Las Piñas Mayor Aguilar Commits to High Compliance on Clearing Operations

The City Government of Las Piñas announced that Mayor Imelda T. Aguilar confirmed her commitment to rid Zapote-Alabang Road and secondary roads of any obstruction to ensure safety and ease traffic as the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) rated the city with high compliance in road clearing operations.

The Mayor ad her daughter Vice Mayor April Aguilar-Nery, on Monday again called on members of Task Force (TF) Kaayusan, barangay officials, and homeowners’ associations to sustain the gains of the clearing operations.

The mayor cited the improved flow of traffic along Zapote-Alabang Road which is the city’s main thoroughfare, as well as removal of sidewalk vendors and demolition of overlapping structures, including the unfinished excavations by various service utilities.

“These obstructions must be permanently out from our main thoroughfare and the inner roads since the sidewalks are for the pedestrians and the roads to motorists,” Mayor Aguilar said.

Even before the announcement of the DILG directive, Task Force Kaayusan was already convened by the Mayor in July shortly after her re-election. The task force, composed of the Estate Management and Development Office, City Engineering Office and the local Philippine National Police, being spearheaded by the Mayor’s Office conducted clearing operations to address concerns on traffic and road hazards.

She also ordered the traffic enforcers to strictly implement City Ordinance No. 577-02, which prohibits all forms of traffic violation and obstructions along the roads and sidewalks.

The DILG last Friday posted on its website the evaluation and assessment report on compliance of Metro Manila cities and municipalities to its Circular 121 based on the directive of President Rodrigo Duterte during his State of the Nation Address last July. Las Piñas was among the twelve Metro local government units which got a high performance rating, meaning with 91% to 100% cleared roads and sidewalks.

In a Philippine Star report, the city, along with Valenzuela City, Navotas City, Marikina City, San Juan City, Makati City, Taguig City,  Muntinlupa City and Pateros, received a perfect compliance score from the DILG. Indicators on determining compliance include ordinances issued, use of a road inventory plan, displacement strategies, rehabilitation efforts and direct on-ground clearing operations. In that same report, it is notable that Las Piñas and Muntinlupa are the only South Metro Manila cities that got listed with achieving perfect compliance scores.

 

 

 

 

My Observations: Century Club of Tahanan’s Bingo Socials Attract Lots of Participants

Between one hundred eighty to two hundred people participated in the Bingo Socials fund-raising event of the Century Club of Tahanan which was held on October 12 at the covered court in Tahanan Village, Barangay BF Homes, Parañaque City. The numbers were confirmed to me by Century Club’s president Florencia Umali who spearheaded the organizing of the games.

I personally looked around and took pictures for this article you are reading. Fortunately for me, I arrived just before City Councilor Tess de Asis delivered a short speech to the participants and the spectators. De Asis, who is best known in the City Government for her enduring legacy on local education and is now serving her third and final term, contributed to the prizes.

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A raffle prize winner posing for a picture with Century Club president Florencia Umali and City Councilor Tess de Asis.

Apart from the councilor, Umali confirmed to me that Mayor Edwin Olivarez, Vice Mayor Rico Golez and Barangay BF Homes chairman Paolo Marquez respectively donated to the cash prizes of the event. Congresswoman Joy Tambunting donate a mobile phone while City Councilors Wahoo Sotto, Giovanni Esplana, Bong Benzon, Jackie Bustamante-Mendoza, Binky Favis and Jean Yllana donated in kind resulting multiple prizes for winners.

Meanwhile, the Tahanan Homeowners Association (THA) and Martin Guzman of Village Cafe gave gift certificates to the event.

The participants were greeted personally by Councilors Sotto, Benzon and Congressman Eric Olivarez when they respectively visited the event. Olivarez even performed a dance to amuse the participants.

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A view from one side…
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…and from another side.

Umali told me that her club not only managed to raise some funds but also witnessed the happiness the participants had playing the bingo games and the smiles on the faces of very fortunate individuals who won cash prizes or raffle prizes. She added that the Bingo Socials proved to be effective in helping members of the local community get to know the new homeowners and, at the same time, promote camaraderie between them.

