Philippine Canadian Inquirer Issue #143 by Philippine Canadian Inquirer

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Mercado not fleeing PH, just visiting US

We remember: Maguindanao Massacre

Aquino leads launch of biggest solar project

4 Filipino TFWs killed in highway crash near EDM

Pacquiao outclasses Algieri

Bomb blast at billiard hall near crowded carnival in southern Philippines kills three, wounds 23 THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

FROM DAVAO TO PHILCOA. Coconut farmers, who had walked all the way from Davao to Metro Manila, make the final march to their destination,

the Philippine Coconut Authority office on Elliptical road, Quezon City, on Friday. They are in the capital to seek a dialogue with PCA administrator Romy Arancon and ask President Aquino to put closure to the decades-old coconut levy case. EDWIN BACASMAS

5 years after Maguindanao massacre, justice still elusive BY JIM GOMEZ The Associated Press MANILA, PHILIPPINES — Five years after gunmen flagged down a convoy of cars in a southern Philippine province and massacred all 58 occupants, including

scores of journalists, the body count continues to rise. Just days before the Philippines marked Sunday’s anniversary of the carnage with prayers and calls to end impunity, another potential witness in the

❱❱ PAGE 11 Bomb blast

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Philippine Fest takes place ❱❱ PAGE 22

❱❱ PAGE 7 5 years

KIDAPAWAN, PHILIPPINES — A bomb exploded this past Sunday in a billiard hall at around 7:30pm near a crowded town carnival in the southern Philippines, killing three people and wounding 23, the town's mayor said. Mayor Joselito Pinol said two men left the bomb, which was apparently concealed in a bag, at the billiard hall late Sunday in his town of Mlang in North

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Philippine News

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 28, 2014

Pacquiao returns home to rousing hero’s welcome in GenSan, Sarangani PHILIPPINE NEWS AGENCY GENERAL SANTOS CITY — Boxing icon and Sarangani Representative Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao returned home late Monday afternoon amid a rousing hero’s welcome that drew thousands of residents to the streets. Pacquiao’s entourage arrived aboard a chartered flight arranged by low-cost carrier Air Asia at around 4:51 p.m. at the city international airport here, a day after his impressive win over American brawler Chris Algieri for the World Boxing Organization’s welterweight title in Macau, China. His entourage included his wife Jinkee and five children, mother Dionisia and his siblings, several close friends and political allies and members of his boxing team. City Mayor Ronnel Rivera, who personally watched the showdown in Macau, arrived along with Pacquiao’s entourage, which consisted of two fullcapacity Airbus A320 flights of Air Asia. “It’s great to be back home. Thank you

for all your prayers and support,” Pacquiao, clad in a brown jacket, said upon arrival. He was met by city government officials and other local political leaders as well as scholars of the congressional office. Hundreds of boxing fans, some of them coming from parts of South Cotabato and Sarangani provinces, also showed up to welcome Pacquiao at the airport. Pacquiao was immediately whisked to a waiting float adorned with flowers and the country’s official colors for a motorcade to the city’s downtown area. He was joined in the float by Mayor Rivera, several members of his family and boxing team. During the motorcade, thousands of residents showed up at the roadside to cheer the homecoming of the city’s favorite son. Shouts of “Manny, Manny” filled the air as another huge crowd greeted the boxing champion when his motorcade

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NOVEMBER 28, 2014

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‘Mercado visiting kin in US, not fleeing Philippines’ BY TJ BURGONIO, NANCY C. CARVAJAL AND JEROME ANING Philippine Daily Inquirer FORMER MAKATI City Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado is not fleeing or abandoning the Senate inquiry into the allegedly corrupt activities in Makati involving Vice President Jejomar Binay, according to two senators. Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano said the Senate blue ribbon subcommittee was aware of Mercado’s departure for the United States on Tuesday, and expected him to return for the resumption of the inquiry in January. “He’s definitely coming back anytime there’s a hearing,” Cayetano said. Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV added: “He’s definitely not fleeing. I believe he timed his visit with his family while we’re tackling the budget.” Mercado, the key witness at the Senate hearings where he has accused Binay of rigging the bidding and

taking kickbacks from Makati infrastructure projects and then hiding his ill-gotten assets, reportedly left for Los Angeles on Tuesday night to attend to family matters. Trillanes said he was informed of Mercado’s leaving. “I don’t know the exact details but I believe he’ll be back in December,” he said in a text message. Without confirming or denying Mercado’s departure, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima yesterday said there was nothing wrong with Mercado, who is one of the whistle-blowers under the government’s Witness Protection Program, traveling while under WPP protection. “It’s not forbidden under the Witness Protection Program law [for] a covered witness to leave because we are no jailers. As much as we can, we discourage them from traveling but, of course, if they need to, we can’t prevent them [from leaving],” De Lima told reporters. De Lima declined to reveal any information about Mer-

because of security reasons, that’s why giving information is prohibited,” she said. In a radio interview from the United States, Mercado said he had to go to the US to attend to his ailing wife. He said he was given leave to be in the US from Nov. 18 to 30. “My leaving [for the US] was sudden, but I asked permission from the Department of Justice. As head of the family, I must attend to my wife,” he said. Binay challenged anew

Former Makati City Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado is not fleeing or abandoning the Senate inquiry into the allegedly corrupt activities in Makati involving Vice President Jejomar Binay, he is simply going to the US to see to his ailing wife. RAPPLER

cado’s trip, citing the confidentiality rule in the WPP law, Republic Act No. 6981 or the Witness Protection, Security

and Benefit Act of 1991. She also refused to disclose if Mercado was being given security on the trip. “This is essentially

From Los Angeles, Mercado yesterday issued a challenge to Binay to a debate. Like Binay who challenged Trillanes to a debate to clear his name, but later withdrew, Mercado said he wanted the same thing after the Binay camp turned the tables on him and accused him of also amassing ill-gotten wealth and using dummies to hide it. “I am challenging Vice President Jejomar Binay that we face ❱❱ PAGE 15 ‘Mercado visiting’

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Philippine News

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 28, 2014

Japanese ‘samurai’ who fled to Philippines may be made a saint BY JERRY E. ESPLANADA Philippine Daily Inquirer A JAPANESE samurai who lived and died in Manila during the early 17th century may be beatified next year, CBCP News, the official news service of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, has reported. The CBCP said this past weekend that Japan’s Episcopal Conference had submitted to the Vatican Congregation for the Causes of Saints the documents necessary to elevate to sainthood the late Ukon “Justo” Takayama. Dubbed “Samurai of Christ,” Takayama was born in Nara, Japan, in 1562 and raised a Roman Catholic by his convert father. “He clung to his faith without doubts, without being swayed by any temporary wealth. He followed Jesus Christ at all times and lived a Christian life according to the Gospel,” CBCP News quoted Bishop Joseph Takami of the Catholic Diocese of Nagasaki as saying. The Jesuits, including St. Francis Xavier, the patron saint

of missionaries, were the first Christians to set up missions in Japan, arriving there in the 1500s. Hostility however against the western religion grew under the rule of Japanese shogun Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who distrusted foreigners and anything alien, kicking out the Jesuit missionaries from the country in 1587. “There were no (Catholic) priests left in Japan. They were all expelled, promoting the community to go underground, keeping their faith and their prayers hidden,” the CBCP said. Despite the ban on Christianity imposed by the Tokugawa shogunate, the Takayama family defied it. Abandoned his wealth

Instead of abandoning their faith, Ukon Takayama “abandoned his social status, wealth and all his properties, including a castle, and was even expelled” from Japan. Along with over 100 other Christians, he left Nagasaki on Nov. 8, 1614, and sought refuge in the Philippines. On Dec. 21, the exiles arrived in Manila where they were “re-

Statue of Ukon "Justo" Takayama in Plaza Dilao in Manila, Philippines.

ceived by friendly Filipinos and lived under a common bond of Christian brotherhood.” The group, which included Japanese lord Tukuan Naito, put up a settlement in Dilao, the old name of Manila’s Paco district. The Japanese congregation “remained in the country until

they became part of the Philippine population.” Takayama, who adopted the Filipino name Justo, died on Feb. 3, 1615. “The then Spanish government gave him a burial worthy of a Christian and a samurai,” said CBCP News. His statue, which shows the “honorary Filipino” in full

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samurai gear, has been standing since 1992 at the Philippine Friendship Park in Paco’s Plaza Dilao. Takayama’s monument was “erected as a sign of friendship and cooperation between the Filipino and Japanese people,” according to the National Historical Institute. ■

LGBT advocates protest in L.A.; decry Laude killing BY ANGIE DUARTE Philippine Canadian Inquirer FILIPINA JENNIFER Laude’s brutal murder in October of this year allegedly by U.S. Marine Joseph Scott Pemberton was decried by scores of transgender rights activists at a recently held rally in Hollywood, Los Angeles. The advocates gathered on Wednesday, November 19, at the intersection of Vermont Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard to protest violence against transgender people. Aside from Laude’s murder, the group also called to focus the case of Aniya Parker, a 47-year-old transgen-

der woman shot at close range USA , as well as Hispanic trans- Matter. in East Hollywood last month gender activist groups such as Translatina Coalition presi“We’re calling attention to Translatina Coalition, Familia dent Bamby Salcedo told rethe murder of Jennifer and Trans Queer Liberation Move- porters that the group is dethe violence that continues to ment and El/La Para Trans La- manding for “dignity, justice victimize transand safety for gender people in our (transgenthe Philippines, der) commuhere in the US nity.” and around the We’re calling attention to the “This is the world,” said Filmurder of Jennifer and the violence beginning of a ipino-American that continues to victimize national moveIris Boncalestransgender people in the ment,” Salcedo Strauss, on bePhilippines, here in the US and declared. half of feminist around the world. Studies done organization in the U.S. have AF3irm. shown that transSeveral groups gender women aside from AF3irm lent their tinas, came out in full force for face the highest risk for acts of support to the rally. Members the protest organized by trans- “severe violence” within the lesand advocates from Gabriela gender movement, TransLives- bian gay bisexual transgender www.canadianinquirer.net

(LGBT) community; and that — compared to the general populace — transgender individuals are 400 times more likely to become victims of violence. Gabriela USA national vice chair Terrie Cervas said that the advocates would like to make sure that Jennifer receives justice, and that Pemberton would not “run away, as we have seen in the case of Daniel Smith.” “We’re adding (Jennifer’s) story to the voices here today,” Cervas said, to this end. US Marine Lance Cpl. Daniel Smith was convicted in 2006 of raping a Filipino woman inside the Subic Bay Freeport Zone. The conviction, however, was subsequently overturned. ■

Philippine News

NOVEMBER 28, 2014

FRIDAY

Palace congratulates Pacquiao for retaining WBO title BY JELLY F. MUSICO Philippine News Agency MANILA — Malacanang joined the Filipino nation in congratulating Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao for retaining his WBO welterweight title via a dominating unanimous victory over erstwhile undefeated Chris Algierie of New York in Macao on Sunday. ”We join the Filipino nation in celebrating the triumph of Congressman Manny Pacquiao over Chris Algieri in Macau,” Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said in a press statement. ”Strength, grit, and courage were written all over his face and demeanor throughout the fight. With every punch that scored, millions of Filipinos cheered him to victory from all corners of the country and the world,” he added. Coloma said Pacquiao, a congressman

from Saranggani province, embodied and personified the Filipino’s outstanding qualities. ”Congressman Manny Pacquiao embodies and personifies the Filipinos’ outstanding qualities — audacious, tenacious and conscientious — persevering in advancing a worthy cause, and unwavering even in the face of danger and adversity,” Coloma said. Despite having shorter reach and fiveyears older, the 35-year-old Pacquiao unleashed his attacks with series of combinations that knocked down Algieri in the sixth, ninth and 10th rounds. He said Pacquiao “is a worthy role model and wellspring of inspiration to all Filipinos who are striving to improve their well-being and attain a prosperous future,” Coloma said. Pacquiao, in a post fight interview, said he is looking for a fight that boxing fans around world are looking for, a mega fight against undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr. ■

Children and their parents watch the fight between Manny Pacquiao and Chris Algieri at the Club House of Parklane Subdivision, Brgy. Santiago in General Trias, Cavit AVITO C. DALAN / PNA

Pacquiao returns... arrived in front of the city hall building. Pacquiao briefly thanked the crowd before hastily leaving for the Sarangani provincial capitol in Alabel town, where he was feted to another hero’s welcome by the provincial government. In a press conference, the boxing icon expressed his gratitude to the unwavering support to him by local residents and officials of the province. Pacquiao attributed his victory against Algieri, who was knocked down ❰❰ 3

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six times during the fight, to his rigid training camp and faith in God. “Deep in my heart, the Lord knows how thankful I am. I can’t thank Him enough for giving me the strength to win this fight. Without Him, I won’t be here in the first place,” he said. Pacquiao also reiterated that he is eyeing several fights in the next two years before deciding whether it’s time for him to hang up his boxing gloves. “I can’t say right now (as to when I should retire). I still feel okay, I’m still strong and healthy,” he added. ■

Philippine News

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 28, 2014

5 years... ongoing trial against the politically powerful suspects was gunned down. Here are some questions and answers about this case — the largest criminal trial in the Philippines since World War II and a litmus test for President Benigno Aquino III, a reformist who has vowed to punish the perpetrators.

men to the site of the massacre from the residence of one of the suspects. A year later, in 2012, he was shot dead and his body chopped to pieces. He refused the witness protection, saying it was too difficult for him to live in hiding, according to justice officials. There’s also suspicion that the key suspects would prefer a court ruling after Aquino’s term ends in 2016, hoping for a more favourable outcome. The Ampatuans were political allies of Aquino’s predecessor, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who has been detained on vote-rigging charges.

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Q: Why is the case taking so long? A: Justice Secretary Leila de Lima says the case has been slow because of its sheer size and complexity. Nearly 200 people have been charged for the deaths of the 58 victims, including 32 journalists and their staff in the largest mass killing of media workers in the world. The principal suspects are members of the Ampatuan clan, who had ruled Maguindanao province for decades. According to the prosecutors, their motive was to prevent rivals from challenging them in elections. Most of the victims were the Ampatuans’ political opponents and the journalists who accompanied them on their way to register their candidacy when they were stopped and killed. The Ampatuans have denied the charges against them. Prosecutors have presented 147 witnesses, while the defence has begun calling 300 more. Recent proceedings, which are held two to three times a week, have been tied up in bail hearings. At the start of the trial in September 2010, a prominent senator, Joker Arroyo, said that the volume of the case and the intense legal battle could make it last 200 years. He exaggerated to make a point — de Lima says she expects some of the principal suspects to be convicted before Aquino’s term ends in mid-2016. As the trial drags on, how-

The sheer number of accused in the Maguindanao Massacre case, as well as the complexities of the modern Philippine Justice System, are prolonging the deliverance of justice. WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

ever, families of the victims are increasingly frustrated. Complicating the picture is chronic insecurity in the southern region, where gunmen on the loose scare away witnesses. According to prosecutors, at least eight witnesses, potential witnesses and their relatives have been killed in an attempt to suppress testimony. The latest victims were Dennis Sakal and Sukarno Butch Saudagal. They had previously worked for the Ampatuans but agreed to testify against them, said Maguindanao Gov. Esmael Mangudadatu, whose wife, three sisters and several political supporters died in the massacre. The two men were riding a motorcycle when gunmen attacked them last Tuesday, kill-

ing Sakal and wounding Saudagal. Police have not identified the attackers. “Each killing of a witness creates a fresh injustice, while reducing the chances of justice being served for the families of the victims of this horrific massacre,” said Hazel Galang-Folli of Amnesty International in the Philippines. “Justice delayed is justice denied.” Human Rights Watch says the trial is in “effective judicial limbo” and the continuing attacks on witnesses “a shameful exemplar of impunity in the Philippines.” Q: What has the government done to speed up the trial? A: Because of backlogs and an inadequate number of judges and prosecutors, the aver-

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age case in the Philippines can take a decade to be resolved. To avoid this, the Supreme Court has created a special court just for the massacre. It assigned two judges to help the presiding judge. The special trial court has also encouraged prosecutors to submit witnesses’ statements in writing to save time. Many, however, continue to call witnesses to the stand because they want to avoid additional paperwork. The government has strengthened its witness protection program, but in a country with rampant extrajudicial killings, testifying against the rich and powerful means taking big chances. For example, Esmail Amil Enog had testified that he drove dozens of gun-

Q: How has the situation on the ground changed since the massacre? A: A volatile mix of unlicensed firearms, private armies and guns-for-hire, Muslim insurgent groups, weak law enforcement and a violent history of clan wars has endured beyond the massacre. Out of the 197 massacre suspects, at least 84 mostly militiamen who were loyal to the Ampatuans remain at large and have reportedly joined other armed groups. Still, the government considers the arrests of the Ampatuans and their removal from power a change for the better. Some Ampatuan relatives still hold local posts, but are “more subdued and quiet,” said regional military spokesman Col. Dickson Hermoso. Maguindanao has shifted back to democracy, although the province of more than a million people remains under a state of emergency that was imposed following the massacre, to ensure “nobody can go walking around with an unauthorized gun and threatening everyone,” said Mangudadatu, the provincial governor. That massacre “will never happen again,” Mangudadatu said. ■

Philippine News

NOVEMBER 28, 2014 FRIDAY

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Member

Members of the Baguio Correspondents and Broadcasters Club in Baguio City and the Cordillera Region converge last week to light candles in remembrance of the 58 individuals, including journalists, who were killed in Maguindanao on November 23, 2009. Five years later, relatives and colleagues of the victims remain crying for justice. JOJO LAMARIA / PNA

Slain journalists ‘martyrs’–Palace BY CHRISTIAN V. ESGUERRA AND JAYMEE T. GAMIL Philippine Daily Inquirer MALACAÑANG THIS week hailed as “martyrs” the 32 journalists killed with 26 other people in the Maguindanao massacre five years ago. The Palace also vowed that justice will be served for the victims, whose killers have yet to be convicted because of the sluggishness of the Philippine judicial system and despite the government’s frequent acknowledgment that “justice delayed is justice denied.” To mark the fifth anniversary of the massacre, 700 protesters from Mindanaomarched from Las Piñas City to Baclaran in Parañaque City yesterday and demanded an end to impunity and injustice prevailing in their region. Journalists and human rights groups in different parts of the country lighted candles and renewed their call for justice for the victims and their families. Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma said the government “will not stop promoting and protecting the healthy exercise of press freedom.” “We remember the martyrdom of the 32 journalists and media workers,” he said over government radio, referring to the group that joined the family of now Maguindanao Gov. Esmael Mangudadatu in filing his certificate of candidacy. These media workers were among the 58 people who were executed and later

buried using a backhoe, allegedly on orders from then Maguindanao Gov. Andal Ampatuan Sr. Of the 197 accused, only 113 have been arrested five years since the massacre in Ampatuan town, Maguindanao province, on Nov. 23, 2009. Body count rises

“The government is fully determined to get justice [for the victims]. Our campaign continues against criminality, in going after groups and individuals using violence to conceal the truth,” Coloma said. As the trial drags on, the body count continues to rise. The latest victims were Dennis Sakal and Sukarno Butch Saudagal. They had previously worked for the Ampatuans but agreed to testify against them. The two men were riding a motorcycle when gunmen attacked them last Tuesday, killing Sakal and wounding Saudagal. Police have not identified the attackers. Mangudadatu earlier described Sakal and Saudagal as “vital witnesses to the massacre.” Sakal was said to be a former driver of Ampatuan, while Saudagal allegedly served as bagman for Ampatuan Jr. “They were to meet my lawyers to formalize their testimonies [when they were attacked],” Mangudadatu said. “I see no other reason why they would be ambushed aside from their desire to become state witnesses,” he said. Coloma said the government was

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aware of the “need to pursue meaningful reforms in the judicial system of the country so we can put an end to the saying that ‘justice delayed is justice denied.’” Justice Secretary Leila de Lima last week said the case had been slow because of its sheer size and complexity. She said, however, that the “first in, first out” policy adopted by the court could lead to decisions on the charges against the principal accused by 2016. ‘Extraordinary measures’

Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno yesterday said the Supreme Court had taken “extraordinary measures” to ensure the speedy disposition of the case. Speaking at the Journalism Asia Forum in Quezon City, Sereno said she could not say when the “shocking” case would end. “The only answer I can [give] you with all sincerity is that the judiciary is doing its best, the Supreme Court exercising its power in a way it has never done before, to bring a speedy end to the long, anguished wait,” she said. Sereno gave assurance that she was personally keeping track of the case to ensure a speedy trial. “In 2013, the Supreme Court came up with new guidelines to speed up the disposition of the Maguindanao [massacre case]. The guidelines apply only to this case. This is extraordinary. The Supreme Court has never done this before,” she said.

Philippine News

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 28, 2014

Sereno said the trial had “proceeded nonstop” since it started on Jan. 5, 2010, with breaks only for official holidays. Two days a week are devoted to evidentiary hearings, one day a week for hearing motions, she said. She said Judge Jocelyn SolisReyes of Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 221 was “focused only on this case, having been relieved of all other duties.” Three assisting judges have been assigned to Reyes’ court, Sereno said. She said the transcripts of the hearings had reached 70 volumes; the records for the case, 77 volumes. Sereno ran down the figures: 58 victims; 197 originally accused and 111 arraigned; 70 bail petitions, 42 of which have already been resolved; 166 witnesses have testified. “These data explain in part the long trial,” she said. Marchers from Mindanao

In Parañaque, the protesters lighted candles in front of Baclaran Church and prayed for the massacre victims. Rev. Christopher Ablon, spokesperson for the Manilakbayan march, said the activity marked the 12th day of the march from Mindanao and was held to remember the victims and reiterate the protesters’ call for justice. “We vehemently seek speedy justice for the victims and [their] families. It’s been five years now and counting, and yet the criminal warlords of Mindanao are enjoying the comfort of their prison cells,” Ablon said, referring to Ampatuan and his sons who are detained. The massacre, Manilakbayan said in a statement, is “a symbol and reminder of the culture of impunity that exposes the rotten system of justice and government in the country.” The “culture of impunity and systematic killings” continue in Mindanao and the Maguindanao massacre is just one incident, Ablon said. “There are already 100 cases of extrajudicial killings recorded under the present administration,” he added. Visayas remembers

Journalists and human rights groups also lit candles in Iloilo and Bacolod cities yesterday to remember the massacre victims and press their demand for justice.

