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AUGUST 22, 2014
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Aquino ‘frustrated’ over Maguindanao massacre trial
Defensor-Santiago’s bill: students to fight abuse
New China incursion hit
Filipino-Canadian in Focus: Paulina Corpuz
Where are they now?
Philippines protests China’s ‘sovereignty patrols’ in South China Sea The Associated Press MANILA, PHILIPPINES—The Philippines will file a new diplomatic protest with China complaining about frequent patrols by Chinese ships in the South
ASPIRING ‘ISKO/ISKA’
❱❱ PAGE 13 Philippines protests
Takers of the University of the Philippines College Admission Test (UPCAT) crowd the entrance to Melchor Hall on the UP Diliman campus in Quezon City on Saturday, for a chance to be the next 'Iskolar ng Bayan' at the premier state university.
RELEVANT SKILLS. MEANINGFUL JOBS.
PHOTO BY RAFFY LERMA
COA questions P230M DAP milk fund MANILA, PHILIPPINES—THE Commission on Audit (COA) has found something sour in the P230-million fund from the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) meant for a milk feeding program that had 52 propo-
nents, including Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr., lawmakers from the Makabayan bloc and an NGO associated with a sister of President Aquino. The milk feeding program was meant to provide 200-milliliter packs of milk to pregnant women, senior citizens and children in day care, pre-school and
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Philippine News
3 FRIDAY AUGUST 22, 2014
‘Noy undoing Cory legacy Opposition reaction on second term: No way BY CHRISTINE O. AVENDAÑO, LEILA B. SALAVERRIA AND TARRA QUISMUNDO Philippine Daily Inquirer WHAT WOULD his mother say? That, in sum, is the oppositionists’ answer to President Aquino’s insinuation on Wednesday that he was reconsidering his opposition to amending the Constitution to allow the lifting of the presidential term limit, which would enable him to run for a second term. Legal experts are one in saying that Mr. Aquino would be undoing his mother’s legacy. Vice President Jejomar Binay, the 2016 presidential hopeful, said yesterday that he respected Mr. Aquino’s openness to listen to what the people had to say about amending the Constitution to lift the presidential term limit. ‘Any national leader would want to hear the voice of the people on issues that have far-reaching consequences,’ Binay said. ‘What is important is that the voice he hears is an authentic and genuine voice, not one manufactured by quarters with vested interests who are driven mainly by self-preservation,’ he said. Binay’s allies, however, invoked history and urged Mr. Aquino to respect his mother’s legacy. The 1987 Constitution was enacted during the administration of Mr. Aquino’s mother, who led the revolution against dictator Ferdinand Marcos and then served a single term as President before standing aside. ‘When I first got into this, I noted I had only one term of six years. Now, after having said that, of course I have to listen to the voice of my bosses,’ Mr. Aquino said in an interview on TV5 network, using his term for the people. No strong candidate
Many took Mr. Aquino’s statement as an admission that the ruling Liberal Party (LP) has no presidential timber who could be elected to take his place in 2016, with polls showing Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, the party’s presumptive standardbearer, unpopular with the electorate. In contrast, the polls show Binay, leader of the nominally opposition United Nationalist Alliance (UNA), is the favorite to replace Mr. Aquino in Malacañang. That is unacceptable to the Palace, which insists the next president must be someone who will pursue Mr. Aquino’s reformist programs. With Roxas losing the next presidential election even before the campaign could start, the administration has to find someone who could beat Binay in the race for Malacañang.
No question, that man is Mr. Aquino. But the Constitution bars him from running for a second term. Mr. Aquino would have to go through a long and complicated process to amend the Constitution, with any of three potential methods—by a constitutional convention, a constituent assembly or a people’s initiative—having to be approved by a referendum requiring simple majority support. The son of democracy champions Sen. Benigno Aquino Jr. and former President Corazon Aquino, Mr. Aquino won a landslide election victory in 2010 on a promise to stamp out widespread corruption blamed for massive poverty in the Philippines. He has won international plaudits for his good government program and been widely applauded for bringing consistently strong economic growth to the country. But the high popularity ratings he enjoyed in the first half of his term have begun to slide sharply amid a slew of corruption cases and political controversies. The latest poll showed his approval rating at 56 percent in June, dropping steeply from 70 percent in March. His trust rating, too, was down across the board, from 62 percent to 42 percent in the upper classes to 55 percent from 69 percent in the bottom rung. Criticism that tens of millions of poor people have missed out on the country’s economic gains, magnified by a recent spike in inflation, has also hurt Mr. Aquino. And now he is talking about listening to his ‘bosses’ and lifting the barrier that keeps him from seeking a second term. Mr. Aquino did not specify that he wanted to change the Constitution just to remove the presidential term limit. Instead, he said the Constitution needed amending to rein in the Supreme Court, which ruled on July 1 that his economic stimulus plan, the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP), was unconstitutional. ‘Before all these things happened, I was closed to [constitutional change]. I admit that. But now, I’m seriously rethinking things,’ Mr. Aquino said in his television interview, referring to the court’s ruling against the DAP. He complained that the US-style checks and balances in government had faded and the Supreme Court now had the power to overrule Congress and the executive branch.
Many took Mr. Aquino’s statement as an admission that the ruling Liberal Party has no presidential timber who could be elected to take his place in 2016, with polls showing Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, the party’s presumptive standardbearer, unpopular with the electorate. PHOTO FROM INQUIRER.NET
Sen. JV Ejercito said he hoped Mr. Aquino remembered his mother, who served only one term and never sought reelection. The LP must also remember the ‘democratic essence’ of Edsa, he added, referring to the 1986 People Power Revolution that Mr. Aquino’s mother led to restore democracy in the Philippines. Ejercito also said Mr. Aquino’s supporters should stop urging him to extend his term, as this would lead to popular anger against the President. ‘Have a heart and remember what Cory fought for,’ Ejercito said, referring to the President’s late mother.
Emulate your mother
Sen. Nancy Binay, a daughter of the Vice President, said she hoped Mr. Aquino would emulate his mother, who refused to seek a second term although she could have, enhancing her legacy. ‘When she stepped down, she was able to do more,’ Binay said. She said she did not think Mr. Aquino would actually run for a second term, noting that the President’s statements indicated he was just considering things. ‘I hope he leans more toward not pushing through with it,’ Binay said. ❱❱ PAGE 9 'Noy undoing
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Checks and balances
But UNA members opposed Mr. Aquino’s threat to clip the Supreme Court’s powers, saying the judiciary has those powers precisely to provide checks and balances to excesses in the two other branches of government.
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Philippine News
AUGUST 22, 2014
FRIDAY 4
Aquino ‘frustrated’ over slow pace of Maguindanao massacre trial BY CHRISTIAN V. ESGUERRA Philippine Daily Inquirer MANILA, PHILIPPINES—President Benigno Aquino admitted he was “frustrated” with the slow pace of the country’s judicial system as shown in the case of the Maguindanao massacre, which claimed the lives of 58 people, 32 of whom were journalists. Aquino expressed his sympathies with the families of the victims, who had yet to get justice nearly five years after they were murdered allegedly upon the orders of then Maguindanao Gov. Andal Ampatuan Sr. “I feel what the families are feeling. When will they get justice?” he told TV5 in Filipino. But the President acknowledged the legal procedures that had to be followed, especially given the number of accused and complainants in the massacre case. “So frustration? Medyo (Frustration? Somehow),” he said, referring to the generally slow pace by which cases are
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resolved under the Philippine justice system. The Maguindanao massacre was no different, and it apparently did not help that private and government prosecutors have been at loggerheads over the handling of the case. Private lawyers Nene Santos and Prima Quinsayas earlier went public and assailed government prosecutors over their plan to rest their case against some of the accused. But another private lawyer, Harry Roque, backed the move of government prosecutors, saying it “allows the prosecution to rest its case against some of the 194 accused without waiting for the presentation of the ‘evidence-in-chief’ against all of the accused.” “It was pursuant to this that the prosecutors partially rested its evidence against 28 of the accused,” he had said. Government prosecutors were then accused to receiving bribes, an allegation they condemned “in the strongest terms.” ■
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Philippine News
5 FRIDAY AUGUST 22, 2014
SC: Our SALNs no secret They’re ready for those who meet requirements BY TARRA QUISMUNDO Philippine Daily Inquirer YES, WE disclose our income reports. You’ll see on Monday. That, in effect, is the Supreme Court’s answer to President Benigno Aquino III, who demanded in a television interview on Friday that the justices, in the spirit of transparency, should disclose their wealth. Supreme Court spokesperson Theodore Te on Saturday said the justices observed transparency and gave copies of their statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN) to those who met the requirements. To prove it, Te said in a statement, the court would release a list of people who had been given copies of the justices’ financial disclosures on Monday. “Contrary to what has been reported, the Supreme Court justices have not only been complying with the requirements on the SALN, but have made these available upon compliance with the reasonable administrative requirements imposed by the court,” Te said. Among those who have gotten copies of the justices’ SALN are journalists and civil society groups, he said.
general circulation. But any Filipino citizen who want to see the justices’ financial statements for justifiable reasons can go to the Supreme Court and file a request by filling out a standard form and submitting a photocopy of a government-issued identification card. With any luck, the request will reach a session of the full court, which, if satisfied, will grant it. As simple as that. There are guidelines for obtaining copies of the justices’ financial disclosures and Te said that the point of mentioning them and the experience of journalists who have been given copies of the SALN is that “there is no lack of transparency on the Supreme Court’s part.” In the third part of his interview with TV5 on Friday, President Aquino said the Constitution requires the Supreme Court justices to file SALN, and offered to find the provision for the Supremes. It was another dig at the Supreme Court, which angered the President when it struck down on July 1 his economic stimulus plan, the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP), which he claimed had helped so many poor people.
How to get copies
Te did not say, however, whether the justices would send copies of their financial disclosures to Malacañang or publish them in newspapers of
BIR request denied
Mr. Aquino’s transparency demand stemmed from the Supreme Court’s denying on June 17 a request of the Bureau of In-
ternal Revenue (BIR) for copies of the financial of the justices from 2003 to 2012. BIR Commissioner Kim Henares said the request was part of her commission’s investigation into the activities of someone in the judiciary known only as Ma’am Arlene who reportedly fixed wealthy clients’ cases. Henares said that by denying her request, the Supreme Court justices were “creating an exception for themselves.” The Supreme Court said its rejection of Henares’ request “must be contextualized, based on the reasons she has given in her request.” “Please note that the Supreme Court has never said they are exempt from the SALN requirement nor that they are creating a new rule for themselves. That members of the media and civil society, including law students, have been able to obtain copies of various SALNs of the justices is proof enough that the [Supreme Court] justices are not hiding anything,” Te said at the time in response to Henares’ complaint. Henares filed her request on Dec. 9, 2013, but it was unnotarized and missing page 2 of the standard request form, where the requesting party is required to write the reason for the request. The application also did not include the required photocopy of a government-issued identification card. Henares refiled the applica-
Supreme Court spokesperson Theodore Te on Saturday said the justices observed transparency and gave copies of their statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN) to those who met the requirements. PHOTO FROM EN.WIKIPILIPINAS.ORG
tion on Feb. 10, 2014, this time notarizing it and clearly stating the intent of her request: “For tax investigation purposes pursuant to Section 5(B) of the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997 and in relation to the Ma’am Arlene controversy in the judiciary.” Both requests also contained a disclosure that the BIR “may have pending cases with some of the divisions of the Court of Appeals,” which is under the Supreme Court. Henares appealed the court’s June 17 denial of her request. The court has yet to take up the appeal. Submit to Ombudsman
Backing President Aquino, Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III on Saturday proposed that the Supremes submit copies of their SALN to the Ombudsman for transparency’s sake. That way, Pimentel said, the public could access the justices’ financial disclosures. He also proposed that the
Senate Secretariat transmit the senators’ SALN to the Ombudsman for the same reason. “Let the Ombudsman be the default custodian of the SALNs. If the law isn’t clear where you will give a copy of the SALN, then you should reproduce the SALN as filed, and give it to the Ombudsman,” Pimentel said in a telephone interview. “My understanding of the law is you don’t keep it to yourself.” Meanwhile, judiciary employees will continue silently protesting the President’s continuing attacks on the judiciary on Monday. “We were hoping that the situation would sober up, but it seems he (President Aquino) won’t,” said Jojo Guerrero, president of the Judiciary Employees Association of the Philippines (Judea). “There is a rule that you cannot just get copies of the SALNs without a purpose… Why is he targetting the justices?” he said. ■ With a report from TJ Burgonio
Aquino admits difficulties with MILF BY CHRISTIAN V. ESGUERRA Philippine Daily Inquirer
Malacañang was scheduled to receive Monday the revised draft bill, which the President intends to certify as urgent to expedite its approval in both chambers of Congress. PHOTO FROM EN.WIKIPEDIA.ORG
MANILA, PHILIPPINES—President Aquino acknowledged the difficulties both the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) are facing in trying to complete the peace process that would eventually pave the way for a new autonomous region in Mindanao. But the President said he remained “optimistic” despite the delay in the submission of the draft bill of the Bangsamoro www.canadianinquirer.net
Basic Law (BBL) for congressional scrutiny and approval. Malacañang is scheduled to receive Monday the revised draft bill, which the President intends to certify as urgent to expedite its approval in both chambers of Congress. “When we got into this, we never said that just because we asked for it, it would happen,” Aquino said in a TV5 interview. “We really have to be patient and I am optimistic,” he said in Filipino. Malacañang earlier missed its May 5 deadline to submit the draft BBL to Congress, more
than two weeks after it received it from the Bangsamoro Transition Commission. It turned out the Palace had returned the draft with major revisions. Both panels then sat down in a series of workshops to reconcile their differences over the language of the draft. Despite the delay in the drafting of the BBL, Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma on Sunday said the President remained “determined to complete the peace process which would bring lasting stability and development to the Bangsamoro.” ■
Philippine News
AUGUST 22, 2014
FRIDAY 6
P-Noy open to 2nd term President favors Charter change, restraint on Supreme Court BY CHRISTIAN V. ESGUERRA Philippine Daily Inquirer PRESIDENT AQUINO is now amenable to amending the Constitution and extending his term apparently to check the power of the Supreme Court, a coequal of the executive branch. The President said the judiciary appeared to be using its power to check the executive and legislative branches without restraint. ‘When I took this office, I recall that it was only for one term of six years,’ he said yesterday in an exclusive interview with TV5. ‘Now, after having said that, of course, I have to listen to my bosses [the people].’ But the President made it clear that his statement did not necessarily mean that ‘I would automatically go after an additional term.’ He said listening to his ‘bosses’ meant asking them how the
‘reforms’ he had started would remain beyond his six-year term. For Mr. Aquino to make another run for the presidency, the term limits set by the 1987 Constitution would have to be lifted. He had consistently rejected moves to amend the Constitution, a position he now seems to be reconsidering. ‘Before all of these happened, I admit I had a closed mind. But now I realized that there is judicial reach. Congress and the executive may act but they can be punished anytime,’ he told TV5 legal analyst Mel Sta. Maria who asked if he was still not amenable to Charter change. The President was apparently referring to the Supreme Court ruling on July 1 that the Disbursement Acceleration Fund (DAP), a Malacañang stimulus fund derived from government savings, was unconstitutional. Last November, the high court also declared the Priority Development Assistance Fund, a pork barrel of lawmakers, unconstitutional.
Using power more
The President complained that the judiciary seemed to be using its power to check and balance the executive and legislative branches ‘more often.’ ‘It’s like instead of exercising restraint, [the judiciary is using] this power more often,’ he said. ‘Now, as a result, the balance between the three branches appears to be gone.’ Mr. Aquino earlier warned of a ‘collision’ between the executive and the judiciary following the high court decision declaring his DAP unconstitutional. He repeatedly slammed the Supreme Court over the decision and warned that such a collision might require the ‘intervention’ of Congress. The Palace has asked the Supreme Court to reverse its 13-0 ruling against the DAP. Pending the resolution of the motion for reconsideration, the President, in his State of the Nation Address, asked Congress to pass a supplemental budget to cover projects previ-
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For Mr. Aquino to make another run for the presidency, the term limits set by the 1987 Constitution would have to be lifted. PHOTO BY GIL NARTEA / REY BANIQUET / MALACAÑANG PHOTO BUREAU
ously funded under the DAP. He also asked the Senate and the House of Representatives to pass a joint resolution clarifying and defining concepts such as savings and when the government could declare them.
Vice President Jejomar Binay earlier slammed calls for a term extension for Mr. Aquino, saying ‘it was a selfish proposal to begin with, motivated more by personal rather than national interest.’ ■
Philippine News
7 FRIDAY AUGUST 22, 2014
High Tide in Obando, Bulacan Defensor-Santiago’s bill to teach students to fight abuse BY JOSEPHINE C. SANCHEZ
OBANDO, BULACAN experienced flooding for almost a week due to high tide, with the highest at 4.9 feet (1.37 meter). Residents were still thankful that there was no typhoon or monsoon rains. The Valenzuela- Obando-Meycauayan Flood Control Project (VOM) will be completed in 2015 and residents are insisting that this project be completed as soon as possible. This is a national government project funded by DAP (Disbursement Acceleration Program), which was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. ■
BY LEILA B. SALAVERRIA Philippine Daily Inquirer
In front of Colegio de San Pascual Baylon (CSPB) Aug. 8, 2014. PHOTO BY MICHAEL PEREZ
Business establishments in town, Aug. 8, 2014. PHOTO BY ZENY PEREZ
Obando Church, Aug. 8, 2014. PHOTO BY MEO SAN DIEGO
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MANILA, PHILIPPINES— Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago is pushing for the passage of a measure that would arm children with the information they need to prevent their being exploited. Santiago’s bill, filed earlier this month, seeks to put in place an age-appropriate curriculum for students from Kindergarten through Grade 8 that would provide instruction designed to prevent sexual abuse, abductions and exploitation. According to Santiago, child sexual abuse affects up to one in four girls and one in six boys. She noted an exploratory study conducted by the children’s aid organization Terre des Hommes Netherlands on the background and psychosocial consequence of webcam tourism in the Philippines, which confirmed the growing online child sex tourism trade in the country. The Department of Social Welfare and Development, from 2010 to 2013, had worked on 150 cases of child pornography and cyberpornography, she said. Santiago said that one way of protecting children was by giving them the knowledge to rec-
ognize predators and red flags. “The incidence of child sexual abuse, child sexual exploitation and child abduction can be reduced by raising awareness among young children of common dangers and warning signs, empowering children to better protect themselves from sexual predators, and teaching children how to obtain any necessary assistance or services,” she said in the explanatory note to her bill. In Santiago’s bill, the Department of Education, in consultation with parent-teacher associations, school officials and other stakeholders, shall provide assistance toward the development of an age-appropriate curriculum on the prevention of child abduction, sexual exploitation and abuse. It demands a curriculum developed according to the needs and abilities of pupils in successive grade levels that would teach them awareness skills, information and self-confidence and provide them support. The board of education or trustees of every school division would be tasked to provide the training and curriculum materials to teachers assigned to handle the subject. Santiago, in pushing for approval of her bill, said the damaging effects of child sexual abuse could last a lifetime. ■
Philippine News
AUGUST 22, 2014 FRIDAY 8
PH ‘triple action’ bid gets support of Asean Publisher Alan Yong Editor Melissa Remulla-Briones editor@canadianinquirer.net Associate Editor Laarni de Paula laarni.liwanag@canadianinquirer.net Community News Editor Mary Ann Mandap maryann.mandap@canadianinquirer.net Correspondents Ching Dee Angie Duarte Lei Fontamillas Frances Grace Quiddaoen Socorro Newland Bolet Arevalo Graphic Designer Victoria Yong Photographers Angelo Siglos Danvic Briones Solon Licas Operations and Marketing Head Laarni Liwanag (604) 551-3360 Advertising Sales Alice Yong (778) 889-3518 alice.yong@canadianinquirer.net Jennifer Yen 778-227-2995 Jennifer.yen@canadianinquirer.net PHILIPPINE PUBLISHING GROUP Editorial Assistant Phoebe Casin Graphic Designer Shanice Garcia Associate Publisher Lurisa Villanueva In cooperation with the Philippine Daily Inquirer digital edition Philippine Canadian Inquirer is located at 400-13955 Bridgeport Rd., Richmond, BC V6V 1J6 Canada Tel. No.: 1-888-668-6059 or 778-8893518 | Email: info@canadianinquirer. net, inquirerinc@gmail.com, sales@ canadianinquirer.net Philippine Canadian Inquirer is published weekly every Friday. Copies are distributed free throughout Metro Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg and Toronto. The views and opinions expressed in the articles (including opinions expressed in ads herein) are those of the authors named, and are not necessarily those of Philippine Canadian Inquirer Editorial Team. PCI reserves the right to reject any advertising which it considers to contain false or misleading information or involves unfair or unethical practices. The advertiser agrees the publisher shall not be liable for damages arising out of error in any advertisement. Member
BY CHRISTINE O. AVENDAÑO Philippine Daily Inquirer CHINA MAY have rebuffed the USbacked Philippine proposal, but Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario yesterday said the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) was responsive to Manila’s so-called triple action plan that called for a voluntary freeze on provocative actions in the South China Sea. ‘I think there were strong voices. Everyone agreed there is a problem and a need to come up with a solution and when we put the TAP (triple action plan) on the table, there were no objections. So I think the Asean understood,’ Del Rosario told reporters upon his arrival from Burma (Myanmar) where he attended the three-day Asean Ministerial Meeting and the subsequent Asean Regional Forum. Del Rosario said the Philippine proposal was ‘widely received,’ but he acknowledged the expression of support was ‘somewhat muted.’ A similar US proposal for a freeze on provocative acts in the South China Sea likewise got a cool response from China and some Southeast Asian nations at the Asean Regional Forum, an apparent setback to Washington’s efforts to thwart Beijing’s assertive actions. Tensions spiked in May when China parked a giant oil rig in waters claimed by Vietnam. The US and Philippine proposals sought to prevent such actions, but the rancor over the disputed sea has split the Asean, with several member states reluctant to jeopardize rising trade and investment ties with China. Del Rosario said the chair of the Asean referred the Philippine proposal for further study. Even so, he raised the possibility that the proposal would still be taken up at the Senior Officials Meeting that would take place before the Asean Leaders Summit in November. The Philippines put forward its proposal on Saturday that incorporated the US concept of a voluntary end to tension-producing activities in the South China Sea. The United States called for a freeze in actions that would change the status quo, such as seizing unoccupied islands and land reclamation. Obvious dangers
In addition to the immediate voluntary cessation of provocative acts, Manila’s plan called for the speedy conclusion of the code of conduct as well as long-term arbitration over disputes that would eventually resolve the claims under the United Nations Law of the Sea. During the Asean forum, US Secretary of State John Kerry said it was not enough to keep working on a longdelayed code of conduct for the South China Sea, where many nations have
Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario.
