United States of America (USA) – Page 7

What to watch on YouTube right now – Part 99

September 8, 2025September 2, 2025carlocarrasco

Welcome back my readers, YouTube viewers and all others who followed this series of articles focused on YouTube videos worth watching. Have you been searching for something fun or interesting to watch on YouTube? Do you feel bored right now and you crave for something to see on the world’s most popular online video destination?

I recommend you check out the following videos I found.

#1 Close Encounters of the Third Kind Revisited – The first time I ever saw Steven Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind was not in the cinema but on home video in the early 1980s. Being so young, I was not aware that the movie I saw was the director’s cut version (which showed the interior of the alien space ship). In 1998, the movie regained spotlight with the release of its 3^rd and final version. That being said, it is not surprising that Spielberg’s film became the popular subject of YouTube movie reaction videos. I can only wonder what exact versions are the YouTubers reacting to. Watch the selected videos below (including a trivia video by Minty Comedic Arts and a Dan Monroe retrospective).

#2 The Rise, The Fall and Scandals of E3 – I love playing video games and there was a time when the annual E3 became the one video game convention I wanted to attend. I never had the opportunity to attend it and E3 came to an inevitable demise due to many factors like the high costs of event organizing, irrelevance with game industry players, and a variety of scandals. To know more about E3 and why it has a terrible history despite being an entertaining event for gamers, watch the video below.

#3 Greta Thunberg Is Back (Again) – Climate change zealot and Islamic terrorist supporter Greta Thunberg is back yet again. After failing to reach the Gaza Strip with her activist pals, Thunberg is trying to do the same thing again and Israel is watching. She clearly has no respect for authority, continues to be allied with evil elements of the world (she refused to condemn Palestinian terrorist group Hamas) and she is living with a very distorted perception of reality. Watch and learn from the Sky News Australia videos below.

#4 SPAM’s Impact On Food In Japan – Like many others out there, I enjoy eating SPAM lunch meat from Hormel from time to time. It is a great addition for making sandwiches or rice meals. When I had a solo holiday in Hawaii, I saw SPAM on ready-to-eat food items there. SPAM also had impact on certain food of Okinawa in Japan and you can learn more by watching the video below.

#5 Are You Aware Of The History Of Comico? – Have you ever read any comic book from Comico: The Comic Company? I did and they were direct adaptations of episodes of Robotech in the 1980s. I know they published many other titles during their years of business but I never got to see any more Comico releases at retail here in the Philippines. As it turned out, Comico closed down in 1997. You can learn more about the beginning, rise and closure of Comico by watching the video below.

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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

US State Department Will End Anti-Christian Practices

September 8, 2025September 7, 2025carlocarrasco

Thank the Lord for United States President Donald Trump as the State Department officially announced it will put an end to the anti-Christian practices that went into effect by the previous administration, according to a Newsmax report.

For the newcomers reading this, when Joe Biden took office in January 2021, the State Department became hostile towards Christians in various ways while favoring Satanic Leftist ideology and causes (example: LGBT). In other words, the State Department under Biden and the Democrats became discriminating towards Christians. Let us not forget the Democrats’ love for unholy causes like abortion, same-sex marriage, critical race theory (CRT), and more.

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

The State Department said Friday that it will “eradicate” anti-Christian practices that were in place under the Biden administration, as directed by the Trump administration.

“Our nation was founded on the recognition that moral virtue and a steadfast faith in God are necessary preconditions of freedom,” the department said on its official X account. “Yet under the Biden Administration, U.S. foreign policy belittled Christianity and weaponized government against faith.

“That era has ended,” the post continued. “Under @POTUS’s leadership, the State Department will eradicate practices that devalue and demean the Christian faith.”

In its initial assessment, the Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias found that under the Biden administration, the State Department “stigmatized employees for religious objections to the COVID-19 vaccine mandate” and cast “blame for disease on the unvaccinated.”

