technology – Page 55 – Author Carlo Carrasco

I Love Israel: Israeli startups see Philippines as a viable gateway to Southeast Asian markets

July 11, 2024July 2, 2024carlocarrasco

As some of you are already aware, I fully stand with Israel which is very connected with my uncompromising faith in the Lord. I keep on praying to Him for Israel to overwhelm its enemies, rescue the hostages and recover from the effects of the October 7, 2023 terrorist attacks committed by the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas. I can assure all of you that nobody from the evil Islamo-Leftist mob, nobody from the pro-Palestine radicals and nobody from any evil society would stop me from supporting and loving Israel.

Now, on with the news…

Recently, Israel’s Ambassador to the Philippines Ilan Flus confirmed that startups from the Jewish state view the Philippines as a viable gateway to Southeast Asian markets, according to a BusinessWorld news report.

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

ISRAEL companies, particularly startups, view the Philippines as a viable gateway to Southeast Asian markets, according to the Israeli Ambassador and the head of Israel’s economic mission in Manila.

“Asia is a growing market, and Israeli companies are becoming more and more interested in the markets here,” Ambassador Ilan Fluss told BusinessWorld on the sidelines of an Israeli tech startup pitch event at his residence in Makati City.

“The Philippines is also an entry point to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations,” he added.

He said the embassy is working closely with the Anti-Red Tape Authority to find ways to make it easier to do business in the Philippines.

“I think the important thing for an Israeli company is to have a good Filipino partner that will be able to guide them (in navigating) the economy,” Mr. Fluss said, noting the difficulties posed by bureaucracy.

Tomer Heyvi, head of the Israel Economic Mission to the Philippines, said more Israeli startups are showing interest in seeking investors from the Philippines.

“The Philippines is a rising star and there is a lot of interest from the Israeli companies in trade, commerce, but also, of course, in investment,” he told BusinessWorld.

Mr. Heyvi said there are more than 9,000 startups in Israel that are seeking partnerships to help them break through in various global markets, including the Philippines.

“Every year, we see an increase in the interest of Israeli companies. So, for me, it’s already an indication that they find this market interesting.”

According to the Central Bureau of Statistics of Israel, trade between the Philippines and Israel amounted to $532 million last year.

Israel’s Ministry of Economy and Industry said on its website that business services between both countries last year were mostly provided by Israeli startups and tech companies engaged in artificial intelligence-based platforms, cybersecurity, and financial technology solutions.

Very clearly, the ties between Israel and the Philippines remain intact and are in fact gradually gaining strength. The future of economic cooperation between the two nations looks bright even though there are lots of uncertainties happening overseas (armed conflicts with Hamas and Hezbollah, anti-Israel rallies in America and Europe, and so on).

To my fellow Filipinos reading this, I encourage you to accept the truth that Israel is the land God designated specifically for the Jewish people (read Genesis 35:10-12) and His command must be followed without hesitation. If you want to be blessed further by the Lord, do so by loving and blessing the Jewish people (Genesis 12:1-3). I did my part when I was in Israel. Also, let me remind you all that the ties between the Jews and Christians are truly biblical!

We live in a very divided world. Around the world, Leftist forces have been supporting evil forces like the current regime of Iran which is known for supplying and arming the Palestinian terrorists, Hezbollah and other terrorist groups around the Middle East. The Leftists and terrorists always go together and their anti-Semitism is clearly obvious. Hamas, which has long been supported by terrorist state Iran, is purely evil and they are being protected by not only their fellow terrorists but also by mainstream news media outlets who are linked with Leftist forces and people who hate Israel and the Jewish people. Iran even has Hezbollah in Lebanon doing their evil works for them. Beware of the evil union of the Islamo-Left which is wicked deep within.

With all that said, I encourage you all to pray to the Lord God in support of Israel and believe that He will guide the Israeli forces to another victory which means finishing off Hamas, crushing Hezbollah and forcing Iran and its terror proxies to give up. Read Joshua 11:1-20 in the Holy Bible for relevance and truth. Pray to the Lord to support Israel, its government officials, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and other stakeholders.

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

Always be the fearless and aggressive church of Lord Jesus! Always stand in support of Israel and pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

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

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

More than P783 million deposited through BSP’s coin machines

July 4, 2024June 26, 2024carlocarrasco

Over P783 million worth of coins have been deposited through the many coin deposit machines (CoDMs) of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) as of June 23, 2024, as published on their website.

Based on the latest statistics, a total of P783,628,810.29 (10.7% higher than the previous month’s count of P707,661,554.41) in coins got deposited into BSP machines on 191,804 transactions (9.8% higher than the previous month’s 174,656 transactions) from customers. In terms of physical quantity, 211,689,731 in coins were deposited. The previous count of deposited coins was 193,901,254.

