RELEVANT SKILLS. MEANINGFUL JOBS. CANADA’S FIRST AND ONLY NATIONWIDE FILIPINO-CANADIAN NEWSPAPER www.canadianinquirer.net
VOL. 11 NO. 141
NOVEMBER 14, 2014
310.HIRE (4473) SPROTTSHAW.COM
4
12
14
41
42
1 yr after Yolanda: Some still trapped, some moved on
Government needs more land for Yolanda housing
A gathering of Angels on Wheels
Canadian Man offers free trip around the world
Algieri confident he can beat Pacquiao
Clean politics, an end to smear campaign — Binay’s birthday wishes BY ANGIE DUARTE Philippine Canadian Inquirer
Prime Minister Stephen Harper meets with Benigno Aquino III, President of the Philippines, prior to attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders' Meeting in China.
Canada unveils Php 825M rehabilitation plan for Yolanda-stricken areas BY MICHAELA DEL CALLAR Philippine News Agency MANILA — Canada has launched a rehabilitation plan amounting to Php825million for communities affected by super typhoon Yolanda that devastated the
Visayas region in November last year. As it commemorated the first anniversary of the storm that left a trail of destruction and killed more than 7,000 in Central Philippines in Nov. 8, 2013, Canada unveiled the Typhoon Haiyan
PM.GC.CA
❱❱ PAGE 3 Clean politics
Philippine Canadian Inquirer
m info@canadianinquirer.net sales@canadianinquirer.net A (888) 668-6059
Tanong Mo Kay Kuya Boy ❱❱ PAGE 31
❱❱ PAGE 11 Canada unveils
MANILA, PHILIPPINES — On the occasion of his 72nd birthday, Vice President Jejomar Binay has two wishes: an end to the “smear campaign” against him and his family, and for “clean politics.” “My birthday wish is that I hope that these people destroying our reputation would finally wake up and end their destructive politics. I wish that we elevate our political discourse and elections, and not resort to lies and mudslinging. Instead, we should present our dreams and goals, as well as aspirations for our nation. I wish for clean politics,” Binay said during a radio interview.
facebook.com/ PhilippineCanadianInquirer twitter: @philcaninquirer
2
NOVEMBER 14, 2014
EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION BENEFITS OF TRAINING WITH SPROTT SHAW - Ministry of Children & Family Development approved - Continuous intakes - Classes start monthly - Become an entrepreneur - open your own daycare at home - Qualified employees can obtain their ECE Assistant Certificate by taking only one course
BASIC & POST BASIC 13 CAMPUSES IN BC
CALL 604.310.HIRE (4473) OR VISIT SPROTTSHAW.COM
HEALTH CARE ASSISTANT The HCA program is designed to provide students with the opportunity to develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to function effectively as front-line care-givers and respected members of a health care team, in community and health care facility settings. CAREER OPPORTUNITIES: - Home Support Agencies - Acute/Complex Care Facilities - Long Term Care - Private Homes - Special Care Units
110
13 CAMPUSES IN BC
CALL 604.310.HIRE (4473) OR VISIT SPROTTSHAW.COM www.canadianinquirer.net
-
FRIDAY
Philippine News
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 14, 2014
3
eMPATHY keeps track of all relief funds BY CHRISTINE O. AVENDAÑO Philippine Daily Inquirer WITH BILLIONS of pesos coming from the national coffers and donor organizations for rebuilding communities ravaged by Supertyphoon “Yolanda” (international name: Haiyan) a year ago, the Aquino administration wants to assure the public that the money is really going to reconstruction and rehabilitation projects. The intention is not only to make the process transparent but also to show the “laggards” in the development of projects, according to Panfilo Lacson, the presidential assistant for rehabilitation and recovery who oversees the rehabilitation and reconstruction effort. Lacson said his office had created “eMPATHY” which stands for e-Management Platform: Accountability and Transparency Hub for Yolanda, a comprehensive, centralized system for tracking down expenditures for the gigantic program. Lacson said the system was the first in the Philippines and possibly the whole world. Watching the money
The innovation allows both the government and the public to keep an eye on the funds, Lacson said. People who want to know what the projects are, how much they cost, and how far gone they are can go to empathy. oparr.gov.ph to see it for themselves. The Oparr is the Office of the Presidential Assistant for Rehabilitation and Recovery. The hub has been up for about two weeks but remains a work in progress, as technicians continue to “populate” the database, according to Lacson. Lacson said there was a need for transparency and accountability on the billions coming from the government and from multilateral and bilateral partners that had come to the aid of the Philippines.
25,000 activities, Lacson said. Also listed are the winning contractors, the dates of the awarding of the contracts and the status of the implementation of the projects. Catching crooks
A screen capture of the oparr.gov.ph website that aims to help provide transparency to funds being used for Yolanda rehabilitation.
P167.8B from gov’t
For one, the Aquino administration would be allotting P167.8 billion in the national budget for the next two years to finance the recovery and rehabilitation plan for 171 cities and municipalities in 44 provinces in nine regions affected by Yolanda. For another, there is P19.36 billion in foreign assistance through grants for the rehabilitation and recovery phase, according to latest Oparr records. In addition, the private sector has donated P12.38 billion for the rehabilitation and recovery program. Lacson, a former senator and chief of the Philippine National Police, said his experience during his first few days on the job made him realize the importance to the government of financial vigilance.
Binay, who served as Makati City mayor for three terms before being voted into the vice presidency, has been accused by former Makati City officials of corruption and amassing personal wealth from public coffers. Initial allegations include the gross overpricing of city projects and buildings, and the receipt of kickbacks from multi-million infrastructure projects Charges have since grown to include alleged possession, through dummy-owners, of an 8,877-square-meter real estate property in Comembo village, Makati, and a 350-hectare agricultural farm in
18,400 rehab projects
It’s a tall order, but Lacson believes it can be done. And vital to watching the funds is the hub, developed with a $10-million technical assistance from the United States Agency for International Development. The hub contains a list of the 18,400 rehabilitation projects that require
❱❱ PAGE 9 eMPATHY keeps
Zero leakage of funds
Fresh on the job, he discovered that substandard materials were being used for building bunkhouses for typhoon survivors in Eastern Samar province. Lacson said there were also reports that someone had colluded with contractors for the use of substandard materials to generate kickbacks. One bunkhouse cost P836,000 and a cut of 10 percent would cost the government P83,600, he said. “That’s when I realized we have to monitor the funds,” he said.
Clean politics... ❰❰ 1
Lacson said he was aiming for “zero leakage” of rehabilitation funds. “A leak of just 1 percent and that’s already a P1.7-billion loss. That’s a huge amount, and we are dealing with a calamity here,” Lacson said.
“These data are really for the public and the media, not only for transparency but also to determine who the laggards are,” Lacson said. People following the development of the projects in their villages through the hub can report irregularities, including use of substandard materials, he said. The hub has filters for false information from public users, he said. Aside from the public, he said, project implementers (national government agencies, local governments, international organizations, private organizations and foundations) may also share information through the hub.A special team has been formed to go to development partners to share their information with the Oparr. The partners will be given usernames and passwords to the hub so that they can update the implementation of their projects, he said. Lacson said the monitoring system
Rosario town, Batangas province. The Vice President was a no-show last week at the Senate Blue Ribbon committee hearing on the corrup-tion allegations against him, for the reason that he has been “pre-judged” and any explanation to prove his innocence would be “useless.” According to Binay, the senators spearheading Senate Blue Ribbon subcommittee probe are using the investigation as a platform to malign him, and crush his bid for the 2016 presidential elections. The Vice President celebrated his birthday on November 11. ■
JOIN THE TEAM:
HOME OF THE CHRISTIAN ADVISOR FaithLife Financial is a reliable not-for-profit insurance provider that helps people build solid financial plans based on Christian principles. Become a Financial Representative with a company that is aligned with your Christian values, offers unique Member benefits, training and marketing support. Welcome home!
Call today to learn more about a rewarding career with us! www.faithlifefinancial.ca
EDWARD DITCHING, CFP, FIC Sales Manager editching@faithlifefinancial.ca
ELLEN JANE POLICARPIO, FIC Financial Representative epolicarpio@faithlifefinancial.ca
RONALDO SISON, FIC Financial Representative rsison@faithlifefinancial.ca
MARY JANE CASTILLO, FIC Financial Representative mcastillo@faithlifefinancial.ca
GREATER TORONTO
GREATER TORONTO
GREATER TORONTO
WINNIPEG
416 .273 .7239
www.canadianinquirer.net
647.895.3553
647. 457. 1592
204.227.9652
4
Philippine News
NOVEMBER 14, 2014
FRIDAY
A year after Typhoon Yolanda, some Filipinos move on, others trapped in misery BY JOEAL CALUPITAN The Associated Press TACLOBAN, PHILIPPINES — Four months after she lost her husband and home to Typhoon Haiyan’s fury, Agnes Bacsal gave birth to their sixth child — a sprightly boy, whose company has eased the family’s pain. Other survivors, like fisherman Ben Pedrero, still struggle. His wife and son perished in the monster storm and more than 40 other relatives are still missing, one year later. “In just a blink of an eye, they were all gone. I’ll only overcome this tragedy when I die myself,” the 61-year-old Pedrero said, wiping tears with his shirt as he helped relatives roast a pig and prepare food for the disaster’s anni-versary. On Saturday, as church bells pealed and sirens wailed across this central Philippine city to commemorate the mo-ment on Nov. 8, 2013, when Haiyan barrelled inland from the Pacific,
A picture from shortly after Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) struck last year.
Bacsal and Pedrero were planning to light candles and offer prayers at separate mass graves in Tacloban. Leyte Roman Catholic Bishop John Du led prayers at a site where close to 2,300 people are buried. Some lit can-dles and wrote names of their family members on newly planted white crosses in the vast field on the
outskirts of the city. At a city hall commemoration, 1,000 white balloons were released to signify acceptance of the human loss. Typhoon Haiyan levelled entire villages with ferocious winds and tsunami-like waves, leaving more than 7,300 people dead or missing. Funeral parlours were overwhelmed, forcing survivors to
HARALD KOBLER / FLICKR
bury their dead near where they were found — on church grounds, roadsides and beaches, as well as in front yards and backyards. The worst-hit city of Tacloban and outlying regions have crawled back from the rubble. Shopping malls, hotels and offices have reopened, with cars, taxis and motorcycles clogging downtown streets — the same
spots where huge mounds of debris and bodies lay scattered weeks after Haiyan blew away. Yet, human scars are harder to overcome. The storm’s 7-meter (21-foot) -high waves also took away Pedrero’s house with all its precious belongings — in-cluding his family’s pictures and other mementos. Also gone was his fishing boat, which provided his only source of income. Like him, Bacsal still relies on dole-outs, mostly from relatives and friends. Without her husband, tricycle driver Jonathan and her house, she now lives with her six children in a shack built from storm debris. Amid continuing adversity, Bacsal’s family is being held together by faith — an altar with rosaries and the images of Jesus and the Virgin Mary adorn a wall — and a bubbly, new family member, 7-month-old baby John William. His cries filled the bare shack. ❱❱ PAGE 9 A year after
Visit us on your smartphone
OpenRoadHonda.ca
Mary Ann Belmes
OpenRoad Honda Burnaby 6984 Kingsway, Burnaby (5 minutes East of Metrotown)
604-525-4667
www.canadianinquirer.net
Philippine News
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 14, 2014
5
UN: PH disaster response faster BY TARRA QUISMUNDO Philippine Daily Inquirer MANILA, PHILIPPINES—Although battered by one disaster after another, the Philippines does not take too long to rise again. The United Nations resident humanitarian coordinator, Luiza Carvalho, saw that over the past year as she led the world body’s response to the devastation that Super Typhoon “Yolanda” (international name: Haiyan) left across roughly half of the Philippines—the worst disaster in the world in 2013. “What it tells us is that probably, in this country, a humanitarian response does not need to take too long,” Carvalho said in an interview. “Indeed, for a middle-income country, a country where systems are in place such as the Philippines with a lot of internal capacity, there is no need, absolutely no requirement for a long-term humanitarian response. We can really do it faster and in a shorter period,” she said. Carvalho cited an exchange with fellow humanitarian coordinators from other parts of the world in their annual meeting, where representatives from conflict-afflicted countries marveled at how the Philippines moved from relief to recovery at such a fast pace. “I look at them, they are looking at me strangely and I feel like eating my words, and they said, “Luiza, we don’t have recovery. We go from one emergency after another,” Carvalho said. From relief to rehab
The Philippines is not a stranger to successive disasters, either, but the country has been able to surpass the relief stage— the distribution of emergency food, water and other life-saving needs—and move to rehabilitation at a pace not seen in other countries, she said. For instance, it took up to nine months for survivors of the Indian Ocean tsunami in Aceh, Indonesia, in 2004 to be moved from tents to bunkhouses, despite receiving full international funding of $8 billion, and with fewer affected families, she said. The UN appeal for Yolanda
response was funded only up to 61 percent—$470 million of the $776-million flash appeal—and goals set under its Strategic Response Plan (SRP) were met and even exceeded, including the provision of food assistance, emergency shelter, livelihood support and health services, among other things. “If you look at Haiti, until today there are still a large number of families surviving in a very precarious way. And we’re talking about five years, almost. And the population that was affected there is much smaller than here,” Carvalho said, referring to the situation in the Caribbean country that is still reeling from the 7.0-magnitude earthquake that struck it on Jan. 12, 2010. 4 million displaced
Carvalho noted how the Philippines faced the Level 3 emergency—the highest in the UN disaster scale now hoisted over conflict-stricken Iraq and Syria, among other places— just weeks after an earthquake hit the Visayas and fighting between Moro National Liberation Front rebels and government forces displaced thousands in Zamboanga City. A 2014 Global Estimates report on displacement, released by the Norwegian Refugee Council and the Internal Displacement Monitoring Center in September, placed the Philippines as the country with the most number of people rendered homeless by disasters last year: Yolanda, with 4 million displaced; Tropical Storm “Maring” (international name: Trami), with 1.74 million displaced; and Typhoon “Santi” (international name: Nari), with 406,000 displaced; and the Bohol earthquake, with 349,000 displaced. Carvalho said the total figure, along with other humanitarian emergencies that hit the Philippines last year, added up to 10 million displaced people in 2013. “And the next one is China, with 1.57 million (displaced by floods). Can you imagine China, the state of the country, the size of the country, and the size of the state dealing with (1.57) million, whereas the Philippines has 10 million displaced? Can you imagine the pressure on the state to respond?” she
said. “So comparing to other experiences, we can say that the Philippines is in a satisfactory, very positive path. Considering the size of the event, the path of the response is very satisfactory,” Carvalho said. For the UN agencies that have been working closely with the Philippine government throughout the emergency, the transition from emergency relief phase to recovery and rehabilitation efforts meant scaling down operations on the ground early. Matching reality
The UN country team released its final monitoring report on Yolanda response and recovery efforts in August, three months ahead of schedule, both because of “significant progress [that] had already been made” out of the Strategic Response Plan, and in response to the government’s decision to shift fully from relief to recovery. “It was a decision that matched reality,” Carvalho said. “So it was not an early close, but it was more a reflection of what was going on. It was an update of what was the response so far, so we came to the conclusion that the structures we had in the country would suffice for us to be engaged on the ground,” she said. Currently, only seven of the original 14 cluster teams are working on the ground, and all are also beginning to phase out work, Carvalho said. The UN-proposed cluster response system, which the Philippines adopted in 2007, has worked well for the country, she said, citing feedback from local officials on how the sector-based approach helped make disaster response more efficient. Under the system, UN agencies, the government and partner organizations team together in clusters on a per-need basis such as food security, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), shelter, health and logistics. “I particularly tend to think that there is a good connection (among humanitarian actors), the fact that we have gone through several responses, and knowing how to respond. For municipalities, the provincial www.canadianinquirer.net
Philippine and American troops transport an injured elderly Filipino woman during relief efforts from last year's Typhoon Yolanda. DVIDSHUB / FLICKR
level, it (the cluster approach) makes a lot of difference. It is well integrated in the country and the government is doing well with this system,” Carvalho said. Housing top priority
Logo_YolandaAs rehabilitation efforts continue, housing is now the top priority, with the goal of moving survivors out of tents and evacuation centers and into more stable bunkhouses before Christmas. “The goal now is by December, there will be zero evacuation centers and zero tents,” Carvalho said. She said about 400 families remained in tents in severely hit Tacloban City, while 5,500 more families (about 25,000 people) were expected to be transferred to bunkhouses. With the Philippines among the world’s most vulnerable countries, Carvalho is hoping that the lessons from Yolanda will spur sustained disaster mitigation efforts, particularly in the development of resilient housing. For one, she underscored the need to match available technology with practical knowledge to help Filipinos protect themselves from the hazards of nature.
Homes’ protective features
Carvalho cited how construction methods could be tweaked to build typhoon-protective features into homes, such as the use of hurricane straps and clips to reinforce beams and roofs of houses. “We believe technology should match knowledge and should come together and really create an enabling environment that will help the natural resilience of the Filipino people. So we cannot allow them to move from using natural materials to new building material without really knowing how to handle this,” she said. The International Organization for Migration built several resettlement houses in the Yolanda corridor with this feature, which could help structures withstand winds of up to 190 kilometers per hour, Carvalho said. The United Nations is looking to train communities on the installation of hurricane straps in homes, counting on the international community for support. “It is important that the Philippines develop very robust mitigation measures. With mitigation measures and a disaster risk response approach, there can be sound solutions for settlements,” Carvalho said. ■
6
NOVEMBER 14, 2014
X
FRIDAY
Vote for Change.
Gregor
Kirk LaPointe
Robertson is not listening to you
and the NPA Team
Vancouver can’t take 4 more years of “Vision”
Assist the creation of a Filipino community centre The Most Open City Hall in Canada
The NPA will freeze property taxes until the books have been audited, pass a disclosure bylaw and create a lobbyist registry.
Made “cash for favours” deal with CUPE, got a campaign cheque for $102,000 (Vancouver Courier, Georgia Straight - October 2014)
365 Nutrition Program for Children
No child should go hungry in a city as rich as ours. Success starts with nutrition; let’s get our kids in need fed every day of the year.
Taxes up 46%, debt up 58%, family income growth down, affordability down
Constructive Action on Transportation
Elected on a promise to end homlessness by 2015 but homeless population has doubled
The NPA built 75% of Vancouver’s bikeways without dividing the city. Let’s address all modes of transportation, including Broadway rapid transit, to get Vancouver moving again.
(Vancouver Courier - April 2014)
Clawed back millions in promised dollars for much needed Seniors Centre
We Need Change.
Restore Free Sunday parking outside the downtown core and after 8pm city-wide.
