My Observations: 2019 SEA Games Obstacle Course Racing Team Relay Gold Medal Won By Philippines

December 11, 2019December 11, 2019carlocarrasco

I’m thankful to the Lord not only because the Philippines hosted the 2019 Southeast Asian Games (2019 SEA Games) but also because Obstacle Course Racing made its debut in the said games as a medal sport and their events were held at Filinvest City, Alabang, Muntinlupa City.

On the morning of December 4, I hiked from Commercenter to a closed stretch of road just beside the golf range. There the SEA Games OCR was held and, specifically, the event I got to watch was the 400-meter Team Relay event with a pre-finals match between the Philippines (composed of Diana Buhler, Jeffrey Reginio, Klymille Rodriguez and Nathaniel Sanchez) and Malaysia. I recorded a portion of that particular match on my official Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco. Watch it just below.

During the breaks between matches, I made my way through the spectators’ section observing the place, the set-up of the obstacle course and met a few friends (including a Christian sister of mine). The obstacle course really had a lot of expensive looking, customized hardware strategically placed along the closed stretch of the road.

To put in simple terms, obstacle course racing offers lots of challenges for athletes who are expected to not only be fit, strong and fast but also be strategic with their moves because the racing involves running, climbing, light-gun shooting, side-stepping and the like. In other words, it’s a very creative and exciting way of racing.

After the bronze medal match between Indonesia and Timor Leste, the gold medal batch between the Philippines and Malaysia was announced to follow. Naturally the spectators prepared themselves for what was anticipated to be a high-pressure match and they were not wrong.

Then the gold medal match happened. From where I was standing, I witnessed Malaysia overtake the Philippines temporarily before the lead went back to the Filipinos. While I was unable to move close to the finish line for the victory crossing moment, the spectators’ loud cheerful reaction and the voice-over by the event commentator confirmed the victory. Praise and thank the Lord for the gold medal victory of the Philippines!

And then the ceremony of the awarding the gold, silver and bronze medals took place which was witnessed by not only the spectators but also by special guests (including a congressman) and varied sports officials. Philippines won the gold, Malaysia the silver and Indonesia the bronze.

*Southeast Asia’s best in Obstacle Course Racing 400-meter Team Relay – Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia.*

There is nothing like witnessing the SEA Games OCR 400-meter Team Relay medal ceremony on location and in person. It definitely is a more engaging experience than watch such a ceremony on television or via the Internet video. I also made the effort to get a good position in front of the stage, record the ceremony on video and upload it on my official Facebook page. After all that, I left to visit another place.

So what can I say about OCR’s debut in the SEA Games? From what I saw, the creative sport has a future in the regional games. When it comes to South Metro Manila, Filinvest City definitely is a solid venue to have OCR events held with an outdoor setting. When it comes to holding the event inside private subdivisions, however, it can be tricky because it will involve the homeowners’ association (HOA) especially when it comes to matters like in-village traffic, security, noise pollution and crowd control. It’s too easy to suggest holding an outdoor OCR event inside Ayala Alabang (which has a country club, by the way, plus roads wider than those of other subdivisions) or BF Homes subdivision (which has no country club but has a sports club) without considering the disturbance to the residents. The way I look at South Metro Manila, Filinvest City is ideal.

Looking for another venue further south? There is Vermosa Sports Hub along Daang Hari, Imus City, Cavite. Apart from the sports facilities, they have a lot of roads and wide open spaces (vacant lots). I can imagine an OCR event being held there. Vermosa Sports Hub is already established as a popular destination for triathlon (swim-bike-run) and aquathlon (swim-run).

No doubt about it. Obstacle Course Racing has a nice future ahead here in the Philippines and the rest of Southeast Asia.

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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

You can check out my varied marketing services (including Twitter boosting) right here.

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

New Skyway Ramp to Open on December 1

November 27, 2019carlocarrasco

Hi everyone! Have you been struggling with the constant heavy traffic along the northbound lane of the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) since September due to the construction of a Skyway extension project (planned to reach Susana Heights) within the Alabang viaduct area?

Well here are the good news: effective December 1, 2019, the third lane of the at-grade level of the Skyway will be re-opened and the brand new, two-lane ramp connecting the Alabang viaduct to the elevated Skyway will be opened to the public!

The anticipated developments should result an improvement of the flow of traffic going north.

