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AUGUST 14, 2015

VOL. 8 NO. 180

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House hopes to pass P3-T budget before poll season

Abu Sayyaf militants behead hostage

Miriam wants tough test for poll bets

“We can’t afford another four years of you”

Pakistan horrified by child sex abuse blackmail ring

P3-trillion national budget raises red flags

BY JANE MORALEDA Philippine Canadian Inquirer

NEW ATTACK HELICOPTERS New Augusta Westland attack helicopters are presented at the Philippine Navy headquarters in Manila, as two landing vessels are donated by Australia to the Philippines for humanitarian and disaster response operations.

MARIANNE BERMUDEZ / PDI

Bureau of Customs named most corrupt government agency

BY JANE MORALEDA AND CHING DEE Philippine Canadian Inquirer MANILA — According to the Social Weather Station (SWS) report released

in 2014, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) has been the most corrupt government agency in 2013.

Based from the results of the 2013 SWS Survey of Enterprises on Corrup-

MANILA — Social Watch Philippines lead convenor and former national treasurer Leonor Briones raised red flags in the proposed P3.002-trillion national budget for 2016, including the P500-billion lump sum funds which she feared may be abused in the coming general elections.

“Since this year and 2016, the budget will be a big influence in the elections — that’s been the practice,” Briones said in an interview with dzBB. “Of course if you’re the administration and you have a candidate, there’s always the preference for areas where your party is strong or where your ❱❱ PAGE 6 P3-trillion

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Philippine News

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AUGUST 14, 2015

FRIDAY

Abad ‘most guilty’ in pork barrel scam, says lawyer

BY JANE MORALEDA Philippine Canadian Inquirer

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MANILA — Budget Secretary Florencio “Butch” Abad was again linked to the multi-billion pork barrel scam as a lawyer recently petitioned the Sandiganbayan to include him among those charged with alleged involvement in the pork barrel allocations.

“It was [Abad] who released the money.

He’s actually the most guilty in this case,” Bonifacio Alentajan said, stressing that it was the budget secretary who released the notice of cash allocation (NCA) and special allotment release order (Saro) to suspected pork barrel mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles’ bogus foundations and nongovernment organizations.

Alentajan then asserted that Abad had ‘direct participation and indispensable cooperation’ in the pork barrel scam, making him ‘the most guilty among the perpetrators of the cases [on] plunder, graft and corrupt practices.’

Abad, however, simply scoffed at Alentajan’s petition.

“Go back to law school… In criminal cases, you just don’t file a motion to implead, you file a complaint in the Office

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of the Ombudsman,” he said in a Philippine Daily Inquirer report.

“As in the earlier plunder case he filed against me, I don’t think Alentajan is serious about filing the case… Why is he doing it or upon whose urging he is doing it, I don’t know,” he added.

Alentajan, for his part, clarified that he filed the petition to the Sandiganbayan instead of the Ombudsman since the Supreme Court already had jurisdiction over the scam cases.

As to why he submitted the motion at this time, it was because he only recently secured copies of the High Court’s ruling on the unconstitutional Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) and Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP).

Alentajan also filed the petition as Technology Resource Center former director general Antonio Ortiz’ lawyer.

Ortiz was among those charged with alleged diversion of pork barrel allocations.

It can be recalled that Napoles earlier admitted Abad was her pork mentor and that he was the one who taught her how to set up fake foundations and organizations. The budget secretary, on the other hand, denied all accusations. ■

Philippine News

FRIDAY AUGUST 14, 2015

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Award was revoked, says SAF widow

BY KRISTINE FELISSE MANGUNAY AND NIÑA P. CALLEJA Philippine Daily Inquirer IT WAS like being given a gift, only to have it abruptly taken away.

Such was the “frustration” that Christine Cempron said she felt when told that her husband, P02 Romeo Cempron, one of the 44 Special Action Force commandos killed in the Mamasapano massacre in January, would no longer be among the awardees at the 114th anniversary rites of the Philippine National Police held on Friday at Camp Crame, Quezon City.

Cempron and two other SAF members were removed from the list of policemen due for recognition at the PNP event, reportedly at the behest of the Presidential Management Staff.

According to Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma and PNP spokesperson Chief Supt. Wilben Mayor, the deliberations and evaluation

process on the giving of awards “could not be completed on time despite best efforts,” so the recognition was scrapped from the program altogether.

SAF spokesperson Senior Insp. Jayson Baldos explained that the awards given out at the PNP anniversary covered incidents from January to December 2014, and excluded the Mamasapano encounter that happened on Jan 25 this year.

“If there will be an awarding next year, they will be included,” he said.

Filipiniana dress

Aside from Cempron who was due to receive posthumously the Medal of Valor (Medalya ng Kagitingan), also removed from the list of awardees were Mamasapano survivor Supt. Raymundo Train and Chief Supt.

Fernando Mendez of the PNP Intelligence Group.

“Frustrated, that’s how anyone would feel,” the 34-yearold Cempron widow said in an interview with reporters the following day during the Me-

morial Day program for police officers killed in the line of duty held at SAF headquarters in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City. (See story at right.)

The widow recalled receiving a call from SAF personnel on Friday the previous week, telling her to prepare a Filipiniana dress for the posthumous awarding of her husband who died giving cover to a fellow trooper, PO2 Christopher Lalan, in the SAF operation in Mamasapano, Maguindanao.

She was told the award would be “given by no less than the President himself.”

“So I was really expecting it.

It (was) quite a big thing, a once in a lifetime (event),” Cempron, who lives in Cebu, said.

Excited, she bought a dress for P5,000 using personal funds, and informed her mother-in-law that they were flying to Manila soon.

Last Tuesday, however, Cempron said she received another call telling her “the awarding would not push through. I thought the entire event had

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been cancelled.”

Felt left out

That was until she saw a live television feed of President Aquino’s speech during the PNP anniversary and read the Inquirer online article about the three awardees being stricken off the list at the last minute.

“I felt left out. I thought it was more cost-effective had my husband (and the others) been included (in the PNP anniversary awarding),” she said.

If there were things that still needed to be discussed, she should not have been told to make preparations for the awarding in the first place, Cempron said. Her understanding was that everything, including the deliberations, had been completed.

“You’re making the person hope for something. Just don’t say anything if it isn’t final yet,” she said.

During the memorial on Saturday, PNP Director General Ricardo Marquez told reporters he would “make sure to

hasten the process” required for the awarding of Cempron, Train and Mendez.

Saddens VP

“And if we can’t hasten it at the PNP level, there are scheduled executive committees in the (National Police Commission) to expedite the process.

Because I agree with you, if we prolong this, the sentiment will be that we don’t want (it),” the PNP official said.

Vice President Jejomar Binay meanwhile said the removal of the names of the three SAF commandos from the awards list “saddened” him.

In an interview during a visit to San Quintin, Pangasinan, Binay asked: “What could be the reason? Wasn’t it Colonel Train who led the raid?”

Binay, who paid tribute to the fallen SAF men during his socalled “true” state of the nation address in Cavite last week, had criticized President Aquino for failing to acknowledge the slain police troopers in his own SONA. ■

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Philippine News

AUGUST 14, 2015

FRIDAY

TESDA chief not De Lima defends pork cases stepping aside despite pork scam raps

BY LEI FONTAMILLAS Philippine Canadian Inquirer

BY JERRY E. ESPLANADA AND NANCY C. CARVAJAL Philippine Daily Inquirer EMBATTLED TECHNICAL Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Director General Joel Villanueva has no intention of quitting or taking a leave from office after being implicated in the pork barrel scam.

In a text message to the INQUIRER, the TESDA head yesterday said that “if I am taking a leave or resigning, it’s for a different reason.”

“My contract is with our people and our President, not with my detractors or with the Department of Justice, which has proven to be not always right,” he said.

Villanueva reiterated the graft complaint filed against him before the Ombudsman was “based on fake documents and signatures as affirmed by the National Bureau of Investigation.”

Malacañang has said it is up to Villanueva whether or not to take a leave of absence.

Presidential Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma told Palace reporters the other day that under existing laws, government officials are not required to vacate their office temporarily due to charges

TESDA Director General Joel Villanueva.

filed with the Ombudsman.

“We leave the decision to the official concerned,” he said.

Villanueva has repeatedly denied knowing alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim Napoles.

He also questioned the timing of the charges, saying he could defend himself.

Earlier, Villanueva showed the INQUIRER copies of documents he said were bogus but were being used as evidence against him.

He pointed out the documents referred to the Buhay party-list group and yet they bore his supposed signature.

Villanueva was a representative of the Cibac party-list group. Cibac, or Citizens’ Battle Against Corruption, is a multisectoral organization whose advocacy is fighting corruption in the bureaucracy.

“It was not my PDAF, I do not have any idea where it came from,” Villanueva said in an earlier text message to the INQUIRER. The Tesda chief also denied having a staff member named Ronald Samonte in his supposed district office in Region XI as mentioned in the documents.

“I do not know him and have not met him. I also have no district office because I was a partylist representative,” he said. ■

TESDA FACEBOOK PAGE

MANILA — Justice Secretary Leila de Lima recently defended the filing of third batch of pork barrel cases against despite issues raised by those implicated.

This is despite allegations that the signatures were forged in the documentary evidence.

“That supposed finding of the NBI QDD is not really binding.

Also, it’s a matter of defense on the part of these respondents that should best be threshed out before the Sandiganbayan,” she said.

The latest batch of respondents include Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) director general Joel Villanueva, Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, Manila Rep. Amado Bagatsing, former Pangasinan

Justice Secretary Leila De Lima.

SCREENSHOT FROM ZAMBOANGA TIMES FOOTAGE

congressman and now Abono party-list Rep. Conrado Estrella III and La Union Rep. Victor Franciso Ortega.

Most of those in the list have denied the charges filed against them adding that their signa-

tures have been forged.

De Lima explained that though the National Bureau of Investigation confirmed that the signatures were indeed forged, the finding was still “not conclusive and binding.” ■

CBCP urges presidential debates to present issues, not confrontations

BY JANE MORALEDA Philippine Canadian Inquirer MANILA — With the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) planning to hold a presidential debate, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) saw this as an opportunity for voters to ‘gauge the candidates and help them make informed choices in picking our next leaders.’

The CBCP only hoped that this debate would be used by presidential candidates to present their stands on several issues the Philippines have been facing.

“It shouldn’t be a mere freewheeling presentation of their platforms that will simply be rebutted by the others,” CBCP Public Affairs Committee executive secretary Fr. Jerome Secillano said in an interview.

The CBCP also hoped that the candidates would not present accusations against each other but rather talk about the Bangsamoro Basic Law, Antiwww.canadianinquirer.net

Political Dynasty bill, Freedom of Information bill, K to12 education program, among others.

“This way, they will not only be hurling stones at each other but they will be able to present their stand on issues affecting our people,” Secillano said.

“Qualities such as honesty, integrity and credibility are values that are hardly seen in debates,” he added, urging voters to look for these qualities in the candidates they would support.

Just like the CBCP, the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) also saw the presidential debate as an opportunity for voters to examine their presidential bets.

“PPCRV hopes that such debates include all, even the less known candidates, and that other groups like PPCRV, academe, business, etc be involved,” PPCRV national chairperson Henrietta de Villa said.

“PPCRV hopes that such debates include all, even the less known candidates, and that other groups like PPCRV, academe, business, etc be in-

volved,” she added.

It can be recalled that COMELEC Chairman Andres Bautista earlier disclosed considering to hold a presidential debate for next year’s national elections.

“We will be taking the lead insofar as the presidential debate.

That is provided for under the law,” Bautista said in a Manila Bulletin report.

He referred to Republic Act No. 9006 or the Fair Elections Act which allowed the COMELEC to conduct ‘at least three (3) national debates among presidential candidates and at least one (1) national debate among vice presidential candidates.’

‘The debates among presidential candidates shall be scheduled on three (3) different calendar days: the first debate shall be scheduled within the first and second week of the campaign period; the second debate within the fifth and six week of the campaign period; and the third debate shall be scheduled within the tenth and eleventh week of the campaign period.’ ■

Philippine News

FRIDAY AUGUST 14, 2015

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3rd, last batch charged for pork in NGOs of Napoles

BY NANCY CARVAJAL AND TARRA QUISMUNDO Philippine Daily Inquirer AFTER SEVERAL postponements, the National Bureau of Investigation finally went to the Office of the Ombudsman yesterday and asked the antigraft agency to charge a third batch of lawmakers, including two political allies of President Aquino, accused of taking kickbacks in the P10-billion pork barrel scam.

The NBI recommended the prosecution for malversation, bribery and graft nine incumbent and former lawmakers and 31 others, including Sen. Gregorio Honasan II, Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, Technical Education Skills and Development Authority (Tesda) Director General Joel Villanueva, La Union Rep. Victor Ortega, Manila Rep. Amado Bagatsing, incumbent Abono party-list Rep. and former Pangasinan Rep. Conrad Estrella III, former Abono party-list Rep. Robert Raymund Estrella, former La Union Rep. Manuel Ortega, and former Zamboanga representative Isidoro Real Jr. According to the complaint, the incumbent and former lawmakers received kickbacks in the following amounts from Janet Lim-Napoles, the alleged scam mastermind: Honasan, P1.750 million; Bagatsing, P600,000; Conrado Estrella, P45.03 million; Robert Raymund Estrella, P22.675 million; Manuel Ortega, P14.35 million; Victor Francisco Ortega, P9.587 million; Real, P3.250 million; Rodriguez, P2.099 million; and Villanueva, P2.330 million.

Villanueva is a close friend of the President. Rodriguez is a congressional ally of Mr. Aquino who headed the ad hoc Bangsamoro committee and sponsored the government landmark legislation on the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law in Congress.

Finding “sufficient evidence,” the NBI yesterday submitted the results of the investigation of the pork barrel scam by its special task force “for the Ombudsman’s further investigation,” said NBI Director Virgilio Mendez.

“The above lawmakers used their PDAF (Priority Devel-

forgery surrounding signatures on documents, which the NBI described as “material in the release of the PDAF… to Napoles NGOs.” The justice department had announced in June 2014 that a third and last batch of pork barrel scam cases was already set to be filed.

“These charges were always going to be pursued, but they were just delayed because of issues on the genuineness (authenticity) of the signatures,” De Lima said.

“So we had to address that issue first before going ahead rather than separating the issue on the signatures,” she explained.

Signature check

Alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles.

FILE PHOTO FROM SEN. BAM AQUINO'S OFFICIAL FACEBOOK PAGE

opment Assistance Fund, the Development Foundation and De Lima explained that those official name of the pork bar- Evelyn Ditchon-de Leon of the named in the NBI complaint rel) in illegal transactions with Philippine Social Development were still “not respondents” in Napoles’ nongovernment or- Foundation. the case, as they will still have ganizations (NGOs) to enable The NBI said the basis for the to be investigated by the Office themselves to profit from the recommendation to prosecute of the Ombudsman. simulated disbursements and were documents from the DeIn the end, it will still be up to utilization of their PDAF,” the partment of Budget and Man- the Ombudsman whether the NBI complaint stated. agement (DBM) scrutinized by charges will be filed in court, “This is really the third and the NBI investigating team. she said. final batch insofar as the NaAccording to the investiga“Just like the first and second poles NGOs are concerned for tors, the lawmakers themselves batches, this will be the call of the 2007 to 2009 the Ombudsman COA (Commiswhether or not sion on Audit) to go ahead with special audit these cases,” De report,” Justice According to the investigators, the Lima said.

Secretary Leila lawmakers themselves requested “In other de Lima said. the funds involved in the scam. The words, this will Their reprerequests were addressed to the not go straight sentatives were House of Representatives committee to preliminary also charged, on appropriations and the Senate investigation. It along with heads, committee on finance. has to go through officials and emthe Field Invesployees of the tigation Office. implementing The Ombudsgovernment agencies found to requested the funds involved man, through the FIO, must be have been allegedly involved in in the scam. The requests were able to evaluate and assess the the fund diversion, including addressed to the House of Rep- sufficiency of the evidence inNational Agribusiness Corp., resentatives committee on ap- volving these nine lawmakers,” National Livelihood Develop- propriations and the Senate she said. ment Corp. and Technology Re- committee on finance. The lawsource Center. makers’ requests for funds were Reasons for delay Napoles was also among then endorsed to the DBM. De Lima countered criticism those recommended to be The same requests also show that the NBI investigation was charged, along with the offi- the name of the implementing delayed as the third batch incers of her NGOs: Mylene En- agency as the recipient of the cluded administration allies. carnacion of the Countrywide funds which eventually ended She attributed the delays to Agri and Rural Economic and up in Napoles’ NGOs. the investigation of claims of www.canadianinquirer.net

In its executive summary, the NBI cited the findings of its Questioned Documents Division (QDD) that “signatures did not match the specimen signatures” of lawmakers who requested an examination of the PDAF documents they supposedly signed in approval.

The QDD found that the documents and the specimen used for comparison “were not written by one and the same person.” Such was the case for incumbents Estrella, Ortega, Rodriguez and Tesda’s Villanueva, who requested a check of the authenticity of their supposed signatures.

The NBI, however, said the results of the QDD signature check “are not conclusive and binding upon the results of this investigation.”

Negligence is also malversation

“Also, it’s a matter of defense on the part of these respondents (who are not yet respondents)” De Lima said.

The NBI said the matter of the authenticity of the signatures “will still be subject to the scrutiny of the Sandiganbayan in the event that the Ombudsman decides to file the criminal cases in court.”

“In any event, malversation is also committed through negligence, in which case the signatures of the lawmakers are not necessary to prove that they allowed, through their negligence, the misappropriation and misuse of public funds entrusted to them,” said the NBI complaint. ■

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Philippine News

AUGUST 14, 2015

FRIDAY

Pick culture, US troops told

BY CYNTHIA D. BALANA Philippine Daily Inquirer CULTURE, YES. Bars, no.

American servicemen on a 10-day humanitarian mission in La Union had been told by their commander to visit cultural and tourist sites and avoid activities that may offend Filipino sensibilities during their free hours.

Capt. James Mayer, US Task Force Forager commander, made the suggestion to his men in Pacific Partnership 2015 with their Filipino counterparts, one of the biggest US military-sponsored humanitarian missions in the IndoPacific region.

“They should instead visit heritage and cultural sites in

return for the hospitality of the host country,” Mayer said.

The guidance served to remind US servicemen of the case of Marine Lance Cpl. Joseph Scott Pemberton who is on trial in Olongapo City for the murder of Filipino transgender Jeffrey “Jennifer” Laude.

Pemberton allegedly picked up Laude in a bar during the US Marine’s furlough after taking part in the Balikatan joint military exercises with Filipino forces in October last year.

The US Navy warship USNS Millinocket docked at Poro Point in La Union on Tuesday at the start of its humanitarian mission.

Mayers said that instead of barhopping, his men must be back on the ship or their respective stations after conduct-

ing their daily humanitarian and medical activities in various places.

However, the US servicemen are free to visit heritage and tourist sites in the province so they could learn about the culture of the people.

He said the Philippine Military Academy has organized a group tour for US sailors, Marines, military engineers and medical personnel of the country’s premier military school in Baguio City.

According to Capt. Albert Mogol, Philippine Navy commander in Poro Point, the US servicemen were invited to visit the Baluarte Watch Tower in Luna town, a disintegrating Spanish-built citadel; Bacsil Bridge, where the retreating Japanese Imperial Army held U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Joel Salgado.

last stand in San Fernando City; Kasay Marine Sanctuary, home of 100 of the 400 coral species in the country; Tomb of Unknown Soldier, located along the diversion leading to the Poro Point Special Economic Zone, and the Pindangan Ruins.

The province also boasts of

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beautiful beaches for swimming and surfing, in Bauang, San Juan, Agoo, Caba and the Urbiztondo Surfing area in San Juan.

Mogol said Filipino soldiers and policemen will provide security for the US servicemen who visit these sites. ■

P3-trillion... candidate is based,” she added.

Regarding the national budget allocations, the services given the highest budget were the social services with P1.1059 trillion, economic services with P829.6 billion, public services with P517.9, defense with P129.1 billion, and lump sums, special purpose funds, and un-programmed funds with P500 billion.

Briones then questioned the P500 billion lump sum funds which President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III’s administration could use with discretion in various ‘unsustainable’ projects.

Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr., for his part, earlier gave the assurance that the House committee on appropriations would scrutinize the proposed national budget in their deliberations and ensure that the funding is justified.

Committee chairman Davao ❰❰ 1

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City Representative Isidro Ungab also encouraged free and full debates during the budget deliberations.

“We will focus first on the macro-economic assumptions and the general parameters the administration used in putting together the proposed national budget for next year. After that, we will go into the details — department by department, agency by agency. We hope to do that in the next two to three weeks,” he said in a Philippine Star report, adding that he hoped the budget would be approved after the second hearing.

Present in the spending program’s first hearing were Budget Secretary Florencio Abad, Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, Economic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan, Internal Revenue Commissioner Kim Henares, Customs Commissioner Alberto Lina and Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas governor Amando Tetangco. ■

Philippine News

FRIDAY AUGUST 14, 2015

7

House hopes to pass P3-T budget before poll season

BY DJ YAP Philippine Daily Inquirer

Bureau of Customs (BOC) Commissioner Alberto Lina.

CUSTOMS.GOV.PH

Bureau of... ❰❰ 1

tion, BOC had a ‘very bad’ rating with -63 in 2013. In the previous year, the bureau only had a ‘bad’ rating with -46.

Although still receiving a ‘very bad’ and ‘bad’ rating, the BOC actually got improved ratings as it was given an ‘execrable’ rating from 2005 to 2009.

Aside from the bureau, other government offices which were considered most corrupt in 2013 were the Land Transportation Office (LTO) with -32, the House of Representatives with -28, the Philippine National Police (PNP) with -24, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) with -22 and the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) with -10.

The LTO, DPWH, PNP and the House of Representatives received better ratings in the previous year with -26, -6, -12 and -21, respectively. The BIR, on the other hand, received poorer rating with -20.

The SWS’ ratings were graded into Excellent with +70 and above, Very Good with +50 to +69, Good with +30 to +49, Moderate with +10 to +29, Neutral with -9 to +9, Poor with -10 to -29, Bad with -30 to -49, Very Bad with -50 to -69, and Execrable with -70 and below.

The results of the 2014 SWS Survey of Enterprises on Corruption have not yet been released.

to accept the consequences of political compromises? Our job is already so difficult as it is, why add [political compromises] to the things we have to deal with?)," he added, noting that politics affects transactions in the bureau even more than ever as the 2016 draws near.

Despite resigning from his post, Sevilla believes that the corruption within the bureau decreased during his term, but remains one of the biggest problems in the BOC. "Ang dami ko na pinag-tya-tyagaan, ang dami ko nang ginagawan ng paraan, ang dami ko na binabantayan. Tao lang tayo, may hangganan din 'yung kakayahan ko," Sevilla said. "Ginawa ko na lahat ng makakaya ko. Sana yung sumunod sa akin ay mas maigi, mas maganda, mas smooth, mas maayos ang patakbo sa Customs kaysa ngayon.”

(I have suffered through a lot, I’ve made a lot of things work, I’ve monitors so many things. We’re just human, my abilities have limitations, too… I have done everything that I can. I hope the one who takes over [the Customs bureau] will manage it better, smoother, and more thoroughly than it is being run today.)

Former Bureau of Customs chief Alberto "Bert" Lina took over the bureau after President Benigno Aquino III accepted Sevilla’s resignation.

Customs chief resigns

Improving ratings against corruption

In April of this year, Customs Commissioner John Sevilla rendered his resignation, citing “political compromises” and rampant corruption in the bureau.

"Kailangan may political skills ang commissioner ng Customs. Wala po akong political skills (The Customs commissioner needs to have political skills. I do not have political skills)," Sevilla told members of the press in a briefing announcing his resignation.

"Bakit kailangan namin tanggapin 'yung consequences ng political compromises? Ang hirap-hirap na ng trabaho dito bakit isasama pa 'yun sa kailangan naming gawin (Why do we have

WITH NEXT year’s elections already on the minds of most lawmakers, the House of Representatives will try to pass the P3-trillion national budget for 2016 before the period for the filing of certificates of candidacy (CoC) in October.

The appropriations committee will open the hearing today on the proposed budget, starting with a briefing by the Development Budget Coordinating Committee, an interagency body composed of the Aquino administration’s economic and budget managers.

House panel chair Isidro Ungab, representative from Davao City, said the timetable for the budget deliberations took into consideration the CoC filing schedule, after which many lawmakers are expected to be busy in their districts.

“Hopefully, the plenary debates and voting on second reading on the national budget by that time (CoC filing) will be finished,” Ungab said in a statement.

The CoC filing period is from Oct. 12

The Philippines, in general, has improved its Corruption Perception Index (CPI) rating — moving from 94th place in 2013 to 85th in 2014 out of 175 countries.

The country got a score of 38 as per Transparency International’s corruption scale of 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean). This is a 4-point improvement from 2012’s score of 34 and a jump from the 105th rank.

