Film Project Shot Entirely in Las Pinas and Paranaque: Would you know where?

My eldest daughter Kyla, 15, shot her film project debut (for a high school requirement) entirely in the Las Pinas-Paranaque area. It's based on the book The Good Earth. See if you can identify where these were shot:



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Kipp's Chicken and SM Southmall

Crispy Fried Chicken and Java Rice.

I got my wish a few days ago when went to SM Southmall in Las Pinas for a doctor's appointment at Casa Medica.

I have always equated tasty fried chicken and java rice with Kipp's Chicken. And I believe it's only in SM Southmall that I have tasted Kipp's. That's also probably because they only have 2 other branches: SM North EDSA and SM Megamall foodcourts.

For those who haven't tried Kipp's Chicken, you'll definitely love the gravy. I usually buy extra at 4 pesos, because unlike KFC or Jollibee where gravy is overflowing, at Kipp's, you'll have to buy for an extra small tub. It's worth it anyway.

It's been years since I stepped into SM Southmall. When there wasn't any other SM in Paranaque or Las Pinas, Southmall was the place to do our groceries. They're now doing a lot of renovations in the mall. There's even some construction at the covered parking in the basement.

On this recent visit, I chanced upon Ballet Philippines' performance. Lovely!

Do you know why it took us a very long time to go back to SM Southmall? Sadly, when my then-12-year old son was abducted there, I swore to never go back to Southmall. Yes, Karl was abducted at Bio Research, brought to a nearby establishment outside the mall, and the abductor left him at a nearby arcade when he got Karl's cellphone. Thank God for prayers, Karl wasn't hurt and miraculously returned to us in 2 hours. I hope SM in general has improved it's security over the years. Otherwise, beware!

Las Pinas' Manuyo Dos: Bring back the peace, please!

Battle-royale.

That's what I see brewing in the coming barangay elections this October 25th in barangay Manuyo Dos in Las Pinas City.

It's between incumbent chairman Gil Galvez and the contender, Abe Castillo who is currently Gatchalian Subdivision's phase 4 homeowners association president.

I have been in Manuyo Dos since 1976. It has always been a peaceful community with almost no flooding except for the low-lying areas of phase 7, 2, and some of phase 5. Today. it's a different story. It is said that since the establishment of SM Sucat and the C5 extension, flooding has been more widespread.

There are 2 main things that should be addressed in Manuyo Dos: Peace & Order and Flooding. Unfortunately, actions on these 2 things are close to nil in my books. Crime rate is up. The akyat-bahay gangs and street thugs seem to be having a field day. In Gatchalian Subdivision, there are even tragic road mishaps and cellphone snatchers!

All around the villages, you'll see flooding during a quick downpour. This has never happened before. With reportedly 15 million pesos in annual budget for the barangay, "where art thou?" Gosh, we don't even have an ambulance!

There are times when I miss the 1980's of Kapitan Vid Villegas who acted like Erap in his movies. One time, this guy chased a bunch of akyat-bahay gangmen with his Toyota Starlet and caught them in what is now phase 9 in Gatchalian. After the incident, on the way to his residence, he even accosted a "puto" vendor for not having a vending license. So it was just right that Kapitan Vid won a million pesos in the defunct Far East Bank raffle.

Then there was Inay Alday. She was always at odds with Kapitan Vid when she was a kagawad (councilwoman). Inay, as she's fondly called, led the barangay to new heights from the time of Mayor Casimiro, till her maximum term eventually ended. Well, there was the forgettable term of now-city councilor Oca Pena. Chairman Bong Nery was good and clean. I liked him for being straight-forward with his "walang masamang tinapay" attitude. However, he seemed to be more destined to be an entrepreneur than a "politician." He only did one term.

Well, Kapitan Vid has passed away many years ago, Inay and Bong are retired from barangay politics. We need solutions to peace and order and flooding.

I believe that there are only 2 main contenders in Manuyo Dos: the incumbent Gil Galvez and the Phase 4 Homewoners president Abe Castillo. The feisty Abe Castillo is reportedly a former military intelligence man, too. Can either man give us the solutions to what's bugging our community? Abangan.

To whoever gets elected, please give us back our peace of mind.

The Place to Be: South of the Metropolis

Thirty five years.

That's how long I have lived in the southern suburbs of Metro Manila. I live in a middle-class suburb with my family. We live in the same village as that of my parents, in-laws and relatives. The south is what molded me. This is the same place where my kids, now all teen-agers, have taken their roots.

Our village is accessible via three main arteries: SLEX Sucat exit, Ninoy Aquino Avenue, and the Coastal Road. We also have three village entrances: Sucat road in Paranaque City, Naga Road in Las Pinas City, and the C5 extension also in Las Pinas. Around us are the malls of SM (there are four branches nearby), Ayala, Festival, and Starmall. In the vicinity are lots of schools, colleges, a university and major southern hospitals. The nightlife is as vibrant as shopping. If you're in the mid-to-high socio-economic class, you must be living in the south. Everything is here.

By my definition, the south metro includes: Paranaque, Las Pinas, Muntinlupa, Cavite, Laguna, and Batangas. Some include Quezon. So, once you take the SLEX, you're in for a happy road trip to the south. A leisurely drive for a day with lots of stop-overs will surely take you to as far as Batangas City or its nearby towns and beaches. If you take the Aguinaldo highway, you'll pass by Cavite's coastal towns and go up the mountain city of Tagaytay.

The past fifteen years has seen full throttle development in the south. Mostly brought about by economic zones in Cavite and Laguna, spurring residential and commercial center develpment. Senator Manny Villar's Camella Homes sparked the boom in low-cost housing in the south. So it's no wonder the major highways he has lobbied to be built passed through or connected his companies' real estate holdings. Nothing personal. It's purely business. I don't complain. The guy reimbursed me in full when I had my deposit for a property in Molino, Cavite refunded. Now that's another story to tell.

So finally, after many years in this beloved suburb, I shall be doing a chronicle of the happenings -- good or bad -- down south. There are a lot of places and happenings I could have written about in years past. For being a busy bee, I just couldn't find the time. But anytime's a good time to start. I'm using my vacation leave to go back to writing. So here goes...till next time!