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FEBRUARY 8, 2019

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VOL. 1 NO. 356

WELCOMING THE 'YEAR OF THE PIG'

Chinatown’s Filipino-Chinese residents and visitors watch a colorful and lively "dragon dance" beside the Binondo Church in Manila, in celebration of the Chinese New Year on February 5, 2019. The dragon dance is one of the highlights of the Lunar New Year festivities as it is believed to bring good luck. Story on page 25.

GIL CALINGA / PNA

Duterte meets kin of soldiers killed in 2 Sulu tragedies

BY AZER PARROCHA Philippine News Agency MANILA — President Rodrigo R. Duterte has met with families of the soldiers killed in two Sulu tragedies — the twin bomb blasts in Jolo on January 27 and the encounter with Abu Sayyaf bandits in Patikul on February 2.

Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said the private meeting with the families of the six soldiers killed in Jolo and Patikul took place at the Matina Enclaves, Davao City.

Panelo noted that Duterte offered sympathies to the soldiers’ families, honored their heroism, and assured

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Heightened security at the airport — What it means

19 Miss World Philippines 2018: My First Pageant

❱❱ PAGE 12 Duterte meets

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❱❱ PAGE 27

US sees limitations on reuniting migrant families

Philippine News

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FEBRUARY 8, 2019

FRIDAY

Duterte knows how to take care of himself: Palace

BY AZER PARROCHA Philippine News Agency MANILA — President Rodrigo R. Duterte is “conscientious” of his health, Malacañang assured anew following rumors on the chief executive’s demise.

Rumors on the President’s death resurfaced after he skipped an event in Palo, Leyte on Friday since he was not feeling well.

Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo, however, assured that the President remains in good health, stressing that taking a break from work shows how he refuses to strain his body.

“The President is conscientious of his health and he puts a break to his activities if he feels his body is not up to it,” Panelo said in a statement Sunday night.

“In other words, he knows how to take care of himself and does not perform any activity beyond what is necessary or is

Panelo further said that they by the detractors’ propensity of harmful to his physical being,” seem to be unable to accept that running berserk in putting the he added.

Panelo said the President the President is “indestructible President in a bad light or respent the weekend resting and and apparently immune from moving him from the physical reassured the public that they serious illness despite his pun- plane in their minds,” he said.

He, meanwhile, thanked supshould not feel concerned about ishing schedule.”

“Obviously, the intention is porters who continue to pray his absence in some events.

“We assure our countrymen to bring anxiety and apprehen- for the President’s health.

“We thank those who pray that PRRD remains in robust sion to the majority of the Filihealth and is just resting in his pinos who believe and admire for the President’s good health Davao home for the weekend his unorthodox but effective that he may continue fulfilling his promises to the nation purwhile preparing for the com- type of governance,” he added. suant to his coning week’s gruelstitutional duty ing schedule,” he of serving and said. protecting the P a n e l o people,” Panelo slammed the In other words, he knows how to take care of himself and does not said. death hoax, deperform any activity beyond what On Sunday afscribing it as is necessary or is harmful to his ternoon, Duterte “fake news” physical being. himself quashed peddled by critics and detracrumors of his supposed death tors who cannot by going live on accept that the President is “unstoppable.”

Panelo also said he was Facebook and quipping about “When they hear PRRD can- “amused” by detractors’ ten- asking viewers to pray for his celling a day’s activities, they dency to spread rumors about eternal rest.

“For those who believe in the use it as an excuse to spread the the President’s death. false news that he is either in “We are sorry to disappoint news that I passed away, then I serious health condition or has the ill-wishers and the rumor- request of you, please pray for the passed away,” he said. mongers even as we are amused eternal repose of my soul. Thank

you,” Duterte said in one of three live videos shared by his partner, Cielito “Honeylet” Avanceña on her Facebook account.

Duterte mocked reports of his death by addressing viewers that he would schedule an interview with “God.” He also asked clergymen to send out a message, if they had any, and drug pushers to make their last wishes because he would send them to either heaven or hell.

“My reaction to my passing away. I will ask God first if he’s available for interview, kasi pupunta na ako dun (because I’m going there),” Duterte said.

“Ano mga mensahe ninyo?

Dadalhin ko. Pari, obsipo, lahat. And ’yung last wish ng mga durugista, ilista ninyo. Ako na ang magdala doon sa langit o sa impiyerno. Depende lang (What are your messages? I’ll relay them. Priests, bishops, everyone. And the last wishes of drug pushers, list them. I’ll bring them either to heaven or hell. It depends),” he added. ■

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Philippine News

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FEBRUARY 8, 2019

Bello hopeful PRRD will sign expanded maternity leave bill

BY FERDINAND PATINIO Philippine News Agency MANILA — Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Silvestre Bello III is confident that President Rodrigo Duterte will sign into law a proposed measure that will extend the maternity leave for female workers in the country.

Bello noted that the bill is a priority legislation for the DOLE. “We strongly support its passage into law to provide the working women with ample maternal care and ensure their safety and health. We have actively pushed the passage of this bill,” he said in a statement Saturday.

Bello added that concerned government agencies, including the tripartite council have reviewed the bill.

“We exerted efforts on this and I have high hopes it is signed by the President very soon,” the labor chief said.

He emphasized that the proposed legislation is consistent with local and international instruments that promote the rights of women.

“Female workers who avail of the benefits of the expanded maternity benefits shall likewise be assured of the security of tenure,” he added.

The bill aims to grant additional maternity leave benefits to all female workers regardless of civil status or the legitimacy of her child.

From the current 60 days, working women shall enjoy 105 days of maternity leave with full pay and an option to be extended for an additional 30 days

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Female workers qualified solo parents, meanwhile, shall be granted an additional 15-day maternity leave with full pay.

In the government sector, the proposed law is applicable to all female workers regardless of employment status while in the private sector, a female Social Security System (SSS) member who has paid at least three monthly contributions in the 12-month period immediately preceding the semester of her childbirth, miscarriage, or emergency termination of pregnancy shall be paid her daily maternity benefit, which shall be computed based on her average monthly salary credit for 105 days.

Likewise, women workers in the informal economy are entitled to maternity leave benefits if they have remitted to the SSS at least three-month contributions in the 12-month period immediately preceding the semester of her childbirth, miscarriage, or emergency termination of pregnancy.

Female national athletes are also covered by the proposed law upon evaluation of a physician from the Philippine Sports Commission.

She shall continue receiving her allowance and be entitled to the same maternity benefits.

The International Labor Organization (ILO) Maternity Protection Convention of 2000 sets the maternity leave to 14 weeks, including a period of six weeks compulsory leave after childbirth.

Aside from Malaysia, the Philippines is one of the ASEAN countries that have the shortest maternity leave duration. ■

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PCOO ‘resources’ available for BOL’s success

BY AZER PARROCHA Philippine News Agency MANILA — The Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) will make all resources related to the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) available to public, its Secretary said.

PCOO Secretary Martin Andanar made this promise saying it was former Presidential Assistant on the Peace Process Jesus Dureza who reminded Andanar to ensure that the public, especially Muslim Filipinos, have access to BOL documents.

“Mula noong napirmahan po iyong BOL ng ating mahal na Pangulong Duterte, kami po ay nag-usap ng dating OPAPP Secretary Jess Durezatungkol diyan (Since the BOL was signed by our beloved President Duterte, OPAPP Secretary Jess Dureza and I have talked about disseminating information on the BOL),” Andanar said in an interview over Radyo Pilipinas on Saturday (Feb. 2).

“At ang pakiusap niya sa akin ay (And his request to me was) just make all of the government resources available for our Muslim brothers and sisters ng (in the) Moro Islamic Liberation Front…because we don’t really want to control or to manage their narrative on the story,” he added.

Andanar pointed out that all state-run media will also do its part in delivering news to better equip the public with knowledge on what is stipulated in the BOL. “Our duty is to make our resources available for all of them which is again, Radyo Pilipinas, PTV, Philippine News Agency at PIA (Philippine Information Agency),” Andanar said.

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Under the government’s Freedom of Information (FOI) program, all executive departments, agencies, bureaus, and offices are required to make public records, contracts, transactions, and any information requested by a member of the public, except for sensitive information and matters affecting national security.

Andanar vowed that PCOO will do its part in ensuring the safety of media personnel during the second plebiscite on the ratification of the BOL which will take place on Feb. 6 in six Lanao del Norte towns and in 67 villages in North Cotabato.

“We have to cooperate with our government; we have to cooperate with the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines); we cooperate with the Philippine National Police and our local government units. Sapagkat that is the surest way na masiguro natin iyong ating kaligtasan(Because this is the surest way that we can ensure safety),” Andanar said.

Meanwhile, Andanar also defended martial law in Mindanao from critics who claimed it was not necessary since bombings in Jolo, Sulu and Zamboanga City the past week happened despite its imposition.

“Huwag na silang makialam sa martial law sa Mindanao sapagkat maayos naman. (Critics should stop meddling with martial law in Mindanao because it’s doing well),” Andanar said.

“Ayaw natin na mahaluan na naman ng mga terrorist groups itong ating peaceful resolution for our Mindanao through the Bangsamoro Organic Law (We don’t want our peaceful resolution for Mindanao through the Bangsamoro Organic Law to be mixed up with terrorist groups),” he added. ■

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FRIDAY FEBRUARY 8, 2019

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Philippine News

FEBRUARY 8, 2019

FRIDAY

Comelec includes Bill lowering criminal socmed use in poll liability age, ‘pro-poor’: Sotto campaign rules

BY FERDINAND PATINIO Philippine News Agency

The poll body said that “Social Media Account” refers to a user’s personalized access to a social networking site or appliMANILA — The Commission cation. Typically using a useron Elections (Comelec) has in- name and password combinacluded the use of social media tion. propaganda in the rules and A social media account allows regulations of Republic Act No. a user to interact with other us9006, known as the “Fair Elec- ers on the same social networktions Act,” for the May 13 mid- ing site. term elections.

“Social Media Post” refers “Each registered political to any text, audio or graphic party and candidate shall reg- content — or any combination ister with the Education and thereof — publishes online usInformation Department of ing a social media account. the Comelec, the website name At the same time, the Comeand web address of the official lec reminded the candidates of blog and/or social media page the aggregate amount they may of such political party or candi- spend during election camdate,” the poll body said in Res- paign. olution No. 10488, promulgated Candidates who belong to a on January 30 political party and made public are only allowed on Saturday. to spend PHP3 It added that per voter while other blog or soThe campaign independent period for this cial media page bets are allowed year’s midthat is endorsing to spend PHP5 term elections a candidate will per voter. will end on be considered Party-list May 11. as another blog groups, meanor social media while, may spend page of the latter.

PHP5 per voter.

According to As for camthe resolution, paign materials, a “blog” and “collective blog” the size of pamphlets, leaflets, refer to websites, on which an among others should not exindividual or group of users, re- ceed eight-and-a-half inches in spectively, records news, opin- width and 14 inches in length. ions, and information, in varyStreamers should not exceed ing degrees of regularity. three feet by eight feet in size.

A “micro-blog” refers to a These materials may be blogging formate which allows posted in authorized common users to exchange small ele- poster area in public places and ments of content — referred to private property, provided that variously as posts, entries or the posting has the consent of status updates — such as short the owner. sentences, individual images, The Comelec noted that vioor links to video material up- lation of the Fair Elections Act loaded to the Internet. and these rules constitute an On the other hand, it added election offense punishable unthat “Social Media” refers to der the Omnibus Election Code the collective of online com- in addition to administrative limunication channels, includ- ability, whether applicable. ing websites and applications, The campaign period for nawhich enable users to create tional positions, senator and and share content, collaborate, party-list representative will and interact with each other. begin on February 12 while For the purposes of these rules, the local candidates will have video-sharing sites that allow us- their campaign period starting ers to post comments on individ- March 29. ual entries shall be considered as The campaign period for this falling within the broad category year’s mid-term elections will of “social media.” end on May 11. ■

BY FILANE MIKEE CERVANTES Philippine News Agency

MANILA — Senate President Vicente Sotto III on Monday described the bill seeking to lower the minimum age of criminal responsibility from 15 to 12 years old as a “pro-poor” measure.

In his sponsorship speech for Senate Bill 2198, Sotto said the proposal is not anti-poor, contrary to the claims of some critics, since children in poor families would be taken into state custody to protect their interests when parents are unable to do so.

Sotto cited the principle of parens patriae (parent of the nation), wherein the state acts as the parent of any child or individual who is in need of protection.

“This proposal is pro-poor since children in poor families do not have access to quality education and are being exposed to violence in their own family and communities. The government, through the principle of parens patriae, is stepping in to provide these children with education and training,” Sotto said.

“Their parents failed to attend to the needs of their children and the government, with the proper implementation of the law, will be able to rehabilitate and provide better future for these children as responsible members of the society upon their reintegration,” he added.

He said lowering the age threshold to 12 years old simply means that the government and the state can intervene in conflict situations involving its young citizens, with the end in view of providing them guidance and a chance at reformation.

“We need to snatch our young with force from the snare of the criminal syndicates. We need to seize them from entrapment in the dens of felony and transgression. We need to grab them from the arms of lawlessness and delinquency,” Sotto said.

“Only if we are able to reclaim, seize and grab them now from the paws of gangs and syndicates can we ever hope to www.canadianinquirer.net

Senate President, Vicente "Tito" Sotto III. SENATE OF THE PHILIPPINES / FACEBOOK

rehabilitate our young offenders and prevent them from falling into the abyss of crime,” he added.

Meanwhile, Senator Richard Gordon, chair of the Senate justice committee, said the objective of the proposal is to prepare children to be hardworking, honest, accountable, worthy and successful citizens of the country.

“It is never too early to teach our children accountability, responsibility, respect for the common good, honesty, integrity, and service to the nation,” Gordon said.

While arguing that children should be held accountable for offenses, Gordon stressed that no child will go to jail or a detention center.

The bill proposes that “a child below 12 years of age at the time of the commission of the offense shall be exempt from liability. However, the child shall be subjected to an intervention program pursuant to this Act.” “A child 12 years of age and above but below 18 years of age shall likewise be exempt from liability and be subjected to an intervention program, unless the child has acted with discernment, in which case such child shall be subjected to the appropriate proceedings in accordance with this Act,” the bill reads.

Those who commit a serious crime would be sent to Juvenile Reformatory Centers, also called “Bahay Pag-asa,” it added.

These serious crimes involve parricide, murder, infanticide, kidnapping, serious illegal detention where the victim is killed or raped; robbery with homicide or rape, destructive arson, rape; or carnapping, where the driver or occupant is killed or raped, or offenses under the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 that are punishable by more than 12 years in prison.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development will be responsible for building, funding and operating “Bahay Pag-asa,” the allocations for which will be included in the budget of the DSWD in the annual General Appropriations Act. Children who do not pose a risk to the community may be allowed to attend schools outside the Bahay Pag-asa, the proposal stated.

They could be released to their parents, foster parents or guardians only on order of the court and after a comprehensive study conducted by the local DSWD officer.

The bill also stated that children below the age of criminal responsibility, in consultation with local DSWD officer, should be released to the custody of his/her parents, guardians or nearest relative.

The penalty for parents of children who committed serious crimes ranges from a minimum of six months and one day to a maximum of six years imprisonment. ■

Philippine News

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 8, 2019

7

De Lima ‘insensitive’ in blaming soldiers for Mindanao blasts

BY AZER PARROCHA Philippine News Agency MANILA — Detained Senator Leila de Lima is “insensitive’ for blaming security forces for failing to prevent the bombings, which took place in Mindanao last month, Malacañang said on Tuesday.

Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo made this remark after de Lima questioned what the country’s intelligence assets were doing and where the funds were spent for being unable to prevent the tragedy.

Panelo slammed the lawmaker for opting to be “indifferent” to soldiers instead of giving them support and consoling the families of those who were killed during the explosions.

“Instead of giving words of support to the ground forces in Mindanao and consoling the bereaved loved ones of those who perished in the bombing incident, which is the least she could have done, she opted to be indifferent if not callous

to the military men who were killed in the line of duty as well as to the bravery of our soldiers who are ferociously hunting the terrorists and risking their lives in pursuing the barbaric criminals to bring them to justice,” Panelo said in a statement.

He said being unable to detect the terrorists is not enough reason for her to blame the intelligence community.

“The fact that the soldiers were not able to detect the terrorists who disguised themselves as churchgoers is no reason for this criminally accused legislator to be so insensitive as to blame them for the tragedy,” he added.

‘Irrelevant political entity’

Panelo also branded de Lima as an “irrelevant political entity” for trying to reenter public consciousness by claiming that the President could not protect the people against terrorists.

“Having lost a venue in the halls of Congress for her attacks on the President, and having become an irrelevant political

entity, she tries to reenter the public’s consciousness by dishing out reckless and offensive rants against the President reducing herself into a pathetic figure and a pitiful caricature,” Panelo said.

He reminded de Lima that it was during Duterte’s term when the Islamic State-inspired Maute Group, which wreaked havoc in Marawi City, were crushed.

“She claims that the President cannot protect the people from the terrorists with his threatening words, forgetting that this is the same President who crushed the dreaded and ruthless ISIS and their local counterparts in the Marawi siege,” Panelo said.

“This is also the same President who has declared a war on drugs, criminality and corruption and gained headway in all those fronts by his swift action and enforcement of the law, without fear or favor,” he added.

Panelo also defended the imposition of martial law in Mindanao anew saying that without

Senate OKs ‘Murang Kuryente’ bill

BY FILANE MIKEE CERVANTES Philippine News Agency MANILA — The Senate on Monday unanimously approved on final reading a bill seeking to reduce electricity rates by using the Malampaya fund to pay stranded debts and contract costs of the National Power Corp. (NPC).

A total of 17 senators voted in favor of Senate Bill No. 1950, otherwise known as “Murang Kuryente Act.” No one voted against it and there was no abstention.

The bill also proposed to use the Malampaya fund collection for the payment of the missionary electrification charge, environmental charge of the NPC, and the feed-in-tariff allowance.

Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto, main author of the bill, said the national government’s net share from

the Malampaya Natural Gas Project, amounting to PHP204 billion, can be tapped to settle NPC’s stranded costs and debts assumed by the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management (PSALM) Corp.

Under the measure, the net national government share from the Malampaya fund shall be remitted to a special trust fund to be administered by PSALM. The Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA) defines stranded contract costs of NPC as the “excess of the contracted cost of electricity under eligible contracts over the actual selling price of the contracted energy output of such contracts in the market.”

The stranded cost is passed on to consumers as part of the universal charges in electricity billings.

The same law also defines stranded debts of NPC as “any unpaid financial obligations of NPC, which have not been liq-

uidated by the proceeds from the sales and privatization of NPC assets.”

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said the universal charge is estimated to further increase in the coming years to pay off the remaining debt of PHP466.2 billion.

Gatchalian noted that the cash flow projection of PSALM shows the necessity of collecting an accumulated universal charge of PHP0.8600 per kilowatt hour from 2020 to 2026.

“This means a total additional charge of PHP172 per month for an average household — money that could have been used to buy two to three additional kilos of rice,” Gatchalian said.

Gatchalian said tapping the Malampaya fund to pay for these stranded costs and stranded debts would result in savings of PHP169.48 per month and PHP2,033.76 per year. ■ www.canadianinquirer.net

Senator Leila de Lima.

it, the entire Mindanao would have been in chaos with bombings and killings a daily occurrence.

Meanwhile, he described the detained senator as having “dulled” senses from being confined for over two years.

“The detained Senator Leila de Lima is talking nonsense.

Her confinement has dulled her senses,” Panelo said.

He pointed out that de Lima

JESS ESCAROS JR. / PNA

would be better off “indulging herself in meditation and prayers.”

In her dispatch, de Lima also supported calls for an independent investigation into the bombings in Jolo, Sulu and Zamboanga for fear of cover-up and white wash.

De Lima, a staunch critic of the President, is currently detained in Camp Crame, Quezon City over drug charges. ■

Magat Dam likely to survive 3-month rainfall crunch

BY CATHERINE TEVES Philippine News Agency MANILA — Below-normal rainfall is possible during the February to April period in the watershed hosting Magat Dam but it may still be able to supply water for irrigation and power generation.

“During that period, it’s unlikely for water in Magat to reach this dam’s critical low elevation of 160 meters,” Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) hydrologist Adel Duran said, citing historical trends and other parameters as bases for her assessment.

Magat Dam’s water elevation as of 6 a.m. on Saturday was at 187.33 meters, lower than 24 hours earlier but higher than the critical low, she noted.

“That dam’s operation is still

normal,” she said, adding that Magat’s water elevation may dip to almost 183 meters by end of February and an even lower 170 meters to 172 meters by end of April.

Such forecast elevations, however, are still above Magat’s critical low of 160 meters, she said, indicating that the dam in Isabela may still supply water for irrigation and power generation during the three-month period, Duran said.

She added that even light rains over the watershed hosting Magat Dam would elevate water in this facility.

Light rainfall consisting of 60 ml of rain within 24 hours would already raise Magat’s water level by some 0.17 meters, Duran said, adding that the water level in Magat Dam rises significantly during the rainy season when there’s more rainfall over that watershed. ■

Philippine News

8

FEBRUARY 8, 2019

FRIDAY

Duterte urged to veto ‘pork insertions’ in 2019 budget 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 FILANE MIKEE CERVANTES Philippine News Agency MANILA — Senator Panfilo Lacson on Tuesday called on President Rodrigo Duterte to use his line-item veto power to remove the alleged ‘pork” insertions of lawmakers in the proposed 2019 national budget.

“Mr. President, you have displayed your strong political will on several occasions,” Lacson said in a Twitter post.

“This time, use your line-item veto power over the 2019 appropriations measure by removing all the ‘pork’ inserted by lawmakers who are incorrigibly insatiable and simply ‘beyond redemption’,” he added.

The line-item veto is a power granted to the President to selectively veto certain parts of a bill without vetoing the entire bill.

Lacson earlier bared that each congressman would receive PHP160 million from the budget of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), more than the previously reported PHP60-million allocation.

He also alleged that PHP23 billion was inserted by some senators in the DPWH budget.