In Bacolod, members of Negros Press Club (NPC) wearing red gathered at the steps of the provincial capitol, where a program and candle-lighting ceremony were held. They reiterated their call for justice for the 58 victims, among whom were two journalists from Negros Island— Bart Maravilla of Bombo Radyo and Henry Araneta of Manila Broadcasting Co. NPC-Bacolod president Carla Canete called on President Aquino and De Lima to help ensure a fair, just and speedy resolution of the case. “We will continue to press for justice for the victims to attain peace and justice for all concerned,” Canete said. “We should likewise continue to be vigilant against any attempt to muzzle the press and curtail our freedom of expression,” she said. In Iloilo City, members of Iloilo Press Club (IPC), National Union of Journalists of the Philippines and human rights group Panay Alliance-Karapatan gathered at Plazoletagay, the main intersection, to show solidarity with the families of the victims. “The slow pace of the case epitomizes the country’s justice system, where the victims and their families suffer the long delay if not lack of resolution of their cases,” said Reylan Vergara, secretary general of Panay Alliance-Karapatan. Francis Allan Angelo, IPC president, said the unresolved case was a “sad reality” and a “stain” on the good government policy of Mr. Aquino. “The culture of impunity is a badge of dishonor not only for the government but also for the nation,” Angelo said. The Philippines will remain one of the most dangerous places for journalists “as long as justice remains elusive for our slain colleagues and the other victims of the massacre,” he added. The protesters later released white doves as a symbol of their call for justice for the victims. Media jam

In Buluan town, Maguindanao, journalists threw a “media jam” on Saturday to remember the victims. They took turns singing and speaking about their slain colleagues. Jergi Malabanan, a daughter of victim Gina de la Cruz, sang two songs, including Irene Cara’s “Fame,” that she said

were her mother’s favorites. “She used to sing a lot,” Malabanan said. “Of course, I miss her. No words can describe how I feel. The anger is still there because after all these years, the perpetrators have not been punished. But I’m not losing hope that justice will be served.” Junjie Dimacutac of dzRH radio sang country songs and his own composition, “Nobyembre 23.” “I wrote this song so we may not forget the day,” he said. Joseph Jubelag of dzRH radio, who organized the event, brought a four-piece backup from General Santos City that performed blues and Filipino rock songs, including Juan de la Cruz’s “Balong Malalim” (Deep Well). The title, according to one journalist, appears to describe the pit where the massacre victims were dumped by the killers. The 8th Project Band of the INQUIRER’s Allan Nawal performed significantly titled songs, including Journey’s “Separate Ways” and “Don’t Stop Believing,” Vixen’s “Love Is a Killer,” Steel Heart’s “She’s Gone” and Survivor’s “Ever Since the World Began.” International groups

At dusk in Manila, members of various local and foreign media groups converged at the People Power Monument on Edsa to light candles and remember their slain colleagues. The crowd was made up mostly by delegates to international journalism conferences held at the nearby Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria Hotel earlier in the day. Most of them changed from business wear to black shirts to show their solidarity with the Philippine press in seeking justice for the victims of the massacre. At the foot of the monument, a screen and projector were set up to show pictures of the victims. With the pictures came the words: “58 people killed, 0 convicted. Don’t let their memory fade. Tweet for Justice #AmpatuanMassacre.” Members of the College Editors Guild of the Philippines chanted: “Fight for media rights. End the killings.” INQUIRER reporter Marlon Ramos handed out black shirts, care of National Union of Journalists of the Philippines, that read: “58 dead. 5 years. 0 justice.” ■ www.canadianinquirer.net

We Remember: Maguindanao Massacre BY CHING DEE Philippine Canadian Inquirer THE MAGUINDANAO Massacre is one of the most heinous — if not the most heinous — crimes in Philippine history. On November 23, 2009, 58 people were abducted, brutally murdered, and buried in a mass grave about 10 kilometers from Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao. The victims were on their way to support and provide media coverage for Buluan Vice Mayor Esmael “Toto” Mangudadatu’s filing for candidacy for the 2010 elections. The victims included family members of Vice Mayor Mangudadatu, members of the media, and even bystanders. Five years after the massacre, we remember the victims and we continue to support the fight for justice. 1) Bai Genalin Tiamzon Mangudadatu 2) Bai Eden Gaguil Mangudadatu 3) Bai Farinah Mangudadatu Hassan 4) Rowena Ante Mangudadatu 5) Surayyda Gaguil Bernan 6) Wahida Ali Kaliman 7) Mamotabai Mangudadatu 8) Raida Abdul Sapalon 9) Faridah Sabdullah Gaguil 10) Cynthia Oquendo Ayon 11) Catalino Oquendo 12) Concepcion Brizuela Jayme 13) Pinky Balayman 14) Lailani Balayman 15) Eugene Demillo Pamansag 16) Abdillah Ayada

17) Rahima P.Palawan 18) Meriam Calimbol 19) Gina de la Cruz Carpenteros 20) Marife Montano Cordova 21) Jephon Cadagdagon 22) Andres M. Teodoro 23) Marites Cablitas 24) Rosell Morales Vivas 25) Bienvenido Legarta 26) Joel V. Parcon 27) Francisco Subang Jr. 28) Arturo Betia 29) John Caniban 30) Rey V. Marisco 31) Fernando P. Razon 32) Jose Duhay 33) Ronnie L. Perante 34) Rubello R. Bataluna 35) Benjie H. Adolfo 36) Henry H. Araneta 37) Victor O. Nunez 38) Jolito Evardo 39) Daniel Tiamzon 40) Mac Delbert Areola 41) Ernesto S. Maravilla Jr. 42) Santos Gatchalian Jr. 43) Romeo Kimmy Cabillo 44) Reynaldo Momay 45) Hannibal D. Cachuelo 46) Noel Decena 47) Napoleon Salaysay 48) Lindo Lupogan 49) Eleanor Dalmacio 50) Alejandro M. Reblando 51) Norton Edza Ebus 52) Razul Daud Bulilo 53) Wilhelm S. Palabrica 54) Eduardo D .Lichonsito 55) Cecille Lichonsito 56) Mercy Catalino Palabrica 57) Daryll Vincent de los Reyes 58) Anthony A. Ridao WE REMEMBER. WE WILL NEVER FORGET. ■

Families of Maguindanao massacre appeal to Pope: ‘Help us pray for justice’ BY ANGIE DUARTE Philippine Canadian Inquirer IN LIGHT of the upcoming Papal Visit in January 2015, the families of the media members mercilessly gunned down five years ago, purportedly on di-

rective of the Ampatuan political family, have written a letter to Pope Francis, beseeching the Pontiff to intercede that justice be served. Fifty-eight people — over 30 of them media workers — were ❱❱ PAGE 15 Families of

Philippine News

NOVEMBER 28, 2014 FRIDAY

Cayetano: Binay camp offering P20M to smear my wife BY TJ BURGONIO Philippine Daily Inquirer SEN. ALAN Peter Cayetano, one of the three senators leading the investigation into alleged anomalies in Makati City, has revealed that a Makati lawyer with links to embattled Vice President Jejomar Binay has been dangling P5 million to P20 million to suppliers for any information of anomalous projects in Taguig City. “The lawyer is willing to give P5 million to P20 million for any information of any anomalies during the time of my wife,” the senator said, referring to Taguig City Mayor Lani Cay-

etano. GMA (former President Gloria mer Makati Vice Mayor ErnesIn essence, the lawyer “is Macapagal-Arroyo) for doing to Mercado, who has provided buying information” from two that method,” he said. most of the testimonies and to three suppliers, he added in a Binay has been skewered in documents linking Binay to the phone interview on Friday. The the Senate Blue Ribbon sub- anomalies. suppliers have Apart from refused to idenbuilding a pricey tify the lawyer P 2.28billion since they also Makati City Hall had contracts I’m not saying that there is no extension and with the Makati corruption at all, but I can say that car park, Binay City governshe will hunt down anyone who is has been accused ment, but Cayetengaging in corruption in Taguig. of owning a P1.2ano believed the billion high-end lawyer was from farm in Batangas the Binay camp. and, recently, of “Instead of anowning condoswering the issues, they’re try- committee for anomalies that miniums through dummies. ing to discredit the people in- he allegedly committed while The Vice President, who has vestigating them, and the irony Makati City mayor. snubbed the inquiry, has denied is that Binay was always hitting It was his estranged ally, for- the charges and has dismissed

the hearing as a forum to vilify him ahead of the 2016 presidential election. Cayetano, who along with subcommittee chair Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III and Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV presides over the inquiry, doubted his critics could dredge up any anomalies against his wife. He said that his wife had adopted measures to make services by the IT, security and garbage companies efficient but also cheaper. “I’m not saying that there is no corruption at all, but I can say that she will hunt down anyone who is engaging in corruption in Taguig,” Cayetano said. ■

Despite new US immigration policy, Filipinos still need documentation BY TJ BURGONIO AND NIÑA P. CALLEJA Philippine Daily Inquirer MALACAÑANG HAS cautioned Filipinos against using a new US immigration policy promising relief for unauthorized immigrants as a license to go to the United States undocumented. “[US] President [Barack] Obama said that this will not apply to future cases. There’s a cutoff [date]. So, let’s not think this is license to go anywhere undocumented,” deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said in an interview with state-run dzRB radio. She advised Filipinos who are planning to work or live in the United States or any foreign country in the near future to obey immigration laws. “Please, if you intend to reside or to work in other countries, please make sure that we abide by the proper rules and regulations and that we fulfill all the documentary requirements,” she said. Welcome action

Otherwise, Valte said, the new US immigration reform policy that is expected to benefit 5 million immigrants, including hundreds of thousands of Filipinos, was laudable.

“This is a welcome action from the president of the United States. Any Filipino citizen who satisfies these parameters, we encourage them to take advantage of the window that was given by President Obama,” she said. Obama’s directive to overhaul the US immigration system will save 5 million from deportation and allow most to work legally. End to dragnet

Obama’s new policy means the end of a program called Secure Communities, which had been criticized as a dragnet that led to the roundup of many unauthorized immigrants on minor offenses like traffic violations. The Philippine Embassy in Washington hailed Obama’s proposed changes in the US immigration system. “We welcome the recent announcement of President Barack Obama granting immigration relief for undocumented migrants meeting the set criteria,” said Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia Jr. in a statement. Cuisia said embassy officials would work closely with the US government in order to help undocumented Filipinos living in the United States. “We will look into this carefully, and determine how we can best assist our kababayan

in availing themselves of the protection offered under this executive action,” he said. According to the Commission on Filipinos Overseas, undocumented Filipinos in the United States reached 271,000 in 2012. “You can come out of the shadows,” Obama said during his speech announcing the policy on Thursday. The new program applies to unauthorized immigrants who are parents of US citizens. Partial victory for TNTs

Some 4 million people will be eligible for a new legal status that would defer their deportations and allow them to work legally. They will have to pass background checks and pay taxes, but they will be issued social security cards, reports said, quoting officials. An additional 1 million people will have some protection from deportation through other parts of the Obama plan. While some Filipino-American groups have expressed their full support for Obama’s policy, others said it was only a “partial victory” for Filipinos because it applied only to parents of US citizens, virtually leaving out a majority of undocumented Filipinos, popularly called TNTs (tago ng tago). www.canadianinquirer.net

Pulitzer Prize-winning Filipino-American journalist and immigration activist Jose Antonio Vargas is a beneficiary of new US immigration policies. WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Prize-winning PH journalist

One of the policy’s beneficiaries is Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and immigration activist Jose Antonio Vargas. Vargas is one of the 270,000

people eligible for relief under the expansion of a 2012 Obama plan to stop deporting individuals brought illegally as children by their parents to the United States. ■

Philippine News

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 28, 2014

Three kidnap leaders fall BY JULIE M. AURELIO Philippine Daily Inquirer THE PHILIPPINE National Police has intensified its operations against kidnap-for-ransom (KFR) groups with the recent arrest of three KFR gang leaders. Senior Supt. Rene Aspera of the Anti-Kidnapping Group (AKG) said 43 kidnap-for-ransom incidents had been reported so far this year with 24 cases already solved. Aspera said the AKG recently arrested kidnap gang leaders Reccinte Padillo, Tyrone dela Cruz, and Martin Lico. Padillo was tagged as the mastermind in the 2013 kidnapping of businesswoman Sally Chua, who was rescued in Davao City; while Lico leads a kidnap-for-ransom group also involved in robberies. Dela Cruz was charged for the 2013 kidnapping of a Filipino-Chinese couple in Laguna. Aspera said the AKG is pursuing at least eight kidnapping groups on its target list. From January to November 2014, the AKG has arrested 65 suspects involved in kidnap-for-ransom cases, while one suspect was slain in an encounter with authorities. Of the 43 kidnapping incidents, 21 were reported in Luzon while 22 were reported in Mindanao. No kidnapping incident was reported in the Visayas. In a briefing in Camp Crame with the Movement for the Restoration of Peace and Order (MRPO), Aspera said they have yet to reach their “ceiling figure” of 49 kidnapfor-ransom cases a year, which is the critical point for the PNP. “The figure includes hoax incidents or kidnap-me cases. Our number of in-

cidents should not go beyond 49 a year,” the police official said. In Mindanao, 90 percent of the 22 reported KFR cases were linked to the Abu Sayyaf group which still holds 10 hostages. The arrest of Padillo and Dela Cruz was two of the MRPO’s three challenges to Interior Secretary Mar Roxas in the MRPO’s meetings with Roxas. “We knew what we were asking were

not impossible tasks. Out of the three challenges, I’d give a 2.5 to the PNP,” said MRPO founding chair Teresita Ang-See. Ang-See called on the AKG not to be complacent during periods that there are few reported incidents of KFR cases, saying the groups were only lying low will but eventually come back with a vengeance. “During the times that the syndicates lie low, the PNP should intensify their manhunt. Of course, the national gov-

Bomb blast... Corabato province. The two men left hurriedly on board a motorcycle before the blast occurred. Pinol said bomb shrapnel and flying debris hit people in the billiard hall and in a nearby carnival. The blast damaged the billiard hall. Government troops have been on alert for possible attacks in the region by a Muslim rebel faction opposed to a new peace deal between the government and a larger Muslim insurgent group. The province is still reeling from another recent deadly bomb blast. On November 16, a similar bomb went off along a busy street in Kabacan, North Cotabato that left a student dead and 16 others wounded. No one has claimed responsibility for the two incidents. ■ ❰❰ 1

With files from Philippine News Agency www.canadianinquirer.net

ernment should also provide the funding for the manhunt,” she said. Ang-See pointed out that with the holidays approaching, the public and the police should be more vigilant as crimes are expected to go up during the Christmas season. Meanwhile, Aspera noted that kidnappers now seem to be operating in smaller groups and are involved in other crimes like illegal drugs or robbery. ■

Philippine News

NOVEMBER 28, 2014 FRIDAY

Palace wants closer look at terror data BY NIKKO DIZON Philippine Daily Inquirer

The possibility of being swept up in a senate inquiry is keeping potential contractors away from completing phase 2 of the Iloilo Convention Center. WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

No takers for rest of Iloilo project BY TJ BURGONIO Philippine Daily Inquirer SOME CONTRACTORS suddenly don’t want to participate in the second phase of the Iloilo Convention Center (ICC) project, no thanks to Manuel Mejorada, Senate President Franklin Drilon said last Friday. Quoting a public works official, Drilon said contractors have opted to stay away from the public bidding for phase two of the P700-million project for fear they would also be summoned to the Senate inquiry. As a result, completion of the high-end convention center— that will host senior ministerial meetings during next year’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit—would be pushed back to June, Drilon said. This might jeopardize Iloilo’s hosting of the Apec, he said. “Contractors and other players are getting afraid that their names and businesses will be the next target of lies being concocted, and that their names will be dragged into the issue,” he said in a statement. Mejorada has filed a plunder complaint against Drilon, Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson and Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez, alleging that the convention center was overpriced.

Wikipedia, whispers

Appearing at the blue ribbon committee hearing on the project, the former Iloilo provincial administrator admitted he merely relied on Wikipedia and “whispers” of local architects to back up his allegations. Contrary to his claim, Mejorada said he had no proof of conspiracy among the three officials to jack up the price of the project. The controversy, however, has struck fear in the hearts of some contractors, said Public Works regional director Edilberto Tayao. Contractors who took part in the bidding for the first phase did not join the bidding for the second phase, Tayao said. “Contractors with the capability to complete a project as big as the ICC did not join anymore, and those who remained were hesitant to bid at lower than P200 million, which is above the project’s approved budget of contract of P187 million,” Drilon quoted Tayao as saying. Delayed

Because of the delay, the completion of the project is being pushed back to May or June next year, Drilon said, quoting Tayao. “It is unfortunate that just because of lies, and of spiteful and baseless allegations hurled against the project and its pro-

ponents and implementers, Ilonggos could lose the opportunity of hosting the 2015 Apec meetings, along with all the tourism and economic developments prospects that this event brings,” Drilon said. Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago, who sought an inquiry into deals between Hilmarc’s Construction Corp., the contractor of the first phase, and local government units, branded Mejorada’s testimony a “dud.” This sparked a debate among senators on whether to call another hearing on the matter. The Senate President, who admitted being the project proponent, vowed to answer questions on the project. “I have nothing to hide, and I will hide nothing. But this sinister agenda of some should not spoil the progress of Ilonggos, who have been trying to achieve their dreams of progress in the past years, made possible by opportunities provided by the present administration,” he said. The state-of-the-art convention center is being built inside Megaworld Corp.’s P25-billion Iloilo Business Park in Iloilo City. It will rise between Megaworld’s posh hotels, Richmonde Hotel and Marriott Courtyard Hotel. Megaworld donated a 17,371-square meter lot worth P521 million as site for the ICC. ■ www.canadianinquirer.net

MALACAÑANG SAID last week that it would take a closer look at the data mentioned in the recent Global Terrorism Index that ranked the Philippines ninth among countries with the most number of terror incidents. “We’d like to see what those incidents are and compare it with the data that our law enforcement agencies have,” deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said in a press conference. “There are some incidents that we continue to register. That’s why we also want to take a look at the individual incidents (in the terror index) such as who are involved, the loss of human life and property damage,” Valte added. The Institute for Economics and Peace’s Global Terrorism Index for 2013 ranked the Philippines ninth out of 162 countries with the worst number of deaths and injuries borne out of terrorist attacks. The report said the 499 incidents in the country in 2013 resulted in 292 recorded deaths and 444 injuries. The statistics were twice as high as those recorded in 2012, the report said. Most of the terrorist attacks

were carried out by the New People’s Army (NPA), followed by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG). “Certainly, I think everyone is unified in the goal that we want to lessen these incidents [of terrorism]… for the safety of our people,” Valte said. The government and the MILF recently inked a peace agreement that aims to end the four-decade strife in Mindanao. Valte said that military operations against the NPA and the ASG—the primary security threats to the country—were going on. Asked by a reporter if she was not convinced that the man shown in the terrorist Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) video looks like a Filipino, Valte replied: “A lot of us in Asia share the same characteristics and I would not be so bold as to say that he is a Filipino.” Valte said government "continues to vet pieces of information like this.” “So far, the military has turned up information that is negative to this effect, but again, efforts will continue, and as mentioned by our AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines), their engagements will continue with the local officials just... to avert any recruitment activities,” she said. ■

Philippine News

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 28, 2014

Taiwanese star witness vs Philippine Coast Guard men arrive BY TARRA QUISMUNDO Philippine Daily Inquirer STATE PROSECUTORS are ready to present their first witness in the shooting death of a Taiwanese fisherman when the homicide trial of eight Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) men resumes at the Batanes Regional Trial Court this week. Assistant Prosecutor Juan Pedro Navera, leader of the state prosecutors, said Taiwanese fisherman Hong Yu Tzu arrived in Manila on Friday and is set to fly to Batanes with the Department of Justice (DOJ) team today for the hearings. Hong is the son of victim Hong Shi Cheng, who was killed when PCG men allegedly opened fire at their fishing vessel at the Balintang Channel off Batanes on May 9 this year. He is the state panel’s key witness, having seen the incident him-

self. “He is already here. We’re going to bring him to Batanes for the pretrial and trial,” Navera said. Pretrial proceedings are scheduled on Monday, while Hong is expected to take the witness stand the next day.

dance with the Philippines’ oneChina policy. The prosecutor said the government panel would fight all attempts to delay the trial, citing how the defendants filed several pleadings seeking to reset the long-scheduled hearing. “We hope we will be able to present him for direct exami-

reached by phone. He had earlier said he hoped the trial would continue without delays, as the proceedings were costly to the government. The team has to fly to Batanes for every court date, and the government has to pay Hong’s fare from Taiwan for his testimony. Assistance from “We will meet Teco with him [to Navera said prepare him for Hong arrived by his testimony] himself, but the We are opposed to all motions to maybe on SaturDOJ panel excancel or reset the hearing. Because day or when we pects a representhe accused have the right to a get to Batanes. tative from the speedy trial, all these things we are We already got Taiwan Economdoing are actually for them. an interpreter ic and Cultural from Meco for Office (Teco) to his testimony,” assist the witsaid Navera of ness in Batanes. nation,” Navera said. Hong, who is expected to testify Teco is the counterpart in “We are opposed to all mo- in Mandarin. the Philippines of the Manila tions to cancel or reset the Eight PCG men are on trial Economic and Cultural Office hearing. Because the accused for the elder Hong’s death: (Meco), the agency in Taipei have the right to a speedy trial, Commanding Officer Arnold that manages the country’s all these things we are doing are de la Cruz, Seaman 2nd Class affairs with Taiwan, in accor- actually for them,” he said when Nicky Reynold Aurello, Police

www.canadianinquirer.net

Officer 2 Richard Corpuz, and Seamen 1st Class Mhelvin Bendo II, Andy Gibb Golfo, Sunny Masangkay, Henry Solomon and Endrando Aguila. Of the accused, only Aguila has yet to be arraigned. Navera said he was expected to appear at the resumption of the trial. ‘Small incident’

