The Sound of Freedom! More Young People Dying Unexpectedly! Absolute Divorce Bill Recommended for Approval & Marriages Rise in 2022. Meat Imports Down by 4% in 2023, 50% of Filipinos Identify as Poor.

Public Told to Use Digitalized National ID to Access Financial System. World Wide Rally for Freedom Sunday 23rd September.

Sound of Freedom Showing in SM Cinemas (Mainstream Cinemas) Starting 20th September 2023 by TBA Studios.

I was invited to attended Sound of Freedom movie this evening with a friend. It was a full house! This is a flawlessly produced movie, the story skillfully told by intense and wonderfully nuanced acting. Child sexual abuse, violence, and the horror entailed is implied rather than shown directly. Regardless, this is a movie strictly for mature audiences. The movie plays like a thriller, but it is a real story, depicting real events around the trafficking and rescue of two children. It shows the immense conviction and great courage of the broken people who rise above themselves and work to rescue these children. I have been following Tim Ballard’s work for many years! This movie surely brings the child trafficking issue the attention it deserves. I hope this very public movie spurs more people to action, on this and other entwined facets of the evil that encircles this world and can only be stopped by brave men and women!

TBA studios replied to queries on how long the movie will be showing, that they will continue showing the movie while there is good attendance. Please support them, and attend if you in the Philippines.

Three More Unexplained Tragic Deaths of Young Persons: All Would Have Taken Covid-19 Vaccines, Though No Definitive Link Can be Drawn

A 20-year old American missionary has died following an undisclosed illness for which she was hospitalized. She had arrived in the Philippines in June of 2022 and would have received Covid-19 vaccination to enter the country, as unvaccinated foreigners were only allowed to enter the Philippines by the end of 2022. Condolences to her family and those who loved and worked with her.

Cagayan De Oro Talent Center Photographer Jay Valmonte has also died suddenly this week after a short hospital admission. No cause of death is released.

He had received a 2nd booster dose of Pfizer last October 2022.

An eleven year old school girl, collapsed before class and could not be revived. The school requires presentation of vaccination cards at the security area for all persons entering the school, so this child was likely vaccinated. She passed away due to probably myocardial infarction. I cannot fathom her parent's despair.

Divorce Bill Recommended for Adoption in the Philippines

A Senate Panel is recommending the adoption of an absolute divorce bill for the Philippines, which will grant divorce on various grounds. Philippines is one of the few countries where divorce is still not allowed; annulment is possible, but is a complicated and expensive process.

Perhaps this move will even prove beneficial for marriages. It would appear that many people avoid marriage, to avoid the costs and complication of its possible future dissolution. Trending on marriages in the Philippines has been going down over time despite the still increasing population of Filipinos of marriageable age.

There definitely has been a recovery in marriages in 2022, clearly making up somewhat, but not completely, for all the marriages that didn’t happen in 2020 and 2021. Getting married can be expensive! Cost is also a likely factor prohibiting formal solemnization of relationships.

Meat Imports Down in 2023

Imports of pork and beef are down by 4% in the first 8 months of 2023. Whether this is due to increased poverty / decreased buying power due to inflation or whether this reflects reduced population demand or even a reduced population, remains to be seen.

Many Filipinos express that they feel poor, with around half of surveyed families rated themselves as poor. Even worse, around 43% of the 1,200 people surveyed considered themselves food poor! This may well help to explain lowered meat importation.

Minimum daily wage in the Manila is currently set at PHP640 (USD12). Current prices for basic local commodities are set out. Minimum wage will be very hard pressed for even a single person to survive on, let alone a family, and then with no reserves for any sort of emergency. Imported meats will typically cost at least 3 to 5x higher than local produce.

National ID System

The public are being pushed to register for and use the new national ID system. They are promised that it will help to address problems such as SIM card woes and facilitate their access to financial services.

The PhilID was always planned to be digital, though hard copies are also issued. Of course, the national ID is also meant to be used on cell phones (with registered SIM cards). Bank accounts can be opened without any initial deposit and using the national id. This provides opportunity many Filipinos who did not have bank accounts to commence use of banking services.

I wonder how long it will take for the SIM Scammers to access and take advantage of the digital National ID System. There has been a recently reported incident of National IDs found trashed. The Philippine Statistics Authority, who are responsible for implementing the national ID system, reassure citizens and system users that their data is subject to careful security precautions.

World Wide Rally For Freedom

I have received a post showing that Manila will join the World Wide rally for freedom on 23 September 2023. I don’t know who the local organizers are. I will update before the 23rd once I can confirm further information.