According to Senator Loren Legarda, the Senate targets to ratify the budget bill on Friday.

Legarda, chair of the Senate committee on finance, said the final bicameral conference meeting between her and House of Representatives appropriations committee chairman Rolando Andaya Jr. is set on Wednesday.

Malacañang said Monday it remains

Senator Panfilo "Ping" Lacson.

confident that the 2019 budget will be passed even with only three days left before Congress goes on recess in time for campaign season.

“There’s still three days left, let’s just wait. We’re still confident that it will be passed,” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said in a Palace briefing.

“We eagerly await the passage of the General Appropriations Bill. They know it will bring adverse consequences if we have a reenacted budget,” he added.

SENATOR PING LACSON / FACEBOOK

However, should Congress fail to approve the 2019 budget before recess, Panelo was optimistic it would be passed when sessions resume on May 20 after the mid-term elections.

The government has been operating under a reenacted budget since January 1.

Congress failed to pass the national budget before the end of 2018 because of allegations of “pork” insertions. ■

DepEd urged to reconsider position vs. mandatory drug test

BY JOYCE ANN L. ROCAMORA Philippine News Agency MANILA — The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) on Monday appealed to the Department of Education (DepEd) to reconsider its position against mandatory drug testing on students after Education Secretary Leonor Briones rejected the proposal anew.

“Unfortunately, the last meeting with our counterparts from the Department of Education did not win the nod of the Honorable Secretary (Leonor Briones).

We have yet to seek another schedule

to probably lay it on the table but as of now we don’t have a schedule yet,” PDEA spokesperson Derrick Carreon told reporters during the Rehabinasyon National Anti-Drugs Summit in Davao City.

“We’re hoping that DepEd will consider at least in secondary level,” he said, as he urged the agency to rethink its position by referring to the cases of 12 minors who were discovered inside the drug dens in Navotas on January 16 facilitating a narco trade.

“These kids were pitiful. When we were interviewing them casually while in the area of operation, while we were rounding up the suspect, these are stu-

www.canadianinquirer.net

dents who were supposed to be enrolled,” Carreon pointed out.

Although meeting opposition from the DepEd, the official cited a “welcome development” from the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) after Chairman J. Prospero de Vera III mandated the random drug testing for tertiary education students.

De Vera earlier expressed the need to require mandatory random drug testing for students in all public and private universities in the country, saying a “drug dependent student is not a functional student in school, (and) will not be able to finish his studies.” ■

Philippine News

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 8, 2019

9

PSA: Inflation slows at The Netherlands, EU urged anew 4.4% in January 2019 to cancel Joma’s asylum status

BY JOANNA BELLE DEALA Philippine Canadian Inquirer THE PHILIPPINE Statistics Authority (PSA) continues to deliver positive news to Filipino consumers as it reported that inflation in the country slowed down in January.

According to PSA, the inflation or the rate of increase in the prices of goods has dropped to 4.4 percent from the 5.1 percent recorded in December.

During a press conference, National Statistician Lisa Grace Bersales said, “The slowdown of inflation in January 2019 was mainly driven by the deceleration in the annual increments of food and non-alcoholic beverages, alcoholic beverages and tobacco, and transport.”

Lower annual increases, Bersales added, were also noted in the indices of the following commodity groups: clothing and footwear at 2.5 percent; housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels at 4.0 percent; health at 4.3 percent; and transport at 2.5 percent.

However, the annual rate of furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house index rose to 3.9 percent.

Moreover, the PSA noted that year-on-year inflation continued to slow down in the National Capital Region (NCR), registering an annual rate of 4.6 percent in January 2019 from 4.8 percent in December.

It added that annual inflation in areas outside NCR (AONCR) also dropped to 4.4 percent from the 5.3 percent in the previous month. In all regions of AONCR, inflation was recorded the slowest in Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) at 3.1 percent, while the fastest was seen in Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) which is at 6.1 percent.

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) earlier forecasted that inflation will hit at an average of 3.2 percent in 2019. The central bank earlier this month noted that “price pressures have started to dissipate with inflation expected to fall within target for 2019 and 2020.” ■

Roque can’t be substituted: Comelec

BY FERDINAND PATINIO Philippine News Agency MANILA — An official of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said Friday former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque Jr., who officially withdrew his senatorial bid for the May 13 mid-term elections, cannot be substituted by his political party.

“The substitution of candidates has already lapsed last November 29,” Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said in a press briefing.

Jimenez noted that substitution would only be allowed after November 29 up to midday of May 13, election day, for candidates who died or were disqualified by final judgment.

He added that he/she may be substituted by someone who

BY CHRISTINE CUDIS Philippine News Agency MANILA — Members of an anti-communist group stormed the Dutch Embassy anew as it called for the repatriation of communist leader Jose Maria “Joma” Sison.

The group of Liga Filipinas Independencia, who slammed the National Democratic Front’s “senseless struggle and killings,” submitted its formal petition on Wednesday to the Embassy of the Kingdom of The Netherlands.

“As a coalition of 38 national organizations nationwide and different sectors of society, we condemn the atrocities and terrorism perpetuated by the CPP-NPA-NDF (Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front) in the past years.

And you have granted the devil Joma Sison a refuge,” said Nolan Tiongco, leader of the Liga Filipinas Independencia.

They also called on members of the European Union to cancel Sison’s asylum status and bring him back to the Philippines to face the various cases that have been filed against him and the CPP-NPA. “We appeal to the kind and

bears the same surname.

On Friday, Roque submitted his Statement of Withdrawal before the Comelec Law Department, citing health reasons.

“While I continue to be committed to serving the Filipino people and be their voice in the Senate, I have recently suffered from an unstable angina coronary disease, which required me to undergo a percutaneous coronary intervention,” he said.

“The recovery process needed by my heart and body will not be compatible with the physical rigors of an earnest and sustained election campaign. Because of my health, I am now withdrawing my candidacy for senator,” the lawyer added.

Roque filed his Certificate of Candidacy for senator on Oct. 17, 2018 under the People’s Reform Party. ■ www.canadianinquirer.net

Jose Maria "Joma" Sison

democratic heart of your (The Netherlands) government and the EU, to cancel Sison’s asylum together with his band of terrorist so that they could face trial in our country. They are facing criminal and acts of terrorism offenses that they have committed. Don’t give them safe haven and refuge and scapegoats,” Tiongco said.

“We don’t know what your moral and legal basis for giving this barbaric terrorist group asylum in your country. Giving them safe haven is giving hell to our country,” Tiongco added.

Around 50 persons, who claimed to be former members of the NPA, said they decided to return to the fold of the law after realizing the “hideous system” within the 50-year-old rebellion.

JULIAN GONZALES, JOMA SISON / FACEBOOK

“The CPP-NPA-NDF has only killed thousands of Filipinos, destroyed many lives and billions worth of properties. Joining that organization as a teenager was our greatest regret and now we are making it our duty to wake up everyone,” the anti-communist group said during the rally.

The embassy has acknowledged and received the formal letter but has yet to issue an official statement.

The anti-communist group has been appealing to Filipinos and the international community to take part in ending the rebellious movement.

The NPA, the armed wing of the CPP, is listed as a terrorist organization in the United States and European Union. ■

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Philippine News

FEBRUARY 8, 2019

FRIDAY

DND lauds ‘Task Force Balik Loob’ efforts in helping ex-rebels

BY PRIAM NEPOMUCENO Philippine News Agency MANILA — Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Delfin Lorenzana lauded the role of the government’s “Task Force Balik Loob” for its role in convincing former members of the Communist Party of the Philippines – New People’s Army – National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) to surrender and return to the mainstream society with their loved ones.

“The year 2018 was a very productive year for ‘Task Force Balik-Loob’ (TFBL). Through the diligent efforts of our lead and partner agencies, the Task Force was able to positively change the lives of our fellow Filipinos who have been led astray by the deceptive recruitment and lies of the CPPNPA-NDF. More importantly, we were able to spark hope in the hearts of those who have lost faith in the government,” Lorenzana said in a statement Saturday.

He lauded the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP) for its success in helping former rebels (FRs).

In just five months since the program commenced in July 2018, a total of 1,437 former rebels were given financial assistance worth PHP116,453,488 under the Comprehensive Local Integration Program (CLIP), which is being administered by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), through its provincial offices as of January 23.

TFBL Chairperson and Defense Undersecretary Reynaldo B. Mapagu said although the ECLIP uses the non-kinetic approach to counter communist

insurgency, it is envisioned as the most powerful method of defeating such insurgency.

Mapagu said the programs provide the government with quick wins by hitting three birds with one stone: prevent bloodshed on the side of rebels and government forces, erase the stigma of being a former rebel by emphasizing their positive role in society, and encourage more surrenderers until the communist movement collapses.

“Ito kasi yung programa na gagastos nga tayo pero in the long run, dito tayo sa programang ito makakatipid. Tayong lahat, makikinabang sapeace dividends. Maiiwasan na natin ang patayan, makakaiwan pa tayo ng (This is a program that will cost us much but in the long run, we will be able to gain savings. We will benefit from peace dividends. Aside from avoiding killings, we will be able to leave a) legacy. God willing, if we end insurgency, it will be a lasting legacy not only of the President but everybody who has helped,” Mapagu said.

In addition to the financial assistance package awarded to FRs, the DILG also financially assisted 32 provinces and five highly-urbanized cities (HUCs) for the construction of their respective halfway houses worth PHP5 million each, for a total of PHP185 million.

A halfway house serves as a transition shelter for FRs where rehabilitation and healing sessions, education and skills training activities, among others, are facilitated by local social welfare and development officers and local government agency representatives.

Among the provinces that have existing halfway houses are Davao Oriental, Masbate and Mountain Province. In

addition, the province of Sarangani already had a groundbreaking for its own halfway house.

Meanwhile, the National Housing Authority (NHA) awarded 685 Certificates of Entitlement in Region 11 (Davao), of which 412 are already being processed. It has likewise processed the grant of housing units to 31 former rebels at the Freedom Residences in Tagum City, and awarded checks to four FRs representing housing assistance.

Under the Payapa at Masaganang Pamanayanan (PAMANA) Program, another main component of the E-CLIP, the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process disbursed a total of PHP1,428,250,000 for the construction of 15 roads and bridges in areas affected by the communist terrorist group in Mindanao.

As for assistance administered by TFBL partner agencies, 645 FRs underwent skills training from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) while 249 benefitted from the Integrated Livelihood Program of the Department of Labor and Employment.

TESDA also shared its Value Chain Programming concept expanding on the strategy of sustainability, to illustrate how to integrate skills development training to actual application on livelihood and employment.

The added loan access from Landbank will guarantee that the program will not only be doable but sustainable as well.

Last Dec. 13, 2018, Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) entered into a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with TFBL for a lending program for former rebels.

Under the MOA, quali-

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DND Secretary Delfin Lorenzana.

fied FRs may avail of up to PHP100,000 loan grant from LBP, for a minimal interest and easy repayment conditions.

According to LBP Assistant Vice President Edgardo S. Luzano, the program is the institution’s way of “helping former rebels grow” and manifesting the government’s full trust in them.

Meanwhile, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) also provided various assistance to 700 FRs and the Department of Trade and Industry assisted 226 FRs under its Livelihood Seeding Program.

On the part of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), seven FRs who are farmers were awarded Certificates of Land Allocation, breaking the record for the swift processing and awarding of the grants and beating the deadline set by President Rodrigo Duterte who personally gave assurance to the FRs concerned.

Lorenzana also shared the stories narrated to him by FRs about how they were deceived into believing that they will have their own land once they join the communist group, only to find out that the land that was promised to them belongs to a legitimate owner.

JOEY O. RAZON / PNA

“Hinihiling ko sa bawat isa na tayo ay sama-samang kumilos para sa isang nagkakaisa at payapang sambayanan tungo sa maunlad na kinabukasan ng bayan (I am requesting each one to work together towards achieving unity and peace through creating a prosperous future for the nation),” Lorenzana said as he thanked the attendees for sharing Duterte’s passion and dedication to improve the plight of former rebels.

Other attendees to the meeting include representatives of partner and lead agencies of the Task Force, such as the Presidential Management Staff, the Office of the President, the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process, the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency, the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict, the Department of Labor and Employment, the Department of Health, the Department of Justice, the Presidential Communications Operations Office, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and the Department of Agriculture. ■

Philippine News

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 8, 2019

11

Philippine troops battle Muslim militants after church blast

BY JIM GOMEZ The Associated Press MANILA, PHILIPPINES — Philippine troops clashed with Abu Sayyaf gunmen in fierce jungle fighting that left five soldiers and three militants dead, as the military pushed forward with a fresh offensive following a deadly church bombing last weekend.

President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered government forces to destroy the Abu Sayyaf after the bombing last Sunday of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Cathedral in the Sulu provincial capital of Jolo that killed 22 people and wounded more than 100. The attack has renewed terrorism fears across the Philippines, where the national police went on full alert and security has been strengthened in churches, shopping malls and other public areas.

Regional military spokesman Col. Gerry Besana said another five soldiers and 15 militants

were wounded in nearly two hours of fighting Saturday between the army and about 150 Islamic State group-linked fighters in the jungles near Patikul town.

The militants were led by Abu Sayyaf commander Hatib Hajan Sawadjaan, who is suspected of helping plot the bombing. The Abu Sayyaf, which has about 300 to 400 armed fighters, has been blacklisted by the United States and the Philippines as a terrorist organization because of years of bombings, kidnappings and beheadings in the predominantly Roman Catholic nation.

Government forces have over the years pressed on sporadic offensives to crush the group, including in Jolo, a povertywracked island of more than 700,000 people where Muslims are the majority. A few thousand Catholics live mostly in the provincial capital.

Since the church attack, the air force has launched airstrikes on suspected militant

bases near Patikul and police killed a suspected militant on a raid in the city.

Duterte told reporters earlier this week that the church bombing was a suicide attack carried out by a militant couple.

Interior Secretary Eduardo Ano said Friday that an Indonesian couple was responsible for the bombing aimed at fomenting sectarian conflict in the south. The Indonesian man reportedly used the nom de guerre Abu Huda and Philippine authorities said they would co-ordinate with their Indonesian counterparts to try to validate the identities of the two.

Indonesian Foreign Ministry spokesman Arrmanatha Nasir said the government had not been able to confirm the involvement of Indonesian nationals in the attack.

There has been speculation that the bombing may be a diversionary move by Muslim militants after troops recently carried out an offensive that

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte conducts an inspection inside the Cathedral of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Jolo, Sulu on January 28, 2019.

KING RODRIGUEZ / PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

killed a number of IS-linked extremists in an encampment in the hinterlands of Lanao del Sur province, also in the south.

The area is near Marawi, a Muslim city that was besieged for five months in 2017 by hundreds of IS-aligned militants, including foreign fighters.

Troops quelled the insurrection, which left more 1,100 people dead, mostly militants, and the heart of the mosquestudded city in ruins.

Duterte declared martial law in the entire southern third of the country to deal with the Marawi siege, his worst security crisis. His martial law declaration has been extended to allow troops to finish off radical Muslim groups and other insurgents, but bombings and other attacks have continued. ■ Associated Press writer Niniek Karmini in Jakarta, Indonesia, contributed to this report.

DFA chief Locsin says PH will protest Beijing’s rescue center

BY JOANNA BELLE DEALA Philippine Canadian Inquirer DEPARTMENT OF Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Teodoro “Teddy Boy” Locsin, Jr. said the country will protest the maritime rescue center that China reportedly opened in the Kagitingan (Fiery Cross) Reef in the West Philippine Sea. “We will [protest]. I, however, preferred engaging them openly on the floor of the UN (United Nations) General Assembly,” Locsin said in a series of tweets on Saturday, February 2.

“However, if we decide to contest Chinese activity, I am preparing a draft of a compulsory draft into the AFP first of media and then maybe others to send into contested zone.

We’ll see what happens and if it will be ground for something stronger than a diplomatic protest. No loss,” he added in an-

other tweet.

Chinese state-run Xinhua earlier reported that its government put up what it called a rescue center in the Kagitingan Reef on last Tuesday.

According to China’s Ministry of Transport, the structure will offer “better support” to maritime rescue operations in the southern part of the South China Sea. Asked on Twitter whether he has already verified the installation of the rescue center, Locsin said, “you expect us to believe Chinese media?”

“Jesus H Christ, I mean, it may be more reliable than native media but Jesus let’s verify it responsibly. We have a Task Force for that,” he added.

Supreme Court (SC) Associate Antonio Carpio had urged the Philippine government to protest China’s establishment in one of the geological features that the Philippines claims.

DFA Secretary Teodoro "Teddy Boy" Locsin, Jr.

“If we do not protest, then we impliedly consent to China’s act of putting up a maritime rescue center there,” he said.

“This means we are recognizing that China has a right to occupy and use Fiery Cross Reef.

Occupation and use are acts of sovereignty. This contradicts www.canadianinquirer.net

TEDDY BOY LOCSIN / FACEBOOK

our claim that we have sovereignty over Fiery Cross Reef,” he added.

But contrary to Carpio’s statement, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said the Philippines should instead ‘thank’ China for building the rescue center as he said it

“could help seamen in distress in that area.”

Panelo, however, said if the Philippine government sees any ‘inconsistency’ with China’s actions, then it will “protest on anything that intrudes to our sovereign.”

Responding to the spokesman’s remark, Magdalo Party-List Representative Gary Alejano said it is “ironic” for Panelo to say the Philippines should be grateful to China for its rescue center, while also saying the country will oppose anything that steps on its sovereignty.

The Palace official also earned the ire of Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan who likened him to a “Chinese puppet.”

“One would wonder sometimes which country he was speaking for. His every tone clearly manifests the language of a Chinese puppet,” Pangilinan said. ■

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Philippine News

FEBRUARY 8, 2019

FRIDAY

DOTr asks for more time to study legalizing motorcycles-for-hire

BY AEROL JOHN PATENA Philippine News Agency

sue of allowing motorcycles for public transportation.

The TWG was mandated to conduct deliberations on various issues covering the capability of motorcycles and drivers for public transport service, which include determining the types of motorcycle that can be awarded a franchise, the minimum cubic centimeter (CC) capacity, travel speed, franchise routes, seat and helmet requirements, and training requirements for motorcycle bikers looking to register as a public utility vehicle driver.

“Much as it understands the perspective of some lawmakers on the issue of motorcycle taxis operating as public transport, the DOTr also seeks public understanding as its TWG threshes out the numerous concerns involved in the proposal, fore-

hailing firms to provide public transport to passengers.

They have noted that the transportation department has MANILA — The Department of issued an order in 2015, which Transportation (DOTr) has apintroduced the category of pealed for more time to review transportation network vehicle the issue of legalizing motorcyservices (TNVS) that allowed cles-for-hire as a mode of pubprivate vehicles under transporlic transportation. tation network companies to opThis, as the DOTr reiterated erate as public transportation. that amendments to Republic The DOTr said issuing a DO Act (RA) No. 4136 or the Land to legalize motorcycles-forTransportation and Traffic hire should be based on existCode are needed to allow moing laws. torcycles to operate as public “According to Republic Act transport.

4136 (Land Transportation The law prohibits motorand Traffic Code), passenger cycles from operating as public automobiles may be classitransportation services. fied as either private or public “The DOTr has maintained (‘for hire’), depending on its that the best recourse for conpurpose. Thus, although TNVS version of motorcycle taxis to units were initially classified as public transport is amendment private vehicles, their transiof the law. In fact, this lack of tion to public transport only rean enabling law quired a converis best reiterated sion to another by the various classification. On proposed bills the other hand, in the House (of The group will submit a report on its RA 4136 clearly deliberations to Congress as inputs Representatives) does not allow for lawmakers to decide on the and the Senate motorcycles to proposed amendments to RA 4136. seeking to allow be classified as motorcycle taxis ‘for hire’ or for to operate as a public utility,” public transport the department’s mode,” the destatement read. partment said in a statement on most of which is commuter The DOTr said that issuance Saturday. safety,” the DOTr said. of a DO will violate the tempoTransportation Secretary Various lawmakers have rary restraining order issued by Arthur Tugade has ordered the called on the DOTr to issue a the Supreme Court against mocreation of a technical working department order (DO) that torcycle ride-hailing firm Angroup (TWG) to review the is- would allow motorcycle ride- gkas to halt its operations last

TONYV3112 / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

December, which might lead to filing of contempt charges against transportation officials.

“The DOTr wishes to reiterate that it does not intend to antagonize Angkas. In fact, the DOTr has welcomed motorcycle groups in TWG discussions to thresh out the requirements and other contingent issues.

These issues are ultimately directed at regulation for passenger safety and nothing else,” it said.

The TWG, consisting of the DOTr, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), Land Transportation Office, Philippine National Police – Highway Patrol Group, Metro Manila Development Authority, and representatives of the Senate, House of Representatives, commuter welfare groups, road

safety advocates, motorcycle manufacturers, motorcycle organizations and law schools, has started its deliberations last January 18.

The group will submit a report on its deliberations to Congress as inputs for lawmakers to decide on the proposed amendments to RA 4136.

The House has approved on second reading a bill that will allow motorcycles to provide public transport earlier this week.

House Bill No. 8959 or the Motorcycles for Hire Act will authorize the LTFRB to legalize the operation of motorcycles as public utility vehicles.

Under the bill, motorcycles must be registered and granted a certificate of public convenience or special permit by the LTFRB. ■

Philippines Chief of Staff Gen. Benjamin Madrigal Jr., and Philippine National Police Director Oscar Albayalde.

Also present were Philippine Army Commander Lt. Gen. Macairog S. Alberto and former Special Assistant to the President Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go. The twin bomb attacks at the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Cathedral in Jolo, Sulu killed 22 people and injured more than 90 others on January 27.

Meanwhile, eight people were killed, including three Abu Sayyaf bandits, while 33 others were wounded in a firefight in Patikul, Sulu on February 2.

The encounter took place after Duterte, on January 29, ordered troops to pursue Abu Sayyaf bandits, convinced that they were behind the twin blasts.

“We are sure of that. Nobody can perpetuate that kind of terrorism thereabout (in the area).

