Philippine Canadian Inquirer #349

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DECEMBER 7, 2018

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VOL. 12 NO. 349

SANTA VS. FIRECRACKERS

Santa Claus delights students of the General Roxas Elementary School as he came bearing the message to avoid lighting the “small but terrible” Piccolo firecracker, during the launch of the "Oplan: Iwas Paputok, Fireworks Display ang Patok" campaign, held in Barangay Roxas, Quezon City. The Department of Health has blamed most firecracker-related injuries on the Piccolo.

JOEY O. RAZON / PNA

Duterte admits marijuana use, says he was joking

BY BEA KIRSTEIN T. MANALAYSAY Philippine Canadian Inquirer THE PRESIDENT known for his controversial statements that sometimes fell as an unpopular opinion or a joke, talked about himself using marijuana to stay awake through his busy schedule.

“It’s a killing activity and I think the — [at] my age, ako hindi masyado kasi nagma-marijuana ako eh para magising. Sa iba, hindi na kaya (for me, not so much because I use marijuana to stay awake.

Others, it does not work),” President Rodrigo Roa Duterte said on Monday, December 3 during his speech for the

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Panelo: Third Mindanao martial law extension likely to be approved

22 Tanong #5: Paano mo kakayaning talikuran ang lahat?

❱❱ PAGE 11 Duterte admits

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❱❱ PAGE 19

Ryan Lui: The Called One

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Philippine News

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DECEMBER 7, 2018

Duterte lights Palace Christmas Tree; gives P50K to OP staff

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BY JELLY MUSICO Philippine News Agency MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday led the traditional lighting of a Christmas tree at the Kalayaan grounds, kicking off a festive atmosphere bolstered by his announcement to give PHP50,000 bonus to Office of the President (OP) employees.

“I am delighted to be in the company of friends and fellow workers in the Office of the President as we herald today our joyous observance of Christmas,” Duterte said in his speech.

“During this time of the year, few more sights evoke more feelings of cheer and goodwill and the bright lights of our Christmas tree,” he added.

After his speech, Duterte initially announced he is giving PHP30,000 plus PHP10,000 gift check but after chatting with his daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, the President returned to the podium and raised the cash to

Christmas bonus to PHP50,000.

“Sabi ni Inday bakit naman kayo, Maynila, National Capital (Region) PHP40K? Ang bigay doon sa Davao PHP50K. So hindi tayo magpalugi sa Davao. It’s gonna be PHP50K. Okay na yan,” Duterte, a former Davao City mayor for 23 years, said.

After switching on the lights of the 40-meter Christmas tree and all the lanterns within the Kalayaan grounds, Duterte sang “Ikaw” with Madrigal Singers to the delight of the crowd.

Also in his speech, Duterte urged his fellow public servants to “reignite” their desire to render genuine public service “especially to those who need it most.”

“I call on you, my fellow government workers, to remain supportive of each other as we work towards achieving our hopes and dreams for our beloved nation. I wish all of you a very Merry Christmas,” Duterte said.

Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea and Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Martin Andanar attended the lighting of the Christmas tree. ■

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PRRD defends police over arrest of Ocampo

BY JELLY MUSICO Philippine News Agency

why many of those killed were Lumads),” he added.

He said the government has to get back the Lumads and tell them that the MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte New People’s Army (NPA) will destroy on Monday defended the police’s action them. to arrest former Bayan Muna Rep. Satur “When they (the communists) started Ocampo and several others for kidnap- to go to the mountains and wage a war ping and human trafficking. there, they recruited ang pinaka vulner“I support the police and the military. able (the most vulnerable), the Lumads,” You know an ordinary person, lalo na Duterte said. kung senador ka (especially if you are Duterte said Ocampo’s Bayan Muna as a senator), you must be aware that you well as Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) and cannot remove children from one com- Gabriela are fronts of the Communist munity to another without the consent Party of the Philippines (CPP). of the parents,” Duterte said in a media “Bakit pa tayo magbobolahan? (Why interview after conwe should fool each ferring the posthuother?) Satur Ocammous Quezon Serpo is fronting Bayan. vice Award on the Bayan is a front of late senator Miriam the CPP. We know Defensor Santiago at When the that KMU, Gabriela, the Malacañang Palcommunists they’re all commuace. started to go to nist fronts or being Duterte said what the mountains used by the comOcampo and 17 othand wage a munists. Alam ninyo ers have done “is acwar there, lahat yan. (All of you tually kidnapping” they recruited know that),” Duterte since parents have the most told the media. complained that vulnerable, the “I will defend my their children were Lumads. soldiers and my pobrought by Ocampo’s licemen for sure begroup without their cause I think that consent. they are right,” he “Eh nagreklamo added. ‘yung mga victims (The victims comThe military and police arrested Ocplained). You heard they were lectured ampo and 17 others, including ACT upon by the Lumads. And it’s like con- Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro, trolling the lives of the natives,” Duterte at a checkpoint in Talaingod in Davao said. del Norte on Nov. 26 for transporting “Iyan ang mahirap sa komunista, gi- students of Lumad school Salungpunnagamit nila ang Lumad. Kaya ang gan Learning Center without permiskaramihan ngayon ang namamatay Lu- sion from their parents. mad (That’s the problem with the comOcampo’s group was released after munists, they are using Lumads. That’s posting bail. ■

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Philippine News

DECEMBER 7, 2018

FRIDAY

Panelo: Third Mindanao martial law extension likely to be approved

BY JOANNA BELLE DEALA Philippine Canadian Inquirer PRESIDENT RODRIGO Duterte might keep Mindanao under military rule as he will likely extend martial law in the area as recommended by his military and police forces, according to Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo.

“Unang-una, kung ano ang rekomendasyon ng mga military at PNP (Philippine National Police), at sila naman ang nasa ground, sila ang nakakaalam kung kailangan o hindi [ng martial law] (First of all, whatever the recommendation of the military and PNP, since they are the ones on the ground, they know whether martial law is needed or not),” Panelo said in an interview with GMA’s Unang Balita on Tuesday, December 4.

“Kaya every time na nag-re-recommend sila, pinag-aaralan ng Pangulo and eventually siya ay sumasang-ayon (That is why every time they recommend, the President studies it and eventually, he agrees to it),” he added.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the PNP earlier said they will

recommend to the President to extend martial law in Mindanao for another year as terrorism is still “lurking” in the area.

“There is really a need to constrict and limit the maneuver space of the terrorists to the maximum. We have a very weak terrorism law, so with that, martial law is needed to completely defeat terrorism,” Military chief, General Carlito Galvez earlier said.

But while both military and police forces are for another martial law extension, an opposition lawmaker has another take regarding the issue.

“Rebellion does not persist in Mindanao and [the] third extension is completely groundless,” Albay Representative Edcel Lagman told ANC on Tuesday.

“The entire duration of martial law in Mindanao totals to about 586 days.

That’s too long. That’s a mockery of the constitutional injunction of a short duration for martial law and its extension,” he added.

Lagman said he will question any request for an extension of martial law before the Supreme Court (SC).

In May 2017, Duterte declared martial

President Rodrigo R. Duterte listens to a former rebel as the latter voices out his concerns during the President's visit at Camp Rajah Sikatuna in Carmen, Bohol.

ROBINSON NIÑAL JR./PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

law in the entire Mindanao amid clashes between government forces and Maute group. The initial declaration was only valid for 60 days but Congress approved Duterte’s request to extend it until the end of 2017. In December 2017, the lawmakers once again voted to extend military rule in Mindanao until December

31 this year.

On Monday, Duterte told the media that he has not yet decided whether he will ask the Congress again for another martial law extension, but stressed that his decision will depend on the recommendation of military and police since they are the “guys on the ground.” ■

House approves traffic crisis bill on 3rd reading

BY FILANE MIKEE CERVANTES Philippine News Agency MANILA — The House of Representatives on Monday night approved on third and final reading the proposed Traffic Crisis Act. With 188 affirmative votes, eight negative votes, and no abstention, the lower chamber approved House Bill 6425, which seeks to prescribe an “urgent, comprehensive and integrated landbased traffic management” to address the land traffic congestion crisis in Metropolitan Manila, Metropolitan Cebu, and Metropolitan Davao.

Under the bill, the Secretary of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) shall be designated as the de officio Traffic Chief, who shall have power of control and supervision over land transportation agencies, including the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), the proposed metropolitan Cebu Traffic Coordinating Council, and the proposed Davao Administrator.

The Traffic Chief shall have the powwww.canadianinquirer.net

er to harmonize and enforce all traffic rules and regulations to implement a unified traffic system throughout each of the metropolitan areas.

The Traffic Chief can carry out all priority projects and programs that will have immediate, significant, and measurable impact on the land-based traffic crisis.

The Traffic Chief is also empowered to develop and issue a comprehensive traffic rule handbook and come up with a traffic impact plan.

The bill also mandates the formulation of a Traffic Management Plan (TMP) for each of the metropolitan areas that must detail the concrete steps to be taken to alleviate the traffic crisis in a measurable manner.

The TMP must contain 19 minimum components, such as the organizational structure of covered agencies, route rationalization, establishment of friendship routes, promotion of sustainable transport, traffic flow and volume reduction schemes, clearing of sidewalks, establishment of elevated crosswalks, and designation of public utility vehicle terminals. ■

Philippine News

FRIDAY DECEMBER 7, 2018

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Over 1K jobs Pinoys feel safer despite survey available for PWDs showing rise in crime: Palace in QC on Dec. 5

BY AZER PARROCHA Philippine News Agency

BY FERDINAND PATINIO Philippine News Agency MANILA — Over 1,000 employment opportunities are available in a special jobs and opportunities fair for persons with disability (PWDs) on Wednesday (Dec. 5) in Quezon City.

In a statement Monday, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said the job vacancies are in BPO, electronics, advertising, hotel, health and wellness, travel, media, logistics, manpower and security services, sales, property management, pharmaceutical, and memorial services, among others.

The one-day affair is spearheaded by the DOLE in partnership some 30 Rotary Clubs of District 3830, to be held at the covered walk of the Quezon City Hall.

Aside from jobs, the special activity will also provide skills and livelihood opportunities.

While DOLE conducts skills profiling of participants, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) will provide livelihood and skills training for those interested during the event.

Applicants may pre-qualify for available positions or employers who wish to participate in the job fair may register at philjobnet.gov.ph.

The event is being held as a special offering of the Labor Department which celebrates its 85th founding anniversary this week, in partnership with the Rotary Club.

This is also the group’s contribution to the observance of the International Day for Persons with Disability, and part of the government’s awareness campaign encouraging private sector employers to allocate 1 percent of their workforce to persons with disability.

Republic Act 10524 mandates agencies of government to employ persons with disability to comprise at least 1 percent of their employees, while it provides incentives to private enterprises with more than 100 employees who take in disadvantaged persons into their workforce.

The Rotary Clubs from District 3830 mobilized more than 30 employers from various parts of Metro Manila to the activity, on top of a host of companies invited by DOLE. The other offices collaborating in the activity are the Public Employment Service Offices, the National Council on Disability Affairs and the city government of Quezon City.

All local government units in Metro Manila were invited to participate by sending qualified persons with disability from their respective communities to the job fair. ■

MANILA — Malacañang on Saturday said Filipinos feel safer despite survey results showing an increase in the number of Filipinos who fell victim to crimes within the past six months.

Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo made this remark following the 2018 Third Quarter Survey conducted by the Social Weather Stations (SWS), which showed that 6.1 percent of families or 1.4 million families fell victim to common crimes.

According to the survey conducted on Sept. 15 to 23, common crimes include pickpocket or robbery of personal property, break-ins, carnapping, and physical violence.

This figure is 0.7 higher than the 5.3 percent or estimated 1.2 million families in June 2018, and identical to the 6.1 percent in September 2017.

Panelo noted that although slightly higher than the second quarter, it is still the lowest third quarter crime victimization reported in recent years, the highest being 13 percent in September 2010.

He cited how Filipinos felt safer because the Duterte administration has taken strides to fight crime and illegal drugs.

“Significant strides have been made by the current administration through its war against criminality, including those related to illegal drugs,” Panelo said.

“Indeed, Filipinos now feel safer knowing fully well the government’s stance against criminals and drug pushers,” he added.

However, Panelo said the survey result does no mean that the administration will be complacent.

He said Duterte’s campaign against criminality and illegal narcotics will be pursued until the last day of his term.

Panelo, meanwhile, said that critics of President Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war are either people who are connected with illegal activities or politicians belonging to the opposition, who cannot accept the administration’s achievements.

The survey was conducted using face-to-face interviews of 1,500 adults nationwide.

In his third State of the Nation Address (SONA), Duterte vowed that his administration’s drug war will be “as relentless and chilling” as the day it began. ■

3 PNPA cadets in ‘oral sex’ scandal ordered sacked

BY CHRISTOPHER LLOYD CALIWAN Philippine News Agency MANILA — Three cadets of the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) were ordered dismissed for forcing two plebes to perform oral sex, Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief, Director General Oscar Albayalde said Monday.

Albayalde said Chief Supt.

Jose Chiquito Malayo, PNPA superintendent, recommended the dismissal order of the three senior cadets which is expected to be signed on Monday.

“Yes, kung talagang guilty sila (if they are really guilty) and it shows mukhang talagang may problema (that there is a problem). That is the very reason also why I talked to all the cadets last month. Kung talagang totoo yan (If these allegations are true), we should show no mercy to these cadets.

You could just imagine kapag nag-graduate yan at magiging opisyal ng PNP na naman yan (if they graduate and they become PNP officials),” Albayalde told www.canadianinquirer.net

reporters during the Monday press briefing when asked if he agree on the decision to dismisse the three cadets.

Albayalde, however, said they can still appeal the decision to the Philippine Public Safety College (PPSC).

The PNPA is one of the constitutive units of the PPSC. For his part, Malayo said the three cadets were found to have violated a provision of the PNPA Cadet Guide and are facing an administrative case on conduct unbecoming of an officer.

“They are meted the penalty of dismissal from the cadetship program based on the result of the investigation which found them guilty,” Malayo said.

“They can submit their motion for reconsideration within 48 hours upon receipt of the decision today,” he added.

The administrative charges were filed against the three cadets whom Malayo refused to identify after allegedly ordering two plebes or first year cadets to perform oral sex on each other on Oct. 6, which is a punishment for not obeying orders from their upper classmen.

The two others, both secondyear cadets, allegedly watched the two plebes.

The incident resulted in the relief of Chief Supt. Joseph Adnol as PNPA superintendent, whom Malayo replaced.

The PNPA was hounded by two controversies this year, the first was when a group of cadets mauled at least two of their upperclassmen on the day of their graduation.

The PNP leadership has been pushing for control and supervision of the PNPA amid the controversies. The PNPA, along with all police trainings, is currently under the supervision of the PPSC. Senate Bill 1898, authored by former PNP chief and Senator Panfilo Lacson, seeks to transfer the administrative supervision and operational control of the two institutions from the Philippine Public Safety College to the PNP. Last March, the PNPA was also embroiled in a scandal when six graduating upperclassmen were beaten up by 40 PNPA cadets on their graduation day. ■

Philippine News

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DECEMBER 7, 2018

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PRRD confers Quezon Service Award on Miriam Santiago 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 or contact 778-788-4998 Philippine Canadian Inquirer is located at 11951 Hammersmith Way, Suite 108 Richmond, B.C. V7A 5H9 Canada

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BY JELLY MUSICO Philippine News Agency MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday conferred posthumously the prestigious Quezon Service Cross on the late Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago whom he described as his friend and a “learned human being.”

Duterte handed the award to Santiago’s husband, Narciso, with lawmakers led by former President and now House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo witnessing the awarding ceremony held at the Rizal hall of the Palace.

“Today, we are gathered as one grateful nation to honor an esteemed lawmaker, constitutionalist and stateswoman, our beloved Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago,” Duterte said in his speech.

“I am deeply honored to lead the Filipino people in conferring on the late Senator the Quezon Service Cross — the highest recognition for outstanding civilian service by the Republic of the Philippines,” he added.

Duterte recalled how he and the late lady lawmaker campaign for each other during the 2016 presidential race which he won by six million votes over his closest rival Mar Roxas of the erstwhile ruling Liberal Party.

“During the campaign, she was campaigning for me, I was campaigning for her. In short, so magandang laro iyon.(so it was a good game),” Duterte said.

“And simply because I hesitated to ask questions because I would not maybe just be able to answer her correctly.

And I was more or less hesitant that I’d be corrected in public even in the question itself. So, I just said, ‘How can I ask a question from a learned human being?’,” he added.

Duterte is hoping that the life of Santiago, known as “Iron Lady of Asia” due to her no-nonsense drive against graft and corruption, would serve as inspiration to every Filipinos to use their talents in serving the country.

“I am hopeful that as we recognize her exemplary contributions to society, she will serve as an inspiration to a generation of Filipinos who will use their talents for the benefit of the country and their fellowmen,” he said.

The President said Santiago’s shining example should serve as the legacy “that we will leave behind to future generations of Filipinos.”

“Let her memory serve as the light that will guide us towards a more progressive, inclusive and equitable society,” Duterte said.

Proposed by President Manuel Roxas in honor of President Manuel L. Quezon, the Quezon Service Cross was created

Late Miriam Defensor-Santiago.

by virtue of a joint resolution enacted by both houses of Congress in 1946.

Santiago is the first female to be given the Quezon Service Cross Award which the top recognition a Filipino can receive from the government.

Before Santiago, five famous personalities have been given the prestigious award since its inception in 1946.

The Quezon Service Cross have been awarded posthumously to former Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo on Nov. 26, 2012, former Senator Benigno Aquino Jr. on Aug. 21, 2004; and, former President Ramon Magsaysay on July 4, 1957.

Former President Emilio Aguinaldo and former United Nations General Assembly President Carlos Romulo received the award during their lifetime on June 12, 1956 and Apr. 12, 1951, respectively.

Unlike other state honors and decorations, the Quezon Service Cross can only be awarded with the concurrence of both houses of Congress and the President of the Philippines.

For Santiago, Duterte endorsed her name to Congress for approval in 2017 with the Senate approving it on Dec. 11, 2017 and the House giving its concurrence on Feb. 20, 2018.

Santiago was considered as one of the most intellectually brilliant leaders of the country, having served in all three branches of government — judicial, executive and legislative.

She served as presiding judge of the Regional Trial Court, commissioner of Bureau of Immigration, secretary of Agrarian Reform and a senator for three terms.

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SEN. MIRIAM DEFENSOR SANTIAGO / FACEBOOK

Santiago also worked abroad as legal officer of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland and as a consultant of the Philippine embassy in Washington D.C. She was the first Filipino and the first Asian from a developing country to be elected in the United Nations as judge of the International Criminal Court in 2011. Unfortunately, grave illness forced her to waive the privilege of being an ICC judge.

She was a University of the Philippines law professor for 10 years and had filed the highest number of bills and authored some of the most important laws in the Senate.

The pride of Iloilo had received prestigious awards throughout her 46 years of public service.

Santiago ran but lost in the 1992 and 2016 presidential elections.

Among the prestigious awards she received include the Outstanding Young Men Award for Law in 1985; the Outstanding Women in Nation’s Service Award for Law in 1986; Ramon Magsaysay Award in 1988; Most Outstanding Alumna in Law from UP; and, the Philippine Judges Association Hall of Fame in 2015.

Santiago, considered the leading expert of her generation in constitutional law and international law, died on Sept.

29, 2016 after a two-year battle with lung cancer.

Other present during the awarding rites include Senators Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel, Manny Pacquiao, Francis Escudero and his wife Heart Evangelista; Nueva Ecija Rep. Estrellita Suangsing and Davao City Mayor and presidential daughter Sara Duterte. ■

Philippine News

FRIDAY DECEMBER 7, 2018

Ressa entitled to legal remedies amid arrest warrant: Palace

BY AZER PARROCHA Philippine News Agency

that the charges filed against her are baseless.

“If you have a justifiable reason for so doing or will introMANILA — Malacañang on duce evidence to show that it’s Monday said Rappler chief ex- not true then you will be acquitecutive officer Maria Ressa ted,” Panelo said. is entitled to legal remedies “Everyone is entitled to the amid an arrest warrant issued presumption of innocence and against her over multiple tax that includes everybody, inevasion cases. cluding Miss Ressa,” he added.

Presidential Spokesperson Panelo rejected claims that Salvador Panelo made this re- President Rodrigo R. Duterte mark after Ressa on Sunday himself had a hand at Ressa’s confirmed that an arrest war- arrest warrant since he has rant has been repeatedly issued against slammed Rapher and that she pler for being is ready to post critical of his bail. war on drugs and “Miss Ressa is The stand of other policies. entitled to legal Malacañang “He (the Presiremedies under is always: dent) has too the law and she ‘You violate many obligahas her lawyers, the law, you tions to fulfill. As so I don’t think will have to we said, we can she has a probaccount for hardly cope with lem with respect it.’ this man, he’s to losing her libalways working. erty because she We are amazed is precisely goat how industriing to post bail,” ous he is,” Panelo Panelo said in a said.

Palace briefing.

Ressa and Rappler Holdings Panelo said Malacañang will Corp. (RHC) face five tax eva“never interfere with the func- sion cases filed by the Departtion of the judiciary” as well as ment of Justice (DOJ). the other branches of governThe most recent complaint ment. was filed by state prosecutors “If the judiciary finds prob- before a Pasig trial court for able cause for an information alleged violation of Sec. 255 of filed then we have to respect the National Internal Revenue the law on the matter,” Panelo Code. said.

The charge accused Rappler “The stand of Malacañang of having “fail(ed) to report the is always: ‘You violate the law, quarterly sales receipts comyou will have to account for it.’ ing from the issue and sale by That has been the policy and RHC of Philippine Depositary will always be the policy of the Receipts as a dealer in secuDuterte administration,” he rities to NBM Rappler in the added. total amount of PHP2.54 milPanelo also denied that the lion.” cases filed against Ressa are This resulted in unpaid deacts of persecution by the ex- ficiency value-added tax of ecutive department but simply PHP294,000 due to the governdue to tax evasion. ment, excluding surcharge and “It’s a question of tax evasion. interest, the indictment said.

