m
info@canadianinquirer.net
sales@canadianinquirer.net
A (888) 668-6059 facebook.com/ Philippine
CANADA’S FIRST AND ONLY NATIONWIDE FILIPINO-CANADIAN NEWSPAPER
CanadianInquirer twitter:
JULY 28, 2017
www.canadianinquirer.net
@PhilCanInquirer
VOL. 7 NO. 279
EXPECTANT
Lawmakers listen to each other's vote during a joint session. Story on page 7.
LYN RILLON / PDI
SONA 2017: Views from both sides
10
PHILIPPINES NEWS AGENCY
Lacson doubts prospects of death penalty bill in Senate
MANILA — After President Rodrigo Duterte delivered his second State of the Nation Address (SONA) in a joint session of Congress, legislators interviewed on the red carpet expressed opposing views on how they assess the President’s performance in the past year. Former senator, now Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said, “I’m expecting that
those for and those against are very clear about the problem and how they propose to solve it. “The surveys show that a very big majority of the people—about 80 percent or more support the President, support the direction we’re taking. If there is even a single protester, it is the government’s duty to listen so we have people who are listening to them but they also have to really think whether they want peace or ❱❱ PAGE 6 SONA 2017
17 ‘No talks with Reds if attacks go on’ ❱❱ PAGE 8
New rules for condos in Ontario taking effect this fall
2
JULY 28, 2017
www.canadianinquirer.net
FRIDAY
Philippine News
FRIDAY JULY 28, 2017
3
Days of disquiet in judiciary under Duterte BY MARLON RAMOS Philippine Daily Inquirer REGARDED AS the passive yet most powerful of the government’s three branches, the judiciary has seen days of disquiet during President Duterte’s first 12 months in office. Riding on the popularity that sealed his historic win in the May 2016 elections, Mr. Duterte had no qualms about speaking his mind on the stringent reforms he wanted to pursue, such as employing punitive actions in stemming the country’s narcotics problem. His take-no-prisoners approach in curbing the illegal drug trade came banging even on the doors of the “gods of Padre Faura,” as the 15-member Supreme Court granted protective orders to the kin of two slain drug personalities. In no time, the judiciary found itself in the crosshairs of the President’s brutal drug war after he accused in a nationally televised speech in Davao City on Aug. 7, 2016, seven lower court judges of cavorting with the drug lords. Critics claimed the accusation set off Mr. Duterte’s attempt to emasculate the judi- ciary, which had the power to strike down as unconstitutional any of his orders. “I ordered the validation. I am the one reading it and I am the sole person responsible for this one,” Mr. Duterte said as he identified the judges, policemen, politicians and other government officials in his “narcolist.” Potential crisis
This prompted Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno to write a letter to the President reminding him that the high court was the “sole entity” tasked to penalize erring judges. “A premature announcement of an informal investigation on allegations of involvement with the drug trade will have
JESS M. ESCAROS JR. / PNA
the unwarranted effect of rendering the judge veritably useless,” Sereno said. She said she would strongly advise the judges named not to surrender. The President warned the Chief Justice not to “create a crisis because I will order everybody in the executive department not to honor you.” “Please, don’t order me. I’m not a fool. If this continues, [with] you trying to stop me, I might lose my cool. Or would you rather I declare martial law?” he warned. In several speeches, the President, a state prosecutor before he was elected mayor of Davao City, admitted that he had flouted the law to carry out what he needed to do. He said he once “planted evidence” to help authorities bust gang members and that he himself killed criminals when he was a mayor. Mr. Duterte, who earned the moniker “The Punisher” for promoting vigilantism to zap criminality, had also openly ordered the police and the military to kill drug suspects if they resisted arrest. Local and international human rights advocates questioned his shoot-to-kill orders, claiming this spurred the un-
Sona: A tougher, abrasive House BY DJ YAP Philippine Daily Inquirer “I’M NOT a bully,” he says with a smirk. “Bullies threaten people, but I don’t make threats. I do what I say.” Like no other Speaker before him, Pantaleon Alvarez is transforming the House of Representatives into a tougher, more abrasive version of itself. He has upended expectations and challenged the limits of what a congressman can say or do.
abated murders of drug personalities. Shock and awe
Despite the spat with Sereno, the President has so far hurdled two of the major court challenges—his orders to bury the late tyrant Ferdinand Marcos at Libingan ng mga Bayani and to place the entire Mindanao under martial law following the May 23 attack of the Islamic State-inspired Maute terror group in Marawi City. Former Solicitor General Florin Hil-
bay said Mr. Duterte’s rather abrasive treatment of the judiciary could be part of “a shock and awe strategy.” “I hope the court shows more signs of pushback, lest it ends up validating policies that undermine constitutionalism and the rule of law,” he said. But Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo says the President remains respectful of judicial processes. “There’s no problem. Each branch respects each other. The relationship is cordial,” Panelo said. “The President is a lawyer. All lawyers are trained to respect the rule of law and the Constitution,” he added. The President is set to name at least 12 more justices of the Supreme Court before his sixyear term ends in 2022, but Panelo said he expected Mr. Duterte would keep his hands off the affairs of the high tribunal. “As a lawyer, he knows that there is such a thing as separation of powers and even if he attempts to emasculate the judiciary, he knows that he will not succeed,” said Pacifico Agabin, former law dean of the University of the Philippines. “We cannot really presume that the next set of appointees would be following his instructions or would be subservient to the President,” Agabin added. ■
THE FAITHLIFE FINANCIAL DIFFERENCE
Money, Faith & You You believe faith and finances go together. So do we. Let’s start a new conversation about being wise with money and how generosity is an expression of your faith.
“I’m not a bully,” he says with a smirk. “Bullies threaten people, but I don’t make threats. I do what I say.” The past year has seen the rise of Pantaleon Alvarez from one of the obscure characters in the Duterte administration to one of the most colorful and outrageous. Some might add: its most dangerous. Like no other Speaker before him, the Davao del Norte representative is trans❱❱ PAGE 11 Sona: A tougher
To learn more about blending faith and finances and to receive a FREE copy of YOUR NEW MONEY MINDSET visit faithlifefinancial.ca (while quantities last) Contact one of our Financial Representatives:
RONALDO SISON, FIC rsison@faithlifefinancial.ca
MARY JANE CASTILLO, FIC mcastillo@faithlifefinancial.ca
GERRY CARDENAS gcardenas@faithlifefinancial.ca
GREATER TORONTO
WINNIPEG
GREATER TORONTO
647. 457. 1592
204.227.9652
905.366.3840
FaithLife Financial is a financial services organization that helps Christians blend faith and finances to be wise with money and live generously – strengthening families and communities. PROTECTING FINANCIAL FUTURES
www.canadianinquirer.net
•
LIVING CHRISTIAN VALUES
•
BUILDING A BETTER WORLD
4
JULY 28, 2017
De Lima on Sona: ‘Verbal abuse’ of people BY CHRISTINE O. AVENDAÑO Philippine Daily Inquirer DETAINED SEN. Leila de Lima flung back at President Rodrigo Duterte his criticism of her credibility and moral values following “that garbage of a speech” he delivered on Monday. “Let me return the favor and ask Duterte the same question: Do you think you even have the moral values and credible standing, after that garbage of a speech you unloaded before us and the diplomatic corps?” De Lima asked. She said the people were again “subjected to the verbal abuse and ramblings of a madman” last Monday. “But this is the true state of
the nation — a country ruled by a murderer drunk with power, and 100 million helpless, pitiful subjects unable to escape a nightmare,” De Lima said. De Lima issued the statement after Mr. Duterte again lashed at her in his second State of the Nation Address (Sona). The President slammed human rights advocates who recently visited De Lima at Camp Crame in Quezon City and criticized his human rights record. Mr. Duterte wondered why the advocates would believe De Lima when she was not even credible and was an immoral woman. De Lima is detained in Camp Crame pending the resolution of the illegal drug trading charges against her. In her statement, she said she did not care if Mr. Duterte
thought she had no credibility because what mattered to her were “the sentiments and opinions of decent and enlightened men and women.” She said the Chief Executive “must be pissed off” that various international bodies would support her cause and visit her in detention despite efforts to discredit her. For his part, Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV said only “sycophants and the gullible” would like the Sona that, he said, sounded like a campaign speech. Among the things Trillanes said the President stated in his Sona was his “ranting about mining yet he allowed the Commission on Appointments to kick out Gina Lopez. Worse, he appointed Gen. (Roy) Cimatu, who was a (Gloria Arroyo) general.” ■
POEA warns vs fake websites luring jobseekers BY FERDINAND G. PATINIO Philippines News Agency MANILA — The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) warned the public against several fake websites luring those who are looking for jobs abroad. This after the agency has identified unscrupulous websites which use its name and logo. Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Undersecretary Bernard Olalia warned overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and those who are planning to apply for employment in other countries, to verify first the legitimacy of job vacancies. He noted that the proliferation of some fake POEA pages in social media, particularly on Facebook such as Donald HRserv, POEA Jobs Online, OFW POEA Jobs Abroad, POEA Jobs Abroad, POEA Job Hiring USA, POEA Job Hiring Australia, POEA Job Hiring UK, POEA Job Agency Hiring, POEA Trabaho Abroad Hir-
A total 293 undocumented overseas Filipino workers from Jeddah arrive. The group is part of the several batches of undocumented OFWs who have availed of the Kingdom's amnesty program AVITO C. DALAN / PNA
ing, POEA Jobs in Dubai, Work Abroad-POEA Licensed Company, and POEA Accredited Licensed Agency. The agency issued the warning after it received reports that some unscrupulous individuals and groups are illegally using their name and logo to advertise job vacancies in countries such as Australia, Canada, Germany, Japan, New Zealand and the United States. Olalia added that these job opportunities advertised on social media are not verified nor approved by the POEA, adding that the public can either vali-
date the legitimacy of the job vacancies or the recruitment agencies through the official website of POEA, www.poea. gov.ph/. Likewise, he clarified that the agency’s official Facebook accounts are www.facebook.com/ mypoea and www.facebook. com/poea.official. These pages have check marks which are authenticated by Facebook. ■ The public may call their hotline numbers at 7221144 and 7221155, for inquiries, concerns, and to verify legitimate job vacancies and recruitment agencies. www.canadianinquirer.net
FRIDAY
PCSO to cut funding to PNP for ‘anemic’ action on ‘jueteng’ BY JODEE A. AGONCILLO AND JEANNETTE I. ANDRADE Philippine Daily Inquirer
particularly where legal STL owners complain that they are unable to meet their quota because of rampant illegal gambling. The PNP makes arrests but people rounded up are also agents of STL operators,” Dela Rosa pointed out. Dela Rosa issued a challenge to the PCSO: “Let’s lay all our cards on the table. Let’s not hide any card.” “If it’s anemic, we have to double our efforts,” he added.
CALLING THE Philippine National Police’s response to illegal gambling as “anemic,” Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) General Manager Alexander Balutan is now mulling to cut in half the charity funds that go to PNP. At a press conference on Wednesday in Mandaluyong Catch the big fry City, Balutan raised the posBalutan said the PNP had sibility of sharing PNP’s allot- apprehended more than 5,000 ment with the Armed Forces of people engaged in illegal gamthe Philippines (AFP) and oth- bling. er law enforcement agencies. “But this is still not enough,” Balutan announced plans to he said, quickly adding: “Arrest, cut its funding to PNP because catch the big fry! We still heard of the latter’s several reports of questionable foillegal gambling cus on arresting as we launched small fry in the the Small Town illegal numbers We cannot Lottery.” [make any] game rather than “I am deterdemand. It’s the big fish in mined to wage their money. Bicol region and war against gamBut suffice Central Luzon. bling lords and it to say, we PCSO genertheir coddlers, are doing our ates around P60 and I hope you best. million a day. In are with me,” BalOctober 2016, utan said at the PCSO inked a press conference. According to deal with PNP to step up efforts in clamping PCSO chair Jose Jorge Corpuz, down on “jueteng” operations the lottery office has downloadwhich have been competing ed about P426 million in STL with Small Town Lottery (STL). charity funds to its government As part of the agreement, PCSO partners. In 2017, the PCSO agreed to remit 2.5 percent of earned P24 billion from its gaming products such as STL, its STL earn- ings to the PNP. From January to June this Lotto and Keno. From January 2017, PCSO gave year, the PNP received P154 PNP P154.4 million (2.5 percent million from PCSO. of charity funds); P31.9 million ‘Illegal bookies’ to various congressional districts In response, PNP Chief Ron- (0.025 percent); P185.2 million (3 ald dela Rosa said: “We cannot percent) to cities and towns; and [make any] demand. It’s their P54.5 million (0.75 percent) to money. But suffice it to say, we provincial governments. are doing our best.” National Bureau of InvestiDela Rosa pointed out that gation Director Dante Gierran police operations against illegal said the NBI, which does not get gambling were often hampered a share of the PCSO revenues, by illegal bookies doubling as was supportive of PCSO’s drive legal STL agents. This results in to stomp out illegal gambling. arresting officers being taken to The NBI has already concourt, Dela Rosa said. ducted nine enforcement op“Our men have been continu- erations in Metro Manila and ously making arrests and oper- eight anti-illegal gambling opating against illegal gambling, erations in the provinces. ■
5
FRIDAY JULY 28, 2017
Get the latest News & Updates
READ DAILY NEWS FROM PHILIPPINES, CANADA & THE WORLD
visit: www.canadianinquirer.net The one and only daily Filipino-Canadian live news
www.canadianinquirer.net
6
Philippine News
JULY 28, 2017
FRIDAY
Congress extends Martial Law Voting 261-18, a joint Congress extended martial rule in Mindanao until Dec. 31, citing the need to stabilize the region against the threats of the Maute terror group BY DJ YAP, JOCELYN R. UY AND LEILA B. SALAVERRIA Philippine Daily Inquirer
“essential to the (country’s) overall peace and stability.” The nation, said presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella, “has chosen to stand united in defending the Republic.” The work to improve Mindanao begins, he said. “There is much work to be done in the recovery, reconstruction and rehabilitation of Marawi. Together, let us transform Mindanao into a land of fulfillment,” Abella said. Before their votes were consolidated, the Senate voted 164, while the House members voted 245-14 to extend martial law in the south.
IN A joint session on Saturday, the Senate and the House of Representatives voted 261-18 to extend martial law in Mindanao until Dec. 31. President Duterte earlier declared a 60day martial rule following attacks by the Islamic State-inspired Maute group. In an unprecedented move, the Senate and the House of Representatives met jointly on Canvas tents provided by the Department of Social Welfare and Development Saturday and voted 261-18 to (DSWD) for Marawi City evacuees are seen outside an Islamic school in Pantar extend martial law in Mindantown in Lanao del Norte, where thousands of internally-displaced people are ao until Dec. 31. Minority bloc seeking refuge following the May 22 siege of the terrorist Maute group. Despite spirited objections The four senators who voted DIVINA M. SUSON / PNA from minority lawmakers, the “no” to the extension were Sentwo chambers passed a resolu- ate Minority Leader Franklin ers could be inspired to stage against the extension of martion extending for five months Drilon, Senators Risa Honti- uprisings in Mindanao with tial law because “I have not seen any evidence that [it] ofPresident Duterte’s Proclama- veros, Francis Pangilinan and foreign jihadists. tion No. 216, which imposed a Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino, During the interpellation, fers any distinct strategic ad60-day martial rule in Mindan- who all belong to the minority Drilon questioned the factual vantage to our soldiers in their ao on May 23 in the wake of ter- bloc. basis for President Duterte’s fight against the Maute terrorrorist attacks by request to ex- ists that other laws cannot ofthe Islamic State tend martial fer. (IS)-inspired “And because I cannot trust law, pointing out Maute group. that only 10 out a government that has played According to Malacañang welcomed the positive of 27 provinces God with the lives of 8,000 to vote and said Congress’ extension the Constituin Mindanao 12,000 Filipinos to wield marof martial law was “essential to the tion, 60 days is were threatened tial law judiciously, I voted no,” (country’s) overall peace and stability.” the maximum by the terrorist she added. Maute group. period allowed But Defense Additional tools for the declaraSecretary Delfin National Security Adviser tion of martial Lorenzana said Hermogenes Esperon said that rule. Any extenAhead of the voting, security the provinces in the region are extending martial rule in Minsion must be approved by Conofficials told lawmakers that contiguous, which makes it eas- danao would give soldiers and gress. Malacañang welcomed the martial law was needed to sta- ier for terrorist groups to move policemen “additional tools” to achieve their military goal positive vote and said Congress’ bilize a region where IS was from one place to another. Hontiveros said she voted by restricting the movements extension of martial law was gaining influence, and support-
of terrorists, imposing curfews and arresting militants. “In the immediate term, if by December we see that Mindanao or Marawi (had become) stable, we will move for the lifting of martial law,” he added. A slide presentation by the Armed Forces compared the cri- sis in Marawi City to the takeover of the Iraqi city of Mosul. Marawi itself could now become a magnet for foreign fighters in Iraq and Syria, the presentation said. The military said only about 60 Maute gunmen were left in a 49-hectare area of Marawi, but Mr. Duterte said he needed martial law powers to rebuild the city and ensure that war does not spread elsewhere. “I cannot afford to be complacent,” the President told reporters on Friday, adding the military would be conducting further “mopping up operations” even after they recapture Marawi. Martial law, which allows the military to establish control with measures such as curfews, checkpoints and gun controls, has remained a sensitive issue some 30 years after the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos put the country under military rule as part of his 20-year term. Never again
Thousands of critics, political opponents as well as communist guerrillas were killed, detained or arrested during the ❱❱ PAGE 10 Congress extends
SONA 2017... ❰❰ 1
not,” Cayetano said. “We’re hoping that we can find this year the peace that has been so elusive to us. Because we cannot talk ice while we are still shooting at each other,” he said. Meanwhile, Senator Joel Villanueva believes that ending contractualization should be one of the priorities. “The move by DOLE in which 60,000 employees who have been regularized through an executive order is highly commendable but of course we need a law to institutionalize these programs and
make sure that it will be felt by the public themselves.” For Representative Carlos Zarate, one of the issues is the handling of the peace negotiations with the Communist Party of the Philippines- New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF). “Martial Law is not the solution to the almost five decades of fighting. What the government should do is address the socio-economic problems of the people. Federalism is focused only on the form of government. There is more reason
to continue with the peace talks because there is a war. If there is no war, there is no reason to talk peace,” Zarate said. Congressman Antonio Tinio considers the President’s actions as “bullying” when he referred to the subject of tax reforms which he said would not benefit the poor. “The poor will bear the burden of paying taxes which will go to infrastructure which will ultimately benefit only the investors and businessmen,” he said. “Not only am I disappointed with the President’s speech, I www.canadianinquirer.net
PNP Chief, Director General Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa, PNP Deputy Director General Fernando Mendez Jr., NCRPO chief, Oscar Albayalde, inspect security measures in place along IBP road in Quezon City. JOEY O. RAZON / PNA
am also concerned that the ills of the country are still attributed to illegal drugs. We know it’s not true. You cannot blame
poverty, unemployment and the lack of social services, injustice and others on illegal drugs,” Tinio said. ■
Philippine News
FRIDAY JULY 28, 2017
After political skirmishes, Senate buckles down to work BY CHRISTINE O. AVENDAÑO Philippine Daily Inquirer “POLITICAL SKIRMISHES” in the Senate, as Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III put it, affected legislative work in the chamber in the early months of the Duterte administration. But a reorganization seemed to have resulted in things simmering down, with Pimentel saying the Senate now had clearly defined political lines. On the eve of a joint session of Congress that would be addressed by President Duterte, Pimentel was confident that the Senate would be able to speed up the legislative process and help achieve the Chief Executive’s campaign promises, the biggest of which was to fund his “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure program intended to spur development. So how did the Senate fare in legislation during the first regular session? Bills passed, 4 laws
According to the record of the Legislative Bills and Index Service from July 25, 2016, to May 31 this year, 1,487 bills were filed in the Senate and 241 were acted upon or passed by the chamber. Pimentel took exception to reports that the Senate was able to help enact only four measures during the period. The Senate and the House of Representatives have approved seven measures, including the Act Postponing the October 2016 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections, the General Appropriations Act of 2017 and the franchises of GMA Network Inc. and Smart Communications Inc. Other bills
But Pimentel said that after Congress adjourned its first regular session on May 17, there were approved bills waiting to be signed into law by the President. These included the Revised Penal Code Indexation, Extension of Driver’s License Validity, Free Internet Access Program in Public Spaces, Free Higher Education for All Act, Anti-Hospital Deposit Law, Extending the Validity of Passports, Amendments to the AntiMoney Laundering Act (Amla, Designating Casinos as Covered Persons) and the Establishment of Multispecies Marine Hatcheries in Different Local Government Units. Mr. Duterte signed the Amla amendments on July 19. Unless he vetoes the other measures,
the approved bills will lapse into law. According to Senate records, the chamber approved 14 bills on third reading and two bills on second reading. Asked whether he saw the second regular session achieving more, especially with the reorganization, Pimentel said there were certain political issues that “may again eat legislative time.” Martial law extension
He said this might include the bid of the President to extend his martial law proclamation in Mindanao until the end of the year. Congress held a joint session yesterday and approved Mr. Duterte’s request, as required by the Constitution. Pimentel said the Senate would seek periodic briefings on the situation in Mindanao until the declaration was lifted. Pimentel said the Senate had entered into a “modus vivendi” with the House to speed up legislation work. Late last year, he said, the senators and congressmen began meeting regularly to list down priority bills they intended to approve within a certain period. By having targets, the two chambers became more productive, he said. He said the system was more effective and the two houses would employ it again in order to fulfill the campaign promises of the President.
7
Share hope, not hate on socmed — Robredo BY JAYMEE T. GAMIL Philippine Daily Inquirer HOW DO you deal with the culture of hate on social media? Focus on sharing stories of hope. Vice President Leni Robredo gave this advice to residents of Barangay Novaliches Proper in Quezon City during the unveiling of a pop-up photo gallery under her office’s Istorya ng Pagasa (Stories of Hope) caravan as part of the village’s 42nd founding anniversary celebration. “On social media, there are so many trolls. But is the solution to argue with them? Instead of fighting over harmful things, let us just talk about stories that give inspiration,” Robredo said in Filipino. The caravan seeks to “change the conversation,” especially on social media or in public spaces like schools, city halls or plazas, turning the focus from toxic arguments to inspirational stories featuring “ordinary citizens who did extraordinary things” via a photo gallery.
