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VOL. 11 NO. 248
Catholic nuns join protest rally in Mendiola near Malacañang to observe International Human Rights Day in the country.
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Duterte: I personally killed drug suspects BY MARLON RAMOS Philippine Daily Inquirer JUST HOURS after declaring he was “not a killer,” President Duterte told a group of business leaders on Monday night that he “personally” killed drug suspects when he was mayor of Davao City. Mr. Duterte said he rode a big bike— presumably his street-eating HarleyDavidson motorcycle—to patrol the streets, spoiling for a fight and seeking
to kill. He was defending his scorched-earth policy in the fight against illegal drugs for which he had drawn criticism from the United Nations, United States, European Union and international human rights groups. Mr. Duterte said one-third of the nearly 6,000 drug suspects slain in his war on drugs were killed in legitimate police operations. “I know it because—I am not trying to
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For wounded cops, a Tsinoy healer renews commitment A Chinese-Filipino organization has been extending free medical assistance to officers wounded in action since 1988 BY JODEE A. AGONCILLO Philippine Daily Inquirer
Waived hospital fees
IN 2014, PO2 Randolf Olivar and his buddy PO2 Archie Evangelista of the Quezon City Police District’s Station 10 were on a hunt for drug suspects in Barangay San Roque when they were met with gunfire in a dark, narrow alley. Olivar was hit in the legs while Evangelista was shot in one foot and the side of the body. The two were added to the long list of officers who had received free treatment at Chinese General Hospital and Medical Center, which for the last 28 years had been a silent healer and enabler of law enforcers. Last month, the PhilippineChinese Charitable Association Inc. (PCCAI)—the owner and co-operator of the hospital located in Sta. Cruz, Manila—renewed its partnership with the Philippine National Police that extends comprehensive medical assistance to officers wounded in action. Established by Chinese immigrants and with roots dating back to the Spanish colonial period, PCCAI in the late 1980s channeled its philanthropy to to lowincome government workers.
According to the renewed agreement with the PNP, all policemen nationwide who were wounded in the performance of their duty will receive free hospitalization at Chinese General. Those who contracted diseases—like skin cancer, in the case of traffic officers—could be accorded this privilege on a case by case basis as determined by the hospital’s assessment team. Not covered by the agreement are wounds or injuries brought about by altercations, misconduct, immoral or illegal acts, and other factors not related to the police duty. All of the hospital’s equipment and facilities are available for their use, and those who first received emergency treatment in other hospitals can be transferred to Chinese General. If they were coming from the provinces, they can be flown to Manila as the hospital has its own helipad, Dy added. PCCAI has been a helping hand to the PNP since 1988. It has since forged similar partnerships with various fire brigades, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, the Manila Traffic Bureau, the Army Scout Rangers and the Prosecutors League of the Philippines, he added.
All the more necessary
Lighter burden
One particular sector drew its attention. “I saw at the time that our police are exposed to danger [yet] they received a very meager salary. If they were shot and could not get proper medical attention, they would surely die. Our government hospitals were not fully equipped, so it was better to send them to a hospital with high-tech and complete facilities and good doctors,” said Dr. James Dy, PCCAI president and chief executive officer. “In this time of an intensified war on illegal drugs, they need this all the more,” Dy said when asked about his views on the PNP being under increasing scrutiny for being the spearhead of the Duterte administration’s deadly antidrug campaign. “We need to boost their morale and support them so they also have the chance to live,” he added in a recent Inquirer interview. “People have stopped trusting the police. When they fight drug lords, pushers and syndicates, now they need not worry. They know they will be healed and saved.” Since President Duterte assumed office on June 30, 16 policemen had been killed in action and 45 had been wounded, according to PNP figures as of Nov. 25.
DIGNITY AND RESPECT. OUR SENIORS EARNED IT.
Olivar, the Quezon City policeman wounded in 2014, remains grateful to PCCAI to this day. “"After risking our lives, we still have that burden of paying for our treatment. Now that burden is made lighter. In my case, I didn’t have to worry that much when I underwent an operation.” Spouses SPO2 Jehrom and SPO2 Julie Jalla, who were both wounded when they foiled a robbery on their way home in Tayuman, Manila, in 2012, said that without PCCAI’s help “we would just be relying on PNP’s assistance and later survive on loans.” The couple were then reporting to the Northern Police District when they encountered the armed robbers. Jherom was shot in the arm while Jullie, who was two months pregnant, took a shot in the body. “We are very fortunate that there is an institution that supports the things we are fighting for,” said Jherom, who no longer had to pay their hospital bills amounting to about P200,000. For their bravery, the Jallas received the Medalya ng Kabayanihan (Distinguished Conduct Medal), plus P20,000 in financial assistance from the PNP. ■
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Pres. Duterte won’t support Charter change if land will be sold to foreigners PHILIPPINES NEWS AGENCY MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte has said he is open to the proposal to touch the economic provisions of the Constitution except for the selling of lands to foreigners. During a two-hour talk with a business group late Monday in Malacanang, President Duterte said he will support Charter change even if Congress will reverse the 60/40 percent foreign ownership provision. “Maybe, I said, the equity can be increased to reverse, 60-40 or 70 if it’s a foreign corporation. But to sell the land, I will not. For the life of me, I will not agree to that. I will lose my country to foreigners,” the President said. President Duterte explained that the Filipinos, most of them are poor, might be tempted to sell their lands to the world’s superpowers like China and United States.
“With the growing economy of the super giants, China and the rest, you know, they can always come here and buy the land and they can buy the whole of Tondo and relocate there and we’ll have with nothing and everything sold,” the President said. “At this time of our financial life and civilization, you can easily sell the land even for a pittance. It would come to other people almost as free and then what happens? Where will I go if everything is already owned?,” he added. Last week, President Duterte signed Executive Order No. 10 creating a 25-member consultative committee that will review the 1987 Constitution. The committee shall study, consult and review the Charter provisions “including, but not limited to, the provisions on the structure and powers of the government, local governance and economic policies.” The panel has six months to complete its recommendations
and proposals which will be submitted to President Duterte before it will be transmitted to Congress. Expected to be included in the recommendations and proposals is the shift of the form government from presidential to federal with a prime minister and a president. President Duterte said federal form of government is the solution to the long decades of armed conflict in Mindanao. “If we do not adopt federalism, there is no way that peace can be attained in Mindanao, now or in the future,” he told the business leaders. The President said he is ready to step down if Congress can craft a Constitution creating a federal form of government even midway of his six-year term. “If they can craft a Constitution creating a federal setup, a country, and providing for a strong president just like the type which France has, then I am willing to step down without
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PCO
waiting for the six years,” he said. President Duterte said he already instructed Senate President Aquilino ‘Koko’ Pimentel III and House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez to hasten the shift of government to federalism.
“That’s why I said for those who are asking for my ouster, do not dream about it. If you do not like me, go for the federal type and you are freed of my presence in government,” he said. ■
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Philippines rejects rebels’ condition for cease fire BY JIM GOMEZ The Associated Press MANILA, PHILIPPINES — The Philippine defence chief on Tuesday rejected a demand by communist guerrillas for government troops to withdraw from rebel-influenced communities in the countryside for the insurgents to extend a monthslong cease-fire. Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said troops would continue to be deployed in all rural areas where they have to suppress lawlessness and added that the New People’s Army guerrillas cannot claim any part of the country as their territory. “They always say we are en-
croaching on their area. What areas are they talking about?” Lorenzana said. “The president says you don’t have any area,” he said, addressing the Maoist guerrillas. “This is the Republic of the Philippines.” The Communist Party of the Philippines warned Duterte last week that the guerrillas may be forced to end their cease-fire and resume fighting if he doesn’t suspend the government’s counterinsurgency program and withdraw troops from rebel-influenced areas. If Duterte fulfills the demands by January and releases what the insurgents call political detainees through an amnesty, the rebel party said it
can guarantee the cease-fire’s extension. Duterte has separately declared an indefinite cease-fire, and the truce declarations by both sides have helped foster peace talks brokered by Norway. New People’s Army guerrillas, however, will be forced to engage troops if the president presses the military’s deployment of troops in what the rebels claim as “guerrilla zones” in the countryside, the outlawed party said in a statement. While no fighting has erupted since both sides declared separate cease-fires in August, the Maoist guerrillas have complained that troops continued to be deployed in rebel areas to carry out surveillance and other
counterinsurgency operations in what they say are violations of the government’s own truce. Lorenzana said he favoured proposals for separate ceasefires declared by the government and for the rebels to be strengthened into a signed joint truce with mutually agreed terms that he hopes could restrict rebel crimes being continuously committed, including extortion. Duterte has also said he would no longer support the release of more insurgents after he worked to free several rebel leaders, adding that he would maintain his position even at the risk of the peace talks being terminated by the guerrillas. The rebels, he said, has asked him to free 130 detainees.
“I conceded too much too soon,” Duterte told troops Sunday at a military camp. “I’ll lose my cards. I always release.” “I said, ‘That’s my limit. Now it’s up to you if you’ll terminate it ... I’ve freed all your leaders,”’ Duterte said. Battle setbacks, surrenders and infighting have weakened the rebel group, which is blacklisted as a terrorist organization by the United States. A confidential Philippine government assessment obtained by The Associated Press says the guerrillas declined to 3,800 fighters with more than 4,500 firearms in the first half of the year, with about 700 of the country’s 42,000 villages affected by the insurgency. ■
Ethics complaint against me an Philippine president attempt to ‘save face’ — De Lima says he’ll accept China arms offer PHILIPPINES NEWS AGENCY
MANILA — Senator Leila de Lima on Tuesday slammed the move of House leaders to file an ethics complaint against her noting that it was an effort to save face. “The House leaders’ move to file complaints against me at the Senate Ethics Committee and at the Department of Justice is nothing but an attempt to save face after the House inquiry on the Bilibid drug trade was exposed to be all of a farce,” De Lima said in a statement sent to media. De Lima, former Justice Secretary and Commission on Human Rights Chair, stood by her advice to former security aide and alleged drug money bagman Ronnie Dayan to avoid attending the congressional probe into the proliferation of the illegal drug trade in the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) maintaining her innocence. She also said that her honor as a public official remained intact despite efforts to attack her. “As I have repeatedly said, the first casualty of the administration’s “war on drugs” is the truth. And it seems those in power are determined to do ev-
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
JESS ESCAROS JR. / PNA
erything they could to accomplish their personal and political agendas,” she said. House leaders on Monday filed another ethics complaint against De Lima for barring Dayan from appearing before the congressional probe into illegal drugs at the NBP. The complaint, which is considered to be the third, was personally brought by Rep. Reynaldo Umali to the office of Senate Majority Leader and Chair of the Senate Ethics Committee, Vicente “Tito” Sotto III. It was drafted by Umali, House Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas, and House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez.
“Premises considered, for violating (Article 150 of the Revised Penal Code); the Rules of the Congress, of which she is a sitting member, her Oath of Office as a Senator of the Republic; and her disrespect for a co-equal chamber which she called a kangaroo court, the corresponding disciplinary measures must be imposed to penalize Senator De Lima for her unethical acts, conduct and behavior,” the complaints read. Umali further described De Lima’s advising and inducing Dayan to hide as “tantamount to inducing disobedience to a summon issued by the Congress.” ■ www.canadianinquirer.net
MANILA, PHILIPPINES — Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said Sunday that he has decided to accept an arms deal being offered by China under concessional terms, in the latest sign of cozying relations between the once-hostile neighbours. Duterte said in a speech before troops that he’ll ask his defence secretary to send military officials to China to receive the firearms, which will be payable over 25 years. He did not provide further details. “China is pressing me on the firearms, which are already there. I’ll accept them. They’re rushing it,” Duterte said. “We don’t need to ask from others because they’re willing to give it,” he said. “This isn’t free, but it’s actually a grant payable in 25 years.” Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said the military is also considering purchasing sniper rifles from Russia, adding that the Philippine army and marines would undertake a study to see whether a deal could be forged. Lorenzana visited Russia last week on Duterte’s order
to meet defence officials, the first-ever visit by a Philippine defence chief to Moscow since diplomatic ties were established in 1976, officials said. “If their sniper rifles are superior as they claim, we may decide to acquire,” Lorenzana told The Associated Press. “The army and marines will conduct tests and determine how many they may require.” Duterte reached out to China and Russia after taking office in June while taking a hostile stance with the Obama administration after the latter criticized his deadly war on drugs. The Philippines has heavily depended on the U.S., its treaty ally, for weapons, ships and aircraft for years, although it has turned to other countries for defence equipment as it struggled to modernize its underfunded military in recent years. Under Duterte’s predecessor, Benigno Aquino III, relations with China were strained over disputed South China Sea territories, especially after Aquino brought the disputes to international arbitration. China ignored the arbitration case and the eventual ruling handed in July, which invalidated China’s sweeping territorial claims. ■
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House Speaker calls on SC to lift TRO, rule with finality on RH Law PHILIPPINES NEWS AGENCY
Drug Administration (FDA) from “granting any and all pending application for reproductive products and supplies, MANILA — Speaker Pantaleon including contraceptive drugs Alvarez on Tuesday appealed and devices.” to the Supreme Court to lift the In the aftermath of the rultemporary restraining order ing, the Commission on Popuit imposed last year on the full lation (PopCom) had warned implementation of the Repro- that as result of the prohibition ductive Health Law and rule on on the FDA, almost 90 percent the issue with finality. of contraceptive brands will no In an interview, the House longer be available by 2018, unleader said he is appealing for less the TRO is lifted. the full implementation of the This, according to PopCom, RH Law because the country would render the RH Law inefneeds to control fective. its population Last October, growth in order the National to reduce povEconomic and erty. Development “I am not one We are Authority more or less to meddle be(NEDA) asked 110 million. cause there is President RoHow can a separation of drigo Duterte to we lift our powers. Howevissue an execupeople from er, I am appealtive order directpoverty? ing to the SC to ing local governrule with finalment units to ity because the fully implement country needs the RH law. it,” he said. According to “Imagine, MaNEDA Director laysia with the General Ernesto same land area as the Philip- M. Pernia, the Department of pines has only 32 million peo- Health has already prepared ple. We are more or less 110 mil- the draft of the EO. lion. How can we lift our people He said the full implementafrom poverty? It would be diffi- tion of the RH Law would help cult,” Alvarez said. accelerate the government’s Earlier Tuesday, the opposi- program for poverty reduction tion bloc in the House of Rep- in the country. resentatives led by Albay Rep. “To be able to achieve the Edcel Lagman also urged the 17-percent poverty incidence SC to lift the TRO on the full by the end of the term of Presiimplementation of the RH Law. dent Duterte, it will have to be a Republic Act No. 10354, oth- combination of strong economerwise known as the “Responsi- ic growth and plenty of employble Parenthood and Reproduc- ment opportunities that would tive Health Act of 2012,” was have to be complemented by signed by President Benigno the full implementation of the S. Aquino III on December 21, RH law so that the poor would 2012. be able to limit or responsibly In 2015, the High Court space their child bearing,” Perstopped the Department of nia said. Health’s program for the disThe Socioeconomic Planning tribution and sale of contracep- Secretary added that “limiting tive implants that can prevent the number of children to three pregnancies for up to three per family is the desire of many years. Filipino couples. Under the same ruling, the “This also helps keep them SC also barred the Food and from poverty,” Pernia said. ■
PNA
Welcome 2017 in a safe and eco-friendly way without firecrackers — EcoWaste PHILIPPINES NEWS AGENCY MANILA — As schools get ready for the annual school Christmas closedown beginning late next week, a health and environmental watch group reached out to young students to warn them against the hazards of lighting firecrackers during the holidays. The EcoWaste Coalition on Wednesday (Dec. 14, 2016) organized a well-attended awareness-raising drive to encourage the students of the Jacinto Zamora Elementary School (JZES) in Pandacan, Manila to spurn firecrackers and opt for alternative noisemakers to herald the New Year. Joining the event which gathered over 1,000 students from Kindergarten to Grade VI were 2016 Miss Philippines EarthEcotourism Melanie Mader, Department of Health Spokesperson Dr. Eric Tayag and representatives from national and local governmental authorities. JZES Principal Angelina Mojica warmly welcomed the visitors to the school, which was adjudged Regional Winner and National Finalist under the Elementary School Category of the 2015 National Search for Sustainable and Eco-Friendly Schools. “Firecrackers are not toys for young children to play with,” stressed Aileen Lucero, Nawww.canadianinquirer.net
tional Coordinator, EcoWaste Coalition, who pointed out that “firecrackers are dangerous, deadly and dirty” and “a total waste of money for a few minutes of toxic revelry.” “To stop the tragic injuries and deaths, the destructive fires, the hazardous pollution, and the acoustic torture against animals due to firecrackers, we appeal to the general public to welcome 2017 in a safe and ecofriendly way without firecrackers,” she said. “I join the DOH and the EcoWaste Coalition in requesting the public, particularly the parents and their kids, not to light firecrackers anymore and to celebrate the beginning of a New Year with the health of their family members and neighbors and the well-being of Mother Earth in mind,” said beauty queen Mader. The delayed issuance of President Rodrigo Duterte’s Executive Order imposing a national ban on firecrackers should not discourage communities and families from welcoming the New Year sans firecrackers, the EcoWaste Coalition said. “Now is the time to break the senseless ‘tradition’ of greeting the New Year with bloody mayhem, ear-splitting noise, fires, littered streets, smoggy skies and soot-blackened noses caused by firecrackers,” Lucero said. “It’s high time for every Filipino to assert our right to breathe clean air, especially
on New Year’s Eve and on New Year’s Day. It’s time for us to claim our right not to be exposed to toxic pollutants and wastes from firecrackers,” she further said. With a more animated and sustained campaign at the community-level against piccolo and other firecrackers, the country’s cities and municipalities can significantly reduce firecracker-related damage to health and the environment, the EcoWaste Coalition said. In lieu of firecrackers and fireworks, the group encouraged the public to go for substitute noisemakers that can be made out of common household materials and recyclable junks. During the event, JZES students showed some of these alternative noisemakers, including: recycled maracas from empty pineapple juice cans, recycled tambourine from flattened softdrink crowns, improvised cymbals using pot lids and assorted shakers made from used product containers that were filled with coins, pebbles or seeds. Finally, the EcoWaste Coalition urged households, business establishments and big corporations to divert funds earmarked for firecrackers and fireworks to worthy charities and causes instead. “Don’t burn away your money, buy food or give it to charity!,” the group said. ■
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P150,000 tax free for ‘Balikbayan’ box
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Bureau of Customs says Filipinos working abroad may avail of the new duty- and taxfree privilege up to three times a year
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BY JULIE M. AURELIO Philippine Daily Inquirer GOOD NEWS for overseas Filipino workers sending “balikbayan” boxes to their loved ones in the Philippines. The tax-free privilege can be availed of up to three times a year. Good news for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) sending home “balikbayan” boxes to their loved ones. The Bureau of Customs (BOC) and the Department of Finance have signed the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) prescribing the guidelines on duty- and tax-free balikbayan boxes. The two agencies signed Customs Administrative Order (CAO) 05-2016, which serves as the IRR of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA) covering the sending of such packages. “We value the importance of each balikbayan box. (It) symbolizes the hardship of our (OFWs), and the love of Filipinos abroad for their families here in the country,” BOC Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon said. Qualified Filipinos
CAO 05-2016 takes effect on Dec. 25, Christmas Day, and states that only qualified Filipinos abroad may avail themselves of duty- and tax-free privileges on balikbayan boxes containing personal effects and households goods. Under the new CMTA, the tax exemption ceiling for balikbayan boxes has now been hiked to P150,000 as long as the items inside the box are not in commercial quantities. 3 times a year
OFWs may avail themselves of the
duty- and tax-free privilege up to three times a year. Defined as “qualified Filipinos abroad” are holders of valid passports issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs and certified by the Department of Labor and Employment or the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration for overseas employment purposes. Also included are nonresident Filipinos who have established permanent residency abroad but retained their Filipino citizenship, and resident Filipino citizens who temporarily stay abroad and hold a student visa, investors’ visa, tourist visa and similar visas. To avail themselves of this privilege, qualified Filipinos must submit: a photocopy of the page of their Philippine passport with personal information, picture and signature, or a photocopy of their foreign passport with personal information, picture and signature, plus a copy of proof of their dual citizenship. The qualified Filipino must also submit an invoice, receipt or equivalent document covering the goods in the balikbayan box. The sender must sign and submit as well the information sheet to be issued by the agency, with the document serving as the packing list. Electronic format
The international forwarder or consolidator, meanwhile, must submit the information sheets and supporting documents in secured electronic format to the Philippine forwarder or deconsolidator. The local forwarder shall then transmit the information sheet and supporting documents in a secured electronic
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format to the BOC, before the arrival of the balikbayan boxes to the Philippines. For consolidated shipments by sea that have a three-day shipping time, documents must be submitted 24 hours before the package’s arrival. Those with a seven-day shipping time must have the documents submitted 48 hours before arrival. For shipments coming from America, Europe, Middle East, and other parts of the world that do not fall under the abovementioned shipping time, the documents must be submitted 10 days before arrival. Consolidated shipments carried by aircraft and coming from Asia must have their documents submitted one hour before arrival. Those from other countries must have the documents submitted six hours before arrival. The BOC said the qualified Filipino sender must also certify that only personal effects and household goods, in noncommercial quantities, are contained in the balikbayan boxes. These include clothes, foodstuff, grocery items, canned goods and other similar items. A different order covers balikbayan boxes brought in through means other than consolidated shipments. Faeldon urged all international and local forwarders, foreign consolidators and local deconsolidators to strictly follow the guidelines provided for in CAO 05-2016 to ensure that BOC personnel can expedite clearance procedures, and that all balikbayan boxes are delivered to their receiver with utmost care. The BOC chief also reminded all port officials and personnel to follow the agency’s “no opening of balikbayan boxes” policy, and to expedite the release and handling of these boxes. ■
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FRIDAY DECEMBER 16, 2016
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DOJ chief wants 2 BI officials axed over extortion allegations BY CHRISTOPHER LLOYD T. CALIWAN AND FERDINAND G. PATINIO Philippines News Agency MANILA — Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II on Tuesday said that he will recommend to President Rodrigo Duterte the dismissal of two high-ranking officials of Bureau of Immigration (BI) in connection with their involvement in extorting money from online gaming operator Chinese gaming tycoon Yon Lok Lam alias ‘Jack Lam.’ Aguirre said he can only recommend the relief of associate commissioners Al Argosino and Michael Robles to President Duterte since they were presidential appointees. “I am going to recommend today to the President na for your immediate relief from your position. Because of the anti-corruption program of the government, it’s better that they be relieved,” Aguirre told reporters adding he will also recommend to the President the relief of other BI officials and employees who might have been involved in similar activities, which he refused to identify. “On my part, I can only make a recommendation because I don’t have the power to dismiss,” he added.