Doing the math on the latest statistics, customers averaged P4,085.57 per transaction (versus the previous month’s P4,051.74 per transaction) at the machines. As for the grand total Peso amount divided by the number of coins deposited, the average is P3.7018 per coin deposited (versus the previous month’s average of P3.6496 per coin deposited).

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Were you able to deposit your excess coins into a BSP coin deposit machine in your locality recently? How long did you have to wait in line before depositing your coins at the BSP machine?

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

Retro Gaming Ads Blast – Part 12

July 1, 2024December 12, 2024carlocarrasco

Welcome back readers, fellow geeks and electronic gaming fans!

In this edition of the Retro Gaming Ads Blast (RGAB) series, we will take a look at another batch of retro gaming print ads from the 1980s and 1990s. In addition, there will be a few flyers of arcade games.

For the newcomers reading this, Retro Gaming Ads Blast (RGAB) looks back at the many print ads of games (console, arcade, computer and handheld) that were published in comic books, magazines, flyers and newspapers long before smartphones, social media, the worldwide web and streaming became popular. To put things in perspective, people back in the 1980s and 1990s were more trusting of print media for information and images about electronic games and related products.

With those details laid down, here is the newest batch of retro gaming print ads for you to see and enjoy…

1. Contra arcade flyer

*A clever visual concept by Konami towards gamers and arcade operators.*

*Details on the other side of the flyer.*

Before it established itself as a popular gaming franchise with console gamers, Contra truly started in the arcades in 1987. First released in Japan on February 1987, Konami went on to release the game in arcades in the United States a month later and the flyer you see here was the Americanized promotion they came up with. Instead of hiring male actors or models to play soldiers, they hired a slim lady to appear with a female Rambo look standing in front of a Contra arcade machine. On the other side of the flyer are details that players and arcade operators can learn from. By today’s standards, this arcade flyer of Contra is still eye-catching and even amusing to look at.

2. College Football’s National Championship print ad

*This ad has a strong visual appeal to gamers who like football.*

This is another one of those video game ads I saw while reading comic books in the 1990s. College Football’s National Championship was a Sega Genesis-exclusive American football video game published by Sega (with the Sega Sports brand) to capitalize on gamers who want college football to play with at home. This print ad has a nice visual presentation of the college teams’ logos, screenshots and details of what gamers could expect when they buy and play the game. College Football’s National Championship received mostly positive reviews and it must have sold well because Sega went on to release a sequel to this game.

3. Robotron X print ad

*This Robotron game was made at a time when 3D polygons became common for making video games.*

Having played the classic game Robotron: 2084 on PC back in the 1980s, I was very surprised to see this print ad in 1996 promoting a brand new Robotron game for PlayStation as well as Windows PC. For the newcomers reading this, Robotron: 2084 was a classic which heavily influenced game designers who went on make other fan-favorite games like Smash TV and Llamatron. What makes Robotron X notable apart from being an official follow-up to the classic game was the fact that it was made at a time when game developers did their stuff to modernize gaming with 3D polygons for visuals while trying to come up with gameplay inspired by the classics. While Robotron X did not make a major impact on gaming, the classic Robotron: 2084 went on to be released in several multi-platform compilations such as Williams Arcade’s Greatest Hits, Midway’s Greatest Arcade Hits, and Midway Arcade Treasures.

4. Space Jam game print ad

*If you saw the movie in 1996, were you able to play this video game adaptation?*

What makes 1996 a memorable year for basketball fans was the Michael Jordan’s return to prominence (having previously retired for less than two years before returning to the NBA in 1995) and leading a very powerful Chicago Bulls team to what was their 4^th NBA championship title. In that same year, Jordan starred in the live-action/animated movie Space Jam which grossed an impressive $250 million worldwide. On the same month the movie came out, the Space Jam video game adaptation was also released on PlayStation and Sega Saturn. This print ad was part of the multimedia hype of the movie and the game itself had a very similar design and visuals concept with NBA Jam but ultimately it failed to become a hit with critics and gamers. Not even the combined visual might of Jordan and Warner Bros. characters could achieve success.

5. Magic Johnson’s Fast Break print ad

Still on basketball video gaming, the side-scrolling Magic Johnson’s Fast Break game was released on the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) for console gamers to enjoy. Unsurprisingly, this ad had nice black-and-white art work of Magic Johnson as the dominant figure while leaving little space left to show the game box and only one screenshot. The real meat of this print ad are the details laid down in text description.

