Tag: Paranaque

My Observations: Las Piñas Is Modernizing Public Transportation With Electric Tricycles (E-Trikes)

My Observations: Las Piñas Is Modernizing Public Transportation With Electric Tricycles (E-Trikes)

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In recent times the City Government of Las Piñas headed by its Mayor Imelda “Mel” Aguilar has been making a lot of progress with modernizing public transportation within its jurisdiction by releasing to local tricycle drivers and operators electric tricycle (e-trike) units that they received from the Department of Energy (DOE).

The DOE donated 100 e-trikes to Las Piñas which in turn coordinated with the varied tricycle operators from the city’s twenty barangays. On April 5, 2019, the City Government’s Facebook page posted pictures of its most recent turnover of e-trikes to specific operators. Posted below is one of them.

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Las Piñas City Government officials with the recipients in a turnover ceremony at City Hall. (photo by Shawnette Ramos for City of Las Piñas Facebook page)

Right below is a picture of electric tricycle units that I photographed during my visit at Las Piñas City Hall.

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From my visit at Las Piñas City Hall.

The future of local public transportation in the city is looking bright. Once these electric tricycles go into full operation, the following is expected to happen:

  1. A more comfortable ride for passengers thanks to the new tricycle design. The e-trike is one whole unit (versus the motorcycle linked with a passenger-carrying unit of the old tricycle design).
  2. Reduction on noise pollution because there is no fuel-based engine.
  3. Reduction on air pollution because there is no fuel-based engine and no exhaust.
  4. Complete avoidance on spending money on fuel which by the liter, as of this writing, is expensive. Recharging, not refueling, is the way for E-Trike operators to recover and keep operating the next day.

Think about it carefully. E-Trikes can bring passengers through the quiet villages more safely, quieter and without adding anymore air pollution that would affect families at their homes.

Now that the benefits of E-Trikes have been discussed, it’s time to take a close look as to how these positive developments in Las Piñas happened in the first place.

The answer is City Ordinance Number 1536-18 (Series of 2018). and below is a summary of the details written on it.

The Ordinance

Formally titled “An Ordinance Allowing The Operation of E-Trike in The City of Las Pinas and Providing Guideliness Thereto.”, with “E-Trike Ordinance” as the shorter title, City Ordinance Number 1536-18 (Series of 2018) was approved by the City Council and Mayor Aguilar on May 28, 2018. As written on the Ordinance, it was deemed that the adoption of the e-trike project is a necessary step in combating unreasonable high oil prices and ending dependency on oil. The E-Trike was viewed to be eco-friendly, noise-free and air pollution-free. It has the potential to generate higher income for operators and even create new jobs.

Section 2 of the Ordinance states: The City of Las Pinas fully supports the national government’s e-tricle project. It is also committed in enforcing the applicable provisions of the Clean Air Act and in addressing community concerns about high oil prices, pollution and health hazard as well as in providing new job opportunities.

Section 4 (E-trike Franchise Grant) legalizes the use of electric tricycles within the territorial jurisdiction of the city. For this purpose, one hundred units of three-wheeled electric power driven vehicle or e-trike shall be granted franchise by the City of Las Pinas through the Sangguniang Panglunsod.

Section 5 (Guidelines) states that no e-trike franchise shall be granted unless the unit utilizes environmental-friendly batteries as determined by the Environment and Natural Resources Office, has an on-board charger and is deemed roadworthy while also possessing the required safety features.

The individual applicant is an actual resident and registered voter of the city. The transport cooperative may be granted in its name up to five franchises subject to compliance with the qualification requirements of the drivers.

For E-Trike Rent-To-Own Program or variations thereof and/or meanwhile that the ownership of the unit is not yet fully transferred to the intended buyer, a provisional franchise may be granted in favor of the proponent. Provided, that the qualification requirements of the intended buyers or drivers of the vehicle are complied with.

Section 6 (Parts Availability) – the proponent shall make available within the city such parts as may be needed for the continued operation of the E-Trike.

Section 7 (Charging Stations) – charging stations shall be established in strategic public places in the city. For the total franchises herein fixed, no less than two charging stations shall be required of the proponents to establish. In this regard, not all contemplated franchises shall be issued by the Sangguniang Panglunsod unless the establishment of the charging stations is assured or completed.