“We consider a +4 to represent change in the perceived level of corruption,” Cleo Calimbahin, executive director of Transparency International said in a report from the Philippine Daily Inquirer. ■ www.canadianinquirer.net

to 16. The budget hearings will be conducted Monday to Thursday, but this could be extended to Friday if necessary, Ungab said.

Ungab urged his colleagues to “do their share in studying and scrutinizing the proposed national budget to determine if the allocation for each agency is justified.”

Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares said the House must be wary of suspicious lump sum appropriations and hidden pork barrel funds in the 2016 expenditure program.

He said the Makabayan bloc, in studying the 2016 budget, had found at least P145 billion in lump sums, or funds for no specific purpose.

“The Special Purpose Funds were the biggest, at about P97.4 billion. Then the rest are for the departments. We will examine them one by one,” Colmenares said.

Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. earlier said that Congress would study the budget well to ensure that government programs and their funding were justified.

The proposed 2016 budget is 15.2 percent higher than the P2.606-trillion 2015 national budget. ■

Philippine News

8

AUGUST 14, 2015

FRIDAY

‘P-Noy can’t raise Mar’

BY LEILA B. SALAVERRIA Philippine Daily Inquirer Publisher Philippine Canadian Inquirer, Inc. Correspondents Lei Fontamillas Jane Moraleda Frances Grace Quiddaoen Socorro Newland Bolet Arevalo Online Media Head Ching Dee ching.dee@canadianinquirer.net Graphic Designer Shanice Garcia Photographers Angelo Siglos Solon Licas Vic Vargas Operations and Marketing Head Laarni Liwanag (604) 551-3360 Advertising Sales Alice Yong (778) 889-3518 alice.yong@canadianinquirer.net Emy Rose Figueroa salesphilippines@canadianinquirer,net emy.figueroa@canadianinquirer.net Nelson Wu (1) 647-521-5155 salestoronto@canadianinquirer.net nelson.wu@canadianinquirer.net Amelia Insigne 1-416-574-5121 amelia.insigne@canadianinquirer.net 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, sales@canadianinquirer.net Philippine Canadian Inquirer is published weekly every Friday.

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Member

THE POLL ratings of Interior Secretary Mar Roxas will not shoot up to the sky with President Aquino’s endorsement of his presidential candidacy, Sen. Serge Osmeña III said yesterday.

Mr. Aquino’s endorsement will have a negligible effect on Roxas’ ratings, Osmeña said in a radio interview.

Mr. Aquino endorsed Roxas last week as the ruling Liberal Party’s standardbearer in next year’s presidential election despite his poor showing in the polls.

Roxas, who lost the 2010 vice- presidential election to former Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay, is running third in the latest Social Weather Stations poll, behind the now Vice President and junior Sen. Grace Poe, who topped the race for the Senate in 2013.

In the latest Pulse Asia poll, Roxas is running fourth, behind Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, Binay and Poe. LP leaders and Malacañang say, however, that Roxas’ ratings will improve after the endorsement from the highly popular President Aquino.

But Osmeña maintained that the presidential endorsement will not significantly improve the numbers of the unpopular Roxas.

History

History has shown that presidential endorsement has done little for candidates, Osmeña said.

“It doesn’t change the dynamics. If Roxas’ ratings will rise, they will rise regardless of whether P-Noy (the President’s nickname) endorsed him or not,” he said.

He also noted that Roxas has always been identified with President Aquino and this could already have been factored in in the results of the polls.

“All of P- Noy’s people are with Roxas.

So that has been seen in surveys. P- Noy has never endorsed any other candidate, has never indicated to the world who his candidate would be except Mar Roxas.

So [his numbers] won’t change. If anything, it would be by only 1 or 2 percent,” he said.

But he agreed that Roxas’ numbers could rise depending on how he campaigns.

He said the campaign would be long, and many things could change during the dynamic period.

In 2010, for instance, Binay surged from 12 percent to overtake Roxas, who at one point had gotten a 49 percent rating, Osmeña added.

Not dictatorship

Osmeña also defended the Aquino administration against Binay’s criticism

President Benigno Simeon Aquino III with Liberal Party bet for 2016 Mar Roxas.

that it wanted to establish a dictatorship by pressing for continuity of its reform program.

It is a legitimate ambition for any political party to wish to stay in power, and if it was so through elections, then such a plan could not be equated with a dictatorship, Osmeña said.

“It’s not a dictatorship if you go through an election, right? We have elections here,” he said.

Every party’s ambition is to stay in power or control, he added.

“If VP Binay wins, of course all of his allies and all of the people with him would plan for the next two presidential elections so that they could continue remaining in their posts. That’s the way it is,” he said.

“It’s a legitimate and valid ambition of any party to win the election. What’s wrong with that? That’s not a bad thing,” he added.

Next two Presidents

Administration coalition leaders have said that they envision having a 2016 team that will have a President who will pursue Mr. Aquino’s reform program, to be succeeded by a Vice President who will become President in 2022 and sustain the gains of the reforms.

This is the reason why the administration coalition wants Poe to be the running mate of Roxas.

But Poe has so far been cool to the idea, insisting she has not decided to run.

Binay, whose family has ruled Makati City for three decades, said the administration’s statements that it would need about two decades for President Aquino’s programs to bring maximum benefits to the country shows that it was desperate to stay in power.

He said that if the Palace wants 20 years, then it wants a “dictatorship.”

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PCDSPO

Asked if he believed the Aquino administration could achieve its plan to remain in power for the next two decades, Osmeña said, “Nobody can plan that far.”

“They cannot even plan for one election. They’re having a hard time with the 2016 [elections],” he said.

Ideals of democracy

Malacañang reminded Binay that President Aquino is holding to the ideals of democracy, which includes free and credible elections, that his parents fought for, especially during the Marcos dictatorship.

“The President’s clarion call to our bosses (the Filipino people) is to continue to support [his reform program], so that the transformation of Philippine society that has been built on good governance during his administration may be brought to its full fruition,” Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr. said on state-run Radyo ng Bayan.

“Like his parents, the President is a staunch advocate of democracy, in which the most important element is the peaceful transfer of power from one administration to another through the conduct of orderly and credible elections,” Coloma said.

Binay used to be a close ally of the Aquino family, owing to the President’s mother, the late democracy icon President Corazon Aquino, who appointed him overseer of Makati City after the 1986 Edsa Revolution.

But Binay left Mr. Aquino’s Cabinet in June and fashioned himself into an opposition leader after failing to get the President’s support for his presidential bid in 2016.

Binay is also facing charges of corruption stemming from alleged irregular transactions during his three terms as mayor of Makati City. ■

Philippine News

FRIDAY AUGUST 14, 2015

9

Abu Sayyaf militants behead hostage in southern Philippines after failing to get ransom THE ASSOCIATED PRESS MANILA, PHILIPPINES — Abu Sayyaf extremists beheaded a kidnapped village leader and threatened to kill two other hostages in the southern Philippines if a ran-

som was not paid, officials said Wednesday.

Brig. Gen. Alan Arrojado said the militants identified the slain hostage as Rodolfo Buligao in a note they left on his decapitated body, which was found on a roadside in Maimbung town in Sulu province late

Tuesday.

The militants led by Abu Sayyaf commander Yassir Igasan, who killed Buligao, have threatened to behead two coast guard personnel who were kidnapped with Buligao in May. “They have threatened to kill the two other captives any-

time,” Arrojado said.

The Abu Sayyaf, with about 400 gunmen split into a few factions, is on a U.S. list of terrorist organizations for deadly bombings, kidnappings for ransom and beheadings.

It is one of at least four small armed groups outside of a peace

deal the government signed last year with the largest rebel group, the 11,000-strong Moro Islamic Liberation Front, in an attempt to peacefully settle a decades-long separatist insurrection by minority Muslims in the south of the large Roman Catholic country. ■

‘Daang matuwid’ vs ‘daang baluktot’

BY LEI FONTAMILLAS Philippine Canadian Inquirer

Senators Grace Poe and Francis 'Chiz' Escudero at the MRT-LRT Senate hearing PHOTO COURTESY OF SEN. GRACE POE'S FACEBOOK PAGE

Senate to resume hearing on MRT-3 rehabilitation

BY JANE MORALEDA Philippine Canadian Inquirer MANILA — With 48 new Metro Rail Transit 3 (MRT-3) coaches scheduled to be delivered this month, the Senate public services committee would again conduct a public hearing to get updates on the train system’s rehabilitation plan.

“Definitely the meeting should be ongoing because the rehabilitation has not been completed yet so as far as we are concerned, for as long as the service of the MRT is less than satisfactory, we are obligated to call them periodically to be able to report to the public what they’ve actually achieved,” Committee chairman Senator Grace Poe said.

“I don’t want to be hasty. But I will look into delivery dates that they had promised in our last hearing to determine how many of those that they had promised would have been delivered,” she added.

With several prototypes of the Light Rail Vehicle (LRV) coaches from the Dalian Locomotive and Rolling Stock Co. Ltd. set to arrive this month, Poe wanted to be reassured that these would be compatible with the existing train system.

“These persistent concerns on safety brought about by maintenance failures as well as on measures taken to at least address the daily inconvenience to riders will be tackled jointly,” she said.

“Hopefully, as they promised, this month the prototype

train from Dalian will be delivered… We can then ask them to present an update on its compatibility with our system,” she added.

Moreover, Poe would like the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) to breakdown their proposed P43.5-billion budget for 2016, especially since the MRT-3’s services in the past years remained unsatisfactory.

“We have been burned by the DOTC… They asked for a very big budget, and a week after its approval, they hiked fares. So this time, we will say on the record, what would you do with the budget that you had been requesting, when will be the delivery? Will you hike fares or not?” she said, dubious about the fare hike. ■ www.canadianinquirer.net

MANILA — Engaging in a word war against Vice President Jejomar Binay, Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said the battle between the straight and the crooked path has began.

“It is ‘daang matuwid’ (straight path) versus ‘daang baluktot’ (crooked path),” Lacierda said as he continued to attack Binay’s spokesman Joey Salgado.

Lacierda said that the division started when Aquino chose to endorse Secretary Mar Roxas over the Vice President for the 2016 presidential race.

Since then, the word war between the two camps erupted.

“Ha! Ha! I love it that Vice President Binay is march-

ing to the beat of our drums!

The line in the sand has been drawn since VP Binay bitterly attacked the President after having failed to secure the endorsement of President Aquino,” Lacierda said.

Salgado also criticized the government for using the EDSA revolution to advance the interest of the Liberal Party.

“They were partying in New York or wherever it is that rich haciendero families party in the United States during martial law,” he said.

“It is very convenient, and much safer, to claim to be vanguards of democracy when the democratic order has been restored. The true test of courage is to stare down the armed might of the state when it had the license for summary executions.” ■

Vice President Jejomar Binay and Presidential Speaker Edwin Lacierda FILE PHOTOS

10

Philippine News

AUGUST 14, 2015

FRIDAY

Ex-Chief Justice: ‘Spin doctors’ distort truth

BY JANE MORALEDA Philippine Canadian Inquirer MANILA — With the national elections nearing, former Chief Justice Reynato Puno cautioned the public against ‘spin doctors’ who ‘bury the truth’ by giving favorable information to the media biased to their preferred presidential candidates.

Puno noted that the rich Filipinos became richer while still a lot of poor Filipinos remained poor in the last five years; and choosing the succeeding president to ‘save’ the suffering masses apparently has been influenced by these spin doctors.

“As always in these kinds of political exercises, the first victim of spin doctors is the truth,” he said in a forum with religious and civil society leaders.

Puno blamed the large scale of inequality between the rich and the poor to the ‘stale and outmoded 1987 Constitution’ wherein power has been centralized to the administration positioned in Metro Manila.

For him, power should not be centralized but should be distributed to all sectors so that there is assurance that all voices will be heard in the national government.

The former Chief Justice then sought support for a constitutional amendment to change the government and shift power from a president to a parliament as he believed that this would solve the Philippines’ problems.

He wanted to ‘tell the people

the real reason why leaders have failed to solve [the country’s] stubborn problems for more than 100 years now… and we are still counting.’

“In the meantime, our senses are bombarded with the images of presidential wannabes — each one given a beauty parlor treatment by paid media practitioners… Their drumbeaters go to town announcing to people that a new savior has come to rescue them from all imaginable curses of our society,” Puno said.

“Except for the daily doses of praise releases, none of the wannabes has informed the people about their particular program of governance and why they qualify as our new saviors,” he added.

Puno also stressed the spin doctors’ active role by citing President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III’s sixth and last State of the Nation Address (SONA) and Vice President Jejomar “Jojo” Binay’s ‘True’ SONA. “We listened to the State of the Nation Address of our President on July 27… As it happens every year, the political opposition tried to denigrate his achievement, especially his philosophy of ‘daang matuwid’ (straight path). Last Monday, the Vice President delivered his own SONA… also to dismiss the achievements of the Aquino administration,” he said.

“The spin doctors of both political [camps] are still busy distorting the meanings and nuances of both the SONA and the counter-SONA,” he added.

Former Chief Justice Reynato Puno speaking at a U.P. Law alumni homecoming .ANYO NIMINUS / WIKIPEDIA

On January 25, 2015, President Benigno S. Aquino III flew to Zamboanga City, site of a bombing incident that killed two people and wounded fifty others two days prior. The President was briefed, and conducted a personal inspection of the site.

MALACAÑANG PHOTO BUREAU

Gov’t hid Zambo refugees, bishop claims

BY NIÑA P. CALLEJA Philippine Daily Inquirer

tional shelter and wished to return to their original locations,” he said.

Beyani, who was in the counA CATHOLIC bishop has detry from July 21 to 31, visited nounced the government’s Maguindanao, Zamboanga, Tadeliberate concealment of the cloban and South Cotabato to internal refugees in Zamboassess the situation of people anga City just before the recent displaced by disasters, armed visit of a United Nations human conflict and development projrights official. ects on the ancestral lands of Archbishop Rolando Tirona, indigenous peoples. who heads the church’s justice He presented his findings in and peace ministry, referred to a press briefing in Makati last a Human Rights Watch report week. saying that hundreds of “inHe said there was a lack of internal displaced persons” were frastructure for basic services, removed from including water, the Zamboanga sanitation and Sports Complex electricity, in ahead of the visit temporary houslast week of ChaWe should be truthful. We should ing sites for famloka Beyani, the face the truth and help these people ilies displaced by UN special rapinstead of pretending because it’s Supertyphoon porteur on hutotally wrong.

“Yolanda” in Taman rights of incloban City, and ternal refugees. a “lack of the The sports g o v e r n m e n t ’s complex served as the biggest ernment “removed” all the ref- full commitment to move on evacuation center for thou- ugees from the sports complex to building permanent settlesands of families displaced by and transferred them to reloca- ments.” the 21-day gun battle between tion centers, as the facility had Tirona warned the governgovernment forces and Moro to undergo repairs. ment that its action of hidNational Liberation Front rebBeyani was dismayed at this ing the refugees would have a els in September 2013. development and posted a “boomerang” effect and urged Tirona said the government’s statement on the UN website.

Malacañang to address the isaction was tantamount to sues raised by the UN official. “making fun of the poor.”

‘Concerned’ “It should have been better “We should be truthful. We “I am concerned by some is- for them (the United Nations) should face the truth and help sues, including the closure of to know that many people are these people instead of pre- the grandstand, where families suffering, then we make an aptending because it’s totally had taken refuge after the cri- peal and they will do something wrong,” said Tirona, the head of sis, just prior to my visit with- to help,” the bishop said. the National Secretariat for So- out ensuring adequate housing “The truth is powerful and cial Action, Justice and Peace solutions for some families who you can’t just hide it,” he (Nassa). did not want to move to transi- said. ■ www.canadianinquirer.net

HRW, a global human rights watchdog group, said the Zamboanga siege displaced more than 120,000 persons and many were relocated to sites where basic services such as water “are lacking or nonexistent.”

Many of the internal refugees protested the relocation sites they were given because these were far from their places of work, it said.

Most of the refugees were Badjao, who mainly fish for their daily sustenance.

The HRW said that four days before Beyani’s visit, the gov-

Philippine News

FRIDAY AUGUST 14, 2015

11

Binay: Palace wants dictatorship

BY NIÑA P. CALLEJA Philippine Daily Inquirer VICE PRESIDENT Jejomar Binay has turned the tables on Malacañang with allegations of “dictatorial tendency,” suggesting that the ruling Liberal Party would like to hold on to power for the next two decades.

In an interview during the Gerona, Tarlac, leg of his “working” tour, Binay said the administration’s statement that it needs 18 to 20 years for President Aquino’s programs to bear fruit reveals the party’s desperation to stay in power.

“They are holding very tight to power. We would know by the time the people cast their votes if they believe in the ‘straight

path.’ If (Malacañang) wants 20 years, dictatorship is what it wants,” the Vice President said.

Binay said in a previous interview that the administration has hatched a three-phased plan to install a dictatorial government.

One, he said, is to destroy the judiciary, and then the office of the Vice President.

“On the third phase, once it is done, they will establish a dictatorial government. They will have positions there,” Binay said in Filipino.

But Binay earlier said he is open to Charter change to remove the limits for president and vice president even as he is opposed to the Anti-Political Dynasty Bill. The Binays had ruled Makati for nearly 29

years since 1986.

Binay also took exception to presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda’s description of his “True State of the Nation” (Tsona) as “charot” or what in gay lingo means something that should not be taken seriously.

“Can you respond to those I have said and not veer away from the issue?” said Binay, who has yet to respond to the mounting charges of corruption against him.

Lacierda and Binay’s spokesperson Joey Salgado earlier had a heated exchange in “sward speak” after the Vice President’s camp fired back at Lacierda’s “charot” remark during a Palace press briefing.

Salgado yesterday said Lacierda has finally confessed

Vice President Jejomar 'Jojo’ Binay.

PHOTO COURTESY OF BINAY'S OFFICIAL FACEBOOK PAGE

something truthful.

“The cat is finally out of the bag. For once, Secretary Lacierda said something true. The LP’s grand plan is to impose one-party dictatorship,” Salgado said.

“They are not just offering six years but 20 years of insensitive and inept governance. And 20 years of large-scale corruption involving allies and party mates and suppression of the opposition,” Salgado said. ■

Expelled from LP, governor still backs Mar

BY MARLON RAMOS Philippine Daily Inquirer CAMARINES NORTE Gov. Edgardo Tallado has expressed his full support for the presidential bid of Interior Secretary Mar Roxas in the 2016 elections despite his expulsion from the ruling Liberal Party (LP) over his much publicized extramarital affair.

A smiling Tallado approached Roxas and exchanged pleasantries with the presidential candidate of the LP-led administration coalition during the assembly of the League of Provinces of the Philippines in Ortigas Center, Pasig City, on Thursday.

He was also seen whispering something to the interior secretary as Roxas, who was formally endorsed by President Aquino as the LP’s standard-bearer last week, went around to shake hands with the governors who attended the event.

Asked what he told Roxas,

Camarines Norte Gov. Edgardo Tallad.

Tallado said: “I just told him that I love him.”

“For me, nothing has changed. I will support him. I still believe in him and his pro-

R5_PIA@YAHOO.COM / FLICKR

gram of government,” the governor said.

Mass leave of LP members

When asked if his political al-

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lies in Camarines Norte would also back Roxas in next year’s polls, he claimed: “They will support whoever I will support in 2016.”

In July, some 500 LP members in the province issued a resolution and took a mass leave of absence from the party to protest Tallado’s ouster.

Among those who temporarily left the LP were Vice Gov. Jonah Pimentel and mayors, vice mayors, councilors and village officials of 12 municipalities.

In expelling Tallado, the LP national directorate said his “grossly immoral act” had “tarnished the good name and reputation of the LP as a whole” after his illicit relationship with a young woman came out on the Internet.

The LP said ensuring decency and moral uprightness among its members was part of its straight path advocacy (daang matuwid) and that it was “determined to maintain

leaders with high moral fiber and integrity, considering that their constituents look up to them for leadership and inspiration.”

The marital scandal went public after the governor had initially claimed that his wife, Josefina, and her friend had gone missing.

But his wife surfaced a few days later and disclosed to the media that she had actually left their conjugal home in Daet town on Oct. 17, 2014, after Tallado threatened to harm her, suspecting that she had posted his picture with his alleged mistress on Facebook.

His dismissal from the LP stemmed from a complaint filed by Daet Mayor Tito Sarion whom the governor had earlier accused of disloyalty for attending an event organized by their political rivals in the province. Camarines Norte has about 300,000 registered voters. ■

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Philippine News

AUGUST 14, 2015

FRIDAY

The accused deny; blame politics, forged signatures

BY NIKKO DIZON, DJ YAP, AND MARLON RAMOS Philippine Daily Inquirer MALACAÑANG SAID the filing of a third batch of charges in connection with the P10-billion pork barrel scam showed the government’s “commitment to the principles of good governance and impartial justice.”

“Public interest requires that the ends of justice are served, while affording due process to the respondents. We reaffirm our commitment to the principles of good governance and impartial justice,” said Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. in a statement.

One of the officials to be charged was Joel Villanueva, the director general of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and a close friend of President Aquino.

“The DOJ (Department of Justice) has undertaken its responsibilities just as Secretary Villanueva will have the opportunity to make his case.

The larger point here is despite what the naysayers say, the President has always respected the processes of the law,” said presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda. Villanueva, who happened to be at the Ombudsman’s Office to testify in a graft case against former Tesda officials, just before the National Bureau of Investigation formally filed the complaints, questioned the timing of the filing.

He said it was the handiwork of his detractors, noting that it came a few months before the filing of candidacy certificates in October for the 2016 elections.

“I find it weird because I’m here to cooperate and being asked to help the government,” he told reporters.

“I have never been afraid to face the truth. I have also never backed down from the allegations thrown against me by political opponents,” he added.

Asked if the case would affect his plan to run for senator, Villanueva said: “Whether I go for it or not, it’s going to be the

same. My track record in Congress and Tesda will speak for itself.”

Villanueva noted that he was mentioned four times by President Aquino in his recent State of the Nation Address as among those who are good performers in the Cabinet.

“I have never denied that I am interested in running in 2016. I’m happy with the recent survey results. I’m one of those whose ratings have been rising,” he said.

Maintaining that he has never misused his pork barrel, Villanueva said he was surprised he was included in the complaint when the NBI in its report had cleared him of the charges.

He said the NBI noted that certain letters for a different party-list used his signatures that were forged.

TESDA Director General Joel Villanueva (left) with President Benigno Aquino III who addressed more than 5,000 graduates of the government's Store Training and Access to Resources (STAR) Program during the TESDA's Women's Month celebration in March 2015.

MALACAÑANG PHOTO BUREAU

I have never met Ms Janet Napoles nor any of her employees personally anywhere at any time; I never had any transaction whatsoever with Ms Janet Napoles nor any of her employees or any nongovernment organization (NGO)/person associated with her; I do not know and have never met personally any officer/functionary of any NGO associated with or owned

by Ms Janet Napoles; and I never received any amount of money from her,” Rodriguez said in a statement.

He said he had all 18 docu-

Bagatsing said he could not see why he was included in the third batch of cases when Napoles had already cleared him of involvement in the pork barrel scam.

“I don’t know why they inOff to the high court volved me. There are others Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus who have hundreds of million Rodriguez yesterday said he pesos worth of projects,” he would ask the Supreme Court told Radyo INQUIRER. to suspend the proceedings at Bagatsing said he gave copies the Office of the Ombudsman, of documents to the DOJ showclaiming that there was lack ing that the request for pork of due process in the filing of a barrel funds did not come from case against him. his office.

“I am filing a petition of cerHe said all three documents tiorari and prosupposedly linkhibition in the ing him to one of Supreme Court Napoles’ bogus that will suspend NGOs did not the proceedings Clearly, there is lack of due process bear his office in the Ombudshere because when the whistleletterhead and man pending the blowers were called to get their had apparently remand of the statements, we were never given a been forged. complaint back chance to air our side and to dispute to the Departtheir allegation against us.

Lack of due ment of Justice process for proper proAbono partyceedings with list Rep. Conrado due notice and Estrella III yeshearing to be afforded to me so ments supposedly linking him terday maintained that he was that I can answer all allegations to the scam examined by the innocent of the charges. against me and present my evi- NBI, which “came out with an “I vehemently deny the aldence,” he said. official finding that all my 18 legation of anomaly in the He said he had expected the signatures in all 18 documents implementation of my PDAF DOJ to summon him so he were forgeries.” projects, the proper execution would be given the chance to of which should have been the prove the allegations wrong.

‘Politically motivated’ primary responsibility of the “But I was not given a chance Manila Rep. Amado Bagats- implementing agencies,” he to present my side. There was ing said the filing of the case said. no due process. I was not given against him may be politically According to Estrella, he had due notice and hearing,” said motivated, considering he only already been investigated by Rodriguez. recently announced he was the NBI and the Ombudsman “I do not know Ms Janet Na- running for mayor of Manila and the investigations conpoles personally or otherwise; next year. cluded that his signatures were www.canadianinquirer.net

forged in the documents allegedly used by the fake NGOs to access his PDAF allotments.