Ultimately the Bingo Socials brought the residents together which fit in nicely with Tahanan Village’s legacy of being one of the most neighbor-friendly villages not only in Barangay BF Homes but in South Metro Manila as a whole. The fact that several public officials of the city contributed to the prizes and made guest appearances showed that Century Club is a highly credible private club of senior citizens to them. Just a few months ago, no less than Office of Senior Citizen Affairs of Parañaque (OSCA-PQUE) officer-in-charge Dante Pacheco attended Century Club’s general meeting and made notable announcements.

Congratulations to Century Club for an event nicely pulled off!

 

 

 

 

Anti-Bullying Event at SISC on October 25 and 26

Hey everyone!

If you are looking for any event in the entire South Metro Manila emphasizing the campaign against bullying, then you should go to Southville International School & Colleges (SISC) in BF International, Las Piñas City as they will organize their big event titled Be a Buddy, Not a Bully! – A Family Affair Against Bullying on October 25 and 26.

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Set to take place from 9AM to 4PM on each day, admission is free according to SISC officials.

What will you get for free entrance? The organizers have prepared the following activities that are designed to give attendees a clear vision about what bullying is, what its effects are and what people can do to protect themselves from bullies.

  1. Parenting talks
  2. Storytelling sessions
  3. Games
  4. Merchandise exhibits
  5. Food bazaar
  6. Open house for all SISC and non-SISC families.

Previously I wrote about mobbing and that topic is closely related to bullying. To put things in perspective, bullying is defined as abuse and mistreatment of someone vulnerable by someone stronger, more powerful, etc. (according to Merriam-Webster.com)

If you want to tackle the topic of bullying seriously, take the opportunity to attend the Be a Buddy, Not a Bully! – A Family Affair Against Bullying at  SISC on October 25 and 26. 

For inquiries, call the school at (02) 8825-6374 local 100.

Community Food Fair and Bazaar in BF NorthWest on December 7 and 8 (UPDATED November 17, 2019)

Community Food Fair and Bazaar in BF NorthWest on December 7 and 8 (UPDATED November 17, 2019)

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The BF NorthWest Homeowners Association, Inc. announced this past weekend that the Food Fair and Bazaar-Sale will be held on December 7 and 8, 2019 at the BF NorthWest open-air basketball court as well as part of a roofed strip which are located just steps away from its clubhouse along Djakarta street, BF NorthWest, Parañaque City. With regards to time, the hours for December 7 are 3PM to 9PM, and 8AM to 7PM on December 8.

The Community Food Fair will eventually have a wide selection food products and beverages provided by several members of BF HomeSarap which is a very popular Facebook group created by Ditas Antenor, composed of food makers and sellers based in BF Homes as well as enthusiasts. To be clear, BF HomeSarap (administrated by Antenor and Miren Suntay) is a key partner of the organizers of the Food Fair and Bazaar-Sale and you can visit their space in Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/987695754755106/

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As of this writing, several food sellers have been selected for the Community Food Fair according to BF NorthWest Governor-at-Large Lorea Miren.

The result? Here are some food options that you can expect to see offered come December 7 and 8: Cheese roll, red velvet and chocolate cupcakes, lemon squares, Espresso, Fudge Brownies, Chocolate Chunk Cookies, White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies, fruitcake. Salted duck eggs, kesong puti, Angus Tapsilog, Turmeric Latte Embotido, Hamonado & StrawberriesFresh farm vegetables Liempo adobo, pork binagoongan, beef caldereta, garlic cream, cilantro dip, salsa, nachos, beef lumpiang togue Kaien Buffalo Sauce, Kaien Keychain, Kaien Nachos & Dip, Kaien Buffalo Wings, Baked Chicken, Nachos Boodle fight bilao, buttered shrimps in tubs, chili garlic crabs in tubs, tempura/ebi fry, Beef Asado, and Sweet-Chili Ribs.

BF Homesarap Facebook group recently has postings of the sellers in album form. If you are already a member of the group, just visit and view the sellers.