Lines drawn
Pimentel said the reorganization of the Senate “improved” the situation “because the line was clear on who was [the] majority and who was [the] minority and whom you could expect to support the majority position.” Currently, six senators comprise the minority bloc: Franklin Drilon, Francis Pangilinan, Bam Aquino, Risa Hontiveros, Leila de Lima and Antonio Trillanes IV. Asked about his relationship with the minority, Pimentel said it was “good.” He explained that except for Trillanes, the current members of the minority were once part of the majority and even supported his bid for the Senate presidency when they were forming the supermajority in July last year. ‘More neutral’ Senate
In the eyes of the minority, Pimentel is the “agent” of the President, who so far has met only with majority bloc senators. Since taking office, Mr. Duterte has ❱❱ PAGE 9 After political
www.canadianinquirer.net
The nationwide campaign to spread “stories of hope” has already been launched in Baguio, Naga City, Quezon City and Pasay City, Negros Oriental and Dumaguete City. In August, the caravan will move to Puerto Princesa in Palawan. The gallery in Novaliches features 42 profiles at the SB Plaza. Storytelling
“This is the power of storytelling. This is the power of social media. There is so much we can achieve just from telling stories,” Robredo said, citing how her Facebook posts as a Camarines Sur representative had drawn donations for an impoverished school and a constituent in need. “But the frightening thing is because social media is so powerful, it can be abused. We can see it on Facebook, where there are so many arguments, there are so much defamation, so much cursing. So many names destroyed, even if the allegations aren’t true,” Robredo said. “Social media is so powerful, but let’s use it for good,” she said. ■
Philippine News
8
JULY 28, 2017
FRIDAY
‘No talks with Reds if attacks go on’ A series of ambushes by the New People’s Army has prompted President Duterte to call off further peace negotiations with communist rebels. The latest encounter left four presidential guards wounded in Cotabato. BY PHILIP C. TUBEZA Philippine Daily Inquirer
Publisher Philippine Canadian Inquirer, Inc. Correspondents Jane Moraleda Katherine Padilla Socorro Newland Bolet Arevalo Administration Head Victoria Yong Graphic Designer Shanice Garcia Photographers Angelo Siglos Vic Vargas For photo submissions, please email editor@canadianinquirer.net For General Inquiries, please email info@canadianinquirer.net For Sales Inquiries, please email sales@canadianinquirer.net PHILIPPINE PUBLISHING GROUP Editorial Assistant Christelle Tolisora Associate Publisher Lurisa Villanueva In cooperation with the Philippine Daily Inquirer digital edition Philippine Canadian Inquirer is located at 11951 Hammersmith Way, Suite 108 Richmond, B.C. V7A 5H9 Canada
Email: info@canadianinquirer.net, sales@ canadianinquirer.net Philippine Canadian Inquirer is published weekly every Friday. Copies are distributed free throughout Metro Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, and Greater Toronto. The views and opinions expressed in the articles (including opinions expressed in ads herein) are those of the authors named, and are not necessarily those of Philippine Canadian Inquirer Editorial Team. PCI reserves the right to reject any advertising which it considers to contain false or misleading information or involves unfair or unethical practices. The advertiser agrees the publisher shall not be liable for damages arising out of error in any advertisement.
Member
NPA ATTACK People look at the bulletriddled Presidential Security Group vehicle attacked by communist rebels in Arakan, North Cotabato, on Wednesday. President Duterte on Wednesday called off peace talks with the communist rebels after four presidential guards were wounded in an encounter in North Cotabato province and directed the government panel not to resume negotiations unless the New People’s Army (NPA) stopped its attacks on security forces. In a statement, Malacañang said Mr. Duterte met with the government peace panel on Tuesday to discuss the possible signing of a bilateral ceasefire agreement with the communist rebels. During the meeting, the President President Rodrigo Roa Duterte delivers his second State-of-the-Nation Address. Also in photo are directed the panel negotiating with the House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez (right) and Senate president Aquilino Pimentel III. National Democratic Front of the PhilAVITO C. DALAN / PNA ippines (NDFP) “not to resume formal peace talks unless the Reds agree to stop an de Oro. Peralta identified the slain militiaman their attacks against government troops “There were about 50 armed men in as Ben Padia. The fleeing rebels also in Mindanao,” the statement said. military uniforms. There was a sign that grabbed a hostage, identified as Rogelio “This includes suspending operations said it was a checkpoint by Task Force Magno. against the military and the police and Davao,” said Lt. Col. Michael Aquino, the stopping all their extortion activities on PSG spokesperson. Police agent held the ground, among others,” it added. Senior Insp. Argie Celeste, the chief of The NPA confirmed its guerrillas were The statement said the peace panel, police of Arakan, said what gave the reb- involved in the Arakan incident. It also led by Labor Secretary Sil- vestre Bello els away were the wet boots they were said it was holding a hostage it described III, was set to conduct “back-channel wearing. as a police agent. talks” with the NDFP The fifth round of peace talks with the to discuss the rerebels was suspended sumption of formal on May 27 following negotiations. Abella said that if the CPP were “truly in pursuit orders by the ComBut after the inciof peaceful coexistence, they must stand against munist Party of the dent in which four a common enemy, regardless of martial law Philippines (CPP) members of the extension.” to the NPA to intenPresidential Security sify attacks against Group (PSG) were security forces after wounded in Arakan, Mr. Duterte declared North Cotabato, earmartial law in Mindly Wednesday, Presi“The (PSG) driver immediately sped anao in the wake of a terrorist attack on dential Adviser on the Peace Process Jesus Dureza announced that he was also off and the exchange of gunfire fol- Marawi City. Presidential spokesperson Ernesto calling off the planned back-channel lowed,” Celeste said. Maj. Ezra Balagtey, the Eastern Min- Abella strongly condemned Wednestalks in Europe this week. danao Command spokesperson, said day’s attack. Abella said that if the CPP were “truly NPA checkpoint a pursuit operation was launched by Brig. Gen. Louie Dagoy, PSG com- the Army’s 3rd Infantry Battalion and in pursuit of peaceful coexistence, they must stand against a common enemy, mander, said his men were on board two troops from Task Force Davao. vehicles going to Cagayan de Oro from Balagtey said the pursuing troops regardless of martial law extension.” “The Duterte administration has Davao City when they encountered the clashed with the fleeing rebels, leaving a shown in numerous occasions its strong NPA guerrillas in Arakan, North Cota- militiaman dead. bato. Senior Supt. Emmanuel Per- alta, the commitment to bring peace,” he said. “The NPA put up a checkpoint but our North Cotabato police director, said he “It is time for the CPP/NPA/NDFP to soldiers noticed it. We had four injured got the names of five wounded soldiers reciprocate the government’s gestures but they’re not in critical condition,” in the incident but was unsure who were of goodwill by ending their extortion Dagoy said. PSG members. They were Staff Ser- and criminal activities and redirecting He said the President had no sched- geants Matumhay, Lisondor and Gerry their energy to help eradicate terrorism uled event in the area and the PSG was Tursal and Corporals Ayam Alia and Ro- and violent extremism in Mindanao,” he just reinforcing its personnel in Cagay- del Ledesma. added. ■ www.canadianinquirer.net
Philippine News
FRIDAY JULY 28, 2017
9
Terrorists guarding P1.4-B loot — Esperon BY PHILIP C. TUBEZA Philippine Daily Inquirer
lion per bag,” the official said. “We have a video of that,” he added.
ISLAMIC STATE (IS)-inspired terrorists holed up in Marawi are guarding around P1.4 billion in cash and jewelry looted from the city, a government official said on Friday. The official, who asked not to be identified because he was not allowed to speak on the matter, said government security forces learned that the Maute and Abu Sayyaf terrorists in the city were guarding 70 bags of loot, each worth around P20 million. “They’re not leaving because they have 70 bags from looting [and the loot] is about P20 mil-
Hostages forced to loot
Lt. Col. Jo-Ar Herrera, spokesperson for the Army’s 1st Infantry Division and Joint Task Force Marawi, said earlier this month that the terrorists had forced hostages to convert to Islam, take up arms against government forces, serve as sex slaves and loot millions of pesos in cash, firearms, ammunition, gold and jewelry from houses and business establishments in Marawi. Herrera said at least 10 hostages who had escaped separately from their captors disclosed the looting the terrorists forced them to undertake.
“They believe that the amount of cash and valuable items looted could be worth more [than P500 million], as there were several other groups being forced by terrorists to loot and steal for them,” he said. The stolen items were stored in a mosque, “received by designated Maute members who were keeping a list for accounting,” he added. The terrorists, who stormed Marawi on May 23 to establish an enclave for the Middle East-based IS jihadist group in Southeast Asia, are believed to be holding around 100 hostages, including a Catholic priest. Cornered
Government
forces
have
Noy on Du30 Sona: I’d prefer to watch it on TV BY NIKKO DIZON Philippine Daily Inquirer FORMER PRESIDENT Aquino has chosen not to attend the State of the Nation Address (Sona) of his successor on Monday, saying he preferred to watch on television President Duterte’s second speech before a joint session of Congress. “That would be the easiest way to understand everything that’s said there without distraction. When you’re there, the tendency is there would be someone whowould be whispering to you [while the speech is in progress],” Aquino said in a recent interview with the Inquirer. Aquino was also a no-show at Mr. Duterte’s first Sona last year. By tradition, former Presidents are invited to the Sona of the incumbent. But with the current political landscape, Aquino would be the odd man out at the Batasan Pambansa. His Liberal Party (LP) has been decimated in Congress after Mr. Duterte’s Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan took over as the ruling administration party. Many Liberals who professed loyalty to Aquino when he was President jumped ship almost immediately after Mr. Duterte
LAURO MONTELLANO, JR. / MALACAÑANG PHOTO BUREAU
took his oath of office. The relentless campaign against LP stalwart Sen. Leila de Lima also had an impact on the once dominant party. The Duterte administration charged De Lima with involvement in drug trafficking in the national penitentiary for which she is now detained. Only a handful of LP members have had the courage to call out the Duterte administration as part of their traditional check-and-balance role. “It’s understood that in Congress, a lot of times they cannot afford not to be with the administration party,” Aquino said. But Aquino noted that Liberals are now fighting back, especially against a disinformation campaign of the party’s supposed involvement with the Maute group.
Aquino also said the Liberal Party would soon ratify the appointment of its new officers, led by president Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan. Vice President Leni Robredo is the party chair, being the member who has the most senior government post. Aquino said that even if the party lost members in Congress, it maintained a strong bond with members in the grassroots level. “We actually have a new set of the next generation already on board being helped by the older generation, who is being helped by the middle generation that I belong to,” Aquino said. But LP wants to name Aquino its “chair emeritus” being a former President. The 57-year-old Aquino, however, hopes his party mates would not. ■ www.canadianinquirer.net
pushed the terrorists into a box in the city center, where the gunmen have split into small groups and holed up in houses and highrise buildings, the military said. National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. said on Friday that the military expected to retake Marawi “in a few more days.” He said there were around 70 remaining terrorists who controlled around 600 houses and buildings concentrated in three villages in the city center. Esperon said the military, which had around 7,000 soldiers in the battle zone, was recapturing 40 to 50 houses and buildings a day. “I would say the area is now constricted to three barangays,
it’s about 49 hectares. We used to have the main battle area in 12 barangays. But now, it’s in only three barangays,” Esperon said. “But this is where we have the built-up area, the center of the poblacion of Marawi. And so, we expect a slower advance. But nonetheless, our troops are determined and they have learned so much from the past experiences,” he added. Esperon said the terrorists who attacked the city originally numbered more than 660, including 20 foreign fighters. “Of course, that number has been reduced. We would admit some have escaped. We are not certain of the 70 remaining but that is the estimate of our snipers,” he said. ■
After political... ❰❰ 7
hosted dinner for the bill would be certified as urgent 18 senators (now 17 as well. with Alan Peter CayHe said he would ask that the etano resigning last June to “end of endo” bill, or the Conbecome foreign secretary) and tractualization Act of 2017, be meets some of them from time also certified as urgent by the to time to discuss issues. President. Asked why the President had The Senate chief also said the not reached out to the minority, President would likely certify Pimentel said that was his job the tax reform bill, but Drilon and not the President’s. said it was possible that the tax Senate Majority Leader Vi- reform bill would not pass this cente Sotto III year due to consaid the Senate troversial proviwas more neusions. tral now and independent, un[...] the Conscience voting Senate had like before when entered into it was seen as According to a “modus “critical” of the Drilon, senators vivendi” with administration, would vote acthe House to referring to the cording to their speed up legtime when Liberconvictions on islation work. al Party senators the death penwere still with alty bill. the majority. Mr. Duterte “The bulk of wants to bring the members of back the death the majority are neutral,” Sotto penalty and the House has alsaid. ready approved the bill. But the measures remains Priority bills stuck on the Senate justice Some of the pending prior- committee. ity legislation are the revival of Pimentel said all he wanted the death penalty, tax reform, was for the Senate to report out lowering of the age of criminal the committee report on the lia- bility and constitutional death penalty measure on the amendments for a shift to the floor “as a sign of respect to the federal form of government. House.” “Whether it wins or loses, Pimentel noted that Mr. Duterte had said he would cer- my appeal to the senators who tify as urgent the proposed are for or against it, let’s decide Bangsamoro Basic Law and based on substance, not technithat most likely, the tax reform cality like delaying it,” he said. ■
10
Philippine News
JULY 28, 2017
FRIDAY
Congress extends... ❰❰ 6
period, according to historians. About a dozen protesters in the gallery interrupted on Saturday’s hearing, chanting “nev- er again, never again to martial law” before being escorted out. The Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office has recommended the filing of disturbance of proceedings charges against the eight activists. The arrested activists included three volunteer teachers of the Alternative Learning Center for Agricultural and Livelihood Development (Alcadev), an alternative learning system for lumad and indigenous youth in Mindanao. Mr. Duterte had already beaten back a Supreme Court petition to declare martial law in Mindanao illegal. But opposition politicians have criticized his proposal for an extension, with some alleging that it was part of a plot to eventually bring the country under a militarybacked dictatorship. Revolutionary government
After this, he could declare a revolutionary government to allow him to stay in office beyond his six-year electoral term in mid-2022, Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV said. Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman asked during interpellation if the “horrific after-
math” of the fighting in Marawi City could have been avoided had martial law never been declared in the first place. Armed Forces chief of staff, Gen. Eduardo Año, said martial law wasn’t the cause of the city’s destruction. “The crisis introduced a new type of urban warfare, notable of which is the total disregard (for) civilian lives, similar to (IS) in the Middle East, [including the] looting and pillaging in occupied areas in Marawi,” he said. Also on Saturday, some 100 Marawi City evacuees gathered in Iligan City to voice their opposition to the extension of martial rule. “We want to go home and we cannot do that if the situation drags on,” said Nadji Salahudin, a Grade 8 pupil of Mindanao State University, Lanao National College of Arts and Trade. Extending martial rule means their continued stay in evacuation centers, she added. “We cannot understand why you did it to us. Please leave us alone. We are not terrorists and we want to live in peace,” Salahudin said. Abato Saide, a resident of West Marinaut, said the nonextension of martial law would put to a halt the bombing of the city. ■
CLOCKWISE: AFP Chief of Staff Gen.Eduardo Ano, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr.,and Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea answer some questions from lawmakers during the joint special session for the Extension of the Martial Law in Mindanao. AVITO C. DALAN / PNA
Lacson doubts prospects of death penalty bill in Senate BY JOCELYN R. UY Philippine Daily Inquirer SEVERAL SENATORS on Tuesday expressed doubts that the death penalty bill will gain steam in the Senate despite the prodding of President Rodrigo Duterte during his State of the Nation Address on Monday, when he referred to capital punishment as the “only way” to instill fear among criminals. Sen. Panfilo Lacson, one of the authors of the measure, said it would be hard to get a majority support for it with the current composition of the Senate. “I am an author of the death penalty bill for almost the same reason cited by the President. But even with his prodding, I don’t see it being revived under his watch or at least with the present composition of the Senate,” Lacson told reporters.
Recto, for his part, said he did not see the bill “on the radar.” Majority’s burden
Minority Leader Franklin Drilon said there were not enough votes in the Senate to make the bill move forward, reiterating the minority bloc’s position against the revival of capital punishment. “Let the majority work on this [if this was an order] of the President. I assume that it is the burden of the majority. In so far as the minority is concerned, we will oppose it,” he said in an interview. Sen. Grace Poe said the Senate should prioritize bills that would have an impact on the livelihood and well-being of Filipinos. “Before we even tackle the death penalty, perhaps we need to make sure that our judiciary and law enforcement institutions are reformed,” Poe said in a text message.
Priority bill
Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III on Tuesday said the death penalty bill was a “de facto” priority and “that it will be scheduled soon.” At the opening of Congress’ second regular session, Pimentel did not mention the death penalty bill in the legislative agenda of the Senate. Tax reform, the passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law, the creation of a national identification system and the shift to federalism were among its priorities. But Pimentel told reporters that the bill would be discussed in the Senate’s “regular course of business” as a “gesture of friendship” to the House of Representatives. Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph www.canadianinquirer.net
Hearing suspended
Sen. Risa Hontiveros also pointed out that the hearing of the bill had been suspended earlier after the Department of Justice admitted that the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which the Philippines is a party, did not have an exit clause. Mr. Duterte should not be upset if majority of the senators were against it, said Sen. Richard Gordon, noting that the issue was “basically a principle position.” “When we talk about life, we should vote based on principles,” Gordon said, adding that imprisonment was still a “bigger deterrent” than capital punishment. ■
Philippine News
FRIDAY JULY 28, 2017
11
Sona: A tougher... ❰❰ 3
forming the House of Representatives into a tougher, more abrasive version of itself. He has upended expectations and challenged the limits of what a congressman can say or do. Impeach the VP, the CJ
Without batting an eye, he speaks of impeaching Vice President Leni Robredo and Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno. He has stirred a hornet’s nest by proposing to extend martial law in Mindanao until 2022. He has sacked House leaders, including former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, for voting against the death penalty. He has warned of dissolving the Court of Appeals. He has slapped graft charges against his billionaire friend, Davao del Norte Rep. Antonio Floirendo Jr., over a land deal. He has ordered six Ilocos Norte officials incarcerated and pushed their governor, Imee Marcos, into a corner. To all this, his bosom buddy, President Duterte, has turned a blind eye. “I can say it straight: Not once has he called me for anything he wants from Congress. Honestly. Swear to God,” Alvarez tells the Inquirer one Saturday in his office. The President’s hands-off policy has given Alvarez unparalleled influence—as the leader of the House and the supermajority coalition, secretary general of the ruling Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Laban party and, above all, a member of Mr. Duterte’s inner circle. Detractors say power has gone to his head. He’s been called all sorts of names, from the President’s attack dog to a petty tyrant. Detained Sen. Leila de Lima has slammed his “gangstertype” leadership. Discipline in the House
Other critics like Ifugao Rep.
Teddy Baguilat Jr., an opposition lawmaker, surmise that Alvarez may be acting as a lightning rod to deflect criticisms and protect the President, “who should be shielded from controversy as our leader.” Baguilat takes issue with Alvarez’s authoritative leadership style and cautions him to be more prudent in expressing political views that might alienate House factions. But he praises Alvarez for cracking the whip on 293 House members over attendance. “Kudos, though, to the Speaker and his leadership for being able to instill discipline in the quorum and [penalize the] tardiness of [congressmen],” he says. Alvarez says one thing distinguishes him from previous Speakers: He is not afraid to make enemies and step on other people’s toes. “The leadership before didn’t like confrontations,” he says. “Sorry to say, but if your leader is sensitive to public opinion, he will be careful. If you have ambitions for a national position, you have to be careful.” In his case, he claims there’s no need: “I don’t intend to stay long [in public office]. I want to retire with the President.” Struggling with legislation
For all the Speaker’s political bravado, however, and despite the acumen and experience of his trusted lieutenant, Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas, the House in the 17th Congress has struggled with the business of legislation. The House has enacted none of the legislative priorities identified by Alvarez at the start of his term: the death penalty bill, the switch to federalism through constitutional revision, and the lowering of the age of criminal responsibility. These are the same bills aggressively pushed by Mr. Duterte, to no avail.
Friends of Rodrigo Duterte (FORD) show their support before the President Rodrigo R. Duterte's second SONA at the Batasang Pambansa. JOEY O. RAZON / PNA
As of July, only five new laws have been signed: the 2017 budget, the postponement of barangay elections, franchise extensions for Smart Communications and GMA7, and the inclusion of casinos in the AntiMoney Laundering Act. Not-so-dismal performance
It’s a dismal score but it does not quite reflect the House’s performance. Over the last 12 months, the House passed 210 bills, six of which are awaiting the President’s signature, including measures extending passport and driver’s license validity, giving free tuition in state universities, providing for free WiFi in public spaces, and requiring hospitals to accept patients without a deposit. The House also has approved on third reading the first tax reform package, which still needs the Senate’s concurrence, along with 180 other bills. Once a bill is out of the House’s hands, Alvarez says, “it’s not our problem anymore.” In the big priorities, progress has been slow. In March, after much wrangling and compromise, the House approved a watereddown ver- sion of the death penalty bill, which would allow the state to execute drug offenders.
www.canadianinquirer.net
The Senate, however, is lukewarm to the measure. Rights advocates derailed the bill lowering the age of criminal responsibility, which was amended to retain 15 years as the discernment age, not 9 as originally proposed. On federalism, the House is waiting for Malacañang to form a constitutional commission that will draft a new Constitution for approval by Congress sitting as a constituent assembly. If the executive dallies, Alvarez says, the House may create the commission itself in January. 3 controversial bills
In coming months, Alvarez plans to write three bills that will amend the Family Code. The first would allow couples to have absolute separation of individual properties, instead of treating these as conjugal by default. The second would allow civil unions for live-in partners—including lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender—entitling them to rights to inherit and to adopt children, among other things. The third bill is just as controversial: it would allow dissolution of marriage. Under Alvarez’s proposal, spouses can split legally simply
on grounds of “unhappiness,” doing away with messy and costly annulment. In March, in the midst of an embarrassing public feud with Floirendo, Alvarez confessed to an extramarital affair and being estranged from his wife, Emelita. Besides family bills, Alvarez hopes to make sweeping reforms in the grant of franchises to various sectors, from public transport to gaming and mining. Congress has delegated such franchising authority to agencies like the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. He wants those powers back. Other important pieces of legislation, meanwhile, are waiting in the wings, such as the freedom of information and antidiscrimination bills. Alvarez has plenty on his plate in the weeks ahead, but it seems politics will not take a backseat to lawmaking: The second regular session promises to be “more colorful” as he builds cases to oust Robredo and Sereno. Relationship with President
“I don’t like to quarrel with anyone. But I have to defend the institution I represent,” he says. “If you want to do your job well, you will naturally hurt someone. The bottom line is our duty to the nation, not our duty to our friends.” It’s a different story, though, when your closest buddy is the President. Alvarez says his relationship with Mr. Duterte has not changed since a year ago. As usual, they talk of “light moments and mischief” in private, keeping work strictly off topic, he says. Is the President happy with his performance? “I don’t know if he’s happy with me as the Speaker. But what I know is he’s not happy to be the President.” ■
12
Philippine News
JULY 28, 2017
FRIDAY
China lauds Pres. Duterte’s independent foreign policy
More Davao Norte execs back Tadeco
BY JELLY F. MUSICO Philippines News Agency
BY MARLON RAMOS Philippine Daily Inquirer
BEIJING — China has commended President Rodrigo Duterte for saying that the Philippines will adhere to an independent foreign policy and develop friendly relations with all countries on the basis of equality of sovereignty, mutual respect and non-interference. “China speaks highly of that,” China’s Foreign Ministry Affairs (MFA) Spokesperson Lu Kang said when asked for comment during a regular press conference last Tuesday on President Duterte’s state of the nation address (SONA). In his two-hour SONA last Monday, President Duterte said the Philippines has cultivated very good relations with China through bilateral talks and other mechanisms that eased tension in the South China Sea. Lu has acknowledged Duterte’s efforts to improve and to put China-Philippines relations back on the right track since the popular Filipino leader assumed office in June last year. “The past one year and more have seen all-around cooperation between China and the Philippines making important headways, frequent high-level visits, political mutual trust going deeper, practical cooperation demonstrating greater potential, and maritime dialogue and cooperation starting again,” Lu said. The MFA spokesperson said the rejuvenated China-Philippines relations will bring benefits not only to Chinese and Filipino people “but also relevant countries in the region.” Lu made this statement as Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi embarked on a reciprocal visit to Manila on Tuesday
LOCAL OFFICIALS of Davao del Norte province have appealed to Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II to let a company owned by Davao del Norte Rep. Antonio “Tonyboy” Floirendo Jr.’s family continue leasing a vast penal farm which had been turned into a banana plantation. In separate resolutions, five town and city councils of the province told Aguirre that Tagum Agricultural Development Co. (Tadeco) had provided a stable source of income to their residents since it entered into a land deal with the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) in 1969. They said the joint venture agreement (JVA) between the BuCor and Tadeco for the use of 5,300 hectares of the Davao Prison and Penal Farm (DPPF) had also spurred economic development in the entire Davao region.