Authorized by Wayne Zielke, Financial Agent financial.agent@npvancouver2014.ca
NPA COUNCIL CANDIDATES
AFFLECK ,
NPA PARK BOARD CANDIDATES
Together, theCOUPAR VANCOUVER we want. BALLANTYNE, ,
LOW ,
George
Ken
Authorized by Wayne Zielke, Financial Agent financial.agent@npvancouver2014.ca
McDOWELL,
BAKER ,
Rob
Gregory
Ian
Elizabeth
SCOTT,
DE GENOVA,
Suzanne
Melissa
JohnN P A V a n c o u v e r 2 0 1 4 . c a
Fraser
CRAWFORD,
NOBLE ,
JAGPAL ,
RICHARDSON,
KIRBY-YUNG,
ROBERTSON,
MOUTTET,
SHARMA ,
Casey
ROBERTSON,
BALL ,
Jay
Sarah
for Mayor
LaPOINTE, Kirk NPA
NPA SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATES
Stéphane
SHUM , Erin
www.canadianinquirer.net
Penny
Christopher
Stacy
Sandy
Philippine News
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 14, 2014
7
Aquino: Curse me, criticize me but I must do right thing Rebuilding back better after disaster ‘takes time’ BY NIKKO DIZON Philippine Daily Inquirer “CURSE ME, criticize me but I believe I must do the right thing,” President Benigno Aquino III said on Friday, defending the pace of rebuilding in communities ravaged by Supertyphoon “Yolanda” (international name: Haiyan) a year ago. Mr. Aquino insisted that thorough reconstruction takes time. “I am impatient like everyone else but I have to stress that we can’t rebuild haphazardly. We have to build back better … let’s get it right the first time and the benefits should be permanent,” the President said in a speech at the hard-hit town of Guiuan in Eastern Samar on the eve of one-year anniversary commemorations of the disaster that struck Eastern Visayas and central Philippines. Yolanda, the strongest storm to hit land, killed or left missing more than 7,000 people and left tens of thousands of others homeless. A year after the disaster, those survivors are still dangerously exposed to future storms, living in tents, huts or other flimsy shelters, as a prolonged rebuilding phase has only just begun. Master plan approved
President Aquino has come under criticism for approving the government’s P160-billion reconstruction master plan only last week. He previously defended the time taken to complete it, saying programs from affected municipalities had to be thoroughly scrutinized. The master plan calls for 205,000 new homes for roughly 1 million people to be built in areas away from coastal danger zones, but this has only just started with a few thousand built so far. But important reconstruction work has taken place ahead of the formal adoption of the master plan, including rebuilding roads, bridges, hospitals and other vital infrastructure. In partnership with major international aid agencies, the government has also helped to roll out vaccination programs for millions of children and
given rice seeds to desperate farmers. President Aquino cited international aid agencies as saying post-Yolanda recovery efforts were moving faster compared with programs in Indonesia’s Banda Aceh after it was hit by tsunami waves in 2004. Work should not be shoddy
Defending the pace of the government’s rebuilding program, Mr. Aquino stressed that the reconstruction should not be a shoddy work. “Houses or new roads cannot be built overnight… What is important is we have clear targets, there is a clear plan to achieve these targets,” he said. Mr. Aquino stressed that Filipinos must never again go through the hardships they experienced in the days following Yolanda, which is why the government is building better houses and infrastructure. “We should have given them the strength and knowledge as a shield to the hardships they went through. We should apply what we have learned so as not to repeat this tragedy,” Mr. Aquino said. Response defended
He also defended the government’s response to Yolanda, saying despite limited resources, such as having only three Air Force C130s to transport relief goods, the needs of the survivors were immediately attended to. “We were able to mobilize our agencies quickly for the clearing operations, and for the immediate needs like power, water, food. From November 2013, for example, until July 2014, the government was able to distribute 12.2 million family food packs,” he said. After eight months, he said the government was able to transition from the relief stage to early recovery and to rehabilitation. The President was accompanied by Cabinet members and local officials on his visit to Guiuan. He visited the rehabilitation sites and inspected 133 temporary shelters, each of which measures 76 square meters and has a detached restroom, a Malacañang statement said. Mr. Aquino also led the turnover of one of the temporary
President Benigno S. Aquino III inspects the facilities of the temporary shelter at the Cogon Relocation Site in Barangay Cogon, Guiuan during a visit to the province of Eastern Samar last week. Aquino has said that relief efforts for disaster stricken areas will take time to be done properly. GIL NARTEA / MALACAÑANG PHOTO BUREAU
shelters to Benito Gagarin Sr. and his family, whom the President accompanied as they moved into their new home. He gave Gagarin a certificate of occupancy as well as a family assistance package and hygiene kit. No cash giveaways
Mr. Aquino also stood by his decision not to distribute P40,000 in cash to the typhoon survivors represented by a group called People Surge and based in Tacloban City. He said it would be easier to shell out P58.8 billion, the total amount if each family would be given P40,000, compared with the P85 billion that the government has to raise in 2015 to complete the rebuilding of the ravaged communities. “But I have a conscience. If you are harmed anew even if we could have avoided it, I won’t be able to face myself. I cannot face my parents. That’s why (to my critics), go ahead, curse me, criticize me, but I believe I must do the right thing. My conscience will not be able to bear abandoning you, allowing the tragedy to happen over and over again,” he said. Mr. Aquino added that he would just pray for his critics. Tacloban doing fine
www.canadianinquirer.net
At a news conference, Mr. Aquino defended his decision not to visit Tacloban, the worsthit city in Eastern Visayas but where the mayor is a bitter political rival, for the anniversary commemorations. “I have a hunch my critics will say I am taking Tacloban for granted… but I am not after brownie points,” he said, insisting recovery efforts were strong there and he did not have to visit personally. “I have visited Tacloban several times. I think Guiuan would also say, ‘We’re also one of the hardest hit.’ I mean, can anybody claim that they are the worst hit?” he said. “At the end of the day, this is not politics.” He said he “really wanted to highlight” Guiuan. “There are some structures that were standing in Tacloban when I visited. When I visited Guiuan, if I remember correctly, it seemed like not a single roof was left intact,” he said. Mr. Aquino said he wanted to see for himself if the town could still, or was able, to recover after the storm. Reviving livelihood
In his speech, the President admitted that it is difficult to feed millions of survivors every day, but said that the govern-
ment is making an effort to revive their livelihood. The government has distributed some 30,000 boats to fishermen and farmers will continue to receive fertilizers, seeds and farming equipment, he said. “The government is working twice as hard to improve their yield and earnings,” Mr. Aquino said. He said livelihood training programs for the survivors were still going on. Mr. Aquino said the government planned to build the Tacloban-Palo-Tanauan Road Dike through the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). The road dike will be 25 square kilometers and rise 4 meters above sea level, envisioned to be a wall against storm surges. It will protect an estimated 29,000 homes and other structures. The project would cost P9 billion and would start before the year ends. The President said there were also plans to use mangroves as natural protection against storm surges. Airport to be moved
He reiterated the plan to move the Tacloban City airport to a different location to avoid a repeat of the inundation it went through during Yolanda. Mr. Aquino stressed that an airport should be secured from disasters, as ideally it should always be open to receive first responders. Bayan Muna secretary general Renato Reyes said Mr. Aquino’s speech in Guiuan was “a litany of excuses on why government aid to storm survivors was sorely lacking and late.” In a statement, Reyes said the P40,000 demanded by People Surge for the survivors was a “short-term demand, and not by any means encompass the entirety of the demands of the survivors, which include housing, livelihood and the rehabilitation of agriculture.” He said the President, in his speech, “distort[ed] the demands of the victims, insult[ed] them and engag[ed] in gross dishonesty.” ■ With reports from Tarra Quismundo and AFP
Philippine News
8
NOVEMBER 14, 2014 FRIDAY
Publisher Philippine Canadian Inquirer, Inc. Managing Editor Earl Von Tapia earl.tapia@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 Shanice Garcia Photographers Angelo Siglos 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 sales@canadianinquirer.net 1-888-668-6059 PHILIPPINE PUBLISHING GROUP Editorial Assistant Phoebe Casin 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
An illicitly manufactured shard of the drug "Crystal Meth". The National Bureau of Investigation recently took down the largest illegal drug manufacturing lab in the Philippines where crystal meth and other drugs were manufactured. WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
Biggest ‘shabu’ lab in PH busted BY NANCY C. CARVAJAL Philippine Daily Inquirer MORE THAN P3 billion worth of “shabu” (methamphetamine hydrochloride), and raw materials and equipment for the manufacture of illegal drugs were seized during a raid on a laboratory disguised as a plastics factory in Camiling Tarlac last week, according to the National Bureau of Investigation. Six Chinese men were also arrested during the raid on the laboratory that measured more than a hectare and the warehouse that was secured with closed circuit television and other high-end security gadgets. Eric Isidoro, the head of the NBI’s antidrug unit, said that among the items recovered were large tubes and cooking equipment classified as for “industrial use” and millions of pesos worth of chemicals used as ingredients for the manufacture of illegal drugs. Based on the size and volume of the chemicals and the records seized from the high-fenced concrete warehouse, the laboratory, considered to have biggest shabu laboratory in the country, could have been producing very large numbers of shabu, as much as 100 kilograms a day, Isidoro said. Finished product
He said that while only 17 kgs of “finished shabu products” were seized from the laboratory, the raw materials found in the area would yield at least P3 billion worth of finished product, he said. Isidoro said the six arrested Chinese, who have not yet been identified, are facing charges of violating Republic Act No. 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, particularly the provision on the manufacture of illegal drugs.
He said the illegal drugs syndicate operating in the laboratory had used “a modified ingredients to lower the odor while cooking the illegal substance to avoid suspicion.” “The laboratory was in the middle of a residential area but nobody suspected it to be a shabu laboratory because there was no smell and the plants nearby did not wilt,” the NBI agent said. Mayor’s neighbor
Isidoro observed out that the laboratory was not too far from the house of Camiling Mayor Neil Agustin. He clarified, however, that Agustin was not a suspect in the case. According to Isidoro, as early as August his unit had received a tip from an informant about a big shipment of “shabu precursor” having arrived in the country, imported by Chinese nationals. “Based on that information we followed the trail and finally we established that the Chinese were building an illegal drugs laboratory in Camiling, Tarlac,” Isidoro said. Had the new laboratory not been shut down, it would have flooded the Asian market with an oversupply of shabu that would bring down the street price from P3 million to P700 thousand. The agent said that based on the town’s records the warehouse was listed under the name of a Conde Sy who bought it from a farmer’s cooperative. He said that Sy would be invited by the NBI for more information about his tenants. Under surveillance
Isidoro said the area around the laboratory had been under surveillance for two months before the NBI conducted the raid that was authorized by a search warrant issued by the a Manila court. He said Philippine Drug Enforcement
www.canadianinquirer.net
Agency (PDEA) will have custody of all the evidence, including the confiscated drugs and equipment. “The NBI does not have the facility to keep the evidence,” the NBI agent said. Following the bust of what is considered the biggest shabu laboratory in the country, the government is expected to undertake more antidrug operations in a bid to quash the illegal drugs industry, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said yesterday. De Lima, who has just returned from an official trip to Europe, met yesterday with the NBI team that led the raid on Thursday. The operation yielded P3 billion in equipment, raw materials, and at least 15 kilos of shabu (methamphetamine hydrochloride) from the drug laboratory. “Oh yes, definitely (there will be more). We are now assessing how big this bust is,” De Lima told reporters yesterday. Working double time
“Our authorities do not stop in conducting anti-drug operations. Of course, our lead agency is always the PDEA, and the PNP and the NBI have their own antidrug units. All of these units are really working double time to intensify antidrug efforts,” she added. The Intelligence Service of Armed Forces of the Philippines (Isafp) and PDEA joined forces with the NBI in the Thursday raid. De Lima said she was privy to the raid, particularly during the planning stage that started “several weeks ago.” “We hope that this will deal a big blow to the illegal drugs industry in the Philippines. We really need intensified efforts to fight illegal drugs in the country, especially since the elections are approaching. Narcopolitics might again proliferate,” she said. ■
Philippine News
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 14, 2014
9
eMPATHY keeps... ❰❰ 3
would also help to fill gaps and deal with overlapping projects.
Donation referral
It was through that system, he said, that the Oparr was able to refer the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which had offered $10 million for the rehabilitation program, to needs in the hard-hit town of Guiuan in Eastern Samar. “There is not much attention given to Samar because most of the focus is on Tacloban. So it was good thing Samar Gov. (Milagrosa) Tan went to the Oparr and we referred the UAE donation. They ended up discussing it,” he said. The Oparr also refers local governments or national government agencies to foreign donors, Lacson said. In the last three months, he said, foreign diplomats and international aid agencies visited the Oparr to look for rehabilitation projects they could help finance. In most cases, foreign donors and governments are the ones that implement their projects, he said. Javad Amoozegar, country director of ACF International, said his group was coordinating with the Oparr to make sure its projects ran in line with the rehabilitation plan. ACF has implemented two projects funded by the Canadian government to restore livelihood and access to water for more than 100,000 people in Leyte and Iloilo provinces. The projects cost C$3.75 million.
Mercedes Wong for Vancouver Council
‘Good work’
He said Canada, the third largest donor in the relief effort, “recognized the good work” done by the Philippine government and committed his government to help even more in the future. Canada put up $170 million for the Yolanda relief fund and the money was used for emergency relief and to support early recovery efforts. The Canadian relief fund still has a balance of $20.59 million, and Reeder said this would be used for reconstruction and disaster risk reduction projects. Lacson said foreign governments and organizations were more appreciative of the Philippine government’s response and recovery efforts than some local groups, who gripe about the slow pace of the rebuilding program. Normally and under international standards, the transition from the humanitarian stage to the rehabilitation stage is one year, but it took the Philippines only eight months to get to the rehabilitation phase.
I am originally from the Philippines, and have made Vancouver my home for more than 40 years. I’m running for Vancouver Council because I believe in equal opportunity for all groups in society to be heard, especially those who can’t advocate for themselves. For the past 25 years, I’ve dedicated my time volunteering in many charitable and non-profit groups for the betterment of seniors, the Aboriginal community, and homeless residents of the Downtown Eastside. I’ve also spent the better part of two careers in corporate finance and real estate. As a woman and an AsianCanadian, I’ve dealt with discrimination and have learned to be a voice for minority interests. If elected, I intend to focus on three issues: 1. Advocacy for seniors I will advocate in two areas – transit and better access to community centres. This includes better discounts for seniors on transit and free ride times, and reduced fees at community centres for recreational facilities. 2. Community Police for safety in the community Community policing brings police and residents together to prevent crime before it happens. Police become part of the neighborhood
Master plan took 9 months
It took the Oparr only nine months to submit the Yolanda Comprehensive Rehabilitation and Recovery Plan, he said. Lacson submitted the rehabilitation plan to President Aquino on Aug. 1. Mr. Aquino signed the plan on Oct. 30. Recovery and Rehabilitation Undersecretary Lesley Cordero, just back from a World Bank reconstruction conference in Australia, said a case study by the Global ‘Faster transition’ Facility for Disaster Recovery and RehabilVincent Stehli, ACF operations direc- itation showed that the Philippines was the tor, marveled at the short time that the fastest in producing a rehabilitation master Philippines was able to move from the plan compared with other countries that humanitarian stage had been struck by to the recovery stage disasters such as Neafter Yolanda. pal, Senegal, Pakistan, “We thought it Haiti, Japan and the would take more The ability of the United States. time but it was done country to bounce back The rehabilitation in a short time,” was faster than we’ve plan for the 2005 devsaid Stehli, who was ever seen in other astation wrought by among those who at- humanitarian disasters. Hurricane “Katrina,” tended the opening for instance, took two on Thursday of the years to put together, Canadian Embassy’s Cordero said. photo exhibit showConference delcasing ACF’s and the Canadian govern- egates, she said, were stunned by the ment’s assistance for Yolanda victims. Philippine master plan, as it was quite Canadian Ambassador to the Philippines detailed, including project costing down Neil Reeder also noted the Philippine gov- to the village level and hazard mapping. ernment’s quick response to the disaster. “In the donor community, those who Legacy project lived through the tsunami experience Other disaster-stricken countries have said that the response time here produced only frameworks, not master was better than the case of the tsunami plans, he said. situation,” Reeder said, referring to InLacson said the master plan would be donesian tsunami that brought devasta- uploaded to eMPATHY. tion to several countries on the Indian He said the hub was designed to cover Ocean rim in December 2004. the entire country and could be used to “The ability of the country to bounce track down national government spending. back was faster than we’ve ever seen in “We plan to leave [eMPATHY] as a other humanitarian disasters,” Reeder legacy project for the next administrasaid. tion,” he said. ■
and gain an understanding of residents’ needs and residents gain trust in the police. Everyone works to promote safe neighbourhoods. 3. Finding a way to reduce homelessness. We know that many of our homeless neighbours struggle with mental illnesses. We urgently need more mental health facilities. If elected I would work with other Metro Vancouver municipalities including the City of Coquitlam, which is lobbying the provincial government to get the Riverview Hospital in Coquitlam renovated and reopened. This would go a long way to reducing homelessness among those with mental illnesses.
Why vote for me? I have a good understanding of the issues facing Vancouver and I have a proven track record of listening to residents, making a plan, and then achieving goals that benefit the community. November 15, 2014 vote for Mercedes Wong to ensure your voice is heard on Vancouver City Council.
Thank you!