I have no doubt,” Duterte said in a chance interview after the groundbreaking of the new site of the San Lorenzo Ruiz General Hospital in Malabon City.

“That is what the military told me and that is what the police relayed to me and I am guided by what the government workers would tell me,” he added. ■

Duterte meets... ❰❰ 1

President Rodrigo R. Duterte expresses his condolences to the relatives of one of the victims who died during the twin bombings at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Jolo, Sulu as he visited Camp Teodulfo Bautista in Jolo.

KING RODRIGUEZ/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

them of assistance on Monday.

“The President condoled with the bereaved families and honored the fallen soldiers for their heroism by awarding them the Order of Lapu Lapu (rank of Kalasag),” Panelo said in a statement.

“He comforted the grieving families and assured them of the government’s assistance in terms of housing, livelihood, employment and educational assistance, among others,” he added.

Panelo said that the President was accompanied by Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, Armed Forces of the www.canadianinquirer.net

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 8, 2019

Philippine News

Heightened security at the airport — What it means

NBI nabs alleged drug middleman Kenneth Dong

BY MA. CRISTINA ARAYATA Philippine News Agency MANILA — Immigration officers have always been strict when checking passports and documents. How can we assure that heightened security measures are being implemented?

Are there differences in performing their jobs during ordinary days compared to when an airport is on “full alert”?

In an interview with the Philippine News Agency (PNA) on Wednesday, Immigration Port Operations Division chief, Grifton Medina, explained the heightened security measures being done.

Currently, all the airports in the country are on “full alert” following the Jolo church bombing last January 27.

Similarly, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) has declared a “heightened alert” against foreign terrorists. BI earlier issued a statement that this announcement was made because the Islamic State (IS) has apparently claimed responsibility for the attack.

Medina explained that BI officers are stricter during “heightened alert” status.

“We are stricter in checking the documents. We check those documents three times,” he said, adding that they also scrutinize the profile and are stricter in assessing foreign passengers during this time.

“We scrutinize them, especially those that may be connected with the terrorists,” he remarked.

The BI is connected with the international police (Interpol), as well as other agencies abroad.

Medina emphasized that if the immigration officers receive a “red notice” from the Interpol, they make sure to block the passenger at the arrival area.

“We communicate it with the airlines. Once the passenger is in the ‘red notice’ (of the Interpol), we ensure to watch over that passenger, even while in the aircraft,” he said.

The biometrics of the foreign passengers are also being double-checked.

BY JOANNA BELLE DEALA Philippine Canadian Inquirer

JAYA / FLICKR, CC BY-NC 2.0

As part of the “heightened alert” status, immigration officers have been instructed not to allow entry of passengers who could not explain clearly their purpose for coming to the country. These passengers should be booked for the earliest possible flight back to their point of origin.

Passengers will be the ones to shoulder the flight bookings, if this happens. What if the passenger would say he or she does not have the money to rebook a flight?

“They can ask assistance from their Embassy. Or the airline must shoulder the expense,” Medina said.

He emphasized that this kind of passengers may pose a threat to the country.

“These are likely persons of interest or a suspect, or someone connected with the terrorists,” he explained. Another reason for the officers to doubt this kind of passengers, according to Medina, is when they say they will look for a job here.

“Where will they get the funds? We must also keep an eye on those who come here with lots of money,” he continued.

Medina emphasized that these measures are being done because they should not wait for these passengers to commit a crime in the country. These passengers may be excluded or blacklisted so they could not

enter the country, he said.

Whether it’s an ordinary day or during “heightened alert” status, the Border Control and Intelligence Unit (BCIU) is present at the airports.

However, during “heightened alert” status, the BCIU is asked to be more vigilant.

During ordinary days, the chief and the other officers of the BCIU are on rotation or are on-call, but during “heightened alert”, no BCIU officer is allowed to take a leave, according to Medina.

“BCIU communicates with other ASEAN countries. They track and wait for the passengers even before they queue at the Immigration counters,” he said.

Medina noted that they keep an eye also on transiting passengers or those who use the Philippines as a gateway, and even foreigners who would go to Mindanao.

There were instances when the transiting passengers were really persons of interest, he said. He has also ordered an increase the officers manning the southern borders.

Meanwhile, Medina said he has no idea when the “heightened alert” status would be lifted.

“But my recommendation is to wait after the Chinese New Year and the Bangsamoro election to finish (before lifting it),” he said. ■ www.canadianinquirer.net

FILIPINO-CHINESE KENNETH Dong was arrested by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) over his alleged participation in the smuggling of P6.4-billion worth of shabu (crystal meth) shipment from China in May 2017 that slipped past the Bureau of Customs (BOC).

Dong, whose real name is Dong Yi Shen, was nabbed by the NBI’s Anti-organized and Transactional Crime Division (NBI-AOTCD) at 2 p.m. on Monday, February 4, in Katarungan Village, Muntinlupa City. This was confirmed by NBI Deputy Director Ferdinand Lavin to the media.

Dong was among those who were ordered arrested by the Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 46 for violating Republic Act (RA) 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 Aside from the businessman, other respondents in the warrant of arrest issued by Branch 46 Judge Rainelda Estacio-

13

Montesa are Li Guang Feng aka Manny Li, Mark Ruben Taguba II, Eirene Mae Tatad, Teejay Marcellana, Chen I-Min, Jhu Ming Jyun, and Chen Rong Huan.

Dong was reported to be the alleged middleman of Richard Tan, who owns the warehouse in Valenzuela City where the drug shipment was found.

Six hundred four kilograms of shabu, hidden in metal cylinders, were seized under the term of former BOC chief Nicanor Faeldon, who is now the director general of the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor).

The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) earlier slapped Dong, along with Taguba, with tax evasion charges for not paying P11.4-million and P850.57-million of taxes, respectively.

Prior to his arrest on Monday, Dong was put behind bars in August 2017 for allegedly raping an “intoxicated” woman in Parañaque City in April 2016.

He, however, was released from jail in November 2017, after Judge Aida Estrella Macapagal of Parañaque RTC Branch 195 junked the rape case lodged against him. ■

May’s Brexit... ❰❰ 21

border.

The words were enough to win over the DUP as well as Conservative politicians strongly against a backstop over fears it could tie Britain permanently to the EU. May said the British government can look forward to obtaining legally binding changes to the withdrawal agreement with regards to the backstop, allowing no hard border between Ireland and Northern Ireland.

May and her senior advisers are not waving victory flags at the moment, with the developments in London receiving a frosty reaction in Brussels and Dublin.

May admitted that winning over Brussels will not be easy.

She said: “With changes to the backstop, plus assurances on workers’ rights, it is now clear there is a route to passing a deal.”

May said there was limited appetite for such a change in the EU and negotiating it will not be easy. “But MPs have now made it clear what it wants,” she said.

Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar, said in a statement issued later in Dublin: “The withdrawal agreement is not open for re-negotiation.”

Referring to the withdrawal agreement agreed between EU leaders and May, Varadkar said it is a carefully negotiated compromise, which balances the UK position on customs and the single market with avoiding a hard border and protecting the integrity of the EU customs union and single market.

He said Ireland will continue its preparations for all outcomes, including for a no-deal scenario. ■

14

Canada News Venezuelan opposition welcomes Canada’s call for military backing

BY MIKE BLANCHFIELD The Canadian Press OTTAWA — Venezuela’s prodemocracy movement has welcomed the decision by Canada and its allies to urge its country’s military to switch allegiance and support opposition leader Juan Guaido as the true leader of their country.

The declaration in the final Lima Group communique from Monday’s emergency meeting in Ottawa came two days after the defection of a top air-force general, once loyal to socialist president Nicolas Maduro.

The Lima Group’s meeting comes amid massive protests in Venezuela pressing Maduro to go.

The group built on that backing in its final communique by calling upon “the National Armed Forces of Venezuela to demonstrate their loyalty to the Interim President in his constitutional functions as their Commander in Chief.”

They also called on the armed forces “not to impede entry and transit of humanitarian assistance to Venezuelans.”

Guaido’s representative to Monday’s Ottawa meeting, Orlando Viera-Blanco, said the decision was a key step in freeing his country from its economic and political crisis and putting in on a road toward democracy.

“We have a huge relationship with different people in the army force. They are willing to collaborate and I am sure that this will be one of the most important events, topics, elements in order

to accomplish a way out in Venezuela,” said Viera-Blanco, who has become the de-facto ambassador to Canada of Venezuela’s interim government — whose authority Maduro rejects.

“We need more and more pressure on the top of the army corps, and in the top of the political dictatorship,” VieraBlanco said.

Canada and the Lima Group of more than a dozen North and South American countries have backed Guaido as the legitimate replacement for Maduro, who followed left-wing populist Hugo Chavez into Venezuela’s presidency after Chavez’s death in 2013. Guaido is an opposition leader who’s the head of Venezuela’s legislature.

On Saturday, an air-force general defected to the opposition and reportedly fled to Colombia. He posted a video on YouTube declaring his country’s transition to democracy was “imminent.”

“As a country that has an open-arms policy towards Venezuelans, we have received many important figures from the democratic opposition,” said Federico Hoyos, Colombia’s ambassador to Canada.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland branded the Maduro government a dictatorship that has shown an inexcusable disregard for the rule of law and human rights.

Two female protesters brandishing a banner and chanting “hands off Venezuela” breached security at the Global

Affairs Canada building where Freeland and visiting representatives held a joint press conference to close the day. Two plainclothed police officers escorted the two women out without incident.

Freeland said Canada and its allies want to bring democracy to Venezuela, “the kind of democracy protesters in Canada do enjoy, and I am sad to say political protesters in Venezuela do not.”

She said the Lima Group was emphasizing a peaceful transition to democracy, led by the Venezuelan people in step with their country’s constitution.

She rejected any suggestion that Canada or the Lima Group are fomenting an armed overthrow of the Maduro regime.

Monday’s declaration came after Guaido made a largerthan-life appeal to Canada and its Western Hemisphere partners to end the “usurpation” of democracy in his country.

Guaido issued the call in a surprise appearance via video link to the gathering of Lima Group members and several other partners, including the United States and European countries.

“Unfortunately we are still under a dictatorship in Venezuela at the moment. That is why it is time to increase pressure,” Guaido said through an interpreter, his enlarged image hovering over the gathering on a movie-theatre-sized screen. “I would like to reaffirm … our actions and our co-operation with the Lima Group, along with Canada, and all the countries.”

www.canadianinquirer.net

Canadian PM Justin Trudeau and Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland. @CAFREELAND / TWITTER

Trudeau announced $53 million worth of humanitarian assistance for the “most pressing needs” of Venezuelans. Canada has already contributed $2.2 million for the humanitarian crisis that’s forced some three million Venezuelans from their homes, sending ripples across the region — particularly in neighbouring Brazil and Colombia, which are now faced with a refugee crisis.

The funds will go to “trusted partners” and neighbouring countries, Trudeau said.

“This is a pivotal moment for the people of Venezuela — we are observing a widespread rejection of the Maduro regime’s illegitimate claim to power following fraudulent elections last May,” he said.

Peruvian Foreign Minister Nestor Francisco Popolizio Bardalen said the emboldened Venezuelan opposition “represents the beginning of the end of the dictatorship.”

Alan Duncan, Britain’s minister for the Americas and Europe, said Maduro’s “mis-

management and kleptocratic approach” are singularly responsible for crippling his country’s economy.

“If anyone believes that his management of the economy is in any way an example of how to go about it, then they need their heads examined.”

Canada and its Latin American allies in the Lima Group, along with the United States, have been pushing for Maduro’s departure. On Monday European countries came on board, with Spain, Germany, France, Britain, Sweden, Denmark, Austria, the Netherlands and Lithuania calling for free and fair elections as soon as possible.

French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted out his support Monday, saying France recognizes Guaido as Venezuela’s “president in charge” and said “Venezuelans have the right to express themselves freely and democratically.” German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Guaido is now Venezuela’s “legitimate interim president.” ■

Canada News

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 8, 2019

Chief electoral officer worries parties are weak link in cybersecurity chain

Conservatives won’t use Heritage Minute branding on attack ad any more

BY JOAN BRYDEN The Canadian Press

BY TERESA WRIGHT The Canadian Press

OTTAWA — Canada’s chief electoral officer is “pretty confident” that Elections Canada has good safeguards to prevent cyberattacks from robbing Canadians of their right to vote in this year’s federal election.

But Stephane Perrault is worried that political parties aren’t so well equipped.

“They don’t have access to the resources we have access to,” Perrault said in an interview Monday, noting that “securing (computer) systems is quite expensive… Even the larger parties have nowhere near our resources and you’ve got much smaller parties with very little resources.”

Moreover, with thousands of volunteers involved in campaigns, he said it’s difficult to ensure no one falls prey to “fairly basic cyber tricks,” like phishing, that could inadvertently give hackers access to a party’s databases.

“You can spend a lot of money on those (security) systems and if the human (fails), that’s the weak link.”

Elections Canada has been training its own staff to resist such tricks and, along with Canada’s cyberspying agency, the Communications Security Establishment, will be meeting with party officials again next week to reinforce the need to train their volunteers.

Perrault said he was “really disappointed” that omnibus legislation to reform Canada’s election laws, passed just before Christmas, did not include measures to impose privacy rules on parties, which have amassed huge databases of personal information on voters. At the very least, he said, Canadians should be able to find out what information a party has collected on them and demand that it be revised or removed.

The legislation requires only that parties publish a policy for protecting personal information. There is no requirement to report a breach and no oversight by the privacy commissioner.

OTTAWA — The Conservative party has removed all Heritage Minute branding from an online video released over the weekend that took aim at the Trudeau government for a handful of ethics breaches.

In a tweet published by the Conservative party’s official account on Monday, the party said the intention was merely to use a “recognizable and often-parodied segment” to attack the Liberal government’s ethics record, recounting times cabinet ministers have been found in breach of federal rules as if they were landmark events.

The Conservatives’ use of the Heritage Minute format for partisan political purposes drew the ire of the Historica Foundation, which has been making the oneminute films for nearly 30 years.

“We did not intend to draw negative attention to Historica Canada,” the Conservative party tweeted. “They do great work profiling Canadian history and we wish to maintain our positive relationship with the organization.”

Official Heritage Minute films usually depict memorable Canadian milestones, like the invention of basketball, or showcase contributions of important Canadian figures, such as Lucy Maud Montgomery for writing the Anne of Green Gables series while also battling depression and sexism.

Anthony Wilson-Smith, CEO of the Historica Foundation, said Sunday on Twitter that parodies are OK, but the organization didn’t want to be tied to any “political mud slinging.”

He suggested the organization was considering legal action if the Conservatives didn’t remove all material linking the political spoof to real Heritage Minutes.

The Conservatives first put up a new version of the ad on Sunday with a long disclosure saying it wasn’t a real Heritage Minute following initial push back. After continued concerns, the party finally removed all Heritage Minute branding from the ad.

According to Conservative

Should a party’s computer system be hacked and the information used to embarrass the party, as occurred to the Democrats during the 2016 U.S. presidential contest, Perrault said Elections Canada would have no role in investigating the matter.

That would be up to security authorities and the party involved. Under a “critical election incident protocol” announced last week, five senior bureaucrats would be empowered to decide when an incident is serious enough to warrant publicly disclosing it in the midst of a campaign.

Elections Canada would only be involved if a hacker used the information gleaned from a party’s databases to interfere with Canadians’ right to vote — for instance, by spreading disinformation about how, where and when they should vote.

“The important thing is that Canadians are not prevented from voting. From my perspective, that’s the No. 1 priority,” Perrault said.

In its own operations, Perrault said Elections Canada has done everything it can to prevent cyberattacks.

“Overall, I think we’re pretty confident we are where we need to be at this point.”

But he added: “It’s certainly uncharted territory for us. We’ve seen the Americans go through this and Brexit and France and Germany, so we have a sense of the potential out there. But we’ve never had to prepare for an election like this.”

Since the 2015 election, Perrault said Elections Canada has rebuilt its information-

technology infrastructure with sophisticated security improvements, based on advice from the Communications Security Establishment, which now monitors those systems 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

“No system is 100-per-cent proof but they’re much more concerned about the parties than about Elections Canada,” Perrault said.

In addition, he said the agency has set up a team to monitor social media and to quickly counter any disinformation about the right to vote. As well, it will have a repository on its website of every public communication from Elections Canada so that individuals can verify the legitimacy of information they see on social media or elsewhere that purports to be from the agency.

“We really want to be the trusted source of information on the electoral process.”

The recently passed legislation included a number of measures aimed at preventing foreign interference and deliberate disinformation campaigns in Canadian elections, including giving the commissioner of elections greater powers to investigate and compel testimony, prohibiting the use of foreign money and requiring social-media giants to keep a registry of all political ads posted on their platforms.

But arguably the best hedge against cyberattacks is the fact that Canada still relies on paper ballots that are counted by hand.

“You can’t hack that,” Perrault said. ■ www.canadianinquirer.net

15

party talking points obtained by The Canadian Press, the Tories for a while planned to argue that the ad was a parody and that Historica “appears to be fine with political videos as long as they target Conservatives.” The party didn’t respond to an email seeking confirmation that the talking-points document was genuine.

Historica Canada does have a YouTube page collecting faux Heritage Minutes, many of them by comedian Rick Mercer, who is a Historica board member, on his former CBC show.

One of those directly targets the last Conservative government’s climate-change policies.

Besides Mercer, the foundation board also includes Conservative MP Michael Chong; retired broadcaster Peter Mansbridge; former NDP premier and ambassador Gary Doer; and businessman Lynton “Red” Wilson, who advised the Conservatives on several fronts when Stephen Harper was prime minister.

Once the Conservative party said it would take all the Heritage Minute material off its web ad, the Historica Foundation said in a statement that it considered the matter “closed to our satisfaction.”

Liberal cabinet ministers were quick to use the opportunity to scold the Conservatives in the hallways of Parliament Hill on Monday.

“Look at that and show me the difference between the Conservatives of today and Stephen Harper’s Conservatives,” Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez told reporters.

Treasury Board President Jane Philpott said she believes the episode highlights the need for political parties to take a responsible approach to advertising.

“Certainly that’s something that we seek to do in our party and I would certainly hope that other parties would do the same.”

This is the second time the Conservative party has pulled an online ad after facing backlash. In July, the party pulled an attack ad from its Twitter that depicted a black asylum-seeker crossing irregularly into Canada and blamed 2017 tweet from Trudeau for causing a “migrant crisis.” ■

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Canada News

FEBRUARY 8, 2019

FRIDAY

Former N.B. premier writes report on challenges, opportunities for bilingualism THE CANADIAN PRESS BRIAN GALLANT admits he “should have spoken more about bilingualism” during his time as the premier of New Brunswick in a new report he wrote on language tensions in the province.

In the report, released Sunday, Gallant said he hoped to create “open, transparent, and respectful dialogue” about bilingualism in the province — something he lamented he had not done enough in the past four years.

“I should have talked more about its benefits to our economy and to our social fabric,” he wrote.

“I also should have more frequently acknowledged the concerns of some with regards to how they felt bilingualism was impacting their lives in a negative way — while also publicly busting some of the myths surrounding bilingualism.”

Gallant, the soon-to-be former leader of the New Brunswick Liberal Association, said he spoke with 100 community leaders as he spent the last few months touring

the province in a bid to repair its linguistic divide.

The report outlines what the confidential participants viewed as challenges and opportunities when it came to being Canada’s sole bilingual province.

“The hope is that this exercise can help in some small way to unite our province through the realization that there is far more that unites us than divides us,” Gallant said.

Gallant will officially step down as Liberal leader later this month, almost five months after he was ousted as premier by Progressive Conservative Leader Blaine Higgs in last fall’s election. The Liberal caucus will elect an interim leader on Feb. 13 to serve until the party holds its leadership convention in June.

Bilingualism simmered as a contentious issue ahead of the election. While neither party was initially eager to discuss the issue, Higgs and Gallant clashed during a televised debate less than 10 days before election day.

At the time, Gallant stressed that it’s important for the premier and cabinet ministers to demonstrate to both the

francophone and anglophone communities that they take their language seriously.

Higgs, who isn’t fluent in French, argued that bilingualism isn’t “the only skill you need to bring to the premier’s office,” although he added that it is an asset, and he is working to learn French.

The vote in the Sept. 24 election revealed a clear divide in the political map, with Liberal support mainly to the francophone north and Tory support to the anglophone south.

For his report, Gallant said he spoke with francophones and anglophones from across the province, including stakeholder groups, mayors, councillors, labour unions, and other experts.

He said economic, tourism, education, and trade benefits were often touted as some of the advantages to bilingualism, noting in particular that the province enjoys a friendly trade relationship with Quebec and French-speaking countries.

Gallant also said bilingualism has been responsible for business investment and job creation in New Brunswick.

But the report focused mostly on the challenges presented by living in a bilingual province, with the first challenge

targeting the linguistic divide itself.

“Many participants feel the linguistic tensions are caused by each person’s lived experiences. If someone feels they were not able to access a job because of bilingualism, they will potentially have ill feeling towards bilingualism,” he wrote.

“The most common point made by the participants is that there is a lot of misinformation regarding bilingualism being used to flame tensions.”

The report also presented a number of potential solutions to foster more understanding between linguistic communities.

Some suggested holding cultural exchanges between students at French and English schools, and encouraging different groups and associations to work closer together.

In the report’s conclusion, Gallant referenced the Higgs government and suggested the two parties need to work together.

“The minority government situation we face today is an opportunity to find common ground on many issues, including bilingualism, but we need to see courage from our leaders,” he said. ■

New gun control recommendations due ‘in the coming weeks,’ minister says

BY STEPHEN COOK The Canadian Press OTTAWA — New ideas for federal guncontrol rules will likely come with in weeks, says the minister responsible for devising them.

Since August, Bill Blair has been studying ways to get handguns and assault rifles off Canada’s streets, with measures that might include anything from restrictions on sales to crackdowns on smuggling.

Tuesday, the former Toronto police chief and current minister for organized-crime reduction told reporters he hopes to complete the work “in the coming weeks” and present a report to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

“When we’ve got it all compiled, I’ll take it back to him and share with him what Canadians have told us,” he said.