The incident soured ties between the Philippines and Taiwan last year, with the latter warning of several sanctions against the country. Gary Song-Huann Lin, Teco’s new representative in Manila, said in a recent interview that the “small incident” should not affect relations between the two sides, adding that his government “has goodwill to restrengthen the relationship.” He said Taiwan would respect the outcome of the trial and that it is cooperating with the Philippines “to bring this matter to a full close.” ■

Philippine News

NOVEMBER 28, 2014 FRIDAY

President Aquino leads launch of Philippines’ biggest solar project PHILIPPINE NEWS AGENCY

the solar project in SM Xiamen in China, with 1.1 megawatts solar energy produced by 3,740 panels. President Aquino said that with the project, the mall could save at least P2 million a month in energy expenses. He said the launch of the project is important, considering the looming power crisis next year. Assuring that the government is doing its best to address the problem, President Aquino reiterated his appeal to Congress for the approval of the joint resolution granting him emergency powers to contract additional power supply. “We are hopeful that both the House (of Representatives) and the Senate will approve the joint resolution we requested sooner rather than later, in order to give the national government enough time to contract the necessary reserves,” he said. The solar rooftop project is the brainchild of Senator Loren Legarda’s 21-year-old son, Leandro Leviste. A graduate of Yale University, Leviste committed to help

MANILA — President Benigno S. Aquino III on Monday led the launch of SM City North EDSA’s solar rooftop project, so far the biggest solar project in the country. In his speech, the President commended the country’s biggest retail outlet for its initiatives on environmental protection and energy conservation. “We are aware that you are no stranger to initiatives like this. From moving to the use of non-chlorofluorocarbon refrigerants to reducing the electricity consumption of 27 malls by 30.6 million kilowatt-hours in the span of a year; from participating in the Interruptible Load Program and helping to free up power when supply is tight, to this solar rooftop project, SM is indeed deservedly bePresident Benigno S. Aquino III views the solar rooftop project of SM Supermalls at Northlink Building in SM City North coming recognized for its good Edsa Complex, Quezon City, during Launching of Solar Rooftop Project this week. The energy of the sun captured by the practices in energy and the enpanels is converted into electricity by 60 inverters which can provide 5% of daily supply of 179,793 average kilowatt. vironment,” he said. PHOTO FROM RUFFYBIAZON.PH The SM North EDSA solar project, powered by 5,760 solar partment of Energy (DOE). in his remarks. the DOE’s Interruptible Load panels installed at the rooftop “Years from now, it will be According to SM Supermalls Program, which aims to ease of the multilevel said that un- President Annie Garcia, solar the demand for electricity and parking buildder President panels will also be installed in prevent the projected power ing, is expected Aquino’s term, other SM malls, such as in SM crisis in the summer of 2015. to generate 1.5 the Philippines City Dasmariñas in Cavite and Also present during the event megawatts of Years from now, it will be said that became a global in SM City Mall of Asia in Pasay were House Speaker Feliciano power for the under President Aquino’s term, the leader in solar City. Belmonte, Senator Loren Lemall’s 16,000 Philippines became a global leader power because The SM City Dasmariñas will garda, Quezon City Mayor Herlighting fixtures, in solar power. he had the vi- have 3,243 solar panels that are bert Bautista, and Vice Mayor 59 escalators, sion to see that expected to generate 0.8 mega- Joy Belmonte. ■ and 20 elevators. solar is not just watts of power, while SM City Energy Seca sustainable Mall of Asia will have 10,534 soretary Jericho and clean energy lar panels that will generate 2.7 Petilla called it the biggest solar the government reach its solar source, but also commercially megawatts of power. project in the country. installation target of 500 mega- viable and a decisive solution to The SM Group is one of the The SM Group first launched watts by 2016, as set by the De- the power crisis,” Leviste said private companies that support

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Philippine News

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 28, 2014

‘Mercado visiting...’ off at the Senate so the people will know who is lying and who is telling the truth. If Binay is unwilling to face the Senate, I challenge him to debate in any platform or forum, at any time, so the public will know the truth,” he said in a text message in Filipino. He said he would cut his vacation short and come home if Binay accepts his challenge. “I am ready to answer all the accusations and issues that Binay and his allies are throwing at me. I hope he is ready to face me before the public and that he is also ready to answer all the issues raised against him,” Mercado said. Binay’s United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) alleged that the former vice mayor had himself allegedly amassed P1 billion in ill-gotten wealth with the use of dummies. Mercado and Binay had a falling out after the Vice President reneged on his promise to let his vice mayor run for mayor, fielding his son instead in the 2010 Makati mayoral race. ❰❰ 4

Senate face-off

Cayetano said he was supporting Mercado’s challenge to face off with Binay in the Senate hearing. If this happens, the subcommittee members would merely listen as observers, he said. “Who better to have a discussion of what is true or not true than the accuser and the accused?” he said. At last week’s hearing, Mercado read an affidavit of a certain Ariel Olivar who claimed that Binay owned a 150-square meter unit at The Peak condominium in Makati. UNA responded by claiming that Olivar was one of Mercado’s fronts in the companies that Mercado allegedly used

to corner P1 billion in government contracts and amass businesses and real estate properties, including an entire island in Palawan province. Olivar, who said he was a friend of Mercado, maintained that his name was used as the owner of a condominium unit belonging to Binay. Corrupt or incompetent?

If the allegations against Mercado are untrue, then Binay is lying, Cayetano said. “Assuming it’s true that he (Mercado) has also amassed property—remember he admitted being on the take—I’d like to reiterate my question: What kind of public official is Binay? Corrupt public official or incompetent official or both?” he said. “Everyone knows that the person who signs the documents, makes the decision in City Hall is the mayor. In fact, in many places, we look at the vice mayor as a spare tire… But in Makati, everyone knew that Mercado was co-running the city with Binay,” Cayetano said. “So, what’s the truth? Was he the front man of Binay and doing all of these on Binay’s instructions, benefiting Binay. Or, is Binay that incompetent that he doesn’t know billions of pesos are being stolen left and right, right under his nose?” he said.

Philippine troops kill five Abu Sayyaf gunmen in clash, seize militants’ camp THE ASSOCIATED PRESS MANILA, PHILIPPINES — Philippine troops killed at least five Abu Sayyaf gunmen and seized their camp in a clash in an ongoing offensive in the south, a military spokeswoman said Monday. Army troops and marines were on their way to arrest an Abu Sayyaf commander on Sunday when an undetermined number of militants opened fire at them, sparking a clash in a village near Sumisip town in Basilan province, marine Capt. Maria Rowena Muyuela said. At least five Abu Sayyaf militants were killed in the fighting, Muyuela said, citing accounts from villagers. There were no military casualties. Government troops later seized the militants’ camp which had 10 huts, trenches and foxholes that could accommodate about 50 militants, Muyuela said. They also found a shotgun, ammunition and rebel documents. Government forces have launched a new campaign against the Abu Sayyaf,

No debate with ‘liars’

The Binay camp last night quickly thumbed down the debate challenge from Mercado. “The Vice President prefers to focus on his work than debate with liars, perjurers and paid hacks of the desperate opposition to the Vice President,” Cavite Gov. Jonvic Remulla, a spokesperson for Binay, said in a statement. ■

Families of... massacred on the morning of November 23, 2009, in the town of Ampatuan in Maguindanao province, Mindanao. The 58 victims were on their way to file a certificate of candidacy for Esmael Mangudadatu, who was challenging Andal Ampatuan, Jr. for the mayoralty of Datu Unsay town. “(Pray) that we are given the strength in our search for justice, in our quest to raise our families. (Pray) that we acquire clear thoughts to make the right decisions. We are a simple people, we do not have power nor riches,” the families of the slain journalists said in the letter, written in Filipino. “It has been five years since our children lost their fathers or their mothers… five years since we lost our brothers or sisters… We are appealing to you, our dear Holy Father, to help us give justice ❰❰ 9

(to the victims),” the letter read. The families believe that through the Pope’s intercession, they might receive divine intervention in their quest for justice; adding that although the lives of their loved ones could never be restored, the families still hold firm that God is on their side. In the letter, the kin of the slain wrote that the brutal deaths of their loved ones was too painful to endure, as they called upon the Pope to help ease their pain. “In this place, the burst of gunfire rang; this was where they plead for their lives. This was where the hope of the 58 families disappeared. Here in this place, five years since the massacre took place, we are making this appeal for you to pray for us, and in whatever way, as the supreme leader of the Catholic Church, walk with us towards justice,” the families expressed in the letter. ■ www.canadianinquirer.net

which has been blamed for a series of ransom kidnappings of Filipino villagers and foreign tourists in the south. The militants are still holding about a dozen hostages, including two European birdwatchers kidnapped two years ago and a Malaysian police officer who was seized earlier this year from Malaysia’s Sabah state on Borneo Island. ■

Opinion

NOVEMBER 28, 2014 FRIDAY

PUBLIC LIVES

Undocumented By Randy David Philippine Daily Inquirer WE KNOW only too well what it means to have an undocumented relative living abroad. A parent dies and one of the children could not be at the funeral. An explanation, about invalid papers, is offered in hushed tones: “Hindi pa ayos ang papeles” (The papers are not yet in order). Or, we ask why someone very bright, with a college degree from a top university, could get only low-paying menial jobs after so many years living in the United States. And again, we are told: “Wala pa kasing papeles” (No papers yet). “T-N-T (tago nang tago)” (keeps hiding) is a term that emerged from the Filipino diasporic experience. While it has its origins in the US-based Filipino communities, the T-N-T way of life may now be found in nearly every corner of the world where the Filipino migrant has settled. It has its unique vocabulary and features everyday strategies of evasion and survival. It is a world all its own, filled with risks and opportunities, showcasing human solidarity at its best and sordid opportunism at its worst. One of the first accounts of the saga of the undocumented Filipino in a foreign land is the amazing book, “Underground in Japan,” by Rey Ventura.

Even before its publication by Ateneo solution based on humanitarian con- Obama’s action can be overridden by Press in 2008, I had read an early ver- siderations, challenging Congress to an act of the legislature. This is presion of this work while doing research urgently pass a more enduring immi- cisely what Obama is challenging the in Japan. I visited the place in Yoko- gration reform law. Republican-dominated Congress to hama where a Filipino immigrant enHailed by the large immigrant com- do: Pass a law. It is a calculated politiclave lived, and met some of the peo- munity as a positive breakthrough for cal move that puts the Republicans ple Ventura described so vividly in the immigration reform, Obama’s order, on the defensive, and forces them book. In the course of my field work, in actual fact, has very limited appli- to manifest their stand on immigraI realized how universal the figure of cation. It is not an amnesty. It covers tion reform or shut up, two years the undocumented immigrant has be- only undocumented immigrants who before the presidential election. come in our globalized world. have lived in the United States for Having consolidated their hold on Immigrants without valid papers are more than five years. Estimated to both houses of Congress in the midtotally at the mercy of unscrupulous number around 4 million, such im- term elections, the Republicans can employers. They have no rights, and migrants should have children who mount the wrong response and derail receive no benefits. their campaign to In the United States, capture the White While it has its origins in the US-based Filipino comthey can be rounded House in 2016. munities, the T-N-T way of life may now be found in nearly evup anytime under It is not easy to the Secure Commucounter a President ery corner of the world where the Filipino migrant has settled. nities Program. They who knows when to can be detained and deported, regard- are US citizens or legal permanent deploy high-mindedness to defend less of how many years they have lived residents. To qualify, they must regis- an action that carries far-reaching there. Their physical mobility is limit- ter, pass a criminal background check, implications. In words reminiscent ed, and their circle of friends is narrow. and pay taxes. Then they can work le- of those he spoke at his inauguraMost live with relatives. Their US-born gally under their own name without tion as the first black president of the children are American citizens, but fear of being deported. After three United States, Obama talked about a they themselves are treated as if they years, they must renew their registra- concept of America as a nation of imwere fugitives. tion and go through the same process migrants, a community that unselfIt is this “broken system” that US again. Clearly, the relief offered by ishly accords to everyone the opporPresident Barack Obama sought to Obama’s executive order is far from tunity to create a secure and dignified remedy, albeit only partly, by an act being a path to permanent residency life. “For more than 200 years,” he of the executive branch. Republicans or citizenship. began, “our tradition of welcoming oppose this move as a usurpation of Coming on the heels of the stun- immigrants from around the world the legislative functions of Congress. ning loss of the Democratic Party has given us a tremendous advantage Obama defends it as a provisional in the recent midterm elections, over other nations. It’s kept us youth-

ful, dynamic, and entrepreneurial.” Reviewing his frustrated efforts to work with both houses of Congress to fix the “broken system,” Obama wrapped up his speech by going back to the theme with which he began. He is always most eloquent when he reflects on the meaning of what it is to be American. “My fellow Americans, we are and always will be a nation of immigrants. We were strangers once, too. And whether our forebears were strangers who crossed the Atlantic, or the Pacific, or the Rio Grande, we are here only because this country welcomed them in and taught them that to be an American is about something more than what we look like or what our last names are, or how we worship. What makes us Americans is our shared commitment to an ideal, that all of us are created equal, and all of us have the chance to make of our lives what we will.” Not every American shared his views. That same evening, Fox News host Bill O’Reilly told his guest, Filipino-American activist Jose Antonio Vargas, himself an undocumented alien: “It’s a compassionate move. But it may not be a just move, because you and the other people here illegally don’t deserve to be here…. You don’t have an entitlement to be here.” ■

LOOKING BACK

Revolt of the masses? By Ambeth R. Ocampo Philippine Daily Inquirer ONCE UPON a time, I sat behind Nick Joaquin during a commemoration of Bonifacio Day at the Liwasang Bonifacio. It was early in the morning and Nick seemed grumpy because he had yet to have his first beer for the day. The mayor of Manila, the vice mayor, and other notables were in formal attire made comic by the Katipunero straw hat and red scarf they were forced to wear. After the anthem and the boring speeches, a series of floral offerings were made that made Nick growl: “Where are the masses?” I looked around and saw that everyone was in their Sunday best. Then Nick shouted: “Where are the masses?” Remembering this so many years later, I ask myself: Where indeed were the masses? I was raised on Teodoro Agoncillo’s landmark work “Revolt of the Masses: The Story of Andres Bonifacio and the Katipunan” (1956). But I have also read the unpublished doctoral dissertation of Agoncillo’s protege Milagros C. Guerrero, “Luzon at War: Contradictions in Philippine Society, 1898-1902″ (1977), which argues that while the membership of

the Katipunan in Manila had many Cruz, Alejandro Santiago, Deogracias are to follow Agoncillo’s revolt-ofpeople from the “masses,” elsewhere Fajardo and Juan Fajardo were all the-masses mindset, Estanislao Varthe social composition was different. printers. Del Rosario and De la Cruz gas and Apolonio Samson would be If you take the trouble to go through were printers at Diario de Manila, out of place in the Katipunan and the Jim Richardson’s “The Light of Lib- while Santiago was connected to El Revolution because they were property: Documents and Studies of the Resumen. Tomas Alegre, Pio H. San- erty owners. Katipunan, 1892-1897” (2013), you tos, Patricio Belen, Crispulo Chacon, Masangkay’s list has only men, but will find an interesting list of people Lorenzo Martinez and Tomas Vil- we know that there was a women’s who were in the area of Balintawak lanueva were tobacco workers, with branch of the Katipunan that includwhen the “first cry” of the Philip- Alegre listed as a master cigar-maker ed Rizal’s sisters Josefa and Trinidad. pine Revolution was made in 1896. and Santos as a master tobacco work- Then, of course, there were other The list drawn from women who should memory by Guillbe in the list, like ermo Masangkay, in Melchora Aquino or History is more complex and colorful than our boran interview he gave Tandang Sora and ing textbooks make it out to be. to Bagong Buhay in the most prominent 1952, is remarkable because he pro- er. Rogelio Baja, Isaac del Carmen woman in the Katipunan, Bonifacio’s vided an occupation to each name: and Hilario Sayo were mechanics. wife Gregoria de Jesus, the LakamAndres Bonifacio was a warehouse Melecio Ruestra and Pastor Santos bini or muse of the Katipunan. employee at Fressel & Co., and ear- were draftsmen. Cipriano Pacheco The most surprising part of Malier in life was a walking-cane and was a clerk and Nicomedes Carreon sangkay’s list is that those men who fan maker as well as a calligrapher. was a cobrador or debt collector as attended the meeting in Balintawak Procopio Bonifacio was a railway well as a salesman at Casa Chofre. or Pugad Lawin were employees of baggage-master. Emilio Jacinto was Ramon Bernardo was a mechanic the Spanish colonial government: a student, Pio Valenzuela a physi- but he had once been municipal cap- Briccio Pantas, assistant to a Court of cian. Macario Sakay was a personero tain of Pandacan. The only ones in First Instance judge; Teodoro Plata, or sales agent. Masangkay and Pedro the list with lowly jobs compared to clerk in the Mindoro Court of First Zabala were kuridor, or someone the rest were Miguel Resurreccion, Instance; Jose Trinidad, clerk in the who does buy and sell. Salustiano a zacatero or grass or fodder cutter, Tondo Court of First Instance; and Cruz was a master tailor like Boni- and Vicente Leyva, a milk seller. Hermogenes Plata a court Clerk. facio’s father, Juan Cruz was barber The list made me remember Nick Tomas Remigio, Pantaleon Torres and playwright. Joaquin’s question during Bonifacio and Vicente Medina worked in the Aguedo del Rosario, Apolonio de la Day: “Where are the masses?” If we government treasury, Remigio and

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Torres as clerks and Medina as caretaker. Enrique Pacheco was a clerk in the city government of Manila. Faustino Manalac was a clerk in the Port of Manila administration, while Calixto Santiago, Restituto Javier and Herminigildo Reyes were customs officials. Valentin Lagasca, Eugenio Santos, Francisco Carreon and Sarhento Marcelo were customs guards, with Lagasca and Santos carrying the rank of sergeant. It is funny that despite his name, Sarhento Marcelo was of lower rank. Cosme Taguyod and Rafael Gutierrez were with the fire department, with Taguyod a lieutenant and Gutierrez a captain. It is significant that three Katipuneros—Julio Navarrao, Alejandro Andaya and Marcelo Badel—were government secret agents who provided sensitive information to the KKK and misinformed the Spaniards. Roman Reyes and Tito Miguel were employees in the government arsenal. Geronimo Cristobal was an army corporal. This list may be partial and faulty, but it helps us rethink the blackand-white picture of the Katipunan oversimplified in Agoncillo’s work. History is more complex and colorful than our boring textbooks make it out to be. ■

Opinion

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 28, 2014

AS I SEE IT

Philippines has slowest justice system in the world By Neal H. Cruz Philippine Daily Inquirer THE PHILIPPINES, I am sure, is in the Guinness World Records as the country with the slowest judicial system. Of this, we should not be proud but be ashamed. We just marked the anniversaries of two mass killings in the Philippines, both of which made world records: the Maguindanao massacre where 58 poor souls, including 32 media workers, were murdered; and the Ozone Disco Club fire in Quezon City that claimed the lives of 162 persons, most of them young men and women celebrating their graduation. In the Ozone Disco fire, the trial of those responsible for the tragedy took almost 19 years, much longer than the sentences imposed on them by the court. In the Maguindanao massacre, the court is still hearing the bail petitions of some of the accused, five years into the trial. Indeed, this is true not only of these two shocking mass murders but also of almost all cases filed in court. The cases against Imelda Marcos et al., for example, have been pending since 1986 when the Marcos dictator-

ship was toppled by angry citizens. by too few courts and judges. This courts, and then take forever decidThat’s two-and-a-half decades ago. gets worse every year, as new cases ing them on the merits. Not only is Imelda still out of prison, pile up as fewer and fewer cases get The Maguindanao massacre trial she continues to behave as if she is to be decided by the courts. has been delayed so much by this tacstill the first lady. Instead of being in Two other reasons: the dilatory tic of the defense. jail, she is in the House of Represen- tactics by the defense and the lackaThe puzzle is why the trials of the tatives as congresswoman for Ilocos daisical attitude of the judges. A mo- Ozone Disco fire and the MaguindanNorte. Her son Bongbong is a senator tion for postponement is almost al- ao massacre are taking so long (alsalivating to be president, and daugh- ways granted by the judges who feel though the defendants in the Ozone ter Imee is governor of Ilocos Norte. no urgency to finish a case quickly. Disco fire have been declared guilty And that is one reason that crime The legal principle that “justice de- by the court, the cases are not yet and corruption are thriving in layed is justice denied” no longer has finished as they can still file motions the Philippines in spite of scores any meaning for judges and lawyers. for reconsideration and appeals) of charges filed when they are very against the malefacsimple cases. In Who would be afraid of the law when they know that tors. Ironically, the both cases there even if they are caught, they can stay out of prison for decades number of graftare the hundreds of during which time they can continue doing what they have ers and criminals corpus delicti, the been doing and prospering from them? has increased since suspects have been People Power. Who clearly identified, would be afraid of the law when they Ironically, the appellate courts and the cause or motive is evident. know that even if they are caught, themselves, including the Supreme They are not some murky murder they can stay out of prison for de- Court, abet the delays. They are too mystery cases where the prosecutors cades during which time they can quick to issue temporary restrain- have to piece together circumstantial continue doing what they have been ing orders (TROs). The high court is evidence. They are what can be dedoing and prospering from them? the worst of all. While lower courts scribed as open-and-shut cases. The Crime and corruption can never be can issue TROs for limited periods guilt of the accused are very clear and eliminated, or even slowed down, un- only, the tribunal can issue, and often evident. So why is it taking the courts less there is quick justice. does, TROs for indefinite periods. decades to decide them? Because One reason given for the slow Also, the appellate courts are quick most of the judges are lazy. wheels of justice is the “clogged court to accept petitions for certiorari Most judges conduct trials for only dockets”—too many cases being tried questioning the decisions of lower half-a-day. The trial of each case lasts

for only one hour, after which it is scheduled again at least one month later. Postponements usually last longer, up to 60 days, after which there may be another motion for postponement based on some flimsy excuse. Many judges and government prosecutors absent themselves during scheduled trials, forcing still more postponements of all the cases scheduled for trial that day. So what can be done? One is to appoint more judges and justices. Another is for the Supreme Court to crack the whip on lower court judges, and set the example by quickly deciding appeals and petitions elevated to it. A third is to hold continuous trials until the cases are submitted for decision. (There used to be a contest among Metro Manila judges on who is “the fastest judge alive.” It may be a good idea to restore it.) And most important, to crack down on corruption in the judiciary and the prosecution arm of the government (and also in the ranks of private practitioners). A granddaughter once asked me: “Why do trials in the Philippines take many years, but on television they take only one hour?” Try answering that. ■

