Philippine Canadian Inquirer Issue #144

RELEVANT SKILLS. MEANINGFUL JOBS. CANADA’S FIRST AND ONLY NATIONWIDE FILIPINO-CANADIAN NEWSPAPER www.canadianinquirer.net

VOL. 12 NO. 144

310.HIRE (4473)

SPROTTSHAW.COM

DECEMBER 5, 2014

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Pagasa ill-equipped for storm forecasts

Ph in good standing for global slavery index

Budget favors President’s allies

Bianca Gonzales: “Driving is an Art”

Ayala Triangle Garden Xmas Lights draw praise

Maserati driver cries foul; says he’s the victim

BY ANGIE DUARTE Philippine Canadian Inquirer

MISS EARTH 2014 The Philippines’ Jamie Herrell rejoices as she accepts the crown to become Miss Earth 2014 in the pageant held at the UP Theater last November 29 in Quezon City. Other winners are Anastasia Trysova of Russia, Miss Earth-Fire; Alexandra Rodriguez of Venezuela, Miss Earth-Water; and Andrea Neu of the United States, Miss Earth-Air. Read more on page 31.

MARIANNE BERMUDEZ

Malampaya Fund probe opens

BY LEILA B. SALAVERRIA Philippine Daily Inquirer “IT WOULD be unfair to blame everything on her and then not give her the opportunity to answer.”

Even if she will just invoke her right to remain silent, Janet Lim-Napoles has to

be invited to the Senate’s investigation of the alleged misuse of the Malampaya Fund, Senators Francis Escudero and JV Ejercito insisted in radio interviews this week.

The senators spoke on the eve of the opening of the Senate blue ribbon

❱❱ PAGE 4 Maserati driver

Philippine Canadian Inquirer

Sad state of Philippine team sports ❱❱ PAGE 42

❱❱ PAGE 8 Malampaya Fund

MANILA, PHILIPPINES — A businessman who is embroiled in a controversial incident involving the manhandling of a traffic enforcer says that he — and not the enforcer — is the “real victim” in the incident.

Joseph Russel Ingco, owner and driver of the now much talked about blue Maserati, alleged that the account of traffic enforcer Jorbe Adriatico is flawed, and that he is looking to press charges against the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) officer.

Ingco was driving his Maserati Ghibli last Thursday morning, when he reportedly insulted and punched Adriatico repeatedly after the latter video-recorded

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DECEMBER 5, 2014

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FRIDAY

Philippine News

FRIDAY DECEMBER 5, 2014

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12 cops hurt, protester nabbed outside President Aquino’s home

BY JAYMEE T. GAMIL AND NIKKO DIZON Philippine Daily Inquirer TWELVE POLICEMEN were hurt and a protest leader was arrested, after a clash broke out between the police and a leftist group which stormed the private home of President Aquino on Times Street, Barangay West Triangle, Quezon City, last Saturday morning.

The Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) was staging a protest action and demanding the ouster of President Aquino as part of the ongoing “Manilakbayan” caravan of Mindanaobased farmers and indigenous peoples decrying human rights violations and land-grabbing in southern Philippines.

Policemen guarding the house allowed the protesters to hold their program, which started at 9:20 a.m. and lasted

until 10:30 a.m., said Quezon City police district director Senior Supt. Joel Pagdilao.

But a clash broke out towards the end of the program when the protesters started spray painting the street and the gate of a neighboring house with red messages, one of which said “Patalsikin si PNoy (Oust PNoy)!,” prompting the police to start dispersing the protesters.

Malacañang yesterday issued a terse statement on the defacement of the family home of President Aquino by militant groups.

Not peaceful protest

“This is obviously vandalism masquerading as a peaceful protest,” deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said in a text message when sought for comment.

It was not known how President Aquino personally reacted

to the incident at the house.

Mr. Aquino, a bachelor, lived in the family home with his mother, the President Corazon Aquino, until she passed away in August 2009 and he was soon after swept to office in the 2010 presidential elections.

Since assuming office, Mr. Aquino has been living at his official home called Bahay Pangarap, located across the pasig River from Malacañang.

According to KMP chair Rafael Mariano, the police hit the unarmed rallyists with truncheons, and chased the protesters from Times Street to the intersection of Delta and Timog Avenues.

The police, however, said the protesters hurled stones, paint and bottles at them, injuring 12 personnel.

Rights violations UMA PILIPINAS FACEBOOK PAGE

❱❱ PAGE 9 12 cops

www.canadianinquirer.net

Philippine News

4

DECEMBER 5, 2014

Maserati driver... him for a traffic violation.

A video clip of the incident seems to show Adriatico being dragged by Ingco, who was driving the Maserati. Adriatico, in his report, claimed that he was dragged from the intersection of G. Araneta and Quezon Avenues to Scout Chuatoco street.

According to Ingco, however, he did not violate traffic rules, and it was Adriatico who attacked him.

“Kakaliwa po ako ng Q. Ave. pero napansin ko na bawal kaya nag-U-turn ako pero napansin ko vinideo niya ako (As I was about to turn left at Q. Ave, I noticed it wasn’t allowed, so I made a U-turn and then I noticed him (Adriatico) taking a video),” Ingco told reporters from ABSCBN. Ingco says he first ignored that Adriatico was taking a video of him; but as her neared the traffic enforcer, he became irked that Adriatico continued with his actions.

The suspect recounted that he then asked Adriatico, “Boss, ano ba ang problema? Wala naman po akong viniolate sa traffic rules (Boss, what’s seems to be the problem? I’m not in violation of any traffic rules).”

“Pero habang vinivideo niya ako inano sa mukha ko tapos hinawi ko po ‘yung video (But while he was taking a video ❰❰ 1

of me, he was in my face so I pushed the video away.),” Ingco said.

“After no’n, minura niya ako. Galit na galit siya sa akin eh. Papatayin daw nya ako (After that, he cursed me. He was extremely angry at me. He said he was going to kill me),” he added.

The luxury sports car driver said that Adriatico’s version of the story — in which Ingco is the one who yelled curse words, and that Ingco, while driving his vehicle, forcibly dragged the officer — is untrue.

“That’s not true. He was grabbing my shirt while I was driving. I really wanted to escape. I was scared. Wala akong pwersa. Nasa loob po ako ng sasakyan. Kung gusto ko siyang saktan, ihaharurot ko na ‘yung sasakyan. (I had no more strength.

I was inside my car. If I wanted to hurt him (Adriatico), I would have floored the vehicle.),” Ingco said.

The suspect stressed his innocence, and said that he “can’t understand” why the enforcer was taking a video of him.

“I didn’t do anything wrong,” he insisted; adding that he is poised to file charges against Adiatico.

Adriatico has already pressed charges against Ingco; namely, serious physical injury, grave threat, robbery, and assault upon an agent in authority. ■

FRIDAY

MMDA chief urges Maserati driver to reveal identity of his passenger PHILIPPINE NEWS AGENCY MANILA — Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Francis Tolentino on Monday challenge Joseph Russel Ingco, the driver of the blue Maserati sports car involved in a traffic altercation with MMDA constable Jorbe Adriatico in Quezon City last week, to prove that the enforcer attacked him first.

Tolentino also urged Ingco to reveal the identity of his passenger-companion to shed light on the incident considering that the latter was just a few inches away from the former. “... Either umawat siya or tumulong siya (he should have either restrained [Ingco] or helped), in that case the passenger is also liable,” Tolentino said.

He said that when Ingco came out last week, Ingco’s camp alleged that a lady

would come out to complain Adriatico for misconduct during an earlier separate traffic incident.

The lady surfaced the other day, who identified herself as a lawyer, but actually she was just a law student.

“The law student is welcome to file a complaint against Adriatico and an administrative hearing will be conducted, but right now wala pa (there is none),” Tolentino said.

“I think the camp of the Maserati driver is confusing the issue by using a totally unrelated incident. Besides, Adriatico is not the accused here, they are just trying to destroy his credibility and character which is not allowed by the Supreme Court.”

Tolentino said he already checked the background of Adriatico at the MMDA and found no bad records since he ❱❱ PAGE 7 MMDA chief

You Are Invited this Christmas & All Year Long To the Anglican Church of Canada Churches of The Diocese of New Westminster In Full Communion with Philippine Independent Church (Aglipayan Church) & the Episcopal Church in the Philippines

St. Mary’s, South Hill • The Reverend Fr. Expedito Farinas 808 East 50th Avenue, Vancouver • 604.324.3365 www.stmarysouthhill.com •••••• holy communion services Christmas Eve • 7:30pm with Pageant Christmas Day • 10:30am St. Michael’s, Surrey • The Reverend Fr. Louie Engnan 12996 – 60 Avenue, Surrey • 604.591.8323 www.stmichaelschurch.ca •••••• holy communion services Christmas Eve • 7:30pm & 10pm Christmas Day • 10am St. Michael’s Multicultural • The Reverend Fr. Wilmer Toyoken 409 East Broadway, Vancouver • 604.876.8191 www.stmikes-church.ca •••••• holy communion services Christmas Eve • 9pm with Pageant Christmas Day • 11am

WE LOOK FORWARD TO MEETING YOU!

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

THE Anglican Church of Canada is in full communion with Philippine Independent Church (Aglipayan Church) and The Episcopal Church in the Philippines.

In the Anglican Diocese of New Westminster which stretches from Powell River in the Sunshine Coast to Hope at the entrance to the Fraser Canyon, taking in all the urban and suburban areas of the Metro Vancouver Area there are 68 Anglican Churches all offering a warm welcome to everyone who seek the presence of God. You are warmly invited this Christmas and all year long to worship with us. There are three churches with significant Filipino-Canadian congregations: Father Expedito Farinas and the community of St. Mary, South Hill, 808 East 50th Avenue, Vancouver, 604.324.3395; Father Wilmer Toyoken and the www.canadianinquirer.net

community of St. Michael’s, Multicultural Church, 409 East Broadway, 604.876.8191; Father Luisito (Louie) Engnan and the community of St. Michael’s, Surrey, 12996 – 60 Avenue, 604.591.8323 Fr. Expedito, Fr. Wilmer and Fr. Louie are priests ordained in the Philippine Independent Church and their Holy Orders have been transferred and gladly accepted by the Bishop of the Diocese of New Westminster, Anglican Church of Canada.

They and their communities of faith are looking forward to meeting you.

Give them a call! http://stmikes-church.ca/ http://www.stmarysouthhill.com/ http://www.stmichaelschurch.ca/

Philippine News

FRIDAY DECEMBER 5, 2014

5

Purisima orders intensified security for holiday season, 2015 major events

BY CHRISTOPHER LLOYD T. CALIWAN Philippine News Agency MANILA — Director General Alan Purisima, chief of Philippine National Police (PNP) on Monday ordered the enhanced security operations before, during and after the observance of the traditional Yuletide holiday season (Christmas Day and New Year’s Day), which cause influx of people in shopping mall, churches, transport terminals and other public places.

Purisima directed Police Director Ricardo Marquez, the PNP director for operations (DO), to intensify police pres-

ence through increased foot and mobile patrol operations and deployment of Route Safety Marshals in areas and times where and when they are most needed.

Police Assistance Hubs will also be established in places of convergence.

Even as preemptive security operations are underway, the PNP Chief said the police would continue to intensify the campaign against loose firearms, illegal discharge of firearms, and campaign against criminal gangs and personalities supported by the aggressive implementation of OPLAN “Bakal” and OPLAN “Sita”, and Strict implementation of RA No 7183 (Illegal Manufacture and Sale

of Firecrackers and Pyrotechnics).

Marquez said that guidelines and standard procedures were disseminated to all PNP units tasked to secure the Pope during his State Visit and Apostolic Journey.

As reported earlier, the PNP will provide operational support to the Presidential Security Group and close-in security services to the Pope’s entourage.

Security coverage operations in the different venues of engagement of the Pope and public safety assistance for peace and order maintenance and police services for crowd control, vehicular/pedestrian traffic direction, route parking and ven-

SHUTTERSTOCK

ue security will also be available on the D-day.

Marquez said the PNP had also started security preparations for the upcoming Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation

(APEC) Summit 2015 meetings, particularly for the safety and security of all delegates and participants, and facilitation of uninterrupted conduct of APEC Leaders Meeting. ■

EDCA serves as deterrent to any security threat — DND chief

BY JELLY F. MUSICO Philippine News Agency MANILA — Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Voltaire Gazmin on Monday said the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) between the Philippines and the United States will serve as a deterrent to any security threat. ”The EDCA can serve as a deterrent to any threat to our security,” Gazmin said during the Senate hearing on the EDCA signed last April 28 in Manila during the state visit of US President Barack Obama.

Gazmin said the Philippines can ask for assistance from the US troops if a Filipino civilian or military personnel is attacked particularly in the disputed West Philippine Sea. ”Under the agreement, we can ask the Americans for assistance if war will happen,” Voltaire replied when asked by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago.

Voltaire, however, clarified that the US assistance will have to “go through a process” if the Philippines is attacked by foreign forces. ”By that time (the US assistance arrives), our ship is gone already. We want immediate action in our defense. How much

A U.S. soldier (middle) huddled with members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines during a training exercise.

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

will those processes take?” Santiago inquired again. ”It’s a long process madam chair,” Voltaire replied.

Voltaire also said the EDCA will energize the modernization program of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) “that holistically seeks to address security issues whether

external or internal.” ”In view of the foregoing and more effective and efficient implementation of our current defense cooperation practices with the US will definitely serve our security interest,” Voltaire said.

Voltaire said the construction and pre-positioning activiwww.canadianinquirer.net

ties are provided in the EDCA during the joint military training exercises. ”Therefore, EDCA with greater clarity addresses the operational requirements for a more effective implementation of the exercises,” he said.

Despite the DND chief’s explanation, Santiago believed

that the pro-EDCA resource persons suffered a knockout from the anti-EDCA who said the EDCA should be submitted for Senate ratification. ”The DND, Foreign Affairs and the Office of the Security General are mainly arguing on the basis of theory. Meanwhile, the anti-EDCA forces mostly agreed on the basis of pragmatics of the issue,” Santiago told the media after the hearing.

Santiago said the legislative power has diminished when Palace did not submit EDCA for Senate ratification.

However, the lady senator admitted that the Senate cannot compel Malacanang to submit first the EDCA which she insisted is an “international agreement.”

Santiago said she will file Senate resolution expressing the sense of the Senate on the EDCA. Meanwhile, Senate President Franklin Drilon said the Supreme Court (SC) should immediately act on the EDCA issue. ”We can’t compel the Office of the President to submit it to us, because precisely, the issue is pending at the Supreme Court,” Drilon said.

Drilon said, if filed, Santiago’s resolution will be referred to the appropriate committee. ■

6

Philippine News

DECEMBER 5, 2014

FRIDAY

The Commission on Audit has found that the Philippine Weather Bureau (Pagasa) is ill-equipped to warn people of extreme weather conditions, like last year’s Yolanda.

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Pagasa ill-equipped for storm forecasts: Commission on Audit

BY GIL C. CABACUNGAN Philippine Daily Inquirer NEXT TIME a severe storm threatens to come ashore, go to the website of the US National Weather Service station in Hawaii. To be sure, you’ll learn whether the storm will hit your town and whether it’s bringing the whole Pacific Ocean along.

Your own weather bureau — the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Service Administration (Pagasa) — is ill-equipped to warn you that another supertyphoon like last year’s “Yolanda” (international name: Haiyan) is headed toward your general direction and that a storm surge is likely to wash out your town, according to the Commission on Audit (COA).

The COA has found that Pagasa lacks a special system for covering extreme weather conditions despite the government’s spending specifically to predict storm surges just months before Yolanda struck.

“The agency does not have an adequate earlywarning system for storm surges to forewarn the public on the possible severe impact of a typhoon as powerful as Typhoon Yolanda,” the COA said in its 2013 annual audit report for Pagasa.

While Pagasa was adept at forecasting the trajectory and estimated strength of the incoming typhoon, it was weak in informing citizens about the “severity of the impact or the massive devastation it could possibly inflict on high-risk communities along its path,” the COA said.

The COA said Pagasa spent P80 million for the “System to Identify, Quantify, and Map the Storm Surge Threat to Philippine Coasts,” one of the components of the Nationwide Operational

Assessment of Hazards (Noah) program early last year. But the absence of specific and measurable targets and outputs made it difficult for auditors to evaluate its success, the COA said.

Three months before Yolanda struck, the COA said, Pagasa embarked on storm surge forecasting programs with Noah. The COA also noted that the United Nations Development Program conducted a storm surge information education and communication campaign in the Samar-Leyte area from 2007 to 2008, which was attended by local government officials and teachers. “Maybe this was not enough or [was] forgotten,” the COA said.

Modernization

The COA also reported that modernization projects funded with P425 million from the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) had not yet been completed since the funds were released three years ago, “delaying the establishment of facilities/equipment urgently needed for early warning systems and climate change adaptation, which aims to prevent/mitigate the impact of extreme weather phenomenon on hazard prone areas or communities.”

The projects — the establishment of a National Meteorological and Climate Center (NMCC) worth P275 million and the upgrading of doppler radar networks in Palawan, Iloilo and Zamboanga, worth P150 million — were endorsed and funded as early as October 2011, the COA said.

But as of December last year, the COA said, the Iloilo doppler building was only 25-percent complete due to delays in bidding and bad weather in the area; the Zamboanga doppler building was only 2-percent complete due to delayed bid-

ding and problems in securing the site; and the contract for the doppler building in Barangay Bogtong in Busuanga town, Palawan province, had yet to be bid out.

“Late construction of the buildings and towers might pose problems once the Doppler Weather Surveillance Radars are delivered. [The radars are] due in April 2015,” the COA said.

Hyogo Framework

The NMCC is part of the Philippines’ commitment to the Hyogo Framework for Action, agreed upon in the 2005 World Conference for Disaster Reduction in Kobe, Japan. The framework is aimed at reducing disaster loses by 2015 by building the resilience of nations and communities to disasters.

As of end-2013, the COA said, Pagasa has yet to start construction on its building on BIR Road in Quezon City due to its failure to comply with zoning requirements — it was designed to have only four floors but the minimum in the area was pegged at six floors.

The COA said the completion of the projects was “doubtful,” with only a year left in its deadline for completion.

“The Philippines is alarmingly exposed to frequent and severe natural hazards/ disasters and the government doesn’t have the luxury of time. And every delay in the completion of projects implemented, which are meant to significantly

www.canadianinquirer.net

reduce not only economic losses but also loss of lives and properties, spells disaster. Thus, officials concerned must act with urgency,” the COA said.

Not true

Pagasa Administrator Vicente Malano does not agree with the COA findings.

Reached by the INQUIRER last night, he said he was preparing a formal reply to dispute the COA report.

Malano said that before Yolanda hit in November last year, Pagasa had been working with the Department of Science and Technology and the University of the Philippines under Project Noah for a numerical modeling of storm surge prediction before a storm hits.

“So it’s not true that we have not done anything,” Malano said.

On the use of the DAP funds, Malano said that of the P425 million, P345 million went to the Department of Public Works and Highways to build three radar station buildings and a bigger weather center at the Pagasa compound in Quezon City.

He said Pagasa had already used P85 million of the DAP funds it received to buy the radar for the completed Iloilo building.

Malano, however, acknowledged that the Zamboanga radar station is unfinished and that work on the Busuanga building and the planned NMCC has not yet begun. ■

Philippine News

FRIDAY DECEMBER 5, 2014

MMDA chief... worked in 2008.

“Hindi ko nakikita ‘yung sinasabi na masama daw ang record.

Kapag masama ang record sa hanay natin tinatanggal po natin ‘yan lalo na kapag nangongotong. Pero kapag tama ang tao namin, talagang tinutulungan namin (I have not seen his supposed bad record.

If there were any, we would have immediately dismissed him from his post, especially if the offense is extortion. But if our officer is telling the truth, we defend him),” he said.

He said the use of a video camera may not be used against Adriatico as a habit or scheme because it is a standard procedure for traffic enforcers to utilize video cameras to document trafficrelated incidents for credibility purposes, particularly in areas not covered by CCTV cameras.

The law student incident stemmed from an illegallyparked vehicle of hers which was bumped by another vehicle a month ago in Banawe, Quezon City.

The law student got irritat❰❰ 4

ed because Adriatico waited for the owner of the vehicle from the other building and the delay of investigation caused the law student to hurl invectives against Adriatico, causing the latter to video-taped the verbal abuse against him.

The parties involved in the accident agreed later to settle amicably because of the minor scratch suffered only by the law student’s car and the settlement was through the instance of Adriatico.

“Again, let us not mislead the issues here. The Maserati incident is totally unrelated to the alleged Banawe incident and the mystery passenger should come out,” Tolentino said.

Ingco said he plans to file criminal charges against Adriatico for threatening and punching him.

He also denied that he violated traffic rules, claiming that Adriatico was the one who mauled him.

But Tolentino said that Ingco’s failure to put a conduction sticker was considered a violation. ■

7

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Philippine News

8

DECEMBER 5, 2014 FRIDAY

Malampaya Fund... committee inquiry into the alleged embezzlement of P900 million of the government’s share in the operation of gas fields off Palawan province that was supposed to help victims of backto-back storms in 2009. The scandal broke out over a year ago.

Sen. Teofisto Guingona III, the committee chair, said over the weekend that he did not feel it was time to summon Napoles, the alleged mastermind of the scam, to the hearing, recalling that in her previous appearance before the panel she declined to reply to questions, citing her right against self-incrimination.

Guingona said the initial hearing today would focus on the findings of the Commission on Audit (COA), on which COA Chair Grace Pulido-Tan and her assistant commissioner, Susan Garcia, had been invited to testify.

Escudero yesterday said Napoles should be called to future hearings because it was inevitable that her name would crop up in the inquiry and that she had to be given the chance to defend herself.

“Even if she lies or invokes her right to remain silent, she has to be given the opportunity to be heard because surely, her name will be used and mentioned,” Escudero said over dzBB. He said Napoles’ absence from the first hearing would be OK with him, but she should be asked to appear at the proper time.

