Tag: Philippines

2019 National & Local Elections: Fresnedi, Simundac and Biazon Win Big in Muntinlupa

2019 National & Local Elections: Fresnedi, Simundac and Biazon Win Big in Muntinlupa

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The Commission on Elections proclaimed re-electionist Muntinlupa City Mayor Jaime Fresnedi (4th from left), along with his running mates Temy Simundac (5th from left) for Vice-Mayor and Ruffy Biazon (right) for Congressman, as winners in the local midterm elections. On Tuesday morning, 16 out 19 candidates from Team Fresnedi were declared winners in the local executive and Sangguniang Panlungsod positions. Fresnedi is serving his third consecutive and last term as Muntinlupa City mayor. The local exec garnered 164,144 votes over his rival mayoralty bet and former Bureau of Immigration Deputy Commissioner Red Mariñas trailing behind with 52,127 votes. (from Muntinlupa PIO press release)

This past Monday (May 13), over two hundred thousand people around Muntinlupa City  trooped to different venues to cast their votes to select which officials will serve them for the period of mid-2019 to mid-2022.

The result? Landslide victories particularly in the races for Mayor, Vice Mayor and the long Congressional seat of the City.

Muntinlupa City Mayor Jaime Fresnedi won a third consecutive term with landslide victory, along with allies who proved to be strong in the local polls. The mayor defeated his rival former Bureau of Immigration Deputy Commissioner Red Mariñas by a score of 164,144 votes to 52,127. Do that math, that’s a wide margin of 112,017 votes.

In the race for Vice Mayor, Fresnedi’s running mate Temy Simundac defeated the incumbent Vice Mayor Celso Dioko by a score of 116,825 to 85,889. That’s a difference of almost 31,000 votes! What makes the victory notable was that in the 2016 local election, Vice Mayor Dioko was Fresnedi’s running mate while Simundac was one of the latter’s opponents for the office of Mayor.

For the lone Congressional seat of the City, Congressman Ruffy Biazon got elected easily with 169,756. Far behind him were Paeng Arciaga and Rodolfo Llorca with 36,317 and 2,326 respectively.

The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) proclaimed Fresnedi (Liberal Party), and his running mates Temy Simundac for Vice-Mayor and Congressman Ruffy Biazon (both under the PDP-Laban), as winners in on the morning of May 14.

COMELEC Muntinlupa Atty. Kimberley Joy T. Alzate – Cu said the board of canvassers canvassed 373 clustered precincts with over 225,226 voters in Muntinlupa City.

Team Fresnedi City Council bets also took the lead in two districts. In District 1, winning councilors under Fresnedi’s team include Atty. Raul Corro, Alexson Diaz, Paty Katy Boncayao, Louie Arciaga, Allan Camilon, and Valentino Niefes. While completing the list were opposition party bets Phanie Teves and Ivee Arciaga.

In District 2, winners under the local exec’s team include Nep Santiago, Marissa Rongavilla, Ryan Bagatsing, Lester Baes, Jun Metong Sevilla, Arlene Hilapo, and Eliot Martinez. Dhes Arevalo was the only member of the opposition party to be proclaimed as winner in District 2.

The Mayor extended his gratitude to the people of Muntinlupa for trusting his administration and vowed to continue to advocate good governance in the city.

Analysis: Was Mayor Fresnedi’s re-election and his team’s dominance surprising? Not at all since the City was honored with several awards reflecting achievements made with public service. Under his administration, Muntinlupa was declared the Most Business-Friendly City in 2017 and 2018; the Most Child-Friendly City in the National Capital Region in 2016 and 2017; the Outstanding LGU in Nutrition Program Management for 2018

Through the years, the city has garnered several awards and citations from various governing bodies, including the Most Business-Friendly City Award for 2001, 2002, 2017, and 2018; Most Child-Friendly City in NCR for 2016 and 2017; Green Banner Award and Outstanding LGU in Nutrition Program Management for 2018; MERALCO Luminaries Award for 2018; and the Government Efficiency and Resilience Award (3rd Place) in the Regional Competitiveness Summit and Awards for 2017 and 2018 to name some.

Being awarded by credible organizations is a testament of the quality of the public service rendered by the City Government. It really helps not only the city officials but also helps build up the local economy (making it more attractive to investors) and honoring the people of Muntinlupa in return.

