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VOL. 6 NO. 221

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More LP solons jump ship to join ruling party

Seek to understand Duterte, aides urge

Del Rosario lauds Duterte admin acceptance of EDCA

Ex-Stanford swimmer’s jail term decried as too lenient

Do you know what drugs your kids are doing?

All senators will get chance to propose amendments to assisted dying law

CONDUCT UNBECOMING

THE CANADIAN PRESS

President-elect Rodrigo Duterte is in hot water for displaying unpresidential behavior.

NINO JESUS ORBETA / PDI

Watch your language, Robredo reminds Duterte

BY DJ YAP Philippine Daily Inquirer VICE PRESIDENT-ELECT Leni Robredo yesterday gently reminded President-elect Rodrigo Duterte to have more “circumspection” in his public pronouncements, as his provocative remarks on journalists’ murders and his behavior toward women have provoked

a media firestorm.

In a veiled, carefully worded statement, the outgoing Camarines Sur representative spoke of the sensitivity of the President’s office and how his remarks were always to be construed as official declarations.

“It is a testament to the power and prestige of the presidency that each

Vancouver Consulate marks milestone anniversary

OTTAWA — Every senator will get a chance to propose amendments to the federal government’s proposed new law on medically assisted dying.

The Senate’s legal and constitutional affairs committee has decided to forgo the usual procedure of recommending amendments to the upper house.

With so many senators keenly interested in Bill C-14, committee members have decided they’d be wasting time and effort to try to come up with amendments just among themselves.

Instead, all senators will be involved in proposing amendments during debate on third and final reading of the bill, which is expected to start Wednesday.

Given the disparate views of senators, with some thinking the bill goes too far and others feeling it doesn’t go far

❱❱ PAGE 23 ❱❱ PAGE 6 Watch your

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❱❱ PAGE 18 All senators

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FRIDAY

Philippine News

FRIDAY JUNE 10, 2016

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No place in the country that I’m afraid to go to because we neglected them – Pres. Aquino

BY JELLY F. MUSICO Philippines News Agency

Adopt-A-School Program volunteers from SM City Masinag paint the gate of the Mayamot Elementary School along Sumulong Highway in Barangay Mayamot, Antipolo City as part of the preparations for the reopening of classes on June 13.

VANIZA PACHOCO / PNA

K-12 makes Filipinos more competitive amid ASEAN integration — Briones

BY FILANE MIKEE Z. CERVANTES Philippines News Agency MANILA — In the face of the ASEAN integration, “competition for jobs will get tougher even in our own country,” the next head of the Department of Education (DepEd) has warned.

In a press briefing on Monday, incoming Education Secretary Leonor Briones said the government implemented the K-12 program “to make us competitive in our own country,” especially with a balanced view of internal as well as external factors.

The emergence of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) provides a common market with a free movement of labor. This means, Briones pointed, that anybody can come to the Philippines and land a job, thereby creating stiff competition.

ASEAN is composed of Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

“With ASEAN integration, excess professionals from other countries would come to the Philippines and you can expect perhaps, multinationals who are here, will tell again to count the number of years (of basic education),” said Briones.

“Because a person’s capacity to work, or to deal with his work and responsibilities, is not only determined by his technical side but also the kind of broad education he gets,” she added.

Briones said a person who has spent two years of technical-vocational education is clearly at an advantage in con-

trast to someone who has learned it on his own.

“You go to the Middle East, you go to Europe, you go to the United States, our doctors, our engineers, our dentists, our teachers — even if you have an equivalent degree like a PhD, or a certificate or what — would tend to be ranked lower than counterparts primarily because they count the number of years that you spend in basic education,” said Briones.

The incoming DepEd official therefore advised parents and other critics to veer away from the old mindset of two more years of additional expenses, or else risk being left behind in these changing realities.

Briones, who is also former National Treasurer, noted that the present allocations for the education sector, even if they have fulfilled the constitutional requirements, are not enough.

“Because of these developments, we really have to spend more on education.

You cannot just set the Constitution as a standard. It has to be as sufficient and as responsive to the needs (of the education sector),” she said.

The K to 12 Program covers Kindergarten and 12 years of basic education to provide sufficient time for mastery of concepts and skills, develop lifelong learners, and prepare graduates for tertiary education, middle-level skills development, employment, and entrepreneurship.

The Philippines is the last country in Asia and one of only three countries worldwide with a 10-year pre-university cycle (Angola and Djibouti are the other two). ■

MANILA — With only 23 days left before he steps down, President Benigno Aquino III on Tuesday said he can go anywhere in the country without fear of being blamed for not helping the countryside throughout his six-year presidency.

“There is no place in the country that I’m afraid to go to because we neglected them,” Aquino said in an exclusive interview with Rappler.com. founder Maria Ressa.

President Aquino said his administration has implemented numerous infrastructure projects, including a skyway that will connect the North Luzon Expressway and South Luzon Expressway.

“We can talk about multiples of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) families and so many other achievements,” he said.

The beneficiaries of the 4Ps or the Cash Conditional Transfer program

have increased significantly from over 700,000 in 2010 to 4.4 million active household-beneficiaries, including 570,056 indigenous households.

The outgoing leader of the country believed that his administration has eliminated “a lot of these problems.”

“We’ve planted the right seeds and it’s for you to nurture so that we will have the real growth or the complete growth that we all aspire for,” he added.

Under the Aquino administration, the Philippines’s label as the ‘‘Sick Man of Asia” has been eradicated, thanks to the anti-corruption campaign that made the country’s economy as one of the fast growing in Asia.

President Aquino said he was very honored to serve the Filipino people for the last six years.

He will step down on June 30 as the country’s 15th President, hoping incoming President Rodrigo Duterte will continue the good programs that the Aquino administration have started. ■

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FRIDAY

Philippine News

FRIDAY JUNE 10, 2016

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MMDA says it’s ready for La Niña Rains to test agency’s advanced preparations

BY MARICAR B. BRIZUELA Philippine Daily Inquirer FROM CONDUCTING rescue training for barangay officials to unclogging waterways, everything possible has been done by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) to prepare for the coming of the rainy season.

“We believe that we are already prepared but since they consider this La Niña season, we don’t know if our advanced preparation will be sufficient,” MMDA Chair Emerson Carlos said during the agency’s Sunday radio program.

He added, however, that they were banking on the upgrading of their pumping stations’ capacity, a project that was completed last year.

MMDA Flood Control and Sewerage Management Office head Baltazar Melgar said that the agency’s experience during Tropical Storm “Ondoy” had taught them to ensure the preparedness of barangay officials

for typhoons that may cause flooding in low-lying areas.

“Almost every flood-prone area in Marikina City, like Nangka and Tumana, has its own fiber glass boats,” Melgar told listeners. According to him, aside from providing rescue boats, they also conducted rescue training for residents so that they could help others trapped in flooded areas.

However, Melgar said that the MMDA would resort to deploying those rescue teams only when they were direly needed.

“As much as possible, we [prefer] to evacuate people [before the floods hit],” he stressed.

On top of its rescue training program, the MMDA announced earlier that it had upgraded its pumping stations, cleared the drainage system in the metropolis and unclogged waterways to avoid heavy flooding, especially in 85 identified flood-prone areas.

These include Araneta Avenue, Edsa-Aurora Boulevard and Edsa-Tuazon underpass in Quezon City; Blumentritt, Dap-

Look at our deeds, not our friends–Cusi

BY GIL CABACUNGAN Philippine Daily Inquirer ONE OF those President-elect Rodrigo Duterte has named to his Cabinet has defended his appointments, saying they should be appraised based on their individual accomplishments and not lumped together as part of a clique from past administrations.

Alfonso Cusi said he felt it was unfair of people to criticize his appointment as secretary of energy just because he was a friend of former first gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo.

Cusi, who served as airport and ports managers during the administration of Arroyo’s wife, President Gloria MacapagalArroyo, said Duterte personally vetted his Cabinet appointees and chose them largely on their experience running a government office.

“There are no Arroyo or Mar

boys here. It would be a waste not to use our experience just because you don’t like the people we were associated with in the past,” Cusi said.

“They should look at us as individuals and not as friends or relatives of people that they do not like,” he added, stressing that he and the other appointees deserved a chance to show their worth.

Cusi said that as energy secretary, his first priority would be to ensure the electrification of every barangay.

“We still have sitios that do not have electricity so they are deprived of an education and the internet. Light is something that we have to solve first,” he said.

Aside from rural electrification, Cusi said he would look into the power supply problems that have beset Mindanao for years, particularly of the Agus hydropower plant in Iligan which, if properly addressed, would end Mindanao’s chronic outages. ■

itan and V. Mapa in Manila; C-5 Bagong Ilog in Pasig City; Edsa Pasong Tamo Tunnel, Edsa Ayala Tunnel and Magallanes Interchange in Makati City; and Edsa-Taft and FB Harrison-Edsa in Pasay City. Also identified were Ninoy Aquino Avenue fronting Pagcor in Parañaque City, the Alabang Zapote Road in Las Piñas, East Service Road in Muntinlupa City, the DagatDagatan Avenue Extension in Malabon City and North Bay Boulevard in Navotas City.

To reduce flooding in these places, Carlos said that they had upgraded the capacity of their pumping stations by 25 percent.

According to him, the upgrading project was completed last year although its effectivity has yet to be tested—something that could only be done during the rainy season.

Melgar added that all of the MMDA’s 54 pumping stations were fully functional, able to pump 350 drums of floodwater every second.

Another helpful project of

Garbage from various areas around Manila Bay settles along the seashore in Baseco compound in Tondo, Manila. This further aggravates the already severe flooding experienced throughout Metro Manila during the rainy season.

AVITO C. DALAN / PNA

the MMDA this rainy season, according to Carlos, is the Effective Flood Control Operating System, a rehabilitated flood control and earlywarning project which can alert Metro residents to possible flooding

an hour before it happens.

The project, which is based at the Rosario Pumping Station in Manggahan, Pasig City, was handed over by the Japan International Cooperation Agency to the MMDA last March. ■

Duterte warns media; no apologies

BY TARRA QUISMUNDO Philippine Daily Inquirer DAVAO CITY—“IF you hit me, I will hit right back.”

President-elect Rodrigo Duterte served that warning on “paid hacks” and “lowlifes” in the media as he slammed the industry for employing crooked journalists.

In a 20-minute “rant” before taking questions from reporters on Thursday night, the foulmouthed mayor of Davao City distinguished between the “crusaders” and the “extortionists” in the media, telling the journalists that he could do as much damage to them as they might do to him.

“I can spend the next six years of my presidency exposing you and attacking you. This is not a one-sided affair,” he said.

“There are politicians who would accept and swallow [your attacks]. Not me,” he added.

Duterte spoke after drawing condemnation from local and www.canadianinquirer.net

international media groups for saying on Tuesday that corrupt journalists were legitimate targets of assassination. The international journalists’ group Reporters Without Borders called for a boycott of Duterte’s press conferences.

About 175 journalists have been killed in the Philippines since 1986, making the country the second deadliest in the world for the press.

“No apologies, no nothing,” Duterte said on Thursday. “I’m just telling you the terrain. No apologies. Bullshit.”

“I am not getting back at you.

I am challenging you,” Duterte said. “I can have my own website and attack you. All that I have to do is to research your life and the life of your children and I will just put it there.

That’s how it is.”

Duterte said he was “willing to throw my last card” and “even lose the privilege before the inauguration” just to expose rogues in the media.

“That’s why I said I can lose

the presidency anytime. I can lose my life and honor anytime.

That’s what I said. I will not die if I do not become President. So don’t fuck with me,” he said.

“If worst comes to worst, wewill just expose each other. Go ahead, I’ll give you the names of journalists to whom I’ve given money. Do you want that?” he said.

Asked whether politicians like him who give in to demands of payoff were not part of the problem, Duterte made a distinction between legitimate “PR” (public relations) work and extortionist journalism.

Claiming he had long known how reporters worked throughout his public life, Duterte said there were three kinds of journalists in the Philippines: the crusaders who expose the truth and do not accept bribes, the publicists who work as “mouthpieces” of vested interests, and “the lowlifes” whose greed is unlimited.

Of the third kind, Duterte said “they abound.” ■

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Philippine News

JUNE 10, 2016

FRIDAY

Miriam out of ICU, in stable condition Church keeps silent amid Rody’s rants

BY CHRISTINE O. AVENDAÑO Philippine Daily Inquirer

SEN. MIRIAM Defensor-Santiago, who is being treated for pneumonia due to complications from lung cancer, is now recovering in a private room at the Makati Medical Center (MMC) after being transferred there midday yesterday, according to a statement from her office.

Santiago had spent almost two days at the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

“She is now in stable condition,” said a statement released

by Santiago’s office on her latest condition.

The 70-year-old Santiago, who has stage 4 lung cancer, was rushed to the hospital last Monday. She was transferred to the ICU on Tuesday night.

Santiago announced on July 2, 2014, that she had lung cancer.

Last year, she said she had beaten cancer after joining a clinical trial for a new anticancer treatment drug and announced that she was eyeing the presidency.

She did run for President on the May 9 elections but lost to Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte. Just last month, the senator, whose term ends on June 30, wrote Senate President Franklin Drilon to inform

BY JOCELYN R. UY Philippine Daily Inquirer

The 70-year-old Santiago, who has stage 4 lung cancer, was rushed to the hospital and was transferred to the ICU the next night.

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the chamber that she would continue with her medical leave as she had developed anorexia or inability to eat due to her medications.

In its statement, Santiago’s office said “she was met by a steady stream of visitors bearing presents” when she was rushed to MMC. The hospital management has since discouraged visitors and gifts for the senator.

In lieu of the gifts, the staff has asked her supporters “to express sympathy and compassion, and to send prayer cards to the senator’s official Facebook page.”

Senators went to Twitter to say they were praying and hoping for Santiago’s swift recov-

ery.

“My prayers for @senmiriam’s immediate recovery. Despite her illness, she has shown us that serving the country still comes first,” said Sen. Nancy Binay.

Sen. JV Ejercito tweeted, “@ senmiriam, praying for your speedy recovery madame!”

“Hoping and praying for Senator Miriam’s speedy recovery.

Your tremendous courage is an inspiration to us all,” Sen. Loren Legarda said.

Sen. Juan Edgardo Angara tweeted, “Hope she is OK.” Former Sen. Aquilino Pimentel Jr. said he sent a message to Santiago’s office and was happy to know her condition has improved. ■

to succeed, we are helping our nation—and ourselves—succeed,” she said.

Her support, according to Robredo, “includes providing, with the other members of his team, other perspectives on various issues to broaden his view, and afford him the breadth of vision that is so essential to the leader of our nation.”

Robredo noted the Philippines’ positive record in pushing for gender equality and expressed hope that the new government would continue in this direction.

“The Philippines has played a leading role in the promotion of human rights and the advancement of gender equality. I trust our country’s leaders will con-

tinue to uphold this honorable legacy in every word and deed,” she said.

Robredo expressed optimism that Duterte would uphold the rule of law.

“I continue to be reassured by the President-elect’s repeated assertions that he will uphold the rule of law, as well as by his strong record of promoting women’s rights during his service as Davao City mayor,” she said.

“I hope that these commitments will be more clearly reflected in his public pronouncements,” Robredo added.

She reassured the public that she would continue to be a strong voice for the advancement of human rights. ■

Watch your... statement and each action of our leader is taken as an indicator of official policy,” Robredo said.

“Hence the need for constant vigilance and circumspection, to avoid raising any unnecessary concern, particularly over issues as sensitive as the murder of journalists and the treatment of women in our society,” she said.

The widow of former Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo, however, was careful to frame her remarks, repeatedly expressing her support for the Duterte administration.

“I have always taken the position that we should give our full support to our newly elected President. When we help him ❰❰ 1

www.canadianinquirer.net

“MINE IS the silence of respect for those who consider us their enemies but whose good we truly pray for and whose happiness we want to see unfold.”

Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas yesterday broke his silence by issuing a statement underscoring the virtue of silence amid the vitriol spewed against the Catholic Church by incoming President Rodrigo Duterte.

Duterte has described the Catholic Church as “the most hypocritical institution” and called the bishops “sons of bitches.”

The foul-mouthed Presidentelect has also said that some bishops are corrupt, asking favors from politicians, including him.

In his statement titled “Understanding Silence,” Villegas said there was “nobility in silence” and that silence should not always be interpreted as “fear of the cowards.”

“There is virtue in silence.

There is virtue in speech. Wisdom is knowing when it is time for silence and when it is the time for speech,” said Villegas, also the president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines.

While the statement appeared to explain why the Church hierarchy chose to be quiet in the face of the latest attacks against the Catholic Church, Villegas yesterday told the INQUIRER in a text message that he was making the statement as a Filipino who wanted to help his fellow Filipinos “discern substance from noise.”

In his statement, he asked: “Are we still at ease with silence? Has the noise of violence and terror drowned the voice of quiet conscience? Do we always interpret silence as fear of the cowards; the destiny imposed on the unwilling mute; the refuge of the guilty?”

Silence of the lambs

“It is not always so,” he said.

“Mine is the silence of Jesus before the arrogance of Pilate.

Mine is the silence of the tears from mourning trying to fathom the mystery of death.”

“Mine is the silence of prayer contemplating the divine mys-

teries. Mine is the silence of the bud blooming quietly without calling attention to itself.

Mine is the silence of a hopeful mother waiting to give birth to her infant. Mine is the language of peace that refuses the dark magic of revenge,” he said.

He explained that there was dignity in being silent, likening it to the “silence of the lambs brought to slaughter in the temple to atone for sins,” to the “silence of the desert mystics that pierced the hidden secrets of the heart of God” and to the “silence of the woman who treasured all those things in her heart.”

“Silence indeed is the language of God and only those who speak silence will be able to grasp Him,” Villegas said.

Months before the May 9 elections, Villegas encouraged the faithful to seriously think about the kind of leadership Duterte would offer the country after the Davao mayor, during his proclamation rally, cursed Pope Francis for the heavy traffic triggered by the papal visit in January last year.

Beastly and barbaric

Villegas said vulgarity was also a form of corruption.

“When we find vulgarity funny, we have really become beastly and barbaric as a people,” he said in a strongly worded statement in December.

The last statement he made concerning Duterte was in April after the longtime mayor made a joke about an Australian lay missionary who was raped and killed during a prison riot in Davao City in 1989.

In his Facebook post, Villegas shared a link of the controversial video clip of Duterte and asked Filipino voters to judge for themselves whether Duterte was the right choice for the presidency.

In a news conference last month, Duterte questioned the relevance of Catholic bishops, noting his overwhelming victory in the national elections despite their efforts to sway Filipinos against voting for him.

Aside from accusing some bishops of corruption, Duterte threatened to start naming bishops who got married or have women, saying that the Church “will explode” if he makes public their wrongdoing. ■

Philippine News

FRIDAY JUNE 10, 2016

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More LP solons jump ship to join ruling party

BY GIL CABACUNGAN Philippine Daily Inquirer

No conditional alliance

STALWARTS OF the ruling Liberal Party joined the exodus to President-elect Rodrigo Duterte’s Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) as an LP leader, Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr., hemmed and hawed on whether he himself should join the majority coalition in the House of Representatives.

Incoming Davao del Norte Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez, Duterte’s handpicked Speaker in the 17th Congress, told reporters yesterday that he had been waiting for Belmonte’s final decision either to join the coalition or lead the minority.

Belmonte has so far held his cards ROBERT VIÑAS / PRESIDENTIAL COMMUNICATIONS OPERATIONS OFFICE / OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT close to his chest, declining to reveal his game plan under the incoming Duterte He reiterated that the LP could join the House which has not signed a coadministration that has announced a the coalition without leaving the party alition agreement to support Duterte’s farreaching legislative agenda that in- provided that none of them would join legislative agenda and Alvarez as cludes amending the 1987 Constitution the minority.

Speaker made up of the Nacionalista and shifting the country to the federal Alvarez said he did not agree with Bel- Party, Nationalist People’s Coalition, system. monte’s plan for the bulk of LP mem- Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats, Yesterday, Alvarez swore in 13 new bers to join the House majority while he Makabayan bloc and Party-List Coalimembers to PDP-Laban, 10 of whom and a small contingent of LP members tion bloc, the Coalition for Change is were from the LP—Iloilo City Rep. Jerry would take control of the minority bloc. expected to have as much 90 percent, P. Treñas, leader of the Visayas bloc and He said any LP member joining the ma- or 260 of the 290, members in the 17th one of the biggest supporters of losing jority would have to switch to PDP-La- Congress. presidential candidate Mar Roxas; Ori- ban if Belmonte insisted on running the ental Mindoro Rep. Reynaldo V. Umali, minority bloc. chair of the House committee on enAquino approval ergy and brother of Belmonte himself President Aquino’s said Mr. Aquino had best friend, Oriental [Belmonte] approved the plan of Mindoro Rep. Alreiterated most LP members fonso Umali; Catanthat the LP to join the Duterte duanes Rep. Cesar V. could join coalition in order to Sarmiento, chair of the coalition get a proportionate the House commitwithout leaving share of the committee on transportathe party tee chairmanships tion; Leyte Rep. Lucy provided that and memberships.

Torres-Gomez; Canone of them An LP member, marines Norte Rep. would join the who requested anoRenato Unico Jr.; minority. nymity for lack of Sorsogon Rep. Deauthority to speak for ogracias B. Ramos Jr.; the party, said while Guimaras Rep. Ma. Belmonte had kept Lucille Nava; Zamboparty mates guessanga del Norte Rep. Glona Labadlabad; ing on his plans, most LP members had North Cotabato Rep. Jesus N. Sacdalan; decided to jump ship to ensure that they Maguindanao Rep. Zajid G. Manguda- get first crack or priority in the distribudatu. tion of congressional posts.

