Police officers successfully rescue Chinese citizen in Parañaque City

In Parañaque City, a Chinese national was rescued from his captors as a result of a successful operation by the police, according to a Manila Bulletin news report. The rescue happened on the evening of October 31, 2022.

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

A Chinese man was rescued from his four abductors during a police operation in Parañaque City on Monday night, Oct. 31.

Southern Police District director Brig. Gen. Kirby John Brion Kraft identified the rescued victim as Chen Peng, 27.

The suspects — Qiang Wang, 34, also a Chinese national; Novin Yusuff, 42, driver; Joseph Barbas, 45; and Nino Felisan, 30 — were arrested during the rescue operation.

Kraft said Peng was recovered around 9:10 p.m. during a follow-up operation at the corner of Bradco Avenue and Macapagal Boulevard beside Aseana Power Station in Barangay Tambo, Parañaque City.

The SPD chief said prior to the rescue operation, the sister of the victim, Wang Ting, assisted by an interpreter, Huang Jin, reported to Tambo Police Station that her brother was being held by four men inside a gray metallic van with plate No. IAD 774.

Kraft said members of the Tambo Police Station immediately conducted a rescue operation leading to the arrest of the four suspects.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What do you think about this recent development? Do you think abductions and kidnapping are still serious problems in Parañaque City? Are you thankful to the police for the successful rescue operation?

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

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

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

Four individuals arrested inside Manila Memorial Park for drinking liquor, causing alarm and scandal

In Parañaque City, local authorities responded to the call of a concerned citizen which resulted in the arrest of four individuals inside Manila Memorial Park, Barangay BF Homes for drinking liquor and causing alarm and scandal, according to a Manila Bulletin news report. The arrest happened on October 31, 2022 and one of the suspects used a firearm.

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

Four persons were arrested by the police for drinking liquor inside the Manila Memorial Park in Parañaque City on Monday, Oct. 31.

Southern Police District (SPD) director Brig. Gen. Kirby John Brion Kraft said the arrested individuals were identified as cemetery maintenance personnel Danilo Conot, 56; and cemetery caretakers Leonie Carpio, 29; Gregorio Donor III, 30; and John Kennedy Ibañez, 22.

Kraft said the suspects were arrested around 3:50 a.m. inside the Manila Memorial Park Cemetery at BF Homes, Parañaque City.

He said members of the Parañaque City Police responded to a call of a concerned citizen claiming that a group of persons were drinking in a vacant lawn inside the cemetery, and one of them fired a firearm.

The SPD chief said police immediately responded and found the group having fun while drinking and arrested them.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What do you think about this recent development? If you were able to visit the Manila Memorial Park during this year’s Undas, did you spot anything unusual or illegal inside? How familiar are you with the local rules and restrictions about visiting Manila Memorial Park during Undas?

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

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

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

Muntinlupa City receives Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) for 2022

Not so long after achieving honors related to the 2022 Cities and Municipalities Competitive Index, the City of Muntinlupa achieved another tremendous honor in the form of the Seal of Good Local Governance for this year, according to a Manila Bulletin news report.

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

Muntinlupa received the 2022 Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG), an “award, incentive, honor and recognition-based program [that] aims to boost LGUs’ drive to constantly progress and/or sustain their notable performance across various governance areas.”

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) announced on Oct. 27 that there are 350 awardees this year consisting of 18 provinces, 60 cities and 272 municipalities in the Philippines.

The total number of awardees this year is 20.4 percent of the 1,715 provinces, cities and municipalities in the country covered by assessment.

Only five of the 17 local government units (LGUs) in the National Capital Region (NCR) passed the assessment for SGLG and were named awardees this year. These are Muntinlupa, Caloocan, Mandaluyong, Navotas and Quezon City.

Congratulations, Muntinlupa City! We did it again! Muntinlupa City is among the awardees of the 2022 Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG)!” said Muntinlupa Mayor Ruffy Biazon.

He added, “Maraming salamat sa mga katuwang natin sa paglilingkod, most especially to Cong. Jimmy Fresnedi sa kanyang leadership noong siya ang mayor ng ating lungsod (Thank you to our partners in service, most especially to Cong. Jimmy Fresnedi for his leadership when he was the mayor of our city).”

