South Metro Manila – Page 24 – Author Carlo Carrasco

Congressman-elect Brian Yamsuan vows elevated public service in Parañaque City’s 2nd District

May 23, 2025May 20, 2025carlocarrasco

The newly proclaimed 2^nd District Representative Brian Yamsuan expressed his assurance to the local constituents that elevating the standard of public service is his goal backed with fair treatment, according to a news report published by Journalnews.com.ph.

In the recent election, Yamsuan ran under the Team Pag-Asa banner and his teammates include Vice Mayor-elect Benjo Bernabe, and the re-elected City Councilors Tess de Asis, Binky Favis and Shannin Olivarez. Yamsuan won over 2^nd District Representative Gus Tambunting with a lead of almost ten thousand votes. The 2^nd District includes the very large Barangay BF Homes, BF Homes subdivision and Tahanan Village. The first time I saw Yamsuan was during the December 2024 Christmas part of Century Club of Tahanan (CCTI). To learn more about Yamsuan, check out his Facebook page by clicking https://www.facebook.com/congbrianyamsuan

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

NEWLY proclaimed Parañaque 2nd District Rep. Brian Raymund Yamsuan assured his new constituents that achieving his goal of elevating the standard of public service in the district would be characterized by fair and equal treatment for all.

Yamsuan made this assurance following his stunning win over the district’s long-time incumbent congressman, Gus Tambunting.

At the May 10 miting de avance of Yamsuan and his fellow candidates under Team Pagasa, he made this fearless forecast: “Ako si Brian Yamsuan, ang magiging susunod na congressman ng District 2 ng lungsod ng Parañaque!”, followed by thunderous cheers from thousands of supporters.

“On top of crafting laws that will benefit Parañaque and the rest of the country, we will make sure that as congressman, I can serve as an effective bridge between the national government and the people in bringing to them the social, educational, and economic support programs that they deserve,” Yamsuan said.

Yamsuan won amid complaints of vote buying involving Tambunting, who was slapped with a show-cause order by the Comelec Kontra Bigay committee and ordered to respond to the allegations.

“Bawat Parañaqueño na nangangailangan sa Distrito Dos ay sisikapin nating matulungan. Babaguhin natin ang dating sistema. Tulad ng lagi ko ng ginagawa noon sa aking masigasig na paglilingkod sa distrito bago pa man ako mahalal, wala tayong papaboran, walang palakasan,” Yamsuan said of his hard-won mandate in Parañaque’s 2nd District.

The Congressman-Elect said he will also reach out to Parañaqueños who might have been displaced from their jobs following the outcome of the recent elections to offer them livelihood opportunities available through government programs he had coordinated with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).

“We will begin carrying out our H.O.P.E. agenda for the district on Day One of our assumption to office,” Yamsuan said.

This reform agenda aims to ensure that Parañaque’s 2nd District residents are: 1) provided quality and affordable Health and medical care; 2) equipped with adequate job and livelihood Opportunities to elevate their living standards; 3) assured of Peace and safety in their communities; and 4) guaranteed access to quality Education.

Let me end this post by asking you readers: What do you think about this recent development? If you are a resident of Parañaque, what is your current opinion about the incoming Congressman Yamsuan? If you are a voter based in the 2^nd district of the city, did you vote for Yamsuan as your Representative?

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

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

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

New Korean volunteers in Muntinlupa City

May 22, 2025May 19, 2025carlocarrasco

Recently in the City of Muntinlupa, a new batch of Korean volunteers were deployed for activities in childhood development centers and Mayor Ruffy Biazon welcomed them, according to a Manila Bulletin news report.

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

The second batch of Korean volunteer-teachers was deployed to childhood development centers (CDC) in Muntinlupa.

Muntinlupa Mayor Ruffy Biazon welcomed the 10 new Korean volunteers coming from different backgrounds including education, media and arts, advertising and sanitation engineering.

“Ready na silang makipag-collaborate sa ating CDC teachers and workers, at matuto rin mula sa ating communities (They are ready to collaborate with our CDC teachers and workers, and also learn from our communities),” posted on Facebook.

The program is part of the partnership between the Muntinlupa City government, Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and the Philippine National Volunteer Service Coordinating Agency (PNVSCA), aiming to improve child development in the city.

