Every day here in the Philippines, either someone got scammed or someone is secretly organizing a scam to steal money from others. Recently in the City of Manila, agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) apprehended twelve Chinese nationals who were caught in the act of scamming and also for illegally detaining and assaulting a man who refused to work as a scammer, according to a GMA Network news report.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the GMA news article. Some parts in boldface…
The National Bureau of Investigation-Special Task Force (NBI-STF) has arrested 12 Chinese nationals for alleged online scamming and assaulting and detaining an individual who refused to work as a scammer, it said Friday.
In a statement, the NBI said the victim filed a complaint for alleged violation of the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, serious physical injuries, and serious illegal detention.
The complainant said he was forced to work as an online scammer in a building in Manila and was beaten and assaulted when he refused.
He said the suspects then demanded him to pay the P500,000 ransom, but he was only able to give P300,000. After this, he was released and threatened to be killed if he will report the incident to authorities.
This led the NBI-STF, in coordination with the Manila Police District, to conduct an operation on August 6.
They arrested 12 Chinese nationals caught in the act of committing online scamming activities. Four of them were positively identified by the complainant as the ones who assaulted him.
The suspects were presented for inquest proceedings for violation of 4(b)(2) of the Cybercrime Prevention Act, and Article 263 and 267 of the Revised Penal Code, as amended.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think there could be a lot more Chinese nationals committing crime and harming people here in the Philippines? Have you been scammed before? Do you think the Chinese nationals currently living in your local community could be secretly scamming others online?
Recently in the city of Parañaque, the local police arrested three Chinese nationals who allegedly robbed and abducted a 23-year-old Vietnamese woman who managed to escape from her captors, according to a Manila Bulletin news report. The suspects have been charged with robbery, grave coercion, illegal detention, possession of illegal drugs, and illegal possession of firearms.
To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…
A female Vietnamese national who was robbed and abducted by three Chinese men was rescued by members of the Parañaque City Police on Tuesday, August 6.
The victim was identified as “Lang,” 23 and is said to be working in a money exchange services business in Manila. Meanwhile, the suspects were identified as “Jun,” 31, “Hao,” 27, and “Zhang,” 26.
The police said Lang was rescued after she managed to escape from one of her abductors who fell asleep while guarding her and sought assistance from a lobby security guard of a condominium building located in Barangay Tambo, Parañaque City. The police immediately responded to the report of the security guard and rescued the victim.
Lang said her workplace caters to several Chinese nationals and foreigners seeking to exchange currencies.
At around 12:20 a.m. on August 6, one of the suspects contacted her through Telegram for a meeting to exchange Vietnamese dong to Philippine peso.
Upon arrival at the condominium unit, Lang said she was threatened by Hao with a knife and forcibly took her cellphone. The suspects transported her to an unknown location on board a Ford Ranger pickup.
The suspects forcibly obtained her cellphone password including her facial ID to access her online bank account where they were able to transfer her money to an unknown account amounting to 8,940,000,000 Vietnamese dong from Vietcombank, P1,000,000 worth of jewelry, and P300,000 cash.
Police recovered from the arrested suspects two .9mm pistols; a North American Ans Black Widow 22 Magnum revolver; various ammunitions; P236,000 cash; several electronic devices such as an Apple iPad, Apple MacBook Air, and seven iPhones; a Chinese passport in the name of “Liu”; and a Vietnamese passport under the name of “Dong.”
They also yielded a set of vehicle license plates; one matte black Ford Ranger Sport; 76 ecstasy tablets with an estimated value of P129,200; and 5 grams of suspected shabu worth P34,000.
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 more Chinese nationals committing crime, accumulating guns and stealing money from others?
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 engagement, 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, an elderly woman received a P100,000 cash gift from the City Government as she turned 100-years-old and Mayor Ruffy Biazon paid a visit, 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…
Mom Teodula Pesigan celebrated her 100th birthday with a P100,000 cash gift from the Muntinlupa City government.
Muntinlupa Mayor Ruffy Biazon personally visited Pesigan at her house in Barangay Putatan to hand over the P100,000 gift, a program of the city government through its Office of the Senior Citizen’s Affairs.
“At her age, very sharp pa ang kanyang isip (At her age, her mind is still very sharp),” said Biazon.
When he asked about her secret to long life, her family responded that she likes to eat lechon and liempo.
