Tag: Pasig City

Online lending company raided by police for threatening clients

Online lending company raided by police for threatening clients

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Are you a Philippine resident who borrowed money from an online lending company and got threatened by them to push you into paying them back? Another company that lends money got raided by the police over complaints from clients who claimed they were threatened, according to a Manila Bulletin news report. The raided company was located in Pasig City.

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

An online lending company in Barangay San Miguel, Pasig City was raided by operatives of the Philippine National Police – Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG) on Tuesday, May 16, for allegedly threatening and harassing its customers who have failed to pay their loans.

The company was identified as Realm Shifters Business Process Outsourcing Services, located along Mercedes Avenue in Barangay San Miguel.

According to the Philippine Association of Loan Shark Victims Inc. (PALSVI), a non-profit organization dedicated to helping loan shark victims, the company is one of the many businesses operating online lending applications (OLA) that harass and threaten users for not paying their debts.

The PNP-ACG conducted the raid in response to the complaints made to their office from the victims of the OLA.

A warrant to search and seize computer data was served by the police to the company during the operation.

Digital forensic examinations to extract data and evidence from the computers, mobile phones, and other devices of the OLA agents are ongoing.

Other incidents of malpractice made by the company are also under further investigation by the police.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? How many people in your local community got harassed by an online lending firm recently?

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

Armed robbers who targeted online sellers got arrested by the police

Armed robbers who targeted online sellers got arrested by the police

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If you are selling products online and if you value your personal safety as well as your own business, you might want to refrain from meeting your customers in person (note: meet-ups) as a group of armed helmet-wearing robbers victimized an online seller at its business venue before getting arrested by the police, according to a GMA Network news report.

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

Police officers in Pasig City arrested on weekend five armed robbers who were preying on online sellers across eastern Metro Manila.

According to Emil Sumangil’s report on “24 Oras” on Monday, authorities nabbed James Sy Natividad and three others after their leader, Jonard Bernardio, revealed their whereabouts.

Caught on CCTV, the suspects were seen breaking into a store and beating sales agents before stealing money and valuable items. One of the suspects was also seen pointing a gun at the victim.

Police Lieutenant Jaylord Estillore, chief of Station Investigation and Detective Management of Pasig Police, said the armed robbers were dubbed “Jonard Bernarbio Robbery-Holdup Group.”

“Mag-order online and then pagdating doon sa meet-up area doon nila bibiktimahin yung kanilang mga target,” Estillore said.

(They will order online and then when they arrive at the meet-up area, they will prey on their victims.)

Police Lieutenant Resel Guevearra, spokesperson of Pasig Police, reminded the public to be cautious with their transactions.

“I-validate po natin ang ating mga ka-transaction as much as possible doon tayo makipagtransact sa maraming tao,” Guevearra said.

(Let’s validate who we transact with. As much as possible, we should have transact in crowded places.)

Now here is the related news video about the same story. Watch the video and pay close attention…

As you can see in the above news excerpt and video, doing a “meet-up” even in a business venue with CCTV cameras recording is still risky to do. The suspects were seen wearing helmets which means they anticipated the place had CCTV cameras and knew how to hide their faces. It is indeed a good thing not only for the victims but also for the city that the police were able to stop and arrest them.

As I am writing this, it remains to be seen if this type of crime could have happened around the nation while remaining unreported.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What do you think about this new development? Do you think that online sellers with business venues should hire security guards to prevent the armed robbers (among those who ordered online) from taking over? When you sell online, do you insist on meeting your customers personally or do you prefer sending the products to them via courier? What is the one thing about customer meet-ups do you like the most when selling online?

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 as well as 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: Joint study reveals that Sputnik V demonstrates 97% efficacy against Omicron-caused hospitalization following revaccination with Sputnik Light or Sputnik V

COVID-19 Crisis: Joint study reveals that Sputnik V demonstrates 97% efficacy against Omicron-caused hospitalization following revaccination with Sputnik Light or Sputnik V

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Recently, a study (involving Russian scientists including representatives of the City Clinical Hospital No. 67 and the Gamaleya National Research Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology) revealed that the Russian vaccine Sputnik V demonstrated 97% efficacy against hospitalization caused by the Omicron variant following revaccination with Sputnik Light or Sputnik V, according to a press release published online.