Here in the Philippines, national and local elections are held every three years. The democratic exercise has long been a part of Philippine culture. If the incumbents do well with governance, local naturally will prefer to retain them so that the good governance will continue. In situations like these, it is truly difficult for any challenger to overcome the incumbents. Any new challenger can come into arena promising reform but that alone is not good enough to convince people to vote for them. It’s a fact.

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

Clark Global City Duathlon 2019 in the Sports News (May 15, 2019)

Clark Global City Duathlon 2019 in the Sports News (May 15, 2019)

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Hi, sports fans! Those of you who are following the latest in Philippine multisports (triathlon, duathlon and aquathlon) are encouraged to check out the latest sports coverage of the successful Clark Global City Duathlon 2019 co-presented by Smart which was held this past Sunday at Clark Global City, Clark, Pampanga.

Below are the newspapers that published today the post-event news. Some of them with online versions that can be viewed. Just click.

Manila Bulletin

Manila Standard

People’s Tonight

Manila Times

Business Mirror

Malaya Business Insight

For pictures of the event, check out my previous post.

Race results? You can find them right here.

Also I encourage you to visit and follow Bike King on Facebook.

 

 

 

My Observations: Sigekiya Ramen’s Chicken Teriyakidon Set

My Observations: Sigekiya Ramen’s Chicken Teriyakidon Set

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A few months ago, I had lunch at Sigekiya Ramen inside Commercenter, Filinvest City, Alabang. Many times have I been consuming Tsukemen or ramen at that restaurant which has been operating since April 2016. The notable thing about Sigekiya Ramen is that they maintain a high level of quality on their food (which explains why they use many imported ingredients) which, in my opinion, justify the prices.

After some thinking during my visit, I decided to try, for the first time ever, one of their rice meals and I ordered their Chicken Teriyakidon Set.

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The Chicken Teriyakidon Set.

It did not take too long for them to serve me the meal which came with a bowl of rice topped with chicken laced with teriyaki sauce and some sesame seeds, a cup of miso soup and a small serving of salad.

Slowly I took a sip first of the miso soup which tasted good. Then I examined the chicken on the rice bowl which turned out to be boneless. In terms of serving, the amount of chicken was generous.

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A close look.

 

Using chopsticks, I went for a portion of both chicken and rice. The result? A delightful taste! I can say that the chicken and rice were both well cooked and the teriyaki sauce prepared was pretty flavorful. Slowly, I kept consuming more of the rice and chicken, alternating with the soup and the salad.

To put things in perspective, teriyaki refers to a Japanese dish consisting of fish or meat marinated in soy sauce and grilled.

Overall, Sigekiya Ramen’s Chicken Teriyakidon Set was a nice hit and I can say that I got my money’s worth.

Thank you for reading. If you find this lifestyle 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

Clark Global City Duathlon 2019 Pics and Insight

Clark Global City Duathlon 2019 Pics and Insight

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As millions of people around the Philippines were focused on the 2019 National & Local Elections, the sprawling Clark Global City (CGC) in Clark, Pampanga was filled with excitement and fun yesterday morning with the successful Clark Global City Duathlon 2019 co-presented by Smart and organized by Bike King.

For the newcomers here, duathlon is a multi-sport activity composed of running and biking. The event in Clark yesterday had two distances: 6km run—60km bike—4km run and 3Km run-30Km bike-4Km run.

As with past multisport events organized by Bike King, the event handled efficiently, the field of participants was large (in the hundreds), the awarding ceremony was a nice attraction (with two emcees who are very talented) and the participants had fun.

What is also notable about Clark Global City is that it is located just a short drive away from the South Clark exit/entry of the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx). If you came from Metro Manila via the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) and arrive at South Clark exit, there is no way you can miss the CGC.

For your viewing enjoyment, posted below are random pictures I took from the event. Just click to enlarge.

I encourage you to visit and follow Bike King on Facebook.

 

My Observations: Filipinos Urged To Participate In May 13 National & Local Elections

My Observations: Filipinos Urged To Participate In May 13 National & Local Elections

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Here in the Philippines, the stage is set for the organizing of the 2019 National and Local Elections set for May 13 and already Malacañang urged Filipinos to participate in it.

What will happen is that voters will select up to twelve candidates for the Philippine Senate to serve for the next six years. With regards to their localities, voters will choose who will serve them at the House of Representatives for the next three years. For the provinces, voters will get to choose the governor, the vice governor and members of the provincial board.

Moving further local, voters will choose who will be the mayor, the vice mayor and councilors in their respective cities or municipalities. The elected officials will serve three years.