competing claims. ‘We think the urgency of developments means that it is not enough simply to wait for that solution to arrive,’ Kerry said. ‘Obvious dangers arise during waiting time. The claimants need to take steps now to lower the temperature.’ Kerry added that the United States believed ‘the obligation to clarify claims in keeping with international law applies to all claimants, not just China.’ Like Del Rosario, Kerry said he was ‘very pleased’ that Asean foreign ministers had included positive language about it in a statement. Several US officials had said earlier that the Asean statement was a setback to China because Beijing would have preferred the subject not be addressed at all. ‘I think we made the point that we came to make,’ Kerry said. Monitoring China
In the meantime, the United States will monitor actions in the South China Sea to see whether ‘de-escalatory steps’ are being taken, a senior official of the Department of State said on Monday, a day after Beijing repelled Washington’s pressure to rein in its actions in the disputed waters. The official spoke as Kerry arrived in Sydney for a meeting with Australian Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel to discuss increased defense and cybersecurity cooperation. The state department official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Australia, a close ally, had supported the US-Philippine proposal calling for a voluntary freeze on provocative actions in the disputed sea. Both Kerry and Australian Foreign
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PHOTO FROM SOLARNEWS.PH
Minister Julie Bishop attended the meeting in Burma before traveling to Australia together. The pair planned to explore follow-up actions to the Burma talks including an upcoming meeting between Asean members and China. Annual talks
Bishop is hosting the annual Australia-United States Ministerial Consultations in Sydney, where defense and security cooperation is expected to be high on the agenda along with developments in Iraq and Ukraine. Talks will include discussions on cooperation in ballistic missile defense, cybersecurity and maritime security, according to the senior state department official. ‘It’s an opportunity for them to align their defense policies as allies and to explore ways to expand security cooperation as well as strategic planning,’ the official said. The ministers will sign an agreement reached between US President Barack Obama and Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott on the deployment of US Marines to Australia for joint exercises and training in areas such as disaster relief. Some 1,150 US Marines are currently stationed in Darwin in Australia’s tropical north under a 2011 agreement that launched Obama’s strategic ‘pivot’ to the fast-growing Asia region. The Marine contingent, primed to respond to regional conflicts and humanitarian missions, is expected to swell to 2,500 by 2017. Obama’s pivot has irked China, which sees the move as an attempt to block its growing diplomatic, military and political influence across the region. ■
Philippine News
9 FRIDAY AUGUST 22, 2014
‘Noy undoing... ‘Let’s pray for the President so that he will be enlightened and he will listen to the real voices of his bosses.’ ❰❰ 3
Undoing Cory’s legacy
Legal experts said Mr. Aquino would undo his mother’s legacy if he allowed constitutional change to be able to run for a second term. ‘What had been prevented by Cory, [President Noy wants to do],’ Integrated Bar of the Philippines president Vicente Joyas said, using the nicknames of the President and his mother. Joyas said the term limit that the Constitution imposed on the President was aimed at preventing a return to the dictatorship that Mr. Aquino’s mother helped to defeat. The Constitution also grants the Supreme Court the power of judicial review, which is ‘meant to curtail the abuse of the executive branch, based on the experience of Cory and those who drafted’ the Charter, Joyas said. He said Mr. Aquino’s view that the judiciary was such a strong branch that it was shaking the acts of both the executive and the legislative was wrong. ‘If you look at the Constitution, you will see that the weakest branch is the judiciary,’ Joyas said. He said the bar would study the legality of the move to amend the Constitution. ‘Once we see any violation of the Charter, we will file a petition in the Supreme Court,’ Joyas said. He said, however, that he doubted there was still time to complete the amendment of the Constitution in time for the 2016 presidential election. Avarice for power
Lawyer Harry Roque, one of the petitioners in the DAP case in the Supreme Court, said the 1987 Constitution was the living legacy of Mr. Aquino’s mother. ‘The single term for the President is intended as a guard against avarice for power. Unfortunately [President Aquino] fell for it, and is now going against his mom’s legacy,’ Roque said. Sol Mawis, dean of Lyceum of the Philippines College of Law, said the Supreme Court just did its job in ruling against the DAP and its ruling was based on the Constitution. ‘When the Supreme Court reviewed and checked the acts of the executive, the review was within the Constitution itself. Precisely, the DAP decision is an example of checks and balances,’ Mawis said. ‘The Supreme Court just did what they’re supposed to do: To interpret and apply the law,’ she added. Fr. Ranhilio Callangan Aquino, dean of San Beda Graduate Law School, said he would join street protests if Mr. Aquino proceeded with the plan to amend the Constitution. He said Mr. Aquino was ‘consistent in
his inconsistency.’ ‘After repeatedly rejecting Charter amendments, [the President] springs on the nation another surprise. He is open to Charter change if this benefits him in two ways: Extends his term and keeps the judiciary in subservience to his caprice,’ Father Aquino said. Judiciary’s powers
Tony La Viña, dean of Ateneo de Manila University College of Law, said on his Facebook and Twitter accounts that he supported constitutional changes but not efforts to clip the Supreme Court’s powers. ‘The power of judicial review does not exist because of the Constitution but by virtue of judicial power. Even if you do away with the current constitutional provision defining judicial power and include within it the power of judicial review, the Supreme Court can still exercise that power as the [ judiciary] must do so to resolve actual cases and controversies,’ La Viña said. Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III, an administration ally, said he was open to constitutional change but this should not be limited to the economic provisions. He said there should be amendments to the political provisions as well. One idea that could be considered, he said, is giving the President two four-year terms. With two terms, the run for a second term would serve as a referendum on the President’s performance, he said. But Pimentel said he did not believe Mr. Aquino would take advantage of a chance to run for a second term. As for revisiting the power of judicial review, Pimentel said this could be done though he believed it was important to have a judiciary to which people could run for redress. Pimentel opposed the postponement of elections, saying it could not be justified.
Mike A cousin arrested for misuse of bank’s P230M BY JAYMEE T. GAMIL AND KRISTINE FELISSE MANGUNAY Philippine Daily Inquirer A COUSIN of former First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo, who has an outstanding warrant for syndicated estafa, was arrested at his home in the posh subdivision in Ayala Alabang in Muntinlupa City on Tuesday. Arrested was Benito Ramon ‘Bomboy’ Araneta, one of those accused of misappropriating nearly P230 million from a bank that went bankrupt in 2011, the Philippine National Police announced on Wednesday. Araneta is facing 15 counts of estafa for allegedly ‘colluding’ with former LBC Development Bank president Ma. Eliza Berenguer to defraud the bank. The case, earlier lodged in the Department of Justice (DOJ) by Philippine Deposit Insurance Corp. (PDIC) on behalf of bank depositors, is being heard at the Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 143. Presiding Judge Maximo M. de Leon issued a warrant for Araneta’s arrest on Aug. 1.
Erap’s view
Former President and now Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada, one of the leaders of UNA, yesterday said amending the Constitution was a ‘no-no.’ Estrada said Mr. Aquino should ‘stick’ to the current Constitution as his mother had faithfully abided by it. ‘The Constitution is clear. A President can serve only one term of six years,’ Estrada said. Military neutral
The military assured the nation that it would not interfere in the fresh controversy over constitutional change. ‘That is something very political,’ said Lt. Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang, chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. ‘These are a product of a vibrant democracy, of the political dynamics that is now happening in our country so we remain apolitical, nonpartisan,’ Catapang said. ■ www.canadianinquirer.net
Araneta was arrested at his home on Acacia Avenue in Ayala Alabang at 4:10 p.m on Aug. 12. He did not resist the arrest made by a joint team from the PNP Intelligence Group-National Capital Region and the Muntinlupa City police, the PNP spokesperson, Chief Supt. Reuben Theodore Sindac, said at a press briefing. A statement, posted in 2013 on the PDIC website, said the PDIC complaint in the DOJ accused Berenguer of directly instructing the principal officers of LBC Bank to divert funds of the bank to deposit accounts owned by Araneta and five other borrowers from October 2006 to January 2008. Never paid loan
‘Araneta was able to borrow money totaling P229,469,505.10. In collusion with Berenguer, he was able to appropriate the money for his personal use. During the stint of Berenguer as president, it was shown that Araneta already paid the loan, but in fact, he never returned the money he borrowed from LBC Bank,’ ❱❱ PAGE 14 Mike A
Philippine News
AUGUST 22, 2014 FRIDAY 10
P-Noy: AFP MRT train skids, rams Taft ‘butchers’ no more station; 38 injured BY NIKKO DIZON Philippine Daily Inquirer PRESIDENT AQUINO yesterday hailed the Armed Forces of the Philippines for its transformation from perceived human rights violator to defender of the people, as he led the ceremonial distribution of new assault rifles to Army and Marines personnel. Mr. Aquino made a brief but pointed reference to the previously dismal human rights record of the military when he mentioned the capture of retired Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan in his speech at Camp Aguinaldo. He said, without naming Palparan, that one of the country’s ‘most wanted’ had been arrested on Tuesday morning and that he would undergo the ‘right and just process to allow him to answer the charges of abuse against him.’ ‘Now we can say that where your ranks used to be feared as butchers, today you are respected and trusted as true allies of the Filipino people,’ Mr. Aquino said in Filipino. Now respected, trusted
‘You respond to disasters, you are there even in times of danger and uncertainties, you ensure that communities can sleep soundly. And you have proven that when we have the Filipino people as our allies, nothing is impossible,’ he added. About two weeks ago, coup rumors broke out after Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV said retired generals allied with former President Gloria Macapagal-
Arroyo were testing the waters for a possible destabilization plot. The day after Trillanes’ warning, tanks and military trucks were seen traversing Edsa. The AFP said then there was nothing to be alarmed about—the vehicles were on a logistics run. Logistics run
It turns out the trucks were carrying the M4 assault rifles that were to be delivered to various Army and Marine units. Yesterday, at the ceremonial turnover, the President handed over new rifles to 10 Army and Marine personnel. A known gun aficionado and shooting enthusiast, Mr. Aquino inspected one rifle as he held it in his hands. He has taken pride in the fact that the Department of National Defense and the military were able to purchase the Remington-made rifles for P34,402 each compared to the earlier price of P63,000. In his State of the Nation Address last month, the President boasted the government was able to save P1.2 billion in the purchase of 50,629 rifles under the AFP Capability Upgrade Program. The last time the AFP acquired brand new rifles was in 1987 under the Self-Reliant Defense Posture (SRDP) program. Mr. Aquino recalled that as a representative, he watched a Balikatan exercise video showing Filipino soldiers spraying WD-40 oil on the front sight of their rifles to make them work. Worse, the soldiers had to get the oil from the Americans. ■
BY ANNELLE TAYAO-JUEGO AND MIGUEL R. CAMU Philippine Daily Inquirer A METRO Rail Transit (MRT) train overshot the tracks at the Taft Avenue station at the corner of Edsa and Taft Avenue in Pasay City around 4 p.m. yesterday, injuring 38 passengers. The train, which had broken down at the Magallanes station, was being pushed by an operational train toward Taft Avenue, the last station on the MRT 3 line. In a radio interview, MRT spokesperson Hernando Cabrera said that as the second train was pushing the first, the coupler between the two broke, causing the first train to ram into the metal stopper, which gave way. The train then broke through the metal railings at the end of the station and hit a lamppost, which fell to the ground because of the impact. A motorcycle parked outside the station was crushed. Passengers, injured from the impact, were taken to San Juan de Dios and Pasay City General hospitals, said Senior Supt. Florencio Teodosio Ortilla, Pasay City police chief. Standard operating procedure
Around 38 passengers were wounded or suffered fractures and other injuries, said Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya. The standard operating procedure should have been to let passengers on the first train get off before it was pushed to the next station. Cabrera said that because the first train had broken down due to technical difficulties, the automatic brake kicked in, a builtin safety feature to prevent runaway trains. The brake was deactivated to allow the second train to push the first one forward so it could be brought to the Taft station for inspection. Freewheeled
In his State of the Nation Address last month, the President boasted the government was able to save P1.2 billion in the purchase of 50,629 rifles under the AFP Capability Upgrade Program. PHOTO FROM BALITA.COM
The second train had to unload passengers at Magallanes station in order to push the first train. The whole procedure was standard MRT operation auwww.canadianinquirer.net
The train then broke through the metal railings at the end of the station and hit a lamppost, which fell to the ground because of the impact. A motorcycle parked outside the station was crushed. PHOTO FROM RAPPLER.COM
thorized by the assigned duty officer at the control center in Quezon City, Cabrera said. Because the first train did not have its brakes on when the uncoupling happened, it freewheeled past the end of the tracks and metal barrier, Cabrera added. Abaya said police and MRT management were still investigating to see if the accident was caused by human or technical error. They were checking if the coupler was engaged properly before the trains ran or if it had uncoupled while the two trains were running. Pasay City Mayor Antonino Calixto went to the scene of the accident to inspect the damage. Ortilla said MRT operations would not be stopped or delayed by the accident. Regular train schedules will still be followed. The government, through the dotcmrt_3 Twitter account, said at 5:15 p.m. that the MRT 3 was operating both southbound and northbound lanes but delays should be expected when approaching the Taft station, as they were using a ‘single track’ in reversing. ‘MRT regrets the unfortunate incident. The management will extend all necessary assistance to those injured and who suffered inconveniences,’ it said. The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) said it was ready to assist commuters in
the aftermath of the accident. ‘I will ask our city bus operators to ferry stranded MRT passengers,’ LTFRB Chair Winston Ginez said when asked for comment. Safety concerns
The accident brings to the fore concerns about the integrity of MRT 3, one of three elevated railways serving Metro Manila that has been suffering from congestion. It currently serves well over half a million people every day, above its intended capacity of 350,000 per day. In recent months, the line has drawn sharp criticism from riders for long queues at its stations during rush hours. Incidents include computer glitches and loss of power. MRT 3 was also hit by a management shakeup in May, when then MRT 3 general manager Al Vitangcol III was sacked following conflict-of-interest allegations over a train maintenance deal. In response to overcrowding at the railway line, one of the most inexpensive forms of public transportation in Metro Manila, the government has moved to acquire new trains. The contract for 48 new train cars was eventually won by China’s Dalian Locomotive and Rolling Stock Co. The new trains, which will be delivered in batches, will arrive by the middle of 2015. ■
Philippine News
11 FRIDAY AUGUST 22, 2014
Aquino regrets most Luneta hostage tragedy BY TJ BURGONIO Philippine Daily Inquirer IF THERE was any decision he regretted as President, it was giving an order that ended up being misunderstood and which led to the death of eight Chinese tourists and a hostagetaker in August 2010, President Benigno Aquino III said in an exclusive TV5 interview aired Friday night. “I was new in my job, roughly a month,” Mr. Aquino recalled of the botched rescue attempt of a busload of tourists held hostage at Luneta Grandstand by dismissed Police Senior Insp. Rolando Mendoza, who wanted to be reinstated to his post. “I thought I should be the one to negotiate with Captain Mendoza. ‘Can I just promise you: Come down, and I’ll personally see to it that your concern is addressed,’” the President recalled thinking. His suggestion was shot down as being too risky. “I heeded their warning that I would be putting many lives at stake if I went there and negotiated with Captain Mendoza,”
Mr. Aquino added of the crisis that served as his baptism of fire in office. The death of the Chinese tourists from the bungled rescue attempt drew protests from Hong Kong and Beijing, strained relations between the Philippines and China and led to a “black” travel advisory against the Philippines, until the crisis was resolved in April this year after negotiations initiated by Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada. The President said a miscommunication occurred when he ordered the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) director to be on top of the situation. Strange turn of events
By some strange turn of events, it was the Manila police director who ended up assuming a key role in ending the crisis, Mr. Aquino said. “I couldn’t understand why suddenly—the director of the Manila Police District took command when he was not as trained as the NCRPO commander [in handling a hostage crisis],” the President said. “When the day ended, I was
individuals, could total HK$20 million (about P115 million), according to a Manila councilor. Criminal charges
The death of the Chinese tourists from the bungled rescue attempt drew protests from Hong Kong and Beijing, strained relations between the Philippines and China and led to a “black” travel advisory against the Philippines, until the crisis was resolved in April this year after negotiations initiated by Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada. PHOTO FROM EN.WIKIPEDIA.ORG
advised—I won’t mention the name of one of the scene commanders— [who] said ‘it looks like we just have to wait a little bit more and it would end well.’ Then suddenly, the bus moved, and Captain Mendoza turned violent,” he recounted. The Aug. 23, 2010, crisis dogged the Aquino adminis-
www.canadianinquirer.net
tration until it was resolved in April this year, following months of negotiation with Hong Kong, Manila’s expression of “sorrowful regret” and an offer of compensation to the victims’ families. The compensation, described as “tokens of solidarity” and raised by traders and private
In October 2010, the President called for the filing of minor criminal charges, among them “neglect of duty,” against four police officers handling the crisis, as well as administrative charges against then Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim and a deputy ombudsman. Lim and then Interior Undersecretary Rico E. Puno were held accountable by the Incident Investigation and Review Committee tasked to look into the incident. In its decision released this week, the National Police Commission also dismissed from service SPO2 Gregorio Mendoza, the brother of the hostagetaker “for [failing] to perform his duty as part of the negotiating panel … and adding to the problem,” and meted out a onerank demotion to other police officers involved in the rescue attempt “for gross incompetence.” ■
Philippine News
AUGUST 22, 2014 FRIDAY 12
New China incursion hit Aquino: 2 Chinese ships seen at Recto Bank BY CHRISTIAN V. ESGUERRA Philippine Daily Inquirer MANILA, PHILIPPINES— President Aquino has sounded the alarm over the presence of two new Chinese vessels near the oil-rich Recto Bank (Reed Bank) in the West Philippine Sea. Citing a military report, the President called attention to the presence of the Chinese hydrographic research vessels at Recto Bank despite a Washington-backed Philippine proposal for a freeze on activities that escalate tensions over territorial disputes in the South China Sea. The West Philippine Sea is part of the South China Sea within the Philippines’ 370-kilometer exclusive economic zone (EEZ). “What are they doing there? What studies are they conducting? I hope [their presence] will not lead to increased tension between [the Philippines and China],” Aquino told TV5, which had been airing an interview with the President in a series that started on Wednesday night. The network aired the full interview Sunday night. “Just a reminder, Recto Bank is [144 km] from Palawan so it is clearly within our [370-km] exclusive economic zone.” But China, which claims 90 percent of the 3.5-millionsquare-kilometer South China Sea, sent the ships anyway and by the Philippine military’s description the vessels were surveying and charting the area. Aquino did not say when the military spotted the vessels and when he was briefed on the matter. But he said the incursion was the latest in what he described as China’s “seasonal” attitude toward its territorial dispute with the Philippines. “Whenever we deal with China, and with all due respect, it’s like [its attitude] is seasonal,” he said in Filipino. “There’s a season when China’s belligerent. There’s a season when it’s friendly. There’s a time when it goes on a charm offensive. There’s a time when it doesn’t,” he said. Despite the Philippines’ ef-
forts to resolve the territorial dispute peacefully, Chinese incursions into Philippine waters have not stopped, Aquino said. He cited the presence of the two research vessels at Recto Bank as the latest case of Chinese intrusion into Philippine territory. It was unclear when the two Chinese vessels arrived in the area, but their presence there was the first provocative act of Beijing since it rejected the USPhilippine proposal for a freeze in activities that escalate tensions in the sea, which Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario tried to push at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Regional Forum (ARF) in Naypyidaw, Burma (Myanmar), last week. Three-step plan
The proposal was part of the Philippines’ three-step plan for a peaceful settlement of territorial disputes in the South China Sea. The two other steps are the conclusion of a code of conduct that would prevent rival claims from erupting into conflict and the settlement of the disputes through international arbitration. Daniel Russel, the top US diplomat in Asia, was the first to propose the freeze on July 28, but China, which rejects US involvement in the disputes, turned it down, saying the tensions in the region were only being exaggerated by some of the claimants, referring to the Philippines and Vietnam. The Asean foreign ministers did not discuss the US-Philippine freeze proposal at the ARF because there was already the Declaration of Conduct of the Parties in the South China Sea that the bloc and China signed in 2002 to prevent the escalation of tensions over the territorial disputes, the Asean secretariat said. Competing claims
Besides China, the Philippines and Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia and Taiwan also claim parts or all of the South China Sea. China grabbed Panatag Shoal (Scarborough Shoal) from the Philippines after a two-month maritime standoff in 2012. It
Citing a military report, President Aquino called attention to the presence of the Chinese hydrographic research vessels at Recto Bank despite a Washington-backed Philippine proposal for a freeze on activities that escalate tensions over territorial disputes in the South China Sea. PHOTO FROM AP-PERSPECTIVE.BLOGSPOT.COM
is reclaiming land on at least five reefs in the West Philippine Sea and is harassing supply ships to stop them from restocking a small Philippine garrison aboard the BRP Sierra Madre, a naval vessel that Manila grounded on Ayungin Shoal (Second Thomas Shoal) in 1999 to mark Philippine territory in the contested Spratly archipelago. Without military muscle to confront China, the Philippines took the territorial dispute to the United Nations International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (Itlos) last year for arbitration. China has refused to take part in the proceedings, but the tribunal has ordered it to comment on the Philippine case by Dec. 15. PH sovereign rights
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) maintains that the Philippines “has the exclusive sovereign rights over Recto Bank.” “Recto Bank or Reed Bank is not an island, or a low-tide elevation. Rather, it is a completely submerged bank that is a continental margin of Palawan… It forms part of the [370km] continental shelf of the Philippine archipelago under the United Nations Convention www.canadianinquirer.net
on the Law of the Sea,” DFA spokesman Charles Jose said in July, rejecting China’s complaint about a London-listed company’s drilling operations at Recto Bank. In his television interview, Aquino recalled that a vessel that belonged to the British company Forum Energy Plc was once driven away by a Chinese ship even if it was operating within Philippines waters. “Now their ships are in the same area, the Recto Bank,” Aquino complained. Philippine license
In February 2010, Forum Energy obtained from the Philippines a license for Service Contract 72 (SC72), which covers 880,000 hectares within the Recto Bank basin. The Philippines’ Philex Petroleum Corp. is the controlling shareholder of Forum Energy. SC72 has a seven-year exploration period extendible by three years and a 25-year production period that can be extended by 15 years. The service area includes the Sampaguita gas field, discovered in 1976, and a number of leads identified from earlier seismic evaluation. Forum Energy has been ready to start exploration in the area, but the dispute between
the Philippines and China has been a stumbling block to its operations. The Philippines, however, has extended Forum Energy’s service contract up to Aug. 15, 2016. Chinese permit?
But the Chinese foreign ministry insisted that such explorations required permit from Beijing, an assertion flatly rejected by the Philippines. In March 2011, two Chinese gunboats went too close to a vessel that was surveying at Recto Bank for oil and gas deposits, forcing the Philippine military to send aircraft and vessels to drive the Chinese boats away. In April 2012, Philex said in a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange that Forum Energy had a report that was “expected to show an improvement in the resources previously known” in the Sampaguita gas discovery at Recto Bank. Earlier, Forum Energy said that based on a 2006 study, the Sampaguita field had a potential of up to 566 billion cubic meters of natural gas, more than five times the initial estimate. ■ With a report from Inquirer Research
Philippine News
13 FRIDAY AUGUST 22, 2014
COA questions...
Philippines protests...