“We are excited to welcome this new wave of knowledge-sharing and cultural exchange with our Korean friends. We hope our Korean friends will also discover and appreciate the richness of Filipino culture and the warm spirit of Muntinlupeños,” Biazon added.

Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? If you are a resident of Muntinlupa City, do you think the activities of the newest batch of Korean volunteers will be beneficial to local childhood development?

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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Las Piñas City Congressman-elect Mark Santos hopes his victory will inspire future leaders who were never given a chance before

May 22, 2025May 20, 2025carlocarrasco

As some of you may already be aware, long-time City Councilor Mark Anthony Santos pulled off a major upset over Senator Cynthia Villar in the recent local elections and has since been proclaimed as the next Congressional Representative of the city. The Congressman-elect was interviewed by ABS-CBN through their ANC Headstart program and he hopes to inspire future leaders who previously were not given chances to serve.

For historical context, different members of the influential Villar family represented Las Piñas in the House of Representatives since 1992, and there were also members who went on to get elected as Philippine Senators. Senator Cynthia Villar was first elected to the Senate in 2013 and her 2^nd 6-year term is ending soon. Before she entered the Senate, she was also the city’s Congressional Representative. In the past election, Santos was the teammate of Mayor-elect April Aguilar. To get to know Santos better, check out his Facebook page by clicking https://www.facebook.com/KonsMark2022

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

Mark Antony Santos, the newly-elected congressional representative of Las Piñas, said Thursday it was “not in my wildest dreams” to challenge the Villar family’s decades-long hold in the post.

“Not in my wildest dream talaga na tumakbo and to fight against a well-entrenched family in Las Piñas,” he told ANC’s Headstart.

Santos was proclaimed Las Piñas congressman-elect after defeating Sen. Cynthia Villar. As of Thursday’s partial and unofficial count, Santos had obtained 108,206 votes while Villar only had 78,526 votes.

It was one of the most stunning upsets in the 2025 midterm polls considering that the Villars had occupied the said congressional post since 1992.

If you can imagine pinakamayaman, number 1 sa Forbes list… It’s a historical record sa Las Piñas, since 1992 nasa Villar ang mga congress representatives namin dito,” Santos said.

But Santos said he remained “grounded” and gave in to the public clamor for change.

“Kasi grounded tayo, nagkaroon tayo ng consultation. Siguro public clamor na rin ito for a change,” he said.

Santos was long-time councilor in the city, and aligned with the Aguilars, a family who is also related to the Villars.

The new congressman denied that his victory was only a result of the alleged infighting between the 2 political families, adding that he was an “independent” candidate.

Santos said his advocacy in the upcoming Congress is to push for socialized housing.

He said he hoped that his win could be an inspiration for leaders who were “never given a chance” due to the country’s political landscape.

“Maraming qualified na magagaling na tao. Pero dahil sa situation, political landscape, talagang wala eh, never given a chance. I hope sa susunod na eleksyon, pero alam mo, ano to kumbaga nagising na mga tao,” he said.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a resident of Las Piñas City, what is your reaction to this development? Do you hope that the incoming Congressman Santos will initiate reforms to make new projects and improve the quality of service to the people of Las Piñas?

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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Do you miss Fukuya Japanese Restaurant?

May 21, 2025May 15, 2025carlocarrasco

On April 30, 2025, Fukuya Japanese Restaurant inside Festival Mall closed down after having its final day of operations which saddened a lot of loyal customers. At 8:41 in morning of that same day, the restaurant announced via social media that they were going to close down which went as follows:

It is with a heavy heart that we are announcing our last day of operations today. We would like to thank our valued customers whom we consider a part of the Fukuya family for your patronage and support since we opened our doors in 1995. We truly cherish the memories we have of you and it is our pleasure to have served you. To our generations of patrons, thank you for your kind words and loyalty to Fukuya. You have made our journey all the more fulfilling. May God bless you all!

*I took this picture on May 1, 2025. This very spot Fukuya previously occupied has since been covered up.*

For the newcomers reading this, Fukuya Japanese Restaurant first opened at SM Southmall in Las Piñas City in the mid-1990s and my first time ever to eat at their place was in 1997. They eventually opened in Festival Mall in Alabang, Muntinlupa some years later and lasted there until April 30 this year. Be aware that a change of ownership of Festival Mall took place months ago which might be related to Fukuya’s closure.