6. Virtua Fighter 2 for Sega Genesis print ad

*Clearly a late effort by Sega to sell something to its many Genesis owners/fans in America at a time when PlayStation and Nintendo 64 started dominating 5th console generation sales.*

In the history of arcade gaming and fighting games, Virtua Fighter 2 was a worthy follow-up to its groundbreaking predecessor. VF2 also made its way on the Sega Saturn which essentially maintained the great gameplay and 60 frames-per-second animation even though the 3D polygonal graphics were noticeably lower in quality compared to its arcade version. With VF2 in the arcades and on Saturn selling well, I was surprised to see this print ad of Sega releasing a totally different version of the game on the aging Sega Genesis console. Virtua Fighter 2 on Genesis had 2D graphics, sprites for the characters and a side-scrolling visual design. In fairness, the game developers exerted effort to recapture some of the gameplay elements within the Genesis limitations and 2D graphics. This print ad is a reminder of Sega’s American division selling a product to the remaining active Genesis owners.

7. Ring King print ad

*Ring King itself clearly lacked promotional space in this ad.*

In 1987, Data East released their arcade hit game Ring King on the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) and prepared this print ad involving Ray Leonard, Jr. (on the foreground in boxing gear) and conveniently with the famous Sugar Ray Leonard and Thomas Hearns (with the promo of their first fight together in the background). Also conveniently, the company inserted their other games on the lowest part of the ad. Ultimately, the presence of Ring King itself was minimized only showing the game cover and two screenshots. This is clearly an eye-catching ad but there was not enough emphasis on the game itself.

8. Super Spacefortress Macross arcade flyer

*The arcade flyer released only in Japan.*

Have you ever seen the classic anime movie Macross: Do You Remember Love? I really love watching that movie and I played and finished the video game adaptation on PlayStation in 1999. What I never got to play was the arcade game adaptation of it which was released by Banpresto in Japan in 1992. This flyer promoting the game has a strong visual presentation thanks to the artwork made for it. Only one screenshot was shown as well as a clip from 1984 the animated movie (note: the arcade game itself has some images directly from the film plus some newly created ones added) but this ad still had what it takes to capture the attention of the many Macross fans in Japan. This arcade game was eventually released with an English translation in America and Australia.

9. 2-in-1 print ad featuring Super C and Snake’s Revenge

*A memorable and intriguing print ad from Konami promoting sequels.*

This is one of the ads that Konami came up with to promote at least two games using a single-page ad format. I saw this ad in many comic books I read decades ago and its visual concept always caught my attention especially since I played the console game Contra a lot. At the high end of the ad were two fictional newspaper headlines highlighting the respective conflicts of Snake’s Revenge (with a nuclear danger concept) and Super C (with emphasis on alien invaders). These two games were sequels to the classics Metal Gear and Contra, and Konami clearly knew how to take advantage of the older games’ success and do their best to sell the sequels to gamers who love action-packed gaming as well as fantasized armed conflicts. Like the 2-in-1 ad showcasing Contra and Jackal, this was Konami’s aggressive move to sell war-inspired games to the NES userbase which was mostly composed of children and teenagers.

10. True Lies game print ad

*There is nothing like taking advantage of the imagery of a Hollywood superstar to promote a video game based on the related movie.*

Here is a video game ad I saw in many comic books I read in 1994-1995. True Lies (starring Arnold Schwarzenegger) was one of the big summer season movie hits of 1994 and the video game was part of the business tie-ins with the film. The people who made this print ad made the smart moves of showing not just one but three images of Schwarzenegger to promote the game while leaving some space to show what the game looked like. The True Lies game even had stills from the movie to emphasize the flow of the plot.

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Batangas City Council approves resolution to ban POGOs

June 28, 2024June 27, 2024carlocarrasco

Over in the province of Batangas, the City Council of Batangas recently approved a resolution for the banning of the application and operation of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) within their jurisdiction, according to a GMA Network news report.

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

The Batangas City Council has approved a resolution banning the application and operation of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) in the city.

The decision was made during a regular session on Monday, June 24, 2024.

The move came in light of issues and an ongoing Senate investigation into POGOs in Bamban, Tarlac, which allegedly involved the local government unit (LGU) there.

“Saying it is with regard to the issue at Bamban, Tarlac na investigation ng Senate sa POGO involving the LGU. It would give assurance din sa mga Batangueno na hindi dapat matakot sa mga POGO activities dito sa Batangas City,” Nestor Dimacuha, chairman of the Committee on Laws and Rules, said.

For Mary Jane Ante, a 39-year-old helper at a small eatery in Batangas City, the ban brings great relief. Despite knowing that POGOs could provide many jobs, she prefers not to have foreign operators in the country due to safety concerns.

“Baka sumakop sila sa Pilipinas. Dito na lang, ayos din para Pilipino na lang ang magtatrabaho sa atin at wala na ‘yung mga taga-ibang bansa,” Ante said.

“Hindi naman talaga maganda ang sugal talaga sa pang araw-araw, kasi nakakaperwisyo yan ng pamilya. Hindi ako pabor sa ganoon. Huwag na lang pumasok dito ang POGO para walang ma-perwisyo,” Arnel Montalbo, a printing shop owner, added.

The resolution cites that POGOs tarnish the dignity of the LGU, leaving no room for such operations in the city. It also serves as a warning to businesses operating secretly as POGOs, despite having business permits.