“It would be unfair to blame everything on her and then not give her the opportunity to answer. If she doesn’t want to use that chance, it’s her loss,” he said. ❰❰ 1

Publisher Philippine Canadian Inquirer, Inc. Managing Editor Earl Von Tapia earl.tapia@canadianinquirer.net Community News Editor Mary Ann Mandap maryann.mandap@canadianinquirer.net Correspondents Ching Dee Angie Duarte Lei Fontamillas Frances Grace Quiddaoen Socorro Newland Bolet Arevalo Graphic Designer Shanice Garcia Photographers Angelo Siglos Solon Licas Operations and Marketing Head Laarni Liwanag (604) 551-3360 Advertising Sales Alice Yong (778) 889-3518 alice.yong@canadianinquirer.net Jennifer Yen (778) 227-2995 jennifer.yen@canadianinquirer.net sales@canadianinquirer.net 1-888-668-6059 PHILIPPINE PUBLISHING GROUP Editorial Assistant Phoebe Casin Associate Publisher Lurisa Villanueva In cooperation with the Philippine Daily Inquirer digital edition Philippine Canadian Inquirer is located at 400-13955 Bridgeport Rd., Richmond, BC V6V 1J6 Canada Tel. No.: 1-888-668-6059 or 778-8893518 | Email: info@canadianinquirer. net, inquirerinc@gmail.com, sales@ canadianinquirer.net Philippine Canadian Inquirer is published weekly every Friday.

Copies are distributed free throughout Metro Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg and Toronto.

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The advertiser agrees the publisher shall not be liable for damages arising out of error in any advertisement.

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Unfair

If ever Napoles decides to speak up, he hopes she will tell the truth and not make up stories, he added.

Ejercito said he hoped to see both Napoles and Ruby Tuason, a former Malacañang social secretary who worked as an agent of the detained businesswoman, in subsequent hearings so the probe would be more thorough.

Who knows, Napoles might be in a more talkative mood, he said.

Napoles is among those facing plunder charges in connection with the alleged misuse of the Malampaya Fund.

Others named in the complaint were former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and several Cabinet officials during her administration. Arroyo is detained in a hospital while being tried on plunder charges over the alleged misuse of Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office funds.

Napoles has also been indicted for plunder over the alleged diversion of P10 billion from the Priority Development Assistance Fund to ghost projects and kickbacks. Indicted with her were Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Jinggoy

Official mugshot of Janet Lim-Napoles.

Estrada and Bong Revilla. The four are under detention. All have denied wrongdoing.

Times have changed

Napoles has implicated Tuason in the Malampaya Fund scam. She said Tuason convinced her to convert P900 million, coursed through the Department of Agrarian Reform, into campaign funds for the 2010 polls. Tuason allegedly pocketed a good portion of the Malampaya kickbacks.

Ejercito said he was glad that after a year, the Malampaya probe would finally start. He wondered whether the delay was due to the possibility that an administration ally might be implicated in the scam.

He also said in an interview over dzBB that it should not be assumed that Napoles would not talk during the hearing.

“Who knows, things may have changed. She has been in jail for a long time. For all we know, she may speak up now about this,” Ejercito said.

Asked if he would move to have Napoles summoned, he said it would depend on the proceedings during the first hearing. But he still thinks it would be better if she appears in the Senate.

Incomplete

As for Tuason, Ejercito also said he wanted to see Napoles testify in the inquiry since she had been implicated in

www.canadianinquirer.net

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

the issue as well.

“I think the hearing will be incomplete if the two ( Napoles and Tuason) will not show up. A lot of people following the issue know they have been mentioned in previous hearings as those who had used the Malampaya Fund,” he said.

Ejercito noted that in the Senate blue ribbon subcommittee inquiry into alleged corruption in Makati, so many resource persons have been asked to appear. The mother committee is very powerful and can subpoena a lot of people, he said.

The Malampaya Fund represents the royalties the government collects from the operation of gas wells off Palawan Island. Started in 2002, the $4.5billion project involves Shell Philippines Exploration BV and Chevron Malampaya LLC. The government share is supposed to be used for energy projects but this was expanded to finance programs authorized by Malacañang.

The diversion of funds to victims of Tropical Storms “Ondoy” and “Pepeng” in 2009 marked the first time that the Malampaya Fund was used for a project other than those related to energy development.

Then Agrarian Reform Secretary Nasser Pangandaman allegedly authorized the initial release of P300 million from the Malampaya Fund, deposited in Land Bank of the Philippines, to a dozen dubious foundations set up by Napoles. ■

Philippine News

FRIDAY DECEMBER 5, 2014

12 cops...

Pagdilao said some of his men sustained lacerations and bruises on their faces, arms, thighs and backs, with one of them sustaining a fractured thigh bone.

Following the commotion, police arrested KMP secretary general Antonio Flores, 65, and brought him to the Quezon City police district headquarters at Camp Karingal, where he remained detained as of Saturday afternoon.

Pagdilao said complaints of serious physical injuries, direct assault against persons of authority and illegal assembly, ❰❰ 3

will be filed against Flores.

“This violence is a testament to the escalating human rights violations under the Aquino regime,” Mariano said in a statement.

“Just and concrete issues of the people are met with violence and rights abuses. We denounce this kind of fascist treatment. This is the height of statesponsored terror under Aquino,” he added.

Human rights group Karapatan held an indignation rally outside Camp Karingal later on Saturday afternoon calling for the release of Flores. ■

9

Leila: No way adultery can be trending on Web

BY TARRA QUISMUNDO Philippine Daily Inquirer TEMPTED TO sign up? You’ll be committing a crime.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) is looking to ban a socalled cheaters’ dating site recently launched in the Philippines, citing provisions in the Revised Penal Code that outlaw extramarital affairs.

Justice Secretary Leila de

Lima yesterday said a ban could soon be enforced against the adultery website, Ashley Madison (www.ashleymadison. com), a cyberdestination for cheaters that boasts of being “the most famous name in infidelity and married dating.”

She said the DOJ’s Office of Cybercrime was already monitoring the website.

“Our general criminal law will apply, the Revised Penal Code, which proscribes the il-

licit sexual conduct of a married person with another person who is not the spouse,” De Lima said in a text message.

“The website is a platform that allows illegal acts to be eventually committed; hence, a ban may be enforced,” she said.

Discreet encounters

Ashley Madison, which mainly caters to married people ❱❱ PAGE 15 Leila: No

Solon warns abusive taxi drivers on stiffer penalties

BY SAMMY F. MARTIN Philippine News Agency MANILA — A member of the House of Representatives warned abusive taxi drivers on Monday that their days are numbered once the Bill of Rights of Taxi Passengers becomes a law.

Valenzuela City Rep. Sherwin Gatchalian is pushing for the swift passage of House Bill No. 3681, to be known as the “Bill of Rights of Taxi Passengers,” which seeks to impose stiffer fines and penalties on erring taxi drivers who are the subject of numerous complaints, especially during the Christmas season.

“We have seen countless videos and heard sordid stories of cab drivers who are abusive, negligent, and prey on unsuspecting passengers. They pick passengers on their own terms, refuse carriage for some destinations, force you to pay an extra amount on top of the meter bill, are discourteous and trick most passengers on circuitous routes to earn extra money.

Most of the tourists who come

to our country have fallen viccourteous, and not under the • Display his/her taxi driver’s tims to these enterprising cab influence of alcohol or drugs. license visibly to all passendrivers, “Gatchalian said in his • The right to ride in a clean, gers. explanatory note. safe, and smoke-free taxi.

• Indicate the taxi’s plate numHe pointed out that the • The right to be transported to ber, operator’s name, place of countless complaints he rehis/her stated destination. business, and contact numceived from his constituents • The right to view the metered ber on the inside doors of the and friends prompted him to fare and to request a receipt cab. file the “Bill of Rights of Taxi using a taxi meter calibrat- • Display clearly the taxi pasPassengers” and push for its aped and sealed by the Land senger’s rights, the process proval in Congress.

Transportation Franchising of complaint-filing, and the “In order to address this and Regulatory Board (LTcontact details of the LTFRB. problem and • Accept all prevent any trips regardless more untoward of length; avoid incidents of this violating any nature to occur We have seen countless videos and law or traffic in the future, a heard sordid stories of cab drivers regulation; repassenger bill of who are abusive, negligent, and frain from using rights is hereby prey on unsuspecting passengers. a cellular phone proposed to prowhile in transit. tect the com• Provide a muting public from abusive, FRB). clean, safe, smoke-free taxi; itinerant and discourteous • The right to be given the exprotect passenger’s health or drivers and provide a sanction act amount of change. safety; refrain from soliciting for the offenses they commit • The right to ride a substitute or requiring passengers to against the riding public,” said taxi or be aided to get a new pay more than the displayed Gatchalian, a senior vice chair one in case of engine trouble, meter fare; and know the maof the House Committee on in which payment for the jor routes and destinations.

Metro Manila Development. flag-down taxi rate will be Under the measure, ill-treatUnder H.B. 3681, every cab waived. ed passengers should file a passenger is entitled to the fol- • Taxi drivers or operators, on personal complaint against the lowing rights: the other hand, are expected driver and operator of the taxi • The right to a licensed drivto perform the following du- with the LTFRB. er who is properly dressed, ties and obligations: Violating taxi drivers will be

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liable with their operators and will face a fine of at Php500Php2,000 for the first offense; at least Php1,000-Php5,000 for the second; and a minimum of Php3,000 up to Php10,000 as well as one-week suspension of the driver’s license and/or certificate of public convenience for the third and subsequent offenses.

Gatchalian said the LTFRB can actually enforce the duties and obligations of taxi drivers and operators enumerated in H.B. 3681 if the agency really wants to protect taxi passengers from abusive drivers.

“In the absence of a law, the LTFRB can exercise its authority over taxi drivers by making it mandatory for them to prominently display their ID cards inside the cab so passengers would immediately know the identity of abusive drivers,” Gatchalian explained.

He said the LTFRB can even deploy flying squads to various shopping malls this Christmas season to conduct random checks on taxi drivers who are known to be choosy in getting their passengers during the holidays. ■

10

Philippine News

DECEMBER 5, 2014 FRIDAY

Government anti-slavery efforts earn Philippines a good standing in global slavery index

BY ALLADIN S. DIEGA Philippine News Agency MANILA — The Philippines is among only four countries in the world with criminal justice responses in place, considering its economic limitation, which actively promotes the prevention of slavery in many forms, says the 2014 Global Slavery Index.

The Slavery Index includes an analysis of 167 government responses based on five objectives that every country should strive to eradicate modern slavery. These include survivors being identified, supported to exit or remain out of the situation; criminal justice mechanisms that address modern slavery and in-place coordination and accountability mechanisms for the central government.

The Index, that started last year, is a flagship report produced by the Walk Free Foundation, a global human rights organization dedicated to ending modern slavery, founded

by Australian philanthropists, Andrew and Nicola Forrest.

The methodology for the Index was developed by an internal research team and through external consultations with an international and independent Expert Advisory Group.

Also included in the comprehensive slavery study is the analysis of attitudes, social systems and institutions that enable modern slavery to be addressed, and the procurement practices of businesses and governments which veers away from sourcing goods and services that use modern slavery.

The findings is consistent with the US Department of Labor’s (DOL) 2013 Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor, in which the Philippines was one of 13 countries that have achieved ‘significant advancement’ in their fight against the worst forms of child labor. It is also the only one country in the Asia Pacific which made it to the list.

The other 12 are Albania, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cote d’Ivoire, Ecuador, El Salvador, Peru, South Africa, Tunisia, and Uganda. A total of 143 countries were covered by

the US DOL 2013 Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor.

The annual report, released earlier this year, is regularly being submitted by the US DOLE to the US Congress in compliance with the US Trade and Development Act of 2000 which requires countries to implement their commitments to eliminate the worst forms of child labor for them to be eligible for the US trade preference program.

The government’s convergence program, H.E.L.P. M.E., against child labor was largely responsible for the improved performance, DOLE Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz said in a statement.

Conceived by the Cabinet’s Human Development and Poverty Reduction Cluster (HDPRC), with the DOLE and the Department of Social Welfare and Development as lead agencies, H.E.L.P. stands for health, education, livelihood, and prevention, protection, and prosecution, while M.E. stands for monitoring and evaluation.

The program is a deliberate, harmonized, and convergent approach in addressing the problem of child labor in the country.

In June of this year, the Philippines has retained its Tier 2 ranking in the 2014 Global Trafficking in Persons (GTIP) Report issued by the United States’ Department of State annually. Tier 2 countries are those which do not fully comply with the minimum standards of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA), but are making significant efforts to do so.

The Philippines has been in Tier 2 for four consecutive years since the start of the Aquino administration. Previously, the country has lagged in the Watch List for two consecutive years which put the country then in danger of losing some $ 750 million in terms of non-humanitarian and nonmilitary aid including the Millennium Challenge Fund.

In the ASEAN region, five states are in Tier 2, which include Brunei, Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam and the Philippines, three are in Tier 2 Watch List which composed Cambo-

The Philippines is among only four countries in the world with criminal justice responses in place which actively promotes the prevention of slavery in many forms, says the 2014 Global Slavery Index.

dia, Laos, and Myanmar, while two are in Tier 3 which include Malaysia and Thailand.

Significance Index

of

the

Slavery

The Global Slavery Index characterizes modern slavery as a hidden crime, taking many forms, and is known by many names such as slavery, forced labor, or human trafficking. All forms involve one person depriving another person of their freedom which encompasses freedom to leave one job for another and the freedom to control their own body, while modern slavery involves one person possessing or controlling a person which deprive the victims of their individual liberty, with www.canadianinquirer.net

the intention of exploiting the person through use, management, profit, transfer or disposal.

Europe and North America are regions with the lowest estimates of people enslaved, with Iceland and Ireland having the lowest prevalence of modern slavery in the world. Scandinavian countries with comparatively low prevalence include Norway, Finland and Denmark.

Canada has the lowest estimated prevalence in the Americas, while New Zealand, Taiwan and Australia have the smallest concentration of people enslaved in the Asia Pacific region.

According to the report, globally, only three of 167 governments are making some ef-

fort to address modern slavery in government procurement and in the supply chains of businesses operating in their countries: the United States of America, Brazil and Australia.

In all, the index list countries taking the most action to end modern slavery as the Netherlands, Sweden, the United States, Australia, Switzerland, Ireland, Norway, the United Kingdom, Georgia, and Austria. The study also noted that despite the said countries’ comparatively more robust policies in place, most have the economic capacity to do significantly “more” to end modern slavery.

However, when national economic capacity is taken into account, countries that are making comparatively strong efforts with limited resources include Georgia, the Philippines and Jamaica, with criminal justice responses in place, and Macedonia, with relatively strong support services for victims of modern slavery.

The report also said that while the estimated proportion of the population in modern slavery in each country is small at 0.0007, or seven in every 10,000 persons in the population, no country in the Global Slavery Index is free of modern slavery, making it a necessity for a global concerted efforts to continue.

By absolute number, countries with the highest numbers of people in modern slavery are India, China, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Russia, Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Indonesia, Bangladesh, and Thailand. These countries account for 71 percent of the estimated 35.8 million people in modern slavery.

Rundown on all the regions shows that the tentacles of modern slavery have far-reaching effect, exempting no country.

Asia Pacific

Almost two-thirds, or 65.8 percent, of the estimated 35.8 million people in modern slavery globally are in the Asia Pacific region. Modern slavery exists in the Asia Pacific region in all its forms, including forced labor,trafficking for sexual ex-

Philippine News

FRIDAY DECEMBER 5, 2014

ploitation, and forced marriage.

India and Pakistan for instance, “nationals, often including entire families, are enslaved through bonded labor in construction, agriculture, brick making, garment factories and manufacturing,” the report said.

The index said that most countries in the region exhibit a range of pre-conditions to modern slavery, including weak rule of law, corruption, high levels of poverty, and crippling unemployment, while North Korea presents the highest risk for people becoming enslaved.

This is linked to government sanctioned forced labor, a dramatic absence of human rights provisions, and high levels of poverty.

Countries like Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Taiwan, however, have lower indicators of vulnerability, reflecting their strong rule of law and respect for human rights. However, as recent investigations into forced labor on fishing vessels in New Zealand waters revealed these countries are still not immune to modern slavery.

The Middle East

A major destination for overseas Filipino workers, the region is a catch-basis for men and women from Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa who are looking for better-paying job contracts. A significant number of migrant workers have been subjected to forced labor involving extortionate recruitment fees, illegal confiscation of identity documents, withholding of salaries and physical, psychological and sexual abuse in the workplace.

The escalation of current conflicts within the Middle East and North Africa countries such as South Sudan, Syria, and Iraq, and deterioration of local job prospects in source countries such as Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Sri Lanka, suggests that the numbers of people in modern slavery in this region are set to increase in the coming years.

Middle East and North Africa (MENA) governments do not fare well in educating domestic populations on the risks of modern slavery, providing safety nets for high risk communities, and investigating official complicity in these crimes.

Although governments performed well in creating basic national legal frameworks to criminalize modern slavery, “this has not translated to attitudinal shifts in the broader community, particularly for employers,” the report noted.

The region has the highest measured level of discrimination against women and the highest level of state instability with ongoing armed conflicts in several countries across the area, the report said, adding that “the fundamental nature of the kafala system increases the dependency of migrant workers on sponsors rendering them vulnerable to various forms of exploitation and abuses.”

The kafala, as a system, coupled with discrimination towards foreign work-

11

ers and limited knowledge of the rights of foreign workers, creates an unequal platform for victims to assert their rights. For instance, workers filing a court case need to stay in country, generally, for the duration of the hearing, but because the employer they are suing is unlikely to agree to transfer their sponsorship, the worker cannot seek new employment and will not have access to a sustainable income.

Europe

Despite having the lowest regional prevalence of modern slavery in the world, men, women and children continue to be subjected to modern slavery within the European Union (EU).

Recent cases include human trafficking into the cannabis [marijuana] growing industry in Ireland and forced begging in France.

Nationals from European Union member states represent 65 percent of the presumed victims of human trafficking identified within the EU, although over recent years there has been a noted increase in non-EU victims.

Trafficking for commercial sexual exploitation accounted for almost 70 percent of identified victims while trafficking for forced labor accounted for 19 percent. Cases of debt bondage and forced labor of nationals from Eastern Europe in Western Europe continues in the agricultural, construction and food processing sectors, as do situations of domestic servitude of non-EU nationals in the homes of diplomatic staff.

The region has strongest performance in tackling modern slavery, reflecting the strength of regional efforts through the European Union and Council of Europe mechanisms to implement commitments under a regional treaty, the report also said, noting the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings.

The region is also low on vulnerability to modern slavery, mainly because of its countries consistently being ranked high on indices of peace, democracy, anti-corruption, human rights and access to social services.

Russia and Eurasia Region

Based on the slavery index, over seven percent of the total number of people enslaved in the world are from the Russia and Eurasia region, mainly brought about by forced labor in construction, manufacturing, domestic work, agriculture,and fishing within the region, and in construction, agriculture, and manufacturing in Eastern and Western Europe.

“The strength of organized crime networks have exacerbated the problem, whereby men and women are tricked into accepting tempting job offers overseas, which instead result in labor and sexual exploitation,” the report also said, adding also that “as a relatively wealthy nation, Russia is the hub of migration flows in the region, and consequently, a

hub of trafficking and exploitation.”

Sub-Saharan Africa

Complex patterns of migration, fueled by a lack of economic opportunity, conflict and climate related disasters, force millions of migrants to travel from rural areas to cities as refugees, stateless or displaced persons, and economic migrants, according to the report’s findings, while the same factors force these migrants to seek employment opportunities in prosperous African nations, such as South Africa and Kenya, or further abroad in Europe and the Gulf.

Although all countries have domestic legislation to address modern slavery and while 35 out of 44 countries in the region have coordination bodies working on modern slavery issues, fewer have national action plans that focus on modern slavery beyond child labor, about 22 countries, while only eight countries have a clear budget to address the issue.

The Americas

Relatively, the region experiences relatively low rates of modern slavery in comparison to other regions, with around 3.6 percent of the total number of people in modern slavery.

“Prevalence figures indicate experiences of trafficking for sexual exploitation and forced labor. Commercial sexual exploitation of adults and children is a particular concern,” the report said,

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citing Haiti, for example, where many nationals are forced to illegally cross the border to the Dominican Republic, forcing many to work in the sugarcane fields and live in bateyes. A batey is a company town consisting of barracks and a few houses, located close to cane fields so that groups of workers can live nearby to the site of their labor.

In this region, “working conditions are deplorable and include bonded labor, physical confinement, no rest days, lack of potable water, deception about terms of work, withholding of wages, and unlawful overtime performed under threat of deportation,” the report said, adding that “such practices are evident across the Americas, including in the United States of America.”

Children are particularly vulnerable to modern slavery across the region, with evidence of children being sold into domestic work and a trend of traffickers using children for illicit activities such as drug trafficking, particularly in Mexico, Brazil and Colombia.

However, all countries within the region have criminalized some form of modern slavery and taken action to tackle the problem, the report said, but noted that “generally, countries across the region do not implement a holistic response to modern slavery, with many countries lacking efforts to provide general welfare protections to people at high risk.” ■

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Philippine News

DECEMBER 5, 2014 FRIDAY

President Aquino: Levy is for farmers President to issue EO, certify bill on coco funds urgent

BY CHRISTIAN V. ESGUERRA Philippine Daily Inquirer

Police arrest another suspect in North Cotabato blast PHILIPPINE NEWS AGENCY KABACAN, NORTH COTABATO — Due to intensified police operations, both covert and overt, another suspect in the deadly Nov. 16 bombing in North Cotabato that left one student dead and 16 others wounded had been arrested, officials said.

Mayor Herlo Guzman Jr. of Kabacan said the suspect, the second arrested in connection with the overpass bomb blast, is currently undergoing investigation.

He, however, refused to name the suspect.