“These enhancements will ensure that there will be five lanes available to northbound SLEX vehicles during rush hours, even as we go full blast with the construction of the Skyway Extension project. Motorists will be able to use the original three lanes at the at-grade section, plus 2 more lanes at the elevated section,” San Miguel Corporation (SMC) president and chief operating officer Ramon S. Ang said according to the press release.

Due to the construction of the new ramp started this past September, traffic worsened as road space was reduced. What used to be five lanes on the northbound direction of the SLEX at the Alabang viaduct was narrowed down to three lanes. The City Government of Muntinlupa itself implemented a one-way traffic scheme along the east service road in connection to the construction.

Skyway managers made the hard adjustments by reconfiguring and maximizing the first section of the elevated Skyway coming from the Alabang-Zapote road to three lanes, from the original two.

The operators stated that with the new ramp connecting to the elevated section, northbound traffic from SLEX can be accommodated without significantly impacting traffic coming from the Alabang-Zapote road.

It was pointed out that the original design for the Alabang-Zapote road Skyway ramp, built by the previous concessionaire, is one lane northbound and one lane southbound. At certain times in the morning, when traffic is heaviest, both lanes are used for northbound traffic.

As such, they emphasized that the advantage of the new three-lane configuration at the start of the elevated portion is that lane assignments can be easily adjusted depending on traffic volume. Even with the new ramp in effect, motorists coming from the Alabang-Zapote road will retain the use of one to two lanes, depending on traffic volume.

With regards to night-time southbound traffic, which normally gets heavy, more or all lanes—including the two lanes on the new ramp–can be assigned for southbound use.

To put things in perspective, the Skyway Extension project is an initiative by SMC worth P10 billion designed to extend the Skyway from Alabang to SLEX near Susana Heights and the Muntinlupa-Cavite Expressway (MCX). Completion of the whole project is set for December 2020. By then , there should be three additional northbound lanes and two southbound lanes on either side of the existing SLEX. It will allow both northbound and southbound motorists to bypass the Alabang viaduct.

This is welcome news and there should be relief starting Sunday (December 1).

In my personal experience, I work at an office in Calamba, Laguna and since September 25, traveling back to Alabang became more challenging due to the increased traffic congestion. Many times, the tail-end of the traffic jam going north along SLEX reached the Susana Heights area. Some times, the tail-end was at the Southwoods exit.

We will soon find out starting Monday how the promised benefits of the new Skyway ramp will improve the northbound flow of vehicles.

My Observations: Mardi Gras Bazaar 3 at Madison Galeries

November 23, 2019carlocarrasco

Hey everyone! This morning I made the trip to Madison Galeries in Barangay Cupang, Alabang, Muntinlupa City to visit their Mardi Gras Bazaar 3 activity which was held at their 3rd floor facility. The bazaar, which is my first time to visit and look around, officially opened today and will last until tomorrow (November 24).

Upon entering the Madison Events Place, I saw sections of many kinds of products displayed and waiting to be sold. Already there were lots of people shopping, looking for the best deals and trying to decide which items to buy for their needs or for gift-giving this Christmas.

*Lots of nice looking stuff at this side of the venue.*

*Wanna save P349.75 for a rice cooker that also serves as a lunch heater?*

What caught my attention instantly were the discounted rates on all the products offered. There were these electric fans of varied sizes (from the personal mini-fans to the desk fans) that had these attractive prices. The same can be said about pillows, dolls, tumblers, rice cookers, toys, home appliances, some electronic products and many other times that were displayed.

After looking around initially and carefully analyzing what to choose for Christmas gift-giving (which is the main purpose of my visit today), I finally went ahead choosing five items. Because I did not have a bag, I carefully picked the five items and carried them as I lined up for checkout.

*The products for sale were placed in an organized fashion.*

*This where customers line up for check-out and paying. There were sufficient people assisting.*

At the cashier, an assistant helped me put the items for checking. I asked if they had a bag I could use to carry them on my way out, and the lady behind the counter said they had one for P25. After agreeing to it, they brought out a really large shopping bag. It was so large, there was still a lot of vacant space inside even though my items were in it. The shopping bag is reusable and I like that!

And so I left Mardi Gras Bazaar 3 feeling happy and satisfied. I achieved my objective of finding some good items for Christmas gift-giving. Now I’ll have to wrap these items.