He said the NBI and the Ombudsman also issued certifications that he did not sign the documents. He said the Ombudsman had also determined that the services for which his PDAF was spent had reached the intended beneficiaries.

According to Estrella, one of the whistle-blowers had already issued a sworn statement supporting his claim that all projects funded by his PDAF had been “properly implemented.”

He described the decision of the DOJ to file charges as “a knee-jerk reaction to opposition-generated criticism that the DOJ is delaying the PDAF scam cases.”

“It is very ironic that the findings of the NBI, which is under the DOJ, would be contradicted by the mother agency,” he said.

Estrella also said he did not have a staff member named Ronald Casareno, who allegedly coordinated with the Napolesowned foundations in facilitating in the release of his PDAF. “Clearly, there is lack of due process here because when the whistle-blowers were called to get their statements, we were never given a chance to air our side and to dispute their allegation against us,” he said.

Sen. Gregorio Honasan and the other lawmakers who were similarly charged did not reply to requests for comment as of press time. ■

Philippine News

FRIDAY AUGUST 14, 2015

13

Presidential race: Continuity or change

BY DORIS DUMLAO-ABADILLA Philippine Daily Inquirer THE PHILIPPINE presidential election in 2016 is shaping up as a battle between “continuity” and “change” in governance with four candidates likely to vie to be the next CEO of the land but without any clear front-runner yet in sight, according to New York-based think tank Global Source.

After President Aquino endorsed Interior Secretary Mar Roxas as his successor while framing the next presidential vote as a referendum for the “straight and righteous path,” Global Source said the aspirants would likely take guidance from their rankings in scheduled September polls of voter preference.

The Global Source commentary, dated Aug. 7 and written by Filipino economists Romeo Bernardo and MarieChristine Tang, said the presidential election was bringing “heightened uncertainty for investors,” especially as it was emerging as a multi-contender race with “no clear front-runner, specifically one who can assure bureaucrats of continuity in the executive branch, key in our view to unlocking promised state spending.”

tween continuity (straight) and change (crooked), Mr. Binay, an astute politician who grew up in poverty, is playing the rich versus poor card to the hilt,” Global Source said.

Binay and Roxas had long been gearing up for this rematch since 2010 when Roxas gave way to Mr. Aquino as the Liberal Party standard-bearer only to lose the vice presidency to Binay.

“Although Mr. Binay heretofore has had the upper hand in imaginary matchups between the two, many believe that

with continuing unveiling of ‘evidence’ of Mr. Binay’s vast accumulated wealth that would make his rich versus poor cry sound hollow, Mr. Roxas would quickly catch up and with the support of the administration machinery, he could soon gain the advantage,” Global Source said.

“In fact, some believe that the only thing left for Mr. Roxas to do to secure his bid is to persuade Sen. Grace Poe to be his running mate. But as Philippine presidential elections go, it is very unlikely that it will be a two-man race,” the

‘Only the beginning’

Toward the end of his final address to Congress on July 27, the President attempted to recast the 2016 presidential election as a vote for continuity, saying that economic progress under his administration was “only the beginning” then endorsed the candidacy of a teary-eyed Roxas four days later, Global Source said.

“The tactic is a clever one intended to translate popular support for the President, who has managed to spring back from low ratings in the wake of the Mindanao crisis early this year, into votes for Mr. Roxas, who is lagging in presidential preference polls. If it succeeded in painting the other contender, Vice President Jejomar Binay, who is hounded by allegations of corruption, as one taking the ‘crooked’ path, so much the better,” the think tank said.

More mass appeal

But Global Source said Binay—who says he has never backed out of a fight— would not take all these sitting down.

Between Roxas and Binay, the think tank deemed Binay the one with more mass appeal.

Despite the much publicized investigations of charges of past wrongdoing, the think tank noted that Binay continued to enjoy relatively high popularity scores and in the last presidential preference poll, had a significant 11-point lead over Roxas.

“Even as the administration is trying to frame the 2016 contest as one bewww.canadianinquirer.net

think tank said.

Grace factor

At the moment, Global Source said Poe did not appear too keen to be Roxas’ running mate.

“After all, she scores the highest in presidential preference surveys and it seems that some in the administration party favors her over Mr. Roxas, seeing in her the same commitment to the ❱❱ PAGE 14 Presidential race

14

Philippine News

AUGUST 14, 2015

FRIDAY

Miriam wants tough test for poll bets

BY LEILA B. SALAVERRIA Philippine Daily Inquirer PRESIDENTIAL ASPIRANTS should push for the approval of three “sincerity bills,” which would test their position on issues concerning the conduct of politicians, according to Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago.

Santiago identified the three measures as the anti-dynasty bill, the anti-premature campaigning bill, and the anti- epal bill.

“Self-interest naturally ensures that politicians who will be adversely affected by any of these laws will actively campaign and even vote against it.

But if these early presidential contenders mean what they say in media, they must lobby for these bills,” Santiago said in a statement.

Santiago has authored the three bills in the Senate.

None of them have been included in the Senate’s list of priority measures, although Presi-

Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago.

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dent Aquino himself pitched for an anti-dynasty bill in his last State of the Nation Address.

Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III, electoral reforms committee

chair, earlier said he is drafting the final version of the antidynasty bill to be circulated to members for their signature.

The bill, which would limit

Susan Roces, could be one of the presidential contenders in 2016 after topping the senatorial election in 2013.

personnel pension reform bill and the 2016 budget.

A sixth proposed measure, freedom of information bill, was not mentioned in the speech but was cited by the President a day later.

“While we are confident that the President has enough influence over Congress to ensure the timely passage of the budget and Congress itself may want to support pensions for uniformed personnel, we are less optimistic about the other bills,” Global Source said.

“If ever, the executive may need to accept watered-down versions of its proposals, like what happened to the recently enacted Cabotage Law, which limited foreign ships’ cargo handling to those coming also from foreign vessels.

The BBL, meant to be this administration’s legacy, remains controversial and difficult for legislators facing reelection to support,” it said.

Overall, Global Source said, external risks have increased for the Philippine economy.

“Our outlook, which sees GDP (gross domestic product) growth at 6.1 percent in 2015 and 6.5 percent in 2016, is one

the number of family members in elective office, seeks to break up the concentration of political power in select families.

“The Constitution regards political dynasties as evil, but the battle against such evil must now be led by the Congress, many of whose members suffer from a conflict of interest on the subject of political dynasties,” Santiago said.

The anti-premature campaigning bill seeks to prohibit prospective candidates from engaging in partisan activities a year before the elections.

“The prohibition against premature campaigning will level the playing field for candidates, to equalize the situation between the popular or rich candidate on one hand, and lesserknown or poorer candidates on the other,” Santiago said.

The anti-epal bill, formally known as the anti-signage of public works bill, would bar politicians from putting their names or photos on signages

announcing a planned, ongoing or finished work project. It will also prohibit signages crediting a public official for a government project.

“Crediting individual public officers instead of the government fosters and promotes a culture of political patronage and corruption. It diminishes the concept of continuity in good governance in the mind of the public,” Santiago said.

Santiago earlier said she might consider running for president, since her lung cancer has been in check.

So far, only two officials have categorically declared that they would run for president in next year’s elections: Vice President Jejomar Binay and Interior Secretary Mar Roxas.

Binay, who has three children holding elective posts, has said he was not in favor of an antidynasty bill, asking why there should be a law that would prevent those who want to serve the country from doing so. ■

Presidential race... straight path while offering a refreshing change from traditional politicians,” Global Source said.

Poe, a junior senator, is widely expected to team up with Sen. Francis Escudero on an independent ticket.

There has been bad blood between Escudero and Roxas, as Escudero supported Binay in the 2010 vice-presidential race.

Escudero has had a falling out with Binay afterward.

Several political parties have reportedly offered to adopt the Poe-Escudero team but nothing has been concluded.

“Clearly though, [Poe’s] entry into the race will benefit Mr. Binay, as she and Mr. Roxas will split the votes of those supportive of the administration. To date, she remains noncommittal about her plans and with legal issues raised about her citizenship/residency eligibility, her decision may well depend on her assessment of vulnerability to disqualification down the road,” Global Source said.

Global Source was the first institution to predict that Poe, an adopted daughter of movie actors Fernando Poe Jr. and ❰❰ 13

Duterte

Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte could be another “credible challenger” to Binay and Roxas, Global Source said, citing the media buzz created

by Duterte while “supposedly not campaigning.”

“For a mayor from the South who has denied interest to seek the presidency, he seems to be in the national limelight quite a lot. Rumors persist that he is just waiting to see how he will fare in the next voter surveys (in September) and if the numbers turn significantly up, he can be prevailed upon to join the fray,” Global Source said.

Priority reforms

As the Aquino administration heads into its last mile, Global Source said reform efforts were likely to “slow to a crawl.”

In his final address to Congress, the President mentioned five priority bills—Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), rationalization of fiscal incentives, antidynasty law, unified uniformed

www.canadianinquirer.net

Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.

of guarded optimism that considers robust domestic demand growth alongside softer export demand, increasing foreign investor caution, more volatile global financial markets

SHEM LONGAKIT OF DAVAO CITY / BATTAD

and risk of a stronger El Niño weather disturbance,” Global Source said, adding that political uncertainties were likewise adding to the “unpleasant brew.” ■

Philippine News

FRIDAY AUGUST 14, 2015

15

Canadians can now top up prepaid mobile phones of

their family in the Philippines with PayPal and TransferTo

AN AWKWARD SONA MOMENT? Vice President Jejomar Binay, Sen. Grace Poe, and former Interior

Sec. Mar Roxas as shown during Pres. Aquino’s 6th SONA.

SCREENSHOT FROM PCI’S LIVE COVERAGE VIA RTV MALACAÑANG

Grace would make good partner for Mar–Drilon

BY LEILA B. SALAVERRIA Philippine Daily Inquirer CAN LIBERAL Party presidential bet Mar Roxas win without Sen. Grace Poe as his running mate?

Senate President Franklin Drilon, LP vice chair, gave this reply: “Sen. Grace Poe would make a good partner for LP standard bearer and Interior Secretary Roxas.” At the same time, Roxas will also work to improve his chances of victory in the race for the presidency, Drilon added.

“Mar will build up his strength as a presidential candidate,” Drilon told reporters on Thursday when asked if Roxas could win without Poe. Poe is the current survey topnotcher on voters’ preferred candidate for the presidency as well as the vice presidency. She has been the only one to overtake Vice President Jejomar Binay, the former topnotcher for the presidential race.

Roxas, on the other hand, has ranked either third or fourth in the surveys for the presidency, though his supporters believe the President’s endorsement would boost his numbers.

Poe is considering seeking higher of-

fice in 2016, but has yet to make her final decision.

Roxas, President Aquino’s preferred successor, is wooing her to be his vice presidential candidate.

Drilon said Poe’s team-up with Roxas would ensure the continuation of good programs for the country.

He also noted that she has been an ally of the administration and has been supportive of it in the Senate.

“We find in Grace Poe somebody who can support the reforms that this administration has been pushing and which we wish to continue in the next administration,” he said.

While Poe said she was open to meeting with Roxas, she was said to be considering running for president herself.

She earlier said she was “comfortable” running with Sen. Francis Escudero.

On the other hand, a strong vice presidential candidate does not always guarantee victory for a standard bearer. In 1992, Joseph Estrada ran for vice president as the running mate of Eduardo Cojuangco Jr. under the Nationalist People’s Coalition. Estrada won the vice presidency but Cojuangco lost the top slot to Former Armed Forces chief of staff Fidel Ramos. ■

TORONTO, ON – PayPal today announced that they have teamed up with TransferTo, a global airtime remittance leader, to offer mobile airtime top-up in Canada.

Without any transfer fees, Canadians can now use their PayPal account to instantly top up prepaid mobile phones of their relatives and friends in more than 100 countries including the Philippines. All the Canadian-based sender needs is their PayPal account and the mobile number of the recipient, to top up a prepaid mobile phone using their smartphone, tablet or computer on www.paypal-mobiletopup. ca.

“Mobile phones help connect people with their communities, and give them access to education, employment, and essential medical and financial services,” said Cameron Schmidt, general manager, PayPal Canada. “With today’s announcement, Canadians can extend a lifeline to their grandmother who needs to frequently call her doctor in Manila or help their sister access the Internet from her mobile phone in Cebu City.”

Prepaid mobile phones dominate in the Philippines According to Statistics Canada, one out of five people living in Canada were born abroad. A large number of Canadian immigrants are from the Philippines – a region that has heavy mobile phone usage.

In 2011, more than 152,000 Canadians were born in the Philippines, representing 13.1 per cent of all immigrantsi. There are more mobile connections (114.6 million) in the Philippines than there are people (100.9 million)ii. Of those mobile phone connections, 95 per cent are prepaidii.

Prepaid mobile phones registered with leading mobile phone service providers can now be topped up by Filipino Canadians with the new service announced today.

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Supporting loved ones back home “Every month, I send money to my mother back home in Manila to help her pay for her phone usage,” said Josephine Bungcayao, who immigrated to Canada from the Philippines. “I am so grateful PayPal now allows me a way to top up her prepaid phone so she can stay in touch with me and her family and friends.”

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Opinion

16

AUGUST 14, 2015

FRIDAY

ANALYSIS

Roxas can use LP clout to lift ratings

By Amando Doronila Philippine Daily Inquirer THE ENDORSEMENT of Interior Secretary Mar Roxas as the Aquino administration’s presidential candidate in the May 2016 general elections marked the revival of the Liberal Party (LP) as a pivotal force for political change in Philippine electoral democracy.

But the question remains: Can the clout of a resurgent party lift Roxas from the doldrums of his dismal popularity ratings in poll surveys of voter preference as prospective successor to President Aquino?

Roxas is struggling in the search of a formula that would reverse the tide of survey results sweeping him out of the winning column of the presidential race.

Using all the resources at its disposal to bail him out of his predicament as a laggard in the surveys, the administration has gone out of its way to stage a “show of force” of local government leaders demonstrating their support for the President’s endorsement, and has deployed the weight of the power of the presidency to sway public opinion behind his embattled heir-apparent.

In this demonstration of all-out support for and loyalty to Roxas, the President has not only thrown a safety net to his protégé but has also put his prestige on the line as he winds

down the last few months of his presidency at the risk of being exposed as a lame duck incapable of influencing the flow of events as he struggles to leave an enduring legacy.

No impact As I write this appraisal, there is so far no survey result that shows whether the presidential endorsement and the show of force had an impact in significantly changing public perception of Roxas’ winnability (not his competence or his integrity) which is the key issue in next year’s elections.

This issue is as important as the demonizing of Vice President Jejomar Binay as the incarnation of corruption, as he is depicted by allegations of charges laid against him and his family for unexplained wealth in various investigations, including congressional inquiries.

The issue of popularity in the ratings boils down to charisma, of which, according to recent survey, Roxas suffers a debilitating deficit compared with some of his rivals, notably Sen. Grace Poe. Roxas comes off from these surveys as an elitist without a common touch that identifies him with the masses, though he is long on credentials for executive and technocratic experience, as secretary of trade and

industry in the Cabinet of President Joseph Estrada, and in the private sector as an investment banker in New York, as well as academic preparation at Wharton, the business school of University of Pennsylvania.

Not a clone In endorsing Roxas, the President praised him as “one who is certain to pursue the straight and narrow path,” and who can combine good governance with technocratic knowledge.

In accepting Mr. Aquino’s endorsement, Roxas came under criticism that he was too closely identified with the President’s “straight path” reform blueprint and had left the impression that he was becoming a clone of, and more of the same, of Mr. Aquino.

He served notice that while he pledged to uphold Mr. Aquino’s anticorruption doctrine, he had his own version of political reform that would not be a stereotype of Mr. Aquino’s program.

The endorsement also marked the beginning of the dismantling of President Cory Aquino’s constitutional reform legacy, the chaotic medley of undisciplined parties held together by nothing more adhesive than charisma—a glue as elusive as a good dream.

Bland, unexciting Cory Aquino oozed with charisma;

her son, in contrast, was not gifted with that endowment, unfortunately, and inherited his mother’s vindictiveness.

But Roxas is bland, unexciting, and can bore you to death. Roxas has no illusions about his huge deficit in this asset, forcing him to highlight his credentials on financial and economic management, and record of integrity in public service in both executive and legislative departments, unblemished by corruption scandals, to make up for his poor ratings in the poll surveys, which do not allow him to make exuberant claims on his winnability.

In accepting the challenge of Mr. Aquino to act as a bridge of continuity of his reform legacy, Roxas served notice he was not embracing the straight path anticorruption program hook, line and sinker.

In fact, he did not promise to be an echo of Mr. Aquino’s simplistic moralistic lectures that straight path is the key to economic progress and eradication of poverty.

Overcoming surveys Roxas cannot be expected to mouth the slogans of “daang matuwid” to proclaim his honesty every time he opens his mouth.

In his acceptance speech, Roxas implicitly made the point that he was

not part of the legacy of the Cory-led Edsa People Power Revolution—that he was not a creature of the Edsa tradition and his political and public service career was not launched from the firing lines of people power. In this way, Roxas dissociated himself from the Aquinos’ Edsa legacy.

Going back to the resurgence of the Liberal Party in relation to the issue of Roxas’ winnabilility, I wish to argue that his endorsement at Club Filipino put in the hands of Roxas a pragmatic instrument that can only enhance his prospects of winning in 2016 and overcoming his deficit in the poll surveys, without depending on the weight of endorsements of others.

It is clear there is no stronger political machine with an extensive network nationwide and the capacity and resources to carry out a campaign of such scale for its candidates.

Binay’s opposition coalition has nothing to offer as a credible counter to a strong Liberal Party.

Senators Poe and Francis Escudero have a semblance of a political party to mount a credible challenge.

In this coming showdown, the ruling party has the edge in logistics.

It’s now up to Roxas to use this advantage of incumbency of his sponsors to make him look like a winner so he won’t be hostage to surveys. ■

ing me his picture autographed it to his ‘ collaborator’—He and MacArthur always spoke of collaboration and Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin spoke of collaboration in Tehran and Yalta. Collaboration with Japanese was a form of patriotic resistance.

Resistance in Phil may be classified into (1) underground, (2) above ground on diplomatic level and (3) long distance. Underground were the guerillas in Manila, provinces and in the mountains, (2) above ground or diplomatic were those who openly dealt with Japanese to convince them Filipinos could take care of themselves, as independent nation fully as capable if not more than they for self-government and political matters, resisted openly and tactfully every Japanese move for subjugation although helpless militarily to avoid atrocities and brutalities of sadistic and feudalistic minded Japanese soldiers, but saved numerous others as entire population could not be transferred elsewhere—also made possible survival of large numbers (3) long distance were those who went away and from safety of space carried on fight from halls of Congress, the press, radio, and in General

MacArthur’s headquarters—In other words, entire Filipino nation resisted the Japanese so much so that they had to give us independence which was so much before war from attack

by Japs.”

On Feb. 18, 1948, Vargas reiterated the above in his diary by explaining his official actions: “Never collaborated with Jap in sense of working for them or for their benefit—Negotiated yes, in behalf and interest of civilian population or noncombatant Filipinos in occupied territory to temper Jap militarism in country… No official in Phil.

Whether high or low, ever felt he was doing anything for the benefit of Jap. but only serving welfare of his country and people.”

While there are many who will tell us to take Vargas’ words with a grain of salt, I have been thinking about Laurel a lot recently, trying to weigh the simplified “puppet president” taught to us in textbook history with the man trying to make the best of a complex and bad situation. We may never erase the “puppet president” image of Laurel, but trying to understand him and his times is a good start. ■

LOOKING BACK

‘Puppet president’

By Ambeth R. Ocampo Philippine Daily Inquirer “WONDER CHILD” was what we called one of my nieces when she was a cute, chubby grade school chatterbox who seemed to have memorized more textbook history than me. She was particularly fond of the presidents of the Philippines and seemed to know all the dates, names, places and events that I didn’t. Once, while we were walking to the Malacañang ceremonial hall, I pointed randomly to the formal portraits that lined the wall, and like a jukebox she sang the selected tune. All went well until I pointed to Jose P. Laurel, who she described as “the puppet president of the Second Republic.” I was taken aback and asked where she learned all this. School was the answer, and it made me realize that maybe our grade school history can be more nuanced.

“Puppet president” seemed like a term that became current immediately after the war, when Laurel was denounced as a “collaborator” and charged with treason. Unfortunately, Laurel did not have the chance to clear his name through the courts be-

cause his cases were never brought to trial following a general amnesty by Manuel Roxas in 1948. A year later he ran for president but lost to Elpidio Quirino. He did win a seat in the Senate in 1951, and considered this his vindication.

Laurel became more than a name when I met his youngest son, Salvador H. Laurel, who was known to almost everyone by his nickname “Doy” and to his staff as “DHL.” Learning about JP Laurel from his son made me stop and reconsider the title “puppet president” that tarnished his name.

In his youth Laurel stole a kiss from a girl named Concepcion Lat and ran away. Two days later he was involved in a brawl with Exequiel Castillo over the kiss. The brawl resulted in two slight wounds on Laurel’s head and serious injuries on Castillo. Laurel was brought to court and was eventually acquitted.

This experience came back to Laurel in 1940 when he acquitted the young Ferdinand Marcos of the murder of Julio Nalundasan. Both young men were acquitted and rose to become presidents of the Philippines, making us reflect on the strange

twists of fate. If these two men had been thrown in prison, Philippine history would have played out differently. Laurel also saved Manuel Roxas—twice—from the Japanese, keeping him alive to rise and become the last president of the Commonwealth of the Philippines and the first president of the Republic of the Philippines.

Moving out of my 19th-century comfort zone into 20th-century Philippine history, I cannot but see all the connections between personalities from the Commonwealth and World War II to their descendants in the 21st century. What a tangled political web we have, indeed.

Recently I have been reading up on Laurel in an effort to get to know him through his writings. Then there are other primary sources by people who worked closely with him, like Jorge Vargas whose Sugamo prison diary was edited and published as the last book of the eminent Filipino historian Teodoro A. Agoncillo. Toward the end of January 1946, Vargas tried to define and explain, in a rambling way, what collaboration meant to him: “…[C]ollaboration not necessarily bad term—President Quezon in giv-

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Opinion

FRIDAY AUGUST 14, 2015

17

PUBLIC LIVES

The brain: the new frontier

By Randy David Philippine Daily Inquirer IN APRIL 2013, US President Barack Obama launched a research program aimed at uncovering the “enormous mystery of the human brain,” for which he sought $100 million in funding from Congress. The public mind has mostly associated American scientific research with the exploration of outer space. And so it comes as a pleasant surprise to know that advanced science is redirecting some of its lenses from the vast cosmos out there to the tiny mass of tissue inside our heads.

BRAIN, or Brain Research Through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies, according to a White House statement, “aims to help researchers find new ways to treat, cure, and even prevent brain disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease, epilepsy, and traumatic brain injury.”

Much of the preliminary work has to do with mapping brain activity— “how individual brain cells and complex neural circuits interact at the speed of thought.”

I have always been interested in cognitive biology as a complement to a longstanding fascination with

human cognition and consciousness.

But knowing how the brain works— or, more broadly, how the nervous system functions—held no practical significance for me, except during those few times when I wondered if my occasional forgetfulness was not a prelude to dementia.

I am a biker, and the thing I dread most about riding motorcycles is not so much breaking a bone as suffering a concussion as a result of a bad spill.

I have felt, and have seen in my riding buddies, the immediate effect on the consciousness of falling from a bike.

For a split second, you are dazed and disoriented: You don’t now where you are or what you were doing. You feel nothing. Then, slowly, you remember you were on a bike, and so the first thing you ask is: “Where is my bike?” It dawns on you that you have dropped it, and that you’ve had an accident. Only then do you start searching yourself for any injury.

The brain is amazing in that sense.

It suspends the pain while you are recovering your bearings. Then it gives you the will, and a boost of strength, to do something to get you out of danger. It happened to me the first time I took a spill one evening while rounding a bend on my new Ducati. A

low-side spill instantly separated me from the bike, dropping me near the apex of the road and sending the bike across to the other end. In the dark, I looked around wondering where I was. “Whoa, I fell!” I told myself moments later, rushing to pick up the 200-kilogram bike. Only then did I notice the blood on my left hand.

Shaken, I felt my head and felt relieved to find that I had a helmet on.

Instead of being a passive register of the surrounding reality, the human brain appears to operate according to its own internal dynamics, almost irrespective of what’s happening in its environment. When the operational unity of that system is disturbed for any number of reasons, its relationship to its environment is also altered.

One can see this in people who have suffered a brain stroke. The neural circuits shut down, or go haywire, sending unstable electrical pulses to nerve cells throughout the body.

Last month, I watched my younger sister’s brain literally flicker as she sank into a deep stupor following a hypereosinophilic attack on her vital organs. Hypereosinophilia is an autoimmune condition, in which white blood cells called eosinophils, which normally help combat infection in

the body, turn against the body itself.