Philippine Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi after holding talks on many areas of cooperation, which aims to enhance further the renewed China-Philippines relations. JELLY F. MUSICO / PNA
upon invitation of his Filipino counterpart Alan Peter Cayetano who visited Beijing early this month. “We believe that his visit will bring bilateral ties closer. China also stands ready to continue working with the Philippines to consolidate friendly cooperation and improve all aspects of China-Philippines relations,” Lu said. Accompanied by Cayetano and Philippine Ambassador to China Jose Santiago Sta. Romana, Wang and Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Zhao Jianhua had paid courtesy call on President Duterte at the Malacanang Palace. To give way to friendly dialogues and negotiations, President Duterte has temporarily shelved an arbitral tribunal’s ruling which nullified China’s nine-dash line territorial claims in the South China Sea. Duterte’s decision on the tribunal’s award and his two productive visits to China in October 2016 and in May this year have tremendously improved China-Philippines relations. China has pledged USD24 billion worth of investments and infrastructure projects and normalized trade relations by
lifting ban on pineapple and banana imports from the Philippines. The two countries have also formed Bilateral Consultative Mechanism on the South China Sea. The first was meeting held in Guiyang, China last May while the next is set later this year in Manila. Both the Philippines and China are now discussing the prospects of a joint development of the potentially oil-rich South China Sea or West Philippine Sea. Sta. Romana had said the Philippines has basically taken a two-track approach to tackle the South China Sea disputes. One approach, according to him, is to discuss contentious issues like sovereignty and maritime jurisdiction while another is for non-contentious issues like trade, economic, infrastructures and people-topeople exchanges. “The non-contentious issues were frozen in the past years because the dispute has been put at the center. The basic approach now is don’t let the dispute be an obstacle to developing the non-contentious issues,” Sta. Romana explained in recent a media interview. ■
www.canadianinquirer.net
importance of the agreement in the success of BuCor’s rehabilitation program for convicts serving time at DPPF. More resolutions
“Inmates had job opportunities that helped them realize their goals and made their lives useful to their families and community while [they are] being imprisoned,” the city council said. The town and village councils in the municipalities of Carmen, Samal and Sto. Tomas likewise issued their respective resolutions expressing support for the JVA, whose legality was questioned by Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, a representative of the province’s first congressional district. They all noted that the lease contract had been previously reviewed and approved by past secretaries of justice, among them former Vice President Teofisto Guingona Jr. and Sen. Franklin Drilon. Most trusted
Once barren
“Some parts of this town were once barren while other lands were uninhabited. With Tadeco developing and eventually turning them into productive spots where exportable bananas are grown, people started to flock [to our town],” read a resolution passed by the municipal council of Braulio Dujali, a fourth class agricultural town. “[Tadeco] helped develop, construct and maintain road networks, drainage and protection dikes by providing heavy equipment and operator, which helped mitigate the flood problem of the locality,” it added. The 13-member council of Panabo City approved a similar resolution, which also cited the
Alvarez, one of President Duterte’s most trusted political lieutenants, had asked the government to nullify the lease contract after he had a falling out with Floirendo, Mr. Duterte’s biggest campaign contributor in the May 2016 elections. The Department of Justice and the Office of the Solicitor General both granted the Speaker’s request as they concluded that the arrangement between Tadeco and the BuCor was unconstitutional. ■
Immigration
FRIDAY JULY 28, 2017
13
DTI holds forum on Trade and Investment Opportunities in the Philippines in Vancouver, Canada AS PART of the Philippine Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)’s trade and investment outreach, a Breakfast Forum entitled “Trade and Investment Opportunities in the Philippines” will be held at the Pinnacle Hotel in Vancouver, British Columbia on July 26, 2017. The Event is made possible with the cooperation of Philippine Consulate General in Vancouver. The program will be opened by Philippine Consul General to Vancouver, Hon. Neil Frank
Ferrer and will be keynoted by H.E. Ambassador Petronila P. Garcia, Philippine Ambassador to Canada. Special guests from various Canadian sectors led by Aquilini Renewable Energy Ltd. and Corinthian Distributors Ltd. will share their experience in doing business in the Philippines. Senior Trade Commissioner Maria Roseni M. Alvero will deliver the presentation in behalf of the DTI. The Forum will also present an opportunity for one-on-one meetings for the attendees.
The 5-day trade and investment outreach to Western Canada which is also being organized in close collaboration with the Philippine Consulate General, Vancouver will serve to introduce the services of the recently-opened DTI Office, also known as the Philippine Consulate General (Toronto) Trade Section, to the mainstream Canadian and FilipinoCanadian business community, and will include meetings and visits to companies and private and government institutions
to discuss future partnerships and collaboration. The Office opened at its new location in Downtown Toronto on July 1, 2017 and caters to all provinces and territories of Canada. Similar outreach programs are scheduled for the other regions in Canada. “The Philippines would like to see more investments from Canada given the vast potentials in manufacturing and services in the areas of IT-BPM, specifically Game Development and Animation, Agri-based Industry, and
Aerospace”, according to Senior Trade Commissioner Alvero. “We also aim to double our exports to Canada particularly of food products and IT-BPM services in the next few years,” according to Ms. Alvero. ■ For inquiries regarding this event, please email the Philippine Consulate General in Vancouver, at <economicsection@ vancouverpcg.org> or the Trade Section of the Philippine Consulate General (PTIC-Toronto) at <toronto@dti.gov.ph>.
Pangarap : So, Our Journey Begins
So, Is God in Canada? BY BOLET AREVALO
Bencab comes to Toronto PHILIPPINE NATIONAL Artist for Visual Arts, Benedicto Cabrera, better known as Bencab, is coming to Canada with the love of his life, Annie Sarthou. From Vancouver, he will proceed to Toronto on the first week of August 2017. Being an artist himself and an alumnus of the UP, Bencab will be the special guest in a Meetand-Greet event on Wednesday, August 02, jointly organized by the UPAA Toronto and the Philippine Artists Group of Canada. Bencab is a Filipino painter and was awarded National Art-
ist of the Philippines for Visual Arts (Painting) in 2006. He has been noted as "arguably the best-selling painter of his generation of Filipino artists." He studied at the University of the Philippines College of Fine Arts, where he explored different art visual forms — photography, draftsmanship, printmaking — while honing his chosen craft as a painter. He received his bachelor's degree in Fine Arts in 1963. To read more of his achievements, you can go to http://www.bencabmuseum. org/national-artist/. ■
FOR AS LONG AS THERE ARE RAINBOWS IN THE SKY, LIFE WILL BE GOOD AFTER THE RAIN. I will use this chapter to forever remind myself that God is alive and is everywhere. One day during the first six months after I came, I was feeling tired and exhausted thinking about my next steps. I asked for a sign to let me feel His presence. I asked for God to show me a rainbow. I love rainbows. They constantly remind us of the calm after the storm, of the pot of gold at the end of them, of a promise of sunshine after the rain. Lord, please show me a rainbow. This is what I wrote to friends on that day— “Today, on my way home, I asked God to show me a rainbow to assure me that He is there and that He is listening to me. All the time I was in the bus, I was looking up the sky but saw no rainbow. I got home, sat on my computer and Googled aimlessly until I got to You Tube and watched my friends’ “Thank You’” video again, which I always do when I am lonely. “As I was watching, I moved my eyes to the right of the www.canadianinquirer.net
screen, and saw listed as related video that of Rainbow, a song popularized in my country by the band South Border. I listened and I cried because God did not only show me a rainbow, He talked to me. And this is what He said from the song Rainbow— “...Life’s full of challenge, not all the time we get what we want But don’t despair, my dear You’ll make each trial and you’ll make it through the storm ‘Cause you are strong My faith in you is clear, so I say once again This world’s wonderful, and let us celebrate Life’s so beautiful. So beautiful Take a little time, baby See the butterflies’ colors Listen to the birds that were sent to sing for you and me Can you feel me This is such a wonderful place to be Even if there is pain now, Everything will be all right For as long as the world still turns, there will be night and day Can you hear me There’s a rainbow always after the rain.” Is God in Canada? Why
should I even ask that question? What am I thinking? I am not about to let anybody think that God is not omnipotent. In whatever name or form you have known your Almighty to be, He will certainly follow you wherever you go. If you believe in your Almighty God, you will also believe that He follows you everywhere. It is so irreverent to even think that He is not omnipotent. Ask Him a sign if you may. The rainbow is my sign that He is alive and that He will bring calm after each storm. ■ Bolet is a marketing communications practitioner and dabbles in writing as a personal passion. She is author-publisher of the book: The Most Practical Immigrating and Job Hunting Survival Guide, proven simple steps to success without the fears and the doubts. book is available in Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, Chapters/Indigo, the Reading Room and other online bookshops worldwide.
Opinion
14
JULY 28, 2017
FRIDAY
PUBLIC LIVES
What is anger’s role in Rody’s popularity? By Randy David Philippine Daily Inquirer Whenever I am asked to venture an explanation for President Duterte’s high “approval” or “satisfaction” ratings in public opinion surveys, I find myself pausing longer than usual. As a sociologist, I am not sure what exactly is signified by the 84-percent “approval” for Mr. Duterte’s performance in Pulse Asia’s June 2017 survey, or the 78-percent (+66) “satisfaction” rating in the Social Weather Stations’ survey for the same period. While these figures suggest an agreement over something, it is difficult to say what that something is. Such figures are artifacts created by pollsters, but we can’t say if these stand for opinions arrived at in a coherent way, or for dispositions expressed at the spur of the moment. Unless we are clear what we are dealing with, it is absurd to even attempt to account for these. In the Pulse Asia survey, respondents were asked to choose the response that best represents their overall view of presidential performance. First, I wonder how many of those who were interviewed gave confident answers, and how many declined to be interviewed at all. More to the point, of the 84 percent who expressed their general approval of Mr. Duterte’s performance, how many might rethink
the grade they gave the President believe there has been a visible im- plicitly comparing candidates. But, had they been asked specific ques- provement in the public transport where survey informants are asked tions like: Do you believe the police system? Do you perceive much less to grade presidential performance without the benefit of clear criwhen they say that they only kill corruption in government today? On martial law in Mindanao: Do teria, it doesn’t seem fair to treat suspected drug runners and drug users who fight back? Do you be- you believe that the government their responses as though they lieve that the police are seriously is justified in bombing Marawi in were comparable answers to uniinvestigating so-called vigilante order to flush out the Maute ter- formly understood questions. To say that these can hardly killings? Do you believe that it is rorists from the city’s streets and ultimately a waste of resources to neighborhoods? Do you believe stand for public opinion is not to that the government is justified to say that “approval” or “satisfacrehabilitate drug users? Or, on foreign policy: Do you use martial lawnot just to ensure tion” ratings are useless. Indeed, agree that it is better to appease public safety in the event of a rebel- they play an important political China on the West Philippine Sea lion or invasion, but also to remove function. They can be deployed dispute than to actively pursue the once and for all the roots of crime, to silence dissenting voices. They can be used to rush the approval of Philippines’ sovereign rights under and reform society? controversial bills. international law? They can prod a Do you agree that regime to adopt the pursuit of an There are more questions worth asking on which a ill-conceived meaindependent formeaningful public opinion might be built, such as: Is the sures to solve comeign policy justirule of law in our country stronger under Mr. Duterte? plex problems. fies the President’s The French souse of offensive ciologist Pierre language against There are more questions worth Bourdieu offers an interesting some foreign leaders? On the economy: Do you believe that jobs are asking on which a meaningful pub- distinction: “[T]here is, on the more easily available today, that lic opinion might be built, such as: one hand, mobilized opinion, forworkers earn more, and that prices Is the rule of law in our country mulated opinion, pressure groups of basic necessities are lower under stronger under Mr. Duterte? Is mobilized around a system of exthe system of checks and balances plicitly formulated interests; and, President Duterte? Or, on the state of public servic- working better? Do you believe on the other hand, there are dises: Do you believe that the Duterte that fighting crime and drugs is positions which, by definition, are administration is doing its best to more important today than de- not opinion if one means by that … something that can be formulated solve traffic congestion in Metro fending human rights? The point is this: Assessing in discourse with some claim to coManila? Do you agree that President Duterte has done everything presidential performance can’t be herence.” I now think that the Pulse andto fix the longstanding delay in the like picking a name from a list of issuance of drivers’ licenses and contenders. In preelection surveys, SWSnumbers may not be so much vehicle plate numbers? Do you we may assume that voters are im- measures of public opinion as of
dispositions. In this regard, what the latest surveys may be portraying for us is a Filipino public that, after one year, remains favorably disposed toward Mr. Duterte for reasons that may have nothing to do with actual performance in office. Reading these surveys, I suspect that, at this point, President Duterte can take pretty much any position on any issue, and the majority of the Filipino people would still follow him. By being able to speak outrageously in public, by repeatedly espousing hitherto unpopular causes, and by getting the nation to accept him as he is, he has turned public opinion on its head. It is important to understand how we have fallen into this mindset. I am convinced about two things: one, that Mr. Duterte has accidentally tapped into a deep well of anger against a dysfunctional social order—a system in which ordinary Filipinos could find no hope; and two, that, with an angry president at the helm, Filipinos have stumbled into the age of resentment, expecting it will lead to change. “Resentment,” South Africa’s Nelson Mandela once said, “is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies.” It will not bring a people any closer to a better society. Hope lies in the nurturing of compassion, knowledge, and active citizenship. ■
Rich men, poor men in Duterte Cabinet BY PHILIP C. TUBEZA AND JAYMEE T. GAMIL Philippine Daily Inquirer NOT SURPRISINGLY, Public Works Secretary Mark Villar has emerged as the richest member of the Cabinet, with a net worth of P1.4 billion. Agrarian Reform Secretary Rafael Mariano is the poorest, with a net worth of P273,629. “I am only rich in experience. That’s my advantage here now as secretary,” Mariano said. With a net worth of P1.4 billion, Public Works Secretary Mark Villar, 38, is the richest member and the only billionaire in the Cabinet, according to his statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN). Agrarian Reform Secretary Rafael Mariano is the poorest, with a net worth of only P273,629. Malacañang on Thursday
released the SALNs of Villar, Mariano and 26 other members of President Duterte’s Cabinet upon the request of the Malacañang Press Corps. The request was made on May 4. Villar’s SALN showed that he owned seven homes worth P134,865,507. Villar, a son of former Senate President and real estate magnate Manuel Villar Jr., listed four condominiums (two in Taguig and two in Makati) and three houses and lots (in Pasig, Las Piñas and Glendale California) under his name. The former Las Piñas congressman had P1,423,674,972 in total assets and P14,525,475 in liabilities. After Villar, the next richest Cabinet members were Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez (P351,859,283), Information and Communications Technology Secretary Rodolfo Salalima
(P304,961,439), Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade (P301,999,204). Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi (P162,701,642), Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Martin Andanar (P152,272,523), Socioeconomic Secretary Ernesto Pernia (P105,431,605), Foreign Secre- tary Alan Peter Cayetano (P54,737,374), Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez (P50.5 million). Tourism Secretary Wanda Corazon Teo (P44,910,950), Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Jesus Dureza (P40,044,880), Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II (P37,632,069), Agricul- ture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol (P25,599,632); National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. (P22.245 million). Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno (P19,814,429), National Intelligence Coordinating www.canadianinquirer.net
Agency chief Alex Paul Monteaguado (P16.505 million), Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III (P15,450,000), Interior Secretary Catalino Cuy (P14.7 million), National Commission on Muslim Filipinos Secretary Yasmin Lao (P13,908,027). Presidential Management Staff acting chief Ferdinand Cui Jr. (P7,981,610), Science Secretary Fortunato dela Peña (P7.451 million), Education Secretary Leonor Briones (P4,387,498), Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana (P3.656 million), Social Welfare Secretary Judy Taguiwalo (P1,973,520), Health Secretary Paulyn Jean Ubial (P1.16 million), and National AntiPoverty Commission chair Liza Maza (P730,716). Modest lifestyle
Humble beginnings and staying with family is Mariano’s secret to a modest lifestyle.
“First, I come from a family of peasant farmers who still don’t have their own land. It’s around two hectares (that does not yield a regular harvest)… and it’s still under the name of our deceased father,” said Mariano, a former Anakpawis representative. “As for a house, we do have an ancestral house in Quezon, Nueva Ecija, but it’s our children—for a long time the eldest, then the youngest—who usually stay there,” Mariano said. In Metro Manila, he lives in an apartment rented by one of his children. The SALNs of five Cabinet members—Special Assistant to the President Christopher Lawrence Go, Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, Cabinet Secretary Leoncio Evasco Jr., Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu and Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo—were not available. ■
Opinion
FRIDAY JULY 28, 2017
15
AT LARGE
A joke that nobody finds funny By Rina Jimenez-David Philippine Daily Inquirer AS THIS is being written, the joint session of Congress to determine the need for extending martial law to the end of the year is still ongoing. With about an hour to go, it seems likely that the two chambers will grant President Duterte’s requested extension. Members of the opposition, both in the Senate and the House, have brought up many objections: the possibility of human rights abuses reminiscent of the rash of violations that took place during the Marcos martial law years; the abject conditions of Marawi residents who are still afraid to return to their abandoned homes while military rule prevails in the area; and the declarations made by military and defense officials, as well as the President, that the crisis should be resolved within 15 days.
But these objections have been brushed aside by other legislators who support the extension of martial law, citing the ongoing fighting between government troops and other armed groups in other parts of Mindanao. Was there any doubt that Congress would ignore the President’s desire to extend martial law? After all, the legislature has proven to be eager to comply with Malacañang’s wishes even before the declaration of martial law in Mindanao. (Congress did not even wish to vote on the wisdom of the declaration itself.) But hope springs eternal, despite previous experience, and despite one’s skepticism about the real nature of our legislators. The third branch of government, symbolized by the Supreme Court, seems the only institution standing in the way of the martial law juggernaut. But we’re not holding our breath
for a sudden upsurge of courage from our magistrates, are we? About halfway through the testimonies, I spotted this FB post from Carol Arguillas, editor of the news site MindaNews. “Where are the Moro reps?” she asked. “Si Samira pa lang ang boses ng Moro sa Kongreso (It’s only Samira who’s been the voice of the Moro in Congress)!” Carol was referring to Samira Gutoc Tomawis, who had resigned from the Bangsamoro Transition Commission in the wake of the President’s crass remarks about giving soldiers fighting in Marawi permission to rape up to two women in the course of battle. Samira addressed the body to air her concern about the welfare of the Marawi residents, especially the women and children, whose lives have been upended by the fighting in the city and the massive destruction that has taken place.