The council will request the mayor to revoke permits of establishments found to be operating illegally as POGOs.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think the City Council of Batangas did the right move? Do you think more local government units (LGUs) around the country should approve legislation banning POGOs?

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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I Love Israel: Israel approves plan to bring in 92,000 foreign workers

June 27, 2024June 19, 2024carlocarrasco

As some of you are already aware, I fully stand with Israel which is very connected with my uncompromising faith in the Lord. I keep on praying to Him for Israel to overwhelm its enemies, rescue the hostages and recover from the effects of the October 7, 2023 terrorist attacks committed by the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas. I can assure all of you that nobody from the evil Islamo-Leftist mob, nobody from the pro-Palestine zealots and nobody from any evil society would stop me from supporting and loving Israel.

Now, on with the news…

Recently, the Office of the Prime Minister of Israel announced that officials approved a quota of over ninety thousand foreign workers to come into Israel to fill vacant jobs in the industry, agriculture, hotels and restaurant sectors, according to a Philippine News Agency (PNA) news article.

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

Seeking to address a labor shortage, Israeli officials approved a quota of 92,000 foreign workers to fill jobs in agriculture, industry, hotels and restaurants, the Prime Minister’s Office announced on Tuesday.

This marks the first time Israel has authorized foreign workers for the restaurant industry.

Seventy percent of the quota is specifically set aside for agricultural laborers. Israeli agriculture is facing staggering losses in production and manpower.

Before Oct. 7, Israel had 29,900 foreigners, mostly Thais, working in farms, orchards, greenhouses and packing plants.

Israeli workers who might have filled the gaps have been called up for military reserve duty while Palestinian laborers are currently banned as security risks.

Many growing areas are within two kilometers of the Lebanese border where farmers have not been able to freely access fields and orchards.

“Despite the challenges of the war, the packing house works around the clock, with the aim of providing fresh Israeli produce continuously, while dealing with the directives of the Home Front Command,” said Asaf Keret, CEO of Beresheet, a fruit-packing business jointly run by several kibbutzim in the Upper Galilee and Golan Heights.

Keret was addressing a delegation of fruit growers and agricultural officials touring Beresheet’s orchards.

He called on the government to boost agriculture with further measures, such as grants for planting, raising lang quotas, and other incentives.

“The fruit growers are at the height of the picking season and are faced with picking under the fire of Hezbollah, and we are prepared to market the produce of the farmers of the Galilee and the Golan to the marketing chains and wholesale companies. Thanks to our dedicated farmers and workers, I am sure that we will be able to supply the produce to the residents of the State of Israel,” Keret said.

The remaining foreign workers will fill gaps in industry, and hotels, with 2,000 to work for the first time in restaurants.

Israel is making moves to revive its economy which was affected by the October 7 terrorist attacks. There are gaps that need to be filled up and we will find out soon enough how many foreign workers will turn out to enter and work in Israel legally.

We live in a very divided world. Around the world, Leftist forces have been supporting evil forces like the current regime of Iran which is known for supplying and arming the Palestinian terrorists, Hezbollah and other terrorist groups around the Middle East. The Leftists and terrorists always go together and their anti-Semitism is clearly obvious. Hamas is purely evil and they are being protected by not only their fellow terrorists but also by mainstream news media outlets who are linked with Leftist forces and people who hate Israel and the Jewish people. Beware of the evil union of the Islamo-Left which is wicked deep within.

Always be the fearless and aggressive church of Lord Jesus! Always stand in support of Israel and pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

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

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Better than Streaming: Do you have Cloak & Dagger (1984) 4K Blu-ray in your collection?

June 24, 2024December 19, 2024carlocarrasco

Welcome back, fellow geeks, Blu-ray collectors and movie buffs!

Decades ago, I saw on home video Cloak & Dagger (1984) which turned out to be an entertaining film to watch as I was already playing games on Atari 2600 and the arcades. After replaying by chance on cable TV years later, I finally bought myself the 4K Blu-ray and it sure was fun to watch it all over again. Check out my retro movie review of it by clicking here.

*The front of my copy of Cloak & Dagger (1984) 4K Blu-ray.*

*The rear with the details that can be read.*

For the newcomers reading this, Cloak & Dagger (1984) is a movie that involved then video game giant Atari in the creative process. The movie’s plot is not based on Atari’s arcade game of the same name (previously titled as Agent X).

Cloak & Dagger (1984) its own original plot of espionage about a young boy Davey (played by Henry Thomas, the star of Steven Spielberg’s E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial) who witnesses a murder and receives an Atari 5200 cartridge of the game Cloak & Dagger that contains something very important. This in turn makes him a target of armed henchmen who won’t stop until they get him. Due to his reputation of being too playful and living with his wild imagination as a spy, people don’t believe Davey’s claim of witnessing a murder. This film happens to be inspired by the short story “The Boy Cried Murder” written by Cornell Woolrich.