When Trudeau named Blair to the cabinet, his instructions included that he lead an examination into “a full ban www.canadianinquirer.net

on handguns and assault weapons in Canada.” Since his appointment, Blair has been travelling the country to discuss the issue.

Blair’s mandate also includes supporting Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale’s Bill C-71, currently in its second reading in the Senate.

The bill includes changes to the Firearms Act and Criminal Code. Among its amendments are considering events more than five years in the past when judging applicants’ eligibility for gun licences; requiring a buyer’s licence be verified in the sale of non-restricted firearms; and having businesses record information about the people to whom they sell guns.

The Liberal government is concerned that the bill’s provisions won’t do enough to stop gang violence in large cities such as Toronto.

In 2016, more than half of firearm-related violent crimes involved handguns, according to Statistics Canada. ■

Canada News

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 8, 2019

17

Community MP says feds slow to act searches for stem on anti-black racism one cell donation for year after Trudeau pledge Filipino-Canadian man from Richmond

BY JORDAN PRESS The Canadian Press

BY GIANNA LLANES Philippine Canadian Inquirer THE FILIPINO Canadian community of Richmond, British Columbia gathered to find a stem cell donor for 30-year-old Martin Lintag, who was diagnosed with two types of leukemia days after his birthday.

Lintag shared that after diagnosis, his “mind was kind of at a standstill,” saying, “It was paralyzing.” Despite chemotherapy and other forms of treatment, doctors told Lintag that the cancer was not going away and he had only three months to live. In Lintag’s words, “I’m subconsciously counting down how much time I have left.”

He shared that his condition is worsening by the day, explaining, “My body has basically broken down while waiting for a match. Just this past week, I learned that my cancer cells jumped from four percent to 60 percent.”

In order to survive, Lintag needs to find a stem cell donor, with Sarah Jasmines from Canadian Blood Services saying, “You only find matches within your own ethnic group, but in

Martin’s case, he’s Filipino.

That’s about one percent of our database, so you’re looking for a needle in a haystack. For some communities, that haystack is a lot smaller than other,” adding that there are currently no matching donors in their registry.

In order to find a donor, Lintag’s loved ones organized a stem cell swab at Vancouver’s Croatian Cultural Centre last Saturday, February 2, testing out volunteers aged 17 to 35 DNA by swabbing their cheeks in hopes of finding a match.

One of the organizers Adrienne San Juan shared that the event also honors those who are going through similar cases as Lintag, saying, “We just wanted to pay it forward and help other Filipino families go through this and help them with doing the drives.” Similar drives have also been initiated in Toronto and Edmonton.

Lintag reacted to the event saying, “It’s really encouraging that I’m not alone in this fight.”

If ever a donor has been found, Lintag said that “it would mean the world to [him,” adding, “It would be a second chance at life.” ■

MARTIN LINTAG / FACEBOOK

OTTAWA — Federal efforts to address systemic issues affecting black Canadians appear to have stalled one year after the prime minister made it an issue, says the head of Parliament’s black caucus as he put words to simmering frustrations with the slow pace of change.

It was a year ago that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called for action to ensure equal opportunity and treatment for the more than one million black Canadians to address the “very real and unique challenges that black Canadians face,” including anti-black racism.

The cross-party caucus chairman, Greg Fergus, a Liberal MP from Quebec, described Sunday how the words were the culmination of a long lobbying effort that included politicians from different parties, political assistants and grassroots organizations.

Fergus said he thought the speech would mark a change in how the federal government interacted with black communities.

Instead, he said, the bureaucracy, which moves the machinery of government, doesn’t seem to have responded.

“I thought once you get the prime minister saying it, the whole system responds. But I have discovered how mistaken I was,” Fergus said during a panel discussion at a national summit Sunday.

“If there is not buy-in from the public service — if the public service, the machinery of government is not reflective of the diversity of the country, and doesn’t see that the black community is an important community that you want to deal with — it’s like Astroturf … it exists on the top but there are no roots.”

The two-day National Black Canadians Summit, which was the second one organized by former governor general Michaelle Jean’s foundation, kicked off Saturday.

The first summit laid out arwww.canadianinquirer.net

GREG FURGUS / FACEBOOK

eas where the federal government needed to prioritize for work or strengthen efforts.

This time around, the aim is to connect different groups to mobilize the voices of the 1.2 million black Canadians to effectively lobby politicians as the country lurches towards a federal election in the fall.

Fergus’s comments put into focus frustrations voiced during the summit about federal efforts under the banner of the United Nations’ International Decade for People of African Descent, which requires governments to address systemic barriers in laws, services and housing, for instance, for black communities.

Fergus suggested his experience over the last year shows that lobbying isn’t a one-time event, but a constant push.

The Liberals have promised $19 million over five years for mental health and youth programs for black communities, and $23 million more over two years that included money for a broader anti-racism strategy, as part of its efforts.

The election is a chance to amplify the voices of black Canadians, said Richard Picart from the Federation of Black

Canadians.

“This community, my community, is becoming more active politically,” he said.

“It’s becoming more difficult to ignore the black elephant in the room.”

A lobby day is planned for Monday where dozens of representatives attending the summit will meet with cabinet ministers and MPs to put forward specific asks and put black voices into the political conversation.

“The message is nothing can happen without us. We’re in.

We are in and we need to be considered,” Jean said.

“We’re saying here we are and you need to listen to what we are bringing to the conversation.”

The federal government has been able to hire more blacks into the public service, but once in, they don’t seem to rise to the upper ranks, said Liza Daniel, a founding member of the Federal Black Employees Caucus.

She said the employees caucus is finalizing a report about a gathering in Ottawa last month, where participants talked about ways to improve the system for black civil servants. ■

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World News

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FEBRUARY 8, 2019

FRIDAY

Pope tamps down Maduro’s hopes for Vatican intervention THE ASSOCIATED PRESS POPE FRANCIS on Tuesday acknowledged receiving a request from embattled Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro to help relaunch talks to end the country’s political crisis but ruled out any involvement unless opposition leader Juan Guaido requests it.

Francis acknowledged that he hadn’t read Maduro’s letter, which he said arrived at the Vatican via diplomatic pouch.

He added, “We’ll see what can be done.”

But speaking to reporters en route home from the United Arab Emirates, he recalled that a previous Vatican diplomatic effort to facilitate talks between Maduro and the opposition “went up in smoke.” And he insisted on the basic diplomatic requirement that two sides to any conflict must jointly request external facilitation or mediation of negotiations.

“I’ll have a look at the letter, I’ll see what can be done. But the preliminary conditions are that both sides ask for it,” he told reporters, without citing Guaido by name.

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In an address to his ruling party’s legislators on Tuesday, Erdogan said the EU countries had “delivered the presidency of a nation to someone who hasn’t even been through an election.”

Sixteen European countries recognized Guaido on Monday. Turkey is among at least nine nations — including Russia and China —that have declared support for embattled President Nicolas Madura.

“Where’s democracy? What’s this vileness?” Erdogan said of the EU countries.

“On one hand you say ‘democracy, democracy, democracy’… and then you’re going to topple a government with force and cheating?” ■

Pakistani premier, president R E R back rebels in Indian Kashmir I

BY MUNIR AHMED The Associated Press

R E R

ISLAMABAD — Pakistan’s prime minister and president on Tuesday offered support for rebels in the Indian part of the disputed Himalayan territory of Kashmir as the country staged rallies marking the annual Day of Solidarity with Kashmir.

Rallies were also held in the Pakistanicontrolled sector of the territory while a Pakistani minister declared the struggle of the rebels in Kashmir a jihad, or Muslim holy war, saying it would go on until Kashmir becomes part of Pakistan.

India and Pakistan each administer a part of Kashmir, but both claim the territory in its entirety. Rebels have been fighting Indian rule since 1989, demanding Indian-controlled Kashmir be united either under Pakistani rule or established as an independent country.

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan and President Arif Alvi in their statements condemned India for what they said were violations of human rights in the Indian section of Kashmir. They said

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The Argentine pope, who was a young Jesuit provincial at the time, called John Paul’s intervention “courageous” because it “avoided a war that was on the horizon.”

But he noted both Chile and Argentina requested the Holy See’s intervention, and that besides, there are plenty of “small steps” that can be taken diplomatically before arriving at actual mediation of a conflict.

Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused European Union countries of “vileness” and acting against democracy a day after more than a dozen of them endorsed Guaido as the country’s interim president.

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However, Venezuela’s opposition, led

by Guaido, has made it clear that any offers of dialogue must start with negotiating the terms of Maduro’s exit.

Dozens of countries, including the United States and most of the European Union, have recognized congressional leader Guaido as Venezuela’s interim president, arguing that Maduro’s re-election was invalid. But Maduro, too, has widespread international backing and holds practical control over the crisis-wracked nation’s institutions, including the military.

Maduro said in a statement that he sent the letter to Pope Frances, explaining that he’s deeply Christian in both prayer and action.

“I ask the pope to put forth his best effort, his willingness to help us move down a path of dialogue and hopefully a positive response,” Maduro said.

Francis had been asked about whether he might follow in the footsteps of St. John Paul II, who helped mediate a border crisis between Argentina and Chile over the Beagle Channel that almost brought the two countries to war in 1978.

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Pakistan would continue its “diplomatic and moral” support for people living in Kashmir.

“The wish of Kashmiri people for freedom cannot be suppressed,” Alvi told lawmakers in the Pakistani-controlled part of Kashmir.

In Islamabad, Ali Amin Gundapur, a minister in charge of Kashmir affairs, told a rally that “one day, Kashmir will become part of Pakistan.”

Army spokesman Maj. Gen. Asif Ghafoor tweeted that decades of “atrocities

by Indian occupied forces have failed to suppress ever strengthening freedom struggle” of the Kashmiris.

There was no immediate comment from New Delhi on the statements from Islamabad.

On Sunday, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid a day-long visit to the Indian section of Kashmir as separatists there called for a shutdown — shops and businesses closed while thousands of armed government forces and commandos spread out and closed off roads with razor wire and iron barricades to prevent protests and rebel attacks during Modi’s visit. ■

World News

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 8, 2019

US sees limitations on reuniting migrant families

BY ELLIOT SPAGAT The Associated Press SAN DIEGO — The Trump administration says it would require extraordinary effort to reunite what may be thousands of migrant children who have been separated from their parents and, even if it could, the children would likely be emotionally harmed.

Jonathan White, who leads the Health and Human Services Department’s efforts to reunite migrant children with their parents, said removing children from “sponsor” homes to rejoin their parents “would present grave child welfare concerns.”

He said the government should focus on reuniting children cur- certainly larger than the 2,737 rector of Health and Human rently in its custody, not those listed by the government in Services’ Office of Refugee who have already been released court documents. The depart- Resettlement, said in Friday’s to sponsors. ment’s inspector general report filing that it would take up to “It would destabilize the didn’t have a precise count, but eight hours to review each of permanency of their existing Maxwell said staff estimated it its 47,083 cases between July 1, home environment, and could to be in the thousands.

2017, and Sabraw’s June order, be traumatic to the children,” The American Civil Liberties which translates to 100 emWhite said in a court filing late Union, which wants U.S. Dis- ployees working up to 471 days.

Friday, citing his years of expe- trict Judge Dana Sabraw’s order Such an assignment would rience working with unaccom- to apply to children who were “substantially imperil” operapanied migrant children and released to sponsors before his tions without a “rapid, dramatbackground as a social worker.

June 26 ruling, criticized the ic expansion” in staffing.

The administration outlined government’s position. A hearThe vast majority of children its position in a court-ordered ing is scheduled Feb. 21. are released to relatives, but response to a government “The Trump administration’s many of them are not parents. watchdog report last month response is a shocking conces- Of children released to sponthat found many more migrant sion that it can’t easily find sors in the 2017 fiscal year, 49 children may have been split thousands of children it ripped per cent went to parents, 41 from their famiper cent to close lies than previrelatives like ously reported. an aunt, uncle, The government grandparent or It would destabilize the permanency didn’t adequateadult sibling and of their existing home environment, ly track sepa10 per cent to and could be traumatic to the rated children distant relatives, children. before a federal family friends judge in San Diand others. ego ruled in June Sualog, echothat children in ing White’s conits custody be reunited with from parents, and doesn’t even cerns, said the government their parents. think it’s worth the time to lo- would lack legal authority to It is unknown how many cate each of them,” said Lee take children from their sponfamilies were split under a Gelernt, the lead ACLU attor- sors and “doing so would be so longstanding policy that al- ney. disruptive and harmful to the lows separation under certain Last spring, then-Attorney child.” circumstances, such as serious General Jeff Sessions said any“Disrupting the family relacriminal charges against a par- one crossing the border ille- tionship is not a recommended ent, concerns over the health gally would be criminally pros- child welfare practice,” Sualog and welfare of a child or medi- ecuted, leading to widespread wrote. cal concerns. family separations. President Evelyn Stauffer, a Health Ann Maxwell, Health and Donald Trump retreated amid and Human Services spokesHuman Services’ assistant in- an international outcry, days woman, said Saturday that the spector general for evaluations, before the San Diego judge or- department does not comment said last month that the num- dered that families be reunited on ongoing litigation. ■ ber of separated children was Jallyn Sualog, deputy diwww.canadianinquirer.net

19

Huawei fades from U.S. headlines, but still looms large over trade talk

BY JAMES MCCARTEN The Canadian Press WASHINGTON — A Canadian reader of U.S. news reports about last week’s trade talks with China could be forgiven for wondering: what the heck happened to Huawei?

After all, the week began with the U.S. Department of Justice unsealing two damning indictments against the Chinese tech giant, including one that names chief financial officer and telecom scion Meng Wanzhou, whose arrest in Vancouver two months ago dragged Canada into an escalating battle of ideologies between the two largest economies in the world.

And yet two days later, as President Donald Trump and Vice Premier Liu He sat across from each other in the Oval Office after two days of high-level, high-stakes trade talks, the eyebrow-raising U.S. allegations of fraud, conspiracy and obstruction of justice against one of the world’s fastest-growing telecommunications firms elicited barely a mention.

“We haven’t discussed that yet,” Trump said Thursday when asked if Huawei had come up during the talks. “It will be, but it hasn’t been discussed yet.

“That, actually — as big as it might seem — is very small compared to the overall deal.”

Geopolitical observers and trade analysts alike aren’t buying it.

When Trump talks trade, America’s transactional, dealhungry president tends to be less focused on bigger-picture issues than the messages he can sell to his supporters. Thursday’s Oval Office exercise, for instance, was all about radiating mutual goodwill — like when Liu disclosed, seemingly to the surprise of Trump’s aides, that China would buy five million tons of American soybeans.

“Wow,” said Trump, visibly impressed. “That’s a lot of soybeans.”

Not really; China used to buy six times that every year from the U.S., which produced about 138 million tons of soybeans in

2018. Tariffs changed all that.

But the president is in dire need of a political win in short order on trade with China, which he won’t get by talking publicly about what’s really going on — a broader, multi-pronged, longterm American effort to blunt its economic, geopolitical and military might.

“There’s a lot of tension within the U.S. administration about China policy,” said David Dollar, a senior fellow in foreign policy, global economy and development at the Brookings Institution’s John L. Thornton China Center in Washington.

“One school of thought is, ‘This is a Communist dictatorship, it’s a potential threat to the U.S., we can’t get along with this country’ — ‘decouple’ is the word they use. To the extent they’re gaining ascendancy, then you don’t want a trade deal. You just want to slap on big tariffs, you want to penalize Chinese companies, Chinese citizens, and reduce the economic relationship.

“Then there are other members of the administration who — I think correctly — understand there’s a lot of benefit in U.S.-China economic exchange, and they would like to improve the terms of that and in some sense deal with these security issues, but ringfence them so that other economic exchange can go on.”

Canada shares that latter approach, a delicate high-wire act made all the more awkward by the swirling diplomatic updrafts of Meng’s Dec. 1 arrest and former ambassador John McCallum’s public assessments of her chances in court.

It would be “naive in the extreme” to think that the Huawei controversy can be divorced from the U.S.-China trade discussion, said Wesley Wark, a University of Ottawa professor who specializes in matters of national security and foreign relations.

“Huawei has been made exhibit No. 1 in a China-U.S. trade war and struggle for technological supremacy, and the criminal ❱❱ PAGE 21 Huawei fades

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FEBRUARY 8, 2019

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Huawei fades...

May’s Brexit deal finally wins majority support in parliament

❰❰ 19

indictments are just kind of on the ground floor,” he said.

China is determined to diminish U.S. influence and extend its own economic, political and military reach around the world with “a distinctly Chinese fusion of strongman autocracy and a form of Westernstyle capitalism,” Dan Coats, the U.S. director of national intelligence, warned last week in a briefing with the Senate intelligence committee.

Trump’s trade and economic emissaries will resume talks in Beijing later this month, and the president himself will sit down with counterpart Xi Jinping before March 1, when U.S. tariffs on some $200-billion worth of Chinese goods are scheduled to jump to 25 per cent. It will be during those presidential talks where Huawei returns to the agenda, observers say.

Trump used the all-caps word “comprehensive” in a string of tweets last week about his high hopes for a trade deal with China — a sentiment he repeated Sunday in an interview with CBS’s “Face the Nation.”

“No two leaders of this country and China have ever been closer than I am with President Xi,” the president said. “We

21

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have a good chance to make a deal … and if there is a deal, it’s going to be a real deal. It’s not going to be a stopgap.”

That means Huawei and help with North Korea more than it does more soybeans, said Dan Ujczo, a trade lawyer and Canada-U.S. specialist with Dickinson Wright in Columbus, Ohio.

“Huawei is what it’s all about at the end of the day,” Ujczo said. “That’s what comprehensive means. The meeting between the two leaders — trade will just be one of the three major components, with Huawei being probably at the top of the list and North Korea right after.”

Trade, Huawei and the world’s broader concerns about

China’s at-all-costs global ambitions are closely intertwined components of the U.S. strategy, said Wark. Whether that strategy will work is another question.

“I think it’s a very aggressive American policy that has to be rooted in an assumption that it’s possible to change Chinese behaviour through force. That critical assumption — that you can force, in a relatively short time frame, a change in Chinese behaviour through these tactics — that’s the critical thing that we should be speculating about: is this a good policy?

“Many people would argue it doesn’t have a chance in hell.

But lots of voices need to weigh in on that one.” ■

LONDON — Just days after suffering the biggest humiliation in British political history, Prime Minister Theresa May was closer than ever Tuesday to finally reach an elusive Brexit deal.

By 317 votes to 301, MPs in the House of Commons gave their backing to May’s deal, which they rejected earlier this month, providing changes are made to the so-called Irish backstop border issue.

Backstop is a safety net intended to ensure that there will not be a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland The 16 majority for her deal gives May a mandate to return to Brussels to call for a reopening of negotiations, and indicates that the Brexit deal is likely to win the critical final vote in British parliament if changes are made to the Irish

border issue.

The victory for May’s minority government was assured after the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) backed tonight’s move.

Immediately after the vote was announced, May said that two weeks ago MPs rejected the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement when only 202 MPs voted in favor.

“Tonight a majority have said they would support a deal with changes to the backstop.

“It is now clear that there is a route that can secure a substantial and sustainable majority to leave the EU with a deal,” she said, to loud cheers from the Conservative benches.

Veteran MP Sir Graham Brady has been hailed as the hero of the night by including a crucial addition to May’s rejected deal. It says the deal requires the Northern Ireland backstop to be replaced with alternative arrangements to avoid a hard ❱❱ PAGE 13 May’s Brexit

California bill would limit genitalia surgery for children

BY KATHLEEN RONAYNE The Associated Press SACRAMENTO, CALIF. — California doctors would be barred from treating or performing surgery on children born with genitals that don’t fit a single gender or are otherwise atypical unless it’s medically necessary or the child consents, under a bill unveiled Monday.

It’s the latest effort by state legislators to give minors more control over their bodies and gender identities.

“The fundamental premise of the legislation is that people should make decisions about their own bodies,” said Democratic Sen. Scott Wiener of San Francisco, the bill’s sponsor. “In California we strongly believe that people are who they are and that we shouldn’t be telling people who they are supposed to be.”

Doctors, though, said the bill may go too far in restricting how they can treat patients. The California Medical Association hasn’t taken a formal position on the bill but has “very serious concerns” that include the bill’s lack of a definition around when a minor is old enough to consent.

“Our concern is that the approach in this bill may be being overly prescriptive and not give families and medical professionals the ability to take the specifics of each case into account,” Janus Norman, senior vice-president for governmental relations, said in a statement.

The bill focuses on intersex minors, defined as someone who is born with atypical physical sex characteristics, which could include genitals or internal organs that don’t conform to a single gender.

InterACT, a non-profit work-

ing to expand rights for intersex youth, estimates just less than 2 per cent of the U.S. population has some type of intersex characteristic. That includes a broad range of characteristics ranging from an enlarged clitoris or a misplaced urethra opening on the penis to genitalia that don’t clearly match one gender.

About one in 2,000 babies are estimated to have visible genital differences putting them at risk of early surgery, said Kimberly Zieselman, the group’s executive director. Unnecessary surgeries could mistakenly identify a child’s preferred gender or, in cases unrelated to gender, leave scarring or affect future fertility, she said.

“It’s not just a gender issue,” Zieselman said. “There are a lot of other harms that happen to many intersex people as a result of the interventions that are psychological and physical.” www.canadianinquirer.net

Under Wiener’s bill, doctors and parents wouldn’t be allowed to move ahead with treatment or surgery unless it is medically necessary, such as something that would prevent a child from urinating. Treatments or surgeries outlined in the bill include removal or reduction of the clitoris or removal of the ovaries or testis. It could also bar additional procedures not specifically outlined in the bill.

If a doctor considers surgery medically necessary, he or she would need parental consent.

If the treatment isn’t necessary, the doctor and parents would have to wait until the child is old enough to give consent and obtain approval for any procedures.

The bill doesn’t define when a minor can give consent. It is intentionally vague, Wiener’s office said, and would rely on guidelines already in state law

around when a child is able to consent on certain medical procedures. The California Medical Association cited that as a reason for concern.

“There are also serious questions about the nature and legal threshold for informed consent as used in the bill,” Norman said.