Grade 1 “pre-identified by the legislators and the ADF for a period of 120 days except for certain legislators who specifically indicated the number of feeding periods in their areas.” The ADF is the Assisi Development Foundation led by former Ambassador Howard Q. Dee as chair and Victoria Elisa “Viel” Aquino Dee. In its annual audit report on the National Dairy Authority (NDA), the COA cited dubious signatures, faulty monitoring systems, conflicts of interest in the procurement of milk and the failure of the program to live up to the DAP’s goal to be an economic stimulus. The NDA is an attached agency of the Department of Agriculture. The COA noted the P229.636million milk feeding program did not contribute to the DAP’s goal of stimulating the economy because only 73 percent or P167.44 million was disbursed in September 2012 to the first and second batches of lawmakers. No fund releases were made to the third and fourth batches of lawmakers while the fifth batch was allocated funds outside of the special allocation release order (Saro) and notice of cash allocation (NCA). Of the DAP funds channeled to the NDA only half, or P87 million, was spent for 33 projects. The COA said that of the 56 projects proposed by 51 legislators, only 28 projects worth P82.165 million were completed; 10 projects worth P30.701 million were ongoing; nine projects worth P30.058 million had yet to be started; three projects worth P10.5 million were not yet obligated; and the remaining six projects worth P21.7 million had no notices of cash allocation yet.
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No reply from Abad
“The ADF’s Hapag-Asa Nutrition Program was not yet started though funds of P2.770 million were already obligated,” COA said. The ADF still had P51.648 million from its allocation, which was supposed to have been deployed to milk feeding programs in Regions IV-B, V, VI, VIII, IX, X, XII, XIII and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. Budget Secretary Florencio Abad did not reply to the Inquirer’s query as to why the ADF was
The COA noted the P229.636-million milk feeding program did not contribute to the DAP’s goal of stimulating the economy because only 73 percent or P167.44 million was disbursed in September 2012 to the first and second batches of lawmakers. PHOTO FROM S702.PHOTOBUCKET.COM
chosen to be a recipient of the DAP project. The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) issued a Saro and NCA on Dec. 22, 2011, (or 11 days after the House of Representatives impeached then Chief Justice Renato Corona) for the release of P229.636 million for the implementation of 57 milk feeding programs of the 52 proponents and the ADF. The lawmakers were endorsed by Speaker Belmonte while the ADF’s Hapag-Asa Nutrition program was endorsed by Abad. Abad defended his endorsement of the ADF. “They’re a legitimate NGO doing relief and rehab work in Mindanao and calamity-devastated areas. You should examine their track record,” he said in a text message. In its reply to the COA, the NDA, led by Administrator Grace J. Senas, blamed the sluggish pace of the milk feeding program on “the non-readiness of some legislators; withdrawal of intent to pursue the projects by the legislators in the 2nd district of Marikina City, 2nd districts of Lanao del Sur and Manila; and the absence of advisories from other legislators.” The NDA explained that it had intended to fast-track the project by releasing the funds on a first-come first-served basis, which explained why the DBM issued a blanket authority to avail itself of funds for the lawmakers who were ready but were in the latter batches. Questionable signatures
The COA has recommended that the NDA return all unused
DAP funds to the Bureau of Treasury in compliance with the Supreme Court decision last month declaring the DAP unconstitutional. In its findings, the COA said there was “no assurance” that 6.7 million packs worth P87.002 million procured by 31 legislators would be “completely delivered” to 104,575 beneficiaries “due to questionable signatures affixed to the documents and incomplete documents (delivery and acceptance receipts, sales invoice and distribution lists) supporting the transactions.” “Further scrutiny of the supporting documents showed that the following factors cast doubt as to the completeness of the deliveries made and distribution to beneficiaries: questionable signatures affixed to the supporting documents; incomplete documentation to disbursements totaling P27.045 million; possible conflict of interest between the proponent legislator and the supplier; and existence of pecuniary interest on the part of the NDA milk feeding coordinator, who also represented the supplier of milk packs,” COA said. The agency said that “signatures of the legislators’ representatives on the supporting documents appeared to be different when compared with their signatures affixed to the certification issued by the concerned legislators that they are the latter’s authorized representatives.” The COA also found out that the persons receiving the goods were not the authorized representatives of the legislators. ■ www.canadianinquirer.net
China Sea, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Monday. The department’s spokesman, Charles Jose, said the “pattern of illegitimate sovereignty patrols” in the Philippines’ 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone were part of China’s efforts to change the status quo in the South China Sea in violation of the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea and a 2002 regional accord that called for an end to tensionproducing actions in the disputed waters. President Benigno Aquino III, in an interview with Manila’s TV5 network aired late Sunday, said the military recently spotted two Chinese “hydrographic ships” in Reed Bank, about 85 nautical miles from western Palawan province, but it was not clear what the maritime survey vessels were doing. The Reed Bank is a potentially oil and gas rich area. Chinese ships tried to drive away a Philippine exploration vessel there in March 2011. A Philippine general deployed two air force planes, but the Chinese patrol ships had left by the time the
aircraft reached the contested area. Peter Paul Galvez, spokesman for the Philippines’ Department of National Defence, said the presence of the maritime survey vessels were monitored at the Reed Bank in June. “We are protesting the conduct of sovereignty patrols by Chinese vessels on Recto Bank,” Jose said, using the Philippines’ name for Reed Bank. “The frequent passage of Chinese vessels in Recto Bank is not an innocent exercise of freedom of navigation but is actually done as part of a pattern of illegitimate sovereignty patrols in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone pursuant to China’s unilateral effort to change the status quo in the South China Sea.” There was no immediate reaction from the Chinese Embassy. China and the Philippines, along with Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam, have been contesting ownership of mostly barren islands, islets, reefs and surrounding waters in the South China Sea for years. ■
Davao declares Ramon Bautista as “persona non grata” BY LEI FONTAMILLAS Philippine Canadian Inquirer DAVAO CITY—Led by Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, the Davao City Council recently proclaimed comedian Ramon Bautista as “persona non grata” in the city, citing that “he is an extremely corrupt influence to the youth” and “his abusive behavior should not be tolerated.” The declaration resulted from Bautista’s remark during the Kadayawan Festival celebration in Davao last weekend. During the rave party, Bautista said “ang daming hipon dito sa Davao.” He also encouraged the people to chant “hipon.” “Hipon” or shrimp is the colloquial term used to describe a person who has an attractive
body but an unattractive face. Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte reprimanded Bautista for what he did, for which the latter apologized. Bautista also issued a public apology through his Twitter account to which he owned up for the mistake that he did. Bautista also said that he is ready to accept the consequences of what he did. Aside from that, the resolution also mentioned that Bautista’s act of posting his photo with three young girls in his Instragram account is “wilfully and arrogantly intended to propagate a culture of sexism and male chauvinism that promotes rude and disrespectful behavior against women.” Bautista captioned his Instagram photo with this: “ito ang kabataan ngayon hihi. #kadayawan #PasisikatinKitaHijaFoundation. ■
Philippine News
AUGUST 22, 2014 FRIDAY 14
Lone informant to get P2-M reward for Palparan capture BY CYNTHIA D. BALANA Philippine Daily Inquirer A ‘SINGLETON’—the military’s term for a single, newly recruited informant—will receive the P2million reward for providing information that led to the capture of fugitive Jovito Palparan in Manila on Wednesday. In an interview with the INQUIRER yesterday, Maj. Gen. Eduardo Año, chief of the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (Isafp), corrected reports that the reward was P5 million and that it would go to the Naval Intelligence and to Security Group (NISF), the military unit that collaborated with the National Bureau of Investigation for the capture of the retired Philippine Army major general. Año said the informant had yet to receive the reward, as a process had to be followed for the turnover of the bounty from the Department of Justice (DOJ). Agents to be promoted
‘No, the reward will not go to NISF agents involved in the mission because the intelli-
gence unit is not authorized to receive rewards. There will be no monetary incentive because that’s our job,’ Año said. But the NISF agents involved in the mission will be promoted one rank higher and will get medals for their good job, he said. Palparan’s ATM tracks
Año said the informant was recruited specifically for the Palparan mission because of his close association with the retired general. ‘In intelligence gathering for high-value targets, we recruit people who have access to the targets,’ Año said. ‘So for this particular case of Palparan, the NISF recruited this informant for this mission only because the informant has access to Palparan,’ he said. Año said the informant alerted the NISF to a series of withdrawals by Palparan from different automated teller machines from a bank account that did not belong to him. The last withdrawal was at 3:30 a.m. Monday in Sta. Mesa district. The Isafp chief refused to identify the owner of the account, saying the DOJ would
Jovito Palparan.
deal with the account holder. He said that the NISF tracked Palparan through the locations of his ATM withdrawals until the transactions led the agents to a house near an ATM on Old Sta. Mesa Street. ‘It was the first time for this new informer for this kind of mission and he hit it,’ Año said. Task Force Runway
Año is the commander of Task Force Runway, a composite team of agents from the military
PHOTO FROM RAPPLER.COM
and the NBI formed last year by Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin on orders from President Aquino to capture Palparan, who went into hiding after being ordered arrested by a court in Malolos town, Bulacan province, in December 2011 over the 2006 abduction and disappearance of University of the Philippines students Karen Empeño and Sherlyn Cadapan. P-Noy ‘special mission’
Año said no other mili-
tary task force was formed to track down other high-profile fugitives such as former Palawan Gov. Joel Reyes and his brother, former Coron Mayor Mario Reyes, both wanted for the Jan. 24, 2011, murder of environmentalist and broadcaster Gerardo Ortega, and former Dinagat Rep. Ruben Ecleo, who is wanted for the 2002 murder of his wife Alona and running from a 31year jail term for graft handed down by the Sandiganbayan in 2006. Año said the Isafp considered the arrest of these fugitives ‘secondary missions’ for military intelligence units, such as the NISF, Army Intelligence and Security Group and Air Force Intelligence Group, because they were not threats to national security. The Isafp provides support to the Philippine National Police in the search for these fugitives, Año said. He acknowledged that Palparan was not considered a national security threat, but said the Isafp gave priority to Palparan’s case because it was a ‘special mission’ from the President. ■
Mike A... Sindac said, quoting the results of the PDIC probe when it took over the bank upon its closure on Sept. 9, 2011. Sindac said the ‘unsafe and unsound banking practices resulted in damage [to] an undeterminable number of depositors and [to] their hard-earned money.’ Araneta is now detained with the PNP Intelligence Group. Senior Supt. Allan Nobleza, Muntinlupa City’s chief of police, said the court did not recommend bail for Araneta. Nobleza said members of the PNP Intelligence Group of the National Capital Region spearheaded the operation while the city police acted as support. ‘(The IG) coordinated with us when the arrest was conducted,’ he explained. He said no firearms were found inside the house when police served the warrant. Roselyn Sato, who is in charge of criminal cases in Branch 143, said that as of 4:03 p.m. on ❰❰ 9
Wednesday, the court had yet to receive the report that Araneta had been arrested. ‘We’ve been hearing things (about his arrest) but we haven’t received the report that says who arrested him and other details yet,’ she said over the phone. She said once the report is submitted by the arresting authorities, a commitment order specifying where Araneta should be detained would be issued by the court. She did not, however, give a period within which the commitment order will have been issued. ‘That depends on the judge. We only give the documents (to be acted on),’ she said. In March 2013, state-run PDIC said an immigration lookout bulletin order had been ordered by the DOJ against Berenguer, Araneta and four other borrowers. The order was issued in response to the P229.5-million syndicated estafa case filed by PDIC against Berenguer, Araneta, Ma. Lourdes Senn, Ernes-
to G. Barrios, Charito S. Zambales and Francisco A. Climent for misappropriating the funds of LBC Bank, which was placed under receivership in 2011. According to the complaint, from October 2006 to January 2008, Berenguer directly instructed the principal officers of the bank to divert funds of the bank to the deposit accounts owned by the borrowers included in the case. In September 2011, PDIC said that it took over the assets and liabilities of LBC Bank, a unit of LBC Group, after the Monetary Board of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) determined that the institution was plagued by liquidity problems. Huge cash advances
LBC Bank, with head office on JP Rizal Street in Makati City, had 19 branches nationwide. As of end-June 2011, total deposits placed with the bank amounted to P6.09 billion, of which P3.73 billion was covered by insurance, PDIC said, citing bank records. www.canadianinquirer.net
Benito Ramon ‘Bomboy’ Araneta (inset), a cousin of former First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo, was arrested at his home. He has an outstanding warrant for syndicated estafa. PHOTO FROM INQUIRER.NET
It added that 99.4 percent of the 321,516 accounts were fully covered by deposit insurance. The BSP later said that LBC Bank had been making huge cash advances to its sister company, remittance firm LBC Express, which was why the thrift bank eventually became insolvent. Based on results of the central bank’s investigation, LBC Bank had been extending cash advances to LBC Express so that the latter could facilitate remittances to clients much
faster. Some of the cash advances remained unpaid, which added to the bank’s financial burden, said BSP Deputy Governor Nestor Espenilla Jr. Before its closure, LBC Bank had been under the Prompt Corrective Action program of the central bank for more than a year partly due to its practice of giving cash advances. LBC Bank was told to stop extending cash advances to LBC Express. However, the thrift bank did not comply. ■
Philippine News
15 FRIDAY AUGUST 22, 2014
Solon to take fight vs hidden pork to SC BY GIL C. CABACUNGAN Philippine Daily Inquirer ACT TEACHERS Rep. Antonio Tinio yesterday said he would carry the fight to stop the disbursement of P20.7 billion in ‘hidden pork’ in this year’s budget to the Supreme Court and the Office of the Ombudsman. Tinio’s group was frustrated in impeaching President Aquino for allegedly willfully endorsing the continued implementation of a pork barrel system in this year’s budget because it was deemed too late to beat the oneyear ban on impeachment complaints. The three other impeachment complaints against the President were forwarded to the House committee on justice for hearings the same day Tinio’s impeachment complaint was received. Under House rules, no impeachment complaint can be filed within a year after an impeachment complaint had been received by the House. ‘We would ask the Supreme Court to immediately issue a TRO (temporary restraining order) on the 2014 pork funds,’ Tinio said in a text message. Tinio said his group would also ask the Ombudsman to investigate further how the President and his Cabinet allegedly connived with lawmakers to continue the pork barrel system in the 2014 budget in breach of the Supreme Court ruling last year which declared the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) unconstitutional. ‘Our plan is to file possible criminal and other charges after the President steps down,’ Tinio said. P20.7-billion pork
Instead of complying with the court ruling, Tinio said the outlawed P20.7-billion PDAF was
is illegal but they are still doing it. The President did not let go of t h e
loosened up the processing requirements to allow faster transactions for their designated patients. CHED denial
In a statement yesterday, Licuanan denied Tinio’s allegations. She
said. ‘Underlying these established systems and procedures is the principle that the provision of assistance to poor but deserving Filipinos shall be transparent, open and fair to all who are qualified for the grants and scholarships, pursuant to reasonable guidelines and standards.’ Palace followed the law
spread out and inserted in the budget of six agencies to allow access by representatives: P23 million each for bridges and roads to be built by the Department of Public Works and Highways; P14 million each for scholarship grants under the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd); P14 million each for dole outs under the Department of Social Welfare and Development; P10 million each for medical aid through the Department of Health (DOH); P3.5 million each for training programs under the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda); and P3.5 million each for livelihood projects through the Department of Labor and Employment. ‘Even the Cabinet members know that giving lawmakers the equivalent of P70 million in pork each in the 2014 budget
tools of the trade of traditional politicians,’ Tinio said. Tinio’s ‘smoking gun’ evidence on the alleged executivelegislative deception consisted of audio recordings of meetings CHEd Chair Patricia Licuanan and Health Undersecretary Janet Garin had with lawmakers. Licuanan told representatives in an executive session of the House appropriations committee on Aug. 4 that the additional P14-million scholarship grants distributed to the agency’s regional directors were actually reserved for the lawmakers’ handpicked beneficiaries. Garin, a former Iloilo representative, also said during a House meeting on May 20 that the DOH had released medical grants to state hospitals and that the government had
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st r e s s e d that the CHEd did not have pork barrel funds. She said that when the Supreme Court decided against the PDAF in November last year, the funds for the implementation of the programs approved by Congress were assigned to executive departments. ‘The CHEd has been assigned the responsibility of administering the P4.1 billion in supplemental funds in 2014 for scholarships and grants for deserving students,’ she pointed out, adding that her agency had issued a policy defining its actions regarding the supplemental funds abiding by both the decision of the high tribunal and the General Appropriations Act (GAA) 2014 provisions on scholarships. ‘The lawmakers were given the opportunity to recommend their beneficiaries to CHEd but subject to these guidelines,’ she
During the regular press briefing yesterday, Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma was asked if Malacañang was aware that the CHEd and DOH had allowed congressmen to dip their fingers in disallowed pork this year. ‘I will just reiterate the guiding principle of the executive,’ Coloma said. ‘The 2014 national budget was enacted in a lawful manner and the executive branch followed the law, including the Supreme Court regarding that, and Congress also followed [the same order] in passing the budget.’ ‘If there’s any citizen or individual or organization that believes that there was a violation of the law, they can seek redress under our Constitution and our laws,’ he added. Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares yesterday reacted to a threat by Parañaque Rep. Gustavo Tambunting and Ako Bicol Rep. Rodel Batocabe that they would file an ethics complaint against Tinio for releasing confidential information extracted during an executive session. ‘Representative Tinio did not violate the wiretapping law because the hearings he recorded were conducted by public officials discussing the allocation of public funds in a public venue,’ Colmenares said. ‘The wiretapping law only pertains to a private conversation. The claim that an executive session is akin to a private conversation is bereft of any legal basis. ■
Opinion
AUGUST 22, 2014 FRIDAY 16
THERE’S THE RUB
Very bad idea By Conrado De Quiros Philippine Daily Inquirer P-NOY’S statement was really ambiguous. On one hand, he did say: “When I took this office, I recall that it was only for one term of six years. Now, after having said that, of course, I have to listen to my bosses.” On the other hand, he said as well: “(It doesn’t mean) I would automatically go after an additional term.” Listening to his bosses, he said, simply meant making sure that the reforms he started would continue after his term. Only the first part of that statement grabbed the public’s attention. For good reason: It is attention-grabbing. Only the day before, I was listening to Sonny Coloma on TV saying government wasn’t minding the issue of succession, it had better things to do, like meeting the people’s needs. Then suddenly this. It’s not only attentiongrabbing, it seizes the public by the neck and makes it face that way. Jojo Binay puts his protestation politely: “Any national leader would want to hear the voice of the people on issues that have far-reaching consequences. What is important is that the voice he hears is authentic and genuine, not one manufactured by quarters with vested interests who are driven mainly by self-preservation.” Friends and strangers, as well in-
deed as the denizens of social media, are less polite. Of course P-Noy listens to his bosses, they say, it’s just that his bosses are Mar Roxas and Butch Abad. Or making a pun on “bosses,” “Ang boses (voice) na naririnig niya ay sa mga kaibigan niya.” The criticism has been swift and widespread and won’t dissipate easily even after the Palace’s subsequent clarification that P-Noy won’t mount Charter change during his time. That criticism hasn’t just come from the usual suspects, though they have jumped at it, finding in P-Noy’s declaration an opportunity to accuse him of going against Edsa’s legacy. The legal community is up in arms, finding in P-Noy’s reason for amending the Constitution, which is the growing tendency of the Supreme Court to become domineering, the height of irony. In fact, the lawyers say, the opposite is true. It’s the executive that’s showing that tendency. Of course, they say P-Noy won’t find it the easiest thing in the world to change the Constitution, now or later. The netizens in particular, quite apart from the self-styled oppositionists, vow to join rallies to protest it. From where I stand however, PNoy’s remarks about reconsidering term limits and trying to change the Constitution are a very bad idea for a
far more basic reason. That is that he could run again—and lose. If he loses, it will be a repudiation of everything he has stood for. If he loses, it will be a rejection of the very legacy he means to preserve. The entire presumption in his running again which underlies the various objections to it is that if he does, he will win. That is by no means certain. He could lose. Indeed, if he runs again, he stands a very good chance to lose.
From where I stand however, P-Noy’s remarks about reconsidering term limits and trying to change the Constitution are a very bad idea for a far more basic reason. That is that he could run again—and lose. That is so because the conditions that made him president in 2010 won’t be there in 2016. In fact, the conditions in 2016 will be the opposite of what they were in 2010. In 2010, he was the most reluctant to run among the candidates. He took some time to decide to do so long after people were egging him to, which most people took to be sincere. Especially with Gloria Arroyo
being widely perceived as hungry for power, his reluctance held worlds of meaning and endeared him to the public, translating into phenomenal electoral numbers at the outset for someone who had come out of nowhere to contest the presidency. Someone asked me during a forum of Aksyon Demokratiko in August 2009, why P-Noy had become so popular, and I answered that his reluctance was one of the reasons for it. While the other candidates were atat-na-atat (eager) to run, I said, he wasn’t, which appealed to the voters. An answer Korina Sanchez took offense at, figuring I was referring to Mar Roxas. I wasn’t then, I meant the candidates in general. But I do now. Roxas is still atat-na-atat to run, except that the voters want him to run all the way to the sea. Reluctant to run is not how P-Noy will be seen in 2016. In 2010, P-Noy was seen as the opposite of Gloria, in the same way that Cory was seen as the opposite of Marcos, for uncannily parallel reasons. PNoy runs in 2016 and he will be seen not as the opposite of Gloria but as a variation of her. Especially in light of Gloria’s vow not to run in December 2003, which she forgot a few months later. Of course she won the following year only by helloing Garci, but that’s another story.