*Cloak & Dagger in arcade form. Atari released it in the form of an arcade conversion kit aimed at arcade machines of certain games of its competitors.*

The Cloak & Dagger arcade game can be played on your game console with the Atari 50 collection software (over 100 games). This screenshot I captured while playing it on my Xbox Series X console running Atari 50.

A few weeks ago, my copy of the Cloak & Dagger 4K Blu-ray arrived and it came with two discs: One 4K Blu-ray disc which contained the movie in native 4K (scanned in UHD from the 35mm film) resolution of 3840 x 2160p. The other disc has the same movie in HD (1920 x 1080p) plus the extra stuff which can provide viewers and Cloak & Dagger fans a good amount of important content which will help them learn what the video game elements in the film are, what inspired its creative process and why the film is very unique by today’s standards. There is also an informative new interview with Henry Thomas.

Since then, I saw Cloak & Dagger in 4K twice on my Xbox Series X and its 1080p version on a standalone Blu-ray disc player. Cloak & Dagger in 4K looks better than ever as the picture quality is better, images look sharper and clearer, the colors are vibrant, the small visual details (which were not visible in lower resolution before) are more noticeable now, and film grain structure has been preserved intact!

*The two discs. The one on the right is Cloak & Dagger in 4K.*

As for the story itself, I still find it engaging and enjoyable to watch from start to finish. Cloak & Dagger is clearly a production of its time as it carries clear Cold War references – the Soviet Union and Iran are the evil forces told in very subtle fashion – as well as video game elements and brands (note: ColecoVision even appeared in this Atari-influenced movie) that dominated America’s console gaming market long before PlayStation, Nintendo and Xbox arrived. For a movie aimed at parents and children, this one has really intense violence as it involves shooting and even some elements of terrorism.

Ultimately, I got a lot of enjoyment from my Cloak & Dagger (1984) 4K Blu-ray and I highly recommend it to Cloak & Dagger fans, gamers, physical media collectors and anyone who loves watching movies in the comfort of home. Cloak & Dagger (1984) is a very unique and fun movie that Hollywood does not make anymore. You really should see it.

In case you are interested or if you have made up your mind, you can order a copy of Cloak & Dagger (1984) 4K Blu-ray by clicking here.

If you wish to join a group of movie enthusiasts and talk about cinema, visit the Movie Fans Worldwide Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/322857711779576

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Suspended Bamban mayor Alice Guo and others charged for alleged human trafficking

June 22, 2024June 21, 2024carlocarrasco

The controversial and suspended Bamban mayor Alice Guo along with others were formally charged before the Department of Justice (DOJ) for alleged human trafficking in connection with the raided Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) hub in Tarlac, according to a GMA Network news report.

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

In complaints filed before the Department of Justice (DOJ), Guo, former Technology and Livelihood Resource Center (TLRC) deputy director general Dennis Cunanan, and 12 officers and incorporators were charged with violation of Sections 4 and 6 of Republic Act (RA) 9208 or the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003 as amended by RA 10364, as further amended by RA 11862.

Among the respondents are Guo’s alleged business partner Huang Zhiyang, who is a fugitive in China, and Zhang Ruijin and Baoying Li, two individuals who are involved in the biggest money laundering case in Singapore.

Guo was also referred to as “a.k.a Guo Hua Ping” in the complaint.

GMA News Online has sought comment from the camps of Guo and Cunanan but they have yet to reply as of posting time.

Evidence – The complainants are the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) and the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG).

“Lumabas na mga ebidensya dito tulad ng fact na siya ang nag apply doon sa dating [letter of no objection] from the local government. Lumabas din ang kanyang involvement doon sa lesser company,” Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking chairperson and Justice Undersecretary Nicky Ty said in a briefing.

(There is evidence such as the fact that she applied the letter of no objection from the local government. Her involvement in the lesser company was also noted.)

“At kasama rin yung ibang ebidensya diyan katulad nung pangalan niya na lumulutang sa mga sabi-sabing document na nahanap sa POGO compound,” he added.

(There is also other evidence such as her name appearing in many documents in the POGO compound.)

Meanwhile, Prosecutor Benjamin Samson said authorities believe that Cunanan is part of a “grand conspiracy.”

“We discovered that the Zun Yuan operation actually started with one corporation which was Baofu, and then another corporation was created. All these three corporations, we believe that they are part of a grand conspiracy to commit labor trafficking,” Samson said.

“In one of the corporations, we found a document wherein the name of Mr. Dennis Cunanan appeared. After piecing together the pieces of evidence, we concluded and we decided that he is part of the grand conspiracy to commit labor trafficking,” he added.

Earlier, Senator Risa Hontiveros showed documents where Cunanan had introduced himself as the “authorized representative” for the Hong Sheng POGO in Bamban and the Lucky South POGO in Porac.