Being fond of Japanese food, I can say that the demise of Fukuya Japanese Restaurant is very unfortunate. To be clear, the number of Japanese restaurants and other businesses selling certain types of Japanese food at Festival Mall has increased over the past several years. In fact, there are certain Japanese restaurants there that sold meals at notably higher prices when compared to similar offerings from Fukuya Japanese Restaurant. Clearly Fukuya had a lot of competitors at Festival Mall alone.

More on Fukuya, there are best known for the Hiroshima-style Okonomiyaki (read my old article by clicking here) which was always served freshly cooked, very flavorful and filling. I had their Okonomiyaki many times and always had a great taste backed with satisfaction. I also tried Okonomiyaki at other Japanese restaurants at Festival Mall but none of them ever came close to what Fukuya had.

Fukuya also served Futo Maki/Futomaki, Yakisoba, ramen, Bento meals, Tempura, sushi, sashimi, Teppanyaki, Udon, Soba and a lot more. They also had value meals to accommodate customers with limited funds.

*Fukuya Japanese Restaurant’s most famous meal is the Hiroshima-style Okonomiyaki.*

While the pandemic is over and the Philippine economy is growing, there are still a lot of internal and external economic forces that make operating businesses challenging. As for the rental fees of Festival Mall under the new owner, I heard allegations that the rates went up. Apart from Fukuya, I noticed a local printing and photocopying business there closed down recently, and I used to have documents photocopied there.

Now that Fukuya Japanese Restaurant is gone, customers who are looking for Japanese meals that are affordable will have to look elsewhere. As of this writing, Fukuya has not updated their Facebook page since April 30, 2025. While their FB page is still active, I can only wonder if the business owners could be planning a revival of Fukuya someday. You can visit their FB page by clicking https://www.facebook.com/FukuyaJapaneseRestaurantFestivalMall

*Do you miss this view from inside Fukuya at Festival Mall?*

For those of you reading this, let me ask you – were you fond of eating at Fukuya Japanese Restaurant? Did you enjoy their Hiroshima-style Okonomiyaki? How was the quality of the food they served you the last time you ate there? What do you think is the main reason behind the closure of Fukuya Japanese Restaurant?

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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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

Working student arrested in Parañaque City over child abuse charge

May 17, 2025May 13, 2025carlocarrasco

Recently in Parañaque City, local police officers armed with a warrant of arrest apprehended a working student for the crime of child abuse, according to a Manila Bulletin news report. It turns out the suspect is a wanted person at the station level.

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

A working student, listed as the No. 7 most wanted person at the station level for the crime of child abuse, was arrested by members of the Parañaque City Police Warrant and Subpoena Section (WSS) on May 8.

The Southern Police District (SPD) identified the suspect as alias “Rowen,” 28. He was nabbed on De Lourdes St., Parañaque City.

Authorities said Rowen was arrested by virtue of a warrant of arrested issued by Judge Mildred Jacinto-Marquez of the Las Piñas Family Court, Branch 10.

Let me end this post by asking you readers: What do you think about this recent development? If you are a resident of Parañaque, are you concerned that there could be more child abusers living secretly in your local community?

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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PDEA seizes P197 million worth of illegal drugs in Parañaque City, two suspects apprehended

May 15, 2025May 13, 2025carlocarrasco

Recently in Parañaque City, agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) successfully pulled-off a buy-bust operation that resulted in the seizure of almost two hundred million worth of illegal drugs and the apprehension of two suspects, according to a GMA Network news report.

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

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), with the Philippine National Police, seized P197.2 million worth of drugs in a buy-bust operation in Parañaque City on Saturday.

According to a statement, the buy-bust occurred at an exclusive subdivision around 5 p.m. and led to the arrest of two individuals.

The suspects allegedly took advantage of the subdivision’s strict security protocols to avoid surveillance and intelligence operations by Philippine authorities.

Along with the suspects, police seized 29 aluminum packets weighing an estimated 29 kilograms, labelled “Freeze-dried Durian” in Chinese characters.

The packets contained white crystalline substances suspected to be shabu worth P197,200,000. Authorities also confiscated mobile phones, buy-bust money, and a pink paper bag used in the transaction.