Under current medical guidelines, doctors form teams of experts, including psychologists or urologists, to evaluate each individual circumstance.

Considering the physical and emotional health of the future child is a key piece of the evaluation, Norman said.

Under the bill, doctors could not be criminally held responsible if they violate the law but could be disciplined by the state’s medical board.

Wiener said his office will work with the medical association if it has constructive feedback. ■

22

Entertainment Adam Levine’s Super Bowl ‘Flower Drum nipple reveal prompts backlash Song’ author C.Y.

Lee dead at 102

BY LEANNE ITALIE The Associated Press NEW YORK — First, critics panned Maroon 5’s Super Bowl halftime performance. Then social media folks went fullon snark over Adam Levine’s throw pillow-like tank top design. Then he peeled off the busy brown shirt and the snark turned to outrage over his exposed nipples.

The bare-chested moment Sunday had some feminists and Janet Jackson supporters focused on how male and female nipples are treated differently in life, especially on network TV and by the NFL years after Jackson’s career was derailed by a split-second halftime reveal.

“Double standard, much?” is how an InStyle headline neatly summed up the issue in the light of day Monday as the media noted how the hate quickly built online. Singer-songwriter Neko Case aptly captured the mood in an F-bomb-infused tweet likening the frontman to a half-nude greased pig.

Jackson’s 2004 wardrobe malfunction, thanks to Justin Timberlake’s tug on her bodice, earned CBS a $550,000 Federal Communications Commission fine that was later voided by an appeals court. Levine’s nipples enjoyed far more stage time.

A CBS spokesman, Chris Ender, and an NFL spokesman, Brian McCarthy, did not immediately return email requests for comment Monday.

Kimberly Seals Allers, a journalist and breastfeeding advocate, wrote of the male-female double standard on public exposure of nipples in her 2017 book, “The Big Letdown: How Medicine, Big Business and Feminism Undermine Breastfeeding.” She was watching the game Sunday and joined the Twitter choir with some research she had done.

Public breastfeeding has become a flashpoint for contro-

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

@ADAMLEVINE / INSTAGRAM

versy over exposure of female nipples, from the arrests of women who do it around the globe to restaurants who have banned it.

Interestingly, she wrote, male nipples were also sexualized and banned from public view until men protested, ignited in 1930 when four were arrested in Coney Island for going shirtless on a beach.

“Then Hollywood icon Clark Gable stripped off his shirt in ‘It Happened One Night,”‘ Allers wrote, “marking the scandalous debut of a man’s uncensored nipples in American cinema.”

In 1935 New Jersey, 42 topless men were arrested in Atlantic City during a demonstration, according to the book. By 1936, however, after ongoing protests, neighbouring New York lifted its ban on men going topless and “suddenly a man’s nipples were no longer ‘obscene’ in society but, rather, commonplace and natural,” Allers wrote.

Such an effort has been made for women in recent years, spurred on by the 2015 “Free the Nipple” movie and move-

ment, but little headway has been made.

Allers said Monday by telephone that the Jackson controversy was the first thing she thought of when she watched Levine peel off his tank.

“The issue was around the nipple itself,” she said of the decades-old bans on topless men.

“Clark Gable really did what was considered a very provocative thing in the movie by taking off his shirt and that was the first time,” she said. “Ever since then it became very commonplace, versus what happened to women, where their fight to not sexualize their breasts didn’t have the same success.”

She called it a “trap,” and Jackson’s Super Bowl moment remains a solid example, Allers said. It’s the first thing she thought of when Levine took the show to skin.

“I thought, it must be nice to have that freedom, which women don’t have,” Allers said. “Janet Jackson is still being punished for that. There’s just not the same level of dialogue around men and their bodies.” ■ www.canadianinquirer.net

NEW YORK — C.Y. Lee, whose novel “The Flower Drum Song” became a bestseller and the basis for a popular stage musical and Oscar-nominated film despite mixed critical reactions and concerns about stereotypes, has died at age 102.

Lee’s son, Jay Lee, told The Associated Press that his father died Nov. 8 in Los Angeles. The family decided at the time not to make his death public.

“The Flower Drum Song,” a story of generational conflict set in San Francisco’s Chinatown, came out in 1957, and quickly became a popular read. The New York Times’ Idwal Jones praised Lee’s “objective eye,” but also faulted the book for its absence of “deeper notes” and its affinity for “slang and sex” and “popular taste.” (The author would later acknowledge he wanted to reach a large audience).

Lee’s debut novel attracted the attention of screenwriter Joseph Fields and composers Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. Their musical adaptation, originally directed

by Gene Kelly, ran on Broadway from 1958-60 and was revived in 2002, with a book by “M. Butterfly” playwright David Henry Hwang. A 1961 film version, among the first major Hollywood productions to feature an Asian cast, received five Academy Award nominations despite being called by The New Yorker an “elaborate fraud” and a showcase for crude stereotypes.

Lee has since been praised as among the first Asian novelists to break through commercially in the U.S. and Hwang is among those who thought the book underrated. “Flower Drum Song” was out of print at the time Hwang worked on the Broadway revival and he had to track it down from a Seattle book seller.

“I thought, ‘Oh, it’s such a shame this author and this book have been lost, particularly the bittersweet tone of the novel,”’ Hwang told the AP in 2001.

“C.Y.’s book is complicated in terms of texture about what it means to be an American — the things you gain and the things you lose — but it ultimately affirms the value of this social experience.”

A native of China who emigrated to the U.S. during World War II, Chin Yang Lee wrote several other novels, including “China Saga” and “Gate of Rage,” based on pro-democracy protests in 1989 centred on Tiananmen Square.

He spent more than a year writing “Flower Drum Song,” and at the time was renting a small apartment above a Filipino nightclub in San Francisco.

He was employed at the time by a Chinese-language newspaper, for which he wrote stories for elderly readers. For his novel, he drew upon his observations about the difference between older immigrants and their more assimilated children.

“In Chinatown, I knew everything that was going on,” he told the AP in 2002. “Out of that I created characters, using everybody including my own family and my friends, plus a lot of invention from the air.”

Lee struggled to find a publisher. After more than a dozen rejections, he was warned by his agent that he might have to “think of another profession.”

“But then the novel landed at the sick bed of an 80-year-old gentleman, who was a reader for a highbrow publishing house (Farrar, Straus),” Lee told the AP. “He was quite ill, but he read it. He didn’t have the energy to write a two- or three-page critique. He wrote only two words — ‘Read this’ — and died.

“Without those two words, the novel would have never been published.” ■

Entertainment

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 8, 2019

23

Dayanara Torres reveals: I have been diagnosed with skin cancer

BY JOANNA BELLE DEALA Philippine Canadian Inquirer THE UNIVERSE was saddened by the news that its former queen has announced on Tuesday, February 5.

Miss Universe 2013 Dayanara Torres took to social media to reveal that she has been diagnosed with what is said to be the most dangerous form of skin cancer — melanoma.

“Today I have some sad news… I have been diagnosed with skin cancer ‘melanoma’ from a big spot/mole I never paid attention to, even though it was new, it had been growing for years & had an uneven surface,” Dayanara wrote.

The Puerto Rican beauty queen shared to her 889,000 followers on Instagram that it was her fiancé, Louis D’Esposito, who has been “begging” her to have the mole checked. After being convinced, Dayanara scheduled herself for an appointment to a doctor and after a biopsy and surgery last Tuesday, the results, she said, sadly turned out to be positive.

“Now we are waiting to see which

treatment I will be receiving but they have already removed a big area from the back of my knee & also they have removed 2 lymph nodes at the top of my leg where it had already spread,” she said.

She went on saying, “Hoping it has not spread to any more areas or organs.”

Dayanara, who is a mother of two, also shared that her sons were a bit scared after learning about her condition. But for a woman who has a strong faith to the Lord, no fears cannot be conquered.

“I have put everything in God’s hands & I know he has all control,” she said. “[My sons] know about my faith and know they have a warrior of a mommy!” she added.

Ending her post, Dayanara has left an important reminder to everyone: “PLEASE, never forget to take care of yourself. If you see something or feel something different in your body have it checked…” she told the public.

Several of her Filipino fans told the beauty queen that they will include her in their prayers and hoped for her fast recovery.

Dayanara flew to the Philippines to

DAYANARA TORRES / FACEBOOK

pass the crown to her successor, Miss Universe 1994 Sushmita Sen. The former miss universe then ventured to the world of entertainment, as she became an actress and television host in the country.

She starred in some local films like Basta’t Kasama Kita and Type Kita Walang Kokontra alongside Aga

Andi Eigenmann confirms pregnancy with second child

BY GIANNA LLANES Philippine Canadian Inquirer TWENTY-EIGHT-YEAR-OLD actress Andi Eigenmann has revealed on her social media accounts that she is expecting her second baby, her first child with champion surfer boyfriend Philmar Alipayo.

On her Instagram story, Andi shares a photo of her baby bump, followed by an “update” saying, “Haven’t been as active on social media for many (great) reasons. Been adjusting slowly but surely to my ‘new life.’ The journey has been so exciting, yet scary at the same time, but we have been so happy and at peace nonetheless. Still wouldn’t have my life any other way. We are now on our way to moving to our new island home where my growing family will make more joyful memories together.”

In a post on her profile, Andi shares a photo enjoying a coconut in Bali captioned, “This time around, I am fully cherishing every moment of my pregnancy. Embracing it as a time of transition and growth as my soul and spirit stretch, along with my body. Having raised a beautiful girl has given me cour-

age to be proud of every bit of evidence in my body that shows that I am a mother. It will not be about hiding the bump, and bouncing back as soon as possible so that nobody notices that I actually gave birth. This time, it will be about celebrating the blessing of having another chance to raise another flower child.”

Andi, who is the daughter of celebrities Jaclyn Jose and the late Mark Gil, has confirmed that she is 14 weeks and three days pregnant as of February 1, 2019. Her first child, daughter Ellie, was born in November 2011 to former boyfriend Jake Ejercito.

Her current boyfriend Philmar is known for making history by winning the 19th Siargao National Surfing Cup, which is the first-ever Philippine Surfing Championship Tour-sanctioned event. Philmar also has a three-year-old son named Kanoa.

Coming from a celebrity family, Andi’s sister Gabby shares to the media her reaction to the news saying in Filipino, “At the end of the day, I’ll always support my sister whatever her decision is in life,” adding, “She’s happy! She wanted this.

I can’t say that she didn’t learn [from her past] because at the end of the day, I don’t want to consider it as a mistake.

It’s a blessing.” ■

Muhlach and Cesar Montano, respectively. She also appeared in ABS-CBN’s variety show ASAP as one of its hosts, joining Martin Nievera, Pops Fernandez, and Ariel Rivera.

In 2017, she returned to Manila as a judge for Miss Universe 2016, which was bagged by the French beauty queen Iris Mittenaere. ■

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24

Fil-Am Marc dela Cruz first Asian-American actor to portray Alexander Hamilton on broadway

BY GIANNA LLANES Philippine Canadian Inquirer MARC DELA Cruz, a Hawaiiborn theater actor of FilipinoJapanese descent, lands the role of Alexander Hamilton in Broadway musical “Hamilton,” becoming the first Asian-American actor to star in the Tony award-winning musical.

In an Instagram post, Marc expresses his gratitude saying, “Thank you to the Ham Fam and everyone who supported me from near and far on my first couple of outings going on as Alexander Hamilton. This show continues to amaze and thrill me. Whether I’m on as Man 5 or as Ham, I love being able to help tell this story.”

In a separate post, he ac-

knowledges this milestone saying, “I’m truly overwhelmed and humbled. I’m proud to join the Asian/API and Asian American performers who’ve been repping in Hamilton productions worldwide and in all kinds of ways onstage and onscreen,” adding, “Since joining Hamilton Musical I’ve witnessed the power of this show to bring people together in a positive, uplifting way.”

Marc began his broadway career in 2014, playing as Swing in musical “If/Then” alongside Idina Menzel and Anthony Rapp.

Since November 2018, he played various roles in “Hamilton” like King George, John Laurens, Philip Hamilton, James Reynolds, and Philip Schuyler before he landed the lead. ❱❱ PAGE 36 Fil-Am Marc

Pandit Mahadeva

FEBRUARY 8, 2019

FRIDAY

Thousands of Filipinos gather for Blackpink concert in Manila

BY GIANNA LLANES Philippine Canadian Inquirer THE SM Mall of Asia Arena (MOA) was filled with thousands of people last Saturday, February 2 as Korean girl group Blackpink, which consists of Jennie, Jinsoo, Lisa, and Rose, throw their first-ever concert in the country in honor of their In Your Area tour.

Blackpink has been handled

by YG Entertainment since 2016. They’re known for hits “Ddu-Du Ddu-Du,” “Forever Young,” “Stay,” and “Whistle.”

Prior to the beginning of their performance last Saturday night, Rose told fans, “We’re so so excited to perform here in Manila. I hope you guys are ready to have fun tonight. Let’s have fun!” The South Korean girl group also performed their track “Kiss and Makeup,” which is a collaboration with British singer Dua Lipa. Nearing the end of the concert, Jisoo expressed to her fans, “Thank you so much for support our concert in Manila. I’m very happy, very grateful and I love you,” with Lisa adding, “You guys

BLACKPINK in Manila.

are amazing! Thank you so, so much! I love you! Salamat!”

Among the celebrities that were spotted watching the show include Liza Soberano, Andrea Brillantes, Alexa Ilacad, Maymay Entrata, Edward Barber, Riva Quenery, AC Bonifacio, Sue Ramirez, Kristel Fulgar, Chie Filomeno, Charles Kieron, Jameson Blake, Rayt Carreon, Krissha Viaje, Richard Juan, Nichole Barranda, Ryan Bang, Jasmine Curtis-Smith, and Anne Curtis.

A few days before the concert, Anne gave 34 of her fans tickets to the concert through her

@FROMYG / INSTAGRAM

foundation, Dream Machine, as part of her birthday celebration on February 17. She tells them, “Hope you enjoyed your merienda and I hope you all the enjoy the concert to the MAX! Congratulations and continue to spread light and love in this world!”

Blackpink also recently announced that they will take their In Your Area tour to North America, Europe, and Australia this 2019. They will also be performing at Coachella in California alongside Childish Gambino, DJ Snake, and Diplo in April. ■

MU 2018 Catriona Gray promotes HIV awareness by taking on 10-year challenge

BY GIANNA LLANES Philippine Canadian Inquirer

403 909 6993 W h i tef ield Dr NE , C alg a r y

MISS UNIVERSE 2018 Catriona Gray from the Philippines uses the viral ‘10-year challenge’ to voice out her own advocacy calling for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing.

On her Instagram, where she has 4.5 million followers, Catriona posts a graphic on how the epidemic has spread in the last 10 years. She captions, “Hey Philippines, here’s a #10yearchallenge,” tagging her partner organization Love Yourself Philippines. Catriona continues to describe, “In the last ten years, we’ve seen the cases www.canadianinquirer.net

of new HIV cases in the Philippines rise exponentially from only 1 a day in 2008 to 32 a day in 2018. While the numbers appear alarming, the data shows us that we’ve been able to reach the affected population and increase the access to testing, which is a key step to stop the rising epidemic. To accelerate our vision to eradicate HIV, it starts with educating ourselves and then taking steps to get tested and to continue to take steps to care for ourselves.” In conclusion, the 24-year-old beauty queen adds, “If I can do it, you can too.”

Last November, Catriona also released a video in partnership with Love Yourself Philippines entitled, “This is me: Brave and

Free with Love Yourself Philippines,” where she shows the process of getting tested for the disease. Love Yourself Philippines is an organization that focuses on awareness, education, counselling, and testing of HIV. Prior to her post pertaining to HIV, Catriona also shared the evolution of her famous ‘lava walk’ in her stories, as well as ‘Baby face Cat’ at age 14.

Catriona was crowned Miss Universe Philippines 2018 in Thailand last December, becoming the fourth winner from the country after 1969’s Gloria Diaz, 1973’s Margie Moran, and 2015’s Pia Wurtzbach. She currently resides in New York to fulfill her duties. ■

25

Lifestyle Year of the Pig people react to what horoscope says about them this 2019

BY JOANNA BELLE DEALA Philippine Canadian Inquirer

Earth Pig, this is the year that the world has rung in for them as the clock strikes midnight on the 5th of February. But how true is their horoscope for them this 2019?

beled as those who are focused on whatever goal they may have in life, not a conversationalist type as they are having a hard COLORS LIKE red, orange, time putting knowledge into gold, yellow, and blue shattering words, and they are highly orbeautifully in the night sky. ganized.

Tables filled with wonderful Is this me? Or nah?

For Kenneth Correa, 23, it flavors of food and that ever faClosing the last page of the seems that his horoscope demiliar basket of rounded fruits.

Year of the Earth Dog, everyone scribes his personality as if it And wishes of happiness and now seems ready for big shifts truly knows him. prosperity. and changes coming their way “I really am a pig,” he told PCI We do not witness and hear as the new zodiac animal goes in jest. these things only every Janu- underway!

He continued, “I always give ary 1 as welcoming the new year Landing on the last spot in to my parents and other peoin the Philippines does not end the Chinese zodiac or Shengx- ple even magipit or kulangin on that day. Thanks to the Chi- iao which composes of 12 ani- ang budget ko (if my budget nese culture and traditions that mals is none other than the pig. is tight). I am super friendly many Filipinos have adopted, According to some myths, the to all and I keep in touch with we get to celebrate such a big pig became the last of all the an- my old friends kahit malayo na occasion in the country twice. imals since he was the last to ar- sila (even though they are far Every January or Febru- rive at the Jade Emperor’s gath- away).” ary, depending But contrary to on the Chinese not being a conlunar calendar, versationalist, Filipinos and Kenneth said he Tsinoys also emPeople who were born in the Year of is very talkative; the Pig are described as generous, brace Lunar New the only time he hard-working, and over-friendly.

Year, otherwise remains quiet, known as Spring he stressed, is Festival, with whenever he envarious Chinese counters a probdelicacies, red lem which he envelopes stuffed with money, ering, following the dog which prefers to keep to himself. lucky charms, and of course, is at the 11th place, and then the “I always set my goal and make the entertaining lion and drag- rooster, monkey, sheep, horse, a process para maabot ko ‘yung on dance parades under vibrant snake, dragon, rabbit, tiger, ox, goal ko (to achieve my goal) in and the animal that occupied life. I’m well organized with my costumes.

But apart from these, there the first position, the rat. things. Gusto ko may place para is also one thing famous every Each of the 12 creatures is said sa lahat (I make a place for evChinese New Year especially to carry unique traits and that erything),” he added. for those who are wondering one’s personalities are believed Jean Oropesa, 23, meanwhile what is in store for them this to be affected by the animal as- said as much as she wanted to year — right, horoscope it is. sociated with their birth year. claim that all characteristics For a Chinese New Year spePeople who were born in the her horoscope is telling about cial, Philippine Canadian In- Year of the Pig are described as her are true, she acknowledged quirer (PCI) features people generous, hard-working, and the fact that there are some facwho are born in the Year of the over-friendly. They are also la- tors which do not describe who

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JOJO NICDAO / FLICKR, CC BY 2.0

she really is.

“Pwera ‘dun sa pagkatahimik or ‘di palakausap at focused sa goal, nasa exploration age kasi ako (Except being quiet or not being a conversationalist and focused on goals since I’m still in the exploration age),” she said laughing. “Me as a person?

Light lang akong tao (I’m someone who has a light personality), you can approach me easily, friendly ako (I’m friendly), siguro nasa personality ko na rin at sa nakagisnan ko (maybe it is already part of my personality and what I got used to).”

A ‘challenging’ love life

In the aspect of love, the horoscope says single ladies born in the Year of the Pig might find it hard to look for

their true love, unlike men who have a bigger chance to change their relationship status from single to in a relationship.

Commenting on how her love life is supposed to turn this year according to the horoscope, Jean jokingly complained, “Bakit naman ganito (Why is it like this)?????? Taon-taon nalang ba (Will it be like this every year)?”

Kidding aside, she said it does not really matter to her whether it will be difficult for her to look for a romantic partner or not — as long as that person will be worth the wait.

“In my opinion naman, real life is (still) life choices pa rin.

Kumbaga ikaw ang gumagawa ❱❱ PAGE 26 Year of

26

FEBRUARY 8, 2019

FRIDAY

UnARThodox: Understanding art and the artists

BY CHRISTINE CUDIS Philippine News Agency

Emmanuel Nim boasts of his artworks inspired by his love of Mother Nature.

BEN BRIONES / PNA

MANILA — Art may be regarded as a personal endeavor but it also binds many as one.

This is the underlying concept of ‘UnARThodox’, a threeday art affair hosted by Miriam College in partnership with ArtisteSpace Inc. where students, professionals, and collectors meet and appreciate over a hundred art pieces from around the metro and nearby provinces.

Miriam College’s Dean of Education Trixie Marie Sison welcomes the partnership with creatives seeing an opportunity for students to interact with the artist themselves and learn inspirations behind their works.

“In museums, we make our

own interpretations as the audience, this art fair will be a venue for the students and other guests to hear from the artists themselves the stories behind their paintings,” the dean said, adding that the event will encourage the students to realize that art is as important as Science and Mathematics.

This after the dean saw a rather moving painting of a child leaning beside a post with a chalk in hand and looking towards what seems to be a silhouette of a grown woman.

The artist explained that the emotional child is staring at her sketch of her mother who has been working overseas through her growing years.

The artists

While enjoying a snack from a food park in front of the reg-

istration booth, guests are welcome to look around through the variety of artworks displayed alongside its artists.

At first glance, Anthony Escueta’s paintings only appear as bright and playful coordination of patterns. Later on, the artist approached to explain that he calls it his Guryon Series, an acrylic of kites which he claims as his favorite amusement as a young boy.

“As a batang 90s (90s kid), I feel compelled to share my joyful memories playing outdoors,” he said.