You violate tax laws and then Ressa, who was recently out you will be persecuted,” Panelo of the country to receive awards said. for Rappler, said she is ready to He, however, said Ressa may face the charges filed against be acquitted if she can prove her. ■

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PRRD approves 2nd tranche of oil tax hike

BY AZER PARROCHA Philippine News Agency MANILA — President Rodrigo R. Duterte has approved the implementation of the PHP2per-liter fuel excise tax hike scheduled by January next year, Malacañang said Tuesday night.

Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said Duterte announced his decision to approve the recommendation to proceed with implementing higher fuel taxes during a Cabinet meeting.

“The President has approved the recommendation of the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) to proceed with the implementation of the second tranche of excise tax on fuel, effective January 2019,” Panelo said in a press statement.

The DBCC’s recommendation is a reversal from its initial recommendation to put the hike on hold until world crude prices, which soared more than USD80 per barrel, have softened. Since then, oil prices have lowered to less than USD70 per barrel.

Panelo said the downward impact on inflation due to the steep drop in the Dubai crude

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oil price, is among the factors Duterte considered in approving the DBCC’s recommendation.

He said the President also considered disruption in the “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure program and reduction in budgets, including personal services of national government agencies should the excise tax hike on fuel be suspended.

Budget and Management Secretary Benjamin Diokno said Duterte simply considered what is stipulated under the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) law in making his decision.

Under the TRAIN law, the oil excise tax hike may be suspended if oil prices in the world market average USD80 per barrel or higher for three consecutive months.

Since the current oil price has gone down to US53 to US52 per barrel, Panelo said the legal requirement for the excise tax on fuel suspension cannot be met.

“He’s simply implementing the (TRAIN) law. The sharp turnaround in world crude prices. From a peak of close to USD80 per barrel to USD68 per barrel on Nov. 29, with Dubai Futures prices projecting further decline below USD60 per

barrel in 2019,” Diokno said in a separate statement.

Diokno pointed out that given these factors, the condition for suspension does not exist.

He also noted that at its peak, diesel price was PHP49.80 per liter, but will be PHP37.76 on Jan. 19, inclusive of the PHP2 excise tax.

Diokno also pointed out that for gasoline (95 octane) it was PHP60.90 at its peak, but will be PHP50.82 on Jan. 19 inclusive of PHP2 additional excise tax.

He noted that revenue loss is estimated at PHP43.4 billion if the implementation of higher fuel taxes does not push through.

Panelo, meanwhile, assured that the government will provide financial aid to Filipinos who may be affected by the higher fuel taxes.

“While the oil excise tax increase is a negligible contributor to inflation, we still commit to provide financial assistance to the 50 percent poorest households,” Panelo said.

Earlier, Panelo assured that Duterte will consider the sentiments of the Filipino consumers and weigh the social costs involved in making his decision on the second tranche of excise tax on fuel. ■

10

Philippine News

DECEMBER 7, 2018

FRIDAY

Satur’s bail proves due process is working: Palace

BY JELLY MUSICO Philippine News Agency MANILA — The release of former Bayan Muna Rep. Satur Ocampo and 17 others after posting bail proves that due process is being observed in the country, Malacañang said on Tuesday.

“Ibig sabihin, iyong due process ay tumatakbo at naoobserbahan (It means due process is working and being observed),” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said in a Palace press briefing.

Authorities arrested Ocampo, ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro, and 16 others on Nov. 28 at a checkpoint in Davao del Norte for allegedly kidnapping and trafficking students of the Lumads’ school, Salugpungan Community Learning Center.

The Tagum City Regional Trial Court, however, ordered the temporary release of Ocampo and his group after posting a PHP1.4-million bail on December 1.

Last Monday, President Rodrigo Duterte backed the police and military over their arrest.

“Ang policy ng Presidente sa lahat ng mga ganitong klaseng bagay (The President’s policy in all these things is), the presumption of regularity always applies to every act, undertaking, moves by an official of the government,” said Panelo, also concurrent Chief Presidential Legal Counsel.

“Kaya iyong mga nanghuli sa kanila, kung mayroon silang basis ng pag-aresto, the presumption is regular iyon (That is why those who arrested them, if they have basis, the presumption is that is regular),” he added.

On the other hand, Panelo said the arrested individu-

Pres. Rodrigo Duterte and House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

GLORIA MACAPAGAL ARROYO, BEAT THE ODDS / FACEBOOK

Arroyo denies railroading Cha-cha Satur Ocampo.

als are entitled to file charges against the authorities who apprehended them.

“And since nandiyan na iyan sa office of the prosecutor — sa ngayon nasa office of the prosecutor pa yata eh. Binigyan sila ng bail ng hukuman kasi karapatan nila iyon (Since it’s now with the office of the prosecutor, the court gave them bail because that’s their right),” Panelo said.

“So hayaan na lang natin na tumakbo ang sistema ng pangkatarungan dito sa ating bansa (So let’s allow the justice system to work in our country),” he added.

Panelo said Bayan Muna and other militant groups, such as Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) and Gabriela, should always “work within the law.”

He made this remark after Duterte said Bayan Muna, KMU and Gabriela are fronts of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).

“Kasi kung ginagamit nilang fronts iyon ng armed elements ng NPA, may problema tayo (If

SATUR OCAMPO / FACEBOOK

the school is being used as a front by armed elements of the New People’s Army, we have problem). They will be violating the law; they can be charged (for) it,” he said.

He said Duterte’s remark linking these groups to the CPP was “already a warning to them.”

Meanwhile, Panelo said the declaration of a unilateral holiday truce with the communist rebels will be tackled in the Cabinet meeting set Tuesday evening.

“We will discuss it. There will be discussion necessarily for any recommendation by any member of the Cabinet,” he said.

The Palace official said a “permanent truce” is needed to finally stop 50 years of conflict between government and the NPA. “There should be no bloodshed, as far as the government is concerned. It’s about time we stopped all this bloodshed. It’s been 50 years, my God! Let’s end the internecine (war) among Filipinos,” Panelo said. ■

www.canadianinquirer.net

BY FILANE MIKEE CERVANTES Philippine News Agency MANILA — Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Wednesday denied allegations that the House leadership is railroading the passage of the proposed federal constitution.

Arroyo made the statement following the second reading approval of Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) 15 on Tuesday after only three session days of plenary debates.

“It was part of the democratic process. There was a debate. It was voted on,” Arroyo told reporters in an ambush interview.

Arroyo, who is a principal author of RBH 15, said the draft federal charter is expected to be put to a vote on third and final reading on Monday (December 10).

“We are able to pass it on second reading so three days after the copy is circulated, we should be taking it up on third reading. Hopefully, that would be Monday,” she said.

RBH 15 proposes a presiden-

tial-bicameral-federal system of government and empowers Congress to establish federal states.

It seeks to adopt and develop a two-party system as a mechanism of representation and democratic governance.

It also lifts the term limits for members of Congress. Lawmakers shall be required to have a college degree.

The first election under the proposed Constitution shall be held on the second Monday of May 2022.

The term of the President and Vice President, which shall end in 2022, shall not be extended.

The incumbent president is prohibited from running in the 2022 elections. ■

Philippine News

FRIDAY DECEMBER 7, 2018

11

Duterte admits... ❰❰ 1

ASEAN (Associational of Southeast Asian Nations) National Organizing Committee awarding ceremony.

Duterte’s statement stemmed from his complaints on his hectic schedule during the ASEAN Summit in Singapore, to which he shared that they start at 8:30 in the morning, and end at almost 10 or 11. He said that meetings of country heads should only be for “urgent and immediate concerns,” when major events in the summit happened “every 30 minutes.”

“Baka akala ng ASEAN Secretariat, Boy Scout kami. Hindi kaya iyan, it’s whole day. Hindi kaya (Maybe the ASEAN Secretariat thinks we are Boy Scouts.

It is not possible, it’s whole day.

Not possible),” the President

earlier said before talking about his supposed use of the illegal substance.

In several interviews, he has also said that he is open to the use of medical marijuana.

Duterte, the architect of the government’s war to eradicate illegal drugs continued on, “Susmaryosep, walang tulog (no sleep at all). And the more that the crescendo becomes faster, mas lalo kang ‘di nakakatulog kasi hinahabol ko na babasahin eh (you really cannot sleep so you can keep up with the reading).”

He added that he did not want the people to think that he, the President, is ignorant so he had to catch up with the reading.

Before this barrage of complaints, Duterte made headlines during the ASEAN Summit in

ACE MORANDANTE/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

Singapore for missing several meetings, which included the breakfast meeting 6, made light of his absence in a breakfast meeting with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and the gala dinner of the gathering. According to Malacañang, the Chief Executive’s absences

were due to the “power naps” he had to take, These missed meetings earned the ire of critics, slamming Duterte ‘to do his job’ and ‘share his health condition.’

Just joking

After several media posted

Duterte’s ‘marijuana use,’ the President was quick to say that it was a joke.

In an interview with the reporters, he said that he was using a “plastic marijuana.”

“Of course, I was joking,” Duterte said, further defending himself that jokes, including mysoginistic ones are his “style.”

He added, “That’s my style, it’s too late to change. I want to joke, I will joke. Ngayon kung maniwala kayo, g*go kayo (Now if you believe what I said, you are stupid).”

Amidst these developments, Presidential Communications Operations Office’s (PCOO)’s live video which showed Duterte’s speech was taken down from the website and the Facebook page. ■

House panel okays Lower inflation attributed to 20% student fare PRRD's 'empathy to public clamor' discount bill

BY JELLY MUSICO Philippine News Agency

BY FILANE MIKEE CERVANTES Philippine News Agency MANILA — The House of Representatives’ transportation committee approved on Wednesday a substitute bill seeking to institutionalize the grant of a 20-percent student fare discount on land, water, and air transport systems even during weekends and holidays.

The still-unnumbered substitute bill, which shall be known as the “Student Fare Discount Act,” is a consolidation of nine measures: House Bills 72, 706, 2477, 3642, 6117, 7269, 7318, and 8397.

The public transportation utilities covered by the measure are public utility buses, public utility jeepneys, taxis, and other similar vehicles-forhire, tricycles, passenger trains, aircraft, and marine vessels.

The bill does not cover school service, shuttle service, and tourist service.

A student shall be entitled to a 20-percent discount on the regular domestic fares of all kinds of public transportation upon the presentation of a duly issued and validated school

identification card or current validated enrollment form, supported by any document to properly establish identity.

It may be availed of during the entire period while the student is enrolled, including weekends and holidays.

The bill provides that the public transportation utility operator may claim as tax deduction the student fare discount granted, based on the cost of the services rendered.

It also provides additional relief or support for the public transportation utility operator and driver.

Appropriate government agencies in charge of regulating the fares may determine alternative ways — such as reduction or exemption from some regulatory fees and charges — to mitigate the impact of the discount given under the implementing rules and regulations of the proposed law.

Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte, principal author, said, “With price increasing for goods services this year, and school tuition hiking for higher education, a reduction in payment for transport services would be a weight off the shoulders for the youth.” ■

of November, a 1.2 percentage points above the high end of the government’s inflation target range of 2.0 to 4.0 percent, but MANILA — Malacañang on slightly below the 5.3 percent Wednesday welcomed the deemerging forecast of the Bangceleration of inflation in Noko Sentral ng Pilipinas for 2018. vember, attributing it to PresiThe food and non-alcoholic dent Rodrigo Duterte’s decisive beverages continue to be the action when prices of basic main drivers of inflation as it commodities swelled the previdecelerated to 8.0 percent last ous months. month from 9.4 “The Palace percent in Octoaccepts this as ber while food ingood news. We flation slowed to attribute this to We attribute this to the President’s 7.7 percent in Nothe President’s empathy to public clamor and his vember from the empathy to pubdecisive action. previous month’s lic clamor and his 9.2 percent. decisive action,” The economic Presidential managers attribSpokesperson Salvador Panelo ment will continue to be vigilant uted it to the improvement in said in a press statement. and monitor the prices of basic the supply of key agricultural The Philippine Statistics goods and commodities “to en- commodities such as rice, fish Authority (PSA) said the year- sure that hunger incidence and and seafood, meat, vegetables, on-year inflation eased to 6.0 food insecurity are eradicated.” corn, and fruits. percent in November from 6.7 According to economic manThey expressed optimism percent in October 2018. agers, November inflation is that inflation will stabilize furHe said the anti-inflationary the lowest rate since the 5.7 ther following the recent pasmeasures taken by the govern- percent rate in July this year. sage of the Rice Tariffication ment includes the issuance of “It is comforting for us that bill and the oil companies’ anAdministrative Order No. 13 the slowdown will alleviate the nouncement of price rollback to streamline procedures on struggles of poor Filipinos, es- due to falling oil prices in the the importation of agricultural pecially now that the holiday global market. products, including rice, as well season is just around the corApproved already by Conas Memorandum Order (MO) ner,” the economic managers gress, the Rice Tariffication bill Nos. 26, 27, and 28 to stabilize said in a joint statement. will open the rice market and the prices of agriculture and They said year-to-date infla- will allow qualified players to fishery products at reasonable tion averaged 5.2 percent as import rice. ■ www.canadianinquirer.net

levels and maintain their sufficient supply in the markets.

“These measures address issues on food supply, among others, as there is a marked decrease in food inflation from 9.4 percent in October to 8 percent in November. Prices of rice, corn, fish, meat, fruits and vegetables have gone down,” Panelo said.

Panelo assured that the govern-

12

Philippine News

DECEMBER 7, 2018

FRIDAY

DILG to file charges vs. local execs for not implementing waste management law

BY JOANNA BELLE DEALA Philippine Canadian Inquirer THE DEPARTMENT of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said it will press charges against mayors and village captains who failed to implement proper waste management in their respective areas.

“Dapat kasuhan na natin ang mga barangay captain at mga mayor na hindi nagpapatupad ng RA 9003 (We should sue these barangay captains and mayors who do not implement RA No. 9003),” DILG Undersecretary Martin Diño told RadyoINQUIRER on Friday, November 30.

“Kaya itong month na ‘to, hinihintay ko na lang ‘yungreport dahil mag-uumpisa na kami na magdemanda sa mga captain (That is why in this month, I’m just awaiting for the report because we will start suing village captains),” he added.

Under Republic Act (RA) No. 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, mayors and village officials are mandated to create a materials recovery facility in

their localities and must conduct proper segregation and collection of trashes specifically for biodegradable, compostable, and reusable wastes.

Diño said local executives who will not comply with the law will face charges for negligence of duty and might be suspended or removed from office.

“Naghahanda na kami, we will make sure na mayroong mananagot na kapitan at saka mga mayors. Dapat siguro parusahan ‘yung mga barangay na hindi

magpapatupad ng materials recovery facilities. ‘Yun ang isa sa mga mandato ng mga barangay (We are already preparing, we will make sure that there will be captains and mayors who will be held liable. Those villages which do not have materials recovery facilities should be punished.

That is one of their mandates),” the DILG official said.

“Kapag hindi niyo ginawa, nandito naman kami para patawan ng parusa kung sino ‘yung mga talagang ayaw gu-

mawa nitong mga naka-atang sa kanilang trabaho (If you do not do this, we are here to penalize those who do not want to comply with their jobs),” he continued.

Diño’s statement came after DILG Secretary Eduardo Año last August urged barangay officials to implement and enforce appropriate measures on proper solid waste management to prevent flooding in their areas.

“Be advocates for the environment. Protection of the

environment and proper solid waste management practices should start in our barangays in order to prevent clogging of drainage systems which may lead to flooding,” Año earlier said.

DILG also released a memorandum circular in accordance with R.A. 9003, directing village officials to reorganize its Barangay Ecological Solid Waste Management Committee (BESWMC).

The responsibilities of the committee, Año said, include the creation of a Material Recovery Facility (MRF) within the barangay, allocation of barangay funds for the ecological solid waste management (EWSM) programs, and the integration of the ESWM program in the barangay development plan and annual investment plan.

“BESWMC is instrumental in carrying out ESWM initiatives in the barangays. In fact, they are expected to conduct trainings in barangays on topics such as segregation, composting, recycling and livelihood opportunities,” the DILG chief noted. ■

Human rights protection an institutional policy: PNP

BY CHRISTOPHER LLOYD CALIWAN Philippine News Agency MANILA — Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief, Director General Oscar Albayalde, said Wednesday respect for human rights is deeply embedded in the institution’s doctrine, systems and procedures and serves as the fundamental framework of the Police Operational Procedures or rules of engagement.

“To institutionalize human rights advocacy, (the) human rights training module is (the) standard program of instruction in all mandatory and specialized in-service training courses from basic recruit course to qualifying courses for senior officers,” Albayalde said in a statement.

He made the statement as the PNP joins the observance of the

National Human Rights Con- that respect for human rights is The National Human Rights sciousness Week and the 70th deeply embedded in PNP doc- Consciousness Week is celanniversary of the Universal trine, systems and procedures ebrated every Dec. 4-10 pursuDeclaration of Human Rights. amid criticisms of rampant vio- ant to Republic Act No. 9201 or “In addition to mandatory lation of policemen in the con- the “National Human Rights training, the PNP is also con- duct of the drug war since July Consciousness Week Act of ducting a 15-day specialized 2016.

2002".

Human Rights Officers’ Course, “We will remain steadfast The week-long observance which is the first culminates on advanced course Dec. 10, which on human rights is International among police Human Rights agencies in Asia,” We will remain steadfast and Day and the he added. committed to our advocacy for 70th year since According to human rights as (the) foundation of the Philippines Albayalde, the justice and peace. joined other PNP has mancountries as dated the incluamong the sigsion of human natories to the rights teachings Universal Declafor all police recruits to insti- and committed to our advo- ration of Human Rights in 1948. tutionalize among uniformed cacy for human rights as (the) Senior Supt. Ildebrandi personnel the respect for the foundation of justice and peace. Usana, head of the PNP Hurights of arrested criminals.

It is ingrained in our institu- man Rights Affairs Office, said The PNP chief said the man- tional policy and deeply rooted the PNP celebrates the week datory conduct of human through our doctrine and man- with various activities, such as rights-related seminars proves date,” Albayalde said. seminars and refresher courses www.canadianinquirer.net

on human rights for directorial staff and national support units.

“We are also conducting custodial facility inspection to ensure compliance of PNP lockup cells and holding facilities within prescribed standards,” Usana said.

He said the PNP is continuing its close coordination with the Commission on Human Rights and Presidential Human Rights Committee through institutional capacity development and multi-sectoral cooperation engaging with other organizations.

The Human Rights Affairs Office was activated on June 29, 2007 to mainstream and overview human rights concerns in the PNP's policies and processes and responses to the requirements of due process and rule of law in police operations. ■

FRIDAY DECEMBER 7, 2018

Philippine News

SC affirms junking of tax raps vs. Mikey Arroyo

PCOO exec expects passage of FOI law

BY BENJAMIN PULTA Philippine News Agency

BY AZER PARROCHA Philippine News Agency

MANILA — The Supreme Court (SC) upheld the dismissal of tax cases filed against former party-list representative Juan Miguel M. Arroyo.

In a 13-page resolution dated Sept. 12 and released to newsmen Wednesday, the Court’s 1st Division cited “procedural defects and substantive deficiencies” in the petition of the government challenging the decision of the Court of Tax Appeals (CTA) acquitting Arroyo.

The tax court had cleared the son of former president and now House of Representatives Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo of charges of attempting to evade or defeat tax liabilities for taxable years 2004 to 2009, and for failure to file their income tax returns and to pay income taxes for the taxable years 2005, 2008, and 2009.

The high court held that “the CTA in Division did not act capriciously or whimsically in absolving (Arroyo) of the charges.”

The Court pointed out that “(t)he CTA in Division assiduously sifted the evidence and analyzed the records; it explained the merits of the charges upon reviewing the elements of the offenses charged and determining whether or not the evidence adduced by the Prosecution established such elements.”

“Also, the CTA, noting that the (Bureau of Internal Revenue) did not discover the sourc-

PNA

es of Arroyo’s vaunted income, fully disclosed the various reasons why the State’s theory of the charges could not prosper, and how the chosen audit procedure, known as the net worth method, did not suffice to prove his criminal liability under the information,” it added.

In criminal cases, it said, the quantum of evidence required is proof beyond reasonable doubt; hence, “the Prosecution’s inability to identify the likely sources of the unreported or undeclared income of the taxpayer was a sure index of its failure to discharge the quantum.”

The government questioned the CTA’s March 21, 2018 decision acquitting Arroyo of all the charges for failure of the State to prove his guilt beyond reasonable doubt and dismissed the civil actions to collect the tax deficiencies deemed instituted on the basis that the acts

or omissions from which the civil liability might arise did not transpire.

The SC also held that the State prematurely filed the petition for certiorari because it did not first file a motion for reconsideration of the adverse ruling on the criminal aspect.

The omission, the Court held, “was a gross violation of Section 1, Rule 65 of the Rules of Court, which authorizes the petition for certiorari to be filed only when there is no other plain, speedy, and adequate remedy in the ordinary course of law.”

The Court added that “procedural rules should be treated with utmost respect and due regard mainly because they have been crafted and designed to ensure the prompt adjudication of cases to remedy the worsening problem of delay in the resolution of rival claims and in the administration of justice.” ■

Duterte eyes Galvez as next OPAPP head

BY JELLY MUSICO Philippine News Agency MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte is eyeing outgoing Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Carlito Galvez Jr. as the next head of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP), Malacañang announced on Wednesday.

“The President announced his intention to appoint Carlito Galvez Jr. to the Office of

the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process” during Tuesday night’s Cabinet meeting, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said in a statement.

Galvez, a member of the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1985, will step down on Dec. 12 upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 56.

He had served the military for 30 years, including eight months as top official of the AFP. Last week, Jesus Dureza resigned as Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process, taking

full responsibility for the corruption allegations against two OPAPP officials — Undersecretary Ronald Flores and Assistant Secretary Yeshter Donn Baccay.

During the inauguration of the Bohol-Panglao International Airport, Duterte announced he regrets accepting the resignation of Dureza, a high school classmate at the Cor Jesu College in Digos City, Davao del Sur. Duterte fired Flores and Baccay over allegations of corruption. ■ www.canadianinquirer.net

13

will be used for data mining on personal information of themselves by their political opponents,” Ablan said.