In reaction, a netizen seconded Arguillas’ observation, saying: “It has become a joke—this pretense at being defenders, representatives, protectors, spokespersons of the Moro people. And I refer not just to the elected legislators and local government representatives. I refer to those in the executive branch—local, regional and national. And I refer not just to those in the government either. Akala ko pa naman matatapang kapwa ko Moro (And I thought my fellow Moros were brave).” *** Well, be careful what you wish for. In time, Moro representatives did rise to speak on the issue of extending martial law in Mindanao. Rep. Bai Sandra Sema of the first district of Maguindanao expressed that she was in favor of the extension since “this is a fight against extremism.” But she also exhorted authorities to drop the idea of issuing identi-
fication cards to Muslim Filipinos, saying this would only antagonize Moros and “give support to the extremists.” Rep. Sajid Mangudadatu of Maguindanao likewise supported the President’s move. So did the representatives of districts in the area surrounding Marawi—Mauyag Papandayan Jr. and Ansaruddin Adiong, both of Lanao del Sur—as well as Datu Abul Khayr Alonto who chairs the Mindanao Development Authority. Instructive, isn’t it, how the representatives of the besieged city of Marawi and adjacent areas, who should know most intimately the status of the people affected by the fighting and how they will fare while martial law looms over their island, chose to look away and buckled under the pressure of the power-that-is. If indeed this is, according to the netizen, a “joke,” nobody’s laughing. ■
LOOKING BACK
Memories of early days in journalism By Ambeth R. Ocampo Philippine Daily Inquirer EARLY IN the week friends sent messages inquiring about the sale of the Prietoheld shares of the Inquirer to Ramon Ang. I was just as surprised as everyone else and wasn’t around when Marixi Prieto broke the news last Monday at an Inquirer town hall meeting. Many of my friends wax nostalgic over how the Inquirer has been part of their daily lives since the tailend of the Marcos period and a succession of presidents: Cory Aquino, Fidel Ramos, Joseph Estrada, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Benigno Aquino III, Rodrigo Duterte. These people, like me, are of a certain age and can afford to be nostalgic but a younger set, my students, don’t read the print edition of the Inquirer but read it online. Some don’t even get past the headlines that get shared on Facebook or Twitter. Theirs is a dif-
ferent generation that takes to news differently. I don’t know what lies in store for the Inquirer or for meunder a new owner, but while waiting to get to the bridge I will cross I couldn’t help looking back to see how the world has changed since I first started writing for the Sunday magazine of the Philippines Daily Express in 1985. I started writing in the twilight of the Marcos years, where my historical pieces were considered “safe” and not monitored by the censors. I shared office space with Ricky Lo and our magazine almost always had a pretty woman on the cover so the type of history I have since developed into a brand wasmeant to engage, entertain and inform. If I had taken a different path I would have written for academic journals where, as my thesis supervisor always told me, there was no need for interesting writing because there were only three
readers: the editor and the two referees whowere paid to read. While writing for an “establishment” paper that paid the rent I also wrote for the “alternative” press that was contemptuously described by some in the administration as the “mosquito press.” Somy articles appeared, under a handful of different names, in Veritas, Mr & Ms, and the short-lived Businessday weekend supplement. Aside from history, I wrote profiles and even tried my hand at an advice column, and was a frustrated astrologer who got found out because the editor checked her forecast for the week and was horrified to be told that “on Wednesday you will choke on a chicken sandwich.” My first regular column appeared in the Lifestyle and Entertainment section of the Daily Globe, and Letty Magsanoc who had been reading me advised me to speak with the editors www.canadianinquirer.net
and move me to the Op-Ed page to join the likes of Renato Constantino and Dodong Nemenzo. I told Letty I was happy in the Lifestyle section that could accommodate photos with my text and received a lecture on the importance of history. Her punchline: “How do you expect to be taken seriously when your essay appears beside a photo of Dolphy in drag?” So I moved to the Op-Ed pages of the Globe and later moved to the Inquirer where I have been since 1990. My favorite nephew who reads on his cell phone and writes on a laptop might not know what a typewriter is until he actually tries one out. His elder sister, I remember, once asked us what a vinyl record was and being shown one in its original cardboard jacket, her eyes lit up with recognition. “Oh,” she exclaimed “it’s like a laser disc!” I guess my nephews and nieces think we lived in prehistoric times, and
I wonder how much more distant they will feel when they listen to their grandfather, now 92 years old, explain how they could buy many things for a fraction of one centavo when a ten-peso coin won’t even buy them a can of soda. At the Globe newsroom I saw the division of generations, half of the space occupied by the veterans typing away on noisy typewriters and the young ones working almost noiselessly on computers where the only noise they made was printing out copy on dotmatrix printers. While people my age are saying goodbye to the end of an era at the Inquirer, I’d like to think it’s not the end of the world for us at the Inquirer. All things come to an end of sorts and with each end comes a new beginning, so what lies in store for us at the Inquirer under a new owner remains to be seen. We will all cross the bridge when we get there. ■
16
JULY 28, 2017
FRIDAY
Canada News Cannabis executive B.C.’s new attorney general says producers says province won’t delay unlikely to meet Trans Mountain permits demands of consumer market BY LAURA KANE The Canadian Press
BY PETER RAKOBOWCHUK The Canadian Press MONTREAL — An official with a large Canadian producer of medical cannabis is confident consumers will be adequately supplied come next July, but says production will need to be increased. “Right now, the existing capacity and what is already envisioned will not be sufficient to meet the needs of the adult consumer market,” Cam Battley, executive vice-president of Aurora Cannabis Inc., said in an interview Monday. He has urged other companies to ramp up their production ahead of next July 1, when recreational marijuana is expected to be legalized. “We need to expand our capacity right away simply to meet the demands of the rapidly growing medical cannabis system,” Battley said. “When the demand of the adult consumer system is layered on top of that, it’s a rush to build as much capacity as possible.” Battley made the comments on the same day that Aurora (TSX:ACB) began trading common shares on the Toronto Stock Exchange. Alberta-based Aurora, one of several producers now listed on the TSX, is building what it describes as the world’s largest cannabis production facility at Edmonton International Airport. Battley said Canada has a well-developed and successful medical cannabis system. “This is a coming of age, not just for Aurora, but for the cannabis sector and what we’re seeing now is that Canada has
established itself as the world leader in a brand new emerging industry that we are literally inventing in real time,” he said. Battley added that officials from around the world have been coming to his facility in Alberta to visit and to learn how Canada has been so successful both on the medical side and on the consumer side. “There’s something very big happening and it’s a global movement and it is being led out of Canada.” Jordan Sinclair, director of communications for Canopy Growth Corp. (TSX:WEED), another major medical cannabis producer, agrees. “There’s no doubt that we already are ...that Canada is the global leader in cannabis on the medical side certainly,” he said. “The demand doesn’t seem to be slowing down on the medical side of things and then with recreation, obviously that’s a massive market opportunity.” Sinclair pointed out that Canopy, whose headquarters are in a former Hershey chocolate factory in Smiths Falls, southwest of Ottawa, was first listed on the big board of the TSX in July 2016. “We’re very proud to have done that before anyone else in the country,” he added. “It does seem like now the pace is speeding up with other companies following in our footsteps (and) it signals that there is credibility across the sector.” On its website, Health Canada says there are 52 authorized licensed producers of cannabis for medical purposes. Ontario has issued 29 licences, followed by British Columbia with 12. ■
VANCOUVER — British Columbia’s attorney general says the NDP government will not artificially delay permits for the Trans Mountain pipeline, despite the premier’s vow to use every available tool to stop the project. David Eby said he’s been Premier John Horgan (left) with Attorney General David Eby. BC NDP tasked by Premier John Horgan to identify options to halt Kind- spond to requests for comment tain), you wouldn’t want to give er Morgan Canada’s $7.4-billion from The Canadian Press. the suggestion that you were expansion of its Alberta-to-B.C. Horgan’s NDP won 41 seats in deliberately delaying or acting pipeline, which has already the province’s May 9 election, in bad faith,” he said. been approved by Ottawa and shy of the 44 needed to mount “That’s one of those challengthe previous B.C. government. a majority. But the Greens, who es the government faces. BeEby said the province can- hold three seats, signed an agree- cause it has been so explicit that not deliberately stall on per- ment to support the New Demo- it’s going to use every tool to try mits without risking a very crats in a minority government. and block this pipeline, that costly lawsuit, but it can ensure The agreement states the they may worry that the courts that permits require that con- government will “immediately will see the government’s acstruction be done in a way that employ every tool available to tions as being in bad faith.” minimizes spills, protects the stop” the pipeline expansion. First Nations and envienvironment and ensures apA mandate letter issued by ronmental groups have filed propriate cleanup. Horgan to Environment Minis- lawsuits against the federal “I’ve been tasked by the pre- ter George Heyman on Monday government’s approval of the mier to identify our options. softens the language slightly, project. Some groups have also There is an imlaunched legal portant piece challenges of to that, which B.C.’s environis that we must mental certifido so within the We’ll end up paying hundreds of cate. millions of dollars that should be laws of British The NDP govgoing to schools and hospitals to an Columbia and ernment has oil company and that is not a goal that Canada, because not said what it anybody’s looking for. if we don’t, we’ll plans to do about be sued,” Eby told the lawsuits, but Kamloops radio Coleman said if station CHNL. it is looking to “We’ll end up paying hun- saying instead that he must em- avoid compensation, then the dreds of millions of dollars that ploy every tool available to “de- normal move would be to deshould be going to schools and fend B.C.’s interests in the face fend the certificate. hospitals to an oil company and of” the expansion. “The question is: Is that that is not a goal that anybody’s James Coleman, an energy a half-hearted defence?” he looking for.” law professor at Southern asked. “I think that remains to Trans Mountain, a subsid- Methodist University who pre- be seen.” iary of Kinder Morgan Canada, viously worked at the UniverHorgan said at a joint news declined comment on Eby’s re- sity of Calgary, said Eby’s re- conference with Prime Minismarks but said it’s in an ongoing marks reflect the government’s ter Justin Trudeau in Ottawa process of seeking and receiv- need to be cautious about what on Tuesday that he hasn’t yet ing permits from the necessary it says and does. been briefed by his attorney agencies, as construction of the “That’s certainly what you’d general but he has spoken with project is phased. want to say. If you want to avoid ❱❱ PAGE 18 B.C.’s new Eby did not immediately re- compensation (to Trans Mounwww.canadianinquirer.net
17
FRIDAY JULY 28, 2017
First Nations ink agreement with Ottawa, Ontario for more control of health care BY KRISTY KIRKUP The Canadian Press OTTAWA — Authorities involved in dealing with mental health in remote First Nations reserves say they have a plan to disrupt the cycle of suicide and crisis. The federal and Ontario ministers of health as well as an umbrella organization representing 49 First Nations in northern Ontario have signed a charter that will give front-line workers and First Nations communities more of a say — and responsibility — in responding to crises. The arrangement — signed by federal Health Minister Jane Philpott, Ontario Health Minister Eric Hoskins and Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler — is supposed to lead to a transition where First Nations can develop and implement their own health plans and avoid getting caught in government red tape. The charter comes with a tracking mechanism that is meant to monitor results. And it will eventually include a more comprehensive strategy to prevent suicide and mental
health crises to begin with. “There are many steps to get there but we have agreed today that ... is our goal and the charter that we just signed established the principles upon which that work will be done,” Philpott said at a news conference held in Ottawa. The agreement can also be seen as an acknowledgment by all parties that the “colonial health system” established for First Nations across Canada does not serve communities well, Hoskins said, noting poor outcomes and inequities. “What was agreed to was in the coming weeks and months, we will work together towards a new health system for NAN in Ontario and their First Nations communities that will be First Nations led, First Nations planned, First Nations delivered,” he said. “It is a goal that I have create confidence in.” For their part, First Nations communities are ready to take over control, Fiddler said. “The document we signed ... outlines the principles that will help ... guide us to where we want to go,” he said. “It is time that this happens especially ...
what we’ve been through over the last year.” Several remote communities, including the Wapekeka and Pikangikum first nations, have been reeling following the suicides of a number of young people recently. Transforming the Indigenous health care system has been a long-term goal for many a First Nation organization fed up with frequent emergencies. In October 2016, NAN, the Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak (MKO) — an organization representing communities in northern Manitoba — and the Saskatchewan-based Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations proposed a joint plan for changing care across their territories to Philpott and Indigenous Affairs Minister Carolyn Bennett. Doctors are pushing for similar changes. More than 20 doctors who provide medical care to First Nations in northwestern Ontario released a letter Monday calling on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Philpott to address the “escalating” mental health crisis. “While government bureau-
New rules for condos in Ontario taking effect this fall
deaths of four young people. Hoskins said the workers will go to the reserve immediately — at a cost of about $1.6 million — and will remain as long as needed. He said he also believes changing the current approach involves giving more control to First Nations in Ontario to direct and manage care, pointing to a successful model used in B.C. In 2013, the First Nations Health Authority in that province assumed programs, services, and responsibilities formerly handled by Health Canada’s First Nations Inuit Health Branch — an approach considered the first of its kind in Canada. “I am not ... suggesting that model would work in Ontario and frankly, it is not up to me to make that determination,” Hoskins said. “It is up to First Nations themselves in the province of Ontario to make that determination in terms of what structure and governance and model would work best.” ■
Convicted serial killer faces nurses’ college professional misconduct hearing
THE CANADIAN PRESS TORONTO — New protections for condo owners and rules for managers and directors in Ontario are taking effect this fall. Government and Consumer Services Minister Tracy MacCharles says more than one in 10 people in the province live in a condo and more than half of the new homes under construction are condos. Starting this fall, new rules will make it easier for condo owners to participate in owners’ meetings and will make it easier for them to access records of their condo corporation. Directors will have to disclose whether they are owners or occupiers of units in the building or if they have interests in con-
cracies maintain funding and health system design, First Nations are left with the blame for health system failure,” the letter said. “They are also left with the results of health system failure: more suicides, more disease morbidity and more broken families and communities.” Part of the overhaul required involves giving more resources and responsibilities to First Nations themselves, the doctors argue, because the bureaucracy does not have the proper tools to implement prevention and treatment plans. “Short-term crisis response intervention cannot be the backbone of any health system,” their letter said. “This is what we have accepted in the current government health system design ... we ask that you invest in communityled health transformation.” In the immediate term, Ontario has decided to 20 new full-time mental health workers to Pikangikum — a remote community located near the Manitoba border that has long struggled with a suicide crisis including, most recently, the
THE CANADIAN PRESS
MICHAEL GIL / FLICKR
tracts involving the corporation, which MacCharles says will improve governance and address conflicts of interest. Directors will also have to undergo training and there will be mandatory education requirements for condo managers applying for a general licence. Two new administrative bodies
will launch this fall — the Condominium Authority of Ontario will provide education about condo owner rights and responsibilities and will manage the tribunal that resolves disputes about access to records, and the Condominium Management Regulatory Authority of Ontario will regulate and licence condo managers. ■ www.canadianinquirer.net
TORONTO — A professional disciplinary hearing has begun for an Ontario nurse who murdered eight seniors in her care. Elizabeth Wettlaufer is not present at the hearing taking place before a disciplinary panel at the College of Nurses of Ontario. The regulatory body alleges Wettlaufer committed professional misconduct when she overdosed 14 patients with the intent to harm or kill them. A college spokeswoman has said the panel hearing Wettlaufer’s case could make
its decision by the end of the day. In June, Wettlaufer pleaded guilty to the first-degree murder of eight seniors, attempted murder of four others and aggravated assault of two more people. She confessed to the murders while at a psychiatric hospital in Toronto in the fall before detailing the crimes to police in Woodstock, Ont. The college knew Wettlaufer was fired from the Caressant Care nursing home in Woodstock for a medication error in 2014, but she continued to work — and harmed patients — until she resigned as a nurse in September 2016. ■
World News
18
JULY 28, 2017
FRIDAY
Brazilians detail abuses by US church, shattered lives BY PETER PRENGAMAN, MITCH WEISS AND HOLBROOK MOHR The Associated Press SAO JOAQUIM DE BICAS, BRAZIL — At the Word of Faith Fellowship churches in the Brazilian cities of Sao Joaquim de Bicas and Franco da Rocha, the signs of broken families are everywhere: parents separated from their children, siblings who no longer speak, grandparents who wonder if they will ever know their grandchildren. Over the course of two decades, the U.S.-based mother church took command of both congregations in Brazil, applying a strict interpretation of the Bible and enforcing it through rigorous controls and physical punishment, The Associated Press has found. Many of the more than three dozen former members interviewed by the AP in Brazil said they live in perpetual fear of retribution. Some have sought psychological help. Others ask themselves how they put up with the abuse for so long. Former member Juliana Oliveira remembers when life was normal in the Sao Joaquim de Bicas church, but that was years ago, before the Americans came from Spindale, North Carolina. Before the Brazilian traditions were stripped away, she said, and the screaming and beatings began. “When you are in a cult, you don’t know you are in a cult because little by little it all becomes ‘normal,’” said Oliveira, 34. “It’s like a frog in a pot of water. By the time it’s boiling, he can’t jump out.” The examination of Word of Faith Fellowship’s spread into Latin America’s largest country is part of the AP’s lengthy ongoing investigation into the evangelical church, founded in 1979 by Jane Whaley, a former math teacher, and her husband, Sam. Based on exclusive interviews with dozens of former members, the AP reported in February that congregants in the U.S. were regularly beaten, punched and choked to “purify” sinners by expel-
ling devils. The AP also has detailed how Word of Faith Fellowship funneled a steady flow of young Brazilian members to the United States on tourist and student visas and forced them to work both at the church and companies owned by sect leaders. Neither Whaley nor the pastors at both Word of Faith Fellowship branches in Brazil responded to requests for comment. The church has nearly 2,000 members in Brazil and Ghana and its affiliations in Sweden, Scotland and other countries, in addition to 750 congregants in Spindale. In Brazil, the takeover of the two churches was a slow evolution that culminated in drastic rules dictating almost every aspect of congregants’ lives, former members said. Many of the edicts echoed Whaley’s mandates in North Carolina, such as a ban on wearing jeans and children talking to members of the opposite sex without approval. In Franco da Rocha, former members said Whaley prohibited soccer as Brazil was getting ready to host the 2014 World Cup because she felt the church’s young males were focused on the event at the expense of God. “We just dealt with a major ‘soccer devil’ down in Brazil two weeks ago,” Whaley told the Spindale congregation in a sermon transmitted to branches in Brazil and Ghana that was viewed by the AP. When Oliveira was a teenager in the late 1990s, the evangelical school she attended was “strict but normal,” she said. The Bible was the guiding principle at Ministerio Verbo Vivo (Live Word), but general subjects were taught just like at any Brazilian school. By the time she returned from college to teach at the school, life at Verbo Vivo was barely recognizable, said Oliveira, who broke with Word of Faith in 2009. Schoolbooks reviewed by the AP show heavy redactions. Instead of human sexuality, for example, the life cycle is taught via plant reproduction.
“The influence of American pastors was getting stronger and stronger in the school and church,” Oliveira said, wiping away tears during an interview at her home in nearby Betim. “They stopped emphasizing the teaching of Portuguese, geography, mathematics — the normal things. It turned into mostly Bible study and a lot of abuse.” Students deemed as “rebellious” were isolated from others during the school day, made to read the Bible or shouted at for hours to “expunge devils,” according to many former students and their parents. When state inspectors visited, the long palm tree-lined driveway from the gate to the school provided plenty of time for school employees to pull out regular books and make things look “normal,” Oliveira said. Over the years, former members say the Brazilian churches introduced physical assaults and “blasting” — a Word of Faith Fellowship practice where ministers and congregants surround members and scream in their faces for hours to drive out demons. Flavio Correa said his oldest son was slapped so many times during a blasting session by pastors at the Franco da Rocha church that he suffered several cuts on his face. “At the time I thought it was absurd, exaggerated,” said Correa, 52, who left the church last year after 23 years. “But I confided in them and you start to think it is good for the person. Today, I just think it’s stupid.”
The tentacles into Brazil
Word of Faith Fellowship’s reach into Brazil began with John Martin, an American missionary who arrived in the late 1970s, married a local woman and served as pastor at a Baptist church near Belo Horizonte, one of the country’s largest cities. Former members say Martin met Sam Whaley on an airplane in 1986, sparking a relationship that led both Whaleys and other ministers from Spindale to begin visiting Martin’s church. Martin founded Verbo Vivo in Belo Horizonte in 1987 and, gradually, year by year, the Americans began to gain control of the parish, former members said. In 2005, Martin moved his church to Sao Joaquim de Bicas, a small city about 45 minutes away. That same year, dozens of church families moved to a large plot of land in Betim, a small adjacent city. Though land was cheaper outside Belo Horizonte, former members cite another motivation: Isolating the flock from the outside world. Children attended school on church land — property ringed by an 8-foothigh fence topped with barbed wire — and returned home to a neighbourhood with a manned gate and its own 8-foothigh fence. Adult members had little contact with the outside world, going to work and returning straight home to the community. Some ex-members continue to live ❱❱ PAGE 27 Brazilians detail
B.C.’s new... SALES CENTER CUSTOMER SERVICE AGENT – FULL TIME (UP TP $40K) First Solution Advantage is an Outbound Call Center that calls Customers who showed interest in our Products. Our Agents are Trained and Developed to Educate Customers on the Full Potential of all our Products REQUIREMENTS:
1-year Customer Service Experience, Asset: Prior Call Center and Sales Experience, Strong Work Ethic, Team Player and Coachable Attitude COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:
Hourly Base Pay + Uncapped Commission + potential Group Benefits, Daily / Weekly Incentive Programs, Contests, and Raffles, Opportunity to Advance to Management, Casual Work Environment, Catered Lunches, and Company Events
Vibrant area of Granville and Broadway, seamless access through Transit. Mon: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM; Tues-Fri: 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM & Sat: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM (OPTIONAL). Send Resume to HR@fsaventures.com | Website: fsaventures.com
❰❰ 16
First Nations who have filed lawsuits against the federal government. “I’ve met with the leadership of the Tsleil-Waututh, Musqueam and Squamish First Nations and have heard very clearly their views on the matter, and we’ll deal with those in the days and weeks ahead,” he said. Charlene Aleck, an elected councillor of the Tsleil-Waututh, said she had met with Horgan and felt confident he supports their efforts to halt the pipeline
www.canadianinquirer.net
expansion. However, Horgan has not signalled that he intends to join their legal fight, she said. Green party Leader Andrew Weaver said in a statement that he understands Eby’s points and expects they are not indicative of a broader change in the NDP’s stance on the pipeline. “As an opposition party, we will remain steadfast in calling on the NDP government to use every legally available tool to stop the pipeline from going ahead,” Weaver said. ■
19
FRIDAY JULY 28, 2017
TV you can talk to.
Spend more time watching and less time scrolling. • Voice-powered remote • Integrated Sports App • Kids Zone created just for kids • Intuitive recommendations
Switch to Shaw and get BlueSky TV for
30
$
00
*
per month for the first year when bundled with Internet 150 on a 2-year ValuePlan.ˆ
Bundled price: $79.90/mo year one, $129.90/mo year two, regular rate $145/mo.
Call 1-866-718-9190 or visit shaw.ca/BlueSkyTV for details.
* This introductory BlueSky TV and Internet 150 offer includes the Small TV plan and applies to new customers only. New customers must not have subscribed to the selected Shaw service (Internet, Video or Phone) or bundle in the past 90 days. Offer subject to change without notice. Price shown does not include tax. Promotional first-year pricing of $79.90/mo. is only available to new customers, existing customers receive Internet 150 and BlueSky TV for promotional two-year pricing of $129.90/mo. on a 2-year ValuePlan. Regular rates apply after promotional period and are subject to change. Not all Shaw services are available in all regions. The BlueSky TV equipment and modem you rent or purchase may be new or refurbished. Equipment not purchased by you must be returned to Shaw if any of your services are cancelled. A maximum of twelve (12) TVs can be connected, requiring three (3) BlueSky TV HDPVRs with three (3) portals for each. You may not resell any Shaw services. ^ The 2-year ValuePlan is available only as an Internet and TV agreement when including BlueSky TV. Internet and BlueSky TV agreements require a minimum entry service level of Limited TV combined with Internet 150. Shaw Phone services may be added or removed at any time outside of the 2-year ValuePlan. Under the Internet and BlueSky TV 2-year ValuePlan, customers receive a complimentary BlueSky TV HDPVR and BlueSky TV portal when subscribed to Internet 150 and Small TV or higher. Otherwise, a monthly rental fee of $15 per month per BlueSky TV HDPVR and a monthly rental fee of $5 per month per BlueSky TV portal will apply. Free installation as part of a 2-year ValuePlan. Early cancellation fees apply and will be calculated based on the number of months remaining in the 2-year ValuePlan multiplied by the early cancellation fee ($20 per month for the Internet and BlueSky TV agreement). Details on 2-year ValuePlans can be found at shaw.ca/valueplandetails. © 2017 All Shaw services are subject to our Joint Terms of Use and Privacy Policy located at www.shaw.ca. © 2017 Shaw Cablesystems G.P.
www.canadianinquirer.net
20
World News
JULY 28, 2017
FRIDAY
Israel Embassy shooting in Jordan complicates shrine crisis BY ARON HELLER AND KARIN LAUB The Associated Press JERUSALEM — A deadly shooting at Israel’s Embassy in Jordan further complicated Israeli government efforts on Monday to find a way out of an escalating crisis over a major Jerusalem shrine, including mass Muslim prayer protests and Israeli-Palestinian violence. The shooting, in which an Israeli security guard killed two Jordanians after being attacked by one of them with a screwdriver, led to a diplomatic standoff between the two countries at a time when Jordan is heavily involved in efforts to defuse the crisis over the Jerusalem holy site. Jordan is the Muslim custodian of the shrine, which is also holy to Jews. The 37-acre walled compound is the third holiest site of Islam, after Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia. It is also the holiest site of Judaism, revered as the place where biblical Temples once stood. Jordanian officials said Monday that the guard could only leave after an investigation, according to a news site linked to Jordan’s military. Israel insisted the guard has diplomatic immunity. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he spoke to the guard and assured him that Israel has experience in dealing with such a situation and would bring him home. He said Jordan’s ambassador to Israel came to the Foreign Ministry earlier Monday “to help solve the crisis.” The drama played out as President Donald Trump’s Mideast envoy, Jason Greenblatt, headed to the Holy Land
on Monday. It was the first sign of a high-level, on-the-ground attempt by the Trump administration to end the standoff between Israel and the Muslim world. The holy site is known to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as the Temple Mount. The escalation began earlier this month when Arab gunmen fired from the holy site, killing two Israeli policemen. In response, Israel installed metal detectors at the site, a move that incensed the Muslim world. The shooting at Israel’s embassy in the Jordanian capital of Amman could further inflame Jordanian public opinion against Israel. The Amman shooting took place on Sunday evening in a residential building used by the embassy staff. Israel’s Foreign Ministry said the incident began when two Jordanian workmen arrived at the building to replace furniture. It said one of the workers, later identified as a 17-year-old of Palestinian origin, attacked an Israeli security guard with a screwdriver. The guard opened fire, killing the teen. A second Jordanian, the owner of the building who was also a physician, was hit by gunfire and later died of his wounds. The guard was lightly hurt, the ministry said. The Jordanian news site Hala Akhbar, which is linked to the kingdom’s military, quoted diplomatic and security officials as saying that Jordan refused to let the guard leave without an investigation. The website quoted the officials as saying that Jordan might take “diplomatic measures” if Israel refuses to meet the demand.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry did not refer to Jordanian demands, but said the guard enjoys diplomatic immunity under international conventions. An Israeli government official said talks were under way whether to evacuate the embassy staff, given the tensions in Jordan. He said either all or none of the staff would be evacuated, and that the security guard would not be left behind. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the diplomatic efforts underway to defuse the situation. The father of the slain teen on Monday called for an investigation and said he would not bury his son until he was shown security camera footage of the incident. Zakariah al-Jawawdeh told The Associated Press that his son Mohammed is a “son of Jordan who was shot on Jordanian soil” and he deserved justice. He described Mohammed as apolitical, saying his son spent long hours working in the family furniture store and had no
CIRCUMCISION NEWBORN
OLDER INFANTS
time to watch the news. Israel’s security Cabinet met from late Sunday until the early hours of Monday to discuss the crisis at the shrine and the embassy shooting, and was to convene again Monday afternoon. Netanyahu said Israel is in regular contact “with security and government officials on all levels in Amman to bring as speedy a resolution as possible to this event.” Israel and Jordan signed a peace deal in 1994, but the agreement remains deeply unpopular in the kingdom where many residents are of Palestinian origin. Jordan and Israel have close security ties, but frequently clash over Israeli policies at the Jerusalem shrine. Jordan’s ruling Hashemite dynasty, said to trace its ancestry to the Prophet Muhammad, draws much of its legitimacy from its role as protector of the shrine. Meanwhile, the security Cabinet reached no decision after a six-hour meeting on how to defuse the crisis over the Jerusalem shrine, Israeli media said. The ministers were reportedly
Laub reported from Jericho, West Bank. Associated Press Writer Mohammed Daraghmeh in Ramallah, West Bank, and Omar Akour in Amman, Jordan, contributed to this report.
with the Pollock Technique CHILDREN
A virtually painless procedure using short and long acting local anesthetic. An ultra-quick surgical technique, done in minutes. For older ages - New 90-second skin glue closure method for improved cosmetic results. Sutures rarely needed. Meticulous post-op surgical care and follow-up.