Let me end this post by asking you readers: What do you think about this recent development? If you are a resident of Parañaque, are you concerned that there could still be more crooks carrying or distributing illegal substances within residential communities?

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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Mark Santos proclaimed as Las Piñas City Representative

May 15, 2025May 13, 2025carlocarrasco

In the City of Las Piñas, City Councilor Mark Anthony Santos was officially proclaimed as the newly elected Representative of the city as a result of his decisive election victory of outgoing Senator Cynthia Villar, according to a GMA Network news report. Santos’ margin of victory was more than thirty thousand votes as of this writing.

For the newcomers reading this, Santos – who has served Las Piñas for several terms as City Councilor – is an election teammate of Mayor Imelda Aguilar and Vice Mayor April Aguilar.

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

Independent candidate Mark Anthony Santos on Tuesday was proclaimed as the representative for Las Piñas City’s lone district, according to Rod Vega’s report on Super Radyo dzBB.

With 100% election returns in the city processed on Monday evening, Santos garnered 115,757 votes, defeating Senator Cynthia Villar who received 83,975 votes.

Meanwhile, former Vice Mayor April Aguilar was proclaimed as mayor of the city, replacing her mother and the former mayor Imelda Aguilar. Imelda, meanwhile, was proclaimed as vice mayor.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a resident of Las Piñas City, what is your reaction to this development? Did a majority of your local community’s voters select Santos as the sole Congressional Representative of the city? What do you hope to see from Congressman-elect Mark Santos?

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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April Aguilar proclaimed as Las Piñas City’s next Mayor

May 15, 2025May 14, 2025carlocarrasco

In the City of Las Piñas, Vice Mayor April Aguilar was proclaimed as the next Mayor following her landslide victory over her main opponent Carlo Aguilar, according to a Manila Bulletin news report. Meanwhile the incumbent Mayor Imelda Aguilar (mother of April Aguilar) was proclaimed as the incoming Vice Mayor.

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

Las Piñas City’s Vice Mayor April Aguilar was proclaimed the new mayor of the city replacing her mother, Mayor Imelda Aguilar who was elected as vice mayor.

Aguilar garnered a total number of 117,800 votes against her closest opponent, Carlo Aguilar, who had 80,880 votes.

In the race for vice mayor, incumbent Mayor Aguilar received a total of 123,622 votes while her main opponent, Louie Bustamante, got 68,058.

The city’s lone district representative, Mark Anthony Santos, also from the “Tatak Nene Aguilar” team, was also proclaimed by the Las Piñas Board of Canvasser as the winner in the congressional race against Sen. Cynthia Villar.

The newly elected mayor and the whole “Tatak Nene Aguilar” team thanked the Las Piñeros for the trust given to them and vowed that they will be working better in the implementation of the 5K (Kalusugan, Kaalaman, Kaayusan, Kabuhayan, and Kinabukasan) program.

Mayor-elect April Aguilar thanked her supporters through social media.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a resident of Las Piñas City, what is your reaction to this development? What do you hope to see Mayor-elect April Aguilar do in terms of public service when she takes office?

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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Muntinlupa Mayor Biazon re-elected, teammates dominate 2025 local contests

May 14, 2025May 13, 2025carlocarrasco

With the results of the 2025 Local Elections counted, Muntinlupa City Mayor Ruffy Biazon easily got re-elected and his teammates under the One Muntinlupa banner collectively won most of the other positions, according to a Manila Bulletin news report. The winners have been proclaimed locally by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC).

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

Reelectionist Mayor Ruffy Biazon and his party mates under One Muntinlupa achieved a landslide victory in the May 12 local elections.

One Muntinlupa candidates won all but one of the positions, achieving the seats for mayor, congressman and councilor in the two districts of the city.

At past 2 a.m. on May 13, the City Board of Canvassers (CBOC) proclaimed the winners in the elections in Muntinlupa after canvassing all the election returns from 360 clustered precincts.

Biazon, who ran unopposed for his second term, was proclaimed by the CBOC with total votes of 209,498.

Reelectionist Muntinlupa Rep. Jaime Fresnedi, who also ran under One Muntinlupa, won his second term with 177,504 votes, defeating rival Silverio Garing who got 56,710 votes.

