#kabataan — Public Fediverse posts

Over 1,000 Communist Rebels and Supporters in the Philippines Neutralized As of August 13

Over a thousand rebels of the New People’s Army (NPA) and their supporters were neutralized as of August 13, according to a news article of the Philippine News Agency (PNA) citing the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). Neutralized refers to the surrender, capture, or killing of enemy troops.

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

The government’s campaign against communist insurgents is gaining momentum as the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) reported neutralizing 1,045 New People’s Army (NPA) rebels and their supporters during operations conducted from Jan. 1 to Aug. 13 this year.

Of the total, 935 surrendered, 38 were arrested, and 72 were killed in various military operations, AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla said in a media interview late Tuesday.

“A total of 661 firearms and 255 anti-personnel mines were either seized or surrendered, and 38 encampments were seized (in the same period),” she said.

Neutralized is a military term that refers to the surrender, capture, or killing of enemy troops.

“The numbers give us an indication of the operational situation, but we should look beyond the numbers. The more significant story is that 935 CTG (communist terrorist group) members and supporters chose to surrender,” Padilla pointed out.

In 2025, the military said it neutralized around 2,018 NPA members and their supporters. The bulk of whom were surrenderers, at 1,798, while 93 were arrested and 127 were killed.

Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Are you thankful to the AFP for neutralizing over a thousand Communist rebels and supporters as of mid-August? Are you convinced that there are still many millions of young Filipinos who took sides with the Leftist rebels? Do you think Democrats and/or the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) from the United States are secretly supporting Communist rebels here in the Philippines?

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

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

National Age Group Triathlon, Duathlon And Aquathlon Events In Camotes Island Set On October 24 And 25

A full weekend of multisport action in the scenic Camotes Island will happen on October 24 and 25 with the National Age Group Duathlon (NAGD), National Age Group Aquathlon (NAGA) and National Age Group Triathlon (NAGT). Already online registration is ongoing.

A special multisport project by Triathlon Philippines (TriPhil) in partnership with the Province of Cebu, the Municipality of San Francisco, the Municipality of Tudel and the Municipality of Poro, and presented by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), the National Age Group Duathlon (NAGD) will start at 6AM of October 24 at Tudela Central School while the National Age Group Aquathlon (NAGA) will take place at 3PM at Santiago White Beach on the same day. The National Age Group Triathlon (NAGT) will start at 6AM on October 25 at Santiago White Beach.

Race distances for each event are as follows:

National Age Group Duathlon (NAGD) is 10 Km run – 40 Km bike – 5 Km run for Elite and Age Group, 5 Km run – 20 Km bike – 2.5 Km run for Jr. Elite and Age Group, 3 Km run – 10 Km bike – 1.5 Km run for Under-15, 400 M run – 1 Km bike – 200 M run for 6-years-old and under, 800 M run – 2 Km bike – 400 M run for 7-8 years old, 1 Km run – 6 Km bike – 500 M run for 9-10 years old, and 2 Km run – 8 Km bike – 1 Km run for 11-12 years old.

National Age Group Aquathlon (NAGA) is 400 M swim – 2.5 Km run for Under-15, 50 M swim – 200 M run for 6-years-old and under, 100 M swim – 500 M run for 7-8 years old, 200 M swim – 1 Km run for 9-10 years old and 300 M swim – 1.5 Km run for 11-12 years old.

National Age Group Triathlon (NAGT) is 1.5 Km swim – 40 Km bike – 10 Km run for Elite and Age Group, 750 M swim – 20 Km bike – 5 Km run for Jr. Elite and Age Group, 500 M swim – 10 Km bike – 2.5 Km run for Under-15, 50 M swim – 1 Km bike – 400 M run for 6-years and under, 100 M swim – 2 Km bike – 800 M run for 7-8 years old, 200 M swim – 6 Km bike – 1 Km run for 9-10 years old and 400 M swim – 8 Km bike – 2 Km run for 11-12 years old.

For details regarding registration fees, race categories, race kit inclusions, Camotes Island accommodations and more, click https://register.raceya.fit/event/nag2026camotes

When it comes to race registration, be reminded that a RaceYa account is needed. First-timers can easily make their respective RaceYa accounts online. Deadline for registration is on September 20, 2026, or until the slots last.

For more triathlon and multisport updates, visit https://www.facebook.com/TriPhil.  