For those of you reading this, I highly recommend going to Mardi Gras Bazaar 3 at Madison Galeries ASAP if you really have to shop for your needs or for your Christmas gift-giving plans. Tomorrow is the last day already! Today was my first time ever to attend a Mardi Gras Bazaar at the Alabang shopping mall, and it was a good experience.

Oh yes, I should mention that Madison Galeries has a very nice looking Christmas tree at the ground floor that you should see. Really nice for picture taking!

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To others reading this, if you are dissatisfied with print media and you want your community/organization/business 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.

Parañaque BPLO Receives Concerns About BF Homes Businesses That Built Illegal Structures on Sidewalks

November 20, 2019November 20, 2019carlocarrasco

Hi everyone! I’m back here with new updates about BF Homes, specifically about business establishments that built illegal structures on roads and sidewalks within the local community and within the jurisdiction of Parañaque City.

Previously, I wrote about Barangay BF Homes’ move to request the Parañaque City Business Permit and Licensing Office (Parañaque BPLO) to review the business permits of erring business establishments complete with feedback from Barangay Captain Paolo Marquez. That action of Barangay BF Homes was the result of the official letter the barangay received from developer BF Homes, Inc. (BFHI) which complained to them about business establishments inside BF Homes subdivision that made illegal structures on the roads and sidewalks (owned by the developer since they never donated the subdivision to any local government nor to any homeowners’ association).

Around the same time BFHI sent its October 2019 letter to Barangay BF Homes about the issue, the developer also sent another letter of the same nature directly to the BPLO of Parañaque.

In the October 1, 2019 letter (received by the BPLO on October 7, 2019), BFHI President Engr. Fernando Javier wrote to Parañaque BPLO head Atty. Melanie Malaya that business establishments inside BF Homes subdivision have proliferated throughout the years without being regulated and monitored for compliance with the Building Code and other property laws. He pointed out that most of those businesses built illegal structures for their private use along the sidewalks (which are meant for public use).

Not only did Javier express the company’s disappointment over the BPLO’s continued renewal of the permits of the erring businesses (with apparent violations committed), he told Malaya that the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) issued the July 29, 2019 Memorandum Circular (Number 2019-121) in which President Rodrigo Duterte expressly directed local chief executives to rid the roads and sidewalks of illegal structures and constructions that were being used for private ends.

Signed by DILG Secretary Eduardo M. Ano, the order stated:

Relatedly, local chief executives are hereby directed to revoke permits that give authority to private entities to occupy public roads, alleys and other thoroughfares. Prudence must also be observed in placing street signs and signages to avoid exacerbating problems on obstructions. Moreover, local sanggunians are enjoined to revisit ordinances and similar legislative measures to ensure responsiveness to this presidential directive and consistency with related laws and policies.

For strategic implementation of this Circular, all provinces, highly urbanized cities (HUCs), cities and municipalities shall prepare an inventory of all roads within its jurisdiction.

The BFHI executive reminded Malaya that President Duterte’s directive to revoke the permits of erring businesses happened months ago and already the 60-day period to achieve significant results in BF Homes has passed.

“We have not received any report of revocation of business permit,” Javier wrote.

BFHI made clear in its letter that if they don’t see any significant results done by the BPLO, they will report the matter to the DILG.

To find what happened, I visited the BPLO at Parañaque City Hall yesterday. The head of the BPLO, Atty. Malaya, was not present (note: she was at a meeting). However, there were a few officials who were authorized to answer my inquiry as to what the BPLO has been doing with regards to the BFHI’s direct complaint (which is clearly related to Barangay BF Homes’ request for them to review business permits).

A BPLO official told me that the complaint of BFHI has since been endorsed to the Office of the Building Official of Parañaque (Parañaque OBO) and they will follow-up soon with them if any development has been made. The BPLO stated that the OBO is involved since the aspects of construction and following the National Building Code are involved. They also stated that building permits are required for businesses (that have physical presence) to have their respective biz permits issued, implying that the business establishments of BF Homes subdivision had secured building permits (and other requirements) and were deemed qualified to be granted biz permits.