MANILA — A CommunicaBased on the data gathered tions official is counting on the from the eFOI, the most reCongress to pass a Freedom of quested information are legal Information (FOI) law before documents/resources such as the end of President Rodrigo R. memo circulars, board resoluDuterte’s term in 2022. tions, orders, contracts (45 perCommunications Assistant cent); statistics, data sets and Secretary Kristian Ablan, also research such as project/proFOI Program Director, is hop- gram details, quantitative data ing that both the Senate and (41 percent); and personal inthe House of Representatives formation such as statement of (HoR) find time to continue assets, liabilities, and net worth; deliberating on the FOI law be- personal data sheets; monthly fore next year’s mid-term elec- salaries of government officials; tions in May. and travel expenses (7 percent).

“We’ve been constantly folThe purpose for making relowing up with the office of quests were made for research Senator (Grace) Poe who is our (53 percent), school thesis and/ principal sponsor in the Senate, or reports (27 percent), personand (House Speaker Gloria Ma- al consumption (10 percent), capagal) Arroyo in the House,” and other reasons (10 percent).

Ablan said.

Meanwhile, “Who knows, Ablan expressed before Congress confidence that adjourns before the Executive elections makasD e p a r t m e n t ’s ingit yung (they FOI is a “thrivcan insert the) FOI is a ing and strong FOI law because Constitutional program” of the this has been deright.

Duterte adminbated for so long istration. already--more “We have a lot than 20 years alof success stories ready,” he added. on FOI. Our sucAblan said legcess rate on the islators should, online portal is by now, know the nuances of 40 percent which is within the the FOI and free from doubts global average. Meaning to say that the measure will cause a out of every 10 FOI requests, breach on government data pri- four are successful,” Ablan said. vacy.

“Are we satisfied? Of course “More or less our legislators not, we’d like to have more but should already know the nu- to say that FOI is unsuccessances of FOI. You have EO No. ful is not the correct observa2 (the Freedom of Information tion. We think it’s working,” he Executive Order) which PCOO added. has implemented nationwide On July 23, 2016, Duterte for the past two years and we signed the FOI Executive Order showed our legislators that which requires all executive dethere’s nothing to be scared of,” partments, agencies, bureaus, Ablan said. and offices to make public re“FOI is a Constitutional right. cords, contracts, transactions, Hopefully, they approve the and any information requested law, so it will also include Con- by a member of the public, exgress and Judiciary,” he added. cept for sensitive information Ablan further allayed fears and matters affecting national that the FOI law would breach security. data privacy, noting that only a Under the FOI, any Filipino small percentage of individuals can make an FOI request as sought personal information long as requesting parties presfrom government at all. ent proof of identification such “Personal information forms as a passport, driver’s license, a small part of FOI request. voter’s ID, in the submission of That’s the concern, that FOI an FOI request. ■

14

Canada News Trudeau criticized for tweet to Trevor Noah pledging $50M charity gift

BY JANICE DICKSON The Canadian Press OTTAWA — Canada will contribute $50 million to a global charity for children’s education, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted to comedian Trevor Noah, a pledge that quickly drew criticism both for its content and its form.

Celebrities gathered in Johannesburg, South Africa on Sunday for the Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100, a charity concert honouring Nelson Mandela a century after he was born.

Trudeau tweeted to Noah, who is hosting the festival, that Canada would give the money to Education Cannot Wait, an organization that funds education for children affected by conflicts, natural disasters and other crises.

Global Citizen is an organization that wants to end extreme poverty by 2030. Its Mandela 100 campaign sought to bring in US$1 billion in donations, and Global Citizen tweeted that the campaign surpassed that

goal, bringing in over $7 billion.

“Hey @Trevornoah – thanks for everything you’re doing to celebrate Nelson Mandela’s legacy at the @GlblCtzn festival. Sorry I can’t be with you – but how about Canada pledges $50M to @EduCannotWait to support education for women & girls around the world? Work for you? Let’s do it,” Trudeau tweeted to the South African comedian and “The Daily Show” host.

Noah said “This is amazing!” as Trudeau’s tweet was shown on a big screen at the concert.

But back in Canada critics were less enthusiastic. Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer accused Trudeau of pledging $50 million in a tweet to impress a TV personality.

“A lot of politicians like to be liked. He likes to have his tweets liked and he likes to have his messages retweeted and shared and it seems to be singularly focused on adulation from celebrities, whereas our party and our caucus is focused on doing what’s right by Canadian taxpayers,” Scheer said at

an appearance in Winnipeg.

Similarly, Conservative MP Michelle Rempel tweeted that Trudeau’s message was “tone deaf” and also accused him of trying to get noticed by a TV star and said the money had not been budgeted for.

Louis Belanger, the director of communications for International Development Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau, said the $50 million is part of $400 million in aid previously announced during the G7 Summit in Charlevoix, Que., near Quebec City, in June.

Belanger said Education Cannot Wait is one of the only funds that specifically helps girls’ education in places such as refugee camps and war zones.

“This is the type of funding that we had our eye on since we announced it in Quebec City,” he said.

Belanger said the decision to announce the $50 million was made three weeks ago but officials had been talking about giving to Education Cannot Wait for months.

He said the organization

PM Justin Trudeau.

operates in Jordan, Lebanon and South Sudan and in camps where people have been displaced by the west African terrorist group Boko Haram, for example.

“We think it’s important for girls to continue their education and that’s why we’re moving forward,” he said.

Trudeau’s principal secretary Gerald Butts took to Twitter to defend the move.

“This money is going to educate women and girls in the developing world, in commemoration of Nelson Mandela’s

JUSTIN TRUDEAU / FACEBOOK

100th birthday,” he tweeted, adding, “And the Leader of the Conservative Party of Canada’s reaction…” and included a link to Scheer’s tweet.

Toronto-based lawyer and former Liberal staffer Warren Kinsella tweeted that Education Cannot Wait is a worthy cause, but called Trudeau’s tweet an “appalling” way for the decision to be communicated, “to a American-based TV host, no less.” ■ With files from The Associated Press

Canadian astronaut Saint Jacques ‘astounded’ by voyage to space station

BY SIDHARTHA BANERJEE The Canadian Press LONGUEUIL, QUE. — Canadian astronaut David SaintJacques boarded the International Space Station Monday afternoon, declaring himself

“astounded” by the journey and excited for the discoveries ahead of him.

After the hatch opened at 2:37 p.m. Eastern, Saint-Jacques and his two crewmates floated in from the docked Soyuz capsule, embracing the astronauts who have been at the space sta-

tion since June.

“I am completely astounded by everything I have seen,” Saint-Jacques said during a brief conversation with family members on the ground at the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch site in Kazakhstan.

Speaking in French, he de-

www.canadianinquirer.net

scribed his first sunrise seen from space as “breathtaking.”

He said “it’s just the beginning” of the discoveries ahead of him.

Canadian Space Agency president Sylvain Laporte told the crew members there was “a lot of relief” when the astronauts entered the space station about

two hours after docking.

“Although we knew that you were safe and sound, there was nothing like seeing you come through the hatch,” Laporte said.

Gov. Gen. Julie Payette, her❱❱ PAGE 21 Canadian astronaut

Canada News

FRIDAY DECEMBER 7, 2018

Canadians should be concerned democracy is under threat in Hungary: Ignatieff

B.C. Treaty Commission says new accord offers smoother, faster road to treaties

BY MICHELLE MCQUIGGE The Canadian Press

BY DIRK MEISSNER The Canadian Press

THE POLITICAL machinations that have recently forced an American university to cease operations in Hungary should serve as a warning about the growing global threat of authoritarian regimes, current school president and former Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff said Monday.

Ignatieff said that the Central European University, a graduate institution founded by billionaire George Soros in 1991, has been “forced out” of the country by the current farright government of Victor Orban, who has joined other likeminded politicians in blaming the U.S. philanthropist for Europe’s migrant crisis.

The university, which serves about 1,400 international students, has decided to move its U.S.-accredited degree programs from Hungary to neighbouring Austria next September after meeting with ongoing resistance from the Orban regime, said Ignatieff, the school’s president and rector since 2016.

Ignatieff, who spent a turbulent three-year tenure as leader of Canada’s federal opposition between 2008 and 2011, said the fate of CEU should serve as a warning sign to all democratic countries including Canada.

“This is a regime that…has gone after the courts, it’s gone after the press, it’s changed the constitution, it’s gerrymandered the political system,” Ignatieff said in a telephone interview. “There’s a clear direction to what it’s doing, and the attack on the university is just another stage in that process. I think Canadians should be concerned that democracy is under threat in Hungary.”

Ignatieff said fears for CEU’s future in Hungary emerged last year during Orban’s re-election campaign in which the fourtime prime minister frequently levied attacks at the Hungarian-born Soros.

Orban’s government has conducted massive billboard and media campaigns against Soros

VICTORIA — A deal between Indigenous leaders and the federal and British Columbia governments provides a clearer path to reaching 10 new treaty agreements within the next two years and 20 more soon after, says the head of the B.C. Treaty Commission.

Chief commissioner Celeste Haldane said Monday the accord pledges to speed up and transform negotiations.

“Part of the commitment coming out of the accord is that there’s the political will to continue to expedite negotiations,” she said. “With the commitment to expedite, I would hope that we will see new results, and with that political will and the commitment that’s coming from all three parties, I imagine that we will.”

Haldane said 10 sets of B.C. treaty talks involving 27 First Nations are on the cusp of reaching the final agreement stage within the next two years and there are 20 other sets of negotiations also close to final agreements.

Ottawa, B.C. and the First Nations Summit, which represents B.C. First Nations in treaty negotiations, said Saturday they signed an accord that recognizes the need for a different approach to negotiations that results in faster treaties where all sides spend less time disputing the rights and title of Indigenous Peoples.

The province didn’t recognize Indigenous title and saw no need for treaties in 1871 when it joined Canada. Today, there are only a few dozen treaties in a province with more than 200 First Nations.

B.C. started a treaty negotiation process in the early 1990s, but after spending hundreds of millions of dollars in legal and other costs only seven First Nations have reached final agreements.

First Nations Summit spokeswoman Cheryl Casimer said the accord offers negotiators a smoother process that

Michael Ignatieff.

blaming him for Europe’s migrant crisis, a charge that Soros denies. In June, the parliament approved the “Stop Soros” law, which allows criminal penalties of up to a year in prison for those convicted of aiding asylum-seekers.

The pro-democracy philanthropist has also been criticized by U.S. President Donald Trump and vilified by rightwing conspiracy theorists.

Ignatieff said the Orban government imposed a host of new requirements for the university to meet in order to keep operating as an international graduate school in Budapest.

One new rule, for instance, required CEU to prove it had a campus in place in the U.S. Ignatieff said the school established educational programs with New York’s Bard College to comply with the rule.

But he said the Orban government would not accept CEU’s moves and ultimately refused to sign an agreement necessary to let it continue as a U.S.-accredited institution in Budapest.

Ignatieff noted a certain irony in the situation given CEU’s origins as an anti-communist university.

“This is an institution founded to assist the society transition out of single-party rule. We’re being driven out of Hungary by a government that is consolidating single-party rule,” he said. “This is a story about what happened to the transition from communism.

It didn’t go in the direction that anybody expected.”

Hungary’s fight with CEU is

MICHAEL IGNATIEFF / FACEBOOK

widely seen as part of a more comprehensive crackdown on academic freedom, including tighter budgetary and research controls over Hungarian universities. In October, for example, the government eliminated gender study programs at public universities.

Ignatieff said Hungary is not the only country to see many democratic rights swept away by the current regime, saying authoritarian governments in other European countries, including Poland, point to an alarming global trend.

It’s one he said Canadians should monitor with caution.

“Canadians take their democracy for granted, but they shouldn’t,” he said. “Democracy is not secure, and it’s not secure in this part of Europe. In the 21st century no place is very far away, and what starts in one place can easily spread to many places.”

Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland called Monday’s announcement “a terrible loss.”

“This forced move is a blow to academic freedom, which is a fundamental right, and all the more troubling given that Hungary is a NATO and EU member state,” she said.

Incoming students in CEU’s masters and doctoral programs will start studying at the Vienna campus in the 2019-2020 academic year, while students already enrolled may remain in Budapest to complete their degrees. ■ with files from the Associated Press www.canadianinquirer.net

15

sets the stage for more deals over less time.

She described the current negotiating process as a bad relationship where poor communication and refusal by the federal and B.C. governments to address long-standing issues resulted in slow-moving or stalled talks.

“It’s an ongoing dialogue that needs to happen, like a marriage,” said Casimer. “There are little pieces all along the way that are finally getting us to where we need to be and want to be.”

Casimer said she believes many B.C. First Nations are close to reaching final treaty agreements, but she could not confirm the dozens of potential deals mentioned by Haldane.

“Ideally, those would be nice,” she said. “If people are ready and in the queue to finalize the last of their details and be able to sign off, perfect. If the accord affords them the opportunity to do that then that’s best for all of us.”

Carolyn Bennett, the federal minister of Crown-Indigenous relations, said in a statement the accord signals the federal government is serious about removing obstacles to treaty talks in B.C. “This new approach reflects a recognition of rights-based approach that will help create an environment that will accelerate and build momentum towards concluding treaties and negotiated agreements in British Columbia,” she said.

B.C. Indigenous Relations Minister Scott Fraser said the goal is to negotiate treaties based on flexible, adaptable relationships that don’t freeze rights in time.

“I’ve always figured the treaty process was never etched in stone,” he said. “It was supposed to be dynamic and develop with changes that were happening in society, with governments, with law, with United Nations declarations.”

But the B.C. treaty process stagnated over the years, Simpson said.

“It has been relatively status quo. It just hasn’t kept up where it should be.” ■

Canada News

16

DECEMBER 7, 2018

FRIDAY

Labour, environment standards key to getting USMCA through: Canadian ambassador THE CANADIAN PRESS OTTAWA — Canada’s pressure to include “soft things” like labour standards in the new North American free-trade treaty will help secure critical support for the deal from Democrats in the United States Congress, the Canadian ambassador to the U.S. says.

Now that the leaders of the United States, Canada and Mexico have signed the agreement, it needs ratification from legislators in all three countries before taking effect.

Democrats will get control of the U.S. House of Representatives in January and some won’t eagerly support a treaty President Donald Trump’s representative Robert Lighthizer negotiated.

But Canada’s Ambassador David MacNaughton said Monday that Lighthizer’s support

was key to including measures were on.

President Donald Trump about on the environment, labour “We’re not going to celebrate withdrawing from the North standards, and a wage floor, all with these tariffs hanging over American Free Trade Agreeof which should appeal to Dem- our heads,” MacNaughton said. ment, the older treaty the new ocratic Party critics.

The ambassador said he’s United States-Mexico-Canada “It helped us get to where pleased that a side letter to the Agreement (USMCA) is to rewe are,” MacNaughton said at treaty assures Canada that no place. a Public Policy On SaturForum dinner in day, Trump told Ottawa. reporters he Nevertheless, planned to give Canada isn’t asWhile we’ll have to watch and formal notice of suming ratificaensure we get through this next his intentions tion will be easy. stage, we have a high level of to withdraw MacNaughton confidence that’s achievable. from NAFTA, said Canadian which would diplomats will give American rev up their malawmakers six chine to lobby months to apmembers of Congress for their similar tariffs can be applied prove the USMCA or have no support. to cars made in Canada and free-trade pact with Canada And there remains the mat- exported to the United States. and Mexico. It’s widely seen as ter of crippling tariffs on steel That letter is already in effect, a pressure tactic to keep legislaand aluminum the Trump ad- he said. tors from dawdling. ministration imposed on imAt a separate event in New “We take everything seriousports from Canada, ostensibly York, Finance Minister Bill ly,” Morneau said when asked for national-security reasons, Morneau said Canada takes se- whether he took the president’s while the treaty negotiations riously comments made by U.S. comments at face value. “While

we’ll have to watch and ensure we get through this next stage, we have a high level of confidence that’s achievable.”

Morneau made the comments at an event co-hosted by Politico and the Canadian consulate in New York.

Larry Kudlow, Trump’s senior economic adviser, said he and Trump hadn’t spoken in detail about the president’s thinking.

“I think he’s trying to light a fire under Congress — that’s my guess, my hunch,” Kudlow told a conference call with reporters.

“The ceremonies, the signing — the president’s very happy with all of that. Everybody showed up. Trudeau showed up and so forth. And we’re rolling. Congress, on the other hand, is not rolling, and I think President Trump’s intent here was to light a fire under Congress.” ■

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Canada News

FRIDAY DECEMBER 7 2018

17

RCMP should have alerted PM’s protective detail about Jaspal Atwal: Review

BY JIM BRONSKILL The Canadian Press OTTAWA — The RCMP should have alerted Justin Trudeau’s protective detail that Jaspal Atwal — a man with a serious criminal record and a history of violence — might turn up during the prime minister’s February trip to India, says a review of the turbulent visit.

The newly released report from the national-security committee of parliamentarians says the RCMP “recognizes that it erred” in not passing along the information about Atwal, who had been convicted of attempted murder years earlier.

The heavily censored report, tabled Monday in Parliament, says government agencies do not have a comprehensive system for vetting guest lists for foreign events involving the prime minister and have not conducted a “lessons learned” exercise to determine what they could do better.

Trudeau was embarrassed during the overseas trip when it was revealed that Atwal, a B.C. Sikh convicted of trying to assassinate an Indian minister in 1986, had been invited to two events with the prime minister.

Atwal was also charged, but not convicted, in connection with a 1985 attack on Ujjal Dosanjh, a staunch opponent of the Sikh separatist movement, who later became B.C. premier and then a federal Liberal cabinet minister.

Atwal was photographed with Trudeau’s wife and at least one cabinet minister during a Feb. 20 event in Mumbai, and an invitation to a second event, in New Delhi, was rescinded after the news broke.

The committee report says the Mounties had information on Feb. 13 about Atwal’s possible presence in India during Trudeau’s visit.

“That information caused RCMP personnel to search criminal databases, revealing information that should have triggered the notification of the Prime Minister’s Protective Detail and the briefing of senior officials: neither the Protective Detail nor officials were notified,” the report says.

During closed-door testimony, the RCMP acknowledged that mistake and a failure to follow up on direction to determine Atwal’s whereabouts, the report says.

It says a senior officer asked a special national-security unit in British Columbia to determine whether Atwal was in Canada, through a voicemail to an officer who was on leave.

Several days later, in an exchange whose details are redacted for security reasons, the same unit received some sort of information on Atwal, but because it was the end of a shift, the team “decided that it would wait until the next day to validate the information.”

Still, the RCMP told the committee that Atwal was not considered a physical threat to the

JAMIE MCCAFFREY / FLICKR, CC BY-NC 20

prime minister, and that the protective detail would not have changed its security stance even if it had known of his presence at the Mumbai event.

The committee report says this assertion “was questionable, at best,” adding the conclusion of security and intelligence officials that Atwal posed no danger “was based on a narrow interpretation of risk.”

The report singles out a Feb. 12 RCMP assessment that the prime minister and his family might be perceived as attractive targets for terrorists during the visit.

Trudeau’s national-security adviser, Daniel Jean, suggested during a background briefing for media in February — after Atwal’s presence had raised questions — that factions in the Indian government had sabo-

taged Trudeau’s trip.

Jean advanced the theory that rogue elements in the Indian government arranged for Atwal’s presence in a bid to prevent Prime Minister Narendra Modi from becoming too cosy with Canada’s government, one they believe is sympathetic to extremist Sikh separatists.

The committee report says some of the issues raised by Atwal’s presence in India would have been more properly addressed by the Prime Minister’s Office, including failures to screen invitees to Trudeau’s events.

The members recommend reviewing the role of the national-security adviser to provide clarity in the area of countering threats to Canadian security.

The Liberal government

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passed legislation last year to create the new committee as a forum where politicians with the highest level of security clearance can hear secret testimony.

The committee, which includes members of the House of Commons and the Senate, announced in April that it would study questions about the trip, including allegations concerning risks to the prime minister’s security, foreign interference in Canadian politics and inappropriate use of intelligence.

Findings regarding foreign interference are largely stripped from the report for security. But it recommends that all parliamentarians be briefed upon being sworn in and regularly thereafter on the risks of foreign interference and extremism in Canada. ■

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18

World News

DECEMBER 7, 2018

FRIDAY

UN: New Kansas sees LGBT milestones, information could yet big change may come slowly shed light on Hammarskjold crash

BY JOHN HANNA The Associated Press

BY EDITH M. LEDERER The Associated Press NEW INFORMATION has been received that could shed light on the mysterious 1961 plane crash that killed U.N. Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjold on a peace mission to then newly independent Congo, the U.N. legal chief said Monday.

Miguel de Serpa Soares told the General Assembly that a preliminary review of the information — from intelligence, security and defence archives and other sources — showed it could add to knowledge about “the context and surrounding events of 1961.”

He said it could also add to knowledge about “the presence of foreign paramilitary and intelligence personnel in and around the Congo, and the capacity of armed forces present in and around the region at that time.”

Serpa Soares was briefing the General Assembly on the interim report by former Tanzanian chief justice Mohamed Chande Othman, who has been reviewing new information on the crash of Hammarskjold’s chartered DC-6.

Widely considered the U.N.’s most effective secretary-general, Hammarskjold, a Swedish diplomat, died when the plane went down near Ndola Airport in modern-day Zambia, then the British protectorate of Northern Rhodesia.

Congo won its freedom from Belgium in 1960 and Hammarskjold was flying into a war zone infested with mercenaries and riven by Cold War tensions.

Foreign multinationals coveted its vast mineral wealth and the country was challenged by a Western-backed insurgency in Katanga province, which hosted mining interests belonging to the United States, Britain and Belgium.

In October 2017, Othman said in a report, “It is plausible that an external attack or threat

may have been a cause of the crash.”

Serpa Soares noted that Othman asked nine countries — Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Russia, South Africa, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States — to appoint “an independent and high-ranking official to conduct a dedicated internal review of their intelligence, security and defence archives to identify information that may be of relevance to the Dag Hammarskjold investigation.”

He said seven countries took action following the request 11 months ago and new information was received from some officials as well as from other sources. There was no response from South Africa and the United Kingdom, he said.

In recent months, Serpa Soares said, Othman asked the African nations of Angola, Congo, Portugal, Zambia and Zimbabwe to appoint senior officials for similar reviews and has already received notification of appointments by Congo and Zimbabwe.

Serpa Soares stressed that “the active participation of member states remains of the highest importance in our shared search for the truth in this matter.”

