Philippine Canadian Inquirer #347

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NOVEMBER 23, 2018

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VOL. 11 NO. 347

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and President Xi Jinping of People's Republic of China pose for a photo after declaring their joint press statements during the successful expanded bilateral meeting at the Malacañan Palace on November 20, 2018.

ALFRED FRIAS/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

China’s Xi visits Philippines to deepen ties with US ally

BY JIM GOMEZ The Associated Press MANILA, PHILIPPINES — Chinese President Xi Jinping received a redcarpet welcome in the Philippines on Tuesday, as he paid his first visit to the U.S. treaty ally with offers of infrastructure loans and new accords to prevent clashes and possibly explore for oil and

gas in the disputed South China Sea. Xi was met by top officials as a military brass band played in Manila, the last stop in a three-nation swing through Asia in which he’s offering infrastructure loans and aid and championing free trade in a rivalry for influence with the United States.

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❱❱ PAGE 13 China’s Xi

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Philippine News

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NOVEMBER 23, 2018

FRIDAY

Majority of Pinoys oppose gov’t inaction vs.

China’s ‘intrusion’ in WPS

BY JOANNA BELLE DEALA Philippine Canadian Inquirer A LATEST survey by Social Weather Stations (SWS) revealed that majority of Filipinos opposed the government’s policy of “doing nothing” regarding China’s “intrusion” in the West Philippines Sea (WPS).

In the results of the Third Quarter 2018 Social Weather Survey done from September 15 to 23 but was only released on the day Chinese President Xi Jinping will arrive in the Philippines for a two-day state visit, 84 percent of survey respondents said it is “not right” for the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte to just “leave China alone with its infrastructures and military presence in the claimed territories.”

This is a three-point increase from the 81 percent recorded in June this year.

Among its 1,500 survey respondents, the SWS also showed that 86 percent of them believe that it is “right” for the Philippines to “strengthen” its military capability, especially the Philippine Navy (PN), which is a six-point jump from the 80 percent in the previous survey.

Seventy-one percent of Filipinos, meanwhile, said it is also “right” for the government to raise the WPS dispute to international organizations, like the United Nations (UN) or Association of Southeast Asian

Nations (ASEAN), “for a diplomatic and peaceful negotiation with China about the claimed territories.”

“Eighty-seven percent say it is important that the Philippines regains control of the islands occupied by China in the West Philippine Sea,” the pollster said.

Responding to the question, “In your opinion, is it important that the control of the islands that China currently occupies in the West Philippine Sea be given back to the Philippines?” 72 percent of Filipinos answered that it is “very important,” 15 percent said it is “somewhat important,” one percent said it is “somewhat not important,” and one percent believes it is “not at all important.”

On the other hand, those who were undecided about the issue was at 10 percent.

Awareness

Moreover, awareness on the WPS conflict climbed to 89 percent in September from the 81 percent recorded in June.

Of the 89 percent, the SWS said 15 percent had “extensive” knowledge before the interview, 32 percent had “adequate” knowledge, 41 percent had “only a little” knowledge, while 12 acquired “very little” knowledge about the issue.

The pollster also found that 65 percent of the respondents were aware that “Chinese coast guard has forced Filipino fishermen in the WPS to turn over

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte receives a token from President Xi Jinping of People's Republic of China following the successful expanded bilateral meeting at the Malacañan Palace.

RICHARD MADELO/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

their catch” before the survey was conducted.

Trust ratings

Among the five specific countries that the SWS tested for public trust, the United States (US) was graded a “very good” trust rating by the Filipinos, while Japan, Malaysia, and Israel were rated “moderate.”

Filipinos, on the other hand, gave a “poor” trust rating to China, despite its good ties with the country.

Net trust in China, the pollster said, has been positive in only nine out of 47 surveys since SWS first conducted the survey regarding the matter in August 1994.

Palace reacts

Reacting to the latest survey, Malacañang on Tuesday, questioned the timing of the release of the September 2018 survey.

“We find the timing of the release of the results of the survey conducted by Social Weather Stations (SWS) last September 15-23 suspect considering that such was made public on the day of Chinese President Xi Jing Ping’s first state visit to the Philippines,” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said.

He also criticized the “flawed” questionnaire design, especially “how some questions were phrased to arrive at the results of the survey.”

Panelo then cited a question where the respondents were asked, “Ang pabayaan na lang ang Tsina na panatilihin ang mga imprastraktura at militar sa mga inaangking mga teritoryo ay TAMA / HINDI TAMA na pamaraan na gawin ng gobyerno ng Pilipinas upang malutas ang pagtatalo ng Pilipinas at Tsina tungkol sa West Philippine Sea (Letting China

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maintain its infrastructures and military presence in the claimed territories is RIGHT/ NOT RIGHT for the Philippine government to do in resolving the conflict between the Philippines and China about the West Philippine Sea).”

The Palace official said they considered such question as “skewed,” stressing that “it misleads the public to believe and suggests that the current government has not acted on China’s activities on the disputed areas in the West Philippine Sea.” The September 2018 Social Weather Survey was done using face-to-face interviews on its respondents nationwide, with sampling error margins of plus or minus three percent for national percentages, plus or minus four percent for Balance Luzon, and plus or minus six percent each for Metro Manila, Visayas, and Mindanao. ■

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Philippine News

NOVEMBER 23, 2018

PNP urged to go all-out vs. hired guns to ensure orderly polls PHILIPPINE NEWS AGENCY MANILA — Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, chairman of the Senate Committee on Electoral Reforms and People’s Participation, on Tuesday urged the Philippine National Police (PNP) to go all-out against guns-for-hire and hit squads amid the spate of killings of local officials.

“The killings of local officials happening all over the country is alarming.

These are surely election-related and if the PNP does not go all-out against these lawless elements, how can we have a free, orderly, honest, peaceful, and credible elections?” Pimentel said.

PNP chief, Director General Oscar Albayalde ordered a crackdown on guns-for-hire and private armed groups (PAGs) in July this year, following the series of killings of local officials in the country. The PNP aims to disarm and arrest these hired guns and PAGs. Pimentel said the current intensified

and relentless operations against these guns-for-hire and private armed groups, especially with the 2019 elections fast approaching, should be part of the PNP’s regular operations to effectively promote law and order in the entire country.

“The PNP must show that it is serious in this endeavor. The PNP must disarm these guns-for-hire and hit squads and timely file cases against them with sufficient evidence,” Pimentel said.

“Our police force must also improve on their investigation skills so that everyone with links to these syndicates can be brought to the bar of justice. And if the investigation shows that those among their ranks are involved in these illegal activities, then the PNP must purge their ranks of these rotten eggs,” he added.

Under the country’s penal code, those who employ guns-for-hire are principals in the crime and their liability is the same or as serious as the gunman’s. ■

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ILO, EU launch P15.7-M supply chain project in PH

BY JOYCE ANN L. ROCAMORA Philippine News Agency

ate a “multi-stakeholder partnerships” aimed at crafting a concrete plan of action on responsible business conduct and supply chain in the country.

MANILA — The International Labor “Our hopes are high, we want to help Organization (ILO) and the European develop multi-stakeholder partnerUnion (EU) on Tuesday launched a new ships. We will organize meetings, invitEUR262,000 (about PHP15.7 million) re- ing different sectors — businesses, govsponsible supply chain project in Manila. ernment — to hold dialogue, more so, The three-year initiative is part of once the research results on challenges EU’s EUR900-million funding on Re- are produced,” she said. sponsible Supply Chains in Asia (RSCA), Khalid Hassan, director of ILO Philipwhich covers six countries — China, Ja- pines, noted that along the supply chain, pan, Myanmar, Philbusinesses may buy raw ippines, Thailand, goods and materials and Vietnam – and is without knowing that being jointly implethose were made under mented with the OrOur hopes unfair and unsafe workganization for Ecoare high, we ing conditions. nomic Cooperation want to help Challenges remain and Development develop multiin addressing work(OECD). stakeholder ing conditions, such “For the Philippartnerships. as ensuring fair wages pines, ILO is focused and benefits, extendon one sector — the ing social protection, agriculture. In some promoting occucountries, such as pational safety and Thailand, three sectors are covered,” health, respecting freedom of association said Ruby Bañez, ILO-RSCA national and collective bargaining, and guaranteeproject coordinator. ing security of tenure, the ILO official said.

The funding consists of research and Figures show that in the Philippines, training programs for both public and more than half of the 2.1 million child private sectors, with priorities on big laborers are in agriculture. companies and small and medium en“These are complex issues, which terprises employing workers in the field require joint efforts and networks to of agriculture. implement sustainable solutions at the “We’re going to do a research to look level of macro policies and enterprises,” at the decent work challenges in the Hassan said. specific sector we have selected. It will “The project will help advance susbe agriculture and under agriculture, tainable and inclusive growth by enwe will also select a sub-sector, which is couraging businesses to adopt policies food commodity,” she said told the Phil- and practices in the areas of human and ippine News Agency (PNA). labor rights and environmental protecBañez said a dialogue among differ- tion standards in line with international ent sectors will be introduced to cre- instruments,” he added. ■

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Philippine News

NOVEMBER 23, 2018

FRIDAY

Palace says Jalandoni won’t be arrested

BY AZER PARROCHA Philippine News Agency MANILA — Malacañang on Tuesday reassured that there will be no arrest for National Democratic Front (NDF) leader Luis Jalandoni once he returns to the Philippines to join informal peace talks, noting that his fear of being arrested is “misplaced.”

Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo made this comment citing the sincerity of President Rodrigo R. Duterte in his desire to “explore the possibility of resuming peace talks.”

“The apprehension of the National Democratic Front (NDF) leader, Luis Jalandoni, that he would be arrested once he sets foot in Philippine soil is misplaced,” Panelo said in a press statement.

“Given that the President has

opened a venue for informal talks with the NDF leaders to explore the possibility of resuming the peace talks, it goes without saying that no arrest shall be made during the days of informal talks,” he added.

Panelo explained that the earlier pronouncement of Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo Año that Jalandoni would be arrested upon his return was made when the peace talks was canceled by the President due to the violations of the ceasefire agreement by the communist rebels.

However, Panelo said both parties’ openness to resume peace talks should affirm that Jalandoni’s liberty will not be threatened.

“Mr. Jalandoni’s intention in returning to the country is to promote the peace talks between their movement and the

Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo.

YANCY LIM / PRESIDENTIAL PHOTOS

Philippine government, he is assured therefore that no arrest will be effected upon his person,” he said.

“To think otherwise is contrary to logic for certainly, a

successful amicable discussion between the parties cannot be expected when one party’s liberty is — or threatened to be — compromised,” he added.

On Monday, Panelo ex-

pressed hope that the meeting would push through if the terms and conditions are agreed upon.

He stressed that Jalandoni’s fear of arrest did not mean that the informal talks were cancelled.

“There is no cancellation of any informal talk. What we have is one of them saying that he is afraid of being arrested.

And we’re saying that you cannot be arrested if you would want to have a talk,” Panelo said in an interview over ANC. Jalandoni reportedly cancelled his trip back to the Philippines this month due to threat of arrest by the government.

Earlier, Duterte ordered Panelo and Presidential Peace Adviser Jesus Dureza to meet with Jalandoni and his colleague, Fidel Agcaoili, in an informal chat. ■

PCSO hits P55-B revenue US-PH mutual target from January-October defense accord

BY CHRISTOPHER LLOYD CALIWAN Philippine News Agency MANILA — The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) on Wednesday announced that it has already hit its initial target of PHP55-billion last October.

“As of January, to October, our gross sales is already at PHP54.8 billion, which is 27 percent higher compared to the same period last year. When we say overall, that is combined Lotto, Keno, Small Town Lottery (STL), and Instant Sweepstakes,” PCSO General Manager Alexander Balutan said in a statement Wednesday.

“Like I always say, figures don’t lie. This is proof that PCSO is and has always been on the right track in meeting its revenue target or more by the end of this year,” Balutan added.

Last year, PCSO initially set its target at PHP55 billion, which was later adjusted to PHP60 billion due to the rollout of the STL. It also strengthened Lotto products nationwide.

Arnel Casas, OIC-Assistant General Manager for Gaming, Product Development and Marketing Sector, reported that Lotto was the highest earning product with PHP27,987,584,260 in gross sales, which is 5.13 percent higher than figures in the same period last year.

The STL followed with PHP21.9 billion in sales, Keno with PHP3,899,533,950, and Instant Sweepstakes with PHP958,364,000.

“We are confident that we will once again break our sales records and hit the PHP60 billion sales by the end of this year.

And this is because of the phenomenal sales brought about by the record-breaking jackpot prize that reached PHP1 billion for the Ultra Lotto. Its promotion, popularity, and public acceptance also helped other online Lotto games to increase sales for the months of September and October. STL sales is also unprecedented for this period,” Casas said.

Balutan likewise credited the growing sales to the Expanded STL operations being operated

by Authorized STL Agents na-

tionwide.

“Second highest earning product is the STL. That’s why very aggressive yung campaign against illegal gambling, especially ‘yung mga jueteng, swertres, at pares. Only PCSO is authorized by the government to operate. Tangkilikin natin ang authorized numbers games sa ating mga probinsya para makatulong tayo sa paglago ng ating pondo (That’s why our campaign against illegal gambling is very aggressive, especially jueteng, swertres, and pares. Only PCSO is authorized by the government to operate.

Let us patronize authorized numbers games in our provinces so we would be able to contribute to our fund),” Balutan said.

PCSO Charter, or Republic Act No. 1169, particularly on revenue allocation, provides that the revenue of the PCSO shall be allocated as follows: 55 percent for prize fund (payment of prizes), 30 percent for charity fund (various charity programs and services), and 15 percent as operating fund (maintenance and operating expenses). ■ www.canadianinquirer.net

‘productive, successful’

BY JOYCE ANN L. ROCAMORA Philippine News Agency MANILA — The Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT), signed 67 years ago, is a testament that the alliance between the United States and the Philippines has been a success, US Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim said Tuesday.

“I think we can all agree that the Mutual Defense Treaty has been a very productive and successful arrangement for the first 67 years, and we very much look forward to the many close partnership between our two countries,” the envoy said in a speech at the Mangrove Forum.

The Philippines - US Mutual Defense Treaty, signed on Aug. 30, 1951, underpins the strong defense and security ties between two nations.

Since January 2017, Kim reported that the US has delivered more than PHP5 billion or at least USD95 million-worth of airplanes, ships, and armored

vehicles to the country.

Kim added that US commitment to the Philippines was “on full display” during the 2017 Marawi siege.

“At the request of the Philippine government, US Special Operations Forces provided critical assistance to the Armed Forces of the Philippines in Marawi throughout their fight,” he added.

Kim said the two nations have also shared “strong and deep-rooted economic partnership,” aside from its military alliance.

“We’re optimistic about the Philippines’ economic future and look forward to further deepening our economic ties,” he said, noting the Philippines is the largest exporter of the US by value.

Meanwhile, the US is among the country’s top trading partners, exchanging more than PHP1 trillion or about USD20 billion in 2017.

In the first six months of 2018, the US was the top export destination for Philippine goods, he added. ■

Philippine News

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 23, 2018

7

Korean, foreign Senate gives nod to P200-B languages not BSP capitalization Filipino subject replacement: DepEd PHILIPPINE NEWS AGENCY

PHILIPPINE NEWS AGENCY

ating, and preserving the soul of Filipinos as a people. Thus, the Department continuously strengthens the teaching and MANILA — Amid misguided learning of Filipino as part of assertions and the timing of the K to 12 Program. reports about the offering of Meanwhile, the inclusion of elective Korean language class the Korean language in DepEd’s in selected public schools, SPFL was formalized back the Department of Education in June 2017 under a memo(DepEd) emphasized that this randum of agreement (MOA) program is in no way intended between the Philippines and to and shall not replace the Fili- South Korea. pino subject in the basic educaAs early as school year 2009tion curriculum.

2010, the DeThe study of partment has althe Korean lanready recognized guage is elective the need to deSPFL is open and is not part velop the foreign to Grades 7 of the core sublanguage skills to 10 learners jects of around of learners amid who have 700 learners the increasing demonstrated in 10 selected impact of glocompetence junior high balization. SPFL in Filipino and schools (JHS) is one of the six English, and in the National special programs are interested Capital Region. being offered by in and capable Aside from ofthe Department of learning fering Korean to cater to multianother foreign ple intelligences language class, language.

DepEd currently of the learners implements five and to help equip Special Program them with the in Foreign Lannecessary skills guage (SPFL) to meaningfully classes in Spanish, French, Ger- engage in a linguistically and man, Chinese, and Japanese in culturally diverse world. all public schools.

SPFL is open to Grades 7 to Secretary Leonor Magtolis 10 learners who have demonBriones has maintained that strated competence in Filipino Filipino remains to be among and English, and are interested the core subjects in basic edu- in and capable of learning ancation, while the teaching of other foreign language.

Panitikan in the Filipino subDepEd has partnered with ject serves as a springboard for the Korean Cultural Center, discussion on grammar lessons Embassy of Spain, Spanish and a way of strengthening the Agency for International DeFilipino identity and culture. velopment Cooperation FilipiAdditionally, Filipino contin- nas, Instituto Cervantes, Japan ues to be the medium of instruc- Foundation, the Embassy of tion for Araling Panlipunan and France, Goethe-Institut PhilipEdukasyon sa Pagpapakatao. pinen, and Confucius InstituteAside from Filipino, the Moth- Angeles University Foundation er Tongue-Based Multilingual in the conduct of capacity buildEducation (MTB-MLE) is also ing activities for SPFL teachers. being implemented in KinderThe Department encourages garten, Grades 1, 2, and 3 in all the contribution of informed public schools. and fact-based opinions to the The Education chief consis- discussion instead of the proliftently underscored the impor- eration of conclusions that sow tance of history, culture and the seeds of confusion and disinarts in understanding, appreci- formation. ■

MANILA — The Senate passed on third and final reading a bill increasing the capitalization of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) from PHP50 billion to PHP200 billion.

“The bill proposes to strengthen the tools which the BSP exercises in performing its mandates, supplement the mechanism in protecting savings of depositors and in ensuring the smooth flow of transactions in the financial system as well as to enhance the corporate viability of the BSP,” Senator Francis Escudero said after the approval of Senate Bill No. 1297 or “An Act Amending RA 7653, otherwise known as “The New Central Bank Act.” Twenty years after the enactment of RA 7653 which mandated the establishment of an independent central monetary authority, the economic milieu in the Philippines has changed, globalization has increased the integration of financial markets and the scope of operations of financial institutions has evolved, Escudero, chair of the Committee on Banks, Financial Institutions and Currencies, added.

In amending RA 7653, the senator said: “Undoubtedly, there is a need to respond to contemporary challenges in order that the BSP shall remain

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effective in its conduct of monetary policy and supervision of entities within the financial system.”

Once signed into law, the payment of the increase in the capitalization shall be funded through the retention of declared dividends and taxes due to the national government and the adequacy of the PHP200 billion capitalization shall be subject to review every five years, to be adjusted upon joint recommendation by the secretaries of finance and budget and management as well as the Monetary Board.

Aside from providing policy directions in the areas of banking and credit, the bill calls for the BSP to have supervision over the operations of banks

and exercise such regulatory and examination powers over quasi-banking operations.

The Monetary Board, under the bill, shall also be allowed to authorize, regulate and have examination powers to entities or persons to engage in money service businesses.

One of the salient features of the bill is a provision increasing the number of the BSP deputy governors, from the current three to five.

This is to have a more responsive leadership in a complex institution, Escudero said.

Aside from Escudero, coauthors of the bill are Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto, Minority Leader Franklin Drilon, Senators JV Ejercito and Sonny Angara. ■

House unseats ABS party-list solon

BY FILANE MIKEE CERVANTES Philippine News Agency MANILA — Government lawyers are evaluating the complaint filed against former Customs Commissioner and current Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Director General Isidro Lapeña.

“It is undergoing review,” Acting Prosecutor General Richard Anthony Fadullon said Monday when asked on the complaint filed by National Bureau of Inwww.canadianinquirer.net

vestigation (NBI) against Lapeña last November 12.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said he will let state prosecutors determine whether the case should undergo preliminary investigation at the DOJ or with the Ombudsman.

“Our state prosecutors will resolve this issue shortly,” the Secretary said of the complaint which arose from the irregularities in the release of over 105 container vans containing ceramic tiles worth around PHP69 million from the Port of Manila (POM) last March.

The NBI has accused Lapeña

of violating Section 3, Paragraph (e) of Republic Act 3019, the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and urged that he “be administratively charged with Gross Neglect of Duty and Grave Misconduct.”

The shipments were tagged with manual alert orders (MAO) but were which were released by Asia Terminals Inc. (ATI) based on forged release orders.

The NBI pointed out Lapeña issued MAO even though the electronic to mobile (e2m) system “was accessible and fully operational.” ■

Philippine News

8

NOVEMBER 23, 2018

FRIDAY

Palace to ‘try bilateral talks first’ in resolving sea dispute Correspondent/Hosts Bea Kirstein T. Manalaysay Joanna Belle Deala Gianna Llanes Arianne Grace U. Lacanilao Violeta Arevelo Babes Newland Graphic Design Shanice Garcia Ginno Alcantara Arlnie Colleene Talain Singca Account Manager Kristopher Yong Director/Producer Boom Dayupay Photographers/Videographers Ginno Alcantara Ronnie Garcia Maria Crizandra Baylon Aldyn R. Soriano Sales Aireen De Asis Paul Acosta Dennis Cruz Margarita Perez Operations and Admin Victoria Yong Amelia Insigne Management Alan Yong Victoria Yong 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 Canadian Inquirer is located at 11951 Hammersmith Way, Suite 108 Richmond, B.C. V7A 5H9 Canada

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BY AZER PARROCHA Philippine News Agency MANILA — Malacañang said Tuesday it prefers bilateral talks with China in resolving the dispute over the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea), but it is now open to multilateral discussions in case the former fails.

Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo made this remark as he defended the Duterte Administration from critics who claim that the government is not doing its part to assert the United Nations-backed Permanent Court of Arbitration ruling that favors the Philippines and invalidates China’s claims on the disputed sea.

“The administration will use all modes in solving the problem (on the sea dispute). Right now, it feels that bilateral talks with China will work,” Panelo said in a Palace briefing.

“If that fails, then multilateral discussions would come in. As far as we’re concerned, let’s try bilateral talks first. Let’s see how far it will go,” he added.