“The Department of State empowered employees to publicly shame and demean their colleagues with religious objections, even calling them ‘plague rats’ and ‘murderers,‘” the report said. “In one instance, an ambassador directly accused an unvaccinated subordinate of ‘wanting to kill’ the ambassador’s mother. The process used for determining religious exemptions involved an invasive questionnaire demanding highly personal information, reportedly far exceeding the legal requirements.

“Those who received religious accommodations were further shamed and humiliated as they were required to test for COVID weekly in view of others; disclose their accommodations to colleagues; and wear masks essentially marking them with a scarlet letter,” the document said.

In the State Department under Biden, Christian homeschool parents who were federal employees were harassed because of their religious beliefs, and their “commonsense parental choice” was likened to “child abuse.”

These parents were targeted with “Inspector General investigations, IRS referrals, and threats of criminal charges and disciplinary action,” according to the report.

The State Department’s foreign policy “disfavored Christians” and imposed “ideologically driven LGBT policies and programming on foreign governments” while offering “only muted responses to brutal attacks on, and the repression of, Christians overseas.”

The department also limited “humanitarian relief to Christians.”

According to the report, overseas leave policies under Biden “discriminatorily disfavored Christian State Department employees, instilling a culture of bias in which Catholics and other Christians reported being mocked for their religious beliefs by their colleagues.”

“In some cases, State Department employees were given leave for Muslim holidays, even as operations continued on Passover, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday and Monday,” the document stated.

Now, I want to share with you the following verses from the Holy Bible.

No weapon formed against you shall prosper,

And every tongue which rises against you in judgment

You shall condemn.

This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord,

And their righteousness is from Me,”

Says the Lord.

Isaiah 54:17 (NKJV)

“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved.

Matthew 24:9-13 (NKJV)

For there [is only] one God, and [only] one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus,

1 Timothy 2:5 (AMPC)

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this development? Do you like the major changes being done in government under President Trump’s leadership? Were you a victim of discrimination by the Biden administration?

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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A Look Back at Uncanny X-Men #281 (1991)

September 5, 2025September 27, 2025carlocarrasco

Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from reading the comic book and doing personal research. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.

Welcome back superhero enthusiasts, 1990s arts and culture enthusiasts, Marvel Comics fans and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the year 1991 to explore one of the many tales of the Marvel shared universe through the Uncanny X-Men series…Uncanny X-Men #281.

For the newcomers reading this, Marvel had a major reorganizing of their X-Men-related comic book series in the 2^nd half of 1991. After the events of the Muir Island Saga, the X-Men grew into such a large group they had to be divided into two teams – Blue and Yellow – under Charles Xavier who returned as their leader. When X-Men #1 (by Chris Claremont and Jim Lee) launched in 1991, it showed the Blue Team dealing with Magneto. Uncanny X-Men #281 was released the same month as that comic book and it shows the first mission of the Gold Team composed of Storm, Jean Grey, Colossus, Iceman and Archangel. Very notably, its story took place immediately after X-Men #5 was released in 1992.

With those details laid down, here is a look back at Uncanny X-Men #281, published in 1991 by Marvel Comics with a story co-written by Jim Lee and Whilce Portacio and script by John Byrne. The art was done by Portacio with ink work by Art Thibert.

Early story

The story begins in the Australian outback where the Reavers are relaxing while the sandstorm is happening and with them is Donald Pierce. Suddenly, a group of Sentinels attacked them resulting in deaths of some of their members.

Elsewhere in New York City, Storm, Jean Grey, Archangel, Colossus and Iceman – all in formal attire as civilians – attend a lavish party at the headquarters of the Hellfire Club. It turns out, they were invited by Emma Frost who leads the club. Even with several guests and a lot of enjoyable things around them, the X-Men remain prepared to react if something unfortunate happens.

After a brief moment of tension between the X-Men and the Hellions, someone in a powered suit of armor crashed through a door near Jean, Storm and Archangel. Emma Frost emerges, takes the helmet off the armored person (a young woman) and even welcomed the X-Men. Frost claims that the armored lady was another assassin who tried to take her life and it is the 2^nd assassination attempt she encountered over the past weeks….