Of course as well, P-Noy did not make a vow not to run on Rizal’s grave, but he has something comparable. Which is that he might as well have done so on his mother’s grave. He will at least be judged by what his mother did, or did not do, which is to run again. Not quite incidentally, if he does change the Constitution and run again, he will be the first president to have done so after Edsa. Arguably, Arroyo was the first to do it unofficially, she got close to 10 years after January 2001, but not by changing the Constitution, only by insisting on it to the letter, specifically the provision allowing her to succeed Erap. The previous presidents, except for Cory, hankered for a second term but never managed it. It would be the irony to end all ironies if P-Noy, son of the icon of democracy and an icon of democracy himself, upon whose shoulders has fallen the mantle of Edsa, would be the first to break the mold. That irony will not be lost on the voters. As it is, P-Noy’s numbers have been falling steadily over the last year or so. Showing that his popularity is as good only as what he does. Amid widespread opposition, PNoy can always ram through and run again. Question is: Will he win? ■
AS I SEE IT
Why the Constitution should not be amended By Neal H. Cruz Philippine Daily Inquirer In a previous column, I said I have no objection allowing President Aquino another term by amending the Constitution if that will prevent Vice President Jejomar Binay from becoming president. But I am sure millions of Filipinos, me included, do not approve of Charter change to clip the powers of the Supreme Court (as President Aquino wants) or to allow foreigners to own land in the Philippines (as some congressmen have proposed) or to shift to a federal system of government (as Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III has suggested). The high tribunal is the only defense of the people against an abusive chief executive or a greedy Congress. Look what happened when President Ferdinand Marcos made the Supreme Court a lapdog during his term or when members of Congress were allowed to run amuck with the people’s money. It has often been said that the Supreme Court is already the weakest of the three branches of government. It has no police force or military to enforce its decisions. When the exec-
utive or legislative branches choose not to obey its decisions, it can do nothing but cite them for contempt, which it also cannot enforce without police power. Had the high court not declared the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) and Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) unconstitutional, the theft of the people’s money would still be continuing today. And President Aquino wants to circumvent that decision by having Congress redefine what “savings” means when it is so easy to look at the dictionary to find its meaning. That is why the Philippines is still a very poor nation in spite of the alleged economic growth. Instead of their taxes being used to serve the people, they are being stolen by public servants. The President’s desire to clip the powers of the high court is obviously in retaliation to the two recent decisions against his administration. He is obviously frustrated that he can no longer transfer funds to where they are needed. That is understandable, but that is not the fault of the high court but of the executive branch. Under the direction of the President,
the Department of Budget and Management prepares the annual budget that it submits to Congress for enactment. Why does it allocate insufficient funds for some projects and offices but allocate too much for others, thus necessitating the transfer of funds? The tribunal only interprets the laws passed by Congress. If the law is clear, there won’t be any need for the
Under the direction of the President, the DBM prepares the annual budget that it submits to Congress for enactment. Why does it allocate insufficient funds for some projects and offices but allocate too much for others, thus necessitating the transfer of funds? high court to interpret it. So who’s fault is it? On the proposal of some congressmen to amend the economic provisions of the Constitution, including allowing foreigners to own land in the Philippines, in order to
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encourage foreign investment and make the economy grow, why is the administration boasting that we have achieved economic growth, allegedly the highest in Asia? That economic growth was achieved under the present Constitution, so why change it? If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. There is an acute “hunger” for land in the Philippines. As we are witnessing, Filipinos will kill and die for land. The many revolts in our history were caused by landless Filipinos desiring to own land. The Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program was enacted to distribute big landed estates to landless farmers. The Philippines is a small country while its population is exploding. There are millions of Filipinos who have resorted to squatting because they cannot afford to buy land on which to build their homes. Yet congressmen want to allow foreigners to own what little land is left here. What are the lawmakers’ reasons for wanting to allow foreigners to own land here? To encourage foreign companies to invest here, they say. But foreign companies are already allowed by the Constitution to lease
land for 25 years, renewable for another 25 years. That is almost the same as owning it. In fact, many foreign companies are already doing it. So why change the Constitution? On the proposal to shift to a federal form of government to boost local autonomy, the proponents obviously want to imitate the American federal system. But Filipino politicians are different from American politicians. Our local politicians are more like the medieval feudal lords, petty tyrants enslaving the people. Look at some of the politicians controlling some provinces. They have private armies that sow terror in their territories and secret police that assassinate their own citizens. Given a little power, even some barangay officials are transformed into petty tyrants. A federal form of government will exacerbate all these. This is happening even in the United States. In such an enlightened nation, some local sheriffs and mayors behave like feudal lords. Some Filipino local politicians are already behaving like that. We should not make it worse by shifting to a federal form of government. ■
Opinion
17 FRIDAY AUGUST 22, 2014
PUBLIC LIVES
‘Antifragile,’ not just resilient By Randy David Philippine Daily Inquirer WE may never know what impelled P-Noy to say in a television interview that he is open to amending the Constitution to check judicial overreach and restore the equilibrium among the three branches of government. Add to this the admission made in the same TV appearance that he is no longer closing his mind to a lifting of term limits—and what we have is an attempt to shape the national discourse that is as risky as it is mystifying. All our presidents after Marcos have had to contend with the reality not only of diminished influence in the last two years of their term, but of being prematurely treated as if they no longer mattered. At around this time, the political system enters a stage when major pending programs of the administration are put on hold. The incumbent begins to be threatened with the filing of criminal suits from the moment his or her term ends. It is more than enough to discourage any president from pursuing any bold reform initiative. As it happens, the last two years of every president also tend to be marked by their lowest approval ratings. It is not easy to figure out why
this is so—whether this is a kind of penalty given for unmet expectations, or whether it is a way of signaling the fickle affections of public opinion. Whatever it is, incumbent presidents sooner or later simply lose their emotional connection with the public. When they do, they start to be kicked around not just by the media but also by the other branches of government. What is a president supposed to do under these circumstances? The conventional move has been for allies of the president to start a public clamor for an extension of the incumbent’s term. Without exception, all such attempts in the past have failed. They have always been equated with overweening ambition. P-Noy could not have been entirely oblivious of this. No matter how much support he may enjoy in Congress, it is simply impossible for him to mobilize enough public enthusiasm for this enterprise. So, what is he up to? First, I believe that what drives these recent declarations is not a sudden craving for a second presidential term, but a compelling need for clear assurance that he still has the public’s support as he securely puts in place the reform programs he has begun. I think he felt deeply hurt by the Supreme Court decision’s
unfortunate insinuation that his administration might be as corrupt as its predecessors. Second, I do not think this President wants Congress to set aside its legislative tasks in order to engage in the very highly divisive exercise of amending the Constitution. I cannot imagine anything more foolish than for P-Noy to cap his presidency by a wasteful attempt to extend it, knowing that among his fondest wishes is for Congress to pass the Bangsamoro Basic Law. Third, I strongly suspect that PNoy has been irked by the fact that people are so resigned to the inevitability of Vice President Jejomar Binay becoming president in 2016 that they are hovering around him as though he were the government-inwaiting. No president who is bent on completing his task until his last day in office could possibly draw comfort from a situation like this. Having seen the rare display of emotion with which he ended his recent State of the Nation Address, I surmise that the President has been nursing a personal pain that is sharper than what he felt at his mother’s passing. I wasn’t sure where it was coming from. I now think it came from his idiosyncratic reading of the
Supreme Court’s ruling on the Disbursement Acceleration Program. It wasn’t the declaration of unconstitutionality that wounded him so much as the Court’s suggestion that the policy measures that were struck down could not have been mere innocent lapses. I think he felt that his integrity was under question. And, he has reacted by accusing the Court of judicial overreach. In a society like ours where all kinds of innuendoes about politicians constitute the stuff of everyday media, P-Noy might be thought of as someone too onion-skinned to thrive in politics. Yet, when you think of it, no one in his place could have taken the Court’s decision lightly. Here is someone who takes exceptional pride in his moral DNA, who believes that the fight against poverty is best waged as a battle against corruption, and who wishes to be remembered for the moral fiber that undergirds every action of his administration. Integrity would be everything to him. He would not leave any implied accusation unanswered, even if it means taking on a Supreme Court that is wrapped in the sacred garments of the Constitution. People may think the timing is all wrong. Risky, maybe. But the timing
for this settling of accounts could be just right. Indeed, P-Noy’s approval ratings have undergone a steep decline. But that is because they had been uncommonly high for an unusual length of time. No one has shown this better than fellow Inquirer columnist Mahar Mangahas, who heads the polling firm Social Weather Stations. If one tracks the ratings for P-Noy’s administration over time, the recent drop to +29 would indeed be quite dramatic. Its highest rating was in June 2013, when it registered a record high of +66. But, compared to all previous presidencies since February 1989, when SWS began polling satisfaction with incumbent administrations, P-Noy’s watch has been quite exceptional. Says Mahar (Inquirer, 8/16/14): “The new record low rating under P-Noy is far better than the worst ratings under previous presidents.” Indeed, it is higher than “all of the 35 ratings of the long admin of Gloria Arroyo.” I see a President who is determined to risk all his remaining political capital to bring back the people’s trust in government. He is not stupid; he knows that the best way to lose that trust forever is by seeking a second term. ■
AT LARGE
When something happens By Rina Jimenez-David Philippine Daily Inquirer “MAY nangyari na (Something has already happened)” is the terse explanation given by a Filipino parent when queried why she (more frequently it is the mother) is marrying off her daughter. That “something” is usually sex, usually after the daughter “elopes” with her boyfriend or comes home after an unauthorized night out. There is even an unsavory Filipino saying to explain why the family honor must be upheld: Kapag ang aso kinagat ang buto, hindi pwedeng ito’y hindi malawayan (roughly, when a dog runs away with a bone, there is no way it won’t be licked), so that even if the young couple loudly protest that in fact “nothing happened,” nobody would believe them. Coming home to her hometown of San Jose, Nueva Ecija, and looking for a research topic for her doctoral dissertation, Maryknoll nun Sr. Teresa Dagdag (“Sister TD” to her friends) asked influential persons in her community what they considered the “biggest” problem in society. The common response, from parish priests to parents, was teenage marriage—young people getting married even if they lack the necessary prepa-
ration for it simply because the bride is pregnant. Initially planning her dissertation to focus on the “indigenization” of the Catholic marriage ritual, Sister TD decided to probe deeper into the social and cultural roots of early sex and marriage. The book “May Nangyari Na: Mga Kuwentong Kabataan” is a distillation of Sister TD’s research and analysis, an effort to bring her findings and conclusions to an audience beyond academic circles. At its heart are interviews and case studies with 10 young women (out of about 60 interviewed) in Nueva Ecija and in Jala-jala, Rizal, where the Maryknoll sisters have a mission. “This book takes a studied look at the junctures from socialization to marriage,” writes Sister TD, “a path which is marked by decision making.” When forced to make a decision—to enter a relationship or not (courtship), to take the relationship seriously, to engage in sex, to enter into marriage—young people need “the anchoring and connectivity of their parents,” says Sister TD. But too often, this parental help line is unavailable, judgmental, or half-hearted. *** Key to how a young woman survives the transition from girlhood to
adolescence to womanhood, says Sister TD, is the “mother-daughter dyad,” their exchange of communication, information, values and confidences, and how these bear on the process of making life choices. In much of her research, says Sister TD, “the father is usually invisible or absent.” But what happens in many cases, the Maryknoll nun finds, is that in the absence of a genuine mother-daughter dynamic, when “something happens,” social factors come into play. We are all familiar with the pressure put on the family of the disgrasyada or disgraced woman, who is suddenly burdened with the responsibility of upholding the family honor. And much too often, this means marrying the father of one’s child, thereby “restoring” the family’s name, or “face.” And thus does marriage—hurried, furtive, falsely celebratory—become what Sister TD describes as “a community response to an otherwise stigmatized outcome.” *** Explaining why she persevered in the years between research, writing and publishing, Sister TD says that foremost in her mind was the desire “to share with parents, mentors, educators and counselors and with young people” the thoughts, feelings,
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experiences and life-lessons shared by the teenage wives and mothers she interviewed. She also wanted to encourage youth-carers “to support and accompany young people as they explore positive sexuality,” as well as to share the aspirations “of young people who had become mothers.” A supporter of the Reproductive Health Law, Sister TD advocates the crafting of a sex and sexuality education curriculum that takes into consideration young people’s values, self-image, and aspirations, as well as awareness of one’s body, emotions, and reactions. At present, the Maryknoll nun observes, “sex education is only about menstruation,” what was once known as “hygiene.” Sister TD also thinks a serious examination of gender structures and gender expectations is needed when teaching healthy decision-making among young people. She cites the language used by many of her respondents: “ginamit” (used), “nilaspag” (run to the ground) when referring to their sex lives, references to their view of themselves as machines. *** During the book launch of “May Nangyari Na” at Miriam College, two reactors gave linked and contrasting
testimonies around the matter of teen sexuality. Edna, a community leader, spoke movingly of early sex viewed from the parent’s perspective, telling the story of her daughter who left home while still in her early teens and putting them through the wringer as they traced her journey through delinquency and even prison. Erika, on the other hand, spoke of her experiences of being an 18-yearold “single mother” who, supported in her decision by her parents, continued to pursue her college education and is now gainfully employed. “It’s not easy,” she told the audience, especially because she is no longer in a relationship with her son’s father, “but I am thankful my parents did not force me to marry him.” When “something happens,” young women face a crossroads in their lives. In her book, Sister TD points out that there is no single path, no single destination, for them. The young woman has her whole life ahead of her, and she can make the right choices for herself only if the significant adults in her life take time to listen to and respect her story, her feelings, and her dreams, and provide support and emotional anchoring in a tumultuous time. ■
FRIDAY AUGUST 22, 2014
18
Canada News
Tory MP apologizes to Trudeau for turning home break in into partisan jab
NEWS BRIEFS
FROM THE CANADIAN PRESS
The Canadian Press OTTAWA—A Conservative MP has apologized for using news of a breakin at Justin Trudeau’s house as a chance to take a partisan poke at the Liberal leader. Yukon MP Ryan Leef says he’s written a personal note to Trudeau, apologizing for his inappropriate response to the break-in, which occurred early Saturday morning while Trudeau’s wife and three young children were asleep in their Ottawa home. Trudeau was in Winnipeg at the time. Sources say nothing was taken but some of the family’s butcher knives were left arranged on the kitchen floor. Atop the knives was a menacing message noting that the items could have been stolen and advising the family to lock the doors in future. In a tweet Sunday, Leef said: “Since Justin thinks budgets balance themselves maybe he thinks doors lock themselves.” Conservatives, including Prime Minister Stephen Harper, have repeatedly ridiculed Trudeau for suggesting last winter that the federal “budget will balance itself” as the economy grows. They maintain the comment is another sign that
OILPATCH TO SEE HIGHEST SALARY HIKES: SURVEY
Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau is re-evaluating the amount of time he spends on the road after his Ottawa home was burglarized while his wife and three young children were sleeping. PCI FILE PHOTO
Trudeau is “in over his head.” Leef acknowledged in a statement Monday that he should not have used the break-in to take another partisan jab at Trudeau. “The tweet was a tongue-in-cheek reply to an original tweet that was making light of possible responses to the break-in at Mr. Trudeau’s home,” Leef, a former RCMP officer, said in a written statement. “It was not in good taste to reply and in no way was it a reflection of how serious the incident is nor commentary on my commitment to public safety. “I deleted the post as an acknowledgment of its inappropriateness and
wrote a personal note to Mr. Trudeau and family expressing both my apology and my concern for their well being and piece (sic) of mind.” Trudeau has said his family has been badly shaken by the incident, which has given him “pause” about the amount of time his job requires him to be away from his wife and kids while he travels the country. The RCMP is currently conducting a risk assessment to determine what, if any, security measures should be taken to protect Trudeau and his family. The leader of the third party is not normally assigned a personal security detail or any other special police protection. ■
‘Society should be horrified;’ 15 year old found dead in Winnipeg river BY CHINTA PUXLEY AND STEVE LAMBERT The Canadian Press WINNIPEG—Officers are investigating the slaying of a 15-year-old aboriginal girl from rural Manitoba whose body was found wrapped in a bag and dumped in the Red River after she ran away from her foster home.
CALGARY—For the biggest pay hikes in Canada, look no further than the oilpatch. The energy sector continues to lead the country in both actual and projected salary increases, according to survey released Monday by global consulting firm Mercer.
Police on Monday identified the girl as Tina Fontaine, who was in the care of Child and Family Services and was reported missing Aug 9. Winnipeg police Sgt. John O’Donovan said Tina had only been in Winnipeg for a month, but was rebelling and had run away. Described as five-foot-three-inches tall and weighing only about 100 pounds, she was last seen in the city’s downtown Aug. 8. She was
wearing a white skirt, blue jacket and pink-and-white runners. Her body was pulled from the river Sunday. “At 15, I’m sure she didn’t realize the danger that she was putting herself in,” O’Donovan told a news conference. “She’s a child. This is a child that’s been murdered. Society would be ❱❱ PAGE 35 'Society should'
BORDER GUARDS SUSPENDED HELPING RCMP: UNION
AFTER
EMERSON, Man.—The union representing Canada’s border guards says three of its Manitoba members have been suspended without pay after leaving their posts at the request of the RCMP to help arrest a suspect. Jean-Pierre Fortin, president of the Customs and Immigration Union, says the guards were asked a few months ago to provide backup for the RCMP less than a kilometre away from the Canada-U.S. border in Emerson. The guards left their posts to help the Mounties, who were staking out a kidnapping suspect at a nearby hotel and bar, he said Monday. By Chinta Puxley in Winnipeg. AMBROSE DENIES ANTI-POT ADS AIMED AT TRUDEAU OTTAWA—Health Minister Rona Ambrose denies the federal government’s marijuana awareness campaign is aimed at Justin Trudeau. “Telling kids to not smoke pot is not a partisan attack on Justin Trudeau by Health Canada,” Ambrose told a news conference Monday on the sidelines of the annual Canadian Medical Association meeting. TSB PERMITTED LAC-MEGANTIC ENGINE’S U.S. TRIP MONTREAL—Canada’s Transportation Safety Board is shedding light on how the locomotive from the Lac-Megantic disaster ended up at a United States rail yard where it nearly went to auction. The TSB’s chief operating officer says the lead engine in last summer’s deadly derailment was shipped to the Maine facility after the agency tested the machine and removed key components for its investigation.
19 FRIDAY AUGUST 22, 2014
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World News
AUGUST 22, 2014
FRIDAY 20
Media: US and Australian couples prevented from leaving Thailand with surrogate babies BY ROD MCGUIRK The Associated Press CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA— Several couples from the United States and Australia have been prevented from leaving Thailand with surrogate babies as part of a government crackdown on the burgeoning commercial surrogacy industry, an Australian broadcaster reported Friday. Thailand's military junta, which seized power in May, has indicated it wants to ban commercial surrogacy in the Southeast Asian nation following recent publicity over allegations that an Australian couple had abandoned a baby boy born to a surrogate Thai mother after learning he had Down syndrome. The couple, who took the boy's healthy twin sister home, has said they wanted to bring the boy with them and the Thai surrogate has acknowledged she kept him because she feared he would end up in a state institution. On Thursday, two Australian same-sex couples were prevented by Thai officials from leaving the Bangkok airport
with babies born to Thai women, Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported. One couple had attempted to travel with the Thai surrogate mother in the hope of avoiding a challenge at the immigration desk, ABC said. Two U.S. couples were also prevented from leaving Thailand with babies in similar circumstances since Wednesday, ABC said. In Bangkok, Col. Suwitchphon Imjairatch, a Thai immigration police commander overseeing the city's Suvarnabhumi Airport, could not confirm those cases. However, he said he was aware of one heterosexual Australian couple that was stopped from leaving Thailand on Thursday with their surrogate baby “because their documents were not sufficient.” He had no other details. Thai officials told ABC the couples would have to apply for court orders to take the babies from the country, a process that could take months. Thai immigration police spokesman Col. Voravat Amornvivat said the Bangkok airport's immigration depar-
On Thursday, two Australian same-sex couples were prevented by Thai officials from leaving the Bangkok airport with babies born to Thai women, Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported. PHOTO BY BEN BRYANT / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
ture section had no record of Australian couples with surrogate babies who were barred from leaving Thailand. He said, however, that it might be possible that it was not flagged in the system. “If it did happen, it could be because the couples could not provide sufficient documents to prove that the babies are theirs,” Voravat said. “Under Thai law, in order to bring an
infant out of the country, it has to be proven that the infant is travelling with or accompanied by the parents. And due to the recent surrogacy issue, the authorities are stricter in keeping an eye on those leaving the country.” Melissa Sweeney, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok, said in an email that the embassy was aware of reports that some parents with
children born to surrogates have not been permitted to leave Thailand. Embassy officials were seeking clarification about Thailand's immigration requirements and talking to Thai government authorities to determine what the ramifications may be for U.S. parents who have already entered into surrogacy agreements in Thailand, she said. Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade on Friday would not confirm the ABC's report, citing privacy reasons. “We strongly urge Australians entering Thailand for the purposes of commercial surrogacy to seek independent legal advice in both Thailand and Australia before doing so,” the department said in a statement. “In particular, they should seek advice on the implications of any new exit requirements.” Scores of surrogates in Thailand are currently pregnant through Australian biological parents. ■ Associated Press journalists Thanyarat Doksone and Papitchaya Boonngok in Bangkok contributed to this report.
3 days of flooding in western Nepal leaves 54 people dead, 142 missing BY BINAJ GURUBACHARYA The Associated Press KATMANDU, NEPAL—Flooding and landslides in western Nepal have killed at least 54 people and left 142 missing amid continuous rainfall over the past three days, officials said Saturday. Ten districts in the area have been flooded, with rescuers recovering 54 bodies, police official Kesh Bahadur Shahi said, adding that the death toll is expected to rise. It has been raining since Thursday in the region, about 400 kilometres (250 miles) west of the capital, Kathmandu. Highways and roads were either flooded or blocked by land-
slides in the districts, stopping rescuers from reaching remote villages. Power lines were snapped and communication towers were knocked down by the flooding, stranding thousands of people in the area. Shahi, who is co-ordinating the rescue efforts, said there were tens of thousands of people in the villages who could not be reached. Farmlands were washed away and houses were flooded, forcing people to flee to higher ground. The poor weather conditions were also making it difficult for rescue helicopters to reach the area. Trucks loaded with emergency supplies, food, tents and plastic sheets were be-
ing sent to the flooded area, but their reach was limited by the blocked roads, Shahi said. Heavy rain and landslides have also killed 24 people in neighbouring India's Uttarakhand state over the past two days, police official T.M. Tamta said. The state shares a border with Nepal. The rainy season in South Asia runs from June through September. Landslides in mountainous areas and flooding in the southern plains are common during the monsoon season. Earlier this month, a massive landslide near Kathmandu killed 156 people. Last year, more than 6,000 people were killed as floods and www.canadianinquirer.net
landslides swept through Uttarakhand state during the monsoon season. Heavy deforesta-
tion over the last few decades have made the area more vulnerable to landslides. ■
World News
21 FRIDAY AUGUST 22, 2014
As US bombs Islamic State group in Iraq, Syria’s embattled president strikes them at home BY ZEINA KARAM The Associated Press BEIRUT—As the U.S. military strikes the Islamic State group in Iraq, Syrian President Bashar Assad’s forces have significantly stepped up their own campaign against militant strongholds in Syria, carrying out dozens of airstrikes against the group’s headquarters in the past two days. While the government in Damascus has long turned a blind eye to the Islamic State’s expansion in Syria—in some cases even facilitating its offensive against mainstream rebels—the group’s rapid march on towns and villages in northern and eastern Syria is now threatening to overturn recent gains by government forces. While Islamic State militants have so far concentrated their attacks against the Western-backed fighters seeking to topple Assad, they have in the past month carried out a major onslaught against Syrian army facilities in northeastern Syria, capturing and slaughtering hundreds of Syrian soldiers and progovernment militiamen in the process. On Monday, Islamic State fighters were closing in on the last governmentheld army base in the northeastern Raqqa province, the Tabqa air base, prompting at least 16 Syrian government airstrikes in the area in an attempt to halt their advance. In the northern city of Aleppo, there is a sense of impending defeat among mainstream rebels as Islamic militants systematically routed them last week in towns and villages only a few kilometres (miles) north of the city. An Islamic State takeover of rebel-held parts of Aleppo also would be disastrous for Syrian government troops who have been gaining ground in the city in past months. “I think they (Syrian government) are finally realizing that their Machiavellian strategy of working with the Islamic State group against the moderates did not work so well, and so they have started to fight it,” said Andrew Tabler, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. But in hitting hard against the Islamic State group, Assad has another motive. His aerial bombardment of militant strongholds in Syria in a way mirrors that of the U.S. military’s airstrikes against extremists across the border in Iraq. Analysts say Assad’s strikes aim at sending a message that he is on the same side as the Americans, reinforcing the Syrian government’s longstanding claim that it is a partner in the fight against terrorism and a counterbalance to ex-
War-torn Iraq.
tremists. That comes after the U.S. itself nearly bombed Syria after it blamed Assad’s forces for a chemical weapons attack on rebel-held areas near Damascus last August. “Assad would surely love to regain international acceptance via a ‘war on terror’ and maybe that is his long-term plan, in so far as he has one,” Syria analyst Aron Lund said. Even while going against the Islamic State in Iraq, U.S. officials have shown little appetite for striking at the same militants in Syria. Asked about Syrian government airstrikes targeting the militants, State Department Deputy Spokeswoman Marie Harf rejected the notion that Washington and Damascus are “on the same page” in their fight against the Islamic State as a common enemy. “While we may be looking at some of the same targets, I think the fact ... that the Assad regime has allowed ISIS to flourish and grow in the way it has is really one of the main reasons they have grown so strong,” she said, using one of the acronyms for the Islamic State. Most of all, however, Assad can simply no longer afford to ignore the growing threat of the Islamic State now that it has started attacking his own forces. Since July, following their blitz in Iraq and after they declared a self-styled caliphate straddling the Iraq-Syria border, Islamic State fighters have methodically gone after isolated government bases in northern and eastern Syria, killing and decapitating army commanders and pro-government militiamen. The attacks started with a devastating onslaught on the al-Shaer gas field in Homs province in which more than 270 Syrian soldiers, security guards and workers were killed. Last month, the jihadis overran the sprawling Division 17 military base in Raqqa province, killing at least 85 soldiers. Two weeks later, Islamic State fighters seized the near-
by Brigade 93 base after days of heavy fighting. They now are closing in on Tabqa air base. Activists on Monday reported intense clashes between government troops and Islamic State fighters on the edge of the villages of Ajil and Khazna near Tabqa. The Raqqa Media Center, an activist collective, said the Islamic State captured four villages near the air base,
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including Ajil. “They will stop at nothing. If things continue the same way it’s only a matter of time before the Islamic State seizes Aleppo,” said Abu Thabet, an Aleppo rebel commander. He said the jihadis were now looking to take the rebel stronghold of Marea, to be followed by the Bab al-Salama border crossing with Turkey, which would be a major prize and source of money. Oubai Shahbandar, a Washingtonbased senior strategist for the Westernbacked opposition Syrian National Coalition group, called Assad’s airstrikes against the Islamic States superficial, saying the Western-backed rebels were the only force truly confronting the jihadis. He also shrugged off any suggestion that Assad and the West share a common enemy in the Islamic State group. “The choice for the West is clear,” he said. “Assad turned Syria into a springboard for terror, while the opposition leads the anti-Islamic State resistance.” ■ Associated Press writer Bassem Mroue in Beirut contributed to this report.