The SGLG, institutionalized through Republic Act 11292, is based on 10 assessment criteria.

“The SGLG maintains the ‘All-in’ principle where a local government must pass all governance areas,” according to a memorandum issued by the DILG.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a Muntinlupa City resident, what is your reaction to this development? Are you happy with what the city achieved in terms of being competitive with the many other highly urbanized cities?

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

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

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

Muntinlupa City Mayor Biazon tells residents to be vigilant as a new weather disturbance approaches

This past weekend was harsh for many people here in the Philippines due to the intense rain and wind caused by typhoon Paeng. The result was a lot of flooding, fallen trees and unstable power supply to say the least. Yesterday, the Manila Bulletin reported that Muntinlupa City Mayor Ruffy Biazon advised residents (who are still recovering from the last typhoon) to be vigilant as a new weather disturbance has entered the area of responsibility of Philippines.

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

Muntinlupa Mayor Ruffy Biazon advised residents to be vigilant as another weather disturbance entered the Philippines.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) announced on Oct. 31 that tropical depression “Queenie” has entered the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR).

“At 5:00 AM today, the center of the Tropical Depression near Palau entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility and was named #QueeniePH. Tropical Cyclone Bulletins will be issued beginning at 11:00 AM today,” PAGASA posted on its Facebook page.

The entry of “Queenie” came as tropical storm “Paeng” is still in the Philippine area of responsibility.

“Pumasok na sa Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) si #QueeniePH. Tututukan po natin yan para po sa nararapat na paghahanda (#QueeniePH has entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility [PAR]. We will focus on this for the appropriate preparedness),” Biazon said.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a Muntinlupa City resident, what is your reaction to this development? Is your household ready for a new weather disturbance? How much damage did typhoon Paeng have on your household this past weekend?

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

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

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

Parañaque City ranks only 19th among Highly Urbanized Cities of the nation in terms of Competitiveness according to CMCI 2022 results

Have you heard of the words Parañaque Renaissance? Whether it is a political slogan or the description of the supposed improvements of the city, or even the name of some food or beverage product, Parañaque Renaissance was designed to make people believe that the City of Parañaque is great and prospering.

Recently, the results of the Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index 2022 Rankings (CMCI 2022) were published and already there were local government units (LGUs) and provincial governments that highlighted what they achieved.

The City of Muntinlupa finished #1 among all Highly Urbanized Cities (HUCs) in the category of Resiliency while also ranking 5th overall on Competitiveness, 4th on Infrastructure and 10th on Innovation. Quezon City, which is the Most Competitive among all HUCs, finished with #1 on Innovation and #2 on Infrastructure, Resiliency, Government Efficiency and Economic Dynamism. Pasay City emerged as #1 on Economic Dynamism while finished 3rd overall on Competitiveness.

Parañaque, the city that has BF Homes and Better Living among its many residential communities within its borders, ended up with 19th place in the category of Competitiveness among HUCs. To be clear, there are 33 HUCs all in all. Parañaque finished 10th place on Economic Dynamism, 13th place on Infrastructure, 16th place on Resiliency, 23rd place on Government Efficiency and 29th place on Innovation. The results can viewed at https://cmci.dti.gov.ph/rankings-data.php?unit=Highly%20Urbanized%20Cities

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a Parañaque City resident, what can you say about your city’s performance in the newest CMCI study? Do you think your city became less competitive due to criminal activities (click here, here, here, here, here, here and here) or perhaps due to the COVID-19 pandemic? Do you think that your new city government officials plan to do something to make the city more competitive with other highly urbanized cities of the nation? Based on the latest CMCI results, do you consider Parañaque a great city at all?

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

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

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

Badly beaten Vietnamese woman rescued and two Chinese nationals arrested in Parañaque City

Recently in the City of Parañaque, local authorities rescued a badly beaten Vietnamese woman and arrested two Chinese nationals who were linked to her, according to a GMA Network news report published in Tagalog. What makes this case disturbing is that the intense physical abuse committed on the victim inside the apartment was captured on video.

To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the GMA Network news report with content translated into English. Some parts in boldface…

A Vietnamese woman was allegedly assaulted by her Chinese national (superior) in Parañaque City with bruises, cuts and wounds on her body and face.