A few steps on, attractive images of flowers and women are painted with feminine palette colors which stand in clear contrast of the artist Emmanuel Nim, a macho who hails from ❱❱ PAGE 30 UnARThodox

Year of... ❰❰ 25

ng kapalaran mo (You are the one making your own fate) as a person,” she explained, adding, “Kung magka-jowa ka this year is because pinili mo ‘yun. Kahit pa sabihin natin may mga tao naman na nagtr-try i-pursue ka, ‘pag di ka pa sure at ready, why commit ‘di ba? Choice pa rin (If ever you will have a boyfriend this year, that is because you chose to have one. Although we say that there are other people who are trying to pursue you if you are not really sure and ready, then why will you commit right? It is still your choice).”

For couples, on the other hand, horoscope also predicts that those born in Year of the Pig may have a ‘challenging’ relationship between their romantic partners.

Although she is not believing anything stated in the forecast of her future, the 36-year-old Cazel Pasia said she and her husband will be ready to counter all roadblocks they will come across along the way.

Having a strong faith to the Lord, she firmly answered, “We’ll face the challenges and pray to God to overcome everything.”

The unlucky stuff

Obviously, horoscope will not be completed without the

things that will bring each sign bad luck and good luck.

For the Year of the Pig, the horoscope tells you that your unlucky colors are Red, Blue, and Green, while your unlucky numbers are 1, 3 and 9. To shoo away unfortunate stuff, the forecast said it is good for you to stay away from places with overly negative energy like hospitals and cemeteries.

It also advises you not to change your career this year as it will only give you unforeseen consequences.

Some born in the Year of the Pig might follow this, but exclude Gerlie Bandola, 36, and Myrna Ng, 48, from the list. “‘Yung uniform ko Blue. Pano ‘yon? Papalitan ko? Hindi syempre, kasi magagalit boss ko sa trabaho (My uniform is Blue.

What am I going to do about it?

I will change it? Of course not because my boss at work will get mad),” Gerlie said.

Also dismissing her horoscope so readily, Myrna said avoiding the signs which is supposed to give her a bad fortune will only make things worse for her.

“Kung iisipin natin na bad luck ang lahat, walang mangyayari sa buhay natin (If we think that everything is bad luck, nothing will happen in our lives),” she told PCI. Ironically, the unlucky colors

for Cita Lazaro, 60, this 2019 turn out to be her favorite colors. For someone who loves and is used to wearing colorful dresses like Red, Blue, and Green, she probably won’t let go of her beloved outfits and accessories for the sake of getting rid of the bad lucks.

“Hindi ako naniniwala sa mga ganung kasabihan kasi hindi ako Chinese (I do not believe in those sayings because I’m not Chinese),” Cita said.

My 2019 will be…

With all these predictions in career, love life, luck, or generally in life, how can one born in the Year of the Pig perceive his or her horoscope this 2019?

Carmela Canonizado, 23, shared that even though she does not believe in her horoscope, she, however, finds it fun reading such forecast sometimes.

“Noong college, madalas kaming magbasa ng horoscope ng mga kaibigan ko hindi para sundin kung ano man ang sabihin nito kundi para ma-entertain lang (When I was in college, my friends and I often read horoscope not because we will follow what it says but because for us to be entertained),” she said.

“Sometimes to challenge ourselves, like, sabi sa horoscope mo ‘wag ka raw gumastos ngayong araw kasi maba-bankrupt ka www.canadianinquirer.net

(the horoscope says you should not spend money today because you will go bankrupt) or something like that. Then he/she will definitely save money for the day not because we really believe na maba-bankrupt siya(he or she will go bankrupt) or anything pero dahil (but because) it is for his/her own good na to save money,” she added.

Aside from being entertained, Carmela also revealed that she somehow felt scared reading her horoscope for this year as what indicated in it has similarities to her personality and the dilemmas she is currently facing.

“Pwede ko ‘tong maging gabay sa ilang mga bagay ngunit hindi sa mga desisyon na magiging malaki ang impact sa buhay ko (I can use it as my guide in some aspects but not in my decisions that will make a big impact in my life),”she clarified.

Now that everyone around the globe has opened a new chapter in their lives as they welcome the brand new year with new hopes and aspirations, what does Carmela think her 2019 will be?

This year, Carmela said, she expects nothing except: first, “magiging boring ito dahil mananatili ako sa komportable at nakasanayan (This year will be boring because I will stay in my comfort zone and what I got

used to),” and second, “magiging exciting at nakakapagod dahil maaari kong piliin ang pagpapalit ng career na mahirap man ay pagti-tiyagaan para makaranas ng kakaiba at bagong [kapaligiran] (It will be exciting and tiring because I may choose to change career which may be hard but I will persevere to experience a unique and new environment).”

Gerlie, on the other hand, expressed confidence that 2019 will bring her positiveness in all aspects of her life.

“Dahil sa Year of the pig ako, 80% sure ako na mas magiging maganda ang takbo ng buhay ko, sa trabaho ko, at[para] sa pamilya ko (Since I’m born in the Year of the Pig, I’m 80 percent sure that everything will go well in my life, career, and even for my family),” she said.

It is true that it is really up to a person whether he or she will believe in whatever the cosmos are saying about his or her future or not. The stars align in the sky will eventually change, but none of us can truly say whether our destinies will be different or it will remain the same after a year. While no one knows what the Year of the Pig has in store for us, one thing is for sure — we all got a chance to make each day so worthwhile.

Have a wonderful and prosperous 2019, everyone! ■

Lifestyle

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 8, 2019

27

Miss World Philippines 2018: My First Pageant

BY GIANNA LLANES Philippine Canadian Inquirer BEAUTY PAGEANTS are superficial. Beauty pageants are catty and aggressive. Beauty queens are all looks and no brains.

These stereotypes about the beauty pageant industry are a lot of the reasons why I never thought I myself would join one. Never have I been the most poised, let alone the most confident in a room full of women. At the age of 16, I even remember being scouted at the mall by a talent agent who was interested in training me and submitting me into these various competitions, but advised that he would only do so if I agreed to lose ten pounds. At that point, all of my hopes of even entering the industry disappeared because I never felt I would be enough to fulfill the public definition of ‘beauty.’

But, here’s my story on how I found myself in the pursuit of becoming a beauty queen by competing in one of the biggest pageants in the country.

Entering Pageantry

During my high school years, the local workers at our cafeteria would always call me ‘Miss Universe 2020,’ which was a shock since I went to a Caucasian school where my color and look weren’t the most favored.

However, as pageantry started booming in the Philippines, my family and friends really persisted that despite physical appearance still being a big factor in getting the crown, brains and personality were also valued now, which ignited an interest in me.

I started trying to picture myself strutting in heels after I graduated high school in 2013, the same year Megan Young was crowned Miss World 2013.

I would watch videos of her performances and interviews admiring how relatable she was, but still believed getting a crown myself someday was an impossible dream because I was too short, wasn’t thin enough, and wasn’t the mestiza/chinita Filipina the Philippines always defined as ‘gorgeous.’

A few years later during my senior year of university in Ateneo, I took a leap of faith and tried out for a pageant without

Gianna Llanes.

MISS WORLD PHILIPPINE ORGANIZATION / FACEBOOK

any prior experience with my friend Clarice Villareal. We both didn’t get in, but that did not stop her from auditioning and succeeding to become a candidate for Binibining Pilipinas a few months later. I thought to take that same leap of faith the same year but decided to back out of Miss World Philippines 2017 auditions thinking that I did not have enough experience or knowledge.

During the opening of Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League, where I still work as a courtside reporter to this day, I was approached by the secretary of the opening ceremonies saying that my name was familiar — and that she was also the secretary of Miss World Philippines 2017 where I was expected to show up during the screening, adding that I “had good potential” because of my credentials. Without thinking twice, I promised her I’d join the following year.

Preparing for Miss World Philippines 2018

At that point, I was a blank canvas. My mentor today, Jontie Martinez (who we call ‘Tito Jontie’) held one of the smaller pageant camps, but had produced many success stories. She was the reason why my friend Clarice had enough confidence to join Binibining Pilipinas, and at that point, no other camps were interested in training me (which became a blessing in disguise!)

Three months prior to the

back out again the day before the pageant. I really did not think I was capable of joining a beauty pageant – a major one at that being my very first one.

I arrived at the screening 30 minutes late and thought, that alone, diminished my chances in the competition. Upon arrival, all of the girls were assisted by their managers, had their makeup done professionally, and were dressed by stylists, while I entered alone, did my own makeup, and wore a tootight/too-short bodycon dress that I found in the back of my closet. One thing was for sure – I obviously had the least experience of all these women.

The screening process was divided into two parts: one where they test your general presence, and the other where the judges dig deep into your speaking skills and personalities. From almost 100 aspirants, we were cut down into 40 — myself being one of the few candidates who was registered as an ‘independent’ and was a first-timer.

While the press and pageant blogs gathered around the girls who were titleholders, I was there unknown, unnoticed, but aware that I was in for one hell of a journey.

paring for MWP together and had known each other months beforehand, while the independent with me only knew one person, Erica, who I had met in high school. But, after we were assigned our numbers, I found a sort of squad with the people around me. Kimi, Crissia, Katrina, and Tammie were my constants because we were always grouped together as candidates #35, #36, #38, #40 and me as #37.

Even after the events, we would be messaging each other on social media to debrief what happened during the day. When I had any self-doubt during the competition, these girls would constantly reassure me of my chances, remind me of the accomplishments that I already achieved, and the amount of progress I had made since day one. Amidst all of the pressure of the competition, they were the ones that I could send silly memes to, have dinners with, and join laughs with during rehearsals because we knew that despite it being a competition, nobody knew what was happening on the inside and the hard work we were sacrificing for the pageant proper.

Miss World Philippines screening in August, Tito Jontie and I got to work. Upon meeting me, he already suggested how I could polish my look – like grooming my brows, layering my hair, and taking care of my skin. One thing I admired about Tito Jontie is that unlike the other managers I had worked with, he never pressured me to lose weight or give into the superficial surgeries that came with acceptance from The Lows the industry.

The Other Candidates Two months of hard work Just having a conversation There’s a common miscon- and determination is what I with me, Tito Jontie knew that ception about pageantry that like to describe my MWP jourI would nail the closed-door girls are ‘catty,’ I won’t deny ney as. At the time, I was workinterviews and Q&A portions that there was an atmosphere ing five part-time jobs in order of the pageants since my pro- of competitiveness, but that is to pay for my rent, especially fessions and university degree inevitable since there were 40 because I had just moved into pertained to my own condo public speaking independently and research of around the same current events. time as the pagHowever, there Being 100% Filipina with tanned eant. Ahead of skin and Asian features, I hope that was one thing time, I had alwe can someday be the faces of the that needed maready alerted country as well. jor polishing — my bosses that I my walk. I was a might be missing complete tomhours or delayboy (still am!) ing tasks because who loves her Jordans, so I had of us vying for only four crowns. of my bid in MWP, which they no familiarity with how to walk However, what outsiders don’t were very understanding. in heels. Every week, we’d meet expect is that we actually beAt the first parts of the pagat the clubhouse at Tito Jontie’s came each other’s rock as well eant, I felt like I was doing subdivision and for two hours throughout the entire compe- everything wrong. At every just walk, pose, and turn. For tition. Initially, I thought the event, all of the girls would be some sessions, I trained with ‘sisterhood’ was superficial and dressed-to-kill and makeupnow Mutya ng Pilipinas 2018 fake, but with the public eye on-fleek by their personal stylsecond runner-up Kristine Ma- constantly comparing you and ists and makeup artists, while I licsi (who walks beautifully!) pointing out your shortcom- was putting everything togethand Miss Earth Philippines ings to uplift their ‘bet,’ we re- er myself. Thankfully, one of 2007 Jeanne Harn. ally clung on to each other. my college best friends Xeena During the initial events, I partnered up with her friend The Screening Process chose to sit quietly alone. All In all honesty, I wanted to of the other girls had been pre❱❱ PAGE 28 Miss World www.canadianinquirer.net

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Lifestyle

FEBRUARY 8, 2019

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Miss World... ❰❰ 27

Nathan to be my own personal glam team, but all three of us still had limited knowledge on how to go about a ‘pageant look.’ Top that off with my lack of experience as well on how to approach the organizers, the sponsors, and the media on how to build a good rapport with them.

A few weeks after the announcement of the official candidates, we were presented to the press. I was absolutely terrified. When we were released to approach the media for interviews, I remember completely freezing and Tito Jontie telling me, “What’s happening to you? This isn’t like you!

Use your incredible speaking skills,” as he encouraged me to break out of my shell. Yet, the self-doubt remained, Tito Jontie having to literally drag me to the reporters. As a result, not a single pageant blogger afterward included me in their ‘Top 16 predictions’ and I had not made any noise in the next two months. This took a toll on my confidence.

The Highs

In all honesty, for a lot of the following events, I felt like I was in the shadows. I even broke down, questioning whether or not I actually had a chance at the crown – and if it was worth all of the sacrifice. From August to October, I did not see a lot of my friends, I barely saw my family, and all of my free time was spent home catching up on work. I was miserable for a good amount of time because I felt like no matter the efforts I gave into this pageant, I was simply a ‘nobody’ who did not have enough support to win.

Yet, I had found time to return to my on-cam work at Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League after three weeks of not covering the basketball games. One of the writers for Fox Sports Philippines named Jonas had approached me and said that he wanted to share my “From Sneaks to Heels” story. I was astonished because it was a gentle reminder that I did not embark into pageantry for the crown, the money, or the recognition — ultimately, I wanted to inspire.

After that, I had felt like I had loosened up and began to get the hang of things. I would arrive at events dressed-up according to my own personality, not to im-

press, but because it was fun. I would approach the sponsors that we’d meet despite them not knowing my name, just to ignite an interesting conversation. My friends and I would go through all of the efforts to post the best photos on our social media, because we wanted to recall our MWP journey as a positive experience. And whenever I would doubt myself, Tito Jontie was a text away saying, “Focus on your own goals,” or Kimi would remind me that I “am doing so many amazing things outside of pageantry,” or my family encouraged that they are “so so proud.”

Because I let loose and took a deep breath relieving myself from the intensity of the competition, I allowed the pageant to help build my confidence, reduce my insecurities, and ultimately unveil my capabilities to be independently strong.

Night before the coronation

Yet amidst the journey to improvement, the night before the coronation, after four days of all-day rehearsals, two weeks of non-stop events, and twomonths of competition, I felt as if my mind, body, and soul had been drained. I crashed to my ultimate low and wanted to back out of strutting through the much-awaited event.

As I sat in the back seat of the bus on our way back to our hotel after the final rehearsals, I couldn’t continue to hold back my tears. Here I was, highly convinced that not only was MWP not for me but pageantry as a whole. I was pretty sure I wouldn’t win, much alone make it to the Top 16, so I asked myself – Is it even worth it?

I called up my boyfriend, Ryan, to take the almost hourlong drive to my hotel because I needed someone to cry to. He recalls picking me up and never seeing me bawl like that before.

I screeched that I wanted to go home, that pageantry clearly wasn’t for me. I told him about the person who commented on my Instagram, saying, “You’re not going to win! You’re not even pretty, I don’t know why you joined in the first place.”

I told him about not getting in as a finalist into the any of the fast tracks despite my best efforts. I told him that I had no more energy in me, to just take me home and forget that MWP ever even happened.

However, both he, my mom, and all of my friends reminded me that night — that this is just the beginning of a long journey. I became an official candidate as a first-timer besting out experienced competitors.

I overcame all fears by joining one of the biggest pageants in the country as my very first one. And, I had already gotten that far – why walk away from it now?

8th of October, 2018

The entire night, I hid myself under the covers and continued to cry. I connected with so many emotions that I didn’t know what else to do. Up until the very last second when we walked on stage, I was sensitive to everything going on around me and felt aloof to the situation.

But, there was something extremely powerful about the bright lights that lit up the stage.

It was empowering. It made me feel invincible. For some reason, during the show proper, all of my negative thoughts completely disappeared and I was just focused on putting on the best performance of my life. How many other aspirants would ever experience that many eyes on them on such an incredible platform? And, here I was.

And, there were my friends and family, making sure that they scream their lungs out so I can hear their cheers from a distance. Those minutes, where I had the audience’s attention as I smiled, walked, and posed, it was a representation of selfgrowth. From this young girl at the age of 16 who was told that she had to change her physical appearance to join pageantry, to the 19-year-old who tried to get into the industry not knowing how to walk in heels, to the now 23-year-old strutting in front of thousands of people on-stage with some of the most beautiful women in the country. Is the crown really what I needed to feel like I’ve won?

Because, let me tell you, as soon as the pageant was over and I had gone home emptyhanded, I knew that this was only the beginning and I had never felt as fearless with my next steps in life.

Continuing my Advocacies

In retrospect, what I had learned from my stint in MWP www.canadianinquirer.net

Gianna Llanes.

MISS WORLD PHILIPPINE ORGANIZATION / FACEBOOK

2018 was that I had the ability to speak, and the powerful voice I was given should further look into my advocacies to spread the need to do good. The pageant itself had me question my passions and genuine intentions in what I want to change about the world, as we were questioned on our advocacies by the general public.

One of my biggest advocacies during MWP was ‘body positivity among young women in the Philippines,’ which was the same subject as my senior thesis in ADMU. My partner, Chynna, and I produced a magazine entitled “Marilag,” which shares stories of young women and their journey towards selfacceptance against the stereotypical definition of ‘beauty’ in the country.

The week before the coronation night as well, Ryan and I visited U! Happy Events in my area of the city I represented, the organization aiming to teach values to marginalized children. Being there, interacting with these children who were nothing but joyful as you played games with them and gave them hugs, had my eyes opened to the true meaning of a ‘queen.’

The Future of Pageantry, I hope

Despite the insane rollercoaster, I was genuinely pleased with how pageantry has been developing, in the hopes that it continues to prioritize intelligence over beauty. Indeed, physical appearance continues to be the deciding factor of these major pageants, however,

the industry has been stepping out of the stereotypical – some of the contestants of MWP being only 5’2” tall, none of us ever being pressured to ‘limit what we eat’ and being told that our bodies are not beautiful.

In the direction that pageantry is going, I do hope that continues to be pursued. On a personal level, I am aware that our current queens sent abroad still embody the stereotypical definition of ‘beauty’ in the country, but I’m hoping that we can break from limiting the crowned queens to light-skin, pointed noses, and Caucasian blood. Being 100% Filipina with tanned skin and Asian features, I hope that we can someday be the faces of the country as well.

The Pursuit to Represent the Philippines Someday

During the two months of MWP2018, I had told myself that after coronation night, I would never find myself joining another pageant again. However, for some strange reason, at the conclusion of the event, I woke up on October 9 with adrenaline excited to join my next pageant.

There are so many lessons that I learned during this national pageant that I am anticipating applying during my next chance to obtain a crown. I was also aware of my shortcomings that I wanted to redeem myself from. And ultimately, my heart is too attached to the dream to be able to represent my home, the Philippines, on an international stage someday… in the near future. ■

29

Sports Antique to send 730 athletes, officials to 2019 WVRAA

BY ANNABEL CONSUELO PETINGLAY Philippine News Agency SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA, ANTIQUE – Despite budget constraints, some 730 athletes and technical officials will represent Antique province in the 2019 Western Visayas Regional Athletic Association (WVRAA) meet to be held in Roxas City, Capiz on February 17-23.

Evelyn Remo, chief of the Department of Education-Antique Division School Governance and Operations Division, said Antique’s student-athletes will compete in different sports events, including three new regular sports.

“Antique will participate in the different sports events at the WVRAA,” Remo said in a media interview on Monday.

Remo said pencak silat, dance sports and aero gymnastics will be played as “regular sports” in the WVRAA beginning this year.

The three erstwhile demonstration sports are also expected to be included as regular sports in the 2019 edition of the Palarong Pambansa.

Meanwhile, Antique Governor Rhodora Cadiao said the provincial government is giving its all-out support to the athletes who will leave for Roxas City on February 10.

“I will try my very best to be in Roxas City to inspire the ath-

letes during the opening program,” Cadiao said in a separate media interview.

She said the provincial government is now expediting the purchase order requests for the needs of the athletes.

Cadiao said the budget allotted for the WVRAA-bound athletes could not be increased as planned due to failure to approve the annual budget for 2019.

“Instead of the PHP13 million to PHP15 million budget in 2019, the WVRAA budget will just be PHP9 million, similar to last year’s (budget),” she said.

She said that PHP9 million will not be enough, “especially because there are now new sports events.” ■

Blatche rejoins Gilas practice

BY IVAN STEWART SALDAJENO Philippine News Agency MANILA — Andray Blatche is officially back to Gilas Pilipinas.

The 6-foot-11 center finally joined the national team practice in an early session at the Meralco Gym in Pasig City on Monday night.

Blatche’s return will be a huge boost for Gilas. The naturalized player, who arrived in the Philippines on Friday, took part in the training led by head coach Yeng Guiao.

Fellow big men Raymond Almazan, Poy Erram, and June Mar Fajardo joined Blatche in practice.

Mark Barroca, Jayson Castro, Gabe Norwood, RR Pogoy, Troy Rosario, and Scottie Thompson also participated in the drills.

Japeth Aguilar and Paul Lee also attended the practice, but they were relegated to observers due to their respective injuries.

Marcio Lassiter and Chris Standhardinger were not in at-

ANDRAY BLATCHE / FACEBOOK

tendance.

Gilas is gearing up for the final window of the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers later this month.

The Nationals need to sweep their remaining games to have a better chance at making it to the FIBA Basketball World

Cup. Gilas will face Qatar at the AlGharafa Sports Club in Doha on February 22 (Philippine Time).

The Philippine basketball team will then take on Kazakhstan on February 24 at the Republican Velodrome in Astana. ■ www.canadianinquirer.net

Kevin Alas.

@KEVINLOUIEALAS / INSTAGRAM

After 5 games back in the PBA, Kevin Alas tears ACL again

BY GIANNA LLANES Philippine Canadian Inquirer TWENTY-SEVEN-YEAR-OLD KEVIN Alas had returned to playing for the NLEX Road Warriors five games into the 2019 Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Philippine Cup when he landed in pain during a rebound battle with Meralco big man Cliff Hodge. The guard was stretchered out of the Ynares Center in Antipolo, the same venue where he had torn his anterior cruciate (ACL) the first time.