“We enjoin all Filipinos who are eligible to vote to participate in this healthy democratic exercise as we call on all candidates across the political spectrum to ask their supporters to observe an honest, orderly, peaceful and credible elections reflective of the people’s genuine will,” said Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo in a press statement.

While it makes sense to encourage eligible voters to take part in the democratic exercise, Philippine democracy has its flaws. Flaws not limited to the electoral system being imperfect nor limited to voters being divided between the educated, the less educated and the uneducated.

Regardless of education, there are voters here in the Philippines who easily fall for the charms of the candidates (especially the incumbent public officials) who in turn exploit them. When a voter gets charmed, he/she tends to forget about the social and political issues that matter and gets manipulated to vote for the candidate he/she finds charming.

How do city government-level candidates and/or incumbent public officials charm the voters? Pose in front of photographers pretending to be busy; give a beautiful smile; stand beside a beauty pageant winner; lead the oath-taking ceremony of new officials of a homeowners association (note: such a ceremony carries NO LEGAL WEIGHT whatsoever as the city government official has no right to step into the jurisdiction of the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board which is the regulator for HOAs); deliver an inspirational speech filled with lies or exaggerations; pretend to be smart and all-knowing in front of people; etc.

Sad to say, there is an element of acting in public service. As if that was not bad enough, there is also the illegal activity of vote-buying. If voters were more educated and/or had a stronger common sense as well as a strong mental defense, then it could change the trends of election campaigning which, for the most part, strongly relies on charming voters, exploiting the ignorant and tempting people with money.

I chose not to be ignorant which is why I do private research on the candidates in each election and pray to the Lord directly.

In addition, I can clearly say that I don’t get charmed and I don’t get fooled by candidates. I don’t allow the charmed ones to influence me as well.

Charm is pretty but it is a risk factor for Philippine democracy. There should be more focus on integrity, credibility and capabilities on the parts of the candidates and incumbent officials.

If you intend to vote at all, I would suggest preparing yourself to not only be wiser (and be resistant to charm gimmicks by the candidates) but be edified spiritually. How? By praying to Lord Jesus for guidance, enlightenment and peace to name a few. I would also suggest to pray for whichever candidates win because any new or re-elected public official should be aware that high above him/her is the Lord. Definitely no public official can ever match the authority of God!

Pray also for your local community, your town or city and the nation as well. If you feel uncertain about whom to vote for, ask the Lord! Remember that whoever gets elected, the future and the welfare of the people get affected. Public service comes with lots of temptations and power can be abused.

Before voting on Monday, be sure to worship the Lord on Sunday at church. Pray to Him even further in the privacy of your room. Be inside your room, shut the door, read the Holy Bible and pray in tongues to the Lord.

Take note that a nation without God’s guidance is a nation without order. Never mind the rants of the secularists because the truth is written in the Holy Bible, specifically Proverbs 29: 18-27 (NKJV).

Next is this holy scripture from Psalm 33: 12 (NKJV). It’s a very powerful scripture.

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,

The people He has chosen as His own inheritance.

Don’t let the pretentious, the ignorant and the devil manipulate you. Always be connected with the Lord and be faithful to Him. Democracy means nothing without the Lord. Remember that.

Thank you for reading. If you find this game review 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

 

 

Alabang Hills Update (May 9, 2019)

Alabang Hills Update (May 9, 2019)

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At Alabang Hills Village, Muntinlupa City today, the stage is finally set for the Alabang Hills Village Association’s (AHVA) schedule Annual General Membership Meeting. The big meeting is set for 2PM of May 12 (Sunday) at the Multi-Purpose Pavilion of the village.

At the clubhouse the AHVA official I talked with said that the agenda of the meeting was not available. In most meetings related to homeowners associations (HOAs) like this, it is expected that the HOA’s board of directors (BOD) and officials will meet with the legitimate members and give them updates about what happened during the past year, how is the association doing financially, how did the association follow the standards of the Housing and Land Use Regulator Board (HLURB) in accordance to Republic Act Number 9904 (RA9904 or the Magna Carta for Homeowners and Homeowners Associations), etc.

And then I saw some other updates on the desk in the AHVA clubhouse. A paper showed that there will be a car registration service for vehicles ending with number 5 on their plates, set for May 11 (no time specified) and applicants are required to bring the valid emission test result.

Last but not least was a new document related to a legal conflict between an association and a private organization.