According to John Consulta’s report on GMA News “24 Oras” this Thursday, Southern Police District-District Special Operations Unit (SPD-DSOU) personnel rescued the 26-year-old victim inside his employer’s condo unit.

The Chinese man was also seen in the video hurting the victim. The victim was rescued, and two Chinese (nationals) were arrested.

“When we sent (her) for medical treatment, (her) situation was really tragic because almost every part of (her) body was hurt,” said SPD District Director Pcol. Kirby Kraft.

Kraft added, the Chinese started hurting the Vietnamese when (she) said goodbye that (she) wanted to go back to Dubai where (she) used to work.

Kraft further said that the victim also revealed that the boss attempted to “sexually take advantage” of her.

Complaints of illegal detention, serious physical injury and acts of lasciviousness have been filed against the suspects.

For added insight, posted below is the related GMA News video in Tagalog. The captured footage of physical abuse is disturbing to watch.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What do you think about this recent development? Do you believe that Parañaque City has lots of Chinese nationals who secretly enslaved and/or abused people (foreign or local) behind closed doors? Does this recent news report make you feel uneasy with having Chinese nationals residing in your local community right now?

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

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

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

I Love Israel: New British Prime Minister Sunak is friendly towards Israel

Over there in England, another new British Prime Minister took office as a result of the departure of his predecessor Liz Truss who served for less than two months. The new Prime Minister is now Rishi Sunak who is notable for his public service (recently he was Chancellor of the Exchequer), his ethnicity (England’s first British Asian PM) and his friendship towards Israel. Citing external sources, CBN News recently published a news article pointing out Sunak’s recent statements about Israel’s eternal capital Jerusalem and his opposition against the wicked Boycott, Divestment & Sanctions (BDS) movement.

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

Most of the world will focus on the economic quagmire facing new British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, as well as the internal Conservative Party tensions which could cut short his time in office at 10 Downing Street.

In Israel, though, Sunak’s earlier statements about Jerusalem and the global Boycott, Divestment & Sanctions (BDS) movement are the ones making headlines.

The Times of Israel quoted Sunak at a Conservative Friends of Israel gathering two months ago, as saying Jerusalem is “indisputably the historic capital” of Israel and that there is a “very strong case” to be made for moving Britain’s embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

The UK’s youngest prime minister in 200 years also pledged to support a bill in parliament opposing BDS. He wrote in the UK Jewish News, “The Jewish community is right to call out those who seek to damage the only Jewish state in the world.

Sunak, the nation’s first Hindu to hold the top political office, also raised his voice against the dramatic rise in anti-Semitic incidents which began more than a year ago. “This is not an issue to be equivocal about,” he said.

“Everyone across parliament and the country must take a robust position on eliminating antisemitism and I am determined to ensure this scourge on our society is eradicated,” he added.

In an interview with The Jewish Chronicle, Sunak also praised Israel as “a shining beacon of hope.”

While the new prime minister cautioned that a move of the British embassy in Israel would involve “sensitivity,” and perhaps would not be achievable immediately, his statements are reassuring to many Israelis, who have been jostled by the instability in governments around the world, including their own.

Next, watch the YouTube short video below.

For the newcomers reading this, Sunak took office as Prime Minister at a time of tremendous crisis. I’m talking about socio-economic problems going on as well as the internal tension among Sunak’s fellow Conservatives. Being Prime Minister of England means tackling endless problems that could derail the current administration’s efforts to serve the constituents and solve the problems. Sunak’s tenure as PM could end suddenly.

That being said, it is important for people to pray for their leaders and whatever your political views are, I encourage you pray for Prime Minister Sunak so that his administration can achieve solutions to help their people, and so that England’s ties with Israel will grow strong and lead to more cooperation. Pray also that England will be able to officially move its Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem!

Be thankful to the Lord that the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (UK) is friendly towards Israel and has stated to oppose the evil and destructive BDS movement. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem and always remember to love and bless the Jewish people in accordance to the Lord God! Refer to the holy scriptures posted below…

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!

    “May they be secure who love you!

Peace be within your walls

    and security within your towers!”