“They become a wandering army of ronins or samurais without a master,” said the cardiologist Dr. Michael Jaro. In my sister’s case, the eosinophils began attacking the lining of her blood vessels until her entire body became swollen.

Her supervising physician at the National Kidney & Transplant Institute (NKTI), the pulmonologist Dr. Joselito Chavez, quickly assembled a team of the best Filipino specialists to manage this rare medical condition. He brought in the hematologist Dr. Lynn Bonifacio to control the hypereosinophilic attack, the infectious disease specialist Dr. Myrna Mendoza to address the source of infection that might have triggered the sudden rise in eosinophils, Dr. Michael Jaro to monitor and alleviate the impact on the heart, and the neurologist Dr. Abdias Aquino to minimize the damage on the nervous system and on the brain itself. Later, the psychiatrist Dr. Reynaldo Lesaca was called in to help my sister cope with the insomnia and the depression that typically set in when patients find themselves overwhelmed by a terrible illness.

The wonder of professional teamwork, of medical science at its best,

and of the worldclass quality of hospital care at NKTI brought my sister back to us. My family is eternally grateful to these wonderful doctors.

Just as we helplessly watched her gradually lose control of her limbs, of her speech and cognition, today we see her slowly regaining all the faculties we associate with being human. Before her brain switched off for three weeks last July, I remember her last attempt at communication: “This is not me, this is not me.” The other day, while visiting her in our home in Betis, she thanked me for being there, and said, “I’m sorry for having caused all of you this trouble.”

I smiled, happy that this sensitive soul is once more awake, and told her: “Welcome home, dear sister!”

“The first thing we learn from studying our own circuitry,” writes the neuroscientist David Eagleman in the book “Incognito: The secret lives of the brain,” “is a simple lesson: most of what we do and think and feel is not under our conscious control.

The vast jungles of neurons operate their own programs. The conscious you—the I that flickers to life when you wake up in the morning—is the smallest bit of what’s transpiring in your brain.” ■

AT LARGE

What would Jesus say about the BBL?

By Rina Jimenez-David Philippine Daily Inquirer TAKING AN active part—so active he even agreed to serve as moderator in an “exchange of views” between Mindanao- and Manila-based media and Moro Islamic Liberation Front Chair Murad Ebrahim—in the recent conference on media coverage of the Mindanao peace process was Orlando Cardinal Quevedo, Archbishop of Cotabato.

All too often, when a personage such as the cardinal, or government official or business bigwig shows up at a conference or symposium, the participants are rewarded with the VIP’s presence and perhaps a speech, but little else. Soon after he or she is done speaking, the personage exits the venue, to demonstrate, perhaps, the many demands on his/her time.

And we really don’t mind. There is a presumption, after all, that public figures have many responsibilities, while ordinary conference-goers have time to kill. But what do we make of a cardinal who so believes in pursuing peace in Mindanao that he remains in the hall where people are talking about the many issues that have cropped up along the thorny path to the creation of the Bangsamoro?

And what do we make of a prelate

whose sense of humor is such that, the Bangsamoro Basic Law, to deep“I have an educated guess that after Murad says his plans for the seated biases and attitudes, and not our people in the parishes who know future lie in the hands of the MILF necessarily to considered study and little about the BBL get their inforcentral council, he counters with analysis of the situation. mation from the media,” said Cardithe quip that “in my case, my retireHe cited the findings of a recent nal Quevedo. “Unfortunately in the ment plans are all in the hands of the Social Weather Stations poll on the wake of Mamasapano, media dished Pope”?

BBL in which 47 percent of those out one-sided and misleading as well One conclusion I have arrived at is surveyed said they knew only a little as incorrect information about the that Cardinal Quevedo is a breath of of the BBL while 34 percent said they BBL.” fresh air in the stultified atmosphere knew almost nothing of it. Those Cardinal Quevedo then offered of the Church hierarchy. And that he who knew little or nothing about the this “sequel” to the conversation he is a distinct gift to the peace process BBL—a total of 81 percent—despite had with the religious leader: being pursued in the still-troubled their admission of ignorance, still “You know, Cardinal, that none environment of Mindanao, making said they “disapproved” of the bill. of us is a member of your peace me wonder if Pope group, the Friends Francis did not have of Peace.” “Yes, of There is a presumption, after all, that public figures have an “ulterior” motive course, I know. In many responsibilities, while ordinary conference-goers have time in choosing him to fact I did not give to kill. be a prince of the you any invitation.

Church, a represenBy the way, I, too tative of Mindanao in the highest lev“One would naturally wonder why have certain biases and prejudices els of Church decision-making. anyone with little or no knowledge about people and individuals. But I Call me a fan. ADDRESSING the of the BBL would disapprove of it,” have learned not to let such sentiMedia Peace Summit last month, said Cardinal Quevedo. He offered an ments influence my judgments. So, Cardinal Quevedo noted the vital role explanation, citing a conversation he are you against the BBL because you that the media play in informing and had with a Catholic religious leader. are biased and prejudiced?” educating the public about the peace *** To his credit, said Cardinal Queprocess. Unfortunately, this is a role AS he reported in his talk, the cardi- vedo, his friend said: “To be honest, largely neglected by the media, or nal said he asked the religious leader: Cardinal, yes.” else exploited in favor of sensational- “Do you support the BBL?” The reThis is the cardinal’s reflection: ism or pandering to what practitio- ply: “No I don’t support the BBL.” “Well, to those in the same situation, ners deem is “popular” opinion.

Again he asked: “Have you read the I can only ask, and I also ask this of In his talk, the cardinal traced BBL?” “No.” “So why don’t you agree myself, what would Jesus say about the majority of opinions against the with what you have not read?” The your biases and prejudices? Would peace process, or more specifically reply: “Ah, basta, I don’t agree.”

Jesus approve?”

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*** THE Cotabato prelate offered some questions that media folk would dowell to ask themselves when reporting on Mindanao, the Bangsamoro, and on moving “beyond Mamasapano.”

“In my media work regarding Mamasapano, did I share in the biases and prejudices of the public majority?”

“Did I help build a climate of mistrust and perhaps of revenge?”

“Or fan the flame of anti-Moro prejudice, by improperly emphasizing SAF (Special Action Force) casualties while ignoring MILF and civilian casualties and the grief of their own widows and children?”

“Have I read and understood the BBL in such a way that my reportage could correct misinformation about the BBL and misinterpretation of it?”

“How can I do my media work with fairness and objectivity so as to follow my vocation to be an authentic prophet of justice, peace, truth and love?”

According to Cardinal Quevedo, all that’s demanded of media people is to “tell the truth, [and] do it justly and charitably.”

We don’t have to be saints. All we have to do is to do our job well, since truth-telling (and truth-seeking) lies at the core and heart of our calling. ■

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Canada Votes FED ELECTION 2015 SPECIAL

“We can’t afford another four years of you”: Mulcair to Harper as leaders debate THE CANADIAN PRESS

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Canada’s unemployment rate at 6.8% for 6th month; 6,600 jobs added THE CANADIAN PRESS OTTAWA — Canada’s economy added about 6,600 jobs last month — essentially reversing a similar decline in June but not enough to change a national unemployment rate that has been stuck at 6.8 per cent for six months in a row.

Statistics Canada says there were fewer people with fulltime employment last month and more with part-time jobs or who were self-employed.

It also says men aged 25 to 54 accounted for most of the gains while there was little change among other demographic groups such as women and youth and the number of people employed in the public and private sectors was stable.

Regionally, the biggest winner was Quebec — which added 21,700 jobs in total in July, mostly part-time — while the number was flat or lower in most of the other provinces.

The agency says there were 17,300 fewer Canadians with full-time jobs in July compared with June but 23,900 more who

had part-time employment.

There was also an additional 41,000 people more people who were self-employed in July.

The monthly survey provides a fresh reading on Canada’s economy, one of the major issues for the federal election campaign that was officially launched this week.

There’s been an ongoing debate in political and business circles about whether Canada entered a full recession in the first half of 2015, although there seems to be undeniable evidence that the economy shrank in the first and second quarters.

CIBC World Markets economist Nick Exarhos writes that the six-month trend “isn’t yet pointing to Canada being in recession” because there have been 11,000 jobs added over a period that included a major downturn in the oil and gas sector.

“Indeed, the provincial breakdown highlights the narrow hit that the oil shock has had, with Saskatchewan and Alberta reporting employment declines in July, while Quebec posted a healthy gain,” Exarhos says in a brief commentary.

Statistics Canada says Quebec’s provincial unemployment rate in July was 7.7 per cent, which was 0.3 points lower than in July but still well above a national unemployment rate that has been at 6.8 per cent since February.

In Ontario and British Columbia, two of the country’s most populous provinces, total employment was little changed in July as decreases in full-time employment were offset by part-time jobs.

In Alberta, the unemployment rate increased by 0.3 percentage points to 6.0 per cent in July _ still below the national rate — as more people searched for work. There were 4,300 fewer people employed, as 1,600 additional full-time jobs were offset by 5,900 fewer part-time positions.

Employment in Saskatchewan declined by 7,400 in July, in Manitoba there were 3,800 fewer people working and smaller declines were recorded in most of the Atlantic provinces. The exception was Nova Scotia, which added 3,100 positions, mostly full-time. ■ www.canadianinquirer.net

OTTAWA — Stephen Harper’s record on the economy and the environment faced an all-out assault from three different fronts, but the longdormant issue of Quebec separatism generated a heated exchange in the second half of Thursday’s televised leaders’ debate.

NDP Leader Tom Mulcair, Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau and the Green party’s Elizabeth May set their sights on multiple aspects of the Conservative government’s program of tax cuts and balanced budget pledges.

Harper was repeatedly forced on to the defensive, “clarifying” economic statistics flung at him by his opponents.

But, he later stood back as Trudeau, running in third place in public opinion polls, turned his sights on Mulcair with attacks over the NDP leader’s pledge for special status for Quebec.

Mulcair said in June that his party supports the socalled Sherbrooke Declaration of 2005, which endorses the principle of recognizing a referendum victory by the sovereigntist Yes side even by a majority of just 50 per cent plus one.

“In doing so, he is actually disagreeing with the Supreme Court judgment that says one vote is not enough to break up the country,” said Trudeau, who was taunted by Mulcair to provide a percentage he would find acceptable.

“You want a number, Mr. Mulcair? I’ll give you a number.

My number is nine,” Trudeau retorted.

“Nine Supreme Court justices said one vote is not enough

to break up this country. Yet that is Mr. Mulcair’s position.

He wants to be prime minister of this country and he’s choosing to side with the separatist movement in Quebec and not with the Supreme Court of Canada.”

Harper piled on and accused Mulcair of placating separatists.

The exchange took some of the heat off the Conservative leader, who endured a series of sustained attacks throughout the debate’s first hour.

Harper blamed low oil prices for the slumping economy, but both Mulcair and Trudeau argued the malaise runs deeper and blamed Harper’s policies — particularly the Conservative plan to allow income-splitting for families with children under 18.

The NDP leader reminded Harper that in the 2008 election, he denied the country had slid into recession when in fact it was on the verge of the economic crisis and run eight deficits.

“He’s added $150 billion to Canada’s debt in the last 10 years,” Mulcair said, also noting a flurry of government spending announcements just prior to the election call.

“Honestly, Mr. Harper, we cannot afford another four years of you.”

Trudeau and May went after the Conservative leader on the government’s gutting of environment regulations — something Harper described as “streamlining.”

The Maclean’s magazine was moderated by political editor Paul Wells, and could very well turn out to be the only English-language debate of the campaign involving all four leaders. ■

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Mulcair, Harper, Trudeau confound expectations in campaign’s first debate

BY MURRAY BREWSTER The Canadian Press OTTAWA — Whatever impressions Canadians might have had about Stephen Harper, Tom Mulcair and Justin Trudeau were thoroughly confounded Thursday in the first televised leaders’ debate of the 2015 election campaign.

Harper, the hyper-partisan of the House of Commons, was nowhere to be seen and neither was “Angry Tom” Mulcair, the chief inquisitor of question period.

Both leaders were mostly relaxed, poised and prime ministerial in their deliveries during the debate, hosted by Maclean’s magazine and moderated by political editor Paul Wells.

That was especially important for Harper, who faced a withering assault from the three other leaders on the key Conservative’s claim of solid economic stewardship.

Under questioning from Mulcair, Harper appeared to let slip a rare concession: that the country is indeed in the throes of a mild recession. But he deflected the blame, citing low oil prices as the cause.

The malaise runs deeper, Trudeau and Mulcair agreed, blaming Harper’s policies _ particularly income splitting for families with children under 18. The prime minister was frequently on the defensive, “clarifying” economic statistics flung at him by his opponents.

L-R: NDP’s Tom Mulcair, Liberal Party’s Justin Trudeau, and Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

The experts seem to agree: no clear winner, no knockout punches.

But in terms of performance, it was perhaps Trudeau — admittedly he had the lowest bar to clear — who surprised the most, coming across as scrappy, eloquent and well-briefed.

In his closing remarks, he confronted Conservative attacks that frame him as “not ready” for the job of being PM, and even managed to draw blood from Mulcair over the NDP leader’s pledge of special status for Quebec.

“What I learned from my father is that to lead this country, you need to love this country,” Trudeau said.

“In order to know if someone is ready for this job, ask them what they want to do with this

job, why they want it in the first place.”

His performance could end up surprising voters who might have been ready to switch to the NDP, said David Taras of Calgary’s Mount Royal University.

“People thought he would get blown away, and he was toe-totoe with the others,” Taras said.

Aside from trying to redefine his image, Trudeau also tried to stick the pin back in some of the policy grenades threatening his electoral chances, such as Liberal support of the controversial anti-terror bill, C-51 — support he now says may have been “naive.”

Green party Leader Elizabeth May sounded solid on the environment and national security, but cemented her outsider image during her closing state-

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ment by urging voters to take a closer look.

“We’re not what you think,” she said. “We’re not a one-issue party.”

Taras’ assessment? “You know it’s over when they start talking like that.”

Blunting Mulcair’s recent surge in the polls was a primary objective for the Liberals, so Trudeau hammered away at the NDP leader’s support for the so-called Sherbrooke Declaration of 2005, which endorses the principle of recognizing a referendum victory by the sovereigntist Yes side even by a majority of just 50 per cent plus one.

“In doing so, he is actually disagreeing with the Supreme Court judgment that says one vote is not enough to break up the country,” said Trudeau, who

was taunted by Mulcair to provide a percentage he would find acceptable.

“You want a number, Mr. Mulcair? I’ll give you a number.

My number is nine,” Trudeau retorted.

“Nine Supreme Court justices said one vote is not enough to break up this country. Yet that is Mr. Mulcair’s position.

He wants to be prime minister of this country and he’s choosing to side with the separatist movement in Quebec and not with the Supreme Court of Canada.”

Harper piled on and accused Mulcair of placating separatists.

Taras called it an extraordinary moment that seemed to catch the NDP leader off guard — even more so than the attacks he faced over his stand on the Energy East pipeline and the party’s plan for a $15 per hour federal minimum wage.

Mulcair tried to pick apart the Conservative economic record, reminding Harper that in the 2008 election, he denied the country had slid into recession when in fact it was on the verge of a profound economic crisis.

“He’s added $150 billion to Canada’s debt in the last 10 years,” Mulcair said. “Honestly, Mr. Harper, we cannot afford another four years of you.”

Trudeau and May went after the Conservative leader on the government’s gutting of environment regulations — something Harper described as “streamlining.” ■

Harper: Liberal, NDP antiterror strategy just ‘dropping aid on dead people’ THE CANADIAN PRESS OTTAWA — The Liberals and the NDP would fight insurgents overseas by doing little more than “dropping aid on dead people,” Stephen Harper said Monday as he doubled down on the Conservative party’s tough-

on-terror strategy.

With this week’s return of Mike Duffy promising another barrage of banner headlines and awkward campaign-trail questions, Harper struck a defiant tone as he defended putting Canada front and centre in the global fight against militants in Iraq and Syria.

He showed a softer side, promising to take in 10,000 more refugees from both countries over the next four years and to spend $90 million to help protect artifacts and places of worship from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. ❱❱ PAGE 24 Harper: Liberal

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"Canadians know that it takes proven leadership to keep our economy strong.

Thanks to the many dedicated Conservatives who showed their support in Laval, Kingston, and Ajax."

PM HARPER'S OFFICIAL FACEBOOK PAGE

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B.C. study finds making Former Manitoba cabinet methadone accessible minister resigns seat months slashes HIV transmission before election

BY TAMSYN BURGMANN The Canadian Press VANCOUVER — Increasing access to methadone treatment through primary-care doctors and pharmacies significantly cuts the spread of HIV, according to research involving Vancouver residents addicted to opioids.

Injection drug users who were not prescribed methadone were almost four times more likely to become HIV-positive, found the study, published in the medical journal The Lancet HIV. Methadone treatment prevents withdrawal from opioids such as heroin.

The findings provide critical support for British Columbia’s methadone maintenance program, which is currently being reviewed by the provincial government, the study’s lead author said.

“If you were on medication for your diabetes but you had to travel across your city to get your medication every day from a specialty clinic, and not go to your pharmacy around the corner, you’d be significantly less likely to go,” said Dr. Keith Ahamad, with the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS. “As a result, the consequences related to your diabetes would be much higher. So what we really need to do is increase access to this medication.”

The treatment has been controversial, and the government’s review involves some pharmacies being shut down because staff were providing financial incentives to patients filling their prescriptions.

Overall, the province has been supportive of the strategy to combat transmission of the AIDS-causing virus, Ahamad said.

Health Canada handed responsibility for methadone programs to the provinces in 1996, when the new study began.

Between 1996 and 2013, researchers followed 1,639 HIVnegative injection drug users.

They found the vast majority of 138 people who were infected with HIV over that time were not taking methadone.

Ahamad said people who can easily obtain methadone treatment may be less likely to engage in risky behaviours associated with spreading the virus.

HIV can spread through unprotected sex and sharing injection drug equipment such as needles with someone who has the virus.

“Irrespective of all those other risk factors, methadone is protective,” Ahamad said.

HIV infections are rising where methadone treatment is illegal or only prescribed in specialty clinics — in jurisdictions such as in Russia and Indiana state, he said.

British Columbia’s strategy can be used as a model within Canada, where treatment barriers still remain in some places, Ahamad said.

Patients in rural areas are harder to serve, Ahamad said, adding not all primary-care doctors are fully trained to provide the intervention.

In B.C., physicians can take a one-day course to write methadone prescriptions. ■

BY STEVE LAMBERT The Canadian Press WINNIPEG — A Manitoba politician who spent more than a decade in the NDP cabinet resigned his legislature seat Monday, eight months before the next election.

Peter Bjornson had already announced in April that he would not run for re-election, citing a desire to spend more time with his family and trouble with his back. He said Monday he was vacating his seat early partly in order to find new work.

“I have yet to sign a contract or get a new job, but it’s time to actively pursue that and I’m very much looking forward to what the next chapter would be,” he said.

Bjornson, 51, was first elected in 2003 and held cabinet portfolios including education, housing and trade. The former teacher said he expects his new career might be in the education field.

His decision means Gimli likely won’t have a representative in the legislature until the election slated for April 19. Premier Greg Selinger is not obligated to call a byelection to fill the seat, because provincial law

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allows seats to remain vacant for up to one year.

Bjornson backed Selinger in a leadership battle last winter.

Five senior cabinet ministers called on Selinger to quit as the party plummeted in opinion polls. Selinger barely survived the challenge, beating rival Theresa Oswald by 33 votes at the NDP annual convention in March.

Bjornson said the leadership crisis was not a factor in his decision. He said he has been looking forward to stepping away from the demands of political life.

“I was absolutely thrilled that the premier prevailed as

leader ... and I do believe that the team, working together and working hard, can prevail in the next election as well,” he said.

“My wife reminded me of a 31-day month where I was away for 27 nights.” “(Politics) takes a tremendous toll on the family. That said, they were incredibly supportive. Now it’s my turn to be incredibly supportive of their pursuits.”

Selinger paid tribute to Bjornson Monday and described him in a written statement as “a valuable member of our team, both as a veteran minister and as a dedicated advocate for his constituents.” ■

Worries about minimum wage hike reaching the ear of Alberta finance minister

BY DEAN BENNETT The Canadian Press

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Former MLA for Gimli Peter Bjornson.

EDMONTON — Alberta Finance Minister Joe Ceci is hearing concerns from business leaders about the NDP government’s plan to increase the minimum wage.

Ceci says the hike was one of the issues raised Monday in a meeting with the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce. www.canadianinquirer.net

“They had some solutions in terms of supports they might like small business to receive to be able to follow through with that,” said Ceci.

Suggestions included a different pay scale for new or young employees or help to businesses to defray the cost of hiring summer students.

“There are a number of things but ... there was no conclusion or agreement on any of those.”

Janet Riopel, president of the

Edmonton Chamber of Commerce, agreed that employees deserve a living wage. But she added the minimum wage is only one of many factors the government should consider to help employees and businesses flourish.

“It’s a matter of looking at the overall package of goods that employers are actually paying, and also their capacity ❱❱ PAGE 34 Worries about

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FRIDAY

Pakistan horrified by alleged child sex abuse blackmail ring

BY ASIF SHAHZAD The Associated Press HUSSAIN KHAN WALA, PAKISTAN — In this dusty town near Pakistan’s border with India, families kept quiet for years about the blackmail gang that locals believe filmed some 270 children being sexually abused, fearful the videos could appear online or sold in markets for as little as 50 cents.

Those living in Hussain Khan Wala say the gang forced children at gunpoint to be abused or drugged them into submission. It was only after one family spoke up that others rose against the gang, with police later arresting 11 suspects.

But as Pakistan recoils in horror at the scope of the abuse, the case shows the dangers here facing poor children, many of whom work as domestic servants and face abuse at the hands of their employers. It also raises questions about how such a gang could operate for years, with some questioning Pakistan’s police and political elite.

“They destroyed me,” one victim said. “They destroyed my family. They just killed me” The Associated Press does not identify victims of sexual abuse.

The gang likely began targeting its victims years earlier, Kasur district police chief Rai Babar Saeed told the AP. Saeed said police already confiscated some 30 videos, nearly all of which included sexual abuse of children as young as 12. The gang then used the videos to extort money from families, threatening to release them publicly and shame their children and their relatives, Saeed said.

If a family couldn’t pay, there were some cases in which a victim would be forced to find another child to be filmed being abused, said Latif Sarra, a lawyer representing some victims.

He, as well as other town residents interviewed by the AP, said the gang filmed at least 270 children being abused. Saeed said he didn’t know of that many children being involved.

“It was a gang that has 15 to 21 members. These people have

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been ... raping boys and girls under the age of 15 and then filming them since 2009,” Sarra said. “It is a case of extortion. It is their business.”

Saeed said authorities began investigating the case in June after receiving a complaint, but many families declined to press charges, even after officers drove through the town of Hussain Khan Wala, asking over loudspeakers for victims to come forward. But on Aug. 4, Pakistani media reported that hundreds of protesters descended on a Kusar police station and briefly fought with officers, demanding investigators take action.

On Monday, a court in Kasur ordered five suspects in the case held without bail. Six others also have been arrested in connection to the case.

Haseem Amir, accused by police of being one of the ringleaders in the gang, shouted to journalists from lockup: “We have got nothing to do with it!”

“We have been trapped!”

Amir yelled. A lawyer for him and the others arrested could not be immediately reached.

The allegations have dominated Pakistani newspapers and television stations. Many

compared it to the case of Javed Iqbal, a man in Punjab’s provincial capital, Lahore, who one day in 1999 confessed to kidnapping, sexually abusing and dissolving the bodies of some 100 children in acid. Families identified their children from scraps of clothing left behind or by the snapshots he took of each of them before their death.

Later sentenced to death, Iqbal killed himself in prison in October 2001.

Such horrors, while sickening to this Muslim-majority country of 180 million, happen as children remain vulnerable.

Child labor is common in Pakistan, and children as young as 5 are “bought, sold, rented or kidnapped and placed in organized begging rings, domestic servitude, small shops, brick kilns and prostitution,” the U.S. State Department said last year. Pakistan also has a huge population of at-risk Afghan refugees, though those involved in this blackmail ring appear all to be from Pakistan, officials said.

The abuse allegations also carry political implications in Pakistan, whose young democracy remains challenged by Islamic extremists and a history www.canadianinquirer.net

of military coups. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s younger brother, Shahbaz, is Punjab province’s chief minister and rumors already have circulated linking police and politicians to the blackmail ring.

On Monday, opposition politician and former cricket star Imran Khan accused Punjab officials of “politicizing the police.”

“That is why the force is unable to check criminal activities and a tragedy like Kasur,” Khan told supporters at a rally in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

“We will force the government through the independent media to chase the real culprits and punish them in an exemplary manner.”

Saeed, the police chief, said he hadn’t seen any signs of political interference in the case and denied any impropriety by police. However, Sarra, the victims’ lawyer, said he believed police were downplaying the case and that at least one local politician could be involved.

“The police are conniving with the accused,” Sarra said.