*Muntinlupa City Mayor Biazon (middle) and Congressman Jaime Fresnedi (2nd from right) proclaimed winners by the COMELEC. (photo source – City Government of Muntinlupa)*

In the vice mayoral race, independent candidate and former councilor Stephanie Teves-Wong won with 127,709 votes. One Muntinlupa’s Allen Ampaya placed second with 88,435 votes while incumbent Vice Mayor Artemio Simundac placed third with 25,003 votes.

For councilor, One Muntinlupa won all the seats in Muntinlupa’s two districts.

In District 1, proclaimed winners are One Muntinlupa’s Alexon Diaz, Raul Corro, Rachel Arciaga, Paty Katy Boncayao, Jedi Presnedi, Walter Arcilla, Ting Niefes and Amanda Camilon.

In District 2, the winners are Reggie Landrito, June Metong Sevilla, Kaye Anne Rongavilla, Ryan Bagatsing, Arlene Hilapo, Sha Sha Baes, Dado Moldez and Cornelio Martinez.

*District 1 City Council winners proclaimed. (photo source – City Government of Muntinlupa)*

*District 2 City Council winners proclaimed. (photo source – City Government of Muntinlupa)*

According to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) Muntinlupa, of the 314,934 registered voters in the city, 250,672 voted on May 12 or a turnout of 79.6 percent.

Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? If you are a resident of Muntinlupa City, are you satisfied with the way the local elections and vote canvassing were organized? What do you look forward to from the City Government during the 2^nd term of Mayor Biazon?

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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Benjo Bernabe proclaimed as Parañaque City’s next Vice Mayor, Team Pag-Asa candidates win key posts

May 14, 2025May 14, 2025carlocarrasco

With the 2025 local election results of Parañaque City recorded, the local board of canvassers officially proclaimed yesterday former City Councilor Benjo Bernabe as the incoming Vice Mayor, and you can watch the proclamation itself entirely by clicking https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1HQLW9d7kY/

Bernabe, who ran under the Team Pag-Asa banner, defeated the incumbent Vice Mayor Joan Villafuerte (Bagong Parañaque) by a score of 129,213 votes to 122,237 votes according to the current partial and unofficial results of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) via GMA News.

*Social media post confirming Bernabe’s victory for Vice Mayor. (source – Benjo Bernabe Official Facebook page)*

*Benjo Bernabe proclaimed as the next Vice Mayor of Parañaque. At rightmost is his father former Mayor Jun Bernabe. (source – Benjo Bernabe Official Facebook page)*

The 129,213 votes Bernabe gathered is the largest ever in his career as an elected public servant of Parañaque. That being said, it is not surprising that there were rounds of cheers of “Bernabe! Bernabe! Bernabe!” during the proclamation. Given the fact that Team Pag-Asa was pretty small in terms of candidates, Bernabe’s victory is clearly a tremendous achievement.

For the newcomers reading this, Bernabe previously served as City Councilor (District 2) from 2010 to 2013. He ran for Mayor in 2013 but ended up short. Bernabe is the son of Florencio “Jun” Bernabe who was Parañaque’s Vice Mayor from 1998 to 2004, and was the Mayor from 2004 to 2013. It is clear that Benjo Bernabe’s victory is a strong political comeback for the Bernabe family.

Small team, big victories

Bernabe’s Team Pag-Asa teammates also scored notable victories as well. Partylist Representative Brian Yamsuan was proclaimed as the new Representative of Parañaque’s 2^nd district after defeating incumbent Representative Gus Tambunting by a score of 81,999 to 72,077 votes as of this writing. Former City Councilors Tess de Asis and Binky Favis got re-elected with huge scores of 111,737 and 103,800 votes respectively in District 2. De Asis is #2 and Favis #3 among all District 2 candidates for the City Council.

Another Team Pag-Asa teammate, Shannin Olivarez, was hanging at the #8 slot in District 1 with 42,188 votes as of this writing. Only the Top 8 vote gatherers per district will serve in the City Council from mid-2025 to mid-2028.

Let me end this post by asking you readers: What do you think about this recent development? If you are a resident of Parañaque, did many voters in your local community vote straight for Team Pag-Asa candidates during the May 12 elections? What do you hope to see from Vice Mayor-elect Bernabe, Congressman-elect Yamsuan, and incoming City Councilors De Asis, Favis and Olivarez once their terms of service take effect?

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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