World News
AUGUST 22, 2014
Remains of Malaysian victims of jetliner shot down over Ukraine to be returned home this week
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KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA—The remains of at least 15 Malaysians killed when a jetliner was shot down over Ukraine will be returned to their home country this week, the first Malaysian victims of the disaster to be flown home, the country’s defence minister said Tuesday. All 298 people on board died when Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was shot down on July 17. The plane was heading to Kuala Lumpur from Amsterdam and was shot out of the sky over an area of eastern Ukraine controlled by pro-Russia separatists. The victims included 43 Malaysians and 195 Dutch nationals. With fighting between the rebels and Ukrainian forces ongoing near the crash site, victims’ remains were gathered and sent to the Netherlands for identification. Malaysian Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said Tuesday that 28 Malaysian victims had been identified so far, including 15 passengers and 13 crew members. The remains of at least 15 Malaysians and a Dutch national who was married
to a Malaysian will arrive in Kuala Lumpur on Friday, Hishammuddin said at a news conference, adding that the exact number to arrive would be known later in the week. The government has declared Friday a national day of mourning. Hishammuddin said Malaysia would not be competing with the Netherlands in terms of how the bodies are received. The Netherlands observed a minute’s silence and solemn ceremonies were held when the remains of the victims arrived in the country last month. Dutch authorities said last week that they had identified 127 victims in all. The separatists have been widely blamed for firing a missile that brought the Boeing 777 down, but have publicly denied responsibility. The Netherlands and other countries have launched criminal investigations. Malaysia Airlines has been hit by two major disasters this year, adding to its longstanding financial woes. In March, Flight 370 from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing disappeared with 239 people on board after flying far of course. That jet still has not been found despite an exhaustive ongoing search in an area of the southern Indian Ocean where it is believed to have gone down. ■
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People gathered at the Dutch embassy in Kiev to mourn for the victims of Malaysian Airlines flight 17. PHOTO BY IGORGOLOVNIOV / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
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23 FRIDAY AUGUST 22, 2014
THE CENTRE OF THE CITY JUST SHIFTED
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Immigration
AUGUST 22, 2014
FRIDAY 24
Buzz or bubble? Vancouver tech veterans encourage vision among startups BY TAMSYN BURGMANN The Canadian Press VANCOUVER—The Canadian founders of mobile gaming company A Thinking Ape embarked on a make-it-or-break-it quest to source first-rate tech wizards when they left Silicon Valley in 2010 to put down roots in Vancouver. The three-man startup was striving for billion-dollar valuation after a windfall of cash developing chart-topping apps, and a global scan signalled that heading north was the likeliest route. “As soon as we landed in Vancouver we started a recruiting pipeline,” said co-founder Kenshi Arasaki, explaining they’d identified the problem of finding the best and brightest as one of their biggest issues. “We spent a lot of time thinking about it.” That careful planning gained A Thinking Ape its foothold, and the attention of its peers, in a city where veterans caution that high-tech growth must be rigorously cultivated to ensure staying power. The rising costs of living in Vancouver, a fickle investor market, the ongoing global scarcity of talent and struggle
for startups to match salaries offered by heavyweights are all threatened snags to success. As the arrival of tech giants like Facebook, Microsoft and Amazon generates buzz of a budding Silicon Valley North, startup and mid-sized tech companies are balancing enthusiasm against the challenges. Some in the industry warn that if players fail to think strategically, confront obstacles or build a cohesive vision as the sector blooms, Vancouver could amount to a “tech bubble” burst. “I am afraid,” said Joseph Nakhla, CEO of bazinga!, a social networking company of 40 employees he founded in January 2012. “At the end of the day, Vancouver is an amazing place. We pray that we stay here for as long as we can. “But the problem we have is, if we don’t fix the funding problems, if there isn’t more capital available for these startups here—where they can actually not only attract but retain this talent— they will eventually go.” That’s why industry newcomers must think long-term and thriving ventures should endeavor to become anchors, said Nakhla, a 15-year veteran of the
city’s tech scene. “A lot of little startups are popping up here. I’m wary of young entrepreneurs just completely being focused on the geographical presence.” Another concern is the admission that Facebook eventually plans to pack up its temporary Vancouver office of about 150 computer engineers, many who were blocked from getting U.S. green cards. Other companies, such as Social Chorus, have similarly sprouted offices as a consequence of the hamstrung U.S. immigration system, and some may retreat when visas are sorted. Asked recently whether Canada’s more progressive visa requirements could brand the country a thoroughfare, federal Employment Minister Jason Kenney said economic migrants are “not prisoners to Canada.” The government doesn’t “underestimate the power of attraction of Silicon Valley,” said Immigration Minister Chris Alexander while promoting a visa stream in Vancouver last month targeting young entrepreneurs. “That’s why we need to be nimble and agile. That’s why we need to have the best business environment in the world.” Proponents of the Vancouver industry remain realistic about its bid to compete globally. Hootsuite founder Ryan Holmes has long championed the city’s potential to become a fully-formed tech hub, but he agreed more work is required. “Selling out early is always a big temptation,” Holmes wrote in an email. Measures to boost stability include enticing investors who offer “a big vision” and a concerted effort by Canadian educators to counter the loss of talent to the U.S. by quickly and “exponentially increasing” the number of tech graduates, wrote Holmes.
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“We really need the educational system to understand the importance of encouraging students into engineering programs now and send the message that the jobs of tomorrow are in tech.” Some 18,750 “emerging” tech companies are counted by the provincial government arm Invest BC. The Vancouver Economic Commission said the city’s three most popular tech job websites list more than 1,320 jobs—a figure likely smaller than actual openings, as many go unpublished. British Columbia’s statistical agency tallied 9,010 tech companies and 84,070 jobs overall in the province in an April 2014 report. Charlyne Fothergill, program director with startup accelerator GrowLab, said that in the “war for talent worldwide,” the sentiment isn’t about “hoarding talent or companies up here,” but about promoting expansion. “Business has to grow. Whether you grow that business from Vancouver and then grow that into the States, you’re still in Vancouver setting up roots,” she said. “What we’re likely to see is absolutely companies expand across Canada and across North America.” Departures shouldn’t be interpreted as a brain drain, said a professor at the University of California Berkeley. “Trying to keep everyone in your borders is nice, but that doesn’t actually reflect how business is being done—especially not in the high-tech sector,” said Canadian Studies chair Irene Bloemraad, originally from Saskatoon. She said Canada benefits even if the tech wizards only reside in Vancouver for a spell. “(They) build relationships in Canada they might never have had if they moved directly to the United States.” ■
25 FRIDAY AUGUST 22, 2014
GLOBAL FILIPINO: JAKI PENALOSA
Hablon: Jaki’s Textile of Choice BY MARY ANN R. MANDAP Philippine Canadian Inquirer SHE MADE it her calling to breathe new life into Iloilo’s ancient past as textile capital of the Philippines. As prime mover of the Iloilo Designer’s Guild (DGI), Jaki Peñalosa, is scaling new heights, using hablon, piña and abaca—fabrics indigenous to the province of Iloilo—in her diversifying designs. Hablon is her principal textile of choice and is synonymous with a Jaki Peñalosa creation. She explained, “Hablon is a hand-woven cloth made of cotton blends in plain or plaid patterns popularly woven in the towns of Miag-ao, Oton, Badiangon, Duenas and Igbaras.” “It’s about the tonality, texture, and wearability,” Jaki said of the hablon pieces at her Robinson’s showroom in Iloilo city. “I am simply fascinated by their patterns.” Jaki mixes locallyproduced fabrics with imported materials for a more modern take. The result, as displayed in her showroom, is an array of free-flowing frocks with hand-embroidered appliqués, dramatic cocktail dresses and soft, flowy gowns spiffed with artisan-quality embroidery. Her work as president of DGI, nurturing young talent and helping Ilonggo designers make it in the Philippine and international fashion scene, is now her life calling. Every August, DGI holds a fashion week, showcasing Iloilo’s homegrown artisans and their craft. “Designer’s Week is now on its third year and it gets bigger and grander each year,” she relayed. Jaki comes from a family of weavers of hablon and pina. She learned the rudiments of fashion design literally on her grandmother’s knees. “My grandmother’s passion for hablon weaving inspired me to
Models show off Jaki's designs using traditional hand-loomed textiles hablon and jusi in elegant forms.
innovate with contemporary fibers, designs and styles,” she said. In the 70s, her parents and aunt put up a business called Philippine Handicrafts and Embroideries, which specialized in Philippine indigenous and shell crafts. In the 80s, they exported caftans to elite families in Nigeria and the U.S. The fourth of seven children, Jaki cherished her role in the family business as their designer. Although she had no formal training in design, she has a keen eye for fashion. She advised her mother to create a ready-to-wear line where she could introduce her own designs. They later opened three stores in DTI, Hoskyns Compound and Amigo Plaza. When
Jaki got married, she managed the three stores, and in 1990, became the owner of Kayumanggi Embroideries, later renamed Kayumanggi Designs. Her business acumen, rooted in early years, helped Jaki earn her mark here and abroad. She had fashion shows staged in Rome, Norway, Cambodia, and the U.S. Later this year, she will be off to Europe and Canada again upon the invitation of Filipino communities there. She truly has come a long way from her first foray into the lucrative fashion industry. Hablon, if the Ilongga designer had her way, will soon dominate catwalks in the Philippines, Asia and the whole world. ■
Designer-entrepreneur Jaki Peñalosa weaves a life of passion and creativity. PHOTO BY ???
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Seen & Scenes: Vancouver
AUGUST 22, 2014
FRIDAY 26
NIGHT MARKET ATTRACTS 20K VISITORS WEEKLY The International Summer Night Market, an annual tradition for the past six years, is now recognized as a world-class landmark attraction in Richmond, B.C. Approximately 20,000 visitors of diverse ethnicity and culture come to visit the night market every weekend from neighbouring cities and out-of-town tourists. Matthew Bantog.
Tyson Venegas.
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PINOY FIESTA PART 2 A number of Philippine Canadian advertisers like I-Remit, Family Express, Manila Express and Umac joined in the Pinoy Fiesta funfare held recently in Vancouver, B.C.
Filipino kundiman dancers.
Filipino kids perform Tinikling.
The Monsoon Society for the Cultural Arts of Asia recently held the Southeast Asian Cultural Arts Festival, an annual celebration of Southeast Asian arts including martial arts, dance, song, music, dress and food. The event is free to the public and is organized by instructors, performers, and students from a variety of different clubs, societies, associations, and performance troupes.
For photo submissions, please email info@canadianinquirer.net.
VANCOUVER HOLDS SOUTHEAST ASIAN CULTURAL FEST
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Seen & Scenes: Toronto
27 FRIDAY AUGUST 22, 2014
KULTURA FEST: A SHOWCASE OF NATIVE CULTURE Kapisanan’s “Kultura Filipino Arts Festival” has celebrated Filipino culture, arts, cuisine and heritage since it started in 2006. Filipino artists, performers and chefs were able to connect with their roots and claim their presence as Filipinos in Canada, with support from the Ontario government.
TORONTO HOSTS PH EXPO Filipino Expo & Multicultural Trade Show held recently in Toronto was a festive way to showcase Filipino entrepreneurs in Canada and promote Philippine products. It likewise strengthened ties with other ethnic business communities. Spotlighting this year’s Expo are the provinces in the Cordillera Administrative Region composed of Mountain Province, Apayao, Abra, Ifugao, Kalinga, Benguet as well as Baguio City, the regional center.
FORMER ENVOY VISITS TORONTO FRIENDS
The expo is a biennial trade event of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce-Toronto (PCCT) in collaboration with the Canadian Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (CanCham) and Axcess Media Canada.
Friends with former Ambassador Gatan (standing, 2nd from L).
(From L) Teody Asuncion, Romi MananQuil, Necie MananQuil, Michelle Chermaine Ramos, Consul General Junever Mahilum West, Rose Tijam, Cielo Ramos, Cecile Asuncion, Nelia Tonido. (2nd row from L) Rolly Magante, Jun Afable, Federico Ramos. Frank Tonido, Rolly Abarilla, Marissa Buyco CorpusGaa, Emerson Gaa and Charlie Hermoso. www.canadianinquirer.net
Former Amb. Gatan (3rd from R), wife Debbie (4th from R) and Toronto Consul General Junever Mahilum-West (2nd from R) share a light moment with artist-friends. PAG artists. (Clockwise from L) Emerson Gaa, Maridi Nivera, Charlie Hermoso, Mark Edison Salinas, Frank Tonido, Jhun Diamante, Toots Quiachon and Filipiniana News publisher Bin Kon Loo.
AUGUST 22, 2014
FRIDAY 28
FILIPINO-CANADIAN IN FOCUS:
Paulina Corpuz BY ANGIE DUARTE Philippine Canadian Inquirer LOFTY IDEALS: the world is full of them. Indeed, there is no shortage of noble ambitions, larger-than-life aspirations, and admirable intentions. What the world needs more of, however, are the DOERS of these ideals. Those who will turn the “lofty” into “reality.” These are the movers and shakers; the visionaries, who act on what they see in their mind’s eye and believe at the very core of their being; to benefit not just themselves, but the human race of which they are a part. Filipino-Canadian Paulina Corpuz, candidate for School Trustee of Ward 12 in the Toronto Catholic District School Board, is out to transform her pie-in-the sky ideals into everyday possibilities. In her own words
“I am Catholic, a mother, a social justice advocate and a community servant,” Paulina describes the hierarchy of her make-up in one succinct sentence. “Happily married to an accountant, Ben Corpuz, and blessed with 3 children, aged 22, 16 & 12,” she adds. Paulina, an Ibanag lass originally from the province of Isabela, was educated in Catholic elementary and secondary schools and studied Psychology at the University of the Philippines-Diliman. Her early days in Canada were no different from those of countless immigrants before and after her: she had to struggle some. “I came to Canada, with my 11 month daughter, to be reunited with my husband, Ben. Like all new immigrants, my education and experience was not recognized and it was a struggle to find work, when I landed in 1993 there was economic recession. There was a high rate of unemployment as companies were restructuring and downsizing. The Ontario provincial government cut funding for community organizations and there were a lot of social workers and community service workers looking for work. My chance of landing a job comparable to the work I was doing
Paulina Corpuz. Catholic, mother, social justice advocate and community servant.
Paulina (center) with her husband Ben and their three children.
in the Philippines was nil,” she recounted. The stalwart idealist, however, did not give up. She recalls weekends spent trekking to the public library, one-year-old daughter in tow, to “to use the computer and read books about job searching and resume-writing. She shares that she volunteered her time at a charity organization, before eventually finding employment in a similar line of work. “I realized that only by volunteering and upgrading my education can I increase my chances of getting a job. From there, I was promoted to administrative assistant, project coordinator, senior coordinator, business analyst, and online trainer. Now I am an independent business development consultant.”
parents, aunts, uncles and cousins,” she said. This concept, though not foreign amongst Filipinos, is seemingly lost in more Westernized cultures. To further this, should she be elected as trustee, Paulina aspires to: “Reach out to parents, inspire and engage them for a meaningful participation in Catholic education; ensure that the tools and resources necessary are provided in a learning environment that encourages children to discern, respect and engage in socially responsible behaviours; and work together to ensure an education that nurtures our Catholic Christian faith, reflects our Catholic Social Teachings and supports academic excellence of our children.” A lasting legacy
It takes a community
We have all heard the adage: “It takes a community to raise a child.” Upon these words, Paulina is probably willing to bet her bottom dollar. After all, she has proven this out in her own life; especially during those lean times of struggling to find a job. “I was fortunate to have my husband and my extended family’s support in my struggle to find work. The support of my extended family in raising my children helped Ben and I to focus on upgrading our education to be successful in our careers and allowed my children to grow up knowing their grand-
Perhaps one of the cornerstones of Paulina’s idealism is education, and the value thereof. She acknowledges that she and her husband chose to move to Canada in the hopes of providing a brighter future—education included—for their children. “As parents we want the best for our children and for them to succeed in whatever field they chose in their journey. To do that, we must ensure that they are well-equipped, having the knowledge, skills and critical discernment necessary for their success,” she shared. In this vein, she hopes “to inspire mothers and parents from www.canadianinquirer.net
visible minority communities to participate and get involved in their children’s education, be it public or separate school board.” “Parents' engagement becomes critical in ensuring that schools are safe, healthy and positive environment of learning. In their formative years, the school is our children’s second home. They spend, at least, seven hours every day, five days a week for nearly 10 months in a year in school,” she pointed out. Furthermore, Paulina is a stalwart champion of—in specific—the Catholic system of education; which she believes is a lasting and important legacy for parents to leave their children, as well as a vital tool for changing the world. Serving hands and a giving heart
Fueled by her beliefs and driven by a desire for change, Paulina is passionate about the office of School Trustee. It is her deep desire to “to offer a mother’s voice from a diverse community, bring a fresh perspective and enrich the capability of the governing Board in making decisions that will take into consideration the needs of all its constituents in Toronto.” Make no mistake; this young mother is no newcomer to the arena of community service. Driven ever-onward by her vision, Paulina has always had hands to serve others, and a heart large enough for it. After all, anyone who has ever given themselves over towards the service of others knows how challenging of a job this can be. At the age of fifteen, she was already volunteering her time as a student catechist, doing evangelical work (such as preparing children for their first sacraments of penance and communion) in public schools in her hometown in the Philippines. She also served in the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines-Luzon Secretariat of
Social Action (Caritas NASSA) supporting Diocesan Social Action Centres in project implementation, relief operations and rehabilitation programs. She has likewise put her hand to the plow of Toronto’s nonprofit sector, labouring for the likes of the Philippine Advancement through Arts and Culture (PATAC)—for which she is the Founding President—an organization helping children victims of violence. Her community work extends to staunch support of organizations such as the Philippine Independence Day Council, Filipino Canadian Parents Association in Catholic Education, Migrante, and the University of the Philippines Alumni Association - Toronto. Brains, to boot
A self-professed lifelong learner, Paulina most definitely has the brains to back-up the beliefs. In Canada, she earned her professional certificates in Business Analysis and Change Management, certificates in Internet Marketing, E-business and Web Marketing, Life Skills Coaching, and a certificate in Non-Profit Sector Management offered by the Centre of Philanthropy through Ryerson University. Not one to rest on her laurels, she seeks to continuously add to her stock of knowledge and skills, especially in the areas of business, accounting and information management. By way of a parting message, Paulina says: “I am helping Filipinos achieve their educational goals and acquiring an education that will teach them critical discernment, and instil in them moral values as they grow in God’s love. As TRUSTEE, I am committed to WORK FOR YOU and WITH YOU.” At the intersection of ideals and reality; that point at which the intangible is made known— that is where you will find Paulina Corpuz. ■
29 FRIDAY AUGUST 22, 2014
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Where are they now? Remember that child star? BY CHING DEE Philippine Canadian Inquirer SAVE FOR some of those kids whose parents didn’t allow to watch TV when they were young, I’m sure you know some of the celebrities you’ll be reading about in a bit. You might be wondering whatever happened to Liam Neeson’s kid in ‘Love Actually’ or young, fearless ‘Matilda’ or even the kid-turned-monkey from ‘Jumanji.’ If you grew up in the Philippines, you might also be wondering whatever happened to that adorable kid who screamed for one more ChickenJoy (no more #chickensad!) or that super enthusiastic kid singing about iodized salt. Well, consider those questions answered by the time you finish reading this article.
Serena Dalrymple.
Chantal Umali.
These former child stars may no longer be enjoying (or stewing under) the limelight, but they have chosen their own path—some away from the glitz, glamour, and complications of showbiz; some delving deeper into the craft that goes beyond superficial entertainment and into their own passions. First, let’s start with our Pinoy child stars.
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Pinoy Bagets: Sa’n na kaya sila?
Let’s see how many of these Pinoy child stars you can remember. EM-EM MABANGLO FIRST SEEN AS: Kid villain Macy on ‘Anna Luna’ NOW SHE IS: Reportedly a professor in the University of the Philippines in Diliman… or a physiotherapist in St. Luke’s Medical Center. It depends on who you ask. Either way, terrific odds.
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LADY LEE FIRST SEEN AS: The child star alongside Aiza Seguerra. NOW SHE IS: Reportedly employed as a call center agent in Makati. SERENA DALRYMPLE FIRST SEEN AS: The kid asking for more ChickenJoy—and who could blame her? She’d probably still be singing “Isa pa! Isa pa! Isa pang Chickenjoy!” since Jollibee’s #ChickenSad phase the past weeks. NOW SHE IS: Travelling
around Europe, as proven by her tasteful Instagram photos. R.R. HERRERA FIRST SEEN AS: The kuya figure in the movie ‘Eh Kasi Bata’ NOW HE IS: An underwater photographer and life coach, according to 8list.ph. He his blissfully wed to Carelle Mangaliag—the one who sang the 1995 World Youth Day Philippines theme song ‘Tell The World Of His Love.’