Pakistan’s parliament also discussed the abuse allegations, unanimously passing a resolu-

tion calling on authorities to bring all those accountable to justice. Protesters angered by the abuse also demonstrated in Islamabad, while the Lahore High Court ruled against starting a separate judicial inquiry into the case, saying police already were investigating.

For now, those living in Hussain Khan Wala, a poor farming community, are trying to come to terms with what has happened. Another victim who spoke to the AP said the gang extorted some $7,000 from him over five years while threatening to release a video, forcing him to steal jewelry from his own family.

“It shattered me so badly that I would often walk out of my school. I would miss my classes,” the victim said. “I had no idea how to handle all this.”

The gang ultimately released the video and his mother saw it.

It caused her to finally confide a secret to her son she’d never told anyone: The same gang had raped her years earlier.

“They are beasts,” she said. ■ Associated Press writers Jon Gambrell in Cairo and Zarar Khan in Islamabad contributed to this report.

World News

FRIDAY AUGUST 14, 2015

Japan restarts reactor after break due to Fukushima

BY MARI YAMAGUCHI AND ELAINE KURTENBACH The Associated Press TOKYO — A power plant operator in southern Japan restarted a nuclear reactor on Tuesday, the first to begin operating under new safety requirements following the Fukushima disaster.

Kyushu Electric Power Co. said Tuesday it had restarted the No. 1 reactor at its Sendai nuclear plant as planned. The restart marks Japan’s return to nuclear energy four-and-half-years after the 2011 meltdowns at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in northeastern Japan following an earthquake and tsunami.

The national broadcaster NHK showed plant workers in the control room as they turned the reactor back on. Tomomitsu Sakata, a spokesman for Kyushu Electric Power, said the reactor was put back online without any problems.

The Fukushima disaster displaced more than 100,000 people due to radioactive contamination and spurred a national debate over this resource-scarce country’s reliance on nuclear power.

A majority of Japanese oppose the return to nuclear energy. Dozens of protesters, including ex-Prime Minister Naoto Kan, who was in office at the time of the disaster and has become an outspoken critic of nuclear power, were gathered outside the plant as police stood guard.

“Accidents are unpredictable, that’s why they happen. And certainly not all

the necessary precautions for such accidents have been taken here,” Kan shouted to the crowd of about 300 people.

The Nuclear Regulation Authority affirmed the safety of the Sendai reactor and another one at the plant last September under stricter safety rules imposed after the 2011 accident, the worst since the 1986 Chernobyl explosion.

The Sendai No. 1 reactor is scheduled to start generating power Friday and reach full capacity next month. The second Sendai reactor is due to restart in October.

Yoichi Miyazawa, Japan’s industry minister, said Tuesday that the government would “put safety first” in resuming use of nuclear power.

All of Japan’s 43 workable reactors were idled for the past two years pending safety checks. To offset the shortfall in power output, the country ramped up imports of oil and gas and fired up more thermal power plants, slowing progress toward reducing its emissions of greenhouse gases.

Miyazawa said nuclear power is “indispensable” for Japan.

“It would be impossible to achieve all these three things simultaneously — keep nuclear plants offline, while also trying to curb carbon dioxide and maintain the same electricity cost. I hope to gain the public’s understanding of the situation,” Miyazawa said.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has sought to have the reactors restarted as soon as possible to help reduce costly reliance on imported oil and gas and alleviate the ❱❱ PAGE 23 Japan restarts

“Anti nuclear occupy tent. Anti nuclear occupy tent pitched near National Diet Building in Nagatacho. Nuclear issues in Fukushima have not been resolved yet.”

PHOTO & CAPTION: TK KURIKAWA / SHUTTERSTOCK

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Harper: Liberal...

But when talk turned to Canada’s aggressive military approach, Harper’s language grew sharp as he described how ISIL was engaged in “mass slaughter at an alarming, lightning pace” when the Conservative government got involved.

“If your policy is humanitarian assistance without military support, all you’re doing is dropping aid on dead people,” he said during a campaign stop in Markham, Ont., describing the position of “diaspora groups” in Canada.

“That’s not acceptable. We’re a country that can contribute militarily and in a humanitarian sense, and we are doing both.”

Harper brushed off the criticisms of NDP Leader Tom Mulcair and Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau, who have rejected military action and called for Canada to stick to providing humanitarian aid.

Offering safe haven to refugees simply isn’t enough, he added.

“ISIS, left to its own devices, will create millions — tens of millions — of refugees and victims on a monthly basis,” Harper said. “That’s why the ❰❰ 19

international community in- on travel to regions controlled clear plan is, and Mr. Harper tervened... President Obama by terror groups, Harper re- has done none of that.” and our allies felt we had no peated the day’s sound bite of NDP Leader Tom Mulcair bechoice.” choice, saying such travel is gan the day in Toronto, attendHarper has been busy mak- “not a human right.” ing a book-signing event that ing headlines of his own so far Political posturing, Trudeau had been scheduled long before this week, perhaps hoping to scoffed during a morning event the election campaign was. starve the rebooted Duffy trial in Montreal, calling the idea a Politics, however, stood up of oxygen — star witness Nigel distraction meant to draw at- and demanded attention.

Wright, Harper’s former chief tention away from the ConserFriendly protesters armed of staff and the man responsi- vatives’ dismal economic re- with banners stood up and conble for a controfronted the NDP versial $90,000 leader about payment to the his position disgraced senaon the Energy tor, takes the Canada is a country that respects East pipeline, stand Wednespeople’s rights and any time a demanding to day. government chooses to limit those know if he would Harper said rights, it has to be able to answer oppose the projMonday that a very direct and complete questions ect if it proved re-elected Conabout why it’s necessary, about how incompatible servative govit will work, about what the clear plan with national acernment would is, and Mr. Harper has done none of tion on climate bring in 10,000 that. change. additional reSure, Mulcair ligious minorreplied. ity refugees “That’s what from Syria and Iraq, targeting cord. the whole purpose of coming in refugees in the region who face “Canada is a country that re- with a new system is: to make persecution or the threat of ex- spects people’s rights,” Trudeau sure that we take into account tremist violence — a promise said. climate change whenever we meant to woo voters in ethnic “And any time a government analyze a project.” communities the Conserva- chooses to limit those rights, The New Democrats were tives have long targeted. it has to be able to answer very also expected to announce later And when asked about his direct and complete questions in the day which of the proeyebrow-raising promise Sun- about why it’s necessary, about posed leaders’ debates Mulcair day to impose an outright ban how it will work, about what the would be participating in. The

Japan restarts... financial burden on utilities of maintaining the idled plants.

“There are very strong vested interests to reopen nuclear reactors. Accepting them as permanently closed would have financial implications that would be hard to manage,” said Tomas Kaberger, chairman of the Japan Renewable Energy Foundation.

Utilities are seeking approvals to restart 23 reactors, including the other Sendai reactor.

The government has set a goal to have nuclear power meet more than 20 percent of Japan’s energy needs by 2030, despite the lingering troubles at the Fukushima plant, which is plagued by massive flows of contaminated water leaking from its reactors.

Removal of the melted fuel at the plant — the most challenging part of the 30-to-40-year process of shutting it down permanently — will begin only in ❰❰ 23

2022.

Still, the government favors restarting other plants judged to meet the new safety criteria, for both economic and political reasons. Japan invested heavily in its nuclear power program and many communities rely on tax revenues and jobs associated with the plants.

Japan also faces pressure to use its stockpile of more than 40 tons of weapons-grade plutonium, enough to make 40 to 50 nuclear weapons. The plutonium, as fuel called MOX, will be burned in reactors since the country’s nuclear fuel recycling program at Rokkasho in northern Japan has been stalled by technical problems.

To burn enough plutonium, Japan needs to restart as many as 18 reactors. Nuclear experts say this could pose a challenge. ■ Associated Press writer Emily Wang contributed from Satsumasendai, Japan.

party has already said it won’t take part in any debates that don’t include the prime minister.

Harper also made a multimillion-dollar pledge Monday to fund groups that are trying to protect places of worship and religious artifacts targeted by ISIL. The Conservatives want to spend $9 million over three years on the project through a fund overseen by the Office of Religious Freedom that the Conservatives created in 2013.

Earlier this year, the Conservative government made a similar commitment to resettle 10,000 refugees from the war-torn Middle East, but has steadfastly refused to say how many people have actually been allowed in thus far.

The prime minister said his latest refugee target would give priority to religious minorities threatened with persecution of extremist violence.

“A re-elected Conservative government will continue to champion religious freedom and the protection of religious minorities as a pillar of Canadian foreign policy,” Harper said.

China pledges continued support for Ebola-hit Africa nations

BY JONATHAN PAYELAYLEH AND BOUBACAR DIALLO The Associated Press CONAKRY, GUINEA — China’s foreign minister has pledged continued support to the three West African countries hardest hit by the Ebola outbreak that has killed more than 11,200 people.

Minister Wang Yi ended his tour in Guinea on Monday after visiting Sierra Leone and Liberia.

He met with Guinea President Alpha Conde and said he would encourage Chinese enterprises to invest in the postEbola economy to construct ports, roads, railways and help with water supply needs, according to a Guinea government statement. www.canadianinquirer.net

In Liberia on Sunday, Wang said Liberia is a good example of how China supports countries in Africa.

“You will see houses and roads built by China and Chinese companies helping the people of Liberia,” he said through a translator. “China is ready to continue to play that role and shoulder the responsibility.”

China was one of the first to fly in badly needed medical gear when Ebola spread last year.

China has provided at least $121 million in cash and supplies to fight the disease in West Africa. It also sent dozens of army doctors and hundreds of army medical workers.

Wang said China plans to build government offices and investigate a possible steelmaking project in Liberia.

In Sierra Leone, Wang met

with President Ernest Bai Koroma Saturday to discuss Sierra Leone’s development and public health needs, according to a government statement. He also discussed investments in mining, industrialization, fishing and construction.

In Liberia, Wang criticized countries that provide assistance but pass judgment, an apparent reaction to President Barack Obama’s recent speech to the African Union which included comments on corruption.

“Whether a certain government is corrupt or not, it’s not to be judged by outsiders, but only by the people,” he said. ■ Paye-Layleh reported from Monrovia, Liberia. Associated Press writer Clarence Roy-Macaulay contributed from Freetown, Sierra Leone.

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FRIDAY AUGUST 14, 2015

www.canadianinquirer.net

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AUGUST 14, 2015

FRIDAY

GLOBAL FILIPINO:

A Tale of Two Friends Living The Canadian Dream

BY MARGIE QUIMPOESPINO Philippine Daily Inquirer THE TWO knew each other since preschool. They became friends in high school. The two were part of a four-member clique. They studied in a girls’ school ran by nuns.

They would watch movies and party together, go shopping, talk about boys and their crushes. They would eat and sleep in each other’s homes.

In college, their group of four was split into two—half went to the University of the Philippines (UP), the rest to the University of Santo Tomas (UST).

All four were in each other’s special moments, each knew each other’s spouses, became the godmother of each other’s children.

But people eventually take different paths, roads turn different routes.

First, it was Elena Jose-Felix. A management graduate of UST. Her siblings sponsored her to go to Canada where she has been staying for decades with her whole family.

She left in 1987 and married Rolan in 1988.

She took up Commerce, major in Business Administration at UST then took Mainframe Programming in the United Computer Programming Center in Ontario and further studies in information technology in Ryerson University in Canada. It was part-time school for her between 1995 and 1998.

Felix gave birth to three kids and adopted a boy from Manila.

She has twin girls—Johanna and Rachelle, now 17.

Typical day

A typical day for her is waking up at 6 in the morning; leaving for work between 7 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. She parks at the subway station then takes her 40-minute ride to downtown Toronto.

She’s home by 6 p.m., cooks dinner, watches TV. “Then, bam! It’s 11:30 (p.m.) and I still have stuff to do,” says Felix.

Tuesdays find her going to the

head office of St. Catherine’s, about 120 kilometers from her house. Fridays, she works at home. She started as cash management administrator in the finance department of Meredian Credit Union, the third largest in Canada. She became manager of business analysis.

“Management was not my calling. I was unhappy and so stressed out,” Felix says her manager then offered her a new role for a new technology. “We are embarking on data warehousing.”

“So same pay, no stress. I am really happy giving up the manager duties. I work from home when I want,” she adds.

The good daughter that she is, Felix dedicates part of her Saturdays to her mother “Thirty percent of my time is dedicated to mom—doctor appointments, driving her to and from Bingo, going to Church. I also do housework and go shopping with the girls (her twins).

Imelda Abdon–Asuncion is a guest experience manager of Swiss Chalet, a 60-year-old rotisserie and grill chain in Canada. Her job is supervisory.

“The thrust of the chain of late is keeping brand loyalty among its patrons, hence the need for the management team to focus on guest satisfaction.

Whatever is needed to make their experience with the restaurant better—in store, delivery or even just to-go, that is our focus,” says Asuncion, a Hotel and Restaurant Administration graduate of UP Diliman.

“Starting from whether they get their food hot and fresh up to the way they were served by our teammates, we have to make sure of all these points.

My role is to make sure all of these happen without a hitch.

That’s how the position looks like on the surface.

“But the job can start from making sure all the provincial standards for food safety, labor compliance, up to making sure the business is operating profitably (labor vs sales) every day,” she further explains.

Asuncion went as a caregiver in 2005 and worked for a few days as an administrative assistant at the University of

Elena with twin daughters Johanna and Rachelle.

Toronto. She stayed with Felix initially.

Then she worked at Swiss Chalet in 2008 after her caregiving stint.

Below is the Q&A of Asuncion for Global Pinoy: Why did you want to live and work abroad? What were the consequences of such a move?

Imelda Abdon–Asuncion: I just knew I would be able to find the job I wanted and be paid for it fairly abroad. I wanted my kids to be able to have opportunities that I didn’t have. I came from a middle-class family and the idea of a government being able to provide its citizens healthcare and education was so ideal to me.

We go to our family doctor every year for checkup at no cost.

If you don’t show up, they call you up. My son gets a Catholic education for free. I may pay a few hundred dollars for some things he needs but that’s it.

The idea is almost utopian.

And when we became citizens we felt and saw how much the Charter Rights meant here in Canada.

Of course, the consequences, we are the first of our immediate family to settle here, it could really get lonely if you are used to Filipino celebrations and get-togethers. I work almost every holiday here in Canada.

And the only one where I get a day off is Christmas. www.canadianinquirer.net

Ups, downs

Enumerate some of the ups and downs of living in Canada.

Asuncion: You get to choose to become a citizen or not.

You’re in and out of the US, no problem—the shopping!

Healthcare is free except for medicines, but if you have insurance almost everything is free. Education is free (even Catholic schools) until high school unless you want to go to a private school. Living expenses are reasonable. If you are wise with your savings, you can afford to indulge in yearly vacations away from home.

People have a healthy respect for the law.

Downs. Driving in and shoveling snow. I can’t even complain about working on holidays I get paid 2.5 times. But you have to learn to strike a balance between wanting to earn your keep and quality time with the family.

There are still some cases of discrimination. It still exists.

What is your ultimate goal in migrating?

Asuncion: Ultimate goal is simple. Just to make sure that we have saved enough to help us in our senior years so that our kids won’t have to worry about us. I have seen relatives who had it all while they were young and working but were not as careful with the money they earned, and sadly in their senior years, they have nothing,

FACEBOOK PHOTO

relying on kids to help them through, and not everyone is able to do that.

Work in progress

Please describe your life. Was it a planned one and did you achieve most of what you want to happen?

Asuncion: Coming here is like starting a new chapter in my book. I fill in the pages as I go along and I still have a whole lot of blank pages to fill up.

My life here is still a work in progress. Things are going as planned in a certain way since I was able to achieve some goals.

I remember when I first came here, I said I will work at Swiss Chalet one day. It’s a simple goal, nothing earthshaking but realizable. I was able to do that.

I had dreams to be able to just leave the country. Find a job, be able to support myself and my family, afford a car. This is a totally different culture and environment I am raising my second child in (the eldest, Kathleen is already in her 30s and works as a teacher).

But I would like for him to explore the opportunities available to him here as much as possible and learn to be responsible as well along the way.

I try to keep him grounded with Filipino values of family and respect but keep an open mind with the Canadian way of life.

Kathleen is doing well and hopes to visit her family soon. ■

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FRIDAY AUGUST 14, 2015

Tricia Sarabia, General Manager Boracay Tropics and Hotel Celeste.

Boracay Tropics: More than a destination PHILIPPINE CANADIAN INQUIRER WHEN asked about their thoughts on Boracay, most people will mention its famous beaches, luxury resorts, summer getaways. But one establishment is set to change the landscape of this world class island — with world class art.

Awarded by the Department of Tourism as a Triple A resort, Boracay Tropics Resort Hotel is as luxurious as a 5-star hotel. And true enough, Boracay Tropics does not disappoint.

From its mediterranean and Asian-inspired ambiance, elegant guest rooms and suites, lush gardens, and an endless array of spa treatments, Boracay Tropics is more than just a destination — it’s an experience.

Like any successful endeavor, hard work and passion are two of the most important pillars that built Boracay Tropics to the establishment that it is today. Bert and Cely Sarabia of Hotel Celeste in Makati City stayed true to their form and banked on impeccable service and quality amenities when they decided to build Boracay Tropics. So when their daughter Tricia Sarabia earned her Humanities degree from the University of Asia and the Pacific, Bert and Cely looked

no further when it comes to hiring the best person to take care and continue their hard work. Tricia later on took the challenge of being the General Manager of both Hotel Celeste and Boracay Tropics.

“As a General Manager, my only limitation would be the amount of experience I have,” shared Tricia in a previous interview.

“I am a work in progress and I am very young so I make sure to seek for help and advice from other more experienced General Managers I meet in

the industry,” she said. “Most have been very helpful.”

Originally established in 1988 as “Rainbow Villas,” today Boracay Tropics continues to evolve. Bert and Cely chose the word “rainbow” because for them, a rainbow is a symbol of hope.

As the Sarabia family came up with new ways to improve their guests’ experience, they hired seasoned experts — like Ka Mele who managed their lush garden — and adapted the best practices from their personal travels and brought them back to Boracay www.canadianinquirer.net

Tropics to give each guest an unforgettable stay.

From a quaint hut resort to a modest Rainbow Villas, Boracay Tropics Resort Hotel steps into a sophisticated world of the hospitality industry – projecting itself as a Class AAA resort hotel in the bewitching island of Boracay, brimming with hope, still chasing a rainbow. ■

only PhP 7,800 per person for a 3D/2N stay.

R&R PACKAGE (double) for only PhP 6,100 per person for a 3D/2N stay.

MID-YEAR 3D/2N PACKAGE (twin/double) for only PhP 4,800 per person.

BACKPACKERS PACKAGE (quad sharing) for only PhP 5,700 per person for a 3D/2N stay.

Boracay Tropics offer promos all-year-round for guests from all walks of life: TWOSOME PACKAGE for honeymooners or couples for

For more information, check out www.boracaytropics.com.

For reservations, please call +63 2 887 4652 and +63 2 887 0581.

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Community News

AUGUST 14, 2015

FRIDAY

Canada allots $7.1M aid to PH SENATOR ENVERGA lauds the government of Canada’s recent announcement of $7.1 million (PhP 240 million) in funding for developmental assistance programs aimed at improving women and children’s health in the Philippines.

“Canada continues to take the lead in addressing the needs of women, children and newborns in the Philippines through humanitarian programs being conducted by our partner organizations, “ Senator Enverga said. “We look forward to continuing strengthening the growing relationship

between the Philippines and Canada through the implementation of such important projects that would benefit so many individuals.”

The funding will be distributed to ADRA Canada and Interpares, which are Government of Canada partners conducting humanitarian aid programs in the Philippines. Funding for the projects are part of the Government of Canada’s $421 million initiative announced in June 2015 that provides funding for projects focused on improving maternal, newborn and child health by humanitarian orga-

nizations operating in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Canada named the Philippines as a country of focus in 2014, allowing Canada’s international assistance to be more focused by identifying those who would benefit from such programs the most, and more accountable, with funding being disbursed to recognized Government of Canada partners operating in the Philippines.

The government of Canada’s international development assistance programs being conducted in the Philippines aim

Senator Enverga meets recipients of Canadian Typhoon Haiyan reconstruction relief.

to improve upon the existing investment climate and to pro-

vide more economic activities for marginalized individuals. ■

Filipinos in Ontario Canadian and American artists bring back parade get together for Vancouver show of fiestas

BY SUZY LLANERA THE PHILIPPINE Independence Day Council (PIDC), led

by Norma Carpio, president, is featuring authentic costumes direct from the Philippines in the Community Parade of Fiestas, which is the culmination of the Mabuhay Philippines Festival this summer. The colourful parade will be held at the David Pecaut Square, 215 King Street West, slated on Aug. 30, at 3 p.m.

Proudly supported by Celebrate Ontario, presented by the Toronto Dominion Bank, and World Financial Group, this event highlights seven popular fiestas in the Philippine namely, Sinulog, Moriones, Dinagyang, Masskara, Panagbenga, Kaamulan, and Flores de Mayo.

Choreographed by renowned Raymundo Villanueva with costumes created by top Philippine designer and ambassador of fashion Renee Salud, and Toronto’s Shanon Pamaong, founder of Fashion Institute of the Philippines.

Transport oneself and immerse in the sights and sounds of authentic Philippine street parades right here in Canada.

Experience the annual celebration held in different regions of the Philippines like in Cebu, Marinduque, Baguio, Bacolod

and more. Over 300 participants will partake in the parade along the streets in the heart of the Entertainment District.

The participants will converge from David Pecaut Square and the parade goes westbound to King Street going south on John Street, then turning right on Front Street West, left on Simcoe Street going north, left on Wellington Street and will end back to David Pecaut Square.

The Philippine Heritage Band with Banda Pilipino will lead the parade followed by the seven Fiestas, Filipino community groups & personalities and over 30 participating associations are joining the fanfare, such as Zamboanga Hermosa, Isabela Cultural Association, Filipino Renal Nurses Association of Ontario (FRNAO), FilCore, Filipino Womens Club, Dr. Christine Gamo, Camarines Norte Association Canada-Ontario (CNAC-O) with the Thorncliffe/Overlea Baby Boomers, Halton Basketball Team, Lemerinhon Canadian Association, Sampablenyos, Kababaihang Rizalista, Knights of Rizal, Santaguinians, and many more.

An association with 10 members is designated with a muse.

Each muse and its contingents will be judged accordingly and will win cash money. ■

“Hauling Fish” by Edgardo Lantin.

WHEN REALITY, innermost imaginings, and colour collide, we have art. And when we have 10 artists in one room, each exhibiting different brush strokes, forms of expression and catalystic bursts, we have an extraordinary and exciting “gathering”, which, incidentally, translates to the show’s title: Pagtitipon.

Two years in the making, with each artist carefully vetted and selected, Pagtitipon was a collective expression of different yet concordant voices. In Vancouver artist Esmie Gayo McLaren’s words, “It is a gathering of artists conversing about their ideas, opinions, and journeys… sometimes waxing poetic, other times in heated debate.”

The brainchild of prolific artist Lenore RS Lim, it was a realization of her dream of having global Filipino artists who have “divergent contemporary tendencies” in one show.

Pagtitipon’s Jose Trinidad, Edgardo Lantin and Esmie Gayo McLaren were classically prewww.canadianinquirer.net

disposed to painterly mimesis.

Trinidad is a landscape and portrait artist whose impressionistic paintings exhibited tenderness, a love of sunlight and a vibrant use of colour. Lantin captured on his canvas the essence of human struggles and the beauty of light’s illumination. McLaren’s pieces told of passion, labour, simplicity, and childish abandon through whirls of skirts and spontaneous play.

Tessie Dichupa, Art Zamora and Danvic Briones deduced aura from physical phenomena into new compositions. Dichupa went through uncharted paths and was inspired by forms and shapes in nature. Zamora was fascinated with circular abstraction and its underlying themes of radial balance, harmony and oneness. Briones was heavily influenced by surrealism, the subconscious, and Salvador Dali, and derived creative compulsions from the open road and dreams.

Imelda Cajipe Endaya and Bert Monterona purposively

used distinct cultural motifs to advocate social causes. Endaya championed woman’s life-giving role – which to her is both a power and an encumbrance.

Monterona who was once a student of social realism, creatively promoting awareness of political events and ecological concerns.

Carlos Esguerra and Lenore RS Lim derived satisfaction from extracting patterns, textures and silhouettes from their surroundings. Esguerra’s photography highlighted the beauty of nature through the play of light and shadows. Lim blended the old with the new, change and constant evolution a recurring theme in her life and her works.

The Pagtitipon exhibit was abundant in talent and exceptional in originality and creativity. Presented by the Filipino Music and Art Foundation in B.C., the show was held at the Roundhouse Community Centre from August 10 to 14. Artist Imelda Cajipe Endaya curated the event. ■

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FRIDAY AUGUST 14, 2015

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

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AUGUST 14, 2015

FRIDAY

Entertainment

GMA Kapuso “It Girl” Anne to join ‘On the Wings of Love’ Solenn Heussaff sizzles

BY LEI FONTAMILLAS Philippine Canadian Inquirer MANILA — Anne Curtis recently revealed on Twitter that she will have an appearance in the ABS-CBN series “On the Wings of Love.”