Argosino and Robles were allegedly caught on video accepting money from former police chief superintendent Wally Sombero who is linked to Lam inside a casino mall in Paranaque. Aguirre said he had seen the CCTV footage though he said he would not make an immediate judgment. He said BI Commissioner Jaime Morente has already ordered Argosino, Robles and Acting Immigration Intelligence Chief Police Director Charles Calima Jr. to answer the allegations within 24 hours. In response, Argosino and Robles denied the allegations as they presented to media on Tuesday PHP30 million cash, which they said is an evidence that will prove that corruption is present at the bureau. “Right in front of you is the highest evidence of corruption of public officials,” Argosino said in a press conference in Manila, pertaining to the bundles of cash. “This is the living evidence as to why President (Rodrigo) Duterte must come out in the open, pursue corruption angle, and never allow a business entity that would thrive on paying government officials,” he added. He noted that when they received the money involved, PHP50 million is part of their continuing investigation on
Jack Lam, a businessman allegedly involved in illegal gambling operations. “So this is the evidence that there is corruption in the BI. Kung mahina hina loob namin, I can just easily say, sorry hindi ako yung nasa picture, sorry pupunta na ako sa abroad. Dala dala ko na ito. At ‘yan ang pinaglalaban namin ni Dep Comm Robles when we conducted a continuing investigation on Jack Lam, at that time that we have received in custody of PHP50 million, alisin mo lang yung binawas ni Sombrero, we could have easily made arrest. (So this is the evidence that there is corruption in the BI. If we were weak-willed, I can just easily say, sorry but that is not me in the picture, [that] sorry I am scheduled to leave the country. I brought this with me. And that is what Dep Comm Robles and I are fighting for when we continued the investigation on Jack Lam. At that time that we have received in custody of PHP50 million, just remove what was taken by Sombrero, we could have easily made arrest.) But why did we not pursue it and consider this as future evidence? ” Argosino explained. A newspaper columnist alleged that two Immigration associate commissioners demanded PHP50 million in exchange for the release of 600 out of 1,316 undocumented
JESS ESCAROS JR. / PNA
Chinese workers. But, Robles and Argosino only received PHP48 million with Sombero taking PHP2 million when they meet at the City of Dreams in Parañaque City. With this, the BI officials filed complaints for corruption of public officials and violation of anti-wiretapping law against Lam and Sombero, acting Immigration intelligence chief Charles Calima Jr. and two Chinese interpreters of the Chinese businessman before the Parañaque City Prosecutor’s Office. Based on the complaint affidavit, they alleged that Calima took PHP18 million from the PHP48 million supposedly to
be shared to Sombero, and several others. The BI officials filed a onemonth leave effective Monday. Aguirre also said he “felt betrayed” by Argosino and Robles,who are his fraternity brothers at Lex Talionis. “Siyempre (of course), you felt betrayed they were not following the order of the President to go after corruption,” Aguirre said adding that Argosino and Robles were among the legal team of President Duterte during the presidential campaign. Aguirre said the DOJ accepted the money for safekeeping and “without prejudice to the ongoing investigation that is being currently made by the NBI and the BI.” ■
Duterte gives PHP1B for medicines of poor patients in public hospitals PHILIPPINES NEWS AGENCY MANILA — Poor patients in government hospitals, like the Philippine General Hospital (PGH), can now go to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and ask for financial assistance to buy medicines. This after President Rodrigo Duterte announced on Tuesday that he gave PHP1 billion of the PHP5 billion from the Philip-
pine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) to the DSWD. “Andrea Domingo (chairperson of Pagcor) gave PHP5 billion right there and then,” President Duterte announced in his pre-departure speech before leaving for a four-day state visits to Cambodia and Singapore. “All those Filipinos with doctor’s prescriptions from PGH and government hospitals, go to nearest DSWD and you can ask for your medicine there. It’s PHP1 billion I released the
other day,” the President added. President Duterte said another PHP1 billion will also be released for the medications of drug addicts under the rehabilitation programs of city health officers. “I don’t know if it would be enough but I still have PHP3 billion. I’m just holding and you can still buy medicines. For example, the tranquilizers, the medicines that would keep you calm and would restore your sanity if there is still hope,” the President said. www.canadianinquirer.net
The Chief Executive recently inaugurated a mega drug rehabilitation center in Nueva Ecija that can house 10,000 in-patients once the construction of the facility is completed. The mega rehab center, situated inside Fort Magsaysay military camp, was donated by Chinese philanthropist Huang Rulun who was impressed by President Duterte’s war on drugs. Since President Duterte launched his campaign against illegal drugs six months ago, al-
most 800,000 drug pushers and users have surrendered to the authorities. On the other hand, the Philippine National Police’s Oplan Tokhang has resulted to the arrest of more than 37,000 and the killing of close to 2,000 drug addicts in legitimate police operations. President Duterte has claimed that illegal drug has contaminated almost four million Filipinos and “could contaminate 10 million more if not stopped.” ■
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Philippine News
DECEMBER 16, 2016
FRIDAY
House ratifies PHP3.35-T budget for 2017 PHILIPPINES NEWS AGENCY
nothing in the Organic Act of the ARMM that prohibits the national government from implementing infrastructure projMANILA — The House of Representa- ects in ARMM especially if identified in tives on Tuesday ratified the bicameral the medium term development plan. In conference committee report on the the end, we decided to give in just so that proposed PHP3.35 trillion national bud- a budget is passed because we do not get for 2017, the first under the admin- want a re-enacted budget,” he added. istration of President Rodrigo Duterte. The PHP8.3 billion additional CHED The report, which was voted through fund was allocated reportedly to finance viva voce, will then be transmitted to the free tuition for students in all State UniPalace for President Duterte’s approval. versities and Colleges (SUCs) and addiHouse appropriations committee tional funds for incentives and grants. chair Karlo Nograles said the House conApart from the PHP8.3 billion “free tingent in the bicam accepted the Sen- college education fund”, Nograles said ate’s position to allocate some PHP8.3 other additional “big ticket” projects billion, originally allotted for devel- approved in the bicam are as follows: opment projects in the Autonomous PHP770 million for the additional Region for Muslim PHP1,000 cash alMindanao (ARMM), lowance for teachers; to the Commission PHP1.2 billion for on Higher Education additional scholar(CHED). ship funds in SUCs; The agreement beWe are one with PHP100 million for the position of tween the two chamthe centenarian fund; President Duterte bers was meant to rePHP2 billion for irthat we really move the impasse on rigation fees subsidy; need to develop the budget and avoid and PHP3 billion for Mindanao if we further delays on its the additional inwant to defeat approval, thus paving crease of PhilHealth the insurgency way for the Duterte subsidy, among othproblem in the a d m i n i s t r a t i o n ’s ers. region [...]. agenda for change, he The PHP3.35noted. trillion budget is the “We are one with largest proposed the position of Presibudget to date, 11.6 dent Duterte that percent higher than we really need to develop Mindanao if the 2016 budget. we want to defeat the insurgency probFurthermore, the proposed budget lem in the region, which is why we pro- represents 20.4 percent of the gross dogrammed infrastructure projects in mestic product (GDP) in 2017, higher Mindanao, including the ARMM. But than this year’s 20.1 percent GDP share. some members of the Senate opined Of the PHP3.35 trillion, 40 percent that this could be in violation of the will be allotted for social services, 27.6 ARMM Organic Act,” said Nograles. percent for economic services, and 22 “This created some sort of deadlock as percent for general public services and the House stood its ground since we saw defense. ■
JESS M. ESCAROS JR. / PNA
‘PH safe place despite slays’ BY ARMIN ADINA Philippine Daily Inquirer THE FAMED Filipino hospitality will be the showcase of the 65th Miss Universe pageant’s weeklong kickoff in Manila. Organizers hope that this would show that the country is safe for tourists amid the killings in the government’s war on drugs. “Over 190 countries... are going to see this incredible hospitality,” said Paula Shugart, Miss Universe Organization president. The warm Filipino hospitality is the centerpiece of the 65th Miss Universe pageant’s weeklong kickoff, aimed at, among other things, showing the world that it is safe to go to the Philippines amid the killings in the Duterte administration’s brutal war on drugs. Coronation ceremonies will be held at Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City on Jan. 30. “We have 11 candidates tonight, but in less than a month you’ll have over 90 contestants from all around the world. Over 190 countries watching are going to see the Philippines, are going to see this incredible hospitality, this incredible place,” Miss Universe Organization (MUO) president Paula Shugart said at the kickoff event at Maison Mall of Conrad Hotel in Pasay on Saturday. Shugart said she was the No. 1 fan of Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach. “I want to thank the fans and all of you here in the Philippines. I say this a million times I love the Philippines. I cannot say anything for what you’ve done for the organization. This is a dream come true not just for Pia, but for me.” Wurtzbach, the reigning Miss Universe, echoed Shugart’s sentiments. “Thank you so much for making this happen. This is a dream of Paula, MUO and also a dream of mine to bring back the competition here and show the world how beautiful the Philippines is,” she said. She said it started with an idea. “I asked Paula if it’s OK if I mention in my interviews during my homecoming in January that we would like to hold the Miss Universe competition here. Who knows it might actually happen,” she recalled. “And now it’s here.” She added: “This is just the beginning. Let’s keep the momentum going. Welcome to the 65th Miss Universe competition.”
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Contestants from nearby
For the kickoff, organizers took proximity into consideration and invited delegates from neighboring countries. Joining Wurtzbach in the weeklong activities are China’s Li Zhenying, Japan’s Sari Nakazawa, Australia’s Caris Emily Tiivel, New Zealand’s Tania Pauline Dawson, Korea’s Jenny Kim, Thailand’s Chalita Suansane, Malaysia’s Kiran Jassal, Vietnam’s Dang Thi Le Hang, Indonesia’s Kezia Roslin Warouw and Myanmar’s Htet Htet Htun. Reigning Miss USA Desahuan Barber, a member of the US Army, is also in the country to join the promotional blitz. Filipino pageant coach Jonas Gaffud, creative head of the 65th Miss Universe competition, said Shugart suggested having a kickoff “to make more noise about the activity.” The activity was similar to the prepageant blitz in San Francisco, which 2010 Miss Universe fourth runner-up Venus Raj joined before the start of the official competition in Las Vegas. Generate buzz
Gaffud said the team was optimistic the weeklong event would “generate more buzz in the international community.” He expressed hope that the 11 delegates would help show that the Philippines was a beautiful country. “It’s not what people think because of the news. I hope they will be able to tell their countrymen that it is safe to go to the Philippines.” Wurtzbach and the 11 delegates are in Siargao for their initial photo shoot. They are scheduled to visit Cebu City to enjoy its famous “lechon” (roasted pig) and experience swimming with whale sharks (locally know as “butanding”) in Oslob town. This is the third time that the country is hosting the beauty contest. The first two editions (in 1974 and 1994), however, did not have a similar prepageant kickoff. The Philippines is represented this year by model and interior designer Maxine Medina, niece of former top model and Binibining Pilipinas-Universe Gem Padilla. The delegates for the 65th Miss Universe pageant, technically its 2016 edition, are expected to arrive in the country starting on Jan. 12. ■
Philippine News
FRIDAY DECEMBER 16, 2016
11
Labor pains mark birth of opposition leader Can Vice President Leni Robredo do a Cory Aquino, the widow whose fate and circumstances seem to parallel her own? BY NIKKO DIZON Philippine Daily Inquirer
ment the following day. Final push
THE BIRTHING of the country’s new opposition leader went through many hours—in fact, months— of difficult labor. It took Vice President Leni Robredo almost six months to take the plunge as she attempted to fit herself into the administration team. After all, as a duly elected official, she had a mandate to be part of the newly installed government and the responsibility to make it work. When it was suggested that being a political outsider made her the de facto opposition leader, Robredo made it clear that she would work with President Duterte for the sake of unity, but would also be a constructive voice when needed. “It was like she was burying her head in the sand,” staunch Robredo ally and former partylist Rep. Ibarra Gutierrez told the Inquirer. “At some level, she knew she was headed toward that path [as opposition leader] but she was still clinging to the happy notion that it (wouldn’t be) her,” he added. The reluctance frustrated not a few of Robredo’s followers, especially those looking for a courageous leader who could unite people critical of the President’s unconventional policies. Even her most ardent supporters bristled in exasperation when the Vice President brushed off in a media interview the rumors linking her to a lawmaker and Mr. Duterte’s confession of ogling her knees during Cabinet meetings. For these supporters, such instances crossed the line and Robredo should have put her foot down. Their disappointment forced the Vice President to issue a much stronger state-
But as in any birthing, one final push was needed. Ironically, it was Malacañang itself that made the push with its unexplained, unceremonious firing of Robredo as housing chief. At the Meet Inquirer Multimedia forum on Thursday, Robredo finally referred to herself as the opposition leader whose main role was to unify the group’s “discordant” voices. There was no more hedging, no more hemming and hawing: Robredo has embraced the inevitable. Political observers were quick to compare the Vice President with the late democracy icon, former President Cory Aquino, noting that the two widows’ fates and circumstances are similar, and so is their calm and reassuring demeanor that translates to steely resolve when warranted. More than three decades apart, their common role to unite a fragmented opposition against an iron-fisted rule It was in the rang true as well.
LENI ROBREDO / FACEBOOK
norms under the new administration that had authoritarian President Ferdinand Marcos given a hero’s burial, the capital punishment restored if lawmakers had their way and the summary killings of some 4,000 alleged drug users deemed acceptable. The Vice President had been very vocal against the Marcos burial and the extrajudicial killings, a contrary stand described
as the leader of the opposition, how do you encourage people to not stop being courageous, to not stop fighting, to be brave enough to stand up for their convictions?,” she asked. Her friends, the Vice President said, were anxious that she would be the subject of hate and lies especially on social media. But the demolition job had been on even before she resigned from the Cabinet, she said, adding that even her daughters were aware of it. “We’re not like she was burying her head affected because sand, clinging to the happy the charges are notion that the opposition leader ridiculous and wouldn’t be her Ibarra Gutierrez Deemed we laugh them Robredo ally and former party-list acceptable off,” she said. representative. It is a “dauntShe doesn’t ing” role, Rowaste her energy bredo acknowlgetting angry, edged at the said Robredo Inquirer forum. “These are in- by a Duterte official as “policy who said her children describe teresting times, these are diffi- differences” that led to her be- her as the “calmest” person ing dismissed from the Cabinet. they know, the perfect “balcult times,” she added. Indeed, things have hapance” to the “excitable” nature pened so fast in the last five Demolition job of her husband, the late Naga months that hardly anyone can She had the “pervading City mayor and Interior Secrekeep up with policy pronounce- sense,” Robredo said, that peo- tary Jesse Robredo. ments that, as Mr. Duterte’s ple are getting used to violent She owes her strength, Rocommunication official said, deaths on the streets, equat- bredo said, to her upbringing should be interpreted using ing this to Duterte’s campaign and the difficulties she went one’s “creative imagination.” promise to restore peace and through in life, especially when Duterte detractors have also order in the country. she worked as a public interest described the strange shift in “I think the real challenge is, lawyer for marginalized sec-
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tors. But it was the tragic death of her husband four years ago that made her “stronger,” the widow added. “I lost my husband at a very unexpected time. I think nothing could be more painful, more difficult, than that. Because of that, I think I am prepared for anything,” Robredo said. Her husband also unwittingly honed her skills as a politician and a leader. She was the closest ally and sounding board of the late Ramon Magsaysay awardee, who made a mark in Philippine politics as a progressive leader who kept his feet on the ground. Gutierrez said Robredo has the “canny ability” to read the political landscape, even when she prefers to be in the background and out of the limelight. If anything, Gutierrez said, she could be the opposition’s “moral leader” who would “articulate the party’s position on human rights and its bias for the poor and those on the fringes of society.” Her fellow Liberal Party (LP) member, Ifugao Rep. Teddy Baguilat, stressed the need for their political party to rally behind the Vice President, mainly by “coming up with a real solid position” as the opposition voice in Congress. “Aside from her inner circle and the civil society organizations supportive of her, the (Liberal) Party’s support is critical,” he said. Gutierrez described Robredo’s leadership style as consultative. She discusses with her staff and a small team of advisers, engages with her friends from nongovernment organizations, and confers with her allies from the LP. At the end of the day, however, Robredo makes the final decisions. Just as she did last weekend, when she decided it was time to stand up and lead. ■
Philippine News
12
DECEMBER 16, 2016
FRIDAY
Duterte: I personally... pull my own chair— in Davao I used to do it personally. Just to show to the [policemen] that if I can do it, why can’t you?” Mr. Duterte said during the Wallace Business Forum in Malacañang. “I go around in Davao (on) a big bike and I would just patrol the streets and looking for trouble. I was really looking for an encounter to kill,” he said. For that approach to fighting crime in the Philippines’ “murder capital,” Time magazine called Mr. Duterte “The Punisher” in an article in 2002. The magazine echoed the moniker in another article after Mr. Duterte’s election as President in May. In his speech to businessmen on Monday night, Mr. Duterte said allegations of human rights violations hurled at him by local and international groups would not stop him from pursuing his campaign against the illegal drug trade. “If I am afraid [and] stop because of the human rights … sorry, I am not about to do that,” he said. “You [want to] arrest me? Oust me? Go ahead,” he added. “So fine. Oust me? Good. Assassinate me? Better. I have this ❰❰ 1
migraine every day [anyway],” he said. Barely five months into his six-year term, Mr. Duterte has gained notoriety for backpedaling on controversial policy statements. After drawing fire for his outrageous comments, Mr. Duterte would later dismiss them as a “joke.” Or his aides would explain his comments as “hyperbole,” even though his comments were quite plain statements. Shortly before addressing the businessmen, Mr. Duterte rebuffed insinuations that he was a “killer” for condoning extrajudicial killings in his war on drugs and encouraging police to kill suspects who would resist arrest. “I am not a killer. I do not relish or enjoy [seeing] a Filipino sprawled there with all the blood,” Mr. Duterte said in a speech during The Outstanding Filipino Awards for 2016 in Malacañang. “I do not want you to die, that is not my order,” he stressed. “And even if Congress would give me a carpet authority to kill everybody, I won’t have the time nor the bullets to do it.” He added: “You know every time I decide on things to buy
President Rodrigo Duterte teases the residents while delivering his message during the celebration of the Urban Poor Solidarity Week KING RODRIGUEZ / PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO / PNA
guns and bullets, there is always in my mind that these things would be used against the Filipinos …. I don’t enjoy it.” He needs help
As in his previous speeches, the President took out a sheaf of documents and showed it to his audience during his talk at both events in the Palace. “This [is] the drug industry in this country,” Mr. Duterte said. “I would like to get advice.