A year after... “He gives me joy, just by being beside me,” Bacsal said, cradling her baby. A 14-year-old daughter, Maria Jean, beamed with optimism. “I’ll be the best businesswoman in Asia and bring them out of here someday,” she said when asked about her plans. With help from relatives and friends, Bacsal was able to send Maria Jean to high school. They scrimp on grocery items recently donated by a city official and were able to sell extra food stuff to neighbours in an improvised store. They sometimes miss out on meals. While the exact figures for the dead and missing are still being collected, the physical recovery from Haiyan re-mains a challenge. The typhoon demolished about a million houses and displaced more than 4 million people in one of the country’s poorest regions, where a Marxist insurgency has endured for decades. Overall damage was estimated at 571.1 billion pesos ($12.9 billion), including about 16 million knocked-down co-conut trees, a major source of livelihood. With the loss of income, about a mil❰❰ 4
www.canadianinquirer.net
lion more people were pushed deeper into poverty, according to the Asian Development Bank. Building more than 200,000 new houses for the poor, who were left with nothing, is proving difficult. The Philippine government, backed by international donors, has built temporary bunkhouses and shelters, but many residents have hammered back their shacks in the same coastal villages where they were hit by the storm — and which have been officially declared “no-build zones.” About 3,000 people still live in tents in Tacloban, though the city government has pledged to move them to perma-nent housing by the end of the year. Under the long-term plan to protect against similar typhoon onslaughts, the government wants to build an elevated road connecting Tacloban to two coastal towns that also will serve as a dike. “Like you, I am impatient,” President Benigno Aquino III told residents during a visit Friday to nearby Eastern Samar province. He added, however, “We can’t be reckless as we build back better.” ■
10
Philippine News
NOVEMBER 14, 2014 FRIDAY
Hong Kong domestic workers brave risks and sometimes deadly dangers to help families back home BY JACK CHANG The Associated Press HONG KONG — At every stop, the path from Tritin Kartika’s poor Indonesian hometown to her job as a live-in maid in a Hong Kong apartment put her at risk of exploitation. Back home, she signed an employment contract that required her to give up most of her first six months of wages, to repay her hiring agency for travel and other costs. When she arrived in her new city, the agency confiscated her passport to make sure she paid her debt. And she soon saw what many migrant workers do if they lose or abandon their jobs: A friend took her to the bars of Hong Kong’s Wan Chai red-light district, where many Indonesian and Filipino women earn money having sex with foreign men. “I just wanted a better salary, something more than what I could make at home,” said Kartika, 32, whose 5-yearold daughter is still in Indonesia. “I just wanted to help my family.” More than 160,000 Indonesians, almost all women, have taken similarly perilous routes to jobs as maids, nannies
Queues at the Immigration Department in Hong Kong for contract renewals by domestic workers. Domestic workers in Hong Kong claim long hours, underpay, and other abuses by their employers. WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
and housekeepers in Hong Kong, lured by salaries as much as five times higher than at home. Now, they’re mourning two of their own — Seneng Mujiasih and Sumarti Ningsih, former domestic workers in their 20s who were found stabbed to death last weekend in the
luxury apartment of British investment banker Rurik George Caton Jutting. Jutting, 29, has been charged with two counts of murder in a case that has shocked the former British colony and shed light on the often hidden and dire circumstances facing many of these women. All told, 320,000 foreign domestic workers clean, cook and care for children in Hong Kong, making up nearly 5 per cent of the city’s population, according to a 2013 report by the human rights group Amnesty International. Most hail from Indonesia and the Philippines, and together they send home hundreds of millions of dollars each year. The women’s slayings elicit a mixture of horror and shame among Indonesians. “They understand very well when people become trapped in those kinds of forced conditions,” said Eni Lestari, a domestic worker who helps run the advocacy group Asian Migrants’ Coordinating Body. “But they also feel bad and ask why people are taking these sex worker jobs.” Domestic workers and labour activists say such women are made vulnerable to abuse by Indonesian laws that re-quire people who seek work abroad to go through hiring agencies, as well as Hong Kong regulations that tie domestic workers to their employers, even requiring that they sleep in their places of work. Workers end up deep in debt and vulnerable to fraud and abuse by the agencies, said Norma Mucio, a migrant rights researcher with Amnesty International. Many women endure sexual harassment and abysmal living condi-tions but are legally unable to move out of their employers’ houses without giving up their
www.canadianinquirer.net
work visas. Hong Kong’s domestic worker policies have drawn the attention of several U.N. human rights committees, with two of them calling for the repeal of the livein requirement. “This is exploitation at its highest level,” Mucio said. “Very rarely do you see this type of manipulation and way of extracting money from migrant domestic workers.” Like Kartika, Mujiasih and Ningsih had signed contracts requiring they pay their agencies back for travel and other costs, according to Lestari, who said she has talked to the women’s relatives and friends. Typical salaries for maids in Hong Kong run about $500 a month, according to Lestari’s group. Agencies can re-quire workers to give up about $335 from each paycheque. After Mujiasih was fired, she chose a sadly common option, Indonesian officials say. She overstayed her work visa and hit the bars and nightclubs of Wan Chai to make money off the mostly Western male customers — a much more lucrative, if risky, job. Kartika is done repaying the employment agency and has her passport back. She said she is sending money home and has no interest in returning to Wan Chai. “It’s not really good for me,” she said. “I want to do something better, something positive.” Indonesian Consulate official Rafail Walangitan said his government was aware of problems such as the high fees paid to hiring agencies and the conditions in some employers’ houses, but he said the agencies play an important ❱❱ PAGE 13 Hong Kong
Philippine News
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 14, 2014
11
Canada unveils... Reconstruction Assistance Call for Proposals in Ottawa. The call for proposals, valued at up to Cad$ 20.6 million or about Php825 million will be imple-mented over a period of four years, its embassy in Manila said this week. The plan, the embassy said, “is designed to help restore the livelihoods of people in the Philip-pines affected by typhoon Yolanda,” or known internationally as Haiyan. It forms part of the Typhoon Haiyan Relief Fund through which the government of Canada matched the USD85 million in eligible donations made by individual Canadians to registered Canadian charities in the aftermath of the killer storm. “On this one-year anniversary of Typhoon Yolanda, we pay tribute to the resilience of the people in the Philippines affected by the storm, the work of our partners and the generosity of Canadians,” Canadian ambassador Neil Reeder said in a statement. “Our relationship with the Philippines and the FilipinoCanadian community is long❰❰ 1
standing and strong, and we will continue our support to help build a better future for the people of this country,” he added. Canada was among the several countries that responded to global calls for aid to the Philip-pines after the storm — the strongest to make landfall in recent history — struck, providing significant humanitarian assistance to meet the immediate and early recovery needs of af-fected people. It has also deployed a number of experts from various Canadian government to support a broad range of critical needs faced by the Filipino authorities. The call for proposals is open to Canadian organizations that are legally incorporated in Cana-da with at least five years of experience managing and delivering post-disaster livelihood pro-gramming, the embassy said. Organizations that do not meet the minimum eligibility criteria but are interested in this call for proposals may consider the option of forming a consortium with a Canadian organization that meets all eli-
gibility criteria. Canadian organizations may submit only one application for this call for proposals, either on their own or as the lead organization of a consortium, it added. Projects funded under this call for proposals must align with the ultimate outcome of improv-ing the economic wellbeing of women, men, girls and boys affected by Yolanda, the embassy said. Each selected project would have an estimated contribution of between Cad$ 3 million and Cad$ 7 million. Proposals, the embassy noted, must also address the Canadian government’s three crosscut-ting themes: increasing environmental sustainability, advancing equality between women and men, and helping to strengthen governance. Proposals should also demonstrate how disaster risk reduction considerations, in particular in-creasing people’s resiliency to future natural hazards, will be integrated. Deadline of submission is January 30, 2015. ■
No guarantee of Maguindanao massacre convictions by '16 BY JEROME ANING Philippine Daily Inquirer
“Since it’s in the courts already, the prosecution can’t make a promise or commitment about convictions. It’s beyond our control. What’s more important is that the prosecutors will not be remiss in their role, that they will always attend hearings and present witnesses,” she said. Several members of the
cluding 32 media workers, on Nov. 29, 2009. With more than 200 defendants, there have been conTHE GOVERNMENT hopes cerns the trial could last for deto secure the convictions of cades. The Supreme Court gave at least some of the primary Quezon City Judge Jocelyn suspects in the 2009 MaguinSolis-Reyes the job of presiding danao massacre, but there is over the trial. The prosecution no assurance this would haprested its case last August. pen before President Aquino De Lima said the public and steps down in private prosecu2016, Justice tors were busy Secretary Leila preparing for the de Lima said. submission of “I [can’t make With more than 200 defendants, the rebuttal evia] commitment there have been concerns the trial dence by the acon [convictions could last for decades. cused. by 2016] because “There are [the case] is up reportedly 300 to the court. Our witnesses listed expectations, the efforts of the Ampatuan family, prominent by the defense. So can you just prosecution, are toward achiev- among them, former Maguin- imagine how time-consuming ing the conviction of even a danao Gov. Andal Ampatuan that would be? So we are hoping few of the principal accused by Sr., ARMM Gov. Zaldy Ampat- that Judge Reyes will control 2016, especially the members of uan and Datu Unsay Mayor An- the proceedings, that the prethe Ampatuan family,” De Lima dal Ampatuan Jr., together with sentation of witnesses would told reporters in an interview their henchmen, are being tried not take that long,” De Lima last Friday. for the murder of 58 people, in- said. www.canadianinquirer.net
De Lima said she was hoping the judicial affidavit rule issued by the Supreme Court could be applied to the trial, with the witnesses just submitting sworn statements that would serve as their direct testimony and then being called on the stand if the prosecutors want to cross-examine them. De Lima, who attended a United Nations sponsored meeting in France last week regarding the protection of journalists, recounted that she
was asked about proposals for “state compensation” to the families of the slain newsmen. “I merely reiterated the government’s position, that this incident was orchestrated by the Ampatuans [so they should be the ones to indemnify the victims’ families]. This did not happen under this administration. Anyway, there is a civil aspect to this case. That is why private complainants also presented evidence on the civil aspect,” she said. ■
12
Philippine News
NOVEMBER 14, 2014 FRIDAY
Government needs more land for ‘Yolanda’ housing PHILIPPINE NEWS AGENCY
Cops file abduction raps vs Abu Sayyaf BY JULIE M. AURELIO Philippine Daily Inquirer THE PHILIPPINE National Police has filed criminal charges against five members of the Abu Sayyaf who allegedly abducted and held captive a German couple for months, releasing them only after supposedly receiving a P250-million ransom last month. The PNP’s Anti-Kidnapping Group (AKG) said it filed the cases of kidnapping for ransom and serious illegal detention after the freed hostages were able to identify their kidnappers. The cases against Abu Rami, alias “Amir;” Mundi Sawadjaan, alias “Mon;” Mudjappar Sawadjaan, alias “Longhair;” Yusop Jalmaan, alias “Yusofas Job;” and Roger Saji, alias “Abu Jannah,” were filed in the Department of Justice on Oct. 29, or 12 days following the release of Stefan Viktor Okonek and Henrike Dielen in Patikul, Sulu. “The PNP chief has ordered an intensified legal offensive and manhunt operation against the Abu Sayyaf and these kidnappers,” AKG head Senior Supt. Roberto Fajardo told reporters in Camp Crame Last week. Fajardo said they quickly filed the cases in hopes of securing an arrest warrant to pursue the bandits. German captives
The AKG got the identities of the kidnappers from German couple Dr. Stefan Viktor
Okonek and Henrike Dielen, who were held for almost seven months after they were seized from their yacht in the waters of Palawan in April. In a text message, Fajardo said that all the suspects were from Patikul, Sulu, and were identified by their victims through the police rogues gallery. Abu Rami, who also reportedly went by the name Moammar Askali and was allegedly one of the terror group’s commanders, was tagged by the victims as the negotiator, making calls to the victims’ families and demanding ransom in exchange for their freedom. Other John Does
The other suspects acted as guards throughout the hostages’ captivity, Fajardo said. Several other John Does were included in the DOJ complaint, he said. A bounty for the five suspects was being worked out as the PNP is verifying was there were existing warrants for them. “We hope that the reward money will come out soon so it will be a ‘happy hunting’ for them. Of course, even without the reward, we will go after them as long as we have arrest warrants against them,” Fajardo said. He said the police were still verifying the claim of the Abu Sayyaf that ransom had been paid. The Abu Sayyaf claimed that their P250 million ransom demand was met, which secured the hostages’ release. ■
MANILA — The Government is searching for suitable tracts of land where it can build some 40,000 permanent housing units for victims of super typhoon ‘Yolanda’ (international name ‘Haiyan’) last year. “Such land where the victims will resettle must be free from storm surges, landslides and other hazards — we must avoid putting them in harm’s way.” said Presidential Assistant for Rehabilitation and Recovery Panfilo Lacson. At the multi-stakeholders’ forum the government spearheaded this Monday in Metro Manila, he said the search for hazard-free resettlement sites is “most challenging” due to difficulty in finding land suitable for the purpose. Searching for suitable land is essential in rehabilitating areas ‘Yolanda’ ravaged as doing so is in line with the build back better policy government adapted there to help promote safety, disaster risk reduction (DRR), resilience and better economic growth, however, he said. Among hazards of concern to DRR are those of natural origin, said authorities. They also said government already identified suitable tracts of land for some 105,000 other permanent housing units for ‘Yolanda’ victims. National Housing Authority (NHA) General Manager Chito Cruz said government earlier this year prioritized for permanent housing development a total of around 205,000 families in danger areas across regions ‘Yolanda’ ravaged. Such count is up from the estimated 60,000 ‘Yolanda’ families government last year prioritized for permanent housing, he said. “Providing housing for the priority families is a tall order so we’ll appreciate private initiatives to help meet this goal,” he said at the forum’s side. He noted NHA normally develops land which LGUs provide while the private sector builds housing units there. “We check quality of the private sector’s work,” he said. www.canadianinquirer.net
Presidential Assistant for Re-habilitation and Recovery Panfilo Lacson said that the government is finding it challenging to find land for hazard-free resettlement sites. WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
‘Yolanda’ plowed through Central Philippines on Nov. 8 last year, killing over 6,000 people and destroying nearly everything in its path. Experts cited ‘Yolanda’ as the strongest tropical cyclone to make landfall so far in the world’s recorded history. Destruction from ‘Yolanda’ covered a total 171 cities andmunicipalities in 14 provinces across six regions, noted Lacson. “As of today, Department of Budget and Management already disbursed some PHP 50 billion for national government agencies’ programs, projects and activities there,” he said. He thanked the private sector and international organizations for respective efforts on helping ‘Yolanda’ victims get back on their feet. Lacson also sees need for public-private partnership (PPP) in rehabilitation efforts across the ‘Yolanda’ areas due to magnitude and complexity of the work involved. PPP must be institutionalized in post-disaster efforts, he said. In its latest available update on the calamity, National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said as of April 3 this year, a total 6,293 people were reported dead from ‘Yolanda.’ NDRRMC said ‘Yolanda’ also left 28,689 people injured and 1,061 others missing. ‘Yolanda’ likewise totally damaged 550,928 houses and partially destructed 589,404 dwellings.
Citing existing government guidelines, Lacson said about 1,252 families will get their perma-nent housing units from NHA this year. “Around 118,748 housing units will be completed and turned over to ‘Yolanda’ victims by 2015 while the balance will be completed before this administration’s term ends in 2016,” he continued. Cruz is optimistic NHA can deliver the target ‘Yolanda’ housing output for 2015, noting government already identified land for most of the units. Government also already released to NHA some PHP 13.5 billion for constructing 46,000 units and approved additional funding for building more, he continued. He noted NHA most welcomes private initiatives to help build housing units for the ‘Yolanda’ victims. “We allow private sector participation in the undertaking as long as the work complies with government standards,” he said. With assistance from the public works department, he said NHA upgraded its design standards so the ‘Yolanda’ housing units can withstand 250 kph winds. Earlier, Lacson said government also required ‘Yolanda’ housing to withstand intensity 9 earthquakes. He said government can’t classify as ‘permanent’ ‘Yolanda’ housing units that don’t comply with such wind and earthquake standards. ■
Philippine News
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 14, 2014
Bomb-sniffing canine saves handler’s life in Zamboanga BY ANGIE DUARTE Philippine Canadian Inquirer OFFICER MANUEL Ynid owes his life to his partner; a bomb-sniffing Belgian Malinois named Diego. The canine saved the handler’s life by alerting him to a bomb concealed in a cardboard box seconds before the device exploded on the streets of the tumultuous southern city of Zamboanga. City police spokesman Chief Inspector Ariel Huesca.Police said on Monday that Ynid Diego were part of a team that was investigating an earlier explosion at a massage parlour. They happened upon a cardboard box, and — as Ynid moved toward the package — Diego reacted, indicating the presence of a bomb. The handler and his dog moved away from the box in the nick of time. They had gotten a few meters away when the bomb exploded, injuring Ynid. Diego, who has been a mem-
GOOGLE MAPS
ber of the canine unit for three years, was unharmed. According to authorities, the improvised explosive device (IED) was made from ammonium nitrate, and was possibly detonated with the use of a mobile phone. They have yet to determine who was responsible for the blast. Ynid is in stable condition,
while Diego has been given a week of downtime to recuperate from the stress of the incident. Last month, Diego — who has been a member of the canine unit for three years — also sniffed out a bomb that had been planted in a public square. Zamboanga is a hotspot of Muslim rebel activity. ■
www.canadianinquirer.net
13
Hong Kong... role in connecting Indonesians with Hong Kong households hundreds of kilometres (miles) away. “You can imagine how they can come to a country without someone to take care of everything here,” Walangitan said. Hong Kong officials have defended their requirements that domestic workers live in their employers’ houses by pointing out that the city lets in foreign workers only because there is a shortage of local live-in help. Hong Kong also has been criticized for requiring domestic workers to leave the city within two weeks after losing their jobs. Responding to the U.N. Human Rights Committee last year, city officials said that mandate was “re-quired for maintaining effective immigration control and eliminating chances of (foreign domestic helpers) over-staying in Hong Kong or working illegally after termination of contracts.” Yet many women are working illegally here. Ningsih’s last Hong Kong stay was on a tourist visa. ❰❰ 10
Her father, Achmad Kaliman, said she told him she was going to save her wages to build a house back home. “She insisted that she go, arguing that she has to work for the sake of her son’s future,” Kaliman said. “She said she would work at the restaurant, in the front section, where she just asked guests what they wanted to eat or drink.” For a Filipino domestic worker, who asked to be identified only by her first name, Babylen, the past year and a half in Hong Kong has been a bitter disappointment. An injury on the job led to her dismissal in March. Now, she’s waiting to receive compensation while sleeping in a shelter opened for unemployed domestic workers. The former schoolteacher and mother of two boys said she was forced to go abroad after her husband died. “It seemed like slavery to me,” she said of working for a Pakistani family in Hong Kong. “All day or night, I can’t say no because I might lose my job. I just want to feed my family. Everyone depends on me.” ■
14
Philippine News
NOVEMBER 14, 2014 FRIDAY
A gathering of ‘angels’ driving strangers BY DJ YAP Philippine Daily Inquirer “THOSE KIDS stink,” a customer at a Pasig City gas station observed, eyeing two teens running for the washroom of the convenience store nearby. “It made me angry,” 31-yearold business analyst Patrick Jay Parero recalled. Walking up to the stranger, he told him: “Those kids, and my other passengers, came from Tacloban.” That one word explained everything. Parero was one of the volunteers of Oplan Hatid, a citizenled project that had motorists in Metro Manila transporting to their destinations the evacuees from Leyte and Samar provinces who had fled the devastation wrought by Supertyphoon “Yolanda.” Most of the evacuees were shell-shocked and grieving, and had little or no money on them, only a piece of paper with the name and number of a relative in the city where they had hoped to find shelter. The man gave Parero a pained smile as the volunteer explained this to him. Relief
“Then he turned around, took out his wallet and bought food and drinks for our passengers. He talked to the store manager and asked [him to help out, too],” Parero recounted. “Where are the relief goods?” the manager asked his staff, and the packed goods were handed out to Parero’s passengers. The volunteer was tearyeyed. How easy it was to turn a hurtful word into an act of kindness! Parero wrote about his experience in “Angels on Wheels,” a collection of heartwarming stories told by some of the 1,000 Oplan Hatid volunteers who ferried 20,000 Yolanda survivors to their families and
A cover for a recently launched book that chronicles the stories of the 1,000 volunteers of Oplan Hatid and the 20,000 Yolanda survivors they helped out last year. FACEBOOK PHOTO
friends in the course of 17 days. On Nov. 5, the good Samaritans were reunited at the first Disaster Volunteer Summit called “A Gathering of Angels” at SM North EDSA Skydome. No parking space
“We’d like to share important lessons learned and, hopefully, come up with a general plan that would allow us to work more effectively and efficiently in case another calamity such as the Big One happens,” said
Oplan Hatid organizer Junep Ocampo, who also edited and published the 176-page coffee table book launched at the summit. The book recalls how Oplan Hatid started when environmentalist Chips Guevara, who had volunteered his services for Yolanda victims, had trouble looking for parking space. When a social worker told him they needed warm food for the volunteers and fare money for evacuees arriving at Villa-
www.canadianinquirer.net
mor Air Base, Guevara thought, “Mygosh, we have so many volunteers with cars. I couldn’t even park!” “So I said, ‘Instead of money, how about a free ride?’” Guevara wrote, adding that he first cleared the idea with his boss, director Alice Bonoan, who gave him the go-ahead. But his mood dampened when he approached some of his environmentalist friends who scoffed at the idea and at the carbon footprint that so
many vehicles could create. “I went home demoralized and thought that maybe it was a stupid idea,” Guevara said, until his wife, retired swimmer Akiko Thomson, prodded him to go work on his “great idea.” “That night, I posted [the idea] on Facebook, still hoping that my friends would see the good that we were about to do,” Guevara said, adding that he managed to make two trips before he underwent an eye operation.
Philippine News
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 14, 2014
Life of its own
By then, however, his simple idea had begun to take on a life of its own. Lawyer Golda Benjamin, who served as a coordinator for Oplan Hatid, posted on her Facebook page how much a free ride could help “a penniless family with nothing but a tattered sack filled with muddied clothes, their fears, and gratitude that they are alive.” The contact number of a family member in Manila was often their last chance of survival after the storm, she added. Benjamin also wrote of how survivors walked for two to three hours to the airport, not knowing if the planes were leaving for Cebu or Manila. “They just wanted to get out,” she said. Her message and plea for help was shared on Facebook more than 2,000 times. The spontaneous operation was chaotic at first until a system began to take shape. Pinky Concha-Colmenares recalled how volunteers were given numbers while waiting “sometimes for 12 hours to drive strangers to their destinations.” Bus fare
Filipino to the boy named Glen. It was the first time he had a friend who spoke English, Glen said. “The boys spoke different languages but seemed to understand each other,” Santos said. “They played ‘Bato, bato, pik’ and sang ‘Lupang Hinirang’ using different lyrics,” she added.
Military stumbles on another Abu camp BY JULIE M. AURELIO Philippine Daily Inquirer
Feared for safety
Twenty-something Cecilia Ejercito recalled fearing for her safety when she volunteered for a group bound for Quezon City “without thinking.” “They turned out to be a couple of young men, and I was afraid ... I guess it’s cynicism (or fear) that comes with living in Manila and expecting the worst of people—especially strangers, especially men,” she said. But Ejercito was put at ease when she saw the boy in her passenger seat making the sign of the cross just before they drove off. Ocampo spoke of unexpected generosity from strangers, with one volunteer being so touched by the stories of his passengers that he ended up giving them all his money. “When he drove to the tollgate, he realized he had no money left! But when he explained what happened to the cashier, the cashier said not to worry, he’d pay We’d like to share the toll instead,” Ocimportant lessons ampo said.