To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the press release published by SputnikVaccine.com. Some parts in boldface…

The Gamaleya National Research Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology (Gamaleya Center) today announced that Vaccines, the leading peer-reviewed medical journal, has published the results of a joint study conducted by team of scientists including representatives of Moscow’s City Clinical Hospital No. 67 named after L.A. Vorokhobov and the Gamaleya Center showing the two-dose Sputnik V vaccine is 97% effective against hospitalisation caused by the Omicron variant of coronavirus (B.1.1.529) among those vaccinated with 3 or 4 components (re-vaccination with Sputnik Light or Sputnik V after Sputnik V).

The corresponding article has been peer-reviewed and is available at:

https://www.mdpi.com/2076-393X/10/6/938/htm

The study was conducted from 11 January to 21 February 2022 involving over 1,000 patients in Moscow. Sputnik V showed high efficacy against hospitalisation at 85.9% among patients vaccinated with at least one component. Efficacy among those vaccinated with 3 or 4 components (re-vaccination with Sputnik Light or Sputnik V after Sputnik V) rose to:

o   97% against any cases of hospitalisation;

o   97.7% against moderate-severe and more severe cases;

o   98.6% against severe and critical cases;

o   99.4% against critical cases.

As authors note, “the study shows that vaccination with Sputnik V and Sputnik Light has a high effectiveness for protection against hospitalisation. The reduction in the severity of COVID-19 regarding the Omicron variant was also observed. The greatest effectiveness was evident in protection against a critical course of the disease requiring patients to be admitted to the intensive care unit.”

While it is very difficult to talk about Russia-related matters due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war (note: help the people of Ukraine by donating through Hillsong Church online), it is important to focus on what Sputnik vaccines are able to do as the whole world continues to struggle to bounce back from the COVID-19 crisis economically, socially and medically. With regards to my native Philippines, the daily count of new COVID-19 infections has gone up nationwide in recent times. The Metro Manila cities of Muntinlupa and Pasig each had their own shares of increased new COVID-19 infections.

I can only hope that the incoming administration of President-elect Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr., will consider acquiring more doses of Sputnik V and Sputnik Light even though the national authorities are trying to balance supply of COVID-19 vaccines with the rather slugging public response in terms of getting vaccinated or boosted at their local vaccination sites. The formulation behind Sputnik V and Sputnik Light should be strongly considered when it comes to immunizing as many Filipinos as possible from COVID-19, including the more infectious Omicron variant and its sub-variants.  

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What do you think about this new development? Have you ever been vaccinated or boosted with a Sputnik vaccine? Did you receive at least two doses of Sputnik V already? Does your local vaccination site have Sputnik V or Sputnik Light in supply right now? Did anyone from the anti-vaccine fanatics community turn violent against you because you refused to believe in them?

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. 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 passes in Good Financial Housekeeping (GFH)

Muntinlupa City passes in Good Financial Housekeeping (GFH)

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The progressive City of Muntinlupa made positive waves recently as the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) published its findings confirming that the said city passed along with five other Metro Manila cities, according to a Manila Bulletin news report.

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

The Muntinlupa City government has passed the Good Financial Housekeeping (GFH) of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).

The DILG released the list of LGUs in Metro Manila which passed the GFH as of November 2021. These are Muntinlupa, Las Pinas, Makati, Quezon City, Pasay, and Pasig.

According to the DILG, the criteria to pass the GFH are that the most recent available Commission on Audit (COA) Audit Opinion is unqualified or qualified for 2019 or 2020, and compliance with the full disclosure policy (FDP) including posting of financial documents in three conspicuous places and in the FDP portal for 2020 (all quarters) and 2021 (first quarter).

In a past circular, the DILG defined GFH as “an LGU that exhibits compliance with accounting and auditing standards, rules and regulations i.e. with an Unqualified or Qualified COA Opinion of the immediately preceding year; as well as Compliance with the Full Disclosure Policy of Local Budget and Finances.”