AT LARGE

Not an ordinary case By Rina Jimenez-David Philippine Daily Inquirer “THIS IS not an ordinary case,” Sandiganbayan Associate Justice Efren dela Cruz said in reference to the plea for bail filed by Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. and companions at the antigraft court. But Justice Dela Cruz might well have referred to the case of plunder and graft that the government is now pursuing against Revilla and Senators Juan Ponce Enrile and Jinggoy Estrada as well as their alleged co-conspirators, including the so-called “pork barrel scam queen” Janet Napoles. Public attention may have been diverted in the past months, especially with the Senate blue ribbon subcommittee’s hearings on the alleged corrupt acts committed by Vice President Jejomar Binay. But the case against the senators, Napoles, and company can very well lay the foundation for all anticorruption efforts in the future, and determine the Philippines’ resolve to clean up the stables of government. Public opinion polls for at least the last decade have identified “graft and corruption” as THE major political issue here. Indeed, President Aquino used public sentiment against corrupt officials to coast all the way to Malacañang, with the slogan “Kung walang corrupt, walang mahirap (If

there is no corruption, there will be this newspaper) gave the impression ranking officials. no poor).” And after the exposé of that the controversy had well been *** the scam involving the Priority De- settled, especially after the arrest and OF COURSE Revilla’s camp is soundvelopment Assistance Fund, with detention of Napoles, the three sena- ing confident of winning release for Napoles as the “poster girl,” and then tors, and other accused. the senator. the revelations of an alleged latterBut the case remains active and is The gist of his lawyers’ position day “PDAF-like” practice called the in fact nearing a crossroads, with the is that the prosecution case was not DAP (Disbursement Acceleration antigraft court facing a deadline in “strong enough” to merit his continProgram), thousands of citizens were the next few days to rule on Revilla’s ued detention. sufficiently moved to gather at Rizal petition for bail. Although Benhur Luy and other Park and other locales to dramatize The Sandiganbayan in fact faces a whistle-blowers said Revilla’s name their anger and ire at the practice. two-day deadline set by the Supreme and signature were on many of the But since then, and with the arrest Court to resolve the motion for bail, documents covering the anomalous of the senators in the wake of the testi- although Justice Dela Cruz aired his disbursement of his PDAF allocation mony of whistle-blowers who had been hope that they could be given some to “fake” NGOs, the senator’s lawNapoles’ trusted lieutenants, public pas- leeway, from three to five more days, yers say none of the witnesses could sion—even interest— say they ever saw, seems to have waned. talked, or dealt with What happened? Revilla. Since then, and with the arrest of the senators in the wake Have the different The lawyers have of the testimony of whistle-blowers who had been Napoles’ trusted reports on different also brought into lieutenants, public passion—even interest—seems to have waned. forms of corruption question the authenby our officials inured Filipinos by before issuing their decision. In the ticity of the files in the hard disk that now to such wrongdoing? Have we news report, he cited the “complexity Luy offered as evidence, even casting buried our ire beneath the dismissive of the case and the volume of docu- doubt on the findings of the National “a pox on both (or all) your houses”? ments” that they had to pore over. Bureau of Investigation expert who ex*** Why is the outcome of the petition amined the files. SOME friends and I, talking about for bail so crucial? Because a finding In a previous column, I wrote about the Sandiganbayan hearings and the that the government was not able to the report submitted by the Antiapparent lack of interest in them, build a serious case against Revilla, thus Money Laundering Council (AMLC) speculated on the reasons for this winning him release on bail, colors the that tracked the movement of withlandmark case seemingly taking entire case against not just the senator drawals from the accounts of Napoles the back-burner in terms of public but everybody else accused of plunder. to deposits made around the same awareness and concern. It could also lay to waste efforts to dates to accounts in the names of ReMy theory was that the heated me- prosecute present and future cases of villa and/or his wife, Rep. Lani Merdia coverage of the issue (mainly by corruption, especially against high- cado. However, Revilla’s camp said it

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wasn’t all that unusual for the couple to be making huge deposits in their accounts as they still had active careers as actors and TV personalities. They even questioned the reported timing of the deposits and the conclusions reached by the AMLC witness. Joel Bodegon, lead counsel of Revilla, has described the evidence presented by the prosecution as “suppositions, conjecture and hearsay evidence.” *** FOR THEIR part, the prosecutors maintain that they were “able to show overwhelming documentary and testimonial evidence that the three accused [senators] can be charged with plunder.” Prosecutor Joefferson Torribio could not emphasize enough the importance of successfully prosecuting the case against the senators and their coaccused. The case, he said, “represents the biggest corruption scandal in our country in 2013.” And if government evidence in this “biggest corruption scandal” is deemed not sufficient, then it puts under a huge shadow of doubt all other pending cases of corruption against other officials and their coconspirators. We need to pay attention—close attention—to developments in this case. If we allow our attention to wander or wane, we will reap the consequences we deserve. ■

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 28, 2014

Canada News

Four Filipino temporary foreign workers killed in highway crash near Edmonton THE CANADIAN PRESS EDMONTON — Four Filipino temporary foreign workers have been killed in a car crash south of Edmonton. RCMP said the workers were riding in a car that hit a patch of ice and slid into the path of a semi truck on Highway 21 near Leduc this past Saturday. The four died on impact, and the driver of the truck was not hurt. Cpl. Sharon Franks said the names of the four are not being released until their families can be notified. Pastor Ron Yabut with the Edmon-

ton Filipino Seventh Day Adventist Church said all four were from the Philippines. “We are still trying to find out if there’s any family members in the area or not,” he said Monday. “If they don’t have any family here in Canada, I’m sure as soon as the family back home in the Philippines hears this, this will be very, very sad. It’s very devastating news.” Esmerelda Agbulos, consul general at the Philippines consulate in Edmonton, said the four dead included two men who worked in a fast food restaurant and two women who worked as caregivers. She said news of the crash came

as shock and brought back memories of a crash in central Alberta in 2012 that killed four foreign workers from the Philippines. They had been riding in car that was struck head-on by another vehicle going the wrong way on a divided highway. A fifth Filipino worker in the car survived. None of them had family in Canada and sent earnings home to relatives in the Philippines. The driver of the other vehicle later admitted in court to combining alcohol with prescribed medication the night of the crash and blacking out. He was sentenced to 6 1/2 years in prison. ■

Thousands hold vigil in Toronto for slain Ferguson black teenager BY ABDUL LATHEEF The Canadian Press TORONTO — Thousands braved freezing temperatures in Toronto on Tuesday night to hold a vigil for Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager slain by a white police officer in Ferguson, Mo., in August. They gathered across the street from the U.S. Consulate, a day after a grand jury in Missouri decided not to indict Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson in the fatal shooting of Brown, who was 18. Protest leader Lena Peters said the immediate issue was that the grand jury made the decision not to take the “murder” of a black man to trial. “Those folks who are here tonight don’t believe that’s OK,” she said. “We believe that it is part of a larger system that doesn’t value black life.” Just a few police officers showed up at the demonstration, reflecting the peaceful nature of the protest, which an officer estimated drew some 3,000 people. Holding candles, they repeatedly chanted, “No justice, no peace,” and “Being black is not a crime.” “Basically, I don’t want to live in a world where some lives matter and

some lives don’t,” said Christina Miniaci, one of the protesters. The grand jury’s decision sparked a riot in Missouri overnight and thousands of National Guardsmen were called in in an effort to prevent a second night of violence. Lawyers for Brown’s family have condemned the judicial process that led to the officer not being indicted as unfair and broken, and President Barack Obama has called for restraint in the wake of the ruling. The protest leaders also called for an acknowledgment by all levels of the Canadian government of what they called the excessive use of police force in Ferguson against blacks as a human rights issue. Peters and others also used the occasion to vent their anger against police in the Greater Toronto Area for alleged racial profiling and brutality against black people. They demanded justice for Jermaine Carby, who was fatally shot by Peel Regional Police during a traffic stop in Brampton, Ont., in September. Carby’s cousin LaToya was among the speakers at the event. Ontario’s police watchdog is investigating that case. Meanwhile, a suggestion that white

and non-black protesters limit their visibility and “stand behind black folks” at protests sparked a heated debate on social media. Bilan Arte, one of the Ottawa event organizers, said on the vigil’s Facebook page that “white/non black allies” should “refrain from taking up space” and “never be the centre of anything.” The same message appeared verbatim on the Facebook page for the Toronto rally, asking whites and non-blacks to not speak to the media, saying “black voices are crucial to this.” Arte’s post prompted more than 100 comments, with one man asking “is this an anti-racist rally or a prosegregation one?” Arte, deputy chairwoman with the Canadian Federation of Students, said on her own Facebook page that she received upwards of 50 messages from “righteous upset white people” taking issue with the post. But there were many non-blacks among the protesters in crowd and there was no sign of any discord among the protesters. The protest in Toronto was organized through social media by an online forum called Black Lives Matter. ■

NEWS BRIEFS

FROM THE CANADIAN PRESS

ARCHIVES FAILING TO PRESERVE MEMORY: AUDITOR OTTAWA — Future generations may not be able to enjoy Canada’s recorded heritage — including photos, maps and important documents — because Library and Archives Canada is not collecting all of the material it should from federal agencies, the auditor general says. In a report tabled Tuesday, Michael Ferguson says Library and Archives doesn’t even know what it already has due to a backlog of 98,000 boxes of records — almost one-quarter of them military files, some dating to 1890. SEX OFFENDERS MAY BE MISSING FROM REGISTRY OTTAWA — The national sex offender registry may not include some Canadians convicted of crimes abroad because the RCMP doesn’t have access to Foreign Affairs information on convicts released from prisons in other countries. Auditor general Michael Ferguson, who flags the issue in a new report, is urging the RCMP to work with the department on improving information sharing. NEXT YEAR’S SURPLUS DOWN TO $1.6B

PROJECTION

OTTAWA — And now it’s $1.6 billion. That’s Ottawa’s new projection for next year’s budgetary surplus following Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s $5.8-billion infrastructure announcement. Canada’s surplus forecast for 2015-16 is now $300 million lower than the $1.9-billion projection the Finance Department published two weeks ago in its fall fiscal update. NEB TO ASK CANADIANS ABOUT PIPELINE SAFETY SAINT JOHN — The National Energy Board will launch a tour early in the new year in an effort to strengthen pipeline safety, the chairman of the federal regulatory agency said Tuesday. Peter Watson said board members and staff will visit every province and the North to hear from Canadians on how it can improve its pipeline safety program.

Canada News

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 28, 2014

Canadian Forces soldier dies in on-base incident; Harper offers condolences THE CANADIAN PRESS CFB PETAWAWA, Ont. — Prime Minister Stephen Harper is offering his condolences after a soldier was killed in an “unfortunate incident” at CFB Petawawa in eastern Ontario. Harper says in a statement that Craftsman Kyle Sinclair succumbed to injuries suffered in the incident. “This incident is another painful reminder of the sacrifice that our brave men and women in uniform face daily in the defence of our nation’s freedoms and liberties, both at home and abroad.” Harper said. Canadian Forces spokesman Lt. Jean-Francois Carpentier says the incident occurred Friday night but wouldn’t offer any other details, citing a military investigation. He says the 27-year-old had been with the military since

Anti-pipeline grandma willing to go to jail by violating B.C. court order THE CANADIAN PRESS

Craftsman Kyle Sinclair.

December 2012. A statement from the military said that at the time of the incident, Sinclair was on a training program with The Royal Canadian Dragoons and belonged to 2 Service Battalion. Defence Minister Rob Nicholson also issued a statement offering his condolences.

TWITTER PHOTO

“The loss of any member of the Canadian Armed Forces is tragic,” Nicholson said. “An investigation will be conducted into the circumstances surrounding this incident to ensure that every precaution is taken to protect the safety and security of our soldiers.” ■

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BURNABY, B.C. — An 84-yearold retired librarian says she’s willing to violate a court injunction and go to jail as she and other anti-pipeline protesters take a stand against fossil fuels by interfering with survey work in Burnaby, B.C. Barbara Grant joined activists near Burnaby Mountain on Tuesday to demonstrate against Kinder Morgan’s proposed plan to nearly triple its pipeline capacity to transport Alberta oil to British Columbia. Grant said she has the support of her three children and three grandchildren, some of whom have joined the protest as crews drilled two bore holes into Burnaby Mountain before a decision on the project by the

National Energy Board. “They believe, as I do, that this pipeline must be stopped,” Grant said of her family’s views on the Trans Mountain pipeline project, noting crews were working on public land. “I believe that this pipeline is a very, very bad idea,” she said. “It goes against practically everything I believe in. And I feel that the National Energy Board process by which the Kinder Morgan cause is being advanced is totally undemocratic.” Grant said protesters had gathered about a 10-minute walk from the site where crews were doing survey work and that she may cross a no-go line on the mountain later Tuesday. She said the risk of being arrested would be worth it to make ❱❱ PAGE 20 Anti-pipeline grandma

Canada News

NOVEMBER 28, 2014

FRIDAY

Defence rests its case at Luka Rocco Magnotta’s first degree murder trial BY SIDHARTHA BANERJEE The Canadian Press

in his son during his late adolescence. Forensic psychiatrists Joel Watts and Marie-Frederique Allard both assessed Magnotta and said he could not be held criminally responsible for Lin’s death. In the ninth week of the trial, prosecutor Louis Bouthillier began to present rebuttal evidence aimed at poking holes in the psychosis theory. The prosecution has argued Lin’s death and dismemberment were planned and deliberate. One witness — the last doctor to see Magnotta before Lin’s slaying — testified he observed no signs or symptoms of schizophrenia or prolonged psychosis during an hour-long meeting

sultation, Magnotta removed a wig he was wearing to show him he’d been ripping out his hair. Paris said Magnotta was MONTREAL — Luka Rocco anxious and was worried about Magnotta’s defence rested at getting fat. his first-degree murder trial on Paris never saw the accused’s Tuesday without hearing from voluminous medical records the accused, who says he should and didn’t see any outward be found not criminally responsigns of schizophrenia or biposible in the slaying of Jun Lin. lar disorder. Instead, defence lawyer Luc “We didn’t have the evidence Leclair ended his case focusing for it,” Paris said. “In other on the testimony of two psywords, there was no evidence of chiatrists who told the trial that an extended period of psychosis Magnotta was in a psychotic or chronic psychosis ... we didn’t state the night of the killing in think that either of these were May 2012. justified by the data we had.” They also said Magnotta had The diagnosis was based on not been on medication for Magnotta’s own answers. Durschizophrenia since 2010 and ing the session, the accused simply could not tell right from did not ask for specific mediwrong. cations, didn’t While Magnottell Paris or the ta maintained resident with his right to sihim that he was lence, Leclair There was no evidence of an hearing voices presented a extended period of psychosis or and didn’t reveal dozen witnesses chronic psychosis ... we didn’t think anything about over roughly two that either of these were justified a diagnosis of weeks. by the data we had. paranoid schizoMagnotta, 32, phrenic from is charged with roughly a decade first-degree murder in the slay- on April 17, 2012. earlier in Ontario. ing and dismemberment of Lin, Dr. Joel Paris, a Montreal The native of Scarborough, a Chinese engineering student. psychiatrist, said he diag- Ont., cast his previous mental The accused has admitted to nosed the accused as having health problems as bipolar disthe killing but has pleaded not borderline personality disor- order instead of schizophrenia guilty by way of mental disorder, which he said accurate- and said the “noises” he’d heard der. ly depicted what Magnotta were fuelled by cocaine use. The key witnesses included described: unstable moods Leclair suggested that Paris Magnotta’s biological father, marked by highs and lows, purposely did not look for signs who testified he too suffers strained relationships and of schizophrenia because borfrom paranoid schizophrenia compulsive behaviour. derline personality disorder is and began to see similar traits At one point during the con- the doctor’s area of expertise.

Luka Rocco Magnotta.

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Paris said he was missing information and that any conclusion based on partial information was not a firm one. “All diagnoses after a single interview are bound to be tentative to a certain extent,” Paris said. Magnotta faces four other charges: criminally harassing Prime Minister Stephen Harper and other members of Parliament; mailing obscene and indecent material; committing an indignity to a body; and publishing obscene materials. The Crown contends the killing was both planned and deliberate and presented four rebuttal witnesses, including Paris. Two police officers testified about 2012 text messages seized from Magnotta’s cellphone which outlined a drug transaction using street drug slang. Magnotta has told various psychiatrists he took drugs sparingly. Later, the jury heard briefly from Dr. Gilles Chamberland, a forensic psychiatrist hired by the Crown to assess Magnotta. Chamberland said he began

sitting in on the trial once the defence started. He had access to medical records and Crown evidence. The one hitch was that Chamberland was told Magnotta wouldn’t meet with him. Chamberland raised two possibilities based on the various versions of events Magnotta gave psychiatrists: that he suffers from either schizophrenia or more from personality disorder. The second hypothesis is the easier explanation, Chamberland said, adding he finds it difficult that schizophrenia would be the root of all problems. The Crown’s expert didn’t delve deeply into his nine-page report, but told the jury that one can be diagnosed with a mental illness and psychosis and not meet the criteria for a mental disorder defence outlined in the Criminal Code. Like other psychiatrists in the proceedings, Chamberland called the case complicated. “We could make an almost complete psychiatry course with what happened here,” he said. ■

The Trans Mountain expansion proposal has triggered protests from several groups, including Burnaby Residents Opposed to Kinder Morgan Expansion, or BROKE, though Grant said she’s not part of any group. Some First Nations have also expressed anger over Kinder Morgan’s $5.4-billion plan to expand the existing line linking Alberta oilsands to the company’s tanker terminal on Port Metro Vancouver. On Monday, a First Nation elder told an NEB hearing in Victoria that the proposal threatens traditional hunting, food

sources and archeological sites. Simon Smith said his band, the Tsartlip people of southern Vancouver Island, support protesters against the survey work on Burnaby Mountain. At least 78 people have been arrested since last week, and most of them have been charged with civil contempt. A B.C. Supreme Court judge has already dismissed an application by the City of Burnaby for an injunction against survey crews on Burnaby Mountain, Kinder Morgan’s preferred route for its Trans Mountain pipeline. ■

Anti-pipeline grandma... a point against the expansion of the Trans Mountain pipeline. “That is a possibility I have to face,” she said. “For one thing, there’s the extremely important issue of fossil fuels and climate change,” she said. When it comes to the transportation of oil, B.C. is taking all the environmental risks, she added, raising concerns about increased tanker traffic and the threat of an oil spill. “The financial benefit is all for Kinder Morgan and those who have money invested in ❰❰ 19

the oilsands. But there’s very, very little benefit to B.C.,” Grant said. Grant’s stand came on the same day that an application by Trans Mountain was filed in B.C. Supreme Court asking to extend the injunction deadline from Dec. 1 to Dec. 12. The document states the protests have delayed Trans Mountain in finishing its field studies and it isn’t responsible for that delay. “It is in the interests of justice that the terms of the order be extended for a short period of time to permit Trans Moun-

tain to complete the mandated field studies that it has undertaken ... and the expense and inconvenience already incurred,” the document states. The National Energy Board announced Tuesday that it will launch a tour early next year in an effort to strengthen pipeline safety. Peter Watson, the federal regulatory agency’s chairman, said board members and staff will visit every province and the North to hear Canadians’ views on how it can improve its pipeline safety program and they will issue a report by early 2016. www.canadianinquirer.net

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 28, 2014

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Canada News

NOVEMBER 28, 2014

Philippine Fest takes place in Richmond, BC. BY EARL VON TAPIA Philippine Canadian Inquirer THE FIRST ever Philippine Fest, a showcase of Filipino arts, culture, food, and entertainment took place this past Sunday at Aberdeen Mall in Richmond, BC. The festival showcased the history, culture, food, and traditions of the Filipino peoples. Highlights of the show included a full presentation of the acclaimed song and dance presentation titled “Historama”, which features song and dance numbers that showcase the history of the Philippines and the Filipino people from its earliest days of settlement on the islands, the Spanish occupation, the involvement in World War II, all the way up to present day. There was also an amateur singing competition that featured the best and brightest upcoming Pinoy musical talents. International Award-Winning artist Bert Monterona created an original 8’x10’ mural specifically for the festival, depicting symbols of Filipino culture, that served as a backdrop for the stage where the performances took place. In addition, dresses from acclaimed Filipino fashion designer Jaki Penalosa were on display that showcased traditional designs using the Hablon fabric. The event was a success, and will only grow bigger and better in the coming years. ■

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Seen & Scenes: Vancouver

NOVEMBER 28, 2014

FRIDAY

THE VOICE CONCERT

Mitoy Yonting entertains the crowd with a medley of OPM classics (Photo by Christian Cunanan).

First winner of The Voice Philippines, Mitoy Yonting, elicits crazy laughter from the crowd when he clowns around with a fan (Photo by Christian Cunanan).

Selfie with Mitoy and media sponsors Irene Yatco and Lilia Tiamzon (Photo by Christian Cunanan).

The Voice of the Philippines Season 1 first runner-up Klarisse de Guzman and Darren Espanto, The Voice Kids Season 1 first runner-up rocked the house during their recent show at the Massey Theatre in New Westminster, B.C. (Photo by Christian Cunanan).

SPARKS' 3RD ANNIVERSARY Highlights of Spark Creationsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; 3rd year anniversary celebration at the Fraser Room in River Rock Resort, Richmond, B.C.

PIANO CONCERTO Students of Filipino piano coach Ross Salvosa performed recently at the Chan Centre with the world-renowned Vancouver Philharmonic Orchestra.