“There’s a group of eight for Quezon City,” a dispatcher would announce and the volunteers would raise the number they got. The lowest learned and, number—which was hopefully, come up Acts of kindness given to the volunwith a general plan People showed ranteer who had come in that would allow dom acts of kindness, earlier—got the pasus to work more he added, recalling sengers. effectively and how a traffic enforcer The next group efficiently in case overlook a seatbelt would then be ananother calamity such violation upon seenounced—“a group of as the Big One ing the Oplan Hatid five for Antipolo.” happens. sign on a volunteer’s When no one could windshield. A water drive the evacuees to delivery boy happily a destination too far away, the dispatch- took in three passengers and their heavy er would announce the need for bus fare, luggage for a free ride on his tricycle. Colmenares said. Genilou Jimena’s boyfriend was sick “The most heartwarming moment so she enlisted the help of her driver to was when P10,000 cash was [collected] drive a family of seven to Rosario, Pafor a group of survivors bound for Ilagan, sig City. The family, who only had plasIsabela, about 500 kilometers away. [The tic bags of relief items from Villamor, money was raised] in under a minute and were welcomed with hugs by their son’s no one asked for an accounting. Others friends, she recalled. even asked if more was needed,” she addBut the father seemed dazed, Jimena ed. said. He had earlier mentioned that Once, in jest, the dispatcher asked if friends had arranged for a room they anyone could bring a group to Cagayan could rent, but he had no rent money de Oro City. yet. “I held his hand, slipping some bills “A woman raised her hand, drove the to him,” Jimena said. Rent money, she survivors to Terminal 3, and purchased added. their plane tickets,” Colmenares said. “His tears welled up. Mine too ... We The stories were by turns humorous, took photos and I gave them my numtouching and poignant. ber in case they needed anything. They Anne Mac Santos and her husband haven’t contacted me yet, and I wonder brought along their 5-year-old son in the how they’re doing,” she said. hope of teaching him about compassion. Jimena’s driver expressed how thank“Our passengers were a father, a mother ful he was about Manila being spared. and a 5-year-old boy, who needed a ride “Then unexpectedly he asked, when do to Payatas,” she recalled. we do this again, Doc?” They ended up Along the way, Santos said her son al- driving two more families from Guian, most had a “nosebleed” trying to speak Samar, that week. ■
15
THE MILITARY is continuing its pursuit of the Abu Sayyaf as it discovered another abandoned enemy camp in Patikul, Sulu, this past Sunday. Col. Allan Arrojado, Joint Task Group Sulu commander, said troops from the 35th Infantry Battalion found at around 9:30 a.m. the camp where combat uniforms, documents and flags were recovered. The camp, equipped with six bunkers and a training area, was believed to have last been occupied a week ago by around 30 men. Arrojado said the two recovered flags bore the markings “Sultaniyah Sulu Darul Islam” and “Happy 60th Founding Anniversary Sulu Darul Islam.” He said troops were still scouring the area as part of the military and police’s allout law enforcement operation against the terrorist group. Arrojado said the Abu Sayyaf was running out of food and places to hide as the military was hot on its trail. “If the bandits converge, they could reach around 200. They splintered into
four sub groups. One has 40 members, another has 30, one has 70 and Radullan Sahiron has 70,” Arrojado said. He said there would be no letup in the campaign as the military was scouring the Patikul area and the Talipao mountain range where the terrorists were believed to be hiding. “What is important is that they have no time to rest. They will get tired of being on the run and the troops will catch them,” Arrojado said. The Joint Task Group Sulu commander said the Abu Sayyaf’s abandonment of its camp showed they were on the run. In previous weeks, temporary encampments of the Abu Sayyaf had been abandoned and seized by the military. The military and the police launched an all-out law enforcement operation against the terror group, which had killed six soldiers, including a young 2nd lieutenant last week. The casualties came a day after the military conducted air strikes against the Abu Sayyaf in Sulu. The Abu Sayyaf is believed to still be holding at least 10 local and foreign hostages after it released two Germans in Sulu last October. ■
HEPATITIS B IS PREVENTABLE, TREATABLE, MANAGEABLE
People born in Asia are 3–12 time more likely to get infected with chronic Hepatitis B and a healthy lifestyle may only be masking the illness. Ang isang malusog na pamumuhay ay maaari lamang minamaskarahan ang iyong talamak na Hepatitis B. Join us for a free educational Tagalog/English workshop on Hepatitis B: Thursday, November 25, 5–7 pm at the Tommy Douglas Burnaby Public Library (7311 Kingsway) Call 604 254 9626 ext 484 to register!
www.canadianinquirer.net
Workshop hosted by MOSAIC and the Hepatitis B Public Education Program Funded by/Financé par
Opinion
16
NOVEMBER 14, 2014 FRIDAY
AT LARGE
A year later, things are still bad By Rina Jimenez-David Philippine Daily Inquirer LAST WEEK the nation observed the first anniversary of the onslaught of Typhoon “Yolanda,” still considered today the most powerful typhoon ever to hit land—in all the world. Listening to the car radio with the early evening news crammed with stories recalling the destruction wrought by Yolanda and the slow, painful recovery and reconstruction efforts in its wake, I found my spirits sinking lower and lower, lying somewhere in the same region as our floor mat by the time we reached home. It mattered little that the President, in his address before the people of Guiuan, Eastern Sa-mar, cited the positive testimonials of foreign heads of aid agencies and partners praising the speed and coverage of Philippine relief and reconstruction efforts. But P-Noy, Ping Lacson and other government officials later admitted that the record of achievement so far is dismal and falls far short of the goals so loftily set soon after Yolanda. We know the excuses given for the sparse record of achievement: difficulties in finding ap-propriate sites for housing settlements, the refusal of landowners to allow rebuilding on their properties, and the reluctance of
residents, especially fisher folk, to aban- them marginal fisher folk and coco*** don their homes near the sea even after nut farmers, in a place so poor it had MEANWHILE, more than 200,000 these areas had been declared high-risk. been considered ripe hunting ground families, says the Oxfam report, “are From a remove, such as from one’s for sex traffickers and recruiters for still waiting to be relo-cated into new perch in “Imperial” (and distant) Ma- illegal labor, including house help. houses to be built on safer land.” As nila, such excuses may sound plausiToday, after Yolanda, “close to a of October, only 452 permanent new ble, even reasonable. But I wonder if million people continue to live in in- homes have been built, with several a family in Tacloban, already trauma- adequate shelters and are still strug- reasons for the paltry performance tized by the loss of family members, gling to find the resources to resume cited, but still dismaying. the destruction of their home, and their livelihoods,” says a report is“As so many of those targeted for beset by hardship in their flimsy, sued by Oxfam, an international hu- resettlement continue to wait while temporary shelters, would have any manitarian and development agency. living in inadequate and unsafe shelter, patience to listen to and understand The report’s title sends ominous sig- they often remain unsure of what basic such reasoning. nals: “In the Shadow of the Storm: Getting services, such as water and education, At one point durwill be in place. They ing the radio broadare concerned about But P-Noy, Ping Lacson and other government officials cast on the eve of the their ability to earn later admitted that the record of achievement so far is dismal Yolanda anniversary, an income, as reand falls far short of the goals so loftily set soon after Yolanda. I gave myself over settlement sites are to exasperation and further from their impatience. What did the people of Ta- Recovery Right One Year After Typhoon source of livelihood. Higher transporcloban, Samar and environs want us to Haiyan.” The loudest call for action is tation costs are just not an option for do? Perhaps the feelings were born out addressed to the national government: people who are already (on the edge of) of frustration, a form of compassion fa- “comprehensively address remaining poverty,” said Justin Morgan, Oxfam’s tigue that had beset us long before this humanitarian needs, while delivering a country director in the Philippines. anniversary came rolling around. scaled up, pro-poor recovery agenda.” “Too often people are left to choose beBut sore feelings will not help the Most vulnerable and at risk, says the tween a place of safety and their ability situation any. One year after Yolanda, report, are families who, before Yolan- to earn an income.” things are still bad. da, depended on coconut farming and Calling on the national govern*** fishing. Around 13 million coconut trees ment to focus on scaling up recovery Even before Yolanda hit, the Sa- were destroyed or damaged, while fish- efforts while addressing underlying mar-Leyte area was already one of er folk communities must confront de- issues of poverty and landlessness, the poorest regions in the country. clining catch after the typhoon, the loss Morgan said recovery must be preYolanda only put in starker terms of their fishing boats, and displacement mised “on the priority needs of those the poverty of the residents, many of from their coastal communities. most affected by the typhoon.”
Sounds simple, but as we move on a year after Yolanda, far more complex than we thought. *** AS I write this, former secretary and senator Vicente Paterno is in hospital, suffering from pneumonia related to his lung ailment. Here’s hoping he recovers enough to take part in the launch of his autobiography, “On My Terms,” on Tuesday. Paterno is one of a few officials to serve under both Ferdinand Marcos and Cory Aquino, chairing the Board of Investments and serving as minister of industry then of public highways under Marcos, then running under the administration party of Aquino for the Senate where he served with distinction. On leaving the government, Paterno joined the private sector, founding the Philippine Seven Corp. (mother corporation of 7-11 convenience stores) and serving as its chair. Even as he deals with his ailment, Paterno soldiers on through Masicap-2, an NGO helping small entrepreneurs in Mindanao avail themselves of capital. Thousands have since received assistance from Masicap-2. “On My Terms” should make for interesting reading, profiling not just a rare, outstanding indi-vidual, but also the times he—and we—have lived through. ■
ANALYSIS
Two views on poverty—from the top and the hungry By Amando Doronila Philippine Daily Inquirer CANBERRA—A recent survey in which 4.8 million Filipino families said they experienced hunger in September—about 1.2 families more than in the previous quarter, as hunger has risen in all regions except Mindanao—delivered a powerful message on the deficiency of the Aquino administration’s antipoverty program, if there is one. The survey, conducted by the Social Weather Stations on Sept. 26-29, highlighted the hollowness of the administration’s claim that it has significantly boosted the gross domestic product (GDP) as its legacy, as Mr. Aquino (a scion of one of the largest landed families in the country) winds down his presidency. The claim has been undermined by the fact that GDP growth has not translated into jobs that would have given the poor the income to enable them to escape the poverty trap. Whatever claim made by the administration that it has compassion for the poor has been blasted full of holes by the survey, which found, among other things, that: • Twenty-two percent of the respondents, or an estimated 3.6 mil-
lion families, said they experienced poor (from 8.8 percent to 11.2 percent) poverty from the ground—not from the involuntary hunger at least once in even as hunger among the nonpoor insulated enclaves of the rich and the inthe past three months—5.7 points barely changed from 10.3 percent to sensitive PowerPoint projections of buhigher than the 16.3 percent in June. 10.4 percent. reaucrats on the blight ravaging the poor. The September hunger figure was These data draw a picture or pattern Soliman rubbed salt on rawwounds the worst in a year and was 2.5 points of bouts of hunger based on the expe- when all she could offer as an excuse above last year’s annual average of rience of those afflicted by hunger, re- for the ineffectual poverty alleviation 19.5 percent. A record high of 23.8 gardless of whether they experienced program of the administration was percent was posted in March 2012. hunger only “once” or “a few times” the mealy-mouthed platitude, “We • Fifty-five percent, or 12.1 million (moderate hunger) or went hungry cannot quickly eradicate poverty and families, said they considered them- “often” or “always” (severe hunger). hunger. Survey results like those of selves poor, unchanged from June, and But in the face of these statistics, Social the SWS are good reference points. 43 percent, or 9.3 million families, said Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman has They should not prevent us in adthey considered themselves food-poor, refused to acknowledge that the govern- dressing our people’s needs.” If there’s slightly up from 41 percent, or 9 million ment’s conditional cash transfer (CCT) nothing more she can do to deliver families, in the previous quarter. program for the poor is practically use- results, why does she not just shut up? Economists at the University of less. She insisted that the survey results Insult was added to injury when the Philippines and Malacañang proAsian Development duced statistics on The numbers echo the voice of the people who are at the Bank have estabOct. 27, claiming bottom of the social heap, and their self-rating of hunger incilished the nexus bean actual decline in dence represents the view of poverty from the ground tween the spike in poverty incidence. hunger incidence and poverty. Some did not indicate that the program was Speaking with condescension, Palace academics attributed the spike to not working. In reality, it is hardly mak- spokesperson Edwin Lacierda told a such underlying factors as persistent ing a dent in poverty reduction. What televised press briefing: “We’d like to poverty and worsening inequality. Ac- more evidence is required to open the share with you the poverty incidence cording to the SWS, the rise in overall eyes of Soliman to the stark reality that survey that the government conducts hunger between June and September the CCT program has the makings of an through the Philippine Statistics Aucan also be attributed to the increas- absolute failure in ameliorating hunger thority—what is called the Annual Poving number of those who considered among the poor? The numbers echo the erty Indicators Survey or Apis, where themselves poor (from 21.1 percent to voice of the people who are at the bottom there’s a drop of three points from last 31.4 percent), foodpoor (from 27 per- of the social heap, and their self-rating of year to this year. That means 2.5 milcent to 36.6 percent), and nonfood- hunger incidence represents the view of lion families are out of poverty.”
www.canadianinquirer.net
How the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) came up with its figures or what black magic produced these results, Lacierda did not explain. That press briefing shows us the distortion between the images of poverty as viewed from the commanding heights of the power elite and that viewed from the self-perception of the victims of hunger and poverty on the ground. Another Palace spokesperson claimed that the PSA’s Family Income and Expenditure showed that poverty incidence dropped to 24.9 percent in the first semester of 2013 from 27.9 percent in the same period in 2012. Lacierda did not question the methodology of the SWS. But he said it should be taken into account that the Annual Poverty Indicators Survey had 10,000 households as respondents, compared to SWS’ 1,200 respondents. He pointed out that poverty incidence is different from self-rated poverty. But between these two surveys, the results derived from the experiences of victims of poverty provide stronger reason to believe that their testimonies reflect the reality on the ground. Reporters left the briefing feeling that Lacierda was pulling their leg— and wasting their time. ■
Opinion
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 14, 2014
17
AS I SEE IT
P-Noy’s message is polite but clear: Get out By Neal H. Cruz Philippine Daily Inquirer RESIDENT AQUINO’S message to Vice President Jejomar Binay on November 3 was very clear, and only those who want to cling to their post will pretend not to understand it: Get out, you’re fired! But P-Noy said it the polite way so Binay can save face: “If he (Binay) thinks we are going in the wrong direction, he is free to leave.” Binay was being shown the door. How much clearer does he want it to be? But Binay swallowed his pride and unashamedly said he is staying in the Cabinet. “I have the highest respect for President Aquino and I will continue to be a team player,” he said. Yet he has been constantly criticizing the Aquino administration although he is, up to this writing, still a member of the Cabinet. Is that being a team player? Binay knows that the ruling Liberal Party will have its own presidential candidate. But he, Binay, will be running as an opposition candidate and therefore against the administration candidate. Is that being a team player? And this is what has irked the President. As the Tagalog saying goes, Bi-
nay wants to straddle two rivers. He ing hands and delivering speeches the President. But Binay has the gall claims to be a leader of the opposi- (this is premature campaigning; what to say that he is not criticizing the tion but he continues to stay in the is the Comelec doing?), and granting President, and that they remain close administration. Is he a mammal or a interviews to media organizations. friends. It is like stabbing the Presibird? asked Caloocan Rep. Edgar Er- But during all that time he refuses to dent in the back and then turning ice, a top official of the LP. Answer: a answer questions on the corruption around to kiss his behind. He is makbat or a chameleon (or is that an in- charges against him. The evidence ing P-Noy an uto-uto. sult to the innocent animals?). against him and his allies are piling I admire P-Noy’s patience with Erice said that after the President’s up and closing around his neck like a this backstabbing, but for how long polite suggestion for Binay to get out, noose, but he has only one answer to can he stand it? Recent developthe latter, if he still had any delicade- reporters’ questions about evidence ments show that his patience is wearza left, should resign. He added that relentlessly being disclosed by wit- ing thin, hence the polite order for he thinks the resignation would be nesses: “That’s only politics.” Binay to get out. accepted within five Binay is using the minutes. same uto-uto tactic After the President’s polite suggestion for Binay to Which is why Bion the senators. He get out, the latter, if he still had any delicadeza left, should nay does not want refused invitations resign. to even draft a short of the Senate blue resignation letter. No, sir, he is clingThe next day, he attacks his fel- ribbon subcommittee to answer the ing to his post like a leech. He has to low Cabinet members, and then allegations of wrongdoing against be scraped off and kicked away. runs to Malacañang and says that he him, then he said he would attend But why should he resign? At pres- is not criticizing President Aquino, the hearings if it is the blue ribbon ent, he has the best of both worlds. As that he has the utmost respect for committee that would invite him. So a Cabinet member, he can use admin- him, that he is grateful to P-Noy’s the committee chair, Sen. Teofisto istration resources and time to cam- mother, President Corazon Aquino, Guingona III, sent him an invitation. paign all over the country (attention: for appointing him officer in charge Now he is trying to find excuses not Commission on Elections), during of Makati, and that he remains a to attend. which he courts opposition support- loyal family friend. But members of He challenged Sen. Antonio ers by attacking the administration the Cabinet are the alter ego of the Trillanes to a debate, thinking that to which he claims to belong. Is that President. An attack on them is an the latter would be a pushover, not being a team player? attack on the President. Criticism being a lawyer like himself. But when He goes around the country shak- of the administration is criticism of Trillanes—who, as history has shown,
has never backed out of a fight—accepted the challenge, Binay got cold feet and is again trying to find excuses to back out of the debate. He has devised a moro-moro with one of his mouthpieces, Rep. Toby Tiangco, who is saying that Binay wants to go through with the debate but that he himself (Tiangco) is trying to dissuade Binay from going through with it. Who is the boss and who is the mouthpiece, anyway? Why is the mouthpiece telling the boss what to do? And it looks like the boss will follow what his mouthpiece is saying and will back out of the debate. What message does that give to the people who want very much to hear what Binay will say to defend himself? Is he guilty or not? Why is he afraid to face the senators—or even just one of them—if he is innocent? The public wants to hear his side but Binay is so afraid to face the senators that he sent two of his noisiest mouthpieces to gatecrash a hearing. They had it wrong: The senators wanted to hear Binay, not noise, so the gatecrashers were politely escorted to the door. They should do the same thing to Binay: not just show him the door but escort him to it. ■
PUBLIC LIVES
Resilience versus resonance By Randy David Philippine Daily Inquirer BEFORE ME, as I write this, is a copy of last week’s Daily INQUIRER. On the front page are two photos of Real Street in downtown Tacloban shot from the same angle. One was taken just days after Supertyphoon “Yolanda” swept through the Visayas, and the other exactly a year after. The two scenes portray resilience, for which Filipinos have been singled out for praise by the rest of the world. Webster’s New World Dictionary defines “resilience” as: “a) the ability to bounce or spring back into shape, position, etc., b) the ability to recover strength, spirits, good humor, etc. quickly.” On this definition, I find the “before” picture of Real Street to be a more graphic representation of resilience than the one shot a year later. It shows people on motorcycles picking their way through hastily cleared streets bordered by hedges of debris—at a time when none of the local residents who had poured into the streets had any idea of the magnitude of the devastation. Indeed, Nature is resilient. We see this in the plants that spring back to life on flood plains almost as soon as the water has receded and the sun’s life-giving rays touch the fertile sedi-
ment. The wild grass forces its way Tacloban might have taken its name oric of anxiety, unable to mount an through the soft earth anchored on from past storm surges akin to those all-encompassing and coordinated frayed roots that one imagines had triggered by Yolanda. response to the calamity. The high been drained of all life. Then one reIt is not that we forget the past so resonance of panic is accompanied alizes how all agriculture is preceded easily. It is just that, in time, we also by a low resonance of what needs to by decay or destruction. learn to push the limits of what we be done at the level of institutions. Because we are a part of Nature, can do or how far we can go. We beWhen information about the scale we are, like everything else, subject come selective in our observation of the destruction and loss of life to its cycles and catastrophic chang- of Nature’s ways. We no longer feel caused by Yolanda started to trickle es. But, we are also capable of dif- threatened or paralyzed by every in, the increasing realization of the ferentiating ourselves from Nature, storm or flood that comes our way. seriousness of the catastrophe sent and, by an act of self-creation, the so- But, in this way, we also lose our sen- a wave of recrimination across the cieties we build are able to free them- sitivity to changes in the natural en- country. This was picked up and draselves from blind determination by vironment, reacting to environmen- matized by the international media natural forces. This and fed back into we achieve in many the local media. It is not that we forget the past so easily. It is just that, ways. This information in time, we also learn to push the limits of what we can do or In places swept loop fueled a sense by powerful seaof helplessness that how far we can go. sonal winds, like in turn was proBatanes, people learn to build sturdy tal events only in accordance with cessed in differing ways by governhomes with thick stone walls capped our society’s accustomed frequency ment, politicians, aid agencies, civil with light roofs made of cogon. range. The term that one sociologist society organizations, churches, the Where communities must live in uses to refer to this capacity is “reso- science community, and business. the vicinity of an active volcano, like nance.” This amazing episode brought out Mayon, people mark the path and the In general, says Niklas Luhmann, the best and the worst in people and range of its past explosions. Where the transition to modern society institutions. their memory serves them right, they brings with it a curious blend of high But perhaps what is most remarkdo not build on danger zones. It is the resonance and low resonance to en- able is how every issue, big and small, same with human settlements that vironmental phenomena. A major found an enduring resonance in evlive along the coast, as in Tacloban. ecological disturbance like Yolanda ery nook and corner of the political They know where the water line is, creates a series of events that rever- system. Choosing to focus on the inand how far the waves go when, pro- berate across the entire spectrum of adequacy of government response to pelled by strong winds, the sea surges our institutional system. At once, the the devastation, CNN’s host and chief inland. Historians remind us that nation finds itself engulfed by a rhet- correspondent Christiane Aman-
www.canadianinquirer.net
pour summed it up as a “defining moment” for the presidency of Benigno S. Aquino III. But, wasn’t it equally a defining moment for the global debate on climate change? Wasn’t Yolanda also a defining moment for local governments, for faith communities, civil society, climate scientists, and the business community? The suspicion that political motives have shaped initial response and rehabilitation efforts puts everyone on the defensive. “At the end of the day, this is not politics,” President Aquino told his audience in Guiuan, Eastern Samar, during a gathering commemorating the first anniversary of Yolanda, almost as if he was making a plea to mute the political noise so the rationality of government decisions could be assessed on their merits. I’m afraid the President’s plea will fall on deaf ears precisely because he cannot avoid being heard as a politician. The only way to modulate excessive political resonance is by amplifying the voices coming from the other institutional spheres of society—science, the economy, education, for example—allowing them every chance to communicate their own distinctive takes about the nature of environmental dangers and the societal responses they require. ■
18
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 14, 2014
Canada News
NEWS BRIEFS
Canada, China strengthen economic ties, ink commercial deals worth more than $1 billion
FROM THE CANADIAN PRESS
BY LEE-ANNE GOODMAN The Canadian Press BEIJING — Stephen Harper and Chinese officials signed a flurry of trade and currency deals this past weekend worth as much as $2.5 billion while tensions seemingly remained between the two countries about the detention of a Canadian couple accused of espionage. The prime minister raised his concerns about the three-month imprisonment of Kevin and Julia Garratt with Premier Li Keqiang (KUH-cheeyahng) during a closed-door meeting at the ornate Great Hall of the People, a spokesman for Harper said. But Harper didn’t reiterate those concerns publicly when Li, the second most powerful man in China, was asked about the fate of the Garratts during a post-meeting news conference. “We have discussed a full range of issues in our bilateral relationship in a frank, open and friendly manner,” Harper said in remarks to the media. While Harper didn’t mention human rights, Li did. “We talked about the rule of law and human rights,” the Chinese premier said. As for the Garratts, Li added: “As for individual cases, I want to reiterate that as China continues to build a country under the rule of law, I believe that judicial authorities should be able to handle cases in accordance with the law.” The Garratts have lived and worked in China for 30 years and were running a cafe when they were detained in August on suspicion of spying. They haven’t been charged but have been repeatedly interrogated. Their son, Simeon, was in China in recent days, timing his visit with Harper’s. He has demanded the Chinese release his parents, but said he hasn’t been able to glean much new information about his parents’ plight, nor has he been allowed to visit them. “If there’s anybody out there that’s going to be able to help my parents, it’s him,” Garratt told CTV, referring to Harper. The Canadian government hasn’t
CANADA REMEMBERS WAR DEAD, PAST AND PRESENT
Prime Minister Stephen Harper speaking at a Canada-China trade mission this week. The visit strengthened economic ties between the two countries as they signed trade and currency deals worth billions.