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a Muntinlupa City resident, what is your reaction to this recent development? Does this make you more confident in the way the City Government does financial housekeeping? Is Muntinlupa a good example for other cities to follow?

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. 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 cops arrest alleged members of robbery-and-kidnap gang

Parañaque cops arrest alleged members of robbery-and-kidnap gang

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In coordination with the police of Pasig City, police officers of Parañaque apprehended three alleged members of a robbery-and-kidnap group as a result of a follow-up operation that happened recently, according to a Manila Bulletin news report. The operation was conducted in Pasig City where the suspects’ car was spotted. The gang previously robbed a store in Barangay San Antonio in Parañaque.

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

Three alleged members of a notorious robbery and kidnap group were arrested by Parañaque City police during a follow-up operation in Pasig City on Tuesday, May 31.

Police identified the suspects as Vez Nathaniel Sunga, 34; Gerald Daroy, 27; and Eduardo lgnacio, 49, tricycle driver, all residents of Tondo, Manila.

Col. Maximo Sebastian, Parañaque City police chief, said the suspects, who were presented to Southern Police District (SPD) director Brig. Gen. Jimili Macaraeg, were arrested at around 12:55 p.m. at Molave Compound in Barangay Pinagbuhatan, Pasig City.

Sebastian reported that the suspects were responsible for the series of robbery incidents in convenience stores in Muntinlupa, Las Piñas City, and Calabarzon area.

The latest victim of the group was a store at Meliton Espiritu Compound in Barangay San Antonio, Parañaque City.

Based on the report of Sebastian, the suspects destroyed the roll-up door and padlock of the store using a bolt cutter.

Once inside, the suspects took away one DVR of the CCTV, server of the computer, CPU of a computer, and P60,300 cash which they scooped from the Touch Pay machine.

Police said a witness claimed that the suspects used a Nissan Serena with plate number XFH-251 as their getaway vehicle.

Probers later found out that the vehicle was registered under the name of a school on Honorio Lopez Boulevard in Balut, Tondo, Manila.

During a follow-up operation, Parañaque cops spotted the car in Pasig City and arrested the suspects after coordinating with the local police.

Police found inside the Nissan Serena three different plate numbers, one big bolt cutter, one pointed steel flat bas, duct tapes, six assorted keys, and other tools.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are living in Parañaque City, what is your reaction to this report? What do you think about the robbery-and-gang reported? Do you think the arrest of the gang members will make Parañaque safer?

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. 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

Majority of Metro Manila Mayors support shift to MGCQ status by March 1, 2021

Majority of Metro Manila Mayors support shift to MGCQ status by March 1, 2021

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President Rodrigo Duterte will have a big decision to make that will affect millions of residents and businesses in Metro Manila as a majority of the mayors voted to shift the metropolis from general community quarantine (GCQ) to modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) status by March 1, 2021, as based on a news release on Philippine News Agency (PNA) that got published just last night.

Here’s an excerpt from the PNA report:

The Metro Manila Council (MMC), composed of Metro Manila mayors and national government officials, has voted to support the proposed shift to the less restrictive modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) in Metro Manila.

“Ang karamihan po ng alkalde ng kalakhang maynila ay bumoto na MGCQ na po ang magiging posisyon nila pagdating sa Metro Manila (Most of the mayors in Metro Manila voted for having MGCQ as their position in Metro Manila),” Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman Benjamin “Benhur” Abalos Jr. said in a press conference on Thursday.

This, he said, will be sent to the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) and to President Rodrigo R. Duterte who will make the final decision on whether to implement eased quarantine restrictions by March 1.

He declined to provide the actual number of votes the proposal received but said that all Metro Manila mayors will support the decision.

Indeed, Abalos did not reveal the number of Yes and No votes but the Manila Bulletin reported that the score among Metro Manila mayors was 9-8 in favor of MGCQ.

To put things in perspective, Metro Manila still has yet to adjust to MGCQ status. Metro Manila is the hot spot of multiple cities where a lot of residents as well as business entities of varied sizes are located at. Right now, the nation needs a major boost to its economy even as there is still the need to be vigilant to avoid new COVID-19 infections. Lots of people in the metropolis remain unemployed and badly need income, and having Metro Manila shift to MGCQ status will help revive other businesses and pave the way for more people to get back to work.