It may be recalled that President Rodrigo Duterte earlier promised Chinese President Xi Jinping that the Philippines would handle maritime issues based on “bilateral consensus.”

Panelo, however, said that “collective action” coming from UN membercountries may help pressure China into respecting the arbitral ruling.

“Perhaps if all the countries of the world will unite and pressure China, who knows? There must be a collective action by the countries of the world and either persuade or pressure China into respecting an arbitral decision,” he said.

He noted that any country in a similar situation as the Philippines would do the same but maintained that there are different modes of asserting the Philippines’ claim on the contested waters.

“I think every country, in a similar

PNA

situation, will do that. There is no doubt about that. There are modes of doing it.

One is negotiation, two is during summit meetings among countries. We can raise that there, and in fact, we did it during the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Summit,” Panelo said.

‘Already ours’

The Palace official, meanwhile, denied that the Philippines would even consider giving up its claims if China insists on not respecting the arbitral ruling.

“We cannot give up this claim simply because it’s already ours. We have won it and it will be there forever,” Panelo said.

“The ruling is there. You cannot disown it. Nobody can take it away from you. What the President is doing right now is, since it cannot be enforced, (he) is using another tactic to get things that we want to get from them through negotiation,” he added.

Duterte earlier shelved the arbitral ruling after China rejected the verdict, to allow a peaceful and friendly settlement of the dispute.

Panelo said Duterte’s decision to take

a friendly stance on the sea dispute is to avoid unnecessary “conflict” from arising.

“The structures that have been constructed started many years ago, as pointed out by the President. Now, the United States is doing something to prevent its continuous buildup, but they have not done anything at the start of the buildup — they allowed it. Now they’re complaining. Now they’re trying to provoke China and China is being threatened,” he said.

“That is precisely why the President is so concerned that any armed conflict might turn this part of the world as a raging inferno, either by collateral damage or by strategic assault on us because of the proximity. The concern of the President is the safety of this nation,” he added.

Chinese President Xi Jinping is currently in the country for a state visit on November 20-21.

During his visit, cooperation agreements between the Philippines and China are expected to be signed. A bilateral meeting will also be held. ■

Nograles named as Davao City legislative caretaker

BY FILANE MIKEE CERVANTES Philippine News Agency

Member

MANILA — Puwersa ng Bayaning Atleta (PBA) party-list Rep. Jericho Nograles has been designated as legislative caretaker of Davao City’s first district, after his brother, Karlo Nograles, was appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte as Cabinet Secretary.

According to a memorandum issued

by Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on

Nov. 15, Jericho Nograles’ designation as legislative caretaker is “effective immediately.”

In a statement on Tuesday, the younger Nograles expressed gratitude to Arroyo for the trust and confidence given to him as caretaker of the Davao district.

He vowed to fulfill the commitments made by his brother before the end of the 17th Congress.

“Even before the appointment of my brother as Cabinet Secretary, I have always served the 1st District of Davao

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City, so I’m really happy that I was chosen by Speaker Arroyo and my colleagues as the legislative caretaker of my home district,” he said.

“Even with only a few months left before the election season, there’s still a lot to be done for the district and I’m fully committed to fulfill this new mandate,” he added.

The younger Nograles is also the legislative caretaker for the first district of Sulu. ■

Philippine News

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 23, 2018

9

Sanctions await truckers joining ‘truck holiday’: DOTr

BY AEROL JOHN PATEÑA Philippine News Agency

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte greets the Overseas Filipino Workers based in Papua New Guinea who met with the President on the sidelines of his participation in the 2018 APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting.

ROBINSON NIÑAL / PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

Duterte’s decision to finish APEC shows resolve, versatility

BY AZER PARROCHA Philippine News Agency MANILA — President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s decision to finish the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in Papua New Guinea exemplifies his “decisiveness and versatility,” Malacañang said Tuesday.

Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo made this remark following criticisms that the President decided to finish the APEC Summit despite his earlier plan to cut his trip short to attend to domestic concerns.

“As Chief Executive and Head of State, he is required not only decisiveness but also versatility in deciding issues of governance presented to him emerging 24 hours of the day,” Panelo said in a statement.

Panelo pointed out that the President’s versatility helped him decide to remain in Papua New Guinea and participate in APEC-related activities for the 2018 APEC Economic Leaders’ Week.

“It likewise reflects his decisiveness in attending to an urgent domestic concern while performing his diplomatic duties to pursue a policy of cooperation in consonance with APEC’s goal of inclusive growth and development among its members,” Panelo said.

Panelo further explained that every decision or action of the President, whether it concerns domestic matters or interna-

tional relations, is always intended to serve and protect the people.

“The President has not strayed — nor will deviate — from this constitutional directive,” Panelo said.

Meanwhile, Panelo said he found it “amusing” that questions are being raised on the President’s initial decision to return to Manila after attending the first day activities of APEC. “Had he returned to the country before the APEC ended, he would surely have gotten brickbats for not finishing the event from the usual nitpickers and detractors who could not see anything good of what he does as when he skipped a few events in the last ASEAN Summit to take power naps,” Panelo said.

“When PRRD decided to stay and finished the APEC activities, queries are still being asked why he changed his mind,” he added.

Panelo also stressed that the decisiveness of a President is necessary to address local concerns and the demands of geopolitics to enhance the country’s diplomatic ties and strategic alliances with other countries.

Duterte returned to the country on Sunday evening from the 33rd ASEAN Summit and Related Summits in Singapore and the 26th APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting (AELM) in Papua New Guinea from November 12 to 18. ■

erational, including those units older than 15 years, during the transition period from 30 June 2017 to 30 June 2020.

MANILA — The Department of A group of truck operators Transportation (DOTr) warned is currently staging a six-day that sanctions for economic “Truckers Day of Rest” from sabotage will be imposed against November 19 to 24 in protest trucker groups that are particiof Department Order 2017-09 pating in a ‘truck holiday’ to prothat reinforced an earlier order test the phaseout of trucks that issued in 2002, which mandates are more than 15 years old. a 15-year age limit for public The Land Transportation utility bus units or trucks for Franchising and Regulatory hire covered by a certificate of Board (LTFRB) and the Land public convenience.

Transportation Office (LTO) The Inland Haulers and Truckhave threatened that sanctions ers Association said it will push will be imposed through with the on trucks with truck holiday unfranchises, and less the governprivate vehicles ment halts the that have disWe will observe maximum phaseout of old rupted the free tolerance, but, in no way should truck units and flow of goods and there be traffic disruption or consider their services going congestion. roadworthiness to and from the instead. They said Port of Manila by that the phaseout preventing the will result in the operations of those that did not that participated in the truck holi- loss of livelihood of around 90 participate in the protest actions. day, have signed a Memorandum percent of small-scale truck op“We will observe maximum of Agreement with the LTFRB erators while benefiting internatolerance, but, in no way should and the LTO last May. tional shipping companies. there be traffic disruption or They expressed their comThe DOTr has earlier said congestion. Best interest of mitment to secure the require- that the truck holiday will only public and business must be ments for road worthiness and cause minimal impact on port prioritized and served,” DOTr safety, through the Motor Vehi- operations as it was not supSecretary Arthur Tugade said cle Inspection System (MVIS), ported by major trucking orgain a statement released to the to make their trucks legally op- nizations. ■

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media late Tuesday.

Tugade warned that efforts to disrupt the operations of trucking groups that are not involved in the truck holiday is a form of economic sabotage.

Around 40 personnel from the Inter-Agency Council for Traffic (I-ACT) are currently deployed at the Port Area to ensure that the operations there remain smooth.

Several trucks were reportedly obstructing the entrance to the Port Area on R10 Road in Tondo, Manila.

The DOTr stressed that various trucking groups, including those

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Philippine News

NOVEMBER 23, 2018

FRIDAY

Duterte back from ‘fruitful’ participation in ASEAN, APEC summits

BY JELLY MUSICO Philippine News Agency MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte returned to the country on Sunday evening from the 33rd ASEAN Summit and Related Summits in Singapore and the 26th APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting (AELM) in Papua New Guinea from Nov. 12 to 18.

Duterte arrived around 7 p.m. at the Davao City International Airport from Papua New Guinea.

Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said Duterte had a “fruitful and productive participation” in the two important regional summits, where the President continued to advance Philippine interests and prioritized the upholding and promotion of the country’s key positions.

At the AELM, Panelo said Duterte “actively engaged in important discussions and advanced our country’s priorities in what we consider as the most important economic cooperation platform in the world.”

Panelo said Philippine trade with APEC economies comprise 84 percent of the country’s trade worldwide.

“With the President’s undiminished dedication to our country’s economic progress and the formidable support he was able to solicit from the respective leaders of the APEC Community, we are enthusiastic to say that this trip not only benefited our country today but also its overall economy in the following years,” Panelo said in his press statement.

Duterte had discussed with the APEC Business Advisory Council the need to trade freely, fairly and openly, to spur economic activities and for

transfer technology and invest in capacity building.

“Throughout his discussions, the President emphasized that security, stability and peace and order are preconditions for the growth envisioned by APEC,” Malacañang said in a separate statement.

During APEC meetings, Duterte championed Micro, Small and Medium enterprises (MSMEs), calling them the backbone of many economies.

“While noting that the digital platform offered opportunities for growth in the global economy, the President drew attention to the wide digital divide that – if left unaddressed – could offload MSMEs in developing nations from the becoming active players,” the statement read.

The President joined other Economic Leaders in emphasizing the need for a greater cooperation to further capacitate MSMEs and educate entrepreneurs in order to make them active players and contributors in the global supply and market chain.

He likewise reaffirmed the importance of a rules-based multilateral trading system so that shared and sustainable progress and prosperity as envisioned by APEC could be achieved.

Duterte also cautioned against protectionist sentiments and urged economies to treat each other rightly as partners rather than competitors.

In his meeting with the Filipino Community in Port Moresby, Duterte thanked their contributions to nation building and urged the members of the community to “continue being the best representatives of the Filipino nation.”

Before the AELM, Duterte attended the 33rd ASEAN Sum-

mit and Related Summits from Nov. 13 to 15 in Singapore.

Together with other ASEAN Leaders, Duterte underscored the importance of ASEAN centrality and community building in the emerging regional architecture.

He emphasized the need to sustain ASEAN efforts toward building a resilient and innovative region while underscoring the need for developing relations with Dialogue Partners based on mutual respect for sovereignty.

With the Philippines assuming the role of Country Coordinator for ASEAN-China Dialogue Relations, Duterte delivered the ASEAN-China Common Statement where he reaffirmed ASEAN and China’s shared commitment to the full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea. Duterte noted the steady progress in the negotiations on a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC) while calling on all parties to work together for the early conclusion of an effective and substantive COC. In his National Statement, Duterte reaffirmed the need to maintain and promote peace, stability, security, safety and freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea and stressed the need to exercise self-restraint and avoid actions that may further complicate the situation.

He emphasized that aggressive moves by nations can worsen the situation “with damage that could be exponential.”

The President urged stakeholders to desist from adventurism in the South China Sea. “Throughout the ASEAN Summits, the Philippines clearly articulated its principled po-

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President Rodrigo Roa Duterte arrives in Davao City on November 18, 2018.

ACE MORANDANTE/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

sition on the need for a rulesbased order in the region while underscoring the imperative for security and stability as necessary conditions for sustained growth and development,” the Palace said.

Duterte had also reaffirmed the importance of, and contributions of positive engagements between ASEAN and Dialogue Partners, including India, Japan, South Korea, Russia and the United States.

At the sidelines of the 33rd ASEAN Summit and Related Summits, Duterte met Prime Minister Lee Hsien-Loong whom he congratulated for Singapore’s successful ASEAN Chairmanship.

Both Duterte and Lee renewed the commitment to further strengthen bilateral relations, particularly in trade and investment and in countering transnational crimes that threaten stability in the region.

Duterte also met Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, with the two leaders renewing the shared commitment to strengthen bi-

lateral relations described as entering a “golden age of partnership.”

Abe expressed support for key Philippine initiatives under Duterte’s administration, particularly infrastructure development under the Build, Build, Build program, increasing bilateral trade and investments and building capacities to address transnational crimes and security threats.

The President likewise had several pull-aside discussions with ASEAN Leaders and ASEAN Dialogue Partners and used the opportunity to renew friendly and cooperative ties. ■

Philippine News

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 23, 2018

11

House okays P3.757-T 2019 national budget

BY FILANE MIKEE CERVANTES Philippine News Agency MANILA — The House of Representatives on Tuesday approved on third and final reading the proposed PHP3.757-trillion 2019 national budget.

With 196 affirmative votes, eight negative votes, and no abstention, the Lower House

approved Bill 8169 or the 2019 General Appropriations Bill (GAB).

Earlier in the day, Majority Leader Rolando Andaya Jr. assured that the 2019 national budget would be in line with the vision of President Rodrigo Duterte.

Andaya also dispelled allegations that the House version of the 2019 budget is “pork-filled,” as he allayed fears of a reenacted budget for next year.

“Everything we are doing here is compliant with all the pertinent laws and the Supreme Court decision,” he said.

House appropriations vice chairperson Maria Carmen Zamora, sponsor of the bill, said the PHP3.757-trillion budget is the first annual cashbased budget of the Philippine government anchored on the theme, “Building a Bright Future for the Philippines and its People.”

The theme is consistent with the Duterte administration’s goal of transforming the country into a middle-income society where everyone can make his or her life better through provision of infrastructure and human capital development.

She said the cash-based budgeting system promotes better planning and coordination among agencies, raises credibility of the government with its suppliers and contractors,

supports the government’s expansionary policy by addressing underspending, and modernizes the budgeting system.

Zamora said the PHP3.757 trillion cash-based budget is equivalent to 19.3 percent of gross domestic product, which is marginally higher compared to the 18.9 percent in 2018.

This is about PHP433 billion or 13 percent higher than the 2018 cash-based equivalent of PHP3.324 trillion. ■

Gov’t committed to provide Drive to promote decent work for Filipinos: Bello prudent use of antimicrobials launched

BY FERDINAND PATINIO Philippine News Agency MANILA — The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) assured that the government is committed to provide decent work available to all Filipinos.

“As we continue consultation with stakeholders on fine tuning the policies on fair compensation and security of tenure, we sustain another pillar of decent work – to be free from work related injuries and illnesses,” DOLE Secretary Silvestre Bello III said in his message at the 16th National Occupational Safety and Health Congress held at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Pasay City on Tuesday.

With this, the DOLE chief acknowledged the lawmakers for passing Republic Act 11058 or “An Act Strengthening Compliance with Occupational Safety and Health Standards” (OSHS).

“Our legislators, with the solid backing of Senator Joel Villanueva, crafted Republic Act 11058 which was signed into law by President Duterte earlier this year. The landmark legislation gives premium to compliance with the Occupational Safety and Health Standards and penalizes its violation,” he said.

“The law is an expression of the government’s desire to achieve a 100-percent safe and healthy work environment throughout the country. And the Department of Labor and

BY LESLIE GATPOLINTAN Philippine News Agency

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III.

Employment is a mere instrument for the attainment of this desire. Our Labor Inspectors are under strict order to enforce our occupational safety and health regulations,” Bello added.

At the same time, Bello urged those who are pushing for safety and health in workplaces to work with the government to be able to achieve the goal in keeping work areas safe and healthy for employees.

“Thru this Congress, we will appeal to all those advocates of safety and health in workplaces and they can help us in inspecting almost one million business establishments through the country and you know how many Labor Law Compliance Officers we have, we only have less than 1,000. Kaya kailangan namin itong grupo na ito to help us in the inspection of business establishments and see to it

DOLE CENTRAL LUZON / FACEBOOK

that they are compliant with safety and health standard,” he said in an interview.

Last August, President Duterte signed the OSH Law, which ensures a safe and healthful workplace for workers by affording them full protection against all hazards at work.

The law provides that any person who manages, controls, or supervises the work is compelled to ensure that the place of employment is safe for workers, and should be free from hazardous conditions likely to cause death, illness, or physical harm to workers.

It also states that workers may report to their supervisor or employer any work hazard that may be discovered in the workplace, while also being given the right to refuse to work if an imminent danger situation exists that may result in illness, injury, or death. ■ www.canadianinquirer.net

riod of time, or high dose over short period of time, or purposes other than therapeutics, such as for growth promotion, MANILA — The government according to a statement on the on Monday launched a cam- campaign. paign to promote prudent use “AMR is a multisectoral of antimicrobial drugs on farm problem. We are working, in animals to ensure productivity cooperation with the DOH (Defor producers. partment of Health), to address Dr. Samuel Joseph Castro, this problem. The DA and its focal resource person on An- agencies are focusing on AMR,” timicrobial Resistance (AMR) he added. and assistant foThrough a cal for Bureau of One Health ApAnimal Industry proach, Castro (BAI) Food Safefurther said the ty Programme, animal health said the iAMResector, in collabsponsible camAntimicrobial oration with the paign focuses Resistance human health on the roles of (AMR) is a sector, is adstakeholders to multisectoral dressing the efreduce effects of problem. fects of AMR on AMR and pro“all fronts.” mote good aniThe statement mal husbandry said the effort practices. to address the Castro said threat of AMR targeted stakeholders include in the country is strengthened veterinarians and practitioners, with the creation of the Regionfarms, drug companies and re- al AMR Councils in all regional tail, and local government units field offices of the DA, the re(LGUs) and field personnel. sulting initiatives implemented “AMR is a condition where at their level, and with the supan antimicrobial is no longer port of concerned LGUs. effective in treating diseases Meanwhile, Castro said they caused by microorganisms such will conduct a local campaign as fungi, bacteria, and para- to promote prudent use of antisites,” he said during the launch microbial drugs next year. of the campaign.

“Possibly, (we will) translate The acceleration of the spread specific messages to local lanof AMR happens particularly in guages. We can do it hopefully cases where antimicrobials are next year, we will be doing a loused in low dose over a long pe- cal campaign,” he added. ■

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Philippine News

NOVEMBER 23, 2018

FRIDAY

Trillanes seeks Makati court Senate approves permission to travel abroad tax amnesty bill

BY BENJAMIN PULTA Philippine News Agency MANILA — Senator Antonio Trillanes IV on Wednesday asked the Makati City Regional Trial Court Branch 150 to allow him to travel abroad in Europe and the United States next month.

In a motion for leave of court to travel abroad, Trillanes asked the court to allow him to travel from Dec. 11, 2018 to Jan. 12, 2019 and from Jan. 27 to Feb. 10, 2019.

Trillanes’ counsel Reynaldo Robles explained to the court that the senator was invited by groups to attend activities in Amsterdam, Barcelona and London from Dec. 11 to Jan. 11 next year.

From Jan. 27 to Feb. 10, 2019, the senator will likewise be meeting with officials of various groups, organizations and institutions in California, Washington DC and Maryland in the US. He attached in his motion a travel order signed by Senate President Vicente Sotto III. Aside from a warrant of ar-

PHILIPPINE NEWS AGENCY

SENATE OF THE PHILIPPINES / FACEBOOK

rest, Makati RTC Branch 150 Judge Elmo Alameda also earlier issued a hold departure order against the lawmaker.

Trillanes has posted bail for his temporary liberty while the charges of rebellion against him remain pending.

“As shown by his past actions, particularly by the fact that he voluntarily surrendered and posted bail in the instant case immediately upon the issuance

of the warrant of arrest in the case, as well as by the fact that he has always returned to the country as committed in the instances he was permitted by the courts to travel abroad... herein former accused is not a flight risk,” read the motion.

The Makati court’s ruling honoring the invalidation of Trillanes’ amnesty is still a subject of a motion for reconsideration. ■

Tax reform Package 4 hurdles House committee

BY FILANE MIKEE CERVANTES Philippine News Agency MANILA — The House of Representatives ways and means committee on Wednesday approved the fourth comprehensive tax reform program, which introduces reforms on financial taxes and is being pushed by the Duterte administration.

The panel, chaired by Nueva Ecija Rep. Estrellita Suansing, approved an unnumbered substitute bill titled “Passive Income and Financial Intermediary Taxation Act of 2019.”

The bill aims to make the tax system for capital income and financial intermediation simpler, fairer, more efficient, and regionally more competitive.

It also seeks to harmonize the

country’s current 80 financial tax rates to 41 in order to deepen the local capital markets.

Furthermore, it shall unify tax rates for interests, dividends, and capital gains.

Under the bill, a final tax at the rate of 15 percent, from 20 percent, shall be imposed upon the amount of interest, yield, or any other monetary benefit earned or received from debt instrument, bank deposit, deposit substitute and any other form of debt instrument and similar arrangements.

A final tax rate of 15 percent shall be imposed upon the cash and/or property dividends actually or constructively received by an individual from a domestic corporation or from a joint stock company, insurance, mutual fund companies, collective investment schemes

and regional operating headquarters of multinational companies, or on the share of an individual in the distributable net income after tax of a partnership (except a general professional partnership) of which he is a partner, or on the share of an individual in the net income after tax of an association, a joint account, or a joint venture or consortium taxable as a corporation of which he is a member or co-venturer.

The bill said a final tax at the rate of 15 percent is hereby imposed upon the net capital gains realized during the taxable year from the sale, barter, exchange or other disposition of shares of stock in a domestic corporation, except shares sold, or disposed of through a local or a licensed organized marketplace. ■ www.canadianinquirer.net

collected a little more than PHP4 billion in estate taxes in 2016 or only 0.28 percent of the agency’s total collections worth MANILA — A one-time oppor- PHP1.57 trillion. tunity to settle tax obligations The ratio between the numthat would include estate taxes, ber of estate tax returns filed general taxes and delinquent and number of registered has accounts will soon be granted remained at a low average of to those who have failed to pay 7.16 percent, Angara added. for taxable year 2017 and prior The grant of general amnesty years. which shall cover all national Senate Bill No. 2059, or “An internal revenue taxes, includact enhancing revenue ad- ing value-added tax (VAT) and ministration excise taxes coland collection, lected by the Buand broadenreau of Customs ing the tax base (BOC) is also inby granting an cluded in the bill. amnesty on all As Filipinos In lieu of the unpaid internal seek a taxes supposed revenue taxes government to be paid, only imposed by the they can 5 percent of the national governtrust, let this total net worth ment for taxable amnesty or a minimum of year 2017 and serve as tax depending on prior years with another step the subscribed respect to estate closer to that capital for cortax, other inend. porations will be ternal revenue collected. taxes and tax deThose who will linquencies add avail will need to cross-border tax accompany their evasion and for General Amnesother purposes,” has been ap- ty Tax Return with a notarized proved on third and final read- Statement of Assets, Liabilities ing. and Net Worth (SALN). Dis“We hope that this measure counts will also be granted for will encourage those in the early availers. formal and non-formal sector To enhance revenue collecto legitimize, properly declare tion, minimize administrative and pay the correct taxes with- cost in pursuing tax cases and out fear of civil, criminal or ad- de-clog the tax case dockets ministrative penalties,” Sena- pending in various courts, the tor Sonny Angara, chair of the bill included a provision for Senate Ways and Means Com- tax amnesty on delinquencies mittee, said.