What should I do? I really want to cry. I feel as if I can’t do it.” He said he gave copies of the documents to House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez and Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III to seek help in dealing with the drug menace, which he described as “a threat to national security.” But Mr. Duterte has some ideas of his own, including making the rich adopt drug addicts. He also had a few words for
the Catholic Church, one of the strident critics of his bloody war on drugs: “Check out your flock and look for the lost sheep.” “They say, ‘Why did Duterte have to kill them? Why not just send them to [rehabilitation centers]?’ Son of a bitch. They did not know I have nowhere to go,” he said. “If you want to help me, make available your houses. To the rich people, those who have mansions with four, five or six rooms, give up one of the rooms. Adopt an addict and see what happens,” he said, eliciting giggles from his audience. For the nth time, he said the Aquino administration left him funds good only for maintenance and operations, and nothing for building rehabilitation centers for drug addicts. “So to the bleeding hearts, if you really want to stop the violence, do it. You adopt an addict and share the love [with] your fellowmen,” he said. “It’s for you to understand the perdition of a drug addict. If you want, I will start with those from Tondo. Choose what you want, boy or girl. It’s just the same [anyway]. If they go crazy, they will stab you dead. It leads to a massacre. Do you think it’s that easy?” he said. ■
Palace standing by Tugade amid attacks BY LEILA B. SALAVERRIA Philippine Daily Inquirer MALACAÑANG IS standing by Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade amid calls from certain groups for his ouster over his supposed failure to improve the traffic situation, and amid attempts to question his stint as head of the Clark Development Corporation. “Secretary Tugade, as a presidential appointee, enjoys the
trust and confidence of the President,” Presidential Communications Assistant Secretary Marie Banaag said over the government-owned Radyo ng Bayan. Banaag noted that Tugade has been in his post only for a few months. “He is really doing his best,” she said. She acknowledged that there are sectors who want Tugade out of his post, but she also sees the efforts put in by the trans-
portation secretary and his department. “We see that they are doing their best also at their end to solve the traffic problem and everything that has concerns about the [Department of Transportation (DOTr)],” she said. Conflict of interest Earlier, the Road Users Protection Advocates (Rupa) asked the Commission on Appointments not to confirm Tugade
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due to questions on his competence and issues concerning conflict of interest. But the DOTr said the allegations against the Secretary were baseless, and added that he was an “upright man” who “abhors corruption.” It also said the attacks against Tugade seemed to be part of an “orchestrated effort” to bring him down. Southern Leyte Rep. Roger Mercado, who had been an assistant secretary at the former
Department of Transportation and Communication, had also questioned Rupa, saying it had not presented any advocacy for road users and that its only goal was to go after Tugade. Top airline officials also expressed support for Tugade in a full-page newspaper advertisement. ■
Philippine News
FRIDAY DECEMBER 16, 2016
Sec. Villar has no hand in DPWH budget amendments — Lacson PHILIPPINES NEWS AGENCY
all me. (I had to clarify and make a manifestation earlier in the bicam conference that Sec. Mark was not involved. It MANILA — Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lac- was all me),” the senator explained. son on Tuesday came to the defense of He admitted that Villar appealed to Department of Public Works and High- him through his mother for him to disways (DPWH) Secretary Mark Villar regard the PHP8.3 billion insertion in after the Commission on Appointments the budget, however, he thought it was (CA) bypassed his appointment. non-negotiable for his part. The CA bypassed Villar, who is also “…That’s non-negotiable as far as I’m son of Senator Cynthia Villar, after the concerned because alam natin saan PHP8.3-billion allocation in the budget pupunta ang budget (we already know of the DPWH was removed. However, where the budget will be used for),” he Villar was eventually confirmed on the said, noting that he was not trying to cast same day. aspersions. It was Lacson who moved for the reThe senator thought it questionable moval of this amount in the proposed how the House contingent insisted to national budget of PHP3.35 trillion for keep the insertion in the DPWH budget. 2017 after comparing it to the pork bar“…Ang dami nang nakasuhan sa Omrel which was previously declared as un- budsman sa PDAF issue and the SC alconstitutional by the ready ruled unconstiSupreme Court. tutional ang PDAF. This amount was Kailan ba tayo mameant to be used for tututo? Pag nakasuprojects in the Auhan na naman ang tonomous Region of We are one with ibang congressmen the position Muslim Mindanao or senators if ever of President (ARMM), however, nagawa ang inserDuterte that Lacson said that it tions? (There have we really need was a violation of the been many charged to develop Organic Act of the in the Ombudsman Mindanao if we ARMM. because of the PDAF want to defeat “Inalis ang PHP8.3 issue and the Suthe insurgency billion sa ARMM, preme Court already problem in the nilipat sa DPWH. ruled that the PDAF region [...]. Pagkatapos ang is unconstitutional. implementation ibWhen will we ever abalik din pala sa learn? When other ARMM. But ang orcongressmen and ganic act, klaro nasenators are charged man (The PHP 8.3 if these insertions billion was removed were allowed?)” he from the ARMM and said. transferred to the Lacson stressed DPWH. Then the imthat the ARMM had plementation will return to the ARMM. “autonomy” and that the interference But the organic act is clear),” Lacson of the national government should be told reporters. minimum and limited to appropriations “So bakit inalis mo sa ARMM, nilipat only. sa DPWH, tapos doon rin pala i-imple“…Kung ang reason di kaya i-absorb ment? Ibig sabihin, short of saying, gaga- ng ARMM being a LGU, an autonomous wing pork di ba (So why remove it from region, ang mga projects, di rin kaya the ARMM, transfer it to the DPWH and implement ng DPWH (If the reason for implement it there? It’s short of saying the insertion is that the ARMM cannot that they’ll turn it into pork, right)? he absorb the budget being an LGU, an auadded. tonomous region, then the projects also Lacson said he had to clarify during cannot be implemented by the DPWH). the bicameral conference on the 2017 So that should not be used as a justificanational budget that Villar was not in- tion to realign the budget of the DPWH. volved in the removal of the PHP8.3 bil- That’s basically my issue,” he added. lion amount so as not to make it affect He also said that he is set to cast a dishis confirmation. senting vote when it comes to the rati“I had to clarify and make a manifes- fication of the bicameral report since tation kanina sa bicam conference na there is still a remaining PHP3.6 billion walang kinalaman si Sec. Mark. It was lodged in the DPWH budget. ■
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Death penalty debate set early 2017 BY NIKKO DIZON Philippine Daily Inquirer HOUSE DEPUTY Speaker Capiz Rep. Fredenil Castro yesterday said the discussions on the bill to reinstate death penalty, a priority legislative measure of President Duterte, will be moved to early next year, so that congressmen would have a thorough plenary debate. In a radio interview, Castro said he was responsible for moving back the bill’s discussion on the floor because he wanted to prepare to defend it at the plenary. Castro is one of the principal authors of House Bill No. 1, which seeks to reimpose capital punishment for heinous crimes after it was abolished by then President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. “We have to let people know, make them understand and study this measure because at first glance, you could say you don’t want this bill because life should be respected. This is a reason that is based on one’s belief in God and what they call human rights,” Castro said in Filipino.He said the measure could be passed in the
Lower House if there would be daily plenary debates on it. Castro also said he informed House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez and Majority Floor Leader Rodolfo Fariñas, his coauthors, that the proposal should not single out drug dealing and drug use. Castro said if he had his way, he would add more crimes that are as heinous as the use and sale of illegal drugs to be punishable by death— crimes such as illegal recruitment, plunder, economic sabotage and human trafficking, including the ones conducted via cyberspace. There are 21 heinous crimes proposed to be punishable by death in the bill approved by the House justice committee. Among the “heinous crimes” included in House Bill No. 1 are treason, qualified piracy, qualified bribery, parricide, murder, infanticide, rape, kidnapping and serious illegal detention, robbery with violence, destructive arson, plunder. It also includes dangerous drug importation, sale and trading, manufacture, possession, cultivation and unlawful prescription, misappropriating confiscated illegal drugs and planting of evidence by public officers, and car theft. ■
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1114
Opinion
14
DECEMBER 16, 2016
FRIDAY
ANALYSIS
‘War on drugs will fail’ By Amando Doronila Philippine Daily Inquirer CANBERRA—A forum of Filipino scholars at the Australian National University (ANU) put under close scrutiny President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on illegal drugs, focusing on its unabated extrajudicial killings. One of the papers presented at the forum, which was attended by both Filipino and foreign specialists on Philippine studies, startled the gathering by raising disturbing issues involving massive human rights violations in a so-called “democratic society” in the AsiaPacific region. The paper, submitted by Dr. Gill H. Boehringer, former head of Macquarie University School of Law, noted that it sought to discuss the issue of how to understand the war on drugs and ways of dealing with the drug problem.
In the paper’s introduction, he ther be so “so presumptuous to propriate to consider what justice said, “It is important for the future suggest legal initiatives that Phil- may be wrested from the ‘system.’ of the country that such issues be ippine lawyers might take in these And I use the word wrested with inopenly discussed and rational poli- circumstances, knowing that the tent. Justice for victim, and that recies be developed. It is also signifi- lawyers of the Philippines, and es- ally means also their families. . . . the cant for the Duterte administra- pecially the National Union of Peo- Filipino nation is not on the governtion’s capacity to bring the many ples Lawyers, of which I aman hon- ment’s agenda.” Boehringer went on to indicate orary member... are ‘on the case.’” changes so desperately needed.” He further made the point that briefly the basic context as he sees Boehringer acknowledged that it, and addressed the question he the issue of juswas to comment tice, and then proupon was: “What As in all wars, there are unintended consequences, ceeded to drop the could victims and including collateral damage to innocent bystanders. bombshell—that lawyers do to seek justice for wrongdoing?” He em- “the so called war on drugs is a state is, the killings in the war on drugs phasized that this “is a question operation. . . and an obsession of the as heart of the government policy that needs to be discussed here, in President whois seen to be strong on the war on drugs that has diother countries and, most impor- and very popular and, therefore, vided the nation deeply. Without while in many respects illegal under mincing words, his paper blasted tantly, in the Philippines.” He admitted that he is not a domestic and international laws, the war on drugs, sending the govFilipino lawyer, but he said he the chances are legal remedies will ernment reeling on the ropes. “The war on drugs is a misnomer.” is “sufficiently familiar with the not be forthcoming. I offer as evispecificities of the law” and the dence the legalistic Supreme Court The crackdown “is a war on people, Constitution which might provide decision, a structural bias in favor of largely the poor and, in many cases, the President and/or an unwilling- minor offenders (assuming for the legal remedies. He also said that he would nei- ness to oppose him. . . . It is, then, ap- purpose of classification that they
are offenders). As in all wars, there are unintended consequences, including collateral damage to innocent bystanders. Victims are ‘suspects’ only.... Victims may be users, addicts, dealers. Many at higher levels or with notoriety have been treated quite differently. Thus, there is obvious unfairness in the use of state machinery.” The war on drugs will fail as such wars always do, Boehringer added. President Duterte vowed to eliminate the drug menace within the first six months of his term, but is now pleading for an extension. Boehringer thinks it will be impossible to achieve this—for lack of time and resources. Sen. Panfilo Lacson said “not in a lifetime.’’ So wesee the folly of the whole approach. Boehringer said he and others had written of alternatives, so it is not as if the killings are the only viable approach. ■
PUBLIC LIVES
How is impunity produced in current times? By Randy David Philippine Daily Inquirer THE WORD “impunity” simply means “without punishment,” or exempted from penalty—in reference to acts that normally require accountability and punishment. In the vocabulary of human rights advocacy, however, the term has a more textured meaning, reflecting the complex challenges that human rights activists have had to face over the years in societies wracked by political violence. Drawing from her extensive work on the culture and politics of human rights activism in Colombia, anthropologist Winifred Tate offers the following definition: “Impunity is defined by absence: the lack of punishment and sanction for the perpetrator of an abuse and the failure to provide reparations for the victims. Impunity can be produced by indifference, inadequate information, or ignorance of the abuse, as well as by active obstruction of investigations and legal proceedings.” (Tate, “Counting the Dead,” 2007) Here, in this usage, impunity is no longer treated only as the result of a failure to take notice or to assume responsibility for a wrongful act; rather, it is something that can be actively produced, either deliberately or unintentionally.
Underpinning this line of rea- summary killings or “salvagings,” For example, far from being merely a default response, public soning is the view that human as we called them, were invariably indifference can now be seen as rights are reserved for human be- political activists themselves— something that is cultivated or re- ings. Excluded from this category individuals who were not only inforced by tapping into stereotype are the “subhuman” types who not opposing dictatorship but were images of the victims. I think it has only choose to live differently but fighting for a vision of a better somade a lot of difference to the way also, more importantly, do untold ciety as well. In contrast, victims in the Filipino public reacts to the harm to the rest of society. To rec- the ongoing war on drugs cannot daily extrajudicial killings in the ognize and defend their human- claim any redemptive purpose, and last five months that the victims rights is to disrespect the human therefore cannot occupy the same have mostly been unorganized rights of their victims. This is a hallowed ground. In Colombia, where the war individuals from the slums with view, as we all know, that Presino visible employment or stable dent Duterte, more than any other against revolutionary activists infamily life. It is disturbing to note public official, has articulated in tersected at various points with that many view the victims as the countless public appearances as a the war against narcotrafficers, expendable dregs of society who, core message of his brutal war on Tate reports that she met political activists who sincerely believed in life, posed a constant menace to drugs. that human rights ordinary citizens. activism was too If they were killed By channeling concern about human rights cases into an narrowly focused, with impunity, endless loop of bureaucratic programs, state human rights and should not then so be it. As far agencies often serve to minimize effective action in human be allowed to as decent people rights cases. overshadow the are concerned, comprehensive that is a public seThis attitude contradicts the struggle for an alternative social cret that is not worth talking about basic philosophy of human rights, order. The obvious subtext here or investigating. The neighbors might often talk which teaches the essential inclu- is that the summary execution of about these things in knowing sivity of the human community as drug dealers and pushers cannot whispers, but they would not come one of the highest achievements of be compared to the killing of social forward as witnesses. Indeed, be- modern civilization. But, alas, the activists. Accordingly, time and efneath their breath, they might even reality is that most Filipinos can fort spent in defense of the human communicate a complicit accep- and do identify with it. Perhaps, it rights of drug traffickers cannot be anything more than a fruitless libtance of the inevitability of these is not difficult to explain why. The great strides made by hu- eral gesture. deaths—as something that the But, apart from this, as the Tate victims themselves tacitly chose man rights activism, notably durby the way they lived. By such de- ing the decades of the ‘70s and ‘80s, study reveals, one of the more ironpictions is impunity produced and took place in the context of larger ic ways by which impunity is propolitical struggles. The victims of duced is by burying human rights reproduced.
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cases in complex rituals of official investigations that yield no definite findings or conclusions. “By channeling concern about human rights cases into an endless loop of bureaucratic programs, state human rights agencies often serve to minimize effective action in human rights cases. In some cases, these are literally empty gestures, with committees that never meet and offices that are never staffed, with zero budget allocations or no actual programs.” What quickly come to mind in our case are the inconclusive reports from the recent Senate hearings on extrajudicial killings and the hitherto unheralded investigation conducted by the Department of Interior and Local Government. By failing to pinpoint responsibility, and, in the case of the Senate hearings, by spending more time trying to uncover the supposed links of Sen. Leila de Lima to drug dealers, they may have unwittingly served the cause of impunity. Wehave yet to hear from the Commission on Human Rights. Despite every effort to intimidate its leadership, I continue to hope that the commission, whose mandate arose from the great struggle against impunity during the Marcos dictatorship, would be different. ■
Opinion
FRIDAY DECEMBER 16, 2016
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AT LARGE
Traumatizing children By Rina Jimenez-David Philippine Daily Inquirer I SAW the photo on Facebook: A bloody corpse lies sprawled on a sidewalk, uncovered, while people look on, including a group of children. Some of the children seem indifferent to the gory sight, while others are looking away, evidently upset. None of the adults in sight seem unduly disturbed that children are being greeted by a dead body so early in the morning. Obviously, it has become routine. During a press briefing marking the launch of the “National Baseline Study on Violence against Children,” I asked the panel members who included Social Welfare Secretary Judy Taguiwalo: What effect are the drug killings, as exemplified by the photo I cited, having on the children exposed to them? Was this not a form of violence against children, too? Certainly, the sight of corpses in the street—a few of which
could be those of people known It was a young man, Christian immediate and comprehensive to the children, their parents, Saludar, the child representa- response is that the Philippines siblings, relatives, friends, and tive in the panel, who pointed is, according to Unicef’s Lotta neighbors—is enough to cause out that children “who lose their Sylwander, “some kind of center posttraumatic stress disorder parents or who witness killings” [in Southeast Asia] for child sex(PTSD) in children, or even in need emotional and psychologi- ual abuse.” Sylwander cited the adults, said Dr. Bernie Madrid cal treatment for the trauma they results of the release of “Sweetof the Child Protection Network experience, trauma that will not ie,” a video purportedly offering Foundation Inc. be addressed in an instant or by sexual services of children, in But the proliferation of drugs, the sight of the country’s police which users were free to choose she pointed out, has been a major chief dressed in a Santa Claus the nationality of the child on ofsocial (and not just a law-and-or- outfit distributing gifts to kids fer. Most of the users who logged der) problem for on to the site, not the Philippines knowing it was What effect are the drug killings, as exemplified by the for many years. created by Europhoto I cited, having on the children exposed to them? Was this The question is: pean law enforcnot a form of violence against children, too? What is the best ers to entrap child way to solve it? exploiters, chose For her part, a “Filipino” child, Taguiwalo said that, really, only orphaned by the war on drugs. perhaps an indication of the ease a small percentage of drug usWhen I asked Christian what with which child abusers could ers who surrender to authorities he thought of the TV footage of access our children. Still on child need institutionalization. The “Bato” dela Rosa making like Fa- sexual exploitation, the folks majority would be better off in ther Christmas, he declared: “He behind the study revealed that what she described as “commu- may be giving the children only more boys than girls report havnity-based” facilities, acknowl- temporary joy but it will not be ing experienced sexual abuse at edging the need to find “creative enough to offset the bad conse- least once in their life. Why boys? and innovative ways” to address quences. A long-term response is Madrid pointed out that there the drug problem. necessary.” is a “big difference” in the expe*** Another problem that needs an rience of sexual abuse between
boys and girls. Citing studies, she said girls are more likely to be raped (by a family member or someone known to them) or gang-raped, then murdered and their bodies dumped in the open. While boys, she said, because they are “less restricted” than girls, are more likely to be sexually abused outside the home, but usually after being lured or seduced by an adult, or gang-raped by bullies. All this is in the context of the finding that the Philippines ranks No. 1 in the world in terms of severity of abuse of children. This may come as a shock to Filipinos who pride ourselves in our religiosity and in our close family ties. But this also comes as part of a package with cultural values that deem that children are the parents’ “property,” to do with as they wish, even if this includes sexually (and economically) exploiting them, and inflicting physical, psychological and emotional scars that last a lifetime and through generations. ■
LOOKING BACK
Apolinario Mabini’s ‘gatas kalabaw’ By Ambeth R. Ocampo Philippine Daily Inquirer FROM CHILDHOOD, Filipino students are taught about national symbols like the flag, the anthem and the great seal of the Republic, as well as the national: hero (Jose Rizal), dish (adobo), tree (narra), flower (sampaguita), bird (monkey-eating eagle), and animal (carabao). It comes as a surprise to many that there is no official basis for many of these “national” things. As a matter of fact, there is no law that officially chose Rizal as our national hero. I often suspect that these “national” objects we grew up with were propagated by Socorro Ramos of National Bookstore who sold postcards and posters that made them so. National Bookstore may be the largest bookstore chain in the country, but it is not “national” in the sense that it is owned or sanctioned by the state. National Bookstore, according to Ramos, was named after the brand of her cash register! The Philippine beast of burden
is the carabao, a Hispanicized picked up at the Institut Pasteur rice covered with fresh carabao name that traces its roots in the in Paris. milk, with a dash of rock salt for Malay kerbau, the Tagalog kalaOver the years I have picked seasoning. Those from Macabebe baw and the Visayan karabaw. I up stray references on the cara- prefer to flavor their rice and gadidn’t even know that “carabao” bao and its meat from the 1900s, tas damulag with sugar, just as we refers to the male and that the like US health inspectors visit- would with breakfast cereal. female is a caraballa. The animal ing public markets to catch pedIn the H. Otley Beyer ethnois used in agriculture but is some- dlers passing carabao meat for graphic papers is a 1924 report times slaughtered for its meat beef, or carabao attacks on the on the Caloocan milk industry by that is cured into tapang kalabaw enemy during the Philippine- Leocadio Gozum that deals with or a sweet tocino- like pindang American War. Enemy soldiers the sale or marketing of carabao damulag in Pampanga. Carabao believed that carabaos did not milk: milk is an acquired taste and is like their blue uniforms in the “The milk is marketed through known as gatas a middleman kalabaw in Tagawho is known loAll these historical tidbits come to mind when I eat or log or gatas damucally as a lechero. simply remember the delicious Kapampangan breakfast lag in KapampanThere are about of fried shrimp with steaming white rice covered with fresh gan. Apolinario thirty of these carabao milk, with a dash of rock salt for seasoning. Mabini was said men all told in to have liked gatas Caloocan, and kalabaw so much that it led to his same way that bulls see red dur- they sell from about 490 to 980 death in 1903. Officially, cholera ing a bullfight. Filipinos believed liters daily. The lechero is a sort was listed as Mabini’s cause of that carabaos knew the smell of of small capitalist or financier. death but it is also believed that their masters and charged at the He advances money to the prohe died from ingesting spoiled enemy, annoyed by the smell of ducers who agree to deliver to or unpasteurized milk. Antonio Americans many of whom were him their daily yield of milk in Luna, before he rose to the rank uncircumcised. All these histori- consideration of the advance. He of general in the Philippine- cal tidbits come to mind when I employs one or two collectors, American War, was a scientist eat or simply remember the deli- at one peso a day each, who colwho wrote a paper on the purity cious Kapampangan breakfast of lect the milk early in the morning of carabao milk—an interest he fried shrimp with steaming white and deliver it to restaurants and