A few hours after the incident, the NLEX Road Warriors management confirmed, “We regret to inform the public that Kevin Alas sustained an ACL injury on his right knee during our February 2 game against the Meralco Bolts. Our medical team is set to confirm the extent of the injury through MRI results on Tuesday, February 5,” adding, “This is the same knee which was injured in last year’s Philippine Cup. According to our medical team, Kevin will be out of action for several months as he goes through another round of surgery and therapy. We thank our fans for

supporting Kevin during his 2018 recovery. It is no secret that Kevin worked extremely hard to get back in fighting form for the 2019 PBA season.

His therapists, coaches, teammates, and entire NLEX Road Warriors family are all witnesses to his patience, perseverance and desire to play the sport he loves.” The team ended the statement, saying, “We hope you join us and continue to support Kevin as he overcomes this challenge as well.”

As a response to his player’s injury, NLEX head coach Yeng Guiao shared in Filipino, “We are all sad – not just the players, coaching staff, management, even our families are devastated of what happened because Kevin is like family to us.” He added, “We are all praying for Kevin. We are supporting him all the way. We will be patient with him. We’ll wait for him until he gets back.” Guiao, who was Kevin’s second coach in his professional career, also told the media, “We know that he’s a strong boy – he has a strong personality and we know he can come out of this. We will just keep supporting him. We can only offer our prayers and encouragement.” ■

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Business DICT to pursue common tower policy even without 3rd telco

BY AEROL JOHN PATENA Philippine News Agency MANILA — The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) said Saturday it is pushing through with the implementation of its common tower policy even without the entry of a new major telco player.

DICT Acting Secretary Eliseo Rio Jr. said this will allow cell tower firms to build and deploy communication infrastructures that may be leased to telcos to further improve the

delivery of their services to the public.

“We will go ahead with the common tower initiative even if we have only two telcos because the fact remains that we still need an additional 50,000 towers to improve our connectivity,” Rio said in a statement.

“Common towers can bring down the cost of our telecommunication services so there is definitely a need for this initiative, whether we have two or three or even four telcos,” he added.

The DICT official made this reaction amid issues regarding

UnARThodox... ❰❰ 26

General Santos City.

“I am a huge nature lover, through my years of painting I developed a fascination for the mother earth and every feminine figure — they are a symbol of nurturing beauty and calm, the vibe I want to transcend from my works,” he said.

On the far end of the strip where Nim was stationed is his friend Jonathan Madeja.

Formerly, a staff in a shopping mall, Madeja has just decided to become a full-time artist to dedicate the rest of his life doing what makes him feel good about himself.

“Halos anim na taon din ako sa trabaho tapos iniisip ko hanggang dito lang ba yung gusto ko, di ko ba gagawin yung talagang gusto ko (I spent almost six years in the maintenance job but I would always bug myself that I can’t just be doing this),” he said.

Evidently, making art did him well. It took him out of the stressful routine of work-eatwork and now earns at least PHP26,000 a painting which he can complete in a span of one to two months.

‘UnARThodox’ is open until February 2, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Paz Adriano Grounds and Henry Sy Innovation Center, Miriam College, Quezon City.

Featured artists also include

Philip Badon and his wife Thelma Badon, Glenn Blanco, the doctor-artist Ronnie Lim, Ral Arrogante, Alex De Castro, Paper Cutting Philippines President Badz Magsumbol, Caress Banzon, Norlie Meiban, Boysie Villacencio, and the Association of Foot and Mouth Painters of the Philippines Member Jovy Sasutona.

Besides the exhibit, the event also brings seminars and workshops such as Calligraphy, Portraiture, Paper Cutting, Digital Film, Digital Art Production, Jewelry Making, Fashion, Design Thinking and Creative Process, Latte Art, Origami Making, Rubber Stamp Making, 30 Printing, and more that will be facilitated by well-Known artists and professionals.

Miriam College and ArtisteSpace, Inc. aim to bring art enthusiasts to a world beyond art through the different and captivating activities in UnARThodox. It hopes to introduce Filipino artists, as well as the different platforms of art, to the young aspirants and hopefully engage their passion for arts. ■

the validity of the franchise of the third telco player.

Various lawmakers have expressed concern that Mislatel Consortium, a joint venture of Udenna Corp. of businessman Dennis Uy and Chinese stateowned firm China Telecom, has failed to comply with the conditions of its franchise as it has not operated within a year after the franchise was granted and sold 70 percent of its shares without congressional approval.

Mislatel was granted a legislative franchise in 1998 with a specific provision to commence operations within one year

from approval.

Rio estimated that the common tower initiative would generate about USD4.4 billion and would create thousands of jobs.

To date, the DICT has common tower provider agreements with local firm ISOC Infrastructures, Inc.; Singapore’s ISON ECP Tower Pte. Ltd.; IHS Towers; Edotco Group; RT Telecom Sdn Bhd of Malaysia; and China Energy Engineering Corp.

The government will provide assistance to the tower firms through facilitation of permits, right of way, and providing other government support for in-

frastructure should they secure a contract with any of the telco operators.

The DICT earlier said the Philippines needs additional 50,000 cell towers to be competitive with its neighboring countries in providing quality communication services to the public.

The country has about 16,000 cell sites, the lowest cell density in Asia.

The lack of cell towers has been identified as one of the barriers to affordable and consistently reliable Internet services in the country. ■

Anti-corruption efforts drove improvement in CPI ranking: NEDA PHILIPPINE NEWS AGENCY

corruption measures,” Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia said in a statement on Friday.

Contributing to this increase are the registered accomplishments of the Office of the Ombudsman in its punitive, preventive, and promotional strategies.

It is also continuously implementing its seven-year roadmap through the Integrity Management Program, the

tion Commission, the dismissal of erring officials, and streamlining of government procedures have shown the whole MANILA — The National of government’s firm commitEconomic and Development ment to weed out corruption in Authority said gains in antithe bureaucracy. corruption initiatives by the Transparency International, government drove the ima non-governmental organizaprovement in the Philippines’ tion responsible for the pubranking in the 2018 Corruption lication of the annual CPI, Perceptions Index (CPI). recommended that the nation The Philippines climbed 12 should move towards a comspots (99th out of 180 counprehensive strategy to battle tries) this year. corruption.

This translates “Chapter five into a percenof the Philippine tile rank of 45.0 Development (against 38.3 in Corruption puts a heavy toll on Plan 2017-2022 the government and the services it 2017), surpassdetails strategies provides to the public, which is why we ing the 2018 tarto ensure clean must continue to enhance and intensify get in the 2017and efficient our anti-corruption measures.

2022 Philippine governance.

Development Guided by this, Plan (PDP) Rethe Philippine sults Matrix. government In terms of score, the Philip- electronic filing of statements, will be advancing its anti-corpines garnered 36 points out of assets, liabilities and net worth; ruption initiatives in terms of 100, improving its 2017 score at and the Integrity Caravans. scale, technology use, and citi34 points out of 100.

Furthermore, the Office of zen participation,” Pernia said.

“We are pleased with the re- the Ombudsman has reduced He added that the governsults of the 2018 CPI. Corrup- its case backlog with its docket ment will also expand its strattion puts a heavy toll on the now down to 6,000 cases by egies through collaborative efgovernment and the services the end of 2017, from around forts between government and it provides to the public, which 20,000 in 2011. citizens, as well as simplify prois why we must continue to enMeanwhile, the creation of cedures to expedite processing hance and intensify our anti- the Presidential Anti-Corrup- and prosecution of cases. ■ www.canadianinquirer.net

Business

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 8, 2019

31

Wireless providers Who benefits the most from in Canada earn most sugar import liberalization? revenue per GB in the world — study

BY LILYBETH ISON Philippine News Agency

BY JOANNA BELLE DEALA Philippine Canadian Inquirer WIRELESS CARRIERS which earn the most income per gigabyte (GB) in the world are those in Canada, a study conducted

by Sweden-based research firm tefficient showed.

According to its 21st public analysis of the data development and drivers of mobile data, the total revenue per GB of wireless providers in Canada is “roughly 70 times higher” than those in India and “23 times higher” than in Finland.

Tefficient compared Canada’s revenue to the other 38 countries covered in its study.

The report shows that Canadian providers pocket the most income, amounting to 27 euros or approximately $40 when Canadians only use two GB of data per month.

“Consequently, mobile usage [in Canada] is lower than average,” the research firm said.

It also noted that among all the 39 countries which mobile data usage is “still growing,” it is China and India that stand out.

“In the first half of 2018, these two ‘developing’ nations have overtaken several mature markets when it comes to average data consumption per subscription. The growth is incredibly fast and driven by 4G,” it said.

China’s usage growth in the

first six months of 2018 is at 102 percent which is “incredibly fast,” according to tefficient.

“It’s fuelled by a fast take up of 4G which in turn has been fuelled by massive 4G-oriented marketing by the Chinese operators,” the Swedish firm explained.

But the two nations, it added, are not yet “challenging the top” as Finland and Taiwan got the first and second spot, respectively.

The data providers in Finland only earn one euro or $1.51 per GB, however, the Finns use 14 GB of data per month.

Tefficient said many are using data on those countries because of lower charges, unlike in Canada.

“Most mobile operators in mature markets aren’t attempting to monetize voice and SMS based on usage any longer; they have instead made these allowances unlimited and included them in a flat fee,” it explained.

It added that most users in those countries are subscribed to old price plans as they are either still locked in by a contract or have not yet found the best deal.

Apart from China, India, Finland and Taiwan, those where wireless carries make the lowest revenue per GB are Lithuania, Latvia, Thailand, Estonia, and Austria.

“These countries are mobile data paradises for users,” tefficient said. ■

MANILA – The controversy on the liberalization of sugar imports continues with the government’s economic managers, stakeholders, producers, manufacturers and farmers giving their opinion on the issue.

But at the end of the day, who will really benefit the most from it?

Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno, in his weekly breakfast forum on Wednesday, announced that a 30 percent to 40 percent tariff rate is being eyed on sugar importation, to serve as protection for local producers while still liberalizing the industry.

“We will open up the importation but the competition is still there. We liberalize but we still impose tariff,” Diokno said in Filipino.

He said that while the planned liberalization of sugar imports would negatively affect local producers, this would benefit a greater number of consumers.

“There are more consumers than sugar producers,” Diokno said in a text message to the Philippine News Agency (PNA).

Diokno explained that “in arriving at any policy decision, policymakers should always be guided by the principle of what’s the greatest good for the greatest number.”

“The importation of sugar benefits consumers and hurts sugar producers. Hence, policymakers have to weigh the net gain of a policy decision — total benefits by consumers vs. total loss of sugar producers,” he said.

However, is it really the consumers who will benefit the most in the liberalization of sugar imports?, asked various sugar stakeholders and producers/manufacturers.

“Importation is just a quick fix to (the) problem,” Emilio Yulo, Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) Board Member, said in an interview on Thursday. “We will kill rice, sugar, fish, poultry, hog through importation. What happens if other countries close (their) doors to other markets?” www.canadianinquirer.net

Yulo noted that a majority of the country’s sugar imports come from Thailand.

“Thai sugar being brought to the Philippines is just excess production. The ‘A’ sugar, that’s for domestic use. Their ‘B’ sugar is just their excess production, which they export. That’s why they can bring down the cost — around PHP1,100 is the landed cost and around USD404 per metric tons. Suppose five years from now, Thailand will say, I don’t want to export to you anymore because I’m expanding my ethanol program. Where do we get our supply?” he said.

Raymond Montinola, Confederation of Sugar Producers Associations, Inc. (CONFED) spokesperson, said one of the reasons why some want to have liberalization is that “they want to lower the price of sugar in the market so it would be beneficial to Filipino consumers.”

“But if you will look at the consumption of sugar, sweeteners, 65 percent or 68 percent goes to industrial users, while institutional consumers (pastry shops), around 22 percent goes to them. And households consume only about 13 percent. So if you look at the bigger picture, who benefits the most towards liberalization? Household consumption is just around seven to eight kilograms a year per household. So who is complaining the most? It is the industrial users because they have the bigger chunk of consumption of sugar,” Montinola explained.

“There is a misdirection of concerns (on) who benefits the

most,” he noted.

But would a 30 percent to 40 percent tariff rate on this basic commodity be enough to protect consumers?

Montinola said that sugar has been tariffed before — 20 percent, then 15 percent, then 8 percent, now it’s 5 percent.

“But if you go to WTO (World Trade Organization), maybe there is a chance to tariff. But, you also have other agreements, like in ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), AFTA (Asean Free Trade Area). With AFTA, you only have 5 percent. It will be a hard fight. Thailand will never agree to that (increase in tariff ),” he said.

On the other hand, the local confectionary industry also expressed its support for the government’s plan to open up the importation of sugar into the country but wants tariff rate at 25 percent only, while allowing them to directly import sugar.

Philippine Confectionery Biscuit and Snack Association (PCBSA) president Kissinger Sy has said that liberalizing sugar imports would help the industry to further grow, as it will gain more savings from the cheaper price of the commodity.

Sy said these savings can be invested instead to boost their operations. He noted that the industry is a heavy user of the commodity, as sugar constitutes 50 percent to 70 percent of confectionery items. ❱❱ PAGE 33 Who benefits

32

Technology 14 year old’s FaceTime bug discovery could rattle Apple

BY MATT O’BRIEN The Associated Press

are raising questions about how long it took Apple to address the bug.

In a statement Friday, Apple thanked the Thompsons as it announced that it has identified a fix and will release it next week. FaceTime group chatting will resume then.

Grant, a straight-A student who plays basketball, does community volunteering and enjoys the video game “Fortnite,” was calling friends to play the game on a Saturday night, Jan. 19, when he discovered the flaw.

“If a 14-year-old kid discovered it, I wonder how many other people discovered it,” said Chris Wysopal, chief technology officer with the security firm Veracode.

Apple hasn’t said whether it has records that could answer that question.

Friday’s statement said Apple’s engineers worked quickly once it got the details needed to reproduce the bug. Although Apple didn’t acknowledge a delay, the company said it was

AT THE heart of Apple’s shocking FaceTime bug, which allowed just about anyone to turn an iPhone into a live microphone, stands a 14-year-old boy who stumbled upon the eavesdropping flaw more than a week before Apple took action.

“The thing that surprised me the most was that this glitch happened in the first place,” said Grant Thompson, a high school freshman in Tucson, Arizona. “I’m only 14 and I found it by accident, instead of the people at Apple that get paid to find glitches.” ability.

Not only that, but Grant New York Attorney General and his mom said they spent Letitia James and Gov. Andrew a week unsuccessfully trying Cuomo said Wednesday that to get Apple to do something they’re investigating “Apple’s about the bug in its FaceTime failure to warn consumers group-chatting feature. The about the FaceTime bug and bug allowed callers to activate slow response to addressing the another person’s microphone issue.” remotely even before the perThey said the bug jeopardized son has accepted or rejected the the privacy of New York concall. sumers. James “It took nine said her office’s days for us to get review will ina response,” he clude a “thorsaid. “My mom There needs to be a better process ough investigafor the average citizen to report contacted them tion into Apple’s things like this. almost every sinresponse.” gle day through Last Octoemail, calling, ber, Apple infaxing.” Of the troduced the fax, he jokes, “I’m not even sure “committed to improving the 32-person video conferencing what that is. It’s probably older process by which we receive feature for iPhones, iPads and than I am.” and escalate these reports, in Macs. With the bug, a FaceTime This eavesdropping scare is order to get them to the right group-chat user calling another over now that Apple has dis- people as fast as possible.”

Apple device could hear audio abled group chats, but the probThe company — at first wide- — even if the receiver didn’t lem could dog the company for ly praised for its swift response accept the call. The bug was much longer. New York state — could come under increased triggered when callers turned officials have opened a consum- scrutiny as regulators seek to a regular FaceTime call into a er rights investigation. Others learn more about the vulner- group chat, making FaceTime

www.canadianinquirer.net

think the receiver had accepted the chat.

In Grant’s case, he had just gotten his Xbox ready and called to invite a friend, Nathan, to play “Fortnite” with him online.

“You can swipe up and add another person, so I added another friend of mine, Diego, to see if he also wanted to play,” he said. “But as soon as I added Diego, it forced Nathan to respond.”

They were shocked at first, then tried to repeat the bug and it happened every time, he said.

His mother, Michele Thompson, said she started trying to reach Apple the next day.

“They could have tested it within two minutes, realized it was true and brought it up the chain at Apple,” said Thompson, who works as an attorney.

“There needs to be a better process for the average citizen to report things like this. And a timelier response.”

She eventually reached someone who advised that she

could register as a software developer to submit the bug. Such reports can sometimes lead to “bug bounties” so that those who discover a flaw can get a financial reward. The family hoped Grant could receive such an award, or at least some credit, for his discovery.

“Every day he would ask me, ‘Did we hear from Apple yet?’ she said.

The family tried reaching Apple through multiple channels. They left comments on Twitter, one of them directed to CEO Tim Cook, and uploaded a video to walk Apple engineers through the problem.

But it wasn’t until a tech blog reported the flaw earlier this week — leading many people to experiment with the spying bug themselves — that Apple took the unusual measure of temporarily shutting down the groupchat feature.

Apple has declined to say when it learned about the problem. The company also wouldn’t say if it has logs that could show if anyone took advantage of the bug before it became publicly known this week. The company reached out to the Thompson family on Tuesday offering to give some public credit for their efforts, according to an email Michele Thompson shared with The Associated Press.

“It would be cool to just have Apple say thanks to me,” Grant Thompson said before Friday’s announcement from Apple.

“And of course, the bug bounty, that would be pretty awesome to get, but as long as we got rid of this pretty groundbreaking bug, and Apple said thank you, that would be pretty cool.” ■

Technology

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 8, 2019

33

DOST execs note importance Montreal high of Space Agency creation school to help

BY MA. CRISTINA ARAYATA Philippine News Agency MANILA — Four executives of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) on Thursday noted the importance of establishing a Space Agency in the country.

In a forum held in Quezon City, DOST Secretary Fortunato dela Peña stressed that having a Space Agency is essential to help strengthen space technology studies and developments in the country, as well as make regulations for this matter.

Dela Peña said he hopes the legislators would consider the passage of the Philippine Space Development Act, which is due for second reading in the Senate.

Enrico Paringit, DOST-Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (PCIEERD) executive director, remarked that the country’s initiatives related to space technology would continue if there will be an agency that would better support and manage these.

The Philippines has launched

two Filipino-made microsatellites — the Diwata-1 and Diwata-2, in 2016 and in 2018, respectively. These were launched to outer space to capture images that will be used for remote sensing and for research.

Remote sensing is data-gathering about the earth’s surface.

Among the technologies needed in remote sensing are satellites with high resolution camera, and sensors for mapping flooding areas.

The microsatellites are also being used to gather data on natural and man-made disasters, to monitor vegetation and water changes, among others.

“We need (the Space Agency) to continue the advancements in space technologies in the country,” Paringit said.

Dela Peña said the DOST targets to launch a third microsatellite by 2022.

“We look forward to developing satellites. (Our) target is to have the Diwata-3 (orbiting) up to 2022. It should be orbiting by that time,” he said.

The executive added that the DOST continues to boost its human resource who are working for space technology development, and will send some

scholars to Russia.

Earlier, dela Peña told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) that he is not sure whether the DOST will also handle the Space Agency once it is established. He noted, however, that whoever will manage the Space Agency, the DOST will support and will always be part of the “entire ecology.”

Negros sell their produce at a much lower price than what the retailers sell at more than PHP60 per kg. in public markets and stores.

Therefore, the high retail price of refined sugar is not attributable to sugar farmers and millers, he added.

Meanwhile, the SRA Board headed by Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel “Manny” Piñol, in its meeting on Wednesday, signed a resolution reiterating the policy of the State that it should be the SRA that would “regulate the release of imported sugar in the domestic market.”

To carry out such policy, the SRA is mandated “to establish and maintain such balanced relation between production and requirement of sugar and such marketing conditions will insure stabilized prices at a level reasonably profitable to the

producers and fair to consumers.”

The SRA was also mandated to regulate imported or foreign sugar as its influx will adversely affect the sugar industry, which contributes an estimated PHP96 billion in the national economy from the sale of raw sugar, refined sugar, molasses, and ethanol, and PHP5 billion in value-added tax payment on refined sugar.

The industry employs 720,000 workers in 20 sugarproducing provinces and on which, about 82,000 farmers — mostly agrarian reform beneficiaries and small farmers — are dependent for livelihood.

The resolution further stated that any policy that directly affects the sugar industry “must go through a tedious and exhaustive consultation process with the stakeholders.” ■

Boosting info dissemination

Meanwhile, DOST Undersecretary Rowena Cristina Guevara said information dissemination will be faster if there is a dedicated agency for this.

Information to be disseminated are about space, geology and other related matters, she said.

“We want to address ‘information poverty,’” DOST-Advanced Science and Technology Institute acting director, Joel Marciano said.

At present, the DOST receives data and images captured by the two microsatellites.

There is a microsatellite laboratory at the University of the Philippines. It is open to the public, and was created to educate people about microsatellites. ■

Who benefits... ❰❰ 31

“The government’s liberalization plan is long overdue as sugar is now practically a basic commodity that is used as an ingredient in almost all major food products that are consumed by all sectors of society,” he said.

“For the last couple of years, PCBSA has been petitioning the government to allow its members to directly import sugar to be used exclusively to produce confectionery items,” he added.

Yulo, however, said that sugar import liberalization “is not the solution.”

“Let’s go after the greedy traders and retailers who are capitalizing on the situation at the expense of the sugar farmers and producers,” he said.

Yulo said it is not the farmgate or mill-site prices of sugar that have remained high, but the retail prices.

In fact, he said, farmers in

www.canadianinquirer.net

‘cyber athletes’ hone video game skills

BY MIKE BLANCHFIELD The Canadian Press MONTREAL — Teamwork, competition and the thrill of bringing home a championship are part of the high school experience for many young athletes, but for a growing number of teens that glory is being pursued online.

And one Montreal high school wants to help them with a new “esports studies” stream that allows students to spend part of their school day playing video games as an entry to the booming world of competitive gaming.