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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 @CarloCarrascoPH as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

Del Rosario And Caluya Rule National Age Group Aquathlon Sprint Junior Elite

PETER Sancho Del Rosario and Anisha Eunice Caluya dominated their respective division in the sprint junior elite category of the National Age Group Aquathlon (NAGA) held at the Amoranto Sports Complex in Quezon City yesterday.

Del Rosario ruled the men’s division with a time of 15 minutes and 54 seconds.

“I feel very accomplished today, I was thinking about my strategy last night and I think I executed that perfectly,” said 16-year-old from Santa Rosa, Laguna.

Darell Johnson Bada settled for second in 16:07, improving his 16:51 perfomance in winning last year’s crown. Giro Don Rafael Gito place third with a time of 16:25 but also improved the 17:13 he registered to claim the silver last year.

Caluya, on the other hand, clocked 18:00 to defend the women’s title over Kariel Rosacena of El Nido Teen Sharks (22:10).

“Today, I’m so happy that I was still able to come up with a good performance despite the numerous international and local competitions,” said the 19-year-old Caluya of De La Salle University.

After this year’s Subic Bay International Triathlon, she will make her debut at the Asian Junior Cup scheduled on June 10-14 in Kampar, Malaysia.

Meanwhile, Dustin Dame Eslay of North Pine Aquatic Swim Team and national team mainstay Erika Burgos bagged the gold medals in the sprint elite men and women divisions, respectively.

Other sprint winners were Ralf Bernhard (16-19), Jan Mikaela Caruncho (20-29); and Fritzie Labastida and Patty Dimaano-Moncera (40-49).

In the U15 Youth 13-15 category, the Top 3 winners Pio Mishael Gabriel Latonio (15:11), Remsen Balog-Asan Cayowet (15:37) and Kurt Evans (15:55) in the boys division, while in the girls division were Alainia Bouffaut (7:14), Eliesse Julia Dela Cruz (17:35) and Jovie Yzelle Calisog (17:37).

In the Super TriKids, Gavin Tantoco and Ma. Georjina Pacquing-Sumale pocketed the gold medals in the boys’ and girls’ 9-10 divisions, while Knight Hiliel and Ysabella Leana ruled the under-6 category.

Other winners in the Standard category were Aivan Dail Toquero and Kiandra Emiko Lee (18-24); Joshua Abante and Mariniell Clarete (25-29); Fil-Maur Louis Nacion and Jemimah Abdrea Fajardo (30-34); Renze Rovie Banawa and Patricia Anne Castillo (40-44); Boj Cardona (45-49) and Dato Arroyo (50-54).

Triathlon Philippines, led by president Tom Carrasco, has expressed its gratitude to the Quezon City LGU for the smooth conduct of the event sponsored by the Philippine Sports Commission, Milo, Gatorade, Power MAC Center, Western Guaranty Corp., Gardenia and Lemon Square Bakery Treats.

For more triathlon and multisport updates, visit https://www.facebook.com/TriPhil.  

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Note: This post was sourced from the official press release of the event from Triathlon Philippines.

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 @CarloCarrascoPH as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

MOU For May 17 National Age Group Aquathlon (NAGA) Formally Signed In Quezon City

The stage is set for the 2026 National Age Group Aquathlon (NAGA) event scheduled for May 17 at the Amoranto Sports Swimming Pool as the Quezon City Government and Triathlon Philippines (TriPhil) formally signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) this past Monday.

The MOU was signed by the Honorable Vice Mayor Gian G. Sotto together with Triathlon Philippines president Tom Carrasco and Nico Carrasco which was witnessed by many local officials. This development highlights a strong partnership between the City Government and TriPhil for grassroots sports development.

It also highlights Quezon City’s unwavering support in promoting youth sports, healthy lifestyles and the continued growth of triathlon and aquathlon in the Philippines. Triathlon Philippines has confirmed that more than 300 participants have registered for the May 17 aquathlon which is an improvement over the previous aquathlon event that was also hosted by Quezon City last year.

To learn more about the May 17 National Age Group Aquathlon in Quezon City, click https://register.raceya.fit/event/naga2026

For more triathlon and multisport updates, visit https://www.facebook.com/TriPhil.  