Quality

*The Sentinels, Lady Deathstrike and Donald Pierce in an intense scene.*

As this comic book was part of the new era of the X-Men, the creative team came up with tale that is loaded with sub-plots that had a mix of old (the X-Men fought with the Hellfire Club during the Dark Phoenix Saga, and had encounters with the Sentinels a number of times) and new (Trevor Fitzroy – the illegitimate son of Sebastian Shaw – and the Upstarts are the new antagonists of the X-Men) creative elements for the X-Men’s Gold Team to encounter. The fact that the Hellfire Club is present in the story requires readers to have some knowledge about them from previous X-Men comic books as well as other characters and past tales that formed the background of the newer characters.

The story was made to modernize the X-Men and their struggle with people they encounter, while creatively reconnecting with the past. This should not be a surprise because writer John Byrne (yes, the same creator behind The Man of Steel mini-series) himself was involved in the Dark Phoenix Saga. The result is a tale of intrigue, twists, action and a lot of tension here.

When it comes to encounters, I enjoyed the discussion the X-Men had with Emma Frost (first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #129) who was their fierce enemy (Frost previously tried to manipulate Kitty Pryde) before having a change of heart and partnered with Professor X. Their exchange of words was civil, smart and there were some nice pay-offs in the form of intriguing revelations. The script by John Byrne was really solid here.

The artwork by Whilce Portacio here is still great to look at and his contribution on modernizing the X-Men’s look for the 1990s is a must-see. The same can be said with his take on Emma Frost, and the other established characters here. Portacio’s visualization of Trevor Fitzroy has that strong science fiction vibe combined with that fluffy early 1990s look.

Conclusion

*The X-Men witness an intense moment followed by the emergence of Emma Frost.*

Even though there were a few bumps on the flow of the narrative, I can say that Uncanny X-Men #281 (1991) is a very enjoyable read filled with intrigue, twists, reconnections to the past, notable character moments and sufficient spectacle. Its story has a lot of details and attachments to the past which will resonate with long-time X-Men fans. At the same time, Whilce Portacio’s art works made this one of the finest looking Uncanny X-Men issues of the 1990s and that is saying a lot. Considering the details and the richness of the writing, this Uncanny X-Men comic book should be read at a moderate pace as paying close attention to what was presented is essential.

That being said, this first tale of the Gold Team of the X-Men is a great read.

Overall, Uncanny X-Men #281 (1991) is highly recommended!

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Tren de Aragua Gang Eliminated By America At Sea

September 5, 2025September 4, 2025carlocarrasco

United States President Donald Trump really means business when it comes to protecting his nation and citizens as America eliminated a vessel from Venezuela operated by the Tren de Aragua gang carrying illegal drugs, according to a Newsmax news report. Already the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago praised the strike.

For the newcomers reading this, Tren de Aragua is a transnational criminal organization from Venezuela and its members has spread throughout Latin America and even in the United States. Tren de Aragua is officially a terrorist organization.

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

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the U.S. has carried out a strike in the southern Caribbean against a drug-carrying vessel that departed from Venezuela and was operated by the Tren de Aragua gang.

The president said 11 were killed in the operation.

“The strike occurred while the terrorists were at sea in International waters transporting illegal narcotics, heading to the United States,” Trump said in a social media posting. “No U.S. Forces were harmed in this strike. Please let this serve as notice to anybody even thinking about bringing drugs into the United States of America.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said earlier on X that the vessel was being operated by a “designated narco-terrorist organization.” He described the operation as a lethal strike.

Rubio addressed the strike on Tuesday shortly before he was scheduled to depart for Mexico and Ecuador for talks on drug cartels, security, tariffs and more.

The U.S. recently announced plans to boost its maritime force in the waters off Venezuela to combat threats from Latin American drug cartels.