(TAD).

“This is our chance to have a Under this provision on fresh start especially in some- TAD, taxpayers can avail of 40 thing as important as taxes. As percent of the basic tax for deFilipinos seek a government linquencies and assessments they can trust, let this amnesty which have become final and serve as another step closer to executory, 50 percent for those that end,” Angara added. subjects of pending criminal Once the bill is enacted into cases and 60 percent for cases law, taxpayers can avail of a re- subject of final and executor prieve from all estate taxes on judgment by the courts. covered taxable years and pay The BIR, Angara said, has a rate of 6 percent based on the more than PHP197.57 billion as total net estate. delinquent accounts covering “The difficulties and the ap- 2015 and prior years sitting idly parent heartlessness of the in more than 58,600 cases. process partially explain why Those who will avail of the estate taxes account for so little amnesty program will be imof our total collections,” Angara mune from payment of all taxes said. and the filing of civil, criminal The Bureau of Internal Rev- and administrative cases and enue (BIR), the senator said, other penalties. ■

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 23, 2018

13

PRRD directs gov’t agencies to take active role in drug war

BY AZER PARROCHA Philippine News Agency MANILA — President Rodrigo R. Duterte has directed the entire government to take an “active role” in the administration’s war against drugs more than a week after the chief executive bared his plan in a lecture at Malacañang.

Under Memorandum Circular No. 53, Duterte directed all government offices, agencies, and instrumentalities, including government-owned or controlled corporations (GOCCs) and state universities and colleges (SUCs) to take an active role in the anti-illegal drugs campaign.

The memorandum was signed by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea by authority of the President on Nov. 12 but released to media on Monday.

“It is hereby directed that all government offices, agencies, and instrumentalities, including GOCCs and SUCs, to im-

mediately mobilize their assets and take an active role in the government’s anti-illegal drugs campaign, in accordance with their respective mandates,” the memorandum read.

The memorandum added that “the drug problem continues to degrade the moral fiber of society undermining the rule of law and has evolved as a national security problem.”

It also recognized the policy of the State to pursue an effective campaign against trafficking and use of dangerous drugs through an integrated system of planning, implementation and enforcement of anti-illegal drug abuse policies, programs, and projects.

At present, the main government agencies at the forefront of the crackdown against illegal drugs are the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) among other concerned agencies.

The DDB was established under Republic Act 9165, otherwise known as “The Compre-

hensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002,” as the policy-making and strategy-formulating body in the planning and formulation of policies and programs on drug prevention and control.

The PDEA was created pursuant to RA 9165 to be responsible for the efficient and effective law enforcement of all the relevant provisions on dangerous drugs and/or controlled precursors and essential chemicals, including the implementation of the national drug control strategy formulated by

the DBB. Last year, Duterte issued Executive Order No. 15, creating the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD) and the National Anti-Illegal Drug Task Force to address the drug problem in the country Section 4 of EO No. 15 provides the National Anti-Illegal Drug Task Force composed of members of law enforcement agencies, including members of the institutions called upon for assistance, shall undertake sustained anti-illegal drug op-

erations.

Executive Order No. 66, meanwhile, institutionalized the Philippine Anti-Illegal Drugs Strategy (PADS) by directing all government offices, including GOCCs, and SUCs to implement the PADS in accordance with their respective mandates.

Earlier, Duterte said he also plans to create an anti-illegal drug task force after some PHP6.8 billion worth of shabu slipped past the Bureau of Customs last August. ■

administration of Duterte’s predecessor, Benigno Aquino III, brought the disputes with China over the strategic waterway to international arbitration and won, but China has ignored the outcome.

Duterte has refused to immediately demand Chinese compliance to the landmark ruling, which invalidated China’s sweeping claims to the waters, where Beijing has transformed a string of disputed reefs into missile-protected island bases.

Duterte’s rapprochement has fostered a new era of warming relations with the Asian economic powerhouse, with which he has sought trade and investment, infrastructure financing and weapons to fight insurgents. While Western governments have sharply criticized Duterte’s brutal crackdown against illegal drugs, China has not. Both Xi and Duterte have often been in the crosshairs of human rights groups.

After a wreath-laying ceremony at the monument of

Philippine national hero Jose Rizal in a Manila seaside park that was cordoned off by police, Xi and his entourage will meet Duterte and top Philippine officials later Tuesday at the nearby Malacanan presidential palace.

Two Philippine officials told The Associated Press on Tuesday that Duterte’s administration would likely sign a memorandum of understanding to support Beijing’s “Belt and Road Initiative,” an ambitious infrastructure loan program that has been criticized by the United States as endangering debtor nations to debt bondage and could compromise their independence.

Xi has denied the Chinese loans could lead to “foreign debt trap.”

The Philippine government won’t likely immediately accede to proposals for oil and gas exploration in disputed waters but may sign an agreement “to explore maritime co-operation” and establish a committee

and a task force to hasten talks that may lead to a decision for a joint hunt for undersea fuel deposits, said the Philippine officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the touchy issue.

China has sought a so-called “Maritime and Air Liaison Mechanism,” an arrangement for forces of both countries to co-ordinate their naval and aircraft movement to prevent “incidents” in the contested waters, but the proposal has been opposed by Philippine defence officials, the officials said.

Filipino nationalists have warned that any agreement that can undermine the Philippines’ internationally recognized exclusive rights to fish and exploit resources within a 200-nautical-mile stretch of waters from the country’s coast would violate the Philippine constitution.

“The Philippines should not waive our sovereign rights as affirmed by the arbitral ruling,”

said Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, who has made extensive studies on the territorial conflicts.

Aside from their trade disputes, China and the United States have wrestled over the South China Sea. Chinese officials have asked Washington to back off from what they say is a purely Asian dispute, but the U.S. has vowed to maintain a presence in the waters, where it has no claims but has vowed to continue naval patrols to promote freedom of navigation and overflight despite Chinese warnings.

“We will continue to fly and sail wherever international law allows and our national interests demand; harassment will only strengthen our resolve.

We will not change course,” U.S. Vice-President Mike Pence said in a weekend meeting in Papua New Guinea that was attended

by Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum leaders, including Xi. ■

PCOO

China’s Xi... ❰❰ 1

and thousands of police were deployed to secure the overnight visit of Xi, who Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte once called “a great president.”

More than 300 protesters with placards that read “Philippines not for sale” and “Hands off our land and seas” rallied in front of the Chinese Consulate in Manila.

Xi’s visit to the Philippines is the first by a Chinese president in 13 years.

“We have reopened the door of friendship and co-operation ... bringing real benefits to our peoples and making an important contribution to regional peace, stability and prosperity,” Xi said in a statement issued after his arrival.

Beijing’s relations with Manila stagnated over long-seething territorial rifts in the South China Sea until Duterte won the presidency in mid-2016 and rebuilt ties with China while often pillorying U.S. security policies in a dramatic pivot. The

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14

Canada News Advocates to tell UN committee of women’s ‘non state torture’ in Canada

BY JANICE DICKSON The Canadian Press OTTAWA — Canada needs a special criminal charge to cover extended campaigns of physical and emotional abuse that amount to torture, say two Nova Scotia nurses who are in Geneva to try to shame the country before a United Nations body.

Linda MacDonald and Jeanne Sarson, nurses and human rights advocates from Nova Scotia, are appearing before the United Nations Committee Against Torture this week to apply more pressure on the Canadian government to amend the Criminal Code to include “non-state torture” as a distinct crime.

“Electric shocking … caging, shackling in basements, water torture in a toilet or a bucket … (it’s) done at home or in a private place with tools you wouldn’t think of like a hot electric light bulb or a gun, scissors or knitting needles,” said MacDonald.

Many of the acts are already crimes in themselves, but MacDonald and Sarson argue that protracted abuse is a particular kind of crime that isn’t captured by a charge of, for instance, aggravated assault. Canadian criminal law only recognizes torture as a crime if it’s done by someone working for the state.

The abuse they’re talking about is often perpetrated by victims’ relatives, friends of older family members, human traffickers, and johns who want

very violent sex. MacDonald said that because non-state torture is not identified as a crime, there is no data to show how widespread the problem is.

If the numbers at one women’s centre in Ontario are any indication, it could be stunning.

Megan Walker, the executive director of the London Abused Women’s Centre, said 59 women between January and October fit the description of victims of torture.

Walker said more than once a woman has come to the centre struggling to walk because an intimate partner has shoved a hot curling iron into her vagina.

Women and girls’ stories are so horrendous, she said, they’re terrified of reporting perpetrators to the police because they fear no one will believe them.

They also fear that if they are caught reporting the abuse, the terror will escalate.

In Ottawa in 2009, federal public servant Donna Jones died after her husband doused her with boiling water — the culmination of many months of physical and emotional abuse.

She went 11 days without medical attention after the scalding, apparently not calling for help even though a telephone was within reach where she lay on a makeshift bed in her basement.

She had broken bones and airgun pellets in her skin when she died of septic shock from her burns. A jury eventually convicted her husband of murder.

In Winnipeg this fall, police said a woman who was being trafficked for sex was regularly locked in a freezer until she

passed out from lack of air, and subjected to electric shocks.

She was victimized for four months, police said.

Children sometimes suffer long-term abuse by guardians who mistake what they’re doing for discipline. In another Ottawa case, a former police officer was sentenced to 15 years in prison last year for chaining his son up in a basement, starving him, and burning his genitals.

Walker said she sees women who have been abused by their partners or relatives, and women and girls who are trafficked, but most abusers have one thing in common: an attraction to violent pornography and a desire to realize their fantasies.

“These girls will have identified to us that they have been dragged across the floor by their hair, had their heads put into the toilet where they can’t breathe, and the toilet consistently flushes, they’ll come up for a breath and then will be pushed down again,” she said. Victims suffer permanent physical and psychological damage.

Walker said the extreme forms of violence could be considered state torture if a government were responsible.

She wants to see non-state torture identified as a crime so women’s experiences are validated, to establish a data bank where torture can be tracked, and so that law officials and medical providers can be trained to recognize signs and believe women when they come forward with their stories.

The London Abused Wom-

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en’s Centre shared questionnaires with The Canadian Press that victims completed, without identifying information.

One individual wrote on a survey, “When you’re tortured, it destroys who you are and what you know. It annihilates what it is to be human. You are still in the human race if you are abused, but you don’t exist as a human being when you are tortured.”

MacDonald and Sarson have been pushing this cause for 25 years. The closest they came to change was a private member’s bill from Ontario Liberal MP Peter Fragiskatos, which died in 2016.

Fragiskatos’ bill proposed to change the Criminal Code to define torture as an act of violence carried out not just by state actors but also ordinary citizens.

He said it was unsuccessful because the House of Commons justice committee determined it would conflict with Canada’s obligations under international laws that specify that torture is a crime carried out by a government.

“That was the vision, but the proposal was found to conflict with international law, that torture is a state crime,” said Fragiskatos.

MacDonald and Sarson say a number of countries have included non-state torture or sexual torture in their criminal laws.

MacDonald said after the pair appeared before the UN antitorture committee in 2012, it recommended Canada change its Criminal Code to include ❱❱ PAGE 28 Advocates to

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15

Trudeau says he won’t Quebec premier caught negotiate in public on future between language of LGBTQ rights in USMCA and business with Ontario’s cuts to French

BY JORDAN PRESS The Canadian Press PORT MORESBY, PAPUA NEW GUINEA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau isn’t saying what he is willing to do to keep a provision protecting labour rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and queer workers inside a renewed North American free trade pact.

More than 40 Republican lawmakers wrote U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday demanding the removal of language in the agreement pledging all three countries to support “policies that protect workers against employment discrimination on the basis of sex, including with regard to pregnancy, sexual harassment, sexual orientation, gender identity.”

The legislators urged Trump not to sign the agreement unless the language was removed.

The three countries are expected to sign the deal, known as the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA for short, at the G20 meeting in Argentina at the end of the month.

BY GIUSEPPE VALIANTE The Canadian Press

JUSTIN TRUDEAU / FACEBOOK

Trudeau says the deal Canada negotiated has some of the strongest labour and environmental provisions of any trade deal the country has signed.

He also says he is not going to negotiate in public when asked how far he would go to keep the provision in the agreement.

“We got to a good agreement that I think represents Canadian values, Canadian approach, but also values that are broadly shared amongst citizens of our

three countries,” Trudeau said Sunday at the end of a summit of Asia-Pacific leaders.

“In any trade deal, there are going to be people who would like this or like that or not want this or not want that,” he said, adding that moving forward with a strong agreement is in the interest of all three countries.

In a letter to the White House flagged Friday by the U.S. web❱❱ PAGE 24 Trudeau says

Elections BC keeps eye on Canada Post dispute, but no change in Nov. 30 deadline THE CANADIAN PRESS VICTORIA — The potential impact of rotating postal strikes on British Columbia’s electoral reform referendum is being watched closely but so far there are no plans to extend the Nov. 30 mail-in deadline, Elections BC said Monday.

Rebecca Penz of Elections BC, the non-partisan election agency, said it has yet to determine that the ongoing labour situation at Canada Post will cause voters to miss the deadline.

She said Elections BC is monitoring ballot returns and keeping tabs on developments at Canada Post.

“It’s just not clear enough

yet,” she said. “If and when we understand the impact we will be extending the deadline but we just don’t know if there’s going to be an impact at deadline time. That decision is still up in the air.”

Elections BC said Monday that about 21 per cent of the eligible ballots had been returned so far.

Penz said in 2011, Elections BC had to extend the mail-in deadline by two weeks for the provincewide referendum on the harmonized sales tax, but that was after a national lockout atCanada Post.

Officials at B.C.’s Vote No side called for an extension last week, citing the ongoing labour dispute and ballot returns that were below 20 per cent.

“Voters are obviously not mesmerized by this and the returns have borne that out,” said Vote No spokesman Bill Tieleman. “It’s incumbent upon us and our opponents and Elections BC to do everything we can to encourage people to vote in as large a number as possible.”

Tieleman said an extension of one or two weeks would ensure all ballots are counted and not caught in any potential backlogs.

Vote PR BC spokeswoman Maria Dobrinskaya said in a statement the Yes side is encouraged by the increasing numbers of returned ballots, and trusts Elections BC is monitoring the postal dispute and will make the appropriate decision regarding an extension. ■ www.canadianinquirer.net

MONTREAL — Quebec Premier Francois Legault travelled to Ontario Monday to talk business with Premier Doug Ford but was instead forced to take on another role — lead defender of the French language in North America.

After the Ford government last week announced budget cuts affecting Ontario’s 600,000 francophones, Legault was left walking a fine line between strengthening economic ties with his neighbour and standing up for the rights of a French-speaking minority.

“Listen, clearly the fate of francophones in Canada is concerning to francophones in Quebec,” Legault told reporters after meeting Ford at the provincial legislature. “It is important to remember where we come from, to remember how this country was formed. So it’s only normal that there is a pretty strong reaction.”

Since Ontario’s decision to cancel plans for a francophone university and eliminate the office of the French language services commissioner, Quebec’s political class and media pundits have seized on it as evidence of a lack of commitment to French speakers outside Quebec.

Legault said he asked Ford to reconsider during their closeddoor meeting. “Of course, he disagreed,” Legault said.

University of Ottawa law professor Benoit Pelletier, a former Quebec minister of intergovernmental affairs, said any perceived attack on French — anywhere in the country — is seen as a threat to Quebecers’ identity.

“The influence of the French language passes through the presence of French across the country,” Pelletier said, adding that there is a “natural solidarity” among francophones.

Francophones — including those in Quebec — are a minor-

ity within Canada, and they want to see French flourish, he said.

If Legault is seen as indifferent to the fate of francophones outside Quebec, he risks paying a political price — especially after campaigning on a promise to be a strong defender of the French language.

Veronique Hivon, opposition critic on Canada-Quebec relations for the Parti Quebecois, said Legault needs to go further than simply asking Ford to reverse his funding cuts.

“There are things that are fundamental when you are Quebec premier,” Hivon added.

“Speaking loudly and strongly about the French fact … is one of them.”

She urged the premier to meet Franco-Ontarian groups planning to sue the Ontario government over its decision to let them know Quebec is on their side.

“He needs to say that Quebec is open to all other means to support them in this fight,” she said.

Legault said Ford is convinced his government can continue to serve Franco-Ontarians after the French language services commissioner role is rolled into the ombudsman’s office. Ford also said the province doesn’t have the money to open a francophone university.

“It didn’t satisfy me,” Legault said on Ford’s arguments, “but that’s what he told me.”

Legault’s tone suggested he felt he was limited in his capacity to persuade the Ontario premier to change course.

“I provided all the arguments I could,” Legault said.

Legault was visibly more comfortable answering questions about business. He said he and Ford decided their economy ministers would meet twice a year in order to increase trade between the two provinces.

The Quebec premier also said he made a pitch to Ford about the economic advantages of buying more hydro power from his province. ■

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Canada News

NOVEMBER 23, 2018

FRIDAY

Next Canadian federal election will be target for Russian meddling: Sajjan

BY NEIL DAVIDSON, MICHAEL MACDONALD, AND KEITH DOUCETTE The Canadian Press HALIFAX — With a federal election less than a year away, Canada’s defence minister is warning voters they will be targeted by online cyber-attacks and fake news as Russia steps up its efforts to undermine western democracies.

“We have taken this into account very seriously in our defence policy,” Harjit Sajjan said in an interview with The Canadian Press.

“We need to further educate our citizens about the impact of fake news. No one wants to be duped by anybody.”

Sajjan made the comments while attending a defence and security conference in Halifax, where experts, military officers and politicians representing democracies from around the world spent a great deal of time discussing cyber-warfare.

“When we stand up for human rights, and when we stand up … to nations like Russia who are going against the rulesbased order … you become a target,” Sajjan said, adding that Canada’s decision to protest Russia’s annexation of Crimea

has also raised Russia’s ire.

He said the Canadian government has a cyber-security plan that includes establishing the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security within the Communications Security Establishment, which is focused on collecting foreign signals intelligence.

Rose Gottemoeller, deputysecretary general of NATO, stressed that Russia is not the only country using the internet to spread disinformation, citing a NATO report released Sunday that drew attention to North Korea, China and Iran.

The report, presented Sunday to a NATO Parliamentary Assembly meeting in Halifax, was discussed by NATO’s science and technology committee.

U.S. Democratic congresswoman Susan Davis told the committee that Russian interference continued in the early stages of the recent U.S. midterm elections, although not on the scale seen during the 2016 election that saw Donald Trump elected president.

Last year, Facebook said hundreds of dubious accounts, likely operated out of Russia, spent about $100,000 on some 3,000 ads about contentious issues such as LGBT rights, race, immigration and guns.

Facebook later said an esti-

mated 10 million people in the United States saw the ads.

Gottemoeller, who previously served as undersecretary for international security at the U.S. State Department, said democracies have to be ready to defend themselves — on the battlefield or in cyberspace.

“There’s a lot of creativity among the bad guys,” she said in an interview Sunday.

As an example, Gottemoeller pointed to the Canadian-led NATO Battle Group in Latvia, which has been subjected to a steady stream of fake news aimed at undermining the yearold mission.

“The Russians are pumping out a lot of reports about misbehaviour of Canadian troops and how expensive the (battle group) is for Latvia,” she said, adding that Canadian soldiers have taken a proactive role by letting local residents know why they are there.

“It’s a great example of how Canada … has made a difference pushing back against disinformation.”

Pauline Neville-Jones, chairwoman of the U.K.-based Advisory Board to Cyber Security Challenge, said Russian operatives use online algorithms to distribute false stories that are aimed at sowing division and

Harjit Sajjan.

distrust of democratic institutions.

“In the case of Canada, (the Russians) would find it very interesting to try to destabilize your relationship with the United States,” said NevilleJones, who was David Cameron’s national security adviser before he became prime minister of Britain.

“That gets at the sinews of western democracy. It gets at the sinews of NATO relationships.”

Neville-Jones said the rise of social media has eroded the

HARJIT SAJJAN / FACEBOOK

influence of traditional media sources, which has left citizens more susceptible to cyber-attacks. The best defence against fake news, she said, is to seek other news sources.

She said there was plenty of evidence of online interference in the 2016 U.S. vote, particularly from the Russians.

“Propaganda … has been one of the things they’ve always done,” Neville-Jones said. “They see international relations as a zero-sum game.

If you’re losing, then I’m winning.” ■

Thousands march in Montreal in support of farmers, against trade concessions

BY MORGAN LOWRIE The Canadian Press MONTREAL — Half a dozen tractors rolled through the streets of downtown Montreal on Sunday as thousands of people marched in support of farmers who say they’re threatened by the new U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement.

Many in the crowd brandished signs and kitchen utensils and pushed shopping carts as they joined an hour-long march organized by Quebec’s farmers’ union.

The union, known by its French language acronym UPA,

says Canada made “unprecedented” concessions in the dairy sector during negotiations for the USMCA deal.

President Marcel Groleau argued that producers in Quebec have to pay higher wages and meet higher environmental standards than those in the United States and Mexico.

He called on the Quebec and federal governments to support local products and make sure any new imports have to meet the same standards Quebec producers are bound by.

“The security of a nation depends first and foremost on its ability to feed itself,” he said.

Canadian dairy farmers stand

to lose 3.59 per cent of their market to U.S. producers under the new trade deal, although the federal government has promised to compensate producers for their expected losses.

The marchers, many of whom were bussed in from all over Quebec, stretched over several city blocks as they wound their way through Montreal’s downtown.

They later filled a public square in the city’s entertainment district, where booths were set up to hand out Quebec food products including apples and hot chocolate.