Section 8 (Incentives) – Franchisees shall be granted a 50% discount on all fees applicable to trimobiles specifically the franchise fee, the annual supervision fee, the mayor’s permit fee, the legal research fee, the sticker fee and the police inspection fee.

If you wish to obtain copies of the Ordinance, visit City Hall.

Conclusion

With the E-Trike Ordinance in full force, Las Piñas City is clearly on its way forward with modernizing public transportation within its jurisdiction using electric tricycles which serve passengers traveling between the important city roads and the villages.

As far as South Metro Manila is concerned, Las Piñas has joined the electric vehicle bandwagon with Muntinlupa City (which has e-trikes and electric jeepneys already for years) for public transportation.

The City of Parañaque meanwhile remains behind. Last time I checked at Parañaque City Hall, they don’t even have a draft ordinance needed to legalize the use of electric vehicles for public transportation.

Speaking of Parañaque, I can’t forget the embarrassing failed launch of the electric tricycle project of the BF Federation of Homeowner Associations, Inc. (BFFHAI) of 2016. From the way things looked back then, BFFHAI failed to verify if Parañaque (which occupies a huge portion of BF Homes subdivision) had any ordinance legalizing the use of electric vehicles for public transportation. Back then, Las Piñas (which occupies another large portion of BF Homes subdivision) obviously did not have a similar ordinance.

Right now in South Metro Manila, Las Piñas and Muntinlupa are leading the way for public commuters with electric vehicles.

My Observations: Summer Swimming Lessons in Alabang Hills Village to Start April 10

My Observations: Summer Swimming Lessons in Alabang Hills Village to Start April 10

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The Alabang Hills Village Association, Inc. (AHVA) announced that a series of summer swimming lessons will be held at the Alabang Hills Village (Muntinlupa City) swimming pool starting April 10, 2019.

The program is the result of their partnership with Optimum Sports.

There are four levels of swimming lessons as follows:

Level 1 – Toddlers (3-years-old to 5-years and 11 months old) which is P5,000 good for ten sessions.

Level 2 – Beginners (6-years-old and above) which is P4,500 good for ten sessions.

Level 3 – Advance (6-years-old and above) which is P4,500 good for ten sessions.

Level 4 – Adult (18-years-old and above) which is P4,500 good for ten sessions.

Schedule for all the levels is Tuesday to Saturday 8AM to 10AM and 3PM to 6PM each day.

The pool fee is P750 for residents and P1,000 for non-residents.

To list up, you have to visit the AHVA clubhouse to fill-up and sign the registration form and pay the fees to the cashier.

All inquiries are to be directed to Donnabelle Carabuena at 850-8254 and 850-9631.

These details are sourced from the AHVA March 25, 2019 announcement signed by their director for socials, sports and youth – Cynthia Manalo.

 

 

 

Adam’s Rebellion Towards God Is The Root Cause of All The Chaos And Suffering of The World

Adam’s Rebellion Towards God Is The Root Cause of All The Chaos And Suffering of The World

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We all live in a world that is often problematic and we share the pain of living in it. Were you able to randomly watch the news on cable TV or through social media? There is always some sort of intrigue or bad news happening around the world like political strife, social division, economic collapse, civil war, military strikes and the like. There were times that watching or reading news became so depressing, I myself decided to avoid the news temporarily to get some much-needed peace of mind. Staying away from the global chaos magnified by giant media also allowed me to set my priorities straight and do something better. The best way to recover from the magnified chaos is to read the Holy Bible and keep learning about God’s Word.

Whether we like it or not, global chaos is a part of our lives. It does not matter if the problems happened near us or far away from us. The fact is those unfortunate developments just happen creating a huge temptation for giant media entities to focus on in order to attract viewers/readers and convince advertisers to support their “journalism” by buying advertising space or airtime. Sad to say, there is money to be maid out of people’s misery and suffering.

It cannot be denied that all the chaos, all the suffering and all the problems the whole world has been going through started thousands of years ago when Adam rebelled against God in the Garden of Eden. This factual event, recorded in the Book of Genesis in the Holy Bible, is often referred to as the Fall of Man and it was emphasized heavily during a Sunday worship service I attended at our church. The teaching of this event struck me deeply.