The U.S. has not signaled any planned land incursion by the thousands of personnel being deployed. Still, President Nicolás Maduro’s government has responded by deploying troops along Venezuela’s coast and border with neighboring Colombia, as well as by urging Venezuelans to enlist in a civilian militia.

For clarity, posted below is the entire social media post by President Trump regarding the strike. Pay close attention to the details:

Earlier this morning, on my Orders, U.S. Military Forces conducted a kinetic strike against positively identified Tren de Aragua Narcoterrorists in the SOUTHCOM area of responsibility. TDA is a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, operating under the control of Nicolas Maduro, responsible for mass murder, drug trafficking, sex trafficking, and acts of violence and terror across the United States and Western Hemisphere. The strike occurred while the terrorists were at sea in International waters transporting illegal narcotics, heading to the United States. The strike resulted in 11 terrorists killed in action. No U.S. Forces were harmed in this strike. Please let this serve as notice to anybody even thinking about bringing drugs into the United States of America. BEWARE! Thank you for your attention to this matter!!!!!!!!!!!

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this development? Do you like what the Trump administration is doing with regards to combatting terrorists and the wave of illegal drugs coming from Latin America? What will it take to apprehend all the remaining Tren de Aragua members in the United States? Do you think bringing down the Maduro regime in Venezuela can be achieved during Trump’s 2^nd term?

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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Trump’s America Is a Shining Example of Solving The Illegal Immigration Crisis

September 4, 2025August 29, 2025carlocarrasco

There is no doubt that United States President Donald Trump and his administration have successfully secured their borders as Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed during a recent cabinet meeting that absolutely zero illegals entered their country over the past three months, according to a Newsmax news report.

Trump’s America not only succeeded in securing the borders, the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) continues to apprehend and deport illegal immigrants with criminal records, other illegal immigrants volunteered to be deported back to where they came from, the safety of the citizens has improved and more citizens have gotten employed this year. Homeland security is working in tandem with the other departments of the government such as Defense, Justice and Immigration. These developments are indeed change that Americans and Trump supports can believe in.

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

The U.S. has gone three straight months without an illegal immigrant entering the country and 1.6 million inside the country have self-deported, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Tuesday.

Noem, speaking during a Cabinet meeting that aired live on Newsmax and the Newsmax2 free online streaming platform, thanked President Donald Trump for his support and said that her department is following through on his campaign promise to make America safe again.

“Today, the average family and individual that lives in this country is safer than they’ve been in years because of what you’ve done,” Noem said. “We’ve gone three months in a row now with zero illegal aliens coming into this country.“

Noem also thanked Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for helping her agency with border enforcement.

“They’re down at the border with us, still helping us keep that border secure and make sure we know who’s coming into this country,” she said. “You’ve arrested and brought to justice hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens, criminals that have perpetuated violence against American people. Sir, you’ve had 1.6 million people voluntarily go home to their home countries that were here in this country illegally. Because of your strong message and you enforcing the law, they decided to go home on their own so that they could come back the right way someday and be American citizens.

“But what I think is one of the most remarkable statistics is that under Joe Biden’s administration, 88% of new jobs went to foreign born individuals. Under your administration, 2.5 [million] Americans have jobs today that they didn’t under the previous administration. And they have those jobs because you created opportunities.

“You made this country safe. You opened up the economy. You enforced the law. Now people can get up and provide for their families and go to work every day and be confident in that.“

Noem also talked about the savings made on the president’s immigration crackdown, noting it cost American taxpayers between $8,000 and $9,000 to support each illegal immigrant “in what they were taking out of our social programs, out of Social Security.”

“You saved this country billions of dollars, about $15 billion just in what those illegal aliens were costing us in social programs,” Noem said. “I’ve cut over 450 different contracts at the Department of Homeland Security. We’re getting rid of corrupt ones, ones that were not efficient for taxpayers, weren’t focused on our mission of keeping us safe. And we’ve also renegotiated and brought in our biggest vendors and said, you have to do better.