Sweden’s deputy U.N. ambassador, Irina Schoulgin, thanked countries that have appointed national investigators, stressing their importance “to drive the investigation forward.” She strongly urged countries that haven’t appointed an investigator “to do so without further delay.”

“We owe it to the families of those who perished 57 years ago and to this organization itself” to review all records and archives, including those that remain classified, Schoulgin said. ■

TOPEKA, KAN. — Kansas will swear in its first two openly LGBT state lawmakers next month and the new Democratic governor promises to end a ban on discrimination over sexual orientation or gender identity in state hiring and employment decisions once she takes office.

Yet other goals for LGBTrights activists, such as expanding the state’s anti-discrimination law covering landlords and private employers, might not be much closer to fruition — despite a historic national wave of victories by LGBT candidates and Gov.-elect Laura Kelly’s promise to break with Republican predecessors on policy.

The GOP still has large majorities in the Legislature, and it will be a little more conservative after this year’s elections.

While Kelly’s election likely prevents new laws that LGBTrights advocates oppose, they probably will struggle to undo policies enacted in recent years when Republicans held the governor’s office.

“It’s not the governor who decides if we get hearings or if bills come out of committee,” said Tom Witt, the executive director of Equality Kansas, the state’s most influential LGBTrights organization. “That’s going to make it a little more challenging.”

Kelly takes office in January, along with the state’s first LGBT lawmakers, Democratic state Reps. Susan Ruiz and Brandon Woodard. They were elected in Kansas City-area suburbs, which also elected Democrat Sharice Davids , an LGBT and Native American lawyer, to Congress.

Kelly has promised to issue an executive order — possibly on Jan. 14, her first day in office — to end anti-LGBT discrimination in state hiring and employment decisions.

“Gov.-elect Kelly wants to send a message to people across this state, and across the country, that Kansas is an open, welcoming place that does not tolerate discrimination of any kind,” spokeswoman Ashley All said.

But the partisan breakdown www.canadianinquirer.net

in the Legislature did not change, and among Republicans, conservatives gained at least half a dozen House seats at moderates’ expense and elected a new, more conservative majority leader Monday. In the Senate, a moderate senator resigned after being elected state insurance commissioner, and her replacement is all but certain to be more conservative.

“Kansas is still Kansas, and I think most Kansans understand the nature of the family,” said Chuck Weber, executive director of the Kansas Catholic Conference, a former state representative from Wichita.

Kansas voters added a ban on same-sex marriage to the state’s constitution in 2005, with 70 per cent approval. It has not been enforced since the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in 2015 legalizing gay marriage nationwide.

In 2007, then-Democratic Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, a friend and political ally of Kelly, issued an executive order banning anti-LGBT discrimination in state employment. But conservative Republican Gov. Sam Brownback rescinded it in 2015, arguing that such a policy should be set by legislators — who clearly weren’t going to do it.

Brownback resigned in January to become U.S. ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom. New GOP Gov. Jeff Colyer said his administration would not tolerate discrimination but did not reinstate the formal protections in Sebelius’ order.

Colyer signed a measure in May providing legal protections

to adoption agencies that cite faith-based reasons for refusing to place children in homes that violate their religious beliefs. The legislative debate centred on agencies that won’t place children in LGBT homes.

Supporters saw it as religious liberties measure, but Kelly has called it an “adoption discrimination law.”

Reflecting social conservatives’ influence, the Kansas Republican Party’s election platform, adopted in June, called for an amendment to the U.S constitution barring same-sex marriage, drafted so “judges and legislatures cannot make other arrangements equivalent to it.”

“The benefits and privileges of marriage exist only between one man and one woman,” the platform said.

Kansas has been a reliably red state in presidential elections for the past 50 years and until Kelly’s and David’s victories this year, the GOP had won every statewide and congressional race starting in 2010.

Yet GOP conservatives and moderates have feuded enough over the decades to give Democrats opportunities, and Kelly’s victory continued a half-century tradition of alternating control of the governor’s office.

Groups such as the Family Policy Alliance of Kansas are preparing for political battles over what they view as attempts to limit religious liberties of social conservatives.

Eric Teetsel, the alliance’s president and a Brownback ❱❱ PAGE 20 Kansas sees

19

FRIDAY DECEMBER 7 2018

PANGARAP: SO, OUR JOURNEY BEGINS

Tanong #5: Paano mo kakayaning talikuran ang lahat?

BY BOLET AREVALO

SABI-SABI: Ang hindi marunong lumingon sa pinanggalingan, hindi makararating sa paroroonan.

Tama naman ‘yan. It takes so much courage to go but even greater courage to come back and say you have achieved what you have set out to do; or maybe to admit that you did not come close to achieving what you initially wanted to do.

Isa lang naman ang dahilan kung bakit may mga taong kahit mayroong pagkakataon mangibang-bansa ay nagdadalawang-isip umalis.

Mahirap talikuran ang ginhawa, ang trabaho, ang pamilya, ang mga kaibigan, at ang iyong

mahal na lupang sinilangan.

But come to think of it, ‘yan pa rin ang dahilan kung bakit dapat kang umalis o gusto mong umalis – pamilya – ang mas maginhawang buhay para sa pamilya at pagkilala ng mga kaibigan sa iyong kadakilaan, at maliit na kontribusyon sa ekonomiya ng iyong bayan.

So, paano mo kakayanin?

Una, huwag mong isiping ito’y pagtalikod. Isipin mong ito’y pagharap sa hamon ng buhay. Isipin mong ito’y isang paglalayag lamang. Isang journey na sa huli ay magbabalik sa’yo sa kanilang lahat (pamilya, kaibigan, bansa) bilang isang higit na matatag, matibay, mapagmahal, at mabuting tao.

Pangalawa, siguraduhin mong may kapanatagan ng loob at katiyakan ang iyong desisyon. Mahirap umalis nang may takot at walang katiyakan ang mga hakbang mong gagawin.

One way to achieve this is by being thoroughly familiar sa lugar na pupuntahan mo at sa trabahong gagampanan mo.

Pangatlo, dalhin mo ang disiplina bilang tao at bilang manggagawa. Hindi ka kasi magiging masaya ‘pag lagi lang walang pera, laging kapos, laging nangungutang, walang ipon, at walang maipadalang pera.

Ang mga mauunlad na bansa ay mag-o-offer sa’yo ng mas maraming kaginhawahang madaling bilhin o utangin. So, ‘pag hindi ka nakapagpigil o wala kang disiplina, malulubog ka. Isa itong dahilan kung bakit yaong mga gustong umalis para sa 1 o 2 kontratang lang bilang OFW, umaabot na nang ‘di mabilang na taon , hindi pa makauwi-uwi sa ating bansa for good.

Pang-apat, bitbitin mo ang mga masasayang alaala pero hugutin mo lang ang mga ito sa

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iyong isipan at puso sa oras ng iyong pagpapahinga. Matuto kang mag-compartmentalize ng iyong damdamin at isipan.

Meaning, learn to tackle your emotions, your needs, your wants one at a time. Isa-isa lang. Mahina ang kalaban.

Pang-lima, samahan mo ‘yan ng paglilibang. Sabi nga, kasalanan mo na kung malungkot ka.

Create your own happy memories. Sige nga, magmukmok ka.

Tingnan ko lang kung hindi ka ❱❱ PAGE 33 Tanong #5

20

World News

DECEMBER 7, 2018

FRIDAY

Argentine leader sees tough road ahead

BY LUIS ANDRES HENAO AND ALMUDENA CALATRAVA The Associated Press BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA — Argentina’s president is celebrating the successful hosting of the Group of 20 summit, but he said Monday that he is ready for tough times ahead as his country confronts its economic crisis.

President Mauricio Macri told The Associated Press in an interview that he took pride in organizing a secure gathering for the leaders of the world’s largest economic powers where they agreed on a final statement.

Macri said Argentina struck about $8 billion in investment deals with other nations on the sidelines of the summit — most focused on energy, mining and infrastructure.

“There’s no doubt that the world wants to participate and be associated with Argentina,” Macri said at the presidential palace. “We’ve never had this sort of attention.”

Argentina earlier obtained a record $56 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund.

But Macri said the country has a long way to go in dealing with its economic crisis following a sharp depreciation of the Argentine currency that he called a “disaster.”

Argentines continue to lose purchasing power to an inflation rate of around 45 per cent, one of the world’s worst. A severe drought has damaged crop yields in the world’s third-largest exporter of soybeans and corn and the peso has depreciated by about half this year.

The economic turmoil has fueled big protests, but Macri insists Argentina is on stronger

footing following the IMF loan, support by world leaders at the G-20 meeting and a series of austerity measures aimed at bringing the government’s deficit to zero next year.

“We have to stop spending more than we have,” Macri said.

“Naturally, this will lead to lower inflation, which will start to go down in November and December. And we’re working so that like 98 per cent of all other countries in the world, we can reach a single-digit as soon as possible.”

The conservative president took office in 2015 promising to revive Argentina’s weak economy and end poverty.

He has been credited with resolving a longstanding legal dispute with creditors that returned the country to global credit markets for the first time since its worst economic meltdown in 2001-2002. He also removed currency controls and ordered the government to publish credible statistics, which had been disputed by the IMF and analysts under his predecessors.

But in an austerity push, Macri has also laid off thousands of state workers and cut energy subsidies, sending utility bills and bus fares soaring.

His ending of foreign exchange controls ushered in the sharp devaluation of the peso.

“Argentines decided to make a change for their future. I know it’s tough right now. For many, it’s tougher than they imagined it would be, but many things happened that were out of our reach,” Macri said.

He declined to provide estimates for economic growth or inflation, citing volatility. Interest rate rises in the United States led investors to pull dollars out of Argentina earlier this

Mauricio Macri.

MAURICIO MACRI / FACEBOOK

year, while the U.S.-China trade war has rattled global markets.

“We no longer make forecasts because the world is changing so much. Perhaps one of our biggest mistakes was to make forecasts,” he said. “Will the inflation be lower? Yes. Will the economy grow again? Yes — slowly. We’ll do everything possible so that it’s as soon as possible, but I don’t want to make any predictions.”

Macri and Chinese President Xi Jinping announced dozens of trade deals Sunday during a state visit following the G-20.

China is among Argentina’s top export markets, especially for agricultural commodities that are the engine of its economy,

and is also one of Argentina’s biggest lenders.

Xi’s visit came after U.S. officials said they had reached a 90-day truce in the trade dispute with China that has imperiled economic growth. The breakthrough followed a Saturday dinner meeting between Xi and President Donald Trump.

There have been questions about whether Argentina can pull off its strong ties with Beijing without provoking a negative response from the Trump administration.

“I feel comfortable because we have a great relationship with the United States, perhaps the best one we’ve had in our recent history, and the U.S. has

to care. She said she doubts that attitude would have been as widespread a decade ago.

Woodard won in a district that had been held by conservative Republicans who’d backed religious objections measures, like the adoption law, and Equality Kansas described his GOP predecessors as strongly anti-LGBT. But with the state as a whole,

he said, “We don’t know how much it has shifted.”

Ruiz and Woodard also expect that it will be harder for colleagues to pass anti-LGBT measures.

“They will see our faces,” Ruiz said. “They will hear us speak.”

Annise Parker, a former Houston mayor, now president and CEO of the Victory Fund, which helps elect LGBT can-

been our top investor for many years,” Macri said. “With China, we complement each other because they want what we produce, which is energy and food …

“When people ask me if I’m going to choose between China and the U.S., I say no. I’m going to work with both because both will help us give Argentines an opportunity.”

Macri said he suffers witnessing the effects of the crisis on Argentines. During the G-20, however, he was moved to tears during a cultural event celebrating Argentina. Trump, Germany’s Angela Merkel and China’s Xi were among leaders who gave a standing ovation at the end of the performance at the Colon Theater, the landmark in Buenos Aires that is one of the world’s great opera houses.

“I saw Angela and she was enthralled, and so was Xi and Donald,” Macri said. “Donald even asked me why it had been so short. He wanted it to keep going.”

When artists began to chant “Argentina” on stage at the end of the performance, Macri could not hold back the tears.

“I broke down,” he said. “It was impossible not to.”

Macri’s popularity ratings have plunged with the crisis, but he said he will run in next year’s election. His predecessor, Cristina Fernandez, maintains strong support and is tied with him in most polls even as she faces numerous formal investigations into alleged corruption during her 2007-2015 administration.

“It’s logical that someone who already governed has people backing them,” Macri said.

“But I don’t think most Argentines want to go back to the past.” ■

Kansas sees... ❰❰ 18

son-in-law, said Kansas politics “is complicated, and it’s local.”

“This idea that American society or Kansas is just this awfully bigoted, anti-gay culture is belied by what we see around us,” he said. “You can be elected to public office in Kansas as a member of the LGBT community and no one bats an eye at it.”

Ruiz and Woodard ran on

platforms that included support for LGBT rights but emphasized issues such as voting rights, education funding, expanding the state’s Medicaid health coverage to more families and lowering the state’s sales tax on groceries.

Ruiz said when she campaigned door-to-door, her sexual orientation “never came up” and voters did not appear

www.canadianinquirer.net

didates, said this year’s election represented a milestone in Kansas, “but it doesn’t mean sweeping changes.”

“Putting openly LGBT legislators in place changes the debate, changes the dialogue. It actually makes for a healthier dialogue,” Parker said. “But it doesn’t change things overnight.” ■

World News

FRIDAY DECEMBER 7 2018

Record level of women elected in Maine amid liberal spending

BY MARINA VILLENEUVE The Associated Press AUGUSTA, MAINE — Maine voters sent a record number of women to the Legislature on Election Day as liberal spending boosting female candidates helped Democrats sweep into control of the Statehouse.

A total of 72 female lawmakers will soon be sworn in to the Legislature now dominated by Democrats, including 12 in the Senate and a record-breaking 60 women in the House, according to election results collected by The Associated Press.

The record held by women serving in the Statehouse was 64 in 2017.

Maine has long ranked among the top states in the nation for its share of female legislators.

The state’s election results follow a national trend of women who sought and won races for Congress and state seats.

Over 2,000 women will serve nationwide in legislatures in 2019, according to the Center for American Women and Politics.

But Maine’s Election Day results represent a successful push by liberals backed by outof-state donors to elect Democratic women and take control over the Statehouse, which awaits potential fights over sick leave in 2019 and political redistricting in 2021.

“As a working mom, I have issues that are important to me that I want to bring to the table, including funding for early childhood development programs,” said Democratic Rep.-elect Genevieve McDonald, a commercial fishing boat captain with 7-month old twins.

She ran her rural campaign for $1,000 without help from any independent or outside groups.

The percentage of women serving in the Legislature is set to jump to about 39 per cent next year from nearly 34 per cent this year.

Women lawmakers will be serving alongside Maine’s first female governor and current Attorney General Janet Mills, whose win polls suggest was bolstered by women frustrated with President Donald Trump.

“We saw this as a growing wave coming out of 2016, wom-

en feel very highly motivated to run, to be a part of government,” said Democratic House Speaker Sara Gideon.

Women elected to the Maine Legislature benefited from about $667,000 in outside spending by liberal groups. The money spent on Democratic campaigns was about four times more than Republican groups spent on those races.

Of the 134 women that ran for Maine Legislature this year, 90 were Democrats, according to the Center for American Women and Politics, located at the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University.

“If the party is pumping money into the state and the women are on the Democratic side, that’s going to benefit these Democratic women,” said Debbie Walsh, the centre’s director.

Maine’s term limits law and gender gap likely encourages more women to run in Maine, according to University of New England politics professor Brian Duff.

“A good year for Democrats is more likely going to be a good year for women candidates,” he said.

Gideon credits efforts within the Democratic caucus and through training program Emerge Maine to recruit women.

Women will make up a historic 54 per cent of House Democrats.

“There still has to be a real purpose on our part to go out into communities and ask women to run, and help them understand how they could get over barriers that seemingly exist,” Gideon said.

Eleven women House Republicans will serve in 2019, compared to 19 when outgoing GOP

Gov. Paul LePage took office in 2011. Representative Kathleen Dillingham has been tapped as minority leader.

Maine GOP Chair Demi Kouzounas criticized the influence of out-of-state Democratic donors but said recruitment was a challenge in a tight and costly election year. She said she’s not sure what’s to blame for the drop in House Republican women: gender, politics or lack of enthusiasm from women who aren’t Republican or Democrat in the traditionally independent-leaning state.

“For all the talk of women in politics, you still look at a letter, if there’s a D or R next to the name,” Kouzounas said.

Other conservatives say younger women need to pitch in with recruiting and campaigning for Republican women.

“All the groups I’ve taken part in are led by older women,” said Janet Plausse, vice-president of the Maine Federation of Republican Women.

Besides the normal pressures of running a campaign, female candidates face safety concerns while on the trail. Republican Rep.-elect Amy Bradstreet Ara said she “never really truly felt threatened,” but resorted going door-to-door with a chaperone waiting in the car.

Gideon, a mom of three kids who pushed to open the firstever nursing mothers’ room at the Statehouse this year, said it can feel harder for women to juggle political careers. “It requires a re-balancing of responsibilities at home that is completely achievable but that people need to be able to see and understand they can do,” Gideon said. ■ www.canadianinquirer.net

21

Canadian astronaut... ❰❰ 14

self a former astro- where I am today if it wasn’t for naut, was also among Canada’s early space program those watching the and, kind of, the heroes that launch in Kazakhstan. She of- pushed that forward,” she said. fered Saint-Jacques a “Bravo, “It’s incredible.” bravo, bravo” and told the space It was the first manned Russtation crew they were an inspi- sian launch since a Soyuz rocket ration for humanity. carrying NASA astronaut Nick “The teamwork that you Hague and Roscosmos’ Alexei demonstrate today is exactly Ovchinin failed two minutes what we should replicate on into its flight on Oct. 11. They Earth more often,” she said. “As managed to emerge safely dethe African proverb says, if we spite a harrowing descent back choose to go alone, we might go to Earth. fast, but if we go together we go A Russian investigation atfarther.” tributed the failure to a sensor The launch of the Soyuz MS- that was damaged during the 11 spacecraft carrying Saint- rocket’s final assembly.

Jacques, Anne McClain of On Monday, NASA anNASA and Oleg Kononenko of nounced Hague and Ovchinin the Russian space agency, Ros- will now launch to the space cosmos, appeared to go exactly station on Feb. 28, along with as planned, lifting off at pre- NASA astronaut Christina cisely 6:31 a.m. Eastern.

Hammock Koch.

“We have liftoff,” a NASA Saint-Jacques, 48, has spent television commentator said years training for the sixas the rocket roared into the month mission, which was origsky under 930 inally scheduled pounds of thrust for Dec. 20 but and at a speed of was moved up 1,770 kilometres after the aborted per hour. “EvSoyuz launch. erything looking Aboard the good, vehicle is Space station, he will stable — good represents conduct a numfirst stage pera lot of ber of science formance.” opportunities experiments, The crew refor a lot of with some focusported that all Canadians. ing on the physiwent well in the cal effects of the critical initial weak gravity asminutes after tronauts experiliftoff. ence in orbit.

Back on CanaFormer asdian soil, a crowd monitored tronaut Robert Thirsk said the the launch from the Canadian schedule will be especially busy Space Agency in Longueuil, for the trio.

Que., as the rocket began its trip “Every five-minute increto the space station. ment of our life is scheduled, Innovation Minister Navdeep and that will be the same for Bains praised the successful David also,” he said at the space takeoff and said the mission of- agency office. “The challenge fers an exciting opportunity for for him will be to pace himself scientific research and devel- to accomplish the work that’s opments that could have broad expected of him.” applications, in such things as The arrival of the three asrobotics and aging. tronauts restores the space sta“Space represents a lot of tion’s crew to six as they join opportunities for a lot of Ca- Serena Aunon-Chancellor of nadians,” he said at the agency NASA, Alexander Gerst of the office. “It really is inspirational European Space Agency and what David represents…today Sergey Prokopyev of Roscosis an incredible day in space.” mos, who are scheduled to reAstronaut Jenni Sidey-Gib- main aboard until Dec. 20. bons echoed the message, sayThe last Canadian astronaut ing Saint-Jacques was a special to visit the space station was role model for her and other Chris Hadfield, who was on a young people who may be con- five-month mission that ended sidering a future in space. in May 2013. ■ “That was particularly important for me when I was growing With files from The Associated up and I certainly wouldn’t be Press

22

DECEMBER 7, 2018

FRIDAY

Ryan Lui: The Called One

BY BEA KIRSTEIN T. MANALAYSAY Philippine Canadian Inquirer THE NUMBER you called is busy. Please try again later.

In this world and age in which people are always holding their phones, it is ironic to note that people are so busy that they are unable to receive and entertain the ringing calls.

Sometimes, the busyness and the lack of breather in this world can cause people to be so preoccupied and lose their way.

But how do people find themselves? Some people explore the world beyond where they stand. Some people dig deeper and deeper within their hearts to discover the core of their being. But for author Ryan Lui, finding one’s self means the search for what will fill the void, and this means responding to a different kind of call.

Ryan, who was born and raised in Vancouver, British Columbia, grew up wanting to be many things.

An architect, a lawyer, a Social Studies teacher, an actor, and even an overseas English teacher – name it – the profession might have crossed his mind once or twice. At the same time, Ryan is in love with many things – public speaking, teaching, and mentoring.

For him, there are just countless possibilities on what path one should take and make.

For Ryan, to ponder about life and how to wander is a wonder; yet sharing is another.

“I would get together with a friend for coffee, walk around the beach or through downtown and talk about our current understanding of the meaning of our life and the direction we believe it should go.”

But truth be told, he was not always like this. While life has been kind enough to care for him and bless him, past moments were a blur compared to how certain he is now in the direction he is taking after responding to that call that he got.

Stable and irreplaceable connection

Broken families are some of the roots of disarray, even mostly translated on television screens that are supposed to reflect real life. However, Ryan proves that not all things that

shattered remain broken. though the situation of Ryan’s “My parents separated family did not bring him down, when I was about six years old. and interestingly, nothing Though many may think that I much has succeeded in pulling had a less than ideal childhood, him way down to the bottom.