The new PDP-Laban members who Among the first to leave the LP was were sworn in at a simple ceremony at Ilocos Sur Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas who the Dusit Hotel were Negros Oriental Alvarez said would be his majority floor Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr. and La Union leader.

Rep. Sandra Eriguel of the Nationalist PDP-Laban vice chair Alfonso Cusi People’s Coalition; and Leyte Rep. Vi- estimated that at least 60 members had cente Sofronio Veloso of the National been added to PDP-Laban’s House rosUnity Party. ter which started with only three members. Cusi said the bulk of the new PDPDisagreement Laban members were from the LP. Alvarez said he was supposed to meet Alvarez expected PDP-Laban to have with Belmonte yesterday but it was can- 80100 members at the end of its recruitceled at the last minute. “He is still prob- ment. ably gathering data,” Alvarez said.

The LP is the only major party left in www.canadianinquirer.net

Yesterday, Alvarez signed a coalition agreement with the National Unity Party (made up of members of Kampi party who were originally allied with former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria MacapagalArroyo’s Lakas-CMD).

Alvarez said former Interior Secretary and NUP founding chair Ronaldo Puno would be a “valuable asset” to any group and “an institution by himself.”

Puno, the campaign strategist of losing presidential candidate Jejomar Binay, agreed with Alvarez’s hard line stance on LP’s participation in the coalition.

“It doesn’t only look bad (LP members joining both majority and minority), any party joining PDP-Laban has obligations to the coalition. Just like us (NUP), we allied with PDP-Laban and the first step we did was invite and elect Alvarez as honorary chair. If (the LP) will not do that, it will be an empty gesture,” Puno said in an interview.

He said the LP could not have its cake and eat it too even if it had the most number of elected members in the 17th Congress with 115.

“There is no such thing as conditional alliance when talking about House realities. Either you are with us or against us,” Puno said. ■

Philippine News

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JUNE 10, 2016

FRIDAY

Pia dismayed by whistling but backs Rody

BY LEILA B. SALAVERRIA Philippine Daily Inquirer Publisher Philippine Canadian Inquirer, Inc. Correspondents Jane Moraleda Socorro Newland Bolet Arevalo Katherine Padilla Gerna Lane Sotana Community Editor Mary Ann Mandap maryann.mandap@canadianinquirer.net Administration Head Victoria Yong Graphic Designer Shanice Garcia Photographers Angelo Siglos Vic Vargas For photo submissions, please send to editor@canadianinquirer.net Operations and Marketing Head Laarni Liwanag (604) 551-3360 laarni.liwanag@canadianinquirer.net Advertising Sales Alice Yong (778) 889-3518 alice.yong@canadianinquirer.net Nelson Wu (647) 521-5155 salestoronto@canadianinquirer.net nelson.wu@canadianinquirer.net Amelia Insigne (416) 574-5121 amelia.insigne@canadianinquirer.net Antonio Tampos (604) 460-9414 antonio.tampos@canadianinquirer.net PHILIPPINE PUBLISHING GROUP Editorial Assistant Christelle Tolisora Associate Publisher Lurisa Villanueva In cooperation with the Philippine Daily Inquirer digital edition Philippine Canadian Inquirer is located at 11951 Hammersmith Way, Suite 108 Richmond, B.C. V7A 5H9 Canada Tel. No.: +1 (888) 668-6059, +1 (778) 889-3518 | Email: info@canadianinquirer.net, sales@canadianinquirer.net Philippine Canadian Inquirer is published weekly every Friday.

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The views and opinions expressed in the articles (including opinions expressed in ads herein) are those of the authors named, and are not necessarily those of Philippine Canadian Inquirer Editorial Team.

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Member

“I SUPPORT the President but I don’t agree with the whistling.”

Thus said Sen. Pia Cayetano, one of the staunch allies of President-elect Rodrigo Duterte, who continues to support him although she disagrees with his wolf-whistling a female broadcast reporter during a press conference late Tuesday.

Cayetano, whose brother Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano was Duterte’s running mate in the 2016 elections, made her sentiments known on Twitter after being repeatedly asked whether she was still supporting Duterte.

SEN PIA MEDIA / WIKIMEDIA COMMONS Duterte sparked yet another contro- Senator Pia Cayetano. versy after he whistled at GMA 7 reporter Mariz Umali while she was asking him behavior.

‘Getting to know’ a question during a press conference.

According to Sen. Sonny Angara, the Sen. Vicente Sotto III said that “curHe later defended his action by saying President-elect knows well enough that rent events” were part of the “getting to that there was nothing sexual about his he has to act differently when he official- know each other stage.” move. ly assumes office and could be expected “I will reserve my opinion after June Cayetano, who fashions herself as an to change on June 30.

30, when everything is official,” Sotto advocate of women’s rights, said that she “He is highly intelligent and educat- said. did not condone catcalling. ed person and as such would know the Duterte has received flak for saying In her tweets, the senator addressed proper behavior expected of a Presi- that the killing of journalists was justithose persistently asking her about dent,” Angara said, when asked about fied if they were corrupt.

Duterte, saying she could not answer for the controversies generated by the inThe remarks sparked fears that more him. coming Chief Executive’s statements. members of the media would be killed in She stressed that she was not his Asked about his views on Duterte’s the Philippines, which is already one of spokesperson, and that he freely an- scathing remarks about the media and the most dangerous places for journalswered questions in his press confer- even the United Nations, Angara said ists. ences.

Duterte was still in a transition period Asked by a TwitOnline poll ter user if she would An online and moreprimand him for bile poll conducted his actions, she said by the INQUIRER she would talk to him Umali’s husband, GMA 7 reporter Raffy Tima, on Friday showed personally if she had said in a post on his Facebook page that that majority of the something to say.

Duterte’s whistling at his wife was “wrong [on] respondents were “What I say to the so many levels.” turned off by the proPresident, I will tell fanity-laced answers him personally, not of Duterte. on Twitter,” said CayThe INQUIRER etano. posed this question Cayetano will transfer to the Lower and would like to enjoy his last few days to its followers on social and mobile House next month after winning a seat as Davao City mayor. networks Facebook, Twitter and Viber: as representative of Taguig City, replacDuterte had criticized the United Na- “President elect Duterte has been using ing her brother, Rep. Lino Cayetano. tions, which he said should not meddle profanity quite freely. Is this a matter of In a late night press conference on with him as it could not even solve the concern for you?”

Thursday, Duterte defended his wolf- problems of other conflict-torn coun“Yes, it’s unpresidential,” was the whistling the GMA 7 reporter by saying tries. choice of 62 percent of the 1,395 Twitthat there was nothing sexual about his Angara said that based on Duterte’s ter users who voted in the poll on the move. own words, the mayor himself knew that INQUIRER verified account, @inquirSeemingly justifying his action, he he had to alter his actions. erdotnet. It was also the leading choice said he was “exasperated” by her ques“His pronouncements at [Thursday] on the INQUIRER’s Viber Public Chat tion. night’s press conference about present- (inq.news/viber) Umali’s husband, GMA 7 reporter Raf- ing a different persona beginning June However, “no, he’s being himself,” fy Tima, said in a post on his Facebook 30, when his term as President begins, was the leading choice on the Facebook page that Duterte’s whistling at his wife indicate that he is aware that he can no version of the poll at 42 percent of the was “wrong [on] so many levels.” longer act in quite the same way,” he said 3,333 Facebook users who voted. The in a text message. poll was carried on the INQUIRER’S ‘Knowing proper behavior’ Angara also believed that Duterte’s at- verified page, facebook.com/inquirTwo sitting senators yesterday gave titude to the media could change. erdotnet.

Duterte the benefit of the doubt al“He will sooner or later realize that he The poll was still running as of 4:50 though many see Duterte’s unprec- is better off with media as his ally rather p.m. yesterday. With a report from Inedented antics as an unpresidential than an adversary,” he said. quirer.net ■ www.canadianinquirer.net

Philippine News

FRIDAY JUNE 10, 2016

9

2 of 5 dead in Pasay City concert succumbed to multiple organ failure — PNP Libingan ng mga Bayani.

BY JELLY F. MUSICO Philippines News Agency JSINGLADOR / WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

PDP-Laban backs Duterte plan on Marcos Libingan burial

BY LEILA B. SALAVERRIA Philippine Daily Inquirer PRESIDENT-ELECT RODRIGO Duterte’s political party, which joined the fight against the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos, would not oppose the incoming chief executive’s decision to allow the burial of the late president at Libingan ng mga Bayani.

Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III, president of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban), said the party would trust Duterte’s “wisdom” in making that move.

Duterte, the PDP-Laban chair, had said he would allow Marcos to be laid to rest at Libingan ng mga Bayani because he was a former soldier, not because he was a hero—a pronouncement he made during the election campaign.

“The party does not consider [Marcos] a hero, but we will trust in the wisdom of the President. He has his own way of thinking,” Pimentel said in a phone interview.

By being elected president, Duterte was given the power to act on the issue, he said.

“We will not oppose [the decision] because the power belongs to him. If you’re opposed to that, then you shouldn’t have placed him in the position where the power belongs to him,” he said.

He said he could understand what Duterte was trying to say— that the question of where to bury the late dictator was a “distraction,” and that it would be better to remove this “irritant.”

“It’s a very practical approach, and him being the

chairman [of PDP-Laban], we will respect his decision,” he said.

But personally, Pimentel said he does not think burying Marcos at Libingan ng mga Bayani would lay to rest the issue and heal the divisions.

Some people might even take advantage of this development, he said.

“Of course, some people or some camps will take advantage of the name of the place and try to rewrite the telling of history. We can’t avoid that. But as they say, let history be our judge,” Pimentel said.

“Even if you are buried at Libingan ng mga Bayani, it does not make you a hero. There are also heroes that are not buried at Libingan ng mga Bayani,” he said.

Asked if he would try to convince Duterte to change his position on the issue, Pimentel said he would reserve his counsel for more important matters.

He also does not think the Marcos burial issue would derail the plans of the Duterte administration.

“There will be complaints and criticisms, but we will move on to more pressing issues that concern the quality of life of Filipinos,” he said.

The PDP-Laban was formed by the merger of two parties that were “essentially antiMarcos, anti-martial rule, pro-democracy parties.”

The PDP-Laban led the call for Marcos’ resignation following the assassination of Sen. Benigno Aquino Jr. It later drafted Aquino’s widow Corazon Aquino as the primary opposition leader, supporting the people’s call for her to run for President against Marcos. ■

tissue sections of their internal organs, as well as body fluid, mainly blood, to determine the presence of toxic or any poisonMANILA — The Philippine Naous materials in their bodies. tional Police (PNP) on Tuesday The hearts of Garcia and Fonsaid that multiple organ failure tejon were found to be ‘cooked’, is the real cause of death of two showing brown red and black of five fatalities at the Closeup colors.

Forever Summer concert in PaApart from determining the say City last May 21. presence or absence of any toxChief Superic substance, the intendent EmNBI’s exam also manuel Aranas, looked into the PNP Crime Labpresence of danoratory Deputy The hearts of Garcia and Fontejon gerous drugs and Director, said were found to be ‘cooked’, showing alcohol in their that the victims brown red and black colors. bodies.

American naFontejon and tional Eric Miller Miller were deand Ken Migawa clared dead at died due to multhe Manila Doctiple organ failure, focused on the recorded fatalities who at- tors’ Hospital while Leal and brain, heart and lungs swollen tended the concert.

Garcia expired at the San Juan due to substances ingested.

The other two Lance Garcia, de Dios hospital.

He explained that the brain is 32, and Bianca Fontejon, 18, out However, the family of anmostly damaged, resulting into of the five persons killed at the other victim Ariel Leal, 22, has multiple organ affectation and summer concert in Pasay have refused to have his body underirregular heartbeat. reportedly succumbed to mas- go autopsy examination.

According to Aranas the sive cardiac arrest.

The Pasay City Police Station victims took methylenedioxyEarlier, NBI said the general Investigation Division and NBI methamphetamine (MDMA) toxicology test on Garcia and continues conducting joint opand alcohol.

Fontejon’s remains involved erations for thorough investiMDMA, commonly known as the extraction of representative gation on the case. ■

www.canadianinquirer.net

ecstasy, is a psychoactive drug used primarily as a recreational drug. Desired effects of MDMA include increased empathy, pleasure, and heightened sensations.

He noted that the PNP’s findings were similar to the NBI’s findings on other concert fatalities.

Miller and Migawa are two of

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Philippine News

JUNE 10, 2016

FRIDAY

Seek to understand Duterte, aides urge ‘He does not have any bad intention’

BY TARRA QUISMUNDO Philippine Daily Inquirer DAVAO CITY — It looks like the media and the public will have to learn to cope with Duterte speak, or so his apologists say.

Rodrigo Duterte on the campaign trail before the May 9 elections had made many controversial statements.

A day after his proclamation as the country’s 16th President, he rambled on for two hours in a press conference carried live by all major TV networks on evening prime time, justifying the murders of journalists who he said were corrupt, among many other out-of-whack comments and antics, igniting a local and international firestorm.

During the campaign, Duterte’s remarks that he should have been first in assaulting an Australian missionary who was gang-raped and killed during a 1989 prison riot sparked indignation from diplomats. “We need a little understanding. He does not have any bad intention,” Vitaliano Aguirre II, Duterte’s designated justice secretary, said on Thursday.

“He uses hyperbole to attract attention to what he wants to say… He intentionally exaggerates, like during the campaign.

You have to give him some leeway… so his statements can be interpreted so that it could be toned down,” Aguirre said when reached by phone.

He said part of Duterte’s winning edge was his use of “exaggerated” language: “That’s what made him win.”

Duterte has not only drawn public outrage for justifying the murders of journalists, but also for wolf-whistling and singing at a television reporter during his press conference on Tuesday.

The longtime mayor of Davao City did not attend his proclamation, sticking to his personal tradition of shunning such formalities.

Read my mind

Aguirre said Duterte even advised his incoming Cabinet members to learn how to decipher him, recommending a book about reading the mind of the President. Aguirre could not recall the book’s title.

Designated presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said Duterte’s statement on the killings of journalists that had earned the Philippines world notoriety as one of most dangerous places on earth for journalists was “taken out of context, misinterpreted and misunderstood.”

“I did not think there was a mistake in what he said,” Panelo said.

“He mentioned his personal knowledge on the case, and that logic that not because you are a journalist, you were killed because you are a journalist,” he said.

“If there’s corruption in the media, it’s like he’s saying maybe you should clean up your own ranks,” he told reporters on Wednesday.

Panelo described Duterte’s language to be “playful but truthful.”

“He’s very transparent. He says what he feels. And that’s the good thing about him,” Panelo said of his boss known for his tough stand against crime and corruption.

Asked if he saw the need for Duterte to hold his tongue, Panelo said: “What I see is that President Duterte doesn’t need to be pointed out that he did this thing. He discerns himself, and when he realizes that his statement has been taken out of context, he explains it. Or, if

Ambassador Kim Jae-Shin (left) paid a courtesy call to President-elect Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday in Davao City.

The Ambassador conveyed the congratulatory message of Republic of Korea President Park Geun-Hye to Duterte.

Ambassador KIM said that the Korean government hopes to further improve the bilateral ties between the two countries and to continue the cooperation in various fields under Duterte’s administration.

PNA PHOTO COURTESY OF KOREAN EMBASSY

for instance he was misquoted, he clarifies it ... If he thinks his playful statements have been made to be very serious ones, he tells us.”

Nothing personal

Incoming Davao del Norte Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez said Duterte had nothing to apologize for.

“I don’t think he made any declaration that it’s fine to kill media people who are corrupt. I saw the clipping. What I heard is that the journalists were killed because they were corrupt, that was probably the reason but not the only reason,” Alvarez said in a press conference during the signing of a coalition agreement between PDP-Laban and the National Unity Party on Thursday.

“It was just a statement, nothing personal about it. It’s more of an observation that became a comment,” Alvarez said.

www.canadianinquirer.net

Last week, Duterte warned reporters not to take his statements too seriously, saying he was “enjoying my rudeness” and that he had been used to horsing around with the local media.

Alarming threat

Fr. Jerome Secillano, executive secretary of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines committee on public affairs, warned against Duterte’s pronouncements about journalists.

“Duterte’s propensity to advocate killing is a matter about which we Filipinos should be alarmed,” Secillano said.

“His statement against the media is a form of threat and intimidation. Granting that there are corrupt media practitioners, the State and whosever, do not have the right to execute them without due process,” he stressed.

In a text message to the INQUIRER, Secillano said it would serve the incoming President well if he strengthened the media as a partner for good governance.

“But it is also a challenge to the media to be an incorruptible institution and be authentic proclaimers of truth,” the priest added.

Secillano said it would be better if Duterte channeled his toughness into strict implementation of the law.

“He should make our justice system work efficiently and effectively,” he said.

The Catholic Church has also been in Duterte’s cross hairs, describing the hierarchy as “hypocritical” and calling bishops “sons of whores.” ■

FRIDAY JUNE 10, 2016

Philippine News

Belmonte quitting bid for House Speaker of 17th Congress

Duterte gains ‘full support’ of South Korea

BY SAMMY F. MARTIN Philippines News Agency

BY KATHERINE PADILLA Philippine Canadian Inquirer

MANILA — Outgoing Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr., on Tuesday said the remaining member of the Liberal Party in the House of Representatives is much interested to support the coalition of change in the 17th Congress rather than be part of the minority.

Belmonte, the vice chairman of LP said in a text message that he was no longer interested to run for speakership against the personal choice of Presidentelect Rodrigo Duterte.

He said LP decided to support the incoming speaker, Davao del Norte Rep. Pantaleon “Bebot” Alvarez.

With this decision among his peers, Belmonte flew to Davao City this morning to iron out joining the Coalition of Change spearheaded by PDP-Laban.

The speaker said he was able to seek an audience with Duterte and Alvarez.

“I will meet with President

MANILA, PHILIPPINES — The South Korean government has recently expressed support and cooperation with President-elect Rodrigo Duterte’s incoming administration.

In a courtesy call in Davao on Thursday, South Korean Ambassador to the Philippines Kim Jae-Jhin conveyed the congratulatory message of South Korean President Park Geun-Hye to Duterte on his victory in the presidential election and affirmed South Korea’s full support and cooperation with the incoming administration.

“We hope under his leadership, the Philippines will continue to develop further and further. For this, the Korean government will fully support and cooperate with him in pursuing his new policies,” Kim said.

Kim also expressed South Korea’s interest in strengthen-

Outgoing Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr.

Duterte together with Rep. Alvarez, the President’s chosen candidate for Speaker,” he said in a text message as he described his visit as “primarily a courtesy call” to the 16th president of the land. He said he will be discussing the possibility of coalescing with PDP-Laban.

“I confirm that LP and PDP-Laban are in coalition talks,” he said.

Belmonte earlier expressed preference for a coalition to be formed between LP and PDP-Laban, similar to the arrangement it has with other parties such as the Nacionalista Party, Nation-

U.S. EMBASSY

alist People’s Coalition, LakasCMD, and National Unity Party.

At least 70 of the 115 LP stalwarts in the House have expressed their intent to join the majority bloc and support Alvarez’s speakership bid.

The Davao del Norte lawmaker, for his part, said the LP was welcome to join the so-called “Coalition for Change” led by PDP-Laban as long as it supported the Duterte administration’s policies and programs.

Alvarez aims to garner the support of over 200 lawmakers in the 292-member chamber. ■

11

ing bilateral ties with the Philippines.

“As you know, the Philippines and Korea maintain a very close and cooperative relations. We want to expand our bilateral relations under his leadership,” he said.

Duterte and Kim discussed South Korea’s interest in boosting joint programs with the Philippines that aim to maintain peace and order, such as capacity-building in police investigations.

Among the various topics discussed are Korean investments and Official Development Assistance (ODA) projects in the Philippines. South Korea also vowed to support the modernization of the Philippine military.

In return, Duterte promised to support the South Korean government’s campaign against the nuclear program of North Korea.

“Let me assure you that we are with you,” Duterte was quoted as saying. ■

‘Despite media tiff, Duterte to push FOI’

BY TARRA QUISMUNDO AND NIKKO DIZON Philippine Daily Inquirer DAVAO CITY — While his relationship with the media had become testy even before formally assuming office, President-elect Rodrigo Duterte would give open access to journalists and stay true to his pledge to enact a Freedom of Information (FOI) act.

Television anchor Martin Andanar, incoming Presidential Communications Operations Office chief, made the announcement yesterday in the wake of the Duterte camp’s statement on Friday that Duterte would no longer hold press conferences “so that there will be no more errors.”

“All of the media agencies— private, local, international—of course, they will get free access.

There will be no change,” Andanar told reporters yesterday morning.

“As a matter of fact, the pres-

ident-elect said he would ex- stop journalists from covering the briefing in a meeting with ecute an executive order for a him, as “this is a free country.”

Davao City reporters, whomhe Freedom of Information [polAsked if the order to stop the had sought out to better undericy]. So we will become more press conferences might be fol- stand the local “culture.” transparent,” said the long- lowed by a gag on the incoming A Davao City reporter asked time broadcaster. members of the Cabinet, as the Andanar: “How are you going Duterte’s executive assis- mayor had threatened, Andan- to let the Manila media undertant, Christopher Go, had told ar replied: “There is no such di- stand who Duterte is? Most of reporters Friday night that rective.” the Davao media know when he the incoming president would Saying he was still talking as is joking or not.” henceforth course all his an- “one of you,” Andanar, who will “The Davao media will have nouncements to help with and press statethat,” said Anments through danar, a Cebuastate broadcastno-speaking naer PTV-4. tive of Cagayan The announceAs a matter of fact, the presidentde Oro City. ment came after elect said he would execute an Meanwhile, Duterte said the executive order for a Freedom of Communicamedia could go Information [policy]. So we will tions professor ahead and boybecome more transparent.