So that’s it as of now. The BPLO of Parañaque literally passed the ball to the OBO for feedback. While this is going on, business establishments that built illegal structures on the sidewalks of BF Homes subdivision continue to operate freely which is depressing. The DILG order is clear and yet, in BF Homes (arguably the most famous residential-commercial community of South Metro Manila), the rule of law is not felt even though there has been news media coverage about city governments clearing the roads and public places of obstruction.

More on the City Government of Parañaque, mayor Edwin Olivarez has been consistent with his repetition of his message that his administration is always business-friendly. My question is this: Does a business-friendly Parañaque mean allowing businesses to violate laws and keep operating?

If anything new happens about this hot issue, I’ll keep you readers posted.

Mardi Gras Bazaar 3 at Madison Galeries on November 23 and 24

November 16, 2019carlocarrasco

Hey everyone. Madison Galeries in Barangay Cupang, Alabang, Muntinlupa City will be the place to be at for shopping as they will be organizing the Mardi Gras Bazaar 3 on November 23 and 24, 2019.

Mardi Gras Bazaar 3 will take place at the Madison Events Place at the 3rd level of the open-air mall. It is the same air-conditioned, indoor venue where the successful Village Food Fair 2 was held and this means shoppers can go around looking for goods to buy in comfort. The hours for the bazaar is from 10AM to 9PM on each day.

The bazaar organizers promised that there will be a discount of up to 80% off on what they described to be a huge selection of toys, house ware, gadgets, accessories, gift items and other things that could suit your needs or your Christmas shopping goals.

For the newcomers reading this, Madison Galeries is located along Don Jesus Boulevard between Alabang Hills Village and the West Service Road in Muntinlupa City. BF Homes residents who intend to go to the mall without using the service road can pass through Alabang Hills Village provided that their vehicles have valid non-resident car stickers issued by the Alabang Hills Village Association.

For your personal needs or Christmas shopping needs, consider Mardi Gras Bazaar 3 and mark November 23 and 24 on your calendar.

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We can negotiate, work together and be achievers together.

Barangay BF Homes Requests PQUE City Government to Review Permits of Erring Business Establishments

November 9, 2019November 12, 2019carlocarrasco

This past October, Barangay BF Homes sent a request to the City Government of Parañaque to review the permits they issued to business establishments operating in their local community that built illegal structures and initiated construction projects along the sidewalks.

Barangay BF Homes chairman Paolo Marquez confirmed this development to me in relation to an October 1, 2019 letter that they received (on October 3) from developer BF Homes, Inc. (BFHI).

In that letter, BFHI Vice President for Production Engr. Fernando Javier told the barangay captain that most business establishments in the local community have built illegal structures along the sidewalks which are intended for public use.

The BFHI executive pointed out that the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) issued on July 29, 2019 a memorandum circular (Number 2019-121) in which President Rodrigo Duterte expressly directed local chief executives to rid the roads and sidewalks of illegal structures and constructions that were being used for private ends.

The memorandum circular, signed by DILG Secretary Eduardo M. Ano, stated:

For strategic implementation of this Circular, all provinces, highly urbanized cities (HUCs), cities and municipalities shall prepare an inventory of all roads within its jurisdiction.

To put things in perspective, varied city governments around the country implemented road clearing operations on roads and sidewalks.

But going into the Barangay BF Homes community, which by the way is huge, BFHI not only urged captain Paolo Marquez to act (the developer will report the matter to the DILG and the Office of the President if no significant results are realized), but they also wrote twice to the Sangguniang Barangay (Barangay BF Homes council) on November 2018 about clearing obstructions along sidewalks. BFHI reminded Marquez that the Barangay BF Homes Council claimed it will refer their demand (note: in response to the November 2018 letters) to the City Legal Office and, so far, the developer has not received any updates from the barangay.

With regards to Barangay BF Homes responding to the October 1, 2019 letter of BFHI, captain Marquez told me that they will see developments first before issuing a response to the developer. So far the barangay has yet to see an official response from the City Government whom they requested to review all permits that were issued to business establishments (including those that built illegal structures on sidewalks). It also remains to be seen if the City Government under mayor Edwin Olivarez will actually revoke the business permits of businesses found guilty of obstruction in accordance to the DILG’s July 29, 2019 memorandum circular.

Back to captain Marquez, he also mentioned that the barangay itself initiated street clearing operations back in August. To conduct clearing operations on Aguirre Avenue (which is a very long road all of which occupies the jurisdiction of Paranaque City), the barangay will have to engage with a private stakeholder first.