I grew up with two loving and “Though I feel guilty in ways present parents.” for saying this, I haven’t experiAs the only child, he may have enced many challenges, if any, been the one stuck in the mid- that I would consider ‘great’ in dle of the separation, but he did life. For the most part, life has not let this tear him apart. In been rather smooth.” fact, every week he dines with Though he is saying this, Ryan, his mom and stepdad, and of like many, still faced his own fair course gives time to his father share of struggles which was every week or a couple as well. “the question of calling.”

Ryan also considers himself “Who am I and what am I to to be blessed to have most of his do? What is the purpose of my immediate and extended fam- life?” ily members living within VanThese remain to be some of couver. This makes most family the vaguest questions in the celebrations and bonding close world that has no definite an- I liked the knowledge of being and livelier. swer – and these questions also in a somewhat prestigious pro“My father’s side and I would joined Ryan’s pool of thoughts. gram.” get together weekly for fam“Ever since I can remember The year 2010, however, ily meals and my mother’s side I never felt that I had quite fit- changed this mindset. would celebrate all the holidays ted in. I couldn’t relate entirely “I sensed a potential calling and special occasions with tur- to Caucasian people or Asian or at the very least, a desire to key, roast beef, and ham.” people. I could relate more to pursue theological education.”

Being single, having fam- Asians born in Canada, yet I did “In the short span of a year, ily close to his house and to not share many of the values, I had become a very different his heart reminds him that not hopes, and fears that so many of person through the speaking, having a partner in life does not them possessed.” writing, and relationships with mean one is lacking something While Ryan confesses that several people who had blown fundamental in life. this did not really bring him to me away by their intellectual, “I continue to learn and grow the lowest point of his life, he motivation, and loving apin appreciation for the blessing rather claims it to cause ‘fre- proach to life and its purpose.” of family and the work needed quent’ low points.

By 2012, this then pushed in today’s society of individual“This lack of identity and pur- Ryan to take his Master of Arts ism and self-interest.” pose always comes and goes.” in Theological Studies at ReAs he contingent College in ues to count his Vancouver. The blessings, he decision to folcould not help low his calling but mention how I’ve learned that people need to did not only push unique his relabe heard, listened to, and cared him to take the tionship with his for. But people also need plans and course but to get father – one of practical steps to move forward in his eyes open to his greatest suplife. various things. porters – is and “I had realthat this allows ized early on both of them to that there was engage in talks about life, love, Responding to the call a lot about life and faith that I faith, and work.

In this air of confusion, who and most of the world did not Ryan shares that for a sea- knew that responding to a call know.” son, they went to several book was the way to clear it all?

Ryan described himself to clubs in which they learned a Some decide their education- have a very simple perspeclot about themselves and about al paths for a more concrete tive on life and faith and going each other. path to the future, yet as life can through his master’s degree “We have learned to have be a huge compilation of sur- gave more meaning to how he honest but loving conversations prising events, some discover viewed a lot of things. which has resulted in a healthy something more in studying.

He now has a strong belief in father-son relationship.”

As a marketing major of a the value that formal education As a whole, Ryan sees his fami- Bachelor of Commerce degree on faith can have for every indily as one of the pillars that shaped from the Sauder School of Busi- vidual who seeks a deeper life. him from his understanding of ness at the University of British “I find myself uniquely pothe world, to his education, and Columbia, Ryan admits the he sitioned and educated to help faith and values; and this makes really had no interest in busi- people approach life both him grateful for them. ness, yet it seemed to be the lovingly and practically. I’ve wise choice at that time. learned that people need to be Out of coverage area “My parents were proud, it heard, listened to, and cared for.

Something was still amiss was a more ‘useful’ degree, and But people also need plans and www.canadianinquirer.net

SUPPLIED

practical steps to move forward in life.”

Communication & connection

“What I love about writing is that I could connect to someone entirely different than me on a very deep level.”

Some people use colors and shapes to relay their message.

Some use signages to give out warnings. While there are those who weave written words on paper to share a story. Ryan, an author, used to read words written by others.

In 2010, he says that a large part of his change was because of the books he read, and one of the things he notes is that he felt that reading is something he did not only enjoy but it also gave him something more.

“As a child, I loved entering fictional worlds of fantasy and getting lost in my imagination and in stories. But never had I experienced the gift that I had received from non-fiction.”

“I believe ideas and words can change lives and the world.

It certainly did for me. I guess that’s why then that writing a book has always been a dream of mine.”

Years ago, the path to being a writer started for Ryan when he began writing a blog. While initially, he only used it to update his friends and family to the travels his feet were making, writing soon became something more that he enjoyed every word he inked.

“Over the last two years, however, I have began to realize it is something I must do – something I have to do.”

“I have learned that if I do ❱❱ PAGE 36 Ryan Lui

23

Entertainment BroadwayWorld UK hails Filipina Rachelle Ann Go Best Actress for 2018

BY GIANNA LLANES Philippine Canadian Inquirer

@CATRIONA_GRAY / INSTAGRAM

PH bet Catriona Gray flies to Thailand for Miss Universe 2018

BY GIANNA LLANES Philippine Canadian Inquirer TWENTY-FOUR-YEAR- OLD Filipino-Australian Catriona Gray waved the Philippine flag to her fans at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport as she embarked on her journey to Thailand, where she will compete for the Miss Universe 2018 competition.

Last Wednesday, November 28, The singer/actress/host from Albay posted a photo of herself dressed in a Thai-inspired green and black jumpsuit by Anthony Ramirez, accessorized with ornament shell earrings from Vida Lim jewelry.

Her stylist Ton Lao and shoe designer Jojo Bragais accompanied her to the airport, along with the staff of Binibining Pilipinas Charities Inc (BPCI).

The photo is captioned, “Off to Thailand to represent my beautiful country the Philippines in [Miss Universe]. Philippines, mahal kita. I hope to make you proud.” In a separate post of her writing a Christmas card on the airplane, she dedicates to her parents, saying, “Venturing off on an adventure of a lifetime and my thoughts turn back to the people who believed in me since the very beginning. Mum and Dad, thank you for always

lifting me up and guiding me to become the woman I am today.

Although you couldn’t be here to see me off, I wanted to #PutItIntoWords. I love you both so much. See you in Thailand.”

Last July 31, Catriona shared her excitement on the news that the pageant will take place in Bangkok, where she previously visited, stating, “Sawasdee KaThailand! So excited that the rumors are true and that it’s finally official!” adding, with a video of herself at the Wat Rong Khun Temple dressed in traditional Thai attire, “So excited to go back to one of my favorite travel destinations!”

Catriona is now fighting to follow the footsteps of Pia Wurtzbach, who won the prestigious pageant in 2015 and is the Philippines’ third Miss Universe. Gloria Diaz was the first Filipina crowned Miss Universe back in 1969, followed by Margarita Moran in 1973. Prior to her winning the Binibining Pilipinas Universe crown in Manila last January, Catriona also represented the country in Miss World 2016, where she finished within the Top 5.

The Miss Universe competition is scheduled to air on Sunday, December 17, where reigning queen Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters from South Africa will crown her successor. ■

FILIPINO BROADWAY star Rachelle Ann Go makes her mark in the Broadway industry for the Philippines as she is hailed Best Actress in the 2018 BroadwayWorldUK Awards for her role as Eliza Schuyler in West End’s “Hamilton.”

Upon hearing the news, Rachelle immediately took to Twitter to say a “thank you to everyone,” retweeting Hamilton West End’s post that captioned, “Thank you so much to everyone who voted for us in the #BWWAwards. Congratulations to Terera Giles and Rachelle Anne Go for Best Actor / Best Actress, Jason Pennycooke for Best Supporting Actor and for voting #HamiltonLDN as Best New Production of a Musical.”

Rachelle is most known in the Philippines for her rendition of Mariah Carey’s “Through the Rain” and her own single “Love

BWWAwards congratulates Giles Terera and Rachelle Ann Go for Best Actor and Best Actress. @HAMILTONWESTEND / TWITTER

Of My Life.” She also co-hosted local television show Search For A Star in A Million. However, in 2014, Rachelle left the local industry for international broadway such as West End’s “Miss Saigon” and “Les Miserable.” She has been featured in

the Variety magazine, The Hollywood Reporter, and The New York Times, with the publications applauding her theater performances. Most recently, she performed at the Royal Albert Hall in London with the rest of the “Hamilton” cast. ■

‘Avengers’ director says Evans’ Cap days may not be over

BY DAVID MCFADDEN The Associated Press LOS ANGELES — Chris Evans suggested his run as Captain America is done. The filmmakers currently controlling the Avengers’ fates say he shouldn’t shelve the shield just yet.

Evans tweeted last month that he had wrapped his shooting on the fourth “Avengers” movie, calling it an “emotional” day and saying, “Playing this role over the last eight years has been an honour.”

Joseph Russo, who along www.canadianinquirer.net

with brother Anthony wrote and directed this year’s “Avengers: Infinity War” and next year’s sequel, and directed Evans as Captain America in two previous films, told The Associated Press “I think it was more emotional for him than us. Only because he’s not done yet. And I don’t want explain what that means but the audience will soon understand what I’m talking about.”

Russo spoke to the AP recently in an interview promoting Simone, his new restaurant in downtown Los Angeles.

As expected, he only teased

details of the forthcoming film, saying audiences can expect the unexpected from the duo that left Marvel fans gasping earlier this year in a cliffhanger that saw several beloved Avengers disintegrate into oblivion.

“We killed half the Marvel universe so for us it really is about, in what ways can we surprise the audience and tell a very challenging story,” Russo said.

He would confirm that at least at this point the movie, which is in post-production, ❱❱ PAGE 33 ‘Avengers’ director

24

Entertainment

DECEMBER 7, 2018

Historic win for UP brings out historic wit and will

BY BEA KIRSTEIN T. MANALAYSAY Philippine Canadian Inquirer

blue side even joking to rename it to “Ateneo Town Center” if the Blue Eagles win the fight.

For the record, the so-called ‘trophy’ has said its word.

“UPTC is home to every Katipunero. May the best team win! #TheBattleofKatipunan #UPTCLovesYou.” UP Town Center in its official account tweeted.

Famous Twitter handler @iskolarspeaks retweeted the said tweet, adding “Uhm siz you’re literally called “UP” Town Center WHAT ARE YOU DOING.”

of joy in their alma mater’s victory. Other people of the media behind print and online sites have their own gimmick as well.

The admin of the Twitter account @edsMNL known as Editors of Manila, in all caps, typed with all their might, “WOOOOHOOOOO MEDIA BIAS SA (on) UP HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA MARAMI KAMING (there are a lot of us that are) ALUMNI.” Camille Diola of PhilStar and Interaksyon retweeted this, adding in jest, “I-banner story ‘yan! So what kung hindi pafinals?! (Make that the banner story! So what if it is not yet the finals?!”

IF YOU happen to be reading this article, wondering about why the win of University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons versus the Adamson University (AdU) Soaring Falcons in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) is historic, perhaps you need to do more scrolling! Because, this epic fight that gave birth to the “Battle of Katipunan” has already spread like Postponed TV Patrol? wildfire online.

While Filipinos expect the While we at Philippine Cana- really familiar news tune every dian Inquirer (PCI) are pretty 6:30 p.m. at ABS-CBN, the fasure that your newsfeeds are mous UP-AdU overtime might All blue already filled with congratu- have delayed other things. A bit.

Even before the results were latory statuses and appreciaIn a clip posted by “Kuya out in the UP vs AdU game, tive posts about UP’s upcom- Kim” Atienza on his social me- someone made a valid point. ing battle with Twitter user @ the Ateneo Blue MontalboRoger Eagles for the noted the hue of UAAP Finals, we the Ateneo and have compiled UP’s win after 32 years is not only Adamson. some of the best being celebrated by the students “Pangit kasi posts and develand crowds but also inside the ‘pag AdU nanalo. opment online newsrooms.

Biro mo lahat that definitely manonood sa fibrought out the nals naka-blue wit that Filipibaka malito mga nos are known for. dia accounts, he jokingly cap- crowd (It would be bad for AdU tioned that the main evening to win. Imagine watching the Rival in the shadows news of the Kapamilya network finals with everyone wearing A page named UAAP – NCAA is “postponed.” blue, the crowd may be conMemes in Facebook posted a The 56-second video features fused),” he wrote. photo by the La Sallian stu- lead anchors Noli “Kabayan” While he did not mention dent publication – the façade De Castro, Bernadette Sem- it, the eagle and the falcon are of the De La Salle University brano, Gretchen Fullido, Kuya both birds. Interesting.

(DLSU) – except that it is lit Kim, and other staff leaning up, in red. While the red lighting focused on the game in its last Senate suspends session is for DLSU’s Red Wednesday, seconds.

Well they do say that majorthe resemblance of the color to Jaws dropped in anticipation ity wins right? Apparently, with maroon, and the coincidence of the happenings in the court, 11 senators who are graduates of the win happening also on a hands on chest, and voices of UP, it was reported that the Wednesday sparked wit. heightening, as the game draws session on Wednesday was sus“DLSU lowkey cheering to a close with UP as the victor, pended to give way to watching against ADMU,” the page’s ad- loud cheers were heard as they the game. ministrator captioned, pok- jump in joy.

Though solons were seen in ing fun on the known rivalry “Nasira ‘yung makeup ko (My photos smiling while staring at between the archers and the makeup is ruined),” Gretchen the television, some netizens eagles. was heard whining as she wipes were not really smiling upon the forming tears of joy at the knowing that a legislative sesBattle for UP Town Center? corner of her eyes. sion was called of for the sake of While having two contenders the game. from the Katipunan area of the In the newsrooms country sparked the “Battle of UP’s win after 32 years is not Surely, the UAAP basketball Katipunan,” students are quick only being celebrated by the games are played by college to bring another trophy to the students and crowds but also students. But this battle of the game. inside the newsrooms. schools is not limited to the unSeveral are making bets on Speaking of media personali- dergraduates as it resonates to who gets to “own” the UP Town ties, not only the television per- the alumni. ■ Center, with some from the sonalities had their fair share www.canadianinquirer.net

FRIDAY

Andi Eigenmann, Jake Ejercito celebrate daughter Ellie’s 7th Birthday as a family

BY GIANNA LLANES Philippine Canadian Inquirer IT WAS “neither UP or Ateneo, just #TeamEllie” for actress Andi Eigenmann and son of former President Joseph Ejercito Estrada, Jake Ejercito last Saturday, December 1, as the two young parents celebrate the 7th birthday of their daughter Ellie in matching customized jackets.

With a gymnastics-themed party and a venue decorated in pink, silver, and blue, Jake and Andi also showed their “teamwork” in support for Ellie, entering the venue hand-in-hand and with members of both sides of the family present, including Jake’s sibling Jerika Ejercito and Jacob Ejercito, as well as Andi’s relatives Cherie Gil, Gabby Eigenmann, and Ryan Eigenmann. Gabby even posted a picture of the family captioned, “Kudos to you guys!”

Although her celebration was this past weekend, Ellie officially turned seven on November 23. Jake shared a selfie of him and Ellie, who was holding up seven fingers, in a social media post captioned, “Though

I’d also prefer for you to stay a little girl for always, life’s unfortunately not Neverland. You’re now old enough to tell what’s right from wrong and to have a sense of responsibility. But trust that as long as I’m around, my baby girl you’ll always be.”

Andi also posted a series of photos on her Instagram, sharing, “Teaching [Ellie] that the joy of life isn’t the material things, but the priceless memories we are blessed to be able to make together. The moments of belly-aching laughter, the conversations we had, our never-ending exchange of (mostly her) curious questions and my wellthought answers… It’s these that I want to look back on, and hopefully, Ellie would take with her as we both go through our journey in this wonderful life.”

Andi and Jake ended their relationship in 2014, a couple of years after dating. Despite speculation of Andi’s ex-boyfriend Albie Casiño being the father of Ellie, Jake confirmed that he is the child’s biological dad on October 16, saying that he is “happy and [has] no regrets.” Since then, Andi has publicly commended Jake for being a “great father” to Ellie. ■

Jake... Andi Eigenmann and Jake Ejercito with thieir child, Ellie. @GABBYEIGENMANN / INSTAGRAM

Entertainment

FRIDAY DECEMBER 7 2018

25

JK Labajo insists he is innocent over ‘gayness at its finest’ tweet

BY JOANNA BELLE DEALA Philippine Canadian Inquirer EVEN THOUGH the issue is no longer the subject of commotion in the Twitterverse, still, teen singer Juan Karlos “JK” Labajo wants to clarify to the public that he was not the one who posted the “gayness at its finest” tweet that sparked the word war between him and his The Voice Kids co-finalist Darren Espanto.

JK insisted his innocence in an interview with Philippine Entertainment Portal (PEP.ph) on Tuesday night, November 28, during a trade launch of ABS-CBN’s programs at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) Forum Tent.

“In the first place, hindi ako ang nagpalaki ng issue (I do not make the issue big). I didn’t know the issue in the first place,” the 17-year-old singer said.

“I privately messaged him. Kung ginusto ko na ‘yung issue lumaki, dapat ako na ang nag-post nung una, ‘di ba (If I wanted to make the issue big then I should have been the one to post it first, right)?” he added.

The tweet that caused the rift between the two artists has been deleted from

JK’s account, but Darren was able to take a screenshot of it.

JK earlier explained that his Twitter account was hacked, but Darren did not buy his excuse and said, “Timing ‘no?

Dinelete ng “hacker” mo ‘yung tweet na ‘to after kang kausapin ng management.

‘Pag nahanap mo ‘yung hacker mo puntahan niyo ako para malaman niyo kung sino ‘yung totoong BAKLA. @KarlosLabajo (Timing, isn’t it? Your ‘hacker’ deleted this tweet after the management talked to you. When you find your hacker, come to me so you will know who the real gay is).”

PEP.ph then asked JK about what he felt when Darren insisted that he was the one who posted the tweet and he deleted it after as he cannot take responsibility for his act.

As a response, JK said, “I didn’t feel bad kasi (because) I didn’t do anything.

Hindi naman ganun kakapal ang mukha ko para magsinungaling to the extent na pati sa harap ng mga boss (my face is not that thick to the extent that I wil even lie in front of our bosses).”

The young artist added that he was not afraid of Darren’s threat of suing him over the issue.

“Bakit ako matatakot (Why should I

Darren Espanto.

be afraid)? For what? I will apologize if I did something,” he told PEP.ph He went on saying, “Actually, mayroon pa nga akong death threat. ‘Pag namatay ako, naku, baka may lead na kayo… sinasabi ko lang (I even received a death threat. So if I die, then maybe you have a lead… I was just saying).”

After saying that he thinks someone used his Twitter account, JK, earlier, retracted his excuse and floated the possibility to Darren that the “gayness at its finest” tweet was “edited.” This, how-

IT WAS a memorable weekend for sportscaster Boom Gonzalez as he marries his former Magic 89.9 on-air partner Carla Dunareanu at a small ceremony in Sentosa Island, Singapore last Saturday, December 1.

Both Boom and Carla share photos of the event on their respective Instagram accounts. Boom posts a photo of his new wife as she says her vows, captioned “HIS time, our way, always,” while Carla states, “Yesterday I married the love of my life,” thanking her official photographer “for capturing every single detail in such a raw and intimate way.” This includes photos with the “merging family” and details of her ring, Carla’s most recent post is captioned, “Can’t wait to laugh our way into old age.”

The couple first announced their engagement last December 25, 2017, after

Carla shared a video of a small Nike Jordan box that contained the diamond, accompanied by a letter address to ‘Wifey.’

Carla shared, “Christmas 2017 will always be one of my favorites. He hooks me with the Jays and keeps me with the ring. Clearly this man knows me too well. I love you Boom! Here’s to getting old and wrinkly together!”

The 29-year-old Romanian-Chinese actress is also based in Singapore as the host of HBO Asia, living long-distance from now-husband Boom, most known for his appearances on ABS-CBN Sports + Action.

Carla first made headlines as the girlfriend of Filipino singer Christian Bautista, but the two split in 2013 after a year of dating. Just last week, Christian also got married with longtime girlfriend Kat Ramnani. The ceremony was held in Bali Indonesia, then the reception happened at The Manila Hotel on Sunday, December 2, the day after his ex-girlfriend wed. ■

ever, just made Darren more suspicious about JK. “Nung una, hacker, ngayon, edited?

Pero nag-appear sa mismong account mo (At first you said it was the hacker, and then now you are saying it was edited?

But it appeared on your account)?” Darren tweeted in October.

Darren had already apologized to people who were offended by his tweet, stressing that he did not mean to use the word “bakla (gay)” as a “derogatory term.” ■

PSYCHIC FAITH

TV Host Boom Gonzalez marries former radio partner Carla Dunareanu

BY GIANNA LLANES Philippine Canadian Inquirer

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26

Lifestyle Top tot toys? Blocks and boxes Fe del Mundo: backed over high tech toys Filipina honored in Google Doodle

BY LINDSEY TANNER The Associated Press

SKIP THE costly electronic games and flashy digital gizmos. Pediatricians say the best toys for tots are old-fashioned hands-on playthings that young children can enjoy with parents — things like blocks, puzzles — even throwaway cardboard boxes — that spark imagination and creativity.

“A cardboard box can be used to draw on, or made into a house,” said Dr. Alan Mendelsohn, co-author of a new report on selecting toys for young children, up to around age 5.

Many parents feel pressured by ads promoting tablet-based toys and games as educational and brain-stimulating but there’s not much science to back up those claims, Mendelsohn said. Their main misconception: “The toy that is best is the one that is the most expensive or has the most bells and whistles or is the most technologically sophisticated.”

Simpler hands-on toys that parents and young children can play with together are preferable for healthy development, said Mendelsohn, a pediatrician at NYU Langone Health in New York.

The report published Monday by the American Academy of Pediatrics cites studies suggesting that heavy use of electronic media may interfere with children’s speech and language development, replace important playtime with parents and lead to obesity.

BY MA. TERESA MONTEMAYOR Philippine News Agency

Studies also have found that more than 90 per cent of U.S. kids have used mobile devices and most started using them before age 1.

The pediatricians’ group recommends no screen time for children up to age 2, and says total screen time including TV and computer use should be less than one hour daily for ages 2 and older.

“A little bit of screen time here and there is unlikely to have much harm if a child otherwise has other activity,” Mendelsohn said. But he added that screen time can overwhelm young children and is difficult to limit and control.