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private houses. Sometimes the lechero’s wife, son, or daughter collects and sells the milk. Some farmers market the milk themselves but this is not common. “No license or privilege tax is necessary to sell milk in Caloocan. When the milk is sold in the market, however, a market charge (cobra) of five centavos is made. If he is caught by the municipal revenue collector peddling milk among houses, he also has to pay a tax. In Manila, however, vendors of milk must obtain a permit to sell milk from the Bureau of Health at a cost of five pesos. Such permits need not be renewed. “Producers get from 20 to 25 centavos per liter for carabao milk, while the lechero gets 4050 centavos. The restaurants do not sell the milk in a raw state but make ice cream out of it. All these restaurants are owned and run by Filipinos.” Carabao milk and its byproducts are considered delicacies today because the milk is not as common as it was in the past. ■
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DECEMBER 16, 2016
FRIDAY
Canada News PM admits he’s lobbied at Liberal fundraisers but says no impact on decisions BY JOAN BRYDEN The Canadian Press OTTAWA — Justin Trudeau admitted Monday that he gets lobbied on government business when he’s the featured draw at Liberal party fundraisers. But the prime minister insisted he doesn’t let donors influence him on government decisions. “Any time I meet anyone, you know, they will have questions for me or they will take the opportunity to talk to the prime minister about things that are important to them,” Trudeau told a year-endnews conference. “And I can say that in various Liberal party events, I listen to people as I will in any given situation, but the decisions I take in government are ones based on what is right for Canadians and not on what an individual in a fundraiser might say.” A spokesman for the prime minister later denied that the conversations Trudeau described constitute lobbying, in the legal sense of the word, and stressed that Trudeau only listens to what is said and doesn’t engage in public policy discussions. Nevertheless, Trudeau’s admission only added fuel to the firestorm that has been raging for weeks over so-called cashfor-access fundraisers, where donors pay up to $1,500 to the party to attend events featuring Trudeau or one of his ministers. Interim Conservative leader
Rona Ambrose noted that the Liberal party’s interim national director, Christina Topp, last month sent a letter to all cabinet ministers and parliamentary secretaries, reminding them of the lengths to which the party goes to ensure there is no appearance of conflict of interest at fundraising events. Among other things, Topp said any donor “who wishes to initiate a policy discussion is immediately redirected to instead make an appointment with the relevant office. ... Fundraising events are partisan functions where we do not discuss government business.” “That actually sounds like the way it’s supposed to work,” Ambrose told the House of Commons. “But the prime minister has now thrown his national director under the bus. Now he brags openly about discussing government business at fundraisers.” And it’s not just Topp under the bus, New Democrats noted. Late last month, deflecting questions on the cash-foraccess controversy, Fisheries Minister Dominic LeBlanc told the Commons: “Our colleague knows very well that at events like this, government business is not discussed.” NDP MP Ruth Ellen Brosseau pointed out that discussing government business at fundraising events flouts not just the Liberal party’s supposed rules but the guidelines for ethical ministerial conduct crafted by Trudeau himself in a
document entitled, “Open and Accountable Government.” That document specifies that “there should be no preferential access to government, or appearance of preferential access, accorded to individuals or organizations because they have made financial contributions to politicians and political parties.” Allowing donors to pay for access to lobby the prime minister or a minister “looks like corruption,” Brosseau said. A wealthy Vancouver businessman who attended a fundraiser last month has said he attended precisely to lobby Trudeau on a number of issues, including investment by a Chinese insurance firm in Canadian seniors’ care facilities, relaxing immigration restrictions on Chinese investors and easing the rules on investment by foreign real estate developers. Marijuana activists have also said they paid to attend a Toronto fundraiser featuring MP Bill Blair, Trudeau’s point man on legalization of pot, to lobby him on that issue. In his news conference, Trudeau repeated the government’s standard defence: that federal parties are subject to some of the most stringent political financing rules in the world and the Liberal party follows all the rules. Those rules include open and transparent disclosure of donations. Trudeau shrugged off the fact that the fundraising events he’s attended — some staged in the private homes of wealthy sup-
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ART BABYCH / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
porters — are not open to the public. That’s no different than many other meetings he has, where people lobby him on various issues, he said. “There are many, many events that I hold — whether it’s with municipal leaders, whether it’s roundtables with small business owners or business leaders, where it’s meeting with first responders and security officials across the country — that aren’t public events, that are events where we talk about the issues that matter to Canadians. And this is a government that is extraordinarily open to multiple perspectives,” he said. “And at no point (does) attending a fundraiser give a particular or special access on
policy to anyone.” Some critics of Liberal fundraising practices have argued that one way to avoid the appearance of cash-for-access is to cap the maximum for individual donations to a party at a few hundred dollars or less. The maximum is currently just over $1,500. That would entail reinstating the per-vote public subsidy to parties or finding some other way to compensate them for the loss of donations. Asked about reviving the subsidy, which was phased out by the previous Conservative government, Trudeau repeated Monday that he’s open to suggestions for strengthening Canada’s political financing regime. ■
FRIDAY DECEMBER 16, 2016
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Canada News
DECEMBER 16, 2016
FRIDAY
Feds ease rules No snow warnings but warming on supervised drug weather could be another injection sites, mail problem in Metro Vancouver inspections at border THE CANADIAN PRESS
BY KRISTY KIRKUP The Canadian Press OTTAWA — The federal government is adopting a publichealth approach to its drug control strategy, Health Minister Jane Philpott said Monday as she unveiled proposed new measures that would open the door to more supervised injection sites in Canada. Newly tabled legislation would, if passed, eliminate 26 strict requirements for new “consumption” sites put in place by the previous Conservative government, all within parameters set out by the Supreme Court, Philpott said. “We need to take swift action on the opioid crisis to save lives,” she told a news conference in the foyer of the House of Commons, describing the current fentanyl crisis as national in scope. “We must confront the fact there will be no quick reversal of the current situation.” Currently, applicants for new injection sites must provide medical and scientific evidence of benefit, along with stakeholder letters from provincial health ministers, local police and regional health officials — stringent criteria that advocates say made it all but impossible to establish new sites. A number of applications for sites are currently under review, and the government intends to provide updates to make it clear in those cases what needs to be done to win approval, Philpott said. “The circumstances of every community will be different,” she said. “That’s why it’s important that communities work together in their locations to be able to address their unique circumstances.” In places like downtown Vancouver, which is on the front line of the fentanyl problem, people are dying every day, she added. There are currently two drug injection sites in Canada — both in Vancouver.
The new legislation would, if passed, lift a restriction that prevents border guards from inspecting packages that are under 30 grams in weight — even if they have reason to believe the packages contain illegal drugs. It would also place new restrictions on the import of pill presses and encapsulators, two machines commonly used in the production of illicit drugs. NDP justice critic Murray Rankin, who represents the riding of Victoria, said he’s pleased to see the new changes — but disappointed it has taken more than a year since the Liberals took power for them to come to the fore. “This government taking these steps now is appreciated ... but it is hardly adequate and in the time it is going to take to debate these changes ... dozens of people are going to die.” In British Columbia alone, officials say there have been 622 drug overdose deaths between January and October, about 60 per cent of them involve fentanyl. “It’s very clear that British Columbia is facing extraordinary circumstances,” Philpott said. Health officials and political leaders have sounded the alarm about a dramatic spike in opioid deaths across Canada. The issue was the focus of a national summit held in Ottawa last month that brought together experts from across the country. Last month, the federal government also announced plans to more closely regulate six chemicals that are principal ingredients in the making of fentanyl. The RCMP are also working with China to stanch the flow of fentanyl from across the Pacific Ocean. RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson and Chen Zhimin, the vice-minister of China’s public security ministry, agreed to boost efforts to disrupt the flow of the drug and other opioids. Fentanyl and other opioids pose a grave threat to community safety in Canada, Paulson said at the time. ■
VANCOUVER — A chilly, snowfilled week has caused troubles for residents of southern British Columbia and the wintry weather isn’t over yet. Some people woke to fresh flakes Monday, although snowfall warnings in effect for Metro Vancouver and areas in the Fraser Valley were cancelled by mid-morning. The Alex Fraser Bridge between New Westminster and Delta was closed Monday afternoon, with the Ministry of Transportation saying the combination of snow buildup and ris-
ing temperatures created a safety concern about snow and ice falling from the bridge’s cables. The major route was opened hours later, just in time for the evening commute. But the overnight snow still caused school closures and power outages. Environment Canada meteorologist Matt MacDonald says 60 centimetres of snow fell in Hope, Squamish got 25 centimetres, while 12 centimetres of snow accumulated in North Delta. MacDonald says cooler temperatures are expected this week, with the mercury dipping to -9 C overnight Tuesday.
He says there’s a low chance of some flurries in the region on Thursday, and the next notable storm may arrive around Dec. 20. As for a white Christmas, he says that depends on the area. “We’ve only had snow on the ground one out of 10 years in Vancouver at Christmas, but given all the snow we’ve had recently and the cold outlook, we’re not going to be losing all the snow that’s on the ground right now.” MacDonald says the longterm outlook calls for temperatures that may be slightly cooler than normal until about the middle of January. ■
Feds launch promised review of issues left out of assisted dying law THE CANADIAN PRESS
do’ approach to respecting Canadians’ right to assisted dying,” Gokool said in a statement. “Unfortunately, today’s announcement suggests the government may be content with an assisted dying framework that violates’ Canadians’ charter rights and the Supreme Court’s decision in Carter v. Canada.” The law allows assisted dying only for consenting adults “in an advanced stage of irreversible de-
Those three issues were not specifically addressed in the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling in OTTAWA — The federal gov2015, which struck down the abernment has initiated the solute ban on assisted dying. The promised review of its restricgovernment promised to initiate tive new law on medically asreviews of each of the three issues sisted dying to determine if it within 180 days of its new law goshould be expanded to include ing into effect last June. Canadians suffering strictly The new law’s near-death profrom mental illnesses, mature viso is more restrictive than the minors and those with competop court’s directive that meditence eroding conditions who cal assistance in dying should be want to make adavailable to clearvance requests. ly consenting, It announced competent adults Tuesday that it with “grievous has engaged the Our supporters were looking to and irremediaOttawa to encourage a ‘can-do’ Council of Canable” medical conapproach to respecting Canadians’ dian Academies ditions that are right to assisted dying. to conduct indecausing endurpendent reviews ing suffering that on each group they find intolerand report back able. The law is by December 2018. cline” from a serious and “incur- already facing a constitutional However, Dying with Dignity able” disease, illness or disability challenge. Canada expressed alarm that the and for whom natural death is The Council of Canadian council is to report only a sum- “reasonably foreseeable.” Academies, created in 2005 mary of its findings, with no speIt does not allow for advance with an endowment from the cific policy recommendations. requests for an assisted death federal government, bills itself The advocacy group’s CEO, Sha- by those suffering from demen- as an independent, not-fornaaz Gokool, said that suggests tia or other competence-erod- profit organization that perthe federal government has no ing conditions and it does not forms expert assessments of intention of expanding the law. apply to mature minors or to the science that’s relevant to “Our supporters were looking anyone who is suffering strictly the development of public polto Ottawa to encourage a ‘can- from mental illness. icy in Canada. ■ www.canadianinquirer.net
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FRIDAY DECEMBER 16, 2016
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20
World News
DECEMBER 16, 2016
FRIDAY
Top GOP leader:
Senate to probe reports of Russia hacking BY KEN THOMAS The Associated Press NEW YORK — The top Senate Republican said Monday that Congress will investigate a CIA assessment that Russia interfered in the November election on behalf of Donald Trump, an intelligence conclusion that the incoming commander in chief has called “ridiculous.” Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told reporters that an inquiry would be conducted by the Senate intelligence panel. Two key Senate Republicans — John McCain of Arizona and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a leading Trump critic — have joined with two Democrats in seeking a bipartisan investigation into the Kremlin’s activities during the election. After McConnell spoke, House Speaker Paul Ryan released a written statement saying a House Intelligence Committee probe of cyber threats by other countries and terrorist groups “will continue and has my support.” Ryan, R-Wis., said foreign
interference in U.S. elections is “entirely unacceptable” and said Russia under President Vladimir Putin “has been an aggressor that consistently undermines American interests.” Unlike Trump, who has expressed admiration for Putin, McConnell said flatly, “The Russians are not our friends.” “Obviously any foreign breach of our cybersecurity measures is disturbing, and I strongly condemn any such efforts,” McConnell said. Asked about McConnell’s support for a congressional probe, Trump spokesman Jason Miller said the focus on Russian interference in the election is “an attempt to delegitimize President-elect Trump’s win.” The CIA recently concluded with “high confidence” that Russia sought to influence the U.S. election on behalf of Trump, raising red flags among lawmakers concerned about the sanctity of the U.S. voting system and potentially straining relations at the start of Trump’s administration. Trump said Sunday the re-
cent CIA assertion that Russian hacking had sought to help his candidacy was “ridiculous,” and he praised ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson, who has emerged as the leading contender to lead the State Department. “It’s a matter of concern to me that he has such a close personal relationship with Vladimir Putin,” McCain said of Tillerson. “And obviously they’ve done enormous deals together.” In an interview with CBS’ “Face the Nation,” McCain said, “That would colour his approach to Vladimir Putin and the Russian threat.” Meanwhile, Trump’s transition team announced Monday that his choice to head the Department of Homeland Security is, as expected, Gen. John Kelly. Kelly is a former commander of U.S. Southern Command with “unique insight into some of the challenges the United States faces at its southern border,” the announcement said. Trump had meetings scheduled Monday with former technology CEO Carly Fiorina, former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, Rep. Raul Labrador of Idaho, Rep.
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Ryan Zinke of Montana, and Rep. Cathy McMorris Rogers of Washington State, as well as Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin. During his campaign, Trump weathered turbulent relations with fellow Republicans but has since forged a more united front with GOP lawmakers since his November victory over Hillary Clinton. In a wide-ranging interview with “Fox News Sunday,” Trump dismissed those concerns as little more than partisan griping. “I think the Democrats are putting it out because they suffered one of the greatest defeats in the history of politics in this country. And frankly, I think they’re putting it out. And it’s ridiculous,” Trump said. The incoming president said he did not necessarily oppose calls from President Barack Obama for an inquiry into the 2016 campaign hacking but said it should not be solely focused on a single culprit. “If you’re gonna to do that, I think you should not just say ‘Russia.’ You should say other countries also, and maybe other
individuals,” he said. The White House has said the probe would focus on any breaches by other countries along with hacking committed in previous elections. Trump’s decision-making on whom to select for secretary of state has stretched out over several weeks. He has been considering former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, a one-time vocal Trump critic, Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee, who leads the Foreign Relations Committee, and Tillerson, the oil industry executive who met twice with Trump during the past week. In the television interview, Trump pointed to Tillerson’s deep relations with Moscow as a selling point. As ExxonMobil’s head, he maintained close ties with Russia and was awarded by Putin with the Order of Friendship in 2013, an honour for a foreign citizen. “A great advantage is he knows many of the players, and he knows them well. He does massive deals in Russia. He does massive deals for the ❱❱ PAGE 22 Senate to
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FRIDAY DECEMBER 16, 2016
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World News
DECEMBER 16, 2016
FRIDAY
Conflict threatens decades of progress for children — UNICEF PHILIPPINES NEWS AGENCY
Residents of Syria’s Aleppo share tormented goodbyes online BY SARAH EL DEEB The Associated Press BEIRUT — First came the distress calls from doctors in underground shelters and morgues. Then residents under relentless bombardment in the few remaining blocks under rebel control in Aleppo began posting emotional goodbyes on social media and in widely circulated messages. They wanted to have the final say in the merciless civil war. “There is a problem with this planet,” said Monther Etaky, a 28-year old graphic designer. “This planet doesn’t want people to live as free or to live as humans.” The world’s view of the Syria conflict has been largely driven by YouTube, Twitter and Facebook — making it one of the world’s most documented wars through amateur videos and coverage. This has given the activists a major role in chronicling the war, and in lobbying for the world’s response. Nearly six years into the conflict, they complained the world has been looking the other way. “Why is this silence? People are being eliminated,” tweeted Abdulkafi Alhamdo, an English teacher who has been a vocal critic of President Bashar Assad’s government. Then, he wrote: “The last (message). Thanks for Everything. We
shared many moments. The last tweets were from an emotional father. Farewell #Aleppo.” Alhamdo later went live on the video-streaming Periscope to say government troops were approaching. “I hope you can remember us,” he said. A local aid worker, who gave only his first name, Omar, sent an emotional recorded message that was widely shared on Whatsapp. “The government forces are at the end of the street. Forgive us,” he said in issuing a tormented apology for failing to protect the rebel enclave, once seen as the jewel of Syria’s rebellion. After four years of holding onto nearly half of what was once Syria’s largest city and commercial centre, thousands of residents of rebel-held Aleppo had been cornered in a one-square-mile sliver of land for days as Syrian government troops, backed by Russia, resisted calls for a cease-fire, pushing into the territory as rebel defences crumbled. Hospitals were knocked out and civil defence vehicles were bombed. Thousands of residents fled to government areas, but thousands more, likely diehard government opponents, squeezed with the rebels into the ever-shrinking enclave. Etaky said the fast buckling of rebel defences shocked him at first. “But when I turned on my
brain and thought about what is happening and the cause of what is happening, I knew,” he said. After months of siege imposed since July the rebels had no more power to go on, he said. With their families trapped in the city with them, many fighters left the front lines to tend to their relatives’ safety. But most importantly, he said, “it was the world silence.” Etaky said that as a witness of the grueling war, he thought he had become numbed by the violence years earlier. Since moving to the rebel-held sector in 2012, he said he had lost about 50 friends. “When I was saying the last goodbyes, this was the first time I was affected because it was the last time,” he said. He said he was proud of his role in documenting the war. There was no record, he said, of previous Syrian government crackdowns, including in the 1980s in Hama and Aleppo. “If my son grows up and just explores the internet he can see his father, and what he was documenting and be proud that his father was a hero,” Etaky said, choking back tears. Speaking to the Associated Press shortly after a cease-fire was announced late Tuesday, he added: “It is quiet in Aleppo right now. And it looks so sad to be saying goodbye to its residents, who will leave it forever.” ■ www.canadianinquirer.net
ALTHOUGH COUNTRIES across the Middle East and North Africa have made major strides in protecting children’s rights and wellbeing since the inception of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) 70 years ago, conflict risks reversing these gains for 157 million children in the region, the UN agency said here Monday. “Looking back on 70 years of UNICEF’s work for children is a source of great pride. Every country in the region has ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child, less children die before the age of five, and school enrolment rates have improved,” Geert Cappelaere, UNICEF regional director for the Middle East and North Africa, said. According to UNICEF, nearly one in five children across the Middle East and North Africa is in need of immediate humanitarian assistance, with violent conflict, poverty and displacement creating dire conditions that push almost 29 million boys and girls to the brink. After years of conflict across the Middle East and North Africa, children have increasingly come under attack and suffer the brunt of war in half of the countries in the region. An estimated 8.4 million Syrian children are in need of immediate assistance for shelter, food and water, compared to 500,000 in 2012. Nearly half a million children are living
in besieged areas in Syria and have received little to no aid in almost two years. Almost 10 million children in Yemen are affected by conflict and living in critical conditions, with nearly 400,000 at risk of severe acute malnutrition. Extreme brutality against children is rife in Iraq. According to reports, nearly 400 child rights violations were recorded since January 2016. The ongoing military operation in Mosul has displaced nearly 74,000 people, almost half of them children. In Sudan, Libya and the State of Palestine, conflict has pushed millions of children out of their homes and schools and denied them access to basic services. “These grim figures on our 70th anniversary should be an urgent wake up call to the world to work harder so that each and every child across the Middle East and North Africa can survive, thrive and be reach their full potential,” said Cappelaere. Through the No Lost Generation, UNICEF has helped provide formal and informal learning opportunities for Syrian refugees in Egypt, Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon. In Syria and neighboring refugee-host countries, UNICEF has helped vaccinate over 21 million children against polio in 2016, and in Sudan, more than 82,000 children have received psycho-social support this year. Since January, four million children in Yemen have received nutritional services with support from UNICEF, the press release said. ■
Senate to... company,” Trump said, while also citing Corker and Romney. Democrats have warned that plucking Tillerson for State would put the leader of the world’s largest oil company in a pivotal role on issues like climate change and the future of the Keystone XL pipeline. They also question whether he would apply diplomatic pressure on ❰❰ 20
Russia’s conflict with Ukraine. The prospect of Tillerson also received a cool reception from some GOP members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which would consider his nomination. ■ Associated Press writers Laurie Kellman in Washington and Alex Sanz in Atlanta contributed to this report.