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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 @CarloCarrascoPH as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

Dimayuga and Tan Rule Under-15 Youth Titles of 2026 Subic Bay International Triathlon

DIEGO Jose Dimayuga of Get Coach’d Academy and Lauren Lee Tan dominated the Subic Bay International Triathlon (SuBIT) U15 Youth category held yesterday at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

Dimayuga finished the super sprint race (375m swim, 10km bike and 2.5km run) in 35 minutes and 59 seconds. Teammate Pio Mishael Gabriel (36:31) placed second followed by Cebuano Joseph Ian Caluste of Be Tritans (36:58).

In the girls division, Tan clocked 38:25 to beat Naomi Dimayuga (39:10) and Alaina Bouffaut (40:15) in the event organized by Triathlon Philippines (TriPhil) and supported by Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), NTT, Gatorade (official hydration partner), Western Guaranty Corporation, C-Vitt and Subic Bay Travelers Hotel (official race hotel).

“I was sick for two weeks, I only had a week to train for this tournament,” said the 15-year-old Dimayuga, who lives in Silang, Cavite.

Dimayuga, Latonio and Caluste duplicated their performances at the National Age Group Triathlon (NAGT) last February.

Dimayuga, who made it to the national team at the start of the year, will join the Asian Youth Championships in Xuzhou, China next month.

“I’m excited to represent the country and my team (GCA). I’ll do my best to win,” said Dimayuga, a silver medalist at the Asia Triathlon Junior and U23 Championships in Hong Kong last March.

Meanwhile, Qatari Anes Khelili clocked 1:06:36 to prevail over Jarius Miguel Mejia of De La Salle Zobel Triathlon Team (1:06:38) and Lorenzo Claur of Baguio Benguet Triathlon (1:06:48) in the standard men 16-19 years old category of the event also backed by Milo, Ford, Sante Barley, Gatorade, Western Guaranty Inc., C-vitt, Lemon Square Bakery Treats, Gardenia, Fitbar, Ecotrans and RaceYa.

The Top 3 finishers in the girls division were Naomi Felicity Aytin of BYBS/GAS Coaching (1:23:33), Fynley Quiban (1:25:25) and Keirstein Ann Marie Tigullo (1:27:23).

Champions in the super tri-kids category were Marcus Jayden Balaquit and Danica Mireille Angodung (11-12), Rey Matthew Tundayag and Maiko Aleno (9-10),  Ethan Geronimo and Jan Christel Culanag (7-8), and Thirdy Geronimo and Lucia Ysabel Sarmenta (6-under).

The other gold medalists in standard age-group men’s division were Earl James Ting of Be Tritans (20-29), Samuel Ebuen Bada of Olongapo Junior Trackers Multisport (30-39), Raffy Dolor of Artemis-Victory (40-49), John Erich Taca of Team Megawide (50-59), and Diosdado Soriano of BOST (60-over) while in the women’s division were Jan Mikaela Caruncho of 2600 Tri Team (20-29), Sandra Inocillas-Pineda of Sante Barley Tri Team (30-39), Lady Ro Anne Alviar of UPLB Trantados (40-49) and Maria Beatriz Azcuna of Beer Racer Beer (50-over).

For more triathlon and multisport updates, visit https://www.facebook.com/TriPhil.  

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Note: This post was sourced from the official press release of the event from Triathlon Philippines.

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 @CarloCarrascoPH as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

A Look Back at Gen13 #1 (1994)

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 fans, 1990s arts and culture enthusiasts, Image Comics fans and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the mid-1990s to examine one of the many tales of Jim Lee’s original WildStorm universe through the original Gen13 mini-series.

There is a lot to enjoy in the WildStorm comic book universe of the 1990s with such titles like WildCATS: Covert Action Teams, Team 7, StormWatch, Grifter, Backlash and Wetworks to name some. The WildStorm depicts the world as chaotic filled with strong paramilitary concepts, conspiracies and even aliens from deep space.

Along the way, WildStorm has its own take on the sub-genre of super-powered teenagers which was realized as Gen13 (stylized as Gen13). Strangely enough, the team – which actually first appeared in the Deathmate Black crossover comic book in 1993 – was originally titled as Gen X but WildStorm had to rebrand it into Gen13 as Marvel Comics already trademarked the name Generation X for an X-Men-related comic book project. To learn more about production history and background of Gen13, click here.

With those details laid down, here is a look back at Gen13 #1, published by Image Comics in 1994 with a story written by Jim Lee and Brandon Choi with artwork done by Jeffrey Scott Campbell (ink work by Alex Garner). This is the first issue of the mini-series.  