Guzman said the second suspect was arrested last week in Poblacion Kabacan after the police received information about his alleged involvement in the deadly blast.

Police earlier arrested Badrudin Abdi, a resident of Purok Krislam, Barangay Poblacion, Kabacan, North Cotabato at a police checkpoint in Pres.

Quirino, Sultan Kudarat last week.

Abid was arrested after his friend, who claimed he was bothered by his conscience, tipped off the police about him.

Senior Supt. Danilo Peralta, North Cotabato police chief, told reporters that the witness personally saw Abid built the improvised explosive device fashioned from 81 mm mortar with mobile phone as triggering device, hauled it toward the

town center and left at an overpass at 6 p.m. on November 16 (Sunday).

Peralta said Abid was also involved in other crimes like carnapping and the illegal drug trade in Kabacan.

Mayor Guzman has offered a Php100,000 reward for anyone who can provide information on the identification and arrest of the suspects.

North Cotabato Gov. Emmlou Mendoza also offered Php100,000 bounty for the arrest of the suspects.

It was unclear whether the bounty was already released to the informant.

Police said two IEDs were planted at the overpass on Sunday night where people mill around road side restaurants, "Ukay-Ukay (used clothings) store and barbeque stalls.

Monique Mantawil, a 21-year old student of state school University of Southern Mindanao (USM), was hit by shrapnel on her head and died while being rushed to Davao City.

Thirteen of the 16 wounded were also students of USM, police said.

Florence, Monique’s mom, condemned the bomb attack and said Allah will surely punish the perpetrators.

She said the news of the suspects’ arrest was a welcome development but surely it will not bring back her daughters’ life.

Florence, also a Maguindanao, said she will see personally the arrested suspects, if given the chance. ■

THEIR LONG walk to Malacañang did not exactly go to waste.

Assuring coconut farmers that the government was “on your side,” President Aquino last week threw his support behind a bill outlining how they would directly benefit from P71 billion in taxes collected from them during the Marcos regime.

The President also gave the group Kilus Magniniyog his word that he would look into its proposal for an executive order putting up a Coconut Farmers’ Trust Fund.

“I hope it’s clear: You have our full support and we are on your side,” he told coconut farmers in Filipino in a meeting in Malacañang. “May you continue to trust [the government]. Help us in the struggle to achieve our singular objective for coconut farmers and the rest of the Philippines.”

The farmers wore green shirts with the words, “Nakaw na Coco Levy, Ibalik sa Niyugan.” For the meeting, the President assembled a powerhouse group of his Cabinet men: Presidential Assistant on Food Security and Agricultural Modernization Francis Pangilinan, Budget Secretary Florencio Abad, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, Environment Secretary Ramon Paje, Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa, and

Cabinet Secretary Jose Rene Almendras.

Covering around 1,700 kilometers in 66 days, 71 coconut farmers calling themselves “KM71” marched from Davao City to Malacañang beginning Sept. 21, the 42nd anniversary of martial law, to dramatize their plight.

More important, small coconut farmers want to take control of and actually benefit from P71 billion in coco levy funds the government recovered from cronies of the late President Ferdinand Marcos.

“The best course of action I see is to craft a law. This would ensure that the next generation would enjoy the benefits brought by the coco levy fund and we would be spared from any legal obstacle in the future,” Mr. Aquino told the farmers.

He said coconut farmers would be “consulted primarily about the provisions that will be contained” in the bill, which he promised to certify as urgent “so it could be passed into law at the soonest time.”

Law, executive order

But pending such a law, the President was open to issuing an executive order ensuring that the coconut industry, especially small farmers, would enjoy the benefits of the coco levy fund.

Mr. Aquino agreed that the fund should be separate from the annual budget of the Philippine Coconut Authority.

“I also agree that we will use only interest income from the coco levy fund so that even the next generation of farmers would benefit from it,” he said.

Saying his administration “did not neglect” coconut farmers, he said the government had increased the PCA’s budget from P593 million in 2010 to P5.1 billion last year.

“Because of this budget, we were able to focus on programs that made your farm lands more productive,” he said.

At the outset, the President reminded the group that the Supreme Court had yet to decide on the motion for partial reconsideration of its 2012 ruling that the government owned the 27percent block of shares of San Miguel Corp., the Coconut Industry Investment Fund (CIIF).

Only for farmers

The percentage was later reduced to 24 percent as a result of a Japanese brewer’s investment in SMC. Another Supreme Court decision in December 2012 also ruled that shares transferred to businessman Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco at United Coconut Planters Bank belonged to the government.

They were “to be used only for the benefit of all coconut farmers and for the development of the coconut industry, and ordered reconveyed to the government,” the high court said. ■

President Benigno S. Aquino III receives a document containing the proposals and recommendations for the immediate implementation of the coco levy fund from a representative of coconut farmers’ organizations during the dialogue at the Heroes Hall of the Malacañan Palace last Wednesday.

GIL NARTEA / MALACAÑANG PHOTO BUREAU

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Philippine News

FRIDAY DECEMBER 5, 2014

13

Philippine court convicts Indonesian, 2 Filipino extremists in deadly 2002 mall bombing

BY JIM GOMEZ The Associated Press MANILA, PHILIPPINES — A Philippine court has convicted an Indonesian militant and two Filipino extremists for their role in a 2002 mall bombing that killed at least 12 people and signalled the start of the alliance of two of Southeast Asia’s most violent terrorist groups.

Judge Leili Cruz-Suarez said in her ruling last Thursday that Jul Kifli from Indonesia and Abu Sayyaf militants Ahmad Jekeron and Yacob Basug were “guilty beyond reasonable doubt” of staging the April 21, 2002, bombing that also wounded dozens of people at the Fitmart shopping mall in the southern port city of General Santos.

State prosecutor Aristotle Reyes, who initially handled the case, said the convictions would serve as a deterrent to terrorism and complement military actions to defeat the resilient

militants.

A former Abu Sayyaf militant and key witness, Abu Hamdie, said the bombing was the first joint attack by the Abu Sayyaf and the Indonesia-based terror network Jemaah Islamiyah.

He said the Abu Sayyaf was looking for a diversion to fend off a military offensive at the time, and Jemaah Islamiyah “wanted to show off their bomb-making prowess.”

With the help of Filipino militants, including notorious bombing suspect Basit Usman, Jul Kifli manufactured the powerful bomb and placed it near the entrance of the mall.

The bomb was remotely detonated with a cellphone call made by Jekeron, Hamdie said.

“He uttered a short prayer then dialed the cellphone number given by Jul Kifli,” he said.

Usman, who is also wanted by the U.S. government for several, deadly bombings, remains at large.

Indonesian Ibrahim Ali and Abu Sayyaf militants Arman

Investigators sift through the rubble after an explosion outside the Fitmart Department Store in April 2002.

RAPPLER

Ameruddin and Ikram Ameruddin were acquitted in the trial.

The Abu Sayyaf was founded in 1991 in the south, homeland of minority Muslims in the largely Roman Catholic coun-

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try and scene of rebellions for a separate Muslim homeland.

Washington considers the Abu Sayyaf, which currently has about 400 armed fighters split into about six factions, as a terrorist group.

A U.S.-backed offensive has weakened and largely isolated the Abu Sayyaf, but it has endured by turning to ransom kidnappings and extortion. It currently holds about a dozen hostages. ■

14

Philippine News

DECEMBER 5, 2014 FRIDAY

Miriam: P2.6-Trillion budget favors President’s allies

BY TJ BURGONIO AND LEILA B. SALAVERRIA Philippine Daily Inquirer THE PROPOSED P2.606-trillion national budget for 2015 may yet be the administration’s preparatory budget for the 2016 elections, Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago said last week.

“It is meant to give more money to the President’s allies and to government departments [that] are viewed as crucial to the [results] of the elections,” Santiago said when asked if the 2015 budget could be considered an election budget.

Santiago said that in the P104.5-billion budget of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), there were appropriations for items that were not part of the department’s main responsibility.

One such item is the funding for water service, a function that belongs to the National Irrigation Administration (NIA), she said.

“There is no more grassroots agency closer to the voters than the DILG. But why does it have [large] appropriations for items that are not clearly indicated as part of its mandate?” Santiago told reporters after speaking at the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila.

Senate President Franklin Drilon declined to comment on Santiago’s observations.

Not for irrigation

Liberal Party (LP) secretary general Senen Sarmiento has explained that the funding for water services in the DILG budget was not related to irrigation.

The Salintubig project was designed to improve health and sanitation and provide water to rural communities in accordance with the Millennium Development Goals, he said.

Santiago, in a privilege speech

Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago said that the proposed P2.6-Trillion budget that is on the table heavily favors President Aquino’s allies and government departments that are “crucial” to the election results.

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

on Monday, claimed that the tained that the consultation sums,” she said in a separate 2015 budget contained some with legislators to identify pri- statement.

P37.3-billion in pork barrel, and ority projects reeked of pork After Santiago’s privilege had a loophole that would allow barreling. speech, Budget Secretary Florthe declaration of savings any “In other words, there may be encio Abad said the budget did time of the year. no separate item called Priority not contain pork.

She questioned the allocation Development Assistance Fund Santiago agreed with the defof a sum for a water system in (PDAF), but the funds have al- inition of savings in the Senate the DILG budget. ready been built into the pro- version of the national budget.

“Are these loThe Senate cal politicians defined savings expecting some as balances of windfall during Are these local politicians expecting “unobligated” the campaign some windfall during the campaign appropriations period? Is that period? Is that why the budget arising from the why the budget is skewed like that? difference beis skewed like tween a project’s that?” she said. approved budget The Senate approved the posed 2015 budget,” she said, and contract award price; final budget measure on Wednesday referring to the pork barrel discontinuance of a program, night, and hoped to reconcile that the Supreme Court struck activity or project; inability of its version with the House of down as unconstitutional last an agency to implement a proRepresentatives’ next week so year. gram due to external causes, it could be signed into law by “These funds, regardless of and decreased cost of a project.

President Aquino before year- the name, may be considered “That is the technicality on end. pork barrel because they are which Senator Escudero and I national funds used for local agree,” Santiago said, referring Pork barreling projects selected by legislators, to Sen. Francis Escudero, the Yesterday, Santiago main- and they are granted in lump finance committee chair.

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“My objection is this: If you define savings as an act of discontinuance and disallowance then you can stop a project at anytime and then resume it maybe next year or in some other future time, but with this amendment that will no longer be possible. I agree therefore that the mere insertion of the word ‘final’ disapproval will serve to ward off any evil that I’ve been warning against,” she said.

Lawmakers’ intervention

Escudero, speaking at a news forum in the Senate yesterday, said a test case was needed to determine the extent of prohibited postenactment intervention by lawmakers in the execution of the budget.

In striking down the graft-

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FRIDAY DECEMBER 5, 2014

ridden PDAF and the DAP, the Supreme Court also prohibited lawmakers from intervening in the implementation of the budget after its passage.

Under the previous system, the lawmakers used the PDAF to identify “hard” or infrastructure projects to be implemented after the budget approval, as well as to fund their “soft” projects such as educational and medical assistance.

But some lawmakers believe that even without the PDAF, they can endorse people asking them for help to programs of executive departments, such as those for medical assistance or education.

Escudero said he believed this was postenactment intervention prohibited by the Supreme Court ruling on the PDAF. He said he no longer endorsed people to executive agencies for assistance.

Extent unstated

But he said the extent of postenactment intervention was not expressly stated in the Supreme Court’s PDAF ruling.

The matter needs to be tested to determine what the lawmakers could or could not do in relation to the decision, he said.

“There has been no case yet filed to test the actual definition of postenactment based on the definition of the court,” Escudero said.

He said there were many factors to consider in determining if recommending beneficiaries was prohibited or not.

For instance, he said, if a lawmaker endorses a beneficiary but the department does not approve it, will this be considered a violation? If the endorsement from the lawmaker is only recommendatory, will this be considered prohibited as well?

But Escudero said he would rather not second-guess the Supreme Court on the matter and would leave it to the judiciary to resolve should a case be filed.

Budget bill provision

The Senate’s version of the 2015 budget bill includes a provision stating that postenactment intervention is not allowed. Escudero said the provision was copied from the Supreme Court ruling.

The provision states: “Nothing herein shall be construed to authorize legislators… to intervene, assume, or participate in any of the various postenactment stages of budget execution, such as but not limited to the areas of project identification, modification and revision of project identification, fund release and/ or fund realignment, unrelated to power of congressional oversight.”

The Senate, however, refrained from further specifying what would or would not fall under postenactment intervention lest it be construed as adding a selfserving provision, Escudero said.

“If we define postenactment — for instance, that we can recommend as long as there is no amount specified, or as

long as agencies are not required to accept our recommendations — we will be criticized and would be told that we had a self-serving definition,” he said.

“We’ll let it be resolved in a test case,” he added.

Escudero noted that many members of the House of Representatives were concerned about being able to help constituents because they receive numerous requests for assistance.

To be fair to House members, he said, they are usually the ones who know the problems in their districts because they have the capability to go around and check the conditions of their constituents.

Escudero also noted that there have been many scholars of lawmakers who lost the chance to continue their education because the Commission on Higher Education excluded them from its scholarship program even though they are qualified for assistance under its criteria.

Different definition

Meanwhile, Escudero also said those who insisted that there was still pork barrel in the proposed 2015 budget were apparently using a different definition of the term.

He said that for some, any item in the budget that is recommended by a lawmaker was pork, even though legislators had the power to recommend projects that answered the needs of their constituencies.

Escudero said the Senate budget bill was guided by the Supreme Court ruling on the pork barrel.

It is not prohibited for lawmakers to recommend projects for funding during the crafting of the budget, as this is preenactment intervention, he said.

Lump sums in the budget are inevitable and are not the problem, he said.

Problems arise if the lump sums are subject to discretionary use, Escudero added.

He said he wondered why there were complaints about lump-sum funds, pointing out that the Senate included provisions in the budget bill requiring agencies to submit details of projects to be funded from lump sums before the funds could be released.

15

Leila: No... looking to have an affair, touts itself as “the most successful website for finding an affair and cheating partners.” The international site is also open to the unattached.

Sign-up is free but fees are charged when members signify a wish to interact with those they fancy on the site.

“Thousands of cheating wives and cheating husbands sign up every day looking for an affair. We are the most famous website for discreet encounters between married individuals. Married dating has never been easier,” the website says on its main page.

The online service, which carries the tagline, “Life is short. Have an affair,” even offers an “affair guarantee package,” which ensures that users “will find the perfect affair partner.” ❰❰ 9

Banned in Korea

Considering how conservative Philippine society can be, the newly launched website has already attracted some 3,000 Filipinos to sign up, as Ashley Madison spokesperson Christoph Kraemer had claimed in media interviews during his visit to Manila earlier this week to introduce the site to the Philippine market.

The site was banned in South Korea in April and Singapore in November 2013

Lump sums

Lump sums in the 2015 budget include the allocations for the salary of personnel. Escudero said it would be impractical to list the names of all government employees.

He said the process could allow lawmakers to remove government employees by simply erasing their names from the list.

Other lump sums in the budget are the contingency fund (P2 billion); e-government fund (P1 billion); rehabilitation and reconstruction program fund (P20 billion); miscellaneous personnel benefits fund (P90 billion); and the pension and gratuity fund (P127 billion). ■ www.canadianinquirer.net

for blatant immorality.

Affront to integrity

Women’s rights activist Liza Maza slammed the website, calling it “an affront to human integrity and social harmony,” and an “outright commercialization of cheating.”

Maza said she was supporting the government’s plan to ban the site, noting how women suffer the most in cases of adultery.

“In the context of relationships in a macho society like ours, it is the women who suffer and are disadvantaged when husbands cheat and have extramarital affairs,” said Maza, Gabriela Women’s Alliance chair emerita.

“This problem will worsen with the promotion of this website. Thus, it should likewise be banned in our country,” she said. ■

Opinion

16

DECEMBER 5, 2014 FRIDAY

PUBLIC LIVES

The world according to Facebook

By Randy David Philippine Daily Inquirer RECENTLY, I discovered to my dismay that my students in an undergraduate class in the University of the Philippines did not regularly read the newspapers, or listen to the news on radio, or watch the evening report on TV. These are students of the country’s premier state university; most of them are expected to be among the nation’s future leaders. “So, how do you keep yourselves informed about what’s happening in the country and the world?” I anxiously asked. “Facebook,” came their reply.

The world of Facebook is vast, multilayered, and multidimensional. It is both deeply personal and awesomely public. Its users casually post the most private communications and bare details of their most intimate selves—on a platform they share with a billion other people. The wonder of it all is that they think they are in control of what they reveal about themselves or who gets to see what they post.

If global society is the universe of communications, then Facebook is its closest approximation. It is the largest social network in cyberspace—nearly as big as China in membership, but, as a community,

far more diverse, dispersed, and en- what kind of stories might interest ism Nikki Usher articulates what is gaged than the constituents of the their subscribers. They figure this out probably in the mind of anyone who world’s most populous nation. themselves by creating a profile of has studied the way the mass media Therefore, it comes as no surprise each one of them based on their past work: “That’s a lot of power to put in that Facebook’s founder, Mark Zuck- selections. Every “click” they make a single organization.” erberg, has made plans to deploy his registers an input into a complex We are told that Facebook will not company’s unique advantage in a bid calculation process that determines be hiring its own army of journalists. to become the world’s principal pur- what information to deliver to every This means it will be sourcing inforveyor of the news. Agence France- single one of their subscribers. Ama- mation from existing newspapers and Presse reports: “Zuckerberg said zon, the world’s largest bookstore, pi- media networks all over the world, cuthat while a newspaper provides the oneered this form of smart service by rating this in a personal way before it’s same information to every reader, generating book and product recom- delivered to every one of its members.

Facebook can tailor its feed to the in- mendations from the titles and goods The question is: How does one know terests of the individual, delivering a one has bought or even merely shown when a piece of information has landed mix of world news, in one’s personalized community events news box because it The question is: How does one know when a piece of and updates about is sponsored? information has landed in one’s personalized news box befriends or family.”

The fear implicit There is, of course, in this question is cause it is sponsored? nothing new in the based on the classic idea of delivering individually custom- the faintest interest in. All this is made suspicion that, given their power, the ized information. Other companies like possible by algorithms—those com- mass media are somehow engaged in Google and Yahoo are already doing this plex sequences of computer instruc- manipulating the news. We have all to some extent. And so do countless tions by which vast amounts of data heard of “sacred cows”—persons and Internet-based magazines, like Zite and inputs are factored in and processed institutions shielded from negative Flipboard, which function like highly- to produce an output. reports and commentary, or singled focused search engines, picking articles So when Facebook begins deliver- out for abundant praise for the most from a broad range of sources and cob- ing—in Zuckerberg’s words—“the trivial achievements. Interestingly, bling these together to deliver a person- perfect personalized newspaper for such awareness rarely results in a alized magazine unique to every reader. every person in the world,” it will comprehensive distrust for the mass Every new version of these delightful also be capable of knowing in real media. In his book “The reality of the apps represents a further sharpening of time how the news is being received mass media,” Niklas Luhmann puts it their selection engine. by a billion people. George Washing- thus: “[K]nowledge acquired from the These days, they no longer ask ton University professor of journal- mass media merges together as if of

its own accord into a self-reinforcing structure. Even if all knowledge were to carry a warning that it was open to doubt, it would still have to be used as a foundation, as a starting point.” Conversely, the mass media themselves seem to have little choice but to abide by the autonomy that modern society has given them.

I can’t imagine Facebook squandering its massive subscriber base to promote a political ideology or a religion, or merely to serve as the mouthpiece of a business conglomerate. Its own staff will be the first to abandon it.

Already, new Facebook-like networks are coming up in protest against excessive commercialization. “Ello,” for example, describes itself as “the social network you have been waiting for.

Simple, beautiful & ad-free.”

Facebook’s entry into the world of journalism will surely change the way we view the world. It will break parochial horizons. I doubt it will kill traditional media. On the contrary, I think it will jack up their readership. But they will be faced with unprecedented pressures to change the way they report the news. And these will come from the one thing that’s triggering all these changes: the opening of the “interactive” space between sender and receiver that the Internet has made possible. ■

VIEWPOINT

Embedded impunity

By Juan L. Mercado Philippine Daily Inquirer MALAYSIA’S Prime Minister Najib Razak enjoys “peacemaker par excellence” status here in the Philippines.

Credit that to his evenhanded efforts to shepherd the Philippine government-Bangsamoro talks to end conflict and help rebuild rebellionwrecked communities in Mindanao.

But in Kuala Lumpur, he acts the exact opposite. Razak “has gone back on a pledge to repeal a controversial sedition law.” It was supposed to anchor his reforms to develop Malaysia into a progressive democracy.

Under Malaysia’s Sedition Act of 1948, speech that would incite “religious or social tensions” versus “traditional rulers” could land one a three-year jail term. In 2012, Najib expressed support for the passage of a National Harmony Act to replace the Sedition Act. Late November, he sang a different tune to the United Malays National Organization (UMNO). The Sedition Act would be retained. It has a clause to protect the sanctity of Islam, “while other religions also cannot be insulted.”

But the second clause makes it illegal to call for the breakaway of Sabah and Sarawak on Malaysian Borneo.

There, non-Muslims and indigenous

tribes are a majority.

They also detained University of herd a bill through Parliament that “Over the last year a string of sedi- Malaya law professor Azmi Sharom retained many of its provisions.” tion charges sparked fears that the for a commentary on Kuala Lumpur’s Significantly, UMNO’s latest crackprime minister would backtrack on 2009 political crisis. Eight opposi- down bears down hard on the the his promise,” wrote Jennifer Pak of tion politicians were charged with se- states of Sarawak and Sabah where British Broadcasting Corporation. dition for statements some of which non-Muslims constitute a considerHis coalition squeaked through were uttered two years back. able fraction of the population. on a slimmer majority in the last “Seditious tendency” is the legal “Sources told Asia Sentinel that vote. Some analysts within Razak’s club. In 1987, the Mahathir regime’s party rebels will go after Najib’s alMalay-Muslim based party told BBC Operation Lalang arrested over a lies with anonymous charges of corthat the prime minister was facing hundred intellectuals, students, art- ruption. UMNO’s annual general mounting opposition to his reforms ists and scientists. The recycled In- meeting, to be held later this year, is from hardliners within his coalition. ternal Security Act permits deten- expected to focus on the squabble.

