Pinoy Uses COVID-19 Lockdown to Make Game About Vietnam War

Wazzup Pilipinas!

There’s a bright side to being stuck at home. The global lockdowns spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic have given many people the rare opportunity to finish their personal projects.

For a Pinoy game developer with zero programming experience, it was a videogame about the Vietnam War which took almost 20 years to complete.

“I was always interested in history and the Vietnam War in particular,” says game developer Tiger Yan. “I started creating The ‘Nam: Vietnam Combat Operations way back in 2003 but work and life were more important, so the project was mothballed for 17 years. Like everyone else, the COVID-19 outbreak forced me to stay home most of 2020. I saw this as the perfect opportunity to learn basic programming and finally finish what I started.”

Yan, who photographs people and animals in wild and rural areas around Asia, created the game as a free learning tool for people to experience commanding soldiers during the Vietnam War. He used his field experience investigating farm communities and wild areas to make the game as realistic as possible. “From irrigation dikes and rice paddies to barking dogs and crowing chickens, this game brings the Vietnamese countryside to life,” he says. 

According to the game’s Facebook page, players can command US Marines, Vietcong and North Vietnamese Army troops, plus the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN). The Vietnam War ended in 1975 when the North Vietnamese and Vietcong unified Vietnam under communist rule.


Role of Filipino Troops Highlighted

The Philippines sent over 2000 soldiers to Vietnam as part of the Philippine Civic Action Group Vietnam (PHILCAGV), which can be seen in the game. Led by officers such as former President Fidel V. Ramos, PHILCAGV helped improve the lives of the South Vietnamese people by administering medical and civilian aid. Nine PHILCAGV soldiers died in battle.

The game has been receiving consistently good reviews in fora and Youtube channels. Though it can be downloaded online for free, Yan urges gamers to make a donation to APOPO, a nonprofit organization working to clear deadly landmines in Cambodia.

“In reality, the Vietnam War wrought great misery for the people of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. If this game can spur at least one good donation, then it would have been worth it,” adds Yan.

Though COVID-19 has paralyzed the world, people can look at the silver lining. The lockdowns have finally given many people a resource which for years has been in short supply – time.

NTC and their misappropriated high-end mobile phones

Wazzup Pilipinas!

"State auditors found that of the 44 Samsung Galaxy phones purchased by the National Telecommunications Commission, only 4 were used for their intended purpose, while the rest were issued to directors, officers-in-charge and their technical staff"

"In its 2019 audit report, the COA found only 4 out of 44 purchased high end mobile phones are being used to conduct internet speed, reliability, and coverage. 

NTC engineers conducting these tests had to share or borrow from each other."

For the nth time...

Another agency, another kurakot activities nagaganap sa ilalim ng ilong Duterte pero di nya naamoy ang “whiff of corruption”!

Asan na sinasabi ni Digong...

"I will never tolerate corruption in my administration, not even the whiff of it," Duterte said at the Batasan Complex in Quezon City.

Iyong nanggagalaiti pa kuno sa corrupt pero dedma o ipagtatanggol pa 'to.

Lord, two years pa ba talaga kami magtitiis? Ang lala na ho nila.

Namudmod ng free cellphone using our taxes!! 

Ano na DDS, yang poon nyo corrupt ang buong gobyerno! Does the 91% want corruption?

Haissst! Halos lahat na ata ng govt agency ay me corruption natatag ang COA. Maliban na lang sa OVP.

P2.1M para sa 44 na smartphones? At yung talagang kailangan ay yun ang nanghihiram?  Kanino napunta yung iba? Para sa asawa at mga anak ng opisyales?

Mga maluluho pero hindi gamitin sariling pera. Ay, jusko puro nakaw nalang ba kaya ninyo?

Sigurado ako may magandang paliwanag na naman ang mga opisyal dito. 

Sure na sure. Lalabas na mali na naman ang COA. Wait lang ha.

"In its reply, NTC explained its directors also use the phones to conduct tests anytime, anywhere, which can help them formulate new policies to improve broadband services. The COA, however, said none of them submitted actual reports on the tests they supposedly carried out."

O eh di nabuking. Lulusot pa ang mga  tinamaan ng lintik.

This reasoning is so elementary. How could they? Can't a director purchase his own phone or use his personal device for testing? Do they muster fieldwork regularly? Someone has to answer this.