For photo submissions, please email info@canadianinquirer.net. www.canadianinquirer.net

Seen & Scenes: Toronto

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 28, 2014

FRIENDS OF JESUS CHRIST The Friends of Jesus Christ, Canada hosted one of the programs of the just concluded Holocaust Education Week. The highlight of this event was the personal testimony of Amek Adler, a holocaust survivor. On hand to welcome and introduce Amek was Marilyn Sinclair, chair of Sarah and Chaim Neuberger Holocaust Education Centre. Member of Parliament for York Centre, Mark Adler, also graced the occasion and gave a powerful exhortation on why the holocaust should never be forgotten. Photo shows front row from L: Myra Uy, Ruth Adler, Amek Adler and Pastor Teck Uy and (back row) Donna Holbrook, Marilyn Sinclair and MP Mark Adler.

CAVITENO FAMILY'S NEW VENTURE

Gerpacio family: (from L) Shaine; Robert; Cielo; and Janica. (Photo by St. Jamestown News Service, Fe Taduran)

The Gerpacio family from Indang, Cavite recently opened a new business venture, the JS Foods and Services in Palmerston, On. (Photo by St. Jamestown News Service, Fe Taduran).

I-REMIT Philippine Ambassador to Canada Petronila Garcia with I-remit Ontario Branch Manager and Marketing Officer Simon Sarte activating the ambassadorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Social Security System membership (Photo by St. Jamestown News Service, Dindo Orbeso).

SPECIAL GUEST Senator Enverga was a special guest during the Philippine Courier's 4th Angel ng Tahanan Coronation Night at the Prestige Lounge in North York, On. on Nov. 22. Enverga congratulated all the participants of the event, and shared with them recent enhancements made to the Live-In Caregiver Program, which will result in faster family reunification and more choices for Caregivers during and after their participation in the program. (Photos c/o Senator Envergaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s FB page)

ATENEO SCHOLARSHIP DRIVE The Ateneo Alumni Association Canada continues to support deserving students in the Philippines through their Annual Scholarship Fundraising Drive held at the North Thornhill Community Centre in Thornhill, On. on Nov. 15.

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NOVEMBER 28, 2014

FRIDAY

FILIPINO-CANADIAN IN FOCUS:

Dexter Dolores

Interior Designer, Urban Barn’s Next Top Designer BY EARL VON TAPIA Philippine Canadian Inquirer FOR MANY of us, it takes a while to find out what it is we want to do with our life as a career. For Dexter Dolores, he received some hints fairly early on (when he was around 10 years old he said) as to what he might want to do later on in life. “I’m sure a lot of Asian families had those Persian or traditional type rugs with the tassels in their living rooms. And of course my parents had one as well. And there was one in our family room which is a very very busy room. And it would always get tussled and tossed and the tassels would never be straight, they’d be under the rug, they’d be over whatever. And it always seemed to bother me,” he said. “Like that one thing, always seemed to bother me. Everything else could be messy, there could pillows everywhere, there could be whatever. But for some reason this one detail really stood out to me everyday,” he added. “And I just took it upon myself whenever I noticed, to you know get on my hands and knees and comb it out with my fingers . . . looking back on it, it’s definitely an indication of why I went into the career that I went into or the career that I’m in now. Its a funny story. And it’s good that I remember it.” Dexter’s parents came to Canada separately and met in the 70’s. They eventually settled together in Edmonton and started their family. Dexter was born in 1985. He grew up in Edmonton for 20 years, in the small but close-knit Filipino community within the city. Aside from fixing is parents’ rug, Dexter recalled frequently

rearranging and redecorating his room, and repainting his walls several different times. “I guess it’s always been sort of in the family. My dad’s an architect, his dad (my grandpa) was a carpenter back in the Philippines. And so that whole aspect of creating and building something, I guess has always been in my bloodline,” he said. But Dexter wanted to do his own thing. “I didn’t want to be an architect or designer or any sort of thing, just because I didn’t want to follow in my dad’s footsteps, because I just felt that it was unimaginative . . . I wanted to forge my own path basically. But ironically I always came back to doing something design or creative related, and what happened was the last program that I was taking in Edmonton was a design related program. But it was more of a broad spectrum design where you studied graphic design, interior design, exhibit design, all these different departments or aspects of design,” he said. After some research, he found an interior design program in Vancouver. After growing up in Edmonton for his whole life, he ventured out to Vancouver on his own to study interior design and start his career. The process is pretty straightforward. To become an interior designer, you study in a program that is recognized by the National Institute of Interior Design. The program is usually two to four years in length, and you receive either a diploma or a degree for your efforts. Upon graduation, you start working with design firms to gain experience and move up. Dexter bounced around for a while before landing a role in a firm that saw him helping to

design luxury homes. For three years he soaked up as much experience as he could while helping to decorate the high-end homes in and around Vancouver. It was this experience that led him to want to strike out on his own. “I worked for a firm that did a lot of high end homes. That

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was a very exciting opportunity for me to be in and I think that was sort of the jumping point for me to realize that I’ve always had this dream of doing it on my own. And getting that experience with this particular firm, having that type of scale and scope of project was really eye opening to me, and I really

wanted to continue that as a designer on my own,” he said. Having recently set off on his own, Dexter was looking for ways to market himself and get his name and his work out there. A text from a friend alerted him to a competition being held by the large retail chain Urban Barn at the Vancouver Home +

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 28, 2014

Design Show this past August. using a budget of only $5000 ing or closer to their personalThe competition featured some and items from Urban Barn, as ity. And so it was great to just be prize money, a booth at the next well as being assigned a color to there and interact with all these year’s show to promote your- incorporate into their design. people and give out my advice self, and the title of “Next Top The designs were displayed at and point of view,” he said. Designer” bestowed by Urban the Vancouver Home + Design Dexter’s passion and enthuBarn. show, where attendees came siasm paid off. At the end of the “Being that I just started to check them out and vote on show, he was crowned the Next branching out on my own as a their favorite. Top Designer. But even without designer, I sort of saw it as an It was here where it seemed the win, you could tell that he opportunity to do something Dexter’s passion for design re- just had a blast being there. and show myself to the indus- ally came through. For now, Dexter is just fotry and to people and to pro“It was a great weekend . . . cused on building up his own spective clients, design business so it was a great in Vancouver. He launching pad is taking clients for some great on his own, but marketing, so I I didn’t want to follow in my dad’s also collaborates figured why not,” footsteps, because I just felt that it with other dehe said. was unimaginative . . . I wanted signers on projTo enter, a to forge my own path basically. ects. While his contestant had focus is here, his to submit a coldream would be lection of images through the lots of talking, a lot of standing, to land a client with multiple Pinterest website that showed a lot of just doing what I love to homes around the world and how the person would por- do and explaining to people my and “insane” budget. “For the tray their design aesthetic and inspiration via. my design, why travel,” he said, but no doubt style. Based on these entries, I love the design, or even just the possibility of unlimited the field of 40-50 entrants was passing out free information. creativity holds just as much narrowed down to just three fi- People would ask, ‘I have a man- appeal to him. And after speaknalists, with Dexter being one tle and I want to put a mirror on ing with him and getting a feel of them. it. What do you think?’ It’s great for just how much passion and Once selected, the finalists because people have those seri- drive he has for interior design, were then tasked with assem- ous questions and they want to there is no doubt that he will bling a 150 square foot booth, make their homes more invit- one day get there. ■

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Community News

NOVEMBER 28, 2014

FRIDAY

10 Haiyan victims receive bursary from UP alumni BY JEUSA RAFLORES

Seated (from left) Cheryl Cantonjos, Maripi Leynes, Elvie Tan, Philippine Consul General Junever Mahilum-West, GK Executive Director Luis Oquinena, Agnes Manasan, Evelyn Pagkalinawan, Ting Pacis. Standing (from left) Jose Querubin, Jimmy Nagallo, Pidoy Pacis, Francis Rementilla, Amir Billones, Raffy Fabregas and Alice Herrera. WILFRED TANGID

GK Director: Gawad Kalinga builds 106 homes for Haiyan survivors GAWAD KALINGA Philippines is constructing a total of 106 houses for the survivors of typhoon Haiyan in the provinces of Leyte and Iloilo from donations coursed through Gawad Kalinga (to give care) Canada, GK Philippines executive director Jose Luis Oquinena said in his report one year after the strongest typhoon on record struck Central Visayas in the Philippines. Oquinena was in Toronto to report on the Canadian donations coursed through the charitable organization GK Canada during the “Haiyan: A Year After Updates” gathering held on Nov. 15 at the Glenview Presbyterian Church in Toronto, ON. Typhoon Haiyan resulted to 6,300 deaths and left 28,689 injured. It affected 16 million people, of which 4.1 million were displaced. A total of 1.14 million houses were also damaged, the Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada web page showed. Beyond numbers, Oquinena shared the inspiring heroism of volunteers, on the ground workers, who rendered selfless service to give hope to Haiyan survivors in rebuilding their lives. From donations pooled from the global community, Oquinena said the resources will fund a total of 2,923 houses, 70 percent of which are under construction and 684 have been completed. An anti-hunger program called “Kusina ng Kalinga” (Kitchen of Care) has been started in Alang-alang,

Leyte and feeds 3,652 children daily while 797 fishing boats have been distributed across the Visayan islands. GK’s goals for 2015 include building 3000 more houses, opening more kitchens to feed 50,000 children, and the building of 700 fishing boats by June, 2015, he said. Early this year 1.7 million volunteers joined the Bayani (Heroes) Challenge to “bring hope and a clear message of “Walang Iwanan” (no one gets left behind) in Haiyan affected areas,” Oquinena said adding that they are encouraging volunteers to sustain the efforts with the goal of involving 6,000 villages by June, 2015. Launched in 2006, the Bayani Challenge has become an annual gathering of volunteers to build homes, repair schools, conduct health missions, and hold tree planting and activities with children, among others. He noted that 2013 was an extraordinary year because tragedy struck one after the other in the Visayas and Mindanao areas which displaced thousands of people. Apart from typhoon Haiyan, a strong earthquake in Bohol, Visayas and an armed conflict in Mindanao displaced thousands of people. However, Oquinena noted that amid these tragedies Filipinos have shown solidarity that no one will get left behind. The GK executive director also mentioned some challenges that GK is facing in the rebuilding efforts. He cited the availability of suitable land for

relocation, site development, logistics and local politics as challenges to reconstruction. Furthermore, he said, local stakeholders have different priorities and preferences. Meanwhile, Oquinena said that the GK Canada sponsored project of providing potable water and community store in GK SeaBreeze, Cagayan de Oro has been delayed because the water supply in the area was cut off. They now have to drill underground within the site to complete the project. On the other hand, the building of three houses for typhoon Pablo victims in Cateel, Davao Oriental is now 50 percent complete, he said. For the GK Canada sponsored projects in 2013, GK has completed 32 houses, held a values formation program for children and initiated a food processing and livelihood program in the village of TuntuginPutho, Oquinena said. Canadian Senator Tobias Enverga presented a certificate of recognition to GK Canada citing the importance of continuing the efforts of working together “to provide a swift and meaningful response” to those affected by natural calamities. The Canadian government was quick to mobilize the Disaster Assistance Response Team after the storm to help the humanitarian crisis in the Philippines. Philippine Consul General Junever Mahilum-West also attended the gathering along with GK Canada donors, board of directors and volunteers. ■ www.canadianinquirer.net

THE ALUMNI association of the University of the Philippines in Manitoba (UPAA-MB) recently awarded a total of $2,297.19 or P92,117.30 to 10 UP students from the Visayas (UPVTC) as a bursary for their university education. The top three recipients received $400 or P16,040 each and rest of the seven recipients received $148.14 or P5,940 each. It is the first time that UPAAMB extended its bursary project to the Philippines and UPVTC was the chosen campus as it was among the hardest hit by the violent tropical cyclone or super typhoon Haiyan (local name Yolanda) which caused catastrophic destruction and ravaged several cities and caused over 6,000 lost lives in the Philippines. Nine months after the storm, Jasper Aldous Salvador, a freshman BS Computer Science student, one of the recipients, said, “We would wake up everyday not knowing where to get money for school expenses like transportation fare, lunch and snacks, photocopying, etc.” He further explained that his father who used to be the sole provider for his family passed away last year and with typhoon Haiyan destroying their home and source of family income, he said, “It has gotten harder and we are still unstable. “

UPAA-MB beneficiaries.

The recipients of the bursary are mostly children of fish/ snack/food vendors, pedicab (a small pedal-operated vehicle, serving as a taxi) and habalhabal (motorcycle with an extended seat to accommodate more passengers in a row) drivers, a farmer, a security guard, a soldier; while some have deceased fathers. 70 percent of the recipients have homemaker mothers and 30 percent have mothers who are snack or food vendors. 10 Lives 10 Stories

Chilet Mar Atok, (BA Social Sciences Political Science I) said, “My father is a “habalhabal” driver whose income depends on passengers. After super typhoon Yolanda, less and less people ride the “habal-habal” because they would rather walk to save the expense they would otherwise incur. This is bad news for our family because less passengers means less income for the family. This makes it very difficult for us to make ends meet especially because my mother had breast cancer and we have no financial capacity for her to undergo proper treatment.” Meanwhile, Abegail Bacsal (BA Psychology I), shared, “Typhoon Yolanda greatly damaged business industries which pushed the prices of goods to increase. This made it harder for my parents to provide for us ❱❱ PAGE 39 10 Haiyan

Immigration

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 28, 2014

Obama to millions of undocumented immigrants: ‘You can come out of the shadows’ BY ALEXANDER PANETTA The Canadian Press WASHINGTON — If you took the millions of people touched by U.S. President Barack Obama’s immigration announcement Thursday and gathered them together, their ranks would rival the population of Canada. The president announced legal rights for almost five million people who are undocumented immigrants — a move that would impact not only them, but also their families, communities and workplaces. “You can come out of the shadows and get right with the law,” Obama said in a statement from the White House. “That’s what this deal is. Under the plan, nearly half of the 11 million undocumented immigrants in America get a stay of deportation if they meet some conditions. Federal resources get re-allocated, steered away from deportation and toward the pursuit of specific types of criminals under a plan dubbed, “Families, Not Felons.” Obama concluded by quoting the book of Exodus. “Scripture tells us that, ‘We shall not oppress a stranger, for we know the heart of a stranger. We were strangers once too,”‘ he said. “My fellow Americans, we are and always will be a nation of immigrants. We were strangers once too. And whether our forebearers were strangers who crossed the Atlantic or the Pacific or the Rio Grande, we are here only because this country welcomed them in and taught them that to be an American is about something more than what we look like or what our last names are or how we worship.” The Spanish-language Univision network interrupted its broadcast of the Latin Grammy Awards to air the president’s prime-time address. A group of protesters celebrated outside the White House. Across the country, some families will be screaming for joy. Others will be screaming for Obama’s impeachment. The rage within the ranks of the Republican party may be

US President Barack Obama recently announced legal rights for almost five million people who are undocumented immigrants. Under the plan, these undocumented immigrants would get a stay of deportation if they meet certain conditions. PETE SOUZA / FLICKR

difficult to suppress. Already, the party leadership has had to push back against its own members demanding a government shutdown or an impeachment threat. They say there will have to be consequences. “If President Obama acts in defiance of the people and imposes his will on the country, Congress will act,” the next leader of the Senate, Mitch McConnell, said hours before the announcement. “We’re considering a variety of options. But make no mistake: When the newly elected representatives of the people take their seats (in January), they will act. “As the president has said, democracy is hard ... And he knows that this is not how democracy is supposed to work. Because he told us so himself.” The constitutional-law-professor-turned-commander-inchief had long claimed that the law wouldn’t let him act alone to reform a dysfunctional immigration system. Now, with a wave of the presidential wand, Obama did just that. He argued that it follows legal precedents set by numerous presidents. He did not dwell on another design feature: that it’s timed to create maximum

headaches for the Republican party. The plan establishes a threeyear relief from deportation — right through the next presidential election. Which means that a Republican party bitterly divided over this issue may be stuck dealing with it in 2016. An immigration bill sits frozen in the Republican-dominated House. Fearing an internal revolt, the party leadership did the same thing on immigration that Democrats did with another famous issue that splits their own party in the Senate, the Keystone XL pipeline: they avoided a vote. With the omnibus bill stalled, Obama turned to federal lawyers for advice. He asked what he might do through executive order instead. Such orders aren’t as powerful as a law because they can be cancelled by the next president, or by a court that deems they’ve violated the will of Congress. Still, a president has power. He controls government agencies — including border services. They’ll now be instructed against deporting people who’ve been in the U.S. illegally for more than five years and whose children are legal citizens or residents. Once they www.canadianinquirer.net

pass background checks and pay fees, they would be granted a three-year reprieve from deportation and work permits. Obama will also broaden a 2012 directive that deferred deportation for some young immigrants who entered the country illegally. He will expand the eligibility cutoff three years to 2010, from the current 2007. Mentioning his daughters, Obama said the beneficiaries include children who are as American as Malia and Sasha are — except for the circumstances of their birth. They also work in restaurants, hotels, and construction sites across the country: • According to the Pew Center, unauthorized immigrants represent four per cent of the U.S. population, 5.4 per cent of its workforce, and 6.8 per cent of its school students if you include U.S. citizens born to illegal migrants. • They’re three-quarters Hispanic, with just over half from Mexico. Nearly half live in three southern states — led by California, Texas and Florida. But they’re across the country, with huge numbers also in New York, New Jersey and Illinois. • They make up a whopping 12 per cent of the labour force in Nevada — which is where

Obama will head Friday to make a speech promoting his plan. • This affects the entire labour market — hurting poorer Americans, helping richer ones, and contributing to income inequality, according to different studies by labour economists. Because illegal migrants can’t job-hunt on the open market, they’re forced to take lower salaries, which economists say can drive down pay for their American-born colleagues. “Are we a nation that tolerates the hypocrisy of a system where workers who pick our fruit and make our beds never have a chance to get right with the law?” Obama said. “Or are we a nation that gives them a chance to make amends, take responsibility and give their kids a better future. Are we a nation that accepts the cruelty of ripping children from their parents’ arms or are we a nation that values families and works together to keep them together?” A TV actress emerged this week to share her family’s story. Diane Guerrero, who plays a cameo role in the popular show, “Orange is the New Black,” wrote a piece in the L.A. Times explaining how her family was deported when she was 14. She said she grew up knowing they could disappear at any moment; they’d entered illegally and had failed in persistent attempts to get legal papers. One day, when she got home from school, she found their cars in the driveway but the house empty. “Not a single person at any level of government took any note of me. No one checked to see if I had a place to live or food to eat,” she wrote. “And at 14, I found myself basically on my own.” Because she was born in the U.S., she was allowed to stay. But she said she spent the rest of her youth relying on the kindness of friends’ parents, fearing that she might overstay her welcome and be out on the street. In a tearful appearance on CNN, Guerrero spoke about visiting her family once a year now, in Colombia: “We’ve been separated so long sometimes it feels like we don’t know each other... It hurts.” ■

Immigration

NOVEMBER 28, 2014

FRIDAY

PANGARAP : SO, OUR JOURNEY BEGINS

So, Can You Please Describe Yourself ? BY BOLET AREVALO YOU CAN always turn an interview to your favor if you do your homework. While practice makes perfect, nothing beats knowing yourself and how you fit into the job you are applying for. So your cover letter was good. Your resume successfully found its way into the hands of the right person. You are now on your way to an interview. I am not a very fatalistic individual, but how many of us have such interesting stories to tell about that first job interview falling into our laps like it were falling down from heaven? Whether or not those were the circumstances, there is 101% chance that the first question that will be thrown at us is: Can You Please Describe Yourself? If you are caught off-balanced by this very question, pardon me, but I think you are not ready in any way to go back into the workforce. It is as basic as eating three square meals a day, taking a bath, or going to sleep. After all, I already said that there is 101% chance that you would be asked to respond to this. If you are in the job search game, by this time, you should already have the answer framed in your mind. Certainly, you can have 101 versions of that, too, because there are 101 job descriptions that you will want to respond to. Yet, just like in a cover letter or a resume, there is also standard information that an interviewer will look for in your WAP. WAP is your self-introduction spiel or script. It should contain information on your Work experience and relevant training, your Attributes, and your Passion. WAP should be 90% W, 5% A and 5% P. Ideally, you should be able to recite it in a maximum of sixty seconds. WAP is something you should have framed and memorized so that at any given time that someone winds the key, you can almost automatically recite the one appropriate for the “occasion.” Yes, you just might be compelled to “recite” it in a very casual way, of course, to somebody you meet in an unexpected place. I did it more than a couple of times to some people I met at a Christmas store I did part-time work for. They asked me for a background on what I used to do, obviously a bit impressed at the smartness of how I handled my little job at the store. Your local bookstore and the internet abound with hundreds of possible questions that could be asked of you in an interview. Then, of course, there’s how to

dress up or groom for the much-coveted interview session. But in a workshop I attended in one of Vancouver’s help organizations, we were reminded that there were three significant questions which I think we should really be careful about: One, is when you feel that you are being asked an “illegal” question. “Illegal” questions are those that may relate to your ethnicity, age, marital status, religion, disability or even gender orientation. One of the best responses to this type of question is “I’d be happy to answer the question, but may I know how it is related to the position I am applying for or requirements of the job I am applying for?” Or, “Sure, I’d like to answer that question but can you please tell the reason for asking?” Or, “Is this information necessary for me to be considered for the job?” Say these responses in the most polite way you can, never with a hint of being abrasive or irritated at all. The key is to make sure you do not open the door for these illegal questions by saying too much in answer to a question. That includes not talking “aside” about your personal likes or dislikes or other circumstances that are not relevant to the job. ace up your sleeve. Say, “May I let you Two, know the answer to the question, know by the end of work day tomorrow “Will you be willing to relocate?” The or by (specify a work day, like Wednestruth is, most of us do not want to relocate, day)?” It is best to give yourself at least especially if you have just moved or landed 48 hours to keep to your excitement. in your host country. But it is best that you The other caution is never to accept an don’t reply in the negative at once. One over-the-phone offer. Always go in only good answer is— “I can consider it, if a after you make final negotiations on the good opportunity presents itself.” parameters of the job. Three, know how to respond to the So, while we are on the subject of comquestion on salary expectation. The pensation, almost always when negoquestion does not tiating for a salary, a pop up unless the counter-offer usually prospective emwill not exceed 20% ployer is about ready of the original offer. to decide that they Interviews can be scary, However, it can also want you, usually at but not if you come go anywhere higher the second-level in- prepared. Practice makes depending on how terview. But your re- perfect, but how you urgent the need is ply to this can make describe yourself and for you or how you or break the inter- your fit for the job will have been successful view process that show how well you did at convincing your has worked to your your homework. interviewer that you favour. The first posare badly needed by sible scenario is for the company. you to try to evade There is also anthe question by replying “I am flexible, other way to gain advantage in the nebut can we discuss it when we are both gotiation even if the counter-offer was sure that I am the right fit for the job?” not made or was way below your expecOr, say “I believe I shall be ready with tation. You can ask about or negotiate my reply once I get full briefing on the in terms of the perks or other benefits. duties and responsibilities expected of When we were doing this exercise at the the position.” workshop, I was awed at how creatively Even if you badly need the job, never but realistically those benefits can actusay “yes” on the spot if you are quoted ally be, like bus passes, gym privileges, a price and you sense that you have the discounts or gift cards, daycare centers www.canadianinquirer.net

for kids or elderly, a cell phone or laptop, a company car, gas coupons, hockey tickets, flex time, shorter or fixed working hours . . . and more, as far as one’s imagination goes. It is very important that you exude self-confidence when you get to this point of the interview. Do your homework. Research on salary or pay scale for your position or the job you are applying for so that you will have a concrete idea of what it is you are negotiating for. Again, use your search engine. That is all on the internet. Or, you can ask some friends in the same line of work. Another point I wish to emphasize before we leave this subject is being able to go around negative questions asked of you. For example, if you are asked to describe your best supervisor as well as your worst supervisor. I like what was taught to us in my workshop. First, describe the qualities of your best supervisor and then, proceed to simply say, “And my worst supervisor would be somebody who does not share the qualities of my best supervisor.” In so saying, you do not put yourself into a situation where you need to talk against or negatively about anybody. Most interviewers will pose situational questions and ask you what you would do about them. For example, “Can you think of a time when you had been given ❱❱ PAGE 33 So, Can You