They “are pushing Gagged by the lifor more favorable censing law, the Razak “has gone back on a pledge to repeal a contropolicies over other press is silent,” versial sedition law.” It was supposed to anchor his reforms to races and religion.”

Viewpoint noted develop Malaysia into a progressive democracy.

This is “the last September. broadest crackdown… since the era of tion without trial.

Allah means God—unless you’re a strongman leader Mahathir MohamThe three-party opposition Christian in Malaysia, wrote Time magad, now 89,” Reuters news agency re- eroded the ruling Barisan Nasional azine. Or Sikh, Hindu or atheist for that ported. Yet, “two years ago the multi- coalition’s majority in the last two matter. A new Kuala Lumpur court deethnic former British colony appeared elections. Though it retained the cision stipulates that only Muslims can set on a path of greater openness.” majority seats in Parliament, for the invoke the name of “Allah.” And that The Malays today make up 51 per- first time since Malaysia’s indepen- triggered concern beyond Association cent of Malaysia’s population. The dence in 1957, it lost the popular vote of Southeast Asian countries.

Chinese constitute 24 percent and garnering just 46 percent against the Four years back, Kuala Lumpur the Indians 7 percent. opposition coalition surged to 54 courts ruled that the term “Allah” Cops arrested Malaysiakini re- percent, The New York Times report- transcended different faiths. Why porter Susan Loone, then released ed. The sedition law clubs activists to then the flip-flop? “Islam (is) vulnerher on bail. Malay groups lodged a undermine the alliance, they say. able to conversion efforts by other police report about Loone quoting UMNO seeks to silence the oppo- faiths,” the latest ruling asserts. Anyan arrested opposition politician that sition, John Berthelsen wrote in Asia way, Allah was “not an integral part… he was being treated like “a criminal” Sentinel. In 2012, Razak pledged to in Christianity.” while in custody. scrap the sedition law, “only to shepNo? Herald editor, Fr. Lawrence

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Andrew said he’ll appeal. Non-Muslim Malaysians reacted with anger. “Appalling,” snapped Jagir Singh who heads the Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism. “Bahasa Malaysia-speaking Christians had been using ‘Allah’ even before the formation of Malaysia,” recalled Rev. Eu Hong Seng.

Churches in Sabah and Sarawak, where Christians are a majority, protested. As they have been doing for years, they would invoke “Allah” in worship and in the “Al-Kitab,” the Bahasa Malaysian version of the bible. Malaysia’s Parliament in 2011 allowed the circulation of “Al-Kitab.”

The ruling fractured Kuala Lumpur’s “10-point solution.” *** On the “flight back to Rome from Turkey—where Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew prayed together—the Pontiff was asked: Would he meet Patriarch Kirill, head of the Russian Orthodox Church which split from the Catholic Church in 1054?

The Pope said said that he’ll go wherever the Patriarch wants him to go, that the two of them do share the same desire to meet each other and to go forward. “But with the problems of the war [in Ukraine], the poor guy has so many problems, so a meeting with the Pope will have to wait.” ■

Opinion

FRIDAY DECEMBER 5, 2014

17

AS I SEE IT

Comelec warns pols against premature campaigning

By Neal H. Cruz Philippine Daily Inquirer AFTER DISQUALIFYING Gov. ER Ejercito of Laguna for overspending in the 2013 elections, the Commission on Elections warned that a hundred other politicians are also being investigated and face disqualification for the same offense. Other politicians are also in danger of disqualification for premature campaigning.

Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said at a press forum last week that it is not only Vice President Jejomar Binay who is prematurely campaigning but many other politicians also are, and he warned all of them to desist or be sanctioned by the Comelec.

Under the guise of “feeling the pulse of the people,” Binay has been town-hopping, shaking hands and delivering speeches in full campaign mode. The campaign period is still a year away.

“He is not the only one,” Jimenez said, “many other politicians are doing the same thing. The Comelec warning is being issued not only against VP Binay but against all of them.”

So take heed, “pasaway” politi-

cians. The Comelec, accused of being With the depot gone, fuel will have munities where people live so that laggard in enforcing election rules, is to be trucked from Batangas for deliv- even if a fire breaks out in the depot, finally showing its teeth and claws. ery all over the country. Necessarily, no home would be in danger. It would The prospect of higher fuel prices, delivery will be slow and more costly. be easy to connect the oil pipelines more traffic congestion and possible Also, the oil companies will have to from Batangas to this islet. At the fuel shortages is real because of the buy many more oil tankers. By the same time, it would be easy for fuel coming transfer of the oil depot from time it reaches the consumer, the fuel barges to deliver supplies to and from Pandacan. The Supreme Court has will cost several pesos higher per liter. the islet. A bridge or causeway can be affirmed a 2009 resolution of the Besides, because of the increased built from the islet to the mainland.

Manila City council ordering the re- number of oil tankers out on the If the depot were relocated in the moval of the oil depot because of the streets, the highway from Batangas, middle of a vacant land somewhere, danger it poses to the Pandacan com- as well as the already clogged narrow the surrounding area would not remunity. The succeeding city council streets in the cities and towns, will be main vacant for long. People, espereversed the decicially squatters, sion and reclassiwould build their Under the guise of “feeling the pulse of the people,” Binay fied Pandacan into a homes nearer and has been town-hopping, shaking hands and delivering speeches heavy industry zone nearer to the depot in full campaign mode. The campaign period is still a year away. to allow the depot to until it would be remain, precisely to another Pandacan. prevent fuel price increases. clogged with traffic, resulting in late The site of the present depot in PanPandacan hosts the huge oil tanks deliveries not only of the fuel but also dacan was vacant when the oil tanks where the Big Three oil companies of other produce, as well as in delayed were built there. Through the years, (Petron, Shell, and Chevron) keep arrivals of travelers at their destina- however, homes crowded around it. gasoline refined in their refineries in tions. In turn, that will result in more But if the depot were located in the Batangas. The gasoline is pumped to wasted fuel and more air pollution middle of the bay, no human habitathe tanks from the refineries through from more vehicle exhausts. tion would be able to move close to it. undersea pipes. Barges also chug I have a suggestion to help ease the The coconut levy was really intended across Manila Bay and up the Pasig problem: Why not relocate the depot for the coconut farmers. It was colRiver to deliver fuel to the depot. Oil to an islet—either existing or to be re- lected from every kilo of copra protankers then deliver the fuel to gas claimed—in the middle of Manila Bay. duced and sold by farmers. When stations all over the country.

The depot would be away from com- the fund grew into billions of pesos,

greedy public officials and businessmen did not want to let go of it and return it to the coconut farmers. They concocted all sorts of excuses to retain control of the fund.

Finally, President Aquino saw the light. He will issue an executive order and certify a bill on the coco levy as urgent for enactment by Congress.

The fund should not just be divided among the coconut farmers and returned to them. Coconut farmers are among the poorest farmers in the country and the industry suffered much during the recent onslaught of powerful typhoons. Millions of coconut trees were toppled. Old trees are being cut down to be sawn into lumber. A massive replanting of coconuts is needed and the coco fund must be used wisely to benefit not only the farmers but the whole industry.

With the cash in farmers’ hands, it may just fritter away. The fund is big enough so that its interest earnings are big enough to fund whatever the farmers and the industry need.

The principal should not be touched so that it would remain a steady and unending source of funds for the industry. ■

AT LARGE

Coco farmers and women

By Rina Jimenez-David Philippine Daily Inquirer

BY ALL measures, action is indeed overdue on the coconut levy funds.

After all, almost 30 years have passed since the Edsa Revolt and the issue over who should have control over the taxes levied on coconut farmers was contested and brought to court.

And yet, as P-Noy confessed to the delegation of 71 coconut farmers who had marched all the way to Manila from Davao to dramatize their plight, while the case remains pending with the Supreme Court, the government cannot yet touch a centavo of the disputed amount of P71 billion. This, even if the high court has already ruled that the money rightfully belongs to the farmers.

During his meeting with the farmers in Malacañang, P-Noy said he is in favor of preparing a “plan” on the disbursement of the funds once the Supreme Court rules with finality on the issue. This includes certifying as urgent a bill prioritizing use of the money for the farmers. And in the meantime, the government could jump-start the process by releasing some P1.38 billion from the Philippine Coconut Authority for “long-term” programs to benefit the farmers.

I caught a glimpse of the farmers as they were leaving the premises

of the House of Representatives last would be righted as soon as feasible. lobbying groups of women and civil Tuesday, presumably from a meeting *** society; and the contradictions that with legislators (they held a dialogue ORANGE was the color of the day last need to be reconciled between differwith Speaker Sonny Belmonte). Tuesday, as the world observes an on- ent local and national laws and declaWearing green T-shirts with the slo- going international campaign to end rations on human rights. gan “Nakaw na coco levy, ibalik sa all forms of violence against women.

In a video address, Sen. Pia Cayniyugan (Return the stolen coco levy Nobody told me about the “orange etano urged her sisters in the legislato coconut farmers),” they walked alert,” so Miyen Verzosa, executive di- ture to “learn to speak the language” out in a long line, looking weary and rector of the Philippine Commission of their male colleagues while also worn-out (and who wouldn’t given on Women (PCW), fished out a scarf “teaching them to understand our the distance they had walked?). And in a shade of orange from her bag and own language and positions on isas I peered at their faces, they didn’t urged me to wear it for our photo op. sues.” Before embarking on any camlook so much angry or aggrieved as The occasion was a forum with paign to address social issues through resigned and yet also resolute. women legislators on “Moving For- law, she added, one must “establish But I had to wonder why the farm- ward with Women’s Rights,” looking your foundation,” making a close acers had to embark on their long back at the truly remarkable series quaintance with the Constitution, exmarch at all. Did isting laws, treaties, P-Noy and the rest and international of his officials (who best practices. CayP-Noy could very well be “on the side” of the farmers, flanked him as they etano also cited a but what they need at this time is action and support, not just faced the farmers piece of advice given promises and even more studies. across a table in her by her “seatMalacañang) hope that by having of laws promoting women’s rights mate,” the recently deceased former the dispute “parked” at the Supreme that had been enacted in the past two senator Juan Flavier, who cautioned Court they could take their time be- decades, and looking forward to the her to “watch and observe… There is a fore making contingency plans? enactment of more laws addressing time for anything, you need to wait for P-Noy could very well be “on the gender inequality. political forces to be aligned.” side” of the farmers, but what they Verzosa reminded the women *** need at this time is action and sup- legislators present of the remaining BUT Rep. Linabelle Ruth Villarica, port, not just promises and even more challenges they face: the domination who chairs the House committee on studies. They may not have any cash of men in Congress, with only seven women and gender equality, noted or goodies to take home with them, of 50 House committees chaired by that the basic challenge facing wombut the farmers, it is hoped, could at women; the highly politicized legis- en legislators was that “gender equalleast return to their families with re- lative process and the influence of ity is not mainstreamed in our polinewed belief that the injustice done dominant social values on the work tics, our work and our processes.” them all these many years could and of legislation; the lack of resources of For instance, the committee on

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women is too often bypassed when it comes to referral of laws that have to do with women’s concerns, such as that on infidelity (as a basis for legal separation), rape and sexual harassment. With women senators, she said, her committee is preparing plans for the “fast-tracking” of bills on women.

But even with legislation that, on the surface, is not about gender, Villarica said there is still need to incorporate the “women’s point of view,” such as the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law. In fact, she has taken the unprecedented step of writing to the House leadership to include the women’s committee in the discussion of the BBL, “since all other issues are being discussed anyway.”

For Rep. Luz Ilagan of the partylist group Gabriela, the improving status of Filipino women matters little as long as economic inequality exists. The rising prices of basic commodities, she said, impose a heavier burden on women who will have to somehow scrape up the funds for food and other necessities.

May-i Fabros, who sits in the board of the PCW representing young women, brought the forum to a close by expressing hope that in the future, “no woman would feel she cannot speak up or speak out” in her own defense, and in assertion of her own rights. ■

18

FRIDAY DECEMBER 5, 2014

Canada News

NEWS BRIEFS

Rob Ford era ends in Toronto; Premier Wynne welcomes new mayor John Tory

FROM THE CANADIAN PRESS

THE CANADIAN PRESS TORONTO — The tumultuous era of scandal-plagued Rob Ford came to an end Monday as his successor officially took over as mayor of Toronto.

The first major business of the day for John Tory was a meeting with Premier Kathleen Wynne at the Ontario legislature, where the two promised to work together to confront the challenges facing the city including transit and housing.

Tory said it was “no accident” that he chose to begin his mayoralty that way because he plans to fulfil a campaign promise to work in partnership with other governments.

“That includes not only the provincial government but the government of Canada and the governments in the rest of this region,” he said.

“I think by working together we’re going to be able to advance the interests of the people of Toronto and the people of Ontario and the people of Canada because I tend to think what’s good for one is good for all.”

Wynne repeatedly refused to meet with Ford after he was stripped of most of his powers in November 2013, opting instead to meet with his deputy, Norm Kelly, after he assumed many of Ford’s duties.

She has a warm relationship with Tory, a former provincial Progressive Conservative leader, and the premier suggested Monday that can certainly help.

RCMP DOCTORED FLIGHT LOGS: INTEGRITY WATCHDOG

John Tory, seen here on his recent election night victory, has officially started his tenure as the Mayor of Toronto.

JOHNTORY.CA

“If the communication is better, I think there is much more potential that more can get done.”

Ford has been seldom seen since being diagnosed with a rare form of cancer in September, which led him to drop his bid for another term as mayor, although he did win a seat on council.

He issued a statement Sunday thanking the people of Toronto for their support while he was mayor and vowing to continue fighting against what he called “extravagance, wastefulness, and a general disrespect for both the taxpayers and their hardearned dollars.”

Ford won the mayor’s office in 2010 with a promise to stop “the gravy train” at city hall but became inter-

nationally notorious after a series of scandals that included admitting last year to using crack cocaine during a “drunken stupor” and then completing a stint in rehab this year.

Wynne promised to hold regular meetings with the city’s new mayor.

“We’re not going to necessarily agree on every policy or every file over the next four years, that’s not the point, but as elected leaders our responsibility is to work together,” said Wynne.

“We’ve got lots of challenges confronting us at the provincial (level) and Mayor Tory has lots of challenges at the municipal level.”

Tory was sworn in at a private ceremony Monday afternoon ahead of his inauguration Tuesday. ■

Montreal massacre continues to divide politicians on Parliament Hill

BY JENNIFER DITCHBURN The Canadian Press OTTAWA — Twenty-five years after Marc Lepine killed 14 women at Montreal’s Ecole Polytechnique, the massacre is still creating sharp political divisions on Parliament Hill over the nature of the crime and the proper response to it.

Gun control remains a polarizing

element of Dec. 6 discussions. While families of the victims and supporters demand tighter regulations, the Conservatives have argued that lawabiding Canadian gun owners should not be treated like criminals.

A bill is currently making its way through the Commons that reclassifies certain weapons and eases transportation restrictions around firearms, among other measures. The government eliminated the long-gun

registry two years ago.

“Only our Conservative government will always stand up for Canada’s hunters, trappers, and sports shooters,” MP Robert Sopuck said in the Commons Tuesday.

Merely defining what happened in 1989 is also a sensitive topic.

Justice Minister Peter MacKay sparked opposition derision Tuesday ❱❱ PAGE 22 Montreal massacre

OTTAWA — RCMP pilots doctored flight manifests in order to fly over-loaded aircraft, the federal integrity commissioner said Tuesday as he dismissed several other serious allegations from a whistleblower for lack of evidence.

Commissioner Mario Dion says he could not establish whether the RCMP flights in 2012 posed a danger to the life, health or safety of anyone because the true weight of the aircraft is not known.

SENATORS PUSH FOR DEBATE ON ASSISTED SUICIDE OTTAWA — Thwarted in his efforts to force the House of Commons to debate the issue of assisted suicide, Manitoba Conservative MP Stephen Fletcher has gone down the hall for some help. Two senators — one a Conservative, the other a Liberal — are taking over Fletcher’s bid to make physician-assisted death legal under Canadian law, introducing a bill on the subject in the upper chamber.

CDN TEACHER ON TRIAL FOR ALLEGED ABUSE JAKARTA — A Canadian teacher and a teaching assistant went on trial Tuesday in Indonesia accused of sexually abusing a kindergarten student at an international school. Neil Bantleman, of Burlington, Ont., and Ferdinant Tjiong maintain their innocence as do fellow teachers and the principal at the Jakarta International School.

AVIAN FLU DETECTED ON TWO B.C. FARMS VANCOUVER — The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has placed two farms in British Columbia under quarantine after avian flu was discovered in birds on the poultry farms. The agency says provincial officials confirmed H5 avian influenza on the farms in the Fraser Valley, east of Vancouver.

Canada News

FRIDAY DECEMBER 5, 2014

19

Ontario man arrested in 1970s murders of two B.C. girls

BY TAMSYN BURGMANN The Canadian Press VANCOUVER — Shari Greer made a promise to her 11-yearold daughter as she grieved over the girl’s grave site that she would never give up the hunt for the killer.

Almost 40 year later, Greer says she’s still wrapping her head around an arrest made on Friday that brings resolution to her mission.

Mounties in British Columbia revealed Monday they have arrested and charged a 67-yearold Ontario man with firstdegree murder in the historic deaths of two young girls, who separately vanished near their homes in the 1970s.

Kathryn-Mary Herbert, 11, disappeared in Abbotsford, B.C., in 1975, and 12-year-old Monica Jack was last seen in Merritt, B.C., three years later.

“When this is over, I am going to have a well-deserved breakdown. I will forever hear my heart break,” Greer, Herbert’s

mother, told a news conference He described Handlen as existence of DNA evidence, but after police thanked her for her having travelled extensively said all advances in forensic relentless advocacy over the through B.C. and Alberta at the technology have been brought years. time and released the man’s to bear.

“I want you to know these photograph from that era, askHerbert was reported misstwo little girls, Monica and ing the public to come forward ing on Sept. 24, 1975, after Kathryn-Mary, made a differ- with tips if it jogs any memo- failing to return home from a ence in this world while they ries. He said the man previous- friend’s house in Abbotsford, were here.” ly lived in the Lower Mainland B.C., about 8:30 p.m. She was Both girls disappeared while and has a criminal record. last seen by another friend who travelling short distances while “He was brought into the doubled her on his bicycle partalone on roads way, police said. in the southern The girl’s body part of the provwas turned up ince. two months Officers relater in an undefused to provide It has taken this long for us to gather veloped area of specifics of what the evidence needed in order to a First Nations led to the breaksatisfy the courts to bring him reserve, promptthrough, saying forward on charges today. ing a series of inthey brought vestigations that Garry Handlen included the isinto custody suing of a private without incident in Surrey, B.C., investigation as a suspect or $10,000 reward in 2012. although he no longer lives in person of interest ... early on,” Jack was last spotted on May the province.

Lymburner said.

6, 1978. She was riding her biSupt. Ward Lymburner, the “It has taken this long for us cycle alone along a stretch of officer in charge of the special to gather the evidence needed Highway 5A, near the Nicola projects unit, said three de- in order to satisfy the courts to Ranch in Merritt, B.C., more cades of investigation by mul- bring him forward on charges than 200 km northeast from tiple police forces combined to today.” where Herbert disappeared. pinpoint the same suspect.

He wouldn’t comment on any The girl’s bicycle was found

strewn down an embankment the following afternoon, not far from where she lived, but it took another 17 years to find her body. Remains were discovered in a rural area north of the city, after a fire.

Investigators added the mystery of Jack’s death to Project E-PANA, which had been probing 18 unsolved homicides or missing-women cases along B.C. highways. In 2007, new investigators reviewed 500 previously-conducted police tasks and initiated 241 more tasks, including a series of re-interviews and new forensic analysis.

“Every time I hear news on the TV about some other little girl or boy disappearing, or found murdered, it really hurts me. I know how that feels,” said Jack’s mother, Madeline Lanaro.

“We expect our parents to die, but we don’t expect our children to die.”

Handlen remains in custody and is scheduled to next appear in Abbotsford Provincial Court on Dec. 8. ■

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Canada News

DECEMBER 5, 2014

FRIDAY

Disclosure of ‘sensitive’ telecom surveillance details worried feds: memo

BY JIM BRONSKILL The Canadian Press OTTAWA — A move by telecommunications firms to be more forthcoming with the public about their role in police and spy surveillance could divulge “sensitive operational details,” a senior Public Safety official warned in a classified memo.

Company efforts to reveal more about police and intelligence requests — even the disclosure of broad numbers — would require “extensive consultations with all relevant stakeholders,” wrote Lynda Clairmont, senior assistant deputy minister for national and cybersecurity.

Clairmont’s note, released under the Access to Information Act, provided advice to deputy minister Francois Guimont on the eve of his one-hour April 17 meeting with representatives of Telus Corp. to discuss specifically what information the company was allowed to tell the public about electronic surveillance activities.

Telus released a so-called “transparency report” five months later, revealing it had received more than 103,000 official requests for information about subscribers in 2013.

Rogers Communications published a similar report in June — three months before Telus — becoming the first of the major Canadian telecom firms to issue one. Bell Canada, the other major company, has yet to release a report.

The internal Public Safety memo sheds new light on behind-the-scenes tensions between government officials and industry amid pressure from privacy advocates and civil libertarians for details of the scope and nature of law enforcement access to Canadians’ subscriber information, phone calls and email messages.

The demand for more transparency was fuelled by leaks from former American intelligence contractor Edward Snowden, whose significant disclosures revealed the U.S. National Security Agency had access to a huge volume of telecommunications data.