Early story

The story begins sometime in 1979 when a married couple (Stephen and Rachel Callahan) desperate runs away with their two little children. A team of armored troops (the Black Razors) riding two hovering vehicles catches up with them and hit Rachel with bullets passing through her body. Stephen, who is carrying his son Matthew, uses his power to destroy one of the hovering vehicles. One of the Black Razors realized that the husband is gen-active and nobody informed their team that he was with Gen12.

Agonizing with severe head pain, Stephen tells Matthew to take his little sister Nicole with him and run to the trees. As far as Stephen is concerned, he is finished and all he can do is buy time for the two little children to escape. He tells Matthew to protect his sister. Suddenly, the Black Razors killed Stephen right in front of Matthew and Nicole.

Fifteen years later, a young, nerdy college student named Caitlin Fairchild makes her way through the college campus in Princeton. She is a gifted student who has been focused on maintaining a high grade and graduate with her advanced degree in computer science in the near future.

Upon arriving at the dormitory, she meets her promiscuous roommate Alexa who informs her that some guys arrived earlier looking for her. The guys were described as middle-aged suits and they wanted to talk to Caitlin about some internship program. Alexa then leaves.

A few hours later, Caitlin wakes up as the door gets knocked. Special agent baker of the National Security Committee tells her that she has been accepted into the Gen13 program and her presence is immediately required in order to process her into the program before it begins the next day…

Quality

I enjoyed this comic book the first time I had it in 1994. I can clearly say that it is still fun and engaging to read again today.

This comic book was written with the intention to introduce super-powered teenagers as a new and really distinctive team in one corner of the original WildStorm universe while also expanding the lore by focusing more on International Operations’ unethical covert operations which will easily remind people about government conspiracies, top secret missions and the like. The story has really strong elements about conspiracies, unethical scientific experiments and even human rights violations. The story by Jim Lee and Brandon Choi has a strong structure but what stood out to me was the really creative writing done to bring the characters to life complete with a touch of the 1990s vibe (in reference to comic book trends and real-life society).

John Lynch, a former member of Team 7 and also one of the high-ranking officials of IO who occasionally appeared in prior WildStorm comic books, gets a nice share of the spotlight in the story and indeed he is not full control of his organization. In fact, IO’s execution of a new program about developing people with special abilities or powers (without their knowledge) raises Lynch’s concerns as he himself was a victim of betrayal and exposure to an experimental gas during his time with Team 7. Lynch also appeared in The Kindred mini-series (read my reviews by clicking here, here and here).

When it comes to the characters, Gen13’s members here are introduced with notable differences in terms of personality. The nerdy Caitlin Fairchild is the very promising smart young lady who has the potential to succeed. Bobby (Burnout) is the quiet guy who quickly realizes that true unity is needed in order for a group to succeed under the program they are in. Roxy is the undisciplined and rebellious young lady while Grunge is the loose cannon and has trouble with authorities. While it is clear you won’t see much of their powers yet in this comic book, they turned out to be interesting enough to follow thanks to the strong creative writing by Lee and Choi.

When it comes to the visuals, Jeffrey Scott Campbell’s artworks really stood out mainly due to his distinctive style. If you look closely at how he draws the faces of women – particularly the ones who are young and fit – you will realize the exaggerated look complete with the big eyes and curves seen on females in anime or even manga (Japanese comics). If you are looking visual realism on the characters, you won’t find it here at all. Campbell’s style truly defined the look of the characters and yet he was able to draw armored troops (Black Razors and the armed security guard) with a really high level of details (including their weapons) which really stood out visually. Campbell is also good with superhero spectacle and hard action. Last but not least, there is a deliberate amount of erotic imagery in this comic book which serves as a reminder that this is a story aimed at young adult and adult readers.  

Conclusion

Indeed, Gen13 #1 (1994) remains entertaining to read mainly because of the strong writing. The story moved at a smooth pace, the exposition was done cleverly, and the characters ended up being worthy enough to pay attention to. By the time I reached the end, I am convinced to go on to the next issue and rediscover not only more of the mini-series but also the way it expanded the lore of the WildStorm universe of the 1990s. This comic book alone strongly emphasized the connections with other elements of the WildStorm universe, particularly with Team 7 (its mini-series launched months after this one) and the dark legacy of IO. It is an adulterated superhero comic book that really offered readers something new and intriguing.

Overall, Gen13 #1 (1994) is recommended.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. If you want to support my website, please consider making a donation. 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 @CarloCarrascoPH as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco/.