Hindi ba sila binabagabag ng konsensya nila? O talagang wala na silang konsensya? Pera ng taong bayan yang nilulustay nila! Taong bayan na ngayon ay walang trabaho, walang masakyan, walang maipanggamot! Super kapal naman ng mukha kung di sila nababagabag!

Nakakalungkot na maraming mahihirap na  kabataan ngayon ang naghihirap at nangangarap para magkaroon ng gadgets para gamitin sa online classes, pero yung mga taga NTC libreng-libre lang nila nakukuha. Kung sino pa ang gobyerno at dapat nagbibigay ng tamang halimbawa sila pa itong baluktot. Ito ba yung "Change is Coming?" Ito ba yung "Ayoko ng Coruption?"

Those responsible for this need to be called out and made to face its consequences. People who engage in such corrupt practices when not punished become bolder in repeating it. Failure to punish them now becomes our fault as well.

Nasa COA report na naman, but still nothing will change. Rendered useless kasi si Ombudsman tropa tropa ang mga gags!

Hanggat walang nakukulong tuloy tuloy pa rin mga ganyan.

Fighting Maroons, TopBreed seal partnership deal

Wazzup Pilipinas! 

The University of the Philippines Men’s Basketball Team (UPMBT) has a new major supporter on board after it inked a partnership deal with TopBreed Dog Meal Tuesday, October 13 as part of their continuous preparation for the upcoming University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) season.

TopBreed, formulated to satisfy the nutritional needs of dogs for health, general well-being and optimum performance, is a brand under Universal Robina Corporation’s Agro-Industrial Group (URC-AIG), one of the long-time backers of the Fighting Maroons through its premium farm products unit, Robina Farms.

Present in the memorandum of agreement signing are AIG managing director Vincent Henry Go, marketing director Jonathan Diño, category manager Julie Ann Climacosa, UPMBT manager Atty. Agaton Uvero, head coach Bo Perasol, and nowheretogobutUP Foundation founder Renan Dalisay.

“We are beyond proud to once again be part of the huge crowd of Isko and Iska supporting and rooting for the UP Fighting Maroons. We treasure this partnership with the UPMBT and the whole UP community as we share the same values of integrity, passion for excellence, innovation, and loyalty. Our parallel journeys have shown these values in action,” said Go.

According to Go, the name and reputation that the Fighting Maroons has made for itself mirrors that of TopBreed, the leading Philippine-made dog food brand in the country. The brand also produces top dog essentials like ShamPooch shampoo and TopB+ vitamins.

“TopBreed, just like the Fighting Maroons, has the same ‘never say die’ spirit, rising from the bottom to be one of the most recognized and respected teams today. This achievement mirrors how TopBreed went against internationally-known giant brands and won the hearts of Filipino furparents nationwide.”

Fighting Maroons head coach Bo Perasol expressed his gratitude to the Gokongwei Group of Companies for their unending support through the years.

“We cannot thank them enough. They have been here for us even during our dark years and up to now that we are still facing this pandemic. Their help will really give us a great boost in the upcoming season,” said Perasol.

“Like TopBreed, we were underdogs in our respective fields, but we have both risen to the challenge. We look forward to getting back on the court to give the best that we can for them and for the UP community,” the Maroons mentor added.

UPMBT manager Atty. Uvero also reiterated the team and the management’s gratitude to the Gokongwei Group for the help they continue to receive from the brands despite the COVID-19 crisis.

“We are truly grateful to URC AIG and another one of their brands - TopBreed - for continuing its support to the team despite the business difficulties in these pandemic times,” said Atty. Uvero.

“This partnership is far from the ordinary. This time, we can see the other side of the Fighting Maroons---as furbuddies or furparents. We have must-watch features on the players and coaches with their dogs. We can also catch them on an online pupper meet and greet where we can get to know them more,” said Go.

“TopBreed and UPMBT will also partner in delivering top care to campus dogs through a project called UP Doggo Day. This partnership has much in store for the whole UPMBT crowd,” Diño promised.

In photo:

Standing (L-R) : AIG marketing director Jonathan Diño ; AIG category manager Julie Ann Climacosa

Sitting (L-R) : nowheretogobutUP Foundation founder Renan Dalisay ;  AIG managing director Vincent Henry Go ; UPMBT manager Atty. Agaton Uvero ; UPMBT head coach Bo Perasol