To put things in perspective, BF Homes, Inc. NEVER donated the roads and sidewalks to any local government unit (LGU) or homeowners association (HOA) which explains why they have the right to complain about illegal structures on the sidewalks. The BF Homes community, by the way, also stretches into the cities of Las Piñas and Muntinlupa.

Back to the barangay, there recently was a reform of the Parañaque system of processing business permits in which the barangay no longer processes applications for business clearances (clearly, they no longer issue the said clearances) and that business owners who wish to renew permits can go straight to City Hall, specifically at the Business Permits and Licensing Office (BPLO). Under the old system, business owners had to apply for a biz clearance at the barangay and secure it first (because it was a requirement back then) before proceeding to BPLO of the City.

Future updates on this ongoing development concerning the BF Homes community will be posted here once they happen.

Muntinlupa City is among 2019 Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) awardees

November 5, 2019November 5, 2019carlocarrasco

Muntinlupa City is among 2019 Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) awardees

Today the City Government of Muntinlupa announced that they have been feted by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) as one of the 2019 Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) awardees for its excellent delivery of public service. This latest development continues to show why Muntinlupa is a standout city among South Metro Manila’s cities.

MuntiSGLG2K19 — DILG Sec. Eduardo Año turns-over the 2019 Seal of Good Local Governance award to Mayor Jaime Fresnedi during an awarding ceremony at Manila Hotel last November 4. SGLG is the DILG’s progressive assessment and reward system that gives LGUs distinction for their remarkable performance across various assessment areas in governance. Also attending the program were Muntinlupa City Administrator Engr. Allan Cachuela and DILG Muntinlupa Field Office chief Bernadette Ferino. (source – Muntinlupa PIO)

The prestigious SGLG award was received by Mayor Jaime Fresnedi from DILG Sec. Eduardo Año during the awarding ceremony held at the Manila Hotel yesterday. With the mayor were City Administrator Engr. Allan Cachuela and DILG Muntinlupa Field Office chief Bernadette Ferino.

Despite having a more stringent assessment criteria for the award, the City of Muntinlupa has passed “all-in” seven assessment areas in governance namely: Financial Administration; Disaster Preparedness; Social Protection; Peace and Order; Business Friendliness and Competitiveness; Environmental Protection; and Tourism Culture and the Arts.

To put things in perspective, Muntinlupa City was among the three hundred and eighty local government units (LGU) in the country conferred with the coveted award in governance. In the National Capital Region or NCR, only eight LGUs received this year’s Seal including the cities of Caloocan, Malabon, Mandaluyong, Navotas, Pasay, Quezon City, and San Juan.

Fresnedi thanked the DILG for its recognition of Muntinlupa’s commitment in improving local administration and service delivery for Muntinlupeños.

“We are honored to receive this award as it validates our efforts towards local governance reforms and development. This recognition is an outcome of the collective efforts of dedicated city officials and employees who tirelessly worked in facilitating a transparent, caring, and accountable government for the people,” the mayor said.

As an incentive, 2019 SGLG recipients are set to receive Performance Challenge Fund (PCF) to finance local development projects and capacity development assistance from the DILG.

To be clear, SGLG is the DILG’s progressive assessment and reward system that gives LGUs distinction for their remarkable performance across various pillars. This year’s award is the second SGLG award conferred to Muntinlupa City after receiving the same recognition in 2015.

Furthermore, Muntinlupa City was also awarded with three major awards from the Department of Health (DOH) last November 4 at the Metro Manila Center for Health Development’s “Gabi ng Parangal” held in Crowne Plaza Manila.

The DOH conferred the City Government with Best in Rabies Prevention and Control Program, Best in National Voluntary Blood Services Program, and Plaque of Appreciation for the implementation of the Universal Health Care.

Previously, Muntinlupa became the only South Metro Manila city to make the Top 10 of the Most Competitive Highly Urbanized Cities when the results of the 2019 Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index (CMCI) were revealed.

Parañaque City Government officials silent

More about the NCR city governments and the DILG’s organizing of the 2019 Seal of Good Local Governance awards, I reached out to my contacts at the City Government of Parañaque and asked what was their reaction about their city NOT receiving the prestigious SGLG award. They did not reply at all today.