It would be nice to see the Metro Manila Council research more and observe closely how other cities and provinces are doing while maintaining MGCQ statuses for months already.

On a grander scale, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) supports the recommendation to have the entire nation placed under MGCQ status by March. The said recommendation was made by Acting Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick Chua in recent times. Below is an excerpt from the PNA report:

“It is about time we move to MGCQ after a year of lockdown,” Lopez told reporters in a Viber message Tuesday. “Lockdown was supposed to buy us time to prepare our health system and improve contact tracing and ‘Trace-Test-Treat’.”

Since June 2020, the National Capital Region (NCR) has not graduated from GCQ status, a stricter community quarantine measure than MGCQ.

It even went back to much stricter modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) from Aug. 4 to 18 last year as health care facilities in Metro Manila were overwhelmed due to the increasing number of Covid-19 cases during that period.

“As the Philippines recovers, Metro Manila has a very weak recovery, worse in employment and hunger recovery, and that means more urban poor. The damages to malnutrition and other health and social issues will be irreversible,” Lopez said.

NCR accounted for around 40 percent of the Philippine gross domestic product (GDP).

But Lopez added the reopening of more economic activities should depend on the Covid-19 statistics.

As pointed out by Trade secretary Lopez, Metro Manila is lagging behind in terms of recovery from the pandemic. Apart from joblessness and lack of income, poverty in the National Capital Region is an important problem to solve. The more people fall under poverty, the more local government units (LGUs) need to exert and spend their limited resources to support them.

Right now, the Metro Manila Council’s approval of shifting to MGCQ status will soon be dealt with by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) and President Duterte.

In ending this, here are some videos about combatting the China virus.

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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

PRESS RELEASE: SuBIT Part of 2019 One Belt One Road Triathlon Series

PRESS RELEASE: SuBIT Part of 2019 One Belt One Road Triathlon Series

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subit2019

SuBIT Part of 2019 One Belt One Road Triathlon Series

Pasig City, Philippines – March 27, 2019 – The 2019 NTT ASTC Subic Bay International Triathlon (SuBIT) Asian Cup slated on April 27 and 28 gained added significance as it ushers in the 2019 One Belt One Road Triathlon series.

This arrangement highlights the enduring relationship for decades between the Triathlon Association of the Philippines (TRAP), the Chinese Taipei Triathlon Association (CTTA) and the China Triathlon Sports Association (CTSA).

Further, CTSA, for this year, will dispatch the Chinese national team to compete in the SuBIT with TRAP reciprocating with a team of triathletes seeing action in the 2019 Lianyungang ASTC Triathlon Asian Cup and 2019 Jiayuguan ASTC Triathlon Asian Cup. The latter events serve as the second and third legs of the One Belt One Road Triathlon series.

“For the past years, Triathlon Association of Philippines (TRAP) and China Triathlon Sports Association (CTSA) have been keeping a good relationship and communication. Thanks for the invitation and help from TRAP, Chinese National Triathlon Teams participated in Subic Bay ASTC Triathlon Asian Cups for many times and got good results.

“Meanwhile, our two national federations have always been supporting each other during ASTC Congress elections and other international activities,” CTSA Secretary General Chen Xiaoran stated.

For its part, the CTTA is sending the Chinese Taipei national team and a good number of age-groupers to join the SuBIT.

Registration for the SuBIT is ongoing with entry fees now set at P5,500 per participant for Standard Distance, P5,000 for Sprint Distance, P4,000 for Super Sprint Distance and P9,000 for Team Relay.

List-up ends on March 31 or earlier when all slots have been filled up. Online registration can be done at https://regonline.activeglobal.com/subit2019

Organized by the TRAP in cooperation with the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Tourism Department, the 2019 NTT ASTC Subic Bay International Triathlon (SuBIT) Asian Cup is supported by Philippine Sports Commission (PSC,) NTT, Philippine Olympic Committee (POC), Standard Insurance, Asian Centre for Insulation Philippines (ACIP) and Gatorade.

For more information, visit Triathlon.org.ph or send email at trapsecretariat@gmail.com