According to a senior Public Safety official, a move by telecoms firms to be more forthcoming with the public about their role in police and spy surveillance could divulge “sensitive operational details”, while telecoms firms responded that “the needs of our customers” come first.

SHUTTERSTOCK

The revelations prompted a flurry of questions about the activities of the NSA’s Canadian counterpart, the Communications Security Establishment, as well as the Canadian Security Intelligence Service and the RCMP. The Public Safety Department is committed to protecting the security of Canadians while respecting their privacy, Clairmont wrote in her April 16 memo to Guimont, stamped “Secret/Canadian Eyes Only.”

“We recognize that transparency is key to giving Parliament and Canadians confidence in our ability to meet both these objectives, but must continue to ensure that sensitive operational details remain protect-

ed.”

There was a need to evaluate whether such details could be revealed even through “mass aggregate reporting of data,” she added.

A month before Telus’s scheduled meeting with Guimont, the company said it was prohibited from disclosing certain information by a governing document known as “Solicitor General’s Enforcement Standards for Lawful Interception of Telecommunications.”

In a letter to Christopher Parsons of the University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab, a digital rights body, Telus privacy officer Heather Hawley said the company would ask the government to “clarify and limit the www.canadianinquirer.net

scope of current confidentiality requirements and to consider measures to facilitate greater transparency.”

Neither Telus and Public Safety would make anyone available to answer questions about their discussions.

Rogers spokesman Kevin Spafford said the company did not talk with the government about its June transparency report before it was published.

The report said Rogers received almost 175,000 requests for customer information from government and police agencies last year. Of those, 74,415 were made under a warrant or court order, including production orders, summons, subpoenas and search warrants issued

by a judge or other judicial officer.

In deciding what to disclose in its transparency report, the company abided by just one restriction, Ken Engelhart, chief privacy officer for Rogers, said at the time.

“The only legal restraint is that you can’t even give a number of wireless interceptions that you do — that’s like a wiretap, but it’s a wireless tap,” Engelhart said in an interview.

It was important to get a transparency report out, he continued.

“I’m hopeful it won’t bother the law enforcement people, but if it does, we thought that the needs of our customers came first.” ■

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FRIDAY DECEMBER 5, 2014

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22

Canada News

DECEMBER 5, 2014

FRIDAY

Canada lagging on animal protection, according to new global index

BY COLIN PERKEL The Canadian Press TORONTO — Archaic anti-cruelty legislation and weak transportation laws are among the reasons for Canada’s mediocre ranking when it comes to animal protection, according to a new global assessment.

Overall, Canada gets a D rating on the animal protection index, which rates 50 countries on a scale of A to G on the strength of their policy and legislative commitments to animal welfare and protection.

Criminal Code anti-cruelty law remains largely unchanged since it was drafted more than a century ago, said Melissa Matlow, a spokesman for World Animal Protection. The legislation, she said, still brands animals as property.

According to the assessment, another key area of weakness relates to rules around farm animal transport.

“We’re the only developed country that I know of that allows some farm animals to be transported for up to two days without food, water and rest,” Matlow said.

In addition, protection for

wild animals across Canada is inconsistent and mainly focused on the preservation of species rather than the wellbeing of any particular animal, the assessment finds.

Spearheaded by Londonbased World Animal Protection — formerly the World Society for the Protection of Animals — the index is based on 15 indicators, such as whether legislation recognizes that animals are sentient beings capable of suffering.

Other indicators assess the treatment of animals in captivity and those used in vivisection, and protection afforded wild animals.

It’s the first time the index has been published.

“The results of the index speak for themselves,” CEO Mike Baker said on the group’s website.

In an emailed comment, Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz noted that animal welfare is a shared jurisdiction among the federal government, provinces and territories, and industry.

The countries chosen for study are among the world’s largest producers of beef, poultry, pork, sheep and goat, and milk and eggs.

Leading the way on the index

with A ratings were just four countries: The U.K., Switzerland, Austria and New Zealand.

“Animal welfare is deemed to be an independent important national issue as evidenced by the Animal Welfare Act 1999 and the large amount of policy that has been issued in support of it,” according to the detailed assessment of New Zealand’s performance.

Countries such as Belarus and Iran were at the bottom of the rankings with G grades.

Canada did get good marks for committing to the proposed Universal Declaration on Animal Welfare.

In addition, the index does not capture improvements in Canada — such as development of a national code of practice when it comes to farm animal confinement — that fall outside the legal system.

Still, Canada ranked below developing countries such as Brazil, India and the Philippines.

“Canada has the potential to be a world leader in protecting our animals but instead we are missing even basic legal frameworks to protect them,” Josey Kitson, executive director of World Animal Protection Canada, said in a statement. ■

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Plaque on the exterior wall of École Polytechnique commemorating the victims of the massacre.

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Montreal massacre... when he spoke in the Commons about the “horrific” events, but left out any reference to Lepine’s self-professed hatred of women.

“And while we may never understand what occurred, why this happened, why these women were singled out for this horrific act of violence, we have to stand together,” MacKay said during question period.

“We have to work continually to support victims, to hold offenders accountable, and we are creating a safer and more secure country by doing so.”

The remark prompted NDP Leader Tom Mulcair to invite MacKay to explain himself.

“We know why this happened, we know whey they were singled out — it’s because they were women,” Mulcair told the House. “That’s what Marc Lepine wrote in his manifesto.”

Lepine wrote in his suicide note about “sending feminists... to their Maker,” and about how they had enraged him. The debate over whether Lepine’s actions were that of a misogynist, constituting a hate crime, or just a violent, disturbed criminal raged on for years in Quebec. Today, most coverage in the media — including a recent article in the New York Post — describes Lepine as a misogynist.

MacKay responded by accusing Mulcair of politicizing the issue, saying “of course they were singled out because they were women.”

Mulcair followed up by urging the government to withdraw Bill C-42, saying once passed it will make it easier to transport and possess the very same weapon Lepine used in ❰❰ 18

1989.

After question period, MacKay said the massacre would never be understood “because of the insanity and the level of violence.”

Ascribing motives to violent acts has been a burning issue on Parliament Hill for a while — even more so since Oct. 22, when Michael Zehaf Bibeau killed Cpl. Nathan Cirillo in cold blood before dying in a gunfight in the Centre Block.

While the Conservatives quickly declared Zehaf Bibeau a terrorist, others — including Mulcair — have been reluctant to apply that label. Both Mulcair and Green party Leader Elizabeth May have pointed to Zehaf Bibeau’s mental health as a factor in the shootings.

Public Safety Minister Stephen Blaney also spurred controversy this week around the Dec. 6 anniversary when he said the best way to mark the occasion was to support women in engineering. The victims of the massacre were mostly engineering students.

“For me, the best response that we can have to this terrible act is to make sure that women choose the engineering profession and refuse to entertain this backwards discourse that goes against our Canadian values.”

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau said Tuesday that the Conservative government doesn’t understand what happened in Montreal 25 years ago nor the importance of taking action in response.

“I think Mr. MacKay should spend some time speaking to the survivors of Polytechnique and he’d give better answers in the House of Commons,” Trudeau told reporters. ■

World News

FRIDAY DECEMBER 5, 2014

23

3 Hong Kong protest leaders urge end to street demonstrations, plan to surrender to police THE ASSOCIATED PRESS HONG KONG — Three founders of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy protest movement called Tuesday for an end to street demonstrations to prevent more violence and take the campaign to a new stage, but it wasn’t clear whether student protesters, who make up the bulk of the activists, would heed the call.

Professors Benny Tai Yiuting and Chan Kin-man and Pastor Chu Yiu-ming said they planned to surrender to police on Wednesday to take responsibility for protests that have shut down parts of the Asian financial centre for more than two months.

Instead of street protests, the three said they hope to continue the campaign through networking among civic groups, community organizing and education in democracy and human rights.

The three are founders of

the Occupy Central movement, which is trying to force China’s government to scrap its requirement that candidates in inaugural 2017 elections for Hong Kong’s leader be approved by a panel chosen

by Beijing. However, the three represent only one faction of demonstrators, most of whom are students.

Hundreds of demonstrators remain entrenched in the main downtown protest site, building tents, work tables and other infrastructure, even as energy has diminished on the streets since the first surge of demonstrations in late September.

Joshua Wong, a prominent student leader, said Monday that he and two other members of his group would go on an indefinite hunger strike to press their demands.

“We admit that it’s difficult in the future to have an escalated action, so besides suffering from batons and tear gas, we would like to use our bodies to direct public attention to

PASU AU YEUNG / FLICKR

the issue,” Wong said Tuesday.

“We are not sure if the hunger strike can put pressure on the government, but we hope that when the public realizes the student hunger strike, they will ask themselves what they can do next.”

In the early hours of Monday, police armed with pepper spray, batons and riot shields clashed with activists carrying www.canadianinquirer.net

umbrellas as authorities moved to clear them out an area in front of the Hong Kong government complex where activist had been camped out.

The compound was forced to shut temporarily and the semiautonomous city’s Beijingbacked leader said public patience was wearing thin, adding that police would “continue to take decisive action to enforce

the law.”

In a statement read to reporters, Tai, Chan and Chu said their surrender also would serve as a “silent denunciation of a heartless government.”

“Tomorrow’s battleground is expansive and now is the time to transform the people’s strength into a sustainable civil society movement, to sow the spirit of democracy deep into the community,” they said in the statement.

Tai said it wasn’t clear whether police would simply send them home, or detain them for inciting the protests, which the Hong Kong and Chinese governments have denounced as illegal.

While the trio’s call to end the protests threatened to fracture the movement, Tai denied they were abandoning the demonstrators.

“We just urge the occupiers to consider the importance to understand that the fight for democracy is a long battle,” he said. ■

Seen & Scenes: Vancouver

24

DECEMBER 5, 2014

FRIDAY

UNPAIRED MISMATCHED DRIVE Filipino educator Rich Abarquez is spearheading a social network movement, the Unpaired Socks Drive, to help the homeless in Vancouver, this Winter. Readers may donate clean unpaired socks, mittens and gloves to him for pick-up anywhere in Metro Vancouver.

ISLAND FARMS SANTA LIGHT PARADE A festive array of dazzling floats and marching bands lit Government Street near Victoria’s Inner Harbour to mark the start of the holiday season in Victoria, B.C.

T & T NAIL ART A free nail art experience was held on Nov. 29, at T & T Supermarket – Ora Store where beauty lovers learned how to polish and take care of their nails.

For those who missed this activity, you may visit one of Be Beauty’s five locations in Metrotown, Osaka-Yaohan, Richmond Ora, Chinatown and Surrey stores.

TAPSILOG The directors and officers of TAPSILOG (FilCan Network for Truth & Justice) are shown here getting ready for this year’s Christmas celebration on Dec. 13, at the St. Mary's Ukrainian Catholic Centre, 3150 Ash St. (at 16th Ave.), Vancouver, B,C. (Not in photo is Cris S.) For photo submissions, please email info@canadianinquirer.net. www.canadianinquirer.net

Seen & Scenes: Toronto

FRIDAY DECEMBER 5, 2014

GOLDEN WEDDING Rev. Fr. Joseph Grima officiated the Holy Mass to celebrate the 50th Wedding Anniversary of Tol and Minda Azachee. Family, relatives and intimate friends attended the Mass at the St. Francis de Sales Church in Ajax, On., after which the Azachee family hosted a dinner for their guests at the Chinese Restaurant in Pickering.

PRESS CLUB CHRISTMAS PARTY Senator Enverga (standing 3rd from L) was a special guest of the Philippine Press Club of Ontario during their 13th Anniversary at the QSSIS Banquet Hall in Toronto, On. on Nov. 29. (Photo from Senator Enverga’s FB page).

BLOCK ROSARY The Block Rosary Crusade 2014 Christmas Party was held Nov. 29, at the St. Thomas the Apostle Church social hall where prizes were raffled off and children were given gifts by Santa.

CATHOLIC SCHOOL BOARD TRUSTEE "Well-wishers posed with re-elected Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB) Trustee Garry Tanuan during the Rites of Commissioning and Blessing of Trustees event at TCDSB's Catholic Education Centre, Toronto on Dec. 1. (Shown from L): Talakayan Radyo producer Jess Cabrias; co-anchor May Cabrias ; TCDSB Asst. Director Nick D'Avila; Trustee Garry Tanuan; CPIC officer Ruth Oliveros; CSAC chair Marla Tanuan; Jocelyn San Juan; Paulina Corpuz and Tony A. San Juan.

The men and women of the Philippine Press Club Ontario (PPCO) based in Toronto, On. who continuously support the Filipino community in the province of Ontario are shown in photo (from L) Rodel Ramos, secretary; Rose Tijam, president; Noel Perlada, treasurer; Mila Astorga Garcia, public affairs head; Milinda Parreno Rustia, director; Joe Damasco, director; Ariel Ramos, director; Jojo Taduran, director; and Romy Zetazate, director. Not in photo is Jonathan Canchela, vice president is on leave. (ST. JAMESTOWN NEWS SERVICE, Dindo Orbeso).

www.canadianinquirer.net

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DECEMBER 5, 2014

FRIDAY

GLOBAL FILIPINO:

Amy Uy and Jenny Orillos Authors of the book “Panaderia”

BY RUEL S. DE VERA Philippine Daily Inquirer THE AFTERNOON air is heavy with the distinctively sweet scent of bread. In a basket on a table is a dizzying array of breads, enough to feed a Filipino family for a week. The baked goods come in all shapes and sizes. There is a giant conjoined pair of monay, huge as a person’s buttocks. There are breads in the shape of a lechon and the form of a crab. Scattered around are pieces of egg pan de sal, little golden drops of cooked dough. Visible in the pile are the bonnet-shaped goodies called, of course, pan de bonete. There are examples of the dense pan de sal de suelo, among others. Placed together, they threaten to overwhelm the senses: How can there be so many kinds of bread in one place at one time?

The lot, all native Filipino bread, has been gathered by Jenny Orillos and Amy Uy, food writers who can identify each kind of bread by name and point of origin. After all, Orillos and Uy have scoured the archipelago in search of them.

That pilgrimage for bread lovers was for the book “Panaderia: Philippine Bread, Biscuit and Bakery Traditions,” the definitive guide to the country’s breads, out this year from Anvil Publishing, Inc. Orillos and Uy have come to talk about this unique project and the work that went into it.

They each approached bread from their own directions.

Jenny B. Orillos, 37, is the eldest of four girls born to a hotel bellman and his wife, a government hospital employee. “My grandmother would gather all the leftover pan de sal of the day

Amy Uy (left) and Jenny Orillos.

and make bread pudding,” she says of her most powerful bread memory. Naturally drawn to writing, Orillos graduated from University of the Philippines Manila, major in Philippine Arts and worked as a cultural researcher with the National Museum. She then worked as a lifestyle journalist for a broadsheet where she gravitated towards writing about food. “I requested that I do reviews of restaurants,” she recalls. “And that’s how I started as a food writer.” Today, she still does food writing as a freelancer.

Honorena “Amy” Avendaño Uy, 50, is the youngest of four siblings whose father, a Philippine Army colonel is, coincidentally, married to a governmental hospital employee. “(I remember) being sent to the

JILSON SECKLER TIU / PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER

panaderia along our street and hated doing it because there were a lot of kanto boys along the way,” Uy recalls. “So I hated it, being sent to buy pan de sal.”

In grade school, she had pan de sal every day but she hid it, “since it was the humbler bread compared to the tasty of my classmates.” Uy majored in broadcasting at UP Diliman— graduating cum laude—and worked in various capacities for GMA 7 for 20 years. “It became too routine for me,” she remembers. The mother of two gave up her corporate job to run their family food business, which operates Philippine fast food outlets in different malls. She runs it with her husband Huntley Uy. Looking for something else to do in the meantime, she too took up food writing.

www.canadianinquirer.net

Orillos and Uy’s paths would converge when they both joined the Doreen Gamboa Fernandez Food Writing Award competition in 2008. Fernandez (1934-2002) was the country’s most respected culinary scholar who wrote a very popular food column for the Philippine Daily Inquirer called “In Good Taste.” After her death in 2002, the Doreen Gamboa Fernandez (DGF) Food Writing Award was established to continue to inspire Philippine food writing. In 2012, Anvil Publishing released the book “Savor The Word: Ten Years of the Doreen Gamboa Fernandez Food Writing Award.”

Orillos wrote about her grandmother’s bread pudding while Uy decided to write about her father-in-law’s batchoy

place on a year when the competition’s theme was merienda. “It was something that felt natural and I wanted to do something beyond what I was doing,” Orillos says. They both won; Orillos took second prize and Uy finished third.

Orillos and Uy met for the first time at the awards ceremony and both attended the food awards the following year. Both were then writing for Food Magazine and keeping in touch.

In 2012, Uy broached the idea of doing a book together, originally about kakanin (native rice desserts), but the subject soon shifted to bread. Recalls Orillos: “We agreed on doing the book about bread because it was something that hadn’t been done before.” Though there had been a smattering of

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FRIDAY DECEMBER 5, 2014

essays about bread, there was no single, definitive volume on Philippine bread tradition.

Thus was born “Panaderia,” the book named after the local bakery. But like any baking project, it would take a while for the dough to rise.

The venue for this conversation fits the narrative. Orillos and Uy are at Kamuning Bakery, the famous home of the pan de sal de suelo and a heritage bakery founded in 1939. Located on the corner of Judge Jimenez and K-1st Streets, the bakery recently changed ownership, with businessman/journalist Wilson Lee Flores buying the majority share of the bakery. You can, of course, read all about it in “Panaderia.”

With no outside funding, the two writers began planning their bread odyssey in 2012.

To keep the costs down, they planned way in advance and booked the cheapest rooms they could find. It took two years of traveling from north to south to complete their journey.

Orillos and Uy would travel from town to town, eating the bread offerings at local panaderias and quizzing the bakers as well as the owners. They would only stop for typhoons and the 2013 elections. Each trip was different. A swing through Pampanga took just three days. A swing through the Samar-Leyte-Cebu loop took three weeks. It helped that they already knew which panaderia to go to and who to ask.

“We looked weird because we were traveling through these towns, lugging all this bread owners would give us,” Orillos says. “Then we would give them away,” Uy adds. They were wel-

comed wherever they went and Uy remembered how the bakers were happy that someone cared about what they did.

There was also the caloric challenge. Orillos and Uy had to sample all the bread, resulting in weight gain. Admits Uy: “We were very slim when we started.” The saturation point came in Iloilo, because there were so many bakeries in the province.

Luckily, there were cakes and pastries that provided variety, and which also found their way into the book.

Such marbled marvels the two women unearthed. “What really surprised us was the variety of it all. In Manila, you just encounter pan de sal. While traveling, we discovered all these variations, shapes, flavors, names.” The Kalihim is sometimes called pan de regla or pan de red, but in Bicol, it’s Maligaya and in other places, it’s identified with the unsavory reputation of loose women.

(For a selection of the more fascinating breads the writers had encountered, please see sidebar.) Additionally, most bakers in the province have been making bread not usually found in Manila.

“We were also impressed by the creativity of the bakers.”

Each bread held a story. The bakers were craftsmen, finding artistic expression with dough and adapting their creations to the market. “They also have an innate knowledge of knowing what will sell,” Orillos says.

Wistfully, Orillos and Uy realized that some of the local breads were no longer being baked and are now lost to history, save for the locals’ memory.

A very good example would be the Nutribun, which was ubiq-

uitous in the 1970s. Then there los’ research background gave and detailed so that everything is the Rosario, Cavite bread her a good eye for detail that you want to know about Philipcalled pan de troso, which was complemented Uy’s copywrit- pine breads was there.” like a long uncut pan de sal. ing and TV background. It was a Earlier in the year they finalMost fanciful but also lost is the massive undertaking yet again. ly turned over their manuscript pan de Nora from Iriga, which Luckily, the two found that to Anvil Publishing. “Panawas a bun with a beauty mark, their chapters melted together. deria” offers up, piping hot, a like the Superstar has.

They also had a lot of help. readable history of bread in the But bakers continue to innoNoted food writer Micky Fe- Philippines as well as its role in vate, giving bread a more mod- nix served as the book’s editor our society. This large book also ern touch. Orillos notes finding and actually provided many of features breads and bakeries in the Ilocos region a round the contacts for the trip. Re- from different regions, as well bread called Dragonball, named nowned baker Jill Sandique as recipes for the most imporafter the anime series “Dragon- gave them the selected basic tant ones. Sandique even had to ball Z.” recipes. “We felt the book would reverse-engineer the recipe for Getting “Panaderia” in the be more valuable with recipes pan de regla; she had recipes for oven was easier the others. said than done.

Says Fenix: Orillos and Uy “While there originally tried have been some writing it as they What really surprised us was the books that have went along, but variety of it all. In Manila, you recipes of Filimore informajust encounter pan de sal. While pino breads, tion kept being traveling, we discovered all these ‘Panaderia’ is added so they variations, shapes, flavors, names. the first to docudecided to write ment the tradiit after the trip. tional bakeries “The writing was the most dif- in it,” Orillos explained. Rafael in the country as well as the ficult part,” Orillos admits. The “Pie” David, whom they had traditional breads and biscuits. two divvied up the chapter be- worked with at Food Magazine, No one has done this yet. While tween them and got cracking. accompanied them on the trips we all know the breads within “We had to sit down and recall and provided the photographic our neighborhood, town, city or everything,” Uy says, adding it evidence. Respected food histo- province, we aren’t really aware took most of a year to actually rian Felice Prudente Sta. Maria of those out there in the other get the manuscript done. Like wrote the book’s introduction. provinces and regions.” a baker working over the dough, The finished product was bigAnvil publishing manager Orillos and Uy slaved over the ger than what they originally Karina Bolasco echoes this text. “We had to make it enter- had in mind, Uy says. “From a thought: “Our image of a panataining otherwise it would be collection of bread memories, deria is it’s dark, hot and has full of just memories,” Orillos it became a documentary,” she two or three shirtless men who says. “We wanted readers to says. “My concern then was push the big tray of dough back understand our bread tradi- that it would come out as a text- and forth into the wood-andtion.” This meant including book. Instead, it’s the first book brick ovens. But the generarecipes and the bread lexicon of its kind, so we really needed for identifying the breads. Oril- to make it very comprehensive ❱❱ PAGE 43 Global Filipino www.canadianinquirer.net

Community News

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DECEMBER 5, 2014

FRIDAY

PH expands education cooperation with Canada THE COMMISSION on Higher Education (CHED) recently signed at the Philippine Embassy in Ottawa an Action Plan on Education Cooperation with the Canadian Bureau on International Education (CBIE).