The academy’s website offers suggestions on ideal toys for young children, including balls, puzzles, coloring books and card games.

Shopping recently at Dancing Bear Toys in Asheville, N.C., a

store that doesn’t sell electronic toys, Leah Graham Stewart said she supports the academy’s advice even if avoiding digital toys and games is tough.

She said she’s noticed her two young boys tend to misbehave after playing on an iPad she typically reserves for long airplane rides.

“We try to keep it as minimal as possible,” Graham Stewart said. “I just tell them to go outside and play.”

Erika Evers, Dancing Bear’s co-owner, said the store’s mission is to give kids an alternative to tech toys.

“Not that video games and electronic toys don’t have their place — in moderation, in our opinion,” she said. “But we feel like kids really need opportunities to socialize and interact with their environment in a way that is hands-on and tangible.” ■

www.canadianinquirer.net

MANILA — Google featured on Tuesday a Filipino personality who have played a vital role in the history of Philippine pediatrics, Dr. Fe del Mundo.

Del Mundo, fondly called “The Mother of Philippine Pediatrics” celebrated her 107th birthday on Tuesday. Google commemorated it with a doodle art, which showed the lady physician checking on a boy with her stethoscope as they are both surrounded by nature.

Perhaps, this image reflects her early campaign in promoting public health with an emphasis on rural mothers and their children.

In 1936, del Mundo became the first Filipina and woman to be admitted at the Harvard Medical School. Harvard didn’t recognize del Mundo as a woman and was surprised to find out so.

The head of Harvard’s pediatric department at that time allowed her enrollment to stand because of her impressive academic records. Harvard’s medical program opened to female students only in 1945 when del Mundo already went back to the country, directing the staterun children’s hospital since 1943.

She directed the children’s hospital until 1948. Due to the war against the Japanese army,

the hospital became a general hospital tending to adults who were hurt and wounded.

To put up her own private hospital for the children, del Mundo sold her house and other properties. The Philippine Children’s Medical Center (PCMC) in Quezon City was established in 1957. It was the first pediatric hospital in the country.

In 1958, del Mundo conferred her ownership of the hospital to a board of trustees. While being a board member, she continued her research on infectious diseases.

She has published over a hundred articles, reviews, and reports in medical journals.

Her research about dengue has contributed greatly to the understanding of how the disease affects children.

Del Mundo also authored “Textbook of Pediatrics,” which was used in medical schools nationwide for many years. Apart from promoting public health especially in far-flung areas, she also helped in facilitating and improving the coordination between hospitals, doctors, and midwives.

Committed to her passion to improve children’s health in the country, del Mundo lived on the second floor of PCMC, where she continued to check on the young patients until her death at the age of 99. ■

Lifestyle

FRIDAY DECEMBER 7, 2018

27

Using radio, social media to advocate peace

BY REY-LUIS BANAGUDOS Philippine News Agency ZAMBOANGA CITY — Antisocial terrorists make use of almost unchallenged information and communication technology like Internet platforms to spread their culture of violence.

However, two Muslim peace advocates harnessed the reach and power of radio broadcast and social media to counter jihadist propaganda from influencing their fellow Muslims in Western Mindanao.

They fight fire with the proverbial water of eternal life.

The two radio program block timers are Abdulwahid Lutian and Mickdad Sali.

Lutian is an official of the Bureau of Quarantine office in Zamboanga City, while Sali is a police community relations officer at the Police Protection and Security Group of the Philippine National Police’s regional office in the Zamboanga Peninsula region.

“We use our radio program to reach out to our Muslim brothers, to educate them on the correct teachings of Islam, to bring

back to the fold those who have strayed from the Islamic way,” said Lutian, who regularly anchors Al-Raisalah program.

Al-Raisalah is Arabic for “The Messenger,” according to Lutian. It is aired live every Saturday and Sunday, from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. over RPN-DXXX AM station in Zamboanga.

The transmission power, Lutian said, reaches most of the provinces in the Sulu area and up to the Lanao areas.

He is the main host and anchor, while Sali takes care of production chores or pinch-hits for him when he is not available.

Different bonafide Muslim scholars serve as resource persons in every episode. They have lined up 25 topics so far that will cover up to January next year.

The program’s episodes are posted on its Facebook account.

Lutian said they discuss a wide array of topics in the program.

“Last Sunday, we talked why it is a sin for a Muslim to imbibe intoxicating alcohol,” Lutian said, adding that alcohol is prohibited in the Koran, as well as in the sayings of Prophet Muhammad.

The issues they have dis-

cussed or will discuss in the coming episodes include human rights, Shariah laws and its parts, health from the point of Islamic practice, burial ceremonies, voting rights, and peace and security.

Each on-air dialogue with the Muslim scholars, he said, makes it authoritative and authentic.

All the scholars tapped to guest in the program are graduates of Islamic universities abroad, with diplomas on their majors, such as Shariah laws.

Lutian is a member of the technical working group of the Countering Violent Extremism and Terrorism (CVET) group of the city, which is headed by the city mayor.

“My radio program also aims to warn the youths from getting involved in extremism, by citing Koranic admonitions against violence and depicting the life of Prophet Muhammad as a man and model of peace,” he said.

The main theme of the radio program, he said, is oneness of Muslims with Allah.

“We want our Muslim brothers to follow the teachings of Islam to foster peace and harmony in Muslim societies and

Lutian with co-host Sali and guests.

our relationship with people of other faith,” he said.

Lutian and Sali started their broadcasting tandem back in 2009 in a different station, which lasted until 2015.

During the Ramadhan fasting month earlier this year, the two conducted another program on topics related to fasting. They launched their ongoing program in DXXX last August.

Lutian said he and Sali carry out the radio projects on a voluntary basis, and are not getting paid for their services. A Muslim NGO pays for the airtime, he said.

PNA

“The radio programs from the start are our passion, from our sense of dedication to serve,” he said.

A few days ago, Task Force Zamboanga’s 11 Infantry Battalion bestowed on him a certificate of recognition for his radio outreach project and peace-making advocacies, during the battalion’s anniversary.

No doubt, the recognition is a salute to Lutian in his mission to promote peace and security and the Islamic way of better life for his brothers, redounding to inclusion among local peoples of other faiths. ■

Experience motivates ‘Kulinarya’ 2018 winner, not the prize

BY GLADYS PINO Philippine News Agency GENERAL TRIAS, CAVITE – A chef, teacher, foodie and photo hobbyist who describes himself as “an average” Caviteño guy Nicole G. Pimentel says the cash part of winning the “Kulninarya 2018” is “mere bonus and treasures more than experience.”

Pimentel bagged the top spot in the ‘Kulinarya Caviteña 2018’ cook-off challenge held at the Culinary Laboratory of Lyceum of the Philippines (LPU) here on Wednesday.

“Sumali ako kasi, (ksi) I’ve been competing my whole life, hindi para sa parangal kungdi para sa experience,” (I joined, and I’ve been competing my whole life, not for the title but for the experience,” quips Pimentel when asked for his reaction after bagging the first prize.

Joining competition is also

Pimentel’s way to further challenge himself, and keep his passion for food, “it is my first love,” thus he always give his 100% best in all that he do.

He garnered the highest weighted average after summing up the scores for each of the competitors’ entries, from appetizer, main dish and dessert.

His entries, shrimp and oyster cake with ‘tinapa’ (smoked fish) cream sauce for appetizer, adobong dilaw with ‘kamote’ (sweet potato) and ‘kalabasa’ (pumpkin) puree for main dish, mango shirt cake with quesillo cheese for dessert; bested 15 other professional chefs, culinary professors and teachers residing in Cavite.

Aside from luck, Pimentel believes that his edge for winning is his genuine love for food, and understanding and knowing everything about it, including the combination of flavors “and a lot of heart.”

The culinary competition,

dubbed “Kalye Kulinarya,” organized by the Provincial Government of Cavite, through its Provincial Tourism and Cultural Affairs Office (PTCAO) and in collaboration with LPUCavite, is aimed at revolutionizing traditional Cavite dishes and delicacies.

The cook-off was just one of the series of activities, from workshop to cooking demo of ‘A Taste of Cavite: An appreciation of Cavite’s Old Cuisines’ to make professional chefs, and culinary teachers, including students aware, appreciate and come up with innovative approaches on how to promote, showcase Cavite’s cultural history of local cuisines ‘but without losing its authenticity,’ quips Razor Philippines Executive Chef and ‘Punong Heneral’ of Cavite’s Culinary Generals Chef Christopher G. Carangian who chaired the board of judges during the contest.

Carangian, with co-judges Lorelie Torres (officer-inwww.canadianinquirer.net

charge, Provincial Government of Bulacan Public Affairs Office) and La Consolacion College Chef/Professor Edilberto Tawagon, judged the entries, from appetizer, main course and dessert, based on execution, artistry and taste.

Like Pimentel, second placer Chef Armand Joseph S. Senido, head Chef of Olivia ‘s Coffee Estate, shared that the title and cash prize are mere bonus, and gets motivated by the opportunity to promote Cavite’s gatronomical treasures, “especially from my town, Tanza.”

He says that his entries: Lumpiang Estacion (Estacion roll made of noodle dish which originated in Tanza wrapped, completed with Estacion sauce) for appetizer, Valenciana con morcon as main course and puto de oro as dessert, from Tanza and its nearby town of Rosario and General Trias city, are his humble way “to help promote my town, and the province of Cavite.”

Both winners are most thankful, to Cavite Governor Jesus Crispin Remulla, PTCAO officer-in-charge Elinia Imelda Rozelle S. Sangalang, LPU President Atty. Roberto Laurel and LPU Vice President Maria Teresa Pilapil, Dean of LPU College of International Tourism and Hospitality Management (CITHM) Dr. Mark Irvin Selis, and judges for the opportunity to be part of this noble cause, to relive and re-introduce Caviteño cuisines as they share their title to fellow cooks, chefs who participated in the competition, “we all did great in promoting how rich the culinary treasures Cavite is,” said Pimentel.

Aside from the plaque and trophies, Pimentel and Senido received a cash prize of PHP25,000 and PHP15,000 respectively. On the other hand, Dean and Professor of Cavite City’s Saint Gregory College of Science and Technology Marvin Carandang received PHP10,000 for finishing third. ■

28

Lifestyle

DECEMBER 7, 2018

FRIDAY

Soldiering for Researchers unravelling peace in Mindanao the mysteries behind one of Canada’s oldest cemeteries

BY REY-LUIS BANAGUDOS Philippine News Agency

munity in Limpapa Barangay, Peaceweavers Awards Night, forum on the Bangsamoro Organic Law, and Indigenous PeoZAMBOANGA CITY — Muslim ples Community Fun Day. The and Christian peace-builders in traditional closing day evening this city soldier on as they cele- torch parade will culminate in a brate the 22nd year of the Week musical concert. of Peace here from Nov. 29 to “The Week of Peace is a parDecember 5. able of hope. Its observance The multi-sectoral parade is now a tradition in the city,” that formally kicked off the cel- Calvo said. ebration on Thursday, drew a “This year’s theme is a fitfew thousands of students and ting statement for a brighter teachers from private and pub- and better world for the next lic schools, military, police and generations of Muslims and government personnel, urban Christians in Mindanao and the poor, farmers, lumads, Muslim whole of Filipino nation,” Yaand Christian religious leaders, cub said. and members of civil society orThe peace overdrive was ganizations. launched two years after PAZ The parade weaved around was organized by a few conthe city’s Pasonanca Park and cerned Catholic and Muslim reculminated in a short program ligious leaders as the Abu Sayyat the Boy Scout af staged a wave camp amphitheof kidnappings ater there. and terroristic “Muslims and atrocities in the Christians and region, including indigenous peoZamboanga City, ple walking toThe Week upending the logether in the paof Peace is cal population’s rade is symbolic a parable sense of security. of their shared of hope. Its Together with desire for peace,” observance the Moro rebelsaid Fr. Angel is now a lion, the Abu Calvo, president tradition in Sayyaf has been of Peace Advothe city. giving the Westcates Zamboanern Mindanao ga (PAZ), which region serious has spearheaded security probthe celebration lems. since its incepThe threats tion. and attacks strengthened the “This year, the Interreligious resolve of the region’s peace adSolidarity for Peace, (ISP) not- vocates like PAZ and ISP. withstanding the threats to Each Week of Peace obserpeace by some misguided sec- vance is always grounded on tors of society, stands firm (on) current hard issues, such as its tenets of reaching out to the holding of the forum on the all those who love peace and BOL during the present occabrotherhood,” said Hadji Ali sion.

Yacub, Muslim convenor of ISP, As it has been in past years, the flagship interfaith platform the city mayor issued an execuof PAZ. tive order acknowledging the This year’s theme is “Human significance of the celebration.

Security: The Agenda for Peace Mayor Ma. Isabel Climacoand Hope.”

Salazar, in her latest executive Pre-Week activities included order, “called upon the constita peace camp and mural paint- uents of Zamboaga to actively ing of peace-themed art on the participate in the week-long acfences of the Zamboanga State tivities prepared by Peace AdPolytechnic College. vocates Zamboanga and InterApart from the opening day religious Solidarity for Peace.” parade, the activities include The celebration is also recthe Festival de Cine Paz Mind- ognized and endorsed by two anao, historical and solidarity previous Presidential proclajourney to the Subanon com- mations. ■

BY ALEX COOKE The Canadian Press ANNAPOLIS ROYAL, N.S. — It’s been a century since Fort Anne became Canada’s first administered national historic site, but much of the history surrounding the once hotly contested grounds in Annapolis Royal, N.S., is still shrouded in mystery.

On Monday, a team of researchers hope to use new technology to unlock some of the old secrets buried within Fort Anne’s Garrison Graveyard, which is one of the oldest English cemeteries in Canada.

“To understand where we’re going, we need to understand where we’ve been,” said Ted Dolan, Parks Canada’s site and visitor experience manager for historic sites in southwestern Nova Scotia.

“Any additional information that we have as to what happened on our landscape in the past is really going to inform us as to who we are and where we come from.”

Dolan describes Fort Anne as “the most fought-over piece of land in Canadian history since European colonization.” Originally fortified by the Scots as early as 1629, the site was later taken over by the French, before it fell to British troops in 1710. It would remain a regular battle scene for another 50 years.

While over 200 British headstones still stand in the Garrison Graveyard, Dolan said researchers believe there could be more than 2,000 people buried at the site whose wooden markers have since decayed over time.

In addition, prior to 1710, Dolan said French soldiers and Acadians from the region were buried at the nearby St. JeanBaptiste parish, which had a cemetery located close to the fort.

While researchers aren’t completely sure where the French and Acadian cemetery is, he said they have a “pretty good idea.”

“When the British came, they www.canadianinquirer.net

Garrison Graveyard also known as Fort Anne Garrison Graveyard, Garrison Cemetery.

LORI FRISCH / FIND A GRAVE

were Protestant and the Acadians and French were Catholic, so they didn’t want to be buried in the same area. So there’s a big open area by the existing cemetery that we think is where the Acadian cemetery is,” said Dolan.

He said the technology that will be used to assess the sites is less invasive than extensive archaeological digs.

Boreas Heritage Consulting, a Halifax-based archeological and heritage research company, will use ground-penetrating radar to scan beneath the surface and collect 3D data, which will help map out and identify historic infrastructure and unmarked graves.

Meanwhile, a group of researchers from the Nova Scotia Community College in nearby Middleton will fly drones overhead to capture high-resolution aerial photographs of the cemetery and generate a digital model of the site.

The data will be passed along to Mapannapolis, a volunteer organization that creates webbased maps of heritage sites in the historical community.

Heather LeBlanc, the project designer for Mapannapolis, said it’s “like putting a puzzle together: the puzzle of where are the Acadians, and what in-

formation is out there.”

Parks Canada and Mapannapolis are expecting to get the results of the survey by mid-December, and they hope to create an interactive way for people to learn more about the site.

The Annapolis Royal area is steeped in history, with nearby Port Royal said to have been the location of Canada’s first permanent European settlement.

In March 2017, the CBC program “Canada: The Story of Us” came under fire from both Nova Scotia Premier Stephen McNeil and Annapolis Royal Mayor Bill MacDonald after an episode asserted that the country’s first permanent European settlement was established in 1608 near what is now Quebec City.

At the time, the premier said the history of Canada started three years earlier, when French explorer Samuel de Champlain founded a settlement at Port Royal, now a national historic site in his riding.

CBC responded that the two-hour show focused on the Quebec City area because it has maintained a permanent population without interruption from 1608 onward — unlike Port Royal, which went briefly unoccupied during its early history. ■

29

Sports UP revokes recommendation of Promoter says Adonis regent Farolan’s reappointment Stevenson in stable after UAAP champ statements condition after knockout

BY GIANNA LLANES Philippine Canadian Inquirer THE UNIVERSITY of the Philippines (UP) Board of Regents disassociated with Regent Frederick “Spocky” Farolan after his Facebook statements of sarcasm telling his followers to “choose the three Ateneo players [that they] want [to be] injured for Wednesday’s Game 2” and suggesting a rumble between UP fraternities and Ateneo fraternities, which were posted after Game 1 of the championship series last Saturday, December 1.

Despite the Palace’s statements to give the Duterte-appointed official “the benefit of the doubt,” the State University withdrew its recommendation for the reappointment of Regent Farolan to the Board of Regents after his two-year term ended last month. UP President Danilo Concepcion also apologized for any “anxiety” that Farolan’s statements may have caused officially stating, “Whatever his motives may have been, there is no excuse for sowing fear and confusion, especially at a time when the University’s attention should have been focused on the rising successes of its athletic program. We view with extreme

THE CANADIAN PRESS

Regent Frederick “Spocky” Farolan.

disapproval and strongly condemn violence in any form.”

Concepcion added that, “[The statements] do not in any way represent the values of the University, and the high esteem in which it holds sportsmanship, fair play, and civility in athletics as well as in other aspects of our academic and social life,” and that he is “extremely disappointed” with the regent’s words.

Senator Kiko Pangilinan agreed with the school’s decision and even expressed that he believes “Regent Farolan should tender his resignation as member of the UP Board of Regents immediately” because “his views expressed on social media are totally unacceptable and a disgrace to the University of the Philippines.”

However, in the midst of UP’s

MAR MANINGAS / FACEBOOK

strong distancing from Farolan, the State University’s President for Public Affairs Dr. Jose Dalisay clarified on DZMM Teleradyo that the Board can “only recommend,” but “the ultimate appointing authority is the President.”

In April 2018, Farolan also made headlines after responding on social media to negative comments about UP’s delayed release of College Admission Test results.

While both UP and Ateneo communities are awaiting how the situation regarding Farolan will unfold, they are also anticipating Game Two of the bestof-three University Athletics Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 81 finals, where UP will have to do-or-die on Wednesday, December 5. ■

QUEBEC — Canadian boxer Adonis Stevenson has reportedly been upgraded from critical to stable condition, although he remains in an induced coma after being knocked out Saturday night in his light heavyweight title fight in Quebec City.

The report comes from boxing promoter Yvon Michel, who tweeted updates throughout the day on Sunday.

“The state of Adonis has gone from critical towards stable from yesterday to today which is a relatively good news. He is in controlled sedation to facilitate his recuperation.” tweeted Michel. “His family, his wife Simone and Groupe Yvon Michel would like to thank the many people who have taken the time to send comforting messages.

“New information will be published as we get it. No other comments will be made until then.”

Earlier on Sunday, Michel tweeted that Stevenson was in intensive care and that family members have asked that his privacy be respected.

Oleksandr Gvozdyk stopped Stevenson with a violent knockout at 2:49 of the 11th round to

take his World Boxing Council light heavyweight title.

The 41-year-old Stevenson was put on a stretcher after the bout and left Videotron Centre in an ambulance.

The Montreal-based fighter was making his 10th title defence since winning the belt against Chad Dawson in 2013 and was ahead on two of the judges’ cards and tied on the third when he was stopped.

The 31-year-old Gvozdyk, from the Ukraine, improved to 16-0.

Gvozdyk landed several strong blows at the beginning the round which left Stevenson faltering in the corners.

Stevenson appeared to recover, but a second volley of blows from Gvozdyk appeared to shift the momentum entirely in the Ukrainian’s favour.

Referee Michael Griffin stopped the fight after a third push, in which Gvozdyk landed a dozen or so blows without Stevenson being able to stop a single one.

Stevenson stayed down for several minutes before being able to sit up on a stool brought to the ring, and needed assistance to return to the dressing room.

Late Saturday, Michel said he’d spoken to the boxer im❱❱ PAGE 31 Promoter says

Visiting team Iran pulls off win on Gilas Pilipinas homecourt

BY GIANNA LLANES Philippine Canadian Inquirer DESPITE THEIR home-court advantage, Gilas Pilipinas was still not able to gain victory against the undermanned Iran in a 78-70 defeat for the FIBA Basketball World Cup Asian Qualifiers game that happened at the Mall of Asia (MOA) Arena on Monday, December 3.

Iran was led by Mohammad Jamshidi, who had to step up due to injuries of his teammates Hamed Haddadi and Samad Nikkhah Bahrami.

Jamshidi garnered a total of 26 points, seven assists, and four rebounds. Jayson Castro tried to answer back for his team and to redeem himself from his three-game suspension after the brawl that occurred last July. He totalled 19 points, five

rebounds, and two assists, followed by teammate Christian Standhardinger who contributed 17 points, eight rebounds, and two assists. However, it was not enough to win them the game, especially since the third-highest pointer Marcio Lassiter fouled out with 54.3 seconds remaining before the second half.

In the words of national team Head Coach Yeng Guiao about www.canadianinquirer.net

his players’ performance, “We still lacked maturity. We’re not cohesive as we want to be at this point. But the guys really tried their best.”

As a result of their loss, Gilas Pilipinas is currently at fourth place in Group 4 with a 5-5 record. Their most previous defeat was against Kazakhstan last Friday, November 30. Team Philippines fell behind Australia, Iran, and Japan, but they

must be within the top two of their tier in order to participate in the FIBA World Cup in China next year. Their next games are against Qatar on February 21 and Kazakhstan again on February 24.

This is not the first time the Philippines fell to Iran on their homecourt, as they had also previously faced each other at the MOA Arena for the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship. ■

30

Business Economic chill dulls Chinese appetite for some luxury brands

BY JOE MCDONALD The Associated Press BEIJING — The designer boutiques of Manhattan and Paris are feeling the chill of a Chinese economic slowdown that has hammered automakers and other industries.