Community News
FRIDAY DECEMBER 16, 2016
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Ballet Manila artists guest in Goh Ballet’s The Nutcracker BALLET MANILA, the Philippines’ most acclaimed classical dance company, will be represented by three of its leading artists in the much-anticipated staging of Goh Ballet’s The Nutcracker. BM principal dancers Katherine Barkman and Rudy de Dios, along with soloist Mark Sumaylo, have been invited as guest artists for the Vancouver-based company’s critically acclaimed production of the beloved holiday classic, where they will dance the roles of the Snow Queen, the Snow King, and the Nutcracker Prince, respectively. In a recent social media statement, Goh Ballet said it is “delighted to announce an artistic collaboration with Ballet Manila for this year's production… and we are so excited their dancers will be adding their artistry and experience to our stage.” Performances are scheduled from December 15 to 20 at The Centre in Vancouver, with an international cast led by principals from the National Ballet of Canada, Jurgita Dronina and
BM soloist Mark Sumaylo
BM principals Katherine Barkman and Rudy de Dios.
Guillame Cote, and live orchestral accompaniment performed by the Vancouver Opera Orchestra. Ballet Manila artistic director and prima ballerina Lisa Macuja-Elizalde says she is very pleased by this development. “We are reaching out not just locally but internationally with our mission and vi-
sion of ballet for the people,” she remarks, citing her company’s long-cherished dream of popularizing classical ballet to a mass audience. The Russian-trained Macuja-Elizalde — the first and only Filipina to become a soloist of the Kirov Ballet — founded Ballet Manila in 1995 with 11 young dancers. The company has since grown
into one of the most formidable arts organizations in the Philippines, famously known for training its artists exclusively in the Vaganova technique and its unparalleled brilliance in staging classical works. Macuja-Elizalde extends her gratitude to Goh Ballet artistic director Ms. Chan-hon Goh for inviting her company’s dancers to join The Nutcracker’s esteemed roster of international guest artists. “These guest performances can only be good
for Ballet Manila since more people will become aware of the standards we have of classical ballet here in the Philippines — that we are globally competitive, very talented, and able to keep up with the highest of international standards of excellence,” she states. ■ For tickets and information, visit their website at www.gohnutcracker.com or check out @ GohBalletNutcracker on social media.
WHAT : A Forum of Civil Registration WHEN: December 18, 2016 TIME : 1:00 - 3:00 pm WHERE: St. Vincent Café Saint Patrick's Parish, 2881 Main Street Vancouver, BC
CANADA EVENTS
Philippine Press Club Ontario held its Christmas Party and Induction of New Members at Max Restaurant - Toronto on December 8, 2016.
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WHAT :Mogrante Event Christmas Party WHEN: December 17, 2016 TIME : From 6:00 pm WHERE: Centre Le Manior, 5319 Ave. Notre Dame de Grace, Montreal, Quebec H4A 1L2
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DECEMBER 16, 2016
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Entertainment Text message courtship not enough for Julia Barretto BY MARINEL R. CRUZ Philippine Daily Inquirer WANT TO win Julia Barretto’s love? Don’t just text her. According to the young actress, she still prefers the traditional way of courtship. Julia however acknowledged that exchanging text messages with another person is one way to effectively get to know each other. “I like a good mix, actually,” she stressed. “It really makes me feel good whenever I get messages asking me how I am doing at work or if I’d already eaten dinner. It means the guy is very thoughtful; that he really cares. But if I like him, I’d also want him to be close to my family.” The central plot of Julia’s latest film, “Vince & Kath & James,” revolves around the courtship of Vince (Joshua Garcia) and Kath (Julia) as seen
through their exchanges of text messages. The Theodore Boborol film is an official entry in the 2016 Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF), which begins on Dec. 25. “I’m excited. This will be my first time to experience the MMFF. My family and I will be touring the theaters in Metro Manila on Christmas Day,” she said. The film is derived from the hit online romantic series “Vince & Kath.” The original version presented its plot in the form of screenshots of the text messages between its main characters, making it an extremely popular social- serye that was followed by countless online readers. Star Cinema recently acquired rights to the very popular series and developed it into a motion picture. The film adaptation gives a refreshing and exciting twist with the addition of James
(Ronnie Alonte). Julia said she was happy to be given the opportunity to work with Joshua and hoped that her supporters would embrace their tandem. “I’m now used to being paired with different guys. I look at this as part of my job as an actress,” she shared with the Inquirer. “I’m glad that we have already built a fan base even before the film gets shown.” Julia said she saw in Joshua— a former housemate in the reality show “Pinoy Big Brother”— the passion for his craft. “He is driven as an actor. He is genuine and sincere as a coworker. It felt good to know that once you’re on the set, you’re assured that someone will be there to take care of you.” She said the sweetest thing Joshua did for her was to ask her to be his date for the Star Magic Ball in October. “I have been attending the ball solo for seven
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years. I got used to walking on the red carpet on my own. I felt guilty because I might have left him behind,” she quipped. Julia hopes to make her father, comedian Dennis Padilla, proud of her performance in the romantic-comedy film. “He’s a comedian. I want to know his reaction. I want him to give me pieces of advice. I
hope he will have time to see me here,” the 19-year-old actress told reporters. Julia and Dennis had a rift in 2015 when she filed a petition in court to legally drop her father’s surname. The actress, whose real name is Julia Francesca Baldivina, patched things up with her dad only last May. ■
For Jean Garcia, children more important now than romance BY MARINEL R. CRUZ Philippine Daily Inquirer WHAT’S KEEPING actress Jean Garcia from getting into another romantic relationship after almost two years of being single? “How my children will feel is more important to me,” Jean told the Inquirer. “I consider their emotions now.” “When I get involved with a guy, I’m not the only one with emotional investment but also my kids and the people close to me. I even pray to God that if there’s really no guy meant to spend forever with me, then I’m OK with being single,” Jean said during the press launch of her latest film “Mano Po 7: Chinoy,” which hit theaters on
Dec. 14. According to Jean, it’s important that the guy should treat well the people she cares about. She has two kids, Jennica and Kotaro, and a granddaughter named Mori.
Kissing scene
Through thick or thin
“It’s not enough that he likes or loves me. He has to be able to stick with me through thick or thin. A relationship has to be two-way. I can’t be the only one to always adjust to it,” she explained. However, Jean said she was open to “dating,” and even admitted to seeing two Chinoy (Chinese-Filipino) men these days. “They’re not much different from ordinary Pinoy men. What has changed is my view
Jean Garcia with her Mano Po 7 co-star Richard Yap. JEAN GARCIA / INSTAGRAM
of dating. When I was younger, puro pa- cute lang. We see movies and then have a walk in the park. Now, I go to dinner dates. I enjoy good conversations over wine. I think it’s the best way to really know a person.” She said she has become more cautious now, “because www.canadianinquirer.net
I’ve already learned my lesson and don’t want to commit the same mistakes. There’s really a risk when you get into a relationship; most men are OK in the beginning. You don’t discover until later whether or not that person is really meant for you.”
In “Mano Po 7: Chinoy,” Jean plays Debbie, wife of a Chinoy businessman (Richard Yap), who struggles with connecting with his family emotionally. Feeling sad and lonely, Debbie gets into an affair with a younger man (Jake Cuenca). Jean said she didn’t mind doing a kissing scene with Jake for this film. “We just kissed, and we were fully clothed,” she pointed out. “This was nothing compared to what I did with Derek (Ramsay) in ‘The Escort.’ My character there was the aggressive one.” “Mano Po 7: Chinoy,” with Ian Lorenos at the helm, also features Enchong Dee, Jessy Mendiola, Janella Salvador, Marlo Mortel, Jana Agoncillo and Kean Cipriano. ■
Entertainment
FRIDAY DECEMBER 16, 2016
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‘Deadpool’ in, ‘Silence’ out and Lionel Richie, more Globes film surprises Mariah Carey joining forces for 2017 tour
BY LINDSEY BAHR The Associated Press
BY MESFIN FEKADU The Associated Press
LOS ANGELES — The Hollywood Foreign Press Association never fails to disappoint with their assortment of nominees, which always seem to include some expected picks, some inspired ones and some headscratchers too. The nominations for the 74th annual Golden Globes announced Monday certainly had some bombshells, too. Here are a few notable snubs and surprises:
NEW YORK — Get ready to party all night long with Lionel Richie and Mariah Carey. The singers announced Monday they are joining forces for the All The Hits Tour, which kicks off in Baltimore on March 15, 2017. It hits Toronto’s Air Canada Centre on March 30, and Vancouver’s BC Rogers Arena on April 27. Tickets for the 35-date tour, starring Richie with Carey as a
Old guard out
Past Globes glory didn’t seem to matter this year for Hollywood legends Clint Eastwood, Martin Scorsese and Warren Beatty, none of whom received directing nominations despite all having won in that category at least once. In fact, Eastwood’s “Sully” (that means no Tom Hanks nomination either) and Scorsese’s “Silence” were shut out completely, while Beatty’s big return to directing and acting, “Rules Don’t Apply,” scored only one nomination — for actress Lily Collins. No love for ‘Love & Friendship’
special guest, go on sale Saturday. Both Richie and Carey have a string of hits that remain popular today. Richie’s catalogue includes “All Night Long (All Night),” “Hello” and “Stuck on You.” In addition to Grammy wins, he’s won an Oscar and Golden Globe. Carey is only behind the Beatles for most No. 1 songs on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart with 18. Her hits include “Vision of Love,” “Hero” and “We Belong Together.” The tour will wrap in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on May 27. ■
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in the musical or comedy category and another for star Ryan Reynolds. Perhaps they draw the line at animated food orgy, though — “Sausage Party,” despite a big awards push, was left out of the fun. Left field acting choices
The comedy and drama distinction always allows for a few out-of-nowhere contenders, but the best performance by an actor in a musical or comedy was stacked with unexpected picks, including Colin Farrell for his performance as a single
while the nominations were being announced. Miss Sloane takes charge
“Miss Sloane,” the Jessica Chastain-led lobbying thriller, might have bombed at the box office this weekend and received generally tepid reviews from critics, but it didn’t stop the HFPA taking notice of Chastain’s performance as the always three steps ahead of the competition Elizabeth Sloane. Since 2012, Chastain has been nominated for four Golden Globes and won once, in 2013, for “Zero Dark Thirty.”
Whit Stillman’s Jane Austen adaptation “Love & Friendship” charmed audiences and critics, but was left without a single nomination — especially surprising Women behind the camera in the case of The comedy and drama distinction always allows for a few out-ofKate Beckinsale, With the stanowhere contenders, but the whose perfortistics of female best performance by an actor in a mance as the representation musical or comedy was stacked with conniving and behind the camunexpected picks ambitious Lady era as dismal as Susan Vernon they are, it might has been widely not be that much regarded as one of a surprise of her best. Instead, in the mu- guy looking for love in the dark to find zero films directed by sical or comedy category, the as night comedy “The Lobster,” women up for best picture or HFPA singled out the little- Ryan Reynolds for “Deadpool,” best director this year. Yet it is seen John Carney musical and Jonah Hill as a bro arms notable, especially with criti“Sing Street.” dealer in the generally panned cally acclaimed fare like Andrea “War Dogs.” In the supporting Arnold’s “American Honey” The naughtiest superhero category, Aaron Taylor-John- and Mira Nair’s “Queen of KatBesides being a superhero son sneaked in with a nod for we,” both of which were shut movie, the irreverent and very his portrayal of a sadistic Texan out completely. The one saving R-rated “Deadpool” is about in “Nocturnal Animals” and grace is in the foreign category, as far away as one can get Simon Helberg for his crowd- where Maren Ade’s comedy from a stereotypically tasteful pleasing piano player in “Flor- “Toni Erdmann” is the nomiawards choice, but somehow ence Foster Jenkins,” which nee from Germany and Uda still scored two nominations elicited a gasp from those in Benyamina’s “Divines” is nomi— one for best motion picture the room at the Beverly Hilton nated from France. ■ www.canadianinquirer.net
Early audience reactions from ‘Rogue One’ premiere BY LINDSEY BAHR The Associated Press LOS ANGELES — The force is strong with “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” according to early reactions from the film’s premiere Saturday night in Los Angeles. Official reviews are under embargo until Tuesday morning in advance of the Dec. 16 release, but the crowd at the Pantages Theater went wild with applause as the credits rolled and took to social media to express their delight in the “Star Wars” spinoff film about the rebels who steal the plans for the Death Star. It’s set right before the events of the original 1977 “Star Wars.” Comedian Dane Cook suggested on Twitter that it might be “the best” Star Wars movie, while Rainn Wilson called it “amazing.” Actor Wil Wheaton said he hadn’t loved a Star Wars movie as much since the original. Chris Taylor, author of the book “How Star Wars Conquered the Universe” wrote that the film was “heart-stop-
ping and dark. Like darker than Empire Strikes Back dark.” There had been some handwringing from fans about the spinoff film when the public learned that the production was undergoing expensive reshoots and bringing in veteran scribe Tony Gilroy to help out which the script. Peter Sciretta, editor of the website Slashfilm.com, said that fans will be “very happy with Rogue One.” He added that it didn’t feel “neutered by reshoots.” Steven Weintraub, editor of Collider.com, applauded the film’s “incredible action” and script. Many, like Entertainment Weekly’s Anthony Breznican, singled out Donnie Yen’s blind Jedi Chirrut Imwe and Alan Tudyk’s droid K-2S0 as the standouts. The Daily Beast’s Jen Yamato also praised Felicity Jones’ heroine Jyn Erso and the film’s “great hero turns.” “Rogue One” was directed by Gareth Edwards and also stars Diego Luna, Ben Mendelsohn, Riz Ahmed and Mads Mikkelsen. It’s the first of three planned spinoff films set in the “Star Wars” universe. ■
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Lifestyle Food trends for 2017: Filipino fare, fancy mocktails, vegetable innovations BY LOIS ABRAHAM The Canadian Press TORONTO — Filipino food, fancy fizzes, twists on traditional Jewish mainstays and artisanal jerky are a few trends that foodie insiders are seeing in their culinary crystal balls for 2017. Filipino fare includes adobo — one of the island nation’s traditional dishes, not to be confused with the sauce used in the canning of chipotle peppers — which is made with chicken, garlic, vinegar, soy sauce and black pepper. Amanda Riva, CEO of food marketing agency THP, says Filipino restaurants often feature ube, the beautiful purple yam becoming more available in stores in this country, along with grilled items, stews and noodle and rice dishes. Commonly used ingredients also include okra, cabbage and cassava. “In restaurants here you do find some recipes using goat — usually they’ll have one signature one — but otherwise a lot of the recipes that I’m seeing at this point are still heavily rooted in fish, chicken and pork,” says Riva, whose team develops more than 2,500 recipes a year for consumer and retail brands as well as food service companies. Christine Couvelier’s prediction for dish of the year is “waffling.” It’s a push beyond sweet waffles with bacon or chicken. “Imagine taking leftover stuffing from your holiday
turkey and putting it on your waffle machine. You could then serve it with gravy and mashed potatoes and turkey or chicken. You can take hash browns and ‘waffle’ them,” she says, adding french toast, grilled cheese and vegetables can all be waffled. As for drinks, both trend watchers note mixologists are elevating non-alcoholic mocktails by pairing carbonated beverages with flavours ranging from juniper berry kaffir limeade to serrano chili with fresh flavours like pineapple, blood orange and lavender. They’re also using cold pressed juices, flavoured teas, herbs, spices and sweeteners like the very Canadian maple or birch syrup with its earthy smokiness. “I wouldn’t put birch syrup on pancakes or french toast, but I would cook with birch syrup and certainly in a mocktail it’s a wonderful sweetener without being really sweet but adding a lot of flavour,” says Couvelier. The Victoria-based consultant, whose Culinary Concierge company keeps clients ahead of market trends, sees sommeliers guiding imbibers into the intricacies of water and cider. Yes, water. And it’s not flavoured or a choice between sparkling or still. “The first water sommelier in the U.S. is in L.A. with a group of restaurants to really help people appreciate the waters that are out there. There’s a German water trade association that trains people as water specialists,” explains Couvelier. Chefs are also experimenting with twists on Jewish food,
like matzo ball ramen soup topped with lox. Shakshuka, a dish of eggs poached in a sauce of tomatoes, chili peppers and onions, is finding its way onto brunch menus across Canada. Anthony Rose at the restaurant Fat Pasha in Toronto serves latkes fried in duck fat with beet root gravlax and upscale chopped liver. At Bar Reyna in the city’s Yorkville district, olives are stuffed with shakshuka and fried. Couvelier thinks veggies may be bigger than ever in 2017 thanks to vegetable butchers in stores like YamChops and Pusateri’s in Toronto. “They’re providing people with vegetable knowledge ... how to cook, how to carve, how to taste, how to appreciate your vegetables,” she says. Vegetable charcuterie platters, rice made from cauliflower, pulse pastas and packaged slaw made from broccoli stems rather than cabbage are continuing to emerge. And companies are stepping up to the plate with innovations around ugly fruits and vegetables to reduce waste. Misfit Juicery in Washington, D.C., uses imperfect produce in cold-pressed juices, while New York’s Sir Kensington’s uses aquafaba, the liquid drained from cans of chickpeas, to make vegan mayonnaise. The liquid performs like an egg white and can be whipped until stiff for baking, says Couvelier. Meanwhile, expect a whole new level of conspicuous consumption in 2017 with extravagant milkshakes oozing with fat
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Watch out: Filipino fare to trend this year!
and sugar and more over-thetop burgers. “Burgers continue to be the thing that people love to revolutionize,” says Riva, adding one she saw recently had six patties, cheese, fois gras, caramel corn, caramel drizzle and seared ahi tuna. Other food trends we may see next year: Kelp is the new kale, Couvelier says. “I think kale has had its day. It’s still going to be around, but kelp is so healthy, there’s so many varieties, it’s high in umami.” Jerky is increasingly going artisanal with flavours such as sesame chicken and teriyaki beef, says Riva. Poke bowls, the deconstructed sushi dish originating in Hawaii, will become more popular here, Couvelier says, with tropical spices, seasonings
and flavour. Activated charcoal has moved from medicinal use to an ingredient, says Riva. “The cool thing about charcoal is that it doesn’t give a burnt or bitter taste to the food,” she says. “It adds a little bit of richness, accentuates the texture in, I think, a very interesting way.” Brilliant yellow turmeric, touted for its anti-inflammatory qualities, will become more mainstream in smoothies, juices, teas, salad dressing and bone broth, predicts Couvelier. Sumac, a reddish-purple powder that adds a tart lemony flavour to Mediterranean cooking, is popping up on more menus and in supermarket specialty aisles, says Riva. Cream, butter, ghee and rich flavourful sauces are in after years of non-fat and low-fat, says Riva. ■
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FRIDAY DECEMBER 16, 2016
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Pot use on rise, as is driving under drug’s influence, Ontario survey finds BY SHERYL UBELACKER The Canadian Press TORONTO — With Ottawa poised to legalize recreational marijuana next year, researchers are keeping a close eye on use of the drug, which has been steadily trending upward over the last couple of decades. In Ontario, for instance, a survey released Wednesday by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) found that past-year cannabis use virtually doubled between 1996 and 2015, rising from about eight per cent to almost 15 per cent of respondents. Significant increases were found among all age groups, but especially among 18- to 29-year-olds, with the proportion of pot smokers jumping from about 18 per cent in 1996 to 38 per cent in 2015. “We also see that the cannabis-using population is aging, as well,” said senior scientist Robert Mann, who co-authored the CAMH Monitor report on substance use and mental health status among a representative sample of more than 5,000 Ontario adults.