“It was a great and fun experience na makilala at makausap si Nanay Dulay (It was a great and fun experience to meet and talk to Nanay Dulay),” the mayor added.
All centenarian residents of Muntinlupa get P100,000 cash gift under City Ordinance No. 2018-147.
Under Republic Act 10868 or the Centenarians Act of 2016, all Filipinos aged 100 and above will be given cash gifts to recognize their contribution to the country, added Biazon.
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 delighted to learn about the existence of the local ordinance that ensures cash gifts to centenarians? Is anyone in your local community about to reach the age of 100?
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 engagement, 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 received two awards from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) for compliance with Republic Act Number 9003 as well as its engagement in the proper implementation of solid waste management practices, 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 local government of Las Piñas received two awards from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) for its compliance with the Ecological Solid Waste Act of 2000 and active engagement in the proper implementation of solid waste management practices.
Las Piñas Vice Mayor April Aguilar said the city was awarded after being included as one of the top five local government units (LGUs) who displayed outstanding performance in complying with the Republic Act 9003 or the “Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000.”
The agency recognized the city government for its efforts during the 2023 LGU-Compliance Assessment and its contributions to the Manila Bay clean-up rehabilitation and preservation program.
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 with the newest awards the City Government received from the DENR?
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 engagement, 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 Government approved an ordinance establishing a moratorium on the collection of the amusement tax on Filipino films (note: movies produced by Philippine companies/organizations) within the city for the next three years, as reported by the Manila Bulletin. The ordinance was signed into law by Mayor Ruffy Biazon.
In short, local companies here in the Philippines whose films are shown in theaters within the jurisdiction of Muntinlupa City could earn more as the amusement tax won’t be imposed for most of the year for the next three years while the cinema operators themselves can benefit along the way.
I say most of the year because the moratorium does not cover the time period of December 25 to January 7 which is precisely the time when the annual Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) happens.
To put things in perspective, read the excerpt from the Manila Bulletin news report posted below. Some parts in boldface…
Muntinlupa Mayor Ruffy Biazon and the City Council approved an ordinance granting a three-year moratorium on the collection of amusement tax from Filipino films in the next three years.
The Muntinlupa City Council passed and Biazon signed Ordinance No. 2024-229 “Declaring Moratorium on the Collection of Amusement Tax for Filipino Films in the City of Muntinlupa from January 08 to December 24 of every year for the next three (3) years.“
Under the existing Local Government Code, “The province may levy an amusement tax to be collected from the proprietors, lessees, or operators of theaters, cinemas, concert halls, circuses, boxing stadia, and other places of amusement at a rate of not more than ten percent (10%) of the gross receipts from the admissions fees.”
In February, the Metro Manila Council adopted the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Resolution No. 24-11 “Declaring a Moratorium on the Collection of Amusement Tax for Filipino Films in Metro Manila from January 08 to December 24 of Every Year for the Next Three Years.”
In the Muntinlupa ordinance, it was stated that the MMDA resolution “was adopted to recognize the importance of the local film industry in promoting cultural and economic development and in response to the appeal of the local filmmakers to boost the film industry after the impact of the COVID-i9 Pandemic on the production and exhibition of Filipino Films, and the dominance of foreign films.”
Under the ordinance, all cinemas in Muntinlupa can avail of the moratorium on the collection of amusement taxes for Filipino films from Jan. 8 to Dec. 24 of every year for the next three years.
When it comes to the state of cinemas within Muntinlupa City, Commercenter has four screens and I noticed over the past two months that only 2 or 3 were operating during my visits there. Over at Festival Mall, their 4-screen modern cinemas are fully operating but their original cinemas (located several feet away by foot on the same floor) are still dark and depressing as only 2 or 3 screens (out of ten screens) were operating almost all the time.
As for the cinemas in Alabang Town Center, they seem to be operating normally and continue to attract a steady amount of moviegoers.
Going back to the approved moratorium, it remains to be seen if it could lead to a potential reduction of ticket prices in relation to Filipino movies within Muntinlupa. Even if ticket prices get reduced, would it be enough to convince people to come to the Muntinlupa cinemas and buy tickets for the cinematic experience. There is also the factor of the quality of Filipino movies showing in Muntinlupa movie theaters plus the factor of foreign movies.