For transparency, I posted it below. Read and learn.

AHVA

 

PHOTO RELEASE: 2019 NTT ASTC Subic Bay International Triathlon (SuBIT) Asian Cup (May 1, 2019)

PHOTO RELEASE: 2019 NTT ASTC Subic Bay International Triathlon (SuBIT) Asian Cup (May 1, 2019)

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For your reference regarding the 2019 NTT ASTC Subic Bay International Triathlon (SuBIT) Asian Cup that was held this past weekend (April 27 and 28) at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone, here are the post-race photo releases that got published in the Manila Times, Malaya Business Insight and People’s Journal.

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130 Patients Served With Free Services in BF Homes Medical Mission

130 Patients Served With Free Services in BF Homes Medical Mission

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130 Patients Served With Free Services in BF Homes Medical Mission

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The Don Tomas Aguirre Senior Citizens Center bustled with activity on April 27, 2019 as the medical mission attracted several members of the local community who got served with free services. Present were the personnel of MedTek and the directors of the BFPE&BCI.

A medical mission titled Care to Share was held from 6AM to 3PM on April 27, 2019 at the Don Tomas Aguirre Senior Citizens Center along F. Cabarrus street, Barangay BF Homes, Parañaque City which attracted a total of one hundred and thirty patients.

A joint project of the BF Parañaque Entrepreneurs & Business Club, Inc. (BFPE&BCI) and services provider MedTek with the participation of the Senior Citizens Association of Barangay BF, Inc. (SCABBI), Care to Share saw 112 patients avail of laboratory testing (which includes blood extraction), 90 patients who had their urine checked, 75 patients who had a medical check-up (with medicine given afterwards) and 42 patients who had their eyes checked (with eyeglasses provided afterwards).

All the services were rendered for free. Apart from the members of SCABBI, there were other people from the local community who just walked in and were happily accepted by the organizers to avail of the services.

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A patient was instructed to fill up an application form as part of the process to avail of free services.
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A medical doctor listens to a patient.
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A patient has his blood extracted for medical testing.

Services aside, the patients were given free meals, drinks and snacks provided by varied sponsors of the medical mission. The meals were provided by MedTek, BFPE&BCI, Mama Lou’s, Little Quiapo, Ms. Julie Dacanay and Flaming Wings (through a concerned senior citizen who expressed his generosity for the local community). As if that was not enough, brand new electric fans were raffled off to some very lucky winners among the patients which lifted up their spirits. A “Sorbetero” was contracted for the day by BFPE&BCI to provide ice cream to everyone.

Not only that, the patients were fortunate to meet Barangay BF Homes chairman Paolo Marquez who took time out from his busy schedule to observe the medical mission.

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Barangay BF Homes chairman Paolo Marquez (standing 3rd from left) with BFPE&BCI Vice President Frank Vida (leftmost), BFPE&BCI President Don Munoz (2nd from left), Director Bobby Sta. Maria (2nd from right) and the MedTek personnel and volunteers posed in a group picture, led by Medtek’s Dra. Bing Kawano.

“The medical mission is an endeavor of MedTek and BFPE&BCI proving their corporate social responsibility to our constituents. Of course, we in the barangay support them and we appreciate any endeavors that they plan to do in the future,” Marquez said in my interview with him.

For his part, SCABBI president Elpidio Padama stated that the number of patients exceeded the mark of 100 because of other senior citizens who made referrals. Several directors of SCABBI were present and were thankful to the organizers that many of their members got served for free.

Already a successful event, Care to Share undeniably gave back to the local community in Barangay BF Homes in partnership with MedTek headed by its President Mr. Seling Catral and BFPE&BCI. The business club, led by its incumbent President Don Munoz (Pergola Mall, Noah’s Place), truly made its presence felt as a highly credible and generous business association focused on the BF Homes communities.

Thank you for reading. If you find this South Metro Manila community 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

2019 NTT ASTC Subic Bay International Triathlon in the News (April 29, 2019)

2019 NTT ASTC Subic Bay International Triathlon in the News (April 29, 2019)

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The 2019 NTT ASTC Subic Bay International Triathlon event held this past weekend in Subic Bay made the sports news in the following publications.