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The Bazaar-Sale is expected to have a selection of items that could make good gifts to give this Christmas. Depending on how many vendors (note: non-food items are limited only to BF Homes residents) will sign up and what kind of products will be offered, we could see items like bags, shoes, clothing, toys, household items, and the like.

Adding zest to the event are raffle draws that will be held on both days. The prizes will be products of the sellers who agreed to donate them.

For those who are not residents of BF NorthWest who plan to visit the Food Fair and Bazaar-Sale this December, if you are traveling by car that does not have a BF NorthWest sticker, be prepared to surrender your ID card at the BF NorthWest village gate along El Grande Avenue. Once you are granted access into the village, always respect the local authorities and the homeowners, and follow the rules regarding in-village speed limit and parking. Please take note that BF NorthWest is inside BF Homes subdivision. Entering BF Homes subdivision with a car without a BF Homes sticker requires you line up in the lane for cars without stickers and leave your ID card to the guard.

Personally, I am looking forward to the Food Fair and Bazaar-Sale in BF NorthWest. This past summer, I visited and observed the 2-day Community Fun Fair which was a really nice event that brought villagers, visitors and vendors together not only for business transactions but also for socializing. That event helped raise funds for the BF NorthWest HOA for the maintenance fees. The Food Fair and Bazaar-Sale’s schedule for early December is ideal as Christmas is nearing.

The Food Fair and Bazaar-Sale this December is a special project of the BF NorthWest Homeowners Association and BF HomeSarap. Visit the BF NorthWest FB group here and BF HomeSarap group here.

For the meantime, please share this news to others via Facebook, Twitter, email, Viber and text. As visitors will be welcomed at BF NorthWest for the Food Fair and Bazaar-Sale, you can consider it to be part of your Christmas shopping activities or destinations.

Finally, this event is supported by PARA APP Powered by Mobiva which is an designed to help users find tricycles to ride on for their commute in and around BF Homes subdivision.

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To others reading this, if you are dissatisfied with print media and you want your community/organization/business/special event or project to be featured on this website, please contact me locally via mobile number 0905-3350831 or via email at Carlo.Carrasco@gmail.com

We can negotiate, work together and be achievers together.


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. Also my fantasy book The World of Havenor is still available in paperback and e-book format. 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 as well. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me at HavenorFantasy@twitter.com

 

 

Village Food Fair 2 at Madison Galeries on October 20

If you are looking for a new food-and-beverage event here in South Metro Manila, then here is something that you should seriously consider.

Madison Galeries, a nice open-air mall located in Barangay Cupang, Muntinlupa City, recently announced it will be organizing Village Food Fair 2 which will take place the whole day of October 20 (Sunday). To be specific, the event will take place at the Madison Events Place which is located at the 3rd floor of the mall.

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For the newcomers reading this, Madison Galeries is located along Don Jesus Boulevard in Alabang. The boulevard is a long road that connects Alabang Hills Village, Hillsborough and other villages to the West service road. Available for visitors with vehicles are open-air parking slots as well as covered parking.

“The Food Fair will offer the same joyous, community presence from our nearby villages and serving local to branded quality foods. With this, we also open our doors to all customers who wish to taste quality items from our participated concessionaires,” Madison Galeries expressed in response to my inquiry.

The mall operator stated they are expecting a good number of concessionaires to participate, the same as from the previous food fair.

Personally, I got delighted over the announcement that Village Food Fair 2 is happening in a few weeks’ time. This was because I attended the 1st Village Food Fair a few months ago and it was a really nice experience. There were lots of concessionaires selling pies, cakes, Shawarma, sushi and maki, rice meals, dessert, shakes and more delicious stuff. There were also some organic food products offered to customers for their home cooking needs.

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From the 1st Village Food Fair at Madison Galeries.

By the end of my attendance of that food fair, I wished that it would happen again…..and Madison Galeries decided to organize another one. My wish came true! The wait won’t be too painful as October 20 is fast approaching.

If you have any inquiries about Village Food Fair 2, feel free to contact Madison Galeries at 0917-6369160 or visit their administrative office at the 4th floor of the mall. Visit their official Facebook page as well.