Immigration

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 28, 2014

TANONG MO KAY KUYA BOY

I have been charged with domestic assault KUYA BOY, I have been charged with domestic assault. Can you please explain this criminal charge? Luis from Richmond, BC LUIS, practically 90% of the court cases that I have experienced are related to domestic assault cases. I consulted this topic with one of Vancouver’s top criminal defence lawyers, ATTY. LISA HELPS. You may contact her law firm, HELPS LAW, at 604 879 0006, or visit her office at Unit 606 - 815 Hornby St., Vancouver. Atty. Lisa Helps has generously provided this information. Q. What is domestic assault? A. An “assault” is an “intentional application of force” to someone who doesn’t want it. In plain language, this is a slap, a hit, a push – any time that someone intends to touch another person with force. Any assault that takes place between people in a relationship is a domestic assault. This means it could be husbands and wives, family members, or boyfriends and girlfriends. Usually, it’s people who live together, but not always. Q. What section of the Criminal Code does domestic assault fall under? A. There is no separate section for a domestic assault. A domestic assault is treated differently under the criminal justice system, but it is encompassed in the section for assault – s. 266 of the Criminal Code.

ed, the police will usually take them to jail and they will stay in jail until they can see a judge. The judge will decide whether the accused can be released on three factors: whether the accused will stay in the jurisdiction, whether the accused will commit another crime if they’re released and whether there is a public interest in releasing the accused. If the answer to all three questions is yes, the judge will release the accused. The judge will place conditions on the accused, including not to have contact with the complainant or their family and the accused will have to live away from the family until the matter goes through the court. Sometimes this can be weeks or months. Q. Do you have to pay money for bail? I saw on TV that you do. A. That’s because those television shows are from the United States. In Canada, you only have to pay money if the person has a long criminal record or if they might leave the province and you want to show they won’t go anywhere. It’s a serious error, though, even in those cases, for the judge to set bail higher than the person can pay. Million dollar bails only happen in America, thank goodness!

Q. How does a criminal charge for assault start? A. Criminal Charges for assault start when someone makes a telephone call to the police to report the assault. This could be a neighbor, a friend, an eyewitness, or the person assaulted, who we call the “complainant”. The police go to the complainant and take a statement and they may try to take a statement from the accused as well. If the complainant says that they were assaulted, the police will separate the complainant and the accused by arresting the accused.

Q. What happens next? A. If the person is released, they are given a next date in court, called a “first appearance” date. That first appearance date could be in as little as a couple of days or as long as a few weeks away. In the time between their release and their first appearance date, they have to follow conditions that the judge has set. The Crown is reading the reports from the police, including the statements from the complainant and the family. In British Columbia, if the Crown believes they have a “reasonable likelihood of conviction” (which means they think that the accused can be convicted of intentionally applying force to someone who didn’t want that to happen) then they will agree to put the charge on the person.

Q. What happens once the accused is arrested? A. Once the accused is arrest-

Q. Wait a second! The accused isn’t criminally charged when the police arrest him?

A. In British Columbia, Quebec and New Brunswick, the accused isn’t charged until the first appearance because Crown review the paperwork and ensure that the case is strong. In every other province, the accused is charged by the police at the time when the police arrest him. Q. So what happens at the first appearance? A. The accused and/or their lawyer appears and the Crown lawyer gives them a package of papers, called the “particulars”. The accused is then given a date by which they have to decide whether to plead guilty or go to trial – that appearance is called the “arraignment”. If they have a lawyer, they will make that decision based on talking to the lawyer. Q. Why would an accused go to trial? A. There are all sorts of reasons to go to trial. A domestic assault file often has defences – for example, an accused was defending him or herself or the spouse made it up to get his or her spouse out of the house. The spouses may be getting divorced and one spouse thinks it will help them in family court. It may be that the incident was exaggerated or the witnesses won’t show up for trial. Q. What if the accused doesn’t agree with the bail conwww.canadianinquirer.net

ditions? When can they ask for them to be changed? A. If an accused doesn’t agree with the no contact bail conditions then they (or their lawyer) can ask the Crown Counsel to contact the complainant to see if s/he is willing to have contact, or to allow the children or other family members to have contact. An accused cannot influence that decision and must not make contact to find out if it’s ok to make contact. That could lead to the bail being “breached” and the accused could end up in jail until a trial. It is considered a serious breach of conduct. Q. What kind of penalties happen in a domestic violence case? A. Upon a guilty plea or a conviction (finding of guilty after a trial), the penalty depends on the force used, whether the two people have a history of violence, their relationship and a lot of other factors. The Supreme Court of Canada has said that sentencing is an “individualized process” and this is very true in domestic violence cases. Sentences can range from a discharge (which results in no criminal record, despite a conviction) to a jail sentence. Q. Do I need a lawyer to fight a domestic violence charge? A. I would recommend having a lawyer. It’s easier to have a lawyer speaking for you in court and talking about family

matters which are usually very emotional. A lawyer knows the criminal justice system and the Crown Counsel and can protect you from any unfairness in the system. Q. What should I do if I can’t afford a lawyer? A. It depends on the province. Type “[your province] and “legal aid” into a search engine and you can reach your provincial legal aid plan which helps people that can’t afford a lawyer. Sometimes a lawyer can be provided for you. If your provincial legal aid rejects you for some reason, you can always ask them where you can get “probono” services. “Pro Bono” is a phrase derived from “Pro Bono Publico”, a Latin phrase meaning “for the public good” – it means a free legal service. These differ by province. Also, law schools usually have a pro bono program, so if you are near a law school you can call them for assistance. ■ 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

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 28, 2014

Entertainment

He’s no longer the same SYM–and he doesn’t care what critics say

The renowned Canada-based artist and cofounder of the Dimasalang Group, back in his hometown Cebu for a oneman show, considers his controversial change in style ‘part of the growth process’ BY CATHY CANARES-YAMSUAN Philippine Daily Inquirer SURROUNDED BY his paintings, Sofronio Ylanan Mendoza eats lunch, alone and quietly, in his condominium unit in Metro Manila one early afternoon. The Canada-based artist flew into town recently. He is prepping for his first major one-man show in his hometown Cebu. SYM, as friends and fans fondly refer to him, is obviously excited. “This exhibit is a showcase of what I have done for the past 50 years,” the 80-year-old grandfather explains. There will be pieces in the realistic style that had made him a presence in the arts scene—as mover and founder of the Dimasalang Group in the 1960s. Most of the works to be sent to Cebu, however, are huge canvases done abroad, in a style that he developed and dubbed New Millennium Cubism. One painting propped up against a desk features local vegetables like an eggplant and string beans. Yes, the vegetables are on canvas, but they appear to exist on different planes. A red fruit and a pitcher are not round but multifaceted, and seem to be cut diagonally. “The subject is not important anymore. It is how I treat the subjects. I dissect them interestingly to make them profound and complex,” he says. SYM points to a spot where a basket is highlighted. “The basket is round. The background is also round, so that the roundness of the basket radiates and expands. This shape should be repeated somewhere else. The eggplant is also rounded to repeat the shape.

Privilege

THE ARTIST. Sofronio Ylanan Mercado, fondly called SYM, uses his palm and fingers to demonstrate

compositions and design. ALEXIS CORPUZ / PDI

“Ang kontra ngayon dito is a geometric figure. When the round figure is beside something sharp, the curve is stressed by the angular contrast,” he explains. SYM says the complexity of the images stems from how he paints them “in dissected space.” He then refers to Russian painters Kazimir Malevich and Wassily Kandinsky as inspirations. Complexity

“Malevich talked of space in nonspace,” says SYM. “The complexity is in how I arranged the shapes interestingly and in a personal way. I thought about how it was to be done while I was doing it at the time.” SYM likens his work to music that “also has repetition of sound and rhythm. So in art, shapes are also rhythmic; sharp edges can be repeated all around. So there are two movements— round and sharp,” he explains. He talks of what he perceives as violent opposition from certain sectors in the local arts scene, following his shift from the

realistic and figurative style taught by his maestro, Martino Abellana (a protégé of Fernando Amorsolo) in Cebu in the late 1950s, to his current one. SYM says the evolution began in 2002 in Canada, where his family migrated in the early 1980s. After decades of painting landscapes, portraits and various commissioned works, he began to dabble in images of vegetables in the cubist style and incorporated components of the mythical sarimanok in the background “to produce a swirling effect.” “I wanted to include our cultural background and fuse it into my art. I wanted it to be sariling atin (homegrown), and not simply adopted from the style of foreign painters,” he notes. SYM says many in the audience voiced their opposition to the shift. “Ang bago kong nilabas, hindi na maintindihan. Ang ganda raw ng luma kong style, bakit sinira ko (My new works can’t be understood. They said my old style was already good, so why did I change it).” SYM recalls an interview with National Artist for Literature F. Sionil Jose, who reportedly asked “why I went to modern art when marunong naman akong mag-drawing. Sabi ko, hindi naman porke modern ibig sabihin hindi ka marunong magdrawing (I knew how to draw. I told them that being a modern artist doesn’t mean I cannot draw).” SYM maintains that Pablo Picasso, a renowned Spanish painter who blazed trails in cubism, drew anatomically correct figures.

He says his shift is part of a growth process that cannot be suppressed by observers and market forces. “My talent is a gift, and I told Jose that to be able to change is a privilege not accorded everyone. One day, I will leave this planet and never come back, so I intend to use this privilege,” he says. SYM has accepted that change anticipates controversy. “I don’t care, as long as I’m happy with what I’m doing. Kung ‘di nila magustuhan, pasensya na (If they don’t like it, I’m sorry),” he shrugs. Noted art dealer Didi Dee says SYM has always preferred to swim against the tide. His nonchalant attitude towards critics should not be surprising. Meanwhile, writer/artist Alejandro Roces, author of the coffeetable book on SYM, “The Power of Struggle,” noted his fighter’s instinct early on. Roces traced this to the time Abellana, the first mentor based in Carcar, Cebu, urged SYM to go to Manila to further his craft. SYM, then in his late 20s, managed to scrimp P25 and applied for a scholarship at the University of the Philippines’ College of Fine Arts in Diliman. Professor Tomas Bernardo told the young man his lack of a permanent address forced judges to declare a runnerup as winner. Sleeping with pigs

Undaunted, SYM returned to Manila a year later with P5 in his pocket and a third-class boat pass that allowed him to sleep with pigs traveling via Aboitiz Shipping from Cebu. Bored during the trip, SYM volunteered to draw the deck pursers who, impressed with his work, spread word around the ship about the talented artist holed up in the top deck. News reached the captain, who summoned SYM to his cabin. After seeing the drawing handed to him, the captain, only known as Rodriguez, offered SYM accommodations in his plush residence near the Jai Alai building along Taft Avenue. But SYM would have none of it. Living a more challenging life, one exposed to harsh realities and harder choices, was part of his agenda in Manila. ❱❱ PAGE 34 He's no longer

Entertainment

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 28, 2014

Lani to Charice: ‘Just continue on; keep on singing’ despite critical Pinoys BY ANGIE DUARTE Philippine Canadian Inquirer MANILA — Lani Misalucha, Filipina singer-performer who has made a name for herself in Las Vegas, gave her two-cents worth to industry colleague, Charice Pempengco: pursue your passion and keep singing for your fellow-Filipinos, Misalucha said. Pempengco recently expressed her misgivings about the “bullying” she has been receiving from the Filipino audience, who seem to find satisfaction in criticizing the singer on personal matters; such as looks, English proficiency, and sexual orientation. Misalucha encouraged Pempengco, and emphasized that the latter should not lose heart for Filipino viewers. “Ganito na lang siguro. Kung ako si Charice [at] nangyari sa akin ‘yon, ang gagawin ko na lang is to continue on. Parang kunyari, sa [magkasintahan], kunyari ‘yung lalaki ay nagkaroon ng kasalanan doon sa ba-

bae at ‘yung babae ay ayaw na siyang tanggapin. Eh gusto mo talagang bumalik sa girlfriend mo, ano ang gagawin mo? You just have to exert extra effort for you to win her back. It’s just that. If you really love that person, you just have to do everything for you to get her back. Parang ganoon lang ‘yon. ‘Yun lang ang nakikita kong analogy (Let’s put it this way. If I were Charice and that happened to me, what I would do is to continue on. Let’s pretend it is a romantic relationship, and the boy commits a grievance against the girl, and she no longer wants to accept him. But you really want to get back together with your girlfriend, what will you do? You just have to exert extra effort for you to win her back. It’s just that. If you really love that person, you just have to do everything for you to get her back. It’s just like that. That’s the analogy I see.),” she said. “You just have to continue and go on. If you feel that the people don’t like you anymore, keep on singing for them,” Mis-

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alucha added. A few months ago, Pempengco took to social media to express her feelings, and her doubts as to whether her fellow-nationals are truly proud of what she has achieved through the years. Pempengco said she has, on

I’m different from Janine says Erich Gonzales BY LEI FONTAMILLAS Philippine Canadian Inquirer M A NILA — Erich Gonzales r e cently revealed that she has been getting ire from the viewers of “Two Wives” because of her character Janine. Janine is the other woman of Jason Abad in the series.

His real wife is Yvonne who is played by Kaye Abad. The 24-year-old actress said that the “hate” validates her acting skills. “Someone once told me that if the viewers are affected by what they see onscreen, it means that you are doing a good job playing your character. So I’m happy even if I have bashers,” said Gonzales. When asked if she has similarities with her character, she quickly said no. “Janine and I are very different from each other. I will not pursue someone who does not like me,” said Gonzales who is currently in a relationship with her non-showbiz boyfriend. ■ www.canadianinquirer.net

occasion, endured “bullying” from Filipino viewers despite her success on the international music scene. She revealed that she dreads checking on her social media accounts — especially after she appears as a guest on local television shoes — because of the

flood of critical comments, targeting her as a person. “Nakikipag sapalaran [ako] sa bansang ‘di ko naman kinalakihan. Napasama ako sa mga malalaking TV shows, pero pagdating ko dito, iba parin ang hinahanap as akin, iba parin ang nilalait sa akin — pananalita ko, itsura ko, mga sinusuot ko, buhok ko, sekswalidad ko, buhay ko, lahat na (I try my fortune in countries I did not grow up in. I even became part of big TV shows, but then I come back here, and people look for something different from me, and they criticize me for other things—the way I speak, the way I look, my hair, my sexuality, my life, everything.).” Pempengco posted on her Instagram account. In June 2013, Pempengco made waves when she “came out of the closet;” admitting in an interview on “The Buzz” that she is a lesbian. Although this admission brought an end to months of speculation and rumours on the matter, it fueled a barrage of criticism, as well. ■

So, Can You... an impossible deadline and how did you handle it?” Whatever, situation question asked of you, remember the STAR formula. S for Situation, describe it briefly. T for Task, what were you expected to do. A for Action, how you handled the situation. And R for Result, describe how the situation was resolved to the benefit of the company. You sense an interview coming to an end when the interviewer turns to you and asks whether you wanted to ask something. Do not refuse to ask your questions. But to be safe, limit them to questions like: When will they be able to inform you of the result of the interview? Is it OK to call or email to follow up on the status of the application? Sending a thank you card or email message to your interviewer immediately after the interview will work to your favour in terms of exuding courtesy and professionalism. That same ❰❰ 30

thank you note or message may also serve to clarify some of your answers in the last interview and as a last sales pitch to your skills and qualifications. Interviews can be scary, but not if you come prepared. Practice makes perfect, but how you describe yourself and your fit for the job will show how well you did your homework. Stay positive all throughout, refuse to be intimidated, and express thanks for the time of the interviewer immediately after the interview. ■ Bolet is a marketing communications practitioner and dabbles in writing as a personal passion. She is author-publisher of the book: The Most Practical Immigrating and Job Hunting Survival Guide, proven simple steps to success without the fears and the doubts. Please check out https://www.amazon.com/ author/boletarevalo

Entertainment

NOVEMBER 28, 2014 FRIDAY

He’s no longer... A referral from Abellana opened doors to decrepit ateliers in Ermita. SYM was immediately welcomed. A young colleague, Fred Villanueva, eventually invited him to his home in Bulacan. Villanueva’s father Ulpiano, aka Amang, was very impressed with SYM’s talent and sent him to the University of Santo Tomas to study Fine Arts, while offering him accommodations in Bulacan. In turn, SYM supervised Amang’s sign shop—Vilco Applied Arts Shop—along Dimasalang Street in Sampaloc. With Villanueva and other painters, including a fresh-offthe-boat Carcar native named Romulo Galicano, SYM painted jeepney signs, billboards and political campaign posters. SYM later transferred school to the University of the East, which he represented in several major art competitions, including an on-the-spot art contest for art students sponsored by Shell. He came home with the P500 grand prize that he turned over to Amang. Vilco’s then unknown artists went on to attract art lovers including business executives, Imelda Marcos’ blue groupies and a certain Don Luis Araneta, who raided Vilco’s premises one time and bought everything on sight. SYM married Amang’s daughter Elena (Ely). Some time later, newspaper editor and visual artist E. Aguilar “Abe” Cruz became acquainted with SYM and the Vilco gang. The two gentlemen formed the first Dimasalang Group of artists that later spawned two more, including a third that SYM established in Canada when he settled there. SYM would return to the Philippines several times to hold exhibits and give art lectures. There were also visits to Cebu, but never for a one-man show. “All these complexities in my ❰❰ 32

Gab Valenciano’s ‘Super Selfie’ style featured in Beyonce’s new music video BY ANGIE DUARTE Philippine Canadian Inquirer MANILA — These days, Gab Valenciano — dancer, as well as son of Mr. Pure Energy himself, Gary V. — is perhaps bestknown for his “Super Selfies;” short video clips which feature Gab’s trademark dance moves and offbeat sense of humour. Gab began making and uploading Super Selfies in August 2013, and has since developed quite a large following for his quirky, often zany, homemade dance videos which feature funky dance moves and a distinct editing style. Recently, a music video uploaded by Grammy award-winning singer-dancer-actress Beyonce had viewers speculating about the similarities of the video’s concept and choreography to Gab Valenciano’s “Super Selfies.” The R&B superstar’s music video for her latest single “7/11”

had the Super Selfie author’s signature all over it, and fans wondered if Beyonce had maybe stolen the concept from Gab. Gab’s posts on social media provide some insight into the matter, and reveal that Beyonce’s new music video was not ripped-off from the young dancer’s Super Selfies; but was, rather, inspired by them. Via his Instagram and Facebook accounts account, Gab posted a segment of Beyonce’s video clip, which featured the latter doing a set of dance moves, including the former’s trademark “kneel-and-throwhands-up-in-the-air” step. He posted this caption with the video clip: “So this just happened. Still pretty overwhelmed. Check out the whole video on Beyonce.com #blessed #regram @beyonce” On his Facebook account, as well, Gab said in a post made on November 22: “Hi everyone, this has been a very sur-

real season for me, and today is quite special. This video, which apparently was inspired by my videos, is now out. I was told that she herself watched my videos and asked to bring me onboard the creative process. Unbelievable. To God be all glory. Thanks for the support everyone! Still can’t believe it. #superselfie” Gab’s aunt, Maria Rita Cecilia Arenas, also confirmed that the moves were not used without permission. “Gab was officially consulted by her (Beyonce’s) team, so the signature moves weren’t stolen. They were authorized,” Arenas said. Gab’s Super Selfies have all together been viewed millions of times, and have received attention overseas, as well. The Huffington Post, just one publication that carried the dance videos, featured Gab’ Footloose Super Selfie, as well as one he made with his dad. ■

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current work, hindi nangyari nang isang araw lang (it did not happen overnight). It was a slow evolution of personality, vision and concept until such time na nag-manifest sa trabaho (that it manifested in the work),” SYM points out. The issue of marketability comes up. It’s possible, he says, that an artist attains a level of comfort that makes it difficult for him to think of change. In this situation, SYM wonders whether the artist could be capable of producing “another work of art better in terms of innovation and physical beauty.” “May artists na hanggang sa mamatay, pare-pareho ang trabaho. Babae sa ilalim ng puno ng mangga, paulit-ulit. Meron namang ibang artist, nabibili ang gawa, saleable ang gawa pero nawala ang creativity... Inuulitulit na lang dahil ‘yun ang madaling mabenta (There are artists whose style remain the same until death. A woman under a mango tree, it’s repetitive. There are also artists who create works that sell, but their creativity is compromised... They repeat the style that is profitable),” he says. The challenge remains how to do something creatively. And if such requires change, so be it. He adds that even while he was still Abellana’s apprentice, “aware na ako na maiiba ang gawa ko kesa sa aking maestro (I am aware that my other works will differ from my maestro), but at the start, you cannot avoid that your work is influenced by your maestro. But as you said, the influence of Abellana is no longer that visible in my current work, except for my use of color. He taught me modulation, paano mag-produce ng malinis na color. Merong mga batas or system on how your color can be clean (how to produce clean colors. There are rules or systems on how your color can be clean). “Change always courts controversy,” SYM says. “But controversy is temporary.” ■

Entertainment

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 28, 2014

Ghomeshi reaches agreement with CBC, withdraws lawsuit against broadcaster BY DIANA MEHTA The Canadian Press TORONTO — Scandal-plagued former radio host Jian Ghomeshi has reached an agreement with the CBC to withdraw his $55-million lawsuit against the public broadcaster, a CBC spokesman said on Tuesday. Ghomeshi was fired by the CBC last month amid allegations of “abusive behaviour” from numerous women — claims which he has denied. The 47-year-old former “Q” radio host launched his lawsuit a day after the termination of his employment, alleging defamation and breach of confidence in his statement of claim. The CBC then argued in court filings earlier this month that Ghomeshi’s allegations were frivolous or vexatious, and urged a court to dismiss the suit. CBC spokesman Chuck Thompson confirmed that law-

yers for both sides have now reached an agreement. “The suit is being withdrawn with costs in favour of CBC,” he said. “He’s getting nothing.” Ghomeshi is expected to pay $18,000 in legal costs to the CBC, Thompson said. The agreement still needs to be formalized through a court — a step Thompson said is expected in the near future. Ghomeshi had also filed a union grievance against the CBC alleging dismissal without cause, a matter which Thompson said still remains active. “That’s the next piece,” he said. “That process still needs to unfold.” A lawyer for Ghomeshi could not immediately be reached for comment. The CBC has said it decided to fire Ghomeshi after seeing “graphic evidence” that he had physically injured a woman. Since his dismissal, nine women have come forward

with allegations, some dating back a decade, that Ghomeshi sexually or physically assaulted them, and police are investigating complaints by at least three of them. Ghomeshi — who faces no charges — admitted in a lengthy Facebook post published on Oct. 26, the day he was fired, that he engaged in “rough sex,” but insisted his encounters with women were consensual. In a follow-up post a few days later, he said he would meet the flurry of allegations against him “directly,” but has not made any public statements since. The allegations against Ghomeshi led the CBC to launch an independent investigation into the scandal, a process that is being spearheaded by a Toronto employment lawyer with expertise in workplace harassment. The CBC has urged anyone who worked on any of Ghomeshi’s shows to contact lead in-

www.canadianinquirer.net

Jian Ghomeshi.

vestigator Janice Rubin with any complaints, concerns or experiences involving harassment, discrimination, violence or other inappropriate workplace conduct.