Monia Grenier, a dairy producer and union representative www.canadianinquirer.net

from the Estrie region, said Sunday’s event was not a protest, but an appeal for solidarity.

While she was disappointed with the Trudeau government’s concessions on dairy, she said she understands there’s likely no going back.

“Protesting and making noise isn’t good anymore — it’s about educating people the right way,” she said.

The union has been appealing directly to consumers, urging them to reject the new imports and support local producers.

“What we want is for people to stand with us and buy local, buy Quebec products as much as possible,” Grenier said.

It was a message that hit home with Rob Nadeau, who drove in from nearby SaintBruno-de-Montarville to attend the event.

Nadeau said he’s not opposed to the free trade deal, but would like to see products clearly labelled and foreign producers who import to Canada made to “meet the same standards as our guys.”

While he’s just a consumer, he said it’s in everyone’s best interests to advocate for their farmers.

“I think it’s important for everybody in Canada — and if (a protest) happened in Ontario I’d go do it there too,” he said. ■

Canada News

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 23, 2018

17

B.C. government Ford says proposed gender says demand, safety identity policy from party behind long awaited convention won’t go ahead riding hailing plan

BY SHAWN JEFFORDS The Canadian Press

BY DIRK MEISSNER The Canadian Press VICTORIA — Ride-hailing could take another year to become a reality in British Columbia after legislation was introduced Monday that Transportation Minister Claire Trevena says balances consumer demand and public safety.

She said ride-hailing companies could be operating by next fall largely depending on the development of a new insurance system to cover the service.

“We are limited by insurance,” Trevena told a news conference. “Nobody is going to be on the road until there’s an insurance product that works for them.”

The legislation proposes to amend eight statutes and give the Passenger Transportation Board expanded powers to accept applications and set terms and conditions for licences covering taxis and ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft, she said.

Trevena said the independent tribunal will also have the authority to set rates and determine the number and coverage areas of the services.

A legislative committee to review and make changes to the system will be appointed, she added.

Uber spokesman Michael van Hemmen said the legislation is a step forward but it remains to be seen when the service will be ready to go.

“Timelines are a big question to British Columbians,” he said outside the legislature. “There’s people who’ve been wanting this service since 2012.”

Green Leader Andrew Weaver said the NDP’s bill is a move in the right direction, but he questioned the government’s plan to require driver training and class four licences rather than class five, which are used by most drivers in B.C. Class four licences are required to drive taxis, ambulances and

small buses with 25 or fewer passengers.

Van Hemmen did not reject the class four licence requirement, but suggested people with safe driving records can help keep impaired drivers off roads.

“We’re looking for a model that allows as many people as possible to safely participate,” he said.

Trevena said the experience of other jurisdictions has been used to develop British Columbia’s legislation, which is aimed at preventing gridlock, maintaining ridership on public transit, and reducing accidents caused by unsafe or inexperienced drivers.

Vancouver is one of the few major cities in Canada that does not have ride-hailing.

The New Democrats, Liberals and Greens promised to bringing in ride-hailing during the 2017 provincial election campaign.

Opposition Liberal Leader Andrew Wilkinson said the government’s ride-hailing proposal does more to stall the service than bring it forward.

“There’s going to be no ridehailing this Christmas,” he said.

“This is not customer driven or market driven. It’s NDP driven.”

An all-party committee of the legislature made 32 recommendations last February to help pave the way for ride-hailing.

The report highlighted five key areas that needed to be considered when establishing regulations for the industry including pricing, insurance, licensing, and public safety. The committee also recommended updating legislation that regulates the taxi industry to “allow for equitable and fair competition.”

Trevena said last July changes were introduced to allow 500 more taxis in B.C., including 300 more in the Metro Vancouver area. ■

TORONTO — The Ontario government will not move forward with a proposed policy that called for gender identity references to be removed from the sexual-education curriculum, Premier Doug Ford said Monday after the issue surfaced at a weekend gathering of his Progressive Conservative party.

Parental rights advocate and prominent social conservative Tanya Granic Allen had put forward a resolution Saturday that called gender identity a “Lib- Doug Ford. @FORDNATION / TWITTER eral ideology” and asked that references to it be deleted from raised concerns about social eral government, had included the sex-ed curriculum that’s conservative voices being ig- warnings about online bullying currently being revamped by nored in the party — said Mon- and sexting that were not in the Ford’s government. day that she introduced the previous version, and also disDelegates at the convention resolution on gender identity cussed same-sex marriage, genhad voted in favour of having because Ford talked about the der identity and masturbation.

Granic Allen’s resolution de- issue during his run for the The inclusion of those topics bated at next year’s policy gath- Tory leadership. upset social conservatives who ering, prompting critics to call “Doug says he listens to the said they were not age approon Ford to denounce the entire people,” she said. “Is he go- priate. idea. ing to listen to the people? I Critics had called Granic AlOn Monday, Ford stressed don’t know … I’m just following len’s resolution dangerous and that Saturday’s vote on Granic Doug’s lead on this issue.” transphobic.

Allen’s resolution was nonFord promised both during Helen Kennedy, executive binding. his run for the Tory leadership directory of LGBTQ advocacy “It came from the floor,” he earlier this year and during the group Egale Canada, said while said. “I’m not Ford’s commoving forward ments were a with that. So, it’s positive sign, the done.” entire issue outFord’s office The conversation is really lined the need followed up on broader than a resolution at the for more educahis remarks with Conservative convention. It’s tion on gender a brief statesomething that we need to educate identity. ment saying the people on.

“It speaks to premier will “exa broader issue plore every opabout lack of tion as Leader of understanding,” the Ontario PC Party to prevent spring election campaign to re- she said. “The conversation is this resolution from moving peal and replace the sex-ed cur- really broader than a resoluforward.” riculum, saying parents had not tion at the Conservative conEducation Minister Lisa been adequately consulted. vention. It’s something that we Thompson also stressed that He scrapped the modernized need to educate people on.” the gender identity resolution curriculum shortly after taking Lyra Evans, the first trans at the weekend convention office and said teachers would person elected as a school board “has nothing at all to do with use a document previously up- trustee in Canada, said she’d government policy.” dated in 1998 while the prov- hoped to hear a firm denuncia“It was a resolution put for- ince consulted parents. The tion of the policy from Ford and ward to impact a policy conven- government later updated that thought his response fell short. tion that is a year from now,” document but its moves stirred “I definitely think it benefits she said, adding that she’s in- confusion about what teachers trans communities in Ontario terested in providing a “safe could and could not tell stu- to have the premier come out and support environment” for dents about sex education. and say he’s not going to tolerall students.

The modernized curriculum, ate bigotry within his own parGranic Allen — who has introduced by the previous Lib- ty,” she said. ■ www.canadianinquirer.net

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World News

NOVEMBER 23, 2018

FRIDAY

2020 Democratic contenders already eyeing top staff in Iowa

BY THOMAS BEAUMONT The Associated Press DES MOINES, IOWA — Andrew Turner was driving Iowa’s Democratic candidate for state auditor back to Des Moines last month when a potential presidential contender called to make an introduction. It was one of many such overtures the 23-year-old has fielded.

“I’m hearing from them,” said Turner, who managed Rob Sand’s winning campaign for auditor. “They’ve been pretty respectful, congratulating me, but saying we’d love to talk to you more.”

The 2018 midterms are barely history, but the next campaign is already in full swing in Iowa, home to the first caucus of the 2020 Democratic presidential nominating campaign. In the two weeks since the election, potential White House contenders have intensified their effort to recruit operatives who could help them navigate an

Iowa campaign.

In a state that hasn’t had a wide-open campaign in more than a decade, recent Iowa success is a hot commodity. The competition is shaping up to be especially fierce because the field could include as many as two dozen candidates.

“There are going to be so many candidates, the Iowa staff primary is more important this cycle than perhaps any other cycle on the Democratic side,” said Jennifer Palmieri, a former top aide to Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign.

The outreach ranges from friendly encouragement to allout wooing.

Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey has been especially aggressive in reaching out to potential staffers, according to multiple who have spoken to him. That is in keeping with other early moves that suggest he would make a strong play in Iowa should he launch a campaign.

He made an impression among some potential surro-

gates by calling more than a half dozen Democrats who ran for statewide office the day after the election.

Sen. Kamala Harris of California and former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick also have been in touch with top potential staffers and party organizers.

Lesser-known Maryland Rep. John Delaney, who is banking on a strong Iowa finish to vault him into contention, already has 10 staff in Iowa, with plans to have 30 scattered across eight field offices by January.

“It’s going to be difficult to find qualified staff with as many candidates in the race,” said Monica Biddix, Delaney’s spokeswoman. “That’s why we want to get in there early and expand our footprint now.”

Meanwhile, other emerging Democrats are just starting to make Iowa contacts.

Colorado Sen. Michael Bennett, a relatively new name to the 2020 discussion, has been

www.canadianinquirer.net

in contact with some influential Iowa Democrats, while New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who won re-election to a third term this month, has contacted Des Moines-area Democrats.

Many of the top staff prospects have key things in common: Youth, familiarity with presidential campaigns and a fresh understanding of Iowa’s Democratic politics.

Turner worked on Martin O’Malley’s 2016 presidential campaign and represents a class of young operatives eager to put their time learning the political nuances of Iowa’s 99 counties to use on politics’ largest stage.

Kane Miller managed a winning House race in northeast Iowa this year. He worked for Clinton’s 2016 caucus campaign and has been courted, particularly by Harris.

Another prized recruit could be Janice Rottenberg, an Ohio organizer for Clinton in 2016 who ran the Iowa Democratic Party’s campaign that helped

all party candidates this year.

There’s also Joe O’Hern, a native Iowan and 2016 O’Malley staffer in Iowa who ran Ohio’s statewide Democratic campaign this year and would be considered a likely pick for Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown if he decides to launch a 2020 candidacy.

Outreach to these and other 30-and-younger operatives who are fresh off the midterms and familiar with the caucuses’ nuances suggests those who know the players and the game have the edge. Unlike a primary election, the caucuses are political meetings held statewide where registered Democrats gather to publicly declare their preference for a candidate. It requires a degree of specific logistical organizing more precise than a primary.

“People who can adapt and adopt are the people you want,” said Anita Dunn, a former adviser to Barack Obama. “It means landing people who are current.” ■

World News

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 23, 2018

19

Trump pressed to levy harsh US response to Khashoggi killing

BY DEB RIECHMANN The Associated Press WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump faces increasing pressure to take tougher measures against Saudi Arabia over the killing of writer Jamal Khashoggi.

Trump says that Saudi Arabia is a “spectacular ally” and that he’s not convinced that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom’s de facto leader, was directly responsible for the Oct. 2 slaying of the editorial columnist for The Washington Post inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.

But there are increasing calls for more action amid a growing consensus that the crown prince, who controls virtually all major levers of power in Saudi Arabia, must have known about the operation.

The pressure is coming from both Democrats and Republicans in Congress and U.S. allies abroad.

France’s top diplomat said Monday that his country was mulling sanctions against Saudi Arabia. Germany on Monday announced that it has banned 18 Saudi nationals from entering Europe’s border-free Schengen zone because of their suspected connections to the killing. German officials, who earlier banned new weapons exports to Riyadh, also said they are halting previously approved arms exports as well.

Over the weekend, Trump

called reports that the crown prince ordered the killing “premature.” He said that it was “possible” and that it was also possible that people will never know the truth.

“Donald Trump just says, ‘Will anybody really know?’ as if our intelligence agencies are incapable of making an assessment,” Sen. Ron Wyden, DOre., said Monday.

He said CIA Director Gina Haspel and National Intelligence Director Dan Coats need to “come out and provide the American people and the Congress with a public assessment of who ordered the killing of Jamal Khashoggi.”

Saudi Arabia’s top diplomat insists that the crown prince had “absolutely” nothing to do with Khashoggi’s death, but U.S. intelligence officials have concluded that he ordered the killing, according to a U.S. official familiar with the assessment.

Others familiar with the case caution that while it’s likely that the crown prince had a role in the death, there continue to be questions about the degree to which he was involved.

Vice-President Mike Pence told reporters that Trump on Tuesday would review information about Khashoggi’s death and then make his decisions about the United States’ “enormously important strategic relationship” with Saudi Arabia, which is aligned with the United States in pushing back against Iran.

The president leaves Tuesday

to spend Thanksgiving at his golf club in New Jersey. The following week, the president and the crown prince will attend the Group of 20 summit in Buenos Aires. Saudi media reported Monday that the crown prince will be present, bringing him face-to-face with Trump and leaders from Turkey, Canada and Europe, among others.

The United States has stepped up its opposition to Saudi Arabia’s war against Houthi rebels in neighbouring Yemen. Saudi airstrikes in the war in Yemen have killed thousands of civilians.

In recent weeks, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defence Secretary Jim Mattis have called for a ceasefire in Yemen, and the U.S. has announced it would stop refuelling Saudi Arabian aircraft fighting the Houthis. The U.S. also has sanctioned 17 Saudi officials suspected of being responsible for or complicit in the killing.

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., says sanctioning people who are already imprisoned — including some facing the death penalty in connection with the killing — will have little effect. Paul said the president should cut off arms sales to the kingdom — an action that Trump has repeatedly said he did not want to take.

Late last week, a bipartisan group of senators introduced legislation that calls for suspending weapons sales to Saudi Arabia; sanctions on people who block humanitarian ac-

GAGE SKIDMORE / FLICKR, CC BY-SA 2.0

cess in Yemen or support the Houthi rebels; and mandatory sanctions on those responsible for Khashoggi’s death.

“There must be a transparent, credible investigation into Khashoggi’s murder,” New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said in introducing the bill with two Democratic and three Republican colleagues.

“On Yemen, the administration’s recent decision to suspend U.S. aerial refuelling for the Saudi coalition absent an actual strategy for ending this conflict is empty action,” he said.

Some foreign policy experts advocate for a complete reset on relations with Riyadh.

Emile Nakhleh, a former member of CIA’s senior intelligence service, said that

since the crown prince assumed power three years ago, he has turned his country into a “strongman autocracy” that can’t be trusted.

“His ruthless power grab, repression of potential challengers within his family, and crackdown on all opposition to his policies and projects inside and outside of Saudi Arabia have put American-Saudi relations at risk,” Nakhleh wrote in an oped Monday in the online intelligence newsletter The Cipher Brief. “He feels empowered to crush his potential rivals within the ruling family by his close relationship to President Trump and Jared Kushner.”

Kushner, the president’s sonin-law, has worked with the crown prince on various issues, including on how to end the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. ■

Tijuana protesters chant ‘Out!’ at migrants camped in city

BY YESICA FISCH AND AMY GUTHRIE The Associated Press TIJUANA, MEXICO — Hundreds of Tijuana residents congregated around a monument in an affluent section of the city south of California on Sunday to protest the thousands of Central American migrants who have arrived via caravan in hopes of a new life in the U.S. Tensions have built as nearly 3,000 migrants from the cara-

van poured into Tijuana in recent days after more than a month on the road, and with many more months ahead of them while they seek asylum.

The federal government estimates the number of migrants could soon swell to 10,000.

U.S. border inspectors are processing only about 100 asylum claims a day at Tijuana’s main crossing to San Diego.

Asylum seekers register their names in a tattered notebook managed by migrants themselves that had more than 3,000

names even before the caravan arrived.

On Sunday, displeased Tijuana residents waved Mexican flags, sang the Mexican national anthem and chanted “Out! Out!” in front of a statue of the Aztec ruler Cuauhtemoc, 1 mile (1.6 kilometres) from the U.S. border. They accused the migrants of being messy, ungrateful and a danger to Tijuana. They also complained about how the caravan forced its way into Mexico, calling it an “invasion.” And they voiced worries www.canadianinquirer.net

that their taxes might be spent to care for the group.

“We don’t want them in Tijuana,” protesters shouted.

Juana Rodriguez, a housewife, said the government needs to conduct background checks on the migrants to make sure they don’t have criminal records.

A woman who gave her name as Paloma lambasted the migrants, who she said came to Mexico in search of handouts.

“Let their government take care of them,” she told video re-

porters covering the protest.

A block away, fewer than a dozen Tijuana residents stood with signs of support for the migrants. Keyla Zamarron, a 38-year-old teacher, said the protesters don’t represent her way of thinking as she held a sign saying: Childhood has no borders.

Most of the migrants who have reached Tijuana via caravan in recent days set out more than a month ago from Hon❱❱ PAGE 22 Tijuana protesters

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World News

NOVEMBER 23, 2018

FRIDAY

The big question for new House Dems: Will you back Pelosi?

BY LISA MASCARO AND ALAN FRAM The Associated Press

Voreqe Bainimarama.

@FIJIPM / TWITTER

Fiji leader sworn in for 4 more years after winning election

BY NICK PERRY The Associated Press WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND — Fiji’s leader was sworn in for four more years Tuesday after winning an election with a reduced majority, after earlier lashing out at his opponents.

Voreqe Bainimarama was affirmed prime minister in a ceremony in the capital Suva after his FijiFirst Party won just over half the votes in last week’s election, giving them 27 seats in Fiji’s 51-seat parliament.

Bainimarama first seized power in a military coup in 2006 and refashioned himself as a legitimate leader after winning an election in 2014. Many people in the nation of 920,000 seem appreciative of the economic gains they’ve made in recent years.

Bainimarama said in a statement this week that people had “ganged up” against his party.

“Despite the joint forces of opposition that started their campaign based on lies, hate and fear against us four years ago, we have triumphed,” he said.

He said his opponents “were willing to create economic chaos and undermine our economic future in their greed to win government.”

Bainimarama said his opponents had been “aided and abetted” by the Fiji Times newspaper, which many people consider to be the last independent media voice in a country where many news outlets kowtow to the government. A judge in May found an opinion writer and three executives at the newspaper company not guilty of sedition in a trial many believe was politically motivated.

The election last Wednesday was marred by heavy rainfall.

In an interview with Radio New Zealand, Bainimarama blamed the weather for his reduced majority from four years ago, when his party won almost 60 per cent of the vote. He said he had no plans to leave politics.

“I’ll be here until I decide otherwise,” he said, before abruptly ending the interview.

The main opposition party was also led by a former strongman, Sitiveni Rabuka, who led two racially charged coups in 1987. Rabuka said it was time for Fiji to move on from both him and Bainimarama.

“Those of us involved in coups are getting old now and we are a passing generation,” he told Radio New Zealand. “Very soon we will have a responsible younger generation of leaders taking over.” ■

WASHINGTON — It’s the thorny first question confronting newly elected House Democrats: Will you vote for Nancy Pelosi?

Even before they’ve taken office, the freshmen swept in by the midterm elections are caught at the centre of an escalating power struggle over Pelosi’s future.

The clash intensified Monday as Pelosi’s critics unveiled a letter signed by 16 Democrats, including five freshmen, vowing to oppose her. If that holds, it could be enough to derail her bid. If not, she could reclaim the gavel she once held.

“It’s the question that we got most often,” Rep.-elect Joe Neguse of Colorado said on CBS. He intends to support Pelosi. “You know I think that it’s important that we have steady leadership right now.”

The vote on a new speaker will be among the first cast in the new Congress, a dramatic roll call that often becomes fodder for campaign ads. For many of the Democratic freshmen, it’s a moment of truth after a number of them promised on the campaign trail to oppose Pelosi and demand new leadership.

For now, just five freshmen have signed onto the letter opposing Pelosi. Two of them, Anthony Brindisi in New York and Ben McAdams in Utah, are in races that have not yet been called by The Associated Press.

Other freshmen who have said they would oppose Pelosi did not sign the letter, and the fight for their allegiance is raging behind the scenes.

The showdown is splitting Democrats after they took control of the House in the midterm elections, overshadowing what would be the historic return of the first woman to ever hold the speaker’s office.

Pelosi ally Jan Schakowsky of Illinois says she understands the freshmen’s nervousness.

But she also says, “Two years from now people are not going to decide whether they re-elect www.canadianinquirer.net

these people based on Nancy Pelosi. And even now I think it had very little to do with affecting the election. Hello! We won with Nancy Pelosi.”

On the one hand, Pelosi’s supporters say now more than ever the party needs the California Democrat’s leadership as a skilled strategist and tireless fundraiser to confront President Donald Trump and Senate Republicans in Congress.

On the other, Pelosi’s critics say she has become such a weight on the party, starring as the chief villain in Republican attack ads against Democrats, that she needs to step aside and make way for a new generation of leadership.

Among those leading the effort against her, Rep. Seth Moulton of Massachusetts has said his group is trying to protect the freshmen so they can survive their re-elections without having Pelosi’s image hanging over their campaigns.

The Pelosi opponents’ theory is, once it’s clear she doesn’t have the votes, a new leader will emerge.

“Our majority came on the backs of a majority that said they would support new leadership,” the group wrote in the letter. “We promised to change the status quo and we intend to deliver on that promise.”

All of the freshman opponents so far are men, and Pelosi’s critics have been criticized, especially on social media, as being led mostly by men. Just two of those signing the letter are women.

Several high-profile freshmen who have vowed to oppose Pelosi are notably missing from the letter.

Rep.-elect Abigail Spanberger of Virginia said Sunday on ABC she had “tremendous” respect for Pelosi, who “blazed a trail” for the record number of new women, but would be voting against her. She has not signed on.

“If we are going to turn a page and bring civility back to the political discussions, we need to change the people who are directing that conversation,” she said. “But I have been very, very clear and honest about my intentions.”

Rep. Lauren Underwood of

Illinois said Sunday, “I have not made up my mind.”

Pelosi’s office insisted Monday she has the backing to become speaker again.

“Leader Pelosi remains confident in her support,” said spokesman Drew Hammill.

With the Democrats holding 232 seats, Pelosi can’t afford to lose many votes and still hold the 218 needed to become speaker, presuming all Republicans oppose her. That margin could shift, though, if lawmakers are absent or simply vote “present,” which reduces the threshold.

Her supporters say that after winning difficult elections against Trump’s campaigning, the Democrats can’t afford to get bogged down in a protracted leadership fight ahead of the Jan. 3 vote.

They are heading toward an internal caucus vote when lawmakers return from the Thanksgiving recess that will test Pelosi’s support.

One potential rival, Rep. Martha Fudge of Ohio, did not sign onto the letter. That’s a similar tack to the one taken two years ago by Fudge’s ally, Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan, who challenged Pelosi during internal caucus elections. Fudge has said she will decide after Thanksgiving if she is running.