CHANTAL UMALI FIRST SEEN AS: A chubby, heartbroken kid saying goodbye to hotdogs, chocolates, and spaghetti. But no worries, she immediately came to her senses and said goodbye to Carlo (her crush) instead. NOW SHE IS: A totally fit mom and yoga (AYCY) ambassador. Check out her Instagram account for totally rad yoga poses. ❱❱ PAGE 32 Remember that
Where are they now?
31 FRIDAY AUGUST 22, 2014
The Von Trapp Family: Reel and Real Life BY LEI FONTAMILLAS Philippine Canadian Inquirer STARTING FROM the very beginning is a “very good place to start.” As the lyrics of the famous Do-Re-Mi in “The Sound of Music,” put it, “FAR, a long, long way to run,” The Sound of Music definitely has ran a “long, long way,” from an old classical movie based on the real-life story of the Von Trapp family, to the hearts of the children in the 90s and today. The 1965 Sound of Music film that starred Julie Andrews playing as Maria and Christopher Plummer as Baron von Trapp was not the first movie about the Von Trapp family. The very first film ever produced depicting the Von Trapps were made by the Germans in 1956. Die Trapp Familie (The Trapp Family) was the first film produced in 1956 and was followed by another film produced in America, two years later. The first two films were both written by Herbert Reinecker and directed by Wolfgang Leifbeneiner. Following the popularity of the first two movies and inspired by the life story of the Von Trapps, Broadway opened the very first Sound of Music play in 1959, with Richard Rodgers composing the music, and the lyrics written by Oscar Hammerstein II. The very first theater act was played by Theodore Bikel playing the Captain and Mary Martin playing Maria. It became a great hit that film makers decided to make a movie out of it in 1965. Hence, Julie Andrew’s celebrated movie, The Sound of Music, which was named Best Picture of The Year. The film also became a worldwide favorite as it attracted more tourists to visit Salzburg. The following list taken from the Von Trapp family’s website gives us a clear representation of the roles played by the movie’s cast and their real counterparts in the Von Trapp family. • Leisl played by Charman Carr represents Agathe von Trapp • Frederick played by Nicholas Hammond represents Rupert von Trapp • Louisa played by Heather Menzies Urich represents Ma-
ria von Trapp, daughter of the Captain and Agathe Whitehead von Trapp • Kurt played by Duane Chase represents Werner von Trapp • Brigita played by Angela Cartwright Gullion represents Hedwig von Trapp • Martha played by Debbie Larson represents Johanna von Trapp • Gretl played by Kim Karath represents Martina von Trapp Not just Music, but the arts too
The Von Trapp Family, famous for being a family of singers, were also into arts which includes sculpting, painting, weaving, illuminating manuscripts and photography, among others. Agathe von Trapp, the oldest daughter, who produced watercolors and crayon etchings, has written a description of how her family has also been a lover not just of music, but the Arts too in her memoir, “Before and After the Sound of Music.” As described in their website, the youngest child Martina was into decorations of Austrian peasant art, and calligraphy. The young girl decorated furniture made by her father, including wooden plates, bowls and boxes—an activity that occupied most of her time when their family had no concert schedules. Also into calligraphy are Rosemarie, the first child, and Maria who made the craft her expertise. Johanna von Trapp was also fond of capturing the beauty of nature using her watercolors. She loves drawing natural elements—bird, sky, flowers, and butterflies. Rupert, the oldest son in the family, became a doctor but was also into photography like Hedwig, who also decorated trays and several items with wood burnt designs. A glimpse of the family’s story
While the family’s story has been widely portrayed on plays all over the world, little is known about the details of the family's real life story. 1880 Birth of Georg von Trapp 1905 A native of Zillertal, Tirol, Austria, Maria Augusta Kutschera born in Vienna on January 26th. 1924 Maria becomes a candidate for the novitiate at Non-
From the movie, The Sound of Music.
nberg Benedictine Convent 1926 Maria was chosen by the Mother Abbess to help the Baron Georg von Trapp with his seven children and tutor young Maria who had contracted scarlet fever. 1927 Georg and Maria wed on November 26th; Maria becomes step-mother of Rupert, Werner, Johanna, Agathe, Maria, Martina and Hedwig. 1929 Rosmarie von Trapp, Maria and the Baron's first child, is born. 1931 Daughter Eleonore born. 1936 Maria and Monsignor Franz Wasner begin the Trapp Family Singers (originally, The Trapp Family Chorus) 1938 Family flees Nazi-occupied Austria; concert tours throughout Europe followed by a three month tour in America 1939 Family emigrates to U.S. and settles in Merion, PA; Maria's only son, Johannes von Trapp, is born. 1942 The Trapp Family purchases part of the old Gale Farm, Stowe, VT, and named it Cor Unum (One Heart), later to become the Trapp Family Lodge. 1945 Trapp Music Camp opens. 1947 Baron Georg von Trapp dies. 1948 First addition made to the lodge to accommodate guests; Pope Pius XII honors Maria with Bene Merenti Medal for Trapp Family Austrian Relief, Inc. which aided thousands of Austrians during World War II. 1950 Maria wins the St. Francis de Sales Golden Book Award from the Catholic Writwww.canadianinquirer.net
ers Guild for best book of non-fiction, The Trapp Family Singers. The award winning Broadway hit and Oscarwinning film was based on this book. 1950 Stone chapel built in honor of WWII soldiers. 1956 Final Trapp Family Singers concert in the United States. 1959 Rodgers & Hammerstein's Sound of Music opens on Broadway; Mary Martin plays Maria. 1965 The Sound of Music movie premiers, starring Julie Andrews. 1967 Maria awarded the Honorary Cross First Class for Science and Art by the Austrian Government for cultural endeavors. 1968 Johannes von Trapp oversees the opening of the Cross Country Ski Center, the First of its kind in the U.S. and considered the foremost cross country ski touring center in America today. 1980 Old Lodge burns to the ground in tragic fire on December 20th. Cause of the fire remains unknown. 1981 Construction of chalet guest houses and new lodge begins. 1983 In December, first guest registers at the new Trapp Family Lodge. 1983 Concert in the Meadow series begins. 1984 Maria dedicates new lodge; Fitness Center opens. 1987 Maria dies after a short illness. 1993 Year of Celebrations! 10th Anniversary of new Trapp Family Lodge and 25th Anni-
versary of the Cross Country Ski Center. 1996 Snow Country Magazine names Trapp Family Lodge "Finest Cross-Country Ski Resort in the United States". 1997 Austrian Military Academy visits Trapp Family Lodge in honor of Captain Georg von Trapp on the 50th anniversary of his death. Full ceremony at the gravesite with von Trapp family in attendance.. 2000 The Sound of Music reopens on Broadway at the Martin Beck Theatre. Von Trapp family members attend the gala opening. Family Fun magazine highlights TFL’s “Family Package” as the “Family Traveler’s Great Deal". Lodge earns environmental designation as a “Green Hotel in the Green Mountain State.” Gourmet Magazine’s Reader’s Poll names TFL among the top 5 hotels in America as “Tops for Pursuits and Pleasures” in the Skiing/Winter Sports category. Trapp Family Lodge adds 24,000 square foot meeting space and accommodations. Three meeting rooms and twenty-three guest rooms and suites. 2004 The first four Villas at Trapp Family Lodge are completed and sold. The project to be spread out over a five year period with a total of forty units built. 2007 Sam von Trapp, son of Johannes becomes Vice President of the Lodge. Werner dies October 11, 2007. Trapp Family Lodge starts developing mountain bike trails on the 2500 acre property. Sam von Trapp implements snowmaking for the crosscountry ski center. 2008 The Lodge celebrates the 40th anniversary of the Cross-country ski center. Johannes & Sam von Trapp were highlighted in the New York Times Christmas Day. Trapp Family Lodge was featured and ABC National World News along with airing their first commercial during the “The Sound of Music”. 2009 The Austrian Tea Room is converted to the Delibakery. 2010 Trapp Lager is introduced in April. Agathe dies December 28, 2010. ■
Where are they now?
AUGUST 22, 2014 FRIDAY 32
Remember that... L.A. LOPEZ FIRST SEEN AS: The face of the Department of Health’s iodine campaign, singing “Iodized salt! Iodized salt! Mag-iodized salt tayo!” NOW HE IS: Now a pastor and/or church leader. As of his ‘Tunay na Buhay’ guesting on GMA 7, he has established a house church in his residence.
drick or Ellen Page or Jennifer Lawrence ... can do better."
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TOM TAUS FIRST SEEN AS: Antoinette Taus’ adorable younger brother. He also landed the lead roles in “Cedie” and “Anak ng Bulkan.” NOW HE IS: An up-and-coming DJ in Hollywood. And dare I say: time has been most kind to Tom. In an ABS-CBN interview on March 2014, he shared, ““I’m pretty fortunate, actually, that I am able to do what I love, and to be out there, and you know, make money while I’m doing what I want to do. So it’s pretty good because I’m doing Hollywood, L.A., and Vegas and right now slowly but surely I’m getting up there.” Hollywood Kiddos: Where are they now?
From ‘Jumanji’ to ‘The Phantom Menace’ to ‘Home Alone,’ where are these iconic Hollywood (and one British) child stars now? BRADLEY PIERCE FIRST SEEN AS: The kid who turned into a monkey starring with the great Robin Williams in ‘Jumanji.’ He’s also the voice behind Chip in ‘Beauty and the Beast’ and Tails in ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ series. NOW HE IS: A father of two who works with several charities and does a little bartending on the side.
THOMAS BRODIE-SANGSTER FIRST SEEN AS: That British child star who was EVERYWHERE. But most notably, he was Liam Neeson’s kid in ‘Love Actually’ and the eldest kid in ‘Nanny McPhee.’ NOW HE IS: Jojen Reed in the recently concluded fourth season of the HBO epic ‘Game of Thrones.’ Enough said. MASON GAMBLE FIRST SEEN AS: Dennis the Menace NOW HE IS: Pretty freakin’ smart. He was “a National Merit Scholar Finalist in high
LA Lopez.
JAKE LLOYD FIRST SEEN AS: Young Anakin ‘Ani’ Skywalker on the 'Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace.’ NOW HE IS: “…filming everything he can on his new camera and editing,” as stated in his Facebook page. “He is also an avid gamer.” MARA WILSON FIRST SEEN AS: The fearlessly driven bookworm Matilda on the movie ‘Matilda’ in 1996. She received two Saturn Awards for her work in the movie. NOW SHE IS: A blog writer. She also produced a web series after graduating from NYU. Wilson reportedly “fell out of love with film,” according to Hollywood.com. In fact, in one of her blog posts, she wrote, "Anything I can do, Anna Ken-
school and was also a pretty accomplished pole vaulter,” according to Mental Floss. He studied marine biology in 2011 after earning his degree from UCLA’s Dentistry School. All these things he accomplished while filming a movie with Malcolm McDowell and Frances Fisher entitled “Golf in the Kingdom” in 2010. BRITTANY ASHTON HOLMES AND BUG HALL FIRST SEEN AS: The lovehate couple Darla and Alfalfa from ‘The Little Rascals’ NOW THEY ARE: following different paths. Holmes has stopped acting in 1996, while Hall has been active on both big and small screens. He was a guest star in several TV shows, including “The O.C.,” “Nikita,” and “Criminal Minds.” Based on the same Mental Floss article, he is “also a musician, an acting teacher, and a rather enjoyable Tweeter.” JONATHAN LIPNICKI FIRST SEEN AS: The adorable four-eyed kid from ‘Jerry Maguire’ and ‘Stuart Little’ NOW HE IS: A mixed martial arts (MMA) trainer. Yep, he trains MMA fighters. And yes, he is ripped. He’s still quite active in showbiz with a few movies here and there. According to reports, he has stayed in touch with ‘Jerry Maguire’ co-star Tom Cruise over the years.
Mara Wilson.
MACAULAY CULKIN FIRST SEEN AS: The intrepid Kevin McAllister in the ‘Home Alone’ movie series. He is also known for his iconic role as Thomas J. Sennett in ‘My Girl.’ Caulkin was the first child actor to receive one million dollars for a single movie, according to MovieFone.com.
Jonathan Lipnicki.
NOW HE IS: Still performing. Movie Fone reported that he “has been performing in an avant-garde cover band ‘The Pizza Underground’ since the beginning of 2014.” He is also reportedly dating “All My Children” actress Jordan Lane Price. ■
McCaulay Culkin.
With new duets album, Smokey Robinson still penning songs: ‘I write in the bathroom’ BY RYAN PEARSON The Associated Press LOS ANGELES—After five decades in show business, the man who shaped Motown with instantly recognizable hits like “My Girl” and “Tears of a Clown”
says he can’t stop writing. Smokey Robinson says he scribbles down lyrics on a pad or leaves a fragment of a tune on his own voice mail whenever inspiration hits. “I write on the plane, on the bus, on the train, I write in the bathroom,” Robinson said in an inter-
view. “I do have a bunch of songs that I’m very anxious to record.” But you won’t hear any of that material on his latest album, “Smokey & Friends,” out Tuesday. The collection of Robinson tunes pairs the legendary singer-songwriter with Elton John, Mary J. Blige, James Taywww.canadianinquirer.net
lor, CeeLo Green, Miguel, Steven Tyler and more. Robinson, who is on a U.S. tour, talked to The Associated Press about his duets collaborators and his love of being on the road.
inson sang “You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me” in-studio with longtime friend Steven Tyler, while the other tracks were pieced together electronically from separate recording sessions. Each collaborator picked a
Getting a hold of Friends
On “Smokey & Friends,” Rob-
❱❱ PAGE 35 With new
FRIDAY AUGUST 22, 2014
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Entertainment
Aiza, fiancée choose Robin Padilla seeks approval artificial insemination from ABS-CBN to host to conceive Talentadong Pinoy BY ANGIE DUARTE Philippine Canadian Inquirer MANILA—Singer Aiza Seguerra and fiancée Liza Diño are looking to undergo artificial insemination to have their own child; the couple revealed in an interview with “The Buzz” on Sunday. They declined to disclose the identity of the sperm donor; with Diño commenting that “Initially we were thinking na siguro a friend of ours para siguro kilala namin. Kaso baka maging mas complicated siya in the process.” They revealed, however, that Seguerra will provide the egg cell, to be fertilized and inserted into Diño’s womb. The
couple added that they plan on starting the procedure next year in the United States. With their wedding date fast approaching, the couple also expressed their commitment and fidelity towards one another. “More than anything, ang goal namin is to make each other happy. She makes me so happy that I cant even find a reason to stray,” Seguerra said. ”I’ve been in relationships in my life, so ‘yung sa amin ni Aiza, I know I’ve found the one… I knows she’s the one. We don’t just complement each other, we’re one. We’re so in sync [that] we finish each others’ sentences, we think about the same things, we share the same stuff together,” Diño expressed. ■
FROM THE FACEBOOK PAGE OF AIZA SEGUERRA
BY LEI FONTAMILLAS Philippine Canadian Inquirer MANILA—Hosting TV5’s “Talentadong Pinoy” is not an issue with ABS-CBN according to action star and actor Robin Padilla. He is set to host the said talent search program this month. Aside from this, he will also be part of the weekly series “Jasmine.” Padilla shared that prior to saying yes to the hosting gig; he first sought out the permission of the Kapamilya network. “Okay pa rin naman po kami ng ABS,” Robin shared during the press conference of “Talentadong Pinoy” held recently. “Ano lang po ito, noong unang labas ko palang pos a TV5, ‘yong Jasmine, nagpaalam na ako. ” He added, “tapos nang mapag-usapan naming ‘to ni Ma’am Wilma [Galvante], nakipag-usap ako sa ABS, nagpaalam ako para dito sa Talentadong Pinoy. Masaya naman sila dahil magkasama kami ni Mariel. Masaya naman si Ms. Cory [Vidanes], nag-wish naman sila ng good luck. Sa tanda kong ito ayoko na ng [issue], mahirap na!” According to Padilla, hosting this show with his wife Mariel Rodriguez is different from the previous shows that he handled. It can be recalled that Padilla met his wife when he started
PHOTO FROM WIKIPEDIA
to guest in ABS-CBN’s then hit noontime show “Wowowee.” “Naku medyo malaki rin, kasi ‘yong Wowowee ang role ko lang do’n kumanta lang, e,” he said referring to how this hosting job differs. “Kakanta lang ako, sila Mariel na lahat. E, dito opening pa lang ako na, mahirap din ‘yong trabaho. Pero siyempre kapag gumagawa ka ng gusto mo, hindi nakakapagod. Masaya.” Padilla added that his wife is his number one critic when it comes to his hosting style. He said that Rodriguez is a very keen observer, therefore she providers her with tips on how
to improve. Rodriguez even corrects him whenever needed. When asked to comment about the comparison with former “Talentado” host Ryan Agoncillo, Padilla said that he does not see this opportunity as a means to compete. “Hindi sila puwede magkaro’n ng comparison dahil magkaiba naman, e. Ako’y action star talaga,” said Padilla. He added that “wala akong balak na makipaglaban sa kanila o makipagpaligsahan. Sabi ko nga, anytime na gusto ‘tong balikan ni Ryan di ako issue.” “Talentadong Pinoy” is set to air on August 16, 7 p.m. on TV5. ■
Entertainment
AUGUST 22, 2014 FRIDAY 34
‘Barber’s Tale:’ A tribute to strong women BY BAYANI SAN DIEGO JR. Philippine Daily Inquirer FILMMAKER JUN Robles Lana recalls having soldiers, priests and insurgents in his clan. As a kid living with his family in Bicol during martial law, he would hear the grown-ups talk about volatile social and political problems. But he never joined in the discussions. Now an adult, the award-winning filmmaker gets to participate in the discourse through the film “Barber’s Tales,” currently in local cinemas. The internationally-lauded film is based on an old script that won for Lana a Palanca Award in 1997. Nonstop
“I wanted to make a film on women empowerment, in honor of my mom and all the strong women who had a profound influence on my life,” he said. Lead actress Eugene Domingo’s char-
camino, Shamaine Buencamino, Gladys Reyes and Iza Calzado—as “brilliant and dedicated.” As a bonus, he got to direct Nora Aunor. “I was shocked that she agreed to do a cameo. It was an extremely thrilling experience to direct the Superstar.” “Barber’s Tales” has won awards in Udine (Italy), Tokyo (Japan) and Madrid (Spain), but Lana’s fondest wish is for his film to be embraced by his countrymen as well. Realistic
Jun Robles Lana (right) directs the cast, led by Eugene Domingo (second from left) and Iza Calzado (third from right), in a remote town in Quezon province. FACEBOOK PHOTO
acter Marilou is a tribute to his mentor, the late filmmaker Marilou Diaz-Abaya. Lana elaborated: “[The] 1970s saw our country struggling against poverty, insurgency, corruption and domestic issues like reproductive health. It’s 2014
and we’re facing the same problems. It makes me wonder how much progress we’ve actually achieved.” Shoot for the film, in a remote town in the mountains of Quezon province, was quite arduous, he recounted. “We shot nonstop for almost a month— working 20 hours a day, at the height of the typhoon season. There was no electricity and no cell phone signal there. We stayed in an abandoned and dilapidated schoolhouse.” He lauded his hard-working cast and crew. “Their commitment helped us transcend the difficulties.” He described his ensemble— led by Domingo, Eddie Garcia, Nonie Buen-
“Foreigners loved our film [but] I am realistic in my expectations. It’s not the usual box-office fare, but I still hope it will find an audience here,” said Lana. “At its core, it’s about every Filipino’s struggle for identity and recognition. But I made it entertaining and compelling, since cinema is primarily for entertainment.” He hopes the government will help make Filipino movies become more competitive here and abroad. “We need government’s support to build an audience that is more open to other types and genres of cinema.” In the works is the third part of Lana’s small-town trilogy that began with “Bwakaw” and continued in “Barber’s Tales.” “The last one is ‘Ama Namin (Our Father),’ about an orphaned 14-year-old boy who finds out that his father is alive, but that he’s a priest,” he said. ■
Nadine Lustre’s take on online bashers BY ANGIE DUARTE Philippine Canadian Inquirer MANILA—“Talk Back and You’re Dead” lead actress Nadine Lustre is unperturbed about comments about her physical resemblance to teen actress Kathryn Bernardo. Quite the opposite, actually – she says she is flattered. “I’m very flattered na nako-compare ako sa kanya kasi she’s Kathryn Bernardo. Ako I’m just starting pa lang,” she said in an interview with Toni Gonzaga on “The Buzz.” Despite her positivity, however, the actress has been bashed on social media by netizen irked by the comparison.; something Lustre has chosen to take in stride. The actress, after all, has better things to do with her time, such as promote “Talk Back and You’re Dead,” in which she stars alongside James Reid and Joseph Marco. “Yung mga bashers naman kasi, you www.canadianinquirer.net
Nadine Lustre.
PHOTO FROM WIKIPEDIA
can’t avoid them. Nandiyan talaga sila. Since you are in showbiz, since you are a public figure, may kasama talagang ganun. You just have to accept it lang,” she said. ■
Entertainment
35 FRIDAY AUGUST 22, 2014
Nora Aunor expresses disbelief over Cinemalaya videos on Youtube BY LEI FONTAMILLAS Philippine Canadian Inquirer MANILA—Following the recent issue regarding Cinemalaya’s posting of films on YouTube, multi-awarded actress Nora Aunor gave her two cents saying that the act was synonymous to stealing. During the Cinemalaya X awards night which was recently held at the Cultural Center of the Philippines, the Superstar expressed her disappointment on the issue. She said that those who posted the videos should have sought the permission and consent of the directors who worked hard to produce the films. “The film is not yours but you took it. I think it’s like stealing. You uploaded it without permission. That’s not right,” she said. Aunor, who won Best Actress for her role in a Joel Lamangan film titled “Hustisya” in the Director’s Showcase category. Her remarks came after the filmmakers’ criticisms over Cinemalaya’s recent act of uploading the full versions of their films showed in 2012 and 2013 in video-sharing site YouTube. Earlier, “Transit” director Hannah Espia, showed her displeasure with Cinemalaya.
With new... favourite song written by Robinson. Elton John, a Robinson friend for three decades, chose “The Tracks of My Tears,” first recorded by the Miracles in 1965. “When we’re around each other, we have a great time. Neither one of us is from affluency,” Robinson said of John. “So when you come up like that and your dream is to be in show business or to sing or play and you get the chance to really do it and earn your living, and it’s your life— it’s a wonderful thing.” ❰❰ 32
Back into the storm
Nora Aunor.