The Fall of Man

To put things in perspective, you have to go to Genesis chapter 2, verses 8 to 10 (Genesis 2: 8-10) in the Holy Bible. It states:

The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed. And out of the ground the Lord God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Now a river went out of Eden to water the garden, and from there it parted and became four riverheads.

Genesis 2: 8-10 clearly explains the establishment of the garden which also has both the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. It was also explained what God planned for the garden involving man who is actually Adam.

This brings us to Genesis 2: 15-17 which states:

Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

God placed Adam in charge of the garden of Eden and this shows He trusted him to do the job to take care of it. God also made clear to Adam that it is forbidden to eat a fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and that a severe consequence will happen if he violates His command. There is no denying that Adam was commanded.

As many of us know already, God gave Adam a companion in the form of a woman named Eve. God stated “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.” (Genesis 2: 18) So God took a rib from Adam and formed Eve (who was named by Adam after the fall of man).

Some time later, the Temptation and Fall of Man took place as recorded in the entire Genesis Chapter 3 and it happened gradually.

Firstly, Eve encountered the serpent (the evil one) who communicated with her and deceived her into eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. In response to Eve’s mentioning that she and Adam were forbidden to eat from that particular tree, the serpent told her “You will surely not die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3: 1-5)

Secondly, Eve saw the tree of knowledge and found it to be pleasant to her eyes. She took a fruit from it and ate. Then she gave to Adam who ate it as well committing rebellion against God who previously commanded him to never eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Thus the fall of man started. (Genesis 3: 6)

As a result, Adam and Eve realized they were naked and got ashamed of it they went on to cover themselves with sewed fig leaves. Then God arrived and noticed Adam and Eve hiding.

After hearing Adam’s response to His inquiry and confirmation that he was afraid, God said “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?” (Genesis 3: 11)

Adam pointed to Eve as the giver of the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Eve then pointed to the serpent that deceived her into eating the fruit. God then established enmity between the serpent and the woman.

To Eve, God declared he will multiply her sorrow and conception and that in pain she shall bring forth children. Her desire shall be for her husband who will rule over her.

To Adam, who rebelled by eating the fruit already knowing what God commanded him back in Genesis 2: 15-17, God stated (Genesis 3: 17-19):

Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’:

Cursed is the ground for your sake;

In toil you shall eat of it

All the days of your life.

Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you,

And you shall eat the herb of the field,

In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread

Till you return to the ground,

For out of it you were taken;

For dust you are,

And to dust you shall return.

After being clothed by God, Adam and Eve eventually left the garden of Eden and the presence of the cherubim wielding a zigzagging sword (that certainly would cause death) at the east of the same garden ensured that they would not be allowed access to the tree of life. Given their impure status, God’s decision of sending them out was made.

The lesson about Adam’s rebellion towards God impacted me, corrected what was wrongly taught to me

Long ago in my old life, I was in a high school in Paranaque. At age 13, my classmates and I were taught during class that Eve was fully responsible for the fall of man for she allowed herself to be tempted and be deceived by the serpent to eat from the tree of knowledge. Adam was hardly mentioned in the class session of that day as far as I can remember because attention was focused on Eve.

Unsurprisingly, there were voices near me stating “It’s all Eve’s fault!”, “She caused original sin!” and “We all became sinners because of Eve.”

Going back to that day decades ago, I remember clearly that our teacher did NOT point out God’s command to Adam as recorded in Genesis 2: 15-17. As such Adam’s rebellion was NEVER EMPHASIZED in class.

To learn about Adam’s rebellion during our church’s Sunday worship service was more than just an eye-opener or a mind-opener. It completely changed my perception of the fall of man as well as the chaos, the problems and turmoil that our world endured. I strongly admire a fellow sister at our church who preached the lesson.

Now that this essential lesson is made clear, it is recommended that you, the reader, take time out to read the Holy Bible to do your own research about Adam’s rebellion. You want to help other people especially the lost souls around you? Preach the truth to them and help them find direction to the Kingdom of Light.