The signing ceremony capped year-long discussions on a formal partnership to facilitate institution-to-institution links, among other objectives.

CHED Commissioner Minella Alarcon and George Khoury, director for Membership of CBIE, finalized the Action Plan calling for two-way student and faculty exchanges, research collaboration between Philippine and Canadian universities, a dialogue on the recognition post-secondary credentials and related activities.

From 2015 to 2018, CHED and CBIE will work together to launch discipline-specific missions, foster faculty and student mobility, spur long-distance research collaboration, promote

Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Commissioner Minella Alarcon and Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE) President and CEO Karen McBride sign a Joint Statement on Education Cooperation.

Commissioner Alarcon and CBIE’s George Khoury finalize a Plan of Action on Education Cooperation.

capacity building, and support the Philippines’ K-12/ PostSecondary Transition Program.

The Action Plan comes on the heels of a CBIE-CHED Joint Statement, signed on Nov. 20,

by Commissioner Alarcon and CBIE President and CEO Karen McBride, on the sidelines of the CBIE Annual Conference in Ottawa.

(JCBC).

“The CHED-CBIE took a very important step today in accelerating cooperation between Philippine and Canadian educational institutions by signing a Joint Statement and Action Plan. Heretofore, people-to-people ties between the Philippines and Canada have been largely attributed to labor

Evan P. Garcia, Undersecretary for Policy of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Petronila P. Garcia, Philippine Ambassador to Canada, witnessed the signing of the Action Plan together with the Philippine delegation to the 2nd meeting of the Philippines-Canada Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation

and immigration. We are certainly excited by the prospect of adding a new dimension to these human relations with the involvement of more students, teachers, researchers and education administrators. I thank CHED and CBIE for advancing our agenda on education cooperation,” Ambassador Garcia stated. ■

SSS holds outreach missions in Canada ‘Transit’ screening raises funds for Filipino youth TOP OFFICIALS of the Philippine Social Security System (SSS) will kick off their Canadian outreach mission on Dec. 5, at the Philippine Consulate General in Toronto. They will also reach out to members in Edmonton on Dec. 7, and in Calgary on Dec. 10.

The SSS delegation is headed

by Senior Vice President and Head of International Operations Division Judy Frances A. See. She will be joined by Joy A. Villacorta, head of OFW Management Department and Roberto V. Roldan, Senior Foreign Representative. Roldan will reportedly head the first ever SSS branch in Canada.

During a previous outreach in Vancouver, See said, “The main objective of our outreach

mission is to extend social protection to the Filipino community, wherever they may be.”

Data from SSS shows the agency has 15 foreign branches in 11 countries across the world.

Among the services available at the outreach missions

are registration, reactivation of new membership, record verification, enrollment in FlexiFund Program, data amendment and compliance with the Annual Confirmation of Pensioners Program.

Below is the schedule of SSS Briefings and On-site services:

(TORONTO) Dec. 5 - 9 a.m., on-site services; 6 p.m., briefing at the Philippine Consulate General-Toronto, 161 Eglinton Ave., Toronto, On. Dec. 6 - 9 am. to 1 p.m., at St. Paschal Baylon Church, 92 Steeles Ave. West, Thornhill, On. (CALGARY) Dec. 7 - 4 to 9 p.m., at Aristocrat Restaurant, 3460 17 Ave. S.E. Calgary, AB (EDMONTON) Dec. 10 - 1 to 6 p.m. at the Palabok House, 10525 51 Ave. Edmonton, AB

THE MENTORSHIP and Leadership for Youth Programme (MLYP) is proud to present the screening of the Filipino independent film, “Transit” on Dec. 14, 2 p.m., at the Peretz Centre for Secular Jewish Culture.

This critically-acclaimed film shows the experiences of Filipino caregivers in Israel and has won various awards during the Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival. Helmed by first time Philippine director Hannah Espia, the film was also the Philippines’ lone entry to the 2014 Academy Awards.

The MLYP is a new organization composed of Canada-based Filipinos in various professional capacities. The group aims to ad-

dress the rising number of Filipino high school students in the lower mainland at-risk of falling out of high school. The MLYP aims to provide at-risk youth with support programs that will help them settle into their new environment, develop leadership skills and set them to a path of success.

For sponsorship information, please email mlypyvr@ gmail.com Tickets are also available through the member schools of the One Philippine Alumni Association of BC (OPAABC) - Adamson University, Assumption College, Ateneo, Don Bosco, Mapua, and University of the Philippines. Tickets are at $20 ($25 at the gate). ■

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Immigration

FRIDAY DECEMBER 5, 2014

CALL FOR NOMINATIONS:

FILIPINO-CANADIAN IN FOCUS Every week, the Philippine Canadian Inquirer celebrates the unwavering Filipino spirit through a feature called “Filipino-Canadian in Focus.”

The feature recognizes the achievements of Filipinos living in Canada who have shown concern for the community, success in spite of trials, and the uniquely Pinoy practice of “bayanihan.”

This year, we are welcoming nominations for the next subject of “Filipino-Canadian in Focus.”

MECHANICS: - All nominees must have (a) Filipino heritage/ancestry - All nominees must be residing in Canada at the time of nomination - Nominees from all industries are welcome (e.g. medical/health, politics, community service, business, entertainment, charity institutions, etc.)

- Who can nominate? Anybody.

Fill up the nomination form online by scanning the code with your smartphone or by visiting InFocus.canadianinquirer.net.

www.canadianinquirer.net

29

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Immigration

DECEMBER 5, 2014

FRIDAY

TANONG MO KAY KUYA BOY

The Court Process KUYA BOY, if a person is arrested by the police and charged with domestic assault, what will happen when I appear in Court?

- Paulo from Surrey, BC PAULO, LAST week, with the assistance of one of Vancouver’s top criminal defence lawyers, ATTY. LISA HELPS, we discussed the issue of domestic assault.

As a follow up, I posed your question to her and she has been kind enough to give the information below. You may contact her law firm, HELPS LAW, at 604 879 0006, or visit her office at Unit 606 - 815 Hornby St., Vancouver.

The Court Process

Q. After you’re arrested by the police for a crime, what happens?

A. After a person is arrested by the police, the police will make a decision whether they can let that person go on a promise to appear in court, which is a document. They may also release the accused on conditions. Depending on the crime, those conditions can include a no contact with the victim or the victim’s family, a condition not to go to the victims’ home, workplace or school, to “Keep the Peace” and be of good behavior, which is a condition that means you can’t violate any laws, to report to a bail supervisor, and other conditions.

If the police believe that you may not agree with those conditions, or if the crime is serious enough, they will get you a bail hearing within 24 hours of your arrest. A bail hearing is a hearing in front of a judge where the judge decides whether you can be released on conditions or have to stay in jail. If you have a long criminal record, if the crime was violent, or if you may not stay in the country, you may have to stay in jail. A lawyer called a duty counsel lawyer – who is a lawyer appointed by the government can help you for free or you can call your own lawyer to help you.

want the judge to order you to pay a deposit of money to ensure you’ll come back to court (but this is rare). In Canada, you can’t be ordered to pay money that you don’t have – there are no million dollar bail orders. The Crown might ask instead of money that your house or the house of a relative be put up for a “surety” which is a word that means the person will assure your attendance at court. These orders for money or a surety are rare and are only made in serious cases, like murder.

After the Crown speaks, your lawyer will have her turn to speak. She will tell the judge about you and why you should be released. She may fight conditions that aren’t fair or that affect your life or employment. She’ll also put before the judge your version of events and try and show you won’t leave the jurisdiction, that you will show up at court and that you won’t commit new crimes while on bail.

The judge then makes his decision about whether you should get out of jail and whether you should have conditions.

The judge will also give you a day to come back to court when you’re out of jail.

Q. What happens after I get out of jail?

A. After you get out of jail, you’ll be asked to come back to court within a couple of weeks for a first appearance.

You might also have to report to a bail supervisor and you will have to follow the conditions the police or judge set.

Q. What happens at the First Appearance?

A. The first appearance is to assure the court that you will show up to court and to be given the particulars, which is the name of the package of papers you get that are the police file. The police file has the statements from witnesses and the victim, and the police notes and reports. The court will set a timeline date, which is a date 12 weeks from the first appearance where you and your lawyer

you of ) or your factual defences (which are what you know to be true about what happened). If you want to plead guilty, the next step is sentencing; if you plead not guilty, the next step is a trial.

Q. If I do plead guilty, what is sentencing and what happens?

A. If you plead guilty, you have said that you have committed a crime. The sentencing hearing is for a judge to decide on a penalty. The penalty depends on the crime, but can range from an absolute discharge, which is a finding of guilt but no penalty and no criminal record, to a jail senQ. What happens at a tence. bail hearing?

There are also A. At a bail hearing, other orders that the the Crown lawyer Sentences that might be imposed include judge can make: that reads the police rea discharge, a suspended sentence, a fine, you be registered as port about what the community sentence order, or jail. a sex offender, that witnesses and victim you not be allowed say happened. They to have firearms or then ask the judge weapons, that a samto keep you in jail or to release you on must decide whether you’ll plead guilty ple of your DNA be taken for the DNA conditions. The Crown has to show why or go to trial. The next court date, which databank, a victim fine surcharge, etc. you should be kept in jail, if that’s what is usually 2-4 weeks away, is an arraign- These orders are all under the Criminal they’re asking for. They can only ask it ment hearing.

Code. for three reasons: they don’t think you’ll show up at court, they think you’ll com- Q. What happens at an arraignment Q. What sentences might be imposed if mit new crimes while on bail, or because hearing?

I plead guilty or are found guilty? the public has an interest in keeping you A. An arraignment hearing is where A. Sentences that might be imposed in jail (this could be in the event of a seri- you and your lawyer formally enter a plea include a discharge, a suspended senous crime that has been well publicized). of guilty or not guilty, based on your le- tence, a fine, community sentence orSometimes, the Crown says that they gal defences (which your lawyer advises der, or jail. A discharge is usually for a www.canadianinquirer.net

first offence where the harm to the complainant is not too serious and the court is confident that, with supervision in the community, you wouldn't reoffend. In a discharge, the court finds you guilty and then, after you complete conditions, often including counselling or community work service, you are "discharged" and left without a criminal record. A suspended sentence is also supervision in the community but you will have a criminal record. A community supervision order is commonly known as "house arrest" and is a form of jail that's served in your community. If you don't follow the house arrest conditions, you go to jail. A court rarely imposes a fine in a domestic violence case.

Q. What is a "peace bond"? Is it a sentence?

A. No, a peace bond is not a sentence because it's not a criminal charge. There is no finding of guilt. In some cases, where the fight was mutual or the parties wish to reconcile, the Crown will agree to a peace bond under s. 810 of the Criminal Code. A peace bond is much like a restraining order. All the accused has to agree is that the complainant might have a "reasonable fear" of him.

The Peace Bond is imposed in court for one year under conditions the court sets. It does not result in a criminal record, unlike a criminal conviction. ❱❱ PAGE 37 The Court

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FRIDAY DECEMBER 5, 2014

Entertainment Palace congratulates Jamie Herrell for winning this year’s ‘Miss Earth’ title PHILIPPINE NEWS AGENCY MANILA — Malacañang congratulated Cebu City’s Jamie Herrell for winning this year’s Miss Earth beauty title following a coronation held Saturday evening at the University of the Philippines Theater in Diliman, Quezon City.

“Ikinagagalak po natin ang kanyang tagumpay at binabati natin siya sa paglalagay muli sa ating bansa sa world map ng pagkilala in terms of beauty and talent (We are very happy with her triumph and we congratulate her for putting our country again in the world map in terms of beauty and talent),” Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr. said over the state-run dzRB Radyo ng Bayan on Sunday.

The 19-year old Cebuana bested out a total of 85 delegates from different countries in this year’s Miss Earth competition to bring the title back to

the Philippines.

Coloma said they welcome Herrell’s achievement, knowing that Miss Earth is an annual international beauty pageant aimed at promoting environmental awareness and eco-tourism.

“Mahalaga po diyan sa pageant na ‘yan ang pagpapataas ng kamalayan at kaalaman hinggil sa kahalagahan ng environmental integrity ng ating planeta—kaya nga po ‘yan tinawag na Miss Earth—at sana po ay makatulong nga itong paligsahang ito, itong pageant na ito sa pagpapataas ng kamalayan ng ating mga mamamayan (Increasing awareness about the significance of our planet’s environmental integrity is very important in this pageant–that’s why it’s called Miss Earth–and we do hope that this pageant will help increase our countrymen’s awareness),” he said.

Miss Earth is considered as one of the so-called ‘Big Four’ beauty competitions in the world along with Miss Universe, Miss World, and Miss Inter-

national.

Also crowned last night as runnersup to Herrell were United States of America’s Andrea Neu (Miss Earth-Air), Venezuela’s Maira Alexandra Rodriguez ( M i s s EarthWater), a n d Russia’s Anastasia Trusov a (Miss EarthFire). ■

Kathryn Bernardo says first single written for Daniel Padilla

BY ANGIE DUARTE Philippine Canadian Inquirer MANILA — At the launch of her selftitled- debut album on Tuesday, Kathryn Bernardo revealed that her soon to be released single, “Na Sa ‘Yo Din Pala” was written for on-screen and possibly off-screen love tandem, Daniel Padilla.

The teen actress-singer said in an interview at the launch of the album, released under Star Music, that Padilla was pleased with the song.

“Natuwa naman siya kasi ‘yung lyrics ay sagot sa lahat ng line na sinabi niya sa (Nasa ‘Yo Na Ang Lahat). At ang beat din niya almost the same. Very catchy ‘yung song (He (Padilla) was happy because the lyrics are a response to every line he wrote (in Nasa ‘Yo Na Ang Lahat) and the beat is almost the same.

The song is very catchy.),” Bernardo said.

“Natutuwa naman siya na (singer na din ako). Tapos sinabi ko sa kanya bumili siya ng madami and very supportive naman si DJ sa akin at nakakatuwa na kapag siya ang nagsasabi na masaya siya at nakaka-proud naman (He is happy, as well, that I am also a singer. Ad so I told him to buy a lot (of albums) and DJ is very supportive of me and it makes me happy that he is happy and it also makes me proud.),” she added.

Bernardo — who sings on previously released tracks “Got To Believe In Magic” and “Pinas Smile” with Padilla — said that despite the pressure she feels with the release of her debut album, she is grateful for the chance to do something new.

“Happy ako na nakakatry ako ng mga bagong bagay (I am happy for the opportunity to be able to try new things.),” she said. ■

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Entertainment

DECEMBER 5, 2014 FRIDAY

Kim Chiu says to bashers: I will make you an inspiration

BY ANGIE DUARTE Philippine Canadian Inquirer

Aiza Seguerra and Liza Diño.

Aiza and Liza share pre-nup photos on Instagram

BY ANGIE DUARTE Philippine Canadian Inquirer MANILA — In anticipation of their upcoming December 8 wedding, actress Liza Diño and singer Aiza Seguerra shared via Instagram snippets of their prenuptial photo shoot.

Aiza called it the “most comfy” prenuptial shoot, while Diño said it was all part of making the “image in her head” come true.

“When you become a bride, every detail matters. You have this image in your head that you can’t shake off and you do everything you can to make it happen,” the actress said by way of a caption on a photo of

her with Seguerra.

“You want all the elements to represent the kind of love that you share with your partner. That’s what happened last night. THE PRENUP WAS UNPRETENTIOUS. Everything about it was just US, reflects exactly who we are as a couple and I love it!” she added.

Taken by Proud Rad Photography, the pictures capture playful and romantic moments between Seguerra and Diño as they snuggle up to each other in bed.

Seguerra and Diño were engaged in February this year, and Seguerra has always been very open about being the head of the family; which includes the singer’s daughter from a previous relationship. ■

MANILA, PHILIPPINES — In an interview for “Aquino & Abunda Tonight” on Wednesday, 24-year-old Kim Chiu expressed her feelings about the criticism she received after bagging the Best Actress award at the recently-concluded Star Awards for TV. “Of course I cannot please everybody. May kanya-kanya naman tayong idolo and ang gusto natin ‘yong pinaka the best sa taong iniidolo natin (We each have our own idols, and we only want the best for the people we idolize.),” Kim said.

Prior to the awards night, the rumour mills were already churning; with various sources claiming that Kim had already bought her win in in Best Actress for Drama category, for her role in “Ikaw Lamang.”

Early this week, Kim took to Twitter to voice her reactions; saying “kung binibili ang award sana bumili nko noon pa po (If awards are bought, then I should have bought one long ago.),” she said; admitting that the criticism hurt her.

Despite the offense, the actress said that having received the award — her first one to herself — is a fulfillment of a dream.

Sa walo kong teleserye ngayon lang ako nakatanggap ng recognition na mataatawag ko na akin at best actress ako.

Siyempre pangarap ko ‘yon na magkaroon [ng award] (In my 8 teleseryes this is the first time I received recognition that I can call my own and that I was recognized as best actress. Of course it is my aspiration to have an award.),” K i m said.

According to Kim, she received encouragement from Xian Lim, her on-screen partner, who told her not to mind what others say, and to focus on the fact that she did her best and her efforts were recognized.

As for her haters, Kim says that she will make them an “inspiration” to motivate her to do even better.

“Gagawin ko silang inspirasyon para pagbutihin pa ang ginagawa ko (I will make them my inspiration to make what I am doing even better.),” s h e said.

Lea Salonga livid over Facebook accounts created in daughter’s name

BY ANGIE DUARTE Philippine Canadian Inquirer MANILA — Internationally acclaimed award-winning theatre actress and singer, Lea Salonga — best known for her spectacular performances on Broadway and as a coach on “The Voice of the Philippines” — expressed her dismay and

anger toward those responsible for creating Facebook accounts using her daughter, Nicole Chien’s name.

On Thursday, the “Miss Saigon” star said on her Twitter account: “Use my daughter’s name to get my attention, and you will be cursed until the end of days. You are a sorry excuse for a human.”

She also encouraged her 2.6

million followers to report and “unlike” the accounts, as she had done. The fake accounts were subsequently closed.

Messages of encouragement flooded in from Salonga’s followers, to which she said: “To everyone tweeting messages of support for whatever reason, thank you. I can’t reply to them all, but know that I’ve read them all.” ■ www.canadianinquirer.net

■

Entertainment

FRIDAY DECEMBER 5, 2014

33

Bb. Pilipinas MJ Lastimosa crowned “sexiest vegetarian” by PETA

BY LEI FONTAMILLAS Philippine Canadian Inquirer

Bb. Pilipinas MJ Lastimosa. SASHFACTOR.INFO

MANILA — Miss Universe Philippines 2014 Mary Jean “MJ” Lastimosa was recently hailed as the “sexiest vegetarian” by the local chapter of the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) on Wednesday.

Bianca Gonzales says, “Driving is an Art”

BY ANGIE DUARTE Philippine Canadian Inquirer

Bianca Gonzales.

ate about it. I should know because I have been driving since high school.

“It is thrilling, but one must be very alert and physically for and balance to avoid accidents,” she said during our interview in a Shell event where played host at The Fort.

“Having driven thousands of mile in competition, I have undergone the low, valleys and peaks of roads. Shell gave me the chance to develop and see that I am now a better driver.

“I am now more watchful and adroit fellow in negotiating narrow, mountainous long and winding road without having clashes with other people,” she said.

Told that she could been a beauty queen if she joined

gee Basabas and actors Maricel Laxa-Pangilinan and Chin Chin Gutierrez.

“MJ knows that going vegetarian is the best thing that you can do for animals, the Earth, and your health. Plus, she’s living proof that being vegetarian helps keep you slim and sexy,” said Peta Asia vice president Jason Baker in a statement. ■

Kris says of ‘Benjamin’ role: I seduced the general!

BY LILY O. RAMOS Philippine News Agency MANILA — Model, TV host, disc jockey, champion car race driver and soon to be married to Barako Bull cager JC Intal, small–boned but tall at 5 feet 5 inches Bianca Gonzalez’s rise to the top was not a bed of roses.

At 31, she recalls having been with a production of Creative Development Group of ABSCBN, hosting several show like Review Night, Cinema One, Magandang Pilipinas, Filipino Channel show, Star Dance and several other programs of which some are now defunct.

She endured criticisms and painful bashes from fans because of her alleged romance with Zanjoe Marudo, cried over when director Lino Cayetano left her for the more popular daughter of Megastar Sharon Cuneta and other showbiz nitpicks.

Gonzalez, however became a big celebrity when she became a host of Pinoy Big Brother, which she loves most now aside from being an editor of Meg Magazine and writing “Ten Things You Should know” for Philippine Star’s Sunday column.

Being a communications graduate of Ateneo de Manila University she had an open doors. She is into arts also though she is so busy with TV stints now, including being a champion driver for Shell as the country’s representative in races here and abroad.

“Oh yes, driving is an art, you have to be artistic and passion-

According to Peta, they were choosing between her and singer Geneva Cruz and models Sandra Seifert and Amanda Griffin Jacob. But Lastimosa “narrowly beat” them. The winners were chosen “based on several factors, including vote counts.”

Aside from them, other contenders include vocalist Lou-

FACEBOOK PHOTO

when she was younger, she said she could have put more effort as a painter if only she was riveted to the wonderful world of show business.