PHOTO BY FRY_THEONLY / FLICKR
“I want to express my heartbreak over the uploading of our films on YouTube. To see our films on YouTube is a violation of our rights as artists and filmmakers,” said Espia while receiving the Best Screenplay award in behalf of “Dagitab” director and screenplay writer Giancarlo Abrahan. Francis Pasion, director of “Bwaya” that won this year’s Best Film for the New Breed Category, meanwhile said that both parties should respect each other in the light of what happened. During the awards, Cinemalaya Foundation Nestor Jardin, apologized to all the
filmmakers and producers for uploading the films over the weekend. He added that, they are currently in talks with the affected filmmakers. Jardin also mentioned that all the uploaded videos were already taken down from the internet. For Cinemalaya Foundation chairman Antonio Cojuangco, the films were posted in YouTube in hope to drive the public to consider watching and supporting the new Cinemalaya films. “What we intended to do was to let the market watch our films even for free,” said Cojuango. “We’re getting people to get hooked on our products.” ■
Favel said the last time she saw Tina was July 1, when she took her to Winnipeg to visit her biological mother. Tina had run away a few times starting last summer. “She ran away twice and then she sort of settled down and she went back to school and she was doing so good,” Favel said, sobbing. Favel said Tina called her sister Sarah about a week and a half ago. “The last time her sister heard from her, she told her, ‘Tell mama and papa I love them, I miss them, but I’m not ready to go home yet.” No arrests have been made, O’Donovan said. Investigators are calling on anyone who saw Fontaine in the last 10 days, or
who knows what happened to her, to contact police. Fontaine, who had just turned 15, had a history of running away, but O’Donovan said police knew roughly where she went each time she was previously reported missing. Police aren’t saying how Fontaine died or whether she was sexually assaulted, but O’Donovan said she was already dead by the time her body was dumped in the river. “The autopsy has been conducted and it’s obvious that this child didn’t put herself in the river in that condition,” he said. “It’s something that we’re going to hold back on and we’re not going to get into exactly how this girl died.”
Robinson heard John Legend cover his song “Quiet Storm” in concert and told the 35-yearold soul crooner backstage that he should record a version of it. “I look at people like John and I know that the future of show business is in good hands,” Robinson said. The two join up on a new version of the tune, which in 1975 marked Robinson’s return to the industry after a brief hiatus. “I’m very close to that song,” he said. “It became a radio format and there are ‘quiet storm’ stations all over the country now.” Mary’s metamorphosis
Robinson says he’s been watching and listening to Mary J. Blige since she debuted in 1992 as the “queen of hip-hop soul.”
“Mary has done a metamorphosis from when I first met her,” he said. “She came from having the image of the hip-hop world into what she has now. And that’s a whole other vision of her. ... She’s very spiritual. And she’s one of the greatest singers ever.” On the duets album, Blige sings “Being With You,” first recorded by Robinson in 1981 on his solo album of the same name. Generations of Smokey fans
Robinson, 74, has been performing for over five decades and won’t be stopping anytime soon. He gets a spark of energy from seeing parents in the audience holding infants. “The first time I saw those people, they were on their parents’ laps. There’s everybody there from 6 months to 100, and they’re of all races,” he said. “I’m not going to get that anywhere else. I’m not going to get that same feeling, that same vibe, that same energy, anywhere else.” There’s no after-party after each two-hour show nowadays, though. “That was the party for me. I’m going to my hotel now. I’m going to watch some TV until I wind down and go to sleep. But it is a party,” he said. “That’s why I still do it.” ■ Online: http://www.smokeyrobinson. com
‘Society should...’ horrified if we found a litter of kittens or pups in the river in this condition. This is a child. “Society should be horrified.” Thelma Favel and her husband had been caring for Tina for about 10 years. Favel is Tina’s great aunt, but added Tina called her mama. Favel had also cared for Tina’s father, Eugene Fontaine, for many years, and when he was diagnosed with cancer, he asked her to look after his children. “He asked me and my husband if we would look after his kids seeing that he lived with us for so long when he was younger, and he said he knew the kids would have a good home and food to eat all the time.” ❰❰ 18
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There are only a handful of people who know how Fontaine died, including those responsible for her death, he said. “She’s definitely been exploited and taken advantage of, murdered and put into the river in this condition,” O’Donovan said. “Somebody may have seen her. We would like to talk to anybody who has seen her.” Last week, Manitoba unveiled a monument to almost 1,200 missing and murdered aboriginal women. The twometre-high granite statue stands just by the junction of the Red and Assiniboine rivers in downtown Winnipeg. In May, the RCMP issued a detailed statistical breakdown of 1,181 cases since 1980. The
report said aboriginal women make up 4.3 per cent of the Canadian population, yet account for 16 per cent of female homicides and 11.3 per cent of missing women. Also on Sunday, the body of a man was pulled from the river near a north-end park. That man has not been publicly identified, but police say the death is not suspicious. Police have not identified the man, but several Winnipeg media outlets reported Monday night that a family member said the man was Faron Hall, also known as the “Homeless Hero.” Hall received national media attention for saving two people from the Red River on separate occasions in 2009. ■
Entertainment
AUGUST 22, 2014 FRIDAY 36
In Robin Williams’ death, lessons of stigmas and stereotypes BY JAKE COYLE The Associated Press NEW YORK—Jamie Masada, the owner of the fabled Los Angeles-based comedy club the Laugh Factory, vividly remembers a warm exchange with comic Richard Jeni of the two sharing words of encouragement and gentle ribbing. “The next day I heard he put a gun in his mouth and blew his head off,” recalled Masada of Jeni’s 2007 suicide. “At that point I said, ‘God, could I do something to somehow prevent that?”‘ A few years later, having watched his “family” continuously depleted, Masada did do something. He began having a psychologist at the club several nights a week, offering standups the opportunity for free sessions. Robin Williams, a frequent Laugh Factory performer who committed suicide Monday, marked only the latest comic genius to be plagued by demons of depression and addiction. But seldom has the gulf between the bright buoyancy of the performer and the inner pain of the man seemed greater or more unfathomable. How did someone who suffered such demons summon such starbursts of generosity and glee? Like countless others this week, Conan O’Brien remembered Williams’ great capacity for thoughtfulness and kindness. When O’Brien was feeling down during the “Tonight Show” debacle, a bike arrived out of the blue from Williams, outfitted for maximum ridiculousness. Said O’Brien: “It’s particularly courageous for someone to be that generous of spirit in the face of that kind of depression.” Such tales don’t make it any easier to reconcile Williams’ life with his sad fate. The magnitude of the shock over Williams’ death has been matched only by the outpouring of grief for his loss. “I’ll never, ever understand how he could be loved so deeply and not find it in his heart to stay,” said his 25-yearold daughter, Zelda Williams. “He was always warm, even in his darkest moments.”
Williams’ publicist has said he had recently fought severe depression. Williams himself had occasionally spoken about his struggles (“Do I get sad? Oh yeah. Does it hit me hard? Oh yeah,” he told Terry Gross in 2006) and funneled his fights with alcoholism and addiction into his act. He largely won his battles with substance abuse except for several relapses quickly followed by rehab, including a stint at Hazelden in Minnesota last month. His widow, Susan Schneider, added Thursday that Williams also was suffering from the early stages of Parkinson’s disease. Those factors—along with his heart surgery several years ago—offer a slightly deeper understanding of Williams’ mental state in recent days and weeks. But his death also reinforces the long-held stereotype of the sad clown, the tortured funnyman. Comedian Jim Norton responded to Williams’ death with an essay titled “Why the Funniest People Are Sometimes the Saddest” in which he noted that in his 25 years of performing stand-up, he knew eight comics who killed themselves. “When I find a comedian I admire, my first thing is: What’s wrong with this person?” Norton says. “Guys that I’ve admired the most always had that cloud. And it wasn’t a purposeful or a pseudo-artist thing. It was a real thing that they were constantly combating. It was kind of a way to keep sadness or depression off of you, to be funny.” Particularly since the likes of Lenny Bruce and Richard Pryor made stand-up into a more personal kind of truth-telling, many comedians have been drawn to the profession as a means for catharsis. Comedian Tig Notaro pushed stand-up perhaps further in this direction than ever before in a famous set in 2012. Days after being diagnosed with breast cancer, she hit the stage: “Hello. I have cancer. How are you?” Nowhere has the intersection between comedy and psychological pain been more thoroughly plumbed than on Marc Maron’s podcast, which Ma-
ron began after he had suicidal thoughts. In lengthy, candid interviews with fellow comics, Maron has explored the oftentroubled psychology that drives people to bare themselves before crowds night after night, feeding off the laughter. Maron’s conversation with Williams from 2010 is one of his most naked interviews. In it, Williams called stand-up “the one salvation” and commented: “How insecure are we, how desperately insecure that (it) made us do this for a living?” He even riffed on his suicidal urges, doing a two-man routine between himself and his consciousness. Replaying the episode this week, Maron reflected: “He was a person with his own problems that he carried with him. And I think part of his genius came from the struggle with those problems.” Studies have shown a correlation between creative minds and such problems. Nancy Andreasen, a leading neuroscientist and psychologist, co-wrote the first empirical study that proved the increased likelihood of mood disorder in creative people. “There really is no question that there’s a statistical correlation of mental illness in highly creative people,” said Andreasen, who chairs psychiatry at the University of Iowa. She stressed, though, that mental illness is usually treatable— ”It’s not a lifetime sentence,” she said—and that treatment “does not diminish their creativity.” “The great misfortune is that mental illness is still so stigmatized,” said Andreasen, lamenting the lack of care for the mentally ill. “This probably could have been prevented, and it’s a terrible misfortune that it wasn’t.” A recent study published in the British Journal of Psychiatry found that comedians are both highly extroverted and highly introverted and that they even show lower levels of traits associated with psychosis. “Humour often requires the ability to ‘think outside the box’ or see unusual connections where others don’t, and this reflects, in a more muted form, the thought process and www.canadianinquirer.net
Robin Williams' star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is surrounded by flowers and various memorial tributes left by fans on August 12, 2014. PHOTO BY DAN HOLM / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
pattern seen in psychosis,” Victoria Ando said in an email. But depression also doesn’t care what you do for a living. It can strike anyone, any time, regardless of success, income or fame. In “The Noonday Demon,” an award-winning, multi-disciplinarian “atlas” of depression, author Andrew Solomon wrote that his own depression hit hardest when his life was most in order: “All the excuses for despair had been used up,” he wrote. Solomon says he hopes Williams’ tragic end serves as a “wake-up call.” “We have to recognize that if you have depression and enormous wealth and success, the love of most of the people in America—you can have all of those things and still be subject to the ravages of depression,” Solomon said. “The tragedy is that he didn’t have any place to turn.” Improv and sketch comic Chris Gethard has been particularly vocal about his own struggles with depression with the hope of helping oth-
ers. Following Williams’ death, he posted a picture of himself taken after an earlier day spent crying in bed, labeling it: “This is the face of my mental illness.” “All kinds of people get depressed—comedians just happen to be people that professionally deal with the manipulation of happiness, laughter and other positive emotions, so maybe it stands out more or gets more pronounced,” Gethard said. Perhaps Williams’ death shouldn’t just be added to the sad list of comics who died too young, like John Belushi or Chris Farley, but should be taken as a lesson by the rest of us, the ones in the audience below the floor lights, that we should listen just as keenly to Williams in death as we did to him from the stage. “It is our hope in the wake of Robin’s tragic passing that others will find the strength to seek the care and support they need to treat whatever battles they are facing,” said Schneider, Williams’ widow, “so they may feel less afraid.” ■
FRIDAY AUGUST 22, 2014
37
Lifestyle
Learning how to make friends critical for lifelong happiness, health BY HELEN BRANSWELL The Canadian Press TORONTO—It’s an undisputed fact: People with friends live happier, healthier and richer lives. Studies have shown good friendships convey a range of health benefits, with positive effects on mental and physical health and longevity. So learning how to make friends is a critical skill. But it’s not one that comes easily to everyone. Some lucky people seem to find forging new friendships is as easy as falling off a log. Many others, though, find themselves watching from the sidelines trying to puzzle out how to ease their way into this friend-making activity that appears to be going on all around them. Most people aged four to 21 or so are about to hit the annual reset button—the clean slate offered by starting or going back to kindergarten, school or university. What better time to be thinking about how to help kids learn how to make friends? Here are some pointers from Tracy Vaillancourt, a professor of education and psychology at the University of Ottawa, and Barry Schneider, a child psychologist and professor at Boston College: The first ‘R’ of education
Vaillancourt believes more focus should be put on helping children learn how to forge friendships and interact in a positive way with others. “I think it’s the most important lesson in life. I don’t think there’s anything more important,” she insists. “Social skills get people so far in life. And so having good social skills is attached to having friends.”
While the onus falls on parents to help children learn these skills, schools can and should play a major role, Vaillancourt says. “Teachers are very focused on reading, writing and arithmetic when they should really be focused on relationships. That should be the first ‘R’ of education.” She advises parents of children who are having trouble making friends to enlist the assistance of their schools. Teachers can help children make connections by pairing shy kids together for a work assignment and keeping an eye on quiet or disruptive children to make sure they aren’t getting left out. Where shy kids often don’t draw people to them, aggressive kids tend to push them away with their behaviour. “I think that teachers need to help facilitate that social landscape of their classroom,” Vaillancourt says. “The teacher is a powerful ally and can create social alliances and destroy them quite readily.” Find the middle ground
Schneider advises that parents avoid a couple of approaches he calls the marionette model and the Charles Darwin model of interpersonal skills development for children. The marionette approach involves parents being overcontrolling, essentially trying to teach children how to be sociable by rote. Parents who take the Charles Darwin approach are under-involved, he suggests, assuming that kids will be kids and things will evolve naturally. He doesn’t use the term, but the approach Schneider advocates might be called the Goldilocks solution, an approach that nestles somewhere be-
tween trying to control every aspect of a child’s social life and taking a hands-off approach. With younger children early in the friend-making stages, Schneider says parents need to make opportunities for children to meet and interact with others. Set up play dates and enrol kids in desirable activities— something they will enjoy that involves other children. Maybe that’s ballet lessons or soccer. Whatever it is, it should be something the child enjoys and an activity that isn’t too competitive, he says. Schneider also suggests parents should show children what friendships are like by talking about their own so that kids understand that it’s important to have connections with a wider circle than simply one’s family. Children learn by watching the adults in their lives, so if parents value friendships, children probably will too. Having conversations about aspects of friendship is also helpful, he says. For example, a parent could ask how a playmate might feel if the child won’t share toys or demands to make all decisions about what games will be played. Practice makes perfect
Vaillancourt says parents should understand that learning how to make and maintain friendships is a skill that can be acquired, but it might take some work. Some parents may feel the impulse to shield children who are shy or are having trouble
fitting in by picking them up at school so they don’t have to endure a dreaded bus ride, for instance. That actually can further isolate children from their peers, Vaillancourt says, suggesting that making friends is like any other skill—the more you do it, the better at it you become. Birds of a feather
Sometimes kids who have been socially isolated in elementary school have more success when they start high school, Vaillancourt says. High schools generally have larger student populations, increasing the chances that a kid who doesn’t like sports but is passionate about chess will find a kindred spirit. The clubs and sports activities that form in high schools are often not available in elementary schools. This birds-of-a-feather phenomenon can really help children who’ve had trouble making friends, she says. “Solid friendships tend to be based on similar interests and ideologies. So finding people that are like you, you’re probably going to be more successful. If you’re painfully shy and your best friend is just out there (extroverted), I think that could be a bit of a challenge over time.” Vaillancourt says studies have shown that children who are shy form strong friendship bonds with others like them, and they report high satisfac-
tion from those ties. “Their friendship groups tend to be stable. Because they’re not these outrageous kids looking for the next interesting thing, right? They’re true and loyal,” she says. If it’s not working, get help
Learning how to make friends is easier if you start early, Vaillancourt says. “If you don’t make friends early, you don’t learn the scripts. And the social scripts change all the time. It’s a developmental trajectory. How you make friends in kindergarten is so different from how you make friends when you’re 10 or when you’re 15,” she explains. “If you can’t figure out the fundamentals at five, you’re going to have a really hard time to figure out the fundamentals at 15, because they’re more nuanced and more complex.” Schneider says transition periods are hard, so give a child some time to get settled. But if by November of a school year it’s apparent things aren’t working well, it may be time to get some help. That doesn’t have to be a psychologist right off the bat, he says. School guidance counsellors, family doctors or a skilled member of the clergy, if a family has religious ties, can sometimes help. Whatever approach a family takes, it’s important not to let the problem fester, Vaillancourt says. “We can’t ignore this. And kids report that. What they want more than anything is to belong.” ■
Lifestyle
AUGUST 22, 2014 FRIDAY 38
Drug used to control dementia symptoms carries risk of kidney injury: Study BY HELEN BRANSWELL The Canadian Press TORONTO—A class of drugs sometimes used to control symptoms of dementia appears to increase the risk of acute kidney injury in people who take it, a new study suggests. The work looks at what are called atypical antipsychotic drugs, which are not recommended for dementia but which nonetheless are often prescribed for people suffering from it. A number of studies have questioned use of the drugs in this population of patients, for a variety of concerns. Health Canada, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Britain’s drug regulatory body have all recommended that the drug not be used to control symptoms of dementia. Despite that, the drugs—Seroquel (quetiapine), Risperdal (risperidone) and others—are prescribed to control symptoms such as aggression and agitation that are sometimes seen in dementia patients. But there have been case reports of
kidney ailments in older adults who start taking the drugs. So researchers from Lawson Health Sciences Centre in London, Ont., and the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences in Toronto set out to see if there was a link between use of the drugs in this population and kidney problems. They studied the health records of nearly 100,000 adults 65 years of age and older from Ontario who were newly prescribed one of these drugs during the period from June 2003 to December 2011. They then compared those records to nearly 100,000 people of similar ages and health status who did not take one of those medications. The rate of acute kidney injury was essentially doubled in the group taking the drugs, said Dr. Amit Garg, a kidney specialist at Lawson Health Sciences Centre who is also a scientist at ICES. When the researchers looked at how many people died in the first three months of taking the drug, they found 6,666 people taking the drugs died compared to 2,985 in the control group. Garg said it is important to note these findings only pertain to older adults tak-
ing the drug for dementia. The researchers did not study their use in people who are p r e scribed t h e drugs for m e n t a l health conditions. “They generally would be less at risk of side-effects anyway and they shouldn’t be alarmed by these data,” he said. Garg said the findings suggest doctors should be cautious about using these drugs in this patient population, turning to them as a drug of last resort. “If there are other options that are available, really explore those.” If using one of these drugs appears to be the best option for a dementia patient, the doctor should monitor the patient for signs of kidney problems.
And if someone with dementia shows up needing care for kidney ailments, doctors should ask whether the patient is taking an atypical antipsychotic. Garg said withdrawing the treatment can sometimes ameliorate the condition, though he warned that patients should not stop taking these drugs without first consulting a doctor. The study is published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine. ■
McDonald’s to sell packaged coffee nationally in push to highlight coffee in US restaurants The Associated Press NEW YORK—McDonald’s plans to start selling its packaged coffee at supermarkets nationally by early next year, a move intended to help raise the profile of the coffee sold at its U.S. restaurants. The world’s biggest hamburger chain has made a deal with Kraft Foods to manufacture and distribute the bags of McCafe ground and whole bean coffee, as well as single-cup pods that can be used in at-home coffee machines. Other chains, such as Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts, already sell branded packaged coffee at retailers. McDonald’s, based in Oak Brook, Illinois, has highlighted coffee as a key growth opportunity, with CEO Don Thompson saying it can be a way to get customers into its more than 14,000 U.S. restaurants. The chain has redesigned its coffee cups to have a more appealing look that people would want to carry around. And it’s trying to make a bigger www.canadianinquirer.net
push into more profitable coffee drinks, such as flavoured lattes, rather than just drip coffee. Last year, for instance, it introduced a pumpkin spice latte. A similar drink at Starbucks has a loyal following. At an investor conference late last year, a McDonald’s executive noted the chain’s coffee sales have surged 70 per cent since the introduction of McCafe specialty coffees in 2009. McDonald’s Corp. and Kraft Foods had said last year they were testing the packaged coffee in select markets. Before Kraft split with Mondelez in late 2012, the packaged food maker had distributed Starbucks packaged coffee. But Starbucks broke off the relationship in 2010, saying Kraft failed to live up to its contract. Kraft challenged the early termination of the deal, and an arbitrator last year ruled that Starbucks had to pay $4.76 billion to settle the dispute. That award goes to Mondelez International. ■
Lifestyle
39 FRIDAY AUGUST 22, 2014
HTC makes Windows version of flagship HTC One phone, while remaining committed to Android BY ANICK JESDANUN The Associated Press
Students expect big debts but also think they’ll pay it off quickly: polls BY LINDA NGUYEN The Canadian Press TORONTO—Getting a postsecondary degree can be an expensive endeavour, but a recent survey suggests that most students believe they’ll be on track to pay off their student loans within five years of graduating. The poll from CIBC (TSX:CM) found that about half, or 51 per cent, of post-secondary students said they would need to borrow money to pay for tuition, living expenses and books. Although about a quarter expected to owe less than $10,000 by the time they graduate, almost three quarters (73 per cent) expected to owe more than $10,000, including 40 per cent who said they’d likely be on the hook for $25,000 or more of student debt. The Canadian Federation of Students says students in Ontario and the Maritimes have debt loads averaging $28,000 at graduation, the highest in the country. Yet despite the predictions of big debt, most students remain optimistic about their ability to eliminate it. Sixty-six per cent surveyed believed they’d be able to pay down their debt within five
years or less, while 34 per cent expected it would take them more than six years to be debtfree. “While their intentions are admirable they may not be realistic,” said Christina Kramer, executive vice-president of retail and business banking at CIBC. “As they look to start their careers, they will likely be moving out on their own, saving for a car, a down payment on a home, or getting married and having children. That’s why it’s important for them to manage the amount of debt they take on, develop a budget that helps them carefully manage their spending while in school and have a plan to pay off debt once they graduate.” Looking over the short term, another survey—this one by the Bank of Montreal (TSX:BMO)— suggested that those going to college or university were planning on spending an average of $1,121 on school supplies. It also found some regional differences between where students lived and how much they expected to spend. Those who live in Alberta expected to spend the most on back to school purchases with an average amount of $1,236; followed by Ontario students with $1,204. Those in Saskatchewan
and Manitoba expected to spend the least, a combined average of $857. According to the survey, a third (34 per cent) of the students said they planned on using loans and scholarships to pay for these purchases. Thirty per cent said they were going to rely on financial help from friends and family, while about a quarter (27 per cent) would be using credit. It found the vast majority of students recently surveyed said most of their costs would be going towards textbooks (88 per cent); new clothes (58 per cent); computers or cell phones (41 per cent); and furniture (20 per cent). The CIBC poll was conducted online by Leger, which surveyed 500 Canadian university or college students between July 10-17. The BMO survey was conducted by Pollara online between Aug. 1-8, with a sample of 600 Canadian post-secondary students. The polling industry’s professional body, the Marketing Research and Intelligence Association, says online surveys cannot be assigned a margin of error as they are not a random sample and therefore are not necessarily representative of the whole population. ■ www.canadianinquirer.net
NEW YORK—HTC will start making a version of its flagship HTC One phone with Microsoft’s Windows software inside. HTC says it developed the new model at the request of Microsoft, which has been trying to boost its Windows Phone system. The company will continue to make an Android version of the One, as well as other
Android phones. The Android version of HTC One is called M8, while the Windows version will be called M8 for Windows. The two look identical on the outside, except for a Windows Phone logo. Both sport metal exteriors and have screens measuring 5 inches diagonally. The Windows phone will be available starting Tuesday through Verizon Wireless for $100 with a two-year contract and $600 without one. ■
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Business
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AUGUST 22, 2014 FRIDAY 40
Portfolio strategy for a quiet market BY ROBYN K. THOMPSON STOCK MARKETS have risen steadily over the past year, with no major corrections along the way. The end of July saw a broad market decline, but less than the 10% drop that would qualify as a “correction.” In general, markets have been unusually placid. The question is, have they been too quiet? The answer depends on how you’ve allocated assets in your current portfolio. If you are holding, say, over 70% equities in your portfolio, and especially if you are over 50 years old, you should look at tapering down the equity allocation, crystallize some profits, and increase weighting in the balanced or fixed-income portion. Those investors with no defined benefit (DB) pension plan should be even more careful, because your fallback plan is to retire later or work longer if your portfolio isn’t sufficient to meet your income needs come your hoped-for retirement date. That decision isn’t always in our hands, because employers like to downsize and replace older, more expensive workers with younger (cheaper) faces. This is very important in regard to safeguarding assets built up over 20 years or more. Late-cycle investing risks
People thinking about investing larger lump sums have to be very careful when the markets have had a few good years, because risk may increase the as a bull market ages. When the markets have gone through a 40% correction, most (if not all) of the risk has been removed, leaving potential investors in a very favourable position. If that’s the case, why don’t we see money inflows rise sharply after these corrections? The reason is that after a correction, retail investors are still afraid of a further drop. When people are fearful, they put their head in their shell and run to “safe” but low-yielding assets www.canadianinquirer.net
like money market funds or GICs. Rethinking risk
This doesn’t mean you should give up on equities as part of your investment portfolio in good times. It just means you should not be overly aggressive based on strong past performance, thinking it will continue. It might…and it might not. Stock markets will always rise and fall, but they advance more often than they retreat. We know this from over a century of market history. What we don’t know is when they will rise or fall, to what extent, or for how long. These are, of course, all huge pieces of the puzzle, which is why, for most average investors, a balanced portfolio works best, with assets allocated in line with your risk tolerance and age. For example, as I said
earlier, if you’re over 50 years old, at this stage of the market cycle, you probably wouldn’t want a portfolio weighted 70% to equities and 30% to fixedincome and cash. What I’m saying is to tread carefully as you navigate the future with so many unknown variables in play. Don’t be too aggressive, because the timing just isn’t right any longer. It’s better to give up a modest 5% to 10% in performance than to suffer a steep 35% loss a couple of months after you’ve committed heavily to equities at what may turn out to be the very top of the bull market. ■ Courtesy Fundata Canada Inc. © 2014. Bruce Loeppky is a financial advisor based in Surrey, B.C. This article is not intended as personalized advice.