Impact of the Fall of Man

Adam’s rebellion towards God had major implication on the whole world even up to this day. Famine, war, assassination, crime, scandals, smuggling and plundering are just some of the multiple unfortunate events that affect many people in more ways than one.

The fall of man as recorded in Genesis 3: 16-24 clearly shows that disobeying God means man will lose his dominion under Him. Everything of his delegated realm (Earth) comes under a curse as his relationship with God is severed.

It is no wonder why until now so many unfortunate events happen worldwide. Even if these events took place far away from you, you somehow will get affected by it through cable TV news feed, YouTube videos or social media posts that get shared with you. In other words, these distant unfortunate events can affect your perception and worse they can take your attention away from the Word of God. All the more reason why we all need to have our Holy Bibles with us to read, understand and apply into our lives.

There are many unfortunate events that can distract you like the collapse of Venezuela. Even turmoil from the past can affect you like the socio-economic-political turmoil caused by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 or how World War I and World War II caused the deaths of many millions of lives and global destruction. Before the Iran-Contra Scandal of the 1980s broke out in the news, multiple men, women and children in Nicaragua got tortured and killed by the Contras. And then there are those “small-time” incidents of conflicting personalities like the 2018 clash between a political commentator and a US senator in front of reporters who in turn reported the incident as “news”.

Lord Jesus saved us from Adam’s Rebellion

Worldly unfortunate events aside, humanity went through several trials, errors and suffering as recorded in the Holy Bible. Look at how much suffering the Hebrews endured under the rule of Egypt as recorded in the Book of Exodus. It took the ultimate sacrifice and victory of our Lord Jesus Christ to redeem humanity from the rebellion of Adam (refer to Hebrews 2: 14-15, Romans 8: 38-39, John 11: 25, Romans 6: 3-5, Galatians 3: 13 and Revelation 20: 6). These events recorded in the Bible clearly show that Jesus is indeed the Eternal Savior and the Definitive Redeemer of humanity.

As such, as part of maintaining strong faith to the Lord, we must never give in to the spirit of rebellion, never be disobedient to God and never give in to the mystery of lawlessness. For the said mystery, learn from the amplified version of 2 Thessalonians 2: 7 which states:

For the mystery of lawlessness [rebellion against divine authority and the coming reign of lawlessness] is already at work; [but it is restrained] only until he who now restrains it is taken out of the way.

We must also realize that it is not God’s will to see his believers suffer or be distressed (caused by the acts of going on with their own ways after God saved them as told in Psalm 107: 1-14 which also reveals people’s rebellion against Him).

The lesson is very clear. Rebelling against the Lord is itself forbidden as it truly led to suffering, distress and death. We who are faithful to the Lord should never forget the truth from the Holy Bible about Adam’s rebellion and Jesus Christ’s ultimate victory of saving humanity from the fall of man.

God’s Plan and Redemption by Jesus

Truly God has a plan for each and every soul He created and those plans were already written even before people got born in the flesh. To be redeemed through Jesus is part of God’s plan and in order to realize it, one must have faith in the Lord who Himself rewards the faithful abundantly. We are also the Lord’s workmanship and there is no doubt that God is the Master Designer! Learn from the following scriptures:

As written in Jeremiah 29: 11

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

As written in Acts 16: 31

Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.

As written in Ephesians 2: 10

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

You need to have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ if you want to be saved and be spared from the chaos that originally started with Adam’s rebellion. You still have hope and all it takes is to believe in the Son of God and reforming yourself deep inside. Learn from the following scriptures.

As written in John 3: 16

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Finally, as written in John 3: 3

Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

If you have not read the Holy Bible recently, I encourage you to do it now and don’t forget to open your heart to the Lord. Pray to Him and always be faithful. Hope for renewal is real and you can be saved by the Lord by believing in Him and by being faithful. Jesus is truly alive and you only need to believe in Him.

If you seek salvation now, learn that the first step is to receive Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior.

Then pray this simple prayer in sincerity from your heart:

Dear God,

I believe that Jesus is Your Son, and that He died on the cross to pay the penalty of my sins. I believe that Jesus has been raised from the dead and that He is alive! Right now I call on the name of Jesus. Jesus, come into my heart. I receive You as my personal Lord and Savior. Forgive me of my sins and cleanse me by the power of Your blood. Thank You for saving me and giving me eternal life! Help me now to follow Your plan for my life. Amen.