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. Also my fantasy book The World of Havenor is still available in paperback and e-book format. 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 as well. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me at HavenorFantasy@twitter.com

Bingo Socials in Tahanan Village set for October 12

Hi everyone! It’s me again with another Barangay BF Homes community and South Metro Manila update for you all.

If you like playing bingo games and want to win a prize or two, then Tahanan Village in Parañaque City is your next destination as the Bingo Socials will be held there on October 12 at 5PM. The precise venue is the covered court of the village which is just a short walk away from the clubhouse of the Tahanan Homeowners Association (THA).

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This is what a ticket of the Bingo Socials of CCTI looks like. (photo published with permission)

Organized by the Century Club of Tahanan, Inc. (CCTI), the Bingo Socials is a fund-raising event that will support the club’s upcoming projects.

According to Century Club of Tahanan, Inc. president Florencia Umali, tickets are currently available and still for sale. Tickets are priced at P50 each while the block-out tickets are sold at P100 each.

“We have ten games and two block-out (blackout) for the grand prize,” she said. Umali stressed that details about the prizes will be announced soon as they are still finalizing them.

For those of you who are living outside of Tahanan Village, here is the good news – non-residents (visitors) are welcome to enter the village, buy tickets and play in the Bingo Socials. If you are a non-resident driving a vehicle that does not have a Tahanan Village sticker, you just have to tell the village gate guard you will play in the bingo, then leave your ID card so that you can enter.

If you have inquiries or you intend to buy tickets and play in the bingo, contact CCTI president Florencia Umali now at mobile phone number 0920-9046732.

For the newcomers reading this, Century Club of Tahanan, Inc. is a private club of senior citizens who live inside Tahanan Village. The club is recognized by the the Office of Senior Citizens Affairs of Parañaque City (OSCA-Parañaque).

My Observations: Barangay BF Homes Takes Action Versus Dengue

The City of Parañaque is back in the news but not in a very ideal way. Rather news about the city are depressing as the City Government declared a state of calamity due to a rise of dengue cases. According to the City Government’s own health department, one thousand seven hundred and two cases of dengue were recorded for the period of January 1 to September 14 this year.

Think about it. 1,702 dengue cases in the city versus 1,174 cases in the city in the same period a year ago. That’s a jump of 44.97% in difference! That’s really sad news and no amount of diversion publicity, beauty pageants, careless journalism and showing off can take people’s minds off that. With its 1,702 dengue cases, Parañaque is now the 4th highest ranking city in terms of dengue cases among cities in the National Capital Region (NCR).

My sources at City Hall told me that their health department has been working to solve the problems. City Councilor Wahoo Sotto, meanwhile, has been going around the city informing people about dengue, what the facts are and what are the myths hounding people from realizing the facts. He recently visited Parañaque Elementary School Central and, as the guest of honor, he spoke about the dangers of dengue and what can be done to deal with it.

Going back to the City Government, the declaration of a state of calamity would allow officials of barangays (communities) in the city to release funds to boost the campaign against the disease. The city has a total of sixteen barangays and the most notable among them all is Barangay BF Homes which is led by chairman Paolo Marquez. Already the barangay took action against dengue.

For you, my readers as well as residents and stakeholders in Barangay BF Homes, I contacted captain Marquez directly for his views about the campaign against dengue. I asked him about the City Government’s support for the barangay regarding dengue prevention. His answer below.

“Yes, somehow the City Government provided assistance to us to minimize dengue,” said Captain Marquez. “However, we cannot just depend on them since we have to do whatever is necessary to minimize it.”

The barangay chief further stated that their fogging (fumigation by means of machine-generated fog to disinfect areas) and information campaigns about dengue has been done for some time already (even before the City’s state of calamity declaration was done) and they will continue to perform and serve until the epidemic dies down.

Of course, Barangay BF Homes is working even harder and making the hard adjustments.

“I’m recently acquiring additional chemical solutions as I anticipate this will go on for quite some time. I’m now looking also in the feasibility of acquiring additional machines to do the job, plus the fact that water-based misting has been rendered ineffective due to rain,” he said.