ƒƏƔǥƓƓƏǥƕƎƕƎ
YAKUB88 / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
reviewing the initial decision on installing the metal detectors and weighing possible alternatives. Israel has said the metal detectors were a needed security measure to prevent future attacks. However, the government is facing growing domestic criticism, with some commentators saying it did not fully weigh all the repercussions of introducing new measures at the most volatile spot of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Muslim religious leaders have alleged that Israel is trying to expand its control at the site under the guise of security — a claim Israel denies. The tensions have led to mass prayer protests and deadly Israeli-Palestinian violence. Ikrema Sabri, a senior Muslim cleric, said Monday that Jerusalem’s police chief, Yoram Halevi, met a day earlier with a lawyer representing the Muslim leadership to discuss solutions to the crisis. Sabri said newly installed security cameras, described in media reports as a possible alternative to the metal detectors, were discussed. He said the lawyer was to brief the Muslim leadership later Monday on Israel’s responses. In another sign of the tense atmosphere, a Palestinian assailant stabbed an Arab citizen of Israel in the neck in central Israel, apparently mistaking him for a Jew, police said. The assailant was detained. ■
ADOLESCENTS
ADULTS
Safely performed on over 50,000 patients throughout Canada
Dr. Roland Sing, MD, FRCSC
info@gentleprocedurestoronto.ca gentleprocedurestoronto.ca | 2 Champagne Drive - East Entrance, Toronto, ON M3J 2C5
www.canadianinquirer.net
World News
FRIDAY JULY 28, 2017
21
Muslims keep up shrine boycott Maker of panels despite Israeli concessions in London fire says builders control usage BY KARIN LAUB AND ARON HELLER The Associated Press
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Jordan initially said the guard could not leave without an investigation, but then allowed him and the rest of the embassy staff to leave to Israel late Monday. The timing of the events — the evacuation of the diplomats, followed by the removal of the metal detectors — suggested a larger deal had been struck between the two countries. The 37-acre (15-hectare) holy site in Jerusalem’s Old City sits on the fault line of the IsraeliPalestinian conflict and has triggered major confrontations in the past. Israel had erected metal detectors at the gates to the Muslim-administered site last week
Jordan lent more urgency to finding a solution. The deal also coincided with a visit to Israel and Jordan by Jason Greenblatt, President Donald JERUSALEM — Muslim leadTrump’s Mideast envoy. ers urged the faithful on TuesHis visit marked the first day to keep up their prayer on-the-ground involvement by protests and avoid entering a the U.S. administration since contested Jerusalem shrine, the start of the crisis over the even after Israel dismantled shrine. metal detectors that initially Israel’s security Cabinet antriggered the tensions. nounced the decision to reIsrael said it would replace move the metal detectors early the metal detectors with new Tuesday. It said police would security arrangements based increase the deployment of on “advanced technology,” reforces until the new measures portedly including sophistiare in place. cated cameras, but said it could The statement said the govtake up to six months to install ernment would budget 100 them. million shekels ($28 million) Muslim clerics have demandto implement the security ed that Israel restore the situaplan over a period of “up to six tion at the shrine months.” — the third holiAs custodian, est in Islam and Jordan has the the holiest in Jufinal say over daism — to what The timing of the events — the Muslim policies evacuation of the diplomats, followed it was before at the shrine, by the removal of the metal detectors it installed the but also needs to — suggested a larger deal had been metal detectors consider public struck between the two countries. last week. opinion, includThe clerics ing among Palsaid Tuesday estinians in the that they need Holy Land. time to study the In his phone proposed new Israeli measures. after Arab gunmen killed two call with Netanyahu, Jordan’s “We need to know all the details Israeli police guards there two king stressed the need to “rebefore we decide to pray inside days earlier. move the measures taken by the compound,” said the mufti, The move incensed the Mus- the Israeli side since the recent or top Muslim cleric in Jerusa- lim world, amid allegations crisis broke out” and to agree lem, Mohammed Hussein. that Israel was trying to expand on steps that would prevent anMuslim worshippers heeded control over the site under the other escalation in the future, the call of the clergy, with doz- guise of security — a claim Is- Jordan’s state news agency Peens performing noon prayers in rael denies. tra said. the streets outside the shrine The installation of the metal Israel captured the Old City on Tuesday. detectors set off widespread compound, along with other The continued protests protests and deadly Israeli-Pal- territories sought for a Palesmeant that the escalating crisis estinian violence over the past tinian state, in the 1967 war. between Israel and the Muslim week. Large crowds of Muslim Under arrangements put in world, which began in mid-July, worshippers prayed outside place then, Muslims administer has not been defused, even af- the shrine in protest every day, the site and Jews can visit, but ter Israel backed down on the refusing to pass through the not pray there. metal detectors. metal detectors. Jordan’s ruling Hashemite Jordan, the Muslim custoIsrael has denied it has a dynasty draws much of its legitdian of the shrine, has played hidden agenda, portraying the imacy from its role as protector a key role in trying to end the metal detectors as a needed se- of the holy site. showdown over the holy site. curity measure. However, it also maintains Over the weekend, Jordan’s However, the Israeli govern- strategic, if discreet, security efforts were complicated by a ment has come under growing ties with Israel — a relationship shooting at Israel’s Embassy diplomatic pressure in recent that has survived several crises in Amman in which an Israeli days to reconsider the decision. and repeated friction over the guard killed two Jordanians af- It also faced growing domes- Jerusalem shrine. ter being attacked by one with a tic criticism that it had acted The swift resolution of the screwdriver. hastily, without weighing the latest diplomatic row reflected A 24-hour standoff was re- repercussions of installing new the overriding interest by both solve after a phone call between devices at the volatile site. ❱❱ PAGE 24 Muslims keep Jordan’s King Abdullah II and The diplomatic crisis with www.canadianinquirer.net
BY JEFF MARTIN The Associated Press ATLANTA — The U.S. company that manufactured panels on a London apartment tower where at least 80 people perished in an inferno has quit selling them for high-rises because it has no control over their installation, a top company executive said Monday. Arconic Inc. is continuing to work with investigators to determine what caused the flames to spread so rapidly at Grenfell Tower on June 14, interim CEO David Hess told investors during an earnings call. “Cladding systems contain various components selected and put together by architects, contractors, fabricators and building owners, and those parties are responsible for ensuring that the cladding systems are compliant under the appropriate codes and regulations,” the company said in a news release Monday. About 12 days after the blaze, the company announced it would discontinue making its Reynobond PE panels available for high-rises. That decision was made out of “an abundance of caution as Arconic does not control the ultimate design and installation of the final cladding system,” the company said. “We extend our deepest sympathies to those who have lost so much,” Hess added Monday.
Grenfell Tower two days after the fire.
An Associated Press review this month found that some building owners in the U.S. were unaware that the same Reynobond panels, which feature a polyethylene core, were used on their buildings as well. Polyethylene is combustible, according to federal agencies including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In many cases, building owners and regulators did not know the product was used on their structures, or exactly how it was applied. In several cases, old building records had been destroyed. Among U.S. buildings that appeared to have used this cladding is the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront hotel, which towers more than 30 stories over the city’s harbour; the Cleveland Browns’ stadium; and a school in Alaska, according to Arconic brochures. Cleveland’s chief building official said the panels on the city-owned stadium are “similar if not identical” to those on the London tower, but were installed differently and pose no risk to fans. No one has declared any of the U.S. buildings unsafe, nor has the U.S. government ordered the widespread testing of building panels that British authorities ordered after the London catastrophe. But in the wake of the London fire, samples were collected from the exterior of the ❱❱ PAGE 28 Maker of
CHIRALJON / WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
22
Community News
JULY 28, 2017
TASTE OF MANILA
GMA PINOY TV HEADS WEST TO CELEBRATE PHILIPPINE INDEPENDENCE IN CANADA
www.canadianinquirer.net
FRIDAY
23
FRIDAY JULY 28, 2017
www.canadianinquirer.net
24
JULY 28, 2017
FRIDAY
Entertainment What is John Lloyd’s role in Sarah’s life? BY MARINEL R. CRUZ Philippine Daily Inquirer FOR ACTOR John Lloyd Cruz, timing was what kept him from getting involved in a real-life relationship with onscreen partner Sarah Geronimo. “Timing has always been an issue,” declared John Lloyd, implying that one of them would be dating someone else when the other was single. “Timing is not our friend. I have always felt this affection for her. I wonder if this would ever disappear... These days, I just observe her from afar. I’m OK with that.” “She has this certain charm— she is well-loved, even by my own mom and aunties,” he added. Meanwhile, Sarah, who is currently dating fellow ABSCBN artist Matteo Guidicelli, said: “Thanks! That’s Lloydie’s role in my life—to appreciate me. For that, I’m happy.”
Sarah first starred with John Lloyd on the big screen in the box-office hit “A Very Special Love” in 2008. This was followed by the equally successful “You Changed My Life” in 2009. Their most recent, “It Takes a Man and a Woman,” was released in 2013. They are currently promoting another collaboration titled “Finally Found Someone,” which will hit cinemas on July 26. “It’s impossible to be able to make a film like this if we don’t feel something for each other,” John Lloyd insisted. In trying to explain the special connection she has had with John Lloyd through the years, Sarah said: “It’s not just chemistry, it’s a gift. We are blessed to be given this kind of tandem. With it, we are able to make many people happy.” In “Finally Found Someone,” April Esguerra (a sincere and idealistic woman whose belief
ABS-CBN FILM PRODUCTIONS INC. / FACEBOOK
in the power of true love is unwavering) meets Raffy Sandoval (a PR hotshot who masterfully crafts lies for a living). Director Theodore Boborol observed that Sarah was able to effectively express in the film the happiness she’s now experiencing, particularly in her love
Cinemalaya films win in Brazil, Spain BY MARINEL R. CRUZ Philippine Daily Inquirer TWO FILIPINO films bagged trophies in festivals held in Brazil and Spain recently. Carlo Francisco Manatad’s “Fatima Marie Torres and the Invasion of the Space Shuttle Pinas 25” scored two awards at the recently concluded Mostra Internacional de Cinema de São Luis, held last July 18 in Brazil. “Fatima” won best short film and best cinematography for Chesca Espiritu in São Luis. For its maiden edition, the festival presented an “international panorama of contemporary cinema.” The São Luis fest also aims to “promote the preservation of great classics” that were shown on the big screen—“an irreplaceable audio-visual experience.” The event gathered films and filmmakers who had earlier
made waves in Cannes, Venice and Toronto. Manatad’s “Jodilerks dela Cruz, Employee of the Month” premiered at the International Critics’ Week section of Cannes last May. “Fatima,” which previously won best comedy film in the Aspen Shortsfest, is an entry in the short film competition of this year’s Cinemalaya fest. Espiritu told the Inquirer: “This is my first-ever win as a cinematographer. Shooting the short film with good friends was a great experience in itself, and being recognized internationally for it is such a big, happy bonus.” Meanwhile, an entry in the full-length feature section of last year’s Cinemalaya won at the Madrid International Film Festival held on July 15 in Spain. Jona Ballaran clinched the best costume design trophy for Atom Magadia’s period love
story, “Dagsin (Gravity).” “I was the only Filipino to win in Madrid this year,” Ballaran told the Inquirer. She said she was “grateful and honored” to be chosen by the Madrid jury. “It was like winning the Lotto,” she quipped. “I went to Spain without any expectation at all.” She confessed that her “only desire was to maximize the opportunity by meeting with fellow designers and filmmakers, and learning from them.” “That was why the award came as a total surprise to me,” she owned up. She dedicates the honor to fellow Filipinos. “I am proud to bring home this trophy to my countrymen,” she asserted. “This is my first time to be nominated. In local award-giving bodies, costume design doesn’t have its own category; it’s usually a part of production design. Hopefully, this is the start!” ■ www.canadianinquirer.net
life. “She has obviously grown so much as an individual. Since she and John Lloyd made their last film four years ago, Sarah had already been through enough life experiences that made it easy for her to shoot the scenes in this movie that
required her to confront her emotions. I felt that her acting has more depth now,” the director pointed out. For her part, Sarah said that while personal experiences indeed helped improve her performance as an actress, she believed that “a portrayal will be seen as honest and real if an actor inhabits and fully embraces her character. In the times when John Lloyd and I worked together, I just believed that I was April, and he was Raffy.” Sarah said that prior to agreeing to do “Finally Found Someone” with John Lloyd, she had already wanted to veer away from making romantic-comedy films. “I had wanted to portray a character involved in more mature situations, but looking at this film now, I realized that it’s actually not shallow at all. It’s relevant and relatable, especially to the women of my generation,” she said. ■
Muslims keep... ❰❰ 21
countries to protect their relationship. However, the peace treaty with Israel remains unpopular in Jordan and the tensions at the shrine and the embassy shooting inflamed anti-Israel sentiments. An acrimonious session of Jordan’s parliament was cut short Tuesday after lawmakers walked out in protest over the government’s handling of the shooting. The session began with Interior Minister Ghaleb al-Zobi presenting the initial findings of the investigation to lawmakers. He confirmed previous accounts that the guard fired after being attacked with a screwdriver by one of two Jordanians delivering furniture to a residential building linked to the embassy. The attack was preceded by a verbal dispute, the minister said. The Jordanian was later iden-
tified as Mohammed Jawawdeh, the 16-year-old son of the owner of a furniture store. The owner of the building, who stood next to Jawawdeh during the confrontation, was also hit by gunfire and later died of his wounds. Hundreds of mourners attended the teen’s funeral Tuesday. Mourners chanted slogans in support of the Jerusalem shrine and called Jawawdeh a “martyr” who died in defence of the holy site. Meanwhile, Netanyahu praised the guard for acting “calmly” during the incident. Netanyahu met the guard and Israel’s ambassador to Amman on Tuesday in Jerusalem. ■ Laub reported from the West Bank. Associated Press writer Mohammed in Ramallah, West Bank, and Reem Saad in Amman, Jordan, contributed reporting.
Entertainment
FRIDAY JULY 28, 2017
25
Comic Con hits: ‘Black Panther,’ Batman, ‘Stranger Things’ BY SANDY COHEN The Associated Press SAN DIEGO — From “Black Panther” to Batman, “Stranger Things” to “Blade Runner 2049,” and “Ready Player One” to Rep. John Lewis, Comic-Con had something for almost every pop-culture appetite. As the annual fan convention in San Diego wraps Sunday after four days of panels, presentations, screenings and autograph signings, here’s a look at some of the highlights. Black Panther
The film won’t be out until 2019, but “Black Panther” swiped the most attention at Marvel’s presentation. Director Ryan Coogler and cast members Chadwick Boseman, Lupita Nyong’o, Andy Serkis and Danai Gurira were on hand to debut a clip from the film. Boseman, who introduced his Black Panther character in 2016’s “Captain America: Civil War,” said the new film finds him returning to his home of Wakanda after his father dies. Nyong’o described her character as a spy who goes undercover to report back to the fictional isolated nation about what is going on in the rest of the world. Marvel’s presentation also included early looks at the November release “Thor: Ragnarok” and next year’s “Avengers: Infinity War.” And studio chief Kevin Feige announced that Michelle Pfeiffer was cast
in the “Ant-Man” sequel “AntMan and the Wasp,” also due in 2018. Batman
There was a lot of Batman at Comic-Con, from Ben Affleck’s confirmation that he’ll continue to play the character to a star-filled tribute to the original “Batman” actor, Adam West. Affleck refuted rumours that he would no longer play the character after ceding direction of “The Batman” to “War for the Planet of the Apes” director Matt Reeves. The actor also appeared alongside some of his “Justice League” costars, including Gal Gadot (Wonder Woman), Jason Momoa (Aquaman), Ezra Miller (The Flash) and Ray Fisher (Cyborg) as they showed footage from the film due in November. West was celebrated by his fans and collaborators at a heartfelt tribute that featured Kevin Smith, producer James Tucker, actor Ralph Garman and “Catwoman” actress Lee Meriwether. Smith said he learned morality from West’s portrayal of Batman in the original TV series, and Meriwether said she was so dazzled by the actor during the making of “Batman: The Movie” that she nearly lost track of her performance — especially during a ballroom scene where they danced together. “All I could think of was, ‘I’m dancing with Adam West,’ “ she said. “I probably blew one take
and then I snapped out of it.” Stranger Things
The popular Netflix show took over the San Diego Convention Center’s largest exhibition hall to debut a new trailer for its anticipated second season. The show, set in the early 1980s, follows a group of kids trying to figure out how their friend mysteriously disappeared. Along the way, they meet an unusual girl named Eleven, who has telepathic powers. Show creators the Duffer Bros. were joined by director Shawn Levy and star Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven) and the other young actors in the ensemble: Finn Wolfhard, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin and Noah Schnapp. “Stranger Things” also had a presence in downtown San Diego with an installation that resembled the show’s set and a virtual-reality experience that brought guests into the home of the missing boy and face to face with the monster that haunts him. Blade Runner 2049
Harrison Ford joked that he was out to reboot all of his iconic roles. The actor was on hand to present footage from “Blade Runner 2049,” in which he reprises his role as Rick Deckard. Ford said he gained a deeper understanding of his character in the sequel, which hits theatres in October. Ford appeared alongside co-
Cast of Stranger Things.
star Ryan Gosling as the film’s panel. “Blade Runner 2049” also hosted a massive installation away from the San Diego Convention Center where fans could experience the Los Angeles of the future through virtual reality and replication of key sets inhabited by actors wearing actual costumes from the film. Ready Player One
Steven Spielberg has spent more than two years adapting Ernest Cline’s novel “Ready Player One” for the screen, and the filmmaker said he was proud to debut a new trailer inside Comic-Con’s biggest exhibition hall. Actor Tye Sheridan stars in the story about a dystopian future where humans take refuge in a virtual-reality world. For Cline, having Spielberg make a movie based on his book is a full-circle moment. “I learned how to be a storyteller because of this man,” the author said.
R.TAPIA © SDCC
Rep. John Lewis
Civil rights icon U.S. Rep. John Lewis led about 1,000 people on a march through the crowded San Diego Convention Center following a discussion of his trilogy of graphic novels about his participation in nonviolent protests during the civil rights movement in the 1950s and ‘60s. Lewis urged the many students in attendance to recognize that they, too, can make a contribution toward a better world. He said the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., inspired him to “get in trouble — what I call good trouble, necessary trouble.” “Now more than ever before, we all need to get in trouble,” he said. “When you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, you have a moral obligation, a mission and a mandate to stand up, to speak up, to speak out and get in trouble.” ■ AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr contributed to this report.
Game of Thrones’ Sophie Turner says Sansa is ‘woke now’ BY LINDSEY BAHR The Associated Press
Sophie Turner.
GAME OF THRONES / FACEBOOK
SAN DIEGO — Sansa Stark is woke now, Alfie Allen has a cute dog and everyone got sick of answering all those questions about whether Jon Snow was dead or alive, but little else was revealed at the annual “Game of Thrones” panel at San Diego Comic-Con on Friday. Speaking to a 6,500-person crowd during the show’s Hall H panel at San Diego Comic-Con, www.canadianinquirer.net
Sophie Turner was joined by some of her fellow cast mates include Alfie Allen (and Allen’s dog Abby), Gwendoline Christie, John Bradley, Isaac Hempsted Wright and Nathalie Emmanuel. Hodor actor Kristian Nairn moderated the gathering. Notably missing were the show’s biggest stars, like Emilia Clarke, Kit Harington, Peter Dinklage and Lena Headey, as well as showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss. The popular HBO show kicked off its seven-episode
seventh season on Sunday, with a new episode called Stormborn airing this Sunday. As usual, the cast remained tight-lipped about the current season or the next, which is planned to be the series’ last. Turner, whose Sansa Stark has emerged as a major player in the world of Westeros, said her once-naive character no longer sees the world through “rose-tinted glasses.” “She’s woke now, guys, she’s ❱❱ PAGE 28 Game of
26
JULY 28, 2017
FRIDAY
Lifestyle ‘Let 1994 go’: Simpson case’s racial symbolism now a relic BY ERRIN HAINES WHACK The Associated Press JUSTIN ZIMMERMAN was a 7-year-old black boy in Moreno Valley, California, when O.J. Simpson was on trial for murder. He wasn’t old enough to understand the “trial of the century,” but his parents and the older black people in his community made their position clear: They were cheering for Simpson, and were convinced the former NFL star was an innocent dupe in a racial conspiracy. For them, Simpson was a symbol of racial tension and uneven justice. But Zimmerman, now 30 and living in Washington, D.C., grew up amid the hashtags that have come to symbolize the killings of unarmed black men by police. On his Facebook page on Thursday — after Simpson was granted parole from armed robbery and assault convictions — Zimmerman posted: “Let 1994 go guys.” “The most relevant thing that came out of O.J. since the trial was the Kardashians for millennials,” said Zimmerman, referring to Simpson’s close friendship with the reality-TV clan that was highlighted in a recent television series about the case. Family patriarch Robert Kardashian, a lawyer, was on Simpson’s defence team during the murder trial. “We don’t have an O.J.,” Zimmerman said. “For me, that was Trayvon Martin. He was me. That resonates more to me ... It
wasn’t like Simpson) was at the forefront of any movement.” While millions watched Simpson’s parole hearing last week, audiences were hardly as emotionally invested as they were a generation ago watching his murder trial. Simpson’s 1995 acquittal in the deaths of his wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ronald Goldman bitterly polarized Americans around race. But interest has waned, attitudes have changed and black Americans are wrestling with more familiar injustices. Today, Simpson’s racial symbolism is largely seen as a relic. “We just have bigger concerns that are much more directly impacting our specific lives,” said University of Pennsylvania sociologist Camille Z. Charles. “We now have symbols that reflect what actually happens to most black people. Most black people don’t get fancy lawyers that get them off. They don’t have jurors that will be sympathetic because of celebrity. The tide has shifted.” On Oct. 3, 1995, an estimated 150 million people — more than half the country at the time — tuned in to hear the jury’s verdict in Simpson’s trial for the Brown-Goldman murders. The strategy for Simpson’s defence team — which included legendary black litigator Johnnie Cochran — was to frame the case around race. They argued that Simpson had been framed by a corrupt and racist Los Angeles Police Department. Simpson spent much of his life distancing himself from the
black community. He lived in the wealthy enclave of Brentwood in Los Angeles and traded his black college sweetheart for a blonde, white woman. And he once said, “I’m not black. I’m OJ.” Still, many African-Americans saw the former running back and actor as a pioneer and cultural icon. Even before he became a criminal defendant, Simpson stood for something bigger. Charles McKinney, who is black, was at work on June 17, 1994, when a friend called and told him to turn on the television. In his office with his white co-worker, the two saw the infamous Bronco chase as Simpson tried to elude police on a California highway. “My co-worker was like, ‘I think we should both go home and watch this,”’ recalled McKinney, now 49, and a resident of Memphis, Tennessee. “I knew it was a simultaneously fascinating and toxic mix of race, reality television and celebrity, to see how quickly the nation just split itself along racial lines and how black folks tried to navigate this moment.” At the time, many blacks were less concerned with Simpson’s guilt or innocence. For them, Simpson’s wealth balanced the scales of justice in a way that was impossible for most black defendants: He could afford to buy his freedom. “That sort of euphoria around somebody black working the criminal justice system and having it come out the way that it comes out for white folks all the time was kind of a big
www.canadianinquirer.net
O. J. Simpson.
deal,” Charles said. “We knew ‘not guilty’ didn’t mean ‘innocent.”’ Time has sobered the view of many blacks since the verdict. Recent polls show that a majority of blacks now say they believe Simpson was guilty — a view shared by only about 20 per cent of blacks at the time of the trial. Simpson found new relevance with millennials and sparked nostalgia with Generation Xers last year with a wildly popular docuseries and documentary about the murder case. And rapper Jay-Z’s new album, “4:44,” includes a song titled “Story of OJ.” When Simpson was convicted in Nevada for a hotel-room heist in 2008 and sentenced to up to 33 years in prison, blacks and whites perceived the harsh sentence as a proxy justice for his earlier acquittal. Still, McKinney wasn’t glued to his television for Thursday’s hearing. His initial reaction: Who cares? “It’s older white people or people who were around in 1994,” McKinney said. “You get them mad about the case again. For folks in my generation, nobody was running home to watch this. He’s a symbol, but we have lots of symbols now of
GERALD JOHNSON / WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
people who embody these tensions.” Simpson’s hearing on Thursday also didn’t resonate with Shane Walk, 23, of Albuquerque, a white man who was an infant when the verdict came down. “I didn’t live through the trial, so he doesn’t represent to me, at least, to be a racial, polarizing figure as he did with previous generations,” said Walk, adding that he felt the hearing was just another passing fad for the media and that people his age should focus on the current divisions in our country. For Zimmerman, that focus belongs more on the modernday issues around race and policing that Simpson’s case once captured. “I have no vested interest in O.J.,” Zimmerman said. “I would like for our country to get over certain things that just really don’t affect us. His freedom doesn’t affect anybody. There’s no systemic issue with O.J. being free.” ■ Associated Press writer Russell Contreras contributed to this story from Albuquerque, New Mexico. Contreras and Whack are members of AP’s race and ethnicity team.
