute greatly to the economy of Cebu in particular, and to the rest of the country in general, considering the multiplier effect of tourism is really so that they will support our local tourism stakeholders, our small and medium enterprises, and the like,” Frasco said. 

To further boost the Korean tourism source market and visitor arrivals, the DOT, through its office in Korea, carries out marketing initiatives including an online presentation to educate the MICE (meetings, incentives, conference, exhibitions) players in the Philippines about the Korean MICE market, as well as participation to upcoming key events such as business-to-business fairs, and a MICE roadshow. 

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think the Philippines will continue to attract even more visitors from South Korea? Do you hope to see some of the South Korean visitors settle here in the Philippines and help build up the national economy by establishing legitimate businesses and creating new jobs?

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

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

For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673

Wanted man from South Korea arrested in Parañaque City

Wanted man from South Korea arrested in Parañaque City

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In Parañaque City, a wanted person from South Korea was apprehended by local law enforcers and their foreign counterparts this past Monday, according to a Manila Bulletin news report. The suspect is wanted for robbery hostage in his home country and the warrant of arrest was issued almost two years ago.

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

A Korean fugitive was arrested by members of the Southern Police District-Special Operation Unit (SPD-DSOU) and their foreign counterparts in Parañaque City on Monday, Dec. 12.

The suspect, identified as Kim Mihngyu, 29, a businessman, is now detained at the Bureau of Immigration (BI) facility in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City pending his deportation.

SPD Director Brig. Gen. Kirby John Kraft said the suspect was arrested around 5:45 p.m. at Solaire Resort and Casino located in Barangay Tambo, Parañaque City.

Kraft said the Seoul Central District Court issued a warrant of arrest against the suspect on December 23, 2020 for robbery hostage in violation of Article 336 of the Criminal Act of the Republic of Korea.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What do you think about this recent development? Are you concerned that wanted criminals from overseas could be staying secretly within the borders of Parañaque City? Are you thankful to the law enforcers for the apprehension of the suspect?

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

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

For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673

Foreign fugitives arrested in Parañaque City

Foreign fugitives arrested in Parañaque City

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Two foreigners wanted by the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) for a transnational crime related to telecommunications were arrested by law enforcers in the city of Parañaque, according to a news article published by the Philippine News Agency (PNA). The Manila Bulletin also has its own report of the same development. The suspects are now under the custody of the Bureau of Immigration (BI).

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

Police officers have arrested two South Korean nationals wanted for telecommunications fraud in their home country in Parañaque City.

In a statement Friday, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) chief Brig. Gen. Ronald Lee said suspects Juyeon Lee and Seungyeol Lim were arrested by members of the Anti-Transnational Crimes Unit and Intelligence Division of South Korea and the Bureau of Immigration (BI) agents in an operation at the BF Homes on Thursday night.

The suspects have a red notice from the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) for transnational crime.

Lee and Lim are members of a phone scam syndicate operating in the Philippines from 2015 to 2016 which preys on victims by posing as bank officials or sellers of a call center in Manila.

The suspects worked for the syndicate from February to July 2016 and were able to defraud a total of 2.8 billion Korean won (around PHP115 million) by performing the illegal activity.

Lee is an underboss of the “Majun Family” who operates voice phishing call centers in several luxury offices in Metro Manila defrauding a total of US$3.7 million (around PHP210 million) from 215 victims in just six months.

Currently, the syndicate has defrauded an approximate amount of US$21 million (around PHP1.1 billion) from its victims.

As to where the arrests happened, posted below is an excerpt from the Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…

He said the suspects were nabbed by virtue of a “Red Notice” from the International Police Organization (INTERPOL) implemented by the CIDG’s Anti-Transnational Crimes Unit and Intelligence Division, Bureau of Immigration, and Korean Desk in BF Homes and MHFDS Village, respectively, at 6 p.m.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are living in Parañaque City, what is your reaction to this report? Do you think that Parañaque will remain a hot spot for foreign fugitives taking refuge far away from their country where they are wanted for crimes? Do you think that much work has to be done before the reported phone scam syndicate operating here in the Philippines will be fully stopped? Are you a victim of the suspects mentioned in the report?

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

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

For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673

COVID-19 Crisis: Roughly 540,000 vaccine doses donated by South Korea arriving tomorrow

COVID-19 Crisis: Roughly 540,000 vaccine doses donated by South Korea arriving tomorrow

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Tomorrow, November 30, 2021, almost 540,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine donated by the government of South Korea will arrive here in the Philippines according to a recent report by the Philippine News Agency (PNA). This early, we Filipinos should express our thanks to our friends in South Korea for not just for the mentioned incoming vaccines but also for other forms of help they provided for our nation’s fight against COVID-19.

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

The South Korean government is augmenting its pandemic assistance to the Philippines with the upcoming donation of 539,430 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine this month.

The Korean Embassy in Manila said the donations are expected to arrive on November 30.

“The Embassy of the Republic of Korea is happy to support the Philippine government as it seeks to inoculate 15 million Filipinos during the National Covid-19 Vaccination Days from November 29 to December 1, 2021,” it said in a statement on Tuesday.

“The donation is part of the joint efforts made by Korea and the Philippines to protect public health and support the local response to Covid-19 in the Philippines by vaccinating Filipino people.“

Since the outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) last year, the embassy has worked closely with partners from the Philippines, both to help protect the front-liners and reduce the crisis’ impact on the livelihood of affected Filipino families.

The upcoming donation brings to USD210.7 million or approximately PHP10.67 billion Korea’s Covid-19 assistance to the Philippines.

About USD200 million of the amount is in the form of concessional loans to help the Philippines procure enough vaccines in 2021 and support government efforts in scaling up its Covid-19 response.

Korea’s grant element in its concessional loan is at least 88.4 percent, based on the 2018 data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

“It implies that the Philippines need(s) to repay only 12.6 percent and 88.4 percent will not be repaid by the Philippines. Thus, Korea’s concessional loan provides very, very good terms to the Philippines,” the embassy said.

Apart from the loans, Korea has donated 530,000 swab test kits, seven walk-through booths, two extraction equipment, six isolation beds, 970,000 masks, 167,000 hygiene kits, and 1,200 units of personal protective equipment.

It also distributed rice pouches to help about 365,000 Filipinos who are among the country’s most vulnerable cope during the pandemic.

The Korean Embassy said at least 34 refrigerated trucks for transporting Covid-19 vaccines and four trucks for transporting vaccine-related goods are likewise scheduled for delivery in January 2022.

This year marks 30 years of the Philippines’ and Korea’s development partnership, with the latter’s contribution to the country reaching USD2.1 billion in total.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What can you say about this new development? Are you thankful to South Korea for the donations and assistance they provided to our country? Do you value the ties between the Philippines and South Korea?

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

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