OTTAWA — Tens of thousands of people surrounded the sunshine-bathed National War Memorial on Tuesday as Gov. Gen. David Johnston formally rededicated the monument in the name of all who have died in the service of Canada. Clad in full military uniform, Johnston was standing just steps away from the spot where Cpl. Nathan Cirillo gave his life just three weeks ago in an attack on Parliament.
PM.GC.CA
formally demanded the release of the Garratts. But the couple’s detention was among a series of irritants between Canada and China that almost scrubbed Harper’s third visit to the country. At the 11th hour, Harper opted to travel to China in a visit that has focused largely on trade and economic issues. On Friday, the prime minister confessed one of the reasons he travelled to China was simply because Chinese officials “really wanted me to be here” for the APEC summit that kicked off this week. In keeping with the economic theme of his latest visit, Canada and China signed dozens of commercial deals — including pacts on blueberries, anti-air pollution technology and potash — valued at more than $2 billion on Saturday. The hotly anticipated reciprocal currency deal between Canada and China was the biggest announcement of the trip so far. The agreement will foster far easier trade between the Canadian dollar and the Chinese yuan, also known as the renminbi. It makes Canada the first country in the Americas to have a deal to trade in the renminbi. Authorized by China’s central bank, it will allow direct business between the Canadian dollar and the
Chinese yuan, cutting out the middle man — in most cases, the U.S. dollar. Canadian exporters forced to use the American currency to do business in China are faced with higher currency exchange costs and longer waits to close deals. Jason Henderson, head of global banking for HSBC Canada, lauded the deal. “China is the second largest economy in the world and is growing faster than any of the world’s large economies, so if Canada is going to maintain the standard of living that we have today, we need to tap into that economy,” he said. “It’s important for Canada and it’s a great symbol for Harper to have gone to China to strike this deal; it means we support the internationalization of China’s capital markets and recognize its importance to Canada.” Perrin Beatty, head of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, agreed, but suggested Canada has been too slow to recognize the importance of the Chinese market. “The rest of the world is here looking for opportunities to do business and we’re playing catch-up,” he acknowledged on the sidelines of a Canada-China business conference in Beijing where Harper appeared. “But we can do it .... It’s not too late.” ■
CANADIAN JETS STRIKE ISIL TARGET IN IRAQ OTTAWA — The Department of National Defence says Canadian fighter jets have struck another blow against Islamic State targets in Iraq.A spokeswoman for Defence Minister Rob Nicholson says CF-18 fighter-bombers used a laser-guided bomb to hit an artillery position today near the city of Bayji, north of Baghdad. NEXT DRAG ON CANADIAN OIL IN THE U.S.: MORE LAWSUITS? WASHINGTON — The celebratory reaction of Canadian oil supporters to the U.S. midterm elections risks being brief. Amid all the talk and speculation about a new Republican majority forcing action on the Keystone XL pipeline, the anti-oil constituency is already planning one lawsuit against a Canadian pipeline and is threatening to do the same to Keystone if Obama approves it, raising the spectre of the battlefield shifting from the political arena to U.S. courtooms. ‘NEAR DEATH’ SPARKED ‘PERV’ DREAMS: COURT DOCS A Quebec man charged in an American sting cited a near-death experience for wanting to live out his “perv” fantasy of having sex with a boy, an American special agent alleges in court documents. In an unproven criminal complaint filed in court in Florida this week, the agent alleges Rene Roberge confessed to flying to the U.S. to have sex with a 14-year-old boy.
Canada News
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 14, 2014
You will need more money than you think if you decide to buy a house YOU FOUND the house of your dreams and you want to get the mortgage but there are many costs and fees to think about when you buy a house. To save you the surprise of these costs check out the list below. Costs of buying your dream home Down Payment: In order to get a mortgage, you have to put a minimum of 5% down. Mortgage loan insurance premium: If your down payment is less than 20% of the purchase price, you will need this. Appraisal fee: An appraisal is an estimate of the value of the home. Your financial institution will hire an appraiser to ensure the property you are buying meets the criteria for a mortgage. The cost is usually between $250 and $500. Property transfer tax: You will have to pay this provincial charge upon closing. The cost is a percentage of the property’s purchase price and may vary. Visit the BC Government website for more information on this tax. Home insurance: All financial institu-
tions require this because the home is the security for the mortgage. This insurance covers the cost of replacing your home and its contents. Legal fees: Legal services must be paid upon closing. Costs are on average between $500 and $1000. Ask your lawyer to clarify all expenses and get them listed in writing. Closing costs: You have to reimburse the previous owner for hydro, water and property taxes if they have been paid beyond the closing date. Adjustments can't be determined until the actual closing. Set aside a few hundred dollars to be on the safe side when they finally show up on your payments list. Home inspection fee: A home inspection is a report on the condition of the home and generally costs around $500. Property tax: HST applies on newlybuilt homes. Ask your lawyer to find out how this affects you.
ANDREIA BRAZIL
Mortgage Broker Specialist in Mortgage Programs for New Immigrants Cell 778-928-0406 andreia.guariento@gmail.com www.andreiabrazil.ca
19
HOW CAN I HELP YOU? • No cost information and more competitive rates • One stop shopping, with all of the major banks, credit unions and over 100 Canadian lenders • Professional negotiations and credit protection on your behalf, I work for YOU! • Time saving processes, in order to obtain your mortgage faster. • Expert advice, so you can make confident decisions
Think big! Everything is possible!
• Ongoing support and education, my intention is to become your mortgage broker for life.
Call me for your free consultation: (778) 928-0406
Now that you know about these extra costs, check out our “Calculate your Mortgage Calculator” to see how much you can afford. ■
Vancouver’s election focuses on housing, but observers say little cities can do BY JAMES KELLER The Canadian Press VANCOUVER — When Aaron Cruikshank and his wife decided to start having kids a decade ago, they figured it was time to leave the world of apartment rentals and buy a home. The couple had been renting in Vancouver’s east side for several years and wanted to stay, but they quickly realized astronomical housing costs meant the city was out of reach. Instead, they found a condo in Surrey, a growing suburban community south of
Vancouver. “Something similar in east Vancouver would have been at least double,” says Cruikshank, 36, who works as a management consultant. “Neither of us really even thinks about moving back to Vancouver anymore. It’s not that we’re so in love with Surrey — it has a lot of nice features. We’ve just resigned ourselves to the fact that Vancouver is not in the cards for us.” Cruikshank’s story is what politicians and pundits warn of when they talk about Vancouver’s housing crunch: young adults, professionals and families forced out of the city by staggering
prices. And it’s why housing has emerged as one of the central issues in the campaign for Vancouver’s Nov. 15 election, with the major parties each promising to bring rental rates and housing prices under control. Incumbent Mayor Gregor Robertson’s platform focuses on renters, promising to add 1,000 rental units per year over the next four years, with the hope that increased supply will bring prices down. Robertson’s Vision Vancouver party also plans to use a municipal housing agency to build affordable housing on city land and require developers to en-
www.canadianinquirer.net
sure more units are large enough for families. His main opponent, Kirk LaPointe, the mayoral candidate for the Non-Partisan Association, is promising to start a city-wide planning process with the end goal of increasing family and senior housing. LaPointe says his party’s focus on economic development will mean higher paying workers who can afford to live in the city. However, both parties acknowledge there are few ways the city can influence ❱❱ PAGE 20 Vancouver's election
20
Canada News
NOVEMBER 14, 2014
FRIDAY
Vancouver’s mayoralty race now a legal fight, too, as Nov. 15 vote looms THE CANADIAN PRESS VANCOUVER — The political battle between two mayoral candidates in Vancouver is shifting from the soapbox to the courthouse. Mayor Gregor Robertson and incumbent Coun. Geoff Meggs have launched a defamation lawsuit against former journalist Kirk LaPointe who hopes to take the city’s top job in the Nov. 15 civic election. A news release from Vision Vancouver, the political party of Robertson and Meggs, claims LaPointe and his NonPartisan Association have been running ads that contain false and defamatory
words and they want a retraction, damages and the ads pulled from TV and radio. LaPointe’s political party responded by calling the lawsuit an attempt to stop the party’s criticism of Vision’s record and behaviour. The NPA news release says the party recognizes intimidation by lawsuit as a typical tactic of Robertson and Vision and the legal action can now be added to the countless, time-consuming lawsuits involving community groups and individuals across the city. The NPA says its legal team is reviewing the court action and LaPointe is expected to respond on Friday, November 14, the day before general voting. ■
Vancouver’s election... housing and rental prices. What’s left is slow, gradual change — a A recent report from the few new townhouses here, a new condo Canada Mortgage and Hous- development there — that keeps housing Corp. projected the average cost of a ing scarce and expensive, says Price. new detached home in the greater VanAndy Yan, an urban planner and recouver region, which also includes sur- searcher with Bing Thom Architects, rounding communities, would be about says the problem is exacerbated by $1.5 million next year. wages that have not kept up with housResale prices in the region are more ing costs. He notes the median income than $800,000. for an adult with a bachelor’s degree in For renters, the housing corporation the Vancouver region is about $42,000, says the average rate for a two-bedroom which is the lowest of any major Canaapartment in the city was about $1,500 dian city. last year, a figure “The idea that that jumps to about housing prices are $1,800 downtown. connected to local Gordon Price, a economic conditions former Vancouver If you’re not going to really seems to have city councillor who change the character broken down in Vanruns the city proof communities, you couver,” says Yan. gram at Simon Fraare not going to A common explaser University, says address Vancouver’s nation for Vancouhousing prices are housing problem, not ver’s housing woes heavily influenced even remotely. is that the city has by factors outside the countless residential city’s control, such as properties that are interest rates and imscooped up by formigration. eign investors and Price says the municipal government left sitting empty. can increase supply through zoning, but Yan says very little is known about the he says even that would require a dra- influence of foreign ownership because matic increase in density throughout the data just doesn’t exist. the city — a prospect existing homeownStill, he suggests the more important ers would almost certainly oppose. effect of foreign money on the Vancou“No one from city hall ever goes to a ver housing market may be the arrival of neighbourhood and says, ‘We’re going affluent immigrants. to change the character of your commu“It’s not necessarily just about a pieces nity,”‘ says Price. of real estate being sold in another coun“If you’re not going to change the try, it’s the fact that you have folks movcharacter of communities, you are not ing in from other countries with large going to address Vancouver’s housing amounts of money buying residential problem, not even remotely.” real estate,” says Yan. ■ ❰❰ 19
Oct. 31 - Philippine Canadian Inquirer ROP 5” x 6”
ON NOV. 15
ELECT RJ AQUINO TO CITY COUNCIL
Photo by Bert Morelos
“Vancouver City Council would be better with RJ Aquino on it.” - Mable Elmore, NDP MLA, Vancouver-Kensington
Maraming boses. Isang lungsod.
Visit us at VOTEoneCITY.ca Authorized by Mia Edbrooke, Financial Agent, info@onecityvancouver.ca
www.canadianinquirer.net PROJECT NAME: 102814_Phil_Can_Inquirer_ROP_5x6
Canada News
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 14, 2014
American freed by North Korea wanted pizza BY DONNA BLANKINSHIP AND JOSH LEDERMAN The Associated Press SEATTLE — Kenneth Bae arrived home after years of imprisonment in North Korea, expressing his gratitude to the U.S. government for securing his release and revealing that his time there offered lessons. And his sister said he had one stipulation for his first meal back home: No Korean food. “He said, `I don’t want Korean food, that’s all I’ve been eating for the last two years,'” Terri Chung said Sunday outside her Seattle church. “We had a late night eating pizza.” Bae and Matthew Miller, another American who had been held captive in North Korea, landed last Saturday night at a Washington state military base after a top U.S. intelligence official secured their release. “It’s been an amazing two years, I learned a lot, I grew a lot, I lost a lot of weight,” Bae, a Korean-American missionary with health problems, said at Joint Base-Lewis-McChord Saturday night. Asked how he was feeling, he said, “I’m recovering at this time.” Bae, surrounded by family members, spoke briefly to the media after the plane carrying him and Miller landed. He thanked President Barack Obama and the people who supported him and his family. He also thanked the North Korean government for releasing him. “I just want to say thank you all for supporting me and standing by me,” Bae said. His family has said he suffers from diabetes, an enlarged heart, liver problems and back pain. Chung said Bae was in better shape when he arrived than his family expected. She said he had spent about six weeks in a North Korean hospital before he returned. “That helped. As you know, he had gone back and forth between the labor camp and hospital,” she said. She said he was checked out by a doctor on the flight back to the United States. His plans for the near future include rest and food and reconnecting with friends and family. Neither his wife nor his children could make it back to Seattle in time for Bae’s homecoming, his sister said. They plan to gather the whole family together for Thanksgiving,” she said. Members of Bae’s family, who live near the sprawling military base south of Seattle, had met him when he landed. His mother hugged him after he got off the plane. Miller stepped off the U.S. government aircraft a short time later and also was greeted with hugs. U.S. officials said Miller of Bakersfield, California, and Bae of Lynnwood, Wash-
ington, flew back with James Clapper, the director of national intelligence. Clapper was the highest-ranking American to visit Pyongyang in more than a decade. Their release was the latest twist in the fitful relationship between the Obama administration and the young North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un, whose approach to the U.S. has shifted back and forth from defiance to occasional conciliation. Bae was serving a 15-year sentence for alleged anti-government activities. He was detained in 2012 while leading a tour group to a North Korea economic zone. Miller was serving a six-year jail term on charges of espionage after he allegedly ripped up his tourist visa at Pyongyang’s airport in April and demanded asylum. North Korea said Miller had wanted to experience prison life so he could secretly investigate the country’s human rights situation. Bae and Miller were the last two Americans held captive by the reclusive Communist country. Last month, North Korea released Jeffrey Fowle of Miamisburg, Ohio, who was held for nearly six months. He had left a Bible in a nightclub in the hope that it would reach North Korea’s underground Christian community. Speaking Sunday, Chung said her brother was staying with family members, and enjoyed visiting with his loved ones upon his return. “He was cut off from all of that for two years,” she said. “His only contacts were his guard, and maybe doctors and a handful of times the Swedish embassy.” Chung said she was thrilled to have her brother home, and that “he bears no ill will” over his ordeal. Although he still has warm feelings for the North Korean people, Chung doubted her brother would want to return to that country any time soon. He hasn’t told them many details about his ordeal and Chung said she remains worried about her brother. The State Department called the family at about 2 a.m. Saturday to give them the news that Bae was coming home. They also received a call a few days earlier saying something might be happening, but Chung was reluctant to believe that message. “There’s been a lot of heartbreak and disappointment,” she said of the years of waiting for her brother’s release. She thanked people around the world for their prayers and government officials and others for advocating for Bae’s release. She also said former detainees and their families have been a source of comfort and support for her family. “First and foremost we thank God,” Chung said, adding soon afterward, “I have to thank President Obama.” ■ www.canadianinquirer.net
21
22
NOVEMBER 14, 2014
FRIDAY
FILIPINO-CANADIAN IN FOCUS:
Heather Liscano
Anthem Singer for the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League BY EARL VON TAPIA Philippine Canadian Inquirer EACH COUNTRY, whether deserved or not, has stereotypes attached to it. for Filipinos, a common one is that they all just love to sing and dance. For Canadians, it’s that they just love the crazy sport of hockey. So then what is one of the most Filipino-Canadian things you can do? How about singing at hockey games! That is what Heather Liscano from Calgary Alberta has been doing for the past 16 years as the opening anthem singer for the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League. Heather’s family came to Canada in the 70’s: first her aunts and uncles, then her parents, and finally her grand-parents. She was born in Calgary in 1976, and has lived her entire life in the city. Heather said that she was born to sing. “My mom said I used to make up songs as soon as I started to vocalize, and then when I was able to start speaking I would sing,” she said. Music has always been a big part of her family. “I can’t remember a time when we didn’t sing as a group, whether we were celebrating birthdays or having get-togethers during Christmas time,” she said. And it was over the course of these encounters that her parents decided she had the ear and the talents for music, so they put her in lessons to help her hone the craft. As she was growing up, Heather sang for events, and entered into talent contests and competitions. It was during one of these contests that she got her first chance to sing for the Calgary Flames.
Heather Liscano performing the Canadian and American national anthems in front of Calgary Flames fans at the Saddledome.
At the Calgary Stampede, a major annual festival held in Calgary, Heather won a talent competition after her third year of competing, and was invited to sing the anthem as a guest for the Calgary Flames. Two years later, while she was in university, one of her friends that was working for the Calgary Flames at the time informed her that the Flames were looking for a regular singer to replace the outgoing singer. Heather’s friend encouraged her to try out. “I told my boss, and he was supportive, he said ‘okay if I let you get off work then you better get the job,” he said.