Edson Tandoc cott him—a call Jr. pointed out that internationin a separate al journalists’ interview that group Reporters Duterte had anWithout Borders had made in officially resign from network nounced two days after his response to the trash-talking TV5 on Monday to assume the election that he would implemayor’s statements appearing government post, added he ment an FOI policy by issuing to justify the killing of corrupt hoped to build a positive rela- an executive order. journalists. tionship with the media.

Congress failed to pass the He later clarified he could not The incoming official held FOI bill, a campaign promise www.canadianinquirer.net

made by President Aquino in 2010.

“It is important to examine this in relation to the incoming administration’s earlier promise of prioritizing freedom of information and eliminating corruption,” said Tandoc, who teaches at the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore.

Tandoc said his research showed that “countries with strong freedom of information laws also enjoy very low levels of corruption.”

“So clearly there is a link here.

Of course, it is Mr. Duterte’s right to choose whether or not to grant interviews, but restricting media access to him and coursing all statements through the state-controlled network do not fit into the framework of granting citizens, represented by journalists, free access to information,” Tandoc, a former INQUIRER reporter, said. ■

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Philippine News

JUNE 10, 2016

FRIDAY

MMDA uploaded dance video to raise public awareness for June 22 metro-wide earthquake drill PHILIPPINES NEWS AGENCY MANILA — To raise public awareness on the metro-wide earthquake drill on June 22, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) uploaded a dance video called MMshake Dance Challenge in a social media sites.

Goddes Hope Libiran, MMDA public information officer, said they used social media as a potential source to disseminate information since most people had accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Libiran said most dance challenges on social media like the “Running Man

Challenge” and the “Trumpets Dance Challenge” were only for entertainment purposes.

“We want to promote the metro wide shake drill on June 22 so we came up with the MM shake dance challenge,” Libiran said.

The #MMShakeDrill video, which was posted on Facebook last Monday afternoon, shows two traffic personnel dancing to the tune of “Shake Your Groove Thing” by Peaches & Herb.

The video of two MMDA traffic enforcers, Ricky and Ariel Malimbang, dancing in the tune of the song “Shake That Groove Thing” have already reached 2.2 million users and 582,000 views in the

MMDA facebook page.

The two enforcers are shown dancing in the first part and showing the duck, cover, and hold campaign of MMDA. “We do this for a cause,” Ricky Malimbang said adding that they choreographed the steps for the said dance challenge to raise public awareness for the 2nd Metro Manila Shake Drill.

MMDA wants to increase awareness for the disaster preparedness campaign of the said drill.

Students, employees, and residents are expected to perform the “duck, cover, and hold” exercise for 45 seconds

during the quake drill.

The Shake Drill was organized to help people prepare for the 7.2 magnitude earthquake that could kill at least 33,500 people and injure at least 113,600 along with the movement in the west valley fault.

The Metro Manila Shakedrill will be on the same date with the National Simultaneous Earthquake Drill (NSED) of Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) which aims to project scenarios from different regions across the country for the disaster preparedness of the people. ■

Briones pushes for fair, objective assessment of all administrations in PHL history books

BY FILANE MIKEE Z. CERVANTES Philippines News Agency MANILA — Incoming Education Secretary Leonor Briones has expressed the need to revise Philippine history books with a fair and objective assessment of all administrations.

According to Briones, several calls have been made lobbying for the revision of history books for elementary and high school, especially with sharp focus on the Martial Law period.

However, she argued historians must review the entire array of leadership and presidents rather than singling out a certain era or period.

“If ever there will be a review of textbooks, it will not only be on the martial law, but we should review again the covwww.canadianinquirer.net

erage of all the administrations,” Briones said in a press briefing on Monday.

“Not all the administrations have also been examined fairly. As they say, history is written by the victors. If we look at the Marcos period, then we look at all the other periods. We have to do our best in seeing to it that there are objective assessments,” she added.

The Department of Education (DepEd) has earlier stressed that with the implementation of the K-12 program, curriculum guides for Grades 5 and 6 Araling Panlipunan (Social Studies) have been constructed “to allow for more in-depth and enriched discussion on Philippine History.”

The agency also vowed to highlight the importance of “learning the lessons of history and repesrving the gains of democracy.” ■

Philippine News

FRIDAY JUNE 10, 2016

Court clears Red Kapunan in Olalia murder

BY KRISTINE FELISSE MANGUNAY Philippine Daily Inquirer

presented by the prosecution which might have tilted the balance in its favor or which could have weighed heavily against accused Kapunan.”

er under surveillance, funded the vehicle used for the abduction, and gathered 13 other people to tell them not to “squeal (kumanta).”

“So it baffles me why these (testimonies) were not given any weight,” Edre Olalia said in an interview.

Olalia said three more men accused in the case remained in detention: former Sergeants Desiderio Perez, Dennis Jabatan and Fernando Casanova.

A LOCAL court has dismissed the double murder charge Hornbook doctrine against a retired military officer A portion of the ruling quotaccused of masterminding the ing Ignalaga read: “While ackilling of labor leader Rolando cused Kapunan was not placed Olalia and his driver Leonor at the scene of the abduction Alay-Ay almost 30 years ago. and killing of [Olalia and AlayJudge Marie Claire Mabutas- ay] on Nov. 12 and 13, 1986, the Sordan of the Antipolo Regional information alleges conspiracy Trial Court Branch 98 granted among all the accused in the the demurrer to evidence filed killing of the victims.

‘You take the fall’ in February by Eduardo “Red” “It is hornbook doctrine that “The message is clear: Lowly Kapunan, in effect acquitting conspiracy must be proven by soldiers should not follow ilthe former Air Force lieutenant positive and convincing evi- legal orders from superiors becolonel. dence, the same quantum of cause they will walk free [and] In an eight-page ruling issued evidence as the crime itself…. you take the fall,” Olalia said. on Wednesday, Sordan echoed After carefully evaluating the Kapunan, a member of the the findings of another judge evidence thus far presented, Reform the Armed Forces who earlier handled the case, and delving on the innocence Movement, took the stand in saying there was “no clear evi- of the accused… the court finds his own defense in April 2013. dence” that Kapunan ordered that conspiracy of Kapunan in He admitted to conducting a the abduction and killing of the killing of Olalia and Alay- surveillance on Olalia when he Olalia and Alay-Ay. ay has not been clearly estab- was head of an intelligence unit The two victims were found lished.” under the Department of Nadead in Antitional Defense, polo on Nov. 13, but said this was 1986, their eyes only to affirm or gouged, hands debunk reports bound, and How could lowly sergeants do [the that the Corazon mouths stuffed killings] without anybody telling them Aquino governwith newspaper. what to do? ment at the time Kapunan earlier had strong ties admitted orderwith the Left. ing a surveilHe mainlance on Olalia but denied havAfter granting Kapunan bail, tained, however, that he did ing a hand in the killings.

Ignalaga inhibited herself from not personally know Olalia and Much of Sordan’s ruling quot- the case—as demanded by the knew him only through newsed Judge Ma. Consejo Gengos- victims’ families—and Sordan paper reports. At one point, Ignalaga, who in October 2013 took over. he said, he even asked Barreto, allowed Kapunan to post bail.

The dismissal of the case on who served as one of the prosIgnalaga then ruled that the al- Wednesday came as a shock to ecution witnesses in previous leged conspiracy between Ka- lawyer Edre Olalia, a cousin of hearings, to help Edger Sumido, punan and the other accused the slain labor leader and sec- another accused in the double was not clearly established by retary general of the National murder, in “trailing” Olalia. the prosecution.

Union of Peoples’ Lawyers.

In September 1986, Kapunan “It only stands to reason “It’s distressing and frustrat- said, he was transferred to the that just as before, the court ing,” said Olalia, whose group General Headquarters Brigade finds the evidence against the served among the private prose- to organize a new anti-hijackaccused Kapunan not strong cutors in the double murder case. ing force. He said he was orenough. Certainly not strong “How could lowly sergeants dered transferred because the enough for the court to declare do [the killings] without any- then Defense Secretary Juan that the court has proven the body telling them what to do?” Ponce Enrile had been removed guilt of accused Kapunan be- Olalia said, referring to then from office and he and the rest yond reasonable doubt,” Sor- Sergeants Medardo Barreto of his men were “identified” dan said. and Eduardo Bueno, whom he with Enrile.

“The way the court sees it, described as “active particiAs soon as he got the order, he after reviewing yet again the pants” in the crime who later ordered “all surveillance [and records of these cases, based on turned prosecution witnesses. operations] terminated.” evidence presented, the prosHe recalled the court testi“I will admit to the surveilecution failed to prove the guilt monies given by the two wit- lance portion, but to the [abof the accused Kapunan beyond nesses, including statements duction, slay, coverup], they are reasonable doubt,” she added. that Kapunan allegedly ordered all lies,” Kapunan then told the “No additional evidence was Barreto to place the labor lead- court. ■ www.canadianinquirer.net

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Del Rosario lauds Duterte administration’s acceptance of EDCA PHILIPPINES NEWS AGENCY MANILA — Former Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Albert Del Rosario lauded the decision of the incoming Duterte administration accepting the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) between the Philippines and the United States.

He made this statement during the “Asia-Pacific Perspectives on Implementing the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement” forum held at the National Defense College of the Philippines, Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City Tuesday.

“I think that we welcome the acceptance of EDCA by the new administration because we believe it’s a very important component, very essential in terms of the moving forward our alliance,” Del Rosario stressed.

The former DFA chief said US and Philippines commitment to implement EDCA is on schedule.

“We’re on schedule, we’re trying to move forward with it, as I say it’s a very important mechanism in terms of moving forward with our treaty alliance,” Del Rosario stressed.

Possible Filipino military bases to be opened under the EDCA include Fort Magsayay in Nueva Ecija; Crow Valley in Tarlac; Basa Air Base, in Floridablanca, Pampanga; Benito Ebuen Air Base in Mactan, Cebu; Camp Lapu-Lapu, Cebu; Camp Macario Peralta in Jamindan, Capiz; Naval Station

San Miguel in San Antonio, Zambales, Antonio Bautista Airbase, Puerto Princesa, Palawan; Lumbia Airfield in Cagayan De Oro and Edwin Andrews Air Base in Zamboanga City.

Department of National Defense (DND) spokesperson Dr. Peter Paul Galvez earlier said the EDCA, which was declared constitutional by the Supreme Court (SC) last Jan. 12, will help boost Philippine maritime security and HADR capabilities.

“The DND welcomes the ruling of our SC declaring EDCA constitutional. With this development that builds upon our mutual defense treaty, we look forward to advancing our defense modernization and strengthening maritime Security and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief capabilities,” he added.

The SC, voting 10-4-1, declared EDCA as constitutional.

It also upheld the position of the government that the EDCA is an executive agreement and does not need the Senate concurrence.

In the same vein, Galvez said this puts the Armed Forces of the Philippines in a better position to improve inter-operability with the US military aside from improving the AFP’s capabilities.

Finalized after eight rounds of talks that began in August 2013, EDCA, which signed in 2014, allows US troops access to designated Philippine military facilities, the right to construct facilities, and pre-position equipment, aircraft and vessels, but rules out permanent basing. ■

Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel greets now former Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Albert F. Del Rosario back in 2013 at the Pentagon.

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE / FLICKR

14

JUNE 10, 2016

FRIDAY

Incoming Communications chief Andanar hopes to improve government media platforms PHILIPPINES NEWS AGENCY MANILA — Incoming chief of the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO), Martin Andanar said on Monday he hopes to improve government media platforms when he assumes office in July.

The 41-year-old Andanar, a news anchor and radio commentator from TV5, will replace PCOO Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr., whose term ends on June 30.

“The scope of my job is to manage all the government media entities,” said Andanar, who joined Secretary Coloma during a press briefing in Malacañang.

The government media entities under the PCOO are PTV 4, the Philippine Broadcasting Service-Radyo ng Bayan,

the Philippine Information Agency, the Philippines News Agency, and the National Printing Office.

Andanar said he is impressed with the different bureaus under the PCOO but noted that he wants to make his mark as head of the agency.

“Yes, we will beef up. As we were touring Channel 4, Radyo ng Bayan, I guess the foundations have been laid and my job is to continue and even — well, they say that if you want a good legacy, you have to surpass the previous work,” said Andanar, who has crafted a National Communications Strategy, which he already presented to Presidentelect Rodrigo Duterte.

“So, bukod doon sa telebisyon, bukod doon sa radyo, na we have to improve on that. We also want to build the online presence. We would like to build platforms. We are planning to

tabloid. And, of course, it is not all cast in stone. There are a lot of changes we need to do as we, the team, do our jobs),” he said.

Andanar also mentioned his plan to bring Duterte’s weekly TV and radio program to Manila and make it a national program.

“We still have to talk about this. It is essentially — the ‘Gi-

kan sa Masa, Para sa Masa’ is a weekly TV and radio program the incoming President had in Davao, every Sunday. And it’s essentially a program that talks to the masa and addresses problems of the masa. It’s as transparent as you can get,” he said, adding that he has raised the matter to incoming Cabinet Secretary Jun Evasco and incoming Presidential Management Staff Secretary Bong Go. He also bared that the changes in the agency include a revamp.

“Yes, there will be revamps. I mean just like any new administration, magkakaroon ng mga pagbabago nang kaunti (there will be slight adjustments).

Those who are good, the co-terminus appointments that have shown good performance, not necessarily will they be fired.

The good ones will be retained,” Andanar said. ■

After his landslide victory over out to be much more than that. of unnecessarily creating enemies, the ruling party’s standard-bearer, In unstructured monologues of being distracted from more urnearly every member of the political punctuated by a freewheeling Q&A, gent concerns, are multiplied several class pledged support for the Duterte Duterte has exposed more of his pri- times when the one talking happens presidency. That’s a strong signal for vate self, of his temperament, of his to be the head of state. him to claim a mandate to set new habits—indeed, of who he is—than The beauty of democracy, says Dapriorities for government. When he may be considered prudent for an vid Runciman, professor of politics formally assumes office at the end of elected president. The candor and at Cambridge, lies in the fact that the month, the new President is ex- bluntness may be refreshing, but, if democratic governments can change pected to present a more thoughtful this routine baring of souls is going course when they make mistakes. program of action than what could be to be the norm at press briefings, the “The politics of restraint has proved gleaned from his campaign speeches Office of the President can expect to good at correcting for the most seriand interviews. spend more time reinterpreting the ous errors of judgment that politiIn the meantime, the public can- President’s actions and off-the-cuff cians can make…. Autocratic regimes, not be blamed for wanting to take a statements than discussing pressing which are often better at taking snap closer look at the man, who, against matters of state. decisions, are worse at spotting when all odds, has won the those decisions are presidency. Beyond the wrong ones.”

But the risks of being misinterpreted, of unintentionally the coarse language The restraint that triggering a crisis, of unnecessarily creating enemies, of being and the down-toRunciman refers to distracted from more urgent concerns, are multiplied several earth attitude asis built into the systimes when the one talking happens to be the head of state. sociated with him, tem, not in one indithe media are keen vidual’s capacity for to define him more sharply both as a Duterte is no doubt an interesting self-control. In a democracy, a presiperson and as the future president of and colorful person. In front of the dent listens to his party, his Cabinet, this country. crowds during the campaign period, his and, through the media, the public in Interestingly, between receiving unadorned persona formed a big part of general. But, more than this, he alwell-wishers, position seekers, and his appeal. They laughed with him when lows himself to be circumscribed in diplomats, the incoming President he mocked his rivals; they reveled in the his speech and in his actions by the has made himself available to the profanity he freely spewed against re- traditions of the office he occupies. inquisitive media quite a few times. vered figures and institutions.

He may not personally care much These encounters—billed as “press Would this demeanor work the about the conventions and rituals of briefings”—were originally meant to same magic in the larger national the office, but he is sworn to care for inform the media about the individu- and global stage? It’s hard to tell. But what it represents. als being recruited into the Duterte the risks of being misinterpreted, of I amsure many of Duterte’s administration. They have turned unintentionally triggering a crisis, friends, allies, and supporters—peo-

ple who genuinely care for him and worked hard to get him elected— have advised him to be more circumspect and guarded in his statements and behavior before the media. But, I imagine how hard it is to protect someone who recoils from being admonished and feels diminished by any attempt to change him.

For no other reason than because he needs more time to sit down with his interesting Cabinet designates, organize them into a functioning team, and, with them, put together a coherent policy agenda, the incoming President might do well to avoid those streamof-consciousness briefings where he makes impulsive statements that require yet another briefing to explain.

I think Duterte is aware of the function of the news media in a democracy. It is to watch government.

In the performance of that function, they will reserve a special eye for the unexpected, the extraordinary, the bizarre, or controversial. In the process, they may sometimes bait their subject to say more than what he’s prepared to say. They are not picking on anyone when they do this. It’s just the way newsgathering is structured.

The media are not President-elect Duterte’s enemy. There is no point in antagonizing them by wishing the death or rationalizing the murder of their most corrupt practitioners. ■

Incoming PCOO Secretary Martin Andanar (center) is accompanied by outgoing Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. (right) during during a brief tour of the different government media offices at the National Media Center.

OLIVER MARQUEZ / PNA

print our own weekly tabloid.

And, of course, it is not all cast in stone. Maraming pagbabago pa as we, the team, do our jobs (So aside from television and radio, which we have to improve… we also want to build the online presence. We would like to build platforms. We are planning to print our own weekly

PUBLIC LIVES

Duterte and the media

By Randy David Philippine Daily Inquirer REGARDLESS OF whether they voted for him or not, many Filipinos wish the incoming President, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, success as he prepares to assume the nation’s highest office. His victory in the recent polls, it has been said, signifies the voters’ disenchantment with the status quo and their desire for urgent change.

Duterte knows what is expected of him. He should be given a chance to do his work with the least distraction.

But the media should always be there to watch him, and not be afraid to criticize him whenever the need arises.

As a candidate, he struck a familiar chord when he pledged willfulness and strong leadership in protecting the people against criminality, drugs, corruption, and inefficient public service. The media found his simple message powerful. What gave it greater resonance, however, was the inimitable style in which it was delivered. The invective, profanity, and obscenity that laced Duterte’s rambling speeches dramatically captured the resentments of an aggrieved public. This earned for him a stunning media presence that other politicians could only dream about. He doesn’t need this now.

www.canadianinquirer.net

Opinion

FRIDAY JUNE 10, 2016

15

AT LARGE

Impulse control

By Rina Jimenez-David Philippine Daily Inquirer I SUPPOSE the country, if not the world, should be grateful that the Philippine president doesn’t have a “security briefcase” within reach.

Judging fromHollywood movies, one of the first things a new American president learns is the code to unlock the briefcase that contains the trigger that will set off nuclear missiles in various parts of the continental United States.

The world trusts that the man or woman who has the power to set off a nuclear conflagration is able to judge the level of threat that would justify letting loose Armageddon in our time. But imagine if that person is someone like our President-elect?

This is a man who has, to put it kindly, problems with impulse control. We already know he cannot stop himself from telling crass jokes at a political rally, especially about his thwarted desire to be first in line at the gang rape of a murdered Australian missionary. We already know he cannot stop himself from releasing a wolf whistle upon catching sight of a certain female reporter, even if it’s in the midst of a public, televised press conference. And he doesn’t have enough self-control to bite his tongue when provoked to curse, cuss

and drop f-bombs, even if the target clear war, he would do so at the least absolutely refuses to apologize after of his ire are such venerable entities provocation, maybe beginning with he himself, I suspect, realizes that he as the Catholic Church and the Unit- the annoying media who cover his “misspoke,” there is no quelling the ed Nations. midnight press conferences. hard feelings he provokes.

We also know that as a public of*** *** ficial, he believes that the best way DURING his most recent meet-and- LET me close this by quoting from to deal with suspected criminals greet, Duterte issued a vague promise a statement of Pilipina, a national is through summary execution. about undergoing a “metamorpho- women’s organization (disclosure: I Though there is no direct proof that sis” once he takes his oath as Presi- amnational chair, although I had no he encouraged or at least tolerated dent. He vowed to temper his lan- hand in crafting the document) in rethe infamous Davao Death Squad, guage and to avoid losing his temper. action to the tsunami of harsh words his public statements make clear But why can’t he do it now? He’s issued by Duterte. The statement is that he would have no problem if it not a kid who needs the permission of originally in Filipino, and I have simwent on a renewed rampage. Heed- his bosses (to borrow PNoy’s term) to ply translated portions of it. ing his signal, mayors around the turn a new leaf. He knows he’s a pub“We in Pilipina, an organization country have begun conducting lic figure, and as the incoming Presi- working for the rights of women,” their own variations of shaming and dent, he should be aware that the it opens, “have been working for slamming. He even the last 35 years encouraged the for ‘gender equalIt is not in our culture to consider as possessions of the communist New ity’—equality for all man or father or boss his wife, child or women employees, who People’s Army to genders, in laws and could be treated rudely or be forced into sex. convene a “kangaimplementation, roo court” to try a and in all leading inpolice officer suspected of being a country, nay the world, is looking at stitutions that shape culture and sodrug pusher. and listening to his every action and ciety—the family, education, religion, As for murdered journalists, they gesture, every word and statement. mass media, the arts, and most of all are to blame for their own deaths, he What the President-elect needs at today, the government. One reality declares. Not all are martyrs to press this time, it seems, is not a modera- we have sought to confront since the freedom, he says, some are corrupt tor or a crafter of public statements, beginning has been ‘non-sexist chilor have earned powerful enemies. but an interpreter, or perhaps a spin drearing,’ or the raising and educatBut unlike the bile he reserves for all doctor, who can soften the blow of his ing of children as equals, to respect sorts of criminals, he has only justi- offensive statements, and rephrase others, no matter their gender.” fications to offer for those who kill his often injudicious remarks. But as Which is why, says the statement, journalists or have them killed. it happens, once the words leave his Pilipina is calling on the MayorMaybe that’s why I believe if he mouth, there is no taking them back, turned-President “not to show this had the opportunity to set off a nu- or sugarcoating them. And since he kind of behavior to our children, our

nieces and nephews, our grandchildren, especially on national TV and radio.”