Lifestyle
FRIDAY JULY 28, 2017
27
Art in the garden: placing the right work in the right spot BY KATHERINE ROTH The Associated Press FOR MANY landscape designers and homeowners, a garden isn’t complete without the right art. But how do you find the right spot for a piece of outdoor art and choose the plants to complement it? The first step is finding a work that really speaks to you, and then “allow the art to help define the landscape,” says landscape architect Edmund Hollander. He recommends working with an artist or gallery, when possible, to create a relationship between artwork and garden. “It’s really not so different from the relationship between a house and its surrounding landscape,” he says. Susan Lowry, coauthor with Nancy Berner of “Private Gardens of the Bay Area” The Monacelli Press, October 2017),
says art in a garden should enhance its surroundings. “Scale, texture and light all play off the object, and there is also an emotional content that influences how we see the garden itself,” she says. Less is more, she cautions: “We have seen many a garden ruined by too many extraneous voices jumbled into the frame.” The most common mistake when placing art in gardens, Hollander warns, is “sticking a work where there’s too much other stuff. It’s as if a museum hung a painting on a wallpapered wall instead of on a white one.” So experts recommend that works be placed against quiet backdrops like evergreens, hedges or lawns. Karen Daubmann, associate vice-president for exhibitions and public engagement at the New York Botanical Garden, has helped design plantings around works by glass artist
Dale Chihuly and others. The principles for selecting and showing art in a home garden are similar, she says. “It’s nice to go for something as a larger focal point — something you can see from your window and enjoy all year round, and then some smaller works that you only discover up close,” she says. “And when you’re decided where to place something, don’t forget to look up. It’s a nice surprise to look up and see a pergola, chandelier or lantern.” Most important, Daubmann says, is to choose art you really love. “Chances are, if you’re placing it in a garden you have designed and planted yourself, it will work, because it’s the same esthetic,” she says. Keep in mind when and from where the work will be viewed. From the kitchen window? The living room? If you’ll be viewing it at night, consider lighter colours, she says.
“White glass or white flowers make for a great moonlight garden, while dark blues will tend to get lost in the evening,” Daubmann says. “A mossy, shaded garden can be spiced up quite a lot with light colored art.” And the artwork doesn’t have to be expensive. “I sometimes find wonderful pieces in antique shops or at barn sales that really spark my imagination,” Daubmann says. Hilary Lewis, chief curator and creative director at The Glass House, Philip Johnson’s iconic house and surround-
ing landscape and structures in New Canaan, Connecticut, helps plan the installations there.She says works should be visible from various parts of the property, should feel like an extension of the landscape, and should draw people in. For inspiration, experts suggest visiting sculpture gardens, museums or botanical gardens. “There are lots of sculpture gardens of all kinds around these days, and the combination of landscape and art, when done right, can be very inspiring,” Hollander says. ■
posed by the Americans led to a revolt by dozens of congregants in Sao Joaquim de Bicas. Two Brazilian pastors left, contending in television interviews that Martin and the other American ministers who periodically visited were “brainwashing” and controlling congregants at Whaley’s behest. Their departures created a rupture so great — and led to so many complaints — that the human rights committee in the Minas Gerais state legislature held hearings. Two dozen ex-members testified about abuses, from forced isolation to being shaken and hit during services and at the church school. Former students recounted being spanked with wooden spoons and yelled at for extended periods in front of their classmates. Andre Gustavo Morais de Oliveira, who is no relation to the other Oliveiras, testified he had been taken to Spindale four times as a teenager, starting at age 13. He said he was not put to work during the first trip, which lasted 27 days, instead spending his days praying and
learning the church’s doctrine. “The following trips, I was obligated to work as a painter, a gardener, everything for the sake of the sect,” he testified. When contacted by the AP, Morais de Oliveira stood by his testimony but declined to be interviewed. Parents also testified that their children were sent to the U.S. and indoctrinated to the point that they turned against their families. Eduardo Gonzaga, one of the pastors who left the church, said his 19-year-old son and 22-year-old daughter had broken off contact after travelling to North Carolina. “Father, don’t try to speak to us anymore,” Gonzaga recounted them telling him during a phone call from Spindale on Father’s Day. All future communication must go through church leaders in Spindale, he was told. Gonzaga testified that he tried repeatedly to reach his children, even travelling to Spindale. Since they are adults, he said, authorities could not intervene. The hearings in Brazil created a stir, but ultimately no one was charged. Many of the
abuse allegations came down to the word of former members against church officials, similar to the way investigations at the North Carolina parent church have stalled over the decades. Martin, the lead pastor, denied the allegations and called the disciplinary rules “guidelines and not prohibitions,” according to news media reports at the time. He declined to offer fresh comment to the AP. The turmoil did lead to at least one change: Former members said there was a sharp drop in Martin’s congregants, from about 600 to 300. While the Franco da Rocha branch did not suffer the same internal strife, congregants who left in recent years estimate that the number of members there dropped from 700 a decade ago to 250 now. Naara Abe, a member of the Franco da Rocha church for a quarter-century, said the dramatic changes in the church made her want to leave a decade ago but that she mustered the courage only last year. The final straw, she said, was a conversation with Jane Whal-
ey about her teenage son, who liked a fellow congregant but was not allowed to talk to her because the sexes are strictly separated. If she was a really good mother, Abe said Whaley told her, she would crack down on her son. Today, Abe, 51, feels full of regret — from the birthdays not celebrated, because the church forbids it, to the tremendous strain on her marriage. Her husband, also a long-time member, had doubts about the church and argued for years that they should leave, she said. “Little by little, the church makes you do more things, subtle things, that you don’t even notice,” said Abe, citing cutting off contact with friends who are not members. “Then you are like a caged animal that no longer knows how to live outside,” she said. ■
Brazilians detail... ❰❰ 18
there, such as Juliana Oliveira’s family. Current congregants and former ones pass each other daily without speaking. About 360 miles (580 kilometres) south, a similar transformation took place. Former members say evangelical pastors Solange Granieri and Juarez De Souza Oliveira, a married couple, met the Whaleys at a religious conference in Sao Paulo in the mid-1980s. In 1988, De Souza Oliveira opened Ministerio Evangelico Comunidade Rhema, or Rhema Community Evangelical Ministry, which includes a church and a school, in the Sao Paolo suburb of Franco da Rocha. Just as in Sao Joaquim de Bicas, congregants in the second branch were encouraged to buy land in a remote area outside the city, former members said. In both places, there was an emphasis on building close-knit communities modeled after the original sect in North Carolina. In 2009, almost two decades after the founding of Verbo Vivo, the increasingly harsh treatment and strict rules im-
www.canadianinquirer.net
Prengaman reported from throughout Brazil; Weiss from Spindale, North Carolina; Mohr from Jackson, Mississippi. Associated Press reporter Sarah DiLorenzo contributed from Sao Paulo.
28
Lifestyle
JULY 28, 2017
FRIDAY
Lifestyle changes to stave off Alzheimer’s? Hints, no proof BY LAURAN NEERGAARD The Associated Press WASHINGTON — There are no proven ways to stave off Alzheimer’s, but a new report raises the prospect that avoiding nine key risks starting in childhood just might delay or even prevent about a third of dementia cases around the world. How? It has to do with lifestyle factors that may make the brain more vulnerable to problems with memory and thinking as we get older. They’re such risks as not getting enough education early in life, high blood pressure and obesity in middle age, and being sedentary and socially isolated in the senior years. Thursday’s report in the British journal Lancet is provocative — its authors acknowledge their estimate is theoretical, based on statistical modeling. A recent U.S. report was much more cautious, saying there are encouraging hints that a few lifestyle changes can bolster brain health but little if any proof. Still, it’s never too early to try, said Lancet lead author Gill Livingston, a psychiatry professor at University College London. “Although dementia is diagnosed in later life, the brain changes usually begin to develop years before,” she noted. Early next year, a $20 million
U.S. study will begin rigorously testing if some simple day-today activities truly help older adults stay sharp. In the meantime, Alzheimer’s specialists say there’s little down side to certain common-sense recommendations. “Increased health of the body supports increased health of the brain,” said cognitive neuroscientist Laura Baker of Wake Forest School of Medicine in North Carolina, who will lead the upcoming U.S. study. Consider physical activity, crucial for heart health. “If in fact it should also improve the prospects for cognitive function and dementia, all the better,” said Dr. Richard Hodes, director of the U.S. National Institute on Aging and an avid exerciser. Here’s the latest from this week’s Alzheimer’s Association International Conference on possible ways to guard your brain: Key risks
A Lancet-appointed panel created a model of dementia risks throughout life that estimates about 35 per cent of all cases of dementia are attributable to nine risk factors — risks that people potentially could change. Their resulting recommendations: Ensure good childhood education; avoid high blood pressure, obesity and smoking; manage diabetes, depression and age-related hearing loss; be
Maker of... ❰❰ 21
hotel in Baltimore, and test results are expected soon, a Marriott spokesman has said. Meanwhile, at least three federal lawsuits seeking class action status this month accuse Arconic of failing to disclose the dangers of Reynobond PE. “Despite the known flammability of the Reynobond PE panels, resulting in prohibitions against installing them in high-rises in the U.S. and Europe, Arconic sold millions of dollars of the flammable panels for use in projects Arconic knew were inappropriate and
physically active; stay socially engaged in old age. The theory: These factors together play a role in whether your brain is resilient enough to withstand years of silent damage that eventually leads to Alzheimer’s. Does changing these or other lifestyle factors really help?
Last month, the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine reported there’s little rigorous proof. That report found some evidence that controlling blood pressure, exercise and some forms of brain training — keeping intellectually stimulated — might work and couldn’t hurt. Why? What’s good for the heart is generally good for the brain. In fact, high blood pressure that can trigger heart attacks and strokes also increase risk for what’s called “vascular dementia.” And exercising your grey matter may bulk up the brain, whether it’s from childhood education or learning a new language as an adult. The more you learn, the more connections your brain forms, what scientists call cognitive reserve. Some U.S. studies have suggested that generations better educated than their grandparents have somewhat less risk of dementia. Other factors have less scientific support. Studies show people with hearing loss are more likely to experience memory
problems, and have speculated that it’s because hearing loss leads to depression and social isolation — or even makes the brain work harder to deal with garbled sound, at the expense of other thinking skills. But so far there aren’t studies proving hearing aids reverse that risk. In fact, the strongest evidence that lifestyle changes help comes from Finland, where a large, randomized study found older adults at high risk of dementia scored better on brain tests after two years of exercise, diet, cognitive stimulation and social activities. Would those strategies help Americans, who tend to be sicker, fatter and more sedentary than Scandinavians? The Alzheimer’s Association is funding a study to find out, with enrolment of 2,500 cognitively healthy but high-risk
older adults to begin next year. Want to try on your own? They’ll test: Walking — supervised, so no cheating. Wake Forest’s Baker puts seniors on treadmills at the local YMCA to avoid bumpy sidewalks. She starts exercisenewbies at 10 minutes a day for two days a week and works up to longer walks on more days. A diet that includes more leafy greens, vegetables, whole grains, fish and poultry than the typical American menu. Certain brain games and what Baker called an “intellectual stimulation barrage,” outings and other steps that keep people social, not sitting home on a computer, while they exercise their brains. Improving control of medical conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes that are toxic to the brain. ■
cian. I think they need to realize that they need to stop fighting for ultimate power and just work together.” Speaking of Jon Snow, the cast members laughed about how annoying it was to have to answer questions about whether or not his character was alive or not for a year. The secretive show played coy about his fate between seasons five and six. Actor John Bradley said they basically had to talk about it every five minutes “for a year.” Nairn added that in a moment of frustration, he just said “I
don’t care,” which websites extrapolated to mean that he “hates Kit Harington.” Christie, who also has a pivotal role in another property that inspires feverish fandom, Star Wars, said that she always loved Star Wars because it “gives a sense of home.” Going into season seven of “Game of Thrones,” she said there is a similar feeling. “I look forward to the resonance of Game of Thrones carrying on through people’s lives so that they have the same feeling of home and love for it,” Christie said. ■
Hunting proof
Game of... presented a fire hazard,” lawyers for Janet L. Sullivan wrote in a lawsuit filed in New York’s southern district. Shareholders say they lost money when Arconic’s stock price dipped following the deadly fire. Arconic was formed in 2016 when its predecessor Alcoa Inc., one of the world’s largest aluminum producers, split into two companies. It has corporate offices in Pittsburgh and New York. Reynobond has been sold since it was first produced in 1989 at a company plant in Eastman, Georgia. ■
❰❰ 25
real woke,” Turner said. “She’s cool, she trusts no one whether it be man or woman or family or not and I think that’s important when you play the game of thrones.” She acknowledged the brewing tension between Sansa and her half-brother Jon Snow (Harington), who are now working together. ‘ “There is still that sibling rivalry back from when they were young. There’s still that sexism that’s ingrained in the culture,” she said. “He’s the military man, she’s the politiwww.canadianinquirer.net
29
FRIDAY JULY 28, 2017
Sports Canada’s Abel and Imbeau Dulac win mixed synchro bronze at world championships THE CANADIAN PRESS
Despatie, who also has eight medals, on the men’s side. “She must be very proud,” said Imbeau-Dulac, who is from St. Lazare, Que. “I am so, so proud of her, and how the competition went for us.” Also Saturday, Daley captured his first individual medal at the world championships since 2009 with a thrilling victory over reigning Olympic champion Chen Aisen. Chen, diving just ahead of Daley, put the pressure on in the final round with a brilliant reverse 2 1/2 somersaults with 2 1/2 twists, barely making a
was nearly 170 points worse that the prelims. Chen threw down a towel in BUDAPEST, HUNGARY — disgust when he realized Daley Canada’s Jennifer Abel and had pulled out the victory. Francois Imbeau-Dulac won “When I saw my points after a bronze medal in the mixed my last dive, I thought, ‘I did it, synchro three-metre event on I’ve got first place, I’m the world Saturday, the final day of pool champion,”’ Chen said. “And diving at the FINA world chamthen when Tom got exactly the pionships. same points as me, I thought, The pair medalled in every ‘Well, it’s a bit disappointing, event they entered this seabut we all did our best.’ What I son, including three silvers have to do now is improve myand a bronze from the elite self even more and maybe get Diving World Series, yet even first place next time.” after earning her third medal China again dominated the of FINA Worlds, Abel wanted diving competition, finishing more. with 15 medals “We are reoverall — three ally happy to be times as many as on the podium,” runner-up Russaid the 25-year‘Oh yeah, so that’s how you want to sia — but came play. I’m here to play too.’ old Abel. “But we up short of its 10 also are not quite gold medals in pleased with the Kazan two years colour of the ago. medal.” ripple as he sliced through the The Chinese also took a synThe two Canadians combined water to receive four perfect chronized swimming gold in for a score of 297.72 points, 10s from the judges and noth- the women’s team free. Ukraine below their season-best (at a ing lower than a 9.5. settled for silver and Japan Diving World Series) of 326.16 But Daley, facing away from claimed the bronze. Russia, points from Guangzhou, China the pool, launched himself off which has won six synchro in March. the tower for an equally daz- swimming golds at the chamChina’s Han Wang and Zheng zling back 3 1/2 somersault pike. pionships, did not enter a team. Li won the event with 323.70 He released his legs, spotted But Russia took the gold in the points. Britain’s Grace Reid and the water and manoeuvred his final synchro competition — its Tom Daley took the silver med- body into a perpendicular po- seventh in nine events at worlds al with 308.04 points. sition for scores that matched — when Aleksandr Maltsev and It’s been a long competition Chen, including four 10s. Mikhaela Kalancha won the for the divers, spanning nine “Seeing Chen do his dive mixed duet free routine, a reladays. Saturday’s event was — I saw him in the water and tively new, non-Olympic event. one more chance for Abel and thought, ‘Oh yeah, so that’s how Italy’s Giorgio Minisini and Imbeau-Dulac to dig deep and you want to play. I’m here to Mariangela Perrupato claimed perform, play too,”’ Daley said. the silver ahead of Bill May and Abel, a native of Laval, Que. The winner led after all Kanako Kitao Spendlove, who captured a bronze medal in her six rounds and finished with claimed their second bronze of individual springboard event 590.95 points. Chen was next the event for the United States. on Friday night. Earlier in the at 585.25, while his teammate The sport known for its hair competition she won a silver Yang Jian settled for the bronze gel, glittering uniforms and medal with Melissa Citrini- at 565.15. over-the-top pageantry will Beaulieu in the women’s synDaley was one of the platform have a new moniker going forchro three-metre. favourites at the Rio Olympics ward. World governing body Abel now has eight world and led after the preliminar- FINA voted to change its name championship medals, the most ies. But he stunningly failed to to artistic swimming. ■ for a Canadian woman in the advance to the final when he sport of diving. It also matches finished last out of 18 divers in Associated Press Writer Ciaran retired Olympian, Alexandre the semifinals, with a score that Fahey contributed to this report. www.canadianinquirer.net
CERES-NEGROS FC / FACEBOOK
Ceres-Negros extends winning run at home turf BY CEDELF P. TUPAS Philippine Daily Inquirer CERES-NEGROS kept its fine form at home as it blanked the Davao Aguilas, 2-0, Saturday night in the Philippines Football League at Panaad Stadium in Bacolod City. Goals from midfielders OJ Porteria and Stephan Schrock kept the Busmen unbeaten at home, while denying the Aguilas a first victory of the season. The Busmen needed to overcome the Aguilas’ defensive approach as they patiently and systematically broke down the visiting side with slick pass- ing and quick movement. “It was the hardest game that we had here at home,” said Ceres coach Risto Vidakovic. “They defended really good [and are] well organized, but my players were persistent for 90 minutes and they had patience. It’s not easy to play when one team is defending with 10 players in front of the goal, especially when they know how to defend and they defend very good.” The Aguilas paraded new signings Matthew Hartmann,
who was acquired from Global Cebu, and Harry Sawyer, a tall Australian striker, but they hardly offered anything going forward as the visiting team was content to soak up the pressure. Schrock nearly opened the scoring in the 19th minute when his effort rattled the bar. Porteria, who recovered just in time from food poisoning, made no mistake eight minutes later as he fired an unstoppable shot from outside the area to beat Marko Trkulja. Schrock, who was denied by the post late in the second half, finally broke through in the 57th minute after finding space just inside the box. The victory augurs well for the Busmen who now shift their focus on the AFC Cup zonal finals against Singaporean side Home United starting on Aug. 2 at Jalan Besar Stadium. The return leg at Panaad is set Aug. 9. “We were a little bit scared here and there because we have a very important match in the AFC Cup,” said Schrock. “We lacked concentration but like coach said we took it very professional, very disciplined, and were patient enough so a 2-0 result is a good result for us.” ■
30
JULY 28, 2017
FRIDAY
Business Infrastructure, tax reforms in investors’ son a wishlist BY AMY R. REMO Philippine Daily Inquirer
Clare Balding.
KEITH PAGE/ FLICKR
BBC women demand action on gender pay gap now, not in future BY GREGORY KATZ The Associated Press LONDON — Prominent women at the BBC want the broadcaster’s gender pay gap to be resolved immediately rather than in several years. TV personalities including Clare Balding, Victoria Derbyshire and others wrote an open letter Sunday to the BBC’s top manager saying that plans to resolve the company’s gender pay gap must be accelerated. Documents made public last week showed that male BBC TV and radio personalities make substantially more than their female counterparts. The salary disparity came to light after the publicly funded BBC was forced to publish the salary range of its best-paid actors and presenters. The list showed that twothirds of the highest earners were men, with the highestpaid woman earning less than a quarter of the highest-earning male star. Many BBC men were found to be receiving far higher
salaries than women in comparable jobs. The open letter to BBC Director-General Tony Hall says the documents confirmed a longheld suspicion that “women at the BBC are being paid less than men for the same work.” It urged Hall to fix the disparity “now” rather than in 2020, as has been suggested. Balding, one of BBC’s most accomplished TV journalists, said in a pointed tweet that a 2020 target for equal pay isn’t good enough, since the Equal Pay Act was enacted in 1970 and the Equality Act in 2010. “We’re standing together to politely suggest they can do better,” she said. The women said they are taking action now so “future generations” of BBC women won’t face discrimination. Hall said, when the salary list was published, that the broadcaster needed to move more quickly on issues of gender and diversity. He has not yet responded to the letter calling for immediate remedies for female employees. ■
and forging forward with integrity and anti-corruption goals through multi-stakeholder partnerships. Ernesto Ordoñez, president of the Cement Manufacturers Association of the Philippines (Cemap), said the group is likewise hoping that the government will pursue its “Build, Build, Build” program as it will benefit the cement industry— both the locally manufactured products and imports. Ordoñez however cited the need to implement measures to guard against possible abuses, such as increased imports of substandard cement as the country seeks to address the growing demand for such products in light of new and upcoming infrastructure projects.