That is jolting brands such as Louis Vuitton and Burberry that increasingly rely on Chinese customers who spend $90 billion a year on jewelry, clothes and other high-end goods. The industry already is facing pressure to keep up as China’s big spenders, mainstays for American and European retailers, shift to buying more at the spreading networks of luxury outlets in their own country.

Last week, Tiffany & Co. showed how much well-heeled Chinese tourists matter to retailers abroad. Shares in the jeweler known for $5,000 watches and $400 silver baby spoons fell 12 per cent after its CEO said they were spending less.

In Hong Kong, the top shopping destination for mainland travellers, only a dozen visitors were in Tiffany’s flagship store one afternoon last week. Many looked without buying.

“The name brand goods are too pricey,” said Zhou Jiqing, from the neighbouring mainland city of Shenzhen. “I’m waiting for the Christmas sale.”

Forecasters including Euromonitor International and Bain & Co. say Chinese customers will be the luxury industry’s main growth engine over the next decade. But this year, shoppers are skittish amid cooling economic growth, trade tension with Washington and weak real estate and stock markets.

“Consumers are just not as excited about spending that kind of money right now,” said Ben Cavender of China Market Research Group.

Demand for Tom Ford suits and Jimmy Choo shoes held up

better than some other Chinese spending as economic activity slowed following a government clampdown on bank lending to cool a debt boom.

China’s economy, the world’s second largest, is forecast to grow by a relatively robust 6.5 per cent this year, easing from 2017’s 6.7 per cent. But that is propped up by higher government spending on public works construction that helps to mask weakness in other areas.

Auto sales in the global industry’s biggest market plunged 13 per cent in October from a year earlier. Housing sales are so weak that some developers are cutting prices. The main Chinese stock market index is down 22 per cent from a year ago.

Even before the economy cooled, the industry was under pressure from shifts in Chinese tastes and buying habits.

Luxury brands, some of them centuries old, have raced to serve China as its consumers emerged as a powerhouse marAt the same time, Beijing has $85-95 billion. ket. stepped up efforts to reduce Meanwhile, the customs Brands designed watches, reliance on trade and encour- agency is cracking down on clothes and other goods for age self-sustaining economic informal imports by searchChinese tastes. Hermes created growth based on consumer ing the luggage of travellers reits first single-country brand, spending. Import taxes on lux- turning from Europe and other Shang Xia, for China. Depart- ury goods were cut to lure shop- shopping destinations. ment stores from London to pers home.

In November, a trader was Los Angeles sentenced to 10 hired Mandarinyears in prison speaking salesfor smuggling people. designer clothChinese tradLuxury brands, some of them ing from Hong ers fly home centuries old, have raced to serve Kong without from Paris or China as its consumers emerged as paying the mainRome with a powerhouse market. land’s higher stacks of designimport duty, acer bags and other cording to news goods to re-sell. reports.

The incentive “This shocked to shop abroad has eroded as Luxury spending abroad is the whole industry. Nobody major brands opened their Chi- forecast to keep rising, but not dares to continue to act as purna stores and prices fell closer as fast as in China. chasing agents,” said market to U.S. and European levels.

The share of spending that researcher Li Chengdong of “Now, lots of world brands goes to retailers in China Donge Investment Managehave shops in first-tier main- should rise from one-quarter ment Co. in Beijing. “This has land cities,” said Alex Bi, who of last year’s $90 billion to half an immediate impact on the was visiting Hong Kong from of 2025’s projected total of sales of the overseas retailers.” the mainland city of Guang- $170-190 billion, according to a Anxiety over possible terrorzhou. He and his sister, Jessica, Bain report this month. Under ist attacks has prompted some were window-shopping in the that scenario, spending abroad Chinese to avoid Paris, London bustling Kowloon district. would rise from $67 billion to and other shopping destinawww.canadianinquirer.net

SHINYA SUZUKI / FLICKR, CC BY 2.0

tions.

In the United States, retailers face pressure from China’s weak yuan, which makes prices in dollars more expensive for Chinese shoppers.

Tighter visa restrictions under President Donald Trump also make it harder for Chinese shoppers to get to the United States, said Cavender.

Chinese tourist arrivals in the United States fell 20 per cent from a year earlier to 880,000 in the three months ending in September, according to an estimate by the China Outbound Tourism Research Institute in Hamburg, Germany. The number going to France rose 20.7 per cent to 664,800 and those bound for Italy rose 18.9 per cent to 850,000.

“If people previously were going to the U.S. to buy an American luxury brand, that’s not their first choice anymore,” said Cavender. “They would rather go to Japan, New Zealand or someplace in Europe where the process is easier.” ■

Business

FRIDAY DECEMBER 7, 2018

31

Where are the drones? Amazon’s customers are still waiting

BY DAVID KOENIG AND JOSEPH PISANI The Associated Press JEFF BEZOS boldly predicted five years ago that drones would be carrying Amazon packages to people’s doorsteps by now.

Amazon customers are still waiting. And it’s unclear when, if ever, this particular order by the company’s founder and CEO will arrive.

Bezos made billions of dollars by transforming the retail sector. But overcoming the regulatory hurdles and safety issues posed by drones appears to be a challenge even for the world’s wealthiest man. The result is a blown deadline on his claim to CBS’ “60 Minutes” in December 2013 that drones would be making deliveries within five years.

The day may not be far off when drones will carry medicine to people in rural or remote areas, but the marketing hype around instant delivery of consumer goods looks more and more like just that — hype.

Drones have a short battery life, and privacy concerns can be a hindrance, too.

“I don’t think you will see delivery of burritos or diapers in the suburbs,” says drone analyst Colin Snow.

Drone usage has grown rapidly in some industries, but mostly outside the retail sector and direct interaction with consumers.

The government estimates

that about 110,000 commercial drones are operating in U.S. airspace, and the number is expected to soar to about 450,000 in 2022. They are being used in rural areas for mining and agriculture, for inspecting power lines and pipelines, and for surveying.

Amazon says it is still pushing ahead with plans to use drones for quick deliveries, though the company is staying away from fixed timelines.

“We are committed to making our goal of delivering packages by drones in 30 minutes or less a reality,” says Amazon spokeswoman Kristen Kish.

The Seattle-based online retail giant says it has drone development centres in the United States, Austria, France, Israel and the United Kingdom.

Delivery companies have been testing the use of drones to deliver emergency supplies and to cover ground quickly in less populated areas. By contrast, package deliveries would be concentrated in office parks and neighbourhoods where there are bigger issues around safety and privacy.

In May, the Trump administration approved a three-year program for private companies and local government agencies to test drones for deliveries, inspections and other tasks.

But pilot programs by major delivery companies suggest few Americans will be greeted by package-bearing drones any time soon. United Parcel Service tested launching a drone

from a delivery truck that was covering a rural route in Florida. DHL Express, the German delivery company, tested the use of drones to deliver medicine from Tanzania to an island in Lake Victoria.

Frank Appel, the CEO of DHL’s parent company, Deutsche Post AG, said “over the next couple of years” drones will remain a niche vehicle and not widely used. He said a big obstacle is battery life.

“If you have to recharge them every other hour, then you need so many drones and you have to orchestrate that. So good luck with that,” he told The Associated Press.

Appel said human couriers have another big advantage over drones: They know where customers live and which doorbell to ring. “To program that in IT is not that easy and not cheap,” he said.

Analysts say it will take years for the Federal Aviation Administration to write all the rules to allow widespread drone deliveries.

Snow, the CEO of Skylogic Research, says a rule permitting operators to fly drones beyond their line of sight — so critical to deliveries — is at least 10 years away. A method will be needed to let law enforcement identify drones flying over people — federal officials are worried about their use by terrorists.

While the rules are being written, companies will rely on waivers from the FAA to keep experimenting and running

10-year T-bond rate falls

BY JOANN VILLANUEVA Philippine News Agency MANILA — The rate of the Philippines’ re-issued 10-year Treasury bond (T-bond) fell to 6.975 percent Tuesday from 8.035 percent during the auction last November 6.

The Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) offered it for PHP15 billion and received bids more than three times over, amounting to PHP49.389 billion. The auction committee made a full

award.

“We continue to see the appetite of investors on the long end.

At the same time, they are locking in on the rates,” National Treasurer Rosalia De Leon told reporters after the auction.

De Leon said investors are expecting rates to continue declining in line with forecasts that the November 2018 inflation will be lower than 6.7 percent, which the country saw in September and October this year.

The Philippine Statistics Au-

thority (PSA) is scheduled to release the November 2018 inflation on Wednesday.

With the strong bids during Tuesday’s auction, De Leon said they will again offer the same tenor through the tap facility.

She, however, said they will not put a cap on the debt paper to be sold through the tap facility.

“We can upsize more than the PHP15 billion,” she said, citing that this will be based on the discretion of the auction committee. ■ www.canadianinquirer.net

Jeff Bezos.

small-scale pilot programs.

“People like DHL and the rest of them (will say), ‘Hey, we can deliver via drone this parcel package to this island,’ but that’s not the original vision that Amazon presented,” Snow says.

There is a long list of FAA rules governing drone flights.

They generally can’t fly higher than 400 feet, over many federal facilities, or within five miles of an airport. Night flights are forbidden. For the delivery business, the most biggest holdup is that the machines must remain within sight of the operator at all times.

In June, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine said the FAA’s was being overly conservative in its safety standards for drones. The group said FAA’s risk-averse attitude was holding back beneficial uses, such as drones helping firefighters who are battling a fierce blaze.

MATHIEU THOUVENIN / FLICKR, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Even before the criticism by the scientific panel, the FAA had begun to respond more quickly to operators’ requests for waivers from some rules, says Alan Perlman, founder of the Drone Pilot Ground School in Nashville, Tennessee. He said it is also getting easier and cheaper to buy liability insurance.

Bezos was mindful of the safety issues, telling “60 Minutes” back in 2013, “This thing can’t land on somebody’s head while they’re walking around their neighbourhood.”

That didn’t stop him from predicting that drones fed with GPS co-ordinates would be taking off and making deliveries in “four, five years. I think so. It will work, and it will happen.”

To Perlman, the billionaire’s optimism made perfect sense.

“When you’re in his world you think more about technology than regulations, and the (drone) technology is there,” Perlman said. ■

Promoter says... ❰❰ 29

mediately after the match and he appeared to be regaining his spirits.

However, Stevenson’s condition worsened after he left the shower, and he was taken to the l’Enfant-Jesus de Quebec hospital, which specializes in neurosurgery and head trauma.

A person who was present in the dressing room, but who did want wish to be named, said Stevenson could no longer stand at the time the decision was made.

In a press conference late

Saturday, Michel said Stevenson seemed disoriented and confused when he arrived at the hospital.

“We fear a concussion,” he said. “This is very worrying.”

Fellow Canadian boxer Jean Pascal tweeted about the incident on Sunday.

“Boxing is not a game, but a difficult and dangerous sport,” he wrote. “My prayers go to our champion Adonis and his family. It is hoped that he will recover quickly and for the better.

The QC and I are wholeheartedly with you Champ !!” ■

32

Technology New Zealand halts Huawei from SWS finds: 41% of Pinoys 5G upgrade over security fears are internet users

BY NICK PERRY The Associated Press WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND — New Zealand’s international spy agency on Wednesday halted mobile company Spark from using Huawei equipment in its planned 5G upgrade, saying it posed a “significant network security risk.”

The action follows a ban in Australia, where the Chinese telecommunications gciant was blocked in August from rolling out Australia’s 5G network due to security concerns.

In New Zealand, Huawei has previously helped build mobile networks. In March, Spark and Huawei showcased a 5G test site across the street from the Parliament, in a publicity move that was attended by then Broadcasting Minister Clare Curran.

The latest development could have diplomatic and economic implications for New Zealand, which relies on China as its largest trading partner but which is also part of the “Five Eyes” security alliance that includes the U.S., Britain, Canada and Australia.

New Zealand was the first developed nation to sign a freetrade deal with China in 2008, and China buys billions of dollars of New Zealand’s dairy exports each year, which are often used in making infant formula.

New Zealand’s previous conservative government had a close relationship with China.

But over the past year under liberal Prime Minister Jacin-

BY JOANNA BELLE DEALA Philippine Canadian Inquirer

OPEN GRID SCHEDULER/GRID ENGINE / FLICKR, CC BY 2.0

da Ardern, New Zealand has pulled back somewhat, embracing a warmer relationship with Japan and putting resources into the Pacific, in part to counter China’s growing influence there.

Huawei suffered a setback in the U.S. market in 2012 when a congressional report said it was a security risk and warned phone companies not to buy its equipment.

The private Chinese company was started by a former People’s Liberation Army major in 1987.

Spark is one of three main mobile network operators in New Zealand. The companies compete for customers over their own network of cell tow-

ers, using radio spectrum that is licensed from the government.

Spark said it is disappointed with the decision by New Zealand’s Government Communications Security Bureau. But the company said in a statement it’s confident it can still launch its 5G network by July 2020.

Spark said it had wanted to use Huawei 5G equipment in its planned Radio Access Network, which involves technology associated with cell tower infrastructure. The company said it has not yet had time to review the detailed reasoning behind the spy agency’s decision, or whether it will take further steps. ■

www.canadianinquirer.net

“The proportion of Internet users has always been higher in urban areas, at 54% in September (up by 1 point from 53% in ALMOST HALF of adult Fili- June), compared to rural areas, pinos are surfing the internet at 31% in September (up by 3 nowadays, the latest survey of points from 28% in June),” it Social Weather Stations (SWS) said. revealed on Tuesday, DecemThe SWS also revealed that ber 4. in terms of gender, there are In its Third Quarter 2018 many internet users who are Social Weather Survey, the women, which is at 42 percent, pollster asked its 1,500 sur- compared to men that only obvey respondents, “Kayo po ba tained 40 percent. ay nag-oonline It added that upang makapaginternet use coninternet o tinues to be the makapagpadala highest among The latest o makatanggap the youngsters, survey also ng mga email particularly in showed (Do you ever go the age bracket that college online to access of 18-24 years graduates the internet or old at 81 percent. have the send and receive It was followed highest email)?” by 25-34 years internet use at Responding to old at 65 percent, 73 percent. this, 41 percent then by 35-44 answered in the years old at 44 affirmative. This percent, 45-54 is one-point years old at 27 higher than the percent, and figure recorded in June 2018. lastly, by 55 years old and above The SWS noted that, in terms at 12 percent. of areas, Metro Manila remains The latest survey also showed to have the highest rate of in- that college graduates have the ternet use. From 60 percent in highest internet use at 73 perJune 2018, it said the propor- cent, followed by high school tion of internet users there graduates at 56 percent, elclimbed to 64 percent. ementary graduates at 26 Aside from Metro Manila, percent, and non-elementary internet use in Balance Luzon school graduates at nine peralso set a new record-high 47 cent. percent, beating its previous In conducting this survey last record of 43 percent.

September 15-23, the pollster Internet use in Visayas and used face-to-face interviews Mindanao, however, fell by nine to its respondents whose age points and two points, respec- ranges from 18 years old and tively. above nationwide. ■

Technology

FRIDAY DECEMBER 7, 2018

33

Mars touchdown: NASA spacecraft survives supersonic plunge

BY WAYNE PARRY The Associated Press CAPE CANAVERAL, FLA. — Minutes after touching down on Mars, NASA’s InSight spacecraft sent back a “nice and dirty” snapshot of its new digs.

Yet the dust-speckled image looked like a work of art to scientists.

The photo revealed a mostly smooth and sandy terrain around the spacecraft with only one sizable rock visible.

“I’m very, very happy that it looks like we have an incredibly safe and boring landing location,” project manager Tom Hoffman said after Monday’s touchdown. “That’s exactly what we were going for.”

A better image came hours later and more are expected in the days ahead, after the dust covers come off the lander’s cameras.

The spacecraft arrived at Mars after a perilous, supersonic plunge through its red skies that took just six minutes.

“Touchdown confirmed!” a flight controller called out just before 3 p.m. EST, setting off jubilation among scientists at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, who had waited in whiteknuckle suspense for word to reach across 100 million miles (160 million kilometres) of space.

It was NASA’s eighth successful landing at Mars since the 1976 Viking probes, and the

first in six years. NASA’s Curiosity rover, which arrived in 2012, is still on the move on Mars.

Because of the distance between Earth and Mars, it took eight minutes for confirmation to arrive, relayed by a pair of tiny satellites that had been trailing InSight throughout the six-month, 300-million-mile (482-million-kilometre) journey.

“Flawless,” declared JPL’s chief engineer, Rob Manning.

“Sometimes things work out in your favour.”

InSight, a $1 billion international project, includes a German mechanical mole that will burrow down 16 feet (5 metres) to measure Mars’ internal heat. The lander also has a French seismometer for measuring quakes, if they exist on our smaller, geologically calmer neighbour. Another experiment will calculate Mars’ wobble to reveal the makeup of the planet’s core.

Late Monday, NASA reported the spacecraft’s vital solar arrays were open and recharging its batteries.

Over the next few “sols” — or Martian days of 24 hours, 39 1/2 minutes — flight controllers will assess the health of InSight’s all-important robot arm and its science instruments. It will take months to set up and fine-tune the instruments, and lead scientist Bruce Banerdt said he doesn’t expect to start getting a stream of solid data until late next spring.

Banerdt called InSight’s first

‘Avengers’ director... ❰❰ 23

is the longest Marvel film ever.

“We’re about halfway through the editorial process and it’s standing about three hours right now. It’s a very complicated movie,” noted Russo. “It has a lot of characters in it and you know we are putting in the work, so we’ll see where it ends up, but it definitely has a lot of story in it.”

After back-to-back years with Avengers movies in 2018 and 2019, Russo said there is likely to be a break before the next one, with Disney finalizing

Tom Hoffman, InSight Project Manager, NASA JPL, left, and Bruce Banerdt, InSight Principal Investigator, NASA JPL, laugh together after reviewing the first image of Mars taken by the Mars InSight lander, Monday, Nov. 26, 2018.

NASA HQ PHOTO / FLICKR, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

snapshot of the surface the first bit of science, albeit “nice and dirty.” He said the image would be cleaned and the black specks would disappear. That photo came from a camera low on the lander. Late Monday, NASA released a clean photo taken by a higher camera that showed part of the lander and the landscape.

The 800-pound (360-kilogram) InSight is stationary and will operate from the same spot for the next two years, the duration of a Martian year.

“In the coming months and years even, history books will be rewritten about the interior of Mars,” said JPL’s director, Michael Watkins.

NASA went with its old, straightforward approach this time, using a parachute and braking engines to get InSight’s speed from 12,300 mph (19,800 kph) when it pierced the Martian atmosphere, about 77 miles (114 kilometres) up, to 5 mph (8kph) at touchdown. The

danger was that the spacecraft could burn up in the atmosphere or bounce off it.

Many Mars-bound spacecraft launched by the U.S., Russia and other countries have been lost or destroyed over the years, with a success rate of just 40 per cent, not counting InSight.

The three-legged InSight settled on the western side of Elysium Planitia, the plain that NASA was aiming for.

Museums, planetariums and libraries across the U.S. held viewing parties to watch the events unfold at JPL. NASA TV coverage was also shown on the giant screen in New York’s Times Square, where crowds huddled under umbrellas in the rain.

“What an amazing day for our country,” said Jim Bridenstine, presiding over his first Mars landing as NASA’s boss.

Mars’ well-preserved interior provides a snapshot of what Earth may have looked like fol-

lowing its formation 4.5 billion years ago, according to Banerdt.

While Earth is active seismically, Mars “decided to rest on its laurels” after it formed, he said.

By examining and mapping the interior of Mars, scientists hope to learn why the rocky planets in our solar system turned out so different and why Earth became a haven for life.

Still, there are no life detectors aboard InSight. NASA’s next mission, the Mars 2020 rover, will prowl for rocks that might contain evidence of ancient life. The question of whether life ever existed in Mars’ wet, watery past is what keeps driving NASA back to the fourth rock from the sun.

After InSight landed, the two experimental satellites zoomed past Mars, their main job done.

One took one last photo of the red planet that the satellites’ chief engineer, Andy Klesh, titled “farewell to InSight … farewell to Mars.” ■

iyon. Minsan sinasabi ko sa mga anak ko, marami nang walang trabaho sa atin, mabuti at hindi na kayo dadagdag pa at maibigay na lang ang oportunidad doon sa mga walang kakayahang makapag-abroad.

Ang Totoo: Sa ating panahon, ang pag-alis ng bansa ay hindi itinuturing na pagtalikod.

Hindi na ito pagtalikod, kundi pagharap sa hamon ng buhay.

Ito ay isa nang kabayanihan. ‘Di nga ba “bayani” na ang tawag sa mga nagtatrabaho sa abroad? ■

Tanong # 7 ANO’NG SUPORTA ANG IYONG KAILANGAN?

Tanong #5... a deal to acquire parts of 20th Century Fox, whose properties include the Marvel Comics characters the X-Men and Deadpool.

Russo said he doesn’t have direct knowledge of the plans of the masters of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but my guess would be that there be a little bit of time to integrate some of the other characters and take their time doing that.”

“Avengers 4” is scheduled for release May 3, 2019. ■

❰❰ 19

ma-depress.

Hindi naman kailangan maging mahal ang iyong paglilibang. Explore new places, make new friends, learn new things – be that a language, a culture, a recipe, a trade, a song, a hobby, a new job, etc.

Kaming mga nasa abroad na ay nasasaktan minsan kung ibinibintang sa amin ang pagtalikod at pagkalimot sa aming pinagmulan. May kani-kaniyang dahilan at circumstance ang bawa’t tao sa kanilang ginagawang desisyon at makabubuting unawain na lamang www.canadianinquirer.net

Abangan sa susunod na isyu:

Bolet is a marketing communications practitioner and dabbles in writing as a personal passion.

She is author-publisher of the book: The Most Practical Immigrating and Job Hunting Survival Guide, proven simple steps to success without the fears and the doubts. book is available in Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, Chapters/Indigo, the Reading Room and other online bookshops worldwide.

DECEMBER 7, 2018

34

CANADA

A reputed fast growing Plumbing & Heating company is Hiring full time Licensed Plumbers and Registered Apprentice.