Republican Rep. Tom Reed of New York, a Trump ally who has said he could vote for Pelosi if she agrees to rules changes to move power away from the speaker’s office, warned freshmen against waffling.

“They’re going to get crucified, crucified with that first vote,” Reed said in an interview.

“You better think about that long and hard.”

Some freshmen appear to be moving in Pelosi’s direction.

“Right now, she’s the only person who’s running, so it would appear as though that’s where my vote would go,” Rep.-elect Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania said on CBS. “She’s an effective person in that job.” ■ Associated Press writer Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report.

World News

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 23, 2018

21

Trump criticizes war hero for not capturing bin Laden sooner

BY ROBERT BURNS The Associated Press WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has ignited a firestorm of criticism and charges that he is politicizing the military by faulting a war hero for not capturing al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden sooner.

Trump took shots at retired Adm. William McRaven in a weekend Fox News interview in which he also asserted that the former Navy SEAL and former commander of U.S. Special Operations Command was a “backer” of Trump’s 2016 rival, Hillary Clinton, and supporter of President Barack Obama.

“Disgusting,” the George W. Bush administration’s White House counterterrorism adviser, Fran Townsend, wrote Monday on Twitter.

Leon Panetta, who was CIA director during the bin Laden

raid and later served as secretary of defence, said Trump owed an apology to McRaven and to all of those in the military and intelligence agencies who played a role in tracking down bin Laden and carrying out the risky raid into Pakistan.

He called Trump’s remark “patently ridiculous.”

“It demonstrates a profound lack of understanding of how our military and intelligence agencies operate and undermines the president’s own standing as commander-inchief,” Panetta said in a statement.

The controversy follows a pattern of concerns raised by former senior military officers about Trump’s grasp of the military’s role. Some assert that his decision to send thousands of active-duty troops to the U.S.Mexico border shortly before the Nov. 6 midterm elections was a political stunt.

Trump also drew criticism

for his decision not to visit Arlington National Cemetery on Veterans Day last week, following his trip to Europe. He said later he “should have” visited the cemetery but was too busy with official business.

McRaven told CNN he is a fan both of George W. Bush and Barack Obama, having served under them. “I admire all presidents, regardless of their political party, who uphold the dignity of the office and who use that office to bring the nation together in challenging times,” he said pointedly.

McRaven previously had drawn widespread attention for lambasting Trump for repeatedly calling the news media the “enemy of the people.” McRaven had said the president’s words were “the greatest threat to democracy” in his lifetime.

When this was raised in the Fox News interview, Trump lashed out at McRaven, who organized and executed the bin Laden

www.canadianinquirer.net

Osama bin Laden having a conversation with one of his friends, pre-December 2001.

AL QAUDA VIA US DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

raid in Pakistan in May 2011 as head of the secretive Joint Special Operation Command.

“Wouldn’t it have been nice if we got Osama bin Laden a lot sooner than that, wouldn’t it have been nice?” Trump said.

Asked whether military leaders were not due credit for having killed the al-Qaida leader,

Trump said, “They took him down but - look, look, there’s news right there, he lived in Pakistan, we’re supporting Pakistan, we’re giving them $1.3 billion a year, which we don’t give them anymore, by the way, I ended it because they don’t do anything for us, they don’t do a damn thing for us.” ■

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World News

NOVEMBER 23, 2018

FRIDAY

Tijuana protesters... ❰❰ 19

duras, a country of 9 million people. Dozens of migrants in the caravan who have been interviewed by Associated Press reporters have said they left their country after death threats.

But the journey has been hard, and many have turned around.

Alden Rivera, the Honduran ambassador in Mexico,told the AP on Saturday that 1,800 Hondurans have returned to their country since the caravan first set out on Oct. 13, and that he hopes more will make that decision. “We want them to return to Honduras,” said Rivera.

Honduras has a murder rate of 43 per 100,000 residents, similar to U.S. cities like New Orleans and Detroit. In addition to violence, migrants in the caravan have mentioned poor economic prospects as a motivator for their departures. Per capita income hovers around $120 a month in Honduras, where the World Bank says two out of three people live in poverty.

The migrants’ expected long stay in Tijuana has raised concerns about the ability of the border city of more than 1.6 million people to handle the influx.

While many in Tijuana are sympathetic to the migrants’ plight and trying to assist,some locals have shouted insults, hurled rocks and even thrown punches at them. The cold reception contrasts sharply with the warmth that accompanied the migrants in southern Mexico, where residents of small towns greeted them with hot food, campsites and even live music.

Tijuana Mayor Juan Manuel Gastelum has called the migrants’ arrival an “avalanche” that the city is ill-prepared to handle, calculating that they will be in Tijuana for at least six months as they wait to file asylum claims.Gastelum has appealed to the federal government for more assistance to cope with the influx.

Mexico’s Interior Ministry said Saturday that the federal government was flying in food and blankets for the migrants in Tijuana.

Tijuana officials converted a municipal gymnasium and recreational complex into a shelter to keep migrants out of public spaces. The city’s privately run shelters have a maximum capacity of 700. The municipal complex can hold up to 3,000.

At the municipal shelter, Josue Caseres, 24, expressed dismay at the protests against the caravan. “We are fleeing violence,” said the entertainer from Santa Barbara, Honduras. “How can they think we are going to come here to be violent?”

Some from the caravan have diverted to other border cities, such as Mexicali, a few hours to the east of Tijuana.

Elsewhere on Sunday, a group of 200 migrants headed north from El Salvador, determined to also find safety in numbers to reach the U.S. Edwin Alexander Gomez, 20, told AP in San Salvador that he wants to work construction in New York, where he hears the wages are better and the city is safer.

U.S. President Donald Trump, who sought to make the caravan a campaign issue in the midterm elections, used Twitter on Sunday to voice support for the mayor of Tijuana and try to discourage the migrants from seeking entry to the U.S. Trump wrote that like Tijuana, “the U.S. is ill-prepared for this invasion, and will not stand for it. They are causing crime and big problems in Mexico. Go home!”

He followed that tweet by writing: “Catch and Release is an obsolete term.

It is now Catch and Detain. Illegal Immigrants trying to come into the U.S.A., often proudly flying the flag of their nation as they ask for U.S. Asylum, will be detained or turned away.” ■

The complete monument in its current location as seen from the East. The name Cuitláhuac is visible on the inscription - Cuauhtémoc's cousin and predecessor as Tlatoani of Tenochtitlan (2011).

ALEJANDROLINARESGARCIA/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS, CC BY-SA 3.0

www.canadianinquirer.net

23

Entertainment Finding the freedom to love via film “Glorious”

BY PRINCESITA P. BABON QUEZON CITY, PHILIPPINES — Angel Aquino and Tony Labrusca take on the most daring roles in their careers as they play lovers in a May-December love affair in “Glorious”, an original movie produced by Dreamscape Digital for streaming exclusively inside the Philippines via iWant, ABS-CBN’s new content-on-demand digital app, and in most countries outside the Philippines via TFC Online (www.TFC.tv).

The movie, which will be available starting November 17, has caught the imagination and piqued the interest of millions of netizens. Memes abound on social media, as its full trailer has earned more than 16.9 million views.

More than the viral trailer’s steamy scenes that enticed and thrilled netizens, it has also spurred conversations online about age gap in relationships and the stigma attached to them.

Written and directed by Concepcion Macatuno, “Glorious” tells the story of Glory (Aquino), a 52-year-old brain tumor survivor who falls in love with Niko (Labrusca), a guy 30 years

Angel Aquino and Tony Labrusca.

her junior.

Faced with different challenges in life, Glory meets the enthusiastic and adventurous 22-year-old Niko, and the two have an instant connection.

While physical attraction will initially draw them together, it will turn into a kind of love that will help them overcome the encompassing challenges in their relationship, including their opposing perspectives, age gap, and disapproval and judgment from their loved ones and community.

Will Glory and Niko be courageous enough to fight for their relationship? How will Glory learn to stand by her convictions and pursue her own happiness?

SUPPLIED

More than the intriguing daring scenes seen in the trailer, Aquino and Labrusca both agree that their film speaks about everyone’s freedom to love whoever they choose to love.

“Sana palayain natin ‘yong mga sarili natin na, ‘I am in love with this person, I love him very much’ and if he genuinely loves you, he will not feel ashamed holding your hand in public, kissing you every now and then in public kasi pagmamahal naman talaga ang mahalaga (Let us give ourselves the freedom to love whoever we want to love, and if he genuinely loves you, he will not feel ashamed holding your hand in public, kissing you every now and then in public

because what is important here is love),” explained Aquino.

On the other hand, Labrusca commented: “I guess some people would say it is about breaking boundaries, but I think it is so much more about age. It is to show people that you can fall in love with whoever you want to fall in love with. Everybody deserves love, and anybody can find love at whatever age.”

Meantime, the film’s subject has triggered netizens to share their thoughts on social media, and even Broadway Diva Lea Salonga said that she hopes the movie becomes successful not just for its love scenes, but also its potential to “begin a conversation about seeing older wom-

en and younger men on screen.”

“Given how utterly beautiful both Angel Aquino and Tony Labrusca are, I am all for it, and wish for their movie Glorious to be a massive hit,” she added.

Volleyball star and TV host Gretchen Ho also praised the film, tweeting, “Great move by #IWant and #DreamscapeDigital for making #Glorious their first exclusive film! Digital doesn’t have boundaries the way TV has.”

“Glorious” is Dreamscape Digital’s first offering, made exclusively for the new iWant, which can be accessed via iOS or Android app inside the Philippines starting November 17. It can also be seen in most countries outside the Philippines via TFC Online (www.TFC.tv) starting November 17 at 4:00 p.m. (Manila time), free for TFC Online Premium subscribers in most countries worldwide. ■ For updates about TFC shows, visit TFC’s Facebook page applicable for your area and facebook. com/iWant. Connect with fellow global Kapamilyas and follow @ iwant on Twitter, and @iwantofficial and @dreamscapedigital on Instagram, and @KapamilyaTFC and KapamilyaGlobalPR on Twitter and Instagram.

Heart Evangelista awarded Equality Champion for LGBT Groups

BY GIANNA LLANES Philippine Canadian Inquirer DURING EQUALITY Night last Thursday, November 15, actress and fashion icon Heart Evangelista is recognized and awarded as an Equality Champion for her fight in favor of the LGBTQA+ community. Her plaque was given by TLF Sexuality, Health and Rights Educators Collective (TLF Share) as well as Lagablab Network.

On her social media accounts, Heart is seen wearing a silk white tank, a white blazer, and

a sparkled rainbow skirt saying, “Thank you Lagablab LGBT Pilipinas for this honor. Let us continue to work for equal rights that everyone deserves.”

She also mentions the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity or Expression (SOGIE) Equality Bill, better known as the Anti-Discrimination Bill, which the Congress of the Philippines has yet to pass.

Heart believes that “The SOGIE bill is a step in the right direction to the realization and protection of those rights, especially for our friends in the LGBTQIA+ community,” saying

that she hopes to see it move forward and soon become a law.

On her Instagram, Heart elaborates even more on her advocacy protesting, “Filipinos have always been known to be a people of love, and I believe that love is one that is never discriminatory; it is a love that is inclusive to all, regardless of age and sexual orientation.”

She adds, “I will continue to create awareness for the rights of the LGBTQIA+ community, and will encourage everybody to do the same. Let’s all join forces to create a Philippines that is diverse, accepting, and www.canadianinquirer.net

Heart receiving the plaque given by TLF Sexuality, Health and Rights Educators Collective (TLF Share) as well as Lagablab Network. @IAMHEARTE / TWITTER

full of love.”

Along with Heart, Senator Risa Hontiveros and photographer BJ Pascual were honored with the Equality Champion plaque as well.

Heart first began her public

protest for the LGBTQ community after recognizably wearing a rainbow pin when attending President Rodrigo Duterte’s third State of the Nation Address last July. ■

24

Entertainment

NOVEMBER 23, 2018

FRIDAY

Ethel Booba sparks ‘witty’ thread about Filipino language in Twitterverse

BY JOANNA BELLE DEALA Philippine Canadian Inquirer COMEDIENNE ETHEL Booba is once again winning the internet as she explains in a fun but outright brilliant way the reason behind the exclusion of Filipino and Panitikan as subjects in college, while some public schools will teach Korean language to its students — sparking a witty exchange with netizens on Twitter.

The Supreme Court (SC) recently lifted a 2015 temporary restraining order (TRO) against the Commission on Higher Education’s (CHED) Memorandum Order (CMO) No. 20 which excluded Filipino and Panitikan as core courses in tertiary level, a decision that drew flak from several schools and Filipino language advocates.

While this matter is taken seriously by many Filipinos, Ethel somehow managed to break the ice when she made light of the issue.

“Balak na pala alisin ang Filipino subject sa college at magkakaroon ng foreign language sa ibang level gaya ng Korean (I see that they are intending to remove Filipino subject in college and have foreign languages

in other levels like Korean),” Ethel tweeted.

But why? The comedienne said, “Pambansang bayani kasi natin ay Koreano na si Rizal Park. Charot (Our national hero is a Korean named Rizal Park.

Joke)!” pertaining to the country’s national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal and the landmark Rizal Park.

Many netizens instantly noticed Ethel’s hilarious tweet, and with no intention of losing the Pinoy’s game of wit, these social media users also shared their own entries.

Instead of saying one of Rizal’s famous lines, “Ang hindi marunong magmahal sa sariling wika ay higit pa sa hayop at malansang isda (He who does not love his own language is worse than an animal and smelly fish),” netizen @JhunLloyd04 tweeted a photo of the country’s national hero, along with a text, “Ang hindi magmahal sa sariling wika ay higit sa hayop at kamsahamnida (He who does not love his own language is worse than an animal and kamsahamnida),” which means ‘thank you’ in South Korea.

Netizen @sharkushark, meanwhile, was supposed to tweet the last part of the Philippine national anthem, “Ang

mamatay nang dahil sayo (To die because of you),” but he replaced the word “Ang” with a South Korean term “Annyeong.”

Two netizens even created a family tree of “Parks,” where “Rizal Park” is the “grandfather” of South Korean singer Sandara Park, according to a certain @mrdarren761, while @joudraihana said he is the “great-grandfather” of another Korean singer Park Chanyeol.

Twitter user @RamonMM9, on the other hand, said he was not informed that the Philippines is also a “colony” of Korea.

“Akala ko province tayo ng China (I thought we are China’s province)? Philippines… my country with a confused IDENTITY!” he said, pinching in issues between the Philippines and China.

Even though some netizens, including Ethel, made a little fun of the issue, they are not disregarding the fact that it is indeed alarming.

A certain @calypsodiary, for her part, said she has nothing against foreign languages being taught to Filipino students as it is also an additional knowledge for them.

But she stressed, “‘Di pa nga tayo bihasa sa sarili nating lenggwahe eh.. pwede nmn idagdag

Maymay Entrata officially first Filipino to walk in Arab Fashion Week

BY GIANNA LLANES Philippine Canadian Inquirer MOST KNOWN for her victory in Pinoy Big Brother’s (PBB’s) Lucky 7 Edition, 21-year-old Maymay Entrata captures the attention of international designers as she is now the first Filipina model to be a part of the prestigious event.

Arab brand Amato Couture, founded by Filipino Furne One, initiated the invite, aware that Maymay and on-screen partner Edward Barber have a show in the country within that date.

On November 15, the brand announced through their Insta-

gram, “It’s official! Congratulations to Maymay on officially being a part of Arab Fashion Council Arab Fashion Week 2018!” The show is happening on Wednesday, November 21.

Maymay has encountered wearing Furne One’s designs before, with the designer based in Dubai previously dressing Maymay during the 2018 ABSCBN Ball that happened last October 1.

It is reported that renowned fashion designer Rajo Laurel is planning to include Maymay in his Dubai show as well after tweeting, “How can we make Maymay Entrata walk my Gala Fashion show?” referring to his

Red Charity Gala held last October 29.

Prior to the invite, Maymay has already initiated that becoming a model was always one of her dreams and is willing to be trained to do it professionally. She told TV Patrol in Filipino, “It’s in my dreams to become a model. That’s in the right timing,” adding, “I learned [how to runway walk] through YouTube from professional models. I just imagine that I’m beautiful.” Just a few months ago, “America’s Next Top Model” host Tyra Banks had praised Maymay’s look, liking her catwalk videos and photos on social media. ■ www.canadianinquirer.net

@ETHELBOOBA / INSTAGRAM

lang yung foreign language as elective or smth para sa mga interesado pero ang subj na filipino, wag sana tanggalin (We are not yet proficient in our own language. We can just add foreign languages as elective or something for those who are interested, but I hope the Filipino subject will not be removed).”

Before Ethel, another comedienne Kakai Bautista, also expressed her sentiments about the matter on social media.

“Oo (Yes) we love Korea, Koreans. Their telenovelas, their food. Their pop superstars. I don’t hate them. I am actually a

fan,” Kakai wrote.

“PERO sana po @PhCHED wag naman nating gawin ‘to (But @PhCHED, please do not do this). Pls. Don’t let them invade our own culture. Cut Panitikan to teach Korean language.

NO!!!” she continued.

The celebrity shared her thoughts along with an illustration made by Semi Singkit, showing a young student whose tongue, labeled as ”Wikang Pilipino (Filipino language),” is being cut by a scissor tagged as “CHED,” while a syringe identified as “Korean Language” is injected to his tongue. ■

Trudeau says... ❰❰ 15

site Politico, the coalition of 40 members of Congress said the United States “has the right to decide when, whether and how to tackle issues of civil rights, protected classes and workplace rights” as a sovereign nation.

“A trade agreement is no place for the adoption of social policy. It is especially inappropriate and insulting to our sovereignty to needlessly submit to social policies which the United States Congress has so far explicitly refused to accept,” reads the letter, released Friday.

Signatories to the letter include Iowa Republican Steve King, who made headlines in Canada last month when he tweeted his support for the controversial Toronto mayoral campaign of alt-right anti-immigration champion Faith Goldy.

Another signatory, Republican Doug Lamborn, has expressed concern congressional approval for USMCA could set a precedent “for activist courts” and he said in a statement Friday that Trump needed to remove the “troubling language … adopted behind the scenes.”

The deal must make its way through Congress, and the letter sent Friday to Trump suggests he could lose some Republican support for the agreement unless changes are made.

Trudeau said Sunday that every country will go through its own ratification process.

“Canada will, the United States will,” he said. “But we’re going to let the American officials and administration focus on their ratification process while we focus on ours.” ■

Entertainment

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 23, 2018

25

Karel Marquez announces pregnancy a year after miscarriage

BY GIANNA LLANES Philippine Canadian Inquirer

Coco Martin as Cardo Dalisay.

@MR.COCOMARTIN / INSTAGRAM

DILG eyes lawsuit vs. ‘Ang Probinsyano’ if plot not changed

BY JOANNA BELLE DEALA Philippine Canadian Inquirer

will also look at possible violations of the Children’s Television Act of 1997 as the show “may have violated the National Council for Children’s Television THE DEPARTMENT of Interior and standards for television programs that Local Government (DILG) said it is con- should be child-friendly.” sidering to take a legal action against Broadcast network ABS-CBN earlier ABS-CBN’s FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano if the assured the PNP that there was no “inprogram does not change its plot. tention” to tarnish the reputation of any “We will seriously consider filing legal organization or depict any person in a action and imposing sanctions including negative way, stressing that the elements the prohibition on the use of PNP (Phil- of the program are “purely fictitious.” ippine National Police) uniforms, propIt also noted that the show portrayed erties and even using its main character, the acronym of the Cardo (played by acorganization (PNP) tor Coco Martin), as a if ‘Ang Probinsyano “hardworking police continues with their Broadcast network officer dedicated to grossly unfair and ABS-CBN earlier saving lives and servinaccurate portrayal assured the PNP ing his fellowmen.” of our police force,” that there was Martin, for his DILG Assistant Secno “intention” part, also defended retary and Spokesto tarnish the Ang Probinsyano and person Jonathan Mareputation of any offered to talk with laya said on Friday, organization or Albayalde to discuss November 16. depict any person his concerns on the Malaya issued this in a negative way. show. statement after PNP The hit television chief, Director Genseries, which starteral Oscar Albayalde ed airing in 2015, is lamented the negabased on the 1997 tive portrayal of police officers in the Fernando Poe, Jr. film of the same title. long-running action drama series, sayPoe’s daughter, Senator Grace Poe, ing that it is “unfair” for them to portray also came to the show’s defense, saying something that is not actually happening that it does not only honor her father’s in their organization. His statement was legacy in the industry but also offers supported by Senator Panfilo Lacson, Filipino viewers “quality entertainwho was himself a former PNP chief. ment that espouses the values of family, Albayalde also added that he even respect for elders, courage and patrioplans to write a letter to the Movie Tele- tism.” vision Review and Classification Board “Let’s not overlook the redeeming val(MTRCB) and the show’s producer re- ue this has to offer. In the end, the mengarding the depiction of the police force. ace will be subdued by what is true and The DILG spokesman said the agency good,” the lady senator said. ■

ACTRESS KAREL Marquez and businessman husband Sean Fariñas are delighted to announce to their fans that a year after suffering a miscarriage, they have been blessed with another pregnancy.

Last Saturday, November 17, Sean shared the news on his Instagram with a live video of the couple’s ultrasound and captioned it, “Super blessed. Our prayers have been answered.”

Following that announcement, Karel also shared a photo of her and her husband at a wedding reception saying, “Yes, as my husband Sean Fariñas confirmed with excitement through his post, I am holding my baby bump now, and I know I will ‘show’ even sooner than ever because they say your skin/muscles are more relaxed especially on the third pregnancy so yes, expect to see me big,” referring to Karel’s two children with ex-boyfriend Arman de Guzman, Keiley and Kyler.

She adds, “We are happy to make you part of this journey, wherever it will take us. We are just thankful to God that we have this moment, now. I mean, how can you not be happy seeing a normal looking baby inside you with an amazing heartbeat!”

Sean and Karel dated since 2012 and got married in December 2016. In June 2017, the couple suffered a miscarriage five to six weeks into a pregnancy, Karel described the experience as “every mother’s nightmare.” In a Facebook post, she recalls, “It can be painful physically, emotionally, psychologically and more, especially if you wanted to have a child so bad.