Other Complaints – According to Ty, the DOJ is now processing the Immigration Lookout Bulletin against Guo, which may be issued next week.

“Hindi naman natin matatanggi na kahit sinong makasuhan ng kriminal ay may flight risk, lalo na kung may resources ito mangibang bansa. Ngunit ito naman kay Mayor Guo, hopefully, no hindi naman siya lilipad dahil siya mismo at ang kanyang mga representatives ang nag sabi na nais niyang harapin ang mga alegasyon laban sa kanya,” he said.

(Anyone charged with a crime is a flight risk, especially if he they have resources to go abroad. Hopefully, she will not leave as her representatives said that he wants to face the allegations against him.)

Aside from this, Ty said Guo cannot travel without a travel authority as a public official.

Ty said that “there is a possibility” that other complaints may be filed against Guo and others.

POGO – Guo was placed under investigation for her alleged links to the 10-hectare POGO compound that was raided in March for alleged illegal activities that include crypto and love scams.

Earlier in June, the Department of the Interior and Local Government filed graft charges against Guo with the Office of the Ombudsman, prompting it to suspend her for up to six months.

Guo’s identity as a Filipino is also under question before the Senate.

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian has questioned whether Chinese passport holder Guo Hua Ping is Guo after he presented records from the Board of Investments of the Guo family’s application for a Special Investors Resident Visa.

The documents showed Guo Hua Ping entered the Philippines on January 12, 2003 when she was still 13 years old and her registered mother is Lin Wenyi, the same woman who was alleged to be the mayor’s mother.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think that the mayor of Bamban is indeed connected or responsible with the human trafficking that happened at the raided Bamban POGO? Are you concerned that there could be a POGO operating in your locality and criminal activities are being done secretly? If there is a POGO in your locality, did you notice a rise in crime incidents?

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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Gears of War: E-Day was the pleasant surprise of the 2024 Xbox Games Showcase

June 19, 2024June 14, 2024carlocarrasco

Welcome back Xbox fans, geeks and gamers!

With the exception of a certain 3^rd party games that turned out to be a creative misfires respectively, the 2024 Xbox Games Showcase (also referred to as Xbox Showcase) was clearly a powerful showcase of future games on the Xbox ecosystem and the 1^st party games of Team Xbox displayed is the most exciting bunch yet!

As mentioned before, we are now living in the age of Microsoft-owned Activision, Blizzard, King and Bethesda, and Team Xbox has many game studios as a result. The 2024 Xbox Games Showcase is just the taste of many exciting and fun 1^st party games coming out in the near future (including the Game Pass services for Xbox and PC) with titles like the Perfect Dark reboot, the Fable reboot, South of Midnight, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and more.

Among the many 1^st party games showcased was Gears of War: E-Day which turned out to be the most pleasant surprise as many people heavily anticipated Gears of War 6 and the Marcus Fenix Collection. On my part, I anticipated GOW6 and a Gears Tactics sequel to be announced but what was unveiled officially was both intriguing and captivating. To find out more what Gears of War: E-Day is about, watch the official unveiling below…

Being made by The Coalition using the Unreal 5 engine (the same engine used in Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II), Gears of War: E-Day is the origin story that depicts the horror of Locust invasion on Emergence Day through the eyes of the iconic Marcus Fenix. For the newcomers reading this, Emergence Day refers to the event when the Locus Horde emerged from the depths of the planet Sera and started major assaults on human cities causing massive counts of deaths. Chronologically, Gears of War: E-Day is set fourteen years before the events of the original Gears of War game.

As seen in the above trailer, Marcus Fenix looks younger and you can see him struggling in what seems to be his first-ever personal and physical fight with one of the Locusts. There is also a subtle reference in the video that sends gamers a message – the MK1 Lancer is here and it is NOT the chainsaw-equipped gun that became the iconic weapon of choice in the Gears of War franchise. Again, the story of this upcoming game is set more than a decade before the first GOW and The Coalition developers have planned some changes that will impact not only the interactive experience but also the storytelling.

*Do you recognize the eyes of Marcus Fenix in this image? The high level of detail of Unreal Engine 5 combined with the digital artistry of The Coalition make a great combination!*

Gears of War: E-Day is looking like a very welcome addition to not only its franchise but also for future releases on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S and Windows PC, as well as for Game Pass subscribers among Xbox and PC gamers. I doubt that a version of the game will be released on aging Xbox One consoles. As to when will the new game be released, I am speculating it would be in November 2026 as that month would mark the 20th anniversary of the release of the original GOW. It is also possible that Microsoft will release the next-generation Xbox console on that same month as well.

Gears 5 was the last main Gears of War game I played during the final months of the existence of my old Xbox One console. I played Gears Tactics on my Xbox Series X a few years ago which was fun experience. That being said, Gears of War: E-Day is the next GOW game to look forward to.