So Heather auditioned, and was invited back the next day. She had to ask her boss for another day off. “I had to go back to my boss and ask ‘could I miss work again today?’ and he said ‘Now you really better get it!,” she said. After one more audition, Heather was offered the gig for the 1998-1999 hockey season. At first she was slowly phased in, but by the mid-2000’s she was singing the majority (around 37 of 41) of home games for the Calgary Flames. Heather said it took over seven years of regular appearances before she was finally able to get over her nervousness of singing
the Canadian and American anthems in front of the crowd at the Saddledome, the iconic stadium where the Calgary Flames play their home games. “For the first seven years I was really nervous, my hand would be visibly shaking, that’s how nervous I was,” she said. But it was also good training for her too, as she pursued a musical career outside of her role as the Flames’ anthem singer. “Just being in the flow doing something you love . . . anybody who is a performer is really striving for excellence. You will eventually discover that whole mental dimension of what you
believe. If I can just get into the flow, then everything will be fine,” she said. The singing job with the Calgary Flames complemented her other roles in her life. She would regularly perform at venues and clubs. She taught band and choir on and off for 12 years while she was raising her five children. Heather also taught in the studio, mostly vocals and piano keyboard, though she also knows the tenor saxophone and some guitar. The highlight for Heather was being part of the Calgary Flames organization when they made the playoffs again after a 7 year drought, and also all of the
HEALTH CARE PROGRAMS > PRACTICAL NURSING - 75 Weeks (Biology, Math, & English Upgrade Available*) > HEALTH CARE ASSISTANT - 29 Weeks > MEDICAL OFFICE ASSISTANT - 33 Weeks > COMMUNITY SUPPORT WORKER - 49 Weeks > HEALTH UNIT CLERK - 12 Weeks*
LEARNING WITH PURPOSE SINCE 1903
7 LOWER MAINLAND CAMPUSES / 13 CAMPUSES IN BC CALL 310.HIRE (4473) OR VISIT SPROTTSHAW.COM www.canadianinquirer.net
*conditions apply
23
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 14, 2014
nights where various people such as vet- Flames’ home opener for the 2014-2015 erans and Olympians and other special season. When it was announced that she people were honoured by the Flames or- would be retiring from her role as anganization in front of the home crowd of them singer, she was met with much apthousands. plause from the crowd. “Any time we honour our commu“I didn’t really think that this would nity or family, our city of Calgary, our be so long and enduring. I was just really Saddledome family, other Canadians, appreciative to be there and to have the there are so many things going on that opportunity to sing one game at a time, we don’t realize. It’s special when we it was really phenomenal just to be part as a group get to celof celebrating our ebrate and recoganthems right before nize these people and the game that we love their achievements,” so much,” she added. she said. Heather has now This year, after 16 I didn't really think started a mortgage seasons, and after that this would be so broker business becoming known and long and enduring. (yourmortgagelady. respected by Flames I was just really ca), but she still has fans and Calgarians appreciative to be her heart set on mualike, Heather decidthere and to have the sic. Specifically, proed it was time to move opportunity to sing ducing her own origion to other pursuits. one game at a time. nal music. And it is She approached her clear that music will bosses in the Calforever be a part of gary Flames head ofher life. fices and said she was “In terms of my ready to move on. musical passions, there’s been a lot of “I said I’m ready to retire. I felt re- songwriting. I would eventually like to ally complete with my experience . . . it’s produce original material. I have a lot been such a wonderful juncture in my of original material that I’ve never had life, getting to perform, and being part of time to get together,” she said. our city,” she said. “I’m passionate about writing and Her last performance as the anthem performing that original material. In singer for the Calgary Flames was on terms of music, that’s what I’m excited October 8 of this year, at the Calgary about,” she added. ■
D L O
T F S G TS IN LE
I LL S N U SE IT
N
3 W U 11 NO 5
LA
1 T S
$15,000 free upgrades
GST
2/3 Bedroom Homes From
$335,900
www.canadianinquirer.net
604.307.0400
WWW.NORTHWESTDEVELOPMENT.CA
24
NOVEMBER 14, 2014
FRIDAY
THE CENTRE OF THE C 3 Bike Routes for a green commute
12 Boutiques with must-have accessories Over 30 Places to Head for Dinner
14 places to find your favourite caffeine fix
CR AFTED LIVI N G CO M I N G EARLY 2015
REGISTER TODAY • INDEPENDENTatMAIN.COM
The Developer reserves the right to make changes and modifications to the information contained herein without prior notice. This is not an offering for sale, any such offering may only be made by way of a Disclosure Statement. E&OE.
www.canadianinquirer.net
25
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 14, 2014
CITY JUST SHIFTED 99 B-Line every 1.5–3 minutes
12 Parks to Chill with Friends
www.canadianinquirer.net
26
Seen & Scenes: Vancouver
NOVEMBER 14, 2014
FRIDAY
REX NAVARRETE COMEDY GIG Premier Filipino-American stand-up comedian Rex Navarrete recently regaled his audience at the Columbia Theater in New Westminster, B.C. with funny insights on the Filipino ethnic group.
GALA NIGHT The Vancouver Multicultural Society held it’s 40th anniversary gala night at the Floata Seafood Restaurant. The event was well-attended by community leaders from various cultures.
For photo submissions, please email info@canadianinquirer.net. www.canadianinquirer.net
Seen & Scenes: Toronto
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 14, 2014
GET-TOGETHER Friends in Toronto, On. who have been volunteering with the Philippine Canadian Charitable Foundation and other projects, got together after the one-year remembrance of the victims of the Typhoon Yolanda/Haiyan at Our Lady of Assumption Church. Photo shows (from R) Marlene Valdez, Noemi Milanes, Ave Quidangen, Primo Milanes, Danio Penuliar, Nhitz Calvez, and Fe Taduran. (St. Jamestown News Service, Romy Zetazate)
KORO BULAKEÑA The actors and singers from Bulacan: Lylaine P. Macario, Jayson Perez, Raymond A. Carlos, Eduard G. Sison, Mary Grace C. Rebuldela, Emil John Galang Edejer,Maria Judith F. Tanig, Ramises H. Dalisay Jr., Antonia B. Santos, Mechel Agustin, Arianne P. De los Reyes and Marivic DG. Agustin. They will also have performances in Winnipeg, Manitoba and Calgary this November.
REMEMBRANCE MASS FOR TYPHOON HAIYAN VICTIMS An anniversary mass was offered at the Our Lady of Assumption (OLA) Church on Nov. 8 to remember the vicitims of Typhoon Yolanda. In his remarks to the Filipino community, Canada's Minister of Finance, Joe Oliver, who was present at the remembrance event, reaffirmed Canada's commitment to the Philippines. This was gratefully acknowledged by Philippine Ambassador to Canada Petronila P. Garcia. Photo shows, (from L) John West, Consul General Junever Mahilum-West, Rosemer Enverga, Ambassador Garcia, Minister Oliver, Fr. Joel Pabilona, Fr. Ben Ebcas and Sen. Tobias Enverga. (St. Jamestown News Service/Fe Taduran)
TWO-PERSON ART SHOW A ‘Two-Person Art Show by Nelia & Frank Tonido’ was launched at the lobby of the Philippine Consul General's Office held on Nov. 7, in Toronto, On. The exhibit was graced by Philippine Ambassador to Canada Petronila P. Garcia and Philippine Consul General Junever MahilumWest. (Photos by St. Jamestown News Service, Manny Papa and Joe Damasco) www.canadianinquirer.net
27
28
Community News
NOVEMBER 14, 2014
FRIDAY
GAYLE GAVIN for Council
Put Community into City Hall
Prominent Trial Lawyer Advocates for decent, affordable housing built and owned by the City A Strong Voice for the Community
SENATOR ENVERGA attended the mass at the Our Lade of Assumption Church in Toronto, On., commemorating the first anniversary of deadly Typhoon Haiyan on Nov. 8. Haiyan, the strongest typhoon on record, killed over 6,000 people and caused catastrophic
destruction in Visayas. Typhoon Haiyan made landfall in the Philippines on November 8, 2013. It was one of the strongest typhoon on record, causing unimaginable destruction and untold loss of life. ■
Vancouver Jewish Film Fest features ‘Transit’ BY MARY ANN R. MANDAP Philippine Canadian Inquirer TRANSIT, A Filipino independent film written and directed by Hannah Espia and produced by young filmmaker Paul Soriano, was featured at the 26th Vancouver Jewish Film Festival on Nov. 9 as a fundraising event toward building a drop-in place for caregivers. The multi-awarded film competed in Cinemalaya 2013 and won best film, directing, acting and other technical awards under the New Breed category. It was the Philippine entry to the Best Foreign Language Film at the 86th Oscar Awards and won special mention in
the New Currents section of the Busan 2014 Film Festival. Transit starred Irma Adlawan, Ping Medina, Mercedes Cabral, Jasmine Curtis-Smith and Marc Alvarez, all of whom needed to learn Hebrew in order to effectively play their roles in the film, according to Soriano, who flew in from Los Angeles for the special screening. The film is about a single father who is forced to hide his child from immigration police in Israel after the Israeli government decides to deport young children of immigrant workers. Soriano said the inspiration to do the film came from Hannah, whose family owns a travel agency which specializes in Holy Land tours. One time, on her way home from Israel, Hannah noticed OFWs with young children congregating in one corner of the airport. There, she learned about the deportations of young children. In 2009, the Israeli government enacted a law that mandated the deportation of an undisclosed number of children of migrant workers from the Jewish state unless they fulfill certain criteria. Based on Israeli law, once migrant workers have children, they must send the children back home if they want to continue their employment. Proceeds of the highly-acclaimed movie will benefit CARE (Caregivers Assistance Resources and Education) Centre, a place where caregivers and domestic helpers can come home to on their days off and where they can receive training to improve their skills. Prof. Prod Laquian, a community adviser and member of the steering com-
Will support Community led Neighbourhood Development
Vote COPE • Meena Wong for Mayor • Lisa Barrett • Tim Louis • Sid Chow Tan • Jennifer O'Keeffe • Gayle Gavin • Wilson Munoz • Keith Higgins • Audrey Siegl votecope.ca gaylegavin.com Photo: John Watson
volunteer labour
Authorized by Gayle Gavin, Financial agent for Gayle Gavin, info@gaylegavin.com
mittee of the Vancouver Committee for Domestic Workers and Caregivers Rights (CDWCR), said they have high hopes of making the centre a reality next year. “We are pleased that we can now put in a down payment for the centre. Many people and institutions have come forward to help raise funds for this caregivers’ ‘home away from home’. Laquian cited the city of Vancouver for helping them find possible sites and funding feasibility studies for the centre.
www.canadianinquirer.net
According to Laquian, location of the centre will most probably be in East Vancouver. He said the centre can be a haven for caregivers who face emergency problems with their employers; those who are in need of temporary shelter; those seeking camaraderie, counseling or referrals from other domestic workers. Prof. Laquian added that the management of Scotiabank has promised to match the funds up to $15,000. ■
Above: CDWCR is an organization that respects and values the work of caregivers and domestic workers. Left: CDWCR's Prod and Eleonor Laquian
29
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 14, 2014
www.canadianinquirer.net
30
NOVEMBER 14, 2014
www.canadianinquirer.net
FRIDAY
Immigration
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 14, 2014
31
Tanong Mo Kay Kuya Boy KUYA BOY, I have been charged with domestic assault after I had an argument with my wife. Please explain this charge and what advice can you give? Jimmy of Vancouver, BC.
they will listen to a complainant or victim and not proceed. Sometimes they will proceed in a manner that is outside the Criminal Justice System, called diversion, and sometimes they will continue with criminal prosecution despite the wishes of the complainant or victim. At the initial stage, there is a department of the Crown called the Charge approval team. The charge approval team assesses cases once they are forwarded to them by the police. They evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the case and will make the determination if there is enough evidence to proceed with criminal charges and if criminal prosecution is appropriate.
Jimmy, I have been working on the BC Courts for 4 years and domestic assault is the most common case I encounter. To answer your question, I talked with ATTY. CONOR MULDOON, a lawyer at MULDOON & COMPANY. Their firm has more than 30 years of experience and specializes in Criminal Defence work and Motor Vehicle Accident claims. I can personally attest that Atty. Muldoon has helped several Filipinos in domestic assault cases. He may be contacted at 604 974 9749. The following answers are not legal advice. They are being provided by Atty. Muldoon for informational purposes only. Q. What are some common reasons or charges that people end up having to go to court for criminal matters? A. There are a number of different reasons someone could be charged criminally. In the lower mainland there are many drugs related charges as well as property offences. Motor vehicle offences are common as well, and alcohol related offences, like impaired driving. Assaults charges are also common, especially domestic assaults. Q. Can you explain what a domestic assault is? A. Well assault is defined in the criminal code as: A person commits an assault when: a) without the consent of another person, he applies force intentionally to that other person, directly or indirectly; b) he attempts or threatens, by an act or a gesture, to apply force to another person, if he has, or causes that other person to believe on reasonable grounds that he has, present ability to effect his purpose; or c) while openly wearing or carrying a weapon or an imitation thereof, he accosts or impedes another person or begs. As you can see assault encompasses many different situations and even someone merely fearing harm from another person
OREGONDOT / FLICKR
can amount to an assault. Domestic assaults are unique as they occur in situations where the Accused/Complainant are known to each other and are in a relationship. It is also important to note that many different actions can result in assault charges. For example throwing an object at a person is assault, spitting on someone is assault and threatening gestures, despite not making any contact can be deemed an assault. There is also a separate criminal offence of uttering threats. Q. Are Domestic assault charges handled differently than other assault charges? A. In Canada, criminal cases are prosecuted by lawyers called Crown Counsel. They are lawyers who work for the Provincial or Federal Government. Assault charges are handled by the Provincial Crown, and as an example, drug cases are handled by Federal Crown. Generally at each court, there are a
group or team of Crown Counsel that work primarily with domestic assault charges. These cases are referred to as “Kfiles”. Because the complainant (victim) is likely known to the accused, and often they are living together, domestic assault cases are given priority in setting early trial dates and there is an emphasis to resolve these files as quickly as possible. These cases are dealt with quickly for two main reasons: to protect the complainant from potential future harm, and to resolve the matter if the parties want to reconcile. Q. If someone calls the police on their spouse and then later decides that they do not want to lay charges can they have the charges dropped? A. The short answer to that question is no. It is not up to a victim/complainant whether or not they want to proceed with criminal charges. However, if a complainant or victim does not want the Crown to proceed www.canadianinquirer.net
it will be taken into consideration. This is a very common scenario. It is not rare for there to be an argument between a couple that results in a heated argument. Police then get called and charges get laid. Often, when cooler heads prevail, the complainant who called the police wishes to change their statement or take back what they had told the police. It is very common for Defence lawyers to be contacted by the complainant/victim asking how they can get the charges dropped or the case dismissed. Unfortunately once the charge has been laid it is no longer up to the complaint/victim to proceed with charges. Q. Well who makes that decision to proceed with charges then? A. Crown counsel makes the decision. Once a specific Crown is assigned to a file they will usually have the discretion to resolve the file in a way they deem appropriate. Sometimes
Q. If someone is arrested what advice can you provide to them? A. The absolute most important piece of advice that I would leave everyone with is to exercise their right to silence. If anyone is ever arrested, for any matter, do not give a statement to the police. Request to speak with a lawyer right away, and don’t say anything else. In Canada, all citizens have the right to remain silent. While in police custody it often feels like you must make a statement; that is not the case. The police cannot force you to provide a statement. They can pressure you and ask you repeatedly to make a statement, but they cannot threaten you or induce you in any way to make a statement. The Police will, however, without making promises, try to convince you that it is in your best interest to provide a statement. People often make this mistake when arrested, thinking that they are in some way helping their case. In fact in most situations the information that is provided to the police ends up hurting the accused at trial. ■ We invite you to tune in to our weekly legal advice program “Tanong Mo Kay Kuya Boy” every Saturday from 1230 pm to 1pm on JUAN RADIO 96.1 FM. Every week, we will feature various professional lawyers who will discuss and give advice about different legal topics. If you have any legal questions, send an email to kuyaboycanada@gmail.com
32
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 14, 2014
Yolanda
‘Symbol of hope’ rising Plastic houses for survivors in Leyte BY MARLON RAMOS Philippine Daily Inquirer
50-hectare property in Barangay Liloan. Dignity
ORMOC CITY — A new “symbol of hope” for survivors of Supertyphoon “Yolanda” is fast-rising in this city, which was sent to its knees when storm surges and powerful winds of biblical proportions barreled through the Visayas region a year ago. Tzu Chi Foundation, the world’s biggest Buddhist charity, has started the construction of 2,000 plastic houses for families displaced by the typhoon — internationally known as “Haiyan.” “This is a symbol of hope for typhoon survivors in Leyte,” Alfred Li, the foundation’s chief executive officer, told reporters on Saturday. “Our founder said we should help take care of the body (of the typhoon survivors). The construction of these houses is for that purpose,” he said. Li said the P500- million housing program was the biggest charity project of his group, which first caught the attention of the public when it sponsored a cash- for- work program in Tacloban City and nearby towns in Leyte province a few days after Yolanda struck on Nov. 8, 2013. After attending the commemoration of Yolanda’s first anniversary, Interior Secretary Mar Roxas and Presidential Assistant for Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Panfilo Lacson led the inspection of the ingenious shelter program in a
Li said the land was donated by the family of Mayor Edward Codilla. “More than the value of these shelters, I think the more important thing is the sense of dignity that these structures give the survivors,” Roxas said. “They will now have a place of their own which offers privacy. Besides dignity, these houses will also give them a sense of safety,” he added. Each of the 27-square-meter structures costs P100,000, Li
Site at ground zero
Since the project began last month, Li said 50 houses had been completed. The charity intends to build at least 500 houses more by December, he said. Li said the foundation was planning to construct 2,000 houses in Ormoc and another 300 in Palo town, also in Leyte. He said his group was discussing with the officials of Tacloban City a possible site in the area known as ground zero for the deadly cyclone. “While we are Buddhists, we hope to finish this as a Christmas gift to the people,” Li said. Cost-efficient
said. Its roofing and walls are made of beige-colored polypropylene, a type of hard plastic, joined together by steel metals. Each unit has three bedrooms, a small kitchen, a living room and a “selfcontained” toilet. It also has a “skylight panel” that allows ventilation. Like camping tents, the four corners of the houses will be tied down to the concrete floor with steel cables, allowing them to withstand winds of up to 175 kilometers per hour. Besides screen windows, tiled floors make the houses more decent than the temporary bunkhouses that the government has built for the survivors.
Li said the shelters were cost-efficient since each house required only 10 people to assemble. With proper training, he said a 10-member construction team could finish a house in just one day. “We are now training 20 to 30 groups to help us build the houses. All the materials, which were imported from the United States, are already here and are ready to be assembled,” he said. “In time, this place will be a new barangay.” Roxas said the government may replicate Tzu Chi’s unique housing program in other typhoon-stricken areas. “This is a product of Tzu Chi’s best practices. They have developed their own design. I think we can learn something from their engineering experience,” Roxas said. ■
President Aquino thanks Canada for its assistance in reconstruction of Eastern Visayas PHILIPPINE NEWS AGENCY BEIJING, CHINA — President Benigno S. Aquino III this past Monday thanked Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper for Canada's assistance for the rehabilitation of areas in Eastern Visayas devastated by Typhoon Yolanda last year. "The President thanked Canada for the support that it had provided, overwhelming support for the victims of Yolanda," Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario said in a press briefing at the Philippine Embassy here. "He wanted to know what the progress was in terms of the reconstruction and rehabilitation, so the President explained where we are on that," he told the Philippine media delegation. During their bilateral meeting, President Aquino told his Canadian counterpart about the limitations that have to be taken into account and what are achievable, del Rosario said, adding that Prime Minister Harper was quite pleased with the developments being done by the government in Eastern Visayas. The two leaders also discussed President Aquino’s visit to Canada in 2015, he said, noting that an invitation has been extended for President Aquino to visit Canada but this has not
materialized. They talked about the inclusion of the Philippines as a country of focus in Canada’s development program, said Del Rosario. "There was also a benefit given to the Philippines in terms of a trade priority under what they call a GMA program, which focuses on providing two-way trade and market access to the Philippines," he said. President Aquino and Prime Minister Harper touched on international issues, such as the application of international law in resolving regional disputes as well as the threat of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). Del Rosario emphasized the need to address the major threat posed by the ISIS, saying the international community cannot ignore the crimes and atrocities that the terrorist group has committed. "We must take a position against those who perpetrate crimes against humanity," he said. On the Philippines’ preparations for the 2015 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in Manila, del Rosario said the President thanked Canada for its support for the country's chairmanship next year. ■
Yolanda
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 14, 2014
The Philippine Canadian Inquirer (PCI) joins the Filipino nation in solemn commemoration of the one-year anniversary of Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda). PCI pays tribute to Yolanda’s victims, more than 6,000 of whom perished, while many more were left homeless. We recognize the survivors for their resiliency and strength of will to survive and rebuild. We also honour those who helped in the massive relief effort and contributed towards the country’s rebuilding and recovery. We are grateful for their encouraging support.
www.canadianinquirer.net
33
34
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 14, 2014
Entertainment
Jolina Magdangal now a Kapamilya BY LEI FONTAMILLAS Philippine Canadian Inquirer
Karla Estrada with son, Daniel Padilla.