Desired Qualification minimum 5 years for Plumber minimum 3 years for Apprentice G License with clean Driving record.

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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.)

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Take children to and from school and appointments, travel with family if needed.

APPLY BY EMAIL: melo.perez@outlook.com

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 offer 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 FOR 8 TIM HORTON STORES IN VANCOUVER Food Service Supervisors, Bakers, and Food Counter Attendants Permanent/Full Time. 6 mos.to 2 yrs. experience Salary range $13.00 to $14.70 per hour + benefits Willing to work shifts; Spoken English knowledge Anyone who is authorized to work in Canada can apply.

Send application w/complete work history and references to:

fmellin10@gmail.com

HIRING 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.

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 Let us travel up north!

BY CINDY FERRER Philippine News Agency ILOILO CITY — If you wish to explore the myriad of natural attractions that remain undiscovered by many, Northern Luzon is your destination – what with its mountain ranges, valleys, white sand beaches, and captivating sights, not to mention the rich culture of its locals.

Isabela

This province is not just the rice and corn granary of the Philippines. Isabela is also a good stop for tourists who would like to seek peace and tranquility in historical Roman Catholic churches.

Take the Our Lady of Pillar Parish Church in Cauayan City, for instance.

Its tower has been destroyed by violent earthquakes years ago, but the Church has maintained its colonial Baroque look, with its galvanized roofing and bricks standing the test of time. Its interiors would leave you in awe the moment you set foot at the entrance of the century-old place of worship, and the silence inside would make you sink to your knees in prayer.

About an hour-and-a-half away by bus is the St. Matthias Church in Tamauini town. Built in 1707, it is one of the country’s five Baroque churches submitted by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the World Heritage Centre.

Kalinga province

If you long for some quiet time and fancy spending time with indigenous people, the mountain village of Patiking, Tabuk City in Kalinga province is the place to visit. There to give you a warm welcome are local folks wearing their traditional costume – the bahag – which is made from a uniquely woven fabric that features designs inspired by nature.

Walking up to an eco-village, you would pass by spring-fed pools that make you want to take a quick dip.

Froilan Albert, owner of the ecovillage, is always excited to let visitors experience their exotic cuisine. Albert introduces guests to the ‘Sinursuran’, a spicy dish of pork liver seasoned with unique organic spices, and served with ‘Linundag’ or rice. Both are traditionally cooked in bamboo, with the dish and the rice separately wrapped in banana leaves. And no trip to Kalinga is complete without you tasting the ‘Basi’,

a fermented alcoholic drink made from sugarcane.

Cagayan

Two hours away from Kalinga is the town of Piat in Cagayan province. Piat is home to another historical church, the Basilica of Our Lady of Piat. Sculpted in Macau, the Lady of Piat is one of the oldest Marian images in the country.

The climb to the town’s hilltop to reach the red brick Romanesque church is all worth it because the image of the Lady is believed to be miraculous, healing many devotees since its arrival in 1610.

Tuguegarao City

About an hour from Piat is the Buntun Bridge, the gateway to the country’s “hottest” city, Tuguegarao. This bridge is the second longest in the Philippines and beneath runs the peaceful Cagayan River.

Pinacanauan River

Buntun Bridge, the country's longest river bridge.

guide at an early age. Now 22 years old, he passionately provides visitors relevant information about the cave and even suggests ways to take photographs to make the cave appear unique. In 2015, Andoy was among the recipients of the Tourism Star Philippines award of the Department of Tourism (DOT).

Gonzaga, Cagayan

MIKHAILDERIVERA / WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Another exciting site in Cagayan is the San Jose Marine Reserve and Fish Sanctuary in Sitio Matara, San Jose, Gonzaga town, a three-hour ride from the city proper. The marine protected area covers 286.413 hectares, 214.134 hectares of which has been declared a marine reserve and 72.279 hectares, a marine ❱❱ PAGE 38 Let us

The name is a real tongue twister but this river deserves to be on your bucket list.

The Pinacanauan River in Peñablanca town, about 30 minutes from Tuguegarao, is one of the major tributaries of the Cagayan River. From here, your eyes can feast on the beauty of the majestic Sierra Madre, the longest mountain range in the country, as you cruise in the river’s crystal clear waters.

Guests can go boating from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. to see the skies darken, as colonies of bats fly out of the mouth of a cave on top of a mountain.

Callao cave

184 steps — that is the number of step you need to climb to reach this famous limestone cave, just a stone’s throw away from the Pinacanauan River.

In 2007, this cave was put under the spotlight after a team of archaeologists from the University of the Philippines and National Museum unearthed a 67,000-year-old fossil.

But the sight to behold here is one of the cave’s seven chambers, which has a narrow opening - where rays of light stream down on the altar of the chapel inside, making it a must-see natural attraction. A solemn but magical wedding, anyone?

The cave’s tour guide, Gerry Bie Andoy, popularly known as “Andoy, ang Batang Tour Guide”, has also been featured in various national television networks. Andoy began as a volunteer tour

# 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

36

Travel

DECEMBER 7, 2018

‘It’s a little more wild:’ Surfers catch waves off Nova Scotia year round

BY ALY THOMSON The Canadian Press EAST LAWRENCETOWN, N.S. — Californian Daniel Fahie is going surfing, but it’s not what you think.

Clad in snug winter wetsuits, Fahie and his 15-year-old daughter Miranda carry two surfboards under their arms towards Nova Scotia’s Lawrencetown Beach and plunge bellyfirst into the frigid waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

It’s hovering around 1 C at the picturesque beach on the province’s Eastern Shore, renowned for its waves and year-round surfing.

“We woke up this morning and saw snow and said, ‘Let’s go to the ocean!’ That’s what normal people do, right?” said 53-year-old Daniel Fahie, a beginner surfer who is from the Halifax area but has lived in California for two decades.

“It’s fun and it’s great for her to get out and experience what’s it’s like to be in the water in the cold.”

Many assume that surfing is a summer-only activity, but Nova Scotia’s consistent offshore weather during the winter months makes for spectacular waves up to five days a week, surfer Pete Cove says.

“That’s what’s so appealing as a surfer to want to get in the water when it’s -2 C in the water and -20 C in the air,” said Cove, who works with the East Lawrencetown-based East Coast Surf School.

“We have absolutely amazing conditions with a fairly small community of surfers.”

The school — founded by Nova Scotia professional surfer Nico Manos — offers surfing lessons by appointment all year at Lawrencetown Beach Provincial Park, a scenic 30-minute drive from downtown Halifax.

This year, the school is also running a series of group surfing lessons from December through May at White Point Beach Resort in White Point, N.S. Winter surfing looks a lot like summer surfing, but with more clothing.

The Fahies wore big smiles as they paddled their surfboards

Ryan Lui... ❰❰ 22

not write, I deny some part of me. I deny myself life and a reason for my being.”

As Ryan takes holds his pen, he only does not recognize it as his passion that gives him pleasure, but he senses a new purpose in writing.

Just like how the books and words affect him, as a writer, somehow Ryan wishes to give the same effect back.

“I believe words and ideas can change people. And when people change, the world changes. Now I am not that naïve to think that the world will change because of my writing, but even if one person could benefit from something I enjoy doing, why would I not write?”

Being is Greater than Doing

straight into the waves and eventually attempted to pop up on their boards. They appeared unphased by the chilly ocean water.

Cove compared surfing on a cold day to skiing or snowboarding on a cold day — the winter wetsuits cover almost your entire body and keep you “quite warm.”

“I don’t think there’s any feeling like catching a wave and having the energy of a wave propel you towards shore on a board,” said Cove, a former professional lifeguard who has been surfing for 13 years.

He warned that absolute beginners face a steep learning curve, but the school has an 80 per cent success rate of students standing on their board during the first lesson.

“You don’t have to be a pro to have an absolute blast in the water,” said Cove, standing on a boardwalk under a cold rain as waves crashed into the rugged shoreline.

“Often times our students have a really good time belly riding and if that’s their goal, to just have fun and catch a wave and only ride it on their stomach, then that’s a success for us.”

Cove conceded many people, even locals, are surprised you can surf in Nova Scotia at all, let alone during the province’s harsh winter months.

“We’re a little bit off the beat-

en path. It’s something that is unique to this area that people don’t expect that you can actually do, and it’s a little more wild,” said Cove.

He said Nova Scotia surfing is “world-class.”

“If you look at the coastline here, it’s pretty spectacular.

You don’t have the massive crowds that you have in most places that are really known for surfing. It’s a great spot for learning, but also to grow as a surfer and become an expertlevel surfer as well.”

If you go...

East Coast Surf School offers winter surfing lessons and rentals by appointment at Lawrencetown Beach. A one hour beginner lesson with a full day rental costs $75. A surfboard rental is $20, and a wetsuit rental is $20. www.ecsurfschool.com.

The school is also running a series of group surfing lessons from December through May at White Point Beach Resort in White Point, N.S. The lesson is $100, or $90 for overnight guests of the resort, and includes a winter wetsuit, surf board, dry-land orientation, two-hour lesson and a post-surf warm up in the pool. To check out dates, visit www.whitepoint.com and to reserve your spot, call 1 800 565 5068 ext 1 at least seven days prior to the preferred date. ■

FRIDAY

The previous paragraphs revealed Ryan Lui as someone who wanted to touch people’s lives through writing. With so much story to tell from the changes that his calling brought to him, Ryan knew that the best way to do this is by his own words. His wish to do this manifested in writing his very own book – “Being is Greater than Doing.”

“For a long time, even to this day, I have struggled finding my place in the world and where I fit in. What should I do with my life? How should I measure it? Through my studies and experiences, I have become convinced that life is about becoming somebody. A specific sort of person. Someone who loves deeply, embraces their brokenness, gives to others, and lives by values.”

Meeting different kinds of people in his life has changed Ryan’s perspective on how life should be lived and how the world can change. He’s come to

believe that people’s lives and the world will become better as people become better.

Ryan reveals that he considers this book as his baby – created out of love and labor. He says that although it is a guide to life for anyone, this book is foremost, written to himself.

“If there might be one message that I need to hear for the rest of my life, it is that being is greater than doing. That personal transformation is worth more than gold. I need to say that to myself over and over everyday, so I don’t get lost among all the various temptations and distractions of the world.”

“I need to remember, that life is about being and becoming. Being me and becoming my best.. ..”

For this author, accomplishments are not the sparkles of gold but to succeed in becoming kinder, having more compassion, love, care, and joy.

“You should read this book if you want your best life possible.

If you aren’t sure if what you’re doing, is what you should be doing. If you need motivation and encouragement in being who you were made to be. And if you wish to have a greater impact on those in your life.”

“What possible downside can there be in slowing down and taking the time to think about your life and the person you are becoming?”

When Ryan found his purpose, the void of confusion just melted into nothing but joy and satisfaction that are deep in his heart.

“It’s why I believe that finding our calling is the key to many of our challenges.”

All of these were answered simply by listening and responding to that one call. ■

SUPPLIED

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37

Food For a classic meatballs in marinara, turn to the multicooker AMERICA’S TEST KITCHEN IT’S HARD to find anyone who doesn’t love a bowl of spaghetti topped with meatballs and marinara, but stovetop versions are often messy (between the spattering oil from frying the meatballs and the sputtering tomato sauce), and the sauce requires a long simmering time to develop rich, deep flavour.

We turned to the multicooker for the neatest and most efficient method for making classic meatballs in marinara. Meatloaf mix provided a combination of ground beef, pork, and veal all in one, making our grocery list short without sacrificing flavour.

The meatballs were a bit dry, so we added an egg and a panade—a paste of bread and milk—for the moisture the meatballs needed, creating tender meatballs that would also hold their shape.

We seared the meatballs until they were crisp and brown; the deep pot of the multicooker kept spattering to a minimum, and the fond made a flavourful foundation for our marinara.

We cooked some aromatics, added crushed tomatoes and

tomato puree, and returned the meatballs to the pot.

From there, we could either briefly pressure cook the mixture, or leave it unattended to gently cook for the next few hours on the slow cook setting.

Either way, we never had to worry about splattering grease or sauce.

The final product was a pot full of flavourful and tender yet firm meatballs in a robust, savory tomato sauce. If you cannot find meatloaf mix, substitute 8 ounces 85 per cent lean ground beef and 8 ounces ground pork.

Meatballs and marinara

Servings: 4-6 Pressure cook total time: 1 hour Show cook total time: 4 hours 30 minutes • 2 slices hearty white sandwich bread, torn into 1/2 inch pieces • 1/4 cup whole milk • 1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (1/2 cup) • 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley • 1 large egg, lightly beaten • 6 garlic cloves, minced • Salt and pepper • 1 pound meatloaf mix

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil • 2 tablespoons minced fresh oregano or 2 teaspoons dried • 1 tablespoon tomato paste • 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes • 1 (28 ounce) can tomato puree • 1 pound spaghetti • 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil Using fork, mash bread and milk into paste in large bowl.

Stir in Parmesan, parsley, egg, half of garlic, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Add meatloaf mix and knead with hands until thoroughly combined. Pinch off and roll mixture into 12 meatballs (about 1/4 cup each).

Using highest saute or browning function, heat oil in multicooker for 5 minutes (or until just smoking). Brown meatballs on all sides, 6 to 8 minutes; transfer to plate.

Add oregano, tomato paste, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining garlic to fat left in multicooker and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes and tomato puree, scraping up any browned bits. Gently nestle meatballs into sauce, adding any accumulated juices.

To pressure cook: Lock lid in

MANDA_WONG / FLICKR, CC BY 2.0

place and close pressure release valve. Select high pressure cook function and cook for 15 minutes. Turn off multicooker and quick-release pressure. Carefully remove lid, allowing steam to escape away from you.

To slow cook: Lock lid in place and open pressure release valve. Select low slow cook function and cook until meatballs are tender, 3 to 4 hours. (If using Instant Pot, select high slow cook function and increase cooking range to 4 to 5 hours.)

Turn off multicooker and carefully remove lid, allowing steam to escape away from you.

Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add

pasta and 1 tablespoon salt and cook, stirring often, until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water, then drain pasta and return it to pot. Add several spoonfuls of sauce (without meatballs) and basil and toss to combine. Add reserved cooking water as needed to adjust consistency. Serve pasta with remaining sauce and meatballs. ■ Nutrition information per serving: 593 calories; 173 calories from fat; 19 g fat (6 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 93 mg cholesterol; 667 mg sodium; 77 g carbohydrate; 5 g fiber; 10 g sugar; 28 g protein.

Crinkle cookies look pretty but can they taste better?

AMERICA’S TEST KITCHEN ROLLED IN powdered sugar before baking, chocolate crinkle cookies (often called earthquakes) feature chocolaty fissures that break through the bright white surface during baking. While striking in appearance, these cookies often fall short on taste.

Using a combination of cocoa powder and unsweetened bar chocolate rather than bittersweet chocolate (which con-

tains sugar) certainly upped the intensity, and swapping brown sugar for the granulated created a complex sweetness.

At this point, the cookies had deep, rich flavour, but the exterior cracks were too few and too wide, and the cookies weren’t spreading enough. Using a combination of baking soda and baking powder helped—the bubbles produced by the leaveners rose to the surface and burst, leaving fissures—but the cracks gapped.

We had been refrigerating this fluid dough overnight be-

fore portioning and baking the cookies, but the cold dough didn’t begin to spread very much until after that dried exterior had formed, forcing the cracks to open wide. The solution was to bake the cookies after letting the dough sit at room temperature for 10 minutes, which was just enough time for the dough to firm up to a scoopable consistency.

Chocolate crinkle cookies

Servings: 22 Start to finish: 1 hour

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• 1 cup (5 ounces) all-purpose flour • 1/2 cup (1 1/2 ounces) unsweetened cocoa powder • 1 teaspoon baking powder • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda • 1/2 teaspoon salt • 1 1/2 cups packed (10 1/2 ounces) brown sugar • 3 large eggs • 4 teaspoons instant espresso powder (optional) • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract • 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter • 1/2 cup granulated sugar

• 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in bowl.

Whisk brown sugar; eggs; espresso powder, if using; and vanilla together in large bowl.

Microwave chocolate and butter in bowl at 50 per cent power, stirring occasionally, until melted, 2 to 3 minutes. ❱❱ PAGE 38 Crinkle cookies

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Food

DECEMBER 7, 2018

FRIDAY

Let us... ❰❰ 35

sanctuary. The coastal community, scientists and technical experts have joined hands to ensure the area’s sustainability.

Gonzaga’s white sand beach and crystal blue waters are perfect for snorkeling and boating.

You could even climb various rock formations to enjoy the breeze and an exciting view of the waters.

Familiarization Tour

Tour operators and tourism officers took members of the media from various parts of the country to a five-day Familiarization Tour last Nov. 13-16 as the DOT 2 (Cagayan Valley) strengthens its promotion of the “gems of the north” to bring in more tourists.

Virgilio Maguigad, DOT-2 director, stressed the need to expand the Northern Philippines’ tourism markets and introduce emerging destinations to people in the Visayas and Mindanao.

“The biggest market for tourism in our country are still the local tourists. We would like to have a closer relation with the source markets because Visayas and Mindanao are urbanized and they have easy access to our region through the increased airline companies connecting us,” he said.

According to Maguigad, the Cagayan Valley and Cordillera regions are ideal for adventurers and the culture conscious.

“This is really a good opportunity for our tour operators to exchange clients and explore possibilities to expand tourism offerings in the whole country,” he said.

With the new route offered

by Philippine Airlines from CIark International Airport to Cauayan Airport in Cauayan City, Isabela, Maguidad said tourists now have a new option in going north. ■ Previously, PAL only flies to Tuguegarao City.

Crinkle cookies... ❰❰ 37

Whisk chocolate mixture into egg mixture until combined.

Fold in flour mixture until no dry streaks remain. Let dough sit at room temperature for 10 minutes.

Spread granulated sugar in shallow dish. Spread confectioners’ sugar in second shallow dish. Working in batches, drop 2-tablespoon mounds of dough (or use #30 scoop) directly into granulated sugar and roll to coat. Transfer dough balls to confectioners’ sugar and roll to coat; space dough balls evenly on prepared sheets, 11 per sheet.

Bake cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until they are puffed and cracked and edges have begun to set but centres are still soft (cookies will look raw between cracks and seem underdone), about 12 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking.

Let cookies cool on sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack. Let cookies cool completely before serving. ■ Nutrition information per serving: 165 calories; 50 calories from fat; 6 g fat (3 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 35 mg cholesterol; 103 mg sodium; 29 g carbohydrate; 2 g fiber; 22 g sugar; 3 g protein.

RUTH HARTNUP / FLICKR, CC BY 2.0

Tenderize and tackle tough short ribs in a sous vide bath AMERICA’S TEST KITCHEN BEEF SHORT ribs are a prime example of how the precise control of time and temperature afforded by sous vide cooking can affect a piece of meat.

Short ribs are a tougher cut, with a good amount of collagen and intramuscular fat so they are traditionally braised to a fall-apart texture. But with sous vide, you can achieve short ribs that have a texture similar to a medium-rare steak or you can deliver a more traditional flaky, braised texture—or land almost anywhere in between.

For this recipe, we were looking for a fall-apart tender, pot roast-style texture, so we decided on a higher-temperature water bath (160 F) while keeping the cooking time under 24 hours.

This cooking time and temperature combination allowed us to break down this tough cut’s intramuscular collagen, tenderizing the meat while keeping it moist and preserving a rosy interior from edge to edge.

To make things even easier, we frontloaded the work. We quickly seared the short ribs, and then we built a sauce with traditional pot roast ingredients: mirepoix, tomato paste, red wine, beef broth, and herbs.

We bagged up the beef and sauce together for their sous vide bath.

Afterward, we strained the sauce and briefly reduced it on the stovetop, we poured it over the tender short ribs and finished the dish with a sprinkling www.canadianinquirer.net

of fresh parsley. Easy pot roast, no pot or roasting required.

Make sure that the ribs are at least 4 inches long and 1 inch thick. Be sure to double-bag the ribs to protect against seam failure.

Short rib pot roast

Servings: 4 Sous vide time: 20-24 hours (Active time: 1 hour) • 3 1/2 pounds boneless beef short ribs, trimmed • Salt and pepper • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil • 1 large onion, chopped • 2 celery ribs, chopped • 1 carrot, peeled and chopped • 1 tablespoon tomato paste • 1 garlic clove, minced • 1 cup dry red wine • 1 cup beef broth • 8 sprigs fresh thyme • 2 bay leaves • 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley Using sous vide circulator, bring water to 160 F in 7-quart container.

Pat ribs dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in Dutch oven over mediumhigh heat until just smoking.

Brown half of ribs on all sides, 8 to 12 minutes; transfer to plate.

Repeat with remaining 1 tablespoon oil and ribs.

Add onion, celery, carrot, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper to fat left in pot and cook over medium heat until softened and lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and garlic and cook un-

til fragrant, about 1 minute.

Stir in wine, scraping up any browned bits, and cook until reduced by half, 2 to 4 minutes.

Stir in broth and simmer for 2 minutes. Transfer mixture to blender and process until smooth, about 1 minute.

Divide ribs, sauce, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves between two 1-gallon zipper-lock freezer bags and toss to coat. Arrange ribs in single layer and seal bags, pressing out as much air as possible. Place each bag in second 1-gallon zipper-lock freezer bag and seal bags. Gently lower bags into prepared water bath until ribs are fully submerged, and then clip top corner of each bag to side of water bath container, allowing remaining air bubbles to rise to top of bag. Reopen 1 corner of each zipper, release remaining air bubbles, and reseal bags. Cover and cook for at least 20 hours or up to 24 hours.

Using tongs, transfer ribs to serving dish. Tent with aluminum foil and let rest while finishing sauce. Strain cooking liquid through fine-mesh strainer into medium saucepan, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible; discard solids. Bring to simmer over medium heat and cook until reduced to 2 cups, 4 to 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Spoon sauce over ribs, sprinkle with parsley, and serve. ■ Nutrition information per serving: 464 calories; 211 calories from fat; 23 g fat (10 g saturated; 0 g trans fats);135 mg cholesterol; mg sodium; 6 g carbohydrate; 1 g fiber; 2 g sugar; 44 g protein.

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FRIDAY DECEMBER 7 2018

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40

DECEMBER 7, 2018

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FRIDAY

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