Congratulations, reader! You are now a child of God! Praise the Lord and always be faithful to Him! The Holy Spirit is in you.

 

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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 want more Christian articles, please contact me or comment below.

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. Finally, please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco.

Cavite-Laguna Expressway (CALAEX) 27-Kilometer Segment Construction Has Begun!

Cavite-Laguna Expressway (CALAEX) 27-Kilometer Segment Construction Has Begun!

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As a resident living in South Metro Manila, I always prefer to see the entire Philippines’ infrastructure get developed and expanded tremendously because the benefits of improved travel time and experience will be felt by the riding public for the long term. At the same time, such improvements will help travelers reach the far-away destinations with better speed and in less time.

Today I learned about some good news – the Cavite-Laguna Expressway (CALAEX) has started construction beginning with a 27-kilometer section. A groundbreaking ceremony was held at Alapan II-B Village in Cavite Province on March 27. The CALAEX itself has a grand total distance of 45 kilometers.

As announced on the Philippine News Agency (PNA) website, the P12-billion Cavite segment will ensure a safe, efficient and seamless travel for motorists from the history town of Kawit in Cavite to the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) – Mamplasan Interchange. It is expected to cut travel time from 2.5 hours to less than 45 minutes and help decongest approximately fifty thousand cars.

Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Mark Villar declared that  the project is part of the President Rodrigo Duterte administration’s masterplan to connect Luzon from north to south, to be called the “Luzon Spine Expressway Network” (LSEN), to increase the current 300-km. high-speed expressway to 1,000 km. by the year 2022. Duterte’s term of office will end in that year.

“We will deliver not just on our promise to solve traffic, but to bring development to our provinces,” Villar announced.

More on speed, the expressways are not only expected to cut travel time for motorists but help add to the development of the provinces of Cavite and Laguna.  Cavite is now the biggest in terms of population among the country’s provinces, with an estimated 4.1 million people according to 2016 data from the Philippine Statistics Authority.

In terms of cooperation, Cavite Governor Jesus Crispin Remulla said this “speaks volumes about the dynamism of the government and its private partner.” He said the expressway will connect Laguna and Cavite, and declog the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX).

Meanwhile the Laguna segment of the CALAEX project is now in full swing which, according to Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. (MPTC) president and Chief Executive Officer, Rodrigo Franco, is expected to open the first section during the third quarter or as early as July this year.

When it comes to economic development by means of job creation, the CALAEX will employ some 1,200 personnel for its Laguna segment and close to 1,300 more for site and office personnel as its Cavite segment progresses. It is part of the network of toll roads that the MPTC is constructing and developing, which will connect to Cavitex and the C5-South Link and will make transfers from Laguna, Cavite, Las Piñas, Parañaque, and CP Garcia Ave. seamless.

The CALAEX is one of many projects being done under the highly ambitious Build Build Build program of the Duterte administration. Build Build Build lists down high impact projects that are envisioned to improve the economy, increase incomes, invite investments leading to job creation. In his 10-point Socioeconomic Agenda, President Duterte envisioned the reduction of poverty from 21.6% in 2015 to 13% to 15% in 2022. It was emphasized that the acceleration of infrastructure development will pave the way for a more comfortable life, better travel and improved economic development nationwide.

 

 

My Observations: Summer Swimming Lessons in Tahanan Village to Start April 1

My Observations: Summer Swimming Lessons in Tahanan Village to Start April 1

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Starting April 1, 2019, summer swimming lessons will begin at the swimming pool (and the nearby kids’ pool) by the clubhouse of Tahanan Village, Barangay BF Homes, Paranaque City.

Based on the details released via signs around the village, the 1st batch of lessons is from April 1 to 13, 2nd batch from April 22 to May 4, 3rd batch from May 6 to May 18 and the 4th batch from May 20 to June 1.

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The Tahanan Village swimming pool.

Schedule for the swimming lessons is from 8AM to 9AM, 9AM to 10AM, 10AM to 11AM, 2PM to 3PM, 3PM to 4PM, and 4PM to 5PM.