FACEBOOK PHOTO
No chairs turn for Daniel Padilla’s mom on ‘The Voice PH’ blind auditions BY ANGIE DUARTE Philippine Canadian Inquirer MANILA, PHILIPPINES — Karla Estrada, mother of teen heartthrob Daniel Padilla, was hopeful that she would make it on the roster of contestants of the ABSCBN reality singing show “The Voice of the Philippines.” Estrada, however, failed to turn a single chair from “The Voice” judges Lea Salonga, Sarah Geronimo, Bamboo Manalac, and apl.de.ap.au. during the show’s blind auditions. Salonga said that Estrada’s rendition of “What’s Up” by 4 No Blondes was good,” but that the judges were “looking for something na hindi namin ma-describe (that we cannot describe). ‘Yung mapapatalon ka talaga at mapapapindot sa button (The kind that makes you really jump and press the button.)” Despite not making it into the show Estrada aid that her experience on “The Voice” was a dream come true, for a “kontesera (contest joiner)” such as herself. Estrada, who shared that she strated
joining isnging contests at the age of nine-years-old, said: “Gusto ko talaga, pangarap ko talaga na sumali sa ‘The Voice’ dahil kontesera ako. Itong competition na ito, ito na ‘yung height ng singing contests for me na kailangan kong matupad na salihan (It was really my desire, my dream to join ‘The Voice’, because I am a ‘contest joiner’. This competition, this for me is the height of singing contests that I had to fulfill my dream to join it.)” Geronimo recognized Estrada’s passion for singing, and commended the former actress for her “ inspiring “ effort. “What you did was just inspiring. Yung dedication n’yo, yung passion n’yo sa music, yung humility ninyo para talagang sumali sa competition at maging ready sa kung anuman ang magiging resulta (Your dedication, your passion for music, your humility to join this contest and be ready for whatever the result would be.),” Geronimo said. Estrada was a movie star in the ‘90’s. Her most recent television appearances include roles in “Galema, Anak ni Zuma” and “Kailangan Ko’y Ikaw.” ■
MANILA — Jolina Magdangal celebrated her return to ABS-CBN by performing a medley of her hits with ASAP stars Juris Fernandez, Richard Poon, and Piolo Pascual on Sunday. Magdangal rose to stardom during the 1990s with her chart-topping songs, line of accessories including a Jolina doll, and unforgettable movies. Aside from her, “The Voice” coaches Sarah Geronimo and Bamboo Mañalac performed a smashing duet, while rapper Gloc 9 worked the stage with Paolo Valenciano. Anne Curtis also surprised her fans with a jaw-dropping production number. Other stars that lit up the stage include Ai-Ai de las Alas, Iñigo Pascual, Sofia Andres, Julian Estrada, Kathryn Bernardo, Julia Barretto, Janella Salvador, Jerome Ponce, Marlo Mortel, Maris Rascal, Loisa Andalio, Joshua Garcia, Miles Ocampo, CJ Navato, Jairus Aquino, Alexa Ilacad, Clarence Delgado, Nhickzy Calma, Mutya Orquia, Xyriel Manabat, Andrea Brillantes, Luis Manzano, Alex Gonzaga, and Marcelito Pomoy. Moreover, the ASAP Kapamilya family sent messages of hope to the survivors
Jolina Magdangal. PHOTO FROM JOLINA MAGDANGAL’S FACEBOOK PAGE
of Super Typhoon Yolanda with Zsa Zsa Padilla, Erik Santos, Yeng Constantino, Princess Velasco, and Tutti Caringal. ASAP 19 is shown every Sunday at 12:15 p.m. on ABS-CBN Channel 2. ■
Maegan Aguilar battered by live-in partner BY LEI FONTAMILLAS Philippine Canadian Inquirer MANILA — A person saying that she is the best friend of Maegan Aguilar used her Facebook account to share how Aguilar was allegedly beaten up by her livein partner. Maria Silorio on Sunday posted photos of Aguilar that showed how the latter was abused by her live-in partner when she tried to break up with him. “My bestfriend Maegan Cornet Aguilar received this nasty beating as a ‘parting gift’ from her live-in partner when she firmly tried to end their relationship today. Ali’s an alcoholic who often reaches a violent black-out state and beats up
my friend and threatens her life,” Silorio said in her post. She added, “Maegan does not want to go to the authorities to file a blotter against him because she does not want the public to know about her problems with her live-in partner. But this recent incident brought a lot of pain to her.” According to Silorio, Aguilar’s right arm was dislocated and she has a lot of bruises and contusion at her back and hips. Aguilar has not commented yet regarding the matter. Aguilar is the daughter of OPM legend Freddie Aguilar. Earlier, she made headlines after criticizing her father after marrying a minor. ■
Entertainment
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 14, 2014
35
Cuneta family asks for prayers, privacy BY LEI FONTAMILLAS Philippine Canadian Inquirer MANILA — Following the recent passing of Elaine GamboaCuneta, the family is asking for privacy from public as they mourn for their loss. Elaine passed away at the age of 79 last November 5 due to internal bleeding and complications from abdominal surgery. In a statement released by the family to The Philippine Star, Elaine was confined on September 2 wherein she spent more than seven weeks in the
intensive care unit. “We are deeply grateful for the outpouring of sympathy, love, prayer and support during our time of grief,” said the Cuneta family. “We want to thank all the doctors and nurses who did the best they could to care for Elaine these past few months.” The Cuneta family admitted that the recent passing of their matriarch proved to be a very difficult time, especially for the Megastar Sharon Cuneta and her daughter KC Concepcion, thus they are hoping that they may “be allowed some privacy as they mourn for their loss.”
Meanwhile, they believe that their mother is already in a better place. “We are comforted by our faith and we believe that she is in a good place, in the hands of her creator — no pain, no sickness or weakness, and seeing Jesus face-to-face,” they said. The wake will be held at the Capilla Del Señor and CapillaDelaVirgen of Santuario de San Antonio Parish, McKinley Road, Makati City, starting from Nov. 6 to 11. Details of the interment will follow. Elaine was the wife of the late Pasay City Mayor Pablo Cuneta. ■
All praise for Filipino actress BY MARINEL R. CRUZ Philippine Daily Inquirer BRITISH INSTALLATION artist and filmmaker Isaac Julien has described Filipino actress Mercedes Cabral, who is part of his film/installation “Playtime,” as the “best young actress I’ve worked with.” Cabral is in a cast that includes international actors Maggie Cheung, Colin Salmon, Ingvar Eggert Sigurðsson, Simon de Pury and Hollywood star James Franco. “I work by intuition; I personally picked the actors for this project,” Julien told the INQUIRER after a special screening of “Playtime” last week at the De La Salle College of Saint Benilde in Malate, Manila. “I met Mercedes only when we started shooting.” Cabral flew to Dubai in June 2013 for the project. “We shot eight to 10 hours everyday,” she recounted. “Isaac was very specific about what he wanted from his actors — how fast I should walk, how I should wipe a tabletop. If he didn’t like what
Playtime sees Julien’s work return to Sydney after his acclaimed Ten Thousand Waves premiered at the Sydney Biennale in 2010. Characters are played by well-known actors, including James Franco, Maggie Cheung, Mercedes Cabral, Colin Salmon and Ingvar Eggert Sigurðsson. DONNAWHEELER.COM
I did, he made me do it again and again until he was satisfied. He also said I should be able to convey the right emotion without words.” She said after the screening:
“Isaac is very strict about imagery, since this project is not a narrative. It’s an ‘installation,’ for a split-screen. This is the first time I saw it on a single screen; it actually works.”
www.canadianinquirer.net
“Playtime” is set in three cities—London, Reykjavik and Dubai. It is part-documentary and part-fiction. Cabral plays a house worker. Her story is based on the life of
Liza Perez, a former overseas Filipino worker in Dubai, who now works with Julien, a British national. “I’ve known Liza for 13 years,” said Julien. Perez, who was present at the screening, recalled, “I didn’t know that he was a filmmaker when I met him and told him my story. I’m very happy with what I saw today.” In December 2013, Metro Pictures Gallery featured a threeminute version of “Playtime,” specifically Cabral’s segment, on 17 electronic billboards in Times Square, New York, a few minutes before midnight. Cabral said, “I saw a video of it on YouTube. I was really surprised. I was like, my face all over Times Square? This can’t be real. My parents are very proud. I’m happy that my mom saw the whole of it today.” The actress will be seen in the Jay Abello movie “Red,” an entry in the Cinema One Digital Film Festival, which starts Nov. 9. She will also start promoting an independent movie shot in Denmark this month. Cabral is a semi-regular cast member in the soap “Hiram na Alaala” on GMA 7. ■
36
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 14, 2014
Lifestyle
As fall heads towards winter, it’s time to think about how not to fall BY HELEN BRANSWELL The Canadian Press TORONTO — Deep in the bowels of a building on Toronto’s hospital row, some scientists are taking the fall for you, Canada. In fact, over and over again. The researchers are slipping, flailing, losing their balance. It’s all in the hope that someday you won’t have to. They are worried about your noggins, your hips and your other bones. If you are worried about theirs, relax. All this stumbling and tumbling is done in harnesses attached to pulleys that break the falls before the falls break bones. The work is being done in the winter lab of Toronto Rehab, a University of Toronto teaching hospital that is trying to hone in on what is the best possible footwear for Canadian winters. The lab, a pod-like structure that looks like a component of the international space station, has an icy floor that can be tilted and made even more slick with pooled water or snow. As well, giant fans similate the wintry blasts that can knock us off our balance at times. The goal of the work, explains Geoffrey Fernie, the institute’s director of research, is to cut down on the number of falls on ice, which, depending on your age and the health of your bones, can be a life-altering or life-end event. “In the winter we have up to five times as many people in our emergency rooms” for falls, Fernie says. “When people fall over, that can be the end of their lives, let alone the end of their independence. It’s a really big deal.” The numbers are significant. In 2010-2011, there were 7,138 people hospitalized across the country because of injuries sustained during falls on ice, says Vicky Scott, a senior adviser on fall prevention in British Co-
lumbia’s injury research and prevention unit and the provincial ministry of health. The falls are spread across all age ranges, but really start to hit serious numbers in the 50plus age categories, according to the data, from the Canadian Institute for Health Information. About half the people hospitalized for falls on ice were 60 and older. Interestingly, falls on ice cause more serious injuries than any single winter sport. In fact, injuries incurred in all winter sports combined don’t account for as many hospitalizations as falls on ice. It’s important to note this figure represents only people who were admitted to hospital because of injuries they received during a fall on ice. People who were treated and released, treated at doctors’s offices or in walk-in clinics and people who died at the scene don’t make it into this count. “So you could double or triple that number for the amount of people seen and released by the emergency department,” suggests Scott, who is also a clinical associate professor in the University of British Columbia’s School of Population and Public Health. In seniors falls of any kind can be catastrophic. Bones weaken with age and snap more easily. A fall that will bruise a hip at 20 may shatter it at 80. That’s when life really starts to change rapidly. A U.S. study published in August showed that of more than 60,000 residents of long-term care facilities who were hospitalized with a hip fracture, slightly more than a third died within the following six months. Of those who were not completely mobile before the hip fracture, half either died or became totally incapable of walking within the six months after the injury. So clearly, not falling this winter should be a goal. But how do you achieve it during a
As winter approaches, icy sidewalks present a major slip and fall hazard to people, especially to the elderly. JAY SANTIAGO / FLICKR
Canadian winter? Fernie and his folks at Toronto Rehab may someday soon have an answer to that question. Their search for the ideal sole for boots — both in terms of material and treads — is going well, he says. It will lead, they hope, to a labelling system that will show consumers how much grip they can expect to get from the footwear they are purchasing. But they aren’t there yet. In the meantime, he and Scott offer some suggestions about how to stay safe outdoors during the cold and slippery months ahead. For starters, stay active, Scott says. What you don’t use you will lose, in terms of muscle tone. So seniors especially need to keep fit and work to maintain muscles and balance. “Don’t just shut yourself inside and stay sedentary. Then when you do go out, you will fall,” she warns. Be aware of your environment, Fernie suggests. Pay attention to where you are putting your foot down. Look for and avoid danger zones. “There’s nothing worse than stepping onto a patch of ice that
you’ve not noticed.” If you are using outdoor stairs — Fernie would probably say stairs of any kind, they are a real hazard — use the handrail. “Don’t worry about looking like a sissy,” he says. Plan ahead. During a brutal winter, it can sometimes be hard to find road salt or sand to put on your walkway. Since it’s clear winter is coming, buy some in advance, Scott says. She also suggests seniors line up someone to shovel their walkway and driveway. Carry some traction with you. Scott notes that the City of Ottawa has a nifty program where residents are encouraged to fill small bags with grit the city provides at a number of centrally located “grit boxes.” The idea is that if you see a slippery patch, you can help your fellow citizens by spreading sand or salt as you go. Do your bit. In some municipalities, homeowners are required to clear the sidewalks in front of their homes — a rule some observe more fastidiously than others. Choose your boots wisely. We live in a land of ice and snow. Fashion boots are probably bet-
ter off worn indoors rather than out. “Certainly wear good winter footwear,” says Fernie. “Now that presupposes you know what good winter footwear is. But you do know that it’s probably not high heels. And you do know that it’s probably not smooth leather-soled shoes. You do know that you need to wear footwear that is comfortable and is likely to be solid for walking on.” Despite your best efforts, you may at some point this winter find yourself in the process of upending. It’s hard to think fast enough to react in such circumstances. But if you can, try to break your fall, Fernie says. Because some falls are worse than others. “Sacrifice anything to protect your head, because head injuries are obviously very serious,” he says. “But if you can break the fall using your arm or your elbow, you probably will break your wrist, you probably will break your elbow. But it’s less serious than breaking your hip. Because broken hips, especially among older people, are such a disaster.” ■
Lifestyle
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 14, 2014
37
TV still No. 1 but Internet growing as Canadians’ main source of news: poll BY MICHAEL OLIVEIRA The Canadian Press TORONTO — The number of anglophone Canadians who consider the Internet their main source of news has increased by almost 20 per cent in the last two years, while a majority of young people now go online to stay informed, a new study suggests. According to the results of telephone surveys with 6,011 Canadians by the Media Technology Monitor, 43 per cent said they still relied on TV newscasts as their primary source of news. A third of the respondents cited the Internet as their go-to source for news and only 12 per cent each said they preferred newspapers and radio newscasts. Compared to a similar study conducted in 2012, the number of respondents who said they mostly used the Internet to get their news grew by 18 per cent and TV was up by seven per
cent. The numbers of respondents who said they preferred to get their news from newspapers and news radio dropped by 25 per cent and 20 per cent. Not surprisingly, there was a major generational divide in how the polled Canadians accessed the news.
About 57 per cent of the respondents in the 18-to-34 demographic turned to their mobile devices or computers most often to get caught up on headlines, compared to 39 per cent of those aged 35 to 49, 18 per cent of 50- to 64-year-olds, and just seven per cent of those 65 and older.
www.canadianinquirer.net
The oldest respondents were the most likely to favour TV newscasts and newspapers. MTM also identified a group they called “heavy news users,” who said they read, watched or listened to a variety of news each and every day. About 30 per cent of the poll respondents said they were
heavy news users and they were more likely to be men, aged 48 or older, a resident in a big city, with a university education, and an income of $75,000 or more. Heavy news users were more likely than the other respondents to read online news. And the more digital devices a heavy news user owned, the more likely they were to prefer online news. Of the “four screen heavy news users” — who owned a TV, computer, smartphone and tablet — virtually all of them said they read news online. About 84 per cent said they often did so on their computer, 77 per cent used a tablet, 69 per cent read news on their smartphone, and 15 per cent said they even read news on their TV. The results of the MTM polls conducted by Forum Research Group in the fall of 2013 and this past spring are considered accurate within plus or minus 1.3 percentage points 19 times out of 20. ■
38
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 14, 2014
Business
US groups urge Philippine government to reduce trade barriers BY LEI FONTAMILLAS Philippine Canadian Inquirer MANILA — Thirteen industry associations in the United States are urging the government to lift high tariffs and taxes, reduce foreign ownership restrictions, and strengthen intellectual property rights protection because these barriers continue to prevent the entry of more investments in the country. The groups that raised the need for a more relax market access include the National Association of Manufacturers, National Potato Council, American Insurance Association, Motion Picture Association of America, Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, Distilled Spirits Council of the United States Inc., International Intellectual Property Alliance, American Potato Trade Alliance, Toy Industry Association Inc., US Grains Council, Western Growers, Herbalife and Wine Institute. The comments submitted by the groups were compiled in time for the 2015 National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers. For instance, the National Association of Manufacturers already sought restrictions to investments in the country. On the other hand, the US Grains Council requested for the abolishment of the National Food Authority (NFA) and allow private traders to do the importation.