Day 1

Philippine Star

Manila Bulletin

People’s Tonight

Manila Standard

Tempo

Day 2

Tempo

Philippine Star

Manila Bulletin 

People’s Journal

People’s Tonight

Manila Standard

Business Mirror

Sun.Star Cebu

Watch out for race results from the Triathlon Association of the Philippines (TRAP).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PRESS RELEASE: Hong Kong, China Share in Day’s Glory in Subic Bay

PRESS RELEASE: Hong Kong, China Share in Day’s Glory in Subic Bay

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Hong Kong, China Share in Day’s Glory in Subic Bay

Subic Bay, Philippines – April 28, 2019 – Fresh from its domination of the sprint events a day earlier, powerhouse Hong Kong found the men’s and women’s elite field in the 26th edition of the 2019 NTT ASTC Subic Bay International Triathlon (SuBIT) Asian Cup , a tougher nut to crack and had to settle  for a share in the day’s glory with HK winning the men’s side and China ruling the distaff side  at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

HK’s Oscar Coggins , now campaigning in the men’s elite from the junior ranks, took advantage of his familiarity with hot weather racing conditions, took first place in 1:49.20 , repulsing the challenge of the feared Japanese team that  took the  next 5 slots after Coggins with reigning Asian Games champion and top seed Jumpei Furuya settling for a very close second place in 1:49.30 while Takumi Hojo placed 3rd in 1:49.45. Rounding out the top 5 finishers were Shiruba Taniguchi who  negotiated the 1standard distance race in 1:50.11 , and Yuichi Hosoda in 1:50.36.

” I like the hot weather, I have been training n Australia  the past two months , but I really did not ease up until the finish line. I am happy with my time, ” said Coggins  who took the lead  at the 6K mark and steadily pulled away from the  rest.

Another  surprise however  was in the local side where 19 year old Cebuano Andrew Remolino upstaged his older and more experienced national team mates  with his 17th place finish in 1:54.49, his first sub  two hour  race, target ko sana majasali sa top 10 malalakas lahat ng kalaban, sa mga locals, nakauna ako sa swim leg at na maintain ko yung lead, wala ng nakahabol, ” said Remolino who trains under his father, coach Andoy Remolino.

With his finish, the younger Remolino has positioned himself as a contender  for a slot in the forthcoming SEA Games, : hopeful ako na ma select ako sa national team , ” added Remolino after the race supported by the POC, the PSC, SBMA and its Tourism Department, Standard Insurance, Asian Centre for Insulation Philippines (ACIP), NTT, ACEA Beach Resort & Hotel and Pocari Sweat.

On the women’s competition, defending champion Mengying Zhong, reasserted herself anew and led practically led from start to finish but pulled away in the final run leg en route to a solo finish in 2:04.17 with the Japanese afain relegated to runner up finishes with Aoi Kuranoto a far second in 2:04.41, followed by Yurie Kato who negotiated the 1.4K swim -40K bike – 10K distance race in 2:05.32. HK’s Yan Yin Hilda Choi took 4th place in 2:05.37 while in 5th was Macau entry Long Hoi with a finishing time of 2:05.57.

Best placed Filipina was national triathlete Kim Kilgroe who finished in 12th place overall with her time of 2:10.10 even as she is practically assured of a slot in the SEA Games together with Kim mangrobang who is training and competing in Europe, and SEA Games gold  medalist Claire Adorna who ended in 15th place in yesterday’s race in Subic. Adorna clocked 2:13.01.

” This was definitely a strong field with several  world ranked participants . For the national team, we will have our final qualifying race in Korea in June where we will bring  our national training pool  for a camp and race in the Asian Cup, then we  will announce the final selection for the SEA Games, a minimum of 3 , maximum of 5 triathletes, ” said Triathlon Association of the Philippines ( TRAP ) president Tom Carrasco Jr. who cited the  performance  of Remolino in the  race.

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2019 NTT ASTC Subic Bay International Triathlon (SuBIT) Asian Cup Day Two awarding
Awarding of the Male and Female Elite Top 3 winners at the recently concluded 2019 NTT ASTC Subic Bay International Triathlon (SuBIT) Asian Cup inside the freeport led by Men’s champion Oscar Coggins from Hong Kong and back-to-back Women’s champion Mengying Zhong of China.
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2019 NTT ASTC Subic Bay International Triathlon (SuBIT) Asian Cup Men’s Champion
Men’s Elite champion Oscar Coggins from Hong Kong at the finish line during the 2019 NTT ASTC Subic Bay International Triathlon (SuBIT) Asian Cup held yesterday (Sunday) inside the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

Press release and photo captions composed by Lito Cinco.