As a resident of Alabang who saw lots of movies in the local cinemas, I noticed that Muntinlupa City is lacking when it comes to hosting film festivals (note: the annual MMFF does NOT count). Special events about movies focusing on variety, quality and artistry being held in Muntinlupa can help cinema operators attract moviegoers as well as the enthusiastic film buffs.
Perhaps the City Government or barangays could someday organize a special event of short films made by Muntinlupa-based filmmakers and have such films screened in local cinemas. Organizing another film festival showcasing films by independent filmmakers from around the country and having them screened in theaters within the city could help too.
Still on the topic of Filipino movies, when will the time come when the major local movie producers will have premieres of their new movies held in cinemas here in Muntinlupa and give locals the chance to see their favorite movie stars in person?
Let me end this post by asking you readers: What do you think about the 3-year moratorium approved by the City Government of Muntinlupa? Do you think that cinemas in Muntinlupa are losing money? Do you think the newly approved moratorium could be disadvantageous to the City Government in terms of revenue?
Recently in the city of Parañaque, operatives of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) arrested a Chinese national who turned out to be wanted by authorities in China for alleged acts of human trafficking related to online gaming hubs located in the Philippines, according to a GMA Network news report.
To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the GMA news report. Some parts in boldface…
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) said it has arrested a Chinese national wanted in Beijing for allegedly trafficking fellow Chinese to work for online gaming hubs in the Philippines.
The Chinese national was identified by BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco as Wang Chuancong, 35.
Wang was arrested last July 30 at a condominium along Roxas Boulevard in Parañaque City by BI’s Fugitive Search Unit operatives. Tansingco said the Chinese government informed the BI of the suspect’s presence in the country.
A detention warrant was issued against him in April 2024 by the municipal public security bureau in Jinjiang, China for human trafficking.
“We were told that he heads a syndicate that facilitates the illegal departure of Chinese nationals by forging documents to facilitate their outbound travel in China,” Tansingco said.
“This allows them to travel to different countries including the Philippines to work in online gaming hubs,” the BI commissioner added.
Wang was found to be an undocumented alien after his passport was canceled by the Chinese government.
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 more Chinese criminals hiding 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 engagement, 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 celebration of the 50th Nutrition Month was held at SM Center which Vice Mayor April Aguilar attended, the City Government announced via social media. The event emphasized the City Government’s attention towards the wellbeing of its constituents.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the City Government’s social media post. Some parts in boldface…
The City of Las Piñas marked its 50th Nutrition Month celebration with a culminating activity at the SM Center in Pamplona Dos on Tuesday, July 30. The event featured a Grand Zumba Dancercise and an awarding ceremony, drawing participation from various community members and officials.
Vice Mayor April Aguilar, a key supporter of the city’s nutrition initiatives, attended the event, expressing her commitment to promoting health and wellness among residents. The event was also graced by City Nutrition Office Officer-in-Charge Dr. Julio Javier II and City Health Office Officer-in-Charge Dr. Juliana Gonzalez.
The celebration included a video presentation of the 2024 Nutrition Month activities, followed by a Zumba session that saw participation from attendees of all ages. Awards and recognitions were presented to participants who actively engaged in the month’s various nutrition activities.
The activity underscored the city’s dedication to (promoting) a healthy community, aligning with the theme “Sa PPAN Sama-Sama sa Nutrisyong Sapat Para sa Lahat,” which encourages adequate nutrition for all.
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 consider the celebration of Nutrition Month important in your city? How many members of your local community participated in the 50th Nutrition Month activities at SM Center?
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 engagement, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
The economy of the Philippines grew at a fast 6.3% in the 2nd quarter (April to June 2024) according to a Philippine News Agency (PNA) news article. The declared quarterly growth rate placed the Philippines ahead of Malaysia, Indonesia and China.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the PNA news article. Some parts in boldface…
Philippine economic growth accelerated to 6.3 percent in the second quarter of the year from 4.3 percent in the same period last year, National Statistician Dennis Mapa said in a briefing on Thursday.
Mapa said economic growth during the period was also higher than the 5.8 percent gross domestic product (GDP) growth recorded in the first quarter of the year.
National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said the latest economic growth makes the Philippines one of the fastest-growing economies in the region.