Courses offered are as follows: Tadpole, Basic, Intermediate, Advanced and Competitive.

For inquiries and enrollment, call 09089775023 and 09155900580.

 

My Coplay Photography (Part 1)

My Coplay Photography (Part 1)

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I enjoy taking pictures of people who express their artistry, their concepts and charm through the art of cosplay (costume play) which has grown tremendously popular here in the Philippines over the past several years.

Along the way, pop culture-related events like comic conventions, cosplay gatherings, cosplay parades and other related fan events got organized around the country giving cosplayers even more opportunities to come out in full costume.

Here in the Philippines, I was fortunate to attend such comic conventions like the AsiaPOP Comicon Manila and Toycon which are very similar events showcasing action figures, comic books, movies, TV programs, comic creators and the like. Both AsiaPOP Comicon Manila and Toycon are unsurprisingly popular events that attracted countless cosplayers.

Here are some pics of cosplayers I took in the comic conventions.

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Model and actress Ameera Johara as Wonder Woman during the 2016 AsiaPOP Comicon Manila.
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Also taken at the 2016 AsiaPOP Comicon Manila was this Harley Quinn cosplayer who posed for me.
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This Miles Morales Spider-Man cosplayer surprised me at the 2017 AsiaPOP Comicon Manila when I was searching for old comic books. I took the opportunity to photograph this.
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This picture I took at the 2014 Nexcon in Pasig City.
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This Wonder Woman cosplayer posed for me during the 2018 Toycon.
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Miles Morales Spider-Man and female Deadpool cosplayers posing with some fans during the 2017 AsiaPOP Comicon Manila.

Apart from comic conventions, there were also times when I took cosplayer photos in other instances or activities. Check out my pics below.

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A few years ago, Festival Mall in Alabang, Muntinlupa City had cosplayers like this one standing in front of shoppers trying to get their attention and convince them to drop some money into the rectangular box on the floor.
7
Harley Quinn cosplayer posed for me during the day when Comic-Con Asia had its press conference and media presentation at a hotel in Pasay City in early 2018.
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The Cosplay Craze event at SM City BF Paranaque saw these two “clashing”.

This is my first post of cosplay photography that I took and I hope you enjoyed viewing it. I’m still trying find other such pictures among my files and once I get them organized, I’ll post them here.

Also if you are organizing a pop culture event and you need online media and/or photography coverage, please feel free to contact me so that we can discuss business terms privately. Thank you.

Thank you for reading. If you find this article to be 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.

 

My Observations: Summer Swimming Lessons in BF International to begin on April 8

My Observations: Summer Swimming Lessons in BF International to begin on April 8

carlocarrasco

This morning as I was driving by along Palace Road in BF International, Las Pinas City, I saw a sign of Tropical Palace Resort Hotel’s announcement that it will be organizing another series of swimming lessons at its facility starting April 8, 2019.

I took the time to park the car, get down and enter their office to request a flyer and they gladly gave me one.

For everyone’s convenience and reference, please refer to the details of the picture below.

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Tropical Palace Resort Hotel has swimming pools in its facility that can accommodate several learners at a time.

For the newcomers reading this, BF International is in the Las Pinas City side of BF Homes subdivision which has always been identified with Paranaque City.

If you are interested to take swimming lessons, call landline 825-1011 and 826-7794 now.

 

 

A Look Back At Ultraverse Premiere #0

A Look Back At Ultraverse Premiere #0

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What is the one thing I love most about superhero comics of the 1990s? It’s easy – the Ultraverse! Launched in 1993 by Malibu Comics during the late stage of what is now called the Comic Book Speculator Boom in Amerca, the Ultraverse was a line of superhero comic books featuring all-new characters and concepts which were the result of intense brainstorming by the founders of the Ultraverse.

Back in mid-1993 here in the Philippines, I first got to discover the Ultraverse through print ads in comic books and take note that the Internet was not yet publicly accessible. By June that year, I visited a comic book store in BF Homes, Paranaque and was astonished to see the store’s wall with multiple Ultraverse comic books on display. With my limited funds at that time, I only managed to buy Freex #1 and Mantra #1. By the end of the evening, I greatly enjoyed what I read and became an Ultraverse fan ever since.