Her preference for challenging avocation of race driving has afforded her to savor the beauty of the countryside — a rare opportunity for most people who are bent on earning a living in the urban areas.

“I believe living, working, daydreaming, visualizing is an art we just don’t call it that way.

When you are cruising at a fast speed and battling others, you have to be artful in avoiding curves, being stuck in the sand, tire being punctured by sharp rocks, muddy sloshes and slippery portions of the road,” she said. ■ www.canadianinquirer.net

MANILA — Kris Aquino revealed on Thursday’s episode of “Aquino & Abunda Tonight” that she has two movies linedup for this year’s Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF), The Queen of all Media said that aside from the horror film “Feng Shui,” in which she plays opposite Coco Martin, she will also be appearing in “The Amazing Praybeyt Benjamin” with Vice Ganda, Richard Yap, Alex Gonzaga, and her son Bimby.

Both film festival entries are under Star Cinema.

On the talk show, Aquino

and Abunda interviewed Yap; as Kris ribbed the actor about their on-screen affair in the upcoming movie.

“I’m your wife there!” she joked Yap. “I’m the mom of Bimb. We had an affair. Inakit ko siya (Yap). Inakit ko ‘yung heneral!

Nagtagumpay ako and I’m bad.

Ang saya (I’m the mom of Bimb.

We had an affair. I seduced him (Yap). I seduced the general!

I was successful and I’m bad.

What fun!),” Aquino said, referencing Yap’s role in the film; in which he plays a general.

Prior to “Benjamin,” Aquino and Yap worked together in the latter’s music video of “Promise Ain’t Enough”, a Hall & Oates original tune. ■

PHOTO COURTESY OF KRIS AQUINO’S OFFICIAL FACEBOOK FAN PAGE

34

Lifestyle

DECEMBER 5, 2014 FRIDAY

Jian Ghomeshi will plead not guilty to sexual assault charges: Lawyer

BY DIANA MEHTA AND PAOLA LORIGGIO The Canadian Press TORONTO — A sombre Jian Ghomeshi stood silently by his lawyer last Wednesday as she told a large crowd of reporters at a Toronto courthouse that the former CBC Radio host would plead not guilty to multiple counts of sexual assault.

The charges — four counts of sexual assault and one count of overcoming resistance by choking — capped weeks of mounting allegations against the once-popular media personality who could now face up to life in prison if convicted.

“We will address these allegations fully and directly in a courtroom,'' lawyer Marie Henein said just moments after the former “Q'' radio host was released on $100,000 bail.

“It is not my practice to litigate my cases in the media. This one will be no different. We will say whatever we have to say in a court of law.''

Several police officers had to escort Ghomeshi and his lawyers through the throng of media. Some onlookers heckled the 47-year-old as he went by, with one person calling him a coward.

In the packed courtroom, Ghomeshi looked tired as he sat in the prisoner's box wearing a dark suit with a light shirt open at the collar. He later donned a tie after he was granted bail.

His bail conditions include living with his mother — who was present in court and acted as his surety — no contact with his alleged victims and an agreement to surrender his passport and remain in Ontario.

When asked by a judge if he understood the conditions of his release, Ghomeshi clasped

his hands in front of him, nodded slightly and said “yes'' and “I do.''

Ghomeshi's lawyer requested a publication ban on the bail hearing, which was granted, meaning the allegations and evidence details at the proceedings could not be reported.

It was the first time Ghomeshi was seen in public since Oct. 26, when he was fired by the CBC after the broadcaster said it had seen “graphic evidence'' that he had physically injured a woman.

Since then, nine women have come forward with allegations — some which date back a decade — that Ghomeshi sexually or physically assaulted them.

Three of the women filed police complaints — which led to the charges laid Wednesday — including Lucy DeCoutere, an actress on the show “Trailer Park Boys,'' who has accused Ghomeshi of choking her “to the point she could not breathe'' and slapping her “hard three times on the side of her head'' in 2003.

In a statement issued Wednesday, DeCoutere said the Ghomeshi scandal has lead to “a major shift'' in the conversation about violence against women.

“It has been an overwhelming and painful time for many people, including myself, but also very inspiring,'' she said. “I hope that victims' voices continue to be heard and that this is the start of a change that is so desperately needed.''

At least one observer agreed that the charges against Ghomeshi could help other victims of sexual assault come forward.

“This is a very rare example that the police actually was very diligent, very fast and thorough, and the result is criminal charges. So we do think that

Jian Ghomeshi has pleaded “not guilty” to multiple counts of sexual assault.”

it will create a positive effect that women can see that where there is a will there is a way,'' said Hilla Kerner, a frontline worker at the Vancouver Rape Relief and Women's shelter.

Ontario's premier added that any development that helped victims feel comfortable coming forward was welcome.

“If we can, as a society, make it easier for people to talk about those experiences and then move to action, then I think that's a very good thing,'' said Kathleen Wynne.

Ghomeshi has admitted in a lengthy Facebook post published on the day he was fired that he engaged in “rough sex,'' but insisted his encounters

www.canadianinquirer.net

with women were consensual.

He also said in a follow-up post a few days later that he would meet the flurry of allegations against him head on.

A CBC spokesman declined to comment on the charges against Ghomeshi but noted that they don't involve any employees or ex-employees.

The charges against Ghomeshi were announced a day after it came to light that he had reached an agreement with the CBC to withdraw his $55-million lawsuit against the public broadcaster. Ghomeshi had alleged breach of confidence, bad faith and defamation in his statement of claim.

Ghomeshi is now expected

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

to pay $18,000 in legal costs to CBC as part of the agreement, CBC has said.

He had also filed a union grievance against the CBC alleging dismissal without cause — a matter which still remains active.

The allegations against Ghomeshi led the CBC to launch an independent investigation into the scandal. 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.

None of the allegations against Ghomeshi have been proven in court. His next court appearance is on Jan.8. ■

35

FRIDAY DECEMBER 5, 2014

Lifestyle Are financial planners a necessary part of your future?

Depends who you ask

BY DAVID FRIEND The Canadian Press

Some Canadians struggle to balance retirement savings, debt repayment: Manulife THE CANADIAN PRESS

their home as income.

Manulife CEO Rick Lunny says using home equity as a “fallback plan for retirement income” suggests some Canadians are struggling to balance retirement with paying down debt, although the survey found one-quarter of respondents

TORONTO — Canadians may dream of retiring debt-free, research done for Manulife suggests nearly 20 per cent of homeowners may be leaning on the value of their homes to finance life after work.

An online survey conducted for the financial Older respondents were less services compaconfident in their retirement ny found about goals and that about half half of the 2,373 planned to continue working respondents exfull-time or part-time to pected to still extinguish their debt. be in debt when they retire.

Of those polled, 10 per cent planned to didn’t consider mortgages or borrow against their current auto loans to be part of their homes, while about eight per overall debt. cent were looking to downsize The survey also found older and use money from the sale of respondents were less confi-

dent in their retirement goals and that about half planned to continue working full-time or part-time to extinguish their debt.

Data collection agency Research House surveyed Canadian homeowners between the ages of 20 and 59 with a household income of $50,000 or more from Sept. 8 to Sept.

19. The polling industry’s professional body, the Marketing Research and Intelligence Association, says online surveys cannot be assigned a margin of error as they are not a random sample and therefore are not necessarily representative of the whole population. ■

TORONTO — Good financial advice can be hard to find, but does every Canadian really need to hire their own financial planner?

Everyone has some form of assets and liabilities, but it’s the complexity of their personal balance sheet that should be a determining factor, says Moshe Milevsky, an associate professor in finance at the Schulich School of Business at York University.

If your financial situation is as simple as putting aside money for retirement and aggressively paying off your mortgage, there’s not necessarily a need to bring in another party, he said.

However, for many Canadians, going solo on your financial future probably isn’t worth the risk, suggested Eric Kirzner, a professor of finance at the Rotman School of Management in Toronto.

“I do like the idea of avoiding an adviser, but I’m still in the old-fashioned camp of leaving that for a person who knows enough about finance,” he said.

In an ideal world, every Canadian would take a college or university course to broaden their knowledge of personal finance, Kirzner said.

“They would learn how to pick less-expensive investment products that do the same things as other products,” he said.

“They’d avoid certain types of investments that financial advisers love to sell which are more in their interest than their client’s interest.”

For example, some exchangetraded funds cost less to operate than mutual funds that do the same thing, Kirzner said.

Some structured products with guarantees can be replicated with stocks and treasury bills that have a combined lower cost structure.

However, getting Canadians enthused about their finances is an uphill battle.

“A lot of people spend less time choosing a financial adviser than they do researching the purchase of a new vehicle,” said Greg Pollock, president and CEO of Advocis, an organization that represents Canadian financial advisers and planners.

“That new vehicle loses value when you drive it off the lot. When you’re choosing a financial adviser you’re choosing someone to assist you with your financial management for maybe the next 20 to 30 years.”

Beginning the hunt for an adviser can be one of the hardest steps, but a little preparation can go a long way.

Consider that anyone can label themselves a financial planner, which means that paying attention to their credentials is essential. Not all advisers are alike and, depending on their certification, they can offer a variety of services.

One of the most important designations to look for is CFP, or certified financial planner, listed after their name which means they adhere to the international standards that include continuing education to maintain their certification.

Other designations recommended by Pollock include the Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) for estate planning, Certified Health Insurance Specialist (CHS) and the Chartered Financial Consultant (CFC) which has advanced training in wealth accumulation and retirement planning. ❱❱ PAGE 36 Are financial

36

Lifestyle

DECEMBER 5, 2014 FRIDAY

Are financial...

Advocis hosts a “You should ask, as a client, craft a financial plan or they handy resource for how your financial adviser is may charge an hourly rate.

Canadians looking paid,” Pollock said. “Not only However, if you’re only investto get some traction in their that, it should be disclosed in ing $10,000 it would probably hunt for an adviser: www.ou- writing.” make more sense to pay an radviser.ca. The website covFinancial advisers generally annual fee of one per cent or ers many of the basic ques- make their money through ei- commission-based fees. If your tions that can get the wheels ther commissions or hourly assets are much higher then a rolling, and provides search service rates. Both have their flat fee might sound like a more engine to gather a list of advis- pros and cons, and depending reasonable approach. ers in your area.

While comOnce you’ve mission-based selected a few advisers are candidates, Polcommonplace, lock suggests some have levwriting a list of In an ideal world, every elled criticism questions with Canadian would take a college on their apyour specific or university course to broaden proach, suggestneeds in mind. their knowledge of personal ing they come to Ask the advisfinance. their clients with ers about their a bias for cerinvestment phitain investment losophies, how products with a they perceive higher payout. your financial Pollock sugneeds, and from there gauge on how much money you’re gests that isn’t necessarily the whether you feel they’re at- planning to invest, you might case, and that a good financial tuned to your expectations. If find that one of the options bet- planner will take a more profestheir answers don’t feel right to ter suits your goals. sional approach. you, look for a different person For example, an adviser’s flat “There is room for a range of to work with. fee may run $500 to $1,000 to advisers out there,” he said. ■ ❰❰ 35

www.canadianinquirer.net

Lifestyle

FRIDAY DECEMBER 5, 2014

37

Perusing Harry Potter for science? Scans show brain activity as readers get caught in a story

BY MICHAEL OLIVEIRA The Canadian Press WASHINGTON — Reading about Harry Potter’s adventures learning to fly his broomstick activates some of the some of the same regions in the brain we use to perceive real people’s actions and intentions.

In a novel study, scientists who peeked into the brains of people caught up in a good book emerged with maps of what a healthy brain does as it reads.

The research reported last week has implications for studying reading disorders or recovery from a stroke. The team from Carnegie Mellon University was pleasantly surprised that the experiment actually worked.

Most neuroscientists painstakingly have tracked how the brain processes a single word or sentence, looking for clues to language development or dyslexia by focusing on one aspect of reading at a time. But reading a story requires multiple systems working at once: recognizing how letters form a word, knowing the definitions and grammar, keeping up with the characters’ relationships and the plot twists.

Measuring all that activity is remarkable, said Georgetown University neuroscientist Guinevere Eden, who helped pioneer brain-scanning studies of dyslexia but wasn’t involved in the new work.

“It offers a much richer way of thinking about the reading brain,” Eden said, calling the project “very clever and very exciting.”

No turning pages inside a brain-scanning MRI machine; you have to lie still. So at Carnegie Mellon, eight adult volunteers watched for nearly 45 minutes as each word of Chapter 9 of “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” was flashed for half a second onto a screen inside the scanner.

Why that chapter? It has plenty of action and emotion

The Court...

Q. What if I go to trial?

What happens then?

A. If you go to trial, you or your lawyer will receive notification of the witnesses Crown intends to call. Your lawyer will interview you to see what you have to say and you’ll make a decision as to whether you will testify, meaning take the stand in your own defence.

On the day of trial, you will go to the courtroom. Your file will be called by the prosecutor and you’ll go up with your lawyer into the main part of the court and sit at a table with your lawyer. The Crown will tell the judge what the case is about, then they will call their first witness.

Witnesses can be either police officers or civilians who saw, heard or know something about the crime. The Crown will call witnesses that they think will prove the case against you.

The Crown will ask questions that are open ended of these witnesses. “What happened?”

“Who was there?” “Where were you?” are good examples of Crown questions.

The Defence will have the chance to cross examine each witness, using yes or no questions to get information from the witnesses that will help your case.

Once the Crown is finished calling their witnesses, the court moves on to the Defence ❰❰ 30

SHANE BECKER / FLICKR

as Harry swoops around on his broom, faces the bully Malfoy and later runs into a threeheaded dog, but there’s not too much going on for scientists to track, said lead researcher Leila Wehbe, a Ph.D. student.

The research team analyzed the scans, second by second, and created a computerized model of brain activity involved with different reading processes. The research was published Wednesday by the journal PLoS One. “For the first time in history, we can do things like have you read a story and watch where in your brain the neural activity is happening,” said senior author Tom Mitchell, director of Carnegie Mellon’s Machine Learning Department. “Not just where are the neurons firing, but what information is being coded by those different neurons.”

Wehbe had the idea to study reading a story rather than just words or phrases.

But parsing the brain activity took extraordinary effort.

For every word, the researchers identified features — the number of letters, the part of speech, if it was associated with a character or action or emotion or

conversation. Then they used computer programming to analyze brain patterns associated with those features in every four-word stretch.

They spotted some complex interactions.

For example, the brain region that processes the characters’ point of view is the one we use to perceive intentions behind real people’s actions, Wehbe said. A region that we use to visually interpret other people’s emotions helps decipher characters’ emotions.

That suggests we’re using pretty high-level brain functions, not just the semantic concepts but our previous experiences, as we get lost in the story, she said.

A related study using faster brain-scanning techniques shows that much of the neural activity is about the history of the story up to that point, rather than deciphering the current word, Mitchell added.

The team’s computer model can distinguish with 74 per cent accuracy which of two text passages matches a pattern of neural activity, he said, calling it a first step as researchers tease apart what the brain does when someone reads. ■ www.canadianinquirer.net

case. The Defence will tell the Judge what the case is about, and then will call witnesses.

If you or another defence witness is called, the Defence will then ask you open ended questions, just like the Crown did of their witnesses. The Crown will then have the opportunity cross examine.

At the end of the trial, the Crown and Defence will make closing arguments. They will use some or all of the testimony to support their version of what happened, and they will support their case with the law. The law comes from the criminal code and previously decided cases.

If the judge decides you are not guilty, you are acquitted (meaning found not guilty) and you can leave the courtroom without a criminal record or penalty.

If the judge decides that you are guilty, there will be a sentencing. ■ 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

38

FRIDAY DECEMBER 5, 2014

Business

Expanding global trade, urbanization, technologies to sustain Philippine, ASEAN growth

BY KRIS M. CRISMUNDO Philippine News Agency MANILA — The Philippines, along with other Southeast Asian nations, is urged to expand its share in global trade, push for urbanization, and hasten innovative technologies in order to sustain its economic growth.

The McKinsey Global Institute (MGI), the business and economics research arm of multinational management consulting firm McKinsey & Company, published recently a report citing three economic opportunities that will create substantial impact across ASEAN by 2030 which include capturing greater share of global flows, riding the urbanization wave, and deploying disruptive technologies.

The report noted that capturing greater share of global flows can create US$ 280-615 billion to the ASEAN economy or sharing 5.0 to 12 percent of the total gross domestic product (GDP) of the region.

The opportunities of urbanization, on the other note, has larger impact in ASEAN by 2030 with share to GDP estimated at US$ 520-930 billion or 10 to 18 percent of ASEAN GDP. Deploying disruptive technologies can further contribute to ASEAN GDP by another US$ 220-625 billion or sharing 4.0 to 12 percent to the region’s combined economic output.

Commenting particularly to the Philippines, McKinsey & Company Philippines Managing Partner Suraj Moraje told Philippines News Agency in an e-mail that the country has bigger potential to increase trade not only in goods but also in services and skilled workforce.

Moraje cited that the Philippines ranked 45th on MGI’s connectivity index which measures inflows and outflows of goods, services, finance, people,

President Benigno S. Aquino III presses the button to officially launch the APEC Logo during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) 2015 Kick-Off Ceremony at The Eye Ballroom of the Green Sun Hotel in Pasong Tamo Extension, Makati City on Monday night.

ROBERT VINAS / MALACAÑANG PHOTO BUREAU

and data and communication, budget through 2030 to sup- push [aiming to take infrastrucrelative to the size of the econo- port the country’s economic ture spending to 5.0 percent of my. This is far lower than some growth.

GDP by 2016] that includes other ASEAN member states “The Philippines has histori- bringing in private investors, such as Singapore which ranks cally spent 3.2 percent of its but it will take a sustained com4th, Malaysia at 18th, and Thai- GDP on infrastructure, but that mitment to address the most land at 36th. needs to increase to more than serious gaps,” he added.

“Beyond the In terms of potential for ininnovative techcreased trade in nologies, Mogoods, the counraje mentioned try can also ben[The Philippines] can also benefit that the biggest efit from tradefrom tradeable services and the challenge for able services and freer movement of skilled labor the Philippines the freer movewhere its proficiency in English gives is building out ment of skilled it a crucial advantage over many the necessary labor where its fellow ASEAN states. connectivity proficiency in infrastructure English gives it particularly a crucial advanbroadband intage over many fellow ASEAN 5.0 percent of GDP through frastructure. states,” he said.

2030 to support economic “The Philippines could be On urbanization, Moraje growth and protect against cli- fertile ground for the use of inmentioned that the govern- mate change,” Moraje said. novative technologies — Filipiment shall sustain allotting “The government has already nos are avid social media users larger share of infrastructure begun a major infrastructure and tend to be early adopters

of new technologies like mobile payments and ATMs. Our studies in emerging economies show that broad Internet adoption drives GDP across the economy, helping large companies like banks and retail players expand their services to new segments at radically different price points while also driving productivity gains for small businesses that dramatically improves their competitiveness,” said Moraje.

“The biggest challenge for the Philippines will be building out the necessary broadband infrastructure [which in most countries has required government intervention and support] at a faster pace than ASEAN peers, and cultivating a high-tech workforce: only 24 percent in the Philippines have broadband access versus 44 percent in Malaysia,” he stressed. ■

Business

FRIDAY DECEMBER 5, 2014

39

1 in 3 Canadians relying strictly on online shopping for holiday gifts: poll

BY MICHAEL OLIVEIRA The Canadian Press TORONTO — A growing number of Canadians plan to do all of their holiday shopping online this year to avoid stepping foot in maddening malls, suggests a new survey commissioned by Google.

About one in three of the Canadians polled online by Ipsos Reid said they would rely on ecommerce to purchase all their gifts, which was up 50 per cent compared to the results of a similar survey conducted last year.

Still, a majority of the Canadians said that while they would be doing some gift-buying research online, they would ultimately brave the crowds.

“Consumers, rather than wandering up and down on the high street or through malls, are much more purposeful now when they’re making those purchase decisions. They’re doing their research online prior

to going into the malls and they know what they want,” said Rafe Petkovic of Google Canada.

Another recent poll conducted for MasterCard Canada yielded somewhat similar results, with almost one in three Canadians saying they planned to do half or more of their holiday shopping online.

Sarah Quinlan, head of market insights for MasterCard Advisors, said she’s surprised that some major retailers still aren’t open for business on the web in Canada, especially since e-commerce growth has been strong in 2014.

MasterCard estimates ecommerce now represents about 6.7 per cent of total retail sales in Canada and is up 22.6 per cent compared to this time last year.

“The number is clearly trending up, there’s no doubt about it, it’s increasing, that’s why it’s sort of still surprising that there are some major retailers that haven’t participated in the

game yet,” Quinlan said.

Canadian Tire and Shoppers Drug Mart are lagging their U.S. counterparts by not offering online sales and struggling Target has not indicated if and when it will open a web store for Canadians.

“It’s not about everybody shopping on e-commerce versus bricks and mortar, that’s not what we’re seeing. What we’re seeing is (online shopping) is giving the consumer flexibility.”

According to Google’s poll, this year’s Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping days should be bigger than ever in Canada.

About 44 per cent of the poll respondents said they planned to shop on one or both of those days. Half as many poll respondents were interested in Black Friday and Cyber Monday last year.

Google expects almost half of the clothing and electronic holiday gifts purchased by Canadians this year will be bought on

www.canadianinquirer.net

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Google’s online poll was conducted with 1,054 holiday shoppers between Sept. 10 and 17.

The MasterCard online poll was conducted by Angus Reid Forum with 1,005 Canadians on Nov. 14 and 15.

The polling industry’s professional body, the Marketing Research and Intelligence Association, says online surveys cannot be assigned a margin of error as they are not a random sample and therefore are not necessarily representative of the whole population. ■

40

FRIDAY DECEMBER 5, 2014

Travel

Sailing the seas on the latest cruise ship was extremely fun, but lacked a sense of place

BY SCOTT MAYEROWITZ The Associated Press I AM the cruise industry’s biggest problem: the avid traveller who is reluctant to sail.