I certainly hope that The Coalition will STOP implementing wokeness, identity politics and foolish feminism (present in Gears of War 4 and Gears 5) into the new game and just make Gears of War: E-Day be much more like the original Gears of War of 2006…a war story about a band of brothers (the grunts) who risked their lives to accomplish mission objectives. The original Gears of War had the vibe of 1980s Hollywood action cinema – specifically from Predator (1987) – and I want to see that implemented in the new game.

*Here is hoping that this prequel will be released within two years’ time. Xbox fans have waited long for 1st party exclusive games to be released in this current console generation.*

You can learn more about Gears of War: E-Day by clicking https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2024/06/09/gears-of-war-e-day-interview-details-xbox-games-showcase-2024/

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COMELEC claims that Miru Systems is ready to deliver 110,000 automated counting machines for 2025 national & local elections

June 19, 2024June 13, 2024carlocarrasco

With the 2025 national and local elections happening less than a year from now, the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) announced that the contracted provider Miru Systems is ready to deliver more than one hundred thousand automated counting machines (ACM) for the said polls, according to a Philippine News Agency (PNA) news article.

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

Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman George Garcia on Wednesday said the Miru Systems is ready to deliver the 110,000 automated counting machines (ACMs) for the 2025 mid-term elections.

Garcia made the remark after he and other Comelec officials visited on Monday the facilities of Miru, a South Korean firm contracted to provide the automated technology for next year’s polls.

“Kuntento at satisfied ang Comelec sa nakikita namin so far. Hindi po tayo nagkamali nung nabigay natin ang award kay Miru (The Comelec is satisfied with what we see so far. We did not make a mistake when we gave the award to Miru),” Garcia said in a statement.

Last Feb. 22, the Comelec awarded the full automation system with transparency audit/count (FASTrAC) project to the joint venture of Miru Systems Co. Ltd., Integrated Computer Systems, St. Timothy Construction Corporation, and Centerpoint Solutions Technologies, Inc. (MIRU-ICS-STCC-CPSTI).

Garcia thanked the South Korean company for showing the Comelec team how the manufacturing will be done. Miru Systems was the lone bidder for the lease of FASTrAC project worth PHP17.9 billion.

“Napatunayan natin na ang Miru talaga ay isang manufacturing company ng mga automated counting machines dahil nakita natin lahat ng mga makina na ginawa nila at ginamit para sa ibang bansa (We have proven that Miru is actually a manufacturing company of automated counting machines because we have seen all the machines they made and use for other countries),” he said.

“Nakita din namin na handang-handa sila na talagang ideliver sa atin yung 110,000 machines na kakailanganin natin sapagkat on-time at yung timeline nila ay sadyang sinusunod. Nakita din natin kung gaano kagaling ang kanilang mga technicians at engineers habang ginagawa nila ang makina (We also saw that they are ready to actually deliver to us the 110,000 machines that we will need because they are on-time and their timeline is being followed. We also saw how good their technicians and engineers are while they are building the machine),” he added.

Miru officials headed by chief executive officer Jin-Bok Chung and vice president for Overseas Sales Ken Cho welcomed the Comelec officials and other stakeholders.

“We are honored to welcome Comelec Chair George Garcia, Commissioners Nelson Celis and Aimee Ferolino, and all other important stakeholders from the Philippines to oversee these early stages of production,” Cho said.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for us to show the status of the ongoing customization of the machines according to the needs of the Filipino people to all stakeholders, including the Philippine Computer Society, KBP (Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas), and other media friends,” he added.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think Miru Systems will be able to deliver all the ACMs needed for the 2025 national and local elections?

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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Retro Gaming Ads Blast – Part 11

June 17, 2024May 17, 2024carlocarrasco

Welcome back readers, fellow geeks and electronic gaming fans!

With those details laid down, here is the newest batch of retro gaming print ads for you to see and enjoy…

1. M.I.A.: Missing in Action arcade flyer

*This is an effective way of catching the attention of both players and arcade operators. I can imagine the woke, the SJWs and rabid feminists getting easily offended by this.*

Konami was a very prominent producer of games back in the 1980s. Not only did the company produce high-quality and enjoyable military-themed games on consoles and computers, Konami also made its presence felt in the highly competitive sector of arcade games. In 1989, they released the arcade conversion kit of M.I.A.: Missing in Action and this flyer is the best know promotion of it. M.I.A.: Missing in Action is the follow-up to Konami’s hit game Rush’n Attack.

Visually, the flyer’s display of four screenshots combined with a dominating photographic image of prisoners of war (POWs) getting delightfully released by an attractive female Rambo-type rescuer were designed to catch the attention of young adult and adult gamers. The text descriptions (note: there were more details on the back of the flyer), however, were geared towards arcade operators who were looking for new games to acquire without the hassle of having to buy an entire arcade cabinet. That being said, this flyer was a clever way to appeal to arcade operators and the people who love playing arcade games.