It was one of the most difficult times for me but I decided not to dwell on it anymore, and that I should just think positive,” but ending on a positive note that “Greater things are coming.” Karel told her followers, “Remember, every storm in your life is followed by a rainbow,” which is why they now call this pregnancy “rainbow baby.” “Rainbow baby” is expected in July 2019. ■

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26

Lifestyle Gene-edited food is coming, but will shoppers buy?

BY LAURAN NEERGAARD The Associated Press WASHINGTON — The next generation of biotech food is headed for the grocery aisles, and first up may be salad dressings or granola bars made with soybean oil genetically tweaked to be good for your heart.

By early next year, the first foods from plants or animals that had their DNA “edited” are expected to begin selling.

It’s a different technology than today’s controversial “genetically modified” foods, more like faster breeding that promises to boost nutrition, spur crop growth, and make farm animals hardier and fruits and vegetables last longer.

The U.S. National Academy of Sciences has declared gene editing one of the breakthroughs needed to improve food production so the world can feed billions more people amid a changing climate. Yet governments are wrestling with how to regulate this powerful new tool. And after years of confusion and rancour, will shoppers accept gene-edited foods or view them as GMOs in disguise?

“If the consumer sees the benefit, I think they’ll embrace the products and worry less about the technology,” said Dan Voytas, a University of Minnesota professor and chief science officer for Calyxt Inc., which edited soybeans to make the oil heart-healthy.

Researchers are pursuing more ambitious changes: Wheat with triple the usual

fiber, or that’s low in gluten.

Mushrooms that don’t brown, and better-producing tomatoes. Drought-tolerant corn, and rice that no longer absorbs soil pollution as it grows. Dairy cows that don’t need to undergo painful de-horning, and pigs immune to a dangerous virus that can sweep through herds.

Scientists even hope gene editing eventually could save species from being wiped out by devastating diseases like citrus greening, a so far unstoppable infection that’s destroying Florida’s famed oranges.

First they must find genes that could make a new generation of trees immune.

“If we can go in and edit the gene, change the DNA sequence ever so slightly by one or two letters, potentially we’d have a way to defeat this disease,” said Fred Gmitter, a geneticist at the University of Florida Citrus Research and Education Center, as he examined diseased trees in a grove near Fort Meade.

Genetically modified or edited, what’s the difference?

Farmers have long genetically manipulated crops and animals by selectively breeding to get offspring with certain traits. It’s time-consuming and can bring trade-offs. Modern tomatoes, for example, are larger than their pea-sized wild ancestor, but the generations of crossbreeding made them more fragile and altered their nutrients.

GMOs, or genetically modified organisms, are plants or animals that were mixed with another species’ DNA to in-

troduce a specific trait they’re “transgenic.” Best known are corn and soybeans mixed with bacterial genes for built-in resistance to pests or weed killers.

Despite international scientific consensus that GMOs are safe to eat, some people remain wary and there is concern they could spur herbicide-resistant weeds.

Now gene-editing tools, with names like CRISPR and TALENs, promise to alter foods more precisely, and cheaply without necessarily adding foreign DNA. Instead, they act like molecular scissors to alter the letters of an organism’s own genetic alphabet.

The technology can insert new DNA, but most products in development so far switch off a gene, according to University of Missouri professor Nicholas Kalaitzandonakes.

Those new Calyxt soybeans?

Voytas’ team inactivated two genes so the beans produce oil with no heart-damaging trans fat and that shares the famed health profile of olive oil without its distinct taste.

The hornless calves? Most dairy Holsteins grow horns that are removed for the safety of farmers and other cows. Recombinetics Inc. swapped part of the gene that makes dairy cows grow horns with the DNA instructions from naturally hornless Angus beef cattle.

“Precision breeding,” is how animal geneticist Alison Van Eenennaam of the University of California, Davis, explains it.

“This isn’t going to replace traditional breeding,” but make it

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easier to add one more trait.

Rules aren’t clear

The Agriculture Department says extra rules aren’t needed for “plants that could otherwise have been developed through traditional breeding,” clearing the way for development of about two dozen gene-edited crops so far.

In contrast, the Food and Drug Administration in 2017 proposed tighter, drug-like restrictions on gene-edited animals. It promises guidance sometime next year on exactly how it will proceed.

Because of trade, international regulations are “the most important factor in whether genome editing technologies are commercialized,” USDA’s Paul Spencer told a meeting of agriculture economists.

Europe’s highest court ruled last summer that existing European curbs on the sale of transgenic GMOs should apply to gene-edited foods, too.

But at the World Trade Organization this month, the U.S. joined 12 nations including Australia, Canada, Argentina and Brazil in urging other coun-

tries to adopt internationally consistent, science-based rules for gene-edited agriculture.

Are these foods safe?

The biggest concern is what are called off-target edits, unintended changes to DNA that could affect a crop’s nutritional value or an animal’s health, said Jennifer Kuzma of the Genetic Engineering and Society Center at North Carolina State University.

Scientists are looking for any signs of problems. Take the hornless calves munching in a UC-Davis field. One is female and once it begins producing milk, Van Eenennaam will test how similar that milk’s fat and protein composition is to milk from unaltered cows.

“We’re kind of being overly cautious,” she said, noting that if eating beef from naturally hornless Angus cattle is fine, milk from edited Holsteins should be, too.

But to Kuzma, companies will have to be up-front about how these new foods were made and the evidence that ❱❱ PAGE 28 Gene-edited food

Lifestyle

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 23, 2018

27

Out-of-school kids deserve chance to be productive

BY MA. TERESA MONTEMAYOR Philippine News Agency

working to provide for his family’s needs.

“Elementary lang po kasi tinapos ko, kung sana noon pa nalaman ko na mayroong mga scholarships na pwede makatulong makatapos ako ng pag-aaral, di ba po? (I only finished elementary, if I only knew earlier about scholarships that could help me finish my studies, right?),” he said.

Cancino is one of 9 percent of the estimated 39.2 million Filipinos, aged 6 to 24 years old, who are out-of-school children and youth (OSCY).

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) defines OSCYs as family members, 6 to 14 years old, who are not attending formal school. They are also family members, 15 to 24 years

Saying that OSCYs are not lost causes and worth investing in, Yee said that their collaboration with companies and organizations has already positively MANILA — As a child, Joemar changed their mindset towards Cancino dreamed of making OSCYs. 5-star hotels and skyscrapers “Punlaan, Messy Bessy and brightly shine with his electriSKILLS in Cebu, for example, cal skills. He wanted to be an are tech-voc (technical-vocaelectrical engineer, but his famtional) institutes or companies ily’s financial status forced him with training programs that to quit school and work odd aim to train at-risk youth. In jobs to earn money.

January, we’ll be rolling out “Mga pitong taon na po ako our information, education and nagtatrabaho. Trese po ako communication campaign…benang tumigil sa pag-aaral, kasi fore we start recruiting eligible sabi ng mga magulang ko nayouth beneficiaries in Februhihirapan na sila papag-aralin ary,” he added. ako (I’ve been working for Yee said every OSCY has the seven years. I was 13 when I potential to be a contributor to stopped studying, because it’s the country’s economy if they difficult for my parents to send are given a second chance to me to school),” study and earn at he told the Philthe same time. ippine News On September Agency (PNA).

3, then Technical Cancino, now Every OSCY (out-of-school children Education and 20, said his curand youth) has the potential to Skills Developrent work as a be a contributor to the country’s ment Authority jeepney elececonomy if they are given a second (TESDA) Directrician allows chance to study and earn at the tor General Guilhim to support same time. ing Mamondiong his parents and and PBEd Exyounger siblings ecutive Direcwho are still tor Lovelaine studying in eleBasillote signed mentary schools in Pangasinan. old, who are currently out-of- a memorandum of understand“Pang-apat po ako sa aming school, not gainfully employed, ing for YouthWorks PH and pitong magkakapatid pero ako and have not finished college TESDA to develop work-based na po ang inaasahan ng mga or any post-secondary or voca- training programs for unemmagulang ko sa pinansyal da- tional course. ployed youth. hil may asawa’t anak na po ang Karol Mark Yee, chief of parThe agreement also covers mga nakakatanda kong kapatid ty of Youthworks Philippines, curriculum improvements and (I’m fourth in a family of seven said OSCYs are generally seen industry immersion of trainers. children but my parents rely on as lazy and unproductive memThis followed an earlier me for our financial needs be- bers of society that is why some agreement between Youthcause my older siblings already business owners are having Works PH and Department have their own families),” he second thoughts about hiring of Labor and Employment said. them.

(DOLE) on providing training Working on a commission “But the truth is most of them programs for eligible youth and basis, Cancino does not have a are unable to finish school be- linking them to employment steady income. cause of poverty,” he said. opportunities.

“Sa PHP300 po na bayad, YouthWorks PH is a five-year These agreements will see PHP100 ang akin. Minsan na- partnership between United DOLE, TESDA, PBEd and USkaka-anim na jeep ako sa isang States Agency for Internation- AID working together to proaraw pero hindi araw-araw al Development (USAID) and vide innovative work-based maraming nagpapagawa(For Philippines Business for Edu- training approach for jobless a PHP300 fee, I get PHP100. cation (PBEd) that engages and youth in areas such as Metro Sometimes I’m able to fix six mobilizes the private sector to Manila, Iloilo, Cebu, Zambojeeps a day but it’s not every day address the education needs anga, Cagayan de Oro, General that we have a lot of custom- of the youth, as well as skill re- Santos and Davao. Some of the ers),” he added. quirements of employers. industries covered are conWhen asked if he still wants It aims to improve access to struction, hospitality and tourto finish a vocational course training and employment op- ism, agriculture, manufacturrelated to his line of work, portunities for at least 40,000 ing, energy, and banking and Cancino said he is not sure as youth through an innovative finance. ■ he needs to spend more time work-based training approach. www.canadianinquirer.net

NEVADAART.ORG / WEBSITE

Nevada Museum of Art to launch $1.5M space balloon THE ASSOCIATED PRESS RENO, NEV. — A museum in Nevada says it is about to send a diamond-shaped sculpture into space that will be visible to the naked eye at night.

The Nevada Museum of Art’s $1.5 million project will launch Monday from California’s Vandenberg Air Force Base, the Reno Gazette Journal reported . But while on Earth, it has not had a smooth ride, with some scientists deeming it obnoxious and a blemish on the night sky.

“If everybody loves a piece of art, then it’s probably not doing its job,” museum spokeswoman Amanda Horn said.

“But if people are talking about it, then it’s already achieving its goal. It’s doing what it’s supposed to do.”

The 100-foot-long (30-meter-long) sculpture will be stuffed in a package attached to a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

The sculpture that self-inflates as a balloon will burst from the package and remain in orbit for about 60 days before it burns.

It is made of a polyester filmlike material and will look like a sparkle at night. It will orbit

Earth once every 90 minutes, passing over the Reno area most nights.

The “Orbital Reflector” project is the idea of Berlin-based artist Trevor Paglen, who said the project was “designed as a provocation.”

“An opportunity to think about outer space, the geopolitics of the heavens, and the militarization of earth orbits,” he wrote in an essay. “It’s a project about public space, and a project about who gets to exercise power over our planetary commons, and on what terms.”

And, indeed, it has provoked some people.

“Adding another satellite like this brings nothing beyond what the many purposeful ones in orbit look like already. Or the many natural phenomena already there to enthrall. It’s a completely empty artistic statement,” Mark McCaughrean, senior adviser for Science & Exploration at the European Space Agency, tweeted in August.

A Kickstarter campaign and contributions from museum donors are funding the project.

People can track the balloon using the app Star Walk 2. ■

28

Lifestyle

NOVEMBER 23, 2018

FRIDAY

Who are Canada’s ‘most historically significant’ women?

THE CANADIAN PRESS WHEN IT comes to women’s history in this country, most Canadians could use a refresher, according to a recent poll conducted by Historica Canada about the history of women in Canada. Media outlets like the Globe and Mail and Huffington Post picked up its findings and ran stories about how Canadians need to be more aware of their country’s historically significant women.

Historica Canada’s poll included topics that ranged from the “filles du roi” in New France to the 1985 revision of the Indian Act. But the Globe’s coverage of the poll focused only on white anglophone female artists in the 20th century.

By narrowly choosing the type of women to cover through history, we believe media outlets like the Globe — intentionally or not — suggest that these white 20th-century women were Canada’s only historically significant women.

We challenge this representation in media about women in history — there are far more women than the coverage implies. We also challenge the original poll that inspired the coverage in the first place.

Of the 12 questions asked by Historica Canada, only one ven-

tured into the pre-20th century period. Nonetheless, one could argue that most of Canada’s most fascinating women lived before this time.

Why don’t we learn about the true history of women?

As women’s historians, we teach courses that expand on stories rarely told in the media, history books, lecture halls and classrooms. For example, Donica’s women’s history course at the University of Regina starts at the beginning of time. She introduces students to the story of Aataentsic, a woman in Wendat legend who falls from the sky and gives birth to humankind.

This course also features people like Madame de La Tour, an Acadian woman who died in 1645 defending her fort from rival French powers.

Esther Wheelwright was an English girl who lived with the Wabanaki and in 1760 became Mother Superior of the Quebec Ursulines.

And then there’s Isobel Gunn, a cross-dressing fur trader known as John Fubbister who canoed her way through the northwestern interior in 180607.

One could argue that the most “significant woman” in Canadian history is Marie-Josephe dite Angelique, as histo-

rian Afua Cooper demonstrates in her riveting book, The Hanging of Angelique.

Angelique was an enslaved Black woman who lived in 18th century Montreal. She had three children, all of whom died in infancy. Several times, she spoke out against her employer’s cruelty.

Angelique made plans to return to Portugal; she also attempted, through an unsuccessful escape, to put that plan in motion. However, in 1734 the government of New France accused her of starting a fire that burned down half of the city.

Angelique was subsequently tried, tortured and executed.

As the king’s scribe wrote: “She was hanged and strangled and then thrown into the fire, and her ashes were then thrown to the winds.” Students who learn about Angelique respond with incredulity. Why have they never heard about her?

Expanding our view of the past

Much work remains to be done. Certainly it is good to learn about writers and artists from the 20th century. Yet Canadian women’s history is far richer than just these women.

As historians of women, we work hard to bring this richness to the centre of public knowledge. Memory keepers in Canada have been working

Gene-edited food... ❰❰ 26

they’re healthy. She wants regulators to decide case-by-case which changes are no big deal, and which might need more scrutiny.

“Most gene edited plants and animals are probably going to be just fine to eat. But you’re only going to do yourself a disservice in the long run if you hide behind the terminology,” Kuzma said.

Avoiding a backlash

Uncertainty about regulatory and consumer reaction is creating some strange bedfellows.

An industry-backed group of food makers and farmers asked university researchers and consumer advocates to help craft

Legend of Aataentsic.

for decades, even centuries, to foreground women’s lives.

Elders offer teachings about such women as Thanadelthur, a Dene woman who brought peace to warring Cree and Dene nations during the early 1700s, as Lucy Antsanen explains.

Crucial, too, are such projects as the Alberta Labour History Institute’s Indigenous Labour series, featuring stories of hardworking women. Digital archives like Rise Up!, which reveal women’s activism, are also key.

Readers might further consult Merna Foster’s “100 Canadian Heroines” book series.

The Great Unsolved Mysteries in Canadian History project showcases women’s history, as does Canada’s History’s women’s history webinar series and Historica Canada’s heritage minutes and guides.

DENNIS JARVIS / FLICKR, CC BY-SA 2.0

How can we create a more expansive definition of who, and what, is historically significant?

As a start, we invite Historica Canada, the Globe and Mail and others to join us in sharing these stories. We also invite everyone to learn more about the histories of women they already know, whether they’re their mothers, grandmothers, aunties, sisters or friends.

It is time to bring these women’s stories into the mainstream. It is time to recognize the wealth of knowledge about Canada’s “most significant women” that we already have. ■ This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Disclosure information is available on the original site.

Advocates to... guidelines for “responsible use” of gene editing in the food supply.

“Clearly this coalition is in existence because of some of the battle scars from the GMO debates, there’s no question about that,” said Greg Jaffe of the food-safety watchdog Center for Science in the Public Interest, who agreed to join the Center for Food Integrity’s guidelines group. “There’s clearly going to be questions raised about this technology.”

Sustainability or hype?

Gene-editing can’t do everything, cautioned Calyxt’s Voytas. There are limitations to how much foods could be changed. Sure, scientists made

wheat containing less gluten, but it’s unlikely to ever be totally gluten-free for people who can’t digest that protein, for example — or to make, say, allergy-free peanuts.

Nor is it clear how easily companies will be able to edit different kinds of food, key to their profit.

Despite her concerns about adequate regulation, Kuzma expects about 20 gene-edited crops to hit the U.S. market over five years — and she notes that scientists also are exploring changes to crops like cassava that important in the poorest countries.

“We think it’s going to really revolutionize the industry,” she said. ■ www.canadianinquirer.net

❰❰ 14

non-state torture.

Now they’re going back to tell the committee Canada failed.

Celia Canon, a spokesperson for Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould, said creating the offence of private torture could “seriously weaken” Canada’s contribution to the international effort to prevent torture under the Convention against Torture, because there would be two definitions.

Canon said the Criminal Code already contains numerous crimes of assault, including sexual assault.

“In other words, the Criminal Code already contains crimes that capture the kind of conduct associated with private torture,

most notably the crimes of aggravated assault and aggravated sexual assault, while existing sentencing provisions already provide a range of aggravating factors that could apply in a case of private torture,” she said.

But the activists reiterated that what women and girls experience behind closed doors is consistent with state torture and is beyond the various classes of assault.

“Activists say if you try all avenues the only thing left is social shaming, so that’s what we’re hoping 1/8to do 3/8 because Canada is held up as a beacon of human rights around the world right now,” MacDonald said. ■

29

Sports NU regains title in Terrence Romeo donates money UAAP Cheerdance to Marawi rehabilitation Competition

BY GIANNA LLANES Philippine Canadian Inquirer

BY GIANNA LLANES Philippine Canadian Inquirer AFTER HAVING to give up the championship title to the Adamson University (AdU) Pep Squad last year to disrupt their aspiration of a five-peat, the National University (NU) Pep Squad starts their roll again by winning the University Athletics Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Cheerdance Competition last Saturday, November 17 at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay. This makes it a total of five championship titles in the last six years for the NU Pep Squad.

The winning team opted for a Mexican “Day of the Dead” theme, dressed in florals and sombreros accompanied with skull-like makeup as an ode to their aim to ‘come back from the dead’ and regain the top title. Their routine acquired 711 points, which was 55.5 points more than the second-place podium finishers, the Far Eastern University (FEU) Cheering Squad who sported a 70s theme. Receiving bronze was

Adamson University at 638.5 points, who took their chances on a Lion King theme.

Fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth places were then acquired by the University of Santo Tomas Salingawi (who only fell .5 points behind AdU), the University of the East Pep Squad, the University of the Philippines Pep Squad, the Ateneo University Blue Babble Battalion, and the De La Salle University Animo Squad respectively. It was a momentous year for Ateneo, as this was their highest placing finish in the last five years.

It was a double celebration for the squad for Sampaloc as they won the Group Stunts category as well, followed by FEU Cheering Squad at second, and Adamson Pep Squad at third. The UST Salinggawi Dance Troupe received a special award for ‘Best Toss.’

For the prizes, the firstplacers took home P50,000, while first runner-up received P30,000. Defending champions Adamson took home P20,000 for finishing second runner-up ■.

National University (NU) Pep Squad with their "Day of the Dead" theme.

JIM DE RAMOS / FACEBOOK

no, “I watched all of Sir Robin’s films. I didn’t let myself miss any,” even reciting lines from Padilla’s old movies. More importantly, he shares his intent in “giving back,” stating, “I am so blessed so I want to share that and help others.”

during the infamous PhilippineAustralian brawl. He then expresses his gratitude to Romeo for being “the first basketball TALK ‘N TEXT star Terrence player to support [his cause].”

Romeo takes a break from basTo end their meeting, Padilla ketball to help out celebrity even invites Romeo to come Robin Padilla, writing him a with him to Marawi in due time letter to state his to see the posiintention to help tive effects of his out the actordonation to the turned-politirehabilitation cian project in Any time, I would make myself project. Romeo aiding Marawi available. I hope the other responds, “Any rehabilitation. basketball players will also help time, I would The Katropa Marawi. make myself guard met with available. I hope Padilla last the other basketWednesday, Noball players will vember 14, with Romeo conIn response, Robin Padilla also help Marawi.” fessing that he had been a fan told Romeo that he was a fan as Padilla’s Marawi rehabilitaof the actor “since high school.” well, intently following the bas- tion project aims to provide an The former University Athlet- ketball player’s journey during improved lifestyle to the citiics Association of the Philip- the FIBA World Cup, even spec- zens of the province who were pines (UAAP) Most Valuable ifying that he admired Romeo under the Maute siege for five Player (MVP) reports in Filipi- standing up for the Filipinos months last year. ■

Young athletes return from Milo FC Barcelona camp

BY AEROL JOHN PATENA Philippine News Agency MANILA — Some 10 young talented footballers have fulfilled their dreams after attending the Milo FC Barcelona Camp from Nov. 4 to 12 in Spain.

The Filipinos, together with players from Chile, Colombia, Jamaica, Malaysia, Maldives, South Africa, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela, were immersed in a series of sessions with Football Club Barcelona Youth Academy’s coaches, both on the pitch at Ciutat Esportivo training ground and in the classroom at Camp Nou, the home stadium of FC Barcelona.

The training sessions are based on the Barca methodology that includes creative passing and attacking brand of football while underscoring the www.canadianinquirer.net

importance of positive values.

The Filipinos were able to apply what they learned in a friendly match with young players from Fundacion Marcet Football Academy.

The Filipino booters, who got an exclusive training with former Brazil and Barcelona player and legend Juliano Belleti, also had the opportunity to watch FC Barcelona play against Betis in a La Liga match.

The members of the Philippine team are Lien Dale Manuel, Alexander David Villarosa, Breindal Medina, Heaven Andrei Teodosio, Tristan Ybanez, Juan Pablo Unlay, Dylan Theodore Wong, Carlo Antonio Bongocan, Jelena Loren Soon and Daniel Isaac Cagaanan. They were selected by a panel composed of executives and coaches from Milo, Cebu Football Association and FCB Youth Academy in Cebu.