STACEY NEWMAN / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

The broadcaster has also begun its search for a permanent replacement for Ghomeshi on “Q” and is looking at possibly changing the name of the program in the future. ■

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 28, 2014

Lifestyle

Unhealthy lifestyle of Filipinos causes high premature deaths BY RHAYDZ B. BARCIA Philippine News Agency LEGAZPI CITY — The unhealthy lifestyle of the Filipinos — such as smoking, alcohol drinking and eating of highly fatty, salty and sugar-rich foods — is advancing the premature deaths of multi-million Filipinos, an official of the Food and Nutrition Research Institute of the Department of Science and Technology said. Dr. Zenaida V. Narciso, FNRI chief science research specialist, told members of the Department of Science and Technology-Nutrition Communication Network (DOST V-Nutricomnet) here over the weekend that smoking and alcohol drinking are the most dangerous and unhealthy forms of lifestyle of the Filipinos that trigger premature deaths, especially at prime age. The DOST V-Nutricomnet is a group of national government agencies and private media practitioners with specialization on science and environment. Narciso said 25 percent of 100 million Filipinos are smokers while one of two Filipino adults is alcohol drinker. She cited a study that showed that 7 in 10 male adults are drinkers and 3 in 10 female adults drink. For the smoking habit, one in four Filipino adults is smoker and topping the list are males. “If you love yourself, don’t start smoking. If you love your family, stop smoking because your family is at great risk as

second-hand smokers where the effect is graver due to second-hand exposure. Twentyfive percent of Filipino adults are smokers,” Narciso said. She added that more than nine million of all deaths considered premature occur at prime age or before 60 years old. “Ninety percent takes place in low and middle-income countries. The global trend for non-communicable disease (NCD)-caused annual deaths showed that cardiovascular diseases ranked first with 17.3 million annually; followed by cancer, with 7.6 million; respiratory diseases, 4.2 million, and diabetes, 1.3 million,” Narciso said. The risk factor of NCDs, according to her, is personal behavior or lifestyle, environmental exposure or inherited characteristic associated with increase occurrence of condition. Narciso said the risk factors to NCDs in Philippines based on national nutrition survey from 2008 to 2013 showed that 67 percent of total deaths in 2012 were due to cardiovascular diseases, cancer, respiratory illnesses and diabetes. She said that five in 10 Filipino adults have borderline-to-high-cholesterol levels wherein more males went to ashes early due to unhealthy lifestyle compared to females. It said two in 10 Filipino adults have high blood pressure even at early age or 20 years old. Among the reasons why NCDs are increasing in the

Eating unhealthy foods, smoking, and alcohol drinking are the most dangerous and unhealthy forms of lifestyle of the Filipinos that trigger premature deaths, especially at prime age. SHUTTERSTOCK

country are high consumption of unhealthy foods, smoking, alcohol drinking, obesity, high consumption of foods rich in sugar, fat and salt but with insufficient physical activities and low fruit and vegetable intake. Globally, more than 36 million people are killed each year due to NCDs and this occurred in low and middle-in-

come countries with 29 million deaths. She explained that the risk factor that cannot be reduced or controlled by intervention are age, sex, race and family history. “But the NCDs’ chronic conditions can be modified if only the people will be physically active, avoid tobacco use or smoking, lessen alcohol intake

and avoid unhealthy diets,” the DOST official advised. In 2020, about 44 million people globally, she said, will be gone into ashes due to increasing number of NCDs such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, respiratory diseases and diabetes specifically in developing countries, including the middle income countries, if unhealthy lifestyle will not be checked ■

Lifestyle

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 28, 2014

Cold water makes natural Canadian sea salt unique: very white and clean BY SUSAN GREER The Canadian Press LONDON, ONT. — Sea salt has been harvested around the world for centuries, but even though Canada has oceans on three sides, commercial sea salt production began here just five years ago. “We don’t have the climate (extended hot sunny weather) to produce a lot of it,” says Peter Burt, owner of the Newfoundland Salt Co. in St. John’s. “Now we’re at a point where technology can overcome the challenges of the weather.” Andrew Shepherd of Cobble Hill, B.C., was the first producer here and his Vancouver Island Salt Co. is the biggest. His two “sauniers” — sea salt harvesters — pump about 28,000 litres of seawater a week, always at high tide when the water is cleanest.

After filtering, it goes into three large steam kettles. They boil it down by three-quarters, fill the kettles and repeat the process over and over for three or four days until “the water can’t hold the salt anymore — it’s too highly concentrated. “At that stage, we allow the fleur de sel — the flower of the salt — to form on top of the water and skim that out. Then we boil the rest of the water off and the bottom of the pots are full of salt.” After being drained and airdried for four or five days, it can be flavoured or packaged as is. Shepherd produces 365 to 450 kilograms of salt a week. Initially he used wood to heat his kettles but after two years switched to bio-diesel made from recycled cooking oil. “We actually have an environmental rating of beyond carbon neutral.”

He calls fleur de sel “the most prized sea salt in the world” because of its smooth taste, and the most expensive. “Ours has a bit of a crunch and a little flake because of the colder climate, but that’s really specific to our fleur de sel.” Fleur de sel is the only kind of sea salt Burt makes, but in much smaller quantities. He started in 2012 and has been selling salt since June. He first hauled water out of the ocean with a bucket, but eventually connected with Memorial University, which pumps huge amounts of water from Logy Bay, north of St. John’s, for oceanographic research. Burt takes only 300 litres at a time, which yields about six kilograms of high-quality salt. He also uses a rapid boil to reduce the 300 litres to 16 litres over two days, then puts it on a very low heat for 24 to 48 hours.

“That’s when I produce salt.” Ward George of New Harbour, on Newfoundland’s Trinity Bay, believes his Pure Sea Salt Co. is the only Canadian firm using solar power to produce sea salt. He lives so close to the bay that he pumps water through a hose directly to a greenhouse and

into a large container lined with food-grade rubber to a depth of no more than 7.6 centimetres. The sun evaporates it by about 50 per cent, then he moves it to a smaller holder to reduce further and finally to tables to dry. It is ❱❱ PAGE 41 Cold water

For a fresh holiday look, try the asymmetry, space, naturalism of Japan’s ikebana BY KATHERINE ROTH The Associated Press HOLIDAY DECORATIONS in the U.S. are often symmetrical: Two candles on either side of the mantel, a round wreath in the centre of the door, a centerpiece with matching sprigs of holly and pine on each side. The ancient Japanese art of ikebana, or flower arranging, can provide festive sparkle and colour, too, with a much more modern feel. “The three basic tenets are line, movement and open space,” said Eileen Kay, a retired elementary-school teacher in Boulder, Colorado, who has been studying ikebana for years. “Most people go to the store and buy a bunch of flowers. But there’s no line. The line could be a piece of ivy, a ribbon, anything that lends itself to visual flow.” Mastering ikebana requires years of training, and there are many methods of approaching the art. The Sogetsu school

of flower arranging, one of the largest and most accessible, teaches that anyone can arrange ikebana and with almost anything. Even for the uninitiated, a few basic tools and principles are sufficient to begin experimenting at home with this different esthetic — just in time for holiday decor. “The biggest difference between Western arrangements and ikebana is asymmetry,” said Kimi Quinn, a Sogetsu-certified practitioner who has been designing ikebana arrangements in the U.S. and Japan for over 20 years. “Ikebana is about capturing the universe and nature. Nothing in the natural world is symmetrical.” In ikebana, the empty space between branches is as important as the branches themselves. “It’s like that Zen question asking about the sound of one hand clapping. The answer is silence. Space,” Quinn said. Many ikebana arrangements mix and match tall tree branch-

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

es and much smaller flowers with no perfectly vertical or horizontal lines, plenty of space in between and, if a low dish is used, the water often in view. To begin, all that’s needed is a heavy pin board (kenzan) or a block of flower-arranging sponge, available at craft and floral-supply stores, and a low salad bowl or platter. The container should be filled with just enough water to barely cover the pin board or sponge. You might start with a decowww.canadianinquirer.net

rative branch for a long defining line, a medium flower or branch and a shorter flower, and a large leaf or some other small flower to help cover the pin board. For the holidays, bare branches painted silver, gold or white are a good choice, as are pine, holly or even red roses. In general, “the longest stem should be twice as long as the container is wide,” Quinn said. “The medium stem should be around three-quarters the length of the longer branch,

and the shorter stem should be around half the length of the medium stem.” Before arranging the stems and branches, trim excess foliage, and trim the stems while they are submerged in water. They should be clipped at an angle for tree branches and straight across for flower stems, Quinn said. “You don’t just stick them straight down into the pin board,” she said. “You angle them in different directions, some backward and others forward, to give some depth and perspective. Pay attention to the curve of the lines, and the spaces between the lines.” Think about the beauty of the natural forms, and allow your personality and feeling to come through, Quinn said. Ikebana displays typically last only three to five days. “It’s so sad when they go because I’ve put so much heart into them,” Quinn said. “But appreciating that fleeting beauty is really the essence of what it’s all about.” ■

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 28, 2014

Business

World Bank Group’s New Strategy to Benefit Bicol’s Rural Poor; Improving Students’ Math and Reading Skills Also a Priority PHILIPPINE NEWS AGENCY

commitment to support government efforts that directly help the rural poor, including those in the Bicol Region,” said World Bank Country Director Motoo Konishi during a multistakeholder dialogue on the CPS via videoconference today. “The project will encourage farmers and fisherfolk to increase and diversify production

MANILA — Rural infrastructure projects worth one billion pesos (P1.12 billion) are slated for implementation in the Bicol Region under the new Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) to be launched by President Benigno S. Aquino III this week. Implemented by the DepartWe want to demonstrate our ment of Agriculcommitment to support ture nationwide, government efforts that directly PRDP is curhelp the rural poor. rently the biggest government project supported by the World and to engage in value-adding Bank Group under its new activities that can increase Country Partnership Strategy their income. Investments in (CPS) endorsed by the Bank rural infrastructure will benGroup’s Board of Executive Di- efit Bicolano producers, tradrectors this year. The US8.25 ers, and the rural population million project aims to improve through better transport infrathe productivity of small farm- structure, reduced travel time, ers and fisherfolk and expand and improved access to martheir access to markets. kets,” Mr. Konishi added. In the Bicol Region, the PRDP In addition to PRDP, elemenwill provide farm-to-market tary education in Bicol Region roads as well as livelihood proj- is also a priority under the Bank ects for farmers and fisherfolk. Group’s new CPS. The municipalities that will di“Currently under implemenrectly benefit from these farm- tation here in Bicol Region is to-market roads include Basud, the Learning, Equity, and AcSta. Elena, Jose Panganiban, countability Program SupLibmanan, Mercedes, Oas, Pas- port (LEAPS) Project, a new acao, and Sipocot. USD300 million nationwide Other parts of the country project designed to improve will also benefit from infra- the basic skills of students in structure projects including reading and mathematics,” said farm-to-market roads, bridges, Ms. Maribelle S. Zonaga, World tire tracks, communal irriga- Bank Senior Country Operation, potable water systems, tions Officer. post-harvest facilities, produc“This complements existtion facilities, fish landings, fish ing programs on education and sanctuaries, storage facilities, health here in the region — the trading posts, green houses, Pantawid Pamilya that provides solar driers, and slope stabiliza- incentives for families to keep tion works. their children in school and “With our support of PRDP have regular health checks,” she we want to demonstrate our added.

Ms. Zonaga said that the World Bank Group is a longterm partner of the Philippines and the Bicol Region. She said that the Bank Group, under its new CPS, will support government projects in the following areas: Transparent and accountable governance: strengthening public financial management, improving fiscal transparency and financial accountability, and supporting greater demand from citizens for government accountability. Empowerment of the poor and vulnerable: improving health and education outcomes, strengthening social protection and ensuring the availability of more timely and improved measurements of poverty. Rapid, inclusive and sustained economic growth: promoting economic policy reform for inclusive growth, boosting private sector development by improving the investment climate for firms of all sizes, including greater access to finance, and increasing productivity and job creation, especially in rural areas. Climate change, environment, and disaster risk management: increasing physical, financial and institutional resilience to natural disasters and climate change impacts, and improving natural resource management and sustainable development. Peace, institution building, and social and economic opportunity: supporting social and economic development in conflict-affected regions in Mindanao, including the Bangsamoro. ■

Solar Philippines targets 100 MWs for 2015 BY JUZEL L. DANGANAN Philippine News Agency MANILA — As the Luzon summer reserve deficit comes nearer and nearer, Solar Philippines targets 100 Megawatts (MWs) worth of photovoltaic installations by 2015, according to Solar Philippines Founder Leandro Leviste. "Without overplaying our target, there is a potential for us to do over 100 MWs in projects in 2015," Leviste told reporters. He added the projects are estimated to be more than one dozen or about two dozen, powered by 400,000 panels. The industrial ones are mostly located in the eco-zones South of Manila, along with two projects in Robinsons Palawan at 1.2 MWs and City Mall Roxas in Capiz at 0.6 MWs. The Solar Philippines Founder had not given a figure for the 100 MW projects, but said it will be equivalent to a lot of investments. Leviste attributed the growing demand to alleviate the projected increase in electrical consumptions, hinted by the Luzon reserve shortage from March to June. "This is really because there is so much demand for ways to cut people’s electricity costs, given especially next year’s high power rates," he said. He said that the reduction of

costs in the long term, makes up for the one-time expensive investment, adding that the annual return the consumer will receive will be about 20 percent. "But that’s true, whatever you do to reduce the costs, the upfront installation of solar panels is expensive. But you’re getting a 20 percent annual return," the Solar Philippines Founder said. Moreover, Leviste also added that the use of solar panel units is cheaper than using prepaid electricity. On the other hand, he stressed that the potential for installing photovoltaic units in houses, is better than big establishments, due to the commercial charging at 9 pesos per kwh and residential at Php 13-14 per kWh. He cited a 50 percent higher better return. However, the residential installations are harder to apply, according to Leviste, due to the size impact in which a big organization has to intervene in a thousand home installations per month. Solar Philippines’ first project is the Binan Mall, launched on September, an installation of 700 kilowatthours (kWh), while its more recent project is the 1.5 MW installation at Sm North Edsa switched on Monday. The company is the largest Southeast Asian developer of rooftoop power plant projects. ■

SOLAR PHILIPPINES

Business

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 28, 2014

10 Haiyan... especially when earning money was already very, very difficult.” Razel Espedilla (BS Accountancy IV), also confirmed that the typhoon significantly affected their lives. “We are left with reduced income while confronted with the more expensive cost of living after the typhoon.” John Andrew Acala (BA Social Sciences Political Science I) added, “My family income is no longer enough to defray the growing expenses especially those relating to my studies.” .Sharmaine Joy Enales, (BA Social Sciences Poilitical Science IV – graduating) meanwhile, said, “Yolanda made it even harder for my mother raising six children in the absence of my father. We used to get a little income from a portion of my grandfather’s earnings from coconuts. Now, this source is gone because of the heavy devastation caused by the typhoon.” Carolyn Pestilos (BS Management I) another recipient revealed, “My father is a food vendor at LNHS canteen. He used to sell snacks such as camote / banana cue and fruits such as Indian mango, rambutan, santol, etc. Since the agricultural sector was devastated by the Typhoon Yolanda, these commodities have become temporarily unavailable.” Wendell Saucelo, (BS Management II) meanwhile shared how the disaster affected them especially his mom. “It’s very hard because we had many concerns to attend to after the disaster and my mother had a mental health condition that needed attention. We had to seek help outside Tacloban since we couldn’t find adequate facilities in the city.” Shaira Wayne Tano (BA Social Sciences Economics I) also shared, “Our family earnings come only from the income my mother gets from selling ❰❰ 28

BlackBerry is launching a phone trade program this December, where Apple iPhone users of various models can trade their units in for up to $400 in trade-in value, as well as a $200 top-up. WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

BlackBerry says it’ll pay iPhone customers up to $600 to switch phones THE CANADIAN PRESS WATERLOO, ONT. — BlackBerry (TSX:BB) will pay you to use its new smartphone. The Waterloo, Ont.,-based company is launching a phone trade program starting on Dec. 1 to lure Apple iPhone users. BlackBerry says those who have an iPhone 4S, 5, 5C, 5S, and

6 can get up to $400 of trade-in value, and an additional $200 top up, if they switch to the keyboard-equipped BlackBerry Passport. The technology company launched the BlackBerry Passport in September, aimed at appealing to corporate customers with its large-screen and keyboard. It will release another model,

the BlackBerry Classic, which is a new take on its popular older keyboard smartphones, on Dec. 17. BlackBerry is in the midst of a turnaround plan that has involved CEO John Chen scaling back the size of the company while refocusing its priorities on corporate clients, rather than the consumer market. ■

EXCHANGE RATES

banana cue as my father’s disability makes him incapacitated. Our already fragile situation worsened due to typhoon Yolanda. It was more difficult to buy bananas due to high market prices.” Jojo Pabunan, (BA Social Sciences Economics IV) meanwhile tries to remain positive, “Despite all the things the typhoon brought, we remained optimistic. The catastrophic event eventually encouraged us in the family to make every moment meaningful. It deepened our emotional and spiritual ties. Jasper Aldous Abesamis, (BS Computer Science I) also committed not to waste the opportunity. He said that the bursary “will be another inspiration for me. I will surely be more hardworking and will put all my attention to all my priorities in school…Surpassing my limits if I need to, I will finish any school activity or class requirement assigned to me before its deadline. Rest assured that the financial support not be squandered, misspend, or misused — every single centavo shall be spent wisely and right.” The bursary for these 10 recipients was made possible through the efforts of UPAAMB, Inc. especially the Fundraising Committee which held a Breakfast fundraiser and the Bursary Committee which communicated and organized the bursary process with UP Tacloban Office of Student Affairs. “The bursary project is a good mechanism to give back to our alma mater,” Arwin Chua, Bursary Committee head said. UPAA-MB, Inc. would like to thank supporters of the fundraiser. Gratitude is also extended to Prof. Zenia Mariveles, coordinator of UPVTC Office of Student Affairs; Dr. Anita Cular, UPVTC Dean, who facilitated the bursary process; and I-Remit which waived fees ($60) for five transactions of the bursary remittance. ■

As of November 26, 2014, from finance.yahoo.com

PRICE

CHANGE

% CHANGE

CND / USD

1.1269

+0.0013

+0.1124%

CND / PHP

39.8712

-0.0809

-0.2025%

CND / EUR

1.4051

+0.0010

+0.0712%

www.canadianinquirer.net

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 28, 2014

Travel BY CONSTANTINO C. TEJERO Philippine Daily Inquirer

Rearing rampant

Imagine our surprise then to find it’s not just a lake but a whole town, a firstclass municipality with 19 barangays of some 100,000 people, 68 percent of which are indigenous (T’boli, Ubo, Tiruray, Manobo) and 32 percent are migrants (Ilonggo, Bicolano, Ilocano). And the body of water is not circular, like Laguna de Bay or Taal Lake, but amorphous, a 364-hectare lake containing 11 islets. It has been recognized by the national government as one of the country’s most important watersheds. Fish cages crisscross off its shoreline. European-style chalets dot its ridges. Concrete paths are making inroads into

Lake Sebu–a place you’ve never seen its hinterland. Tourism is rearing rampant all over the place. (Obviously we’ve come too late to experience its pristine garden state, as we once experienced Boracay in its gasera days.) Punta Isla Lake Resort in Sitio Toku-ful is where you can have a panoramic view of the place. Situated on a ridge, it has terraces, a patio, and dining areas on decks where you can comfortably sit and watch the evening twinkle on the lake and the mist rise on a hill. Or you can go boating late in the afternoon, circle a few lake islands, and get closer to the egrets and kingfishers skimming over the surface of the water or just standing still on flotsam. Tribal culture

A feature in the resort that shouldn’t be missed is the cultural entertainment after dinner (not during, as the T’boli consider it bad manners to be eating while a performance is going on, since its core is always religious ritual). Tribal culture is often inspired by the natural environment, and as these people were originally animists, their dances mimic the behaviors and gestures of animals such as monkeys and birds, even flowers and the wind. Another lakeside resort that has such spectacular view is Monte Cielo. Here you get a vista of the whole lake, while from the opposite side you see an expanse of rice fields in a sunlit valley—so that’s 2-in-1. Visiting and staying in the resort

is by endorsement only, though; and service is highly personalized. Home cooking is a feature of its restaurant, highlighted by the various ways of preparing tilapia freshly caught from the lake. Fishery and aquaculture are lucrative and thriving in Mindanao. Just as GenSan is known for its tuna, Dipolog for its sardines, Sarangani for its bangus, Lake Sebu has come to be known as the Tilapia Capital of Soccsksargen. Bird’s-eye view

While travelers may feast on the tilapia and get curious about the lake’s sulfuric water, tourists mostly come for the sights and leisure. A major attraction is the ecotourism park developed by the provincial government, a jumping point to the Seven Falls, Lake Sebu’s interconnected waterfalls varying in height, breadth, magnitude and appearance. You can espy four of these beauties without getting wet by taking the park’s famous zipline. Two lines run along a ravine cleaved by lush vegetation, one measures 740-meter while the other is 400-meter. If you take them one after another, zipping 20 meters per second over a snaking waterway and a rainbow, you’re experiencing the longest zipline in the country. At 180 meters above ground, it is touted to be one of the highest ziplines in Southeast Asia. So you not only have a bird’s-eye view of the place but also feel like a fledgling on its maiden flight.