Those same Parañaque City officials did not reply to my previous inquiry regarding their city’s failure to make the Top 10 of the Most Competitive Highly Urbanized Cities of the entire Philippines as per the results of the 2019 CMCI.

I guess it’s more comfortable for them to remain silent than answering tough questions about competition with other city governments. Now I’ve got to check with one other South Metro Manila city regarding the SGLG awards.

BF Homes Developer Issues Demand to Bread From Heaven Christian Fellowship over Open Space

October 29, 2019carlocarrasco

Hey everyone! Did any of you notice something unusual while driving along Concha Cruz Drive inside BF Homes subdivision, particularly at the corner of Domingo Poblete street in Parañaque City?

There is a church there called Bread From Heaven Christian Fellowship, Inc. (for short, I’ll call them Bread From Heaven) and recently developer BF Homes, Inc. (BFHI) called their attention regarding their occupation of a portion of the Open Space within Block Number 82.

To put things in perspective, the developer issued to them a letter of demand to comply dated October 14, 2019 which the church formally received on October 17, 2019.

BFHI President Engr. Fernando E. Javier wrote to Bread From Heaven that they required them to strictly comply with the terms and conditions of the Authority to Use (granted way back on April 8, 1986) the 460-Square-Meter portion of the 1,295 Square Meter comprising Block Number 82 for the construction and maintenance of a church building and a multipurpose hall.

Javier wrote that it came to the developer’s attention that Bread From Heaven failed to abide by such terms and conditions. It was pointed out that Bread From Heaven is using the entire area of Block Number 82 and has encroached into a portion of Block Number 33 (classified as an Open Space titled in BFHI’s name). These recent actions by the church, Javier wrote, constitute a violation of the authority that was granted to them.

“In view thereof, we hereby REVOKE your organization’s Authority to use Block 82, and DEMAND your organization to peacefully VACATE Blocks 82 and 33 within the period of fifteen (15) days from receipt hereof,” wrote the BFHI president in the letter.

Javier added that if Bread From Heaven does not comply, then the developer will not hesitate to initiate moves to evict them.

To calculate time, fifteen days starting from October 17 (the day Bread From Heaven officially received the letter) would mean the deadline is on November 1 which happens to be a holiday nationwide. The next business day after that would be November 4.

To make things clear, open spaces here in the Philippines are meant for the enjoyment and use of local residents, and at the same time are supposed to be free from the commerce of man. It is always the developer that creates open spaces in accordance to law. There is a national law about open spaces called Presidential Decree Number 1216 which you can read here.

With regards to BF Homes subdivision, which has a very long history and occupies land that fall within the jurisdiction of not just one but three different South Metro Manila cities – Parañaque, Muntinlupa and Las Piñas – there are several open spaces created by the developer that, believe it or not, somehow got occupied by varied groups and even businesses. BFHI continues its effort to reclaim the open spaces through legal proceedings. To be clear, the developer NEVER donated BF Homes subdivision (including the open spaces) to any homeowners association nor to any local government unit (LGU).

Stay tuned for the next development regarding the conflict between BFHI and Bread From Heaven.

My Observations: Muntinlupa City the 8th Most Competitive Highly Urbanized City of the Nation in this Year’s Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index (CMCI)

October 27, 2019October 28, 2019carlocarrasco

When it comes to being competitive among the many cities of the Philippines, making the Top Ten of the most important category is a big achievement already. Thanks to the respective news releases of Business Mirror and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) the latest Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index (CMCI) for 2019 showed that Muntinlupa City is now the 8th most competitive highly urbanized city (HUC) of the entire nation.

Specifically, Muntinlupa is one of six Metro Manila cities that made the Top 10 of the Most Competitive Highly Urbanized Cities category as revealed during the 7^th Regional Competitiveness Summit held at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City on October 24.. The city that is home to Ayala Alabang, Alabang Hills, Filinvest City and Northgate Cyberzone is the only South Metro Manila city to make it in the Top 10 of the said category. This is a notable improvement over last year’s results.

Muntinlupa’s Public Information Officer Tez Navarro responded to my inquiry by saying that their administration is glad that the city made it in the Top 10 among HUCs. I also made inquiries to my sources within the city governments of Parañaque and Las Piñas and, as of this writing, nobody responded. The Most Competitive City for HUCs is Quezon City.