Starting in September, about a dozen “cyber-athletes” from the Edouard-Montpetit school will spend half their day in class and half at a gaming academy, in a program modelled after those offered to elite athletes in hockey, swimming, tennis and other sports, said Patrick RheaumeEspinoza of the Montreal Esports Academy.

Rheaume-Espinoza, whose academy is running the video gaming component of the program, says it offers similar benefits to those of conventional sports, including teamwork, judgment, discipline and increased motivation at school. He says the Edouard-Montpetit program will be unique in Canada.

While some may raise eyebrows at putting video games

on a par with soccer, RheaumeEspinoza believes Quebec will eventually follow the lead of countries such as South Korea that have officially recognized gaming as a sport.

“What defines a sport?” he asked in an interview at the academy’s headquarters in a converted clothing store on Montreal’s trendy St-Laurent Blvd.

“It’s a game. It’s competitive.

There are winners, there are losers. There’s sportsmanship, there’s a goal and there’s passion.” He added that physical fitness is a core component “because both body and mind activity are 100 per cent required.”

Live-streamed esports draw huge audiences, player sponsorships and tournament prize money. The massive popularity of games such as Fortnite means games have become big business — one that U.S. investment firm Goldman Sachs has estimated could rival the NFL in terms of audience within the next five years.

But Quebec’s junior education minister Isabelle Charest, a former Olympic short track speed skater, expressed skepticism on whether video games could eventually be classified as a sport.

“I find the nomenclature unusual, because we consider sport to be physical activity. ❱❱ PAGE 38 Montreal high

FEBRUARY 8, 2019

34

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35

Travel New exhibition in Montreal reveals once repressed depictions of nude models THE CANADIAN PRESS MONTREAL — A new exhibition is unveiling once-repressed depictions of nude models from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, laying bare taboos about an artistic tradition that continues to resonate in the present day, a curator says.

“A Model in the Studio” opens at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts on Tuesday, featuring drawings, sketches and sculptures of live models in various states of undress rendered between 1880 and 1950 by more than 30 artists with ties to the city.

Jacques Des Rochers, who curated the exhibit, said the collection tracks the development of this academic and modernist discipline in Montreal, revealing insights about each artist with works that represent different phases of the creative process.

The museum’s curator of pre-1945 Quebec and Canadian art said many of the pieces are either new acquisitions or are exhibited for the first time after being shunned from public display or sanitized due to deeply conservative Canadian values of their day.

Evidence of these uptight attitudes about nudity are woven throughout the exhibition, Des Rochers said, which includes images of models draped to protect their decency and typical examples of censorship at the time, such as a publication that obscured a woman’s breast in a drawing by French artist Pierre Bonnard.

However, Des Rochers said, even as art appreciators of the time were shielded from man in his natural splendour, the academic study of the body was flourishing in the museum’s art school, which he described as a hub of Canada’s creative scene until its closure in 1977.

Students at the school were

trained in the Parisian practice of mastering the human form in all of its stark glory under the direction of influential Canadian art teacher William Brymner, who is featured in the exhibition alongside a number of his pupils.

When the first evening arts course was opened in 1892, most of the nude models were male, Des Rochers said. Around the 1920s, women became the preferred subject of modern artists.

He points out five female artists are featured in the exhibit, including modernist Jori Smith, who he said brought a different perspective to capturing women’s bodies.

“We can critique the men who show the sensuality of women, but women did also the same for themselves,” he said. “We are showing the stereotype, but also the way the women answer with their own works (and) how they want to represent themselves.”

The exhibition arrives amid a debate in art circles about the use of live models as the #MeToo movement has raised concerns about the potential for exploitation.

Des Rochers said he was keenly aware of these sensitivities in curating the collection, which is why he used labels to ensure each work is framed in its appropriate context.

“I hope there is no controversy in this time of controversy,” he said. “To show the human body, especially the (female) body, sometimes could be problematic, but the way we show it, I don’t think it’s problematic at all.”

The body, Des Rochers said, is the most “human subject.”

So to trace the evolution of the human form as it has brushed up against the cultural mores of the day teaches us not only about art history, but ourselves, he said.

“It explains (the body) as an existence,” Des Rochers said.

“We cannot erase it.” ■

New York museum exhibit marks Jackie Robinson centennial

BY LAURIE KELLMAN The Associated Press NEW YORK — As the 100th anniversary of Jackie Robinson’s birth approached, Sharon Robinson is sure her father would have a lot to say about the current political climate in the United States if he were still alive.

“I know he would be outraged,” she said.

Jackie Robinson, who died at age 53 in 1972, would have turned 100 on Thursday. He broke Major League Baseball’s colour barrier with the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947, and the centennial of his birth marks the opening of an exhibit at the Museum of the City of New York titled “In the Dugout with Jackie Robinson: An Intimate Portrait of a Baseball Legend.”

It features memorabilia and 32 photographs originally shot for Look magazine, plus footage of Robinson hitting grounders to his son in the backyard of the family house in Stamford, Connecticut. Many of the photos shot by Frank Bauman and Kenneth Eide from 1949 and 1953 had not been on public view previously.

Rachel Robinson, the ballplayer’s wife, planned to attend the opening, still a force at age 96. The celebration and baseball’s annual Jackie Robinson Day on April 15 will focus attention on the Jackie Robinson Museum in the SoHo section of Manhattan, scheduled to open in December.

Della Britton Baeza, CEO of the Jackie Robinson Foundation, said $28 million has been raised toward a $42 million goal — matching Robinson’s uniform number, which was retired throughout the major leagues in 1997. The money raised covers construction costs, and an additional $4 million is needed for marketing and staff. The overall goal includes $10 million for an enwww.canadianinquirer.net

Jackie Robinson.

BOB SANDBERG / WIKIMEDIA COMMONS, PUBLIC DOMAIN)

dowment, she said.

“In this day and age in this climate of our country, we really are going to take on this issue of discussing race relations,” Britton Baeza said. “What better place than a place that pays tribute to one of the great integrationists of the last century? So we’re going to roll up our sleeves. We will do it from a position of goodwill and from a position of starting with the facts, if you will, but we’re going to take these things on and talk about activism in sports.”

The exhibit, which runs until Sept. 15, is a partnership between the Museum of the City of New York and the foundation, and some of the memorabilia will wind up at the Jackie Robinson Museum.

Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred has been a major backer of the Jackie Robinson Foundation and the museum, and he will be honoured at the foundation’s annual awards dinner on March 4 along with businessman Maverick Carter and musician Kristopher Bowers.

“The centennial of his birth is an opportunity for MLB to recognize the historical significance of Jackie Robinson and to continue to teach younger people the impact he had on baseball and society,” Manfred said.

Sharon Robinson, MLB’s education programming consultant, said today’s players need to have greater knowledge of the foundation’s efforts.

“There was a shift in their awareness with the movie ‘42,”‘ she said of the 2013 film that starred Chadwick Boseman as Robinson and Harrison Ford as Brooklyn Dodgers general manager Branch Rickey. “A number of players came up to me or coaches and said, ‘I thought I knew the story but now I get it.’ There’s no time better than now because this country needs healing, needs to continue to move forward in terms of not just dealing with racism but sexism and the whole gamut of isms. So there’s no better time to look back into history and see how much has changed but how much work still needs to be done.” ■

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Inaugural flight to take people through the curtain of northern lights THE CANADIAN PRESS

Marc dela Cruz.

@MARC_DELACRUZ / INSTAGRAM

Fil-Am Marc... ❰❰ 24

Co-star Olivia Oguma posted about how proud she was of her friend Marc landing the role, in a Facebook post sharing, “Tonight, we had the first AsianAmerican Alexander Hamilton in Hamilton on Broadway. Just wanted to let everyone know.

Marc de la Cruz I have never been more proud of anyone.

I’m so happy for you.” She also states, “Marc is not my friend— he is my brother, and someone we consider a family member. I am so thrilled to have had him

in my life for 11 years. His best performance to date will always be singing ‘We Kiss in the Shadow’ with me in our recording studio/bathroom in our hotel room in Minneapolis on the High School Musical tour, but his performance as Hamilton is a close second.”

According to reports, Jin Ha has played Hamilton in the Chicago production, while Joseph Morales has played Hamilton on tour, both joining Marc as Asian-Americans who has portrayed the coveted role. ■

WHITEHORSE — Neil Zeller has photographed auroras for about six years but going up in an airplane to see them was high on his “bucket list” and so amazing the first time that he’s doing it again.

The professional photographer and self-described aurora chaser was on the test flight last year conducted by Air North, the Yukon Astronomical Society and Travel Yukon, which took off from Whitehorse to fly through the bewitching curtain of northern lights.

Zeller said he can’t wait to get back in the air.

The “Aurora 360” inaugural flight, which can carry 70 people, will take off this month.

Aurora 360 spokesman Kalin Pallett said the flight ascends more than 10,000 metres into the auroral oval, the ring above where the aurora borealis appears.

Northern light fanatics will then have about three hours to watch the dancing green, yellow and pink phenomena out the windows of the Boeing 737.

The northern lights are steeped in folklore. Some Indigenous groups describe them as evil, omens of war, dancing spirits, spirits of children and a reminder of the creator. Norse mythology saw the auroras as fire bridges to the sky built by the gods.

Scientists say the lights are caused by particles from the sun interacting with the Earth’s magnetic field.

Zeller said seeing the northern lights from the airplane was “indescribable.”

For someone who’s never seen them before, looking at northern lights from up in the air can be a bit hard to understand because you don’t know what you’re looking at, he said.

“But the moment they realize they are the northern lights, the first time someone sees them, it’s incredible.”

Franco Gucciardo was also on the test flight and said the first time he ever saw the northern lights was out the airplane window.

“It was transparent, lights www.canadianinquirer.net

I did a really quick trip to The Yukon this week. -41c and worth it!

NEIL ZELLER PHOTOGRAPHY / FACEBOOK

and stars ... green and a little yellow,” he said.

The lights were like a “long pulse” that disappear and comes back stronger, he said, adding that seeing them from the flight was a “once in a lifetime experience.”

After the flight, Gucciardo said, he found a dark sky to watch from the ground and the difference was telling.

Seeing it from the air was like being enveloped by the lights rather than looking at them “straight up,” he said.

Zeller said the northern lights that occurred during the test flight weren’t as powerful as he would have liked.

“When it’s a really powerful aurora storm it is mind-blowing. You see the colours, the purples and the greens.”

The advantage of seeing auroras from a flight is that by flying above the clouds there is almost a guarantee of seeing them, he said.

Aurora storms can last for any time from a few seconds to a few days, Zeller said.

“The sun burps off this energy and sends it towards the earth so, it depends on the strength of that energy,” he said. “I’ve been

involved in aurora storms that lasted as long as four days long and as long as 14 seconds.”

Zeller said he enjoys looking at and photographing the night skies.

“Once you start photographing the night sky it opens up an entire new world to you.”

And chasing auroras is an adventure and an addiction, he said.

“There is no schedule, no script. There’s more magic to that.”

If you go:

Dates: Flights go from Feb. 7 to 11.

Cost: Aurora 360 flight, $995.00 + GST. Aurora 360 Experience, $2,799.00 + GST. The experience includes 4 nights accommodation, 3 gourmet dinners, an evening of scientific presentations, an evening of cultural presentations and a day/evening of nature themed activities.

Where to board: The flights leave Whitehorse, Yukon. The flight path is determined by aurora activity but usually includes crossing over the Arctic Circle, before circling back to Whitehorse. ■

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Food Skip the boxed mac and cheese and make your own at home AMERICA’S TEST KITCHEN MACARONI AND cheese has always been on my “must-explore” list. It’s just eaten too often in this country for us to ignore it. Kids in particular say yes to macaroni and cheese when they turn up their noses at everything else. Unfortunately, it’s the boxed version, complete with orange cheese powder, that’s made most often.

There are two distinct styles of macaroni and cheese: bechamel-based, in which macaroni is blanketed with a cheesy white sauce, usually topped with crumbs, and baked. The other variety, the kind my mother always made, is custard-based. In this style, a mixture of egg and milk is poured over layers of grated cheese and noodles. As the dish bakes, the eggs, milk and cheese set into a custard. It can also be topped with bread crumbs, although my mom always sprinkled crushed saltine crackers over hers.

We preferred the cheesierflavoured custard version and

decided to experiment. To our surprise, highly processed cheeses such as American performed quite well in this dish.

Much like evaporated milk, the more processing, the more stable the cheese and the more creamy the dish. For flavour, use cheddar; for texture, buy American. You can skip the bread crumbs and sprinkle the dish with crumbled common crackers or saltines, if desired.

Stovetop macaroni and cheese

Servings: 4 Start to finish: 45 minutes

Bread Crumbs: • 3 slices hearty white sandwich bread, torn into quarters • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted • Salt Macaroni and Cheese: • 2 large eggs • 1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk • 1 teaspoon dry mustard, dissolved in 1 teaspoon water • Salt • 1/4 teaspoon pepper • 1/4 teaspoon hot sauce

• 8 ounces elbow macaroni (2 cups) • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter • 12 ounces sharp cheddar, American, or Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (3 cups) For the bread crumbs: Pulse bread in food processor to coarse crumbs, about 10 pulses.

Melt butter in 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add bread crumbs and cook, stirring often, until beginning to brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Season with salt to taste; set aside.

For the macaroni and cheese: Mix eggs, 1 cup evaporated milk, mustard mixture, 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper, and hot sauce in bowl.

Meanwhile, bring 2 quarts water to boil in Dutch oven.

Add pasta and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and cook, stirring often, until al dente. Drain pasta and return to pot over low heat. Add butter and toss to melt.

Add egg mixture and threequarters of cheese to pasta and toss until thoroughly combined and cheese starts to melt. Gradually add remaining evaporated

milk and remaining cheese, stirring constantly, until mixture is hot and creamy, about 5 minutes. Serve immediately, sprinkling individual portions with toasted bread crumbs.

Variation:

“Baked” Macaroni and Cheese: Add 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese to toasted bread crumbs. Adjust oven rack 6 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Transfer macaroni and cheese mixture

to a 13-by-9-inch broiler-safe baking dish and sprinkle with bread-crumb mixture. Broil until topping turns deep golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Let casserole cool for 5 minutes before serving. ■ Nutrition information per serving: 880 calories; 463 calories from fat; 52 g fat (32 g saturated; 1 g trans fats); 249 mg cholesterol; 1063 mg sodium; 65 g carbohydrate; 3 g fiber; 11 g sugar; 36 g protein.

A Dutch oven may be key to a better butternut squash soup AMERICA’S TEST KITCHEN BUTTERNUT SQUASH soup is a fall staple, but many recipes fail to live up to their potential, ending up too sweet or with too little squash flavour—plus, prepping the squash can be time-consuming and unwieldy.

We found the solution to these problems in our Dutch oven.

We sauteed a shallot in butter with the reserved squash seeds and fibers before adding water for a flavourful, squashenhanced liquid that we then used for steaming the squash.

The Dutch oven’s ample size provided plenty of room www.canadianinquirer.net

for steaming, and we could drop the squash in unpeeled and quartered, which cut out lots of prep time. To complete our soup, we scooped out the cooked squash from its skin and then pureed it with some of the strained steaming liquid for a perfectly smooth texture.

Some heavy cream added richness, and a little brown sugar and curry powder balanced the squash’s earthy flavour. A tart apple, such as a Granny Smith, adds a nice contrast to the sweet squash, but any type of apple may be used.

Curried butternut squash and apple soup

Servings: 4-6

Start to finish: 1 hour, 15 minutes • 6 slices hearty white sandwich bread, crusts removed, cut into 1/2 inch pieces (3 cups) • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus 4 tablespoons unsalted butter • Salt and pepper • 1 large shallot, chopped • 2 1/2 pounds butternut squash, quartered and seeded, fibers and seeds reserved • 6 cups water • 1 large apple, peeled, cored, and quartered • 1/2cup heavy cream ❱❱ PAGE 38 A Dutch

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Peanut blossom cookies with a more robust peanut flavour AMERICA’S TEST KITCHEN PEANUT BLOSSOM cookies first gained notoriety at the 1957 Pillsbury Bake-Off. They’re simply a peanut butter cookie topped with a Hershey’s Kiss. We started with the original recipe and made tweaks to it with the goal of achieving a more robust peanut flavour.

Adding more peanut butter didn’t do the trick. We tried swapping chunky peanut butter for the creamy, but tasters disliked the craggy texture it gave these cookies. We got the best peanut flavour when we replaced a portion of the flour with roasted peanuts, which we ground finely in the food processor so they wouldn’t compromise the cookie’s texture.

Most recipes recommend pressing the kisses into the cookies immediately after baking, but the warm cookies softened the kisses too much, and they took 4 hours to firm up again—longer than we were willing to wait to indulge.

Strangely enough, we found that placing the chocolates on the cookies during the last 2 minutes of baking helped them firm up more quickly. Why? It turns out that a little direct heat stabilizes and sets the exterior of the chocolate, and the kisses were firm enough to eat after the cookies had cooled for just 2 hours. Any Hershey’s Kiss— dark, milk, white, or “Hugs”— works in this recipe.

Peanut blossom cookies

Servings: Makes 48 cookies Start to finish: 1 hour

• 1 1/3 cups (6 2/3 ounces) allpurpose flour • 1/2 cup salted dry-roasted peanuts • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda • 1/4 teaspoon salt • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened • 1/3 cup packed (2 1/3 ounces) dark brown sugar • 1/3 cup (2 1/3 ounces) granulated sugar • 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter • 1 large egg, room tempera-

A Dutch... ❰❰ 37

• 2 teaspoons curry powder • 1 teaspoon packed dark brown sugar

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 F. Toss bread with melted butter, season with salt and pepper, and spread onto rimmed baking sheet. Bake until golden brown and crisp, 20 to 25 minutes, stirring halfway through baking. Set aside to cool. (Croutons can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days.)

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in Dutch oven over medium heat. Add shallot and cook until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in squash seeds and fibers and cook until butter turns orange, about 4 minutes.

Stir in water and 1 teaspoon salt and bring to simmer. Place squash, cut side down, and apple in steamer basket and lower basket into pot. Cover and steam until completely tender, 30 to 40 minutes.

ture • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract • 48-50 Hershey’s Kisses, unwrapped Process 2/3 cup flour and peanuts in food processor until peanuts are finely ground, about 15 seconds; transfer to bowl and whisk in baking powder, baking soda, salt, and remaining 2/3 cup flour.

Using stand mixer fitted with paddle, beat butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add peanut butter and beat until combined. Add egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Reduce speed to low, add flour mixture in 2 additions, and mix until just combined. Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll dough into 1-inch balls and space them 2 inches apart on prepared sheets. Bake, 1 sheet at a time, until cookies are just set and beginning to crack, 9 to 11

minutes. Working quickly, remove sheet from oven and place 1 candy in centre of each cookie, pressing down firmly. Return sheet to oven and bake until cookies are light golden, about 2 minutes longer. Let cookies cool on sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack. Let

cookies cool completely before serving. ■

cles and navigate terrain, actually strengthened the hippocampus, West believes that his study and other raise warning flags.

“I would suggest to any policy-makers that this is not necessarily a good idea, given the fact that we do not understand how these types of games impact the developing brain,” he said. He added, “encouraging youth to play for half the day, every day, is concerning.”

But Rheaume-Espinoza says the gaming academy provides a structured atmosphere that will help students avoid the negative aspects of gaming.

The program includes about two hours of game coaching, as well as classes on game theory, and 30 minutes of physical education. Students will also learn about cyber-dependence and cyber-bullying as well as “healthy lifestyles,” including the need for proper sleep, nutrition, and hygiene.

He said that while the stereotype of an anti-social boy

playing games “in his parents’ basement eating chips and junk food” does exist, serious gamers understand the importance of health for performance. “When you’re a sportsman, at a national competition, you want to be 100 per cent optimal,” he said.

That sentiment was echoed by 18-year-old aspiring pro gamer Eliyakim Bezeau, who recently decided to leave school in hopes of turning his hobby into a career.

Bezeau, who was finishing up a personal coaching session at the Esports Academy on Thursday, said he was there to improve many aspects of his game “It’s my mechanics, vision, my game sense, learning to position myself,” he said. “There are a lot of tricks to it.”

He said gaming can be healthy if it is not seen as an escape.

“If you do it in a moderate fashion, it can be good, and you can make a living doing it,” he said. “But you have to control yourself.” ■

Nutrition information per serving: 94 calories; 53 calories from fat; 6 g fat (2 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 11 mg cholesterol; 48 mg sodium; 9 g carbohydrate; 1 g fiber; 6 g sugar; 2 g protein.

Montreal high...

Using tongs, transfer squash to rimmed baking sheet. Let squash cool slightly, then scrape flesh from skin using soupspoon; discard skin.

Strain cooking liquid through fine-mesh strainer into bowl.

Working in batches, process squash and 3 cups strained cooking liquid in blender until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes, then return to clean pot. Stir in cream, curry powder, sugar, and remaining 2 tablespoons butter and bring to brief simmer over medium-low heat.

Adjust consistency as needed with remaining strained cooking liquid. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Top individual portions with croutons before serving. ■ Nutrition information per serving: 556 calories; 284 calories from fat; 32 g fat (19 g saturated; 1 g trans fats); 91 mg cholesterol; mg sodium; 66 g carbohydrate; 9 g fiber; 17 g sugar; 8 g protein.

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With that definition, I’m not sure it counts as a sport,” she told The Canadian Press Thursday.

“For sure it’s a new phenomenon. We’ll have to see exactly how we’re going to categorize it, but those are discussions we’ll have within the ministry.”

Gregory West, a psychology professor at the Universite de Montreal who has studied the effects of video games on the adult brain, says schools should think twice about encouraging them.

A study conducted by West and other researchers found that about half of players who were scanned after playing 90 hours of first-person shooter games experienced atrophy in their hippocampus, a part of the brain that helps with memory and is tied to long-term cognitive health, including the risk of depression or dementia.

While the study found socalled “platform” games, where players have to overcome obstawww.canadianinquirer.net

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