Last year, 23 per cent of those using marijuana were aged 50 and older — an eight-fold jump since 1977, when just three per cent of users were in that age bracket. The CAMH Monitor is a collection of survey data that has been published every two years for almost the last four decades, allowing researchers to track long-term trends in the use of alcohol, drugs and tobacco, as well as identifying problematic behaviours related to mental health within the province’s population. One finding of particular concern is the proportion of respondents who reported getting behind the wheel after using cannabis. In the last five years, that figure doubled, rising to three per cent in 2015 from 1.5 per cent in 2010. “A lot of people have the sense that cannabis does not impair your driving or that they’re able to compensate for the effects of cannabis on driving,” said Mann. “They think it’s not as dangerous as alcohol is, and maybe that they’re even safer drivers if they’re driving after cannabis use. “That’s not true and I think
that’s a dangerous perception for people to have,” he said, noting that research over the last 20 years suggests that getting high on weed significantly increases the risk of being involved in a motor vehicle collision. Disabusing young people about their notions related to driving under the influence of cannabis is at the heart of a program called Weed Out the Risk, delivered by Springboard, a non-profit service agency that has been taking its message to high school students in the Greater Toronto Area for the last three years. The program uses videos, interactive games and discussion to educate youth on marijuana’s effects on the brain and on one’s inability to drive safely due to impaired co-ordination and reflexes, reduced peripheral vision and short-term memory deficits. Don Cooley, a programs manager at Springboard, said he often sees evidence of young people’s lack of knowledge about the drug on social media sites, among them that “the person who smokes pot is the designated driver at a party” and “the one drinking alcohol will smoke
pot to sober up to drive home.” “Because of the federal government announcing that they’re going to legalize recreational marijuana, we see this as really a pending road safety issue for the future,” he said. Among other emerging issues highlighted in the 2015 CAMH report is the growing use of electronic devices. “If you look around over the past decade or so, you see there’s been a real transformation,” said Mann. “We know that we’re all more engaged with them — the smartphones, the computers, the notebooks (and other) devices. “So the research community is wondering what kind of an impact this has.” The survey showed that on average, Ontario adults are spending more than 11 hours per week on email and social media, and almost four hours per week playing screen-based games over and above time spent on the devices at work or in school. Based on a series of questions — including “Have you missed school, work or important social activities because of your use of devices?” — the survey suggests seven per cent of On-
tario adults have a “problematic” involvement with electronic media. “So, that’s over 700,000 people,” said Mann, noting that an earlier CAMH survey of Grade 7-12 students found 86 per cent visit social media sites daily and about 16 per cent are online five or more hours per day. The ubiquitous use of devices like smartphones raises another disturbing issue identified in the 2015 survey — 37 per cent of respondents reported they had texted while driving at least once during the past year, while 11 per cent admitted texting behind the wheel 30 or more times over the previous year. “So a very high proportion of drivers report texting and driving,” he said. “It ties in with the observation that people are really engaged with their devices, and they’re using them perhaps all the time, they’re using them while they’re driving, which we know is a very hazardous behaviour.” A number of studies have calculated those who text while operating a motor vehicle have a 20-times increased risk of being involved in a collision, Mann said. ■
Ho ho hold the payment:
How to stock your holiday bar on a budget BY DAVID HODGES The Canadian Press TORONTO — For many, nothing rings in the festive season like a smooth single-malt whisky or a warming glass of your favourite red wine enjoyed in the company of good friends. But with so many social obligations over December, entertaining with and gifting such potent potables can add up, says Adam McDowell, author of “Drinks: A User’s Guide.” To keep your budget within reason, McDowell recommends embracing the spirit of Scrooge when it comes to sleuthing out a great
bargain. “I’m the last person to say you need to spend a lot of money to get delicious wine, and if you’re hosting you maybe want to be a little bit of a cheapskate,” he says.
Craft beer is another affordable option in which there’s a diverse range of unique seasonal products, adds Crystal Luxmore, a certified beer sommelier in Toronto. Here’s some tips for buying — and imbibing — in moderation. Best wines under $15
If you’re stocking up for a celebration, McDowell counsels steering
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clear of high-end wines. “It’s not like your friends are going to be able to appreciate the good stuff later into the night,” he says. “So a party is a good occasion to find that $10 or $15 gem and get a whole bunch of that.” His favourite inexpensive gotos come from Mediterranean countries like France, Greece and Italy. “In these countries where people drink wine more or less every day, it creates a situation where affordability happens at the same point as quality,” he says. “What you get in Canada is a lot of $15 wine from those regions that are spectacular.” When it comes to reds some of McDow-
ell’s favourites are Gamay Noirs from France or virtually anything from Spain. As for whites, he’s a big fan of products that come from the Douro region of Portugal. Not your average beer run
For those who don’t consider beer a particularly festive drink, Luxmore says there’s a number of specialty brews available called “winter warmers” that might change your mind. Think spiced or fruity ales with Christmas flavours, she says, “almost fruitcake in a glass.” Bourbon barrel-aged beers are another seasonal pick that may appeal to the whisky lover on your Christmas list, she adds. ❱❱ PAGE 28 How to stock
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Lifestyle
DECEMBER 16, 2016
FRIDAY
Newest theory says lost city of Pantone Color Atlantis located in Antarctica Institute’s colour of the year is ‘greenery’ PHILIPPINES NEWS AGENCY
MOSCOW — The lost city of Atlantis has been a point of historical interest since Plato first wrote of it in 360 B.C.E. Now some say that the purported ancient civilization may lay under the frozen landscape of Antarctica, where theorists posit that it flourished before the continent was covered in ice. Some 12,000 years ago, large swaths of Antarctica were icefree and inhabitable by humans, according to “crustal displacement” theory. Proponents of crustal displacement believe these conditions would allow for Atlanteans, a race of half-human, half-divine people spoken of in Plato’s writings, to thrive until the time of the last Ice Age. The basis of this hopeful hypothesis is a map compiled from military intelligence in 1513 showing Antarctica’s coast, hundreds of years prior to its actual discovery by European sailors. The images have been largely debunked by scientists, but recent photos from NASA’s Operation IceBridge in Antarctica show what some theorists claim is evidence of an ancient human civilization. Google Earth images are also thought to show what appears to be a pyramid-like structure protruding from the ice. This confused scientists at the time, and The Sun quotes Dr Van-
BY LEANNE ITALIE The Associated Press
CHRISTOPHER MICHEL / FLICKR
essa Bowman, from the British Antarctic Survey, saying, “Go back 100 million years ago and Antarctica was covered in lush rainforests similar to those that exist in New Zealand today.” There is no consensus on an actual location of the fabled city of Atlantis in Antarctica, and many do not believe the city was there at all, but rather on the Greek island of Santorini, where it was destroyed by a tsunami and sunk under the waves following an exceptionally violent earthquake. A charmingly far-fetched Antarctic Atlantean theory holds that Adolf Hitler knew of the ruins and used them for a secret Nazi bunker called “Base 22” or “New Berlin.” Some love to posit that Nazis discovered extraterrestrial technology that helped them develop powerful weapons that, given time, would have resulted in the subjugation of the entire human race.
A modicum of credence was given to this theory in October after a tiny Nazi outpost was discovered some 600 miles from the North Pole. Conspiracy theorists were again set ablaze in 2013 after a video surfaced claiming to reveal the ruins of Atlantis in Antarctica. The footage is said to be from 2002, recovered from a missing California television crew. Following an Indiana Jonesstyle script, archaeologist and conspiracy theorist Jonathan Gray said, at the time, that the video was evidence of a government cover-up. “The US government said it will seek to block the airing of a video found by Navy rescuers in Antarctica that purportedly reveals that a massive archaeological dig is underway two miles (3,200 meters) beneath the ice… The Atlantis TV production crew that shot the video is still missing,” he asserted. ■
Other beers sure to impress over the holidays are Belgian tripels or saisons, Luxmore says. These golden beers have a cork, “so they’ll pop just like champagne.”
of gin or Canadian whisky will be of high quality regardless of the sticker price. When it comes to those types of spirits, he says, “the only thing we have in Canada are premium brands.” But if you’re not much for liquor, McDowell says, don’t bother stocking up your home bar. Instead, create a single signature cocktail. “Make a big pitcher of something that’s not too boozy, which is great if you want to keep your guests upright and cheerful,” he says. “Plus, it’s also not as expensive.” ■
How to stock... “At this time of year we get these big boozy bottles that have been sitting in used barrels for 12 months, so they soak up all of that oak and vanilla and toasted character,” she says. For such specialty beers — many of which can be enjoyed now or are perfect for aging — expect to pay up to $10 or $15 for a 500 ml or 750 ml bottle. But if that sounds expensive, Luxmore says, keep in mind that’s basically top-shelf product. “So not only are you not cheaping out, you’re getting the high-end stuff,” she says. ❰❰ 27
Buying the bottom shelf
If you’re planning a party the same rules apply to spirits as they do with wine, says McDowell. In other words, “don’t spend more than you have to.” Whether you’re buying vodka, bourbon or scotch, he says, “almost anything you can grab for $25 is great stuff for mix.” Generally, he adds, any brand
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soft, serenity-inducing dual choices of “rose quartz” and “serenity” blue as the colours of the year for 2016. NEW YORK — Amid social, In addition to the emerging political and environmental recycle-and- share economies, tumult around the world, the we have green rooftops, green Pantone Color Institute on spaces and indoor vertical Thursday plucked fresh and farming. In home decor, there’s zesty “greenery” as the colour a trend to connect with the elof the year for 2017. ements outside through open The vibrant green with yel- spaces and vast windows, and low undertones is an answer, of a desire to bring nature inside sorts, to bruising 2016, signal- through forestry murals and ling a yearning to rejuvenate, living moss walls, Pressman and to reconnect to both nature said. and something larger than oneOn the industrial side, both self, said Laurie Pressman, the Skoda and Mercedes showed institute’s vice-president. bright green cars for 2017. For “It’s a realization for many the kitchen, Pantone spotted people,” she said in an inter- its shade in appliances, includview Wednesday. ing a Keurig cof“This country feemaker, and in is politically dicookware. vided, and we see And in fashthat around the It’s been ion, menswear there during world. It’s not designers have times just us. There’s played into the of bold a real division in idea of gender change, terms of globalfluidity through when ization and this prints and accespeople are desire to pull sories of bright exploring. back from globalgreens, along ization. It’s Brexwith the creators it. It’s what we of womenswear just saw in Italy.” and beauty prodThe experts at ucts, ranging the institute, which advises a va- from the couture of Oscar de riety of industries on the use of la Renta in a leaf-embellished colour from fashion and home gown to bright green shades for design to packaging and product eyes, nails and lips. development, have been choosKaty Perry, Kylie Jenner and ing a colour of the year since Lena Dunham have all taken 1999. It’s a way to conjure the turns dying their hair bright emotions that colours evoke. green. Last year, a cologne from The team at Pantone, based in the Diana Vreeland brand came Carlstadt, New Jersey, scouts in green and was dubbed “Bold.” trends through the year in meThe shade also symbolizes dia, on runways and at trade the organic and health frenzy in shows around the world. cleaning products and food — The colour “greenery,” simi- hello matcha! — coupled with eflar to chartreuse, is well rep- forts to rethink food waste in resresented in the first buds and taurants and processing plants. grass blades of new spring, but In the tech and digital spaces, it also plays out in history at the colour pops up in products times of major cultural shifts, like earbuds and in logos and including the suffrage move- advertising for apps and startment and flapper era of the ups, Pressman said. 1920s and the war and racial “We saw it always as a bold justice protest movements and colour,” she said, “but it may psychedelia of the ‘60s and ‘70s. not have been accepted by some “It’s been there during times people. Today we look at this as of bold change, when people are a colour associated with innoexploring,” Pressman said. vation. It takes on a whole difThe hue is in contrast to the ferent feeling.” ■
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FRIDAY DECEMBER 16, 2016
Sports Juego Todo: An indigenous form of MMA A Filipino-bred weaponized sport of cage fighting is out to claim its place in the MMA sun BY JASMINE W. PAYO Philippine Daily Inquirer AS THE sound of clattering sticks fills the air, the fighter finds an opening, his wooden weapon slaps on his opponent’s bare back flesh, leaving a red, blotchy streak. “May mga latay na sila! (They have whip marks),” the barker hollers. “Masakit ito! (This is painful).” The bell rings in the next round. All weapons down, the fighters unleash a flurry of kicks and punches. They grapple, get tangled in locks and chokes amid faint grunts. The crowd cheers. Welcome to the world of Juego Todo. To the uninitiated, it may be well like fraternity hazing with the trappings of combat sport. “It’s not fully accepted yet because for the purist—we’re being criticized—it’s too brutal; there’s no respect,” says Ferdinand Abadilla Munsayac, the founder and chief executive officer of Underground Battle Mixed Martial Arts (UGB MMA). “All I have to say to everyone who criticizes what we do, one word—evolution. They all have to accept change. Without change, we’re not moving forward.” There’s a level of masochism or even craziness, as some may say, needed to go full action in this sport. But for Munsayac and his fighters, it’s their way
of bringing Filipino martial arts (FMA) to the mainstream. “Juego Todo was born because I saw FMA is so good,” says Munsayac. “Arnis is so great it’s adopted in Hollywood fight scenes, it’s adopted in elite forces in the military. But look here locally, where are they? You see them in the parks. When they have something official, they’re in a basketball gym. There’s no prestige. So putting these world-class fighters inside the cage and showcasing what they have, this is it.” Juego Todo opens with a battle of sticks and kicks. The fighters wear head gears, but no body armor. It’s like arnis with two sticks, but they get to sneak in kicks. It’s “weaponized cage fighting,” as Munsayac puts it. Featuring three rounds of three minutes each, the fight closes with full-contact striking and grappling inside a cage known in the MMAas an octagon. “In the second round—if they last—they fight with a single stick,” says Munsayac. “They can deliver kicks, they can use their elbows, punch with the empty hand. Any given time a fighter gets disarmed and your opponent still has a weapon, you just have to keep fighting.” By the final round, all gears and weapons are dropped, and it becomes a showcase of different local fighting styles—sikaran (kicking techniques), buno (Filipino-style wrestling), panuntukan (punching tech-
MMAPHIL.COM
niques), dumog (Filipino-style grappling) and yaw-yan (Filipino-style kickboxing). A fighter can win on points, by submission, by knockout or technical knockout. “[The sport is] a hybrid of Filipino martial arts,” says Munsayac. “It’s like bringing in the modern-day Pinoy gladiators, the arnisadors, and putting them in the modern-day arena, which is the cage.” A former United States Navy chief petty officer, Munsayac has always had the affinity for reality combat. So when he decided to return to his roots and retire in the Philippines after 20 years of military service, putting up a gym and a promotion outfit became his focus. Munsayac opened The Goat Locker Boxing Gym, which also offers muay thai, mixed martial arts and arnis, over five years ago. He later launched a new platform for amateur fighters
before they plunge into professional leagues—the Underground Battle MMA. Shady as the name sounds, it’s an official licensee of the World Series of Fighting Global Championship. It’s also in this outfit where Juego Todo—which translates to “I play all” in Spanish—was born. “After being able to establish [the promotion outfit] after two years, I thought about some people who were left out, and those were the FMAers (Filipino martial artists),” says Munsayac. “So we thought of coming out with something different, but not much different because they’re already doing it.” Right now, Juego Todo gets to “piggyback with our MMA fights,” because as Munsayac puts it, “We’re still at the infancy stage of this league.” But Munsayac wants to cut through demographics, so the burly promoter has been stag-
ing fights all over the country, from the Benguet hills to Taguig City’s posh McKinley Hill. “We bring MMA to the fans out there,” says Munsayac. “We’re the type of promotion that does MMA by the beach, by the cemetery, in the mall, in the red-light district area, the first in all major provinces. That’s what UGB MMA does.” But it’s a rough sport with a soft spot. Munsayac’s group has also been providing scholarships to talented but underprivileged fighters. “We have a fighter advocacy and that’s the main reason we exist today,” he says. “This fight promotion is about helping the less fortunate fighters. “We offer free lodging, free training” adds Munsayac. “We provide proper training for them to become fighters and compete. Weprovide them shelter, a few scholars stay in the gym, and in exchange, they help clean the gym.” In a few days, these new breed of fighters will go at it again. And as they make their way to the Octagon, there will again be the fight’s catchy rap on heavy rotation: “Handa ka na ba sa basagan? Handa ka na ba sabugan? Panahon na para magkaalaman, kung sino ang hari ng wasakan! (Are you ready for the brawl? Are you ready for the explosion? It’s time to know who’s the king of destruction).” Definitely the kind of pumpup song any Juego Todo fighter would need. ■
AMA sets sights on Jeron Teng for D-League draft PHILIPPINES NEWS AGENCY MANILA — AMA coach Mark Herrera expressed his intent on choosing 6-foot-2 wingman Jeron Teng as the first overall pick of the PBA D-League Draft on Dec. 20 at the PBA Cafe in Pasig. “We're sure that Jeron Teng
will be our first pick,” he said. The recently-crowned UAAP Finals MVP, once formalized, will join a Titans crew led by Jay-R Taganas and the key players from their NAASCU campaign this past season. Tanduay, on the other hand, will pick second and, despite the likely unavailability of Teng, will still have a lot of good
players to choose from as San Beda's Davon Potts and Robert Bolick, FEU's Monbert Arong, Letran's Jom Sollano, and SWU's Mac-Mac Tallo are also among the big names in this year's draft applicants. One hundred twenty-eight players declared for the DLeague Draft, 113 of which are locals with the other 15 being www.canadianinquirer.net
Fil-foreign ballers. Racal will choose third, while Cafe France, once again primarily bannered by newly-crowned UCBL champ CEU, owns the fourth pick. Wangs, which returns after missing the Foundation Cup, has the fifth pick. Meanwhile, two college teams, NCAA's JRU and NAASCU's MLQU, will join next
year's Aspirants Cup starting on Jan. 19 along with fellow newcomers Cignal and Batangas. Their draft order will be determined through a lottery before the draft proper on Draft Day itself. The Malaysia Dragons will once again join next year's D-League season under the Blu brand but will not join the draft. ■
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DECEMBER 16, 2016
FRIDAY
Business Top economist says era of deflationary pressures coming to end BY PETER BARKER AND GUI TAO Xinhua LONDON — The era of deflationary pressures in the global economy is coming to a close, top economist Jim O’Neill told Xinhua in a recent exclusive interview. O’Neill is the creator of the BRIC nations acronym — Brazil, Russia, India, China — to describe the emerging markets which he identified at the beginning of this century as future engines for world growth. South Africa has since been added to the group. There are three or four elements combining now to mark the end of a low-inflation period, in O’Neill’s view. These are: a wave of populist politics putting leaders in power who may seek to boost the wages of some workers;
the continued loose monetary policy, which remains at historically low levels even eight years after the financial crisis; an international move towards fiscal expansion; and an upturn in commodity prices. In the United States, the election of Donald Trump as president will also increase the anticipation from workers who look to him to deliver better wages, said O’Neill. According to O’Neill, who is the former chief economist at Goldman Sachs and was, until very recently, a British government minister, inequality has not truly increased. “It is not true on accepted conventional measures, such as the Gini Coefficient. It is not true that inequality has widened in the UK,” said O’Neill. “Compared to 20 years ago, inequality is slightly lower in the UK, because the higher income earners... have suffered
more than lower earners, so inequality has declined. But many people choose to either ignore that or deny it,” he explained. It was not income that united pro-Brexit voters and Trump supporters in the United States, but other factors, he noted. “If you look closely at the evidence of the Brexit vote the biggest commonality was age and the color of people’s skin, not income gap,” O’Neill said. And the economist expects the current political climate worldwide will have a knockon effect on inflation, citing the increasing tendency of wages boost for workers by policymakers. But it is a challenge for Trump to deliver. “A lot of people in Ohio and Pennsylvania genuinely believed Donald Trump will be able to create new steel factories. That will be an interesting exercise for him to do,” said the chief economist.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE / FLICKR
The current very low bank rates among developed economies may also have an impact on inflation tied with the fiscal policies of nation states. “Despite the high levels of debt, we are now shifting to more fiscal expansion in many
countries. And...it looks to me like commodity prices have turned upwards,” said O’Neill. O’Neill commented: “If you put all those things together it looks like global deflationary pressures are at the beginning of the end.” ■
5 Simple Tips to Prepare for Tax Season WHEN IT comes to taxes, a little preparation now will go a long way to helping you during tax season. It will help make filing easier and help you get the biggest possible return. Here are the top five tips from tax experts H&R Block, to help you prepare for the upcoming tax season.
Decide on your filing method
When it comes to filing, there are numerous tax preparation firms across the country that can offer support, with more than 1,200 H&R Block offices alone. There is also online DIY tax filing, including H&R Block Personal Tax Software. Know who should file
Keep a calendar with key dates
Because timing is everything, keep a calendar with key tax filing dates. The deadline for filing your 2016 personal tax return is May 1, 2017, but June 15, 2017 for the self-employed. You can begin preparing your return once your T4s and other slips arrive. Ask questions
To make sure you claim all the tax credits you qualify for, find out how major life events you may have had over the year
can affect your tax situation. Did you have a child, suffer from an illness, or contribute to charity? These are all questions that help determine if you are eligible for additional benefits.
Stay organized
It is never too early to begin preparing for tax season so make sure you stay organized as you gather all your slips and receipts. Try to sort and label www.canadianinquirer.net
your income slips separately then bring together supporting documents like bills, tuition and education receipts and other major expenses.