Sports/Horoscope
41 FRIDAY AUGUST 22, 2014
Spanish league adds to its star power in growing challenge to Premier League’s dominance BY JOSEPH WILSON The Associated Press BARCELONA, SPAIN—Two months after Spain’s national team flopped at the World Cup, the country’s domestic league is ready to shine with even more star power. Already boasting the sport’s two biggest names in Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, the Spanish league got even richer in individual talent with the addition of several players who stood out at the tournament in Brazil, including James Rodriguez and Luis Suarez. The league will also hope to build on an entertaining finale last season, which saw Atletico Madrid clinch the title in a winner-take-all showdown at Barcelona, and its dominance of European competitions when
Real Madrid beat Atletico in the all-Spanish Champions League final. Sevilla won the Europa League. Madrid has again flexed its monetary muscle as the world’s richest sports club by gobbling up three of the World Cup’s most impactful players. The club spent about 115 million euros ($154 million) for Rodriguez, the Colombian who led the World Cup in scoring, Germany midfielder Toni Kroos and Costa Rica goalkeeper Keylor Navas. “This could be the beginning of an important era because I am lucky enough to coach a fantastic squad,” said Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti, who led the team to its 10th European Cup title last season. But the most talked-about move of the off-season was Barcelona’s deal with Liverpool to add the gifted and volatile Su-
arez to an attack already featuring Messi and Neymar. Besides Germany’s 7-1 win over Brazil in the semifinals, perhaps the most memorable moment of the World Cup will likely be Suarez’s ignominious bite of an Italian opponent that led to the Uruguay forward receiving his third suspension for sinking his teeth into another player. This most recent ban was softened to let him practice and play friendlies with Barcelona, but Suarez cannot play a competitive match until Oct. 25. Barcelona’s distractions don’t end with Suarez. Court investigations into Messi’s alleged unpaid taxes and Neymar’s contract are ongoing, while the club is appealing a one-year transfer ban for violating rules regarding youth players. Stung by its failed quest to keep the winning run estab-
lished by Pep Guardiola alive, Barcelona replaced coach Gerardo Martino with former player Luis Enrique and brought in several more players as it looks past the exit of Carles Puyol and Victor Valdes and the sale of Cesc Fabregas and Alexis Sanchez. “We have done well to reinforce our squad,” Luis Enrique said. “After having important departures, the club has made a big effort so that I have a oneof-a-kind team.” But the key to the Spanish league remaining a compelling competition will hinge on its defending champion. Atletico’s title run, as relentless as it was surprising, did much more than give the capital’s “second team” its first league title since 1996. It also was the perfect retort to criticism that the league had become a boring, perennial two-
horse race. Atletico, however, has lost several key players. Striker Diego Costa, goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and defender Filipe Luis all joined Chelsea, while David Villa left for Major League Soccer. Atletico coach Diego Simeone will now have to retool his attack around newcomers Mario Mandzukic and Antoine Griezmann. “Our reality in the league is to focus on Sevilla, Valencia and Athletic (Bilbao),” said Simeone, who, like last season, continues to relish the underdog role. Below the top three, Bilbao, Sevilla and an up-and-coming Villarreal seem set to battle for the fourth and final Champions League spot. The main goal for at least half of the 20-team competition will again be staying in the top flight. ■
HOROSCOPE ARIES
CANCER
LIBRA
CAPRICORN
(MARCH 21 - APRIL 19)
(JUNE 22 - JULY 22)
(SEPT 23 - OCT 22)
(DEC 22 - JAN 19)
One big leap towards positivity is
Now is the time to pursue the style
This week will be an arduous jour-
Be careful in meeting new friends
all you ever need to straighten the
you’ve always wanted. Invest in your
ney for you, and your loved ones.
this week. The stars want you to be
crooked beginnings. You have been worried about
wardrobe today and have that extra spray of confidence
Stay focused on driving towards the path that will lead
cautious of the people around you, especially those
the future that you kept bombarding yourself with the
in your work in the next years. Sometimes, the best
you and your family to the end of the road. Avoid stop
that you haven’t known for a long time. It is not wrong
stress of negativity. Free yourself from thinking about
way to highlight show off your beauty is by wearing the
overs in the form of leisure and unnecessary pleasures,
to be friendly and to be open to building new rela-
the worst, which may never happen. Instead, why
fashion trend that best reflects your personality. Just
which may slow you down from achieving what you
tionships, but be very careful in picking the ones you’ll
not try keeping a positive note in your mind and be
remember that whatever you are wearing is a reflection
will. Your family’s success is in your hands so keep in
trust. Trouble will follow you if you are not vigilant, so
surprised with the good things it might bring you.
of the kind of person you are, so pick the best!
mind that time is of the essence.
never let your guard down.
TAURUS
LEO
SCORPIO
AQUARIUS
(APRIL 20 - MAY 20)
(JULY 23 - AUGUST 22)
(OCT 23 - NOV 21)
(JAN 20 - FEB 18)
You will be one step closer to
Giving back to those in need will
The most important thing to
This week, you have to be extra
achieving the ultimate desire of
give you more fulfilments in the
remember this week is to KEEP
sensitive of the feelings of those
your heart if you let go of all the pride you’ve been
days to come. Explore the joy of charity by finding
CALM. Learn to tame that beast inside and always
around you. You may not know it, but they may have
keeping inside. Remember that the best things
time to share your blessing to those who most need
look at the brighter side of things. Losing your cool will
been keeping grudge against you for always bossing
in life come from humble beginnings. It’s alright
it. Giving will multiply the blessings you will receive
not be very productive for you, this week. The stars are
around and nagging at them in ways that you may have
to start small and finish big than start big without
this week. Whatever its form may be, in cash or in
reminding you to stay patient and always put yourself
not noticed. Try to be more caring and understanding
finishing anything, at all.
kind, just take note that giving is not giving when it
on others’ shoes so you may able to understand where
of their feelings and you’ll never realize that you have
doesn’t hurt.
they are coming from.
gained their trust more than you have ever expected.
GEMINI
VIRGO
SAGITTARIUS
PISCES
(MAY 21 - JUNE 21)
(AUG 23 - SEPT 22)
(NOV 22 - DEC 21)
(FEB 19 - MAR 20)
The biggest mistake you’ll be
You will have a bountiful harvest,
Sometimes, you have to doubt
Think while talking and acting.
making this week is letting
financially and emotionally, if you
your instincts. The demands of your
That’s the best rule you have to
that great opportunity pass. Once that awesome
will play your cards right. Do not let the criticisms of
work and your personal relationships will require you
keep in mind today. You have been letting all your
chance of a lifetime come knocking at your door,
those who want to bring you down distract you and pull
to base your decisions on facts and logic. Relying on
emotions get hold of your speech and your actions in
don’t be afraid to crack it open. Remember that
you away from your goal. Whatever distractions you
baseless and unproven doubts and feelings may not
the past few weeks. This may not be healthy. You need
a lot of people travel the world in search of that
may encounter along the way, just recall your priorities
do you any good, this week and the days to come. To
to always keep in mind to let not your emotions control
green pasture. So, once it lingers near your reach,
and remind yourself of the most important thing that
avoid future conflicts, always keep in mind that you
you all the way. Grab a hold of everything you do by
grab it and never let go!
urgently needs to get done.
have to be reasonable and factual at all times.
letting your mind work, before anything else does.
www.canadianinquirer.net
FRIDAY AUGUST 22, 2014
42
Travel
Nasugbu: The perfect mix of tranquility and entertainment BY MELISSA REMULLABRIONES Philippine Canadian Inquirer ONE WOULD not describe the Province of Batangas as mystical. It does not have the crazyscary vibe of Capiz (think “manananggal”, no direct English translation but means “one who separates itself”) or the lore of Mt. Banahaw or Mt. Cristobal (the Holy Mountain, and the Devil’s Mountain, respectively). In fact, it is famous for its wholesome, uber beautiful and picturesque Taal Volcano, perfect diving spots, diverse marine life, and its Kapeng Barako. But it is. Nasugbu, one of its municipalities, is brimming with tales of the past that is not too long ago. Of a monasteryo (monastery) rising up in the mountains, its stone slabs finely cut and stacked church-high by nothing or no one that could be seen. Our source says this structure still exists. Or a church where one could request to borrow an ancient heirloom (for a wedding or a baptism), with the heirloom appearing by the door the next day. The only condition is that it be returned, but of course human greed factored in sooner rather than later and the agreement was breached. Some say the church was swallowed by the earth, never to be seen again except in the memories of those who actually witnessed its mysterious offerings; others say mysterious lights appear at its last-known spot every Good Friday during Lent. There is the story of the footprints of a giant that once roamed Batangas’ wilderness. Our source say the set of footprints, separated by miles, is still visible to this date.
Pico de Loro cove.
St. Francis Xavier Parish.
And the story of a parrot, its beak jutting out, cast in stone forever for some transgression. Its name: Pico de Loro. But more than the tales and more than what does not meet the eye, it is the beauty of the place and its people that captivates. Nasugbu
Crystal clear waters, shadows suddenly jutting in and out—half sand, half fish (in the mind’s eye)—the Municipality of Nasugbu is rich in beauty, wonder and lore. According to legend and Wikipedia, a group of Spanish soldiers went on a sightseeing tour on the western coast of Batangas. They saw a woman cooking rice in a palayok (clay pot) and they asked her, “¿Cómo se llama este pueblo?” (“What is the name of this place?”). Not knowing a word of Spanish and misunderstanding the question, the woman answered, “Nasubo na po iyan, eh, kaya ganyan” (“The rice is boiling; that is why it is like that”). The Spaniard repeated the word “nasubo” and henceforth, the village began to be called by that name. Nasugbu was one of the Philippine destinations featured during the Department
of Tourism’s More Fun in the Philippines event held recently at the Four Seasons Hotel in Vancouver. Avid promoters of the beachfront destination were Nasugbu Mayor Rosario Apacible and her staff. What to do
Nasugbu has a wealth of sights and activities to offer, most notable of which are the following: 1. Check-in at Pico de Loro. Pico de Loro is a premiere resort and seaside sanctuary envisioned as the gateway to the so-called “Philippine Riviera”. It is sprawling, breathtaking, and exclusive. Get a massage from the Rain Spa (request for the biggest couples room with the oversized bathtub). Go kayaking. Feed the fishes at the cove. Swim in the multilevel pools at the Country Club or enjoy views of the sea while sipping a margarita. Marvel at the reasonable prices at the at the Kulinarya Store. Order Margherita pizza from Lagoa, enjoy buffet breakfast at the Pico Restaurant and Bar, ride the petite ponies and let your hair down while riding the free shuttle. Smile in contentment. 2. Drink Batangas coffee. This coffee, also known as
PCI visits the office of Nasugbu Mayor Rosario Apacible (second from left).
Kapeng Barako, is both dark and strong and has a distinct pungent aroma that is satisfying on many levels. Its coffee beans are also used as a body scrub in spa treatments. 3. Visit Karakawa falls. Karakawa is a series of “multi-tiered naturally-formed rock pools hewn out of the mountain. The smallest pool is about the size of a jacuzzi while the biggest measures about 25 square meters. The pools are more than 6 meters deep, and one can catch fish in the pools.” Descent to this paradise is steep, however, if you are taking the route from Pico de Loro so be careful. 4. Visit St. Francis Xavier Parish. This is a big, airy church with a souvenir shop at its basement. 5. Visit Kainan sa Dalampasigan. A destination in itself, this foodie paradise has an oldworld ambience: chandeliers, antique wooden chairs, hanging vines, flowers. Everything in the menu is delicious. Make
sure to order their baked tahong, adobo wrapped in leaves (with shrimps and an interesting bagoong dipping sauce), hot dalampasigan soup and to-die-for leche flan. Say hi to their flower fishes. While you’re at it, visit the monasteryo, find the giant’s footprints, look at Mt. Pico de Loro and make out the shape of a parrot’s beak. Indeed, revel in folklore, enjoy the food, dip in the beach, return the smiles. Having the perfect mix of tranquility and entertainment, it is definitely more fun in Nasugbu. ■ The Municipality of Nasugbu provided food and accommodations at Pico de Loro to PCI Editor Melissa Remulla-Briones as part of the 3-day, 2-night prize she won at a raffle during the DOT event in Vancouver. Special thanks to Mayor Rosario Apacible, Perlita Rufo and Atty. Jearemmy Rosario-Guinto for making this trip special and memorable.
Travel
43 FRIDAY AUGUST 22, 2014
English Bay a beacon for runners, sunbathers and sightseers in Vancouver BY BILL GRAVELAND The Canadian Press VANCOUVER—English Bay offers a spectacular view, ships anchored in the water, an expansive number of beaches and a surprising amount of art. The 14 larger-than-life laughing bronze statues, self-portraits of a renowned Chinese artist, are hard to miss even with the many other notable distractions near Vancouver’s West End residential neighbourhood. Known as “A-maze-ing Laughter,” the statues, created by Yue Minjun, have been a favourite of locals and visitors since their arrival in 2009. The installation was originally brought in for Vancouver Biennale, a biannual public art exhibition that features sculptures, new media and performance works by celebrated and emerging international artists.
“One thing that many people do not know about is the public art offered in English Bay. ‘Amaze-ing Laughter’ has been around for a while and was so popular that it was actually purchased by Chip Wilson, who is the founder of Lululemon, for the city to keep,” said Jorden Hutchison from Tourism Vancouver. “You have 14 bronze statues that are about three metres tall and they all weigh over 250 kilograms. That is one of the most popular areas in the city for taking a photograph at this point.” Another popular sculpture, called “Engagement,” depicts two diamond engagement rings and stands nearly 10 metres tall. The diamonds, illuminated and tilting away from one another, are composed of translucent Plexiglas boxes and aluminum. “They’re right on Sunset Beach. They’re very beauti-
ful. Those are to celebrate romantic unions and were put in Vancouver to show they were celebrating gay marriage,” said Hutchison. Then of course there are the beaches. The busiest is English Bay Beach, a favourite of sunbathers, swimmers, cyclists and joggers. English Bay Beach hosts the annual Celebration of Light, a fireworks competition that is held for two weeks every summer, as well as the just completed Vancouver Pride Parade and Festival. The Vancouver Seawall runs all the way around English Bay and includes Stanley Park, a 400-hectare (1,001-acre) public park that borders the downtown and is almost entirely surrounded by waters of the Pacific Ocean. “One of the biggest draws is Stanley Park. Recently it’s been named one of the most beautiful city parks in the world by
Travel and Leisure Magazine. Obviously you have the beautiful seawall, but within the actual park you have tons of forested trails,” said Hutchison. Stanley Park has a long history and was one of the first areas to be explored in Vancouver. The land, colonized by the British during the 1858 Fraser Canyon Gold Rush, was eventually turned into Vancouver’s first park when the city incorporated in 1886. It was named after Lord Stanley, a British politician who had recently been appointed governor general. Much of the park remains as densely forested as it was in the late 1800s, with about a half
million trees, some of which stand as tall as 76 metres and are hundreds of years old. ■ If You Go...
Check out the The Brewery Tour, a cycle tour through Vancouver neighbourhoods with visits to three craft breweries http://cyclevancouver.com/ craft-beer-bicycle-tour/ Whale watching: departure from downtown Vancouver http://www.hellobc.com/activitylisting/whale-watching/4582924/prince Stanley Park: http://vancouver.ca/parksrecreation-culture/stanleypark.aspx
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OpenRoad Honda Burnaby 6984 Kingsway, Burnaby (5 minutes East of Metrotown)
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Seen and Scenes: Alberta
BOWLING TOURNAMENT FOR A CAUSE A fun bowling tournament among Filipinos in Calgary was held recently to help raise funds for their organizations’ activities. Here are some scenes from the friendly competition.
FORT MC PINOYS HOLD SUMMER CAMP Pinoys in Fort McMurray, Alberta led by their president, Liz Jackson, enjoyed their summer camp in Jasper, Alberta. Here are some scenes from the outing.
For photo submissions, please email info@canadianinquirer.net. www.canadianinquirer.net
AUGUST 22, 2014
FRIDAY 44
Events
45 FRIDAY AUGUST 22, 2014
CANADA EVENTS
YUKON NORTHWEST TERRITORIES
NUNAVUT
Dimasalang Expressions By Dimasalang III International Group of Artists WHEN/WHERE: Till August 30, at the Vancouver Moat Gallery, Vancouver Public Library, 350 W. Georgia St., Vancouver, B.C. Seniors Club Picnic By Mosaic Settlement Services WHEN/WHERE: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., August 23 at Central Park (Meet at Patterson SkyTrain Station) MORE INFO: Registration required 604 438 8214 ext 115 or 604 292 3907 Elder Abuse: Workshop Series for New Westminster Seniors By Seniors Brigade Society of B.C. with Phil. Bagong Pag-asa Society of B.C. and Filipino Seniors Club of B.C. WHEN/WHERE: 1 to 5 p.m., August 23 and 30. Registration begins at 12:30 p.m., Douglas College, Room 1640, 700 Royal Ave., New Westminster, B.C. ANCOP Walk 2014 By Ancop Canada WHEN/WHERE: 8 a.m., August 24, at Burnaby Central Park Eat, Play, Live Well Street Fair By Phoenix Society WHEN/WHERE: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., August 24 at Phoenix Centre (13686 94A Ave., Surrey, B.C.) MORE INFO: Free outdoor festival with resources
NEWFOUNDLAND
MANITOBA
SASKATCHEWAN
http://bit.ly/ PCI-Events
Temporary Foreign Workers Appreciation Day By Temporary Foreign Workers Coalition and Migrante Alberta WHEN/WHERE: 4 to 7 p.m., September 1, Centennial Plaza (Downtown behind Stanley Milner Library) MORE INFO: Free food, music, fun and lots of information for all temporary foreign workers, friends and families.
BRITISH COLUMBIA ALBERTA
View all events by scanning this QR code or visiting
ONTARIO
QUEBEC
Open Forum: Changes in Live-in Caregiver Program By Victoria Filipino Canadian Caregivers Association WHEN/WHERE: 2 p.m., August 24, at the Bayanihan Center, 1709 Blanshard St., Victoria, B.C. Lights, Camera, LAUGH! BC Children’s Hospital benefitting Ride to Conquer Cancer WHEN/WHERE: event starts at 5:30 p.m., August 24 MORE INFO: Fashion show @ 6:30 p.m., Improv Comedy –Theatre Sports @ 7:15 to 8:45 p.m. Tickets: info@cwmusic.ca Steveston Dragon Boat Festival By the Britannia Heritage Shipyard WHEN/WHERE: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., August 24, Britannia Heritage Shipyards MORE INFO: Food, art and crafts, vendors and exciting dragon boat races Immigration Seminar (Pathways and Policy Changes) By Collingwood Neighborhood House Society WHEN/WHERE: 6 to 8 p.m., August 25, Collinghood Neighborhood House, 5288 Joyce St., Vancouver B.C. MORE INFO: Free (with childminding) .Contact ggarcia@cnh.bc.ca Emergency & First Aid Course By Collingwood Neighborhood House Society WHEN/WHERE: 9 a.m., to 5 p.m., August 28, Collinghood Neighborhood House MORE INFO: To pre-register & further details: email Karen Caguioa at kcaguioa@cnh.bc.ca www.canadianinquirer.net
It’s Showtime Canada Live in Edmonton By TFC and 3J Event Services WHEN/WHERE: 5 to 8 p.m., September 21 at the Shaw Conference Centre, Halls ABC 9797 Jasper Ave., Edmonton, AB. MORE INFO: Call 780-440-4282 ext 3 (Zed); 780-938-7373 (Girlie)
2014 Outbound Trade Mission to Canada (Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal) By Canadian Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines WHEN/WHERE: Till August 24 MORE INFO: Email: trademission@ cancham.com.ph Mabuhay Philippines Festival 16th Anniversary By the Philippine Independence Day Council and TD Canada Trust WHEN/WHERE: August 23 to 24, at the David Pecaut Square, 215 King Street West, Toronto MORE INFO: Call 905-257-1069 or visit www.pidctoronto.com Coconut Festival Canada 2014 WHEN/WHERE: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., August 24 at Artscape Wychwood Barns – 601 Christie St., Toronto, On. MORE INFO: Health lectures, talks and cooking demos, food and health vendors, artisan merchandise and many more.
To have your events featured on PCI, please email events@canadianinquirer.net
FRIDAY AUGUST 22, 2014
46
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FRIDAY 48