“And we’ve saved the taxpayers over $13 billion doing that, as well. So, we’re continuing to be accountable with taxpayer dollars [and] focused on doing the mission of what you’ve committed, and that’s to keep us safe and to make sure we put Americans first.”

Trump appeared pleased to hear Noem’s report, thanking Noem, Hegseth and Tom Homan, his point man for mass deportations and border security.

Wow! What was revealed during the cabinet meeting was indeed a bunch of breakthroughs. The Trump administration is truly progressing with its immigration policies, economic efforts and putting Americans first. 2025 still has a few months left and already the United States is blossoming and has established itself as the shining example of solving the illegal immigration crisis and preventing foreigners from trespassing into the country.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this development? Do you like what the Trump administration is doing with regards to border security, illegal immigration, job creation and the wellbeing of American citizens? Are you still surrounded by people who love illegal immigrants while they keep on attacking the Trump administration for serving the American people? How many people in your local community still follow the Democrats and the Islamo-Leftists?

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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What to watch on YouTube right now – Part 98

September 3, 2025August 28, 2025carlocarrasco

I recommend you check out the following videos I found.

#1 The Fly Revisited – In 1986, The Fly was released in cinemas and it impacted the science fiction genre, the horror genre and pop culture with body horror presentation under the direction of David Cronenberg. The film, which was a remake of the 1958 original, established Geena Davis and Jeff Goldblum as cinematic artists. The movie even became an allegory about AIDS and how people care about those who are living with diseases. That being said, it is not surprising that The Fly became the subject of many YouTube videos in the form of retro reviews, reaction videos and trivia videos. To enjoy The Fly, watch the selected videos below…

#2 Steve Ditko Remembered – Are you familiar with the late illustrator Steve Ditko? He was the co-creator of Spider-Man and he illustrated the first 38 issues of The Amazing Spider-Man comic book series. Unlike the other Spider-Man co-creator Stan Lee (who went on to be famous and celebrated a lot), Ditko had a low-key profile and did not want to be interviewed. If you want to learn more about the late illustrator, watch the video below.

#3 Pro-Palestine Activist Riddhi Patel Bashes City Officials And Threatens Them With Violence – I have seen a lot of Islamo-Leftist activists and zealots. Most of the time, they hate Israel and took sides with Palestinians and the Islamic terrorists. Also many of them activists are so extreme, they became entitled, arrogant and disrespectful to higher authorities. In the Communist state of California, the pro-Palestine activist Riddhi Patel spoke to city officials of Bakersfield and went as far as threatening them with violence. She even misused the name of Jesus. In her own words, Patel said “We’ll murder you.” To find out more, watch the video from SaharTV below.

#4 Wood-Fired Rice Balls Served By Store in Japan – Have you eaten any freshly cooked onigiri (Japanese rice ball) lately? I live here in the Philippines and because onigiri is not a common food, my only options are to buy them from the convenience store or from a foreign food vendor. In Japan, onigiri is widely available and customers can avail of them freshly cooked. There is this store in Japan that sells onigiri which are prepared with rice (cooked by wood fire) and fresh ingredients. Watch and learn from the video below.

#5 Meet The Programmer Behind The Classic Game Centipede – While I never had the chance to play the classic Atari game Centipede in the arcades in the 1980s, I played the Atari 2600 port a lot and enjoy it. Because I have a copy of the Atari 50 collection on my Xbox Series X, I am able to play the Centipede arcade version in the comfort of home. For the newcomers reading this, Centipede is a tremendous success in the arcades ending up as one of the Top 4 arcade games of 1982 in America. It was also ported to many consoles and home computers years later. Recently, I found a YouTube video featuring Dona Bailey, one of the programmers behind Centipede.

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UA&P Sees Stronger Q3 Economic Growth for the Philippines Despite Trump Tariffs

September 1, 2025August 25, 2025carlocarrasco

As far as the University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P) is concerned, the economy of the Philippines will still grow stronger in the 3^rd quarter by 5.8% despite the 19% Trump tariffs, according to a BusinessWorld news report.