When Marquez mentioned misting, that instantly reminded me of the community wide misting service performed by the Tahanan Homeowners Association (THA) for the residents in Tahanan Village over at least the past few years. Misting is fumigation by means of liquid spray. I personally witnessed misting in the village.

Back to Barangay BF Homes, captain Marquez said he is focused on thermal fogging machines which, he believes, are effective and can protect the community from dengue even further.

As of this writing, it has been confirmed that Barangay BF Homes personnel have been doing fogging operations around the community. They have done it on key areas of depressed communities (or mission sites) and also in private subdivisions like BF NorthWest. The barangay itself is open to requests for services related to dengue prevention. You want your residential community or establishment to be cleared of dengue mosquitoes? Visit barangay hall along Elsie Gatches street as soon as possible.

Right now, the officials of the three cities of South Metro Manila – Parañaque, Las Piñas and Muntinlupa – are performing their respective duties on preventing dengue infections among the constituents, informing people to be knowledgeable about the dreaded disease. Of course, the City Governments and barangay units cannot do the tasks alone as they need help from the constituents. Did you spot a particular location near your residence that could be a potential breeding ground for dengue mosquitoes? Call the local authorities immediately.

For those of you who know someone who is already infected and suffering from dengue fever, take time out to read my article about the use of papaya leaf juice as a remedy. I did not write that piece out of the blue. Rather, a certain scientist I met during the networking night of the Israel Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ICCP) encouraged me to do a research on papaya leaf juice as the cure for dengue fever.

Dengue is a national problem here in the Philippines right now. Beware of bites from dengue-carrying mosquitoes.

For more updates on Barangay BF Homes and South Metro Manila, come back here.


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. Also my fantasy book The World of Havenor is still available in paperback and e-book format. 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 as well. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me at HavenorFantasy@twitter.com

 

Las Piñas Responds to Ohana Residents’ Concern About Potential Dengue Mosquito Breeding Ground

On the afternoon of September 24, the City Government of Las Piñas posted via its official Facebook page its response to a report they received from people living at Ohanan Place in Barangay Almanza Uno regarding a key area (located beside the condominium) described as a massive dengue mosquito breeding ground.

The said area is a construction site.

As a result, Mayor Imelda “Mel” Aguilar issued orders to the City Health Office and the City Engineering Office to address the Ohana residents’ concern.

The City Health Office responded saying it has conducted an inspection (jointly done with Barangay Almanza Uno personnel) of the construction site which has stagnant water and, so far, a negative result for mosquito larvae was found.

The contractor of the construction site, who remains unidentified as of this writing, was asked by the City Health Office to clean the site. The City Engineering Office, which also organized its own inspection, asked the contractor to pump out the stagnant water immediately.

To put things in perspective, stagnant bodies of water serve as breeding spots for dengue mosquitoes. If left unchecked, those mosquitoes can multiply, fly around, bite and infect people and cause dengue fever.

Going back to the City Government, Mayor Aguilar and her daughter Vice Mayor April Aguilar-Nery requested their citizens to report immediately to the City Health Office or to their respective Barangays what could be possible spots in their local communities that may be breeding grounds for dengue mosquitoes. It was announced that local health centers are equipped with dengue testing kits for free to the residents.

Meanwhile, people who are already infected with dengue virus and are sick should consider using papaya leaf juice. Of course, consult with a doctor first or a medical expert who is experienced with papaya leaf juice as a cure.

In South Metro Manila, dengue is now a serious problem. Already the City Government of Muntinlupa acted to curb dengue cases.

The City Government of Parañaque declared on September 23 a state of calamity as already over 1,700 dengue cases have been recorded in the city from January 1 to September 14.

Dengue fever is a harsh condition that includes symptoms of high fever, vomiting, pains on the muscle and joints, headache, pain behind the eyes, fatigue and skin rash. The time it takes for a sufferer to recover from it is two to seven days. However, there have been a small number of cases in which dengue fever becomes severe (referred to as dengue hemorrhagic fever). The symptoms for severe dengue include low blood platelets, bleeding and blood plasma leakage. There is also dengue shock syndrome which includes low blood pressure.