“The country’s agribusiness sector is dominated by oligopolies whose private interests are intertwined with special interest groups and close ties with the government,” the US Grains Council said. Both the American Potato Trade Alliance and National Potato Council are looking at eliminating the 10 percent tariff on imported frozen fries and 40 percent duty on fresh potatoes, while Western Growers said that tariffs in the country remain “unreasonably high, limiting market access for many US fresh vegetables, fruit and tree nuts.” Meanwhile, the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) said that retail and street piracy has affected the home entertainment market in the country. MPAA also noted that taxes imposed on film companies were high Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America said that US-based pharmaceutical firms continue to be burdened with intellectual property concerns and market access related to legislative proposals on costsharing for discounted medicines for both individuals with disabilities and senior citizens. The Distilled Spirits Council wants to forego tariffs on imported distilled spirits. Global nutrition company Herbalife said that the Philippine Food and Drug Administration has a lengthy process in registering products ■
Philippines slips a notch to 67 on global prosperity index BY ANGIE DUARTE Philippine Canadian Inquirer MANILA, PHILIPPINES — The Philippines was ranked number 67 of 142 economies, sliding a notch from last year’s 66th spot, in the 2014 Prosperity Index of think-tank Legatum Institute. Released last week, the index measures a country’s wealth, as well as the well- being of its people. Over the last six years, the Philippines has ranked as follows: 61st in 2009, 64th in 2010, 66th in 2011, 66th in 2012, 67th in 2013, and 66th in 2014. The Philippines placed 16th among the 29 Asia-Pacific countries included in the index. The country ranked behind New Zealand (3rd overall), Australia (7th), Singapore (18th), Japan (19th), Hong Kong (20th), Taiwan (22nd), South Korea (25th), Malaysia (45th), Thailand (51st), Mongolia (52nd), China (54th), Kazakhstan (55th), Vietnam (56th), Uzbekistan (57th) and
EXCHANGE RATES
Sri Lanka (62nd). Only Indonesia (71st), Kyrgyzstan (74th), Azerbaijan (79th), Georgia (80th), Laos (93rd), Tajikistan (94th), Armenia (95th), Nepal (96th), India (102nd), Bangladesh (104th), Cambodia (112th), Pakistan (127th) and Afghanistan (137th) registered lower rankings than the Philippines. Countries are also rated according to the index’s eight “core pillars of prosperity”; namely, economy, personal freedom, governance, social capital, entrepreneurship and opportunity, education, health, and safety and security. Of these, the Philippines ranked highest in the economy sub-index, coming in 40th; although this is a place lower than last year’s 39th spot. The Philippines was rated, as follows, in the other 7 subindices: personal freedom, 50th spot (down from 44th place in 2013); governance 55th (up from 56th); social capital, 59th in (up from 61st); 75th in entrepreneurship and opportunity
(up from 79th last year); 76th in education (down from 73rd); 97th in health (up from 98th); and 111th in safety and security (up from 112th). Norway took the 2014 Prosperity Index’ top spot in overall rankings. Rounding out the top ten spots were: Switzerland (2nd), New Zealand (3rd), Denmark (4th), Canada (5th), Sweden (6th), Australia (7th), Finland (8th), Netherlands (9th) and the United States (10th). Meanwhile, the Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Burundi, Yemen, Afghanistan, Togo, Haiti, Sierra Leone and Guinea were at the bottom ten of the list. Legatum Institute, a Londonbased “charitable public policy think-tank whose mission is to help people lead more prosperous lives,” says that its Prosperity Index “is the only global measurement of prosperity based on both income and wellbeing;” thus; it claims to be “the most comprehensive tool of its kind and is the definitive measure of global progress.” ■
As of November 12, 2014, from finance.yahoo.com
PRICE
CHANGE
% CHANGE
CND / USD
1.1348
+0.0007
+0.0604%
CND / PHP
39.5998
-0.0160
-0.0403%
CND / EUR
1.4140
-0.0007
-0.0478%
Business
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 14, 2014
www.canadianinquirer.net
39
40
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 14, 2014
Travel
A BEACH CLUB IN BOHOL. Figures show that tourism is down to the region since 2011. Officials are asking for the government's help in reviving the ailing tourism destination. WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
Bohol tourism down, resorts bookings show BY ANGELINE VALENCIA Philippine News Agency TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol — Significant drop in tourist influx has been noticed since 2011 as the bookings of guests in resorts here show. Dr. Doloreich Dumaluan, owner of Dumaluan Beach Resort in Bolod, Panglao, raised the concern on dwindling room reservations, especially from foreign tourists. The record shows that guests started reducing in number since 2011 and it worsened after the earthquake. The statistics from the Department of Tourism also showed that tourist arrivals here went down to (-)six, while the other provinces continued to gain higher tourist influx. Dumaluan has urged the government to make some moves to revive the usual tourism glo-
ry of Bohol, adding they have in Cebu City three weeks ago, tourism. to come up with effective and tourism stakeholders from DuHe said he is one of those smart marketing and promo- maguete, Cebu and Bohol gave who has been in the industry tion strategies for Bohol. presentations in line with the for so long, and now that there Dumaluan also mentioned preparations for the Visit Phil- are new big players and some high cost on transportation, ippines 2015 campaign of the smaller pension houses, they food and other services as DOT. are like eating one cake and the among the reasons that tourIn the recent record of DOT, share becomes smaller when ists would opt for other desti- Cebu stands at a rating of (+)16, shared by many. nations instead, This made him like Hong Kong. say the governHe said that in ment and prithe graph, Bohol vate sector lack tourism had its We’ve been labeled one of the some strategies peak in 2001expensive resorts to stay [in] and in marketing and 2010, but it sudsome tourists might prefer to go to promotion. denly dwindled Hong Kong which would entail “In Bohol, starting 2011 lower cost. we are strugand remained gling this time consistently low and we’ve been since 2012 even labeled one of on supposed the expensive peak season. while Dumaguete stands at resorts to stay and some tourThe earthquake came in (+14), but Bohol lags behind ists might prefer to go to Hong 2013, and things worsened that with the rating of (-6). Kong which would entail lower until now, the tourism industry Dumaluan said he finds this cost,” according to Dumaluan. has yet to recover. disheartening and made him The prices of food, like fish, He said that in a gathering wonder what’s wrong in Bohol become exorbitant because the
middlemen placed too much mark up. Dumaluan said the accommodation sector like his resort has been flexible and there are price ranges, depending on the market. Room rates of resorts and pension houses range form P500, P700, P900, to P1,000 and above. He also blame the boat operators, whom he said lack discipline, citing incidents wherein they charge more on top of the rental of P1,500 and they are even collecting P1,500 per stop. Dumaluan called on the governor to intervene, and the resort owners to unite again in promoting Bohol. He cited that before, there used to be aggressive campaigns in TV wherein the resorts took turns in shouldering the cost of TV commercials showing resorts and the beauty of Panglao and tour packages in Bohol. ■
Travel
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 14, 2014
41
Canadian man offers free trip around the world BY CHARMAINE NORONHA The Associated Press TORONTO — A Toronto man is offering a free round-theworld air ticket to the right woman. But restrictions apply. You must be named Elizabeth Gallagher and have a Canadian passport. Jordan Axani, 28, said he and his then girlfriend, named Elizabeth Gallagher, booked heavily discounted round-the-world air tickets in May, but their relationship has ended and he doesn’t want her ticket to go to waste. He told The Associated Press on Saturday that the ticket has a strict no-transfer policy, but since passport information was not required when booking, it can be used by any Canadian woman named Elizabeth Gallagher. “I just want to see the ticket go to good use and for someone to experience a lot of joy,” said Axani, speaking by telephone from his Toronto home. Axani posted the ticket offer Monday on the popular Reddit social media website, and
Since offering a round-the-world trip to a person named "Elizabeth Gallagher", Jordan Axani (pictured above) has been flooded with thousands of emails from people seeking to claim his ticket. FACEBOOK PHOTO
has since received thousands of emails, including about 15 to 30 from actual Elizabeth Gallaghers with Canadian passports. “More interesting, there are hundreds of Canadians who are interested in changing their name to Elizabeth Gallagher,” Axani said with a chuckle. “It was absolutely out of control, thousands of emails, people around the world sharing their incredible stories of travel.”
He wrote in his Reddit post that he is “not looking for anything in return” and that the woman who uses the extra ticket can choose to either travel with him or take the ticket and head out on her own. “Having said that, I will buy the first round of vino at JFK upon departure,” added Axani. In his online posting, Axani said his other requirements for his prospective travel partner
www.canadianinquirer.net
are that she be “sane, smart and (hopefully) interesting,” have a desire to travel and be ready for “a rather spontaneous life experience,” and be willing to pay the good deed forward to someone else. Axani said that after the breakup he deferred all other planning for the trip, such as making hotel reservations. Axani, who works for an international real estate devel-
opment and advisory firm, said the tickets were purchased for a couple of thousand dollars, but their cash value today is around Canadian $5,000-$7,000 (US$4,400-$6,200). The trip is scheduled to start Dec. 21 in New York City and continue on to Milan, Prague, Paris, Bangkok and New Delhi before ending in Toronto on Jan. 8. Axani said he’s even received a few date requests, but “can’t imagine who would want to solicit romance from someone who dated someone with the same name.” He said the lucky recipient of the free ticket will be announced on social media and the trip will be documented and shared online. Axani said that he was so moved by some of the emails – including one from an 8-yearold boy who said he was going blind and wanted to see the world before that happens – that he and his brother want to create an organization called A Ticket Home to help people who desire to see the world but lack the finances to do so. ■
42
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 14, 2014
Sports
Algieri, confident he has the tools and talent, looks to pull upset against Pacquiao in Macau BY TIM DAHLBERG The Associated Press LAS VEGAS — In the days before his last fight — a stunning upset few in boxing saw coming — Chris Algieri worked his regular job as a personal trainer. At night he went home to his parents’ house on Long Island, where he lives in the basement. Unusual for a fighter, but Algieri is nothing if not an unusual fighter. He has an advanced education, a martial arts background and looks that make the female fans smile. He’s also has a fight against Manny Pacquiao this month that, should he win, would make him not only one of the best stories in boxing, but one of the sport’s biggest names. “He’s one of the greatest fighters that ever lived,” Algieri said about Pacquiao. “But I have the tools and talent to win this fight. I just have to go out there and be myself.” Fresh off a training camp on the Las Vegas Strip, Algieri heads to China this week to fight Pacquiao on Nov. 22 in the gambling enclave of Macau. He will arrive with an undefeated record and holding a title, but oddsmakers make him a heavy underdog against the Filipino who has long been one of the biggest attractions in boxing. And he will do it largely unknown to all but the most avid of boxing fans. “People seem to think I’ve come out of nowhere,” Algieri said Tuesday. “I’ve been an un-
The relatively unknown Chris Algieri (left) will fight the biggest boxing fight of his life on November 22 this year in Macau, China against boxing superstar Manny Pacquaio. RAPPLER
derdog in a lot of fights, and this one is no different.” What is different about this fight is that it is bigger than any Algieri has ever been in. He’s going around the world to fight one of the world’s best fighters in a pay-per-view bout that, aside from a fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr., is about as big as it gets. There’s little outside of his height advantage and a very good left jab that makes anyone think he will win. But there is no one in his camp who doesn’t think he is ready for both the moment and everything Pacquiao has to bring. “Everything leading up to this fight has been a kind of dress rehearsal for the big show,” Algieri said. “But I guess we won’t really know until the 22nd.”
So far, at least, Algieri has outperformed expectations as he prepares for Pacquiao. His story as a college graduate who wants to become a doctor has resonated with fans, and he’s embraced his turn in the spotlight. Just don’t buy the pay-perview expecting to see the lighthitting (eight knockouts in 20 pro fights) Algieri getting in any unnecessary ring wars with Pacquiao in a bout that will be fought at a 144-pound limit. “It’s genetic, I’m tall for the weight class,” Algieri said. “I’m not built to go in there and stand in front of a man and trade bombs. Why would I do that when I’ve got length, I’ve got range, I’ve got speed and I’ve got foot work and defence?”
Algieri won his spot in the Pacquiao sweepstakes by getting off the canvas twice in the first round in June to narrowly outpoint Ruslan Provodnikov and win a piece of the 140-pound title. Algieri outboxed Provodnikov, using his jab to pile up points and win the decision on two of the three ringside scorecards. That got him a belt and the Pacquiao fight, if not the respect of everyone in boxing. That includes Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach, who suggested last month that Pacquiao’s sparring partners were better than Algieri. “He’s wasting his time. I don’t even read those reports,” Algieri said. “Every day it’s a new thing but they don’t make a difference come fight night.
Maybe it worked on other guys in the past, but it’s not going to work on me.” Just to be on the safe side, Pacquiao’s handlers got a rematch clause in the fight contract should Pacquiao lose. And, while oddsmakers don’t like Algieri’s chances, the consensus is that Pacquiao is slowing down as he nears the end of a long and extraordinary career. Algieri likes his chances both in the ring and as a new face of boxing. “I would hope my win would elevate the sport to more mainstream with crossover appeal,” he said. “We need to get more people watching boxing. I love this sport and the more attention drawn to any fighter, myself included, in a positive way is good for the sport.” ■
Sports
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 14, 2014
43
Canada’s Steve Nash answers disgruntled Lakers fans in Facebook letter THE CANADIAN PRESS STEVE NASH says there’s a big difference between playing basketball and swinging a golf club. The Canadian NBA star posted a letter on Facebook last week, to explain the extent of his back injury and to answer fans who are angry over a video of him swinging a golf club. The 40-year-old from Victoria will miss what would have been his 19th — and surely last — season in the NBA with nerve damage in his back. He recently posted a video on Instagram, which has since been deleted, of him hitting balls at a driving range, sparking outrage from some fans. “…there is an incredible difference between this game and swinging a golf club, hiking, even hitting a tennis ball or playing basketball at the park,” Nash wrote. “Fortunately those other activities aren’t debilitating, but playing an NBA game usually puts me out a couple of weeks. Once you’re asked to accelerate and decelerate with Steph Curry and Kyrie Irving it is a completely different demand.” Nash’s injuries have limited him to just 65 games in two seasons in L.A. “I definitely don’t want to be a distraction, but I felt it best everyone heard from me in my own words,” the two-time NBA MVP wrote. “I have a ton of miles on my back,” Nash continued. “Three bulging disks (a tear in one), stenosis of the nerve route and spondylolisthesis. I suffer from sciatica and after games I often can’t sit in the car on the drive home, which has made for some interesting rides. Most nights I’m bothered by severe cramping in both calves while I sleep, a result of the same damn nerve routes, and the list goes on somewhat comically. “That’s what you deserve for playing over 1,300 NBA games. By no means do I tell you this for sympathy — especially since I see these ailments as badges of honor — but maybe I can bring some clarity.” The Lakers are 0-5 and last in
the Western Conference. Nash wrote that he’s always been one of the hardest workers in the game, and that for the past two years he’s “worked like a dog” to both overcome the setbacks and to find the form that could inspire Lakers fans in what he called “my last chapter.” ■
Steve Nash gives interview at The Seventh Steve Nash Foundation Showdown at Sarah D. Roosevelt Park. LEV RADIN / SHUTTERSTOCK
www.canadianinquirer.net
44
Seen and Scenes
NOVEMBER 14, 2014
FRIDAY
BON VOYAGE The Filipino community of Calgary particularly the staff of Mabuhay Calgary recently gave Gian Paolo Oliveros a rousing send-off party as he begins his journey anew in Vancouver, B.C.
LEVEL GROUND Level Ground in Keating, Crossroad is supporting farmers in the Philippines by buying products that come straight from the farmers’ harvests. (Photo from Annette Beech's FB)
REMEMBRANCE DAY Senator Enverga laid the wreath on behalf of the government of Canada during Remembrance Day ceremonies at Queen's Park in Toronto, On. on Nov. 11, 2014.
For photo submissions, please email info@canadianinquirer.net. www.canadianinquirer.net
Events
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 14, 2014
45
Group Volunteer Opportunity By MTG Healthcare Academy WHEN/WHERE: 6:30 to 8 a.m., Nov. 22, at Calgary Drop-In Centre 1 Dermot Baldwin Way, SE, Calgary, AB MORE INFO: Contact Marianne 403-2642009; 403-617-4347 or Ferdie 403-264-2049; 403-978-4212.
CANADA EVENTS
YUKON NORTHWEST TERRITORIES
Retroductive Disco Night WHEN/WHERE: Nov. 15, at Isaac Brock Community Centre 715 Telfer Ave., WinNUNAVUT nipeg, MB MORE INFO: For tickets call Kathy or Vhong 204-898-3586 or 204-509-8502.
BRITISH COLUMBIA
View all events by scanning this QR code or visiting
http://bit.ly/ PCI-Events
Social Protection and Welfare Services By Toronto PCG with CCSVR & OLA WHEN/WHERE: 1:30 to 4:30 p.m., Nov. 16, Our Lady of the Assumption Parish, 2565 Bathurst St., Toronto, On. 2014 Toronto Paskuhan Festival
ALBERTA
(3 locations) NEWFOUNDLAND
MANITOBA
SASKATCHEWAN Free Tagalog Lessons By Philippine Language School WHEN/WHERE: ongoing every Saturday, 2 p.m., at Sprott Shaw College (walking distance from Rupert Station). MORE INFO: Learn conversational Tagalog for free. Course will lead to regular Tagalog curriculum from K-12 in 2015. Call 694-551-3360 or 778-239-0500. Peer Support Training in Coquitlam By Immigrant Women’s Peer Support Program and Citizenship and Immigration Canada WHEN/WHERE: 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., till Dec. 13, at Immigrant Services Society of BC - Coquitlam Settlement Services, 200C-504 Cottonwood Ave., Coquitlam B.C. Culture Smart By Mosaic WHEN/WHERE: 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., every Monday till Nov. 24 at Mosaic 1720 Grant St., Vancouver, B.C. MORE INFO: Contact Mike at 604-254-9626 ext. 484. Registration is required. Right Here Write Now By Ancop Canada WHEN/WHERE: 2:30 and 7 p.m., Nov. 16, River Rock Show Theatre, 5811 River Rd., Richmond, B.C. Live-in Caregiver Program/Temporary Foreign Worker Open Forum By Victoria Filipino Canadian Caregiver Association WHEN/WHERE: 3 to 6 p.m., Nov. 16, at Bayanihan Community Centre 1709 Blanshard St., Victoria, B.C. Cheche Lazaro (2014 Marshall McLuhan Fellow): Ethics & Accountability in the Changing Media Landscape By Marshall McLuhan WHEN/WHERE: 5 p.m., Nov. 17, Case Rm. Liu Institute for Global Issues, 6476 NW Marine Drive, UBC
ONTARIO
QUEBEC
Operation Oblivion By UBC Learning Exchange WHEN/WHERE: 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., Nov. 22 at the UBC Learning Exchange, 612 Main St., Vancouver, B.C. MORE INFO: Operation Oblivion tells the remarkable story of 13 Chinese-Canadians who volunteered to be trained by the secret service for a covert ‘suicide’ mission. Youth Leadership Training Program By Richmond Multicultural Community Services WHEN/WHERE: Nov. 22 to Jan. 10, 2015, at RMCS 210-7000 Minoru Blvd., Richmond, B.C. MORE INFO: Visit them at www.rmcs.bc.ca Surfing the Net…for Family Law By ISS of BC Settlement Program and St. Mary’s Migrant Ministry WHEN/WHERE: 9 to 11 a.m., Nov. 22, at 5th Flr., Computer Lab No. 1, 333 Terminal Ave., Vancouver, B.C. MORE INFO: To register, contact Lenn Castro at stmarysmigrant@gmail.com or Resochita Arma at resochita.arma@issbc.org. 604-684-7498 ext 1666. Philippine Fest By Symphony Hill in cooperation with the Consulate General of the Philippines WHERE/WHEN: 1 to 5 p.m., Nov. 23, Aberdeen Centre, 4151 Hazelbridge Way, Richmond, B.C. MORE INFO: A dazzling showcase of Filipino culture, arts, songs, sports, handicrafts and food. Call 604-551-3360; 604-808-8945. Coop Housing – an Alternative Affordable Rental Housing By ISS of BC Settlement Program and St. Mary’s Migrant Ministry WHEN/WHERE: 1 to 3 p.m., Nov. 23, at St. Mary’s Parish Seminar Rm., 5239 Joyce St., Vancouver, B.C. MORE INFO: To register, contact Lenn Castro at www.canadianinquirer.net
By Toronto Paskuhan Festival Canada, Our Lady of Assumption Church and Archdiocesan Filipino Catholic Mission WHEN/WHERE: Nov. 16 at Artscape Wychwood Barns at 601 Christie St., Toronto, On.; Nov. 29 at Gateway Centre for New Canadians at 3450 Wolfedale Rd., Mississauga; Dec. 20 at Our Lady of the Assumption Church at 2565 Bathurst St., Toronto Typhoon Haiyan a year after: Updates By Gawad Kalinga Canada WHEN/WHERE: 2 to 4 p.m., Nov. 15, Glenview Presbyterian Church, 1 Glenview Ave., Toronto (Yonge St./Glengrove Ave. West. - South of Lawrence Ave. W)
stmarysmigrant@gmail.com or Resochita Arma at resochita.arma@issbc.org. 604-684-7498 ext 1666. My Tween & Me Multicultural Mom’s Support Group By Mosaic WHEN/WHERE: 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., Thursdays, Dunbar Hts. Church 3320 Crown St., Vancouver MORE INFO: call Daisy 604-254-9626 ext 273 35th Aniversary Gala Dinner By Battered Women’s Support Services WHEN/WHERE: 6 to 9 p.m., Nov. 25, at Terminal City Club, 837 W. Hastings St., Vancouver, B.C.
To have your events featured on PCI, please email events@canadianinquirer.net
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 14, 2014
46
CANADA
AD SALES The Philippine Canadian Inquirer—Canada’s first and only nationwide Filipino-Canadian newspaper, is looking for dynamic sales executives from Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Winnipeg, and Edmonton. Each sales executive must be a dynamic self starter who will treat this opportunity as their own exclusive business with the potential to earn serious money. That’s just Step 1. Wait till you hear about Step 2.
Be part of an amazing in-store team!
Interested? Send us your resume now and let’s change your life!
We are currently recruiting for Sales Associate and Customer Service Representative to join us in Promenade, Toronto.
Email your resume to info@canadianinquirer.net
We’re looking for confident, sales and customer service oriented team players with: · Passion for telecom products and services · High standards of customer service · Excellent English communication skills · Previous retail experience You will be responsible for: In return, we will provide you with: · Selling long distance, · Professional sales training homephone, Filipino TV · Ideal pay package with channels commission and incentive · Providing an opportunities* exceptional customer · Career growth with service experience internal promotional · Sharing product opportunities knowledge information · Flexible hours
3 3 3 3 3
Interested candidates please submit your resume with cover letter to hr@timestelecom.ca.
Save Cash More Exposure New Customers Get A Competitive Edge Enhance Your Lifestyle Does this appeal to you? Contact us today to learn more: 604.759.3223 info@barterfirst.com www.barterfirst.com
www.canadianinquirer.net
VISIT
ONLINE! Scan this QR code
47
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 14, 2014
www.canadianinquirer.net
48
NOVEMBER 14, 2014
www.canadianinquirer.net
FRIDAY