10-point socioeconomic agenda is the administration’s massive infrastructure build up as this was expected to help solve the THE LOCAL and foreign busicountry’s lingering concerns, ness community is hoping to particularly on unemployment, hear more about President high prices, and traffic woes. Duterte’s plans regarding his Taus also said they are hoping massive infrastructure prothat the President will follow gram and tax reform package as through his earlier statements he delivered his State-of-thein further opening up the econNation Address. omy to foreign players. The government’s delivery “On the removal of the Reof its commitments under its gional Operating Headquarters ambitious, P8-trillion “Build, (ROHQ) preferred tax and the Build, Build” infrastructure zero-VAT rating for Philippine buildup and the proposed tax Economic Zone (Peza) regisreform package are the same istered companies, we strongly sues being monitored and conurge the current legislative body sidered crucial by many Philipto keep the current business pine real estate companies. and legal framework governThese issues, after all, will ing the IT and business process largely dictate the direction of management industry stable property develand unchanged opments parespecially as the ticularly outdollar earnings side established of the IT-BPM centers such as [...] they are hoping that President industry and Duterte furthers policies and programs Metro Manila, overseas workthat will help the country realize as well as the ers’ remit- tancthe theme of Asean’s 50th year of growth of related es are the only prosperity for all. industries such two pillars that as construction, are keeping the cement, and country’s balsteel, among othance of payments ers. healthy,” Taus Peter Angelo V. Perfecto, exIn a separate text message, further said. ecutive director of the highly in- John Forbes, senior advisor The IT-BPM industry is one fluential Makati Business Club, at the American Chamber of of the biggest drivers of growth said in a text message they are Commerce of the Philippines, in the office property market, hoping that President Duterte also cited infrastructure mod- but developments in the politifurthers policies and programs ernization projects as one of cal arena are feared to thwart that will help the country real- the issues they would like to be expansion plans and entry of ize the theme of Asean’s 50th included in President Duterte’s more players in the outsourcyear of prosperity for all. address, along with his support ing and offshoring industry. This, Perfecto said, will be for the 12 legislative reforms According to Colliers Interbest attained through several of business groups and other national Philippines, office initiatives that include “in- policies “to make the economy space absorption from outfrastructure roll-out through more competitive and attrac- sourcing firms slowed down in delivery of commitments un- tive for investment and job cre- the first three months of the der the Build, Build, Build pro- ation.” year due largely to perceived gram.” Guenter Taus, president geopolitical concerns. It can also be achieved of the European Chamber of Colliers disclosed that in the through an aggressive and stra- Commerce of the Philippines first quarter of the year, the tegic focus on development of (ECCP), meanwhile said the combined share of BPO and micro, small and medium sized group remains “fully support- knowledge process outsourcenterprises development by ad- ive of the 10-point agenda of ing (KPO) firms in terms of ofdressing obstacles such as ac- the President, and are excited fice take up in Metro Manila cess to financing and to global to hear about the developments dropped to only 21 percent markets; peace initiatives by of each item during the Sona.” from an average of 60 to 70 perconcluding peace agreements; A crucial cornerstone of this cent in the past few years. ■ www.canadianinquirer.net
Business
FRIDAY JULY 28, 2017
31
Corporate career to entrepreneur: How to prep for the leap BY JACKIE ZIMMERMANN The Associated Press AFTER TWO decades in the workforce, Ohio businesswoman Deborah Wasylko found herself faced with the prospect of having to move to keep her job while dealing with challenges in her family life. Wasylko concluded that she had a choice: continue her corporate career or become an entrepreneur. “I decided to start a corporate gift company, because that’s what I love to do,” says Wasylko, the founder and president of Baskets Galore, which creates gift baskets for corporate clients. She had long been enthusiastic about visual design and making people feel cared for, she says, and her new venture touched on both interests. “It was my opportunity to re-engineer my career and follow my passion.” The allure of becoming your own boss seems strong: As of 2014, there were more than 29 million small businesses in the U.S, up 6% from 2010, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration. But excelling in an office doesn’t mean you’re bound for entrepreneurial success. In addition to many logistical and financial challenges, the transition from employee to entrepreneur involves a distinct shift in mentality. Before you make the leap, take these steps to make sure you’re ready beyond the numbers.
Talk with other entrepreneurs
The best way to prepare for the jump from a corporate job to calling the shots is to talk with those who have already made the transition. “You don’t want to reinvent the wheel every single time,” says Cathy Posner, a smallbusiness coach in Ohio. “You don’t have to do it alone.” Ask other entrepreneurs how their roles in corporate America prepared — or failed to prepare — them to run a small business. What do they wish they had done differently? What do they wish they had known ahead of time? And, most importantly, would they do it again? Identify your resources
A small-business mentor from SCORE is invaluable to entrepreneurs, Posner says. This free program, which is supported by the SBA, connects seasoned professionals with small-business owners. A mentor can help you turn your understanding of corporate goals into a business strategy by clarifying your vision. They can also help you define your services, determine the fees you’ll charge and give advice on daily business tasks you may not have handled before, such as marketing and managing employees, Posner says. Ultimately, you are your best resource. The skills you developed in a corporate environment — project management,
organizational skills, employee management — will be even more important, says Posner. “Everything that you do starts to be magnified.” Wasylko particularly appreciates having learned in the corporate arena how to remain calm in the spotlight, giving presentations in front of executives or large crowds. As a fledgling business owner, “I wasn’t intimidated, and I had more poise as a result of doing all those things: being clear, being decisive, being organized,” she says.
changed her notion of what success looks like.
Prepare yourself for uncertainty
Being an entrepreneur involves higher highs and lower lows than working in an office, Posner says. “In many corporate environments, your responsibilities can be pretty segmented,” she says. But when you’re a small-business owner, “the buck stops 100 per cent at you.” Brainstorm ways to keep yourself grounded in the face of uncertainty. After JJ DiGeronimo transitioned from Silicon Valley startups to running a consulting firm for women in tech fields, she found she had to redefine what success looked like. “I think entrepreneurship brings out your own deficiencies, and for me, a lot of that was around self-identity,” DiG-
Network, collaborate, repeat
eronimo says. After years of identifying with her title and salary, she found herself in a role that emphasized the significantly less concrete objective of personal and professional growth. “Our society often aligns success to money, but as an entrepreneur, it can take time to make money,” she says. “Finding ways to align to the goodwill of your work is important.” DiGeronimo turned her focus inward. She found support from fellow entrepreneurs, blogs and books; a favourite was “The Soul of Money: Reclaiming the Wealth of Our Inner Resources,” which she says
In a corporate environment, you’ve likely already dipped your toes in the networking pool. Take advantage of those connections before you leave your 9-to-5. Contacts and resources may prove invaluable; plus, you never know who may become a client. Networking events are also a good place to meet other business owners with whom you can collaborate, Posner says. For example, wedding photographers and florists often cross-promote services. And networking groups provide a partial replacement for one of the major benefits you’ll lose after leaving your job: colleagues. “When you go off and work by yourself, sometimes you need that energy,” DiGeronimo says. “You need that soundboard.” ■
Exports of coconut products declined by 38% in March BY RONNEL W. DOMINGO Philippine Daily Inquirer PHILIPPINE EXPORTS of virgin coconut oil (VCO) fell by 38 percent year-on-year in volume last March to 1,538 metric tons valued at $5.4 million or about P260 million, three months before an organization of American heart doctors advised against VCO in one’s diet. In terms of value, VCO exports dropped by 40 percent from $9 million or about P420 million, according to the Unit-
ed Coconut Association of the Philippines (Ucap). Citing data from the Philippine Statistics Authority, Ucap said VCO was the No. 2 nontraditional, coconut-based export product for that month, ahead of 16 other exports that recorded receipts of at least $100,000. Last March, Spain took a third of shipments or 501 tons. Canada, the United States, The Netherlands as well as 17 other destinations divided up the rest of the month’s VCO exports. In a “presidential advisory” from the American Heart Asso-
ciation issued last June, the AHA said consumers who wanted to avoid cardiovascular disease (CVD) should decrease the main sources of saturated fat—including coconut oil—in their diet. The AHA put coconut oil among dairy fat (butter), lard (pork), beef tallow, palm oil and palm kernel oil. “The fatty acid profile of coconut oil is 82-percent saturated,” the AHA said. “(B)ecause coconut oil increases LDL cholesterol, a cause of CVD, and has no known offsetting favorable effects, we advise against the www.canadianinquirer.net
use of coconut oil.” Ucap said in a statement that AHA failed to distinguish medium-chain saturated fats and long-chain saturated fats, saying that coconut oil was mostly medium-chain saturated fats, or the healthy type of fat. “We urge users of coconut oil to draw on their personal experiences,” Ucap said. “Recognize its health benefits and join us in overcoming the malicious campaign on coconut oil.” Last March, the top dollarearning niche product was hydrogenated coconut oil with $15.4
million earned from shipments totalling 7,870 tons, which was 231-percent more than the volume shipped out in March 2016. Coconut water was third as exporters earned $4.4 million from shipments totaling 3.6 million liters. The volume shrank by 48 percent year-onyear. Others in the list were glycerin, “bukayo” or sweetened fresh coconut meat, bath soap, powder coco milk, nata de coco, soap chips, coir and coir products, shampoo, coco peat or dust, fresh coconuts, coco chips, vinegar and liquid coconut milk. ■
32
JULY 28, 2017
FRIDAY
Technology Cops wage psychological warfare against online drug bazaars BY RAPHAEL SATTER AND FRANK BAJAK The Associated Press HOUSTON — In an innovative blow to illicit internet commerce, cyberpolice shut down the world’s leading “darknet” marketplace — then quietly seized a second bazaar to amass intelligence on illicit drug merchants and buyers. AlphaBay, formerly the internet’s largest darknet site, had already gone offline July 5 with the arrest in Thailand of its alleged creator and administrator. But on Thursday, European law enforcement revealed that Dutch cyberpolice had for a month been running Hansa Market. Like AlphaBay, Hansa operated in the darknet, an anonymity-friendly internet netherworld inaccessible to standard browsers. AlphaBay’s users had flocked to Hansa, which is largely based in the Netherlands. The announcements Thursday on both sides of the Atlantic sowed panic among the sites’ techsavvy buyers and vendors. Darkness over the darknet
“The cryptomarket community (is) spooked,” said darknet researcher Patrick Shortis, of Brunel University in London. “Reddit boards are filled with users asking questions about their orders.” In Washington, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions deemed the operation “the largest darknet marketplace takedown in history.”
Darknet vendors are “pouring fuel on the fire of the national drug epidemic,” he said, specifically citing cases of two U.S. teenagers killed this year, one a 13-year-old Utah boy, by overdoses of synthetic opioids purchased on AlphaBay. More than two-thirds of the quarter million listings on the two sites were for illegal drugs, said Sessions. Other illicit wares for sale included weapons, counterfeit and stolen identification and malware. The police agency Europol estimates AlphaBay did $1 billion in business after its 2014 creation.
dictment said. Just two other arrests were announced Thursday. Both were of Hansa system administrators in the German town of Siegen, who were taken into custody in June. Europol spokeswoman Claire Georges said they were not named under privacy law. The U.S. indictment lists several AlphaBay co-conspirators by title but not name. They include a security chief, a public relations manager and moderators. A U.S. attorney handling the case, Grant Rabenn, would not comment on whether additional arrests were expected. “Psychological warfare”
Dead in prison
A California indictment named AlphaBay’s founder as Alexandre Cazes, a 25-yearold Canadian who died in Thai police custody on July 12. The country’s narcotics police chief told reporters Cazes hanged himself in jail just prior to a scheduled court hearing. He’d been arrested with DEA and FBI assistance. Cazes amassed a $23 million fortune, much of it in digital currencies, according to court documents. He bought real estate and luxury cars, including a $900,000 Lamborghini, and pursued “economic citizenship” in Liechtenstein, Cyprus and Thailand. A $400,000 villa purchase in February had already bought him and his wife Antiguan passports, a U.S. forfeiture complaint said. He used what he claimed was a web design company, EBX Technologies, as a front, the in-
Nicolas Christin, a darknet expert at Carnegie Mellon University, called the one-two takedown punch “psychological warfare.” “It is definitely going to create a bit of chaos,” he said, though after takedowns in the past buyers and sellers move to other former second-tier sites after a few weeks of turmoil. But this time, Dutch police have upped the ante by craftily tracking darknet users, and that’s expected to yield future arrests. They began running the Hansa site on June 20, impersonating its administrators, collecting usernames and passwords, logging data on thousands of drug sales and informing local police in nations where shipments would be arriving. Dutch cybercrime prosecutor Martijn Egberts said Dutch police had scooped up some 10,000 addresses for Hansa buyers outside Holland.
www.canadianinquirer.net
Running the site was a challenge, Egberts said, with police forced to mediate frequent disputes between buyers and sellers. “It turned out to be a lot of work!” he said. “The biggest effort for us was to get the site going on a way that nobody noticed it was us.” Egberts noted with satisfaction that online rumours about other darknet drug marketplaces possibly being compromised were already spreading. “This is the moment to show the world that you can’t trust dark markets anymore, because you never know who is the admin,” he said. But seasoned buyers and sellers aren’t likely to get tripped up, and will simply become more cautious, Christin said. Branches off the Silk Road
Darknet websites have thrived since the 2011 appearance of the Silk Road bazaar, which was taken down two years later. Merchants and buyers keep their identities secret by using encrypted communications and anonymityproviding tools such as the Tor browser. The darknet itself is only accessible only through such specialized apps. Cazes’ own carelessness ap-
parently tripped him up — not the underlying security technology AlphaBay used. According to the indictment, he accidentally broadcast his personal Hotmail address in welcome messages sent to new users. And when he was tracked down and arrested in Thailand, Cazes was logged into the AlphaBay website as its administrator, it says. Cazes also used the same personal email address — “pimp_ alex-91@hotmail.com — on a PayPal account. The success of this operation may only cause a temporary disturbance in illicit online markets. After a November 2014 takedown called Operation Onymous took down more sites, the illicit markets not only recovered — but grew. For perspective, Christin said, a slow day for AlphaBay alone — one amounting to roughly $600,000 in transactions — would have been equivalent to a typical late-2014 day for the entire darknet. ■ Satter reported from Paris. AP Technology Writer Anick Jesdanun in New York and AP reporter Kaweewit Kaewjinda in Bangkok contributed to this report.
Technology
FRIDAY JULY 28, 2017
33
Chicago festival to mark Pokemon Judge OKs $11.2M Go anniversary goes awry settlement for
hacked Ashley Madison users
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS CHICAGO — A major Pokemon Go festival in Chicago Saturday to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the virtual game went badly awry when technical glitches prevented many fans from logging on. The problems forced Niantic Inc., the developer of the wildly popular augmented reality game, to issue a statement saying everyone who registered for the event would get a full refund for the $20 tickets and $100 in credits for use of the app. Niantic CEO John Hanke was booed when he took the stage at Chicago’s Grant Park to address the thousands of frustrated Pokemon enthusiasts. Some in attendance had paid as much as $400 online for the tickets, which sold out within minutes of their June release. While no official attendance figures were available, organizers had planned for as many as 20,000 Pokemon players and “trainers” at the festival billed by Niantic as the first official anniversary event in the world. John Haberkorn of Chicago, a member of the Official Pokemon Go 40 Club, an international online community of
BY JIM SALTER The Associated Press
MATTHEW CORLEY / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
high-level players, said he started waiting in line for the opening of the festival at 6 a.m. “The excitement has just been drastically minimized because of what we’ve experienced today,” Haberkorn told the Chicago Tribune. Late in the day, Niantic’s Chief Marketing Officer Mike Quigley tried to placate irritated players by announcing that everyone who scanned a code when they entered the
park would automatically receive the Legendary Pokemon Lugia, a rare and powerful creature difficult to defeat in virtual battle and prized by Pokemon enthusiasts. Niantic says Pokemon Go has been downloaded 750 million times since it was launched. The augmented reality game that uses GPS to locate, capture, battle and train virtual creatures was introduced in the United States in July 2016. ■
Vancouver Police say new program could stop crime before it happens THE CANADIAN PRESS VANCOUVER — The Vancouver Police Department says it will be the first in Canada to start using a new crime-prediction model that could stop crimes before they happen. The department says the computerized model allows officers to forecast the location of property crime and take measures to prevent it. Full-time use of the new program follows a six-month pilot study last year that police say
contributed to a substantial decrease in residential breakins. The department says in a news release that the program identifies areas where residential or commercial break-ins are anticipated, sets up 100- and 500-metre zones around the targeted sites and sends officers to the zones for a visible presence to deter thieves. The program is built on an interactive mapping tool developed by the police department in 2015 that enhanced public
awareness of police activity in the city. A version of the program retroactively plots the location of crimes on a map to provide a general idea of crime trends to the public. Vancouver’s Chief Constable Adam Palmer says the department is always looking for ways to reduce property crimes. “This new predictive technology gives our front line officers one more tool to use to supplement our traditional policing methods,” he says in the release. ■ www.canadianinquirer.net
want to remain anonymous but registered using false names, said James McDonough III, an attorney for the users. As a reST. LOUIS — A federal judge sult, those eligible for the seton Friday approved an $11.2 tlement won’t be contacted dimillion settlement between rectly. Instead, they will reach the marital infidelity website out to those who could benefit Ashley Madison and users who via magazine and web ads. sued after hackers released perRoss agreed with that plan. sonal information, including fi- “There’s just no way to give dinancial data and details of their rect notice to class members,” sexual proclivities. he said. U.S. District Judge John Ross McDonough said there is no in St. Louis gave preliminary estimate on how many people approval to a class action set- will seek part of the settlement tlement that was initially an- money, which could range from nounced last week by Toronto- as little as $19 for those victimbased Ruby Corp., the parent ized by the hack up to $2,000 company of Ashley Madison. for those who were victims of Lawsuits from around the identity theft because of the country were consolidated in hack. the Eastern District of MisAshley Madison’s systems souri. were hacked in A final apJuly 2015. Hackproval hearing ers posted the is scheduled for details a month Nov. 20. The case is later after the unique in that Douglas Dowd, company didn’t many website an attorney repcomply with users not only resenting users their demands want to remain of the website, to shut down. anonymous said the settleThe release of but registered ment is “fair and evidence of infiusing false reasonable” for delity triggered names. both sides. Robextortion crimes ert Atkins, the and unconlead attorney for firmed reports of Ruby Corp., desuicides. clined comment after the hearIn December, Ruby Corp. ing. agreed to pay $1.6 million in The lawsuits were filed after settlements with the U.S. Fedhackers outed millions of peo- eral Trade Commission over ple who used the website two the data breach. Thirteen states years ago. The suits said Ash- and the District of Columbia ley Madison misled consumers joined the FTC in the investiabout its security measures and gation that found lax data sesafeguards. curity practices. The investigaThe company denied wrong- tion also found Ashley Madison doing but said in a statement created fake female profiles to that it settled to “avoid the un- entice male users. certainty, expense, and inconIn addition to monetary penvenience associated with con- alties to the FTC, Ruby agreed tinued litigation.” in December to end certain deAshley Madison is marketed ceptive practices, to not create to people seeking extramari- fake profiles, and to develop a tal relationships. Its slogan is, stronger data security program. “Life is short. Have an affair.” At The company has said that one time, it purported to have since the initial hack it has imabout 39 million members. plemented several measures to The case is unique in that make customer data more semany website users not only cure. ■
JULY 28, 2017
34
CANADA
Wanted: PERSONAL ASSISTANT - HOME CARE Permanent – Full time $14.00/hour - for 40 hours per week Anticipated start date: As soon as possible Location: Scarborough, Canada (1 vacancy)
St. Louis Bar and Grill (Bolton Location) 301 Queen St. S
Now Hiring Line Cooks
Wanted homecare personal assitant to provide care to an 85 years old elderly female suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. Duty includes administer bedside and personal care to client such as aid in ambulation, bathing, personal hygiene and administration of medication. Prepare and serve nutritious meals. Perform routine housekeeping duties such as laundry and ironing clothes and linens, washing dishes, making beds and house cleaning. Taking the designated individual for walks, park, malls and doctors appointments and any other duties deemed necessary to assist the designated individual with day to day living. Preferably with 1 year to less than 2 years of work experience in elderly care. Must speak and write English. Completion of highschool graduate equivalent in Canada.Optional accomodation available at no charge on a live-in basis. (This is not a condition of employment)
email resume to: eymard.lumbre@yahoo.com
- Cook menu items in cooperation with the rest of the Kitchen staff - Clean up kitchen and stock inventory - Proven cooking experience - Accuracy and speed in executing assigned tasks We have an amazing group of people working here and we are currently growing very quickly! We are looking for the right team member(s) to join our fabulous team!
Please reply to our email and you will be contacted promptly.
Email at stlouisbolton@gmail.com
ver Earn O
0
$60 Make Money with Social Media!
ELDERLY CAREGIVER Perform housekeeper and other home management duties under general direction of employer. Plan and prepare meals independently or with employer, and may serve meals. Companionship Outdoor and Indoor Activities. 2 years of experience as a Elderly Caregiver 40 hours a week Full Time at least 24 months 8 hrs a day $14 an hour Required Education: High school or equivalent Required Experience: Elderly Caregiver: 1 year Required Language: English
Contact: Alex Sander Vezer (416-720-1398) 896 Avenue Rd, Toronto, ON M5P 2K6, Canada
www.canadianinquirer.net
FRIDAY JULY 28, 2017
35
Travel Bulacan — cradle of history, culture, myth and more BY CONSTANTINO C. TEJERO Philippine Daily Inquirer THE BAGKAS River basin in Norzagaray is a popular swimming spot though its water can turn dangerous at times. Just when we thought we had our fill of Bulacan the last time we were there, we recently discovered it had so much more. It has islands. And it has not just one heritage district, Kamestisuhan in Malolos, but a whole heritage town — San Miguel de Mayumo. On the northeastern coast of Manila Bay, an hour’s boat ride off the shores of the capital city of Malolos, are three or four islets inhabited by communities surviving on traditional fishing and saltmaking. The biggest of these is Pamarawan. The ancient fishing village has become a showcase for tourism. Visitors are treated to a boat ride to Panasahan fish port; visit to coastal barangay; catching fish and shrimp at Latian; observing traditional fishing, salt harvest and cooking demos; lunch of coastal cuisine at Misele; listening to folk poetry. This is a land saturated in history and myths. Every square meter of its soil seems to have some cultural or historical import. In Meycauayan town can be found The Tannery Manila, run by the fourth generation of the Hermoso clan that pioneered leather technology in the country in 1901. The tannery has since branched out into manufacturing premium leather accessories, bags and shoes. Called Chelsi Leathershop, it is the only leather-goods manufacturer in the country with its own tannery, thus affording it to “produce its own material and better respond to clients’ requirements and design specifications.” Historical caves
In Norzagaray town are limestone rock formations on the basin of Bakas River, with three life-size icons installed atop a boulder by some religious cult. This is a popular swimming spot, though the water can be dangerous when Ipo Dam opens its floodgates. On a promontory, several boys execute dabbing gestures with their arms before diving into the deep. Bakas is Tagalog for “mark.” Curiosity-seekers can find on some rock slabs what are believed to be the footprints of mythical hero Bernardo Carpio and his
The story is that, Sevilla, a farmer of the De Leóns, dared to marry Don Felix’s daughter Valeriana against the landlord’s wishes. So when he came to fortune, becoming town mayor in 1916, he built the tallest structure in town to outshine his father-in-law’s house. The second floor was the permanent venue of the annual reception of the Celia Club, a gathering of the local elite. The house is now derelict, looking forlorn on a desolate street. Valuable possession
San Miguel de Mayumo.
pets. But he left only one footprint here, the other being in Biak-na-Bato in San Miguel up north. (You can just imagine how big he was, and what giant stride he could take.) On a ridge overlooking the river is Pinagrealan Cave, which was used by Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo and the katipunero as hideout during the Revolution and the Filipino-American War. It was also used as sanctuary by the Japanese during the Liberation. More historical is Biak-naBato National Park on a gorge in the Sierra Madre. It was here where Aguinaldo established his republic and made one of the caves his headquarters. The place lent its name to one of the defining moments in our nationhood. Unusual artifacts
On the northwestern tip of the province, bordering Pampanga and Nueva Ecija, is San Miguel, a town dotted with ancestral houses, some of them containing unheard-of artifacts. Touring the place is more fun with an articulate guide like Lorenzo Buencamino, a scion of the historical Buencaminos. Being an architecture student, he is an avid advocate for maintaining the heritage of his town, and he has backstories for each structure. The Simon Tecson House, for instance, has the tintero (inkwell) used in the signing of the Pact of Biak-na-Bato. Aguinaldo made his headquarters here days before the signing of the pact. Don Simon’s three sons were officers of the revolutionary army. The house’s current owner, Marisse Mendiola Aguirre, has preserved the
SHUBERT CIENCIA / FLICKR
antique furniture such as lounging and rocking chairs; beds with intricately carved posts, including the canopied one used by Aguinaldo; artifacts like a grandfather clock; and two carrozas in the basement. The Felix de León House, the ancestral abode of the landed clan, has a special place in the living room for a glass urn containing sand from the spot where José Rizal fell in Bagumbayan. The José de León House had thrown parties graced by movie personalities and political figures like President Manuel Quezon. The owner, a son of Don Felix, was municipal captain in 1892; and he married Narcisa Buencamino, aka Doña Sisang, acknowledged as the Mother of the Filipino Movie Industry. The Catalino Sevilla House is notable for being the only three-story house in town.