Watch out for more South Metro Manila updates here.

However, if you are a reader based in South Metro Manila and you want to expose a possible dengue mosquito breeding ground or create awareness about dealing with dengue fever, please contact me via mobile phone at 0905-3350831 or send me an email at Carlo.Carrasco@gmail.com

DILG: No local government unit fully compliant with road clearing operations yet.

In response to a certain city government’s claim that it has joined other cities on being 100% compliant with the national government order to clear roads of obstructions, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) stated on September 13 that no local government unit (LGU) yet has been declared as fully compliant.

“We have not made any determination on which LGUs are fully compliant because the assessment of all LGUs will come after the 60-day deadline which will be on September 29, 2019,” DILG spokesperson and Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said in a statement.

Malaya made the clarification in response to the claim made by the City Government of Makati that it has joined the cities of Marikina, Malabon, Navotas, Pasay, San Juan, Valenzuela and the municipality of Pateros, which earlier reports said are 100-percent compliant with the campaign to clear roads of obstructions, ahead of the 60-day deadline imposed by the DILG.

Citing the department’s Memorandum Circular No. 121-2019, Undersecretary Malaya said full compliance with the order is not based on road clearing operations alone.

Malaya specified that in order for an LGU to be declared as fully compliant, it should enact or revisit ordinances that are related to road clearing, the banning of illegal construction, preparing an inventory of roads within their jurisdiction, implementing displacement strategies and the like.

He added that compliance reports on the matter submitted by LGUs to the DILG regional offices and its Bureau of Local Government Supervision (BLGS) are still subject to validation.

Speaking of validation with regards to South Metro Manila, the City Government of Las Piñas claimed on its September 13, 2019 Facebook page post that the DILG “has validated the 100% completion of the clearing operations weeks ahead of the scheduled deadline on September 29,” in relation to DILG Undersecretary RJ Echiverri’s very recent visit and inspection of the result of the local clearing operation which involved the presence of Mayor Imelda “Mel” Aguilar and other city officials.

Excerpt from the City Government of Las Piñas Facebook page post:

The ocular inspection validated the report of Mayor Mel Aguilar and the city government’s Task Force Kaayusan. DILG has validated the 100% completion of the clearing operations weeks ahead of the scheduled deadline on September 29.

Undersecretary Echiverri gave positive comments about the result of the clearing operations in Las Piñas.

Now if only the DILG itself will react to the Facebook claim of the City Government of Las Piñas.

If anything comes up, it will be posted here.

 

 

 

 

 

Las Piñas City Clearing Operation Validated by DILG

Previously the City Government of Las Piñas announced that it successfully conducted operations that cleared streets and sidewalks of debris and illegal structures way ahead of the late September deadline.

Today the City Government announced that Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Undersecretary RJ Echiverri visited the city, met officials (led by Mayor Imelda “Mel” Aguilar), inspected the primary and secondary roads where the clearing operations were done. He was accompanied by the Mayor and some other local officials.

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Las Piñas City Mayor Imelda Aguilar explains something to DILG Undersecretary Echiverri. (photo credit: City Government of Las Piñas)

According to the City Government, Undersecretary Echiverri gave positive comments about the result of the clearing operation done locally by Task Force Kaayusan and that the DILG validated it.

Part of the team that accompanied Mayor Aguilar, Vice Mayor April Aguilar-Nery (daughter of the mayor), and Undersecretary Echiverri during the inspection were Ms. Mary Anne Planas, Mr. Walsur Espinosa, Engr. Rose Bantog, Mr. Jose Gonzales, Dr. August Basangan, Engr. Cezar Perillo, Mr. Wifredo Gaerlan, Mr. Reynaldo Balagulan, Atty. Glenda Lucena and former city councilors Mark Santos and Henry Medina.

Anyone among you readers from Las Piñas City? Were you able to see the above officials inspecting the cleared areas of the city?

Please feel free to reply in the comments section below.