2. Fonz arcade flyer

*Simplistic yet effective to look at. If you are an arcade operator, this flyer conveniently has key information displayed.*

Believe it or not, Sega was already active in arcade games way back in the 1970s. In this particular flyer, Sega’s arcade game Fonz (also called Moto-Cross, Man T.T.) offered players the unique experience of driving a digital vehicle using actual handlebars on the machine that were meant to create an immersive and realistic feel. If you look closely, the flyer has lots of details written with arcade operators and players in mind.

3. Haunted Castle arcade flyer

*Indeed, this game is part of the Castlevania game franchise. It was one of the first Castlevania games released for arcades.*

Arguably, Konami is best known for the Castlevania game series which covered handheld gaming devices, personal computers, video game consoles and even arcades. Haunted Castle (Japanese title: Akumajō Dracula) is the 2^nd arcade game of the Castlevania franchise and it is not a port of any console game. Like the arcade flyer of M.I.A.: Missing in Action, this one was crafted to lure the attention (and money) of arcade operators looking for conversion kits to replace their old games. The visual presentation is eye-catching and even though the Castlevania brand was nowhere to be seen, Castlevania fans could tell this this arcade offering was part of their favorite game franchise.

4. The Super Dimension Fortress Macross: Do You Remember Love? flyer and poster

*The poster promoting the release of the game for Sega Saturn in Japan.*

*The flyer promoting the Sega Saturn game’s 1997 release as well as the 15th anniversary of Macross.*

In 1997, the 15^th anniversary of the Macross multimedia franchise was celebrated in Japan and among the highlights was the release of The Super Dimension Fortress Macross: Do You Remember Love? on the Sega Saturn. To promote the game and the franchise itself, lots of flyers and posters were released in Japan. If you look at the illustrated images on the promotional materials closely, you will realize that they are not from the original 1982-83 Macross anime TV series but rather from the The Super Dimension Fortress Macross: Do You Remember Love? animated movie of 1984 (read my retro movie review by clicking here).

While it might be baffling to some as to why the original anime TV series was not used as the source material for the 15^th anniversary celebration through gaming, the 1984 anime feature film was actually more adaptable for a video game project (read my retro review by clicking here). It is so obvious, you just have to ask yourselves this question – how can the game developers compress the entire concepts of the 36-episode Macross anime series into one game while ensuring fun gameplay? Regardless, the game was a lot of fun to play and I enjoyed playing the PlayStation version in 1999.

5. Venom/Spider-Man: Separation Anxiety print ad

*A clear effort to sell the game to gamers as well as fans of Spider-Man and Venom.*

In 1994, Acclaim released Spider-Man and Venom: Maximum Carnage (based on the 1993 comic book storyline Maximum Carnage) on Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) and Sega Genesis ultimately becoming popular with comic book fans and gamers who enjoyed sidescrolling beat-them-up games.

Subsequently, Acclaim and develop Software Creations reunited to release the sequel Venom/Spider-Man: Separation Anxiety a year later on the two leading 16-bit consoles as well as on personal computer (PC). If there is anything notable about this eye-catching print ad, it is the fact that its visual presentation (with graphics on-par with the previous year’s game) cleverly hides the fact that it did not have much new to offer gamers with regards to gameplay and story cutscenes (which the previous game prominently had). Eventually, this game attracted weaker reviews from game critics and has since been forgotten.

6. Tecmo Super Bowl SNES print ad

*From the time when Tecmo was still a strong producer of sports video games.*

In 1991, Tecmo Super Bowl was released on the aging Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) and because its game design greatly entertained gamers, it became a tremendous commercial success. Not even the very high launch price of $54.99 stopped it from selling a lot.

To keep the commercial success and public interest going, Tecmo announced a new version of the game for the more powerful SNES console with the simple title of Tecmo Super Bowl. If you look closely at the print ad, you will notice that gameplay screenshots were not used at all. Instead, they showed images of the nicely illustrated art works they prepared as eye candy for the game with the intention of making it look cinematic. This is very curious because gameplay itself was the main selling factor of the NES version of Tecmo Super Bowl. I can only guess that Tecmo was not ready to show gameplay images by the time this print ad was made.

7. X-Men 2: Clone Wars print ad

*The art used is too alienating for promoting this game.*

During the age of the 16-bit consoles, there was a variety of X-Men video games released and produced by different companies. In 1993, an X-Men game published by Sega was released exclusively on the Genesis console which turned out to be fun for gamers and received mostly positive reviews from the critics. Sega went on to publish the sequel X-Men 2: Clone Wars and this print ad caught my attention because of how exaggerated the characters looked. It’s so strange, it’s as if the artist took visual reference from a somewhat blocky 3D polygonal portrait then tried to make them look hand-drawn. I wonder if anyone from Sega regretted this.

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