“Your behavior of whistling at a woman who was merely doing her job, and even your kissing women who approached you during the campaign, your cursing of other people, especially of mothers. Please don’t say that your use of ‘gutter language’ is a product of your breeding or a manifestation of prevailing culture.

“Filipino culture is humane and respectful of mothers, colleagues and children. Filipino culture is compassionate, especially with our poorer brethren. Filipino culture is respectful of the elderly and of women. It is not in our culture to consider as possessions of the man or father or boss his wife, child or women employees, who could be treated rudely or be forced into sex.”

As for those who say that wolfwhistling or overt harassment is just a sign of “admiration,” the women ask: “How do we teach our youth that this is wrong? That women are not possessions or playthings of men?

That the so-called reality of a macho culture should not be emulated because it violates the dignity of women?”

For whatever it’s worth, the next six years should prove to be verrry interesting indeed. ■

LOOKING BACK

How we became the way we are

By Ambeth R. Ocampo Philippine Daily Inquirer WHILE THERE is some pessimism regarding the implementation of the K-to-12 program, I believe it is a bitter pill we have to swallow for longterm gains. Some countries will not employ Filipinos, regardless of the graduate and postgraduate degrees they hold, if they lack two years in the 12-year basic education that is now the worldwide standard. We are just talking here of years clocked in, and not even venturing into the issue of the basic education curriculum and the effective delivery of its content.

Over the years, watching my favorite nephew grow, I have always inquired about his history class in an upscale private school to compare it with my own basic education, as well as that given to public schools. I marvel at my nephew’s school that both delivers an appreciation for facts (narrative and memorization) and develops critical thinking.

Once, my nephew asked his mother to make him a conquistador costume for a report he was to deliver in class. He wrote the text himself

and memorized the story of Pedro Alvares Cabral, who “discovered Brazil.” When he ran the report by me I asked, “Were there people in Brazil when Alvares Cabral arrived?” After he replied with a big “Yes,” my followup question was: “If there were people there, how could Alvares Cabral discover Brazil?” At this point my sister stepped in, worried that her son would be confused or, worse, flunk his history class. I assured her that if critical thinking became a problem, I would speak to the teacher myself. To my surprise, my Grade 3 nephew reacted to the arguing adults by declaring: “Alvares Cabral did not discover Brazil. That’s why we refer to them in school as explorers rather than discoverers.”

How I wished he had made a report on Ferdinand Magellan instead. How I wished I had this kind of history class when I was in Grade 3, a class that imparts the difference between history (narrative of the past) and historiography (how historical narratives are constructed).

When Prof. Danilo Madrid Gerona titled his recent book “Ferdinand Magellan: The Armada de Maluco and

the European Discovery of the Philippines” he rightly asserts the Filipino point of view. It is a nationalist reading that can also argue that maybe it was the islands, later named “Filipinas,” that discovered Magellan!

Remember that Magellan named the islands “Islas de San Lazaro” because he “discovered” them on the Feast of Saint Lazarus in 1521, while the name Filipinas was given by Villalobos in 1544 to the islands of Samar and Leyte, when the archipelago was then known as the “Islas del Poniente” (Islands of the West). Imagine if we didn’t adopt the name Filipinas and became Filipinos. We would be “Lazareans” or “Lazareanos” today. Worse, we could even be referred to as “Ponientas,” which resembles Gen. Antonio Luna and Manuel L. Quezon’s favorite expletive.

I grew up with a history based on nationalism that rightfully rejected the colonial periods under the Spanish, the Americans, and the Japanese. What I find wrong with this in retrospect was the hatred for a time we cannot return to, a revulsion for a history we cannot reverse or change.

When I teach history, I try to help

www.canadianinquirer.net

my students develop an open nationalism in tune with the globalizing world, rather than repeating the xenophobic anticolonial nationalism I learned during the 1960s.

Referring to the Magellan Expedition as the European discovery of the Philippines, while correct, requires some retooling to be more inclusive.

When Magellan arrived in Cebu in 1521, he found a busy port with Arab, Thai, Chinese and perhaps Japanese traders passing through, carrying goods from all over the world. These foreigners trading with Rajah Humabon neither needed to discover the Philippines nor wished to colonize, civilize, and Christianize its people.

What we should learn from the Magellan Expedition today is how the Europeans and the “Filipinos” discovered one another in 1521, and how this encounter made us into what we are 400 years since.

There seems to be no national committee preparing for the 2021 commemoration of this encounter.

I hope that when it is organized, its members would look into the way the Columbus Expedition was commemorated in 1992, not as the “Discovery

of America,” but as the more inclusive and politically correct “encuentro de dos mundos.” It was an encounter of twoworlds: the old (Europe) and the new (America), each with its own culture and history.

AUnesco document on the 1992 commemoration not only explains the encounter but also describes it as: “a unique opportunity to reflect on the circumstances and consequences of the meeting of peoples and of their cultures, on their successive borrowings from, and contributions to, one another, and on the resulting transformations that have so profoundly affected the general evolution of mankind.”

Reading that in 1992 weaned me from the antiSpanish and anti-American Philippine history I learned in school. Now that I amolder, and hopefully a wee bit wiser, I see how the past can be relevant, to push the present into the future. The way history is taught in schools provides Filipino students with a choice to wallow in the past and blame it for all our present ills, or to be liberated from it by understanding the process of how we became the way we are. ■

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JUNE 10, 2016

FRIDAY

Canada News

Canadian airports face longer security lines without more funding, say experts

BY ROSS MAROWITS The Canadian Press MONTREAL — Canadians risk flight delays and even longer airport security lines unless Ottawa boosts screening funding to address growing passenger levels, industry experts are warning.

“It is on the cusp of being a real problem, with serious, serious delays,” says John Gibson, chairman of the Canadian Airports Council.

Canadian airports aren’t currently facing the chronic disruptions that are increasingly angering U.S. passengers. Still, lines have steadily grown over the last few years as Canadian funding hasn’t kept pace with the 21 per cent increase in passenger growth over the last five years.

The Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) says, on average, it screens 85 per cent of passengers within 15 minutes.

But waits can be much longer at some large airports during peak travel times, with additional pressure potentially coming during the rush of summer travel — and the number of passengers is growing by 3.5 per cent each year.

If nothing is done to address the bigger volumes, Gibson said, passenger waits could regularly reach an hour.

The number of security screeners has in the past fluc-

tuated depending on the size of government funding. More than 6,000 agents screened 58 million passengers last year.

The agency says it’s doing the best it can with the resources it’s provided by the government. An extra $29 million in the Liberal government’s first budget will help to maintain the current threshold this year.

“Based on the long-term funding that we have right now, if we don’t get additional funding then, yes (lines will be longer),” said spokesman Mathieu Larocque.

Passenger complaints associated with longer wait times have been growing, CATSA said in its 2015 annual report.

Toronto’s Pearson International Airport, the country’s largest, said it is also hearing from passengers.

“As we see passenger growth across the country, most airports are seeing more passengers and that puts a greater demand on the system,” said spokeswoman Erin Kennedy.

Transport Minister Marc Garneau said he got an earful about wait times during one of three roundtables he’s held on proposed changes to the Canada Transportation Act. “I think the system is working well. The only knock that I’m hearing is some people feel it takes too long to go through,” he said in an interview.

“Being a traveller myself, I occasionally experience that.”

The minister said it would be “premature” to comment on the 60 recommendations from former cabinet minister David Emerson’s report or advice he’s hearing from consultations, but said he plans to make specific proposals for change this fall.

The public can participate in consultations on Facebook on June 15 in French and June 16 in English.

CATSA is funded from the Air Travellers Security Charge applied after the 2001 terrorist attacks to all flights. Originally created as a revenue-neutral way to fund airport security, the charge generates about $120 million a year more in revenues than is allocated to CATSA. Relying entirely on passengers to fund airport security is a departure from other countries and other forms of transit, Air Canada wrote in a submission to Emerson’s panel. In the United States, passengers pay only 30 per cent of security costs, with government funding 63 per cent.

“To ensure the aviation industry can reach its growth potential, the government should reinvest these funds into the industry, instead of directing the revenue elsewhere,” the country’s largest carrier wrote.

It called for Canadian fees to be lowered to match U.S. competitors, or at the very least ensure fees don’t exceed the cost of providing the service.

The Montreal-based airline

Lines have steadily grown over the last few years as Canadian funding hasn’t kept pace with the 21 per cent increase in passenger growth over the last five years. Pictured is Toronto’s Pearson International Airport.

ICE MAN / FLICKR

joined others in calling for mandated service levels.

Large global airports like London Heathrow and Hong Kong are required to process 95 per cent of passengers within five minutes.

Emerson backed many industry proposals, urging the government to reduce the security charge and provide its own funds. He also called for wait time limits to be mandated, and for Canada to change its approach to screening by focusing on passengers that pose the biggest threat rather than treating everyone the same.

He said CATSA has been re-

luctant to adopt technology and highlighted the TSA’s precheck program in the U.S. that streamlines screening for trusted travellers.

Cutting wait times is required to ensure Canadian airports are competitive global gateways, said Robert Kokonis, president of airline consulting firm AirTrav Inc. “If we have these tremendous lineups and inefficiencies in addition to the high cost structure in Canada, it makes it difficult for Canada to be perceived as a truly competitive international aviation market,” he said in an interview. ■

Crews battle fire in Fort McMurray apartment building, flames under control THE CANADIAN PRESS FORT MCMURRAY, ALTA. — Crews fought a large fire Monday night that ripped through an apartment building in downtown Fort Mc-

Murray.

Bob Couture, a spokesman for the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, said the flames have been contained.

“The fire that our emergency regional services responded to downtown is under control and

is presently under investigation for the cause,” Couture said late Monday.

“I can say that this fire is not related to wildfires. The situation is safe at this time.”

There were no reports of injuries. www.canadianinquirer.net

It was not clear how many people were forced from the neighbourhood when flames engulfed the four-story apartment complex.

There were unconfirmed reports that the apartment complex was empty at the time but

that RCMP evacuated nearby buildings.

Residents of Fort McMurray who had to flee the area due to wildfires on May 3 have been returning to the community since last Wednesday. ■

Canada News

FRIDAY JUNE 10, 2016

Family at centre of assisted dying law says Ottawa failed to listen THE CANADIAN PRESS

of the tabled legislation.

“In its current form, it’s legislation that discriminates on age, mental status VANCOUVER — One of the key plain- and level of health,” he said. “If you ever tiffs in the court battle for physician- find yourself spiralling toward a hideous assisted death is celebrating the historic but not terminal condition, know that decision coming into effect, but calls the Bill C-14 will ensure you are kept alive federal government’s handling of the to lengthen your suffering until you die new law a betrayal. naturally.”

Lee Carter said the Liberal governThe B.C. Civil Liberties Association ment has crafted a bill so restrictive it has supported the family’s case as it would have excluded her own mother, wound through the courts for more than whose medically assisted death outside three years.

Canada was at the centre of the Supreme BCCLA executive director Josh PatCourt of Canada decision. erson said they met with MPs, senators, Kay Carter, 89, was suffering spinal and opposition politicians after the high stenosis, a disease that is painful and court decision, but “never once” was it irreversible but not terminal, when she suggested the government would exended her own life in clude non-terminal Switzerland in 2010. patients.

The tabled legisla“Our jaws dropped. tion makes it legal We were on a briefing to provide medical call the morning the help in dying for a If you ever bill came out with ofcompetent adult who find yourself ficials in Ottawa and has a grievous or irspiralling we couldn’t believe remediable medical toward a our ears,” he said. condition, but denies hideous but “We weren’t sure patients whose connot terminal we understood it ditions are not termicondition, properly at first. nal. know that Surely they couldn’t The ruling was Bill C-14 will have meant that. made last year and ensure you We’re giving them the federal governare kept alive some credit. We ment was given until to lengthen thought, ‘Maybe June 6 to write legisyour suffering we’re interpreting lation, but that bill is until you die this wrong.’ still before the senate. naturally.

“Well no, they “Where did the meant it and they’ve Liberal governmade that abundantment go so terribly ly clear this week.” wrong?” Lee Carter Last week, an Alsaid at a Vancouver berta Court of Apnews conference on Monday. peal panel ruled the federal government “They have not listened to Canadian wasn’t complying with the Supreme voices, to their own joint committee and Court of Canada ruling when it excluded even their own members of Parliament people suffering solely from psychiatric who have serious concerns about this conditions. bill.”

The void left by the lack of legislation Carter said Canadians for now must and the expiration of the Supreme Court rely on the policy of provinces around deadline is being filled in various ways assisted death. She urged the Senate to by each jurisdiction. fix the “dysfunctional” legislation beIn B.C., Health Minister Terry Lake fore it passes into law. said doctors must abide by the standards “We’re hopeful that they will amend set out by the College of Physicians and this bill so it doesn’t exclude the people Surgeons. who were at the very heart of this case,” Ontario’s government is advising famshe said. ilies and doctors to seek court approval Price Carter, Kay’s son, said years of for assisted death until the new legislagovernment inaction meant it was too tion is passed. late for his mother to die with dignity And Alberta has made public its own in Canada, but their family was heart- draft regulations for physician-assistened when the high court ruled in their ed death, but notes those rules will be favour. superseded when the federal law is in He said Canadians should “be afraid” place. ■ www.canadianinquirer.net

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Canada News

JUNE 10, 2016

All senators... enough, Sen. George Baker predicts there will be “many, many” amendments proposed.

Baker, who is sponsoring the bill in the Senate, says he’s never seen a bill provoke so much interest.

“I say this is extraordinary because I have never seen in my history on the Hill of more than 40 years a situation where so many senators or members of Parliament wish to participate and a great many of them wish to put forward amendments,” Baker told the committee Tuesday.

Sen. Andre Pratte warned it will be a “huge challenge” to keep the amendment process orderly and respectful.

In a bid to prevent lengthy debate on each and every amendment, Sen. James Cowan, leader of the independent Liberals, is ❰❰ 1

urging senators to circulate their proposed amendments among themselves and agree to group them together for debate by subject matter: eligibility criteria, safeguards, regulations and so on.

While senators continue to deliberate the bill, the country is now without a criminal law governing medical assistance in dying. In the absence of a law, the procedure will be governed by the eligibility criteria spelled out by the Supreme Court in its landmark Carter decision last year and by guidelines issued by medical regulators in each province.

When the top court struck down the ban on assisted dying, it gave Parliament a year, later extended by four months, to craft a new law. That deadline passed on Monday.

In its ruling, the court said as-

sisted dying should be available to consenting adults with grievous and irremediable medical conditions causing enduring suffering that is intolerable to them.

The government has taken a more restrictive approach in Bill C-14, which would make assisted dying available only to those in an advanced stage of irreversible decline and for whom a natural death is “reasonably foreseeable.”

Some senators believe the bill is unconstitutional because it does not comply with the Carter decision or the charter of rights. Others maintain it doesn’t impose enough safeguards to protect the vulnerable or to protect the conscience rights of health-care providers who refuse to provide assistance in dying. ■

Calls grow for government support for natural gas-fuelled vehicles

BY IAN BICKIS The Canadian Press CALGARY — Proponents of natural gas-fuelled vehicles say they can help reduce carbon emissions now but government support is needed to get businesses on board.

The alternative fuel has been around for decades but new technology developments and greater awareness of the need to bring down emissions has led to heightened interest, said Bruce Winchester, executive director of the Canadian Natural Gas Vehicle Alliance.

“We see some opportunities and some real potential, particularly as governments start to look at transportation as a source of greenhouse gas emissions,” he said.

Like most alternative fuels, natural gas still only makes up a small fraction of the fuel powering the total number of vehicles on the road. But Winchester said he sees potential for growth in medium- and heavyduty fleet vehicles, where energy demands are higher.

Natural gas has about 15 per cent less greenhouse gas emissions than diesel. That can translate into a far bigger impact if trucking fleets are con-

verted to use natural gas.

“You’re going to get bigger emissions savings when you look at an application that requires a lot of kilometres and therefore a lot of fuel burned,” he said.

He pointed to C.A.T. Transportation in Quebec that as of February had switched 20 trucks to compressed natural gas for long-haul transportation down to Texas. The company said that as a result, in the first six weeks of the year it saved 18 tonnes of carbon dioxide.

But Winchester said carbon prices are too low or non-existent to make it enough of a financial incentive to switch, especially with diesel prices at their lowest in years, which is why the industry is hoping for government help.

Ritch Murray, manager of Enbridge Inc.’s natural gas transportation division, says the $200 million for lower-emission vehicles and refuelling stations mentioned in a leaked version of Ontario’s draft climate plan would go a long way.

“That’s going to be some welcome investment,” said Murray. “These are businesses and they’re looking at the bottom line. And if there’s not an incentive to fuel switch, they’re going to think twice about it.”

British Columbia and Que-

bec already have some forms of natural gas vehicle incentives.

A spokesman for Alberta’s environment minister said the government could consider alternative fuelling options through the energy efficiency program once it’s established.

The federal government also promised $62.5 million for alternative fuels in its latest budget, but almost all of that is going towards electric vehicle infrastructure.

Murray, who manages the largest commercial natural gas vehicle fleet in Canada at Enbridge, says that for heavierduty vehicles there aren’t really electric options, but natural gas is ready to go.

“It’s readily deployable, commercialized technology that has an immediate impact on GHGs and we can get it out right now in the heavy duty space, where there aren’t any electric options,” said Murray.

But with so many competing vehicle fuel alternatives, automotive analyst Dennis DesRosiers says governments should stay out of picking winners and losers.

“It’s not the government’s job to decide whether it’s going to be natural gas or diesel in the future,” he said. “Just set a standard and let industry figure it out.” ■ www.canadianinquirer.net

FRIDAY

Port Alberni to be site of massive 9.0 earthquake, tsunami disaster drill

BY DIRK MEISSNER The Canadian Press VICTORIA — British Columbia’s government is spending $1.2 million on a massive earthquake drill to prepare for the real thing, which forecasters say has one-in-three odds of hitting the West Coast in the next 50 years.

Naomi Yamamoto, B.C.’s emergency preparedness minister, says it’s not a matter of if an earthquake hits, it’s when — and being prepared pays off in a disaster.

“It’s (money) very well spent,” she said. “We know that for every dollar we spend on not just mitigation, but planning, there’s huge return should something actually happen.”

More than 60 different organizations and 600 people are participating in the three-day earthquake drill, including Emergency Management BC, RCMP, Salvation Army, Red Cross, Coast Guard, and local First Nations.

Yamamoto said a special effects company has been hired to produce real-life disaster scenes, including applying makeup for volunteer actors with mock injuries.

The drill was slated to begin Tuesday at 7:45 a.m. PST with broadcast reports of a magnitude 9.0 earthquake hitting off B.C.’s southwest coast, followed minutes later by an imaginary tsunami heading for Vancouver Island.

The fictitious quake supposedly results from a rupture of underground geological plates in the Cascadia Subduction Zone, amounting to the “Big One” scientists have been forecasting for decades, Yamamoto said.

She said tsunami warning sirens will be activated along the Vancouver Island’s west coast to signal two incoming tsunami waves headed for Port Alberni, population 18,000.

Port Alberni was the site of a devastating tsunami 52 years ago that hit after a magnitude

9.2 earthquake off Alaska.

Two waves gathered force as they raced up the funnel-like Alberni Inlet in March 1964, hitting the city with forces that swept away houses and vehicles, but caused no deaths.

Yamamoto said she recently spoke with a woman from Port Alberni who recalled climbing onto the roof of her family’s home to escape the water in 1964.

She said the drill also involves deployments of Vancouver’s Heavy Urban Search and Rescue team and a mobile medical unit to Port Alberni.

“This will really test elements of B.C.’s immediate earthquake response plan,” said Yamamoto.

“We know we have words on paper, but we need to continue to lead the nation in terms of being prepared for something like this because we are in an area where it’s the highest risk for something like this to happen.”

Scientists in Japan, and Vancouver Island First Nations, have gathered accounts of a huge earthquake and tsunami in January 1700 that wiped out communities and killed thousands of people. A wave the height of a four-storey building hit the east coast of Japan nine hours after the original earthquake off the B.C. coast.

Yamamoto said B.C. emergency officials have travelled to recent earthquake zones at Christchurch, New Zealand and Fukushima, Japan, to review disaster response strategies.

“What we hear over and over again is, ‘If only they were more prepared,”’ she said.

The B.C. drill coincides with federal and U.S. government exercises underway along the Pacific coast.

Canadian Armed Forces are also testing their response tactics in an operation called Staunch Maple and Pacific Quake.

Yamamoto said B.C.’s drill will be independently reviewed for gaps and performance by Claude Denver, one of the top emergency management officials in Alaska’s Department of Homeland Security. ■

19

FRIDAY JUNE 10, 2016

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*Offer available until June 30, 2016, and is subject to change without notice. Price shown does not include tax. Promotional offers, or limited-time offers, apply to new customers only. New customers must not have subscribed to a Shaw service (Internet, TV or Phone) or bundle in the past 90 days. Regular rates apply after promotional period and are subject to change. Not all Shaw services are available in all regions. Channel and Theme Pack availability vary by market. HD hardware is required for HD programming. The HDPVR you rent or purchase may be new or refurbished.