“We are delighted to fulfill the dreams of these 10 talented football players who have not only shown us the right skills but also embody the values that Milo and FCB espouse, namely humility, effort, ambition, respect and teamwork,” said Milo Philippines consumer marketing manager Robbie de Vera, during a press conference held to welcome the return of the Philippine team at the Amici Restaurant in Makati City on Wednesday “Seeing their faces light up with excitement from the moment they stepped foot in Camp Nou, to their interactions with coaches and fellow players from around the world has been a great honor to witness. We are happy to be a part of the journey that will hopefully inspire these kids and others to pursue their passions,” de Vera added. ■

30

Business PH, Papua New Guinea to launch joint eco, trade committee

BY KRIS CRISMUNDO Philippine News Agency MANILA — The trade departments of the Philippines and Papua New Guinea will establish a Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETC) following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit.

Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Ramon Lopez said his office inked the MOU with Papua New Guinea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Saturday to set up the JETC that will enhance the economic relations of the two countries.

Lopez said the agreement targets to explore and identify sectors where both parties can intensify cooperation. “[We will] identify possible cooperative projects and draft proposals for implementation,” he added.

DTI and Papua New Guinea National Trade Office also agreed to exchange information on trade, investment, economic issues and concerns, relevant laws, regulations and policies to study how the two governments can improve ties in the economic front.

“[We will] recommend to respective governments measures aimed at the expansion and diversification of trade, investments, and other related matters,” the trade chief said.

Trade officials from the Philippines and Papua New Guinea vowed to organize consultations and official visits to deal with specific economic and trade issues between the two countries. “[We will] ensure proper coordination and expeditious implementation of arrangements concluded under this MOU,” Lopez said.

During the meeting of APEC Ministers Responsible for Trade last May, Lopez said expanding the country’s trade relations with Papua New Guinea will be one of the country’s top agenda in the forum’s summit this year.

He cited that the two governments can jointly venture in activities in agriculture as well as oil and gas exploration, while increasing Philippine exports of processed good, electronics, machineries and equipment, packaging materials, and appliances to Papua New Guinea.

Meanwhile, the APEC Summit 2018 concluded Sunday in Port Moresby as Papua New Guinea hosted this year’s summit. ■

Incentives to Amazon could top $2.8 billion in NYC

BY KAREN MATTHEWS The Associated Press NEW YORK — The total value of the incentive package New York is using to lure Amazon could top $2.8 billion.

Amazon announced Tuesday that it would build new headquarters in New York City and Washington D.C.’s Virginia suburbs, each of which would host around 25,000 workers.

The New York City headquarters, built on the East River waterfront in Queens, would vault Amazon into the ranks of the city’s top private-sector employers while transforming a site now mostly occupied by industrial buildings and parking lots.

Snagging the online retailer, though, comes at a cost.

In addition to nearly $1.53 billion in tax credits and grants offered by the state, Amazon would also qualify for two big tax breaks from the city.

If it creates 25,000 jobs, as promised, Amazon would qualify for a city corporate income tax credit worth nearly $900 million over 12 years. On top of that, it would get a 15-year property-tax abatement worth an estimated $386 million.

Those city tax credits aren’t unique to the Amazon deal.

They have long been available to other companies, too, as a way of incentivizing growth and development outside Manhattan’s crowded business districts.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said they expect to more than recoup that amount in the form of personal income taxes paid by Amazon’s employees, sales tax and economic activity generated by the company’s presence.

Cuomo on Tuesday predicted that the project would eventually bring in $27.5 billion in new state revenue over the next 25 years, though that figure would depend on Amazon creating 40,000 new jobs in New York City — far more than the initial 25,000 it has promised. State budget director Robert Mujica said that calculation also includes an assumption that

other businesses not connected to Amazon will have to hire as many as 67,000 workers to serve the needs of the company and its employees.

Some experts say that revenue projection, which includes ancillary jobs like a food vendor who sells sandwiches to Amazon workers, may overestimate the company’s impact.

“I’m not a big fan of counting the indirect jobs,” said Nicole Gelinas, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute. She said vendors would likely sell to someone else if Amazon weren’t there.

City and state officials did not provide an estimate of tax revenues from Amazon jobs alone. ■

AboitizPower donates P5.6-M electrical equipment to Marawi

BY KRIS CRISMUNDO Philippine News Agency MANILA — The Aboitiz Group has turned over a total of PHP5.6 million worth of electrical equipment in Marawi City as part of the rehabilitation efforts in the war-torn area.

In a statement Monday,

AboitizPower Corp. said its subsidiary Davao Light Power Company, Inc. (DLPC) donated early this month electrical equipment to Lanao Del Sur Electric Cooperative (LASURECO) amounting to PHP1.9 million.

This is the second tranche of AboitizPower’s donation to help energize Marawi City. The first

was last February, with a total of PHP3.7-million worth of transformers, electric poles, wirings, and supplies donated to Marawi.

“The Aboitiz Group is committed to always lending a helping hand to our fellow Filipinos who need prompt assistance. At the heart of the support we give and driven by the value of rewww.canadianinquirer.net

sponsibility, we made sure that our programs were the kind of assistance that would make a significant impact on the lives of displaced Maranaos,” Aboitiz Equity Ventures Chief Operating Officer Sabin Aboitiz said.

“We are very honored to be one of those who have been there from the start, contrib-

uting what we can in the first steps of rehabilitating Marawi and helping Maranaos get back on their feet,” Aboitiz added.

Aside from handing over electrical equipment, Aboitiz Group launched an agri-micro-entrepreneurship program for corn farmers and donated baking and hollow block-making kits. ■

Business

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 23, 2018

31

NTC confirms Mislatel as 3rd telco player

BY AEROL JOHN PATENA Philippine News Agency MANILA — The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) formally confirmed Mislatel Consortium as the new major player in the telco industry this Monday.

This, after the joint venture of Udenna Corporation and China Telecom, passed the document verification phase conducted by the New Major Player Selection Committee that merited the final confirmation from the NTC En Banc.

“As we reached the end of the tunnel of this NMP search, the ball is now on Mislatel’s court to deliver on their promise,” Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Acting Secretary Eliseo Rio Jr. said in a statement.

The DICT official expects the new major player to deliver on its commitments through establishing partnerships with small players.

“One of the best ways Mislatel can comply with its commitments is to use all existing facilities and services of the other small players. The NMP will spur business for small telcos and last mile links like CATV operators,” according to Rio. Furthermore, the consortium

was given ninety days to submit related documents including: congressional approval of its franchise; registration from the Securities and Exchange Commission; approval of the Philippine Competition Commission of its bidding agreement implementation; posting of the performance security bond and its rollout plan for the entire commitment period for the processing of its Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) by the NTC. Mislatel has committed to provide Internet speeds of 55Mbps covering 84 percent of the population with capital expenditures (capex) of around PHP250 billion over a five-year period. The consortium stands to lose its performance bond of PHP 24 billion or 10 percent of its capex if it would fail to make good on its commitments.

Meanwhile, Mislatel said it expects to be able to start its commercial operations within a year and a half (18 months) of the issuance of its CPCN. “We invite the other telco companies even Globe and Smart to work with us. If they work with us even bidders who lost like PT&T or those who did not to decide to bid like Converge kung papagamit nila yung ibang telecom facilities nila sa amin and we can use their backbone,

Selection Committee deemed Mislatel's Form A as complete. NMP Selection TWG now performing detailed evaluation. @DICTGOVPH / TWITTER

which we can use the towers of Globe and Smart, mas maaga nating ma-rollout mas maaga tayo magkakaroon ng telco services. (We invite the other telco companies even Globe and Smart to work with us. If they work with us even bidders who lost like PT&T or those who did not to decide to bid like Converge if they shared their other telecom facilities to use and we can use their backbone, which we can use the towers of Globe

and Smart, we will be able to rollout earlier. We will be able to experience telco services at a shorter time),” Mislatel spokesperson Atty. Adel Tamano said in a radio interview.

The consortium is eyeing to rollout 5G technology in the country within two years of its operations. “We are eyeing to rollout 5G technology within 2 years. 5G is the future of telecommunications,” according to Tamano.

He likewise assured that Mislatel will coordinate with government agencies such as the Department of National Defense (DND) and the National Security Council (NSC) to ensure that cybersecurity and national security concerns will be addressed.

“Under the terms of reference, mayroon kaming quarterly audit. One of the things that they will audit is are you really providing the mechanisms to ensure national security. Yung gobyerno natin ay di rin papayag na ma-undermine ang national security natin. Even in the plans that we will submit kasali na po yun how to protect and address that concern. (Under the terms of reference, there will be a quarterly audit. One of the things that they will audit is are you really providing the mechanisms to ensure national security. The government will not allow that our national security will be undermined. Even in the plans that we will submit we included measures on how to protect and address that concern),” according to Tamano.

The awarding of the new major player comes after the NTC has junked the motions of reconsideration filed by Sear Telecom and Philippine Telephone and Telegraph Corporation. ■

Mortgage risks fading thanks to higher rates, tougher rules: Bank of Canada

BY ANDY BLATCHFORD The Canadian Press OTTAWA — The Bank of Canada provided a closer look Wednesday at just how much stricter mortgage rules and higher interest rates have helped slow the entry ofnew households into the category of ”deeply indebted borrowers.”

The lofty levels of household debt has been a key concern for the Bank of Canada as it gradually raises its trend-setting interest rate, which it has already hiked five times since the summer of 2017.

To determine the pace of future hikes, the central bank has closely watched how well

households are adapting to higher borrowing costs, particularly when it comes to those that are significantly overstretched.

So far, the bank has said Canadians have been making spending adjustments in response to rate hikes and the arrival of stricter mortgage policies. At the same time, the bank has reported that credit growth has continued to moderate and household vulnerabilities, while still elevated, have edged down as a result.

The bank has also credited tougher federal mortgage rules for contributing to the improvement.

A staff analytical note published by the bank Wednesday

offered more details about the impacts of new guidelines and rising interest rates.

“The number of new highly indebted borrowers has fallen, and overall mortgage activity has slowed significantly,” said the research paper, co-authored by bankstaffers Olga Bilyk and Maria teNyenhuis.

“Tighter policies around mortgage qualification and higher interest rates are having a direct effect on the quality and quantity of credit.”

The analysis said mortgage stress tests introduced two years ago have reduced the share of new high-leverage, insured loans — those of more than 4.5 times a borrower’s annual income — to six per cent in www.canadianinquirer.net

the second quarter of 2018 from 20 per cent in late 2016.

Another federal rule change this year, aimed at high-leverage yet uninsured mortgages, dropped the share of these new loans to 14 per cent in the second quarter of2018, compared with 20 per cent a year earlier.

“The most-pronounced decline has been in the number of new mortgages extended to highly indebted borrowers, which fell by 39 per cent yearover-year in the second quarter of 2018,” the research paper, which also noted there have been impacts from regional housing market policies.

Speaking to reporters Wednesday, Bank of Canada senior deputy governor Caro-

lyn Wilkins said the debt-toincome ratios of households remain “really high,” but have stabilized and are beginning to move down.

“It took a long time for that vulnerability to accumulate and it’s going to take some time for it to diminish,” said Wilkins, who was participating in the launch of the Bankof Canada’s new digital hub that will feature research and analysis on financial stability issues.

“What we were hoping to see would be a continuing improvement in the quality of the loans because what that does is, over time, put the economy on a more-solid footing to withstand whatever adverse developments that might occur.” ■

32

Technology Will your car battery make it through the winter?

Battery related calls for CAA service have gone up 25 per cent in recent years CANADIAN AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION (CAA) SOUTH CENTAL ONTARIO THORNHILL — The cold subzero temperatures of last winter may be a distant memory, but data compiled by CAA South Central Ontario (SCO) over the last few years shows the extreme temperatures of summer and winter have taken a toll on car batteries.

Since 2016, battery-related calls to CAA have gone up significantly across South Central Ontario, and have remained high. Last year, CAA saw a total of 264,266 calls for battery service, a 25 per cent increase over the last three years. This year the data shows that calls are on track to match that number once again.

It’s why CAA is encouraging drivers to get their car battery tested before the winter season to avoid an unexpected battery failure.

“When you are getting winter tires on, why not ask your mechanic to check the health of your car battery?” says Tony Tsai, AVP of corporate communications for CAA SCO. “Even with good care and maintenance, the life of a car battery only ranges from three to five years.”

Modern car entertainment and navigation systems have increased demands on car batteries and if you live in a part of the country that experiences temperature extremes, your battery life may be even shorter.

Battery checks can range from $30 to $50 at automotive

facilities across Ontario. CAA members surveyed indicate members can call for a battery that they will take their cars in check through the CAA Battery for pre-winter maintenance, Assist program as one of their will install winter tires and find service calls. or buy a snow brush, but less Watch for signs that your bat- than one-quarter plan to test tery may need to be replaced, their car battery. such as cranking, grinding or clicking when your turn on the ignition.

Even with good care and To gain inmaintenance, the life of a car sight into the battery only ranges from three behaviours and five years. attitudes of CAA members towards car battery health and testing, CAA • 1 in 4 CAA members in surveyed 2,460 members, using South Central Ontario admits an online quantitative survey that they don’t know when they from October 1 to 12, 2018, and should check their car battery found the following: and less than half plan to get • When getting their car their battery tested before this ready for winter, a majority of winter.

www.canadianinquirer.net

• Among those who don’t plan to get their car battery tested, close to one third didn’t know they needed to get their battery tested.

• A majority of CAA members do not feel confident that they know enough about their car battery health.

Motorists can avoid a dead batto tery with preventive maintenance: • S w a p out your old one — Most batteries last between three to five years. If yours is getting old, replace it before wintertime.

• Keep corrosion at bay — The white or blue powder that appears on your battery

terminals is corrosion, which can prevent a car from starting.

Inspect your battery and carefully clean away any residue that you find.

• Install a battery blanket — These handy devices, which need to be plugged into an outlet, bathe your battery in heat. That stops the fluids inside from freezing. You can also install a trickle charger, which does virtually the same thing.

• Turn off your accessories — Don’t start the car with the heater and radio on. They can use up the power coming from the vehicle’s alternator and prevent the battery from charging.

• Disconnect your battery — If your car is going to sit idle for an extended period, unplug your battery. Some devices, like clocks and alarm systems, use power when the car is off. Left long enough, they can drain the battery.

If you do find yourself in need of a boost, don’t try boosting your battery yourself.

Here’s why: Incorrect boost procedures may cause damaging current spikes or surges to your vehicle’s electrical systems. Additionally, incorrectly connecting your booster cables can also cause severe harm.

While the battery itself may sustain damage, it is replaceable.

Your car’s computers are not.

Worse, a battery has the potential to explode when boosted due to the hydrogen gas it emits. The corrosive acid inside can severely burn your skin and eyes if it touches you. ■

Technology

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 23, 2018

33

Electronic driving NASA wants Canadian boots systems don’t always on the moon but feds still work, tests show pondering space options

BY TOM KRISHER The Associated Press DETROIT — Testing by AAA shows that electronic driver assist systems on the road today may not keep vehicles in their lanes or spot stationary objects in time to avoid a crash.

The tests brought a warning from the auto club that drivers shouldn’t think that the systems make their vehicles selfdriving, and that they should always be ready to take control.

AAA also said that use of the word “pilot” by automakers in naming their systems can make some owners believe the vehicles can drive themselves.

“These systems are made as an aid to driving, they are not autonomous, despite all of the hype around vehicle autonomy,” said Greg Brannon, AAA’s director of automotive engineering.

“Clearly having ‘pilot’ in the name may imply a level of unaided driving, which is not correct for the current state of the development of these systems.”

The test results released Thursday come after several highly publicized crashes involving Tesla vehicles that were operating on the company’s system named “Autopilot.” The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating some of the crashes, including a March fatality that involved a Model X that struck a freeway barrier near Mountain View, California.

The AAA findings are the second tests showing that the systems can’t handle every situation in real-world driving, including some that are relatively common. In August, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety released tests that showed similar problems to the AAA study.

The auto club tested the systems on four vehicles that had adaptive cruise control, lanekeeping assist and automatic emergency braking. Vehicles tested included the 2018 Mercedes-Benz S Class, the 2018 Nissan Rogue, a 2017 Tesla Model S and a 2019 Volvo XC40.

In addition to Tesla’s Autopilot, Volvo calls its system “Pilot As-

sist,” while Nissan’s is named “ProPilot Assist.”

Automakers generally say they tell drivers that their cars aren’t fully self-driving and that they should always be alert and ready to intervene.

AAA says all four vehicles drifted out of lanes and hugged lane markers, struggling with moderate traffic, curved roads and streets with busy intersections. Three of the four would have failed to avoid a crash when the vehicle ahead of them changed lanes and a simulated stopped vehicle was ahead.

“As a result we had to take evasive action,” said Brannon, who wouldn’t identify the vehicles that failed to stop in time.

The vehicles’ owner’s manuals say that spotting a stationary vehicle after a lead vehicle changes lanes is a design limitation for the systems, Brannon said. But he said researchers expected the vehicles to see stopped vehicles and react in time.

Automakers generally say that the systems are designed to supplement a human driver and they make it clear the vehicles don’t drive themselves.

Nissan said its system name contains the word “assist,” showing that it’s designed to help the driver.

“Mercedes-Benz has always stressed that this technology is designed to assist the driver, not to encourage customers to ignore their responsibilities as drivers,” the automaker said in a statement.

Tesla says that it reminds drivers to keep their hands on the wheel. “Tesla has always been clear that Autopilot doesn’t make the car impervious to all accidents,” the company said in a statement earlier this year.

A message was left Thursday seeking comment from Volvo.

Brannon said that despite their shortcomings, the systems have great potential to save lives and stop crashes from happening.

“Anything that can serve as a backstop to a good driver is going to enhance the safety of the system, of the driver,” he said. ■

BY MIKE BLANCHFIELD The Associated Press OTTAWA — The Trudeau government faced criticism Wednesday for a tepid response to the head of the U.S. space agency saying he wants to see Canadian astronauts walking on the moon in the near future.

Jim Bridenstine, the administrator of he National Aeronautics and Space Administration, said a reconstituted lunar program is the first step toward deeper space exploration, including a mission to Mars.

On a two-day trip to Ottawa, the NASA chief made an impassioned pitch for Canada to continue its decades-long space partnership with the U.S., including by supplying astronauts.

NASA is embarking on the creation of its new Lunar Gateway, a space station it is planning to send into orbit around the moon starting in 2021. The agency wants to create a “sustainable lunar architecture” that would allow people and equipment to go back and forth to the moon regularly, Bridenstine said.

“If Canadians want to be involved in missions to the surface of the moon with astronauts, we welcome that. We want to see that day materialize,” he told a small group of journalists in Ottawa ahead of his keynote speech to the Aerospace Industries Association of Canada.

“We think it would be fantastic for the world to see people on the surface of the moon that are not just wearing the American flag, but wearing the flags of other nations.”

The U.S. is seeking broad international support for its new lunar initiative, Bridenstine told the industry conference.

He said NASA wants Canada’s expertise in artificial intelligence and robotics, which could include a next-generation Canadarm on the Lunar Gateway and more Canadian technology inside.

Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains, a vocal booster www.canadianinquirer.net

NASA aministrator Jim Bridenstine.

BIKLL INGALLS / NASA VIA NASA HQ PHOTO / FLICKR, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

of Canada’s AI hubs in Ontario and Quebec, said the government is committed to sustaining its partnership with NASA, but he had no specifics.

The minister said the government is still working on a longawaited space policy that has many dimensions and will be made public before next fall’s federal election.

“At this stage, we would not take anything off the table,” Bains told reporters, when on pressed on the possibility of contributing astronauts to moon missions. “We demonstrated very clearly we want to work with NASA. We want to work with other allies as well.”

The head of one leading Canadian space technology firm said he and many other business leaders at the conference were surprised by the government’s apparent lack of enthusiasm for Bridenstine’s ambitious request.

“There was a lot of excitement about the opportunity that was clearly being given to Canada here,” Mike Greenley, the president of MDA, said in an interview. “I’m a little bit concerned about that lack of response.”

MDA makes sensors, robots and components for satellites.

Greenley said it is possible the government is still considering its options, but given the urgency of the U.S. timetable, that might not be wise.

“The concern would be if we wait too long we can miss the opportunity,” he said. “We best not ponder this too long.”

Greenley said he’d like to see Canadian astronauts on the moon one day, but to get to that stage Canada needs to participate in NASA’s broader lunar program.

Bridenstine said the return to the moon is a stepping stone to a much more ambitious goal: exploration that could include reaching Mars in the next two decades.

“The moon is, in essence, a proving ground for deeper space exploration,” he said.

Marc Garneau, who was the first Canadian to reach outer space in 1984 and is now Canada’s transport minister, told the conference he wants Canada to continue being a “star player” in all fields of the aerospace industry. But he had no new space initiatives to announce.

On Dec. 3, Canadian astronaut David Saint-Jacques will travel to the International Space Station on his first mission. ■

NOVEMBER 23, 2018

34

CANADA

AMP PROMATIC IS LOOKING FOR PRODUCTION WORKERS Sheet metal manufacturing company is looking to hire workers with some experience on metal cutting machines, plus general labor.

If you don’t have experience but are hard worker we will train and will oer you good wages.

This can be a full-time or part-time position and we are located in Vaughan, Hwy 7 and Weston Rd.

Contact: Walter at 416-991-1007 or send e-mail ampincwf@gmail.com

HIRING

NANNY/BABYSITTER

LOCATION: BRAMPTON Employer: Romelo Perez for 2 children (15 & 11 y.o.), Mon-Fri, $14/hr for 40 hrs/wk. 3 year-contract Requirements: LanguageEnglish. Education- Completion of secondary school (min.)

Experience- 1-2 yrs. child care/babysitting exp; criminal record check, in good health. Duties: Supervise and care for children, prepare and serve meals, assist with feeding, grooming, hygiene, homework and school projects. Perform light housekeeping & cleaning duties including wash/iron clothes and household linens.

Take children to and from school and appointments, travel with family if needed.

LUCKY SUPERMARKET 10628 King George Blvd, Surrey B.C is hiring all positions such as: store manager, grocery manager, produce manager, office administration, file maintenance clerk, head cashier, cook, BBQ chef, meat cutter, baker, bakery clerk, grocery clerk, frozen clerk, meat clerk, produce clerk, cashier, truck driver and kitchen helper.