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

PHILIPPINE economic growth may pick up in the third quarter despite higher US tariffs and “milder” typhoons, the University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P) said.

“Despite the Trump tariffs, milder typhoon season will help accelerate GDP expansion in Q3 to 5.8%, given a low base in 2024,” it said in its latest The Market Call released on Friday.

If realized, this would be faster than 5.2% in the third quarter of 2024 and 5.5% print in the second quarter. This forecast is also within the government’s revised 5.5% to 6.5% target this year.

“Consumer spending remains strong, aided by low inflation but limited by new US taxes on OFW (overseas Filipino Worker) remittances,” UA&P said.

Inflation cooled to a near six-year low of 0.9% in July as utilities and food costs continued to ease. This brought the seven-month average to 1.7%, slightly below the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ (BSP) 2-4% target band.

UA&P said government infrastructure spending may also regain momentum in the third quarter. This was after state spending slumped due to the 45-day election ban on public works spending from March 28 to May 12.

UA&P said residential construction will remain subdued due to elevated policy and interest rates.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has so far lowered borrowing costs by a total of 125 basis points (bps) since it began its easing cycle in August last year. The policy rate now stands at 5.25%.

UA&P said the US dollar rate will “move either way” depending on rate cuts by the BSP and the US Federal Reserve.

“The peso-dollar rate has a fundamental depreciation bias although it will depend much on extent and timing of policy rate cuts by BSP and the Fed,” it said.

Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think the economy of the Philippines will be able to grow stronger in the 3^rd quarter even though the 19% Trump tariffs are already in effect? Do you see any signs of Philippine exports to America slowing down already?

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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Philippines Seeking US Tariff Exemptions For Agricultural Commodities, Electronics and More

August 31, 2025August 30, 2025carlocarrasco

Remember the big meeting between United States President Donald Trump and Philippine President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr., over a month ago? A 19% tariff by America on Philippine goods was set and now the government of the Philippines is seeking exemptions specifically for exports of agricultural commodities, electronics, vehicle tires, bags and aircraft parts, according to a BusinessWorld news report.

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

THE PHILIPPINES is asking the US to exempt exports of agricultural products and other goods from the 19% tariff imposed by US President Donald J. Trump, a Trade official said on Thursday.

Trade Undersecretary Allan B. Gepty said the government is seeking US tariff exemptions for exports of agricultural commodities, electronics, vehicle tires, bags and aircraft parts.

“We submitted a list of products we asked the US to exempt from the imposed tariff rates, because these are key and complementary items. And some of them, in fact, are not even produced or manufactured there (in the US),” he told senators at a Senate briefing on the tariff set by Washington on Philippine exports.

“The immediate need right now is we want to negotiate for an exemption, because we want to protect our industries whose main export market is the US,” he added.

The US began imposing a 19% tariff on Philippine goods starting Aug. 7.

“We already submitted to the US the products that should be exempted from the reciprocal tariffs,” he said.

Mr. Gepty said about 23% of the country’s total exports to the US are exempted from the 19% tariff.

In June, the United States was the top destination for Philippine-made goods amounting to $1.22 billion, 35.2% higher from the same month a year ago. Around 53% of the Philippines’ total exports to the US were semiconductors and electronics, Mr. Gepty said.

The US has yet to set new global tariffs for semiconductors and pharmaceuticals. Mr. Trump had earlier said he plans to announce higher tariffs on imports of semiconductors, but companies that plan to build manufacturing facilities in the US would be exempted.

“Ninety-nine percent of our semiconductors as of now are still exempted, there’s still no problem” he said. “If the 100% continues, that’s a big problem,” he added.

Mr. Gepty said most of the semiconductors are made by US companies in the Philippines and exported to the US. He noted the higher tariffs would pose problems for the US supply chain, particularly for its defense industry.

Meanwhile, the Philippines has not formally granted zero tariffs on US products, as negotiations over a reciprocal trade agreement remain ongoing, he said.

Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to the recent developments? Do you think the Philippines will succeed in getting an exemption from the Trump tariff on key exports?

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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What to watch on YouTube right now – Part 97

August 29, 2025August 23, 2025carlocarrasco

I recommend you check out the following videos I found.

#1 Very In-Depth Retrospective about Saints Row (2006) – Back in 2006, I bought my Xbox 360 console and one of the very first games I bought for it was the original Saints Row. The game exceeded my expectations for a fun-filled open-world experience and in some creative ways, it was more entertaining than the Grand Theft Auto (GTA) games available at the time. Recently, I found what is very clearly the most in-depth and most analytical retrospective video about the game which you must watch now.

#2 The Night Donald Trump Destroyed Hillary Clinton With His Al Smith Dinner Speech – Remember the Al Smith Dinner event of 2016? Al Smith Dinner is the annual white tie dinner held in New York City to raise funds for Catholic charities and it has the notable tradition of having US Presidential candidates as guests every four years. The 2016 edition of the dinner was very memorable because of what Donald Trump said about the wicked Hillary Clinton. Trump’s line of Clinton “pretending not to hate Catholics” drew a lot of reactions and was magnified by the mainstream news media. There is a lot more to be discovered in the video from MAGAMark below.

#3 The Sixth Sense Revisited – When it was first released in cinemas in 1999, The Sixth Sense generated a tremendous amount of word-of-mouth reactions and discussions among local moviegoers. This was because of the twist ending, M. Night Shyamalan’s directing, the intense combination of suspense and fright, and the memorable acting between Bruce Willis and Haley Joel Osment. It’s not surprising that The Sixth Sense became a popular choice of film for YouTubers to make videos of and you can enjoy watching the selected videos below.

#4 Gradius III Revisited – While I played a lot of video games released by Konami, I never ever got to play Gradius III in the arcade nor on game console. Back in the early 1990s, I remember seeing boxes of the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) version of Gradius III displayed in local game stores but I did not have the money to purchase it. None of my neighbors (with SNES consoles in their respective homes) had it. Eventually, I saw some YouTube videos focused on the old game and you can enjoy watching them below.

#5 Okonomiyaki in Japan – I enjoy eating Okonomiyaki which is a Japanese teppanyaki savory pancake dish consisting of wheat flour batter and other ingredients. In my experience, I have not toured Japan for a very long time and there are lots of places there that cook and serve Okonomiyaki to customers. If you want to see what Okonomiyaki looks like and hot it is cooked, watch the selected videos below.

#6 Entitled Illegal Immigrants – Is your local community still literally flooded with illegal immigrants? There is no doubt that crime is connected with illegal immigration and there are even illegal immigrants who believe they are entitled and cannot be held accountable for wrongdoing. You can see why and learn more by watching the video below.

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Philippines Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) Sector and Government React To Keep Call Centers in America Act of 2025

August 28, 2025August 27, 2025carlocarrasco

It is not surprising that both the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) sector of the Philippines and the Department of Trade & Industry (DTI) reacted to the filing of the Keep Call Centers in America Act of 2025 which was filed in the United States Senate, as reported separately by BusinessWorld, BusinessMirror and the Philippine News Agency (PNA).

For the newcomers reading this, the Philippines BPO sector (sometimes referred to simply as the call center industry even though many local firms have gone beyond taking calls) is now a major part of the national economy with more than 1.7 million Filipinos employed, $35 billion in annual export revenues and the United States of America (USA) alone is the single largest market with 2024 export revenues reported at $25 billion (reported by BusinessMirror).

In the Filipino perspective, call centers are very important because they offer a lot of high-paying jobs for Filipinos who badly need employment. The so-called call center effect on local society and economics includes new stores and food vendors opening up nearby, the opening of new convenience stores operating 24/7, the established restaurants nearby serving customers around-the-clock, and the opening of new branches of banks. Of course, the income Filipinos earned from their BPO jobs enabled them to acquire new things, pay their bills, subscribed to digital services, and move into better residences while helping their families make ends meet.