I’ve been lucky enough to have hiked glaciers in Iceland, visited ancient ruins in Cambodia and seen one of the world’s largest waterfalls in Argentina.

Yet, until the other day, I had never set sail on a cruise. The idea just didn’t appeal to me.

I’d toured a dozen ships as part of my job, sampling giant buffets, peeking at staterooms and getting a behind-thescenes visit to the bridge and engine room. But that didn’t necessarily make me want to take a cruise.

Nearly 22 million people are expected to cruise this year, according to the industry, with 40 per cent of them first-timers.

Those newbies are needed to fill cabins and help the industry continue to grow.

It wasn’t a fear of gastrointestinal illness or sinking ships keeping me away. I just wanted to do other things with my precious vacation days — take a late-night stroll through Venice, devour barbeque in Austin, Texas, or go skiing in the Colorado Rockies.

The most memorable parts of a vacation for me are earlymorning runs through deserted cities or fantastic local dinners.

Cruise ships generally don’t stay in port long enough for my interests.

So when an opportunity to spend two nights aboard the

Cruises may be an affordable way for families to get away from it all, but for others it might feel like being trapped in a floating shopping mall.

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

latest, most-innovative cruise ship — Royal Caribbean’s Quantum of the Seas — presented itself, I jumped at the chance. It wouldn’t be the full cruise experience, but just enough to get a taste and maybe, just maybe, fall in love with life on the high seas.

Quantum was unlike any other boat I’d seen. It was contemporary, with tasteful furniture and funky, whimsical artwork.

It didn’t remind me — like so many ships do — of a 1970s Vegas casino.

It’s packed with all the latest technology and amusements: roller skating, trapeze classes and robots that make cocktails.

And don’t forget the bumper cars. What a totally insane — but brilliant — idea.

Long lines prevented me from getting to ride North Star, an observation capsule that rises more than 300 feet (90 metres) above the sea, offering views of the surrounding ocean and the deck below. Those that tried it loved it.

But it was the skydiving simulator that ended up being my highlight of the trip.

After putting on a flappy blue canvas suit, earplugs, goggles and a helmet, I was escorted into a giant wind tunnel where a powerful fan provided enough of a gust to let me float in the air. With an instructor standing nearby, I moved left, then right, floating through the tube like I was skydiving. It was amazing and left me giddy for hours.

The food was much better than I expected. Quantum offers “dynamic dining” which means no giant, 2,500-seat dining room but five main restaurants (one reserved for frequent cruisers or those in suites) and seven specialty restaurants that cost extra. Another six smaller food outlets fill those midday snack cravings. All of that helps attract first-timers like me who dread one giant kitchen trying to feed the masses.

The ship’s crew kept equating meals to the quality you’d find in New York City. While very good, they didn’t match those in my home city. One themed restaurant that mixed Vietnamese, Thai, Chinese, Japanese and Indian food together

was tasty, but didn’t come close to the meals I had in Bangkok or Tokyo. Another restaurant recreates iconic American dishes; the gumbo was good but nothing like that in New Orleans.

Yes, I know I’m being picky here. But it felt like somebody was walking me down Las Vegas Boulevard, telling me I’d seen Paris, Venice, New York, ancient Egypt and medieval Europe.

The rooms and showers were much smaller than anything I am used to on vacation. Everything is more compact on a ship, but it felt cramped during my two nights; a week would seem claustrophobic. The stateroom walls were extremely thin and there was constant noise from doors slamming and toilets flushing.

Given the size of the ship — it can accommodate up to 4,905 guests — I didn’t expect memorable interactions with other passengers. Boy was I wrong.

Conversations were struck up in my skydiving class, at a bar and during dinner. I can see how lifelong friendships can start on cruises.

Ultimately for me, the problem was authenticity. I’d just rather spend my time hiking the Grand Canyon.

Cruises are an affordable way for families — especially those of multiple generations — to get away. But for me, it felt too much like being trapped in a floating shopping mall. I had fun, but I prefer local culture and the sense of place that comes with vacationing on land. ■

Travel

FRIDAY DECEMBER 5, 2014

41

Thailand comes up with new strategy to attract tourists with viral ‘I Hate Thailand’ video

BY JOCELYN GECKER The Associated Press

Conde Naste Traveler last month named the Ayala Triangle Gardens in Makati City as one of the seven places to go “to see spectacular Christmas lights around the world.

MANILASPIRIT / WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Ayala Triangle Garden cited as one of world’s best places to see Christmas lights

BY AZER N. PARROCHA Philippine News Agency

“Ayala Triangle Gardens is natural haven with a diverse population of trees, including kamuning, golden palms, and fire trees,” Liesemeyer wrote.

She noted how the gardens are a courtyard for the surrounding business district, and started as a way to brighten up the evenings for the workers.

Liesemeyer also gave credit to the tourist spot’s matching

and the Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri, first to fourth place respectively.

Conde Naste Traveler is also MANILA — As a country known the same publication that recfor having the longest Christognized Palawan as the top ismas celebration in the world, land destination in the world it’s no surprise that one of its this year after conducting a surpopular Christmas-themed vey with its readers. destinations get just the right Palawan snagged the top spot amount of recognition. after receiving a reader’s ratPopular US travel magazine ing of 88.750 in the magazine’s Conde Naste annual Reader’s Traveler late last Choice Awards month named for being home the Ayala Trito the Puerto As you make your way through the angle Gardens in Princesa Subterpark, Christmas hymns and songs are Makati City as ranean River, synchronized to the lights to create one of the seven its critically-acan immersive holiday experience. places to go “to claimed undersee spectacular ground river.

Christmas lights There were 30 around the world.” background music. islands that made it to the top The Ayala Triangle Gardens “As you make your way island destination list. Aside made its fifth on the maga- through the park, Christmas from Palawan, Boracay Island zine’s list, besting the Kobe hymns and songs are synchro- in Aklan also made it to the top Luminarie in Kobe, Japan and nized to the lights to create an island destination list, clinchthe Christmas Market in Jena, immersive holiday experience,” ing the 12th spot with a rating Germany, which were ranked she said. of 82.683. sixth and seventh place respecCompleting the top seven The Department of Tourism tively. places to see spectacular Christ- (DOT), meanwhile, showed In an article written by Conde mas lights around the world support for the country’s newNaste writer Anna Liesemeyer, include: Tivoli Gardens in Co- est recognition by sharing the she described the Ayala Tri- penhagen, Denmark; Champ- article about its recent incluangle Gardens as a “natural ha- Elysees in Paris, France; Som- sion on micro-blogging webven.” erset House in London, UK; site, Twitter. ■ www.canadianinquirer.net

BANGKOK, THAILAND — It’s been a bad year for tourism in Thailand, and at first glance it looked like a new YouTube video was adding to the misery.

The video called “I Hate Thailand” drew more than 1 million views within days of being posted last week.

But it turned out the clip was produced by Thailand’s tourism authority, using a strategy of reverse psychology to attract tourists after the country’s image was battered by a military coup in May and the brutal murders of two British tourists on an idyllic beach in September.

The 5-minute video shows an angry British tourist on a beach. He introduces himself as James and says his bag was stolen: “I hate this place. I hate Thailand,” he tells a handheld camera. After mouthing off to a policeman, he meets an attractive Thai woman and finds reasons to like Thailand. In the end, the unshaven, bare-chested foreigner cleans up, puts on clothes, befriends the locals and gets his bag back — wallet, passport and all.

Several Thai newspapers re-

ported the video as a real news item last week, prompting the Tourism Authority of Thailand to issue a press release Monday saying it was behind what it called the “romantic-comedy short film.”

“There’s been much hype and speculation following the release of the I Hate Thailand video,” TAT Governor Thawatchai Arunyik is quoted as saying.

“The intention of this video is solely to depict the renowned Thai hospitality.”

The tourism authority said it was inspired by research showing that “unbranded” advertisements tend to receive more interest than conventional commercials.

The video, which bears no indication of being funded by the Thai government, was posted on a YouTube account that also gave no clue of ties to officialdom.

The strategy is part of a massive campaign to restore Thailand’s battered image overseas and revive tourism, which accounts for about 7 per cent of the economy.

The tourism authority has forecast that tourist arrivals for 2014 will drop for the first time in years, after a record year in 2013 when 26.7 million visitors came to Thailand. ■

Screenshot from the “I Hate Thailand” video.

42

FRIDAY DECEMBER 5, 2014

Sports

Sports Commission hit for sad state of Philippine team sports

BY LEILA B. SALAVERRIA Philippine Daily Inquirer THE PHILIPPINE Sports Commission (PSC) has come under fire in the Senate for allegedly failing to develop promising Filipino athletes and keeping the sports landscape in a dismal state.

During deliberations on the PSC’s proposed P186.9 million 2015 budget last week, Sen. Pia Cayetano said she found it “ridiculous” that the agency did not consider any team sport a priority, despite the Philippines being a basketball-crazy country and with the popularity of volleyball and football on the rise.

Cayetano pointed out that the PSC’s priorities, meaning those that get bigger budgets, were all individual sports, based on its guidelines.

Other criteria for priority sports are that they should be those where the Filipinos’ characteristics are deemed fit to creating champions, such as sports that don’t require height as an advantage; sports that are by weight category; medal-rich sports; records of performances; potential for winning in international competitions; and capability to implement a mass based or grassroots program.

Cayetano said she understood why individual sports were given priority, considering that it’s cheaper to support one person rather than many, but she said this did not mean that team sports should be excluded from the list.

Incredulous

“People like to see teams compete. I can’t believe that we don’t have a single team sport in this priority,” she said.

The Philippines is very big on basketball, and the nation cheered collectively for its team when it competed at the Fiba Basketball World Cup, she said.

Sen. Francis Escudero, as budget sponsor for the PSC, quoted its chair Ricardo Garcia as saying that the guidelines were in line with the directions

The Philippine National Police basketball team and visiting US soldiers play a friendly game of basketball. The Philippine Sports Commission has come under fire for failing to develop promising Filipino athletes in several prominent and team-based sports, including basketball.

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

given by President Aquino, which were to concentrate on individual sports where the country had a good chance of winning a medal, and taking into account the cost implications of funding a team compared to an individual sport.

But Cayetano found the explanation hard to accept.

“It’s like the PSC chair just pointed a finger to the President and said it’s the President we should now be discussing this with why we don’t have any team sport. That’s impossible.

The whole country rooted for our basketball team when they won the right to be represented in Fiba,” she said.

“This is ridiculous. It is ridiculous,” she added.

Escudero said that he agreed with Cayetano.

criticized the PSC for supposedly failing to support promising Filipino athletes just because they did not belong to its national sports associations (NSAs).

Sotto said the Senate could add a provision in the budget mandating the PSC to support all athletes.

According to Sotto, some of the country’s talented athletes opt out of joining NSAs because of “too much politics” there, and instead opt to train or participate in tournaments on their own.

The PSC should extend support and financial assistance to these athletes especially if they are competing on behalf of the Philippines, Sotto said.

“I don’t think they should confine the support to just NSAs,” he said.

Delays in allowance, funding

No prohibition

Cayetano also complained about the PSC’s alleged delays in providing allowances and funding support to Filipino athletes, especially those whose sports are not considered priority.

Acting Senate Minority Leader Sen. Vicente Sotto III also

Escudero said the commission had at times supported some athletes who were not part of NSAs, though not regularly.

While there is nothing in its charter that prohibits the sports commission from sup-

porting athletes outside the NSAs, it has concerns, Escudero said. One is that if an athlete does not belong to an NSA, he or she can’t participate in the Asian games and games sanctioned by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Another concern is that if the PSC supports athletes outside the NSAs on a regular basis, this would open the floodgates and it does not have enough funds as it is to fund those participating in games sanctioned by the IOC. Escudero, replying to Sotto’s suggestion to add a provision to allow the PSC to support nonNSA athletes, said since the commission receives a subsidy from the national government, the Senate could provide the necessary guidelines on how these funds could be used by the agency.

Sotto also cited incidents where the PSC played a role in blocking or disqualifying Filipino swimmers from international competitions just because they were not members of NSAs. He said that even if the athletes did not belong to sports

associations, they were still competing under the Philippine flag.

Escudero agreed that it was not very Filipino to prevent athletes from competing just because they did not belong to a certain group.

Problem is funding

In a statement, Garcia said, the commission was keeping its “priority sports ... where we have the potential to become world champions or Olympic champions.”

“These are sports that don’t require physical advantage like height, which is the case of basketball and volleyball,” said Garcia. “With our limited resources where do you pour your money?”

He added that the sports that brought the country world championship were individual sports like bowling and billiards.

“But we are not neglecting team sports, there are no zero budgets for any sport,” Garcia added.

With regard to Sotto’s lament, Garcia said: “It also goes back to funding.” ■

43

FRIDAY DECEMBER 5, 2014

EXCHANGE RATES

As of December 3, 2014, from finance.yahoo.com PRICE

CHANGE

% CHANGE

CND / USD

1.1402

-0.0003

-0.0281%

CND / PHP

39.2898

+0.0100

+0.0254%

CND / EUR

1.2388

+0.0004

+0.0315%

WEATHER FORECAST VANCOUVER

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Long term forecast taken from: www.weathernetwork.com

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Global Filipino... tion that remembers that will soon be gone.

Even if rice is our staple, our affinity with pan de sal marks us as Filipinos.” Bolasco says “Panaderia” will have an initial print run of over 1,000 copies. “But it will be around for a long time,” she adds.

Orillos and Uy are also excited about the different audiences their book intends to reach: culinary students (who will carry on the cooking tradition), home bakers (and those who appreciate breadmaking), foodies (who like food literature), the older generation (who will reminisce) and even overseas Filipino workers looking for a piece of home and an opportunity to build a business. Additionally, Orillos and Uy are the first DGF Food Writing Award winners to publish a book of their own.

“When we started the DGF Food Writing Award, the aim was to have food writers who ❰❰ 27

would follow in the footsteps of Doreen and Gilda (Cordero Fernando) and other noted writers,” says Fenix, who is chair of the awards committee.

“And now here they are—with the same passion for research and documentation. There are others out there like Margaux Salcedo and Joy Subido.”

Orillos and Uy stand ready to do their part. The two continue to write for magazines.

A collector of cookbooks, Orillos already has another book out, “Leaping Off the Page: How To Write Better Descriptions” with Carlomar Daoana.

It seems also quite fitting that Uy’s two children have taken up different aspects of her own path: 27-year-old Justin works in broadcasting and 25-year-old Nicole is a baker.

They of course have plans for more books, though they are still mulling over exactly what to write about. “Of course, it will be about food,” Orillos

says.

With the invasion of so many imported breads through international franchises and the Filipinos’ obvious taste for them, Uy says there is the danger that these breads will swallow up our own. “That’s exactly why we chose bread as a topic in the first place,” she says. “As long as there is someone writing about these local goodies, then hopefully the bread tradition will be carried on.”

Fenix believes traditional breads will win out: “Replacing our bread with varieties from foreign countries may be true in urban Metro Manila but go to the provinces and the traditional breads are still being made, being bought, being eaten. I don’t think this will happen soon. Though I do hope those breads will be there forever.”

As old-fashioned panaderias have all but vanished, so have the all-important pugon ovens www.canadianinquirer.net

and the distinctive breads that came out of them. In fact, some of the bakeries the two authors wrote about in “Panaderia” may no longer be there in a few years. Many of the heirs of the bakeries no longer want to take on the back-breaking work of running the family business, says Uy. “They would much rather be employed in other businesses.” So the bakeries fade away. “But there are those who continue to run bakeries because of the memory of their grandparents and how the bakery had once sustained their family.”

The need to keep the bread tradition alive—and for people to continue to write about food with a historical and scholarly approach—may be partly answered by a multitude of popular food blogs around, but there remains a need for projects like “Panaderia.”

“I may be out of touch but I think bloggers never ask the

question why,” Fenix explains.

“They document in photos and captions but they never go deeper. Books last forever. A blog may be there forever but the interest dies down as soon as it is read.”

Orillos adds: “The blogs have a very personal take, but we want to write about other aspects of food like anthropology and history. Food is just the lens you view your culture through.”

Through “Panaderia,” Jenny Orillos’ and Amy Uy’s words will be baked into memory.

As the day goes on, Kamuning Bakery is besieged by customers of all sorts: clearly affluent older women who come with maids, helmet-clad messengers on motorcycles picking up something literally for the road, boisterous, uniformed teenage high school students gabbing while grabbing something to eat. From behind the lit counter, bread appears again and again. ■

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Seen and Scenes

DECEMBER 5, 2014

FRIDAY

CONSULAR OUTREACH IN VICTORIA The Consulate in Vancouver brought consular services to over 180 people in Victoria last Nov. 29 at the Bayanihan Centre on Blanshard St., Victoria, B.C. Here are some highlights of the event. (Photos by Annette Beech).

PH CONSULATE GOES TO NANAIMO The Consulate General conducts regular consular outreach missions to bring its various consular services to Filipinos residing in other areas under its jurisdiction like Nanaimo, B.C. Services offered include Philippine passport application, legalization of documents (affidavits, powers of attorney, deeds, other legal instruments), civil registry (reports of births, marriages and deaths) and dual citizenship application.

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

Events

FRIDAY DECEMBER 5, 2014

45

Pasko ng Bayan 2014

By Philippine Embassy in Ottawa WHEN/WHERE: 4 to 7 p.m., Dec. 6, at Sandy Hill Community Center, 250 Somerset St. East, Ottawa, ON. MORE INFO: Parents bringing their children to the event are encouraged to bring wrapped gifts costing not more than $10 to fill Santa’s sack.

CANADA EVENTS

YUKON NORTHWEST TERRITORIES

NUNAVUT

MANITOBA

SASKATCHEWAN Christmas Sing-A-Long

By Juan Radio and Fazioli Showcase Pianos WHEN/WHERE: 2 to 3:30 p.m., Dec. 6, at Aberdeen Centre Mall, Richmond, B.C. MORE INFO: Watch Vancouver’s glittering array of talented local artists: Abigail, Goldie, Iris Woo, Jasmine Stacey, JJ Cepeda, Jerrica, Jessica De Imus, Little Lion Junior & Senior Choirs, One Accord, Salve Dayao, Shawn Carbonell, Tyson Venegas and more.

UPAABC 2014 Christmas Party and Alumni General Meeting

By UP Alumni Association of BC WHEN/WHERE: 6 p.m., Dec. 6, St. Bernadette Church, Surrey, B.C. Victoria Filipino Canadian Association’s Annual Christmas Party

By VFCA WHEN/WHERE: 5:30 p.m., Dec. 6, Cedar Hill Recreation Centre, 3220 Cedar Hill Rd., Victoria, B.C. Free Tagalog Lessons

By Philippine Language School WHEN/WHERE: ongoing every Saturday, 2 p.m., at Sprott Shaw College (walking distance from Rupert Station).

MORE INFO: Learn conversational Tagalog for free.

Course will lead to regular Tagalog curriculum from K-12 in 2015. Call 694-551-3360 or 778-239-0500.

Historama Family Party

By Philippines Cultural Pista ng Bayan Society WHEN/WHERE: 7 p.m., Dec. 12, Odessa Manufacturing, Burnaby B.C. Tapsilog Christmas Party

By FilCan Network for Truth and Justice WHEN/WHERE: 5:30 p.m., Dec. 13, St. Mary’s Ukranian Catholic Centre, 3150 Ash St., Vancouver, B.C.

http://bit.ly/ PCI-Events

SSS Briefing & On-Site Services

By SSS and PCG Vancouver WHEN/WHERE: 4 to 9 p.m., Dec. 7, at Aristocrat Restaurant, 3460 17 Ave. S.E. Calgary, AB MORE INFO: Call Jose Magpayo at 403397-8963.

BRITISH COLUMBIA ALBERTA

View all events by scanning this QR code or visiting

ONTARIO

SSS Briefing & On-Site Services

By SSS and Office of the Honorary Consul WHEN/WHERE: 1 to 6 p.m. at the Palabok House, 10525 51 Ave. Edmonton, AB NEWFOUNDLAND MORE INFO: Call Esmeralda Agbulos at 780905-6503.

QUEBEC

Peer Support Training in Coquitlam

By Immigrant Women’s Peer Support Program and Citizenship and Immigration Canada WHEN/WHERE: 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., till Dec. 13, at Immigrant Services Society of BC - Coquitlam Settlement Services, 200C-504 Cottonwood Ave., Coquitlam B.C. Glitterati Society Art Installation Event

By Sounding Walls WHEN/WHERE: 12:30-9 p.m., Dec. 13, at Our Town Café Knight, 1398 Kingsway, Vancouver, B.C. Transit

By The Mentorship and Leadership for Youth Programme (MYLP) WHEN/WHERE: 2 p.m., Dec. 14, at the Peretz Centre for Secular Jewish Culture MORE INFO: Tickets are $25 at gate, $20 through One Philippine Alumni Association of BC Railway Club Acoustic Sessions

By Juan Radio, Times Tel and Even 8 WHEN/WHERE: 8 p.m., Dec. 14, at Railway Club 579 Dunsmuir St., Vancouver, B.C. Youth Leadership Training Program

By Richmond Multicultural Community Services WHEN/WHERE: till Jan. 10, 2015, at RMCS 2107000 Minoru Blvd., Richmond, B.C. MORE INFO: Visit them at www.rmcs.bc.ca My Tween & Me Multicultural Mom’s Support Group

By Mosaic WHEN/WHERE: 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., Thursdays, Dunbar Hts. Church 3320 Crown St., Vancouver MORE INFO: call Daisy 604-254-9626 ext. 273 www.canadianinquirer.net

Options and Opportunities Seminar: Dual Citizenship

By PCG Vancouver and UPAABC WHEN/WHERE: 7:30 p.m., Dec. 5, Immaculate Conception Parish 8842-119th St., North Delta, B.C. MORE INFO: To register call Cynthia – 778998-6747 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 To have your events featured on PCI, please email events@canadianinquirer.net

FRIDAY DECEMBER 5, 2014

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CANADA

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