As the months passed by, I enjoyed reading more Ultraverse comic books. What was also fun to read were the special double-sized UV comic books, the Ultraverse Double Feature comic books (flip comic books) and then there was the Ultraverse Premiere #0 comic book which had a cover of Mantra drawn by the great Jim Lee! This is the one comic book I am taking a look back at.

UVprem1
The front cover drawn by Jim Lee!

So what Ultraverse Premiere #0 and what made it special other than having a cover drawn by Jim Lee? Released in late 1993, the comic book is a showcase of separate stories featuring Prime, The Strangers, Rune, Hardcase, Mantra and Freex. It is also a showcase of the respective talents of a big mix of writers and artists that include Len Strazewski, Tom Mason, Gerard Jones, Steve Englehart, Barry Windsor-Smith, Rick Hoberg, James Hudnall, Mike W. Barr, Norm Breyfogle and others.

Given its release date, the stories served as preludes leading to the stories told in the launch comic books. For example, the Hardcase story shows Tom Hawke/Hardcase with his team called The Squad performing what turned out to be their last mission leading directly to the events that started Hardcase #1.

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Tom Hawke/Hardcase with his lovely teammate during his time with The Squad.

The story of Mantra in the comic book however was presented more like a side-story. Lukasz is already shown as Mantra with her mystical powers and revealing outfit in place. The short story adds a nice perspective on the personality of Mantra as well as her burden of having to take care of a daughter.

The Rune segment meanwhile was a look at the making of the character involving Barry Windsor-Smith and his art. In the text written by Chris Ulm, what caught my attention was the following segment.

After writing up the concept in the Ultraverse bible, I shortly added Rune to “Fusion”, the story of a conspiracy to develop the ultimate biological weapon by a covert group called Aladdin.

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This opening of the Freex short story starts very strongly.

Of course, there is also the fine story of Prime by Len Strazewski and Gerard Jones with great looking art by the late Norm Breyfogle. Remember in the early pages of Prime #1 when the overly muscular superhero claimed he saw the school coach touch the young girls? That got emphasized in the Prime short story in this comic book.

And then there is the one very memorable whole page art of Prime by Breyfogle.

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I love this art of Prime by the late Norm Breyfogle.

The stories and art, in my view, were done with a lot of passion by the creators. They make Ultraverse Premiere #0 a worthy comic book to collect even though Marvel (which acquired Malibu Comics in the mid-1990s) screwed the Ultraverse and left the characters and concepts in limbo with no clear sign of any revival coming.

Last but not least, there is this great art of the Ultraverse characters done by Art Nichols at the rear of the comic book.

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The best back cover of any superhero comic book of the 1990s!

Art Nichols’ work on the back cover is fantastic and timeless in my view. It’s great multi-character art that truly captures the spirit of the Ultraverse!

If you are going out to buy old comic books, I strongly recommend Ultraverse Premiere #0.

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

 

 

My Observations: Maynilad’s In-Line Booster Project-Related Digging Along Presidents Avenue, BF Homes, Parañaque

My Observations: Maynilad’s In-Line Booster Project-Related Digging Along Presidents Avenue, BF Homes, Parañaque

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This morning I passed by Presidents Avenue in Barangay BF Homes coming from Parañaque City Hall and along the way I noticed a closed-off portion of the road which was a project of water concessionaire Maynilad.

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The location of  an early digging (related to Maynilad’s planned in-line booster) at the corner of Presidents Avenue and President Quezon street (according to Google Map). The project will take months to complete and may mean additional traffic congestion due to reduced road space.

I went near it and took a few pictures. As of today – March 19, 2019 – what I saw was an early digging of a portion of the road and clearly there is still a long way to go before Maynilad gets to complete the in-line booster project which, if successful, will prove to be very crucial to the water requirements of the many residents and businesses in and around BF Homes.

A few months ago, I talked with Augusto “Boy” Tejada, the president of the Tahanan Homeowners Association, Inc. (THA) who relayed to me details about the December 2018 meeting between his association, their residents and officials of Maynilad. It was during that meeting when the water concessionaire revealed that they plan to construct a water pressure booster somewhere inside the area of Teoville Village 3 and that construction will take around six months to complete.