The free HDPVR rental will be a free ongoing rental while subscribed to Shaw TV services. Equipment not purchased by you must be returned to Shaw if any of your services are cancelled. You may not resell any Shaw services. ^The 24-month Service Agreement is available to subscribers with a minimum service level of Personal TV combined with Internet 15 and higher. Shaw Phone services may be added or removed at any time outside of the 24-month Service Agreement. Orders involving a 2-year Service Agreement with 2 or more services are eligible for free installation; otherwise, installation fees may apply, not to exceed $60. Early cancellation fees apply and will be calculated based on the number of months remaining in the 24-month Service Agreement multiplied by the early cancellation fee ($15, $20, or $25, depending on hardware chosen). Upon opting into the 24-month Service Agreement, detailed terms and conditions will be provided within the Service Agreement documents. Service Agreement is not available in Ontario. †Availability of Shaw Internet packages and service may vary by region, modem equipment or residential wiring.

Internet download speed is based on optimal conditions. © 2016 Shaw Communications Inc. All Shaw services are subject to our Joint Terms of Use and Privacy Policy located at shaw.ca.

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World News

20

JUNE 10, 2016

FRIDAY

Japanese banks tighten Turkish president vows up after $16 million continued fight against terrorism taken from ATMs PHILIPPINES NEWS AGENCY

BY SATOSHI SUGIYAMA The Associated Press TOKYO — Japanese banks that lost some 1.8 billion yen ($16.5 million) when fake overseas cards were used at convenience store ATMs are scrambling to combat such fraud.

Seven Bank, which operates ATMs in the 7-Eleven convenience store chain, halved its withdrawal limit to 50,000 yen from 100,000 yen for customers using non-Japanese cards.

E-net, a joint-banking service whose members include national and regional banks, reduced its withdrawal limit to 40,000 yen from the previous 200,000 yen for non-Japanese cards.

The illegal withdrawals were made in just a few hours on May 15 at more than 1,000 ATMs in 17 prefectures (states), according to Japanese media reports.

The reports say fake cards of

a South African bank were used, and police have arrested three suspects so far. In the latest development, police found a manual with detailed instructions on how to use fake cards to withdraw money from ATMs, national broadcaster NHK reported Tuesday.

Masatoshi Ogihara, a Seven Bank spokesman, said the bank is strengthening monitoring and co-operation with police but declined to provide specifics for security reasons.

China Union Pay cardholders used to be able to withdraw up to 200,000 yen at Seven Bank, Ogihara said, but are also now limited to 50,000 yen.

Money was also taken at Japan Post Bank ATMs. Hayato Kayanuma, a spokesman for the postal bank, said it is working on plans to deal with the fraud but has not lowered the withdrawal limit. He added that the plans would not affect cards issued in Japan. ■

ISTANBUL — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday denounced the latest bombing attack in Istanbul, vowing continued battle against terrorism.

“This terror attack is against humanity, there is no way to forgive these attacks,” the president said after visiting some of the wounded in hospital, adding that “we will continue our struggle against terrorism tirelessly until the end.”

Seven police officers and four civilians were killed and 36 others injured in the morning rush hour, when a parked car exploded as a riot police shuttle bus passed by in the neighborhood of Vezneciler in Istanbul’s Fatih district.

Three of the wounded are “in critical condition,” Governor Vasip Sahin said.

Erdogan said two people were undergoing surgery in the hospital where he visited.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The deadly attack came one day after Turkey entered the holy month of Ramadan, a time when Muslims in the country practice fasting.

“Terror can happen anytime anywhere, we should be prepared,” Erdogan said, pledging all the precautions to “minimize” the threat of terrorism.

Press reports said the buildings of several universities, the Istanbul municipality headquarters and Ottoman-era mosques were damaged in the explosion, while the final ex-

KREMLIN.RU

ams in Istanbul University were postponed.

Police have boosted the security measures across the city and were conducting searches at the metro stations, the reports said.

The security situation in Turkey has deteriorated in recent months, with Istanbul, the national capital of Ankara and other cities having been hit by a number of bombing attacks.

In Istanbul, two suicide bombing attacks killed 12 Germans and four foreigners respectively in January and March. ■

Happy Philippine Independence Day From the Official Opposition John Horgan, Leader Juan de Fuca

Harry Bains

Surrey-Newton (604) 597-8248

Leonard Krog Nanaimo (250) 714-0630

Raj Chouhan

Judy Darcy

Burnaby-Edmonds (604) 660-7301

New Westminster (604) 775-2101

Melanie Mark

Bruce Ralston

Vancouver-Mount Pleasant (604) 660-0707

Surrey-Whalley (604) 586-2740

Mable Elmore

Vancouver-Kensington (604) 775-1033

Selina Robinson

Coquitlam-Maillardville (604) 933-2001

www.canadianinquirer.net

Mike Farnworth Port Coquitlam (604) 927-2088

Jane Shin

Burnaby-Lougheed (604) 660-5058

Sue Hammell

Surrey-Green Timbers (604) 590-5868

Shane Simpson

Vancouver-Hastings (604) 775-2277

George Heyman Vancouver-Fairview (604) 775-2453

Jodie Wickens

Coquitlam-Burke Mountain (604) 942-5020

21

FRIDAY JUNE 10, 2016

www.canadianinquirer.net

22

World News

JUNE 10, 2016

FRIDAY

Ex-Stanford swimmer’s jail term decried as too lenient THE CANADIAN PRESS PALO ALTO, CALIF. — A six-month jail term for a former Stanford University swimmer convicted of sexually assaulting an unconscious woman on campus after both attended a fraternity party is being decried as a slap on the wrist.

Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Aaron Persky sentenced 20-yearold Brock Turner to six months in county jail and three years’ probation after the woman who was assaulted read the court an emotional statement that has gone viral. Turner must also complete a sex offender management program and register as a convicted sex offender for the rest of his life.

In her statement, the woman described how the attack left her emotionally scarred.

“My independence, natural joy, gentleness, and steady lifestyle I had been enjoying became distorted beyond recognition. I became closed off, angry, selfdeprecating, tired, irritable, empty,” she said.

District Attorney Jeff Rosen said he was disappointment that the judge did not sentence Turner to prison.

“The punishment does not fit the crime,” Rosen said in a statement after the sentence was announced Thursday.

“The sentence does not factor in the true seriousness of this sexual assault, or the victim’s ongoing trauma. Campus rape is no different than off-campus rape. Rape is rape.”

A jury in March found Turner guilty of three felony sexual assault counts for the January 2015 attack, which was interrupted by two graduate students who saw him assaulting a partially clothed woman behind a trash bin. Turner tried

to flee, but the students tackled and pinned him down until police arrived and arrested him.

Turner had a blood-alcohol level that was twice the legal limit, the San Jose Mercury News reported (http://bayareane.ws/1UoYhNk). The three-time All American high school swimmer from Dayton, Ohio, withdrew from Stanford after his arrest.

The San Jose Mercury News did not identify the woman. The Associated Press does not generally identify victims of sexual abuse.

The woman, who was not a student, told investigators she drank about four shot glasses of whisky before going to the fraternity party, and then drank vodka there. The next thing she said she remembered was waking up at a hospital in San Jose, where a deputy told her she may have been a victim of sexual assault.

“I stood there examining my body beneath the stream of water and decided, I don’t want my body anymore. I was terrified of it,” the woman wrote in a letter to Turner and Judge Persky that she read in the courtroom during the sentencing. “I wanted to take off my body like a jacket and leave it at the hospital with everything else.”

In an editorial, the San Jose Mercury News called the six-month county jail sentence “a slap on the wrist.”

“Brock Turner’s six-month jail term for sexual assault of an intoxicated, unconscious woman on the Stanford campus last year is a setback for the movement to take campus rape seriously,” the newspaper said. “If Turner’s slap on the wrist sentence is a setback, activists can take some comfort that the jurors at the trial in March saw what happened as a very serious crime.” ■

Convicted rapist Brock Turner's mugshot was only released after pressure from media outlets.

BOINGBOING.NET

www.canadianinquirer.net

Community News

FRIDAY JUNE 10, 2016

23

Vancouver Consulate marks milestone anniversary THE PHILIPPINE Consulate in Vancouver (PCG) celebrated the 60th anniversary of its establishment as the first Philippine foreign service post in Canada with a reception on May 31, at the World Trade Center Office in Canada Place.

PCG Vancouver served as the Philippines’ first diplomatic and consular office covering the whole of Canada until the establishment of the Philippine Embassy in Ottawa in 1971.

In her address as guest of honor, Philippine Ambassador to Canada, Petronila P. Garcia, traced the history of the Consulate and the impetus behind its establishment.

Climate, transportation and communication challenges attended the arrival of the Philippines’ trailblazing diplomats in the early years of the consular office in the mid-50’s.

Friendlier immigration policies and technological advancements since then have made Canada a more hospitable destination for Filipinos.

Today, a fully-staffed and fullyfunctioning Embassy in Ottawa and Consulates General in Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver deliver wide-ranging laborrelated and consular services, including dual citizenship,

Amb. Petronila Garcia (R) traced the history of the Consulate and the impetus behind its establishment in her speech during the 60th anniversary celebration.

Looking on are MLA Mable Elmore and Deputy Consul General Anthony Mandap (Photo by Janice Lozano).

overseas voting and assistance to nationals, in addition to promoting trade, investment and tourism.

Ambassador Garcia assured the audience that the Philippine foreign service corps are constantly upgrading its competencies, logistics and facilities to better serve the FilipinoCanadian community. “Indeed, much has happened over the

last sixty years, and countless lessons have been learned. We are stronger and better from all the experience. It is my wish that these years of living, learning and experiencing would have brought us closer as a people and as one, cohesive community,” she concluded.

The presence of the descendants of the Consulate’s “First Family”-the children of the

first Consul and then Consul General, the late Gauttier F. Bisnar, who led the establishment of the consular office in 1956, magnified the historical significance of the occasion.

Oscar, Edgar and Gauttier F. Bisnar, Jr. thanked the Consulate for honoring their father and shared old photographs which were exhibited during the event.

Teresa Wat, minister of International Trade and minister Responsible for Asia Pacific Strategy and Multiculturalism, and Amrik Virk, minister of Technology, Innovation, and Citizens’ Services, both representing the government of British Columbia, congratulated the Consulate for achieving this major milestone, and wished the office more success.

Mable Elmore, MLA for Vancouver-Kensington, likewise, applauded the Consulate for its achievements in administering long and uninterrupted service to the Filipino-Canadian community.

Consul General Neil Frank R. Ferrer, for his part, expressed his gratitude for the warm welcome and support rendered to the Consulate by the Government of Canada, particularly the Government of British

Columbia, during the past six decades. He underlined the significant role of the Consulate in maintaining and sustaining the harmonious relationship between the Philippines and Canada.

Consul General Ferrer pointed to the opening of the BC Government’s trade and investment office in Manila, the provincial government’s first and only office in the Asean region, as a demonstration of the strong rapport between the Philippines and Canada as well as a manifestation of the latter’s confidence in the economies of Asean, particularly the Philippines.

During the reception, Ed Araquel, a Filipino-Canadian multi-media fine artist, whose body of work spans over 50 years and two continents, donated to the Consulate a painting entitled, “Mt. Mayon”.

Araquel is among the featured artists in the ongoing Harana art exhibit, which constitutes part of a series of events commemorating the Consulate’s 60th anniversary.

Joey Albert, herself a pioneering Original Pilipino Music (OPM) artist, and Jeremiah Carag, a Filipino-Canadian tenor, regaled the audience with original Filipino songs. ■

PH brings new flair to Asian Month Celebration in Ottawa PHILIPPINE EMBASSY IN OTTAWA THOUGHT PROVOKING films, persons with disability (PWD) and gender advocacies, Filipino traditional wear and a new take on Philippine cuisine comprised the Philippines’ offerings for the celebration of Asian Heritage Month in Ottawa this May. Senate of Canada gets Asian Heritage Month underway

The Philippine Embassy recently assembled a dressup photo booth at the Senate of Canada’s Asian Heritage Month festivities where guests enjoyed donning Filipiniana clothes and accessories even as they earned a photo keepsake of the occasion. Kicking off the afternoon’s cultural presentations from various Asian visi-

(From L) Benedetta Gauthier-Mamaril entertain members of the Senate of Canada with her soulful rendition of Filipino classic songs while guests gamely don Filipiniana clothes at the Philippine photo booth.

ble minority groups, nine-year old Filipino Canadian violinist, Benedetta Gauthier-Mamaril, performed Maalaala Mo Kaya and Bayan Ko to perfection.

Guests also polished off trays of buco pandan cake, brazo de mercedes with ube filling and tasty pancit bihon in short order.

Championing PWD and Gender Models

To advance its PWD and Gender and Development (GAD) advocacies, the Philippine Embassy hosted a private screening of Talent Untapped, an eye-opening film by FilipinoCanadian Anna-Karina Tabunar, at the chancery on May 26. www.canadianinquirer.net

Attended by members of the diplomatic corps, officials of Global Affairs Canada, representatives of the Asian Heritage Month Society as well as PWD supporters, the event spotlighted the talent of Tabunar, an accomplished journalist, film maker and PWD advocate, as well as award-winning chef

Jil Aranas, whose Filipino heritage and Canadian education spawned exemplars not only of successful Asian-Canadians but also strong advocates of PWD and Gender and Development.

“Philippine history is replete with female and physicallyimpaired revolutionary heroes. Drawing inspiration from them, we intend to bring you that portion of Philippine cultural heritage that values equal opportunities for Women as well as Persons with Disabilities,” Philippine Ambassador Petronila P. Garcia explained.

Ambassador Garcia availed herself of the occasion to tout great strides made by the Philippines relative to Gender and Development and bolstered the proposition that hiring PWDs makes economic sense as well as raises client satisfaction. ❱❱ PAGE 25 PH brings

24

World News

JUNE 10, 2016

FRIDAY

Official Opposition Leader Rona Ambrose greets Fil-Cans on Independence Day, talks of Conservatives’ programs for Filipino immigrants

BY KATHERINE PADILLA Philippine Canadian Inquirer THE LEADER of the Official Opposition, Hon. Rona Ambrose, greets FilipinoCanadians on the 118th Philippine Independence Day. In an interview with Philippine Canadian Inquirer, Ambrose discussed diversity in the Conservative Party and the party’s policies for immigrants, whose large part is composed of Filipinos.

Despite the Conservative Party’s loss to the Liberal Party in the 2015 election, the morale of the party is very high, according to Ambrose.

“Obviously while the 2015 election campaign didn’t end the way we hoped it would, I can say over the past few months I’ve travelled all across the country – literally from Newfoundland to BC – and morale is very high. Canada’s Conservatives have never been more united, energized and de-

termined to regain the trust of Canadians in 2019,” she says.

“The core of our programs and policies has not changed.”

“Conservatives remain the party of small government, free markets, low taxes, and helping Canadians achieve the best for their families,” she adds.

The Conservative Party also continues to “stand in stark contrast” to the Liberals’ fiscal management.

According to Ambrose, the fiscal management of the current government “includes borrowing billions of dollars, plunging Canada into deeper debt and deficit, and then raising taxes on families and businesses to pay it back.”

“This is not the recipe for a healthy economy, and we will continue to engage with all Canadians on this in the coming months,” Ambrose vows.

Diversity in the party

The Conservative Party boasts of diversity in its members. The first Muslim and Hin-

du Members of the Parliament (MP) belong to the party. As well as the first MPs of Chinese, Greek, and Japanese descent; senators of Korean, Pakistani, Vietnamese and even Filipino descent are members of the Conservative Party.

“Diversity within the Conservative Party is imperative to ensuring we represent the best interests of all Canadians. We have a strong history of being the party that best represents the aspirations of all Canadians,” Ambrose says.

“Past and present, no other Party has a better record of bringing Canadians of all different backgrounds together, and that’s a record we’re very proud of,” she says.

Conservative Party and Filipino immigrants Filipinos are among the largest foreign-born groups in Canada. During the term of Conservative Party’s Stephen Harper as Prime Minister, the number of Filipino immigrants in Canada raised significantly. Accord-

www.canadianinquirer.net

ing to the Canadian Magazine of Immigration, Filipinos in Canada grew to 454,335 in 2011 from 232,665 in 2001.

“For a number of years under the previous Conservative Government, Canada received more immigrants from the Philippines than from anywhere else in the world,” Ambrose says. “We made improvements to the Temporary Foreign Worker program helping Filipinos find employment in places like Saskatchewan and Alberta.”

Conservatives’ core values resonate with Filipinos the most, according to Ambrose.

“We lowered the tax burden on Canadians to its lowest level in 50 years, which definitely made an impact. We had a number of tax-saving initiatives to help not just Filipino families, but all families,” she says. “Unfortunately, the current government is rolling back a number of those initiatives that many families relied on, like the Universal Child

Care Benefit, tax credits for children’s arts and fitness activities, and the Tax-Free Savings Account.”

On the 118th Philippine Independence Day

In lieu of Filipino-Canadians’ celebration of Philippine Independence Day, Hon. Rona Ambrose sends a message to the Filipino community in Canada.

“I’d like to start by wishing everyone a Happy Philippine Independence Day!” the Leader of the Official Opposition says.

“The Filipino community in Canada is so strong – more than 700,000 people. The friendship between our two countries has always been resilient. And we were proud to be at the forefront of international efforts in 2013 in response to the catastrophe of Typhoon Haiyan.”

“You are an integral community to the make-up of our great country! I hope everyone has a great time with family and friends, and an enjoyable celebration.” ■

FRIDAY JUNE 10, 2016

25

Entertainment

Jericho Rosales, Kim Jones have no baby plans yet

BY JANE MORALEDA Philippine Canadian Inquirer MANILA — Actor Jericho Rosales and fashion personality Kim Jones are not in a hurry to have a baby just yet, even after two years since tying the knot last May 2014 in Boracay.

“Hindi pa kaya… Kim and I want to travel pa. Marami pa kaming kailangan i-check sa globe. Nai-imagine lang namin na kapag may baby na, wala na. ’Yung dog namin ‘yung example eh, hindi namin madala,” Jericho says in a Manila Bulletin report.

(We can’t have yet… Kim and I still want to travel. We still have a lot to check out in the globe. We just imagine that should we have a baby already, we can’t do those anymore. Our dog’s our example; we can’t bring it [as we travel].)

Aside from traveling, the celebrity couple is also still busy with their respective careers.

Jericho still has numerous projects in line, while Kim is often abroad directing, styling and modeling with fashion giants Gucci and Louis Vuitton among her many clients.

“She’s at her peak now. She’s building her career. She’s almost there kung saan niya gusto pu-

John Lloyd Cruz set to receive Star Asia award at NY Film Fest

BY JANE MORALEDA Philippine Canadian Inquirer

KIM JONES (@KIMCAMJONES) / INSTAGRAM

munta. I want to give that to her.

And ako din, I still have things to do,” the Kapamilya actor says in the same report.

(She’s at her peak now. She’s building her career. She’s almost there where she wants to be. I want to give that to her.

And it’s the same with me, I still have things to do.)

“We’re still growing together… and it’s a very beautiful time in our lives now. We’re very blessed,” Kim says in a PEP.ph report. “I want to sort of solidify my brand here in the Philippines… I would like to see myself doing more collaborations. But when the timing is right, we’d go for it.”

Amid their erratic sched-

ules, the couple is able to work things out and meet in the middle as they make sure not to neglect spending quality time with each other.

“We plan months ahead, so her travels are blocked ahead…

Fashion Week, this, that. Then this is ours. Then, I’ll be shooting… Everything’s planned.

It really requires strict discipline,” Jericho explains.

“We spend a lot of time talking to each other… We’re not always together. We send each other videos, images, whatever… just to stay connected,” Kim shares.

Conversely, the two admits talking about starting a family soon but for now, their relationship is their “baby.” ■

bassy on 27 May 2016.

The first film resonated with a largely Filipino-Canadian audience in a country challenged by a rapidly ageing population and where Filipinos constitute the majority of foreign caregivers.

Heneral Luna, on the other hand, encouraged some soul searching among members of the Filipino community and underscored timeless lessons on unity and patriotism.

Both films were loaned to the Embassy by the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) through the Department of Foreign Affairs. A third

film, Bonifacio, will be screened at the Embassy on June 11, on the occasion of the 118th anniversary of the proclamation of Philippine independence.

“As Asian Heritage Month draws to a close tomorrow, the Philippine Embassy is very pleased by the positive reaction to our multi-dimensional celebration of Filipino heritage.

We offer our profound thanks to the Senate of Canada, the Asian Heritage Month Society, Iona Street Media and the Film Development Council of the Philippines for supporting our cultural diplomacy initiatives,” Ambassador Garcia stated. ■

MANILA — After veteran actress Jaclyn Jose’s surprise win at the 69th Cannes Film Festival, another Filipino actor brought honor to the Philippines for also being recognized on the international scene.

The 15th New York Asian Film Festival (NYAFF) presented a Star Asia award to John Lloyd Cruz for his lead role in acclaimed Filipino director Erik Matti’s film “Honor Thy Father.”

Cruz, the first Southeast Asian to receive the honor, was named alongside Korean actor Lee Byung Hun and Hong Kong actress Miriam Yeung — both have been box office stars in their respective countries.

‘Honor Thy Father’ will be screened in the NYAFF, along with other Filipino films “Hamog” directed by Ralston Jover and “Apocalypse Child” by Mario Cornejo.

Matti’s thriller drama tells the story of Edgar (Cruz) and

his wife Kaye (Meryll Soriano) who were involved in a fraudulent investment operation.

Amassing huge debts, the couple feared that their daughter may be kidnapped for ransom by those they owed money to.

Broader range of Asian cinema

The NYAFF, the United States’ prestigious festival of Asian cinema, sought to ‘connect New York’s most passionate film lovers with the most exciting films, directors, and actors from Asia.’

“We set out this year to champion a much broader range of Asian cinema… For example, we are particularly excited by a new breed of noir film rooted in social issues that is emerging in both China and Southeast Asia,” NYAFF Director Samuel Jamier said in a statement.