If you are a newcomer to Canada, know that all Canadian residents are required to file their taxes regardless of their citizenship. So if you have arrived here under a refugee status, you are also required to file your taxes. Also, if you are a Canadian resident with little or no income, not filing a tax return means you will be missing out on some benefits that you may be entitled to, like the quarterly GST/HST credit or the Canada Child Tax Benefit. So get filing! ■
Business
FRIDAY DECEMBER 16, 2016
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PSEi seen holding at 7,000 level Global food prices BY DORIS DUMLAOABADILLA Philippine Daily Inquirer LOCAL STOCKS are seen striving to stay above the 7,000 this week as investors have priced in a hike in US interest rates during the US Federal Reserve meeting this week. Last week, the main-share Philippine Stock Exchange index rose by 2.27 percent to 7,043.16, tracking record high trading in Wall Street. Jonathan Ravelas, chief strategist at BDO Unibank, said that last week’s closing was viewed as a mere technical rebound, adding that the local market was still biased toward a test of the 6,500 levels. “Only a break above the 7,500 levels will call the bulls back to play,” Ravelas said. “Continue to see the market to range between 6,800–7,000 levels in the week ahead.” Local stock brokerage AB Capital Securities said the index had seen two days of net
foreign buying, a factor that could signal short-term bullish reversal. Since the start of the year, however, net foreign outflows have reached P25 billion. Last week, foreign investors were still net sellers to the tune of P1.12 billion. However, local investors have supported the market’s rebound to the 7,000 level. AB Capital said the index might trade within the 6,800 to 7,000 range ahead of the Dec. 14 Federal Open Market Committee meeting, during which interest rate was widely expected to be raised. The brokerage house said local investors remained bullish across the board, lifting secondliners and speculative issues last week while foreign investors remained risk-averse. For the full week, AB Capital expects the PSEi to hold above the 7,000 level, while trading within the 6,900-7,200 range. Luis Gerardo Limlingan, managing director at Regina Capital Development, said the
first two trading days of the week would be crucial for the PSEi, adding that the 7,100 resistance would likely be tested. “How the index reacts at resistance will give us an indication as to where prices will move until yearend. A successful breach will sponsor advances towards 50-day moving average (7,246), with a maximum upside of 7,300. On the other hand, failure to break out will induce another round of corrections to 20day moving average (6,900),” Limlingan said. “But take note that since overall technicals of the index remain below trigger points, a slight bearish bias is given on this week’s trend. A consolidation between 6,900-7,100 should provide stability since a fresh support base will be established. With all factors considered, we maintain our cautious outlook by selling into rallies, especially for issues that are still technically bearish,” he said. ■
lower in November BY RONNEL W. DOMINGO Philippine Daily Inquirer GLOBAL FOOD prices showed a slight decrease in November as production forecasts for corn and rice show that the staple grains were on course for record volumes. The Food and Agriculture Organization, in the latest update of its Food Price Index, said November prices “marked a mild departure from a steady rise over the course of 2016.” FAO’s index is trade-weighted and tracks international market prices for cereals, vegetable oils, dairy, meat and sugar. The index recorded a steady rise in the first half of 2016, dipping slightly in July. From then, the index again ran a series of increase from August to October. In November, the index averaged 171.3 points, down 0.4 percent or 1.3 points from the 172.6
points in October. However, the November figure was still 10.4 percent or 7.3 points above the 164 points recorded in the same month of 2015. The Cereal Price Index — which covers grains including rice—averaged 141.4 points in November, decreasing by 0.6 percent from October and 7.9 percent below the previous year’s level. “The strengthening US dollar and ample supplies contributed to the generally weak tone lingering in cereal markets,” the FAO said. The FAO said the projection for world cereal production in 2016 was raised to 2.6 billion tons, an increase of 1.7 percent above the 2015 output mainly on account of forecast record output levels for rice and corn. For rice alone, the FAO is expecting 498.5 million tons of milled grains produced in 2016. ■
Christmas Celebration at T&T Supermarket Festive Gifts and Gourmet All Ready for You T&T SUPERMARKET is your one-stop shop for all Christmas needs. We have sourced from all over the world products and gifts set to ensure you have a wonderful Christmas celebration with your loved ones. Value for Money Party Gourment T&T’s Kitchen Deli has more than 30 choices of party tray for you to choose from. Whether it is roasted turkey or assorted sushi, fresh fruit prawns salad or dim sum party tray, beef, pork, chicken or seafood entrees, you get what you want. From now until January 2, purchase a whole roasted turkey or any party combo and received a free bottle of fruit sparkling soda. While stocks last. Please order 2 days in advance. Christmas Cake Sensation T&T Bakery has developed serveral themed festive cakes in celebration of Christmas. 6” Christmas Mixed Fruit Cake is having a snow white outlook with colorful mixed fruit cake inside. Christmas Tree Shaped Green Tea Latte Mousse Cake not only does it have a unique outlook, the mousse cake is also smooth and full of green tea latte flavor. The Belgium Chocolate Cake Roll takes the shape of a wood log with foamy chocolate cake inside. Asian Trendy Gift Set Aside from renowned European
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brands like Ferrero, Cemoi, Jacquot, Cavendish & Harvey and Godiva gift set, T&T has also imported a wide range of Japanese products like Kokubo Hokkaido Mille Crepe, Bijuju Chocolate Gift Box, Ishiyaseika Chocolate Cookie, Shoei Bananna Cake, Matsuzawa Gift Set and more. There are also Jenny Cookies from Hong Kong and Sugar & Spice French Nougat from Taiwan. With so many gift options, it would be an easy job for you to get your friends and family wonderful Christmas gifts. Fabulous Offer You Can’t Miss From now until Decemeber 25, for any purchase you made, you can redeem a Le Creuset Tea for One gift set at $23.88. HappyCall Pots and Pans that are made in Korea are also having promotional offer. In addition, if you purchase Korean Cuckoo Rice Cooker, a Free Food Mixer will be givenaway. Pretty Wherever You Go BeBeauty has prepared a wide range of skin care products for pretties like you who care about the skin most. From now until December 25, make a purchase at BeBeauty section and enter into a lucky draw to win $1,000 Silkway Travel Voucher or other awesome gifts. Celebrate your Christmas to the full!
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DECEMBER 16, 2016
FRIDAY
Technology Get Started: Small companies Tips to limit tech not sure about tech investments overload and maintain a work-life balance
BY JOYCE M. ROSENBERG The Associated Press SMALL AND midsize businesses spend on technology, but many aren’t sure they’re getting their money’s worth, according to a survey by CompTIA, a trade association for the information technology industry. The survey of 600 companies found that the tiniest spend an average of $29,400 annually on technology, somewhat larger small businesses spend an average of $505,700 and mid-size enterprises average $687,700. When asked about the return they were getting on their tech investment, 60 per cent said it was good or excellent, but 40 per cent said “just OK” or were disappointed. They based their assessments on factors including time and cost savings, greater ability to get tasks done and staff and customer satisfaction. When asked about their goals for improving their technology, the most-frequently mentioned was improving IT security, cited by 37 per cent. But in a separate question asking companies about their tech to-do lists, only midsize businesses listed it as No. 1. Cybersecurity came in fifth for the tiniest businesses, and No. 3. for somewhat larger companies. Contracting survey
It costs more money to do business with the federal government. That’s the finding of an American Express small business survey that showed companies spending an average
THE CANADIAN PRESS SMALL BUSINESS owners have a variety of strategies for curbing the amount of time they spend reading and responding to emails, texts and social media posts. Here are some tips they shared:
Contracting bills pass
Congress has passed a de-
fence spending bill including legislation aimed at making it easier for small businesses to get federal contracts. Among other things, the bill requires federal agencies to review contracts with an eye toward giving small companies more opportunities. Members of both houses have been campaigning for years for small businesses to get a larger fair of federal contracts. Contracting legislation has been a part of annual Pentagon spending bills the past few years. The defence bill also included legislation to help small businesses prevent cyberattacks and a five-year spending authorization for the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs. Under these programs, companies can develop technology for the government, and in some cases, market it. ■
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Lifestyle tips
Shut off your phone or leave it behind when you Set a batch email pro- go out for the evening. At gram, which home, set it in holds incomanother room if ing mail until you want uninyou’re ready to terrupted time look at it. That with your family way you’re not You can or for yourself. turn the reading in dribs The same goes programs and drabs all for your comoff or put day, interrupting puter. updates and other tasks. Also Set a schednotifications use filters that ule for when on hold if funnel different you’ll read you don’t types of messagtexts, email want to be es — for example, and social disturbed. work and permedia posts sonal — to sepaand respond rate folders. to them when Use messagyou’re not at the office. Creating ing programs similar limits like Slack that allow groups of at work can also people to communicate and help you be more productive. share documents, reducing the Let clients and employees number of emails and texts that know when and how they can must be read. You can turn the reach you, or when you’ll reprograms off or put updates spond to anything they send and notifications on hold if you you. If you’re willing to be don’t want to be disturbed. reached in an emergency, Carry two cellphones, provide guidelines about one for business and one what qualifies. for personal use. Or, add a If you create a schedule, stick second line to your cellphone to it! ■ Technology tips
of $148,124 seeking federal contracts last year, up 15 per cent from the $126,628 they spent in 2013. The dollar amounts include the cost of time spent on bidding as well as the cost of developing and creating plans and prototypes. Bidding activity by small businesses was up sharply from 2013. The number of prime contracting bids by small companies — in which they were the principal or sole contractor — rose to an average of nearly 18 per company from 5.5. The number of subcontracts rose to an average of nearly 11 from 3.6. Small companies who bid on prime contracts are successful half the time, on average, the survey showed. Those who bid on subcontracts have a success rate of 68 per cent.
and use it solely for business. Turn off notifications for texts, emails and social media channels to reduce the temptation to keep checking. Don’t put your cellphone number on your website or social media account.
Technology
FRIDAY DECEMBER 16, 2016
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Google’s self driving car project gets a new name: Waymo BY MICHAEL LIEDTKE The Associated Press SAN FRANCISCO — The selfdriving car project that Google started seven years ago has grown into a company called Waymo, signalling its confidence that it will be able to bring robot-controlled vehicles to the masses within the next few years. “We are getting close and we are getting ready,” Waymo CEO John Krafcik said Tuesday after unveiling the company’s identity. To underscore his point, Krafcik revealed the project had hit a key milestone in the journey to having fully autonomous cars cruising around public roads. In a trip taken in October 2015 , a pod-like car with no steering wheel and brake pads drove a legally blind passenger around neighbourhoods in Austin, Texas without another human in the vehicle. It marked the first time one of the project’s cars had given a passenger a ride without a human on hand to take control of a self-driving car if something went wrong. Krafcik called that trip taken by Steve Mahan, former director of the Santa Clara Valley Blind Center, an “inflection point” in the development of self-driving cars. It came a year
before a Budweiser beer truck equipped with self-driving technology owned by ride-hailing service Uber completed a 120-mile trip through Colorado while being steered by a robot while a human sat in the back of trailer. In doing so, Krafcik and other supporters of self-driving cars believe the technology will drastically reduce the number of deaths on the roads each year because they contend robots don’t get distracted or drunk, nor ignore the rules of the road, like humans do. While Google’s self-driving cars were still in the researchand-development stage, its leaders indicated the vehicles would be commonplace by 2020. Krafcik declined to update the timetable Tuesday, saying only that “we are close to bringing this to a lot of people.” Waymo’s transition from what once was viewed as a longshot experiment to a fullfledged company marks another step in an effort to revolutionize the way people get around. Instead of driving themselves and having to find a place to park, people will be chauffeured in robot-controlled vehicles if Waymo, automakers and Uber realize their vision within the next few years. Waymo’s name is meant to be shorthand for “a
WAYMO / FACEBOOK
new way forward in mobility.” The newly minted company will operate within Google’s parent company, Alphabet, which was created last year to oversee far-flung projects that have nothing to do with Google’s main business of online search and advertising. Those projects, which Alphabet CEO Larry Page likens to “moonshots,” have lost $8 billion since 2014, with the research into self-driving cars accounting for a significant chunk
of that amount. Google began working on its self-driving technology in 2009 in a secretive lab called “X” run by company co-founder Sergey Brin. Since then, its fleet of cars has covered more than 2.3 million miles in the San Francisco Bay Area, Austin, Arizona and Washington state. In their travels, the self-driving vehicles have been involved in 35 traffic accidents. Google has said its self-driving vehicles were at fault in only one collision with a
bus earlier this year. The self-driving project had been expected to be spun out of the X lab since Krafcik, a former Hyundai USA executive, was hired as its CEO 15 months ago. As its own company, Waymo will now face more pressure to generate a profit under Alphabet’s management instead of simply focusing on research. Rather than make its own cars, Waymo intends to license its technology to traditional automakers and trucking companies. “We are not in the business of making better cars,” Krafcik said. “We are in the business of making better drivers.” Earlier this year, Waymo’s precursor licensed its self-driving technology to Fiat Chrysler for 100 Pacifica minivans currently in production. Financial terms of that deal haven’t been disclosed. The pressure to make money risks alienating some of the engineers who worked on the self-driving cars as a project that didn’t have a mandate to turn a profit. As it headed down the road to becoming Waymo, several key players quit the project. The defectors included its former director, Chris Urmson, and a co-founder Anthony Levandowski, who is now working on self-driving technology for Uber. ■
World’s second smartphone market may be most vulnerable to cyber fraud PHILIPPINES NEWS AGENCY NEW DELHI — The Narendra Modi government has forced millions of Indians to make payments in digital form. In the absence of data security monitoring and other measures, every Indian is vulnerable to hacking of the mobile wallet. As India is being pushed into a cashless economy that relies on digital transactions without any proper security measures, mobile frauds are expected to
raise manifolds in the next year. There has been a six-fold increase in cyber complaint cases over the past three years. It is not surprisingly that nearly half of the complaints about online banking related to credit/debit card fraud. "Mobile frauds are areas of great concern for companies as 40-45 per cent of financial transactions are done via mobile devices and this percentage is expected grow to 60-65 by 2017," notes the study titled ‘Strategic national measures to combat cybercrime,’ jointly
conducted by industry body ASSOCHAM and research firm EY. Currently, India has one of the world’s highest cash-toGDP ratios. Government records show that 78 per cent of all consumer payments in India were made by cash. In the absence of privacy and data protection law, even urbane Indians shy away from using online payments. Recently, 3.2 million Indian bank debit cards had been hacked by unknown sources. The government and banking system www.canadianinquirer.net
are yet to find the source of the leak. Even, Indian banks are running ATMs on Microsoft’s
Window XP platform which does not have a support system to stop hacking. ■
DECEMBER 16, 2016
34
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35
Travel Houston rolls out red carpet for Asian tourists BY ROBERT STANTON Philippines News Agency HOUSTON — Houston businesses are rolling out the red carpet for Asian tourists who arrive in America’ s fourth largest city for a slice of authentic Texas life. “They are looking for that classic Texas experience — the cowboy roping a calf, the horse riding and seeing a giant Texas longhorn,” said Jennifer Farrell, director of marketing at the George Ranch Historical Park and its working ranch. “Heritage tourism is a big thing.” The 23,000-plus acre George Ranch, located in adjacent Fort Bend County, traces its history to 1824 when Texas was still part of Mexico. Last year, the heritage park hosted 56,000 visitors, many of them Asians, Farrell said. Indeed, Chinese tourists are soon expected to become the largest group of overseas visitors (not including Mexico and Canada) to the U.S. and American cities like Houston are trying to cash in, according to Attract China. David Becker, CEO of Attract China, said the number of Chinese visitors to the U.S. each year is approaching 2.5 tourists usually have a clear idea of what million, and their contribution to the they want in a Houston visit. U.S. economy is expected to hit USD85 “Asians enjoy shopping, and they shop billion by 2021. at The Galleria and in the River Oaks “Houston really provides both a con- District,” two of Houston’s high-end temporary and American vacation,” shopping areas. “They also like to shop Becker said. “You have both urban and at Walmart and Walgreens, where they country living. You enjoy buying all the can have barbecue cosmetics and vitaand steak. mins and things like A grass-fed, corn that.” Houston really finished steak is not The Galleria is the provides both a an experience that fourth-largest mall contemporary most Chinese have. in the U.S. with 400 and American Most get their meat stores and two hovacation. You from dairy cows and tels while the River have both urban the portions are quite Oaks District is home and country small.” to luxury stores that living. You can In Houston, Becker include Cartier, Dior have barbecue said, “they can do the and Hermes, among and steak. classic American exothers. perience. The counHelping to boost tryside, wide-open the number of Asian spaces are amazing, tourists to Houston as well as the expandis the growing numing urban landscape.” ber of airlines servicing Asia, including Former Houston Rockets center Yao United Airlines and ANA (All Nippon Ming has played a huge role in attract- Airways). ing Asian tourists to the city. Although “Before 2008, we had only Continenhe retired in 2011, Yao’s footprint in tal Airline flying between Tokyo and Houston remains large and his legacy Houston,” said Yao, of the Houston Conendures. vention &Visitors Bureau. “Today, we Leo Yao, an Asia Pacific representa- have United and ANA Air. We have so tive at the Greater Houston Conven- many Asian airlines flying into Houston tion and Visitors Bureau, said that Asian and they bring the tourism. It benefits
Houston and it benefits Asians.” Local hotels, like the upscale St. Regis Houston, make a special effort to accommodate the growing number of Asian visitors, said Matthew Vesely, the hotel’s director of marketing and sales. “We have room door hangars written in Chinese character, where they can order comfort food in their style,” Vesely said. “We also put their slippers next to the bed right away; we don’ t wait for turn down service to do that. They like to wear slippers in their room all the time. What’s more, St. Regis places tea kettles and green tea in the rooms of Asian
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visitors, and for Chinese visitors the hotel provides a toothbrush, comb and razor blades because many hotels in China do not provide toiletries for guests. “We want to make them feel comfortable when they arrive,” Vesely said. Before a Chinese delegation arrives, Vesely said that the hotel staff removes white flowers from the lobby area because the color white symbolizes bereavement, bad luck and failure in the Chinese culture. Asian visitors to Houston typically have a large disposable income and are ready to put that buying power to use, Vesely said. “When they come here, it’ s all shopping, shopping, shopping,” he said. “They might be able to buy the same goods in China, like Cartier. “But the taxes are cheaper here and there’s more selection.” In fact, international tourists can take their receipts to the tax-free office at The Galleria, which will refund their taxes. Some Asian visitors will take that refund to use for more shopping. Chinese tourists recently became the Galleria’s biggest foreign shoppers, and stores are hiring Mandarin-speaking sales staff to cater to them. Leo Yao, one of the Asia Pacific reps at Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau, said that Chinese tourists are discriminating about what they want to do and see in Houston. “When you create an itinerary for a Chinese visitor, if you tell them we’re going to a museum, they will always tell you no,” Yao said. “However, if you say we have the Houston Museum of Natural Science with a dinosaur park, they realize we have a special museum. Many will stay to see the Egyptian exhibit as well.” ■
36
Travel
DECEMBER 16, 2016
FRIDAY
Angeles beyond Fields Avenue The premier city and entertainment capital of Central Luzon displays a culture so rich it should redeem its former acrid reputation BY CONSTANTINO C. TEJERO Philippine Daily Inquirer WHEN TWILIGHT falls, tourists and expats flock like bats to a certain spot in Balibago, the entertainment district of Angeles City in Pampanga. There’s a bar on one corner enticing passers-by with “free finger food with your drinks.” Not to be outdone, the bar next to it counters with a nightly finger-food competition. In the spirit of Christmas, a neighboring bar announces a Santa’s Lingerie Show. This is the nerve center of the legendary Fields Avenue, also known as Walking Street (after the red-light district of Pattaya, Thailand ), about 500 meters of pedestrian road where tourists and locals rub elbows. These go-go bars are remnants of those sprouting around the US air base in Angeles and the US naval base in Olongapo in Zambales some 25 years ago. Those twin Cities of the Plain were then known as Sin Cities. Angeles, especially, gained the dubious title Entertainment Capital of Central Luzon, and wags referred to it as the City of Lost Angels (referring to the streetwalkers, or their mixedblood kids?). The city has a large Amerasian population—Caucasian mixed with Han Chinese and Japanese ancestry—such that the visitor would notice this trace evidence of fairer skin and more delicate features than in most Filipino ethnic groups. A Time magazine report traces this to the sex industry: “During the American colonial period, over 800,000 Americans were born in the Philippines, and a large concentration of Filipinos with American ancestry were located in this city.” The presence of the US military base abetted the growth of the mestizo population. Even after the US servicemen left Clark Air Base in the wake of the Mt. Pinatubo eruption in 1991, says Time, “the population of mixed-blood children continued to grow. By 1999, the visiting population of Angeles had shifted from young American GIs to boozy retirees.”
ings of eight Pampango dishes. Sisig is highlighted as the city is said to be its home. Scattered around are 10 miniature dioramas fashioned by Beatriz “Patis” Pamintuan Tesoro, using her Nenita dolls to depict in tableaux vivants traditional town and country life in Pampanga. In 2012, the National Museum declared the building an Important Cultural Property, the first in the country to be so declared. Cultural artifacts
Holy Rosary Cathedral in Angeles City, Pampanga.