www.canadianinquirer.net
The Miguel Siojo House has a highly valued possession — the Santo Entierro used for the procession every Holy Week. This one has more expressionistic features, more fierce-looking, than that in the Parish Church of St. Michael the Archangel. The Valeriana Velayo House, now occupied by Lorenzo Buencamino’s family, has the biggest camarin (granary house) in town. The Dr. Maximo Viola House, built in 1906 by Rizal’s friend who helped fund the publication of his novel “Noli Me Tángere,” has been largely renovated except for the sala and the façade. It is now owned by Reynaldo Reyes. The Damaso Sempio House was owned by the nephew of Gen. Gregorio del Pilar. The boy general spent a night here, sleeping on the floor in the sala, on his way to Isabela province to cover the retreat of Aguinaldo from the American forces. Gen. Artemio Ricarte had also been a guest of the house. In a shadowy room is a spooky tableau vivant—century-old, life-size figures of the Last Supper in colorful costumes. The icons are said to have served as secret alkansiya (coin banks) of the family. ■
36
Travel
JULY 28, 2017
FRIDAY
Go play outside: Vermont: an escape calling New York makes it Canadian foodies, outdoor free for new campers addicts and dog lovers BY MARY ESCH The Associated Press ALBANY, N.Y. — Folks who’d like to try camping at New York parks are getting the chance to do it this summer for free, courtesy of the state. New York launched a firsttime camper program this summer, offering all the gear necessary for a weekend adventure, including a brand-new six-person tent, sleeping bags and pads, camp chairs, lanterns and towels that participants are free to keep. But you had to act fast — the 40 slots over eight summer weekends were scooped up within 25 minutes. “They provided every single thing we would need, including firewood,” said Lisha McKoy, a Brooklyn actor who camped with her 3-year-old daughter and three other adults. “A guide helped us set up camp, and they had activities like hiking, fishing, fire-building. It was incredible.” The goal is to nurture a new generation of campers and boost outdoor recreation, which generates nearly $34 billion in consumer spending annually in New York, according to the Outdoor Industry Association. “We see it as a way of demystifying camping and promoting our campgrounds as a low-cost vacation opportunity,” said Laura DiBetta, who oversees outdoor recreation at the state Department of Environmental Conservation. While the state administers the program, the money for the gear came out of a camping promotion fund provided by the parks reservation service ReserveAmerica under its state contract. The funds also pay for brochures and advertising to promote state campgrounds. Even though the cost is relatively low — about $300 per camping gear kit — some critics question the need for the state to be involved in such a program. “It may make someone feel good, but it’s overly generous and clearly unfair to the taxpayers of the state,” said Michael Long, chairman of the Conser-
vative Party of New York state. New York’s program indeed appears to be more generous than those administered by other states, which rents gear packages at relatively low cost. Georgia charges $50 for two nights, Minnesota $60 for one night and $85 for two, and Texas $65 a night but the gear package doesn’t include sleeping bags. Proponents say it’s in the best interest of all citizens to encourage outdoor recreation for its demonstrated physical and emotional health benefits. “Learn to camp programs started coming out on the heels of Richard Louv’s book, ‘Last Child in the Woods,”‘ said Dominic Bravo, president of America’s State Parks and director of Wyoming’s park system. Louv’s 2005 bestseller about screen-obsessed youth suffering from “nature deficit disorder” launched an international movement to connect kids with the great outdoors. America’s State parks launched a nationwide “Let’s Camp America” program this year to promote camping in more than 10,000 state parks in 50 states. It’s not that campgrounds are hurting for customers. According to Kampgrounds of America Inc.’s 2017 camping report, there are 75 million camping households in the U.S. and 3.4 million households became new campers over the last three years. But Louv said “learn to camp” programs benefit families that want to introduce their kids to nature but don’t know how to start. “Providing this first experience is essential, particularly given that many parents didn’t have that experience as kids,” Louv said. McKoy said she and her wife plan to make camping a monthly pursuit after their state-sponsored camp-out in the Catskills. “I was apprehensive about camping with a toddler, but they guided us through the entire experience,” McKoy said. “I felt very lucky to be able to do it.” ■
BY KRISTY KIRKUP The Canadian Press BURLINGTON, VT. — Vermont is a state that boasts about its mountains, its food and spirits scene, and its maple syrup production — all factors that make it a desired getaway for 650,000 Canadian visitors annually. While ski enthusiasts are likely well aware of what the state has to offer during the winter, there are also a range of activities underway on the mountains in July and August including zip lining and mountain biking, says the state tourism department’s communications director Philip Tortora, not to mention a number of food, beer and wine festivals. “That’s maybe the one thing that not a lot of people are aware of outside of Vermont,” says Tortora in an interview. “Our ski towns and our ski resorts are open year round and there’s a lot to do on these mountains, they’re great places to come visit and relax or play in the warm months just as much they are during the winter time.” Vermont is also considered the maple syrup capital of the United States, he says, adding the state produced 47 per cent of America’s maple syrup last year. “We are quite proud of the maple syrup we produce here and we are glad people will venture in from other states and countries to pick it up while they’re here on their travels,” Tortora says. “We won’t compare ourselves to our Canadian friends ... we can confidently say we are the top maple syrup producer in the United States.” About 90 per cent of Canadian visitors are from Quebec. Vermont is looking forward to the prospect of bringing in more people from Ontario, Tortora says, with Porter Airlines operating seasonal flights from Toronto’s Billy Bishop Airport to Burlington International Airport. Burlington — a city of about 40,000 people in northwestern www.canadianinquirer.net
Burlington Marina.
Vermont — is seen as a popular escape for Canadian tourists. It takes about an hour and 45 minutes to drive to the city from Montreal and about three and a half hours from Ottawa, making it close enough for weekend getaways. Ron Redmond, the executive director of the popular Church Street Marketplace — a pedestrian mall named one of the great public spaces of America due its historic buildings and flourishing retail scene — calls Burlington a “great escape.” “It is quaint,” he says. “Everybody knows everybody here.... There is generally a pretty good vibe.” There is an eclectic group of stores along the street, he adds, noting there’s everything from a violin shop to women’s boutiques. “We are ... a designated historic district and it is quite remarkable, a lot of people come here just to enjoy our buildings,” he says. Cities in Vermont have also received praise for their craft beer and savoury food, including the popular destination Hen of the Wood in Waterbury and Burlington, and the Switchback Brewing Co., in Burlington, which offers a small tasting room. Fantastic food can be found at restaurants up and down the state, Tortora adds, noting many of the best are nestled into historic inns and bed and breakfasts.
ERIKA J MITCHELL / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
“When people think of farmto-table dining ... we hope that Vermont is front and centre,” he says. “We actually have an event called Open Farm Week coming Aug. 14 to 20 where the farms in our state will open their doors throughout the week.” Jenny Morse, who heads up marketing for the Church Street Marketplace, also says Burlington is known as a “haven for dogs” including on paths located along Lake Champlain. “I think because we have such an active community and a very healthy community that people are often out running with their dogs or going for walks with their dogs, taking their dogs to work with them a lot of the time,” she says. “You will see dozens and dozens of dogs on Church Street on any given day and I think our businesses do take those little extra steps to make sure people feel comfortable bringing their dogs.” If you go
In Burlington, be sure to grab a bite, sip a drink and check out a sunset at Splash At The Boathouse, a waterfront restaurant on College Street looking out on Lake Champlain. Burlington’s farmers market, featuring food and retail vendors, has also been a feature of the city since 1959 and will be open on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays until the end of October. ■
FRIDAY JULY 28, 2017
37
Food Add ‘crumb’ to a peace pie and pump up the excitement level THE CULINARY INSTITUTE OF AMERICA PEELING PEACHES is the pits. And if you’re like us, you end up eating your weight in fresh peaches (ideally over the sink, with juice running down your arms) before you ever work up the motivation to cook or bake with them. But also if you’re like us, once you go through the effort of boiling the water, blanching your peaches, and peeling them to reveal the jewel-toned flesh, you remember that it really only takes 10 minutes and wasn’t so bad after all. By now, hopefully, you’re running out the door to the market to buy more peaches. We’ll wait, and when you get back, the perfect summer pie recipe will be waiting for your newly-naked fruit. Classic peach pies rank high among top summer treats, but in general, the best way to make someone even more excited about a fruit pie is to add the word “crumb” to the name. There’s something about those sweet, crunchy-chewy morsels of streusel-y goodness that no one can resist. This version sticks to the classic flavour of cinnamon, but for a subtle, unique variation, try replacing it with ground cardamom. What’s even better is that a crumb topping means only one pie crust to roll out. If you’d like, you can use store-bought, but we like the tender flakiness of a
freshly made dough. Whatever you choose, line the pie plate before you peel the peaches. This gives it some time to rest in the refrigerator, which will help prevent shrinking. When it comes to the peaches, set yourself up for success. You might be tempted to choose a firm peach, to make peeling and slicing easier. But under-ripe peaches are actually a nightmare to peel, and even after boiling, you will struggle to separate the skin from the flesh. Culinary Institute of America chef Genevieve Meli advises you pick fruit with a “sweet, ripe aroma” and it “should be plump and firm but not hard, and free of bruises.” Once boiled, the skin will peel off effortlessly. If you’re lucky enough to find ripe freestone peaches, snatch them up. Otherwise, slicing peaches from the pits can be tough. The easiest way to slice a peach and prevent a big bowl of mush is to cut the peach into four segments, around the pit. Then slice those segments. You can use a paring knife to trim any remaining flesh from around the pit, or just gnaw it off like the rest of us. Working with fresh fruit always means some variability in the consistency of your filling, and peach pies are especially notorious for runny innards. With enough time to cool, this pie should thicken enough to slice and serve. But if your peaches were extra juicy (lucky!), don’t be frustrated.
Even a runny pie is better than no pie, especially topped with a scoop of ice cream. Peach crumb pie
Servings: 10 (Makes one 9-inch pie) Total time: 3 hours 15 minutes (Active time: 30 minutes) • One single-crust prepared pie dough • Brown Sugar and Oat Crumble (recipe follows) • 3 pounds peaches • 1 cup sugar • 2 teaspoons lemon juice • 1/4 cup cornstarch • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt Preheat the oven to 375 F and set the rack in the lowest position. Line the bottom of a pie pan with pie dough. Refrigerate while you prepare the crumble and filling. Prepare Brown Sugar and Oat Crumble. Set aside. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. In a medium bowl, prepare an ice bath. Lightly cut an X on top of each peach. Gently lower half of the peaches into the boiling water with a slotted spoon and submerge for 30 to 60 seconds. Remove them with a slotted spoon and immediately submerge in the ice bath. Repeat with the remaining peaches. Transfer the blanched peaches to a cutting board. When they are cool enough to handle, remove the skins with a paring knife or peeler. Pit the
peaches and cut them into 1/3inch slices. In a medium bowl, combine the peaches, sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch, cinnamon, and salt. Toss to combine. Immediately transfer the mixture to the prepared bottom crust. Top with the crumble. Place the pie on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until the filling is bubbly and thick, 45 to 50 minutes. Remove the pie from the oven and place it on a cooling rack. Let cool for 2 to 3 hours. The filling will continue to thicken and set as the pie cools. Brown Sugar and Oat Crumble
Makes about 2 cups
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour • 1 cup old-fashioned or quickcooking oats • 1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt • 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cold, cut into
1/2-inch cubes In a medium bowl, combine the flour, oats, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add the butter to the flour mixture, tossing to coat. Cut the fat into the mixture using your fingertips, a pastry blender, or two forks until the mixture looks like coarse irregular crumbs. Distribute the crumble evenly over the pie or tart and bake as directed. If not using immediately, store the crumble in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Chef’s Note: If making the crumble in a food processor, stir in the oats by hand after pulsing in the butter to avoid chopping the oats. ■ Nutrition information per serving: 340 calories; 89 calories from fat; 10 g fat (4 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 12 mg cholesterol; 171 mg sodium; 61 g carbohydrate; 4 g fiber; 39 g sugar; 4 g protein.
Take advantage of the tomato deluge now and make lunch BY MELISSA D’ARABIAN The Associated Press CHECK OUT your grocery store right about now because I’ll bet you’ll find gorgeous tomatoes everywhere. Roma tomatoes are a bargain this time
of year, and they are ideal for cooking in all sorts of recipes. Full of vitamin C and A, as well as lycopene, tomatoes are a healthy buy, too. There is nothing better than a creamy tomato soup made from fresh summer tomatoes. Today’s recipe “Creamy” Tomato
Soup takes advantage of the roma tomato deluge and makes lunch. Since the tomatoes are more flavourful this time of year, I merely flash-roast them — about 10 or so minutes will do the trick — which keeps the oven use down to a minimum. (Sometimes, I grill them, uncut,
instead, but I’ll confess that’s a bit messier.) And my trick for creating that luscious pale-paprika-orange colour that usually comes from a hefty dose of cream? Carrot! I cut up a large carrot (or two medium ones) and roast it right alongside the tomatoes,
www.canadianinquirer.net
and it adds just enough yellow tone to give the tomato soup a “creamy” look. Plus, the sugar in the carrot boosts the natural sweetness of the tomatoes. I add a tiny splash of balsamic vinegar, a couple ❱❱ PAGE 38 Take advantage
Food
38
JULY 28, 2017
A tenderloin gets an assist from dark brown sugar, paprika BY ELIZABETH KARMEL The Associated Press AS ITS name implies, the tenderloin is one of the most tender cuts of pork, and comes from the full loin. It’s mild in flavour and takes well to rubs, marinades and sauces. Tenderloins range in weight from 10 ounces to 1 1/2 pounds. I prefer the smaller 10-12 ounce tenderloins and look for those when I am shopping for meat. I love coating the tenderloin with my simple “crusty” barbecue rub of dark brown sugar, salt, pepper and paprika. The sugar in the rub helps to create a nice crust on the pork, and thus the name. After applying the rub, I sear the tenderloin over direct heat on both sides and then move it to indirect heat to finish cooking. Depending on the size of the tenderloin, the entire cooking time will be between 15 and 20 minutes, making it perfect for a quick weekday meal. If you aren’t familiar with Jezebel Sauce, think of it as the less popular southern sister to Hot Pepper Jelly. Jezebel Sauce is thought to have its origins along the Gulf coast where it appears in community cookbooks as far
back as the 1950s. Growing up in North Carolina, it was served as an appetizer, spooned over cream cheese, and accompanied by crackers. But I always thought that it was begging to be served with pork. Regardless of where it came from, it is very good with crackers and cream cheese but it makes an amazing sauce for grilled pork and sausages. Crusty pork tenderloin with jezebel sauce
Servings: 4-6 Start to finish: 20 minutes
• 2 pork tenderloins (10 to 12 ounces each) • Olive oil Crusty Barbecue Rub: • 1/2 cup dark brown sugar • 1/2 tablespoon coarse ground pepper • 1 tablespoon kosher salt • 1 tablespoon granulated/ white sugar • 1/2 tablespoon smoked paprika or Hungarian paprika Crushed Pineapple Jezebel Sauce: • 1/4 cup pureed or crushed canned pineapple • 1 jar (16 to 18 ounces) tart apple jelly • 1/4 cup white horseradish (not horseradish cream)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons dry mustard • 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper Make rub and sauce before grilling. For Rub: Mix all rub ingredients together until well combined. Store in an airtight container until ready to use. For Sauce: Combine all ingredients. Cover and chill. Store any extra in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Coat tenderloins lightly with oil. Sprinkle each with 1-2 tablespoons of the Crusty Rub. Place directly on the cooking grates over direct heat to sear. Grill 2-3 minutes per side. Once seared, move to the centre of the cooking grate and cook for 12-15 minutes, turning once halfway through cooking time to ensure even cooking. Remove the tenderloins from the grill, allow them to rest for 3-5 minutes, then slice on the diagonal into 1/2-inch slices and serve with Jezebel Sauce. ■ Nutrition information per serving: 257 calories; 63 calories from fat; 7 g fat (2 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 101 mg cholesterol; 691 mg sodium; 14 g carbohydrate; 0 g fiber; 13 g sugar; 33 g protein.
FRIDAY
Take advantage... ❰❰ 37
• 12 roma tomatoes, washed • 1 large carrot, peeled (or 2 medium carrots) • 1/2-1 cup vegetable or chicken broth • 3 large leaves fresh basil • 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar • 1 teaspoon high quality olive oil • Chopped fresh basil for garnish • Kosher salt • Black pepper • Olive oil, in a mister
halves and carrot quarters with a little salt and pepper, and mist well with the olive oil mister. Line a large ridged baking sheet with parchment paper, and place the carrot quarters and the tomatoes (cut side down) on the parchment. (You may need two baking sheets to fit everything.) Roast for 10-12 minutes, or until the tomato edges begin to brown. Remove the tray from the oven and use tongs to remove (and discard) the tomato skin. (If some skin remains, don’t worry.) Place all the tomatoes and the carrot in a blender, scraping in any remaining juices roasted tomato bits into the blender too. Add 1/2 cup broth, the three basil leaves and balsamic vinegar and very carefully blend. (Leave the centre of the blender lid off, and cover gently with a kitchen towel to avoid heat buildup.) Blend until very smooth, adding more broth or water to achieve desired texture. Pour into a tureen, drizzle the teaspoon of high quality olive oil, and place chopped basil on top for serving. ■
Preheat the oven to 400 F. Slice the tomatoes in half, slice out most of the stem. Cut the carrot into half lengthwise, and then again, into long, skinny quarters. Sprinkle the tomato
Nutrition information per serving: 42 calories; 9 calories from fat; 1 g fat (0 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 198 mg sodium; 7 g carbohydrate; 2 g fiber; 4 g sugar; 2 g protein.
fresh basil leaves from the garden, blend it all up, and the result is deep tomato flavour, perfectly balanced. A drizzle of the best quality olive oil you own, just before eating will take this easy-tomake soup to the next level. Don’t let the simplicity of the recipe fool you: the flavours marry perfectly. Load up on those roma tomatoes, give them a quick roast and you’ll have a perfect summer soup on the table in no time. “Creamy” tomato soup
Servings: 6 Start to finish: 30 minutes
COOKING ON DEADLINE:
Green Goddess Dressing and Dip BY KATIE WORKMAN The Associated Press GREEN GODDESS Dressing was created at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco, an opulent 19th century hotel noted for its celebrity chefs. In those days, celebrity chefs were not Food Network Stars, but usually white-toqued men either from, or trained in, Europe. No one was yelling “Bam!” so much back then. Chef Philip Roemer debuted the dressing in 1923 to honour actor George Arliss, who stayed at the hotel while performing in William Archer’s hit play “The Green Goddess.” It is believed to have been inspired by a dressing that hailed from the
kitchens serving Louis XIII, served then not with salads but with eel. (If you have long wondered what dressing to serve with your Wednesday Night Eel, as I have, this info could be very helpful.) The original recipe is reported to have contained mayonnaise, sour cream, parsley, chives, anchovies, lemon juice and vinegar, but it has been tinkered with over the years by countless chefs and home cooks, including yours truly. A modernized version recently served at the hotel includes additional ingredients like spinach and chervil and capers, and a homemade mayo with raw egg yolks. The dressing may have different versions, but it’s always creamy and vibrant with
herbs, piquant with a bit of acidity, and salty-savory from anchovies. This is my most recent version, and I will surely continue to play with this dressing forever. You can use it as a salad dressing on any kind of lettuce or vegetable salad, or as a dip with crudites. For a vegetarian version, substitute a tablespoon of rinsed capers for the anchovies. Green goddess dressing and dip
Makes 1 3/4 cups (12 servings) Start to finish: 10 minutes • 2 canned or jarred anchovies, rinsed and chopped • 1 clove garlic, chopped • 1 cup parsley leaves www.canadianinquirer.net
• 1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh basil • 2 tablespoons fresh tarragon leaves • 4 scallions, trimmed and cut into pieces • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice • 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar • 3/4 cup mayonnaise • 3/4 cup sour cream • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Place all the ingredients except the salt and pepper into a food processor or blender. Process until fairly smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. ■ Nutrition information per serving: 151 calories; 124 calories from fat; 14 g fat (4 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 24 mg cholesterol; 514 mg sodium; 2 g carbohydrate; 0 g fiber; 1 g sugar; 4 g protein.
39
FRIDAY JULY 28, 2017
Join ka na sa largest and fastest network in Canada. *
Kapag nagsha-share ka ng mga selfies from Niagara Falls, o nagse-stream ng mga favorite Pinoy shows habang on the go, covered ka by our fast and reliable network. † Join ka na sa TEluS and see why friendly feels good. Alamin ito sa telus.com/network
TELUS STORES Ajax RioCan Durham
Concord Vaughan Mills Outlet 160 Cidermill Ave. 200 Edgeley Blvd.
Aurora Aurora Gateway Centre
Etobicoke Sherway Gardens 980 Albion Rd. 1500 Royal York Rd.
Brampton Bramalea City Centre 52 Queen St. E 215 Delta Park Blvd.
Maple 10019 Keele St.
Burlington Burlington Mall Mapleview Mall
Markham Markville Mall
Milton Milton Crossroads 9075 Derry Rd. Mississauga Erin Mills Town Centre Heartland Town Centre Square One 110 Matheson Blvd. Newmarket Upper Canada Mall 1100 Gorham St.
North York Bayview Village Shopping Centre Fairview Mall Shops at Don Mills Yorkdale Mall 47 Lesmill Rd. 865 York Mills Rd. 2899 Steeles Ave. W Oakville Oakville Place 250 Wyecroft Rd. 760 Pacific Rd. 2150 Winston Park Dr.
Oshawa Harmony Plaza Oshawa Centre Pickering Pickering Town Centre 1755 Pickering Pkwy. Richmond Hill Hillcrest Mall 155 East Beaver Creek Rd. Scarborough Scarborough Town Centre Warden/Eglinton Power Centre
1184 Kennedy Rd. 2281 Kingston Rd. Stouffville Stouffville Walmart Centre Thornhill The Promenade 7040 Yonge St. Toronto Dufferin Mall Eaton Centre Gerrard Square The Stock Exchange Building
Yonge & Eglinton 25 York St. 361 Queen St. W 455 Danforth Ave. 720 King St. W 727 Bloor St. W 2187 Queen St. E Whitby Taunton Power Centre Woodbridge 81 Zenway Blvd.
*TELUS mobility measured fastest overall download speed among 3 national providers in the OpenSignal independent study State of Mobile Networks: Canada (January 2017). Data is collected from regular consumer smartphones and recorded under conditions of normal usage. Measurements were collected from 15,272 users during the period of October 1 to December 31, 2016. Your experiences may vary. † Best customer service claim based on a comparison of national wireless service providers drawn from the most recent report of the Commissioner for Complaints for Telecommunications Services; visit the CCTS website or see telus.com/whytelus for details. © 2017 TELUS.
MODIFICATION DATE:
July 10, 2017 4:23 PM
OuTPuT DATE:
07/10/17
DESCRIPTION:
2017 Telus TWTA Print Ads
FIlE NAME:
WIN_ON_Print_Ontario_Filipino_ PCI_10x12
BlEED SIZE:
--
TRIM SIZE:
25.6cm x 27.8cm
www.canadianinquirer.net
40
JULY 28, 2017
www.canadianinquirer.net
FRIDAY