This year’s festival will be held at the Film Society’s Walter Reade Theater from June 22 to July 5 and at the SVA Theater from July 6 to 9. It is copresented by Subway Cinema and the Film Society of Lincoln Center. ■

PH brings...

At the reception that followed the private screening, Chef Jil Aranas presented a variety of delectable Filipino canapes and a colorful selection of native refreshments. ❰❰ 23

Double Feature at the Philippine Embassy

The full length feature films Ano Ang Kulay ng Nakalimutang Pangarap (What is the Color of Forgotten Dreams) and Heneral Luna capped Philippine events under the auspices of the Asian Heritage Month Society, with a double screening held at the Philippine Em-

John Lloyd at the Just the 3 of Us Premiere in Malaysia.

www.canadianinquirer.net

STAR CINEMA

26

JUNE 10, 2016

FRIDAY

Lifestyle

It’s past midnight–do you know what drugs your kids are doing?

We are parents to a generation whose mantra is #Yolo (you only live once)

BY THELMA SIOSON SAN JUAN Philippine Daily Inquirer

cause he’s already in his late 20s, and my older one in his early 30s— young adults who feel they have the right to call today’s kids “kids,” and who believe that they have somehow passed high school/college/ late teen-hood, without having gone through drugs. The credit goes to the Blessed Virgin and prayers, not only to us, their parents.

My younger son’s job takes him to the urban night life and so he sees the landscape. His work entails that he knows alcohol consumption.

That Sunday dinner, the two couldn’t stop talking about drugs—to me, as if I was their ward who might go wayward.

asking me, as if I was about to take it myself. “It makes your heart palpitate faster, and in this heat, that could be fatal.

Plus, drugs go well with elecTHAT WAS one Sunday two tronic dance music (EDM)— weeks ago when I wished we its sounds and all.” had something else to talk I must admit I didn’t know about over family dinner. But the latter information. Then no, it had to be drugs. they talked about how today’s As we were about to go to kids have access to all kinds of late afternoon Mass, I read in party drugs. our INQUIRER WhatsApp and Then why do they use pacion Facebook that five concertfiers or chew gum, I asked. “To goers had died that day, and an stop their teeth from gritting,” FB post admonished parents older son replied. to check on their children, who “You know what this genwere at the #ForeverSumeration lives by?” younger son mer concert, for any abnormal asked, not really expecting a rebody signs, such as shortness of ply from mother. “Yolo!” breath.

“Yo what?” I asked. “You I had to ask my Only Live elder son, who Once,” he said. covered the event “So they must with ToBeYou cortry everything respondents, if he But I believe one must draw the at least once, was okay. “Yeah, line with drugs. Drug use is nonand they have Ma,” he said, “I got negotiable. Curious? Nobody dies of the money for my own bottled curiosity, but people die of drugs. that.” water from 7-11 So that’s what and you know I the hashtag, don’t drink.” (My that I’ve been two sons don’t seeing, means. even drink soft drinks, unlike One of the rewards of parentThen they talked about the the mom.) ing is that moment when your incidence of drug use in this or When I told my younger son children repeat to you the les- that school, and began rating what happened in the concert, sons and teachings you taught schools, according to students’ he said right away, “That could them—as if these were their drug use, based on what they only be a mix of drugs, alcohol own and as if you were hearing hear from friends. and this abnormal heat. You get these for the first time. They And—younger son pointed dehydrated.” now sound like their (occasion- out, that unlike in “your friends’ Then he added, with some al) nagging mom. time” (referring to some of forcefulness, “Many of today’s their tito), “today’s drugs are so kids can’t party without drugs.” Ecstasy synthetic, very bad chemicals Why does my younger son “You know what ecstasy does they could kill animals. In Tito call them “kids”? That’s be- to you?” the younger son was xxxx (they named one of my

www.canadianinquirer.net

friends), the drugs were obviously of better quality.”

It was my turn to steer the talk to what I’ve been meaning to ask, and which I believe other parents might be interested in—so why do you think you didn’t use drugs, I asked them.

Older son just uttered, “Ugh,” which I expected— nerdy and bullied, he really didn’t hang out in school with the “cool” guys who could have used drugs.

And since he became a gym rat in his 20s, he’s grown up to be healthand diet-conscious. (Perhaps it helped that when he was a kid, I never introduced him to soft drinks or junk food.)

“Remember you had me drug-tested in high school, after you found a stash of weed on my table,” younger son reminded me. I did? In fact, I had almost forgotten about that, because he tested negative (“jutes,” what did you expect?).

But what I do remember is the look of hurt in his eyes then as I dragged him to the medic for testing, as if to say, I didn’t trust him; I didn’t.

drugs?

“It fries your brain,” younger son said.

“Ma, you and your friends would tell us that nonstop, even when we were in Grade 1. And you would point out to us your friends with facial defects because of drugs and it scared us to death. But I did alcohol with friends.”

(That’s also true—I used a few friends as poster boys for bad drugs. Sometimes I made up scary stories. May those friends forgive me.)

Every parent’s nightmare is to lose a child to drugs—an addiction that seems harmless and controllable at first. When my sons were kids, I knew that words could do only so much.

Kids don’t necessarily do what they’re told.

“And sports, don’t forget,” younger son said.

Hmm, they’ve discovered our formula. Even before my kids could finish preschool, we introduced them to sports— swimming, until the older one became a varsity swimmer in college. (My one regret to this day is that I was too busy to bring him to competitions or to push him further even as his coach, Anthony Lozada, said he was a good competitive swimmer.)

Every parent’s nightmare

So how come they didn’t use

❱❱ PAGE 31 It’s past

Lifestyle

FRIDAY JUNE 10, 2016

27

Ambeth Ocampo: Taking history from ivory tower

BY ERIC S. CARUNCHO Philippine Daily Inquirer “HISTORY IS stereotyped to be boring and irrelevant, but I’d like to think that in the past three decades, I took history from the ivory tower of academe and gave it back to the people to whom it also belongs.”

So says historian and INQUIRER columnist Ambeth Ocampo, who recently won the 2016 Fukuoka Prize, a prestigious annual award honoring exceptional work in preserving or creating culture within the Asia-Pacific region, and presenting it to the world.

“As an outstanding historian and intellectual, Dr. Ambeth R. Ocampo has made a great contribution to academic, cultural and social progress in the Philippines through his university teaching, his writing for newspapers and magazines and his service in historic and cultural administration,” says the Fukuoka Prize awards committee in its citation.

“His clear and accessible explanations of the wider global context in which the country developed during the period of the Spanish and American colonial regimes have helped promote a more open sense of nationalism and facilitated the advancement of international exchanges both with Asia and with the West,” it says.

Previous Fukuoka laureates include such giants of world culture as Japanese film director Akira Kurosawa and Indian sitar virtuoso Ravi Shankar.

Among the Filipinos who have received the award in previous years are architect and National Artist Leandro Locsin and filmmakers Marilou DiazAbaya and Kidlat Tahimik.

Ocampo, 54, is currently an associate professor in the history department of Ateneo de Manila University.

At various times, he also served as chair of the National Historical Institute, National Historical Commission of the Philippines and National Commission for Culture and the Arts.

However, he is probably best known outside of academe and cultural circles for “Looking Back,” his popular column on Philippine history and culture, which he started writing in 1987, and which has appeared in the INQUIRER since 1990.

Compiled in award- winning and best- selling books such as “Rizal Without the Overcoat” (1990), “Bonifacio’s Bolo” (1995), “Luna’s Moustache” (1997) and “Mabini’s Ghost” (1995), Ocampo’s witty and insightful essays on historical figures and their times have inspired generations of young Filipinos to take a deeper and more abiding interest in their past.

“Writing the way I do ... I presented the past in a friendly way and made it relevant to the present, and hopefully the future,” he says.

Ocampo’s popularity has earned him criticism from some of his more hidebound colleagues in the academe, “who demand turgid text, foot-

Ocampo, 54, is currently an associate professor in the history department of Ateneo de Manila University.

FACEBOOK

notes and framework for 800word essays.”

“Unfortunately, no one listens to historians, but that’s why I have a career,” he adds. “‘Rizal Without the Overcoat’ has gone through many editions since it was first published in 1990. It celebrated its 25th anniversary last year. It’s a book that has been in print for a quarter of a century, [so] it must be relevant, I must be doing some good somewhere.”

Ocampo was first bitten by the history bug as a student at Ateneo, where he credits the influence of E. Aguilar Cruz and Doreen Fernandez with sparking his curiosity about the past.

His historical bent was cemented when he met the eminent historian Teodoro Agoncillo in 1984.

“I knew that he once wrote history for the popular press, a genre whose trailblazers were Nick Joaquin and Carmen Guerrero Nakpil,” he recalls.

“Following in the footsteps of the people I mentioned above, I wrote history built on solid primary source material, often from the original Spanish or French, and made sure that the essays were not just to inform but to entertain and educate readers into becoming historians themselves by providing a nugget of information, an insight they could reflect on.”

Ocampo was first published in the waning years of the Marcos era, in the so-called “crony press.”

“History, at that time, was considered safe by the censors,” he recalls. “They did not realize

that, at times, I commented on the present using the past. This soon became a pattern in my writing. Inquisitive, irreverent, always making a connection between past and present. By focusing on the human side of our heroes, I showed Rizal without an overcoat, made him more than a memory fossilized in bronze and marble, and helped readers see the Philippines through the eyes of her heroes.”

This has continued to be Ocampo’s modus operandi, except for a seven-year interlude starting in 1993 when he entered the Benedictine Abbey of Our Lady of Montserrat as Dom Ignacio Maria, OSB, “to find God in silence and work.”

“In retrospect, those were the happiest seven years of my life, my most productive, too,” he says. “Monastic life gave me perspective, taught me to listen, to reflect and be still.”

After leaving the cloister, Ocampo returned to doing what he does best: turning young people on to the wealth of knowledge and insight that can be had by seeing the past with new eyes.

Having a foot in both worlds— the academe and the popular press—has placed Ocampo in a unique position.

“Media gives me a medium to engage the public, while academia gives me credibility,” he says. “Anyone can write about Rizal’s love life, and it is often thought to be plain gossip, but being academic means that treatment of the topic may be light but it is well thought out ❱❱ PAGE 33 Ambeth Ocampo

Would teens be slimmer if Katy Perry hawked kale & quinoa?

BY LINDSEY TANNER The Associated Press CHICAGO — Would U.S. teens be any slimmer if Katy Perry hawked kale and quinoa?

New research doesn’t prove a link, but its authors think music stars popular with teens may be contributing to the obesity epidemic by endorsing fatty fast food, snacks and soda.

The study shows that 20 of the hottest teen-music heartthrobs have done TV ads or other promotions for prod-

ucts nutritionists consider unhealthy.

Of 107 food and drink endorsements included in the study, few were for nutritious foods, the researchers said.

Lead author Marie Bragg, a food policy and obesity researcher at New York University, singled out one “natural whole-food product.” That was South Korean pop star Psy’s “crackin’ gangnam-style” TV ad for Wonderful pistachios, shown during the Super Bowl in 2013.

About 80 per cent of celebrity-endorsed food ads were

high-calorie products including snack chips and chocolate, or fast-food restaurants including McDonalds, Chili’s and A&W. Most of the beverage ads were for sugary sodas.

The list includes Perry endorsements for Pepsi and Popchips; Justin Timberlake ads or promotions for Chili’s, McDonald’s and Pepsi; and will.i.am ads or campaigns linked with Coca-Cola, Doritos, Dr. Pepper and Pepsi.

The study was published Monday in the journal Pediatrics. www.canadianinquirer.net

Ads can influence behaviour, and the researchers say the results have important implications, given the nation’s high obesity rates. Government statistics show that about 20 per cent of U.S. teens are obese and even more are overweight.

“Celebrities should leverage their influence to promote more healthful messages,” the researchers said.

They selected music performers who have appeared on Teen Choice Award shows and who had hits on the Billboard Hot 100 Charts in 2013 and

2014. They included ads from 2000 to 2014.

They cited previous studies linking food and beverage marketing with excess eating and childhood obesity. Bragg noted a 2013 study from Australia that found sports celebrity endorsements influenced 11-yearold boys to buy fast food.

Bragg said it would be unrealistic to expect teens to only eat healthy foods, or to ask celebrities to only endorse those products. She said “moderation” and “a better balance” of ads would be ideal. ■

28

JUNE 10, 2016

FRIDAY

Business

Documents show federal push on social San Miguel plans finance projects faces multiple hurdles bridge to Boracay Game-changing project to decongest island

BY JORDAN PRESS The Canadian Press OTTAWA — It was supposed to be a panacea for governments looking to cut costs, put more money into social programming and improve the essential skills of Canadian workers.

And it sounded good: social financing, a concept that the previous Conservative government pushed hard during its last four years in office and the current Liberal government is dedicated to making an integral part of the federal landscape.

The idea was to persuade private investors to underwrite or help finance social programs such as job skills training, but so far, the federal government’s foray into the world of social finance has been short of glowing.

Internal reports — some obtained by The Canadian Press under the Access to Information Act, others provided by Employment and Social Development Canada — paint a picture of limited investor interest, little improvement in outcomes, regulatory hurdles for those involved, and a federal funding apparatus that isn’t designed to handle communityfunding models to tackle complex social issues.

Above all, the government has learned it is easier to talk about social financing and social impact bonds than it is to put into practice.

“Progress has been slow, ultimately, because this is a new way of thinking for government,” said Adam Jagelewski, director of the MaRS Centre for Impact Investing.

“It’s a new way of thinking about tackling a social issue and a new way of spending government dollars.”

Social finance demands data, rigour, and a close tracking of outcomes so that governments can accurately measure performance. And that’s radically different than the traditional approach to social policy, he added.

BY DORIS DUMLAOABADILLA Philippine Daily Inquirer

ROBERT ANTHONY PROVOST / FLICKR

The previous Conservative government made its first push for community-financed social programs in 2011, believing that it could reduce government costs and spur innovation in how programs were delivered.

The current Liberal government feels the same way: Social Development Minister JeanYves Duclos has been mandated to craft a social finance strategy, and the Grits are keen on the idea that still remains in its nascent stages in Canada, but has picked up steam elsewhere in the world.

The way social impact bonds work sounds relatively simple.

Private investors put money into a bond that funds a social program — federal pilot projects have focused on essential skills training — run by an organization which then can use federal funds to pay a premium to investors if certain benchmarks are met. What makes the approach attractive to governments is that social impact bonds shift the financial risk from taxpayers to investors.

“The social issues that we’re dealing with in Canada, such as homelessness or recidivism or essential skills, they’re not sexy topics. People don’t like to invest in them. Politicians don’t like to invest in them,” said David Kelly, director of Canadian partnerships with Colleges and Institutes Canada, which is running a first-of-its-kind social impact bond project for the federal government.

One departmental report suggests there is an estimated $2.2 billion available in Canada for so-called “impact investing.”

But federal reports on social financing pilot projects show that those who hold the cash just aren’t ready to invest — even though they are involved in talks around how to make social financing work in Canada.

In some cases, they can’t get involved because of tax regulations.

Colleges and Institutes Canada realized its charitable status could be threatened if it got involved as the broker in a social impact bond. It had to create a separate, wholly-owned corporation to limit the risk, Kelly said. CICan had to push back the deadline for investors to opt-in for the impact bond until June 30.

“That was a major barrier and it delayed the project for months,” he said of the regulations.

“Many organizations just couldn’t afford to be able to do that or would not have the wherewithall. So I think that needs to change.”

The 2015 federal budget was supposed to make it easier for foundations and non-profits to get involved in social finance projects, but there’s limited data to suggest that has happened.

The government has found that private investors want to put their money into programs where there can be “timely ❱❱ PAGE 31 Documents show

www.canadianinquirer.net

CONGLOMERATE SAN Miguel Corp. is keen on scaling up its stake in Caticlan—the gateway to Boracay Island—by building a game-changing 1.9-kilometer toll bridge that will connect the world-famous beach community to the mainland.

In an interview with the INQUIRER, SMC president Ramon S. Ang said that the infrastructure project, which would be up to the local government unit to award to a private sector partner, was estimated to cost $100 million (about P4.6 billion at current exchange rates).

“We proposed the idea for them to bid out. For us, it’s okay if there are other bidders,” Ang said.

At present, tourists and cargo can only move in and out of Boracay using boats from the jetty port of Caticlan. In recent years that tourism has boomed on the island, garbage disposal has been difficult as well.

Ang said the connectivity project would be for the convenience of tourists. “They can all live in Caticlan and enjoy the view in Boracay, which is now so congested and has a lot of sewerage problems,” he pointed out.

With the bridge, Boracay would be decongested because it would be possible for tourists to find cheaper accommodations in Caticlan, Ang said, adding that to date, a backpacking tourist could get lodging in Caticlan for only P1,000 a night.

“We think what’s best is if everybody will stay and eat in Caticlan, go to Boracay to enjoy the beach,” Ang said, adding that this would help ease sewerage problems on the island.

Caticlan is part of the firstclass municipality of Malay in Aklan. This is also where the Godofredo P. Ramos Airport, which

the San Miguel group is upgrading under a privatization deal, is located. This is the nearest airport to Boracay, which became famous for its powdery-white sand and breathtaking sunsets.

Ang said the upgrade of the airport has been finished and what remained to be constructed was a new terminal. A temporary terminal is being set up and would be done in six months to accommodate the volume of tourists going to Caticlan.

The Caticlan airport could now accommodate big jets, Ang said.

In 2011, SMC announced a $300-million investment not only to upgrade the Caticlan airport itself but to construct new amenities like a 5,000room budget hotel, a worldclass convention center and a retail complex that would showcase local souvenirs and a row of seafood restaurants.

The upgrading of the airport is seen to make Boracay a more affordable holiday destination for many Filipinos as the influx of more regional and domestic flights will pull down airfare costs per passenger.

The SMC conglomerate controls the Caticlan airport concession through TransAire Development Holdings Corp.

Apart from constructing a bigger airport passenger terminal and extending the runway, the rehabilitation program includes the improvement of the road network as well as the upgrading of airport facilities and air traffic control aids. Upon completion, the Caticlan airport is envisioned to be at par with the best airports in the region.

San Miguel, which has transformed into an energy-based conglomerate from a food and beverage group in less than a decade, expects to further evolve into an infrastructuredriven enterprise with its infrastructure group estimated to become a $20-billion business by 2020. ■

29

FRIDAY JUNE 10, 2016

Sports

Motor mouthed Michael Bisping is an improbable UFC champion

BY GREG BEACHAM The Associated Press INGLEWOOD, CALIF. — The beer in Michael Bisping’s hand was neither his first nor his last of the night. He savored every sip between his soliloquies deep inside the Forum, the UFC middleweight title belt gleaming in front of him.

After 26 fights in a decade with the UFC, Bisping had just beaten Luke Rockhold in the first round. At 37 years old, the motor-mouthed English bad boy was a UFC champion.

Many men would be speechless. Not many men are Bisping.

“Ten years and I never got a title fight, and then I just knocked this bum out in the first round,” Bisping said while Rockhold glowered a few feet away at the post-fight news conference.

“I’m just going to relish this moment. I’m going to ride the crest of this wave. I’m going to have a few drinks. I’m not going to ... walk around with this (belt) on constantly, but I do envision the mother of all hangovers coming my way pretty soon. After that, once I drink some water, take a couple of ibuprofen to get rid of the throbbing in my head, I’ll take a look at the landscape and see

who wants knocking out next.”

No, Bisping’s arrogance and boorishness didn’t vanish when the belt went around his waist, as evidenced by the homophobic slur he apparently muttered — and then immediately regretted — after Rockhold refused to shake his hand.

But at the biggest moment in his career, Bisping also was reflective on the path that led to a title.

“I do believe in the universe putting it all together,” Bisping said. “I worked my life toward this. I’ve made a lot of sacrifices. I quit work when I had a wife and two kids and we had no money. We were broke, but she supported me. I moved away to another city. I remember sleeping in my car and trying to open the door with this much snow on top of it, trying to break my way out of the car just to go train in the morning.

People don’t know the road I’ve been on.”

Until this late-notice fight, Bisping had always fallen just short of getting a title shot, particularly in losses to three fighters who legally used steroids back when the UFC allowed testosterone replacement therapy. Bisping was stunningly knocked cold by Dan Henderson at UFC 100, and he lost title eliminators to Chael Sonnen

Denis Kang (pictured right) and Michael Bisping at UFC 105 weigh-ins.

and Vitor Belfort.

But Bisping has a firm place in the sport’s history now.

His victory was the 19th of his UFC career, tying longtime welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre for the most wins in the promotion’s history. His 15 middleweight victories are a record for the weight class — even more than long-reigning champ Anderson Silva, who lost to Bisping in February.

And at the biggest moment of his fighting life, Bisping was brilliant. He was helped by the enormous confidence of Rockhold, who acknowledged wading forward with no respect for Bisping’s striking ability, only to get clocked with two devastating left hands.

Even Bisping’s son didn’t think he would beat Rockhold,

as captured by the UFC’s promotional cameras before the fight. Bisping took the matchup on just over two weeks’ notice as an injury replacement for Chris Weidman, leaving his job as a bad guy in a new Vin Diesel film to head home to Southern California.

Bisping’s charismatic personality played a role in getting the fight. His fists made him a champion at last.

“Yeah, I know I’m a loudmouth idiot at times, and I can be a ( jerk), I know I can,” Bisping said. “But I’m just out here trying to look out for my family and look out my children, and give them the best life possible with the only way I know I can.

This is what I do. I fight. I don’t do anything better than go up and fight.”

PARALYMPIAKOS / WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Bisping realizes many people will expect his reign to last only as long as his next fight, which could be a third bout with Rockhold or a showdown with Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza, the top Brazilian contender.

But after a vacation with his family in a rented villa in Thailand, Bisping will figure out his next step — and maybe even act a bit more like a champion.