APPLY BY EMAIL: melo.perez@outlook.com

Please email resume to: hrsurrey@luckysupermarket.ca

Electronic Technicians Needed Experience in Low Voltage Electrical System installation and Servicing Computers with Networking Email resume to suda@alarmboss.com Call 416-432-1902

Spectrum Health Care is Hiring

Personal Support Workers who want more!

More hours Benefits plus pension $500 Signing Bonus Learn more at www.spectrumhealthcare.com

www.canadianinquirer.net

35

Travel Birdwatchers await return of Great Cormorant to Paoay

BY LEILANIE ADRIANO Philippine News Agency LAOAG CITY — Bird watchers all over the Philippines are eager to witness the return of the great cormorant, a migratory bird known for its matted feathers, come Nov.19.

The locals of Paoay, Ilocos Norte are the most excited of all, as flocks of this bird species naturally migrate to this town, specifically the Paoay Lake, every November. Ten years ago, a festival dedicated to the return of the great cormorant here was launched.

The 387-hectare Paoay Lake National Protected Landscape is a feeding point to migratory birds.

Since the first holding of the festival in 2008, local birders have frequented the lake’s view deck in Nagbacalan village,

for a chance to see the great cormorant, along with other bird species at the landlocked lake.

Through the initiative of Dr. Petrus Calope, a member of the Wild Bird Club of the Philippines (WBCP), in cooperation with the local government of Paoay and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), bird watching in the province has slowly gained popularity, enticing local and foreign enthusiasts to visit the legendary Paoay Lake.

Starting the month of November, bird watchers frequent the area with binoculars, telescopes, and high-end cameras.

On Monday, Calope’s group will again install their birdwatching equipment at the view deck in Nagbacalan village while inviting all other interested guests and visitors to join the fun.

Over the past five years, the WBCP

Great Cormorant.

have monitored the presence of migratory birds at the Paoay lake wetlands, considered one of the country’s important migratory bird sites.

Based on the latest Asian Waterbird

JJ HARRISON / WIKIMEDIA COMMONS, CC BY-SA 3.0

Census, the Philippine ducks are commonly seen in the area with an average number of 600. The cormorants are ❱❱ PAGE 36 Birdwatchers await

Belgium lauds Boracay rehab, PH bid on sustainable tourism

BY JOYCE ANN L. ROCAMORA Philippine News Agency MANILA — The Duterte administration’s decision to rehabilitate Boracay was a “good decision” after all, Belgian Ambassador to Manila Michel Goffin said Thursday.

“Let’s be frank, when you cleaned Boracay, when you cleaned El Nido, this is a very good decision. President (Rodrigo) Duterte is doing the right thing in cleaning up these areas,” he told reporters during the King’s Day reception in Makati.

The diplomat also lauded the upcoming rehabilitation plans of the government for other popular Philippine destinations, including El Nido in Palawan.

“You have such a beautiful country, not only in Boracay and El Nido, everywhere else. Let’s keep it, together, clean and sustainable,” he said.

On October 26, the world-renowned Boracay was reopened to visitors after a six-month closure.

Goffin said such initiative translates to the government’s commitment to-

wards sustainable tourism, a move that will eventually attract more tourists.

In 2017, Manila welcomed at least 15,000 visitors from Brussels. While this keeps “increasing,” the Philippines’ brand as trove of beautiful tourist sites is little known in Brussels.

“The Philippines should be much more promoted in Belgium, in Europe because everyone knows Thailand. We sort of start to know Indonesia but the Philippines is still very far and there’s big market out there,” he said.

The envoy also noted the need to improve infrastructure in the country, specifically the connectivity between some island provinces.

“Really, you have beautiful places but even for me, it’s difficult to reach. There’s no train, there’s no public transport, crossing islands on a ferry is really difficult. You should really improve infrastructure,” he said.

The government is currently implementing the “Build, Build, Build” program with big ticket infrastructure projects such as construction of airports, bridges and train system in the works. ■

# 1 7 9 - 8 1 3 8 1 2 8 S t r e e t S u r r e y, B C

www.canadianinquirer.net

Travel

36

NOVEMBER 23, 2018

FRIDAY

Mindoro eyed as PH’s tuna sport fishing capital

Sisterhood and sightseeing: Tour companies creating trips just for women

BY JOYCE ANN L. ROCAMORA Philippine News Agency

BY VICTORIA AHEARN The Canadian Press

thriving in the Mindoro Strait, which connects the natural resources-rich West Philippine Sea and Sulu Sea. What makes Mindoro tuna MAMBURAO, OCCIDENTAL special is its freshness given MINDORO — In some parts of the distance from the fishing the country, it is the literal min- grounds to the port. eral that seamen try to dredge.

“We have high quality tuna But in Mindoro, it is mining the because the shoal is just three living and flipping the “new gold hours away from the (tuna) of the sea” — the yellowfin tuna. landing area. For example, if Already established as a it was caught at around 3 a.m., source of livelihood for the is- by 6 a.m. we already serve it for land, fisherfolk in Occidental consumption, that’s how fresh Mindoro are keen to market the our tuna is in Mindoro,” Castelbrimming supply of tuna for lano stressed. sport fishing.

On Nov. 8, San Jose, Occi“If you talk dental Mindoro about tuna sport hosted the third fishing, we want Philippine Tuna Mindoro to be Biggest Catch We have high the first thing Challenge Minquality tuna that pops in your doro Strait Edibecause the mind,” Bernie tion. shoal is just Castellano of the The event cothree hours Occidental Minincided with the away from the doro Federation Arawatan and (tuna) landing of Tuna Fishers the Mimaropa area.

Association said Festival where in a press confercontingents from ence for the anthe five provinces nual Mimaropa of Occidental and Festival held in Mamburao.

Oriental Mindoro, Romblon, “We want to market tuna Marinduque, and Palawan parsport fishing because we’ve been ticipated in the street-dancing hearing a lot from people who parade and trade fair. want to visit Mindoro just to exAccording to Castillo, the perience catching tuna. Yellow federation already got the nod fin tuna is considered new gold of the Department of Tourism of the sea,” Castellano said. in promoting the sport fishing Yellowfin fishing has been a event. booming industry for Occiden“I already talked to Secretary tal Mindoro for the past few (Bernadette) Puyat, and she years as tuna’s behavioral pat- asked us to submit a project terns change. The pelagic fishes proposal to assess how the DOT mostly caught in the coastal can help promote,” he said in waters of Mindanao are now Filipino. ■

Birdwatchers await... ❰❰ 35

also commonly seen in the lake, around 10 of these or more at a

time.

The Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) has also noted that Paoay Lake has been providing shelter to other bird species like the Little Grebe, Great Egret, Little Egret, Cattle Egret, Tufted Duck, White-brow

Crane, Common Kingfisher, White-collared Kingfisher, and the White-throat Kingfisher.

“I take pride in my hometown for having such a healthy and grandeur lake. Its beauty and cleanliness have been preserved for our next generation to see and enjoy,” Paoay resident Rod Sadian said.

Most Paoay residents feel the same. ■

TORONTO — On a recent trip to Tulum, Mexico, sisters Huda and Sana Alvi bonded with a group of women who were virtual strangers.

They developed a connection over several curated experiences, including a picnic lunch on the beach and a boat ride and swim by the Mayan ruins, and sat in a circle reflecting on their excursion and lives.

The journey was part of the Toronto sisters’ new company The Girls Trip, one of a plethora of tour operators offering women luxury getaways to bucketlist destinations like Morocco and Peru, with the safety of a group and guides, and a focus on building new relationships and enjoying a sisterhood.

“Our mission is to empower more women to travel, especially solo women,” says Alvi, whose company launched in April and has an age demographic of about 25 to 45. It also offers a monthly payment plan for the trips.

“There are a lot of countries where you can’t travel alone (as a woman) or you’re scared to travel alone, but you do want that solo experience where you’ve left all your friends and left your work, and you just want to go on this life experience and this mission — and how incredible to be able to share that with other women.”

It’s a market that has “grown exponentially in the last little while,” adds Alvi, a brand consultant and influencer who previously ran a human resources company.

“Based on some of the research we’ve been doing, the solo female travel space is going to be expanding heavily in the next five years,” she says.

“Women are looking to be more independent and experience things that they’ve never done before, so really coming out of their insecurities or fears.”

The market is also growing for the more mature female traveller, says Debbie Ross, founder of Women’s Travel www.canadianinquirer.net

Network. Her company caters to women typically between the ages of 40 to 60, but also accepts those outside that range.

“I’m dealing with the baby boomers. They’re retiring and they’re going to go out and see the world,” says Ross, who is based in Toronto.

“Many of them have had very busy careers that didn’t allow them to travel as much as they wanted to, or they were raising children, or finances, putting kids through university. So now they’re going, ‘It’s my turn.’”

Ross launched her company, which is affiliated with Worldwide Quest International, 15 years ago after the former travel agent realized there was a gap in the market for women like herself.

“I was going through a tough time in my life and I thought, ‘Ugh, I need a holiday, I want to get out of here but I want to travel with women that understand all that I’m going through,’” Ross recalls.

“My husband was in the hospital, my teenage daughter was being difficult and I just wanted to get away. When I went online there was nothing in Canada and I thought, ‘Wow, if I’m saying that, what about the widows and the divorced women? What about the people who just want to pick up and go and don’t have anyone to travel with?’”

Becky van Dijk, co-founder of London-based Travel Girls

Getaways by We Are Travel Girls, recalls wanting to go on adventures in her former career as a banker but not having any friends who were interested in the same destinations.

Her company’s demographic is women in their late 20s and 30s, although they have had women up to 65 join their trips.

“I do think in this age and right now, people are looking for women’s experiences where they’re not necessarily worrying about men,” van Dijk says.

“With this current movement, I think there are more women looking for this type of trip.”

Each company offers different voyages but are typically open to travellers from anywhere in the world, with group sizes ranging between 10 and 16. All details of the trip are typically taken care of, but travellers usually have to book their own flight.

Some companies, like The Girls Trip, have optional addon experiences and a photographer available.

“We create a sisterhood for them and they make friends and they often will travel again together,” says Ross.

“My first tour that I took, those women became great friends, all strangers, and travel every two years together and see each other often and celebrate birthdays and weddings and whatever.” ■

37

Food Great glazed chicken is possible, thanks to a beer can AMERICA’S TEST KITCHEN MOST GLAZED roast chicken recipes offer some variation on these instructions: Roast a chicken as you would normally, painting on a sweet glaze 15 to 30 minutes before the bird is done.

It sounds simple, but following these recipes actually turns up a host of troubles, as the problems inherent in roasting chicken (dry breast meat, flabby skin, big deposits of fat under the skin) are compounded by the problems of a glaze (won’t stick to the meat, burns in patches, introduces moisture to already flabby skin).

Yet we know that great glazed chicken is possible. We set out to develop a method for evenly glazed roast chicken with crisp skin and moist, tender meat.

Short of installing meat hooks or a rotisserie in the oven, what could we do? A vertical roaster, which cooks chicken standing up, was possible, but did who wants another gadget in the kitchen? Then we remembered a simpler alternative, found right in the fridge: a beer can.

We’ve had great success placing a beer can in the chicken cavity and standing it upright on the grill, which allows heat to circulate freely so that the bird cooks evenly from all sides.

Why not bring this popular

technique from the barbecue circuit into your oven?

Glazed roast chicken

Servings: 4-6 Start to finish: 2 1/2 hours For best results, use a 16-ounce can of beer. Don’t use a 12-ounce can, as it will not support the chicken’s weight.

Make sure it is made from safe, fire-proof materials, too, and avoid shrink-wrapped plastic labels.

A vertical poultry roaster can be used in place of the beer can, but we recommend using only a model that can be placed in a roasting pan. Taste your marmalade before using it; if it is overly sweet, reduce the amount of maple syrup by 2 tablespoons.

Chicken: • 1 (6- to 7-pound) whole chicken, giblets discarded • 2 1/2 teaspoons salt • 1 teaspoon pepper • 1 teaspoon baking powder • 1 (16-ounce) can beer Glaze: • 1 teaspoon cornstarch • 1/2 cup maple syrup • 1/2 cup orange marmalade • 1/4 cup cider vinegar • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard • 1 teaspoon pepper For the chicken: Place chick-

en, breast side down, on cutting board. Using tip of sharp knife, make four 1-inch incisions along back of chicken. Using your fingers, gently loosen skin covering breast and thighs. Using metal skewer, poke 15 to 20 holes in fat deposits on top of breast and thighs. Tuck wings behind back.

Combine salt, pepper, and baking powder in bowl. Pat chicken dry with paper towels.

Sprinkle salt mixture evenly all over chicken. Rub mixture in with your hands, coating entire surface evenly. Transfer chicken, breast side up, to wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.

Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 325 F. Open beer can and pour out (or drink) about half of liquid.

Place can in middle of roasting pan and spray lightly with vegetable oil spray. Slide chicken over can so drumsticks reach down to bottom of can, chicken stands upright, and breast is perpendicular to bottom of pan. Roast chicken until skin starts to turn golden and breast registers 140 F, 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours. Carefully remove pan from oven and increase oven temperature to 500 F. For the glaze: While chicken cooks, stir cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water in bowl until no lumps remain. Bring maple syr-

CLEMENS V. VOGELSANG / FLICKR, CC BY 2.0)

up, marmalade, vinegar, butter, mustard, and pepper to simmer in medium saucepan over medium-low heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced to 3/4 cup, 6 to 8 minutes. Slowly whisk in cornstarch mixture; return to simmer and cook for 1 minute. Remove saucepan from heat.

When oven temperature reaches 500 F, pour 1 1/2 cups water into roasting pan and return pan to oven. Roast until chicken skin is evenly browned and crispy, breast registers 160 F, and thighs register 175 F, 24 to 30 minutes. (Check chicken halfway through roasting; if top is becoming too dark, place 7-inch square piece of aluminum foil over neck and wingtips of chicken and continue to roast. If pan begins to smoke and sizzle, add additional 1/2 cup water to pan.)

Brush chicken with 1/4 cup glaze and continue to roast until browned and sticky, about 5 minutes longer. (If glaze starts to stiffen, return to low heat to

soften.) Carefully remove pan from oven; transfer chicken, still on can, to carving board; and brush with 1/4 cup glaze.

Let chicken rest for 20 minutes.

While chicken rests, strain juices from pan through finemesh strainer into fat -separator; let liquid settle for 5 minutes. Whisk 1/2 cup defatted juices into remaining 1/4 cup glaze in saucepan and set over low heat. Using 2 large wads of paper towels, carefully transfer chicken from can to carving board. Carve chicken, adding any accumulated juices to sauce. Serve, passing sauce separately. ■ Nutrition information per serving: 489 calories; 224 calories from fat; 25 g fat (8 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 150 mg cholesterol; 668 mg sodium; 16 g carbohydrate; 0 g fiber; 12 g sugar; 44 g protein.

America’s Test Kitchen provided this article to The Associated Press.

The secret to this applesauce cake is cider and dried apples AMERICA’S TEST KITCHEN

TANIA & ARTUR/FLICKR, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

APPLESAUCE CAKES don’t have a singular definition; they run the gamut from dense, chunky fruitcakes to gummy “health” cakes without much www.canadianinquirer.net

flavour. We wanted a moist and tender cake that actually tasted like apples.

To achieve the loose, rustic crumb that’s best suited to a snack cake, we used the simple quick-bread mixing method, mixing the wet ingredients separately and then gently adding

the dry ingredients by hand.

The challenge lay in adding more apple flavour. Simply increasing the applesauce made for a gummy cake, and fresh apples added too much moisture.

But two other sources worked ❱❱ PAGE 38 The secret

Food

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The way to make an evenly brown, shiny crusted challah loaf AMERICA’S TEST KITCHEN BEAUTIFULLY BRAIDED, rich, and lightly sweet, freshly baked challah is delicious on its own or smeared with softened butter. After a few days, it’s great dunked in custard and made into French toast for a decadent breakfast.

The best challah is rich with eggs, and it has a dark, shiny crust and a firm but light and tender texture. For our recipe, we tried using bread flour, but it made no significant improvement to loaves we made with the typical all-purpose, so we stuck with that.

We tested many different egg combinations (challah is known as egg bread, after all); for a tender texture and a rich but not overwhelmingly eggy flavour, we found two whole eggs and an additional yolk to be optimal.

We kept with tradition and made the bread dairy-free, using water and oil to hydrate and enrich the crumb instead of the milk and butter found in less authentic versions. (Happily, we found that the challah made with water had a lighter and more appealing texture.) Just 1/4 cup of sugar sweetened the loaf and also contributed to its browned exterior.

The recommended shape for challah in most recipes is a simple three-rope braid. Shaped this way, however, our eggy dough rose out instead of up.

Some recipes call for braiding six strands for a higher loaf, but this can get complicated—unless you have skills in origami.

Our solution was to make two three-strand braids, one large and one small, and place the smaller braid on top of the larger one. We brushed the loaf with an egg-water mixture before putting it in the oven to produce an evenly brown, shiny crust—the finishing touch to our handsome challah.

Challah

Servings: 16 Start to finish: 3 3/4 to 4 3/4 hours, plus 3 hours cooling time (Rising time: 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours) Key Equipment: 2 rimmed baking sheets, pastry brush, instant-read thermometer • 3 1/4 cups (16 1/4 ounces) allpurpose flour • 2 1/4 teaspoons instant or rapid-rise yeast • 1 1/4 teaspoons salt • 1/2 cup (4 ounces) water, room temperature • 1/4 cup (1 3/4 ounces) vegetable oil • 2 large eggs plus 1 large yolk, room temperature

• 1/4 cup (1 3/4 ounces) sugar • 1 large egg, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water and pinch salt • 1 teaspoon poppy or sesame seeds (optional) Whisk flour, yeast, and salt together in bowl of stand mixer.

Whisk water, oil, eggs and yolk, and sugar in 4-cup liquid measuring cup until sugar has dissolved.

Using dough hook on low speed, slowly add water mixture to flour mixture and mix until cohesive dough starts to form and no dry flour remains, about 2 minutes, scraping down bowl as needed. Increase speed to medium-low and knead until dough is smooth and elastic and begins to pull away from sides of bowl but sticks to bottom, about 10 minutes.

Transfer dough to lightly floured counter and knead by hand to form smooth, round ball, about 30 seconds. Place dough seam side down in lightly greased large bowl or container, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let rise until increased in size by about half, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Stack two rimmed baking sheets, line with aluminum foil, and spray with vegetable oil spray. Transfer dough to clean counter and divide into 2 pieces, one twice as large as the oth-

er (small piece will weigh about 9 ounces, larger piece about 18 ounces). Divide each piece into thirds and cover loosely with greased plastic.

Working with 1 piece of dough at a time (keep remaining pieces covered), stretch and roll into 16-inch rope (three ropes will be much thicker).

Arrange three thicker ropes side by side, perpendicular to counter edge, and pinch far ends together. Braid ropes into 10-inch loaf and pinch remaining ends together. Repeat braiding remaining ropes into second 10-inch loaf.

Transfer larger loaf to prepared sheet, brush top with egg mixture, and place smaller loaf on top. Tuck ends underneath.

Cover loosely with greased plastic and let rise until loaf in-

creases in size by about half and dough springs back minimally when poked gently with your knuckle, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 F. Brush loaf with remaining egg mixture and sprinkle with poppy seeds, if using. Bake until deep golden brown and loaf registers 190 F to 195 F, 20 to 25 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking. Transfer loaf to wire rack and let cool completely, about 3 hours, before serving. ■

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 F. Make foil sling for 8-inch square baking pan by folding 2 long sheets of aluminum foil so each is 8 inches wide. Lay sheets of foil in pan perpendicular to each other, with extra foil hanging over edges of pan. Push foil into corners and up sides of pan, smoothing foil flush to pan.

Combine cider and dried apples in small saucepan and simmer over medium heat until liquid evaporates and mixture appears dry, about 15 minutes.

Let mixture cool completely, then process with applesauce in food processor until smooth, 20 to 30 seconds.

Whisk sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves together in bowl; set aside 2 tablespoons mixture for topping. Whisk flour and baking soda together in second bowl.

Whisk egg and salt together in large bowl. Whisk in sugar mixture until well combined and light-colored, about 20 seconds. Whisk in melted butter in 3 additions, whisking after each addition until incorporated.

Whisk in applesauce mixture and vanilla. Using rubber spatula, fold in flour mixture until just combined.

Transfer batter to prepared pan and smooth top with rubber spatula. Gently tap pan on counter to settle batter.

Sprinkle reserved sugar mix-

ture evenly over top. Bake until toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking. Let cake cool completely in pan on wire rack, 1 to 2 hours. Using foil overhang, lift cake from pan. Serve.

(Cake can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days.) ■

SARAH R:FLICKR, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Nutrition information per serving: 153 calories; 43 calories from fat; 5 g fat (1 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 52 mg cholesterol; 195 mg sodium; 23 g carbohydrate; 1 g fiber; 3 g sugar; 4 g protein.

The secret... ❰❰ 37

well: apple cider and dried apples.

When reduced to a syrup, the apple cider contributed a pleasing sweetness and a slight tang without excess moisture. And dried apples— plumped in the cider while it was reducing—gave our cake even more apple flavour.

We liked the textural contrast provided by a simple sprinkling of spiced granulated sugar over the cake before baking. This cake is very moist, so it’s best to err on the side of overbaked when testing its doneness. We prefer the rich flavour of cider, but you can substitute apple juice.

Applesauce snack cake

Servings: 9

Start to finish: 1 hour (plus up to 2 hours to cool) • 1 cup apple cider • 3/4 cup dried apples, cut into 1/2-inch pieces • 1 cup unsweetened applesauce, room temperature • 2/3 cup (4 2/3 ounces) sugar • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg • 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves • 1 1/2 cups (7 1/2 ounces) allpurpose flour • 1 teaspoon baking soda • 1 large egg, room temperature • 1/2 teaspoon salt • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

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Nutrition information per serving: 278 calories; 97 calories from fat; 11 g fat (7 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 51 mg cholesterol; 304 mg sodium; 42 g carbohydrate; 1 g fiber; 24 g sugar; 3 g protein.

America’s Test Kitchen provided this article to The Associated Press.

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