Psalm 122:6-7 (ESV)

God told Abram: “Leave your country, your family, and your father’s home for a land that I will show you.

I’ll make you a great nation

    and bless you.

I’ll make you famous;

    you’ll be a blessing.

I’ll bless those who bless you;

    those who curse you I’ll curse.

All the families of the Earth

    will be blessed through you.”

Genesis 12:1-3 (MSG)

If you truly believe in Lord Jesus, the Holy Spirit and God the Heavenly Father wholeheartedly and you continue to be faithful (not religious), you should be aware that Christians are meant to stand united with Israel no matter what. You can do your part supporting Israel by donating to Christians United for Israel (CUFI). Do not forget to read the Holy Bible, then pray in tongues to the Lord in the privacy of your room with the door shut.

Always be the fearless and aggressive church of Lord Jesus! Always stand in support of Israel!

In ending this I Love Israel piece, posted below are Israel-related videos for your viewing pleasure and enlightenment.

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

Muntinlupa City Government sets guidelines for cemetery visits

In the progressive City of Muntinlupa, the City Government issued guidelines for the anticipated visits at the local cemeteries in relation to the “Undas” (or observation of All Saints’ Day), according to a Manila Bulletin news report. Take note that visiting cemeteries and memorial parks did not happen due to COVID-19.

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

The Muntinlupa City government released rules for the observance of All Saints’ Day or “Undas” this year.

Last year, the city government banned visits to cemeteries, memorial parks and columbaria due to the Covid-19 situation but relaxed the rules this year as health protocols were eased.

According to the city government, cleaning, painting and renovation of niches will be allowed until Oct. 28.

All private and public cemeteries will be open from Oct. 31 to Nov. 1 from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Visitors are allowed to stay for three hours per tomb.

No funeral or cremation will be allowed from Oct. 31 to Nov. 1.

”Hindi lubos na ligtas na isama pa ang mga may edad 12 pababa at 60 pataas (It is not safe to bring those 12 years old and below, and 60 years old and above),” the city government said.

It added that overnight stay and selling in cemeteries are not allowed.

Minimum health protocols will be strictly implemented such as wearing of face masks, physical distancing and handwashing or use of alcohol.

The above article ended stating that the following items are banned in cemeteries: alcoholic beverages, flammable materials, firearms and any pointed items such as knives or cutters, and sound systems that emit loud sounds.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a Muntinlupa City resident, what is your reaction to this latest development? Are you confident that it is safe to visit the cemeteries this year? Has everyone in your household been fully vaccinated or boosted for COVID-19?

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

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

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

San Beda new schooling will be 4X a week starting November 3, 2022

The Alabang Hills Village Association (AHVA) just announced that starting November 3, 2022, the students of San Beda College Alabang (located along Don Manolo Boulevard inside the village) will be observing a schooling schedule of 4 times a week until the end of school year 2022-2023. Specifically, this refers to students under primary schools, middle schools and high schools. This means varying increase of traffic congestion along Don Manolo Boulevard.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the AHVA’s official announcement. Some parts in boldface…

We would like to inform you that starting November 3 until the end of the school year 2022-2023, all San Beda students belonging to primary schools (nursery, grades 1, 2 & 3), middle schools (grades 4, 5, 6, 7 & 8) & high schools ( grades 9, 10, 11 & 12) will be observing the 4x a week schooling schedule.

Due to this, we are expecting about 3,500 students that will be coming in & out of the village especially during Tuesdays & Thursdays, from 7:20am to 10:20am & 12:50pm to 3:50pm.

Traffic congestion will rise up along Don Manolo Boulevard (DMB) during such hours.

To address this, we will post additional security personnel to manage the traffic flow in DMB.

For the non-residents reading this, if you need a new vehicular sticker (or stickers for bicycles and motorcycles), then you better apply online immediately by clicking https://alabanghillsvillage.com/sticker/. Also be aware of the enforcement of the “No sticker, no entry” policy towards non-residents as well as the new rules on driving by the in-village rotundas.

For inquiries about this new development, visit https://alabanghillsvillage.com/ or call them at 88508254. You can visit their office at 1 Don Jesus Boulevard inside Alabang Hills Village from Monday to Friday, 8AM to 5PM. Always remember to follow their rules and speed limits whenever you are in the village. Be aware also of the recent in-village traffic adjustments.