“I’ve acted like an idiot, but I’ve grown and matured in front of the world, to be honest,” Bisping said. “I know I’ve said things. I look back and I cringe at some of the things I’ve said in the past. I might cringe at some of the things I’ve said tonight. That’s just how I am. I hope to learn from my mistakes and try not to make the same one twice.” ■

UN chief mourns legendary U.S. boxer Muhammad Ali PHILIPPINES NEWS AGENCY UNITED NATIONS — UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Saturday said that he was “deeply saddened to learn of the passing” of Muhammad Ali, describing him as not only “a legendary boxer,” but also “a world champion for equality and peace.”

The secretary-general, in a statement issued here by his

spokesman, extended his condolences to the Ali family and the millions of fans mourning his death in every corner of the world.

Three-time heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali died at the age of 74 Friday at a hospital in Phoenix, the capital of the southwestern U. S. state of Arizona.

“Mr. Ali was far more than a legendary boxer; he was a world champion for equality and peace,” the statement said.

“With an incomparable combination of principle, charm, wit and grace, he fought for a better world and used his platform to help lift up humanity.”

Named a United Nations Messenger of Peace in 1998, Ali travelled the globe to support children and others caught up in conflict, and to promote reconciliation between people and nations, the statement noted.

“Well before taking on this role, he came to the United Nations in the 1970s to campaign against www.canadianinquirer.net

apartheid and racial injustice.”

The secretary-general was honored to join Ali as a flag bearer at the opening of the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London, the statement said.

“He recalls Mr. Ali’s strength, humour and ability to bring people together.”

“The United Nations is grateful to have benefitted from the life and work of one of the past century’s great humanitarians and advocates for understanding and peace,” the statement

added.

As one of the greatest boxers in the history, Ali retired in 1981 and was soon found signs of sluggishness and neurological damage. He received treatment for Parkinson’s disease there after.

Ali, known as Cassius Clay before he converted to Islam, began boxing training at 12 years old and won the world heavyweight championship at 22 years old in 1964. He won the title again in 1974 and 1978. ■

30

JUNE 10, 2016

FRIDAY

Technology

Arizona mom says daughter lured to death via online dating

BY RYAN VAN VELZER The Associated Press PHOENIX — The mother of a slain Arizona woman says her daughter had recently revived an online dating profile in search of fairy tale romance, but was instead lured to an apartment by a man now accused of killing her and leaving the body in a shallow desert grave.

Police found 24-year-old Angela Russo’s body five weeks after police say she exchanged text messages and then rendezvoused with Lashawn Johnson.

The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office arrested 25-year-old Johnson — who was already in jail for an unrelated crime — on suspicion of second-degree murder, kidnapping, and other charges Sunday.

Russo’s mother, Diana Schalow, said Johnson used a fake name to lure her daughter into meeting him — a move sometimes known as catfishing.

Sheriff’s detectives declined to confirm the use of the fake name or the website citing the ongoing investigation.

Schalow also said her daughter was too trusting.

She called Russo a “helpless

romantic” who loved romantic comedies and Disney movies — her favourite princess was Ariel from “The Little Mermaid,” she said.

Schalow said the suspect tugged on Russo’s heartstrings, promising her the type of relationship she’d always dreamed of.

“He just played right into her.

He knew what to do, I’m guessing,” Schalow said.

Russo left her mother’s home in Maricopa, about 35 miles south of Phoenix, to meet Johnson on April 19 and disappeared for a month, according to a police report.

Police recovered Russo’s body from a shallow grave in Tonopah, Arizona, about 50 miles west of Phoenix near a burned-out sedan.

Authorities have yet to determine the cause of Russo’s death.

Johnson’s roommate led police to the grim location May 25 after police found Johnson’s apartment using information from the Russo’s cellphone, according to the sheriff’s office.

An expert in social computing says predators sometimes use the Internet to form intimate relationships under false pretenses.

Russo’s mother, Diana Schalow, said Johnson used a fake name to lure her daughter into meeting him — a move sometimes known as catfishing.

“Because you don’t have some of the physical cues, you might be more readily trusting than if you just met this person on the street,” said Pamela Wisniewski, an assistant professor of social computing and privacy at the University of Central Florida.

However, people need to understand that the same things can happen offline, Wisniewski said. It’s a problem with society, not with technology, she said.

Wisniewski recommends that people ask probing questions to verify someone’s authenticity online, and meet for the first time in a public setting.

During an initial appearance Sunday, a Maricopa County judge said the county will appoint Johnson a public defender.

The Maricopa County Sherriff’s Office has not returned multiple requests to interview the suspect.

Johnson told police that he’d spoken with Russo through text and that she was at his apartment on April 19, according to a police report.

He also told police he had been near the site where police discovered the body, but that he was in the area to do landscaping for a friend, the report said.

Johnson said he would pray for the family and was sorry for their loss, according to the report. ■

Nest CEO flies coop 2 years after $3.2B sale to Google

BY MICHAEL LIEDTKE The Associated Press SAN FRANCISCO — Nest Labs CEO Tony Fadell is flying the coop two years after selling the smart-thermostat maker to Google for $3.2 billion.

Fadell, best known for helping to invent Apple’s iPod, announced in a Friday blog post he is leaving Nest. His departure comes after reports published earlier this year detailed intensifying friction within Nest and delays in delivering new products designed for In-

ternet-connected homes.

Both Fadell and Alphabet, the parent company of Google and Nest, depicted the shake-up as a mutual decision.

Fadell, 47, will now serve as an adviser to Alphabet CEO Larry Page.

Fadell’s replacement at Nest will be an outsider, Marwan Fawaz, who formerly oversaw the home division of Motorola Mobility while that device maker was owned by Google.

In his blog post, Fadell said the discussions about a transition to a new management began late last year.

“This will give me the time and flexibility to pursue new opportunities to create and disrupt other industries,” Fadell wrote.

Jackdaw Research analyst Jan Dawson suspects Fadell may have been nudged aside as Alphabet imposes more financial discipline on its subsidiaries in an effort to pare its losses on its operations outside Google. Those businesses, which include self-driving cars and medical research in addition to Nest, lost $802 million during the first three months of this year, widening from a $633 www.canadianinquirer.net

million setback at the same time last year.

Fadell’s “position was becoming pretty untenable, so it’s probably a good thing that he’s going,” Dawson said. “This should allow Nest to move on without the distraction of the recent news stories and criticisms.”

In the most evident sign of the tension within Nest, Fadell clashed with a co-founder of Dropcam, a web cam maker that Nest bought for $517 million in 2014.

Fadell told the technology website The Information that

a lot of Dropcam employees “were not as good as we hoped,” prompting Dropcam co-founder Greg Duffy to lash out in a post on Medium.

After calling it a mistake to sell Dropcam to Nest, Duffy wrote that Nest’s leadership seems to “be fetishizing only the most superfluous and negative traits of their mentors” in an apparent reference to Fadell’s former boss at Apple, the late Steve Jobs, who was known for demeaning employees.

Page praised Fadell as “a true visionary” in his Friday statement. ■

Technology

FRIDAY JUNE 10, 2016

Ontario will spend up to $8.3 billion to fight climate change, offer incentives

BY KEITH LESLIE The Canadian Press TORONTO — Ontario’s action plan on climate change will include financial incentives to get cleaner, more efficient cars and trucks on the roads and to convince homeowners and businesses to lower their carbon footprints, The Canadian Press has learned.

The plan, scheduled to be released on Wednesday, calls for government spending of $5.9 billion to $8.3 billion on climate change initiatives over the next five years.

The money would come from the $1.9 billion the Liberal government expects to raise each year by auctioning off pollution emission credits when Ontario joins a cap-and-trade market with Quebec and California next January.

Environment and Climate Change Minister Glen Murray said Tuesday that the government’s plan will add about $5 a month to home heating bills and 4.3 cents a litre to the price of gasoline.

The province opted not to impose a zero-emissions vehicle mandate, which means it won’t impose penalties on automakers that don’t produce enough electric and hybrid cars.

Instead, Ontario will continue to offer rebates of up to $14,000 for electric vehicles, including up to $1,000 for installing a home charging station, and will provide free overnight charging for residential customers for four years, starting in 2017.

“The final release of the document will give you a sense of how invested we are in making those cars very cost competitive, and equal to or lower than conventional technology (cars) at the point of sale,” said Murray.

“There’s a whole bunch of popularly priced vehicles right now, and we’ll be doing some things to make fuelling them inexpensive as well.”

The province will also talk with the federal government about removing the HST from

battery-powered vehicles, which it hopes to do by 2018.

There will also be incentives to help low and moderate-income households to replace old cars with new or used electric vehicles or a plug-in hybrid.

The goal is to have five per cent of new car sales in 2020 be electric or hydrogen powered, which would be about 14,000 vehicles. Ontario currently has 5,800 electric vehicles licensed in the province, less than half of one per cent of all vehicle sales.

The climate change action plan does not call for phasing out the use of natural gas for heating, but there will be money for homeowners if and when they do decide to switch to newer technologies such as geo-thermal and heat pump systems.

Natural gas — which heats 75 per cent of Ontario homes — will continue to rise in price as governments put a price on carbon emissions, and the government believes consumers will eventually look for cheaper alternatives to their gas furnaces and water heaters.

“There has to be net-zero (carbon) buildings by 2030, and that involves a number of technologies,” said Murray. “There are a number of builders out there who are building ultralow or really net zero buildings right now.”

The government will need to work with municipalities so the provincial building code and local regulations are aligned to ensure net zero homes are built, added Murray.

“The construction industry

is ahead of us,” he said. “They have dozens of examples of net zero buildings using a whole range of technologies.”

The Progressive Conservatives aren’t convinced by the Liberals’ denial of an earlier report saying they do want to ban the use of natural gas for heating.

“They’re not backing off, they’re changing their spin,” said PC energy critic John Yakabuski.

The province will spend up to $100 million to help natural gas suppliers create more fuelling stations to encourage more trucks to use the fuel instead of diesel or gasoline.

The the idea is to give consumers a choice, not to force them into making changes.

“It will not take away personal choice,” reads the action plan. “No one will have to stop using gas in their home or give up their gas-powered car by a certain date.”

The province already announced the plan includes $900 million to retrofit social housing and apartment buildings with such things as energyefficient windows and thermal insulation on pipes.

It also offers $100 million to help municipalities and companies recover methane from landfills, green bins, manure and sewage treatment plants and turn it into so-called renewable natural gas.

Ontario’s goal is to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 15 per cent from 1990 levels by 2020, by 37 per cent in 2030 and by 80 per cent in 2050. ■ www.canadianinquirer.net

31

Documents show... success” and assurances of a return on investment, making it less likely that they will back programs for at-risk youth and aboriginals who aren’t close to being job-ready. Investors also wanted to see past results to know the program works, but that data isn’t available because these programs had never been tried federally.

There were some successes.

In one case, Canada Goose partnered with an un-named service provider to train seamstresses for a new factory. Many were hired full-time after they had gone through a skills training program, leading to one finding: Employers were more likely to hire participants after their training program if they had helped cover the cost of their

❰❰ 28

training or apprentice salary.

The reports suggest that was a rare case. In most pilot projects, there were marginal or no increases in outcomes. Nor did they clearly show the government saved money.

Employment and Social Development Canada said the results from the pilot projects will influence future policy directions and that the government continues to experiment with the delivery of social services.

“This isn’t going to work for every social issue area. There is some very strict criteria in which these tools could and should not be used,” Jagelewski said.

“To think this is going to have universal utility and be a bit of a panacea in cash-strapped governments is a false hope.” ■

It’s past...

What parents couldn’t teach with words (because they won’t listen anyway), sports can. Sports taught my sons discipline—an internal check and balance—so that they could face the rigors of competition.

My older son learned how to be up before 5 in the morning, every day, so he could train. To this day, he doesn’t oversleep.

Since their growing up years, they’ve followed a very strict gym regimen—they go even during holidays and listen more to their gym instructors than to their mom, obviously.

But I’m good with that—at least they’re exposed to or are influenced by people who aren’t only health-conscious and disciplined, but who also show utmost respect for one’s body.

My younger son competes in mixed-martial arts, or used to (I wish, past tense), and that requires stringent self-regulatory measures.

Allow me to suggest what parents can do to steer their kids away from drugs: Sports. Sign them up for at least one type of sports. It teaches your kid what you as parents can only do so much with words. The sense of competition pushes kids to develop standards for themselves. It makes them know, respect and nurture their body and mind.

This is apart from academics. It ❰❰ 26

keeps them busy. Right people.

Sports usually exposes kids to people who are driven, with a sense of purpose and discipline, and have goals and standards to meet. At whatever age, children should have the right company.

Learn to say “No!” Partying is fun, but remind your kid that fun must have its limits. I’m sure some drug-use fatalities just wanted to have more fun.

These days, parties and drugs go together. Drug use, to these kids, isn’t really addiction; it’s just blending with the scene. And everyone wants to blend with the scene. It’s okay not to blend with the scene. Just tell your kid: It’s ok not to blend. Life later on will be much more interesting. But in the meantime, just say, “No!” Respect your body. It’s the only one you’ve got. Tell your kid so he/she will not allow anyone to mess with it.

Should you try drugs or alcohol with them, so that at least they’re under your wing, and they won’t die of curiosity? I know a father or two who believes so. Wine or beer, yes, you can initiate them. But I believe one must draw the line with drugs. Drug use is non-negotiable. Curious? Nobody dies of curiosity, but people die of drugs. Be there always. I wish there was another way to parent, but really, there’s none. ■

32

JUNE 10, 2016

FRIDAY

Travel

Malolos’ Kamestisuhan could rival Vigan’s Mestizo District as heritage site

BY CONSTANTINO C. TEJERO Philippine Daily Inquirer MENTION OF cultural heritage often brings to mind our colonial structures from the Spanish era to the American period, never mind if there’s such a thing as audiovisual heritage, heirloom cuisine or prehistoric engineering.

It’s because these structures are often monumental, concrete in the mind, present throughout the country, and have been there since time immemorial—so they’re the first to strike the imagination.

When we say “heritage structures” we usually think of our Hispanic built heritage, as in Vigan and Iloilo, but seldom our American colonial structures, as in Baguio. That could be why the Manila Jai Alai Building, an Art Deco jewel designed by American architect Welton Becket, was easily demolished and replaced with a “modern” monstrosity of a condominium high-rise.

We’re rich in heritage if we only look long and long. Balara Filters Park in Diliman has a cluster of Art Deco buildings from the Commonwealth era that’s more extensive (though not necessarily more beautiful) than that on the Far Eastern University campus in Manila.

Nerve center

Heritage structures are dotting the archipelago but seldom in clusters as most had long been razed to rubble by war, neglect or development.

Yet we have places that pride not just in ancient churches and ancestral houses scattered thereabouts but heritage districts that are relatively intact: Vigan, Ilocos Sur; Iloilo City; San Fernando, Pampanga; Taal, Batangas; Malolos, Bulacan.

Vigan is, of course, the premier location, declared a World Heritage Site in 1999 by the United Nations Educational,

Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco). The specific site was where the town elite built their Hispanic houses, known as the Mestizo District, with its nerve center on Calle Crisologo.

A close rival would be the historic town center of Malolos, its heritage structures concentrated in Kamestisuhan District, with its nerve center on Pariancillo Street. It was declared a National Historical Landmark and a Heritage Town in 2001 by the National Historical Institute.

It should be noted that both heritage districts of Vigan and Malolos were enclaves of Chinese and Spanish mestizos, the former also called Kasanglayan (from Sangley, a person of pure Chinese ancestry); and the latter, Pariancillo (referring to the original Chinese quarters adjacent to Intramuros, now Arroceros Forest Park).

Naturally the architecture of most of their ancestral houses is a blend of Spanish and Chinese designs.

Most famous site

“Mahaba ito,” says one Malolos tourism officer of Kamestisuhan. “Sa Vigan, isang kalye lang. Sa San Fernando, ilang bahay lang. Here we have about 15 ancestral houses.”

When Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo made the town the capital of the First Philippine Republic in 1898, he converted several houses near Malolos Church (now Cathedral) into government offices.

The Lino and Maria Reyes House, for instance, became the office of his chief adviser, Apolinario Mabini. The two were said to be “often heard arguing from this house.”

The Fausto Chiong House became the Secretaría de Interior, while the José Bautista House was the Secretaría de Fomento (Department of Public Works).

Casa Tribunal, which used to be the municipal hall, was turned into the carcel ( jailhouse).

The most famous site here must be that of Instituto de Mujeres (School for Women), established by 21 young women who wanted to have a night school amid the opposition of the friars. It was to them José Rizal wrote from London his letter-essay “To the Young Women of Malolos.”

The school is long gone and a sprawling residence has taken its place. Only portions of the original stone wall remain. A historical marker has been installed at a side gate.

Happy blend

Most popular to tourists is the José Bautista House. This was visited by Rizal when he was recruiting members for the reformist organization La Liga Filipina. It was here where he and Marcelo H. del Pilar spoke to the 21 brave women.

“He came by the Dagupan train to Malolos,” says Dez Bautista, a descendant and founder of the Guild of Production Designers of the Philippines.

Bautista says the house was built before the 1850s and remodeled in 1877 with the addition of caryatids, resulting in a happy blend of the Neoclassic style and French Art Nouveau.

It is probably the only house in the country with caryatids on its façade.

“At one time it became a school run by nuns,” says Bautista.

It is now a museum of antiquities, its numerous halls and chambers lavished with religious icons, heirloom china, memorabilia, fine hardwood furniture, porcelain figurines, crystal chandeliers, sculptures, paintings and drawings of Fernando Amorsolo and Félix Resurrección Hidalgo, ceiling murals by folk artists, even the original KKK flag.

Adaptive reuse

Some property owners practice adaptive reuse, but there seems to be no proper restoration guidelines as in Vigan. The www.canadianinquirer.net

Malolos Historic Town Center and Malolos Heritage Town in Kamestisuhan District.

JUDGEFLORO / WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Arcadio Ejercito House, which served as the Secretaría de Guerra (Department of War), is now a modern-day accesoria (residential building with commercial establishments on the ground floor).

An exemplar of adaptive reuse is the Adriano-Vasquez Mansion, site of the Gobierno Militar de la Plaza. It is now the city’s Meralco office but has retained its Art Nouveau original, with the gleaming hardwood, cast-iron filigree embellishment, stunning stained-glass panels.

Another lovely restoration is the Luis Santos House, built by the ophthalmologist son of Alberta Uitangcoy, one of the 21 women of Malolos. This Art Deco structure of off-white and powder-blue boasts works of two National Artists: Guillermo Tolentino’s sculptured fountain on the lawn; and Amorsolo’s ceiling mural in the salon.

No markers

Other property owners simply demolished old structures, probably finding maintenance more expensive or new structures more profitable. The Ponciano Tiongson House, which served as the Commissaria de Guerra, was razed for an Internet café.

Many of these old structures have no markers, so tourists and even locals can’t identify their historicity or cultural significance.

Says the tourism officer: “This would have been better than Vigan because it has histo-

ry. But their owners won’t have them affiliated with the NHCP (National Historical Commission of the Philippines). There’s no government consultation when they remodel or renovate.

Sayang.”

Bautista bristles at the suggestion, saying: “But this is our house. We live here. We come here during vacation.”

Bigger roles

Outside Kamestisuhan District but within walking distance are more heritage structures that played bigger roles in history.

Casa Real, built in 1580, served as office-residence of the gobernadorcillo, then subsequently as Spanish treasury during the British invasion of Manila, Americanera capitol, and now a national shrine and Museum of Political History.

While Barasoain Church was the site of the convention of the First Philippine Congress and the inauguration of Aguinaldo’s government, the convent of Malolos Church served as his Palacio Presidencia (official residence and office).

Six months after his inaugural, while escaping to San Fernando, Pampanga, he ordered Gen. Antonio Luna to burn church and convent down before the American soldiers arrived, as “part of his scorchedearth policy, so that anything left would be rendered useless.”

So now mention of what that famous huge silver altar looked like can only ignite our imagination. ■

Travel

FRIDAY JUNE 10, 2016

33

Low dollar and fuel prices prompting Canadians to explore country this summer

BY ROSS MAROWITS The Canadian Press MONTREAL — More Canadians are expected to leave their passports at home this summer and hit the road in Canada as the weak loonie and low gas prices prompt a deeper exploration of their own country.

Canada’s major tourism destinations are expecting a banner year as Canadians pursue staycations and more travellers from the U.S. and abroad visit the Great White North.

The Banff-Lake Louise area in Alberta is one of the country’s most popular destinations, attracting nearly four million visitors a year. Following a 20 per cent increase last year, Parks Canada is anticipating a seven per cent hike in visits this year, including during the busy summer season.

“We’ve seen it since the dollar took its southern route,” said Nancy Dadalt of Banff-Lake Louise Tourism. “I think the dollar has impacted Canadians wanting to stay closer to home.”

Niagara Falls, Cape Breton, Old Quebec City and Whistler make the list of top Canadian destinations each year.

But there are other options, from large annual events like the Calgary Stampede to quaint small towns and tranquil lakes.

Some destinations may get birthday boosts. Toronto’s CN Tower is 40 years old, and the Toronto Blue Jays are playing their 40th season.

About 55 per cent of Canadians who are planning vacations this summer intend to explore Canada, up nearly seven points from a survey conducted last year, said the Conference Board of Canada.

Most will take road trips, said associate director Greg Hermus.

Ontario is the top destination region, followed by Quebec and British Columbia.

Interest in domestic vacations is

Some destinations may get birthday boosts. Toronto’s CN Tower is 40 years old, and the Toronto Blue Jays are playing their 40th season.

JAVEN / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

strongest in the Prairies and lowest in Ontario. Faced with a sluggish economy, fewer Albertans said they plan to take a summer vacation.