Curtis tweeted on Friday, “Good Morning! Up bright and early to tape for #OTWOL I’ll be having a little cameo on the series!”

In an interview for the entertainment site, “Push,” Anne said that she is excited t o

join the series.

She also said that she is joining in support of the JaDine tandem.

“Super excited sa cameo role na ‘yun. Siyempre I support JaDine tandem and iyung team kasi na naghahandle ng serye is the same team na humawak noon ng ‘Dyesebel,’” she said.

“On the Wings of Love” will debut on ABS-CBN’s Primetime Bida block on Monday after “Pangako Sa ‘Yo.” ■

at Vancouver Pinoy Fiesta

BY BABES CASTRONEWLAND

VANCOUVER, BC — European educated fashion designer/stylist/makeup artist turned celebrity multi-media personality, Solenn Heussaff glams up her opening number wearing a meticulously hand-sewn Boom Sason (www. boomsason.com) body suit creation. Much to the chagrin of the audience conservative taste, she sashayed to rendering her own vocal remix of a 1956 Little Willie John classic, “Fever”. So, who is “Solenn Heussaff?”

This 26-year old GMA Kapuso Star is not your stereo-typical celebrity who comes invited to perform at community events like the annual Pinoy Fiesta.

Solenn Heussaff is described as one of Philippine showbiz’s most sought-after personalities and product endorsers. Solenn Marie Adea Heussaff is born to an affluent family as second child of Cynthia Adea, a Filipina and one-time Bayanihan dancer; and Frenchman oil exploration tycoon, Louis Paul Heussaff. Like many art forms, Solenn is many things to people and has been naturally judged on many different frontiers. A makeup artist, designer, stylist, painter, model, singer/performer, VJ/host, actress and writer. She added another feather to her cap when she recently co-authored and launched a book titled “Besties”

www.canadianinquirer.net

Solenn Heussaff.

with best-friend Georgina Wilson. A book that talks about life’s imperfections and how to hurdle them. It talks about “boring stuff that best-friends don’t even want to discuss” like finances; how to save your money, paying taxes, budgeting finances for shopping, travel, and all that jazz. “Besties” deals with complicated topics made simple to understand by the young and old. The book emphasizes the real meaning of loving and living life to the fullest. It was supposed to be an own independent venture. But the book attracted the interest of ABSCBN Publishing which generously bankrolled its production and publication.

She’s currently signed under Regal Entertainment (movies); GMA Network and GMA Artist Center (television) and MCA Universal Philippines (recording). She was one of the official castaways of Survivor Philip-

pines: Celebrity Showdown on GMA Network. Amongst her most memorable teleserye projects included Akin Pa Rin Ang Bukas (Lovi Poe and Cesar Montano), Legacy (Lovi Poe and Heart Evangelista) and Captain Barbell (Richard Gutierrez). She recently finished shooting KaRelasyon, a weekly short story narratives of different kinds of weird love. And will commence doing Marimar end of August.

For someone who didn’t see herself landing a career in Philippine movie and television industry, Solenn Heussaff plans to pursue a much bigger dream.

That is, launching her own clothing line 5 years from now.

She once worked with worldclass Filipino knitwear designer Lulu Tan-Gan for 4 years as designer and product developer.

Her recent stint at Pinoy Fi❱❱ PAGE 34 GMA Kapuso

Entertainment

FRIDAY AUGUST 14, 2015

31

Derek Ramsay wants all the best for Angelica, John Lloyd

BY JANE MORALEDA Philippine Canadian Inquirer

Senator Francis 'Chiz' Escudero and Kapuso star Heart Evangelista.

PHOTO COURTESY OF FRANCIS PEREZ PHOTOGRAPHY (@REDTANGENT ON INSTAGRAM)

Chiz, Heart to renew marriage vows on first anniversary

BY JANE MORALEDA Philippine Canadian Inquirer MANILA — Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero and wife Heart Evangelista are set to renew their marriage vows on their first anniversary on February 15, 2016.

Contrast to their extravagant wedding in Balesin Island Club, the couple would opt for a simple renewal of vows, followed by a family gathering in their home in Quezon City.

This time, Chiz and Heart will be joined by the actress’s parents, Reynaldo and Cecilia Ongpauco, who have not attended their wedding celebration six months ago.

“Simple lang ho na seremonya ‘yon. Kami-kami lang

para may litrato kami na kapiling ang kanyang mga magulang (It’s only a simple ceremony. It’s just us so that we will have photos with her parents),” Chiz said in a Philippine Entertainment Portal report.

The couple is thankful for having fixed past rifts in their family. Chiz could attest to this through his wife’s paintings.

“It’s showing in her art… Nagpipinta si Heart, hindi lamang painting, pero sa bag na rin, sa damit (Heart paints, not just [in canvass], but also in bags, in clothes),” he said in the same report.

“It shows in her artistic side perhaps, na maganda ang lugar na kinakalagyan niya… Hindi na madilim mga painting niya.

Maliwanag ‘yung mga painting

niya,” he added.

(It shows in her artistic side perhaps, that she is in a better place now… Her paintings are not dark anymore. Her paintings are bright.)

It can be recalled that Heart’s parents have openly opposed to her relationship with the senator. They have even accused Chiz of brainwashing their daughter.

But on the couple’s wedding day, Mr. Ongpauco sent a heartfelt letter to Heart, saying that they will reconcile with the couple once they see that she is loved the way she deserved to be loved.

Now, all seems well with the family as Heart recently shared a photo of her with Chiz and her parents in her social media accounts. ■

MANILA — Actor-host Derek Ramsay hoped that ex-girlfriend actress Angelica Panganiban would have a happy relationship with her present boyfriend co-star John Lloyd Cruz. He even wished that the couple end in marriage.

“She’s very happy… she seems very, very happy. Minahal ko si Angelica (I loved Angelica), and I’ll never forget that. That’s a side of me that I’m gonna store deep down in my heart, Derek said in a Philippine Entertainment Portal report.

“When you love somebody, you want them to be happy. So, I’m happy that she’s happy… It

seems like mauunahan niya ako to have that fairy-tale ending (It seems like she’ll have that fairytale ending first before I do),” he added.

Derek sincerely hoped that Angelica would indeed have her fairy-tale ending with John Lloyd.

“My [wish] to her is makuha niya yun… It looks like na ganun na naman ang mangyayari sa kanila (My wish to her is to get that… It looks like that’s what will happen to them anyhow),” he said.

Angelica and John Lloyd recently celebrated their third anniversary. Instead of going on a trip or having a romantic dinner, the two opted to celebrate by eating spam and cheese sandwiches. ■

Derek Ramsay.

FACEBOOK

Sarah Lahbati transferring to ABS-CBN?

BY JANE MORALEDA Philippine Canadian Inquirer

Actress-model Sarah Lahbati.

@SARAHLAHBATI / INSTAGRAM

MANILA — With actressperformer Sarah Lahbati performing on ASAP 20 over the weekend, speculations arose that she may be transferring to ABS-CBN network. www.canadianinquirer.net

Lahbati performed alongside former Kapuso stars Michelle Madrigal, Bella Padilla and RC Muñoz. She surprised and excited her fans as she topped Twitter’s trending list that day.

On her Twitter account, Lahbati thanked all her fans for their support.

“Thank you for trending and

watching ASAP! You guys are so sweet!” her tweet read.

Lahbati, however, has not yet released any statement confirming or denying the rumors that she was leaving home network GMA-7.

It can be recalled that the 21-year-old actress earlier admitted being unsure if she would renew her contract with GMA. ■

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Entertainment

AUGUST 14, 2015

FRIDAY

Montreal musician endorsed Billionaire sues

by Taylor Swift after TMZ, friend over covering ‘Style’ on harp loss of Clippers team

BY NICK PATCH The Canadian Press

BY BRIAN MELLEY The Associated Press

TORONTO — Some musicians would do anything to capitalize on an endorsement from Taylor Swift — but that’s simply not Emilie Kahn’s style.

The Montrealer has gathered significant attention for her austere cover of Swift’s “Style,” which she played on the harp.

Her intimate take on the song has been posted by Time, Entertainment Weekly and BuzzFeed — not to mention Swift herself, who retweeted Billboard’s post on the song.

For the soft-spoken Kahn — who performs as Emilie & Ogden, Ogden being the name of her harp — it’s all a little tough to fathom.

“It’s become a bit overwhelming,” she conceded in a telephone interview this week, noting that she had to stop monitoring the clip’s everclimbing YouTube view count (over 200,000 hits and counting).

“It’s getting a lot of attention, which is super exciting, but it’s also kind of scary just to be, I guess, famous on the Internet.

I don’t want to be known as the girl who did the Taylor Swift cover,” she added.

“I think with the Internet and all these clickbait websites, it’s kind of easy for you to put out a video and it just becomes a piece of content for people to share. People are reacting really well to the video, saying this touched me and this changed my life — so that’s amazing to hear. But I’m also worried that next week it’ll be onto the next thing.”

When in fact, this should just be the beginning for Kahn.

Emilie & Ogden’s debut, “10,000,” is due out Oct. 2. It’s cinematic and wrenching, with lyrics about “pain and heartbreak” — not necessarily autobiographical, she notes — finding an ideal vessel in Kahn’s gossamer voice and mournful instrument.

The arrangements on her album are significantly fuller than her stripped Swift cover,

LOS ANGELES — Billionaire Donald Sterling sued celebrity website TMZ and an ex-girlfriend over the recording of his off-color remarks that cost him ownership of the Los Angeles Clippers.

Sterling’s lawsuit filed Friday in Los Angeles Superior Court accused TMZ and V. Stiviano of violating his privacy and causing damage on a “scale of unparalleled and unprecedented magnitude.”

The suit is the latest salvo in a legal soap opera that began in April 2014 after the recording caused a firestorm of criticism when the real estate baron was heard whining to Stiviano that she shouldn’t associate with black people.

The remarks led the NBA to ban him from the league and ultimately led Sterling’s estranged wife to sell the team owned by a family trust to former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer for a record $2 billion.

Shelly Sterling won court approval for the sale by showing her husband of six decades had dementia and couldn’t handle his business affairs.

Donald Sterling is suing his wife, the league and two doctors who examined him, claiming in federal court that they conspired to remove him from the team.

Despite litigation that put the couple at odds, they made nice

Taylor Swift at the 2015 Billboard Music Awards.

although Kahn says her “Style” is an accurate indication of the intimate feel of her live show.

She chose to interpret the song because she wanted a cover in her set and she’s “kind of just a big fan” of Swift. “(‘Style’) has a really unique mood,” Kahn observed. “She writes a lot of huge pop hits, but I think they always have a really specific subject matter. This song is about the time after you break up with someone and you keep going back to each other. I thought that was a very interesting mood that you don’t see a lot in pop music.”

Kahn was born in Toronto but spent her formative years in Montreal. She began writing songs as a teen but couldn’t commit to an instrument, wandering from flute to piano to guitar.

TINSELTOWN / SHUTTERSTOCK

She went to music school, still trying to locate her passion for piano, when she attended a concert and noticed a harpist accompanying the choir.

“It was love at first sight,” recalled Kahn, noting that she’s been playing for five years.

“When I discovered the harp, it changed my life.”

Though a slightly freakedout Kahn concedes she has stopped absorbing feedback related to her “Style” cover, she might be encouraged by the top-voted comment lurking on YouTube.

“I can’t believe I’ve never heard of you before,” wrote a user named Toni C. “I’m definitely buying your album in October. You’re absolutely amazing!’’

Informed of this, Kahn laughed: “That’s nice to hear.” ■ www.canadianinquirer.net

Donald Sterling.

during Shelly Sterling’s recent court case that forced Stiviano to relinquish a $1.8 million home and $800,000 in cash, gifts, a Ferrari and other luxury cars Donald Sterling lavished on the younger woman. A judge ruled the items belonged to Shelly Sterling as community property.

The recordings of Donald Sterling surfaced just weeks after Shelly Sterling sued Stiviano, claiming she was her husband’s mistress.

Stiviano has said Sterling consented to recordings she made on phones while they carried on a sexless relationship.

Donald Sterling, however, said in the lawsuit that the “illicit” recordings were secretly made and provided to TMZ by Stiviano “and/or her agents.”

Attorney Mac Nehoray, who represented Stiviano in the previous lawsuit, said Sterling doesn’t have a claim to privacy because his insensitive remarks were made in front of Stiviano’s sister.

“It’s ridiculous if he says he was damaged by it when he made $2 billion,” Nehoray said.

“I think he’s just a litigious person. Unless he has something going on in the public eye, he can’t exist.”

The latest suit was lodged two days after Donald Sterling filed for divorce from his wife just weeks shy of their 60th anniversary.

TMZ representatives didn’t immediately reply to requests for comment. ■

FILE PHOTO FROM LA CLIPPERS’ OFFICIAL FACEBOOK PAGE

33

FRIDAY AUGUST 14, 2015

Lifestyle ASK A DESIGNER:

Expert tips on adding that touch of homemade to any room

BY MELISSA RAYWORTH The Associated Press NO MATTER his client’s taste or budget, interior designer Brian Patrick Flynn follows this rule: For every large, manufactured item that he adds to a room, he also includes three handmade pieces.

They might be anything from “patchwork pillows and handwoven throw rugs to a repurposed object made into a table lamp,” he says.

They could be expensive or totally affordable.

The key is they were made by a person, not a machine.

“Handmade objects have become more and more in demand over the past 10 years,” says Flynn, of Flynnside Out Productions. “People seem to really love the story behind how things are made,” and they want their homes to have the meaning and character that handmade pieces evoke.

With flea market and craft fair season in full swing, we’ve asked Flynn and two other interior designers — Betsy Burnham of Los Angeles’ Burnham Design and Dan Faires, host of HGTV’s “Dan Made” — what kinds of handmade items they seek, where to find them and how to use them in decorating any space.

What works

It’s easiest to start small, with handmade accessories.

The items on your coffee table might include hand-thrown pottery or hand-painted trays, side-by-side with books and other mass-produced pieces.

Handmade candle holders and pillows are also easy to find, as are little sculptures and other

small pieces of handmade art.

“Any accessory collection should include organic or handcrafted items because, honestly, who wants shelves full of manufactured knickknacks?” asks Burnham.

Going a bit bigger, pottery lamp bases are great additions to any room, says Burnham, as are handmade quilts and knit throws.

Flynn likes to have one or two handmade fabrics in every room — for instance, the artisanal fabric of Zak and Fox, which Flynn says “look like they were made by tribes hunWhen you find something, try perfect surfaces. “When I’ve got dreds of years ago, but some- to discover a bit about its his- pristine bookshelves to display how they also seem modern.” tory. Burnham’s clients enjoy interesting things,” he says, “I Faires suggests custom- handmade items more “when love the juxtaposition of a fluid, made lighting: “There is so they know the provenance and biomorphic shape with rough much bad lighting on the mar- the story behind a piece,” she texture against something rigid ket these days, so this is an says. They get a further boost and linear. That creates visual area where I like to custom- knowing they’re supporting a tension, something designers ize the piece to fit the style particular artist or artisan. use to add depth.” of the space. You can get so Handmade pieces also can You can also magnify the apmuch bang for your buck with speak directly to your history. peal of something traditional a handmade light fixture in any Ask around for local painters — a classic fireplace mantle, space.” for example — by If you’re lookhanging a coloring to add a large ful, whimsical handmade piece piece of handto a room, such There is so much bad lighting on the made art over it. as a table, reach market these days, so this is an area Or make your out to local carwhere I like to customize the piece to own partially penters for price fit the style of the space. handmade piece quotes based on by adding your your specificacreativity to a tions. factory-made and photographers whose work piece of furniture.

Where to find it captures the region where you “While I’d prefer all seatFlea markets and craft fairs live, then see whether their ing and beds in my house to be are perfect places to buy hand- work speaks to you. “These are handmade by artisans, somemade or just browse for ideas. the items that become the focal times manufactured items are And the Internet, of course, has point and conversation pieces just more affordable and ready made finding handmade items in the room,” Faires says. right away,” Flynn says. “To easy year-round: Etsy.com and make these things a bit more UncommonGoods.com are two How to use handmade decor personalized, I’ll add somepopular sites, but a quick online Flynn loves to place objects thing unique to them, like search will likely turn up infor- made from stone or other ma- hand-blocked wallpaper to the mation about local crafters in terials with “organic imperfec- back of bookshelves or locally your area, too. tions” on smooth, machine- crafted sconces to a wall covwww.canadianinquirer.net

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ered in 50-cent white subway tile from the home improvement store. It’s all about the mix.”

Even lower-end manufactured items can take on highend style with a bit of handmade assistance. “I have Ikea cabinetry in almost every house I’ve designed because it’s practical. However, I make the ready-made drawer and door fronts seem more custom by installing forged-iron or antiquebrass hardware made by local artisans,” Flynn says.

Extra benefits

Going handmade means you can get exactly what you want and need. “With the rise in popularity of artisan goods, interior designers have a much broader palette,” Faires says.

You also may get higher quality if you go handmade.

“Honestly, most mass-produced wood furniture items are poorly manufactured,” says Faires, who builds custom furniture for clients. “I always encourage clients to think long-term. Purchasing solid, handcrafted goods that are timeless is a much better investment.” ■

Lifestyle

34

AUGUST 14, 2015

FRIDAY

Did ‘this designer’ copy Rajo Laurel?

‘I have an answer, but I would rather not say it because I don’t want to be put on a collision course with any designer’

BY ALEX Y. VERGARA Philippine Daily Inquirer DID SHE or didn’t she?

Even before the issue between Rajo Laurel and newbie designer Mariella Garcia exploded on social media last month, Garcia has already claimed she has four versions of the bandage top she calls Luna.

Laurel, without naming Garcia, accused “this designer” on Twitter of copying a similar top he called Iris. At one point, he threatened to take “legal action.” In a separate tweet, he even posted a picture of him with high-profile lawyer Karen Jimeno.

Laurel’s friends such as Divine Lee and Bianca Gonzales lost no time in joining the fray by calling Garcia’s attention on Instagram (@37LA_LA73).

As expected, their public comments drew reactions, some personal and bordering on the libelous, mostly in defense of Garcia.

“I’m not aware if people knew that the woman in the picture wearing the Luna is me,” said Garcia with a laugh. “The post had already generated almost 300 comments before I decided to delete it.”

While the controversy swirled, Garcia decided to keep quiet while trying to remain “positive.” In keeping with her close friends’ advice, she didn’t react publicly to Laurel’s accusation.

“Well, I was a bit alarmed at first,” said the 27-year-old

designer. “I’m here to make clothes, not to make other people, especially those I look up to, angry. But I figured that if I commented, I would just be further fueling the controversy.”

Laurel’s reaction didn’t come as a total surprise to Garcia.

Weeks before the issue became public, he was already posting comments on certain images the younger designer was posting on Instagram.

“I remember him saying ‘this looks familiar,’” said Garcia, in reference to a picture of her Luna top. “I viewed it as positive. At least, he took notice.

But I didn’t reply.”

We tried to get Laurel’s side, but the designer, following his lawyer’s advice, declined to comment.

When Laurel made his true feelings known a few weeks later, Garcia produced two more versions of the Luna to meet a spike in demand.

Apart from following friends’ advice, she chanced upon an online forum where supposed lawyers were discussing the issue.

“According to them, copyright laws don’t apply to clothes because they’re viewed as utilitarian,” said Garcia.

Surreal

She considers the experience surreal since she follows Laurel, Lee and Gonzales on Instagram.

They have never been introduced, but she once asked the veteran designer to pose for a

'Luna' top.

picture with her after one of his fashion shows.

So did she or didn’t she copy Laurel’s Iris top?

Garcia’s answer was a nonanswer: “I have an answer, but I would rather not say it because I don’t want to be put on a collision course with any designer.

This is a free country, and everyone is entitled to his or her opinion or interpretation of things.”

But she insists that her versions are totally different from Laurel’s. If there are similarities, they’re limited to the materials they used.

“I guess his eyes were drawn to my materials, which is probably similar to what he uses,”

Worries about... (to pay),” said Riopel, who noted that businesses provide other benefits along with a salary.

“We’ve encouraged government to slow things down a little bit, to consult more fully with small business.”

Riopel said one solution might lie in training initiatives and other programs “that can perhaps bring in minimum wage on a slower basis and recognize as you train employees perhaps you don’t pay these escalated rates right away.”

Premier Rachel Notley’s gov❰❰ 21

@37LA_AL73 / INSTAGRAM

said Garcia. “I don’t know where he gets his, but I get mine mostly from abroad. It’s more economical in the long run to buy materials abroad, and the choices are more varied.”

Mentors

Garcia, who is from Angeles, Pampanga, has been drawn to fashion all her life, doodling flowers and women since she could remember.

But to comply with her parents’ wishes, she took up a “normal course” by finishing language arts at Centro Escolar University.

After graduating in 2009, she enrolled at the Fashion Institute of the Philippines. Her

mentors included designing brothers John and the late Paul Herrera.

She also took up styling classes under Manila-based Japanese stylist Ryuji. Armed with the basics, she established a ready-to-wear business almost seven years ago.

“I did almost everything from sourcing to designing,” she said.

“I hired seamstresses to execute my designs. Since I know a bit of styling, I shot and posted my dresses on Facebook and Instagram.”

She also learned how to cut and sew. A daddy’s girl, Garcia took the sudden death of her father in 2014 hard. But, instead of losing steam, it propelled her to take designing “more seriously.”

Since the RTW scene was getting crowded, she opted to venture into couture early this year. She’s partial to design flourishes like beadwork and hand painting because they “allow me to use my hands.”

“Since my father’s passing, fashion has been my place of refuge,” she said.

Contrary to earlier reports, 37 LA (a play on Ela, Garcia’s nickname) is more than just an online store. Like her cybersavvy colleagues, she uses social media to promote her clothes and reach out to more clients.

Among her more famous clients are Sen. Grace Poe, Toni Gonzaga, Cathy Gonzaga, Jennylyn Mercado and Brazilian model Olivia Medina, who posted her picture wearing the Luna that went viral. ■

GMA Kapuso... ernment is scheduled to raise the minimum wage by $1 to $11.20 an hour on Oct. 1. The rate is to go up to $15 an hour by 2018.

When the NDP’s first increase takes effect in October, only Ontario and the Northwest Territories will pay more to those who earn the least.

Saskatchewan will be the lowest at $10.20 an hour.

Notley’s government has said the increase is needed to ensure employees can meet basic needs.

The government also plans to do away with its minimum-wage

differential, which pays liquor servers $9.20 an hour on the assumption they make up the rest in tips. Alberta is one of five provinces with a differential.

Ceci is touring the province looking for input as he crafts a budget for the current 2015-16 fiscal year. The government is to introduce the budget in late October.

The province has already passed legislation to raise taxes on large corporations to 12 per cent from 10 per cent and to boost income taxes on the top seven per cent of earners. ■ www.canadianinquirer.net

esta earned her both negative and positive comments. But she’s not one who gets easily frazzled by unsavoury criticisms.

She was once quoted as saying on one of her social media accounts, “To all the haters out there. None of us are liars. At the end of the day, we are all just playing the game. ENJOY the way it is played nalang”. For now, she wants to simply savor the moment and give love back to those who love and appreciate her. She’s engaged to marry Argentina-born and KAYA FC ❰❰ 30

player Nico Bozico. Her elder brother Erwann Heussaff is long-time beau of Kapamilya superstar, Anne Curtis. Solenn talks about humility and gratefulness as important virtues instilled to her and her brother by their parents. She’s thankful to have been invited at this year’s Pinoy Fiesta as special performing artist from the Philippines.

And invites everyone to grab a copy of her book “Besties” to get inspired and renewed perspective on life, love and hope. ■ babescastronewland@gmail.com

Lifestyle

FRIDAY AUGUST 14, 2015

PH history wrought in gold to be exhibited in NY museum

BY DORIS DUMLAO-ABADILLA Philippine Daily Inquirer THE PHILIPPINES will exhibit at the Asia Society Museum in New York more than 120 of its rarest and most exquisite ancient gold treasures to offer a cosmopolitan audience glimpses of a sophisticated and ingenious civilization that thrived long before Europeans reached the archipelago in the 16th century.

The exhibit, titled “Philippine Gold: Treasures of Forgotten Kingdoms,” will include golden necklaces, chains, waistbands, bangles, ritual bowls, implements, ceremonial weapons and other artifacts dated between the 10th and 13th centuries.

The artifacts are on loan from the collections of Ayala Museum and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

The exhibit will run from Sept. 11 to Jan. 3, 2016, at the Asia Society Museum, located at 725 Park Avenue in New York.

It is aimed at a broad range of audience: Wall Street traders, FilipinoAmericans, industry captains, the American public, expatriates and people from the creative industries like fashion and design. The exhibition focuses on the wealth of the golden age of Butuan, a polity in Mindanao that rose to prominence in the 13th century, according to the Asia Society website.