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

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

COVID-19 Crisis: President Marcos declares it is time to return to pre-pandemic life

Life in the Philippines continues to move back to normal even though new COVID-19 cases are being recorded in the thousands daily in recent times. Still, it is notable that many millions of Filipinos have gotten fully vaccinated or boosted for COVID-19 (note: around 3.5 million received their 1st booster shots recently) and even though the past summer saw lots of election campaign events that had many, many political supporters gathered in high numbers, no new outbreak of COVID-19 happened. There is also the growing confidence about organizing events that attract customers, sports participants and spectators and more.

In relation to what I stated above, it is significant that President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr., declared to the people it is time to return to pre-pandemic life which the Philippine News Agency (PNA) reported. Take note that under Marcos, the use of face masks outdoors is now optional.

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

President Ferdinand R. Marcos on Sunday enjoined Filipinos to get back to their normal lives before the Covid-19 pandemic hit, stressing that it is crucial to show the world that the Philippines is slowly getting back on its feet.

It is a good thing to remind people that the pandemic may have been difficult, the pandemic really put us through the wringer. But we are back,” Marcos said in a speech in Bacolod City during a luncheon just before he graced the culminating activity of the 43rd MassKara Festival.

The pandemic is fading away. We are learning to manage it and now it is time for us to all go back to work, to all go back to our normal lives, to remind ourselves of all the opportunities that were before us before the pandemic…It is time for us to go back to all of those endeavors that we were undertaking before Covid hit,” he added.

Marcos said the MassKara Festival signaled not just the opening of Bacolod City to tourists, but also the entire country.

“It is time for us to go back and exercise once again, show once again the Filipino resilience, the Filipino resourcefulness, the Filipino industry, the Filipino talent, ipakita naman natin sa buong mundo dahil nagbubukas ang mundo, dahil nagbubukas ang Pilipinas, ito ngayon ang MassKara Festival ay isang pagdiriwang hindi lamang sa pagbubukas ng Bacolod kung hindi sa buong Pilipinas (let us show the world because the Philippines is now open, this is the MassKara festival which is a celebration of the opening of Bacolod but of the entire Philippines),” he said.

Despite the festival being borne out of “a very sad period in the history of Bacolod”, the President said it also symbolizes Filipinos’ “reemergence from a crisis.”

“..That is what we celebrate today and that is what we see that people are feeling and that is the feeling that we want to continue to encourage within our people because that is what’s going to lead us to success,” he said.

Marcos also congratulated Bacolod City Mayor Albee Benitez and event organizers for a successful holding of the festival.

Founded in October 1980 by the late Bacolod City Mayor Jose “Digoy” Montalvo Jr., the MassKara Festival was first held following two major tragedies that befell Negrenses– the collapse of sugar prices in the international market and the sinking of the Negros Navigation ship M/V Don Juan.

During the sugar crisis, artists thought of promoting mask-making as an alternative source of income for the locals.

Montalvo likewise suggested holding a mask festival to lift the spirits of the locals after the maritime accident that killed his wife, two daughters, and hundreds of Bacolod residents.

MassKara is derived from the words “mass” meaning “many” and “kara” meaning “faces,” thus calling it the Festival of Many Faces.

This year’s festival will be the first face-to-face event after two years of being suspended due to the pandemic.

The MassKara festival’s revival is significant not only with the people of Bacolod City and the province of Negros Occidental but for the nation as well. Here in the Alabang area of Muntinlupa City, the Megarahe Sale and the COPIX both attracted lots of people who searched and bought items. Still in Alabang, it was recently announced by Zonta Club of Alabang that they will be reviving their popular Christmas Carnivale Bazaar on November 25, 2022 at the Filinvest Tent. I myself attended that bazaar back in 2017 and 2018 at the said venue and it is really encouraging that it will be revived next month. These are just a few of the many signs that the Philippines is recovering from the pandemic and can move forward and progress more. Pre-pandemic economic strength will be regained eventually.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you feel encouraged by the statement of President Marcos that the pandemic is fading away and that the country can more forward more?

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

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