Overall, 63 per cent of respondents said the depreciation of the Canadian dollar makes them less likely to travel to the U.S., while almost 58 per cent said the dollar makes them more likely to vacation within Canada.

CAA Quebec says travellers are sensitive about the dollar and adjusting their vacation plans. Many are planning to spend less or take shorter vacations, according to a recent survey. The exception are millennials, with 23 per cent aged 18 to 24 saying they will go away for at least a month.

A 6.2 per cent increase in consumer spending in Canada and 17.5 per cent increase in spending in Canada on credit

cards issued in other countries in the first quarter is expected to continue into the summer, said Moneris, which processes credit and debit card transactions.

“We’ve seen consistent increases in spending on things like hotels, restaurants, entertainment and attractions this year, and expect that trend to continue over the busy summer tourism season,” said chief product officer Rob Cameron.

Mira van Bodegom, operator of a website devoted to quirky roadside attractions, says Canadians like her love to visit roadside diversions such as a giant orange, oversized currency, jumbo elephants, a monster Easter egg and the world’s largest axe, fiddle, tin soldier and curling rock.

“It’s kind of the journey on the way;

Ambeth Ocampo... and based on primary source research in the original Spanish or French.”

“Academics often write for each other in journals and conferences; I use academic material and give it to the public in small doses.”

Apart from his INQUIRER column, social media gives him another platform for sharing his wealth of knowledge with his legions of fans.

“My [Facebook] page has over 56,000 likes—it’s far from Kris Aquino’s followers, but for an academic it’s quite ❰❰ 27

remarkable. Here I present visuals from my research with very short text. It’s a different medium altogether.”

Ocampo admits to being both pleased and daunted by receiving the Fukuoka prize, putting him in the company of such eminent scholars as Benedict Anderson, James Scott, Anthony Reid, Clifford Geertz and Wang Gungwu.

“I asked myself not so much what did I do to deserve this, but what do I do for an encore?” ■ Read Ambeth Ocampo’s column on page 15. www.canadianinquirer.net

you never know what else you’ll see on the way,” she said.

Van Bodegom and her husband have planned vacations around these stops, visiting nearly 200 in Ontario and Alberta in the past 14 years. There are more than 1,500 attractions on the website they recently took over, with followers suggesting new ones to add.

Those looking for far-flung vacations can travel to the Far North for landbased excursions and Arctic cruises.

“We are going into the summer season and the Arctic is spectacular. It’s just starting to melt and explode in colour,” said MaryBeth McKenzie of tour operator Arctic Kingdom.

With tours costing at least US$10,000 plus airfare, the trips predominantly attract the well-heeled and older customers looking to check a dream off their bucket list, she said.

The Crystal Serenity, the largest cruise ship to transit the Northwest Passage, will make its maiden voyage this summer carrying more than 1,700 passengers and crew. The trip quickly sold out even though berths started at US$20,000.

McKenzie said the Arctic, regarded as the Galapagos of the North, attracts visitors from around the world seeking encounters with underwater creatures, polar bears and icebergs as well as cultural interactions with Inuit.

While interest is up, she said people are slower to commit this year because of the weak global economy and the switch to pricing trips in U.S. dollars.

“For Canadians, it can be challenging when you’re having to purchase something in your own country in a foreign currency,” she added.

If You Go...

Visit www.roadsideattractions.ca for lists of sights to see across Canada.

Check out www.arctickingdom.com/ for details on Arctic trips. ■

Events

34

JUNE 10, 2016

2016 FILIPINO COMMUNITY EVENTS COMMEMORATING THE 118TH ANNIVERSARY OF PHILIPPINE INDEPENDENCE

TORONTO EVENT TITLE

DATE & TIME

VENUE

ORGANIZER

Canada Philippine Fashion’s Biggest Night

5:30 p.m., June 13

Canadian, The Royal York

Jeff Rustia

Salu-Salo Potluck Community Picnic

9 a.m., June 14

Earl Bales Park

Philippine Independence Day Council

Pistahan sa Toronto

June 14-15

Nathan Philips Square

Filipino Centre Toronto

5:30 p.m., June 14

The Concert Hall, The Royal York

ALBERTA

Canada Philippine Fashion Ball

MANITOBA

Knights of Rizal Celebration of 153rd birth anniversary of Dr. Jose Rizal

4 p.m., June 19 SASKATCHEWAN

NEWFOUNDLAND Kol Hope Foundation for Children

ONTARIO

Rizal Monument, Earl Bales Park

Knights of Rizal, Scarborough Chapter

QUEBEC

One Kapamilya Go

6 p.m., June 21

Heritage Court Direct Energy Centre Toronto

The Filipino Channel

Culinary Cities of the World

June 28

George Brown School of Culinary Arts

PCG-Toronto

Pinoy Fiesta and Trade Show sa Toronto

9 a.m. to 11 p.m. June 28

Metro Toronto Convention Centre

Summer Serenade with Jose Mari Chan and Jamie Rivera

7 p.m., June 28

Toronto Pavillion

NOVA Philippine Canadian Charitable Foundation SCOTIA P & O Productions and JMG Infinity Entertainment

WINNIPEG EVENT TITLE

DATE & TIME

VENUE

ORGANIZER

Philippine Independence Ball

6 p.m., June 10

Marborough Hotel, 331 Smith St

Philippine Heritage Council of Manitoba

Celebration of Faith

2 p.m., June 11

Kildonan Park, Shelter A & B

-do-

Tiangge ng Bayan

10 a.m. June 11

Maples Multiplex Arena

Filipino Street Festival

Picnic in the Park

11 a.m., June 12

Assiniboine Park

Phil. Heritage Council of Manitoba

Mafti Kultura Filipino-Canadian Night

6 p.m., June 13

Maples Collegiate

-do-

EDMONTON EVENT TITLE Edmonton Filipino Fiesta

DATE & TIME 12 nn - 10 pm June 11 11 am to 5 pm June 12

VENUE Sir Winston Churchill Square

ORGANIZER Council of Edmonton Filipino Associations YEG Filipino Fiesta

OTTAWA EVENT TITLE

DATE & TIME

VENUE

ORGANIZER

Independence Day Mass

6 p.m., June 11

Assumption Church, 320 Olmstead St., Ottawa

Philippine Independence Committee of the Ottawa Valley

Special Screening of Bonifacio: Ang Unang Pangulo

3 to 5 p.m., June 11

Embassy of the Phil.

130 Albert St., Suite 901, Ottawa

PE Ottawa

Flag-raising ceremony and declaration of Philippine Heritage Week

8 a.m, June 12

Ottawa City Hall, 110 Laurier Ave. W. Ottawa

Mayor Jim Watson

Independence Day Picnic

10 a.m., June 12

Vincent Massey Park

Phil. Independence Day Committee of the Ottawa Valley

Annual Independence Day Ball

6 p.m., June 17

Centurion Conference and Event Centre, 170 Colonnade Rd., Ottawa

Philippine Independence Day Committee of the Ottawa Valley

Fluvial Parade and Picnic

10 a.m., June 19

Lac Leamy Lake, Gatineau picnic grounds

Philippine Community Centre of Ottawa

Aklas IV : Celebrating Culture of Resistance

6 to 10 pm, June 19

St. Paul’s Anglican Church, 3970 Chemin de Cote St. Catherine, Montreal, Quebec

Anakbayan Montreal

NEW BRUNSWICK EVENT TITLE Filipino Cultural Gala Night

DATE & TIME 5 p.m., June 18

VENUE Willie O’ree Place 605 Cliff St., Fredericton NB

www.canadianinquirer.net

ORGANIZER Filipino Community of New Brunswick

FRIDAY

FRIDAY JUNE 10, 2016

35

Food

Bruschetta, 3 ways, for a satisfying picnic main dish

BY SARA MOULTON The Associated Press THERE ARE few dishes more elemental and satisfying than bruschetta. A mainstay at many Italian restaurants, it’s an appetizer comprising slices of grilled bread adorned with any number of toppings. According to Italian cookbook author Marcella Hazan, bruschetta likely originated in ancient Rome. Olive growers who brought their produce there to be pressed would sample the flavour of the fresh-squeezed oil on toasted slices of bread. (The word is derived from the Roman verb bruscare, meaning “to roast over coals.”)

I like to make bruschetta on my stovetop grill at home during the colder months. It’s a winning accompaniment to just about any soup or stew and a reliable favourite with the family. Having recently come to the conclusion that there was no good reason why this simple and tasty concoction should be limited to an appetizer or side dish, I have here chosen to cast bruschetta as the star of a summer picnic.

As noted, bruschetta is simple to make. But you need to work with highquality ingredients if you want it to turn out beautifully. Start with a loaf of fresh and crusty rustic bread. Then brush each slice of bread with your very best extra-virgin olive oil to before it heads for the grill. When the bread comes off the grill, and while it’s still hot, rub one side of each slice with a cut clove of garlic. Then top it off with a light sprinkling of sea salt. By the way, this technique works just as well using a grill pan in the kitchen as it does with a grill outdoors.

This recipe spells out three different toppings, all vaguely Mediterranean: a white bean salad with fresh fennel thickened with mashed beans so that the filling sticks to the bread; smoked salmon rillettes — finely-chopped salmon flavoured with capers, lemon and fresh herbs and bound with sour cream; and a chopped Greek salad. Again, I recommend using your best extra-virgin olive oil for the dressings. Each topping yields roughly two cups which should be ample to top four large slices of grilled bread.

But bruschetta is nothing if not basic, meaning that just about any filling you’d ordinarily put between two slices of bread will also work as a topping for bruschetta: egg salad, tuna salad, runny cheese, hummus, grilled vegetables, you name it. Just bring the toppings in jars to the picnic, step aside, and watch ev-

• 1/4 cup chopped pepperoncini • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil • 2 tablespoons shredded fresh basil • Kosher salt and black pepper to taste In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients and stir gently until just combined. Chill until ready to serve.

Nutrition information per serving: 175 calories; 139 calories from fat; 15 g fat (4 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 17 mg cholesterol; 691 mg sodium; 6 g carbohydrate; 1 g fiber; 2 g sugar; 4 g protein.

Bruschetta

Start to finish: 10 minutes Servings: 4

eryone go for theirs. No one’s going to wonder where the sandwiches are when bruschetta is on the picnic menu.

Salmon rillettes

Start to finish: 25 minutes Servings: 4

• 8 ounces smoked salmon, finely chopped • 1/4 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt • 2 tablespoons minced shallot • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives, tarragon or dill or a mix • 2 tablespoons well drained capers, chopped • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard • black pepper to taste In a bowl combine all the ingredients and stir gently until just combined. Chill until ready to serve.

Nutrition information per serving: 214 calories; 61 calories from fat; 7 g fat (2 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 89 mg cholesterol; 195 mg sodium; 3 g carbohydrate; 0 g fiber; 1 g sugar; 36 g protein.

Start to finish: 20 minutes Servings: 4

• 12 slices 1/2-inch thick rustic bread • Extra-virgin olive oil for brushing the bread • 1 garlic clove, halved • Kosher salt Preheat a grill or grill pan over high heat. Brush both sides of the bread slices with the oil. Add the bread to the preheated grill, reduce the heat to medium, and cook until bread is nicely browned on both sides (about 1 minute a side).

Remove the bread from the pan and, while it’s still hot, rub one side of each slice with a cut clove of garlic, then sprinkle it very lightly with kosher salt.

Nutrition information per serving: 256 calories; 39 calories from fat; 4 g fat (1 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 552 mg sodium; 45 g carbohydrate; 2 g fiber; 1 g sugar; 8 g protein.

• 1 cup coarsely chopped cherry tomatoes • 1/2 cup 1/4-inch dice seedless cucumber • 1/2 cup finely cubed or crumbled feta • 1/3 cup coarsely chopped pitted Kalamata olives

Sara Moulton is the host of public television’s “Sara’s Weeknight Meals.” She was executive chef at Gourmet magazine for nearly 25 years and spent a decade hosting several Food Network shows, including “Cooking Live.” Her latest cookbook is “Home Cooking 101.”

ion for 15 minutes, drain and pat dry Drain and rinse the white beans and pat them dry. In a medium bowl, mash the beans using a potato masher, leaving about half in large pieces and the rest mashed. Add the onion, fennel, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, hot pepper flakes, and salt to taste and stir well.

Chill until ready to serve.

Nutrition information per serving: 199 calories; 67 calories from fat; 7 g fat (1 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 73 mg sodium; 25 g carbohydrate; 5 g fiber; 1 g sugar; 8 g protein.

Chopped Greek salad

White bean salad

Start to finish: 25 minutes Servings: 4

• 1/3 cup minced red onion • One 15 1/2-ounce can white beans • 1/3 cup finely diced fresh fennel or celery • 1 teaspoon minced garlic • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh oregano • 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper flakes (optional) • Kosher salt In a bowl of ice and water, soak the onwww.canadianinquirer.net

36

JUNE 10, 2016

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FRIDAY

Seen & Scenes: Vancouver

FRIDAY JUNE 10, 2016

37

PISTA NG BAYAN Filipinos in Metro Vancouver celebrated the first of many Independence Day events at the Pista ng Bayan on June 4 at South Memorial Park in Vancouver. Highlight of the event, sponsored by the United Filipino Canadian Associations in BC., was the flag-raising ceremony to commemorate the 118th anniversary of Philippine Independence (Photos by Angelo Siglos)

KA HEBER Filipino folk and rock music icons Heber Bartolome and Mike Hanopol staged an impromptu performance at the Praise International Church in Surrey on June 4 to the delight of Pinoy fans (Photos by Charen D. Cusi).

PHILIPPINE OPERA COMPANY Harana, the Philippine Opera Company’s cultural arm, showcased indigenous Philippine music, dance and folklore in several performances in Canada. The group’s cultural journey took them to Vancouver, Langley, Winnipeg, Victoria and soon in Gibsons, B.C. (Photos by Christian Cunanan.)

CHURCH FUND-RAISING Fund-raising event at St. Bernadette’s Parish in Surrey , B.C. (Photos by Laarni Liwanag-De Paula). www.canadianinquirer.net

Seen and Scenes

38

JUNE 10, 2016

FRIDAY

10TH ANNIVERSARY The Philippine Teachers Association of Canada (PTAC) proudly celebrated its 10th foundation anniversary on May 28, in Scarborough, Toronto, On. Albeit young at age organizationally, PTAC has already notched a remarkable decade of continued commitment and connection to education. The association is comprised of Filipino Canadians who are certified- and- practicing teachers in Ontario and former educators in the Philippines. (Text and photos by Tony San Juan).

KNIGHTS OF RIZAL Photo shows Ed Prillo (L) acting regional commander, Knights of Rizal (KOR) Canada Region, and Romy Sinajon, KOR-Canada regional commander presiding over a meeting in preparation with the 155th birth anniversary of Dr. Jose P. Rizal. (Photo by St.Jamestown News Service, Dindo Orbeso)

MEET & GREET Member of Parliament for York Centre Michael Levitt shared a pose with Filipino Canadian Toronto retired educator Tony A. San Juan during a recent meet-and-greet at Levitt's Constituency Office (Photo by: Joseph Redoblado).

Filipino Canadian Parents Association in Catholic Education (FCPACE) officers were guests at TCDSB Proudly Pinoy Day celebration on May 28 (from L) Paulina Corpuz, Christine Manrique, Nilo Ang, Ben Corpuz, Ward 12 Trustee Nancy Crawford, Manny Ching, Manny Lim, Tony San Juan and Ward 8 Trustee Garry Tanuan (Photo by: Joseph Redoblado).

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

ANCOP GUEST Photo shows Ricky Cuenca (L), chief executive officer of Ancop - Canada at Kapatiran sa Kaunlaran radio program over www.pinoyradio.com aired every Sunday, 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. Also in photo is program host Jojo Taduran (St. Jamestown News Service, Dindo Orbeso)

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JUNE 10, 2016

39

CANADA

RETAIL SALES SUPERVISOR

F ill Unused Capacity

for Cascade Gift Store - Banff, AB.

C ash Savings

Responsibilities: Supervise and Coordinate sales staff and cashiers, Assign duties, Authorize merchandise return, Sell Merchandise, Resolve customer complaints and supply shortages, Maintain specified inventory, Prepare reports on sales volumes,merchandising, personnel.

B ill More Hours E xtra Income

High School graduate, with 2 yrs Retail Supervisory experience.

F/T Permanent: $18.25/ hour. 40 hours/week.

If you want new customers, more sales and are looking for ways to save cash, call First Canadian Barter Exchange.

604.759.3223 / info@barterfirst.com

Subsidized staff accommodation and Extended health benefits.

Send resume to: Cascade Gifts, P.O. Box 2428, Banff, AB T1L 1C2 info@cascadegifts.com

Wanted: Carpenter Helper

WANTED: ELDERLY CAREGIVER

Full Time Position

Education: At least Secondary Education graduate.

Must have at least 1 to less than 2 yrs of experience.

Local carpentry company (Established since 1992) looking to hire an installer position.

Work consists of installing crown moulding, baseboard, casings, doors, & etc.

Experience is appreciated but not mandatory.

Individual must be motivated and willing to learn. Must have steal toe boots. Work is mostly Vancouver & Richmond.

Duties: Monitor the elderly on the needs of medication, Food preparation. Companionship,perform minor Household cleaning.

Full Time. Pays $14/hr., 40Hrs/wk.(Mon.To Fri) EMPLOYERS: Drexler Harry of 88 Wells St. TORONTO ON. drexlerharry@yahoo.ca (416-532-8016) Loriedella Addun of 4222 Bathurst St. TORONTO ON. A.loriedelle@yahoo.ca (647-995-1058) Aruna Lambotharan of 89 Red Ash Dr.MARKHAM ON. Arlam298@yahoo.ca (647-449-3547) Ric Abenoja of 205-44 Valley Woods Rd. TORONTO ON. raabenoja@yahoo.com Adriana De Luca.51 Dybal St.Woodbridge ON. (647-996-2273)

Call Ajay- 604-318-7964.

CAREGIVERS WANTED!

WANTED: NANNY (LIVE OUT)

Taking Care of 8 Elderly Dementia Residents.

Education: At least Secondary Education graduate.

Must have at least 1 to less than 2 yrs of experience.

Must be able to do Live In. Duties include: Assist with Bathing, Dressing, Feeding, Housekeeping, Cooking and medication management.

Must be willing to re-locate to the United States.

Duties: Take care of child/children.Feeding, meal &snack Preparation,indoor/outdoor companionship,Light housekeeping, reading,playing and organize games.

Education: At least Secondary Education graduate.

Full Time. Pays $11.25/hr., 40Hrs/wk.(Mon.To Fri)

Please call: (510) 522-3812 Office (Alameda, CA) Maricel Tinio (Golden Age Senior Living)

EMPLOYERS: Marla Francos#707-900 Mt. Pleassant Rd. Toronto ON. marlafrancoz@yahoo.ca Fe De Guzman #514 Speedvale East Guelph ON. Fedeguzman791@yahoo.ca (1-519-760-4639) Mazar/Zahida.#33 Benson Ave. Richmondhill ON. imazaher74@yahoo.ca (647-920-2089) Ann Ha.Richmond Hill ON. phuha817@yahoo.ca (647-400-7862) Marina.#25 Diploma Dr.Brampton ON. mp694647@gmail.com (905-913-0624) Rodel.#206-141 Erskine Ave Toronto ON. rodelfernandez148@yahoo.ca (647-779-7292) Dinah G.#88 Ridgevale Dr.Toronto ON. dinahgrossman@yahoo.ca (416-781-8553) Racquel Miranda.#3 First Red Deer Alberta. mracquel67@yahoo.ca (1-403-245-4747) Liza Sotto#51 Hawkview Blvd.Woodbridge ON. lizavillanueva173@yahoo.ca (905-553-0681) Shahid Sattar Burlington. Shahidsattar007@gmail.com (905-220-5963) Davina #86 Northdale Rd.Willowdale ON. Davinalopez996@yahoo.com (416-879-7441) Alexia #31 Northbrook Rd.TORONTO ON. boualexia@yahoo.com (416-644-4270) Dhona#1102-25 By Mills Blvd. Scarborough ON. dhonarizaursua@yahoo.ca (647-937-2884) Aman 5304 Roanoke Crt Mississauga, ON. aman_sangha@hotmail.com (416-458-2375) Enrique Reyes 72 Ryder Cres Ajax ON. rechelreyes416@yahoo.ca (416-953-8558) Libya Gameng .172 Vauhhall Dr. Toronto ON. Libyagameng@yahoo.com (416-985-0616) Joanna Raoet124-42 Pinery Trl. Scarborough ON. joannaraoet@yahoo.com (416-779-7110) Maila Abenoja.9 Acores Ave.Toronto ON. mailaabenoja@yahoo.com (647-965-3235) Purvaiz/Sonia At 88 Attridge Dr. Aurora ON. visaprocesscanada@yahoo.com (647-996-2273)

WANTED: HOMECARE PERSONAL ASSISTANT Terms of Employment: Salary: Anticipated Start Date: Location:

Full-time, Permanent $14.50/hour, for 40 hours per week As soon as possible Scarborough, Canada (1 vacancy)

Wanted homecare personal assistant to provide elderly care to a 74-year old senior male with medical disability. Administer bedside and personal care to client such as aid in ambulation, bathing, personal hygiene and administration of medication. Prepare and serve nutritious meals. Perform routine housekeeping duties such as laundry and ironing clothes and linens, washing dishes and making beds, house cleaning, vacuuming, sweeping, mopping. Preferably with 1 year to less than 2 years work experience in elderly care. Must speak and write English. Completion of high school graduate equivalent in Canada. Optional accommodation available at no charge on a live-in basis. (This is not a condition of employment)

Email your resume to temarish_odes@yahoo.com

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40

JUNE 10, 2016

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FRIDAY