Having been a call center agent myself a very long time ago, I have witnessed such socio-economic developments happen whenever a call center is present and I was in Cebu province.

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

Diversification will help cushion the possible impact of the proposed “Keep Call Centers in America Act,” aimed to protect local jobs by removing federal grants to companies that have call centers outside the United States.

The business process outsourcing (BPO) industry contributes a big part to the Philippine economy, with employment of around 1.4 million in 2024 and revenues of about USD38 billion. Around 70 percent of clients are based in the US.

Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Cristina Roque said there are no discussions yet with officials of the Information Technology and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) but expressed openness to talk about possible measures to help the sector.

“But for us, (the) DTI, of course, we’ll continue to help the IT-BPO (and) IBPAP businesses in whatever they need from us. Of course, we’ll assist the same way we’ve assisted in the past,” she said.

“We can’t just look at the US as the only market. The world is the market. If you look at their population as compared to the world, it will show you that we should really find other avenues to explore.”

Next, the Information Technology and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) confirmed it is still evaluating the potential impact of the Keep Call Centers in America Act of 2025. For insight, posted below is an excerpt from the BusinessWorld report. Some parts in boldface…

THE IT & Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) said it is still evaluating the potential impact of the proposed Keep Call Centers in America act.

“It talks about US call centers so I really do not know who that will affect with the way that it is worded,” IBPAP President and Chief Executive Officer Jonathan R. Madrid said on the sidelines of an ECCP AI Forum.

“We need to understand it a little bit more. I think I know what their intention is. But I don’t know the likelihood of this passing. Obviously it is something we are monitoring, and with the way that it is worded, we need to study it more,” he added.

Introduced in the US Senate last month, the bill aims to impose restrictions on US firms outsourcing their call center operations.

In particular, the bill, if signed into law, will render employers outsource call center work overseas ineligible for new federal grants or guaranteed loans.

“I am speaking to the American Chamber of Commerce; we are discussing it and we will see. But we are all aligned on how we will manage this,” he said.

“While the bill is still in the early stages of the legislative process, we remain committed to keeping our stakeholders informed, providing timely guidance, and ensuring that the Philippine IT-BPM industry is well-positioned to adapt and thrive in a changing regulatory environment,” he said.

Philippine Institute for Development Studies Senior Research Fellow John Paolo R. Rivera said that the proposed bill poses a “clear risk to the Philippine IT-BPM industry, especially in the call center segment.”

“By restricting access to US federal grants, contracts, and loans for companies that offshore customer service jobs or do not properly disclose them, the bill raises the regulatory and reputational costs for offshore operations,” he said via Viber .

He said the Philippine industry has been evolving beyond voice-based call centers, which are less exposed to call center-specific legislation.

“We now see strong growth in high-value services such as finance, healthcare information management, legal process outsourcing, software development, and data analytics,” he said.

With the US Senate’s proposal to bring back call centers to the US, he said that the Philippines must continue to move up the value chain to reduce exposure to such policies.

“While the bill underscores vulnerabilities in our call center export model, it also reinforces the importance of accelerating investment in high-value, tech-enabled services where the Philippines can maintain global competitiveness,” he added.

Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC) Chief Economist Michael L. Ricafort said the bill could be “a potential drag on future growth of the industry.”

For this year, the IT-BPM industry is expected to generate $40 billion in export revenue and increase its workforce to 1.9 million.

To examine the details of the Keep Call Centers in America Act of 2025, click here and here.

Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to the recent developments? Do you think the IT-BPM sector of the Philippines has what it takes to protect itself from whatever effects the Keep Call Centers in America Act of 2025 could create if ever it gets signed into law? Do you personally know anyone who is working in a BPO firm or a call center here in the Philippines? What kind of assistance do you think the national government will offer to the IT-BPM sector? Do you think the existing call centers should search for English-speaking clients in England, Ireland, Scotland, Israel and the like?

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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