“Works from ancient polities beyond

Butuan, such as those on the islands of the Visayas and Luzon, bear witness to the early use of gold throughout the Philippines,” the society said.

A selection of the most extraordinary objects from a 1981 discovery from Ayala Museum forms the core of the exhibition, which also includes a few important loans from public and private collections, including the BSP. BSP, Locsin collections

The treasures were all discovered in the Philippines in the past 40 years and collected by the BSP and by the late architect Leandro Locsin and his wife, Cecilia.

Doris Magsaysay-Ho, Asia Society Philippines chair, said the Philippine exhibition was “extremely timely,” coming just as the country is hosting the AsiaPacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) CEO Summit in November.

“While the Philippines has a lot of press coming out on economic issues, we thought there could also be a cultural story,” Magsaysay-Ho said. “These artifacts are also very little known scholarship-wise, so with the opportunity to bring them to New York, we are holding symposiums that place the collection in the whole realm of historical scholarship in the Austronesian context.”

In a press briefing on Friday, BSP Governor Amando Tetangco Jr. said this would be the first time that the BSP’s

35

ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF AYALA MUSEUM

collection of gold ornaments—some of which were over 1,000 years old—would be showcased in the United States.

“Our pre-colonial collection provides insights into a glorious past we Filipinos can be truly proud of. First, that we had a distinct culture and art tradition that resulted from a fusion of indigenous and diverse foreign influences. Second, that our ancestors had both the artistry and the technical ingenuity to craft these magnificent and complex gold pieces that remain much-admired by contemporary artisans. And, third, that we had a flourishing economy with active domestic and international trade conducted through barter and gold payment,” Tet-

www.canadianinquirer.net

angco said.

Among the BSP pieces to be exhibited is a “piloncito,” a gold nugget believed to be part of an early form of coinage system whose value was determined by its weight, Tetangco said.

Two “kandits,” or royal gold belts, one of which weighs more than 1 kilo, will also be exhibited.

Long before Westerners came

“Looking at these gold objects, we can conclude that before Westerners came to our shores, we already had a thriving cosmopolitan trading center doing ❱❱ PAGE 39 PH history

36

AUGUST 14, 2015

FRIDAY

Business

Google forms a new holding company, ‘Alphabet’

BY BRANDON BAILEY The Associated Press SAN FRANCISCO — Google is creating a new company to oversee its highly lucrative Internet business and a growing flock of other ventures, including some — like building selfdriving cars and researching ways to prolong human life — that are known more for their ambition than for turning an immediate profit.

The new company will be called “Alphabet,” Google CEO and co-founder Larry Page announced Monday. Page said he’ll be CEO of the new holding company, while longtime Google executive Sundar Pichai will become CEO of Google’s core business, including its search engine, online advertising operation and YouTube video service.

While the company will still use the Google name for those core services, Page said the new structure will provide more independence for divisions like Nest, which makes Internetconnected home appliances, and Calico, which is conducting cutting-edge health research.

Analysts said the move may also be a nod to Wall Street demands for more fiscal accountability: As part of the reorganization, Page said the company will begin reporting financial results by segments.

That should give a clearer picture of how Google’s core Internet business is performing, separate from other ventures, said analyst Colin Gillis of the investment firm BGC Partners.

Google reported more than $14 billion in profit on $66 billion in sales last year, most of it from lucrative Internet advertising, while other ventures have required large investments without showing immediate returns. The company’s stock has surged in recent weeks after a new chief financial officer signaled some trims in corporate spending.

The reorganization also cements the importance of Pichai, who is viewed by many as a potential successor to Page.

Google’s other co-founder, Sergey Brin, will be president of the new holding company.

With the reorganization, Page signaled that he wants to give more authority to CEOs of Google Headquarters in Mountain View, California. the companies that will be part of the new entity known as Al- the research lab responsible for of the core business under Piphabet.

Google’s self-driving car ven- chai, although Page made a point “Our company is operating ture and previously developed of praising its chief, longtime well today, but we think we its controversial Internet head- ad executive Susan Wojcicki. can make it cleaner and more set, known as Glass.

Google historically has not reaccountable,” he wrote. “We Alphabet will also oversee ported earnings separately for believe this allows us more Google Ventures and Google the YouTube business. management “It may not scale, as we can be quite ready run things indeyet,” Gillis said of pendently that YouTube. “Mayaren’t very reOur company is operating well be they’re going lated.” today, but we think we can make to do a little polBusinesses it cleaner and more accountable, ishing and work that will operate We believe this allows us more on profitability separately unmanagement scale, as we can run first.” der the Alphabet things independently that aren’t very The new strucumbrella include related. ture could make Calico, which it easier for Google estabGoogle Inc. to lished to conduct sell off some of health research in 2013; Nest, Capital, two corporate invest- its unrelated businesses, or buy which Google acquired in 2014; ment entities that focus on ear- new ones, analysts said. Page Fiber, which is building high- ly- and growth-stage startups. has suggested previously that speed broadband networks in Google’s YouTube video divi- he is a fan of Warren Buffett, several cities; and Google X , sion, however, will remain part the famed financier and CEO of

EXCHANGE RATES CDN/USD CDN/PHP CDN/EUR CDN/GBP EUR/USD AUD/USD USD/JPY

MAGLARA / SHUTTERSTOCK

Berkshire Hathaway. Buffett’s conglomerate owns more than 80 subsidiary companies and lets each operate with substantial independence.

Google said its chief financial officer, Ruth Porat, will hold the same title for both Google and Alphabet. Once the reorganization is complete, the company says its two existing classes of publicly traded stock will continue to trade on the Nasdaq exchange under the ticker symbols “GOOG” and “GOOGL.” Both classes of the Mountain View, California, company’s stock rose more than 6 percent in after-hours trading following the announcement Monday afternoon. ■ AP business writers Tali Arbel in New York and Josh Funk in Omaha, Nebraska, contributed to this report.

As of August 12, 2015 from ca.finance.yahoo.com PRICE

CHANGE

% CHANGE

1.3082 35.2462 1.4563 2.0374 1.1132 0.7294 124.5435

-0.0033 +0.1017 +0.0082 -0.0052 +0.0091 -0.0008 -0.5715

-0.2509% +0.2893% +0.5692% -0.2544% +0.8228% -0.1054% -0.4568%

www.canadianinquirer.net

Business

FRIDAY AUGUST 14, 2015

37

Mortgage brokers calling for tighter regulations in wake of alleged fraud

BY ALEXANDRA POSADZKI The Canadian Press TORONTO — Mortgage brokers are advocating for tighter industry rules in the wake of allegations that dozens of brokers working with Home Capital Group Inc. falsified client income information.

Home Capital announced late last month that it had suspended 45 brokers for allegedly committing fraud on mortgage applications, leaving the industry in damage control mode.

Walid Hammami, a Montreal-based broker with Dominion Lending Centres, says the incident illustrates a larger systemic problem with mortgage fraud. There are likely more transgressors than the 45 identified by Home Capital, he says.

“These guys not only give us bad press, but they are also unfair competition,” Hammami said, noting that brokers who play dirty by falsifying income

data are stealing business from those who follow the rules.

Rather than taking the appropriate steps to qualify for a mortgage, a process that could take some time, a client could simply find a broker willing to forge the documents and get approved immediately, Hammami said.

“It’s like people using steroids in sports,” Hammami said.

Experts say that as lending rules have tightened and competition from the country’s major banks has increased, brokers are fighting for a slice of a shrinking pie.

“Not only has the industry become more competitive, the underwriting rules have tightened,” said Tony Piattelli, a Calgary-based broker with Quantus Mortgage Solutions.

“So they’re getting squeezed on both sides of that equation.”

That can spell trouble for those relying on commissions from mortgage deals to cover living expenses and support their families, experts say.

“When you make it tougher to make a living, those that are so inclined will start to work around the rules,” said Blair Anderson of brokerage Anderson Associates.

Tougher educational requirements might help. Currently, an individual wishing to become a mortgage agent has to score at least 60 per cent on a mandatory course.

“I think maybe they could weed out a few bad apples by raising that standard a little _ even just to 65,” Anderson said.

Some brokers have suggested more ethics training. However, Hammami says it’s easy to “talk a big game” about ethics.

“Applying it is a different story,” he said — especially for those facing a dire financial situation.

Some brokers, including Hammami and Piattelli, say regulators or employers should ensure that those just starting out in the industry have a backup plan — such as a substantial amount of savings or access to a

SHUTTERSTOCK

line of credit — to help sustain them in case commissions fall short.

That could help prevent them

from making poor decisions due to financial stress.

“You have to have a bit of a war chest,” Piattelli said. ■

China’s currency slides after Beijing announces devaluation

BY JOE MCDONALD The Associated Press BEIJING — China devalued its tightly controlled currency Tuesday following a slump in trade, allowing the yuan’s biggest one-day decline in a decade.

The central bank said the yuan’s fall was due to reforms aimed at making its exchange rate system more market-oriented. Sustained weakness in the yuan raises the risk of tensions with China’s trading partners.

China’s move makes it the third major economy to take actions that weakened their currencies. Initiatives by Japan and the European Union over the past two years depressed the yen and euro. But analysts cautioned against seeing the change as a direct effort to help Chinese exporters.

The yuan had strengthened along with the dollar, hurting exporters and raising the risk of politically dangerous job losses

in manufacturing industries that employ tens of millions of workers. July exports fell by an unexpectedly large margin of 8.3 percent from a year earlier, according to data released on the weekend.

Tuesday’s move “signals a new government willingness” to let the currency decline, said USB economist Tao Wang in a report.

Beijing is likely to move cautiously but market expectations of more depreciation “could quickly become entrenched” and cause the yuan to “depreciate quite quickly and significantly,” said Wang. She said that would represent a “sea change in China’s exchange rate policy” but would help to support flagging economic growth.

The devaluation could present a dilemma for the United States and other governments that accuse Beijing of suppressing the yuan’s exchange rate, giving its exporters an unfair price advantage and hurting foreign competitors.

A weaker yuan might help Chinese exporters and prompt complaints by foreign manufacturers. But the central bank said its goal was to give market forces a bigger role, a step Washington has demanded for years.

The yuan, also known as the renminbi, is allowed to fluctuate in a band 2 percent above or below a rate set by the People’s Bank of China based on the previous day’s trading.

The bank said starting Tuesday that in addition to the previous day’s exchange rate, the daily fixing of the trading band will take into account supply and demand.

“This complex situation is posing new challenges,” said a central bank statement. It said a strong yuan is “not entirely consistent with market expectation” and this was a good time to adjust controls.

The center of Tuesday’s trading band was set 1.9 percent below Monday’s level. The yuan quickly fell 1.3 percent against www.canadianinquirer.net

the dollar and was down almost 1.9 percent at midday.

That was the biggest one-day decline since Beijing ended the yuan’s direct link to the U.S. dollar in July 2005 and switched to basing the exchange rate on a basket of foreign currencies.

The composition of that basket is secret but the dollar appears to dominate it, which means the yuan has been rising even as the currencies of other developing countries fell.

The latest move doesn’t appear to be aimed at helping Chinese exporters even though it

follows the weekend announcement of dismal July trade, said Mizuho Bank economist Vishu Varathan.

In a report, Varathan said the yuan has risen by about 3.5 percent per year since 2012 on a trade-weighted basis and the latest change only gives back part of that.

A sustained decline “risks abrasive international trade dynamics,” said Varathan. But he said a weaker yuan “could be ultimately positive for Asia” if it helps to revive Chinese demand for imports. ■

F ill Unused Capacity C ash Savings B ill More Hours E xtra Income If you want new customers, more sales and are looking for ways to save cash, call First Canadian Barter Exchange.

38

AUGUST 14, 2015

FRIDAY

Sports

Four-time Paralympian Van Nest hopes Games inspire Canadian kids to try sports

BY LORI EWING The Canadian Press TORONTO — The nerves from competing in front of several hundred pro-Canadian fans got the best of Karen Van Nest on Monday.

But the fact there was several hundred fans, including a crowded row of children that sat in wheelchairs at field level of Varsity Stadium, wasn’t lost on the 52-year-old from Wiarton, Ont. Van Nest won silver in archery, and blamed jitters for partially costing her gold.

But to the Canadian, who was slow to join sports after a motorcycle accident in 1985 left her an amputee, said the exposure Paralympic sport is getting in Toronto is a victory in itself.

“I’m hoping any televised para-sport encourages anyone in a chair, or anyone, whatever their disability, to get out and try sport,” Van Nest said. “Because it’s the healthiest thing really, for your mind, for your body. It enhances your life. And you learn so many skills.”

A victory Monday meant a berth in next summer’s Rio Olympics. Jane Karla Gogel of Brazil won gold, outscoring Van Nest 140-132.

Van Nest will have a couple more opportunities to secure a berth in Rio, which would be Paralympic appearance No. 5 for the multi-talented Canadian, who competed in three Paralympics in pistol shooting, won a world championship silver medal in rowing, and made her first Paralympic appearance in

Four-time Olympian Karen Van Nest.

archery in 2012 in London.

She wasn’t always so active.

It was almost a decade after her accident that Van Nest summoned the wherewithal to get active, sparked when her sister encouraged her to get up and dance at a wedding.

“I loved dancing. And that’s when I went, ’OK, if I can dance, I can certainly do other things,’” she said.

“I had been stuck. I got stuck for about eight or nine years of not doing, not participating because I was uncomfortable. I wasn’t really encouraged to be active and I didn’t want to try, because I was afraid I’d fail. So I didn’t do anything, which is a shame,” Van Nest said. “There was depression, anger, an adjustment of feeling sorry for

WWW.NEWSWIRE.CA VIA VAN NEST’S FACEBOOK ACCOUNT

myself, a combination of all those things in the grieving process… And I didn’t know any other disabled people. And I was afraid. I think embarrassed too about being disabled.”

Van Nest was 23 and travelling across Canada with her family to Edmonton — she was on her motorcycle, her parents and brother were in a van up ahead — when she collided with a pickup truck near Brandon, Manitoba. The pickup was passing a tractor trailer on a bend. Fearful she’d veer into the guard rail of wire rope and wood posts, Van Nest focused on staying on the road.

“I almost got there, but his back bumper caught my leg, I ended up going right through the guardrail anyways, and kept

www.canadianinquirer.net

going,” she said.

She was friends with an avid hunter and joined a shooting club in Brampton, Ont., making Canada’s Paralympic team in 1998. She was fourth at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, missing a medal by seven-tenths of a point. She finished fifth four years later in Athens, and then, hampered by a shoulder injury that would force her to give up pistol, finished 10th in Beijing.

While in Beijing, Canada’s archers invited her out to watch their competition.

“Kevin Evans was in a shootout, and the whole crowd was looking at just them,” Van Nest said. “And it just seemed like a totally different atmosphere.”

Evans, from Jaffray, B.C., was beaten 141-138 by American

Ben Thompson on Monday.

Both Van Nest and Evans regularly compete against and train with able-bodied archers — the two versions of the sport aren’t markedly different.

Van Nest, wearing sports sunglasses, her hair pulled back in a braid under a cap, shot in a standing position on a prosthetic leg. Gogel shot from a wheelchair.

While she doesn’t see herself as a role model, she’s often reminded that she is. She doesn’t miss a chance to talk about the benefits of sports. Van Nest has perpetual back pain, caused by misalignment from walking on a prosthetic limb. “(Sports) just helps me, if I’m not working out I’m miserable,” she said. “It just keeps you sane.

You have goals, you work toward those goals, and you just keep challenging yourself and that’s what I enjoy about sport: doing better and better and better. That’s the goal, to be the best that I can be.”

Van Nest and Evans had hoped to leave Toronto with a quota spot sewn up for the Rio Paralympics. They’ll take aim at a spot again later this month at the world championships in Germany.

“Now we pull up our socks, go to Germany, and hopefully everybody does as well as they can and get the quota spots,” said Evans, who lost an arm in a seismic rig accident in 2000.

“That’s been the focus in all our work this whole year. That’s the most important thing that all of us have sacrificed a huge amount of time to get.” ■

Sports

FRIDAY AUGUST 14, 2015

Lim pulls off twin victories

BY MARC ANTHONY REYES Philippine Daily Inquirer FILIPINO JUNIOR tennis hotshot Alberto Lim Jr. stunned China’s top-ranked player Wu Yibing, 6-0, 6-1, yesterday in the boys singles’ finals to complete a title double in the China Junior 14 Grade 1 tournament in Nanjing.

The 16-year-old Lim, who has won two other ITF singles titles in the same level this year, earlier captured the doubles crown with Indian Nikshep Ballevere Ravikumar.

“I really played very well in the [singles] final unlike in the previous rounds which were mostly close fights,” said the campaigner from Tarlac who skipped studies this year to concentrate on tennis.

Lim’s trademark aggressiveness and tenacity on the court helped him get through the

junior singles—and expected to move up soon—Lim dumped China’s Zhao Runyu (6-3, 6-1) in the first round, Thai Vorachon Rakpung-chon (5-7, 6-2, 6-3) in the second round, Hong Kong’s Lam Ching (6-1, 6-0) in the quarterfinals and China’s Lu Changze (6-4, 2-6, 6-4) in the semifinals.

“It was very hot during the tournament but I felt very confident,” said Lim after disposing off the 15-year-old Wu in the final.

Lim and Ravikumar captured the doubles title without lifting their rackets. They won by walkover over Wu and the injured Wu Tung-lin of Chinese Taipei in the final.

The champion pair earlier downed Thai brothers Kittirat and Phongsapak Kerdlaphee (7-6 [7-1], 6-0), Chinese Lu Chingze and Wu Hao (3-6, 7-5 [108]), and another Chinese tandem in Liu Zhou Yi and Wang ChuKang (6-2, 6-3). ■

39

Subic Asian ParaTriathlon slated Aug. 16

BY JASMINE W. PAYO Philippine Daily Inquirer THE PHILIPPINES hopes to boost its paralympic campaign when it hosts the ASTC Asian ParaTriathlon Championships (APC) 2015 on Aug. 16 at Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

Sixto Ducay (arm disability), Godfrey Taberna (club foot), Arnel Aba and Andy Avellana (leg disability) and twins Joshua and Jerome Nelmida (visual impairment) head the PH team in the 750m swim-18K bike-5K run event where the top finishers will gain a shot at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Tarek Souei, the Asian Paralympic Committee CEO and acting secretary general, said racers will earn points as the

event has been certified as a Rio Paralympic qualifier.

But this also means tougher competition as the race has drawn some of the top differently abled athletes from Japan, South Korea, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Hong Kong and Malaysia.

The race, which will feature the new ITU ParaTriathlon classification system, will fire off at the Sands of Triboa and run all the way to San Bernardino Street.

Other events include the mixed relay, sprint and minisprint distances.

A briefing will be held a day before the race at 4 p.m. at Subic Holiday Villas. A paratriathlon technical course will also be conducted by technical delegate Daniel Sng of Singapore. ■

relationship between the two the Asian mainland; that our amazed at the sophistication countries. pre-colonial culture was actu- and artistry of our pre-colonial By bringing the rare gold col- ally very similar to those of our gold ornaments,” Tetangco lection to New York, he said, the Hindu-Buddhist neighbors be- said.

Philippines would give Ameri- fore Westernization, and that He said the BSP believed that cans and visitors to New York we were actively engaged in cultural properties could prothe opportunity to get to know international maritime trade mote better understanding and more about the rich Filipino with other Asians. The superior appreciation of the Philippines’ culture as well as bring great quality of the gold ornaments evolution as a nation. pride to Filipinos in the United also dispels the Western stereo“Among Filipinos, this serves States. type of precolonial Filipinos as as a powerful catalyst for instill“The Philippines and Phil- ignorant and primitive before ing a strong sense of national ippine culture tend to be per- Spanish and American inter- identity and love of country, atceived internatributes that fostionally in terms ter social stabilof our colonial ity and economic history under growth.

Thus, Spain and under the BSP ensures the US. We FiliThe Philippines and Philippine culture that outstanding pinos also tend tend to be perceived internationally examples of Filito perceive our in terms of our colonial history under pino genius in its cultural heritage Spain and under the US. We Filipinos gold, art and nuin terms of our also tend to perceive our cultural mismatic collecCatholic, Hisheritage in terms of our Catholic, tions are shared panicized and Hispanicized and Americanized with the people Americanized identities. through exhibidentities,” Zobel its, books, CDs, de Ayala said. social media and “This exhibiprovincial lection is of great importance be- vention,” he added. tures,” he said. cause it demonstrates to the Tetangco said the BSP’s gold international community, and treasure collection had been PH in the spotlight to everyone at home, that the shown in Europe twice: first Beginning with the opening Philippines had a sophisticat- in the 1990s and in 2013 at the benefit gala dinner in New York ed culture before contact with Musée du quai Branly in Paris on Sept. 10, Asia Society has the West; that we had close in partnership with the French lined up activities to promote ties with the Hindu-Buddhist government.

Philippine culture to a global cultures of Southeast Asia and “In Paris, visitors were audience.

The activities include academic lectures, a pop-up Philippine food bar, musical events, art and design exhibitions, a film festival and live cultural performances.

Other events organized by Asia Society Philippines in Manila will support the activities.

Founded by John Rockefeller Founded in 1956 by American philanthropist John Rockefeller III, Asia Society is a nonpartisan and nonprofit institution dedicated to promoting mutual understanding and strengthening partnerships among peoples, leaders and institutions of Asia and the United States.

Across the fields of arts, business, culture, education and policy, the organization provides insight, generates ideas, and promotes collaboration to deal with present challenges and create a shared future.

Masaysay-Ho, Zobel de Ayala and Loida Nicolas Lewis are driving the gold treasure exhibit with support from the BSP’s Tetangco.

Ayala Museum curator Nina Capistrano Baker and Adriana Proser, John H. Foster senior curator for Traditional Asian Art at Asia Society New York, will co-curate the New York exhibition. ■

Alberto Lim Jr. in 2013.

INT’L TENNIS FEDERATION’S MATCH REPORT / WWW.ITFTENNIS.COM

tough draws in the tournament that lured the best junior players in the region.

“He (Wu) is the best player in China [in his age division],” said Lim, who is mentored by former national coach Martin Misa. “This is a very high level tournament, that’s why the players are also tough.”

Ranked 45th in the world in

PH history... active trading with neighboring kingdoms and islands,” Tetangco said.

With the Philippines drawing international attention as an emerging economy, Tetangco said this was the “most opportune” time for the world to know more about the country and its people “through our history wrought in gold.”

The BSP’s gold collection is displayed at the Met Museum at the BSP head office on Roxas Boulevard while the Locsins’ collection is part of the permanent exhibits at Ayala Museum. “[W]hile some pre-colonial gold pieces found by people unaware of [their] historical value have been irretrievably lost to melting, we can take comfort from the fact that we have two museums in Metro Manila where our people can [see] golden treasures from our past,” Tetangco said. ❰❰ 35

Not primitive

Fernando Zobel de Ayala, president of Ayala Corp., said it was unfortunate that there had not been many opportunities to showcase the Philippines’ rich culture in a significant way in the United States despite the long historical and economic

www.canadianinquirer.net

40

AUGUST 14, 2015

FRIDAY

Technology TECH TIPS:

How to find out everything the Internet knows about you

BY JANE MORALEDA Philippine Canadian Inquirer KNOWING THAT not everything privately posted online remains private, exactly how much personal information are you making available in the Internet? You may not be fully aware but you may be disclosing more sensitive data in the web than intended.

Here we show the information you’re inadvertently giving out online and tell you about data leaks — personal information ending in the public domain which websites, advertising companies and even government agencies may know.

While sharing information in the Internet is unavoidable and completely deleting data already in it cannot be done, we suggest ways to prevent further leaks and reduce your digital footprint.

So, here’s everything the web knows about you.

Who you are

Search Google or other search engines for your name or the name of a person you know. You’d then discover that there is very little privacy online. The results don’t just end with one page. There’s a second, third and more pages about or related to you. Sadly, some information may end up in the first page even if you don’t want them to.

In fact, Google knows everything you’ll ever look for. It doesn’t just feed data; it gets data from you as well — the sites you visit, what social networking sites you belong to, the address of your computer and so much more. If you have a Google account and log into it while searching the web, you make it easier for them to gather information about you and your online activities.

And it’s not just Google. All websites you sign up to will

DOST science week touts Hybrid Road Train DEPARTMENT OF the Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas joins Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Secretary Mario Montejo aboard the proudly Pinoy-made Hybrid Electric Road Train for a short road test on opening day of the recent 2015 National Science and Technology Week (NSTW) at SMX Convention Center in Pasay City.

Designed and constructed by engineers from DOST’s Metals Industry Research and Development Center, the Road Train was developed in response to today’s mass transportation di-

lemma.

Roxas and Montejo discussed possible deployment of the vehicle in EDSA, Roxas Boulevard, Taft Avenue, and Quezon Boulevard.

The road test was followed by free demo rides for the public, attracting throngs of excited passengers including neophyte pop/alternative OPM band BOB. Made up of five interlinked, air conditioned coaches estimated to serve 650,000 passengers a day when rolled out, the Road Train was one of the biggest attractions of the event. ■

SHUTTERSTOCK

know your browsing habits.