“This performance keeps our position as one of Asia’s best-performing major emerging economies. For East Asia’s economies that have released their second quarter 2024 GDP growth, we follow behind Vietnam at 6.9 percent while leading Malaysia at 5.8 percent, Indonesia at 5.0 percent, and China at 4.7 percent,” said Balisacan.
Among major economic sectors, industry and services grew by 7.7 percent and 6.8 percent, respectively. Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, however, contracted by 2.3 percent due to the effects of the El Niño phenomenon.
Household final consumption expenditure grew by 4.6 percent while government final consumption expenditure expanded by 10.7 percent.
Balisacan said the increase in government final consumption expenditure was driven by the timely implementation and expanded coverage programs of various social protection, health, and education programs, and preparatory activities for the 2025 national and local elections. Gross capital formation went up by 11.5 percent.
Public construction sustained double-digit growth of 21.8 percent as the government’s infrastructure agencies expedited the rollout of the Marcos Jr. administration’s construction and rehabilitation projects.
Exports of goods and services rose by 4.2 percent while imports of goods and services went up by 5.2 percent.
On track to meet target – “This significant development brings our real GDP growth to 6.0 percent for the first half of the year, keeping us on track to achieve our target growth rate of 6 to 7 percent for 2024,” said Balisacan.
He said the economy would need to grow by at least 6 percent in the second half to attain the lower end of the target for 2024.
Balisacan assured that the government would ensure the benefits of economic growth would be shared equitably.
“President Marcos began his 2024 State of the Nation Address with one of our most urgent priorities: the government will continue its push for food security by managing food inflation with appropriate supply-side measures,” he said.
He said the government was committed to utilizing strategic trade policy to augment insufficient domestic food supplies to meet rising demand.
The government will also expedite the rollout of social protection programs for the poor and vulnerable sectors, including enhancements to the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s Food Stamp Program and the 4Ps Program.
Aside from these, the government will also focus on raising agricultural productivity and improving farmers’ incomes and competitiveness.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think the economy of the Philippines has enough momentum to achieve a growth rate of at least 6.5% for the entire year?
Even as millions of voters got registered recently with the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) for the 2025 National and Local Elections, there are already over five million voters whose names were removed from the official list of registered voters, 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 5.1 million names were removed from the Commission on Election’s (Comelec) official list of registered voters for the 2025 national and local elections (NLE), the poll body said Tuesday.
Comelec Chairperson George Erwin Garcia said a total of 5,105,191 registered voters were deactivated from the official list while 248,972 names were deleted.
“‘(Those) deleted [were] because of death [and] multiple and double registration,” Garcia told reporters in a Viber message.
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.
Meanwhile, Garcia said the poll body received a total of 409,329 applications for reactivation from February 12 to July 20.
Last May, the Comelec said 4.2 million names were removed from its official list of voters, mostly from Calabarzon. Meanwhile, 4.6 million voters registered for the 2025 NLE, the poll body said last week.
The voter registration period for the May 2025 midterm polls started on Feb. 12, and will end on Sept. 30.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Are you concerned that the high number of delisted voters could impact the 2025 National and Local Elections somehow?
In the City of Muntinlupa, the City Government issued an official denial in response to the circulating information that local senior citizens aged 70 to 79-years-old will be receiving P1,000 each from the local authorities, 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…
The local government of Muntinlupa City on Tuesday warned the public that it is not distributing P1,000 birthday cash gifts to residents who are 70 to 79 years old.
The city government noted that it is just currently doing surveys among its elderly residents to organize the city’s database.
“Kung mayroon man pong kumuha ng inyong impormasyon, ito ay para ito sa validation ng datos ng ating senior citizens. Gusto po nating maayos ang database at tama ang impormasyon na basehan ng mga programa ng lungsod,” the statement read.
(If anyone is asking for your information, this is only for the validation of our data on senior citizens. We just want to organize our database and make sure that we have the right information for the city’s programs.)
The city encouraged its residents to report any suspicious messages to the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group: (02) 8723 0401 (loc. 7491), 0968-8674302 (Smart), 0967-1360322 (Globe), and 0992-9893889 (DITO).
Further, the city government advised that senior citizens may reach out to the Office for Senior Citizen’s Affairs at the Bayanan Baywalk or the satellite office at South Park Center.
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 think that more has to be done to push back against misinformation and the spread of fake news?
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 engagement, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
Author Carlo Carrasco 