More importantly the project was designed to boost the water pressure beyond the current limit of 30 PSI (pounds per square inch) which by today’s standards is no longer sufficient to meet the businesses and household needs. Tejada told me that due to location, elevation and distance away from the main gate of the village, there are houses that had trouble receiving water through the pipelines. Some houses have their second or third floors that water cannot even reach.

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The mention of the year 2016 on the sign suggests that the project was planned that year but was only executed recently.

As of this writing, Maynilad’s water booster project is planned to not only boost the water pressure (to ensure constant and reliable access to water) but also be linked to the new water filtration plant of the company located in Muntinlupa City.

Improved access to water should translate into better satisfaction for family needs and certain improvements to the many businesses operating around BF Homes.

Until that happens, local residents will have to endure the related hassles like traffic disruptions due to street or sidewalk diggings, the arrival of trucks carrying construction materials, etc.

 

My Observations: A Candidate’s Birthday Celebration Attended By Many Guests Including A Presidential Consultant

My Observations: A Candidate’s Birthday Celebration Attended By Many Guests Including A Presidential Consultant

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Last night (March 17, 2019) I attended the birthday party of former Barangay BF Homes kagawad Alfred Lazatin who is a candidate running for one of the eight seats in the City Council (for District 2) of Parañaque with the next local election happening this May. The party was held at the covered basketball court in BF NorthWest, Barangay BF Homes, Parañaque City, Philippines.

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Birthday celebrant and City Councilor candidate Alfred Lazatin watches as former City Mayor Jun Bernabe greets one of the many guests during the party in BF NorthWest on March 17.

Lazatin, who served his barangay for over a decade, is now 40-years-old. His wife Cielo is now serving the barangay as an incumbent kagawad.

As this year is an election year for both national and local levels, it is no surprise that the teammates of Lazatin with Team Bernabe-Marquez were also present mingling with the guests and greeting as many people as they could. This includes former Parañaque City Mayor Florencio”Jun” Bernabe (whose birthday party I wrote about), his running mate former Barangay BF Homes chairman Jeremy Marquez, former BF NorthWest president Anthony Vivero plus other teammates including those running for City Council seats of District 1.

The most notable guest present was Presidential Consultant Maria Fema T. Duterte who not only expressed support for Team Bernabe-Marquez (note: their team is allied with President Rodrigo Duterte) but also delivered a memorable speech concerning the future of Parañaque which in recent times deteriorated when it comes to competing with other cities on varied categories and is no longer in the list of the Top Ten Richest Cities of the Philippines.

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Members of Team Bernabe Marquez and Presidential Consultant Maria Fema T. Duterte (middle in between Jun Bernabe and Jeremy Marquez) do the Duterte Fist Bump for photographers.

“I met with Mayor (Jun Bernabe) at SM MOA not too long ago and I told him that he should return to power in the city (to improve it for the people),” Duterte said. “The team led by Bernabe and Jeremy Marquez is ready to serve the people of Parañaque for a brighter future. They can’t do it alone and that’s why your participation in the election is needed. The future of Parañaque is at stake.”

The speech ended with a strong applause from the many guests who were present.

The rest of the birthday party saw the guests enjoy the meals and drinks served. Some prizes were raffled off and the lucky winners were seen happy.

For your viewing pleasure, check out the other pictures from the party posted below.

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A guest with birthday celebrant Alfred Lazatin, wife incumbent Barangay BF Homes Kagawad Cielo Lazatin and former BF NorthWest president Anthony Vivero.
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Birthday party guests getting served with tasty food.

 

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Parañaque City Vice Mayor candidate Jeremy Marquez listens to Presidential Consultant Maria Fema T. Duterte.
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Parañaque City Council Candidate for District 2 Anthony Vivero with Presidential Consultant Maria Fema T. Duterte and a BF NorthWest resident.
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Presidential Consultant Maria Fema T. Duterte raises the arm of Parañaque City Vice Mayor candidate Jeremy Marquez showing her support for him.
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Parañaque City Vice Mayor candidate Jeremy Marquez mingling with some of the guests.
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Team Bernabe-Marquez raise their arms in unity with Presidential Consultant Maria Fema T. Duterte.

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