Think of Facebook, which may know more about you than your family and friends. The more social networking sites you belong to, the more traces you leave that lead to your identity.

So, how do you limit your digital footprint? Sign out of your media account before searching for anything in the Internet.

Also opt searching in incognito and avoid indicating personal details unnecessarily.

What you say and share

Everything you say and share on the web is public if you don’t take precautionary measures to keep them private. Yes you can always delete unwanted posts and messages in Facebook and Twitter later on but it’s likely that there will still be records of them somewhere. Another person might have already copied and shared your posts elsewhere before you decided to remove them. Google and other search engines also have caches which may contain deleted posts.

There are ways to limit your visibility in the web though by changing public settings to private. But just to be safe, think carefully before sending a message or posting any photo. You can also remove Google cache contents of deleted posts by

going to its Content Removal Page.

Where you go

Every move you make online is tracked. Cookies, which are small data stored on your system by sites you visit, can track where you go. These cookies are then used by advertisers for them to determine which ads you’ve seen. There’s also the web history, though you can regularly clear them or switch to private browsing.

Luckily, some web browsers now have built-in Do Not Track options. But when used alone, they may not come out completely effective. And so, adding a privacy tool may come as handy. DoNotTrackMe, which is one of the best privacy tools, tells if you are being tracked and which persons, companies or organizations are behind it. Disconnect, which is another privacy add-on, prevents Google, Yahoo, Facebook, Twitter and other media websites from tracking your online activities by blocking cookies. Aside from these two, other reputable privacy tools are Ghostery, AVG Do Not Track, I Like Privacy for Chrome and PrivacyFix, among others. You don’t need all these tools though. Just use the one that best suits your need. ■ www.canadianinquirer.net

Pinoy-made Hybrid Electric Road Train.

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

IN TECH:

Facebook’s live video

BY BARBARA ORTUTAY The Associated Press FACEBOOK IS launching its own live streaming service — with a catch: It’s only for famous people.

The streaming tool, called Live, is part of Facebook’s Mentions app, which lets celebrities, athletes, politicians and other public figures interact with fans.

Facebook says Live lets public figures host question and answer sessions, make announcements or take their fans behind the scenes, all in real time.

Live comes amid the popularity of two live-streaming apps available to anyone, Meerkat and Twitter’s Periscope. Facebook says it has been planning its service since last year, before Meerkat and Periscope launched.

The Live videos will be automatically published to the celebrity’s Facebook page so they can be viewed on demand.

The page’s administrators can remove it, just like any other post. Although it’s possible to save streams on Periscope and Meerkat to your phone, this isn’t done automatically. ■

Technology

FRIDAY AUGUST 14, 2015

41

B.C. company’s agile robots crawling where humans can’t

BY CARA MCKENNA The Canadian Press WHAT STARTED as a fun project for two techies on Vancouver Island more than 25 years ago has now become an industry leader in robotic crawlers.

Inuktun Services Ltd.’s remotely operated vehicles, or ROVs, have combed through the radioactive wreckage of a tsunami-hit nuclear plant in Japan, assisted in search and rescue efforts after the Sept.

11 terror attacks, and are being used by the U.S. military.

But despite its international success, the Nanaimo, B.C.based company remains little known at home.

That’s largely because most of its products are sold outside of Canada, said company CEO Colin Dobell.

“We’re not really well-known locally and that’s OK,” he said in a phone interview from the company’s head office.

“We’re more export than anything... oil and gas and nuclear would be our two biggest markets. But we get into a lot of other kind of oddball stuff too that we never even imagined our equipment would be used for.”

Inuktun’s agile robots are

A robot from Inuktun Services Ltd.

WWW.INUKTUN.COM

used to access confined spaces and hazardous environments that humans can’t.

Their clients range from Pacific Gas and Electric Co., which used crawlers to inspect inside a natural gas pipe after a fatal pipeline explosion in California five years ago, to Starbucks, which bought cameras to inspect coffee beans on a conveyor.

Earlier this year, Inuktun announced it was sending a cus-

tom snake-like crawler to the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant to assess the damage from 2011’s massive earthquake and tsunami.

After the 9/11 attacks “we sent robotic equipment to Ground Zero to do search and rescue and search and recovery efforts,” Dobell said.

“A few years ago, we sold a whole bunch of equipment to the U.S. military to actually use in cross-border tunnel investi-

gation in U.S.-Mexico borders and also overseas in the Middle East.”

But Dobell said the most compelling stuff is top secret.

The company is kept quiet by big-name clients that don’t want the public to know what they’re using the technology for.

When Inuktun began in B.C. in 1989, its owners had no idea they would be signing non-disclosure agreements with some

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of the world’s most prominent organizations.

Dobell said that part materialized “largely by accident,” after Inuktun’s co-founders Terry Knight and Al Robinson — both now retired — started the company “as kind of a fun project to take them into retirement.”

“When they started they were building these little swimming ROVs,” he said.

“The idea being you would sit on your boat, throw it over the edge and watch the crabs or chase fish or pick up the keys you dropped.”

Dobell, who came on board in 1996, said the product was too expensive for a recreational market, but got the attention of the nuclear industry, and spawned the creation of different robotic systems to meet customer demand over the years.

The company no longer does underwater work — it sold that technology off to a company in the U.S. — and is now focusing on confined space crawlers, cameras and inspection equipment.

Domestic sales typically account for less than 10 per cent of Inuktun’s business, Dobell said.

“We’d like to be a little better known in Canada, maybe.” ■

Long term forecast from www.theweathernetwork.com CALGARY

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Events

42

Fiesta Filipino 2015 By the Philippine Festival Council of Alberta WHEN/WHERE: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sept. 5, at Calgary Olympic Plaza Downtown MORE INFO: With special guest Matteo Giudicelli

AUGUST 14, 2015

FRIDAY

Freestyle

By Below Zero WHEN/WHERE: Sept. 18, Century Casino Calgary, 1010 42 Ave., SE Calgary, AB

CANADA EVENTS

To have your events featured on PCI, please email events@canadianinquirer.net

YUKON NORTHWEST TERRITORIES

New WelcomePack Canada Distribution Centre

By WelcomePack Canada Inc. WHEN/WHERE: 1 to 5 p.m., Mon, Tues, Thu & Fri at the Filipino Centre Bldg., 597 Parliament St., Suite 103, Toronto, On MORE INFO: Call (416) 928-9355

NUNAVUT

BRITISH COLUMBIA ALBERTA

MANITOBA

SASKATCHEWAN

Community BBQ

By Lawrence Woo WHEN/WHERE: noon to 3 p.m., Aug. 16, Brighouse Park, Richmond, B.C. MORE INFO: Call Daniel Kwong 604-8804150 Seniors Club Burnaby South Walking Club

By Mosaic WHEN/WHERE: July to August, Mosaic Burnaby Centre for Immigrants, 5902 Kingsway, Vancouver, B.C. MORE INFO: Call Jennifer 604-438-8214 PR Renewal Workshop

By Mosaic WHEN/WHERE: 10a.m. to 12 nn, Aug. 17, at Tommy Douglas Burnaby Public Library, 7311 Kingsway, Vancouver, B.C. MORE INFO: Faustin at 604- 438 8214 ext 112 Canadian Citizenship Preparation

By Mosaic WHEN/WHERE: 1to 4 p.m. Aug. 20 & 21, Mosaic Vancouver, 2nd floor, 1720 Grant St. Vancouver, B.C. MORE INFO: Paeony at 604-254 9626 ext 288

ONTARIO

View all events by scanning this QR code or visiting

http://bit.ly/ PCI-Events

Festival

By Filipino Street Festival WHEN/WHERE: Aug. 22 at Sears Garden City, Manitoba

Consular Mission in St. John’s Newfoundland and Labrador By the Philippine Embassy in Ottawa Tagalog Class WHEN/WHERE: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

By FCT Aug. 25; 9 a.m. to 12 nn, Aug. 26, WHEN/WHERE: 10 NEWFOUNDLAND to 11 a.m., every at St. Pius X Church 16 Smithville Saturday, Filipino Centre Toronto Crescent, St. John’s NL MORE INFO: Contact Hon. Consul Homework/Tutorial QUEBEC Class General Hazel Alpuerto at 709-351By FCT 3057 or filassn_nbcin@yahoo.ca WHEN/WHERE: 11a.m. to 12 nn, every Saturday, Filipino Centre Consular Mission in New Toronto Brunswick MORE INFO: For registrations, call NOVA By the Philippine Embassy in 416-928-9355. The office, at 597 SCOTIA Ottawa Parliament St., Suite 103, Toronto, WHEN/WHERE: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. is open on Mondays, Tuesdays, Aug. 27, 28 & 29 at Fredericton Inn, Thursdays and Fridays from 1 to 6 1315 Regent St., Frederiction, NB p.m.

MORE INFO: Roland Moreno – 506-4707203 or Esthela Pyett – 2015 Manitoba Filipino Street 506-2606160

Have that Professional Look

By Iss of BC and Immigrant Women’s Peer Support Program WHEN/WHERE: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Aug. 27 & 28, at 200-404 Cottownwood Ave., Coquitlam MORE INFO: Free workshop for immigrant and refugee women. To register, contact Liza Dela Rosa at 778-861-8499 or email liza.delarosa@issbc.org Drop-In Taichi for Seniors

By Mosaic WHEN/WHERE: 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., up to Aug. 28, at Brentwood Community Resource Centre, 2055 Rosser Ave, Burnaby, B.C. MORE INFO: Call - Jennifer 604-292-3907 Free Drop-In English Conversation Circle

By Mosaic WHEN/WHERE: 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., up to Sept. 21, Vancouver Community Room, 1720 Grand St., Grd. Flr. MORE INFO: Call Pia at 604-254-9626 ext 487 Temporary Foreign Workers Uncontested Divorce Clinic

By Law Courts Center WHEN/WHERE: Saturdays from 2 to 4 p.m., at the www.canadianinquirer.net

Justice Education Society at the Provincial Court of BC Room 260 800 Hornby St., Vancouver B.C. MORE INFO: To book an appointment, call/text 778-322-2839 or email: tfw.divorce@gmail.com 2015 Ancop Walk

By Ancop Canada WHEN/WHERE: 9 a.m., Aug. 23, Holland Park, 13428 Old Yale Rd., Surrey, B.C. MORE INFO: Register and join at www. ancopcanada.org Dr. Holmes on Life, Love & Lust

By Vancouver Public Library and the U.P. Alumni Association in B.C. WHEN/WHERE: 6:30 to 8 p.m., Sept. 24, Vancouver Public Library Central Branch, 350 W. Georgia St., Vancouver, B.C. MORE INFO: The subject of sex remains deeply personal--even taboo--in this day and age. It is a social minefield capable of inducing both distress and hysterical laughter. Sex therapist, clinical psychologist, and author Dr. Margarita 'Margie' Holmes, a popular no-nonsense sex therapist in the Philippines, tells us why through her dazzling humour and straightforward answers to the provocative questions.

AUGUST 14, 2015

43

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44

AUGUST 14, 2015

FRIDAY

Food RECIPES

Versatile and plentiful, zucchini has endless savoury and sweet applications

BY SUSAN GREER The Canadian Press LONDON, ONTARIO — If you don’t know someone who’s trying to give away zucchini right now, you probably don’t know anyone who is growing it.

This summer squash grows easily and in great abundance, and if it’s not picked when it’s relatively small — 15 to 20 centimetres (six to eight inches) — an individual zucchini can grow as big as your arm. And the thing is, the big ones are just as edible as the little ones, although they may be a little more fibrous.

Fortunately, there is almost no end to the culinary uses of zucchini.

“It grows so prolifically that when people had a lot of it, they got very inventive with what they would do with it,” says Yvonne Tremblay, a freelance recipe developer, food stylist and cookbook author from Mississauga, Ontario.

She always cooks zucchini and cites classic dishes such as ratatouille (a traditional Provencal stew of eggplant, zucchini, onion, tomato and peppers) or grilled summer vegetable medleys among her favourite uses. It’s also great in soups.

But zucchini is equally good raw — shredded into slaw, sliced into green salads, eaten as a solo snack or as part of a crudite platter with dip.

It can also be made into jams, relishes and pickles, can be used as a substitute for pasta, can be cooked into lasagna or omelettes, used as a pizza topping, baked into chips or hollowed out and stuffed with almost anything from a mushroom mixture to cheese, meats, other vegetables or breadcrumb mixtures.

Before stuffing a zucchini to be baked, the hollowed-out shell should be slightly baked on its own, cut side down, to

The ever-so-versatile Zucchini.

eliminate some of the moisture content, Tremblay advises.

It lends itself equally well as an ingredient in desserts, including cakes, cookies, chocolate brownies and endless varieties of breads or sweet loaves.

What makes zucchini so versatile is its mild taste. Some might even call it bland. But this makes it receptive to combinations with an endless selection of other foods.

Zucchini is classed as a summer squash, along with summer crookneck, pattypan and vegetable marrow, partly because it is available earlier in the growing season than most squashes but also because it is fairly fragile and cannot be stored for long periods.

According to Foodland Ontario, the designation of summer squash “dates back to a time when the seasons were more crucial to man’s survival than they are now. Good keepers became known as winter vegetables if they would keep until December.”

Unlike heartier winter squash, all parts of zucchini are edible, including the flowers, flesh, seeds and skin.

There are two main varieties — dark green, which may be

SHUTTERSTOCK

striped or speckled, and bright yellow or golden. The two are “quite similar” in terms of taste, texture and moisture content, says Tremblay, although the yellow may be slightly milder.

There are also a few heirloom varieties, including an Italian zucchini called Ronde de Nice, which is round.

The word zucchini is Italian for “little squash,” but in some parts of the world it is known by its French name, courgette.

Although thought of by most people as a vegetable, it is actually a fruit that develops (like tomatoes) from the blossoms on the vine.

To prepare, thoroughly scrub under running water until the skin feels clean. Be sure to taste a little raw zucchini before using as older produce can become quite bitter.

Fresh zucchini will keep in plastic wrap in the refrigerator for about a week. It also can be frozen. Experts suggest blanching it very briefly (about one minute) in boiling, unsalted water and then freezing pieces in a single layer on a tray before packaging. The texture will not be exactly the same as fresh zucchini when thawed, but it should still be firm. www.canadianinquirer.net

CHICKEN, CORN AND ZUCCHINI ENCHILADAS

Zucchini is popular in combination with other ingredients fresh from the garden. This Mexican standard can easily be made vegetarian by substituting cooked black beans for the chicken.

If the jar of green salsa you purchase is slightly smaller than the quantity called for in the recipe, add chicken broth to make up the difference.

• 15 ml (1 tbsp) vegetable oil • 250 g (1/2 lb) boneless skinless chicken breasts, diced • 15 ml (1 tbsp) ground cumin • 10 ml (2 tsp) ground coriander • 1 ml (1/4 tsp) pepper • 1 large clove garlic, minced • 425 ml (1 3/4 cups) fresh corn kernels (2 to 3 cobs) • 250 ml (1 cup) diced zucchini (about 1 medium) • 175 ml (3/4 cup) diced sweet red pepper • 2 green onions, sliced • 500 ml (2 cups) Mexican green salsa (salsa verde), divided • 8 flour tortillas (each 18cm/7 inches in diameter) or 16 tortillas (each 12cm/5 inches in

diameter) • 500 ml (2 cups) shredded Tex-Mex cheese • 375 ml (1 1/2 cups) diced field tomatoes • 125 ml (1/2 cup) chopped fresh coriander Preheat oven to 190 C (375 F).

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken, cumin, ground coriander and pepper; cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes. Add garlic, corn, zucchini and red pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 5 minutes or until chicken is lightly browned and vegetables are slightly softened. Stir in green onions and 125 ml (1/2 cup) of the salsa.

Cover tortillas with paper towels and heat in microwave on high for 1 minute.

Place about 125 ml (1/2 cup) filling in the centre of each tortilla. Roll up tortillas and place seam side down in a greased 33x23 cm (13x9 inch) baking dish. Pour remaining salsa evenly over enchiladas. Top with cheese.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until bubbling and golden brown.

Serve with tomatoes and garnish with chopped coriander.

Makes 4 servings.

Source: Foodland Ontario ZUCCHINI BASIL SOUP

This is a tasty soup that’s ideal in summer when the main ingredients are plentiful. It can be served hot or chilled and freezes well.

• 15 ml (1 tbsp) oil • 1 medium onion, chopped • 2 cloves garlic, minced • 5 medium zucchini, chopped • 1 l (4 cups) chicken or vegetable stock • 15 ml (1 tbsp) lemon juice • 10 ml (2 tsp) granulated sugar • 75 ml (1/3 cup) chopped fresh basil ❱❱ PAGE 47 Versatile and

FRIDAY AUGUST 14, 2015

Seen & Scenes: Vancouver

PINOY FIESTA 2015 Scenes from the most awaited and biggest Filipino cultural event in Canada, the Pinoy Fiesta Vancouver, featuring Solenn Heussaff, Aug. 9 at Memorial South Park in Vancouver, B.C.

www.canadianinquirer.net

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46

Seen and Scenes

AUGUST 14, 2015

PNB GLOBAL REMIT GOES TO FILIPINO EVENTS

MABUHAY CUP

Manuel Arnaldo (3rd from L), president of PNB Global Remit, and his staff members namely Grace Barlaan, Grace Letrondo, and Joel Veridiano connect with members of the Filipino community through various activities in Toronto, ON and other areas in Canada.

The remittance company has launched projects like free money remittance during birthdays, free remittance for all new remitters including returning remitters, free remittance for loyal patrons, and seniors’ day with 50 percent discount during Wednesdays. (Dindo Orbeso, St. Jamestown News Service)

The Mabuhay Cup Invitational Basketball Tournament ceremonial yoss by Mayor John Tory, NBA LA Lakers Jordan Clarkson, Prexy Norma Carpio, assisted

by Michael Levitt, Agnes Miranda and Ramon Fermin.

2015 Pageant winners (from L) Conida Marie Halley, Miss Philippines; Kelly McIlroy, Miss Sports Model; and Marina Saleeb, 1st Runner-Up.

DINNER-DANCE Thorncliffe Neighborhood Office Dinner-Dance Fund-raising event organized by Alberto Rodil on Aug. 8, at The Greek Community Hall.

MABUHAY CUP Philippine Press Club of Ontario’s annual picnic on Aug. 8 at Niagara on the Lake (Photos

by Amelia Insigne).

HALO HALO FESTIVAL Pictures from the Halo Halo Festival on Aug. 9, at the Artscape Wychwood Barn in Toronto organized by Anne Nacorda and Marcy (Photos by Amelia Insigne).

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

FRIDAY

Food

FRIDAY AUGUST 14, 2015

47

Verstaile and...

• 60 ml (4 tbsp) Greek yogurt or sour cream • Basil sprigs and paprika, for garnish In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, for 7 minutes or until softened.

Add garlic and zucchini, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes.

Stir in stock, lemon juice and sugar. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 15 minutes or until zucchini is tender. Stir in chopped basil.

Simmer for 1 minute longer.

In a blender or food processor, puree soup in small batches until smooth. Return to saucepan to heat through.

Spoon into serving bowls.

Add 15 ml (1 tbsp) of the yogurt to centre of each serving. Garnish with a sprig of basil and a sprinkle of paprika.

Makes 4 servings.

Source: “Thyme in the Kitchen: Cooking With Fresh Herbs” by Yvonne Tremblay ❰❰ 44

GINGERED ZUCCHINI MARMALADE

This citrusy marmalade is a refreshing accompaniment to various meats or delicious simply spread on a piece of toast. It keeps for three weeks in the refrigerator and tastes better the day after it’s made.

• 500 ml (2 cups) finely diced zucchini • 1 orange • 1 lemon • 30 ml (2 tbsp) grated peeled fresh ginger • 1 apple, cored and cut into quarters • 500 ml (2 cups) sugar Place zucchini in a stainlesssteel saucepan.

Zest orange and lemon and add to zucchini. Peel orange and lemon. Place peel and ginger on a piece of cheesecloth. Gather up the edges and tie with string to make a bouquet garni.

In a blender or food processor, puree apple, orange and lemon together.

Combine fruit puree and sugar with zucchini, and place with bouquet garni in a saucepan.

Bring to a boil, stirring constantly while heating. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 45 minutes. Discard bouquet garni.

Puree mixture using a hand

Lay’s Canada.

Zucchini marmalade.

blender until it resembles a relish or chutney.

Let cool and store in refrigerator.

Source: Dairy Farmers of Canada (www.dairygoodness.ca) MINI ZUCCHINI CHOCOLATE CHIP MUFFINS

Baked into golden, moist muffins with warm spices, a touch of honey and a hit of chocolate, zucchini never tasted so good.

If desired, replace chocolate chips with chopped toasted pecans, walnuts or almonds and/or substitute 15 ml (1 tbsp) minced fresh ginger for ground, adding it with the juice.

• 375 ml (1 1/2 cups) wholewheat flour • 250 ml (1 cup) all-purpose flour • 10 ml (2 tsp) baking powder • 10 ml (2 tsp) ground cinnamon • 5 ml (1 tsp) ground ginger • 2 ml (1/2 tsp) baking soda • 2 ml (1/2 tsp) salt • 1 egg • 250 ml (1 cup) milk • 150 ml (2/3 cup) liquid honey • 50 ml (1/4 cup) melted butter • 30 ml (2 tbsp) freshly squeezed orange or lemon juice • 250 ml (1 cup) shredded zucchini (about 1 small) • 125 ml (1/2 cup) miniature semisweet chocolate chips Preheat oven to 190 C (375 F). Butter non-stick miniature muffin pans or line with paper liners.

In a large bowl, whisk together both flours, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, whisk together egg, milk, honey, butter and orange juice until blended. Pour over dry ingredients and sprinkle with zucchini and chocolate chips; stir just until moistened.

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Spoon into prepared muffin pans filling 24 deep cups or 36 shallow cups. Bake, in batches as necessary, for 15 to 18 minutes or until tops are firm to the touch. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes. Transfer to rack to let cool completely.

Makes about 2 dozen muffins.

Source: Dairy Farmers of Canada (www.dairygoodness.ca) HAVARTI AND ZUCCHINI STACKS

These savoury snacks or appetizers can be organized ahead of time and the zucchini roasted in the oven at the last minute before assembly.

If desired, substitute medium cheddar or Monterey Jack for the havarti cheese.

• 2 zucchini, sliced lengthwise, 5 mm (1/4 inch) thick and 10 cm (4 inches) long • 3 plum tomatoes, seeded and quartered • 15 ml (1 tbsp) melted butter • 10 ml (2 tsp) fresh rosemary, chopped • Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste • 175 g (6 oz) havarti cheese, cut into slices (10 cm by 2 1/2 cm/4 inches by 1 inch) Preheat oven to 220 C (425 F).

On a parchment-lined baking sheet, spread out zucchini slices on one side and tomato quarters on the other. Sprinkle with melted butter and rosemary; season with salt and pepper. Cook for 15 minutes.

Remove skin from tomatoes, then place in a bowl. Crush with a fork.

Alternate zucchini and havarti slices in layers while the zucchini is hot so that the cheese softens.

Serve with crushed tomatoes.

Source: Dairy Farmers of Canada (www.dairygoodness.ca) www.canadianinquirer.net

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Four regions of Canada inspire favourite flavours in Lay’s potato chip contest THE CANADIAN PRESS MISSISSAUGA, ONTARIO — Four finalists have been chosen for Lay’s Canada’s Do Us a Flavour Tastes of Canada contest.

Contestants were asked to come up with a potato chip recipe idea based on their favourite food and the Canadian region that inspired it.

The company said it received almost 950,000 submissions.

The four flavours, which will be available in stores in early August for a limited time, are: — Cowboy BBQ Beans on Lay’s Wavy by Brenda Boghean of Calgary, inspired by rodeo food in Western Canada.

— Butter Chicken on Lay’s Original by Darryl Francispillai of Mississauga, Ontario, inspired by his South Asian heritage and home in Ontario.

— Montreal Smoked Meat on Lay’s Original by Zdravko

Gunjevic of Waterloo, Ontario, inspired by Quebec and named for that city’s deli favourite.

— PEI Scalloped Potatoes on Lay’s Original by Jordan Cairns of Burlington, Ontario, inspired by his favourite side dish at family dinners and the spuds’ cultivation in Atlantic Canada.

Voting to determine the top chip flavour runs from Aug. 11 to Sept 30. Canadians can vote at Lays.ca/Flavour, on Twitter or Instagram, or by text.

The finalist garnering the most votes will win $50,000 plus one per cent of their flavour’s future sales.

The winning flavour will be announced and available across Canada in late November.

Jalapeno Mac N’ Cheese created by Randall Litman of Calgary was the 2014 contest winner, and Maple Moose, devised

by Tyler LeFrense of Isle Aux Morts, N.L., won in 2013. ■

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AUGUST 14, 2015

www.canadianinquirer.net

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