In my view, it’s not surprising that Muntinlupa made it big given the City Government’s (headed by Mayor Jaime Fresnedi) continued public services, efficiency and the local economy’s strong growth. Muntinlupa also made it in the Top 10 on the categories of government efficiency and infrastructure.

As for Parañaque, this year marks another chapter in history in which the city (whose local government unit is led by mayor Edwin Olivarez) failed to break into the Top 10 among Highly Urbanized Cities. In the 2018 Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index, the city that is home to BF Homes subdivision as well as those fancy casinos and resorts of Entertainment City ranked 14th among HUCs and 21st place overall in the competitiveness chart that includes HUCs and component cities.

Going back to this year’s Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index, Parañaque got tied with Caloocan City for the 3rd place ranking for the Most Improved LGUs category among HUCs. The Most Improved LGU for Highly Urbanized Cities is shared at the top by Valenzuela and Malabon. When it comes to economic dynamism and infrastructure, Parañaque got mentioned.

Now that the CMCI for 2019 has been published, now is a good time to take a close look at the infrastructure quality and government efficiency in Parañaque. Very recently traffic along Presidents Avenue (the road that connects Dr. A. Santos Avenue with the BF Homes commercial zone and the villages) worsened due to the three road operations (two belonging to Maynilad and one with the Department of Public Works and Highways) happening there at the same time. Those operations occupied significant space on the road making the flow of traffic tighter and more congested. Already motorists who travel regularly along Presidents Avenue are already annoyed with the worsened traffic congestion and a few of them questioned as to why is it that the City Government did not bother to send inspectors on the three road operations. Going back to this year’s CMCI, government efficiency is clearly where Parañaque is lacking.

As for the City of Las Piñas, there is a lack of available information as to how it fared among HUCs in varied categories as of this writing.

Ranking the Competitiveness

According to the CMCI website, The rankings of Cities and Municipalities are based on the sum of their scores on four pillars: Economic Dynamism, Government Efficiency, Infrastructure and Resiliency. Provincial rankings meanwhile are based on population and income weighted average of the Overall scores of cities and municipalities under a province.

The Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index or CMCI is an annual ranking of Philippine cities and municipalities developed by the National Competitiveness Council through the Regional Competitiveness Committees (RCCs) with the assistance of the United States Agency for International Development.

Cordillera Region Products to Be Showcased at Festival Mall starting November 15

October 24, 2019carlocarrasco

Cordillera Region Products to Be Showcased at Festival Mall starting November 15

CordilleraProds — Cordillera’s best products will be on sale in the annual ‘Impakabsat’ trade fair organized by the Department of Trade and Industry-Cordillera Administrative Region at the Carousel Court Festival Mall in Muntinlupa city on November 15 to 24. Photo shows the DTI One Town One Product hub in Kalinga where Cordillera products can be bought. (Philippine News Agency file photo)

From November 15 until November 24, the finest products from the Cordillera Administrative Region will be featured in a trade fair at Festival Mall in Filinvest City, Alabang, Muntinlupa.

This was announced yesterday by Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) CAR regional director Myrna Pablo who elaborated that the department has been supporting the Cordillera region by making their products more available to Metro Manila-based consumers for the past twenty-three years.

“Excited na po tayong lahat dahil ito na yung time na reding– ready na si Cordillera to bring products not only in Baguio, CAR but also in the whole Philippines and may mga nag-e-export na rin tayo na few exporters on woven items, Sagada weaving, and other exporters of coffee on limited volume (We are excited because this is the time when we are very prepared to bring our products not only in Baguio, CAR but in the whole Philippines. We also have exporters on woven items, Sagada weaving and limited volume for coffee),” Pablo said.

The DTI regional director added that the region’s products this time are much better.

For the trade fair that will be held at the Carousel Court of Festival Mall, there will be eighty exhibitors composed of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) which will be assisted by the DTI.

Products that consumers can look forward to include food items (licensed by the Food and Drugs Administration), traditional culture-based woven items, wearables and homestyle, and small woodcraft items that use softwood.

In terms of revenue, the DTI hopes to see this year’s trade fair generate between P50 million to P60 million in sales. Last year’s trade fair saw revenues of P40 million.

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Cordillera Region Products to Be Showcased at Festival Mall starting November 15

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