That’s what we see on Fields Avenue now. Top entertainers
High-end establishments have been constructed in the tourist belt to offset this acrid reputation, something that civic-minded Angeleños have been trying to shed since the Americans left. They want to take off the wall, for instance, a vintage photograph from Asia Magazine showing a GI and a bar girl displayed in one section of Angeles Museum. This constitutes censorship and the curator would have none of it, insisting it should stay as it is part of the city’s history and reality. In fact, Angeles’ reputation as entertainment center is quite apt, as many top entertainers trace their roots to this city: Lea Salonga, apl.de.ap (Allan Pineda Lindo), Hilda Koronel, Pepe Smith, Jaclyn José, Cris Judd, Donita Rose, Ryzza Mae Dizon. Notable Angeleños also include Efren “Bata” Reyes, Rodolfo “Boy Samson” Luat, Arwind Santos, Peter Valdes, Kristine Johnson, Servillano Aquino (revolutionary general and Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino’s grandfather). The city derived its name from its patrons Los Santos Angeles Custodios (Holy Guardian Angels) and its founder Angel Pantaleón de Miranda (gobernadorcillo of the provincial capital San Fernando). From a settlement out of
a jungle clearing to a barrio of San Fernando, it became a separate municipality on Dec. 8, 1829. For four months it was the capital of the Philippines when Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo transferred the seat of the First Philippine Republic here. The city’s numerous museums richly displaying Kapampangan culture and history should help rehabilitate the place and redeem its name. Premier museum
Museo ning Angeles in the heritage district of Santo Rosario stands right in front of Holy Rosary Church. This was the site of the casa tribunal (courthouse) which burned down in 1860. The present building was constructed in 1922 and served as municipio del pueblo (town hall) until 1998. It was refurbished and opened as museum the following year. The city jail has been turned into the museum office, while the police station is now a souvenir shop. Lucio Sison, city government tourism guide, and Joy Cruz, program officer for culture and heritage, annotate for visitors as they go through the museum’s four sections. The old treasury office is now the Balikdan, a timeline gallery of old photographs and prints, dioramas, scale models, in several subsections: Culiat Is Born 1796 (life-size diorama of Angeles’ founder and his wife amid the clearing in the woodland www.canadianinquirer.net
CARMELO BAYARCAL / WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
entangled with culiat vines); Fort Stotsenburg 1902; Clark Field 1917; Angeles at War (artifacts from the Japanese occupation); The Turbulent 1960s (where the controversial 1968 photo of the GI and the bar girl is). The assessor’s office is now Vicente Alvares Dizon Gallery, showcasing works of local artists. On permanent display are Claude Tayag’s watercolor pieces and wood reliefs of the Seven Archangels, the city’s patrons. At the entrance is a copy of Dizon’s oil “After the Day’s Toil,” which unanimously won over works by Salvador Dali and Maurice Utrillo at the Golden Gate Expo in San Francisco in 1939. (Dizon’s contemporary Fernando Amorsolo also won first place in another world fair that year.) Culinary legacy
On the second floor, the mayor’s office became the Culinarium, a grand showcase of Pampanga’s reputation as the Culinary Capital of the Philippines. The entire floor is “dedicated to the Kapampangan culinary art and science that has emanated from the basic concept that the preparation of food is a heritage and a legacy worth preserving.” Here are permanent exhibits of the typical Pampanga kitchen, dining room, table setting. Surrounding one hall are Edu Perreras’ hyperrealist paint-
Also in the vicinity is the Juan D. Nepomuceno Center for Kapampangan Studies. This was put up in 2002 in a three-story building within Holy Angel University. It has a library, archival museum, gallery, research center, theater. Robby Tantingco, the university’s vice president for student affairs, serves as its director. At the entrance is a gallery of cultural artifacts with a retablo (side altar) as centerpiece. This one is not just a vessel of evangelization, but also a showcase of Kapampangan craftsmanship: upper part of wood crafted by Betis carvers; lower part of painted brass (poor man’s silver) done in pukpok (repoussé) by Apalit smiths; 22 wooden santos from Macabebe representing the patron saints of Pampanga’s 19 towns and three cities. Strategically placed are the death masks of two of the country’s political and cultural icons with roots in the province — Fernando Poe Jr. and Ninoy Aquino—molded in plaster by National Artist Napoleon Abueva on the eve of their burial. On one corner, encased in glass, are the laurel crowns of Pampanga’s poet laureates. Here are charts of basic information on the province’s literary men (Zoilo Galang and Crisostomo Soto from Bacolor, Aurelio Tolentino from Guagua); National Artists ( Vicente Manansala, Benedicto Cabrera or BenCab, Ramon Zaragoza); folk festivals and rituals (lubenas, kuraldal, batalla, libad, sabat, aguman sanduk, ligligan parul). ❱❱ PAGE 39 Angeles beyond
FRIDAY DECEMBER 16, 2016
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Food Recipes for croquembouche tower, whipped shortbread cookies THE CANADIAN PRESS WHETHER MAKING melt-inyour-mouth shortbread cookies or creating a show-stopper croquembouche tower, the December holiday period is one of the busiest for home bakers. Here are recipes for Anna Olson’s croquembouche, a grand tower of cream puffs glued together with caramelized sugar, and Karlynn Johnston’s whipped shortbread cookies. The spectacular croquembouche requires several steps for assembly, which can be done over several days, while the shortbread can be prepared quickly and easily. Croquembouche
A grand dessert for a special occasion, this tower of profiteroles needs to be assembled as close as possible to the time when it is to be served, so do plan for this. When learning to build a croquembouche, Anna Olson was shown how to assemble it free-form, with no support underneath. The result was often slightly crooked or uneven. But once she figured out she could use a Styrofoam core, she knew the tower would hold a perfectly straight shape. “I am not a fan of making macarons. I’ll confess that. I will make them, I can make them, but they’re hard,” says Olson. “Where a croquembouche, I love getting that spiral. It’s so zen to just sit there dunking your profiteroles in the caramel and gluing them on. I love it.” She suggests making the separate components well ahead — it’s just the assembly of the tower that needs to happen within a few hours of when you plan to display and serve it. In terms of a schedule, try this: 2 days ahead (or more): Make profiteroles. Freeze (if making more than 2 days ahead) or store at room temperature in resealable bags.
1 day ahead: Make pastry cream and chill it. Prepare Styrofoam base. Day of: Thaw profiteroles to room temperature. Fill profiteroles. Caramelize sugar and assemble tower. It’s important to make sure profiteroles are at room temperature before assembling the tower, which is why you don’t want to fill them and store them chilled for too long. If the profiteroles are cold, condensation develops when they are dipped into the warm caramel, weakening the tower. Prep: 3 hours plus choux paste and pastry cream Bake/Cook: 45 minutes • 1 double recipe Basic Choux Paste (recipe follows) • 1 recipe Pastry Cream (recipe follows) • 90 ml (9 tbsp) water • 600 g (3 cups) granulated sugar • 45 ml (3 tbsp) white corn syrup or glucose Preheat oven to 200 C (400 F). Line four baking trays with parchment paper. Fill a piping bag fitted with a large plain tip with choux paste. Pipe out profiteroles, each about 3.5 cm (1 1/2 inches) in diameter. Wet your finger in cool water and tap down any points on the batter. It is all right for the piped profiteroles to sit out on the counter if you have to bake them in batches. Bake profiteroles for 10 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 190 C (375 F) and bake for about 15 more minutes, until they are a rich golden brown and feel very light. Let profiteroles cool completely on pans on a cooling rack before filling. To fill, stir pastry cream to soften and fill a piping bag with a medium plain tip (or an eclair or doughnut tip if you have one). Use a skewer to poke a small hole in the side of each profiterole. Insert the piping bag and fill each one with cream until you feel resistance.
Cover a 30-cm (12-inch) Styrofoam cone with parchment paper (the cone can be found at any craft store) and place on a parchment-lined baking tray. In a small saucepan over high heat, bring water, sugar and corn syrup up to a boil and continue to boil, uncovered and without stirring, and occasionally brushing the sides of the saucepan with water, until sugar is light amber. Ready a bowl of ice water and carefully set bottom of saucepan in ice water to stop sugar from cooking further. Using tongs, carefully dip bottoms of profiteroles into caramelized sugar and place around bottom of cone with caramel bottom facing cone, and so that they touch each other and the base of the cone. Continue dipping and arranging profiteroles, working upward until you have completely covered the cone. If the caramel in the saucepan begins to set before you have finished, reheat on low heat. If you wish, dip a fork in the caramel and carefully “spin” sugar around the outside. Let sugar set for 1 hour, then carefully lift croquembouche up, remove cone and parchment, and place croquembouche on a serving
platter. Do not refrigerate. Makes 1 tower of 50 to 60 profiteroles. Source: “Bake With Anna Olson: More Than 125 Simple, Scrumptious And Sensational Recipes to Make You a Better Baker” by Anna Olson (Appetite by Random House, 2016). Basic choux paste
Unlike other pastry dough, choux paste is made by cooking the ingredients together and working with the dough while it is still warm. It seems to defy gravity when it bakes, cooking into lightas-air hollow shells that are waiting to be filled with cream. When you start adding the eggs to the warm flour paste, don’t be surprised how long it takes to work in the first egg smoothly — it’s just the nature of this dough. Once the first egg is blended in, the remaining eggs work in far more easily. Use the dough while it is still warm and soft, as it is perfect to be piped and then baked or fried. Prep: 20 minutes Cook: 5 minutes • 180 ml (3/4 cup) milk • 180 ml (3/4 cup) water • 145 g (10 tbsp) unsalted butter
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• 8 g (2 tsp) granulated sugar • 2 g (1/2 tsp) salt • 340 g (1 2/3 cups) all-purpose flour, sifted • 5 eggs, room temperature In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, bring milk, water, butter, sugar and salt up to a full simmer. Once a simmer is reached, reduce heat to low and stir in flour with a wooden spoon, stirring vigorously until dough cleans sides of the saucepan (no longer sticks). Scrape this mixture into a large bowl and use electric beaters or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment to beat it on medium speed for a minute or two to cool it a little. Break two of the eggs into a small dish and whisk just to blend them a little. Add to flour mixture and beat on medium speed until blended. Add remaining three eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Work with this pastry while it is still warm. Makes about 750 ml (3 cups) dough. Source: “Bake With Anna Olson: More Than 125 Simple, Scrumptious And Sensational Recipes to Make You a Better Baker” by Anna Olson (Appetite by Random House, 2016). Pastry cream
• 250 ml (1 cup) milk • 1/2 vanilla bean, seeds only, or 7 ml (1 1/2 tsp) vanilla bean paste • 3 large egg yolks • 36 g (3 tbsp) granulated sugar • 15 g (2 tbsp) cornstarch • 30 g (2 tbsp) unsalted butter, cut into pieces Heat milk with vanilla bean seeds or paste in a medium saucepan over medium heat until just below a simmer. In a bowl, whisk together egg yolks, sugar and cornstarch. Place butter in a separate bowl, with a sieve resting over bowl. Gradually whisk hot milk into egg mixture and then return mixture to saucepan. Whisk this constantly (switching to a spatula now and again to get into the corners) over ❱❱ PAGE 28 Recipes for
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Food
DECEMBER 16, 2016
FRIDAY
Ready for breaded cutlets of a different kind? Cauliflower! BY SARA MOULTON The Associated Press LET’S SAY that one of your New Year’s resolutions is to eat healthier and lose some weight. Join the crowd, right? In practice, what we probably mean — among other things — is that we plan to eat more vegetables and less meat. It’s a challenge. But if you try this dish — a wonderful vegetarian version of breaded veal (or pork or chicken) cutlets swimming in a marina sauce — you will see how easy and satisfying it can be to turn a resolution into reality. You start by slicing a whole head of cauliflower into cutlets. The idea is to end up with thick slabs of the vegetable. One easy method for doing this is to cut the head in half down the centre, then turn each half on its cut side and cut the halves into 1/2-inchthick slabs. There will always be a few loose bits from the ends, but those also can be breaded and cooked as described below. You’ll want to take care with the breading, too. It’s a threestep process: dust the steaks lightly with cornstarch, coat them well with an egg mixture, then finish them with a layer of breadcrumbs. This is standard operating procedure among culinary pros. The three layers provide a more substantial crust than any other single coating or combo of coatings. Now it’s time to brown your vegetable cutlets. You could do it in a skillet — just as you would
a breaded meat cutlet — but that would require a ton of oil (those breadcrumbs just soak it up). And remember, it’s the New Year and you’re on a new path. So we bake them instead, which requires a lot less oil. The key is to place the cutlets fairly close to the heat source. In my electric oven that’s the top of the stove. If they’re not properly browned at the end of the prescribed cooking time, just leave them in the oven a little longer. Then dig in. The biggest flavour is going to come from the marinara sauce. Your brain likely won’t care at all whether the cutlet is veal or vegetable. But your body will thank you. Breaded cauliflower cutlets with marinara
Start to finish: 1 hour 15 minutes (45 minutes active) Servings: 4
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil • 2 teaspoons minced garlic • I large head cauliflower • 3 large eggs, lightly beaten • 1/2 cup fat-free plain Greek yogurt • 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided • 1/2 cup cornstarch • 1 3/4 cups panko breadcrumbs • 1 ounce grated Parmesan cheese • 1 1/2 cups speedy marinara (recipe below) or storebought marinara, heated Heat the oven to 400 F. In a small bowl, combine the
oil and the garlic. Set aside. Pull off any leaves from the stem end of the cauliflower and trim off just enough of the stem so the cauliflower stands flat on the counter. Slice the cauliflower head in half down the centre top to bottom. One at a time, set each half onto its cut side. Starting from one end of each half, slice crosswise to create 1/2-inch-thick slices. This will yield 3 to 4 cutlets from the centre of each half, with the small ends being chunks. The chunks can be prepared as the cutlets, or reserved for another use. In a shallow bowl or pie plate, whisk together the eggs, yogurt, 3 tablespoons of water and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt. On a sheet of kitchen parchment, combine the cornstarch with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt, stirring the mixture with a fork to combine. On a second sheet of parchment, combine the panko with the cheese, stirring with a fork. One at a time, coat the cauliflower cutlets (and trimmings, if using) on both sides with the cornstarch, knocking off the excess. Next, dip each in the egg mixture, coating them on both sides and letting the excess drip off. Finally, coat them with the panko mixture, patting the crumbs on well. Set aside. Strain the garlic oil through a mesh strainer, pressing hard on the garlic to get out all the oil. Discard the garlic (or reserve for another use). On a rimmed baking sheet, spread half of the oil in an even
coating. Set the baking sheet on the oven’s top shelf and heat for 5 minutes. Carefully remove the pan from the oven and quickly arrange the prepared cauliflower on it in a single layer. Return the pan to the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, drizzle the tops of the cauliflower evenly with the remaining oil, turn them over, then bake for another 15 minutes. Divide the cauliflower among 4 serving plates, then serve topped with marinara. Nutrition information per serving: 490 calories; 190 calories from fat (39 per cent of total calories); 21 g fat (4.5 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 170 mg cholesterol; 1110 mg sodium; 58 g carbohydrate; 6 g fiber; 8 g sugar; 17 g protein. Speedy marinara
Start to finish: 35 minutes (10 minutes active) Makes about 2 1/2 cups
• 2 large cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil • Hefty pinch red pepper flakes • 28-ounce can plum tomatoes (preferably fire-roasted), chopped • Kosher salt In an unheated medium saucepan, combine the garlic and the oil. Turn the heat to medium and cook, turning over the garlic several times, until it is just golden, 4 to 6 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and a hefty pinch of salt, then bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and cook at a brisk simmer until the sauce is reduced to about 2 1/2 cups, 20 to 25 minutes. Discard the garlic. Season with salt. Nutrition information per 1/2 cup: 60 calories; 25 calories from fat (42 per cent of total calories); 2.5 g fat (0 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 460 mg sodium; 8 g carbohydrate; 3 g fiber; 4 g sugar; 1 g protein.
Recipes for... medium heat until thickened and glossy, about 2 minutes. Pour immediately through the sieve, whisking it through if needed, and stir in butter. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on surface of custard, let cool to room temperature and then chill completely until ready to use. ❰❰ 37
Source: “Bake With Anna Olson: More Than 125 Simple, Scrumptious And Sensational Recipes to Make You a Better Baker” by Anna Olson (Appetite by Random House, 2016).
Traditional whipped shortbread
Karlynn Johnston says it’s not considered Christmastime in her house until she makes this shortbread for her family and friends to enjoy. With only three ingredients and a minimum time investment, it’s easy to make. Although purists may argue against the use of salted butter, salt will complement the sweetness in these cookies, producing a perfect flavour combination. Use a salted organic butter for the best taste. If you are looking to produce a nice,
dome-shaped cookie, her family’s trick is to substitute nonhydrogenated hard margarine for half the butter. Nonpareils are a decorative confectionery of tiny coloured balls made with sugar and starch. Prep time: 10 minutes Total time: 40 minutes • 250 ml (1 cup) salted butter • 125 ml (1/2 cup) icing sugar • 375 ml (1 1/2 cups) flour • Nonpareils or candied cherries, for topping (optional) www.canadianinquirer.net
Preheat oven to 140 C (275 F). You will need to bake the cookies in batches. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat together butter and icing sugar. Slowly add flour, beating constantly, until flour is incorporated. Whip shortbread mixture for 6 minutes on medium speed, scraping sides and bottom of bowl with a spatula every 2 minutes. Use a small cookie scoop or tablespoon to scoop dough onto
two ungreased baking sheets. Top with nonpareils, if using. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until bottoms are nicely browned. Remove from oven and carefully transfer to wire racks to cool. Store for 2 to 3 days at room temperature in a closed container, or freeze in a closed container for 4 to 5 months. Makes 2 dozen cookies. Source: “Flapper Pie and Blue Prairie Sky: A Modern Baker’s Guide to Old-Fashioned Desserts” by Karlynn Johnston (Appetite by Random House, 2016).
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FRIDAY DECEMBER 16, 2016
COOKING ON DEADLINE:
Angeles beyond ...
Shortcut Moussaka
❰❰ 36
BY KATIE WORKMAN The Associated Press Serves 8 Start to finish: 2 hours • 1 1/2 pounds Japanese eggplant, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 4 or 5 eggplants) • 2 pounds Yukon golden potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2inch cubes • 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided • 1 onion, chopped • 2 garlic cloves, minced • 2 pounds ground lamb • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon • Pinch nutmeg (optional) • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste • 1 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes • 1 bay leaf • 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar (optional) • 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten • 1 8-ounce tub creme fraiche or 1 cup Greek yogurt, preferably whole milk
• 1/2 cup half and half • 1/3 cup grated kashkaval cheese or Parmesan Preheat the oven to 375 F. Grease a 2- or 3-quart shallow baking dish. Spray two rimmed baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray and places the cubed eggplant on one of the baking sheets, the potatoes on the other. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over each of the sheets and toss well. Spread out the vegetables in a single layer, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for about 40 minutes, until golden and tender. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat, add 1 more tablespoon olive oil, and saute the onion and garlic until tender, about 4 minutes. Add the ground lamb and saute until the lamb is completely browned, about 6 minutes. Add the cinnamon, nutmeg (if using) and season with salt and pepper. Add the crushed tomatoes and bay leaf, bring to a simmer (there won’t be much liquid, but enough to bubble
slightly), and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Stir in the balsamic vinegar and chopped parsley. While the lamb sauce is simmering, in a small bowl combine the eggs, creme fraiche or yogurt and half and half. Season with salt and pepper and stir to blend well. Place the cooked potatoes in the prepared baking dish, spreading them out over the bottom, and use a fork or potato masher to lightly crush them. Remove the bay leaf and discard, then distribute the lamb in the tomato sauce over the potatoes. Finish with an even layer of the baked eggplant. Evenly pour the cream mixture over the casserole, then sprinkle the grated cheese over it. Bake for about 45 minutes, until bubbly and browned on top. Serve hot. Nutrition information per serving: 516 calories; 262 calories from fat; 29 g fat 11 g saturated; 1 g trans fats); 33 mg cholesterol; 498 mg sodium; 33 g carbohydrate; 5 g fiber; 8 g sugar; 33 g protein.
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Dumbfounding facts
In the next hall is a timeline that Tantingco says is a work in progress. It has empty slots that are filled as more information are added through the years. Pampanga was created in 1571 (the same year as Manila), but, as the timeline traces it, its origin is dumbfounding. The chart shows that, while the first pyramids in Egypt were constructed in 2650 BC, there was boatbuilding in Candaba in 2000 BC (estimated from the age of stone adzes found there). Displayed here are Candaba earthenware shards incised with designs that could be early baybayin from the Metal Age. (Archaeologist Robert Fox says the most extensive archeological excavation in the country is in Porac.) Here also is a replica of a lantaka (bronze cannon) from the 17th-18th century, thought to be made by Panday Pira. John Larkin Library holds books on Pampanga, photocopies of antique volumes and microfilms of church registry. Tantingco says it is meant to be a one-stop shop for research.
On the upper level is the Ambeth Ocampo Filipiniana Collection, with some 6,000 volumes. The Archival Collection has an April 23, 1763, copy of the London paper General Evening Post with an item on the British occupation of Manila, describing Macabebe soldiers as “fierce and barbarous.” Apl.de.ap. Music Studio and Library is used primarily by the hip-hop artist’s 20 scholars. Museum of Kapampangan Arts, created from four classrooms, has a rotating exhibit of local artists, and a permanent one of Manansala’s personal effects and some 1,000 drawings and studies donated by his family. Pinatubo Museum traces in art, artifacts and timeline the formation and eruption of Mt. Pinatubo from prehistory to the present. Outside, in the courtyard, the activity area called Plaza San José, are planted indigenous trees that gave names to Pampanga towns: betis, apalit, balacat, dau, balete, bulaon, and the iconic vine culiat, the original name of Angeles. ■
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DECEMBER 16, 2016
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