Protected landscape

The thick rainforest surrounding the area is part of the region’s protected landscape, home to wild boars, wild cats, leafbirds, imperial pigeons, bleeding-hearts, night herons, tarsiers, the Philippine Deer, the Philippine Macaque, the Philippine Eagle, the Philippine Cockatoo—all threatened, vulnerable or endangered. All these make Lake Sebu one of the prime ecotourism destinations in the region. But tourism is not only about beauty spots and biodiversity hotspots. There is also cultural tourism here. The highlight, of course, is the arts and crafts, lifestyle and beliefs, customs and traditions of the T’boli, the native dwellers known for their dreamweaving, fine brassware and colorful costumes, bracelets and anklets with tiny bells whose tinkling heralds their approach. You can have a glimpse of their way of life by visiting T’boli Museum, a native dwelling that’s a comprehensive showroom of T’boli culture, from household utensils to weapons of war. The museum is owned by Datu Bao Baay and this is his personal collection. It would greatly help if he’s around when you visit as he can give a lucid explication of everything on display. Connecting with the spirit of the abaca

Ever present is the t’nalak, abaca fiber dyed in red and

black then woven into patterns of the weaver’s dreams. The weaving is an arduous process, taking 25-30 days before an item is considered finished. It takes 4-6 months to produce 6 meters of cloth. Dreamweaving is on the brink of extinction, says ecotourism guide Roy Ungkan. There used to be 11 dreamweavers in Lake Sebu, but all have passed away except for 90-year-old National Folk Artist Lang Dulay, and she stopped weaving 10 years ago. She is training 16 weavers in her house, which is also the School of Living Traditions, in Sitio Toku Lefa at Barangay Lamdalag, 5 kilometers from the poblacion. But not just anyone can be a dreamweaver. One has to “connect with the spirit of the abaca” before one can weave one’s dreams. Lang Dulay’s students themselves cannot weave from dreams; they only reproduce their mentor’s original patterns. For livelihood, and to support the school, they sell to tourists bolts of t’nalak, tubao, brassware, beadware, even coin purses and cellphone holders made of t’nalak. Swathes of t’nalak signed by Lang Dulay go for P2,500 per 3 meters—such a small price for such a glorious cloth. Thorny tree

On the way back to General Santos City (popularly GenSan), you can stop by Koronadal (popularly Marbel, B’laan term for “murky waters,” from its river), a smaller but more orderly city; and slow down along

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

STRANGE THAT some Filipino travelers are familiar with what’s going on in places like Inner Mongolia and yet have no clue about many Philippine must-see sights and must-go sites. Soccsksargen (South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, General Santos, comprising Central Mindanao, or Region XII) is known to most Filipinos for its alliterative acronym, Manny Pacquiao, the T’boli, Dole pineapple, and sashimi-grade tuna. But many probably can’t zoom in on the spot on the map. We were one of those who were left in the dark, for instance, as to what was there in Lake Sebu in South Cotabato, until we recently flew to General Santos City and drove straight from the airport—past Polomolok (of Dole fame) and the provincial capital Koronadal—to this fabled place in the Valley of Allah. We’d been hearing about Lake Sebu since the early 1980s, around the time we first heard of Boracay, and imagining it as a dim region rimming a circular body of water where fireflies drifted in the evening. We were told it was quite unique as it was a lake on top of a mountain—a valley of winds and mist inhabited by an animist people and the spirits of their ancestors.

Travel

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 28, 2014

the highway of Polomolok to see part of its 12,000-hectare field of pineapples. The landscape here is dominated by Mt. Matutum (2,293 meters above sea level), a dormant, coneshaped volcano. Lying at the head of Sarangani Bay, GenSan is the country’s southernmost city. It is the province’s center of trade and commerce, the region’s shopping capital, and one of the country’s fastest-growing cities. It is also called the Boom Town of the South. GenSan was formerly called Dadiangás after a thorny tree with poisonous berries that used to thrive here but is now rare and a protected species. To memorialize this place-name origin, one tree has been planted on the grounds of Notre Dame of Dadiangás University, and another at Plaza Heneral Santos. In the plaza stands a monument of Gen. Paulino Santos, after whom the city was named. He was the leader of the 62 pioneers from Luzon who came to this Promised Land in the late ’30s under a Commonwealth program. The university has a museum, the Gen. Paulino Santos Museum, that houses his memorabilia. It also has a corner devoted to the memorabilia of world box-

ing champ Manny Pacquiao. Premium fish

Waves of migration from Visayas and Luzon followed in the ’40s and ’50s. Thousands came, dislocating the original settlers, the B’laan, most of whom lost their livelihood and were driven to the mountains. While Koronadal is mostly Ilonggo, majority in GenSan are Cebuano speakers. The city is predominantly Catholic, about 80 percent of the population. Across the plaza, toward the sea, is the Church of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage, built in 1957. The city has two festivals: the Kalilangan in February, a cultural festival spearheaded by Mindanao State University; and the Tuna Festival, a thanksgiving celebration that falls on the city’s charter anniversary on Sept. 5. GenSan has been known as the Tuna Capital of the Philippines since the early ’70s. But many are unaware that the premium fish, the yellowfin, is actually caught from international waters in the Pacific, off the coasts of Indonesia. GenSan is just the trading port for the fish harvest, accounting for the second-largest daily catch of fish in the country after Navotas. It has seven tuna-

processing plants, its state-ofthe-art fishport complex an impressive sight from the highway. In the outskirts of the city, rising amid an expanse of karst terrain, is Jam’s Restaurant that specializes in tuna-based dishes. The memorable preparations use all parts of the fish from head to tail, including eyes, skin and entrails; only the fins and scales have been excluded. Ancestral domain

A city since 1968, GenSan has an international airport, the biggest in Mindanao and the ninth busiest in the country. The flight from Manila takes one hour and 55 minutes, while the drive to Lake Sebu is about an hour and a half. All this is ancestral domain, says Datu Benito Blonto, municipal tribal leader of the T’boli. But due to poverty, a few are selling parcels of their land to developers, though this is forbidden by law. Book a visit to that Little Baguio of Soccsksargen as it is cooler there, rainfall is evenly distributed throughout the year, and Koronadal Valley is typhoon-free. Now is the time to go when there still remain unspoiled patches in its landscape. ■

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Cold water... filtered between each step. He gets about 113 to 136 kilograms of salt from each batch and has been selling it for two years. The upside, says George, is that his salt retains more beneficial trace minerals than boiled sea salt. The downside is that it takes 30 to 60 days to process one batch and it is seasonal, viable only from mid-April to mid-September. He is working on ideas to make his operation year-round. All three men are passionate about sea salt, partly because former professional chef Shepherd, working chef Burt and self-defined “foodie” George love to cook with it and none likes the additives in table salt. Shepherd calls sea salt a “beautiful natural product.” Burt, who has a “massive collection” of salts from around the world, says “there are subtle flavour differences everywhere (because) the water is different everywhere.” Canadian salt is also unique because the cold water makes it “very white and very clean,” he says. ❰❰ 37

“I want a clean, crisp, natural, pure taste,” says George. “There are no additives in this, no aftertaste, no anti-caking agents.” Besides regular sea salt, Shepherd and George make flavour-infused salts. Shepherd’s include Spanish paprika and Danish blue cheese. George makes a savoury-infused salt for “come-from-aways” (tourists) and even did a batch infused with Merlot. All three also make smoked salt. Shepherd currently uses a blend of alder, maple and apple. George uses hickory and Burt has settled on juniper. While all three have websites, none has an online store, but all are planning one. Burt and George so far sell their products only in Newfoundland, although Burt also has chef clients in Toronto and Montreal. Shepherd is well established in retail outlets in Nova Scotia and from Ontario west and is now targeting Asian markets. He recently won $100,000 from Telus in The Challenge, a contest for Canadian small businesses, to help him develop a global marketing strategy. ■

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 28, 2014

Sports

Manny Pacquiao outclasses Algieri in title bout BY ROY LUARCA Philippine Daily Inquirer MACAU—There was no knockout, only an abundance of knockdowns for Manny Pacquiao. Though he sent Chris Algieri to the canvas six times, Pacquiao was unable to finish off the New Yorker and settled for a lopsided unanimous decision to keep his World Boxing Organization welterweight crown at the packed Cotai Arena of The Venetian Macao on Sunday. Exhibiting a boxing clinic before 13,202 fans—about 90 percent of them Filipinos— Pacquiao peppered Algieri with stinging punches and combinations from start to finish en route to his 57th win against six losses and two draws. After the final bell, however, a louder sound reverberated: Pacquiao called on Floyd Mayweather Jr. to sign up and fight him. “It’s time to step up and say ‘yes,’” Pacquiao said during the post-fight conference. “The fans deserve that fight…. I am ready to fight him next year.” ‘I want that fight’

In outclassing Algieri, Pacquiao might have boosted his stock enough to entice Mayweather into the ring finally. “I really want that fight,” Pacquiao said. The Filipino superstar first felled a retreating Algieri in the second round with a 1-2-3 flurry capped by a right. The second and third knockdowns came in the sixth, again through combinations that pierced Algieri’s defense. In the ninth round, Pacquiao caught Algieri with a left cross to put the American down again. Moving in for the kill, Pacquiao unleashed body blows that brought the American to his knees. He was trying to finish off his outclassed foe when the bell rang. A left uppercut sent Algieri tumbling in the 10th round, but true to his reputation as a gutsy

more glaring in power punches as Pacquiao made 187 of 410 for a hefty 46 percent conversion against Algieri’s 80 of 212 (38 percent). Before the bout, Pacquiao was visited in his dressing room by Sylvester Stallone of the ‘’Rocky” and ‘’Rambo” series movie fame and Arnold Schwarzengger, star of the “Terminator” films. Pacquiao prayed in his corner while waiting for the decision. But it was Algieri who never had a prayer. Could run but not hide

Manny Pacquiao scored six official knockdowns against Chris Algieri en route to his 57th boxing win. TWITTER PHOTO

fighter, the erstwhile unbeaten former kickboxer was back on his feet in no time. ‘Great fighter’

In the last two rounds, Pacquiao tried to nail Algieri for good. Shaken and slightly bruised, Algieri survived the onslaughts, enabling him to keep his WBO light welterweight title. But his 20-win unbeaten run had ended. “I lost to a great fighter,” Algieri said. “It wasn’t just the hand speed but the way he put together the punches. He has that unique style that he has perfected.” “He hurt me once when he buzzed me with a left hook,” Algieri also said. “But that was the only time.” American judge Michael Pernick gave Pacquiao a shutout, 120-102, while Patrick Morley and Levi Martinez, also both Americans, gave Algieri a round each for 119-103 counts. It was Pacquiao’s second straight win at this gambling haven. Last year, the fighting congressman from Sarangani province pounded out a onesided victory over another American, Brandon Rios. Pacquiao, who predicted a quick victory over Algieri on

the eve of the fight, tried hard to score his first knockout in five years. Showing enhanced punching power after concentrating more on the heavy bag during training, he made Algieri duck and cringe whenever he rushed in to attack. Algieri’s five-inch reach advantage was never a factor as Pacquiao proved too fast and elusive for his opponent’s stiff jabs. In and out

Those jabs were effective against Ruslan Provodnikov but hardly worked against Pacquiao, who darted in and out, moving side to side, while endlessly searching for openings. Algieri, who is of Italian and Argentine descent, was frustrated that he could not disrupt Pacquiao’s rhythm. The Filipino superstar, who was four inches shorter, dictated the course of the fight. With the outcome beyond doubt, Algieri went to Pacquiao as soon as the 12-round bout had ended. Pacquiao then approached Tim Lane and Keith Trimble, Algieri’s trainers, to shake their hands. Dream fight

As the curtains lowered on

the “Clash in Cotai II,” boxing pundits said it was time for Pacquiao and his promoter, Top Rank chief Bob Arum, to pursue the dream fight with Mayweather. Arum echoed Pacquiao’s challenge to Mayweather. “The fight has to happen. No excuses. I’m holding my phone, Manny is holding his phone,” Arum said. The attendance surpassed the 13,101 fans who watched the Pacquiao-Rios fight and seemed to indicate that payper-view (PPV) hits would top 500,000. Knowing that Algieri had encountered a problem making the weight—he weighed 68 kilograms (148 pounds) on Friday over the catchweight for the fight of 65.3 kgs (144 pounds)— Pacquiao concentrated on body blows that took the snap and bounce on Algieri’s legs. Algieri, whose eyes were reduced to slits in the Provodnikov fight, was lucky to escape with bruised cheeks this time. Compubox statistics showed Pacquiao unloaded 669 punches, landing 229 for a conversion rate of 34 percent. The usually accurate Algieri fired 469 shots, but connected only 108 for 29 percent. The difference was even

Pacquiao chased Algieri from the opening bell. About the only thing he didn’t get was his first knockout in five years. He went into the fight saying he needed a power win to entice Mayweather to fight him. He vowed to put on a performance like some of his earlier fights and did, never letting Algieri get close. Some of the sold-out crowd may have wondered whether Algieri deserved this fight, as he spent more time trying to stay away from the Filipino than trading punches. But while Algieri could run, he couldn’t hide. Pacquiao caught him repeatedly with power punches. “The master boxer was given a master class by professor Pacquiao tonight,” trainer Freddie Roach said. “I was disappointed in Algieri’s performance tonight. All he did was run.” By the end of the fourth round, Pacquiao had already thrown more than 100 more punches than Algieri. And Algieri rarely stopped to set his feet to punch, and kept trying to run away from the champion’s punching power. Unfortunately for Algieri, things went from bad to worse. “I’m satisfied with the result,” said Pacquiao. “I did my best. I was trying for a knockout but he was fast and keeps moving.” The victory will inevitably heighten calls for him to face the unbeaten Mayweather in what could be the first billion dollar fight in history. ■

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 28, 2014

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Seen and Scenes

NOVEMBER 28, 2014

FRIDAY

KOREAN COMMUNITY FEDERATION CANADA Senator Enverga attended the Korean Community Federation Canada's 5th anniversary held at the Kum Kang San Restaurant in North York, On. on Nov. 22. The senator commended the organization for its hard work in fostering better relations between South Korea and Canada.

EMBASSY RECEPTION Here are some scenes during the recent signing of the joint statement and Proposed Action Plan on Education Collaboration between Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE) at the Philippine Embassy in Ottawa.

THE VOICE PHILIPPINES IN CALGARY The Voice of the Philippines winners Mitoy, Klarisse and Darren with special guest Marion Aunor entertained Filipino-Canadians at Century Casino Calgary on Nov. 23. (Photos by Evelyn Lopez).

For photo submissions, please email info@canadianinquirer.net. www.canadianinquirer.net

Events

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 28, 2014

2014 Toronto Paskuhan Festival By Toronto Paskuhan Festival Canada, Our Lady of Assumption Church and Archdiocesan Filipino Catholic Mission WHEN/WHERE: 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.

CANADA EVENTS

YUKON NORTHWEST TERRITORIES

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NUNAVUT Santa Claus Parade By Country 93.3 WHEN/WHERE: 6:30 p.m., Nov. 29, starting at Prairie Loop Blvd near Home Hardware. MORE INFO: Visit rmwb.ca/santa to register.

BRITISH COLUMBIA

Pasko ng Bayan 2014 By Philippine Embassy in Ottawa WHEN/WHERE: 4 to 7 p.m., Dec. 6, at Sandy NEWFOUNDLAND ALBERTA MANITOBA Hill Community Center, 250 Somerset St. East, Ottawa, ON. SASKATCHEWAN ONTARIO QUEBEC MORE INFO: Parents bringing their children to the event are encouraged to bring wrapped gifts costing not more than $10 to fill Free Tagalog Lessons lies – German, Hawaiian and Chinese – through an Santa’s sack. By Philippine Language School exhibition called, “Three Family Portraits in Victorian WHEN/WHERE: ongoing every Saturday, 2 p.m., at Vancouver”. SSS Briefing & On-Site Services Sprott Shaw College (walking distance from Rupert By SSS and PCG Vancouver Station). Filipino Canadian Construction Society Dinner and WHEN/WHERE: 4 to 9 p.m., Dec. 7, at AristoMORE INFO: Learn conversational Tagalog for free. Dance Night crat Restaurant, 3460 17 Ave. S.E. Calgary, AB Course will lead to regular Tagalog curriculum from By FCCS MORE INFO: Call Jose Magpayo at 403-397K-12 in 2015. Call 694-551-3360 or 778-239-0500. WHEN/WHERE: 6 p.m., Nov. 29, Santa Monica Parish 8963. Function Hall, 12011 Woodhead Rd., Richmond, B.C. Peer Support Training in Coquitlam MORE INFO: Call Nisha Lalwani 604-338-5544 or SSS Briefing & On-Site Services By Immigrant Women’s Peer Support Program and Ferdie Lontok 778-868-8759 By SSS and Office of the Honorary Consul Citizenship and Immigration Canada WHEN/WHERE: 1 to 6 p.m. at the Palabok WHEN/WHERE: 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., till Dec. 13, Right Here Write Now House, 10525 51 Ave. Edmonton, AB at Immigrant Services Society of BC - Coquitlam By Ancop Canada MORE INFO: Call Esmeralda Agbulos at 780Settlement Services, 200C-504 Cottonwood Ave., WHEN/WHERE: 2 and 7 p.m., Nov. 29, The Bell 905-6503. Coquitlam B.C. Theatre, Surrey, B.C. MORE INFO: Tickets at $25. To purchase tickets Harlem Ambassadors Youth Leadership Training Program online http://bellperformingartscentre.com or call By Canadian Filipino Association of Yukon By Richmond Multicultural Community Services 604-589-2448 or 778-861-6418. WHEN/WHERE: 5 p.m., Dec. 2 at Porter WHEN/WHERE: till Jan. 10, 2015, at RMCS 210Creek School Gym, Whitehorse, Yukon. 7000 Minoru Blvd., Richmond, B.C. Tips for Writing Various Types of Cover Letters MORE INFO: GRAB YOUR TICKETS now @ MORE INFO: Visit them at www.rmcs.bc.ca By Mosaic Asian Central Store or from any CFAY & Yukon WHEN/WHERE: 1 to 3 p.m., Dec. 2, at Mosaic Pinoy Basketball officers - $12 for adults, $10 My Tween & Me Multicultural Mom’s Support Language Centrem 304-2730 Commercial Drive, for youth 5-17 and seniors 60 up (kids 4 below Group Vancouver, B.C. free By Mosaic MORE INFO: Call Gerardo at 604-254-9626 (227) WHEN/WHERE: 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., Thursdays, Dunbar Hts. Church 3320 Crown St., Vancouver Options and Opportunities Seminar: Dual CitizenMORE INFO: call Daisy 604-254-9626 ext. 273 ship By PCG Vancouver and UPAABC Steveston Christmas Craft Fair WHEN/WHERE: 7:30 p.m., Dec. 5, Immaculate ConBy Steveston Community Society ception Parish 8842-119th St., North Delta, B.C. WHEN/WHERE: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Nov. 29, StevesMORE INFO: To register call Cynthia – 778-998ton Community Centre 6747 Victorian Vancouver By Roedde House Museum WHEN/WHERE: 1 to 4 p.m., Nov. 29, Roedde House Museum at Roedde House Museum at 1415 Barclay Street (corner of Broughton), Vancouver, BC MORE INFO: Hear stories about three pioneer fami-

BC Housing Workshop By Mosaic WHEN/WHERE: 1 to 3 p.m., Dec. 8, at Tommy Douglas Burnaby Public Library, 7311 Kingsway, Vancouver, B.C. MORE INFO: Call 604-438-8214 www.canadianinquirer.net

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CANADA

Do you have a question about God? Faith? Salvation? Ask Bro. Eli and the Bible will answer

Visit us at the Old Path Calgary Coordinating Center 3839 B Burnsland Rd. SE Calgary AB T2G 3Z4 e-mail: mcgi.calgary@gmail .com*403-975-3079 or 403-402-1126

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.

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